Written by Eddie Paskal at Raiders.com
After the Raiders handled business on the road once again, this time in Baltimore, where they beat the Ravens 28-27, the Silver and Black are now 3-1 for the first time since 2002.
Next up on the agenda is a home date with the San Diego Chargers, but before we look ahead to next week, here are five takeaways from Sunday’s win over the Ravens.
1. Michael Crabtree is as good as they come
Have a day, Michael Crabtree.
The veteran wide receiver finished the Week 4 matchup against the Ravens with seven catches for 88 yards, and a trio of touchdowns, including what would be the eventual game winner with 2:12 left in the fourth quarter.
When Derek Carr
and the Raiders needed a big play, Crabtree answered the call, securing his first three-touchdown day as a professional, and becoming the first Raider to hit the mark since Jerry Porter in 2004.
“I’ve been a big fan of ‘Crab’s’ since he was at Texas Tech,” said Carr postgame. “I was so thankful that he came to Oakland. When he came here as a free agent, I did my best to keep him from leaving before he signed a contract. When I talked to him, I told him that we could do something really special here in Oakland. He’s a game changer, but what has surprised me is how much we have in common. We think alike, and we are both very competitive. I know I can always count on him.”
Carr’s words ring true, especially after the career day that Crabtree put together at M&T Bank Stadium. Crabtree was sensational against the Ravens, simple as that, and in the biggest moments, when the team needed him, the veteran wide receiver rose up, and snatched opportunity out of the air.
2. These Raiders are road warriors
For the past several years, much has been made, time and time again, about the Raiders inability to win at 10:00 a.m. in the Eastern Time zone.
Well, Head Coach Jack Del Rio thinks it’s about time to stop talking about playing east of the Mississippi River, and after Sunday’s result, I don’t blame him.
The Raiders opened 2016 with three of their first four games on the road, and as they now prepare for back-to-back games at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, they boast an impressive 3-0 road record.
“Good football teams find a way to win where they are,” Head Coach Del Rio said. “There are some things that you have to do as a team, and we’ve embraced that. As far as traveling, and being able to cross time zones like we do, we play in the early time zone like we’re asked to do. For whatever reason, the league likes to put in that window, and we’re going to need to do well. I think we’ve learned how to travel well. Our guys are taking on that challenge.”
Winning on the road in the NFL is no easy task, but to open the season 3-0 away from home is huge, especially for a team made up of predominately younger players.
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