Week 2 Game Recap: Oakland Raiders 6, Baltimore Ravens 28

What you need to know

Oakland Raiders

After an awful game last week, things went from bad to worse for QB Aaron Brooks and the Oakland offense. In the first two drives of the game, Brooks fumbled the ball twice on consecutive snaps. Brooks came out of the game after the second fumble, not as punishment because of the fumbles, but because he injured his shoulder trying to recover the ball. The Raiders actually had four fumbled snaps on center exchanges in the game and two of them were recovered by the Ravens.

QB Andrew Walter came in for the injured QB Aaron Brooks in the first quarter and struggled mightily to move the Raiders’ offense. The Raiders had minus one total yard after the first quarter and didn’t get a first down until 8:31 left in the second quarter. Things got worse for Walter in the second half as he threw three interceptions, fumbled once, and gave up a safety. Oakland’s offensive line had difficulty protecting Walter all game long and gave up six sacks. This was the second consecutive game the Raiders failed to gain at least 200 yards in offense.

RB LaMont Jordon had little room to rush the ball as the Ravens stacked the line with an eight man front and challenged the Raiders to throw the ball. Jordon averaged less then two yards per carry on 19 carries and he was all but nonexistent in the passing game.

WR Randy Moss was taken out of the game early by the Ravens’ defense and did not make much of an impact the entire game. Moss had one catch in the first half for 16 yards and another catch for 16 yards in the second half. He did have one good opportunity to score late in the game but QB Andrew Walter badly overthrew Moss when he was wide open in the end zone.

The best news for the Raiders after this game is that they won’t have to play next week because they have a bye.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens’ defense dominated the Oakland offense throughout almost the entire game as the Raiders were unable to run the ball or pass protect against the Baltimore pass rush.

QB Steve McNair did not have one of his best games, but he managed the offense well enough to lead the Ravens to a victory. He completed just under half of his passes going 16 for 33 for 143 yards. McNair’s only touchdown pass came on a one yard toss to TE Todd Heap that ended a 65 yard drive at the end of the first half. McNair had only 43 yards passing in the second half and an interception.

RB Jamal Lewis had a pretty solid day rushing the ball as he finished the day with 70 yards on 19 carries. The Raiders’ defense played the run fairly well through most of the game. Lewis had 42 yards rushing at halftime. RB Musa Smith was given the ball twice near the goal line in the first drive of the game for Baltimore. On the only other goal line possession for the Ravens, they threw a one yard touchdown pass to TE Todd Heap on the first play.

WR Derrick Mason had a quiet game with four catches for 43 yards. He was the most targeted receiver on either side of the ball, and finished with ten passes thrown his way. Mason and TE Todd Heap were clearly QB Steve McNair’s favorite targets throughout the game.

What you ought to know

QB Andrew Walter, Pass: 10 - 27 - 162 - 0 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 4 - 3 - 0

Walter took over for Brooks in the first quarter and was five for nine for 77 yards in the first half as the Raiders struggled to move the ball. He did not have a good second half either, as he had three interceptions, a lost fumble, and a safety given up on a sack. In Walter’s defense, he did not get much help from his offensive line as they were outmatched throughout the game by the Ravens’ defense and allowed him to be sacked six times. The offense under Walter simply was unable to move the ball on a very tough and physical Baltimore defense. Most of the offensive series’ ended in a three-and-out or a turnover for Oakland.

QB Aaron Brooks, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0

Brooks had a very short outing on Sunday as he was knocked out of the game in the first quarter on the Raiders’ second possession of the game after he fumbled his second consecutive snap from center. It was reported that he hurt his throwing shoulder attempting to recover his own fumble. It was also reported that Brooks had a sprained rotator cuff and would not return to the game. Brooks had no passing attempts in his brief day of work.

RB LaMont Jordan, Rush: 19 - 35 - 0 (1 targets)

Jordon saw eight man fronts most of the game because of the Raiders’ inability to establish a passing game. The Ravens’ defense dared Oakland to throw the ball on offense as they stacked the line in anticipation of the run. He only had 17 yards on 11 carries in the first half. Jordon didn’t have anymore success in the second half as he finished the game with 35 yards and no receptions. His longest run was a 15 yard run in the third quarter. Jordon averaged less then two yards a carry.

RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0

The Raiders’ offense didn’t spend much time on the field and neither did Fargus who had only one carry for one yard and zero targets.

WR Alvis Whitted, Rec: 3 - 45 - 0 (7 targets)

Whitted had seven balls thrown his way as he finished with a team high 45 receiving yards. His biggest play was a 21 yard reception deep into Ravens’ territory in the third quarter. Most of Whitted’s targets came toward the end of the game as Oakland tried in desperation to move the ball.

WR Randy Moss, Rec: 2 - 32 - 0 (9 targets)

Moss was a non-factor throughout the game and had only one catch for 16 yards in the first half. He finished with two receptions for 32 yards. He was open in the back of the end zone late in the game but Walter overthrew him badly. He looked disinterested in the game by the fourth quarter when game seemed out of hand and he seemed to give up on a few bad throws that came his way.

WR Ronald Curry, Rec: 2 - 31 - 0 (3 targets)

Curry had two receptions for 31 yards. His biggest catch was a 22 yard catch on a third down that kept alive the Raiders’ only scoring drive in the first half.

WR Jerry Porter

Porter was inactive for a second consecutive week and did not dress for the game. He is healthy enough to play, but it was a coach’s decision to sit him again.

TE Courtney Anderson, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (3 targets)

Anderson had two receptions for 26 yards, including 16 yard reception for a first down that eventually lead to Oakland’s first field goal.

