Oakland stages biggest comeback in 16 years
RAIDERS 38, BILLS 24
oakland, calif.» Derek Carr threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns to rally the Oakland Raiders to their biggest comeback in 16 years with a 38-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
After falling behind 24-9 following touchdowns on the first two drives of the second half for Buffalo (6-6), the Raiders (10-2) took the game over with 29 straight points and won their sixth straight to remain one game ahead of Kansas City in the tough AFC West.
Oakland scored touchdowns on three straight drives, including scoring strikes from Carr to Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper for his sixth fourthquarter comeback of the season. This was the biggest comeback for the Raiders since overcoming a 21-point deficit to Indianapolis to win 38-31 on Sept. 10, 2000.
The defense also tightened by forcing three straight three-and-outs and then getting a turnover when Khalil Mack deflected Tyrod Taylor’s pass that Nate Allen intercepted. Oakland took over at the 16 and put the game away with Latavius Murray’s second touchdown run of the game to make it 38-24 on Carr’s 2point conversion pass to Seth Roberts.
The loss was crushing for the Bills, who entered December with hopes of ending the league’s longest playoff drought. A big day by LeSean McCoy, who had 130 yards rushing, helped stake Buffalo to the big lead, but it wasn’t enough.
The Bills are two games behind the Broncos for the second wild-card spot in the AFC and could be headed to a 17th consecutive season without a playoff berth.