TAMPA, Fla. -- The Oakland Raiders chose to stay in Florida for 10 days in an attempt to eliminate outside noise and distractions.
How’d that turn out for them?
An NFL-record 23 penalties, for a franchise-record 200 yards -- "That's insane," offered outside linebacker Bruce Irvin -- and yet, somehow, someway, the Raiders prevailed on Seth Roberts' 41-yard catch and run on fourth-and-3 with 1:45 left in overtime, giving Oakland a 30-24 victory.
The Raiders improved to 6-2 for the first time since 2001 and they are 5-0 on the road to start a season for the first time since 1977.
"For us, it's all about finding a way to win; whatever it takes," said Raiders coach Jack Del Rio. "We want to come out of here with a smile on our face.
"I thought our guys kept a really positive spirit on how we were going to respond to things, how we were going to continue to play and how we were going to continue to expect good things. ... We believe that we're going to find a way somehow."
Derek Carr passing for a franchise-record 513 yards with four touchdowns while completing 40 of 59 passes without an interception had something to do with that as well.
Even with the more-than-occasional brain cramp.
Twice the Raiders lined up with 12 players on defense on the Buccaneers’ final scoring drive, when Tampa Bay went 82 yards in 10 plays, scoring with 3:48 to play in regulation. Then the Raiders had nine players on the field for the ensuing two-point conversion by Tampa Bay.
Yes, nine.
Then there was Sebastian Janikowski missing from 50 yards at the end of regulation and from 52 yards in overtime, after a bad personal foul on Amari Cooper for throwing a punch after a big catch.
The Raiders’ previous franchise record for penalties in a game had been 20 (at the Denver Broncos on Dec. 15, 1996), and the most penalty yards they had ever had was 186 (at the San Diego Chargers on Nov. 15, 1987).
Oakland beat Jacksonville 33-16 on Oct. 23 before flying to Sarasota and spending the week practicing at the IMG Academy in Bradenton and coming to Tampa on Saturday.
Sunday's game started ominously for the Raiders. On the second play, cornerback Sean Smith was lost with a shoulder injury as his left arm was caught underneath Mike Evans while breaking up a pass. DJ Hayden replaced Smith in the base defense while TJ Carrie came in for Smith on the outside with Hayden going into the slot in the nickel.
On the Raiders’ second play on offense, Michael Crabtree was called for taunting, a 15-yard personal foul, after a 1-yard catch. It put Crabtree in danger of ejection since another personal foul, like the ones he has been flagged for on his touchdown celebrations, would have ended his day.
Perhaps most disturbing for the offense was a delay of game penalty with the Raiders sitting on a first-and-goal opportunity at the 1-yard line that started a free fall that did not result in a touchdown but rather a 31-yard Janikowski field goal.
"Man, a lot of undisciplined things going on out there today," said Khalil Mack, who had two sacks. "But we'll get it corrected. Ultimately, the goal is to come out here and get this win, by any means.
"You get to travel back home with a win and that's the ultimate goal ... to be able to get this win today was huge for us."
The Raiders outgained the Buccaneers 626-270. So how and why did this game need OT?
"Man, talk about ups and downs," said Carr, who obliterated Cotton Davidson's 52-year-old team record of 427 yards, set against the Broncos on Oct. 25, 1964.
"The penalties? My goodness. You know, we're going to have to watch the film and talk about that. But the refs, I think, did a great job. We are going to have to clean it up on our end."