Have the Oakland Raiders Finally Turned the Corner with Season's 1st Win?

The Oakland Raiders have won a game for the first time in a calendar year. That’s not a joke—the Raiders pulled off the upset of the Kansas City Chiefs on a rain-soaked O.co Coliseum field, 24-20, Thursday night to move to 1-10.

With the victory, the Raiders avoided a losing streak of historical significance. While this season is clearly going nowhere for the Silver and Black, the win could signify a turning point for the moribund franchise, as it showcased its young talent on both sides of the ball.

"After this game people were going to laugh at us or respect us,” said safety Charles Woodson, via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.

No one was laughing when running back Latavius Murray got the Raiders off to a fast start with two touchdown runs—one for 90 yards—before leaving the game in the second quarter with a concussion. Murray finished with 112 yards on four carries but helped the Raiders build a 14-0 lead. Assuming Murray can get healthy, the Raiders would be foolish not to make him the starter for the final five games to see if he can be the running back of the future.

Oakland’s young talent on defense kept the Chiefs in check for most of the game. Linebacker Sio Moore finished with 12 tackles and had a sack, linebacker Khalil Mack terrorized left tackle Eric Fisher all night and cornerback D.J. Hayden locked down his side of the field.

Then there was rookie quarterback Derek Carr, who orchestrated a game-winning drive when all the momentum had swung the way of the Chiefs. Down, 20-17, in the fourth quarter, the Raiders marched 80 yards on 17 plays for the go-ahead score—a nine-yard touchdown pass from Carr to wide receiver James Jones.

Carr converted a 4th-and-1 and 3rd-and-1 with quarterback sneaks on the game-winning drive and made several nice throws that allowed the Raiders to continue to run the ball. The drive took 7:21 off the clock and left little time for the Chiefs to make a comeback.

Although he actually struggled in the game, Carr’s growth and development is a positive sign for things to come in Oakland. Carr has too often tried to do too much to will his team to victory, but learned to lean on others Thursday night.

The Raiders still did things that only bad teams do, but they were finally able to overcome them. Wide receiver Denarius Moore muffed a punt return that resulted in three free points for the Chiefs before the end of the half. The defense was able to minimize the damage, but that’s still not a favorable situation for any team.

Oakland also had several chances to close out the game, but it couldn’t get anything going offensively without Murray. The Raiders ended up punting four times in five drives after Murray was hurt. Until the Raiders replaced tailback Darren McFadden with fullback Marcel Reece on the final drive, things were looking grim for the previously winless Raiders.

A trio of defensive penalties on a single play as the Chiefs tried to drive for the winning score also didn’t come back to haunt the Raiders. Penalties have been a problem for the Raiders in the past, but on this night, Oakland’s promising youth was able to overcome its immaturity.

Moore and Mack also celebrated a sack of quarterback Alex Smith on the final drive that forced the Raiders to take a timeout—a play that is sure to make blooper reels for years to come. The Raiders could laugh about it after the game, but that was just the kind of mistake this team has been notorious for during its streak of ineptitude.

While the Raiders still have a lot of work to do before they become a successful franchise again, there is now hope that the worst is over. Sixteen straight losses is not something that happens in the NFL often, and the Raiders have a core of young players to build around.

"The hex is gone and now it's on," said defensive lineman Antonio Smith after the game via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. 

We’ve heard this story before, but this time, it just feels different.

The Raiders have a franchise quarterback and young talent on defense—and the push for a stadium is coming to a head. The Silver and Black are back from the dead, and that’s something worth celebrating.