The Las Vegas Raiders’ win probability peaked at 98.8 percent Thursday night. They led 16-3 with fewer than four minutes to play. The quarterback on the other sideline was Baker Mayfield, 2022’s worst starter, a refugee from the Carolina Panthers and a Los Angeles Ram for all of two days.
The Las Vegas Raiders did not win this game. Instead, Mayfield led the league’s second epic rally from a 16-3 deficit in the final four minutes in four days, joining Tom Brady as this year’s comeback masters. Truly, the first eight days of December called out for a hero and two true legends — the man with seven Super Bowl rings and the guy from those Progressive commercials — answered the call.
The loss wasn’t especially shocking for the Raiders. In the first year of Josh McDaniels’ tenure as head coach they’ve blown three different 17-0 leads. They’re responsible for the only win of Jeff Saturday’s coaching career above the high school ranks. They are, at their worst, a freight train that understands a couch has been left on the tracks a mile ahead but cannot change course or apply the brakes in time to avoid the collision.
Week 14’s loss unfolded more dramatically than most. In true Raiders fashion, some of these wounds were self inflicted. Others were the result of players rising up against them to make plays they typically would not. So how did this all happen?
Friends, this is a play that unfolded in roughly 90 seconds of game time and five acts.
1
The Raiders start griddy-ing over ... punt coverage?
A beautiful AJ Cole punt covered 64 yards and ensured Mayfield would have to drive his Rams 98 yards without a timeout in the final 1:45 to earn a win. That was great. Cole’s coverage team griddy-ing their way downfield as the ball settled in the shadow of the LA end zone, however, caught the vengeful eye of the football gods.
The beginning of the end https://t.co/bedzVhR8Ln pic.twitter.com/FbrDYhAmiH
— — (@1R0TIMI) December 9, 2022
Their punishment was swift and decisive.
2
Jerry Tillery vacates the momentum of a sack and gives the Rams a free first down to be a junior high bully
Maxx Crosby beat Rob Havenstein on the edge to sack Mayfield and set up 2nd-and-19 with a running clock deep in Rams territory. Then the refs blew the whistle and moved the ball 15 yards ahead because Tillery, released by the Los Angeles Chargers four weeks earlier, decided he needed to do the football equivalent of slapping Mayfield’s books out of his hands at his locker and calling him a nerd.
Jerry Tillery gave the Rams 15 yards and a free first down for this pic.twitter.com/0PNAxzwVNn
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 9, 2022
One play later …
3
Ben Skowronek (BEN SKOWRONEK) Moss-es a guy
BIG BEN SKOWRONEK#LVvsLAR on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/m65o43ZLpv pic.twitter.com/0RRRc8cKRa— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2022
Skowronek came into 2022 as somewhere around Los Angeles’ fifth wide receiver, behind Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson and probably slightly behind former second round picks Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell. He was pressed into action because of injuries and the general ineffectiveness of the team’s receiving corps and rose up for seven catches and 89 yards Thursday night. Both were career highs and both were, arguably, the result of the football gods casting their scorn upon Vegas.
4
Baker Mayfield drops a game-winning dime
No commentary needed here beyond pointing out how dang pretty this pass was. Holy geez.
Baker came to play 🔥#LVvsLAR on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/m65o43ZLpv pic.twitter.com/QhtVkSBG9e— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2022
5
Baker Mayfield nearly Owen Schmitt's (or, for the older crowd, Gus Frerotte's) himself celebrating
There’s got to be a safer way to celebrate than this.
Baker, please don't pic.twitter.com/T8offle6NB
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 9, 2022
The win broke a six-game losing streak for Los Angeles and a three-game winning streak for Las Vegas. It will ultimately be remembered for the chaos of its final two minutes rather than the borderline-unwatchable 58 that preceded it. And that’s fine … unless you’re a Raiders fan.
