The Oakland Raiders defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. RB Adimchinobe Echemandu carried the ball 17 times for 75 yards, WR Mike Williams hauled in a 3-yard TD pass, and DB Hiram Eugene returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown. Two late Raiders field goals were the difference.
The Cardinals won the opening coin toss. RB J.J. Arrington fielded K Sebastian Janikowski’s opening kickoff 5 yards deep in the end zone and downed the ball for a touchback. Matt Leinart started at quarterback for Arizona. The Raiders defense held the Cardinals to a three-and-out.
CB Chris Carr returned P Scott Player’s 41-yard punt 21 yards to the Arizona 49. Josh McCown started at quarterback for the Silver and Black. McCown’s first three passes fell incomplete and the Raiders were forced to punt. Rookie WR Steve Breaston returned P Shane Lechler’s 38-yard punt 4 yards to the Arizona 15-yard line.
The Raiders forced the Cardinals offense into another three-and-out. Rookie WR Johnnie Lee Higgins called for and made as fair catch of Player’s 38-yard punt at the Oakland 40. The Raiders took over with 12:06 left in the first quarter.
Despite completions to WRs Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry, and a run by RB Dominic Rhodes, the Raiders were unable to pick up a first down and were forced to punt. DB B.J. Ward downed Lechler’s punt at the Arizona 3-yard line.
Two RB Marcel Shipp runs out to the 1The Oakland Raiders defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. RB Adimchinobe Echemandu carried the ball 17 times for 75 yards, WR Mike Williams hauled in a 3-yard TD pass, and DB Hiram Eugene returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown. Two late Raiders field goals were the difference.
The Cardinals won the opening coin toss. RB J.J. Arrington fielded K Sebastian Janikowski’s opening kickoff 5 yards deep in the end zone and downed the ball for a touchback. Matt Leinart started at quarterback for Arizona. The Raiders defense held the Cardinals to a three-and-out.
CB Chris Carr returned P Scott Player’s 41-yard punt 21 yards to the Arizona 49. Josh McCown started at quarterback for the Silver and Black. McCown’s first three passes fell incomplete and the Raiders were forced to punt. Rookie WR Steve Breaston returned P Shane Lechler’s 38-yard punt 4 yards to the Arizona 15-yard line.
The Raiders forced the Cardinals offense into another three-and-out. Rookie WR Johnnie Lee Higgins called for and made as fair catch of Player’s 38-yard punt at the Oakland 40. The Raiders took over with 12:06 left in the first quarter.
Despite completions to WRs Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry, and a run by RB Dominic Rhodes, the Raiders were unable to pick up a first down and were forced to punt. DB B.J. Ward downed Lechler’s punt at the Arizona 3-yard line.
Two RB Marcel Shipp runs out to the 15 netted the first 1st down of the game. On 1st down, FS Stuart Schweigert almost made a diving interception of a pass intended for WR Larry Fitzgerald. Arizona drove to the Raiders 38 before the drive stalled. After a delay of game penalty, Player’s punt bounced into the end zone for a touchback. The Raiders took over at their own 20 with 5:50 left in the first quarter.
McCown led the Raiders on a scoring march. Key plays included a 3rd down conversion pass to WR Mike Williams and a pass interference call on a pass intended for WR Doug Gabriel. RB Dominic Rhodes capped off the 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. Janikowski’s successful extra point try gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead with 13:34 left in the 2nd quarter.
Shipp returned Janikowski’s kickoff to the Arizona 18. Kurt Warner entered the game at quarterback. Warner promptly connected with WR Bryant Johnson for a 59-yard pass, catch and run for a touchdown. K Neil Rackers PAT tied the game at 7-7 with 11:35 left in the 2nd quarter.
Carr fielded the ensuing kickoff in the end zone for a touchback. Andrew Walter entered the game at quarterback for Oakland. The Cardinals held the Raiders to a three-and-out. Shane Boyd sntered the game at quarterback for Arizona, and DB Hiram Eugene picked him off and returned the interception 36 yards for a touchdown. Janikowski’s PAT gave the Raiders a 14-7 lead with 9:00 left in the 2nd quarter.
The Raiders forced a punt and got the ball back late in the 2nd quarter. Walter engineered a scoring drive which he capped off with a 3-yard scoring pass to Mike Williams on a fade route. The TD pass and subsequent extra point gave the Raiders a 21-7 lead. Rackers hit a 59-yard field goal to cut the Raiders lead to 21-10 at halftime.
The Raiders got the ball to start the second half but were held to a three-and-out. P/K Tyler Fredrickson’s punt was downed at the Raiders 38. Boyd capped off the 8-play, 38-yard drive with an 8-yard TD run. Rackers’ PAT cut the Raiders lead to 21-17 with 9:38 left in the 3rd quarter.
Daunte Culpepper entered the game at quarterback for the Silver and Black. Culpepper fumbled his first snap and Arizona recovered at the Oakland 17. Defensive lineman Tyler Brayton appeared to have intercepted a Boyd screen pass. Brayton then returned the apparent interception 82 yards for a touchdown. The Cardinals challenged the ruling on the field. The referee overturned the call on the field and Arizona faced a 3rd and 6. Rookie DE Jay Richardson sacked Boyd forcing a field goal attempt. Rackers came on and hit from 37 yards out to cut the Raiders lead to 21-20 with 8:39 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Cardinals held the Raiders to a three-and-out. Fredrickson’s punt rolled out of bounds at the Raiders 45. Boyd drove the Cardinals to the Raiders 7-yard line before the Silver and Black forced a field goal attempt. Rackers 25-yard field goal gave the Cardinals a 23-21 lead with 3:40 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Raiders drove to the Cardinals 40 before the drive stalled and Oakland was forced to turn the ball over on downs. The Raiders held Arizona to a three-and-out. P Ricky Schmitt’s put was downed at the Raiders 22. with 11:57 left to play. Culpepper led the Raiders down the field. The 10-play, 69-yard drive culminated with a Janikowski 27-yard field goal, which put the Raiders up 24-23 with 8:10 left to play.
The Cardinals next drive ended with a LB Isaiah Ekejiuba sack of QB Shane Boyd with just over 5:00 left in the game. The Raiders next possession resulted in a 48-yard Fredrickson field goal to put the Silver and Black up 27-23 with 2:19 to go.
The Raiders were able to stop the Cardinals thanks to Chris Clemons’ sack of Boyd and aggressive pass defense. The Raiders took over on downs at the Arizona 36 with 1:49 to play. Oakland was able to run out the clock and secure the victory.
