Category: NFL

Oakland and Houston both dealing with QB issues ahead of Saturday’s AFC Wild Card playoff game

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Oakland Raiders quarterback Connor Cook passes against the Denver Broncos in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — Now that the 2016 season is in the rear view mirror, the real fun begins: the playoffs.

No matter how you got there as a team, if you happen to be one of the 12 teams that have a shot at playing in Houston on Sunday Feb. 5 in Super Bowl LI for the Vince Lombardi trophy you earned your way to the Dance.

Needing just a win in Denver in Week 17 to clinch the AFC West title, the No. 2 seed, and a first-round bye, the Raiders squandered all of it by looking lethargic and disinterested in a 24-6 loss to the Broncos Sunday knocking the Silver and Black to the No. 5 seed.

No home playoff game or week off. All gone.

By virtue of their 37-27 win in San Diego Sunday, Kansas City (12-4), captured the AFC West crown and locked up the No. 2 seed and the first-round bye that comes with it.

In the process of the loss, Oakland (12-4) lost another quarterback when backup-turned-starter Matt McGloin left the game late in the second quarter with a shoulder injury.McGloin completed 6-of-11 passes for 21 yards and was ineffective in his first start since 2013 in place of franchise quarterback, Derek Carr.

Carr was having an MVP-type of season passing for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions before breaking his fibula against Indianapolis in a 33-25 Oakland victory on Christmas Eve.

Carr headlined a league-high seven Raiders that were selected to the AFC Pro Bowl team this season.

McGloin finished the game on the sideline as he watched rookie quarterback Connor Cook taking his first snap as a pro.

Oakland had more penalty yards (90) than on offense (50) in the first half as Denver racked up 254 yards of total offense.

Cook, who may find himself starting for the Silver and Black’s first playoff game since 2002 on Saturday when the 5-seeded Raiders travel to Houston for an AFC Wild Card game, completed 14-of-21 passes for 150 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in relief.

Kickoff is at 1:35 p.m. PT  at NRG Stadium.

Oakland is hoping that this won’t be the last time they travel to Houston for a big game this season, but all hands are definitely on deck.

According to a report by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Oakland is planning to sign journeyman quarterback Garrett Gilbert to the practice squad and could be active for the Wild Card game.

Gilbert, a former sixth round draft pick by in 2014 by the then-St. Louis Rams, spent all of last season on Oakland’s practice squad. Gilbert actually spent his rookie season with the New England Patriots and won a Super Bowl ring after being cut by the Rams.

The Raiders do have two dangerous pass-catchers in wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. Crabtree led Oakland with five catches for 47 yards, while Cooper hauled in four catches for 39 yards including a 32-yard catch for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Crabtree (89 catches/1,003 yards/8 TDs) and Cooper (83 catches/1,153 yards/5 TDs) became the first Raider duo with 1,000 yards in a season since Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (83 catches/1,139 yards/9 TDs) and Tim Brown (91 catches/1,165 yards/9 TDs) did it in 2001.

Latavius Murray powers an Oakland running attack that will need to bounce back after rushing for 57 yards against a Broncos’ defense that has had trouble stopping the run this season.

Murray, who led Oakland with 788 yards rushing this season on 195 carries, tied former Raiders running back Marcus Allen’s franchise record with 12 rushing touchdowns. The Hall of Famer scored 12 rushing touchdowns for the Raiders in 1990 when the Silver and Black called Los Angeles home.

When you share company with a player like Allen, who was one of the most prolific offensive players in league history, that’s saying something for Murray.

Oakland’s defense, which has been hot and cold this season, let Broncos running backs run freely for huge yardage. The backfield of Justin Forsett (22 carries for 90 yards) and Devontae Booker (14 carries, 57 yards, TD) gave Oakland fits all day, especially Booker.

Booker capped off an 8-play, 84-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to give Denver a 7-0 lead on the Broncos’ opening drive. Forsett’s 64-yard run (the longest run by a Broncos running back this season) on Denver’s third drive would set up a 22-yard field goal from kicker Brandon McManus that gave Denver a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Following a Raiders’ punt, Booker helped Denver stake a 17-0 lead shortly before halftime after taking a short pass from quarterback Trevor Siemian 43 yards for a touchdown.

