The Las Vegas Raiders dropped to 2-6 after a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 30-29, as quarterback Geno Smith’s potential game-winning, two-point conversion throw in overtime was blocked at the line of scrimmage by Jacksonville lineman Davon Hamilton.

This one played out as two separate games, and the one that happened in the first half was ugly. Both teams played plenty of bad football, with errant throws and awful offense being the order of the day, with the lone exception of Jacksonville kicker Cam Little’s NFL record-setting 68-yard field goal. 

The forgettable first half ended with Las Vegas holding a 6-3 lead, but the second half was both exciting and well-played. Both offenses woke up, with quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Geno Smith leading a series of back-and-forth drives for Jacksonville and Las Vegas, respectively. 

The game also featured the emphatic return of Raider star tight end Brock Bowers, who caught 12 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown to remind everyone why he was such an impressive offensive force last year. 

The two teams swapped leads throughout the fourth quarter, until Little’s third field goal of the day tied the game at 23 with just 16 seconds left. That set the stage for overtime, which was every bit as exciting as the second half and then some. 

Jacksonville embarked on a touchdown drive that ate up most of the clock in overtime, with Lawrence running the ball in from a yard out and Little kicking the extra point. That kick proved to be the eventual difference after the Raiders responded with a 45-yard touchdown drive of their own that ended with a two-yard touchdown pass to Bowers. 

Kudos to the Raiders for going for the win, but Smith’s pass for the two-point conversion to newly-signed receiver Tyler Lockett was blocked at the line of scrimmage, sealing the win for Jacksonville. 

Lawrence was definitely the offensive star for Jacksonville. He had plenty of shaky moments and bad throws early on, but he recovered in the second half to finish with 216 yards on 23 of 34 passes with a single interception. He added two touchdowns on the ground, but it was Travis Etienne Jr. who carried the running game with 84 hard-earned yards on 22 carries. 

Geno Smith’s numbers were even more impressive. He finished  29 of 39 with 284 yards to go with four touchdowns, although he was intercepted in the first half. 

The good news for the Raiders is that they now have an offense once again with Bowers leading the charge. The bad news is that they’re now 2-6 and buried at the bottom of the AFL West, with a road game against the Denver Broncos on tap for Thursday night.