Category: NFL

49ers Close Out 2018 Season Versus Rams

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Photo credit: news.sportsinteraction.com

By: Joe Lami

The dreadful 2018 season is finally reaching the finish line for the San Francisco 49ers, as the 4-11 club travels to LA to cap-off the season against the Rams.

The 49ers have a chance to play spoiler with the Rams needing the win to secure the two seed in the NFC playoffs. The Rams can also clinch if the Bears lose to the Vikings, which kicks off as well at 1:25 pm PST.

LA will be without star running back Todd Gurley for the second straight week, as he tries to get healthy for the postseason. In his place, CJ Anderson will try and repeat a career day he had last week against Arizona.

The Niners will be without three reliable offensive weapons as well. Marquise Goodwin, Matt Breida, and breakout rookie Dante Pettis will all miss the finale with injuries.

Expect Jeff Wilson Jr. to start at running back. Since his debut during week 12, the undrafted free agent has been a surprise for the Red and Gold, rushing for 257 yards on 62 carries. He just needs to take care of the ball better, fumbling already three times, if he wants a chance to return to a very deep backfield next year.

Nick Mullens will get one final audition to be the 49ers’ backup next year or even a starter somewhere else. Kyle Shanahan has seemed unimpressed by his 3-4 record, 91 passer rating, 10 touchdowns, and nearly 2,000 passing yards he’s had since taking over week 9.

He ranks third in the NFL since 1970 behind Patrick Maholmes and Cam Newton for most yards in his first seven games.

Attacking him will be Aaron Donald, who leads the NFL with 19.5 sacks on the year, the most ever by a defensive tackle. He’s just 3.5 away from passing Michael Strahan’s single-season record. The 49ers’ offensive line needs to keep him in check to prevent history.

The 49ers face an uphill battle against the Rams but have had their number in recent bouts. San Francisco is 4-2 in their last six against the Rams, including winning both games since their return to LA.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami: 49ers to end season in L.A. against a successful Rams team

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Photo credit: ocregister.com

On the San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami:

#1 The 49ers were able to hold a 9-7 lead at half time against one of the best teams in the NFC last Sunday the Chicago Bears (11-4). Do you view this as progress after the 49ers had won Denver and Seattle in previous weeks at Levis’s Stadium?

#2 Going into a game like that, where the Bears know how to protect both sides of the ball, the 49ers to play a game like that head coach Kyle Shanahan really had to have had a great game plan.

#3 The Bears did shutout the 49ers in the second half of that game last Sunday. Did it appear to you that quarterback Nick Mullens and the offense did everything they can to get some head way on offense?

#4 San Francisco 49ers (4-11) safety Marcell Harris said his late hit on Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was not intentional. The hit drew an unnecessary roughness and sparked a brawl that saw 49ers’ cornerback Richard Sherman getting ejected from the game plus two other players.

#5 The 49ers end their season against the Los Angeles Rams (12-3) at the LA Coliseum this Sunday. The Rams are another team having a glory season. Can the 49ers play spoiler again?

This is the final 49ers podcast for the season. Join Joe Lami for the NHL podcast each Friday at  http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Can Raiders end this season with a win over the Chiefs in KC this Sunday?

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Photo credit: chiefswire.usatoday.com

On the Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon:

#1 Last Monday Night was the last game at the Oakland Coliseum for the Oakland Raiders. How bittersweet is that for the fans, the city of Oakland and the Raiders organization?

#2 The game was special for the players. Did it seem like with the knowledge that this is the last home game of the season and possibly the last game ever at the Coliseum for the Raiders, did they came out pushing hard to win this one?

#3 The Raiders are in a big legal battle with the city of Oakland, and although an offer is on the table for the Raiders to stay in Oakland is on the table, the Raiders are looking to shop elsewhere and one those places is AT&T Park. Can you see them playing in the city next season?

#4 Joe, it’s like you wrote in your game recap regarding Raiders quarterback Derek Carr: For the season, Carr has thrown 3,864 yards with 19 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Carr needs just 136 yards in Oakland’s season finale against the Chiefs in Kansas City for his first 4,000-yard season.

