While it wasn't his best game from a statistical standpoint, Davante Adams was able to defeat his former team Monday night in Las Vegas. The Raiders' 17-13 win snapped a three-game losing streak while dropping the Packers to 2-3.
Three interceptions by the Raiders, including a pick in the end zone by cornerback Amik Robertson in the game's final minute, allowed Las Vegas to overcome two missed field goals while getting its first win since Week 1.
After being used as a decoy for nearly three quarters, Adams caught three passes on the Raiders' game-winning drive. With the Packers focused on Adams, Jakobi Meyers stepped up and scored the game's first touchdown on a nine-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo. An interception moments later by linebacker Robert Spillane set up a short field goal as the Raiders led 10-3 at halftime.
Green Bay dominated the third quarter and took the lead behind the hard-running A.J. Dillion and a 77-yard catch by Christian Watson. The Raiders re-gained the lead on the first play of the fourth quarter on Josh Jacobs' second touchdown run of the season. Jacobs' score was largely set up by Adams, who caught three passes for 33 yards on the drive after catching just one pass for 12 yards during the game's first 42 minutes.
The Packers had one last chance to win the game, but Love's third-down pass intended for Watson was picked off by Robertson with 44 seconds left.
Here are some immediate takeaways from Monday's matchup:
Why the Raiders won
Maxx Crosby and their defense owned the night. The Pro Bowl pass rusher was all over Green Bay's pocket, logging four tackles for loss, one sack, and some of the pressures that helped lead to three interceptions. While Josh McDaniels' offense was more sluggish than spectacular, with Josh Jacobs once again struggling to break big gains and Davante Adams limited to four catches against his former team, it didn't matter when the "D" moved with such force and confidence. Robert Spillane showed elite awareness on two picks, while veteran cornerback Marcus Peters got his hand on one of the deflections that ended in the Raiders' hands.
Why the Packers lost
He was missing an injured Aaron Jones, but even so, Jordan Love didn't come close to playing winning football as Green Bay's QB1. Despite a decent effort from the defense, which kept both Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams in check, Matt LaFleur's offense never found a rhythm. Love did thrive on the ground, scrambling for close to 40 yards, but he was a total crapshoot as a passer, missing Christian Watson on some deep floaters and relying almost exclusively on short-area throws to actually move the chains. At least two of his three picks were inexcusable misfires, and without Jones, a bruising but inefficient A.J. Dillon couldn't pick up the slack.
Turning point
The Raiders marched 75 yards to cap a 10-play drive with a touchdown early in the fourth, taking a 17-13 lead. The Packers then proceeded to go on their own long drive, only for Marcus Peters to get a hand in on Love's short dart to Watson, sending the ball into the air and then the arms of Spillane. The second INT of the night came in Raiders territory, erasing a scoring opportunity for the Packers and, ultimately, sealing that narrow Las Vegas lead.
Play of the game
Give it to Peters, whose heads-up deflection made it easy for Spillane to keep the Raiders defense on top:
What's next
The Packers (2-3) will rest on their bye before returning for a Week 7 road matchup with the Broncos (1-4), who will be coming off a divisional showdown with the Chiefs. The Raiders (2-3), meanwhile, will stay at home for a Week 6 showdown with the Patriots (1-4), who have suffered back-to-back blowout losses.