“It is just that kind of belief and that kind of trust for a coach to believe in us like that”, said Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who connected with receiver Michael Crabtree in the left side of the end zone on a fade pass for the conversion and a one-point lead. Head coach Jack Del Rio showed faith in his quarterback, opting to go for the win by going for two instead of the extra point to tie the game.
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The former Ball State wide receiver hauled in nine passes for a career-high 172 yards and a touchdown in the New Orleans Saints’ 35-34 loss to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. The Raiders won 35-34 after the Saints missed a 61-yard field goal. Instead of sending out his kicker to attempt a game-tying PAT, he chose to roll the dice and go for two and the win.
A remarkable 45-yard run by David Johnson set up a 2-yard, sliding, over-the-shoulder touchdown catch by Fitzgerald that gave the Cardinals their only lead of the night, 21-20, with 9:46 remaining.
“At any moment”, Del Rio said, “if you let go of the rope, we were done, and we didn’t”. “I’m going to always do what I think is best for the football team and that’s what it was”.
Carr passed for 319 yards on 38 attempts, good for a very healthy 8.4 YPA, a number which many used to criticize his otherwise-encouraging sophomore season in 2015.
In the final 47 seconds, Brees got the Saints within field goal range.
Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints throws the ball during the first half of a game against the Oakland Raiders at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 11, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“It was everything I dreamt it would be”, said Lutz, who was exploring grad school options before the Saints called him.
It is only Week 1, and two games remain to be played on Monday night, but thus far the National Football League has produced as many 400-yard passers (one, Drew Brees, 423 yards in a Saints loss) this season as 100-yard rushers (Lamar Miller, Texans, 106 yards). There’s a point where you want to dig down and get off the field. And the Silver and Black ran an 11 play drive for 75 yards with a TD and a game winning two point conversion. “This year, we are talking about learning how to win, learning how to close these games, sticking together and making plays at the end”.
Cooks on his record-setting 98-yard touchdown pass from Brees: “Drew and I, we just happened to be on the same page, thinking the same thing”. “I didn’t see the guy behind me”.
Brandin Cooks, Saints: In the second half, Snead tapered off and Brandin Cooks continued to torch the Raiders secondary. “Defensively, the first three quarters of that game, there are a lot of things that we did according to plan”. If that wasn’t enough Parry Nickerson scored on a 96-yard interception return and Sherman Badie took a kick off 86 yards for a touchdown as well. “He’s going to be kicking long after I am coaching here”. With Breaux out UDFA rookie Ken Crawley was called on to fill the role and was victimized by Derek Carr and the potent Raiders receiving corps Breaux had so effectively helped keep in check.
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But the Saints made a massive upgrade to their defense – they fired coordinator Rob Ryan and shipped him to Buffalo to join fellow blowhard sibling Rex Ryan.
