Raiders erase 11-point second-half deficit to beat Saints 35-27 as Brock Bowers finishes late rally

An afternoon that kept tilting

New Orleans looked ready to take control more than once. The Saints answered an early Matt Gay field goal with a Tyler Shough touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson late in the first quarter, even if the blocked extra point left the score at 6-3 instead of 7-3.

The second quarter swung back and forth without either side opening daylight. Gay tied it from 37 yards, Michael Mayer put Las Vegas ahead on a 3-yard catch from Cousins, and Noah Fant levelled it again on a 3-yard score from Shough. Gay's 25-yard kick as the half expired sent the Raiders to the break up 16-13.

Then came the Saints' sharpest burst. Shough found Johnson for a 1-yard touchdown at 6:40 of the third quarter, and only 54 seconds of game time later he connected with Fant again, this time from 16 yards, for a 27-16 lead. At that point, New Orleans had paired its efficient short passing with a productive run game that finished with 148 yards on 28 attempts.

Las Vegas found the finishing sequence

The Raiders did not need a barrage of big plays to get back in it, but they found the right ones. Mike Washington Jr. changed the scoreboard in a hurry with a 36-yard touchdown run at 3:20 of the third quarter, trimming the deficit to five after the two-point pass failed. That run stood out in a day when Las Vegas otherwise leaned more on Cousins and the short-to-intermediate passing game than on consistent rushing production.

Cousins stayed clean on the most important line that mattered: no interceptions and three touchdown passes. He completed 22 of 33 throws, and his most reliable option was Bowers, who caught 10 passes for 116 yards and the touchdown that sealed the result. Mayer added a touchdown of his own, and Cody White's 4-yard catch at 9:21 of the fourth quarter pushed Las Vegas back in front, 28-27.

Once the Raiders had the lead, they did not give it back. Bowers scored from 4 yards out with 6:22 left in the fourth, Gay added the extra point, and Las Vegas finished the comeback. Gay's afternoon should not be overlooked either: three field goals, both of his extra points, and 11 points in a game that stayed tight until the final minutes.

Our take: New Orleans left too much on the field

The box score gives the Saints a strong case that they played well enough in long stretches to win. They posted 27 first downs to the Raiders' 24, outgained Las Vegas 376-340, converted 9 of 15 third downs and were perfect in the red zone at 4-for-4. Shough threw four touchdown passes, Johnson and Fant each caught two, and Chris Olave led the receivers with nine catches for 107 yards.

But this was the kind of result that reminds teams how little those advantages mean when possession changes hands four times. New Orleans lost three fumbles and threw one interception, with Hezekiah Masses recording the pick for Las Vegas. The Raiders, by contrast, gave it away only once. That difference goes a long way toward explaining how the Saints could win so many categories and still spend the closing minutes chasing the game.

From Las Vegas' side, the encouraging part is obvious: Cousins protected the ball, Bowers looked like a true game-shaper, and the Raiders stayed within reach long enough to turn the fourth quarter. The caution is there too. They were only 3-for-6 in the red zone and needed three Gay field goals to stay afloat before the touchdowns arrived. For New Orleans, the path forward looks just as clear. The offence generated yards, first downs and four touchdown catches from its tight ends, but any improvement has to start with ball security, because an efficient day became a loss once the giveaways stacked up.

Scoring moments

1. Period 1 · 7:35

   Matt Gay 41 Yd Field Goal

2. Period 1 · 0:50

   Juwan Johnson 2 Yd pass from Tyler Shough (Daniel Carlson PAT blocked)

3. Period 2 · 11:27

   Matt Gay 37 Yd Field Goal

4. Period 2 · 5:46

   Michael Mayer 3 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Matt Gay Kick)

5. Period 2 · 1:54

   Noah Fant 3 Yd pass from Tyler Shough (Daniel Carlson Kick)

6. Period 2 · 0:00

   Matt Gay 25 Yd Field Goal

7. Period 3 · 6:40

   Juwan Johnson 1 Yd pass from Tyler Shough (Daniel Carlson Kick)

8. Period 3 · 5:46

   Noah Fant 16 Yd pass from Tyler Shough (Daniel Carlson Kick)

9. Period 3 · 3:20

   Mike Washington Jr. 36 Yd Rush (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)

10. Period 4 · 9:21

    Cody White 4 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)

11. Period 4 · 6:22

    Brock Bowers 4 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Matt Gay Kick)