But when you think hard about the chances for a Raiders’ victory, the more and more you got to believe that defensive end Khalil Mack and the defense will have to show up against a Houston team that has questions at quarterback of their own ahead of Saturday’s showdown in H-Town.

It’s only right since Mack is Oakland’s closer on defense, making game-changing plays in the fourth quarter when the Silver and Black have needed them.

Mack’s 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, and pick-6 has the third-year pro from Buffalo one of the favorites for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The No. 4-seeded Texans (9-7) don’t know who will play quarterback for them Saturday. According to reports, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien is expected to name a starter Tuesday.

Newly minted started Tom Savage (5-of-8 for 25 yards) left Sunday’s game at Tennessee with a concussion and was replaced by former starter Brock Osweiler for the remainder of the game.

Savage did clear the league concussion protocol during the game, but was held out for Osweiler, who finished 21-of-40 for 253 yards and a touchdown in Houston’s 24-17 loss in Music City.

Osweiler, who signed to a four-year, $72 million contract ($37 million guaranteed) to be the Houston’s franchise quarterback after four seasons backing up future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning in Denver, had Houston in first place in the AFC South the entire year but has been inconsistent this season.

In 14 starts this season, Osweiler has thrown for 2,957 yards with 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Houston is 29th in the league in scoring at 17.4 points per game this season, and do have some play-makers of their own.

Running back Lamar Miller eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau in his first year in Houston following four years in Miami. Miller had 268 carries for 1,073 yards and five touchdowns, but missed the last two games dealing with an ankle injury.

Miller is expected to play Saturday which is critical to Houston’s offense.

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the Texans leading receiver with 78 catches for 954 yards, and is tied with tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz for the team lead with four touchdown catches.

Houston’s defense was expected to suffer without superstar defensive end J.J. Watt, who only played in three games this season due to back surgery, but the unit hasn’t taken a step back in Watt’s absence as it finished ranked No. 1 in total defense yielding just 301.3 yards per game to opposing offenses.

The Silver and Black finished the season ranked seventh in total offense, averaging 26 points and 373.2 yards per game, albeit with Carr in the lineup.

Linebackers Whitney Mercilus (7.5) and Benardrick McKinney (5.0), along with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (6.0) combine for 18.5 of Houston’s 31 sacks this season.

McKinney leads Houston with 129 tackles, while Clowney was named to his first AFC Pro Bowl team.

This will be the second time that these two teams meet up this season.

Oakland scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to squeak past  Houston 27-20 in Week 11 in Mexico City. Houston held Oakland to just 120 yards offensively through the first three quarters.

The Raiders defense must do a better job on containing Miller this time around after allowing 24 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown to Houston’s starting running back in the last meeting.

 

 

 

San Francisco 49ers analysis and commentary with Joe Lami: Change is Not Really Coming to San Francisco

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Chip Kelly head coach of the  San Francisco 49ers addresses the media after the loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara, January 1, 2017. (AP Foto/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.–A day after both Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke were relieved of their duties of the San Francisco 49ers, owner Jed York met with the local media. He made it evident that a 2-14 season is not acceptable to anyone in an organization that is so used to winning. He wants to bring back that winning culture, and he plans to be the man to do it.

In the same press conference, York has completely contradicted himself. He noted that he was not involved in any part of the football operations, but also commented he would be the one making the decision of who the next GM or head coach may be. This puts Jed at the very top of football operations, in a role that would be more suited for a President of Football Operations, but he’s not making any football decisions.

The quote of the day was when he stated, and the biggest slap in the face to fans was, “I am own this football team. You don’t dismiss owners”. That may be true Jed, but the point is most owners don’t have the control over the team like you do. They are smart enough or don’t let their egos get bruised if they admit that they don’t know what they’re doing, so they bring in the right people to run the ship.

Everyday Jed York is reminding me more and more of what Al Davis did to the Oakland Raiders in the early 2000s. He had a little bit of success early on and even lost a Super Bowl. But, his downfall came to his ego, believing he knew more about football and how to run a team than anybody else.

Jed York has admitted that he shouldn’t be the one making football decisions, yet doesn’t do anything about it. He will turn to his advisors, who he refused to name drop, yet gave hints as to who they were on this ugly process. But as long as York has the wheel of the ship, the 49ers will not be successful.

