Category: NFL

Takeaways from the Raiders’ win over the Lions

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By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Raiders returned home from their whirlwind tour in which they logged over 20,000 miles with a gutsy, 31-24 victory over the visiting Detroit Lions on Sunday that pulled the team to the .500 mark at 4-4.

Quarterback Derek Carr threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Hunter Renfrow with 2:05 left in the game, cementing Oakland’s win in the team’s first game at home in seven weeks.

Carr’s clutch throw to Renfrow for the win got the Raiders off on the right foot, as they enter a critical three-game homestand that will be key in Oakland’s playoff chances this season. The Raiders face the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football on a short week, then host the Cincinnati Bengals at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Nov. 11.

Check out my takeaways from the Silver and Black’s win against the Lions:

Josh Jacobs is the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year without question

As much as Oakland’s win can be credited to its signal-caller (Carr completed 20-of-31 passes for 289 yards and 2 TDs), Jacobs’ performance was instrumental.

The rookie running back found gaping holes in Detroit’s defense, rushing for 120 yards and two scores on 28 carries. It was Jacobs’ third game this season in which he’s rushed for 120+ yards with 20+ carries.

With a 16-yard rush late in the first-half, Jacobs broke Marcus Allen’s franchise rookie record for rushing. Jacobs now has rushed for 740 yards and through eight games, breaking Allen’s mark of 697 set in the nine-game, strike-shortened 1982 season per Elias Sports Bureau.

Not only does Jacobs leads all rookies in rushing, but his six touchdowns and runs of 20+ yards (5) and 40+ yards (2) are tops among the group.

Raiders’ defense is opportunistic

Lions quarterback did have a big day against the Raiders’ suspect secondary, throwing for 406 yards and three touchdowns, but Oakland did capitalize on two Detroit turnovers in the first half to take a 17-14 lead.

Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst recovered a fumble deep inside Oakland’s territory after Stafford botched a handoff to running back JD McKissic on Detroit’s opening drive of the game. The Raiders would turn that into an 11-play, 68-yard drive in 5:32 that culminated in Jacobs’ first score of the game, a 2-yard run that put Oakland ahead 7-0.

After the Lions took a 14-10 lead following a 59-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to wide receiver Kenny Golladay, Stafford tried to hookup with Golladay again, but Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley made a terrific play on the football by intercepting Stafford in the end zone.

The Raiders would turn that takeaway into points, with Jacobs capping off a 12-play, 80-yard drive in 5:14 with his second score of the game from 3-yards out to put Oakland ahead 17-14 going into halftime.

For as much as the takeaways led to 14 points for Oakland, those weren’t the biggest plays in my book by the defense in the game.

With Detroit inches away from scoring and facing a fourth down, the Raiders defense looking to preserve a 31-24 lead, Karl Joseph’s pass breakup of the potential game-tying touchdown in the back of the end zone was the biggest play made by the defense on the day.

Quote of the game

“I love this place. It’s special. To come home in front of them and get a win, especially the way we did it. It would be nice to win something 40-0 some time. But when you win one like this, it does so many good things for a team.” – Derek Carr talking about the feeling he gets playing in Oakland in front of Raider Nation.

The Raiders are playing their final season in Oakland this year, before moving to their new 65,000-seat home, Allegiant Stadium, in Las Vegas in 2020.

Thursday night’s matchup against the Chargers (4-5) should make for an enticing game.

The Chargers will enter the game fresh off the heels of a 26-11 victory over the visiting Green Bay Packers at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

Running back Melvin Gordon scored two touchdowns, and kicker Michael Badgely booted four field goals for the Chargers, who snapped a three-game home losing streak and handed the Packers (7-2) their second loss of the year.

Raiders return home and get huge 31-24 win over Lions

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Photo credit: detroitnews.com

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND-What did former WWE competitor Dwayne The Rock Johnson always says when he returned to his hometown of Miami, Finally, The Rock has come home.

Well, after an odyssey that saw them travel nearly 20,000 miles and to the United Kingdom for a game, Finally, the Oakland Raiders have come home.

Derek Carr found rookie Hunter Renfrowe for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 2:04 remaining in the game, as the Raiders defeated the Detroit Lions 31-24 at the Coliseum.

Karl Joseph came up with the defensive play of the game, as he batted down in the end zone with three seconds remaining in the game, as the Lions drove the length of the field with the help of a pass interference penalty; however, the Lions could punch it in for the potential game-tying touchdown and the Raiders evened their record at 4-4.

This was the Raiders first game in the Coliseum since losing to the Kansas City Chiefs on September 15.

