After getting torched a week ago, the Oakland Raiders defense rebounded Sunday against the New York Giants.
Unfortunately, the Raiders’ offense took a step backward.
Oakland quarterback Terrelle Pryor could complete just 11 passes in 26 attempts for only 122 yards -- while also throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown and losing a fumble -- as the Raiders lost their second straight game, 24-20, to the Giants at MetLife Stadium.
The Raiders, after being just a game under .500 two weeks ago, find themselves 3-6 after having failed to win a game in the Eastern time zone for a 12th straight time.
Last week, in a 49-20 loss to the Eagles in Oakland, the Raiders defense gave up more than 400 yards and seven TDs passing. Against the Giants Sunday, the defense tightened up, allowing just 251 yards to the Giants and holding quarterback Eli Manning to 140 yards passing. That defensive effort kept the Raiders in the game until the end.
But the Raiders were unable to do much offensively.
Trailing by just four points with about 3½ minutes to play, the Raiders had the ball at their own 46 on a third-and-10 play, when Pryor went back to pass, was sacked and had the ball stripped and recovered by the Giants. New York then was able to move the ball on the ground on five straight running plays by Andre Brown to burn off the clock and give Manning a chance at three straight kneel-downs to secure the game.
Sports
The game started in terrific fashion for the Raiders. Oakland scored first on a 1-yard Pryor touchdown run after taking advantage of a Giants fumble on the opening kickoff that gave the Raiders the ball on the New York 5-yard line.
A Sebastian Janikowski 33-yard field goal put the Raiders up 10-7 at the end of the first quarter. At halftime the Raiders led 17-14, thanks to another big defensive play, a 43-yard interception return by Tracy Porter.
In the second half, however, the only points the Raiders could muster came on a Janikowski 24-yard field goal in the third quarter. On that drive, the Raiders drove from their own 20-yard line to the Giants’ 1, but then stalled and were pushed back to the 5 via a penalty.
Offensively, the Raiders executed poorly. They totaled just 213 yards, Pryor was sacked four times, a Marquette King punt was blocked and Oakland committed two turnovers.
The Raiders will have to go on the road again this week in search of their fourth win, at Houston against the Texans this coming Sunday.
