Sunday night football featured a defensive battle between the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets. The Raiders, led by their rushing attack, won 16-12.
Las Vegas struggled running the ball in the first half but stuck with it and rushed for over 100 yards in the second half. Josh Jacobs led the way with 116 yards on 27 carries, including a 40-yard run. The Raiders' offensive line struggled at times, but they kept battling and opened up holes for Jacobs in the second half. Jacobs ran hard and leaped over it, his feet moving.
Jacobs fumbled late in the fourth quarter as the Raiders drove to try to put the game away, but the defense bailed him out. You have to love the physical brand of football the Raiders playing with now.
Aiden O'Connell had a rough night. He was sacked three times and threw an interception, but he never got rattled and made some good throws. On his touchdown pass to Michael Meyer, O'Connell did an outstanding job extending the play with his legs and throwing the ball where only Meyer could catch it.
The quarterback only threw for 153 yards; however, O'Connell looked comfortable in the second half and got the ball out quicker. I expected O’Connell to struggle because of the Jets' defense, but I love how he keeps playing and turns the page.
The defense played well, holding the Jets to just for field goals. The Raiders defense held Breece Hall to 28 yards on 13 carries. Zach Wilson got 53 yards, but all on broken plays. Las Vegas's defense did excellent tackling for the most part and got off blocks to keep Hall in check.
After Jacobs fumbled in the fourth quarter, the Jets started driving down the field, and you could feel the momentum swinging toward New York's favor. That's when linebacker Robert Spillane had a huge interception to seal the deal. Spillane finished with seven tackles, one sack, and one interception.
The Raiders only had three penalties on the night. What I like about them in the last two games is they are playing a physical brand of football. Under Josh McDaniels, the Raiders struggled to have an identity; in two games under Antonio Pierce, the Raiders built an identity, which is tough and physical football.
Now, the Raiders have two challenging games: at the Miami Dolphins and at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. If they can continue to play physically and tough, they could play well in those two games.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)