It’s time to become the bigger man, step down, and admit you have no clue what you’re doing before your fan base completely abandons you like they should.

49ers competitive in season-ending loss to Seahawks, then part ways with Baalke, Kelly

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) talks with head coach Chip Kelly during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

By Morris Phillips

For the third time in three seasons, the 49ers are starting over.

After an encouragingly competitive performance against the Seahawks, and a franchise-record tying 14th loss on the season, the team announced that general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly had been fired.

While Baalke’s dismissal had been widely anticipated for weeks, Kelly’s status remained uncertain until the reports surfaced the night before the season finale that the coach would be let go in sweeping changes aimed at getting the struggling franchise righted.

“I have informed Trent and Chip of my decision to pursue new leadership for our football team. These types of conversations are never easy, especially when they involve people you respect personally and professionally,” team CEO Jed York said in a statement released after the game.

“Despite my feelings for Trent and Chip, I felt the decision to change our football leadership was absolutely necessary.  The performance of this team has not lived up to my expectations or those of our fans, and that is truly disappointing. Weall expected to see this team progress and develop as the season went on, but unfortunately that did not happen. That is why now is the time to find a new direction for this team.”

Whoever is hired to replace Baalke and Kelly, will enter a situation with as clean as cupboard as can be found in the NFL, and will inevitably ask for as much time as possible to right the ship.  The 49ers could say goodbye to all three quarterbacks currently on the roster, including Sunday’s starter Colin Kaepernick, whose restructured deal gives him a player option that he is likely to decline.

Beyond the quarterback position the most likely players to return with potential of transformative impact are rookie defensive end DeForrest Buckner and possibly behemoth offensive tackle Trent Brown. Tight end Vance McDonald recently signed a contract extension, but missed the team’s final four games due to injury.  Most NFL talent evaluators when asked have pointed to the team’s rosters lack of impact talent, especially at the offensive skill positions.

At the critical linebacker positions, the team will return NaVorro Bowman, whose 2016 season was cut short due to an Achilles rupture, Eli Harold, Aaron Lynch and Tank Carradine. Longtime veteran edge rusher Ahmad Brooks isn’t likely to return.

The team’s secondary could see upheaval as well despite the presence of valued draftees Eric Reid, Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt.

Veteran kicker Phil Dawson said after the game he will take a couple of weeks to determine his future in football.  If the 41-year old Dawson opts to resume his football career, that does not automatically mean that he returns to San Francisco.

Given the lack of talent and uncertainty within the team’s roster, and York’s frequent firings, attracting a top-notch talent evaluating GM and a compatible coach won’t be easy.  The top candidates for those positions–Scott Pioli, Trent Kirchner, Eliot Wolf for general manager, and Kyle Shanahan, Josh McDaniels for head coach–are expected to be in high demand  with at least six teams expected to make similar changes.

Just last off-season, Chip Kelly was hired after several bigger targets turned down the 49ers and York.

In Kelly, the 49ers had a capable coach whose team frequently enjoyed success early in ballgames only to see things stagnate once strategic adjustments were made.  Kelly also had the respect of his players, no small feat, just one year removed from Philadelphia, where the former college coach did not have the respect  of all his players.

On Sunday, the 49ers started fast again, leading 14-3 at one point as Kaepernick completed his first 10 passes and ran for 18 yards on four carries.

Afterwards, several Seahawks’ players admitted that the 49ers’ quick-hitting rushing attack hadn’t shown up on film and initally confused the Seahawks’ defensive front.  But Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said afterwards that a series of adjustments along the Seattle defensive line helped to slow the 49ers, who started Shaun Draughn at running back in place of the injured Carlos Hyde.

After leading 14-3, the 49ers allowed Seattle 16 unanswered points and a 19-14 lead in the third quarter.   Besides a gift safety where Seattle long snapper Nolan Frese snapped the ball over the head and out of reach of punter Jon Ryan, the 49ers were shut down the rest of the way save a Kaepernick touchdown pass to Grant Celek with 5:42 remaining.

With Seattle’s playoff positioning decided as the high-scoring Falcons put the finishing touches on the Saints to claim the NFC’s No. 2 seed, Carroll opted to bench quarterback Russell Wilson and several other starters as a precautionary move. But backup Trevone Boykin came on to convert two, critical third down opportunities and help the Seahawks run out the clock.