#5 Sunday is the last game of the season for the Raiders in Kansas City to conclude a weird, strange trip that it has been. From the letting go of several key players, to their team GM Reggie McKenzie and how the team scratched and clawed out a win against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football for a 27-14 win. Joe sums up the season for us.

Joe covered the Raiders each week during the 2018 season at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

49ers hope to end the 2018 season on a positive note

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Photo credit: ninersnation.com

By: Jeremy Harness

The San Francisco 49ers are looking to rebuild. The Los Angeles Rams are just looking to keep building.

The 49ers will look to make a positive imprint going forward into the 2019 season, like they did toward the end of last season. They will go down to Los Angeles to face the playoff-bound Rams on Sunday for their final game of the 2018 year.

One of the differences here is that the anointed quarterback of the future in on the bench while nursing a significant knee injury.

The other difference is that the Rams have something to play for this time around, as opposed to the season finale of 2017, when their playoff spot was set in stone with nowhere to go. With a win Sunday, the Rams can clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye.

For that reason, the Rams are all but assured to play most of – if not all – their starters to ensure that all-important No. 2 spot. The New Orleans Saints locked up the No. 1 seed in the conference and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with their win over Pittsburgh last Sunday.

The 49ers, on the other hand, currently sit with a 4-11 record and have secured their fourth straight losing season, one that started with a load of promise and optimism but has since been riddled with injuries at every key position.

The good news is that Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be back in action by the time training camp starts next July, and they have two quarterbacks in Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard that have playing experience and are expected to have a heated battle to be Garoppolo’s backup.

Raiders set to finish the 2018 season in KC on Sunday against the Chiefs

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Photo credit: raiders.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

The Oakland Raiders will finish up the 2018 regular season on the road this Sunday where they will take on their most bitter AFC West rival, the Kansas City Chiefs. This Week 17 matchup will be the 117th meeting between the two clubs, with the Chiefs holding a 62-52-2 advantage over the Silver and Black and are currently riding a two-game winning streak in the series.

Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT from Arrowhead Stadium on CBS. Sunday’s contest will mark the fifth-straight season that the Raiders and Chiefs will conclude the regular season.

The Silver and Black finished out their 2018 home schedule in convincing fashion with a 27-14 win over another AFC West rival in the Denver Broncos on ESPN’s Monday Night Football in Week 16. With the idea that Monday night’s game could be the final home game ever for the Raiders in Oakland stuck in everyone’s mind, Raider Nation was treated to a much needed victory on Christmas Eve by its football team.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr extended his club-record streak of passes without an interception to 325, a mark that currently leads the NFL. His last interception came all the way back in Week 5 against the Chargers.

Carr completed 19-of-26 passes for just 167 yards against the Broncos, and is just 136 yards shy from his first career 4,000-yard passing season. For the season, Carr has thrown for 3,864 yards with 19 touchdowns to just eight interceptions.

Running back Doug Martin, an Oakland native, had his biggest game of the season in front of his hometown crowd carrying the ball 21 times for 107 yards and one touchdown. After Martin’s 24-yard run down the Raiders’ sideline that gave the Raiders a 14-0 lead, Martin threw up an “O” to the Oakland crowd.

Wide receiver/kick returner Dwayne Harris provided the biggest play of the game, returning a punt 99 yards for the game’s first score in the first quarter. Harris’ punt return tied for the second-longest in NFL history with Patrick Peterson’s 99-yarder back in 2011. Robert Bailey has the NFL’s longest punt return, a 103-yarder set in 1994 per the Elias Sports Bureau.

Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Harris ran 157.5 yards on his touchdown return, the longest distance covered by any ball carrier in the last three season. The play earned Harris AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in 2018.

Defensively, the Raiders put the clamps on the Broncos in the first-half, forcing Denver to punt five times in six possessions. The Broncos missed a 58-yard field goal right before halftime, allowing the Raiders to carry a 17-0 lead into the locker room.

