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Graney: 2nd-quarter drive illustrates Raiders’ victory

It covered 10 plays and 96 yards and 4:26 of the clock.

One second-quarter drive between the Raiders and Eagles on Sunday.

And it encompassed all that was good with the home team. How efficient an offensive performance it really was.

Forget the final margin. Folks, this was a beatdown.

The Raiders enter their bye week off the most impressive of results, a 33-22 whipping of Philadelphia at Allegiant Stadium.

Sure. It was early. But the Raiders took control with that long drive in the final minutes of the first half. Grabbed hold of the game and never let go.

How it unfolded

Play 1: Carr immediately moved the Raiders away from deep in their own end, hitting Bryan Edwards for a gain of 18.

This was Carr all day. He completed 31 of 34 for 323 yards with two scores and an interception. He hit 16 straight attempts at one point. There is cohesiveness, and this is how Carr and offensive coordinator Greg Olson are clicking with the latter calling plays.

“Derek has such a tremendous grasp of this offense, and we can all see the relationship he has with Greg,” interim coach Rich Bisaccia said. “We hope it continues.”

Play 2: Josh Jacobs rushes for 3 yards.

Jacobs was productive in the first 30 minutes, running for 29 yards on six carries and catching three balls for 39. But he missed the second half with a chest injury, apparently suffered on an 8-yard scoring run that capped this drive.

And yet The Joker stepped up as he did in a victory at Denver last week. More and more, we’re seeing why the Raiders bestowed Kenyan Drake (14 carries, 69 yards, one TD) $11 million guaranteed over two years.

Play 3: Carr to Henry Ruggs for 8 yards.

Carr hit nine players with passes.

Play 4: Jacobs rushes for 9 yards.

We pause here to credit what was — just a few weeks ago — a much maligned and criticized offensive line. Young. Injured. Underperforming. That same unit has not allowed a sack in six straight quarters. Carr was hit just twice Sunday. Clean pocket. Sparkling.

“We had fun out there,” tackle Kolton Miller said. “When you’re able to drive the ball down the field like that … awesome.”

Play 5: Carr to Hunter Renfrow for 10 yards.

Renfrow was again his unassuming self, catching seven balls for 58 yards off a team-high eight targets. Ho-hum, is right.

Play 6: Marcus Mariota rushes for 4 yards.

He lives! Mariota came in for one snap — his first since getting injured in the season opener — and went off right tackle on first-and-10.

Play 7: Carr to Ruggs for 10 yards.

“I can’t speak to their mindset, but when you get the ball on the (4-yard line), it’s a challenge to take the ball down the field and take the air out of their sails,” Carr said. “You get a first down and another and then it’s like, ‘Let’s go score.’ We had guys make good plays on that drive.”

Play 8: Carr to Jacobs on a screen pass for 6 yards.

Play 9: Carr to Jacobs for 20 yards.

If you’re going to drive 96 yards at any time, you’re going to need chunk plays. This was one. Jacobs took the short reception and made a lot out of a little.

Play 10: Jacobs around left end for an 8-yard score.

There it is

Raiders 14, Eagles 7. And yet so much more.

There it is. That’s the drive.

That’s the sort of precision and versatility and execution Carr and his teammates exhibited all afternoon. That’s when they grabbed hold of this game. The Raiders would score the game’s next 16 points and lead 30-7.

“Winning in the NFL is fun,” Carr said. “The last two weeks, we played all three phases of the game really well together. That’s the formula. That’s the winning recipe.”

Tell you what — drives such as this sure make for a leading ingredient.

Ed Graney is a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing and can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

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