Gardner Minshew and the Raiders overcame years of disappointment and criticism with a standout performance on a great day for underdogs.
Minshew guided three scoring drives in the fourth quarter. Daniel Carlson made a crucial 38-yard field goal with 27 seconds left, and Las Vegas came back to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 26-23 on Sunday.
Baltimore seemed on track for its first win of the season after Derrick Henry scored a touchdown to give them a 23-13 lead with 12 minutes remaining. But the Raiders (1-1) fought back with Minshew leading the charge.
After Carlson made a 25-yard field goal to reduce Las Vegas’ deficit, Minshew threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams to tie the game with 3:54 left.
The Raiders quickly got the ball back, and Minshew advanced Las Vegas down the field before Carlson kicked his fourth field goal of the game.
The comeback was surprising since Minshew came into the game with a 15-23 record as a starter. Additionally, Las Vegas had scored only 10 points in their previous week’s loss to the Chargers.
Moreover, the Raiders have not had a winning season since 2021 and were facing a team that had the best record in the NFL just a year ago.
“I look forward to continue to build on that momentum,” Minshew said. “Everybody feels pretty great about it. There’s a ton of tape to clean up. We’re going to do that, but I think everyone feels and believes what we can be as an offense.”
After a tough 27-20 loss to the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens instead fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2015.
“Disappointing loss, tough loss,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. “It could have gone our way, but we didn’t get the job done. (We’re) 0-2, but it’s a 17-game season, and we will be defined by the next 15 games.”
Minshew completed 30 of 38 passes for 276 yards. He was sacked five times and intercepted once, but none of that mattered as he led the Raiders to a surprising comeback on the road.
Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson completed 21 of 34 passes for 247 yards. He was limited to 20 yards rushing after gaining 122 yards on the ground against the Chiefs.
“I told these guys last night and throughout the week to beat one of the best teams in football last year and to beat one of the best players in the game, Lamar, we need all the units to play at their best,” coach Antonio Pierce said. “It all came down together in the fourth quarter.”
Especially the final 12 minutes. Henry rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Signed as a free agent during the offseason to strengthen Baltimore’s running game, Henry finally looked like a four-time Pro Bowler in the second half.
Two plays after a 17-yard run to the Las Vegas 6, Henry took a direct snap and ran straight ahead. With help from lineman Ronnie Stanley and fullback Patrick Ricard, Henry scored to make it 23-13 with 12:11 remaining.
It was his 92nd career rushing touchdown, placing the former Tennessee Titans star in 11th place on the NFL’s all-time list. Not that it matters, because the Ravens are 0-2.
“I know the guys in the locker room, and how we feel about it. Trust me, it sucks more for us than anybody else,” linebacker Roquan Smith said. “I just know we’re going to put our head down and keep going and correct our mistakes.”
Up 9-6 after a lackluster first half, the Ravens began the third quarter with a 70-yard drive that featured a 29-yard run by Henry and ended with Jackson finding Zay Flowers in the middle of the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown and a 10-point lead.
Minshew then took the Raiders to the Baltimore 26 before missing a fourth-and-2 pass to Adams in the end zone.
Minutes later, Las Vegas linebacker Robert Spillane intercepted a pass from Jackson intended for receiver Rashod Bateman. Minshew turned the interception into seven points, converting a third-and-8 with a 27-yard pass to rookie tight end Brock Bowers before Alexander Mattison scored from the 1-yard line.
Adams finished with nine catches for 110 yards and played a key role in the comeback.
“We played pitch-and-catch to one of the best receivers in the game,” Pierce said. “I thought it was a good job by our guys just being resilient.”
