3 takeaways from Raiders’ loss: Different but the same
Three takeaways from the Raiders’ 37-34 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium:
1. Different but the same
Quarterback Jarrett Stidham provided a much-needed spark to the offense, but the Raiders lost for the fifth time this season when leading by double digits.
Making his first career start, Stidham threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns to put the Raiders in position to pull an upset in front of a sea of 49ers fans dressed in red in Las Vegas, but an interception in overtime led to a game-winning field goal by Robbie Gould.
Left tackle Kolton Miller got pushed into Stidham by 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa to force the decisive turnover, as the ball fluttered in the air to Tashaun Gipson, who returned it 56 yards to set up the chip shot.
The Raiders twice tied the game in the fourth quarter after the 49ers had taken the lead and managed to get to overtime on a missed 41-yard field goal as time expired, but the 49ers dealt the decisive blow in the extra session when Robbie Gould redeemed himself from 23 yards.
The Raiders led 24-14 after a 60-yard touchdown pass from Stidham to Davante Adams in the third quarter only to allow 13 consecutive points.
It was the longest touchdown pass of the season for the Raiders.
Jordan Mason gave the 49ers a 34-27 lead with 2:23 remaining, but Stidham led a quick touchdown drive and the Raiders tied the game with 1:14 to play on a 1-yard run by Josh Jacobs.
49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns, and Christian McCaffrey added 121 yards and a score on the ground and 72 yards on six catches.
Stidham joined Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes as the only quarterbacks to throw for three touchdowns against the 49ers’ top-rated defense.
The Raiders also lost to the Cardinals, Chiefs, Jaguars and Rams when leading by double digits. Those games all came with Derek Carr as the starting quarterback, but he was benched in favor of Stidham last week.
Carr was inactive.
2. It’s over
For the second straight week, the Raiders got the help they needed around the NFL to stay in the playoff race only to fall short themselves.
The Patriots beat the Dolphins, and the Seahawks defeated the Jets, meaning the Raiders still would have been alive in the playoff race had they won.
A similar situation unfolded last week when things fell nicely into place in the other matchups around the AFC only to have the Raiders blow a late lead and lose at Pittsburgh.
This time, it’s officially over.
The Raiders will end the season next weekend against Kansas City at Allegiant Stadium.
3. Making their mark
Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs continued their incredible offensive seasons and are doing their best to rewrite the franchise record books.
Adams finished with 153 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches..
He has 1,443 yards to move past Tim Brown (1,408) for the most in a season for a Raider.
Adams also has eight games with more than 100 yards, surpassing Brown (1997), Warren Wells (1968) and Art Powell (1964), who all did it seven times.
Jacobs got banged up several times and had to leave the field more than he has all season, but he still managed to run for 69 yards and caught four passes for 26 yards.
It was enough to move him past Marcus Allen for most rushing yards through a player’s first four seasons in franchise history.
Jacobs needs 151 yards in the season finale to tie Allen’s season franchise record of 1,759 rushing yards.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
