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By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The Entertainment Hub of the Universe came through tonight.
The Las Vegas Raiders rallied against a tough Baltimore Ravens team and gave Las Vegas a highly entertaining win with a 33-27 overtime victory over the Ravens in the first Raiders game with fans at Allegiant Stadium on Monday Night Football after the domed, 65,000-seat stadium opened in late July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I hope this is a sign of things to come,” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said after the game with the wild finish. “You felt a home field advantage. Las Vegas, I tip my hat to you. It got really loud. Las Vegas did their thing.”
It was a historic day for Las Vegas. Southern Nevada invested $750 million to help build this pristine sports and entertainment building to bring the Raiders to Las Vegas from Oakland in 2020.
And on Monday, 61,756 fans filled the $2 billion building after it took 14 months before the first Raiders supporters were able to enter Allegiant Stadium for a regular season game. And they had to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 coronavirus, or at least partially vaccinated for the Raiders-Ravens game on national TV Monday.
There were 287 vaccinations administered before the Raiders game. For fans getting their first shot, they had to mask up to get inside the stadium.
The 61,756 in attendance for Monday Night Football included Lil Jon during a host Mark Shunock break in the action in the third quarter, Gladys Knight on the national anthem and Bruce Buffer and Steve Aoki teaming up for the pre-game stoking. Ice Cube and Too Short even entertained at halftime.
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The game was remarkable for it being the first NFL contest where fans had to show proof of vaccination in order to pass through the turnstiles. Despite the anti-vaxxers who were protesting, the stadium was mostly full and loud. Show proof of COVID vax and you did not have to wear a mask inside the stadium.
The folks who set the betting odds put the Raiders’ win total at seven, which shows the gambling experts believe this is another mediocre Raiders team when you consider the Lords of Football added another game to the 16-game schedule to make it a 17-game slate for 2021.
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Carr was inconsistent through the first stages of the game, misfiring on many passes through the game’s first three quarters after not playing in the preseason’s three games. But he caught fire in the fourth quarter and rallied the Raiders to tie the Ravens at 27 apiece with a long Daniel Carlson field goal with only two seconds left in regulation.
The Ravens jumped to a 14-0 lead on a 35-yard TD run by Ty’Son Williams in the first quarter and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s 10 yard pass to Marquise Brown in the second quarter.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden last week mentioned Jackson’s dynamic play on the field.
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Latavious Murray, a runner just signed by the Ravens, scored the go-ahead TD with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter to give Baltimore a 24-17 lead.
The Raiders then matched that score with a Carr to Darren Waller scoring pass to square the game at 24.
The Ravens’ Justin Tucker nailed a field goal to give Baltimore a 27-24 lead.
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But Carr completed two clutch passes to move the team into field goal range and Carlson banged home the three-pointer to force the overtime.
The Raiders thought they had won the game on a Carr TD pass in overtime. But the receiver was short of the goal line and the drive ended with a Baltimore interception of Carr in the end zone.
“It was definitely an emotional rollercoaster,” Raiders runner Josh Jacobs said.
But the Raiders held tough.
Carr tossed a teardrop pass to wideout Zay Jones for the game-winning touchdown and the Raiders celebrated a 33-27 win.
Here’s Carr on Jones:
Gruden loved the fans in the building for the first time for a regular season game
“That’s why I came back to coaching,” Gruden said. “There’s nothing like the Raider Nation. Nothing.”
More classic Gruden from the transcript
Coach Gruden: “I felt like I died and woke up, and died again. Feels like a cat – I had multiple lives tonight. I don’t like playing like that. It was tough, but again we did a lot of good things to win that football game tonight.”
Q: As a competitor with the crowd barring down, was it exhausting for you?
Coach Gruden: “Pretty much. Yes. It has been a long training camp. We have had some adversity and at the same time, that is the first time that these players played. We didn’t play them much in the preseason. We were a little sluggish early obviously, but they put the wheels back on in the last 15 or 18 minutes and played solid football. Something that we can build on. We have to get going here because we have a real short week and a really tough opponent this week in Pittsburgh.”
Q: What did you think of the fans in?
Coach Gruden: Well everybody knows what I think, that is why I came back to coaching. There is nothing like the Raider Nation. Nothing. I just think that this stadium, the people that were here tonight will probably go home feeling like they had a pretty good time. I just think it was a really great scene. There was a lot of black, a lot of noise, a lot of devoted and committed fans that I just love and cherish.”
The Raiders are off to Pittsburgh for a game Sunday and return to Allegiant Stadium for a game against the Miami Dolphins Sept. 26.
Celebrate by buying this book, the official book of LVSportsBiz.com