Down 21-10 at halftime to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders needed a spark, and cornerback TJ Carrie provided one.
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On the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, the Raiders third-year cornerback lined up in the slot across from Jeremy Maclin, and seconds later, No. 38 was able to pick off Alex Smith's pass intended for Maclin, securing his first interception of the season.
The Silver and Black were able to take advantage of the Chiefs turnover in the form of a 33-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski, which at the time brought the Silver and Black back within one score.
While the Raiders weren't able to fly out of Kansas City with a win under their belt, the team's defense did stand pat in the second half, keeping the Chiefs off the scoreboard, and giving Derek Carr and Co. ample opportunity to get back in the game.
Carrie was the one who deservedly got a lot of the credit for the interception, but there were several other factors that led to the turnover, so because of that, it is this week's Right Combination Play presented by State Farm.
Following his first interception of the season, Carrie broke down the play.
Pre-snap:
"Before that snap, they had actually run that same formation in the first quarter, so we were actually in a different coverage in that zone, and I told myself if I see it again, next time I'm jumping it. I'm going to disguise a little bit, step right in front, and make that play, and fortunately enough, I got the ball thrown my way, and that's all she wrote."
Carrie's interception of Smith helped set the tone defensively for the Raiders in the second half:
"It's big, a momentum shift, definitely something that we needed, and I think it ignited our defense into continuous great play throughout the second half, and we were able to go out there and play good football."
Securing his first interception of the year was a big moment for the third-year cornerback:
"It's big when you make big plays like that on big stages. It's definitely a blessing to have that opportunity to make that play, and everybody else did their job. We covered well, we rushed well, and ultimately the play that came was a pick."
Carrie made sure to mention that in order for the defense to succeed, every player has to be doing their job:
"It's crucial, man. As a defense, we all work together. We feed off the [defensive] line, the linebackers; they feed off us, so anytime either one of us can make a play, within the secondary, within the front end, or the back end, it's definitely a momentum ignitor, and it's something that we definitely needed."