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the 17-first-half points were the most by the Raiders since scoring 21 points in the first-half against the New York Jets in Week 2 of the 2017 season.

Broncos quarterback Case Keenum did throw two touchdowns to rookie wide receivers DaeSean Hamilton and Courtland Sutton, but also two interceptions to safeties Marcus Gilchrist and Erik Harris.

Both interceptions came in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory for Oakland, who improved to 4-11 on the season. In their last six games, the Raiders are 3-3.

Oakland surrendered just 202 yards on 23-of-37 passes, marking the 10th-straight game that the Raiders have held opposing quarterbacks to less than 300 yards passing. The last quarterback to throw for over 300 yards against the Silver and Black was Philip Rivers (339) for the Chargers in Week 5.

After starting the season 11-2, the Chiefs (11-4) have dropped back-to-back games in recent weeks.

Last week, the Chiefs traveled to Seattle and left with a 38-31 loss to the Seahawks on NBC’s Sunday Night Football from always noisy CenturyLink Field.

With a win over the Raiders Sunday, Kansas City will win the AFC West title for the second-straight season (their third division crown in four seasons), and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

In the first meeting of the year in Week 13, the Chiefs narrowly escaped the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum with a 40-33 victory in what turned out to be an offensive explosion for both teams. Defense was an afterthought, with both offenses combining for 911 yards of total offense and scoring nine touchdowns.

Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdowns and no interceptions in the contest with 295 yards passing. Mahomes, who completed 23-of-38 passes, connected with tight end Travis Kelce for 12 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Not to be outdone, the duo of Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and tight end Jared Cook were spectacular on that Sunday afternoon in the Black Hole too, with Carr completing 29-of-38 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns.

Cook hauled in seven of Carr’s passes for 100 yards and one touchdown in the game.

Oakland Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders’ last game of 2019 as team goes all out to win in finale

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sportingnews.com photo: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Pat Mahomes looks to toss one for a gain, the Chiefs host the Oakland Raiders this Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium for the Raiders final game of 2018

On the Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Raiders (4-11) had a great game in their final home game of the 2019 season, a 27-14 win over the Denver Broncos (6-9) on Sunday.

#2 Raiders quarterback Derek Carr went 19-26 for 167 yards to stay ahead of the Broncos.

#3 On receiving, the Raiders hit their targets enough to score more, the top three receivers for Oakland last Sunday: Dwayne Harris, who returned a 99-yard punt, Jordy Nelson seven receptions for 75 yards and no touchdowns, Jalen Richard four receptions for 40 yards and no touchdowns, and Jalen Cook two receptions for 20 yards and no scores.

#4 The Raiders’ Doug Martin lead the Raiders rushers with 21 carries for 107 yards, one touchdown and averaging five yards per carry.

#5 Raiders and Chiefs (11-4) close out the regular season Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday. We ask Tony how this one will turn out.

Tony Renteria did the Raiders podcasts for http://www.sportsradioservice.com during the 2018 season

Headline Sports with London Marq: LeBron’s slave owner remarks–how much of an impact will this have going forward?

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youtube.com photo: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers gets a haircut on his HBO show The Shop recently apologized for saying recent remarks made on social media

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 On LeBron James saying in the referring to NFL owners, “They got a bunch of old white men owning teams with a slave mentality.” Although LeBron apologized, some people say they know where he’s coming from.

#2 LeBron said the 21 Savage lyric: “We been getting that Jewish money everything is kosher” on his Instagram post and apologized for what he said on his show The Shop on HBO.

#3 LeBron said this about the mentality of the NFL owners, “This is my team you all do what the hell I tell you to.” What did LeBron mean?

#4 Even after apologizing, does LeBron get a pass for what he said on this subject and that what he said deserves further discussion on what did LeBron really mean? Going forward, will LeBron have problems with the reactions from this?

#5 Does LeBron need to get off social media? On the program Speak for Yourself on FS1, they said when he goes on social media “he’s drunk.” Does LeBron go too far on social media and his show The Shop?

