Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (8) scores a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Josh Jacobs rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Aidan O’Connell passed for 209 yards and Antonio Pierce won in his debut as Las Vegas’ interim coach as the Raiders routed the New York Giants 30-6 on Sunday.
Maxx Crosby had three of the Raiders’ eight sacks. Las Vegas held the Giants to 275 yards in the Raiders’ largest margin of victory since beating the Denver Broncos 37-12 on Nov. 15, 2020.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones left one play into the second quarter with a right knee injury. Tommy DeVito played the rest of the game and passed for 175 yards and a touchdown. Saquon Barkley rushed for 90 yards on 16 carries.
This was the Raiders’ first game since coach Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi and general manager Dave Ziegler were fired early in the week and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was benched.
The result couldn’t have gone much better for the Raiders, who led 24-0 by halftime, which tied for their sixth-largest advantage when not allowing a point.
The team played tight under McDaniels’ rigid control, but there was a noticeable ease in the locker room this week under Pierce, the former Giants linebacker. The question was whether that would translate on the field.
It did, and from the beginning when Las Vegas went down the field and scored on a 17-yard jet sweep by wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
By halftime, the Raiders (4-5) already had scored a season high in points and Jacobs had already rushed for a season-best 86 yards. Las Vegas’ previous high was 21 points three weeks ago against the New England Patriots, with the final two coming on a safety. The Raiders’ offense ended a nine-game skid without scoring at least 20 points.
Jacobs, who last season led the NFL in rushing, nearly ended a…
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