ALAMEDA, Calif. — Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio made up his mind well before he actually made the decision.
With the Raiders down by seven points when they got the ball one last time Sunday in New Orleans, Del Rio decided if his team scored a touchdown, he would go for two points and the win rather than try to force overtime.
The decision ended up giving the Raiders their first Week 1 win since 2011 as Derek Carr’s two-point conversion pass to Michael Crabtree secured a 35-34 win over the Saints.
“Coach Del Rio came up and told me, ‘We are going to go for two,” Carr said. “I just said, ‘OK, no problem.’ It is just that kind of belief and that kind of trust for a coach to believe in us like that. It just gives us so much confidence to have him do that for us.”
Del Rio said simply: “I was thinking, ‘We’re here to win. Let’s win it right now. I let them know early in the drive. I said, ‘When we score here, we’re going to go for two.’”
The two points came after Carr, who completed 24 of 38 passes for 319 yards, threw a 10-yard strike to slot receiver Seth Roberts for a touchdown.
The Raiders hadn’t led since they were up 10-7 in the first quarter. They were down 24-10 in the third quarter following a 98-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Brandin Cooks.
Other than a lopsided Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last season, the Raiders were competitive into the fourth quarter in their other eight losses en route to a 7-9 record.
The next step is actually coming out on top rather than being competitive.
“This year, we are talking about learning how to win, learning how to close out these games, sticking together and making plays at the end,” Del Rio said.
Crabtree said the winning play, on which he simply outjumped a defender for the ball, was second nature.
“On that last play, I mean, we practice it so much it becomes routine,” Crabtree said. “Carr gave me a great ball there.”
Carr said he simply cleared his mind and let Crabtree do his thing.
“I just took a deep breath, made sure footwork was right, and lobbed it up for Crab,” Carr said. “That’s my thought process. I say lob it up, but obviously trying to put it in a certain spot where he can make a play.”
Saints coach Sean Payton took note of the Raiders’ 22-point fourth quarter and said, “The way they were scoring, on the road, I probably would have done the exact same thing.”
–Jalen Richard, an undrafted free agent running back from Southern Mississippi, is a Louisiana native who had never been in the Superdome before the team walkthrough on Saturday.
The following day, he bolted 75 yards for a touchdown on his first carry for scrimmage, a play that tied the game 27-27.
“I’ll remember this game forever,” Richard said. “It’s been an amazing journey, battling injuries and the like, than coming into training camp and winning a spot on the roster. Then to come in here and perform like that in my home state, I’m just so blessed I can’t even put it in to words.”
The Raiders stuck with Richard even though he needed a minor knee procedure that cost him two weeks during training camp.
“The young man came into our camp undrafted,” Del Rio said. “He did things like that every day. It’s a great story of a young man who willed himself onto this team.”
–Cornerback Sean Smith, who got a four-year, $40 million contract in the offseason, found himself benched after giving up a 98-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Brandin Cooks.
“I thought that he had a rough day, so we took him out,” Del Rio said. “He’ll be back. He’s going to play well for us, but he didn’t play well today.”
Linebacker Khalil Mack said he immediately went to Smith on the sideline.
“Of course I talked to him right after that,” Mack said. “I just went to him and told him to let that play go. You need to let those bad plays go and just ride it out. Other guys went up to him to show support. That’s what this team does.”
Del Rio said Smith would start Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
NOTES: T Matt McCants left with a knee injury Sunday. His status is uncertain for the Atlanta game. … T Menelik Watson left with a groin injury Sunday. His status is uncertain for the Atlanta game. …Keith McGill was the surprise starter at strong safety, while rookie first-round pick Karl Joseph did not play a snap other than special teams.