Derek Carr hooked up with Michael Crabtree for a two-point conversion after the Raiders scored a touchdown with 47 seconds left and Oakland stunned the New Orleans Saints 35-34 on Sunday at the Superdome.
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Opening the season with a win is always a great way to begin any sort of playoff campaign, but the Raiders opened the season with a hard road game against the New Orleans Saints. Vehicle passed for 319 yards, one TD and a pair of clutch 2-point conversions, first to Cooper to tie the game at 27 and later to Crabtree for the win.
“Everyone knew about our strategy”, said Del Rio, now in his second season with Oakland.
What can I say about the 60 million dollar man? Cooks snagged 6 catches for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns. His by far favorite target was Amari Cooper as he recorded 137 receiving yard on six completions.
Those scores overcame a vintage Brees performance in which he extended his streak without an interception against the Raiders to 251 consecutive attempts while completing 28 of 42 passes for 423 yards.
Del Rio also stood by his decision to bench starting cornerback Sean Smith midway through the third quarter after the eighth-year veteran was repeatedly beaten by the Saints receivers, most notably on a 98-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Brees to Brandin Cooks that was the longest in franchise history.
The Raiders did move the ball up and down the field at a rapid pace in the fourth, netting 22 points, and having the defense looking for answers. “He’s one of the best corners in this league and it’s going to hurt us”, Vaccaro said.
As for pass blocking, Carr was not sacked in the game.
New Orleans almost held on, but Saints linebacker Craig Robertson was flagged for interference on a fourth-down pass that sailed out of bounds.
“We’ve got to understand who we’re playing and what we’re trying to take away”, Payton said. A flag was quickly thrown and the Cardinals were penalized 15 yards for a “choreographed demonstration”.
Added Payton on the radio Monday: “I thought he played the technique well”.
“I’m not going to start the season off complaining about the officials. He’s really talented. There are obviously going to be some bumps along the way”.
Because of Breaux’s injury, three other cornerbacks – De’Vante Harris, Ken Crawley and P.J. Williams – got their first taste of action in the regular season.
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Coming off a breakout season in 2015, Willie Snead set the bar even higher during the first game of 2016.
