PITTSBURGH (AP) — No miracle ending this time. Just more of the same for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders, who essentially delivered a victory over New England on Sunday on one of the most improbable walk-off touchdowns in NFL history, couldn’t keep up the momentum in a 13-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night that nearly eliminated them from the playoffs.
Las Vegas led for more than 50 minutes but succumbed to the emotional Steelers (7-8), allowing Pittsburgh rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett to drive 76 yards on 10 plays, the last 14 coming on a strike to rookie wide receiver George Pickens with 46 seconds left.
By the time Derek Carr threw his third and final interception — a floater that Pittsburgh’s Cam Sutton put together with 29 seconds left — all the good mojo the Raiders had built up while winning four of five to get back into the fringes of the postseason race had vanished .
Turning it over three times, committing a handful of costly penalties and not being able to take advantage of Pittsburgh’s inexperienced and ineffective offense will do that.
The game followed a formula that has become second nature to Las Vegas in head coach Josh McDaniels’ uneven first season: It was tight all the way to the end. Considering how the Raiders’ defense kept Pittsburgh out of the end zone for the first 59 minutes, maybe it shouldn’t have been.
“We’ve pulled out a ton and then to lose like this when you have a shot to win, you realize you’re close but close doesn’t really count in this league,” said McDaniels, whose team has played in 12 a . -point matches so far. “I obviously have to do a better job trying to close the gap.”
Carr didn’t blame the chilly 8-degree (minus-13 Celcius) weather for his performance, and he hardly looked cold during an opening drive that he capped with a 14-yard touchdown to Hunter Renfroe.
Still, Las Vegas couldn’t create any real respite, thanks in large part to a return to the sloppy form that plagued it during a 2-5 start. Each of Carr’s three interceptions occurred in Pittsburgh territory. Throw in penalties like a 15-yard face mask by tight end Foster Moreau that returned a long run by Josh Jacobs, and the Raiders let Pittsburgh hang around far too long.
“We thought we made progress in some areas and obviously we didn’t do it well enough today,” Carr said. “Just got to do our job. Move on … . Tomorrow you have to get ready for the next one. But this one stings.”
Especially because of what it means big picture. Las Vegas is built to win now. But barring a miracle, it will miss the postseason despite a series of splashy offseason moves, namely trading wide receiver Davante Adams.
While Adams has been dynamic, he was held to just two catches for 15 yards on a night as Pittsburgh’s veteran-laden defense made enough stops for its impossibly young offense that has no skill position players older than 26 to pull it together late.
“We’re talented, but talent doesn’t mean wins,” Carr said. “I’ve seen it firsthand over the years.”
The Las Vegas defense played well for most of the night, but lost defensive end Chandler Jones — whose improbable lateral defection last week against New England breathed life into the Raiders’ season — to injury. He was joined on the sideline by inside linebacker Denzel Perryman late.
With two of his punts out, the Raiders couldn’t do much to bother Pickett, who steadily took the Steelers down the field in the final seconds. His best throw was his last, a fastball over the middle to Pickens, who easily split defenders despite being Pittsburgh’s best — and sometimes only — threat downfield.
“When you turn the ball over and give the other team more opportunities than you have, good field position, it’s impossible to overcome,” McDaniels said.
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