Raiders run out of miracles in Cincinnati
Like so many other games this season, it came down to one last drive, one last play for the Raiders in Saturday’s wild-card playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on the banks of the Ohio River. ■ Only this time, the Raiders failed to produce one last miracle.
Derek Carr’s pass on fourth-and-goal from the 9-yard line was intercepted by Germaine Pratt, preserving a 26-19 Bengals victory and ending the Raiders’ season.
The Raiders had won four consecutive games during an improbable and dramatic playoff surge, and had six wins on the game’s final play. They would have happily settled for taking Cincinnati to overtime, but Carr’s pass into double coverage intended for Zay Jones was intercepted just short of the end zone.
Interim coach Rich Bisaccia said the Raiders were a group that learned to care for one another and competed relentlessly to the bitter end of a tumultuous season.
“We just ran out of time today,” Bisaccia said of a game marred by penalties and controversy.
One of the key plays was a touchdown pass by Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow late in the first half that followed an erroneous whistle after Burrow had run out of bounds.
But when it came down to one last play at the end, it was the Bengals who made it.
Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.
