The Las Vegas Raiders opened the season with a wild overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens last night in front of an electric crowd at Allegiant Stadium… and in the end that’s all that matters to the team and its fans.
But man, the Raiders almost found a way to blow things in overtime when they took a delay of game penalty while setting up for what could have been a game-winning field goal on second down from the Ravens’ 26 yard line.
They couldn’t get their kicker out in time, though, which had Eli Manning in disbelief on his great new ESPN show with his brother Peyton.
It didn’t matter because on the next play the Raiders won the game with a 31-yard TD pass by Derek Carr but still, that delay of game call was a wild one.
Gruden’s explanation for what happened on that play was crazy, too:
"Our kicker was warming up in the net … no one could find him. But things worked out."
Jon Gruden on the late decision to try for a FG before having to take a delay of game. pic.twitter.com/W8heoIe44q
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) September 14, 2021
Uh, what? Couldn’t find the kicker!?
Here was Eli’s reaction:
Eli Manning for Raiders coach. 😂🏈 pic.twitter.com/UZtQFyC5CG
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 14, 2021
Again, it did all work out well for the Raiders but that was such a Gruden thing to say.
NFL fans had reactions, too:
I'm sitting here finishing up for the night and hear Gruden on my TV saying "We couldn't find the kicker." I laughed way too hard. What a perfect capper to a batty game.
— Frank Schwab (@YahooSchwab) September 14, 2021
How hard did they look for this kicker? No one thought just maybe he might be warming up. Lol. Sure he didn’t expect a coach to want to kick it on 2nd down
— T. Davis (@dawg6868) September 14, 2021
Payton Manning was right… they didn't tell th we kicker… LOL!
— Hardline (@HardlineAggie) September 14, 2021
So Jon Gruden said that the #Raiders didn’t kick a field goal at one point last night because they “couldn’t find” their kicker.
Gruden also with one of the quotes of Week 1: “I felt like I died and woke up and died again. I was like a cat. I had multiple lives tonight.” 🐈⬛
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) September 14, 2021
Gruden masterclass. Put the kicker out there to take the penalty and get the defense to lose focus. Take a shot next play to win the game. Just how he drew it up. RRRAAAIIIDDDEEERRS pic.twitter.com/7EhzNpwdjh
— PJ (@pauljames80) September 14, 2021
Gruden sending the offense back out to win it after a delay of game is the “Can’t trust these kickers” energy I can get behind.
— Unnecessary Bluntness Owner/Coach/QB (@DuncOnDemand) September 14, 2021
Exactly how Gruden wanted that last drive to go, totally set them up with the old Kicker delay of game play, then bomb.
— Brett Cantillon (@BDCantillon) September 14, 2021