The Las Vegas Raiders ended a four-game skid Sunday with a 38-33 comeback victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, keeping their wildcard hopes alive for the final nine games. A loss would have effectively ended the team's push for postseason relevance and forced organizational decisions about the future, according to a review of the game film.
Rookie Dylan Laube made history by becoming the first NFL player this season to return a kickoff for a touchdown. He also added a key tackle on kickoff coverage, a smart play on a kick out of bounds, and nearly blocked a field goal, while his presence forced touchbacks on other returns. Laube had been leading the league in return average entering the game.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score, rallying the offense from behind despite a lack of receiving weapons and no running game to speak of. Coach Klint Kubiak praised the special teams and timely defensive stops, though he noted the offense must improve on finishing drives.
The most critical drive may have been a field-goal march that burned the final 4:31 of the game. After the Jets cut the lead to 35-33, rookie Mike Washington Jr. ran three times for 17 yards to start the possession. Cousins converted a third-and-short with a sneak — his third of the game — and the Raiders forced New York to exhaust all three timeouts before Matt Gay sealed the win with a 53-yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining.
Kubiak acknowledged the offense would have preferred to kneel out the clock rather than kick, saying, "Offensively, we'd love to finish that four-minute drive with the ball and get another first down... we've got to finish. We've got to finish that game (taking) a knee." The win showcased contributions from rookies Laube, Washington, and tight end Brock Bowers, who made several highlight-reel catches.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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