Biggest game of Lynch’s Raiders career could’ve been bigger
OAKLAND, Calif. — Marshawn Lynch was irate.
The Raiders running back, whose business is based on escaping tackles he has no business escaping, fought through contact Sunday on a second-quarter carry. He stepped out of a tackle attempt from Cleveland Browns safety Derrick Kindred. He was in the process of spinning out of two other defenders’ grasp.
That is when the whistles chirped.
The ruling: forward progress.
Lynch completed his escape and sprinted downfield along the Browns’ sideline. He dropped the football, attempted to punt it with his right foot and finally screamed while ripping at his chinstrap buckle.
He knew.
The most productive game of Lynch’s two-year Raiders tenure nearly was more productive. What would’ve been a 75-yard touchdown run instead went for 6 yards. Despite that, he finished with 130 rushing yards on 20 carries and added three receptions for 27 yards in a 45-42 win at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Reflecting on that play, center Rodney Hudson smiled and shook his head in the locker room.
He knew, too.
“Those are the tough ones,” Hudson said. “They said his forward progress was stopped. Marshawn, he just keeps running, man. That’s why we try to get to the pile to keep him going forward so they won’t blow the whistle. They blew the whistle on that one, unfortunately.”
Said quarterback Derek Carr: “For him to consistently run the way he does, give the effort that he does, he’s a Hall of Famer. The guy is one of the best running backs to ever play this game. You can’t tell the football story without Marshawn Lynch.”
Notable
— The Raiders totaled 565 yards of offense, fourth-most in franchise history. But the defense scored first, courtesy of cornerback Gareon Conley’s first career interception. He returned it 36 yards for a touchdown.
— Nose tackle Johnathan Hankins recovered two fumbles. Rookie defensive tackle Mo Hurst Jr. forced the first on a sack. Hankins fell on a muffed snap on the second.
— Field position was an issue entering Sunday, as the Raiders were the NFL’s only team not to have started a drive in opponent territory. They began inside the Browns’ 30-yard line three times in a five-series span in the second half. Hankins’ recoveries set up two touchdowns. A 49-yard punt return from wide receiver Dwayne Harris set up a field goal.
— Right tackle Donald Penn suffered a leg injury in the third quarter. He attempted to play through it, exited after one snap and briefly returned. Rookie offensive tackle Brandon Parker finished in his place.
— Left guard Kelechi Osemele exited late in the fourth quarter but returned for overtime. Jon Feliciano filled in during his absence.
— In the second quarter, wide receiver Martavis Bryant demonstrated his speed on what appeared to be an easy 53-yard touchdown. He dropped the pass. The series nonetheless culminated in a score. Carr found wide receiver Amari Cooper for an 8-yard touchdown.
— Oakland failed to score a touchdown on its first offensive possession for the first time this season. The defense, however, extended its streak of strong starts. In all four games, it has forced a three-and-out on the opponent’s first drive.
— At four hours and four minutes, Sunday’s game was the second-longest in duration for the Raiders since 2000, according to Pro Football Reference. The only longer one was a 35-34 regulation win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 of the 2016 season. That game lasted four hours and 23 minutes.
— Carr made an announcement Sunday to conclude his news conference, letting news slip that he and his wife are expecting their third child. “Now my wife is going to kill me for telling you,” Carr said to reporters. “I gotta go.”
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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
