Oakland Raiders: A Game Ball For An Unsung Hero In Week One Win
By Kevin Saito
The Oakland Raiders walked out of Nashville with a win in week one, arguably, in large part because of the efforts of one largely unsung hero.
For the third straight year, the Oakland Raiders walked into Nashville and walked out with a 26-16 win. It was a back and forth game with momentum shifting back and forth through three quarters.
Oakland opened the fourth with a touchdown drive to finally seize control and build the lead that provided the final margin of victory.
But one play at the end of the third quarter was arguably the biggest play of the afternoon – and helped steal back momentum for this Raiders team. And that one play is the reason why Nicholas Morrow is week one’s unsung hero and is deserving of a game ball.
With the Raiders up 16-10, late in the third quarter, Marcus Mariota engineered a drive that started on Tennessee’s 25-yard line and took them all the way down to Oakland’s seven-yard line.
With an efficient mix of crisp passes and powerful runs by DeMarco Murray, the Titans chewed up more than four minutes of clock and got themselves down inside the ten.
After an eight yard completion to Eric Decker got Tennessee down to the seven, Mariota and the Titans were facing a third and two. And although the Oakland defense played significantly better in the second half, they were still a little creaky on third down conversion attempts.
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A quick power run by Murray should net them a couple of yards and set them up with a first and goal to go, right?
That’s what Tennessee thought and went with a Murray run to the right. Only, rookie linebacker Nicholas Morrow had other ideas – he tossed the veteran running back for a one-yard loss, bringing up a fourth down for the Titans and forcing them to settle for a field goal as the third quarter ended.
Because of Morrow’s heads-up, physical play, the Raiders started the fourth quarter holding a 16-13 lead – instead of potentially being down 17-16.
Obviously, there’s no way to know how it would have played out had Morrow not made that play. But had Murray converted that third down opportunity, Mariota and the Titans would have been sitting in a pretty good spot with a first down on – at least – the five yard line.
Momentum. It’s critical to have, but it can turn on a dime. Mariota and the Titans had the momentum, coming down the field seemingly at will. But Morrow killed their momentum and took it back for Oakland with one third down play.
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After holding Tennessee to a field goal, Carr drove the Raiders back down the field, going 70 yards in seven plays to take a 23-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
Some will undoubtedly argue that Carr and the offense would have done that with or without Morrow’s stop. Fair enough. But even so, a 23-13 lead in the fourth quarter looks – and feels – a whole lot more comfortable than being up 23-17. Doesn’t it?
Morrow, the DIII standout from Greenville, who was a longshot to even make the 53-man roster, has done nothing but make play after play all summer long. He’s flashed some serious talent in a linebackers group that desperately needs it. He was so good over the summer that he made it impossible for HC Jack Del Rio and the coaching staff to not keep him on the 53-man roster.
He was on the field for just four defensive snaps. Four. But Morrow made them count and came up with one of the biggest plays of the afternoon. And while other players like Carr, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Marshawn Lynch, and even Giorgio Tavecchio are drawing the lion’s share of the praise – not that they don’t deserve the praise – it was that one play at the end of the third quarter that turned the momentum back toward the Silver and Black.
And although the win was absolutely a total team effort, that one momentum-switching play is why Morrow is the biggest unsung hero from Oakland’s week one win – and why he absolutely deserves a game ball. And, we can hope, he starts getting more defensive snaps along with it.