Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Zay Jones.
After much anticipation, the Las Vegas Raiders finally welcomed fans to Allegiant Stadium for the first time, and boy did the team give them a show. The Baltimore Ravens were widely considered the clear favorite to win the game and that was obvious early on. They got off to a quick 14-0 lead and things were looking ugly, especially on offense.
The Raiders turned things around and started to trade blows with Baltimore late in the game. It looked like the game was over when Justin Tucker hit a field goal to give the Ravens a 27-24 lead with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. Derek Carr quickly led the Raiders down the field and Daniel Carlson made a field goal to send the game to overtime. That’s when things got really out of control.
Las Vegas seemingly won the game when Carr hit Bryan Edwards on what was originally ruled a touchdown. Upon further review, it was determined that Edwards was down at the one-yard line. Instead of punching it in for a quick touchdown, the Raiders had a false start, which pushed them back to the six-yard line. Carr ended up throwing an interception and it looked like the team was about to blow the upset victory. However, Carl Nassib got a strip-sack on Lamar Jackson and then Carr hit Zay Jones for the game-winning touchdown. Needless to say, it was one of the wildest NFL games ever and many couldn’t believe what they were watching.
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Internet in Disbelief Over Game
Monday night’s game represented the first game featuring fans in Las Vegas and it was in primetime. There were a ton of people watching the game and nobody could believe what was happening. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes reacted to the craziness. “Bro what is going on?!?!” he tweeted.
Bro what is going on?!?! 😂😂😂
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James seconded what Mahomes was feeling.
@PatrickMahomes 🤷🏾♂️🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Portland Trail Blazers guard and noted Raiders fan Damian Lillard expressed how many others felt about the game. “We made it harder than I woulda liked but… Raider Nation comes out on top,” he wrote on Twitter.
There was a litany of great reactions to the game.
You know #Raiders football is back when you’ve gone through 43 emotions, broke a few things, woke up neighbors and the game is still undecided…😅
Lamar Jackson in the Ravens locker room after losing to the Raiders
It was truly a game for the ages.
Jon Gruden Sounds off on Game
The Raiders and their fans have dealt with a lot of heartbreak over the years, so the September 13 game was brutal to watch. Head coach Jon Gruden expressed the same emotions that many fans were feeling after the game.
“Felt like I died and woke up. And died. And woke up again,” Gruden said. “I was like a cat – I had multiple lives. … We did a lot of good things to win that football game tonight.”
A win is a win no matter how ugly it is. The Ravens are one of the best teams in the NFL so the fact that the Raiders were able to beat them could mean very good things for the season. The most promising thing is that the defense looks greatly improved. If the defense indeed takes a big leap, Las Vegas could be headed to the playoffs this year.
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