The Oakland Raiders jumped out to a 17-0 first quarter lead and held on for a 34-25 victory over the Tennessee Titans at The Coliseum in Nashville. WR Jerry Porter took two QB Kerry Collins aerials to the house, SS Jarrod Cooper recovered a fumble for a touchdown and DT Warren Sapp recorded 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble as the Raiders won their second straight game. The Raiders defense sacked Titans QB Steve McNair six times.
The Raiders won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Rookie CB Chris Carr returned K Rob Bironas' opening kickoff 31 yards to the Raiders 34. After two RB LaMont Jordan runs, the Titans were called for roughing the passer as QB Kerry Collins hit WR Randy Moss for a 6-yard completion and the first 1st down of the day. Jordan then ripped off a 12-yard gain to the Titans' 27. Two plays later, Collins hit WR Jerry Porter for a 26-yard touchdown pass. K Sebastian Janikowski's successful PAT put the Raiders up 7-0 with 12:04 left in the 1st quarter.
Janikowski's ensuing kickoff was fielded on a hop in the end zone for a touchback. The Titans took over at their own 20-yard line. The Raiders held the Tennessee offense to a three-and-out after a loss of three on 1st down (DT Ted Washington on the stop), an incomplete pass on 2nd (deep pass broken up by rookie CB Fabian Washington) and an 11-yard QB Steve McNair scramble. P Craig Hentrich's punt rolled out of bounds at the Raiders 37.
WR Alvis Whitted took the hand off on a reverse and zoomed into Tennessee territory picking up 24 yards to the 38. Jordan then took a screen pass 16 yards to the 22 thanks to an incredible block by C Adam Treu. After a short Jordan run, Collins hit Porter for 10 yards and a 1st down at the Titans 10. After a Jordan run for no gain, Collins hit TE Randal Williams for 6 yards. On 3rd and goal, Collins was forced to throw the ball away. Janikowski came on and drilled a 22-yard field goal attempt giving the Raiders a 10-0 lead with 6:24 left in the 1st quarter.
Rookie WR Courtney Roby returned the ensuing kickoff 24 yards to the 22. The Raiders held the Titans offense to another three-and-out. Carr called for and made a fair catch of Hentrich's punt at the Oakland 33.
A holding call backed the Raiders up to their own 23. Collins found Moss along the Titans' sideline for a 13-yard gain. On 2nd and 7, Tennessee was called for offsides, bringing up 2nd and 2. Collins connected with Moss for a 7-yard gain and a 1st down. Jordan then caught a short pass, stiff-armed LB Keith Bulluck and picked up 11 yards and a 1st down at the Tennessee 41. Collins deep ball for Moss was overthrown and fell incomplete. An illegal shift penalty brought up 2nd and 15 at the 46. The Titans were called for offsides, making it 2nd and 10. An incomplete pass brought up 3rd and 10. Collins then connected with Porter on a perfectly thrown pass for a 22-yard gain to the 18. Collins then hit Jordan on a screen pass. Jordan scampered into the end zone for the score thanks to a key block by G Ron Stone. Janikowski's PAT gave the Raiders a 17-0 lead with :35 left in the 1st quarter.
Janikowski's ensuing kickoff sailed into the end zone for a touchback. A 3rd and 2 completion to Roby gave the Titans their 1st first down of the day. A 12-yard run from RB Chris Brown moved the Titans to their 47. TE Erron Kinney caught a pass for an 18-yard gain to the Raiders 35. FS Stuart Schweigert then separated the Titans receiver from the ball with a big hit on a pass play headed deep down the left sideline. After a 6-yard Brown run, the Titans faced 3rd and 4. McNair connected with Roby for a 1st down at the Raiders 22. The pair connected again, this time for a 19-yard touchdown pass. Bironas missed the PAT. The Raiders led 17-6 with 10:13 left in the 2nd quarter.
A holding call wiped out a nice Carr kickoff return. The Raiders took over at their own 19 with 10:04 to play in the first half. Two plays later, the Raiders faced 3rd and 8, Collins was flushed out of the pocket and sacked for a 1-yard loss. P Shane Lechler's 53-yard punt was returned by rookie CB Adam Jones 39 yards all the way to the Raiders 34-yard line.
