The raiders know that they dodged their premature end of season by beating the Browns in overtime

OAKLAND – The Raiders had not been as bad as their record had suggested after three defeats, so it goes without saying that they would not be as good as their first win would suggest.

In short, they form a team of 1 to 3 who could be very dedicated to the work and with dedication. . . oh, probably 1-3. But an intriguing 1-3, if such a thing can be.

Or to leave it to the experts, coach Jon Gruden, who was on the defensive since the day he freed Khalil Mack from his true place in the universe, chose not to declare Sunday the 45-42 in overtime against the Cleveland Browns. the corner.

"We have not fixed anything yet," Gruden said after rookie kick Matt McCrane ended the marathon on Sunday with a 29-yard winning goal. "We have a long way to go and many things to improve. We closed the first quarter with something, so at least we got it, but there is so much to repair. "

And in truth, there are so many things that will not be corrected this year. That's how 1 to 3 teams happen – just good enough not to be terrible all the time.

So it was Sunday, where the Raiders hit mostly uphill, as they did 17-7, 28-14, then 42-34 with 4:20 to go. Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield was beaten for an extended run in the third quarter, but was unable to watch at all in the other periods and missed running back Nick Chubb.

Offensively, quarterback Derek Carr has always been erratic and frustrating, his career fit three times into Matt Stafford-hood, but he has also found ways to integrate a full distribution model into his home body, while authorizing the return of Marshawn. Lynch will be his best and prolific bull (20 runs for 130 yards, 78 of which are difficult with a fist in his face). Carr might well be that infuriating middle level quarterback who spends his entire career breaking your heart with one hand and repairing it with the other, but he rarely does it as often as he can. I did it on Sunday.

And then there was McCrane himself, who made his debut in the mud of the Colosseum and did not fail enough (from 47 to 50 meters) to make his ultimate success in overtime a memory that deserves to be savored.

"After missing 50 (with 6:14 in overtime) and coming out for the last one, I heard Derek say to coach Gruden:" We have a lot of confidence in him, he can do it " McCrane, who looks every 11 years, says. "So that helped. I was confident as I have always been. Honestly, I did not even know if we won the match. I guess I have to study the rules. "

As for Gruden, considering McCrane, newbie Trent Sieg and new rookie Johnny Townsend won the match, he said: "I've been as nervous as me 29. goal on the pitch.

But Gruden, as relieved as he is, knows that he is taking this team on his journey in the most exasperating and least direct way. He has opted for a miracle solution, so there will be more days like White Knuckle.

Gruden also knew how many times he could take this game and take advantage of it. They scored just three points in their fourth quarter and 17 in their first three half, but between their own game and Cleveland's extraordinary bravery in defense of their lead, they scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. and 31 points in total.

In short, the Raiders had a great opportunity to consider 2018 as a lost cause and decided not to abandon it altogether. At 1-3, they are painfully lacking in too many areas, including consistent performances, but at 0-4, they would have played the rest of the season in front of a combination of empty seats and angry seat-fillers, which is n 39, is not a problem. means for a team that jumps in the first part of a complete rebuild to maintain its balance. They heard the tremendous wall of sobs as they stood on the precipice Sunday and retreated at the last moment.

There will not be many more, but they left the Colosseum Sunday knowing that they would have avoided a premature end of season but very disconcerting. They have deceived the permanent local hatred, but they are only a quarter of a long and difficult transition that will take them this year and the following year. They will learn face-to-face to be able to teach the lessons at the beginning of the story. decade.

Which is as comforting to Raiders fans as knowing that Mack has once again been brilliant for the Bears. In other words, apart from winning the game today, not much at all.