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          Alexander Mattison gets Raiders on board with 31-yard touchdown

          • Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterSep 8, 2024, 08:56 PM
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              Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a multi-platform role - writing on ESPN.com, television appearances on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and podcast and radio appearances. Before coming to ESPN, Gutierrez spent three years at CSN Bay Area as a multi-platform reporter, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics as well as anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America and currently serves as the PFWA's Las Vegas chapter president. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has authored three books: Tommy Davis' Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 100 Things Raiders Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Raiders Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box with Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN
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          INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Alexander Mattison, or Renaldo Nehemiah?

          Mattison, a running back in his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders, made like the former world-class hurdler Sunday at SoFi Stadium when he, yes, hurdled over Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. and ran by Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley for a 31-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

          Mattison, who signed as a free agent in the offseason after five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, took the pass from new Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew in the right flat before making the leap over Samuel.

          It was Mattison's seventh career receiving TD, and it gave the Raiders a 7-3 lead with 45 seconds left in the first quarter. It was the first touchdown reception by a Raiders running back since Ameer Abdullah scored one in Week 12 of the 2022 season against the Seattle Seahawks.