LB Danny Clark twisted McNair to the ground for a 4-yard sack on 1st down. Brown then broke loose for a 38-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion attempt failed. The Raiders led 17-12 with 7:58 left in the 2nd quarter.
Carr fielded the ensuing kickoff five yards deep in the end zone and returned it 25 yards to the Raiders 20. Collins hit TE John Paul Foschi for a 5-yard pickup on 1st down. Collins' 2nd down pass for Porter fell incomplete. On 3rd and 5, Collins' pass for WR Doug Gabriel was also off target. A personal foul against Tennessee wiped out an 82-yard Jones' punt return for a touchdown and backed the Titans up to their 9.
CB Renaldo Hill dropped Titans' WR Bo Scaife for a 2-yard loss on 1st down. McNair's 2nd down pass was broken up. On 3rd and 12, SS Jarrod Cooper recovered a McNair fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. DT Warren Sapp clobbered McNair from behind causing the fumble. Janikowski's PAT put the Raiders up 24-12 with 5:47 left in the 2nd quarter.
After the ensuing kickoff return, Tennessee took over at their own 36. A Brown run and a pass to WR Roydell Williams gave the Titans a 1st down at midfield. Two plays later, on 3rd and 8, McNair found Kinney for a 1st down at the Raiders 29. After a holding call on Tennessee, McNair picked up the first down with a 19-yard scramble. A few plays later, Sapp and DT Tommy Kelly crushed McNair on 3rd and long for another sack. Bironas's 39-yard field goal cut the Raiders lead to 24-15 with :51 left in the 2nd quarter.
Carr returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards to the Raiders 28. Collins' first down pass for Moss was too short, his second down pass for Porter was caught for 12 yards and a 1st down. Foschi's second catch of the day picked up 9 yards. On 2nd and 1, a long pass for Gabriel down the left sideline was broken up. On 3rd and 1, Reynaldo Hill picked off a Collins pass and raced 52 yards for a touchdown. The extra point cut the Raiders lead to 24-22 with :12 left in the 2nd quarter.
OG Corey Hulsey fielded the squib kick and downed the ball at the Raiders 27. Collins took a knee to run out the clock and end the half.
Janikowski's 2nd half opening kickoff was fielded in the end zone for a touchback. A few plays later, McNair converted on 3rd and long with a 15-yard pass to Kinney for a 1st down at the 32. Two plays later, McNair converted on 3rd down again, this time for 4 yards to the 42. Two plays later, Tennessee faced 3rd and inches. A McNair sneak resulted in another 1st down. A 3rd down pass to Williams gave the Titans a first down at the Raiders 33. DE Tyler Brayton broke through and sacked McNair causing a fumble, which DE Bobby Hamilton recovered and returned the Tennessee 46.
Two plays later, Jordan ripped off a 20-yard run to the 24. The drive stalled, however, and Janikowski came on and hit from 32 yards out to give the Raiders a 27-22 lead with 1:29 left in the 3rd quarter.
A personal foul on the ensuing kickoff backed the Titans up to their own 10-yard line. Two plays later, a roughing the passer call kept the Titans drive alive. Tennessee continued that drive deep into Raiders territory. On 3rd and 10 at the 15, McNair picked up 14 on a scramble. On 4th down, the Titans elected to go for a Bironas field goal attempt. The successful 24-yard kick cut the Raiders lead to 27-25 with 7:48 left in the 4th quarter.
Gabriel returned the ensuing kickoff to the Oakland 31. Several plays later, Collins found Porter who broke a tackle, tight-roped the sideline, stayed in bounds and scampered 44 yards for the touchdown. Janikowski's extra point gave the Raiders a 34-25 lead with 4:37 left to play.
McNair drove the Titans into Raiders territory. Sapp's sack on 3rd and 10 forced the Titans into 4th and 20, bringing on the punter. Hentrich's punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback. The Raiders took over at their own 20 with 3:34 left in the game.
On 4th and 4 at the Oakland 26, the Titans forced the Raiders to punt by calling their third and final time out with 3:18 left in the game. Lechler's bounding 46-yard punt rolled dead at the Titans 28. DT Ed Jasper added to the sack mayhem and forced Tennessee into a 3rd and long. An incomplete pass brought up 4th and 10 with 2:20 to go. McNair's deep pass for Roby was overthrown and the Titans turned the ball over on downs with 2:14 left to play.
