Raiders Returner Dylan Laube Scores 95-Yard Touchdown in New York
The Westhampton native’s long return gave Las Vegas the lead in a 38-33 win over the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
By Riya Zhao ·
A 95-yard kickoff return gave the Las Vegas Raiders a 38-33 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The score put the visitors ahead by one point early in the second quarter. It was the first kickoff return touchdown in the NFL this season.
Dylan Laube, a third-year player for the Raiders, crossed the goal line on the left sideline. The play was the first of its kind for Las Vegas since 2011. It also marked Laube’s second career touchdown. He scored his first last month against the New England Patriots in Foxboro.
Laube attended Westhampton High School on Long Island. He co-won the 2017 Hansen Award for top player in Suffolk County. He shared the honor with Jeremy Ruckert, the Jets tight end who played in Sunday’s game. The two had not interacted since the award dinner nearly a decade ago. They met on the field after the final whistle.
Laube’s performance included more than the long score. He made a tackle on a fourth-quarter kickoff return that pinned the Jets at their own 24-yard line. He also nearly blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt by Jason Sanders at the end of the first half. Laube said he missed the block by a millisecond.
During the game, Laube threw a short pass to his father, Kyle, after scoring. Kyle Laube used to bring his son to the stadium to watch the New York Giants. About 100 friends and family members attended the game. Laube’s parents and three siblings sat behind the Raiders bench.
Laube described his post-score celebrations as exhausting. He said he gets tired from screaming and running around the end zone. He chest-bumped teammates and screamed for the home crowd. He noted that big plays on special teams fire up the offense and defense.
The game featured a third Long Islander in Andre Cisco, who grew up in Valley Stream. Cisco blocked for the Raiders on kickoff returns. On one play, he was targeted to allow Laube to loop around and make his fourth-quarter tackle. Ruckert told Newsday he had been following Laube’s progress from afar. Laube said it was cool to see two Long Island guys playing well.
Laube said his role on the team is to bring energy every snap. He wants to be the best at whatever position the coaches assign him. He left the stadium wearing a cap that read Bring The Juice. The Raiders will look to build on this win in their next game.
