Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes as the Las Vegas Raiders christened their new stadium and new hometown with a 34-24 victory against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
Carr completed 28 of 38 passes for 282 yards and outperformed Drew Brees, the NFL's all-time leading passer, inside virtually empty $2 billion Allegiant Stadium. One of Carr's touchdowns went to Darren Waller, who finished with 12 catches for 103 yards.
The Raiders (2-0) scored 24 consecutive points and produced points on six of their final seven possessions to turn the game around. The Saints hurt themselves with 10 penalties for 129 yards.
Brees, who passed for just 160 yards in a season-opening win against Tampa Bay, completed 26 of 38 passes for 312 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the absence of All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas.
The game was tied at 17 at halftime, and the Raiders took their first lead of the game on the first possession of the third quarter. They drove to Carr's 1-yard touchdown pass to Waller on fourth down.
That gave Las Vegas a 24-17 lead that held up through the end of the third quarter.
Jalen Richard's 20-yard touchdown run gave the Raiders a 31-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Alvin Kamara's 3-yard touchdown run pulled New Orleans within seven points with 4:33 remaining.
Daniel Carlson's 54-yard field goal completed the scoring with 1:05 remaining.
The first points in the new stadium came on the game's first possession as New Orleans (1-1) received the opening kickoff and drove to Wil Lutz's 31-yard field goal.
Kamara's 1-yard touchdown run increased the lead to 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Carr threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Alec Ingold to cut the lead to 10-7 midway through the second quarter.
The ensuing possession ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brees to Jared Cook for a 17-7 Saints lead.
Carr came back with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Zay Jones to trim the lead to 17-14.
Nicholas Morrow intercepted Brees, setting up Carlson's 28-yard field goal that tied the score at halftime.
--Field Level Media
New Orleans | Las Vegas | |
Alvin Kamara | Player | Josh Jacobs |
13 | Attempts | 27 |
79 | Yards | 88 |
6.1 | Avg Yards | 3.3 |
2 | Touchdowns | 0 |
21 | Long | 14 |
New Orleans | Las Vegas | |
Alvin Kamara | Player | Darren Waller |
9 | Receptions | 12 |
95 | Yards | 105 |
10.6 | Avg Yards | 8.8 |
0 | Touchdowns | 1 |
20 | Long | 18 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
New Orleans | 424 | 112 | 312 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | 0 |
Las Vegas | 377 | 116 | 261 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 |