During that stretch, the Raiders played four games on the road and a game against the Chicago Bears in London during the time away.

Carr also threw a touchdown to rookie tight end Foster Moreau, and rookie running back Josh Jacobs continues to shine, as he two touchdowns. This is the first time since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 that the Raiders got four touchdowns from rookies in the same game.

Matthew Stafford attempted to find Logan Thomas for that potential game-tying touchdown, but Joseph got his hands in the way and the Raiders walked away with a huge win in the opener of a three-game home stand.

Jacobs, the rookie out of Alabama gained 120 yards and scored two touchdowns in helping the Raiders to even their record at 4-4 on the season.

Throughout the first three quarters of the game, neither team punted and the Raiders retook the lead 24-17 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, as Carr found Moreau for a three-yard touchdown pass.

The Lions tied up the game with just 5:16 remaining in the game, as Stafford found L.J. Mikissic for a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Carr went 20-for-31 for 289 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon. Renfrowe led the Raiders with six receptions for 54 yards, while Jalen Richard caught three passes for a team-leading 56 yards.

Jacobs led the Raiders in rushing with 126 yards on the ground on 28 carries and those two touchdowns.

One of the biggest plays of the game will not appear in the box score, as the Raiders went for a fake punt and Derek Carrier scrambled 27 yards for a first down. Unfortunately, the fake punt went for naught, as Daniel Carlson missed a 45-yard field goal that would have extended the Raiders lead up to six.

I was pretty nervous. I was pretty nervous. We faked one versus Chicago. We faked one today. We felt we had a chance to pull it off and credit to (assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich) Bisaccia. Hes one of the best special teams coaches in football. I wish we had made the field goal and gotten something out of it, said Jon Gruden.

On the ensuing series, the Lions drove down to the five-yard line, but the Raiders defense held the Lions out of the end zone and Matt Prater kicked a 23-yard field goal to tie up the game.

Stafford went 26-for-41 for 406 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

McKissic was the leading ground gainer for the Lions, as he carried the ball four times for 32 yards. The running back was on the receiving end of a Stafford touchdown.

Kenny Golladay caught only four passes on the afternoon, but gained a whopping 132 yards and a touchdown for the Lions, while former CAL star Marvin Jones, Jr., caught eight passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.

The Raiders benefitted from two big Lions turnovers, as Stafford fumbled on the Lions opening series and it was recovered by Maurice Hurst. The second turnover came with the Lions leading 14-10 in the second quarter, and the Lions on the Raiders 20-yard line, Staffords pass was intercepted in the end zone by Darrell Worley.

We scored a touchdown off a takeaway, but we had to go 80 yards. It wasnt like we were knocking on the door. We love the takeaways. We think thats a winning edge in football, said Gruden.

UP NEXT: The Los Angeles Chargers come to the Coliseum on Thursday night, as the longtime division rivals face off against one another.

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Raiders can really depend on O-line to protect Carr

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On the Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes:

#1 The Oakland Raiders (3-4) have improved as the O-line had furnished good protection for quarterback Derek Carr. This year, Carr has been sacked eight times compared to 51 times last season.

#2 Last season after a game against the 49ers, Carr said the sacks were having an effect on him physically and mentally, but right now, he’s feeling great.

#3 Carr said he feels a difference this year. He says he feels fresh even after all the game they played and finishing up a long road trip in the last six weeks.

#4 Richie Incognito will start at center for the Raiders (3-4) as starting and backup centers Rodney Hudson and Andre James are out with ankle injuries.

#5 The Raiders host the Detroit Lions (3-3) this Sunday. The Raiders, who lost to Green Bay during the road trip, will face a team that nearly beat Green Bay in the Lions. Joe Hawkes sets this matchup for us at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday.

Joe Hawkes does the Raiders podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami: For Halloween, 49ers scare Cardinals to stay perfecto

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Photo credit: ninerswire.usatoday.com

On the San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami:

#1 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is working that magic again. He had command of his passes and was able to be mobile and get his passes where he wanted them to.

#2 The 49ers were able to hold onto the lead, despite the Arizona Cardinal trying to play catch up in the second half.

#3 Evidence that Garoppolo had time to throw was by his numbers going 28-37 for 317 yards and a passer rating of 136.9.

#4 The key play for the Cardinals in the second half was when quarterback Kyler Murray threw an 88-yard touchdown to receiver Andy Isabella. Also, Murray threw for 241 yards going 17-24 and nearly caught up with the 49ers.

