Raiders vs Saints looked like it belonged to New Orleans midway through the third quarter. Tyler Shough had just thrown his fourth touchdown pass, the Saints led 27-16 at the Superdome, and the Raiders’ unbeaten start was in real trouble. Then the Saints turned the ball over on four straight possessions, and Las Vegas scored the last 19 points of the game to win 35-27, according to ESPN and the Saints’ official recap.
Kirk Cousins threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns, and Brock Bowers caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a score in his first game of the season after a knee injury. The Raiders are 3-0 under first year head coach Klint Kubiak. The Saints drop to 1-2.
How the Raiders came back from 27-16
The Raiders led 16-13 at half time thanks to three field goals and a 3 yard Cousins touchdown pass to tight end Michael Mayer, per the CBS Sports scoring summary. The Saints answered with 14 straight points in the third quarter: Shough found Juwan Johnson from a yard out and Noah Fant from 16 yards, and it was 27-16.
Running back Mike Washington Jr. started the fightback with a 36 yard touchdown run that broke several tackles and cut the gap to 27-22. The game then turned on one of the most debated calls of the weekend. Malcolm Koonce hit Shough as he started to throw, the ball went backwards, and it was ruled a fumble recovered by Las Vegas. Six plays later, Cousins hit Cody White for a 4 yard touchdown and a 28-27 lead.
“I thought my arm was going forward,” Shough said afterwards, according to ESPN. He also accepted his part in it: “I’ve got to get it out sooner, regardless.”
The next Saints drive ended with an interception by cornerback Hezekiah Masses, and Cousins found Bowers from 4 yards to make it 35-27. New Orleans fumbled on each of its last two possessions, so there was no late chance to tie it.
Raiders vs Saints key numbers
| Stat | Raiders | Saints |
|---|---|---|
| Final score | 35 | 27 |
| Record after Week 3 | 3-0 | 1-2 |
| Starting QB | Kirk Cousins: 248 yards, 3 TD | Tyler Shough: 29 of 42, 255 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT |
| Top receiver | Brock Bowers: 10 catches, 116 yards, 1 TD | Chris Olave: 9 catches, 107 yards |
| Top rusher | Mike Washington Jr.: 36 yard TD run | Travis Etienne Jr.: 13 carries, 57 yards |
| Saints turnovers | Forced 4 | Committed 4, on four straight drives |
Figures from the ESPN and CBS Sports box scores and the Saints’ official game recap. The Saints’ last five drives went punt, fumble, interception, fumble, fumble, as the club’s own recap put it.
Explainer: fumble or incomplete pass?
The Koonce play hinged on one of the NFL’s trickiest rules. If a quarterback’s arm is moving forward with control of the ball when it comes loose, it’s a forward pass, and if nobody catches it, it’s simply incomplete. If the ball comes out before that forward motion starts, or while he’s pulling it back to tuck it, it’s a fumble and anyone can recover it.
Shough believed he was already throwing. The officials ruled the ball was out before his arm came forward, and that one ruling handed the Raiders the field position for their go ahead touchdown.
Injuries to watch
The Saints lost linebacker Pete Werner to a stinger in the first quarter, running back Travis Etienne Jr. to a hamstring injury in the third, and edge rusher Anfernee Jennings to a knee injury in the fourth, according to ESPN and the Saints’ recap. For Las Vegas, ESPN reported that receiver Jack Bech fractured his forearm and guard Jackson Powers-Johnson hurt his groin.
What’s next for the Raiders and Saints
The Raiders stay home to face the Kansas City Chiefs at 4:25pm ET on Sunday, October 4, in the biggest test of their unbeaten start so far. The Saints host the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football at 8:15pm ET on Monday, October 5, according to the NFL’s official Week 4 schedule.
For more from Week 3, read our report on Ravens vs Cowboys and Tyler Loop’s 56 yard winner in Rio.