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

Raiders take down Broncos 27-14 in potential last game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

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Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND, Calif. — In what may or may not have been the final game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Raiders provided Raider Nation some much needed joy on Christmas Eve with a 27-14 win over their AFC West rival Denver Broncos on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

Oakland (4-11) picked up their first division win of the season, the last team to win a game within their division. Additionally, the win snaps Oakland’s seven-game home losing streak on Monday Night Football, dating back to the 2002 season.

The Raiders are set to play in Las Vegas starting in 2020, but have no lease signed to play at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum for the 2019 season. The city of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the franchise contesting the move two weeks ago. The Silver and Black are looking into options for next season, including playing at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

The NFL wants to have a resolution to the situation by early February, at the latest.

The franchise has called the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum home from 1966 through 1981, then in 1995 through now after spending 13 seasons in Los Angeles.Raiders quarterback Derek Carr finished 19-of-26 for 167 yards and most importantly, no interceptions in his last 325 passing attempts. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the third longest streak in NFL history by a quarterback.

Carr hasn’t thrown an interception in 10 games, dating back to Oct. 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Carr threw his eighth interception at the time into the waiting hands of linebacker Melvin Ingram in the end zone.

For the season, Carr has thrown 3,864 yards with 19 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Carr needs just 136 yards in Oakland’s season finale against the Chiefs in Kansas City for his first 4,000-yard season.

The Raiders jumped on the board early and gave their fans something to cheer about, after punt returner Dwayne Harris returned a punt 99 yards for the game’s first score. The Broncos failed to down the football at the 1-yard line and Harris alertly picked up the football, juked a few defenders and raced down the Broncos’ sideline for the score.

The 99-yard punt return for the touchdown, was the second-longest in NFL history according to the Elias Sports Bureau, tied with Patrick Peterson’s 99-yarder in 2011, and trailing Robert Bailey’s 103-yarder in 1994.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Harris ran 157.5 yards on his touchdown return, the longest distance covered by any ball carrier in the past three seasons.

With Oakland native Marshawn Lynch lighting up the Al Davis Torch before the game, fellow running back Doug Martin ran all over the Broncos on Monday night, rushing for 107 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.

Martin, who was born in Oakland, scored untouched on a 24-yard run before throwing up an “O” before Raider Nation to give the Raiders a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.Oakland added a 43-yard field goal from rookie kicker Daniel Carlson to give the Raiders a 17-0 lead heading into halftime. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the 17-first-half points were the most by the Raiders since scoring 21 points in the first-half against the New York Jets in Week 2 of the 2017 season.

When watching the first-half, it felt like Oakland was playing more inspired football than Denver, who appeared to be ready for Christmas morning rather than a football game against one of their greatest rivals.

In six first-half drives, the Broncos punted five times and missed a 58-yard field goal from kicker Brandon McManus as time expired for halftime. Denver’s offense was nonexistent for the majority of the contest as penalties crippled them throughout the night as the Broncos were called for 11 penalties racking up 91 yards.

That’s not a recipe for success in the NFL.The Broncos didn’t get on the board until midway in the third quarter when quarterback Case Keenum threw a pair of touchdowns to rookie wide receivers DaeSean Hamilton and Courtland Sutton.

Oakland would quickly respond, thanks to a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Jalen Richard, but Keenum’s two fourth quarter interceptions to Marcus Gilchrist and Erik Harris sealed the victory for the Raiders.

Keenum completed 23-of-37 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. Now at 6-9, the Broncos are assured of back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1971-72 which has put head coach Vance Joseph squarely on the hot seat.

Denver finished 5-11 last year in Joseph’s first season and entered this season with playoff aspirations, but have stumbled in 2018 and now have lost three-straight games following a 6-6 record.

Last week’s 17-16 loss at home to the Cleveland Browns eliminated the Broncos from postseason contention. Tonight’s performance by Denver could’ve possibly sealed Joseph’s fate, who is rumored to be fired at season’s end. The Broncos finish up the regular season against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17 in Denver.

Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the first half, joining Dominic Rhodes and LaGarrette Blount as the only undrafted rookies to rush for 1,000 yards in the Super Bowl era per the Elias Sports Bureau. Lindsay rushed for 46 yards before leaving the game with a right wrist injury and didn’t return.

With 1,037 rushing yards on the season, Lindsay needs just 68 yards to break Rhodes’ record (1,104) that was set in 2001 as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

If this was the last game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for the Raiders, it was a fitting send off.

Not only did the Raiders defeat one of its biggest rivals in the Broncos, who came into the game with the most victories (22) by a visiting team per the Elias Sports Bureau, but Oakland made the game feel like a celebration rather than a funeral as some suggested.

The Raiders will wrap up the 2018 regular season in Kansas City against the Chiefs where Derek Carr will try to earn his first win at Arrowhead Stadium where he’s 0-4 lifetime.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Late hit by 49ers’ Harris sparks brawl at game’s end; Bears come back with 2 TD’s and shutout 49ers in second half

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photo still from sbnation.com: The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears scrum after a late hit by 49ers safety Marcell Harris on Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in the closing minutes of Sunday’s contest at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara

On the 49ers podcast with David:

#1 San Francisco 49ers (4-11) safety Marcell Harris said his late hit on Chicago Bears (11-4) quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was not intentional the hit drew an unnecessary roughness and sparked a brawl that saw 49ers’ cornerback Richard Sherman getting ejected from the game plus two other players.

#2 The Bears are noted to being one of the NFC’s best, a first-place team in the NFC North Division and heavy favorites to be beat the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. They did that 14-9, but they had to be concerned in the first half as the 49ers captured the lead going into halftime by two points 9-7.

#3 The Bears scored two touchdowns, shutting out the 49ers in the second half. The key touchdown for Chicago came in the third quarter with 4:14 left in the quarter when the Bears’ Jordan Howard carried for a two-yard touchdown to get the Bears over the top for good.

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

49ers Lose to the Bears in the Red Zone 14-9

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Photo credit: @49ers

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers will finish their 2018 home record at 4-4 this year, as they dropped the home finale 14-9 to the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium Sunday. The Bears remain hopeful for a first-round bye with the must-win victory.

Inability to score in the red zone and a few late mistakes cost the 49ers from upsetting the NFC North champs. San Francisco finished 0-for-3 in the red zone, as Robbie Gould scored all nine points with field goals inside the 30-yard line.

Nick Mullens made two costly errors down the stretch that prevented them from taking a late lead. With under eight minutes to go and marching, he threw a pick at the 14-yard line. After being lead a little too much, it tipped off the hands of Marquise Goodwin and right to Bears’ linebacker, Danny Trevathan.

Despite the pick, San Francisco won the turnover battle against the top team in the NFL, forcing two fumbles. DeForest Buckner recovered the first and Greg Mabin recovered one with 1:52 left giving San Francisco one final chance.

The 49ers recovered at their own 24 and began to move past midfield to the Chicago 45. After two consecutive incomplete passes, SF faced a fourth-and-four. Mullens was given great protection by the line and scrambled out to his right. With nothing but open field in front of him and enough room to easily pick up a first down, he went for the home run ball and threw it a few yards out of bounds.

Mullens admitted to his mistake, while Shanahan said, “he was just trying to make a big play.”

The attempt at the big play ended the drive and gave the Bears the win.

Mullens finished the day 22-of-38 for 241 yards. His primary target was George Kittle, catching seven passes for 74 yards. Kittle stands three receptions shy of the franchise record for tight end receptions in a season.

The 49ers continued to battle and lost as a brotherhood. Richard Sherman was ejected with under six minutes remaining after a fight broke out following a late hit on Mitch Trubisky near the Bears’ bench. Shanahan, Mullens, and George Kittle all appreciated the actions of sticking up for your teammates.

It remains to be seen if Sherman will be eligible for next week’s season finale in LA. The Rams can clinch the first-round bye with a victory, giving the 49ers a final chance at spoiler.