TE Randal Williams, Rec: 1 - 28 - 0 (3 targets)

All of his targets came in the fourth quarter on the same drive as Oakland tried to get into the end zone one last time. He only had one catch for 28 yards.

PK Sebastian Janikowski 2 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points

Even though the Raiders' offense struggled all day, Janikowski did finish with two field goals. He hit field goals of 34 and 51 yards.

OAK Rush Defense

The Raiders' defense played pretty well in the game and kept the game from being a total blow out early on. They were put in bad field position on the first three Ravens’ possessions in the first quarter because of two Aaron Brooks’ fumbles and a long kick off return. The Raiders held the Baltimore offense to three field goals in the first quarter. They did give up a 65 yard drive to end the first half and another touchdown at the end of the game when the outcome was already decided. Oakland gave up 138 yards on the ground to the Ravens.

OAK Pass Defense

The Raiders' defense only gave up 143 yards to Steve McNair and the Ravens’ passing game. Kirk Morrison had Oakland’s only turnover, an interception in the fourth quarter.

QB Steve McNair, Pass: 16 - 33 - 143 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 10 - 0

McNair started out slowly in the first half but did lead the Ravens on 65 yard touchdown drive with two minutes left in the half. He capped off that drive with a one yard touchdown pass to Todd Heap, his only touchdown pass of the game. He had a respectable 100 yards passing and one touchdown in the first half. McNair’s stats in the second half were not as good, as he had only 43 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. McNair and the Ravens’ offense never really got it going, even when given good field position on several occasions. The offense had five trips into the Raiders’ red zone and only came away with one touchdown. McNair had a tough time hitting his receivers and completed less then half of his passes for the day. Early in the fourth quarter, he had two opportunities to hit open receivers while they had the ball on the Oakland four yard line, but McNair over threw them on both occasions.

RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 19 - 70 - 0

Lewis had a decent game as he had 19 carries for 70 yards in the game. He did give way to RB Musa Smith on the Ravens’ first drive when they brought the ball to the Oakland two yard line. Smith got both carries within the three yard line. Lewis did not a have any passes thrown to him.

RB Musa Smith, Rush: 7 - 24 - 0, Rec: 2 - 33 - 0 (2 targets)

Smith had a one yard touchdown run called back on a holding penalty on center Mike Flynn in the first quarter. He had two consecutive carries inside the three yard line on that drive. He also had two receptions for 33 yards in the first half, including a 30 yard reception that helped set up the Ravens’ only touchdown in the first half.

RB Mike Anderson, Rush: 1 - 34 - 1, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets)

Anderson had only one carry but he made it count. It was a 34 yard touchdown run with about two minutes left in the game. The game was all but over at this point and it appeared the Raiders’ defense was worn out and had given up at that point. He also had a one reception for seven yards.

WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 5 - 46 - 0 (10 targets)

Mason had four catches for 43 yards in the first half with seven passes thrown his way. In the second half, Baltimore’s defense took over the game in the second half and the passing offense struggled to move the ball. Mason’s numbers took a hit as he only caught one pass for three yards in the second half. He did finish with a game high ten targets.

WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 1 - 30 - 0 (3 targets)

Clayton’s only catch came on a 30 yard completion late in the fourth quarter during garbage time as the Ravens had the game rapped up and were running out the clock.

WR Demetrius Williams, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (3 targets)

Williams only caught one pass for nine yards.

WR Clarence Moore (3 targets)

Moore had only three passes thrown towards him but they were all scoring opportunities. He caught a pass in the end zone in the first quarter but could not keep his feet in bounds and it was ruled incomplete. He also had another potential touchdown go through his hands. On the Ravens’ first offensive play after a Ray Lewis’ interception in the third quarter, Moore dropped a McNair pass that would have probably been a touchdown. His final target came when McNair overthrew him in the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter from the Oakland four yard line. Moore finished with no catches in the game.

TE Todd Heap, Rec: 5 - 17 - 1 (8 targets)

Heap caught a one yard touchdown pass at the end of the second quarter finishing off a 65 yard touchdown drive. Heap had three receptions for 14 yards in the first half. He was a favorite target of McNair as he had eight passes go his way, second to only WR Derrick Mason on the Ravens’ offense. Heap only had two receptions for three yards in the second half as the Ravens’ passing game was ineffective in the last thirty minutes of the game.

TE Daniel Wilcox (1 targets)

Wilcox did not have any receptions in the game.

PK Matt Stover 4 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points

Stover hit three field goals in the first quarter after the Ravens had excellent field position several times but, could not get into the end zone. He finished with four fields goals from the range of 25, 33, 37, and 23 yards. Stover did not miss a field goal and currently has a streak of 26 made field goals without a miss. He also added two extra point conversions.

BAL Rush Defense

The Ravens’ defense dominated this game from start to finish as they forced six turnovers and added a safety. The offense was no match for an aggressive and talented Baltimore defense that held the Raiders to without a first down the opening 22 minutes of the game. They held Oakland to just 39 yards rushing yards and 162 total yards in the game.

BAL Pass Defense

The pass defense didn’t get a lot of work in the first half as the Raiders’ inefficient offense only had nine pass attempts. The Raiders aired it out more in the second half as they fell behind and the Ravens registered three interceptions against Walter. They also recovered three fumbles and one was forced on a sack of Walters that resulted in a 70 yard return by DT Kelly Greggs. They finished with six sacks in the game, including a safety by LB Adalius Thomas in the third quarter.