Despite Shaky OL, Raiders Take Down Ravens

The Las Vegas Raiders may not have won the trenches, but they won the game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) looks to pass from the pocket during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders picked up their first victory of the season with a come-from-behind game against the Baltimore Ravens, 26-23. 

It was a gutsy performance for the Silver and Black, trailing by ten points in the fourth quarter. A Derrick Henry touchdown put the Ravens up 23-13, seemingly putting the game out of reach for Coach Antonio Pierce’s squad. 

But it wasn’t. 

Daniel Carlson kicked a field goal to make it a one-score game, and after a defensive stop, the Raiders got the ball back, leading to a score from Davante Adams. 

With 27 seconds left, another Carlson field goal gave the Raiders a 3-point lead. The Raiders dug deep, stayed focused and pulled off the upset. 

One of the most impressive elements of this Raiders’ victory is how they were able to win despite their offensive line allowing constant pressure all game. 

The Ravens were all over Minshew, sacking him five times. Odafe Oweh was all over Minshew and the Raiders offensive line, as he was responsible for two and a half sacks in the game. 

Oweh beat Kolton Miller for two of those sacks in the first quarter, screaming off the edge and giving Minshew no chance to get away. 

Kyle Van Noy also recorded two sacks, and Michael Pierce came up with the other half-sack. It was not a good day for the Raiders’ offensive line as a whole, despite the victory. 

The Raiders also did not get the run game going. They had just nine carries for 24 yards, one of which was Alexander Mattison's carry at the goal line that broke the plane. Despite that, there was no room for Raiders runners to go, and the offensive line was not opening holes. 

While the Raiders pulled off an impressive victory, the offensive line has to be better going forward. This is the second consecutive week the group up front has allowed five sacks, and the second week the run game has not gotten going. 

The Raiders will not be able to win many more games if their offensive line is not blocking for Minshew or opening up running lanes. Despite that, it was an impressive win, and if they can improve as a unit, they could win some surprising games.

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