As the Raiders prepared this past week to face the Jaguars, defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. was confident his unit was prepared to play better football.
After being shredded by the Chiefs offense for 406 yards last week, the Raiders’ defense needed to get better, fast.
“You see the things that are going wrong,” he said. “We’re missing tackles. The ball goes over our head … The details need to be taken care (of),” he said.
On Sunday, the Raiders did just that.
Oakland Raiders 2016-2017 Season Highlights
Oakland beat the Jags in Jacksonville, 33-16, to improve to 5-2. It’s the first time the franchise has gotten out to five wins in the first seven games since 2001. It also gives the Raiders a 4-0 record on the road in 2016.
In doing so, the Raiders defense was much better.
Sports
The Raiders gave up just 105 yards rushing and held Blake Bortles to just 23-of-43 passing for 246 yards and a TD. Oakland also picked him off twice – including David Amerson's grab in the end zone – and sacked him once.
If there was a down side for the Raiders, it was the team’s inability to convert drives into touchdowns instead of field goals early in the game. Oakland took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter on 26- and 32-yard Sebastian Janikowkski kicks when drives stalled.
The Raiders led just 6-3 early in the second quarter when they finally took control. Latavius Murray scored on a 2-yard run to give the Raiders a 13-3 lead, capping a 75-yard, 11-play drive. Then, just before halftime, quarterback Derek Carr engineered an eight-play, 75-yard drive to give the Raiders a 20-6 lead.
The Raiders added two more Janikowksi field goals, of 44 and 52 yards in the second half before Murray capped the scoring with a late TD run of 9 yards.
Carr finished 23-of-37 for 200 yards and a touchdown. His primary target was wideout Michael Crabtree, who had eight catches for 96 yards, including a 56-yard play that set up the touchdown just before halftime.
Murray returned at running back after time off because of a turf toe, and carried 18 times for 59 yards.
The Raiders will stay in Florida this week to prep for this coming Sunday’s game against the Bucs in Tampa Bay.