#5 The 49ers head to home to host the Seattle Seahawks for Monday Night Football on ESPN at Levi’s Stadium. How do you size this one up?

Joe Lami is your host for the 49ers podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Garoppolo’s big night leads 49ers past Cards 28-25

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By Jeremy Harness

This season, Jimmy Garoppolo has simply played the role of a distributor this year, whether it be handing off or making kay passes to keep the chains moving. On Halloween night, he stepped up and put the scare into the Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers remained undefeated on Thursday night, but they had to stave off a furious second-half comeback from the Cardinals in the process, getting out of the desert with a 28-25 victory.

Garoppolo completed 28 of their 37 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns, for a pass rating of 136.9.

The defense, which has been stellar all season, suffered a major hiccup in the second half and allowed the Cardinals back in the game, particularly when rookie quarterback Kyler Murray found receiver Andy Isabella for an 88-yard catch-and run, after which Kenyan Drake converted a two-point attempt to cut the lead to a field goal with just under five minutes remaining.

Murray wasn’t too bad himself, passing for 241 yards while completing 17 of his 24 throws with a pair of scores. Meanwhile Drake, who was just picked up days ago in a trade from the woeful Miami Dolphins, carried the ball 15 times for 110 yards and a touchdown.

The offense, however, was able to pick up the defense by holding on to the ball and getting key first downs to get the Cardinals to use their timeouts and, eventually, run out the clock.

The 49ers caught a huge break at the end of the first half, when they took a gamble and watched as Jeff Wilson, Jr. was stopped cold at the Arizona 1-yard line to supposedly end the half with only a seven-point lead.

However, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury, who apparently wasn’t comfortable with the personnel he had on the field at the time, had called a timeout prior to the play being run, nullifying the stop and give the 49ers another chance.

They made good on that reprieve, as Garoppolo found Emmanuel Sanders in the corner of the end zone to extend the lead to 21-7. Sanders, who has been with the team for a little more than a week after being traded from the Denver Broncos, had seven catches for 112 yards.

They dodged another bullet in the first quarter, when tight end George Kittle caught a helmet to his left knee and, for a moment, looked to be in pretty bad shape. However, two series later, he was able to get back into the game and capped off the final drive of the quarter with a 30-yard catch-and-run to tie the game at 7-7. Kittle caught six passes for 79 yards with that score.

The 49ers return home to host the rival Seattle Seahawks on ESPN’s Monday Night Football at 5:15 p.m.

Raiders return home for matchup against the Lions

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Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

After being away from the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum for a five-game stretch in which they finished 2-3, the Oakland Raiders return home to begin a three-game homestand starting with a in Week 9 matchup as they host the visiting Detroit Lions this Sunday, Nov. 3.

Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT on FOX.

Oakland is looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Lions, and finish off with a .500 record against the NFC North this season in which the Raiders are 1-2 with a win over the Chicago Bears in London in a “home game,” and road losses in Minnesota and Green Bay.

In Week 8, the Raiders lost to the Houston Texans, 27-24, that saw their record fall to 3-4. Oakland’s offense had success against a very tough Houston defense, with quarterback Derek Carr tossing three touchdowns in a game for the first time in 2019. Carr finished 18-of-30 with 285 yards and a blistering passer rating of 125.0

Tight end Darren Waller and wide receivers Hunter Renfrow and Tyrell Williams each caught a touchdown in the game. For Waller, it was the first time he’s scored a touchdown in consecutive games in his career after scoring a pair of touchdowns in Week 7 at Green Bay.

Renfrow’s touchdown, a 65-yard score, was his first-career score.

Defensively for the Raiders, linebacker Tahir Whitehead led all defenders with a season-high 11 tackles, while defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and defensive ends Arden Key and Benson Mayowa each recorded a sack.

Entering Week 9, Oakland is second in the NFL with with eight sacks surrendered on offense. Only in 1970 and 2016 have the Raiders surrendered fewer sacks (seven) through the club’s first seven games of the season.

Additionally, the Raiders also rank second in the NFL with sacks allowed per pass play percentage of 3.5 percent on the season.

The Lions (3-3-1) enter Week 9 coming off a 31-26 victory over the NFC East’s New York Giants at Ford Field in Detroit that snapped the team’s three-game losing streak.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 25-of-32 passes for 325 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Wide receiver Kenny Golladay finished with six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns, while fellow wide receiver Danny Amendola chipped in 95 yards for a team-high eight catches.

