The Sports Xchange
Dec 4, 2016
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Derek Carr threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns, and the Oakland Raiders came from behind to score 29 unanswered points and defeat the Buffalo Bills 38-24 at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday.
The Raiders won their sixth straight game and improved to 10-2, their best start since 2000 when they opened the season 10-2 and reached the AFC Championship Game. They remained alone in first place in the West, one game ahead of the 9-3 Kansas City Chiefs.
The Bills (6-6) lost in Oakland for the ninth straight time as their playoff hopes took a huge blow. Buffalo hasn't won at the Coliseum since 1966.
The Raiders trailed 24-9 with 9:01 left in the third quarter but dominated the rest of the game.
Wide receiver Michael Crabtree caught seven passes for 74 yards and one touchdown for the Raiders. Latavius Murray carried 20 times for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
LeSean Murray rushed for 130 yards on 17 carries and caught six passes for 47 yards for Buffalo. Tyrod Taylor completed 18 of 35 passes for 191 yards and no touchdowns with one interception. Mike Gillislee rushed for 49 yards and two touchdowns.
The Raiders cut Buffalo's lead to 24-16 on Carr's 3-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree with 5:17 left in the third quarter. Carr completed 5 of 6 passes for 58 yards on the 75-yard drive.
The Raiders took over at Buffalo's 38 after Jalen Richard returned Colton Schmidt's 35-yard punt 17 yards. Two plays later, Richard bolted 21 yards off left tackle to the Bills' 13. Murray scored on a 1-yard run, slicing Buffalo's lead to 24-23 with 57 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Raiders forced another punt and moved ahead 30-24 on Carr's 37-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 14:08 left to play. Cooper beat rookie cornerback Kevon Seymour with a double move, and Carr threw a strike down the right sideline.
Oakland's next drive ended with a Marquette King punt, but the Raiders downed the ball at the Buffalo 4. And on first down, Khalil Mack deflected Taylor's pass and safety Nate Allen intercepted, giving Oakland a first down at Buffalo's 16.
That set up Murray's 3-yard touchdown run. When Carr hit wide receiver Seth Roberts with a two-point conversion pass, Oakland had a 38-24 lead with 8:34 left to play.
Mack sealed the victory with a strip-sack of Taylor and fumble recovery at the Raiders 23 with 3:20 to play.
Carr injured his right pinky finger early in the third quarter the previous week against Carolina and played the rest of that game wearing a glove on his throwing hand and taking every snap out of the shotgun formation. Carr got rid of the glove against Buffalo, but he had his injured finger taped and didn't take any snaps under center. He completed 19 of 35 passes.
The Bills built a 10-9 halftime lead and scored 57 seconds into the second half on Taylor's 12-yard run. McCoy started the two-play, 66-yard drive with a 54-yard run on first down. Then Taylor faked a handoff to Gillislee, who rammed up the middle, and raced untouched around right end to the end zone.
The Bills marched 54 yards in 10 plays for Gillislee's 2-yard touchdown run up the middle with 9:01 left in the third, putting them ahead 24-9.
NOTES: Raiders starting DT Stacy McGee (ankle) and backup DT Darius Latham (ankle) were inactive. DL Denico made the start. ... Raiders rookie RB DeAndrew Washington was inactive for the second straight game. ... Bills CB Ronald Darby (concussion) was inactive, and rookie Kevon Seymour started in his place. ... Bills WR Robert Woods (knee) was inactive, and Marquise Goodwin started in his place. ... Bills starting TE Charles Clay did not make the trip to Oakland, remaining in Buffalo for the birth of his baby. Backup TE Nick O'Leary started.