Raiders set record for most penalties in a game, but win anyway

Fans have complained about referees taking over NFL games, and that chatter won’t die down after the Oakland Raiders broke a dubious record on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Despite setting a league mark by committing an NFL-worst 23 accepted penalties in the game, the Raiders won on the road in overtime in another thriller.

Jack Del Rio’s Oakland Raiders team set the record for most penalties in a game — and still won. (Getty Images)

You want to make the NFL fun again? Put the Raiders on prime time every week. They’re mistake-prone as all get out, but they’re fun. Not too many teams can win a game like the one they did Sunday. The Raiders committed those 23 for a whopping negative-200 yards — and actually had three more declined (two on one play).

The previous record for most in a game was 22, which happened most recently in 1998 by the San Francisco 49ers against the Buffalo Bills. The other two times it happened (both in regulation) were back in 1944. The 200 yards were the third-most ever. The Tennessee Titans racked up 212 against the Baltimore Ravens back in 1999, and the Cleveland Browns had 209 against the Chicago Bears in 1951. The previous mark for an overtime game was 191 by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1992 against the Seattle Seahawks.

And like those ’92 Eagles, this Raiders team found a way to win. One way they did it: outgaining the Bucs by a whopping 356 yards (626-270).

But when you think about the 200 they had marked off in penalty yardage, plus the 89 yards worth of offensive plays that were wiped out (including a touchdown and a 41-yard gain), it’s still a miracle they won. The Raiders also missed two potential winning field goals and lost a fumble. The Buccaneers had one-third of their 18 first downs via Raiders penalty. The odds of winning a game such as this have to be minuscule.

The Raiders lead the NFL in penalties and penalty yards by a wide margin. But they’re 6-2 and 5-0 on the road, even with outscoring their opponents by only 12 points this season, and results are what matter most. Jack Del Rio’s team might not be disciplined, but it is dangerous. To itself and to others.