Miracle on Turf? Raiders Shock Steelers, 27-24
The Oakland Raiders have suddenly started looking like a legitimate football team, at the same time the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers have fallen into a slump that could cost them the playoffs.
Raiders QB Bruce Gradkowski tossed three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lead a huge upset over the Steelers, as the Raiders won 27-24 on Sunday.
Last season in a game against the Steelers, Gradkowski posted a 1.0 QB rating (if a QB throws every pass straight into the ground, incomplete, he gets a passer rating above a 35). This year? Gradkowski finished 20-of-33 for 308 yards and three TDs, the last an 11-yard strike to Louis Murphy with nine seconds left in the game.
“Our receivers coach [Sanjay Lal] gave us a message, and he brought up the Miracle on Ice, Buster Douglas knocking out [Mike] Tyson, and things that were just unbelievable but the people that did it believed they could,” wide receiver Todd Watkins said.
With the teams’ defenses dominating for three quarters, the fourth quarter quickly evolved into an offensive shootout, with the lead changing hands five times on five touchdowns.
“That was so exciting, I can’t even put into words how I feel,” said Gradkowski.
The Raiders have now moved themselves to a semi-respectable 4-8, also meaning they’re likely to not have one of the top five draft picks in the 2010 NFL draft.
