Jason Campbell and a relentless defense gave the Oakland Raiders that
elusive back-to-back win in emphatic fashion.
Campbell threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns, and Oakland's defense
did the rest to help the Raiders even their record at the midpoint of
the season with a 33-3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Darren McFadden ran for 111 yards as the Raiders (4-4) reached the .500
mark this late in the season for the first time since 2002.
They did it by finally putting together back-to-back wins, a feat that
had eluded them the past two seasons. Oakland had lost its last seven
games following a win, outscored by an average of 17 points. This time,
the Raiders followed up their 59-point offensive outburst in Denver a
week ago with a defensive masterpiece against the Seahawks (4-3).
Oakland didn't allow a first down until more than 27 minutes into the
game and gave up just 162 yards of offense, including 47 on the ground.
It was the fewest yards allowed by the Raiders since 2006 and the fewest
points allowed since shutting out Kansas City in the final game of the
2002 season.
The Raiders also gained 545 yards, marking the first time in franchise
history they put together back-to-back 500-yard offensive performances.
Oakland has outscored the opposition 92-17 the past two weeks.
It wasn't all good news for the Raiders. Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi
Asomugha left the game in the fourth quarter with an injured right
ankle. He was unable to walk off under his own power and went
immediately to the locker room.
The normally reliable Olindo Mare missed two field goal attempts for
Seattle, ending a streak of 30 consecutive makes on a day all the
bounces went Oakland's way. The Raiders turned one double-deflection
into a 55-yard pass play and another into an interception.
The first of those breaks came on a third down late in the third
quarter. Campbell's slant pass hit Darrius Heyward-Bey in the chest,
bounced up and was bobbled by Jacoby Ford before Michael Bush picked it
out of the air and rumbled for the big gain. That set up one of
Sebastian Janikowski's four field goals to give Oakland a 16-0 lead.
On the next possession, Matt Hasselbeck threw a deep ball to Deon Butler
that cornerback Stanford Routt deflected. Butler tried to make a diving
catch of the batted pass, but the ball popped out right to Tyvon Branch
for an interception.
Campbell connected on a 69-yard touchdown pass to Heyward-Bey on the
next play to make it 23-0, sending the half-filled Coliseum into delirium.
The only remaining drama was whether the Raiders would finish their
first shutout in eight years. Mare finally made a 47-yard field goal
with 9:02 remaining to get Seattle on the board.
McFadden had his fourth 100-yard rushing day of the season. Heyward-Bey
had a career-high 105 yards receiving and his second career touchdown,
and fullback Marcel Reece also had a career high with 90 yards
receiving, including a 30-yard TD on fourth-and-1 in the second quarter.
Reece went in motion on the play and was one-on-one with safety Lawyer
Milloy on the outside. Reece beat Milloy on a slant, and when linebacker
David Hawthorne was unable to get over in time, Reece easily scored.
The Raiders sacked Hasselbeck on his first two dropbacks, and it was
that kind of half for the Seahawks. They gained just 4 yards in the
first quarter and didn't record a first down until Hasselbeck connected
with John Carlson on a 35-yard pass with 2:29 to go in the first half.
Jason Campbell and a relentless defense gave the Oakland Raiders that
elusive back-to-back win in emphatic fashion.
Campbell threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns, and Oakland's defense
did the rest to help the Raiders even their record at the midpoint of
the season with a 33-3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Darren McFadden ran for 111 yards as the Raiders (4-4) reached the .500
mark this late in the season for the first time since 2002.
They did it by finally putting together back-to-back wins, a feat that
had eluded them the past two seasons. Oakland had lost its last seven
games following a win, outscored by an average of 17 points. This time,
the Raiders followed up their 59-point offensive outburst in Denver a
week ago with a defensive masterpiece against the Seahawks (4-3).
Oakland didn't allow a first down until more than 27 minutes into the
game and gave up just 162 yards of offense, including 47 on the ground.
It was the fewest yards allowed by the Raiders since 2006 and the fewest
points allowed since shutting out Kansas City in the final game of the
2002 season.
The Raiders also gained 545 yards, marking the first time in franchise
history they put together back-to-back 500-yard offensive performances.
Oakland has outscored the opposition 92-17 the past two weeks.
It wasn't all good news for the Raiders. Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi
Asomugha left the game in the fourth quarter with an injured right
ankle. He was unable to walk off under his own power and went
immediately to the locker room.
The normally reliable Olindo Mare missed two field goal attempts for
Seattle, ending a streak of 30 consecutive makes on a day all the
bounces went Oakland's way. The Raiders turned one double-deflection
into a 55-yard pass play and another into an interception.
The first of those breaks came on a third down late in the third
quarter. Campbell's slant pass hit Darrius Heyward-Bey in the chest,
bounced up and was bobbled by Jacoby Ford before Michael Bush picked it
out of the air and rumbled for the big gain. That set up one of
Sebastian Janikowski's four field goals to give Oakland a 16-0 lead.
On the next possession, Matt Hasselbeck threw a deep ball to Deon Butler
that cornerback Stanford Routt deflected. Butler tried to make a diving
catch of the batted pass, but the ball popped out right to Tyvon Branch
for an interception.
Campbell connected on a 69-yard touchdown pass to Heyward-Bey on the
next play to make it 23-0, sending the half-filled Coliseum into delirium.
The only remaining drama was whether the Raiders would finish their
first shutout in eight years. Mare finally made a 47-yard field goal
with 9:02 remaining to get Seattle on the board.
McFadden had his fourth 100-yard rushing day of the season. Heyward-Bey
had a career-high 105 yards receiving and his second career touchdown,
and fullback Marcel Reece also had a career high with 90 yards
receiving, including a 30-yard TD on fourth-and-1 in the second quarter.
Reece went in motion on the play and was one-on-one with safety Lawyer
Milloy on the outside. Reece beat Milloy on a slant, and when linebacker
David Hawthorne was unable to get over in time, Reece easily scored.
The Raiders sacked Hasselbeck on his first two dropbacks, and it was
that kind of half for the Seahawks. They gained just 4 yards in the
first quarter and didn't record a first down until Hasselbeck connected
with John Carlson on a 35-yard pass with 2:29 to go in the first half.
