Raiders come up short in upset bid against Broncos 16-10

OAKLAND - You live by the pick, you die by the pick.

The Raiders intercepted future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning twice at O.co Coliseum, turning Sunday’s AFC West showdown into a one-possession game deep into the fourth quarter. But they handed the Denver Broncos a major donation with about seven minutes left, when Oakland quarterback Derek Carr threw a pass over the middle that Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. snagged at a full sprint and turned into a 74-yard defensive touchdown.

“Our mission is to win our division,” venerable Raiders safety Charles Woodson said afterward. “And the only way we can do that is to beat the team that’s won it the last few years.”

That would be the Broncos, and the Raiders failed in their mission, losing 16-10 and falling to 2-3 while Denver remained undefeated (5-0).

Harris’ interception return wasn’t the single deciding factor in this game, but it was a whopper. And even the Raiders seemed to have a hard time figuring out exactly what had occurred on Carr’s pass to wide receiver Seth Roberts on a simple crossing route.

“From the vantage point that I saw he was wide open, and I don’t know if we missed him or if (Roberts) didn’t look for the ball,” Oakland head coach Jack Del Rio said. “The live view and the quick view I saw on the replay, it had a chance to be a catch-and-run and an explosive play and a first down and points for us, and it turned into a Pick 6 going the other way.”

Carr said it was a case of miscommunication between him and Roberts.

“We had pressure and I threw the hot (read), and it just didn’t work out our way,” the quarterback said.

Harris’ touchdown gave Denver a 16-7 lead. The situation was dire for the Raiders, but not hopeless. And destiny seemed to be smiling on them on their next possession, which twice was rescued from the clutch of death.

First, upon facing a quick fourth-and-6 situation at their 24, the Raiders decided to punt. But the Broncos’ Omar Bolden committed a neutral-zone infraction; now looking at fourth-and-1, Del Rio went for it and fullback Jamize Olawale picked up the first down.

Five plays later, Carr completed a 14-yard pass to Roberts, but the receiver fumbled and Denver’s Darian Stewart recovered. The replay official overturned the play, though, saying Roberts never had possession.

So the Raiders were still driving. But on fourth-and-19 from their 49, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave called a screen pass to fullback Marcel Reece that never stood a chance. The home fans booed the play call.

Oakland did convert on 50-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski with 1:40 left. But his onside kick attempt was fielded calmly by Denver’s Demariyus Thomas, and the Raiders didn’t touch the ball again until a final, chaotic punt return that ended the game.

Asked what made him think a screen pass was the correct call on fourth-and-19, Del Rio said: “I really don’t have an answer for that. Plays that don’t end up working, you end up having a question about.”

The Raiders head into their bye week now. And while they will certainly enjoy a chance to rest up, this loss will nag at them for a while.

The Broncos are considered one of the NFL’s best teams, and Oakland had a solid shot at the upset. The total yardage was virtually even - 297 for Denver, 288 for the Raiders - and Manning was anything but spectacular. He finished with 266 passing yards, failed to throw for a touchdown, and wound up with a passer rating of 62.3. It was a strong effort by a maligned Raiders secondary that got heavy playing time out of unproven guys like David Amerson and Neiko Thorpe.

Yes, the Raiders struggled on offense, which was to be expected against the Broncos’ formidable pass rush. They sacked Carr four times, but more often than not he had plenty of time to throw.

“I mean, they’re good. They’re not invincible,” Oakland left tackle Donald Penn said of the Denver front seven.

That was especially true after outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, one of the best pass rushers in the league, left the game with a back injury after halftime.

The Pick 6 wasn’t the only turnover that hurt the Raiders. They were up 7-3 and had just held the Broncos to three-and-out to start the third quarter when Von Miller, Denver’s other sensational pass rusher, raced around the left end of the defense and not only sacked but Carr but stole the ball right out of his hands.

The Broncos took over at the Oakland 16, setting up a short field goal by Brandon McManus to cut their deficit to 7-6. Five minutes later, Denver took a 9-7 lead on McManus’ 52-yarder. The Raiders would never lead again.

Manning improved to 10-2 against the Oakland, and 7-0 during his time in Denver. But the average margin of victory in those previous Manning-Broncos games was 22.8 points. This one was much closer, a sign of the Raiders’ continued progress.

“When you’re that close, you are doing something well,” Oakland center Rodney Hudson said. “But at the end of the day it’s about getting wins.”