The Las Vegas Raiders picked up a much-needed victory on Monday Night Football, improving to 2-3 by defeating Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers. It wasn’t a pretty game, but the win salvaged the Raiders’ season by avoiding a 1-4 start, and they have a pair of winnable games coming up against the Patriots and Bears.
Did A Penalty Win The Game For The Raiders
This horse collar tackle by #Raiders CB Marcus Peters may have won them the game.
Pretty crazy. pic.twitter.com/5jJlGCO9Y1
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 10, 2023
They did it the ugly way. Jimmy Garoppolo was sloppy in his first game back from being on the concussion protocol, throwing a bad interception to add to his league leading total of 7. He missed more than a couple of open wide receivers, but he was able to do just enough to keep the Raiders in the game throughout.
The key play for Las Vegas came on the defensive end, of which the result was a penalty that would typically hurt a team in most situations. Half-way through the third quarter, with the score tied at 10, the Packers began a drive from their own 17-yard line. On the first play, Love threw a deep pass to a wide open Christian Watson, who caught the ball at the 50-yard line with only Raiders’ cornerback Marcus Peters with a chance to catch him from behind.
A few days ago #Raiders CB Marcus Peters “Liked” a message saying “Fire Josh McDaniels”… today his horse collar talk on this 77 yard catch by Watson prevented a TD. The Raiders held the Packers to a FG and won the game by 4 points.
Wild pic.twitter.com/pufmyXzgLY https://t.co/ll9xQehggr
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 10, 2023
Peters made the only play that he could have in order to tackle Watson, grabbing him by the collar and taking him down at the seven-yard line. A penalty flag was predictably thrown, and the Packers were granted half the distance to the goal line.
But the Raiders defense came up strong. Love and company actually lost a yard on the next three plays, and were held to a field goal to take a 13-10 lead. Peters’ penalty had turned 7 points into 3.
In the 4th quarter, Las Vegas would score a touchdown to cap off the scoring. The game ended in a 17-13 victory for the Raiders, the exact margin of points that Peters’ horse collar saved.
The Raiders should be favored for their upcoming game against the Patriots, whom they defeated in memorable fashion when they played last season.