Following Sunday’s game, the Raiders will host their AFC West rival the Los Angeles Chargers on a short week on Thursday Night Football. The Lions will remain on the road as they head to Chicago to take on their NFC North rivals, the Bears.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: No matter who won, it was an incredible World Series; Murray vs. Garoppolo for Thursday Night Football; plus more

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Photo credit: @Nationals

On Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tony, the World Series is over. The Washington Nationals looked like they were really going to make this one look easy, but the Houston Astros got hot and won three straight before the Nats forced a Game 7 and Nationals took game 7. It was the most wins by a visiting team in series history. Both teams played an entertaining series.

#2 The San Francisco 49ers play in Arizona for Thursday Night Football. Taking a look at the quarterbacks — for the Cardinals, Kyler Murray, and for the 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo. Tony explains how he sees this matchup.

#3 After the Warriors played the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Warriors were behind 70-37 at halftime and eventually lost the game, the Warriors’ Draymond Green said the team sucked and then the Warriors went to New Orleans and won. It didn’t last long as the Phoenix Suns took it to the Warriors at Chase Center and lost Stephen Curry to a broken hand?

#4 In a free agent deal, the Oakland Raiders signed linebacker Brandon Marshall, who formerly played for the Denver Broncos. Marshall signed a one-year deal. Tony tells us how the Marshall signing will help out especially considering the season suspension hole that was created by linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

#5 The Sacramento Kings, who played the Charlotte Hornets and lost remain winless, came off a tough loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. The Kings, who had home floor advantage on Wednesday night, are looking for that slight edge to get into the win column.

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Kings remain winless; Warriors host Suns tonight; Astros-Nats all knotted up; plus more

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Photo credit: sacbee.com

On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 The Sacramento Kings suffered another loss this time at home to the Denver Nuggets 101-84. The Kings had four players in double figures, but it wasn’t enough as the Nuggets kept the pressure up in the second half.

#2 The Golden State Warriors (1-3) finally picked up their first win for 2019-20 against the last place New Orleans Pelicans (0-4) 134-123. The Warriors tip off against the Phoenix Suns tonight at Chase Center. They’ll be looking for their first home win of the season. Is it possible?

#3 The World Series is all knotted up at three games a piece after the Washington Nationals had lost three straight games, came back and won it by five runs 7-2 at Minute Maid Field on Tuesday night. Washington manager Dave Martinez was ejected from the game arguing about a hit ball hit to Astros pitcher Brad Peacock, who threw it to first baseman Yuri Gurriel, whose glove came off the ball hit baserunner Turner and was ruled out after a review play.

#4 The San Francisco 49ers are setting all sorts of numbers with a huge offensive Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in a 51-13 win over the Carolina Panthers. It was the first time since 2003 that the 49ers scored 50 points.

#5 The Oakland Raiders didn’t fare anywhere close as they lost the Houston Texans Sunday after playing five games in six weeks out of town. The Raiders are in second in the AFC West and play their next game at the Oakland Coliseum on Nov. 3rd against the Detroit Lions.

London Marq does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Raiders finally return home Sunday; 49ers in Arizona on Thursday Night Football; plus more

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photo sfgate.com: Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tyrell Williams (16) is hit by Houston Texans defensive back Keion Crossen (35) after a catch during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Houston.

On the Headline Sports podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Oakland Raiders completed their five-game, six-week out of town road trip on Sunday to the tune of a 27-24 loss. The Raiders went 2-3 on the trip and are 3-4 in the AFC West.

#2 The San Francisco 49ers continue to pull it off with another shocker win, 51-13, over the Carolina Panthers. The 49ers remain perfect at 7-0.

#3 The Golden State Warriors are no longer three time World Champions and are the talk of the town but in a bad way are 1-3 and since they lost a core of who they were from last season including Kevin Durant the team is trying to find their way after a win past 0-4 New Orleans.

#4 The Cal Bears continue to be challenged dropping their fourth straight game. Now, Cal is a .500 team and play host to Washington State on Nov. 9th. The Cougars are struggling too. They’ve lost four of their last five.

#5 The San Jose Sharks faced off against Boston and dropped another one 5-1 on Tuesday night and lost their fifth of their last six games winning only one game on this concluded road trip.

Barbara does Headline Sports each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: No one is doubting the 49ers now

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photo from sfgate.com: San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa runs with the ball after making an interception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019.

On the 49ers podcast with David:

#1 No doubt that the 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the offense killed it on Sunday 51-13 against Carolina Panthers to improve to 7-0.

#2 The defense just handled the Panthers allowing the only 13 points. It got to point where the 49ers bench had to get into the game.

David Zizmor does the 49ers podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com