Ironically,  with Wilson in the game, the Seahawks failed to convert third downs on nine of ten opportunities.  But with Boykin aboard, the Seahawks converted their last two.

The 25-23 loss was the narrowest of the 49ers’ 14 losses.  As a result of the outcome, and the Browns’ loss earlier to Pittsburgh, the 49ers will pick second in the upcoming spring draft.

Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos game wrap: McGloin injured in loss 24-6; Cook to take controls in playoff game

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AP photo: Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin sits on the sideline with an injury during the first half of the team’s NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Denver.

By Jeremy Kahn

With a chance to win the AFC West for the first time since 2002, the Oakland Raiders lost not only the game but their quarterback for the second consecutive week.

Matt McGloin suffered a shoulder injury in the first half , as the Raiders lost to the Denver Broncos 24-6.

Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was forced to turn to fourth round draft pick Connor Cook, who last saw action in pre season, “It was fast,” Cook said. “Felt pretty good to get out there and get some reps, trying to get the timing down with the receivers, but obviously not the way we wanted it to go.”

In a game that Del Rio said if you want the win you’d have to earn it and work hard for it but it didn’t come. Ever since starting quarterback Derek Carr broke his leg last week in Oakland against the Indianapolis Colts the Raiders are almost in a state where their hair is on fire. It’s a matter of desperate measures and if they are going to win they’d have to work extra hard with Cook in the Wild Card for the them, “I tell guys all the time: You get what you earn in this league,” Del Rio said. “And we didn’t do enough to earn a win tonight.”

Prior to be forced to leave the game due to his shoulder injury, McGloin completed six passes for just 21 yards in his first start after the season-ending injury to Derek Carr.

McGloin, who was making his first start since 2013, the year before Carr was drafted out of Fresno State. He was injured when Jared Crick threw him to the turf, that drew a roughing the passer against Crick, “I wanted to play out there tonight,” McGloin said. “If I’m not 100 percent healthy, that’s not what this team needs. I plan on being 100 percent healthy (for Houston).”

Cook, who was drafted out of Michigan State in the fourth round went 14-for-21 with a touchdown to Amari Cooper.

With the playoffs beginning on Saturday afternoon against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, Cook could be the first rookie in the Super Bowl era to have his first start come in a playoff game, this according to NFL Research.

DeAndre Washington led the Raiders in rushing with seven carries for 43 yards, while Latavius Murray carried the ball five times for 43 yards.

Michael Crabtree was the Raiders leading receiver with five catches for 47 yards, while Cooper caught four passes for 39 yards and the Raiders lone touchdown.

Seahawks Will End 49ers 2016 Misery; Baalke and Kelly expected to be fired after game sources say

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espn.com photo: San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke are expected to be relieved of their duties right after Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levis Stadium

By: Joe Lami

The San Francisco 49ers kick off their final game of the horrendous 2016 campaign on Sunday against their division foes, the Seattle Seahawks. It will most likely be the last game where Trent Baalke is the GM of San Francisco, who’s expected to be fired after his drafts have put together a record of 7-24 over the past two season.

Colin Kaepernick is also expected to play his final game in the red and gold. Due to a restructure in his contract, he has the ability to opt out during the offseason to go elsewhere. All indications show that to be the case, as his $3 million San Jose home being put up for sale being the nail in the coffin.

While most of the chatter has been on what might possibly occur on New Years’ Day with the front office, the team still has a game to try and win.

Seattle has already wrapped up the NFC West and are playing for seeding in the playoffs. This means that they won’t hold back against the team that destroyed the San Francisco 37-18 in week three. If Seattle wins and Atlanta is knocked off, the Seahawks will receive a first-round bye. However, if the Niners can pull off the upset, Seattle will drop to the fourth seed.

When Chip Kelly was asked about playing the spoiler role, he said that his team doesn’t look at it that way. They should look at the guys on the other sideline and be pumped up about the competition they’re going against.

The 49ers will be extremely shorthanded once again, as hitting the injury bug has added injury to the insult of this 2016 season. Carlos Hyde, Vance McDonald, Torrey Smith, and Andrew Tiller are all out, with Joe Staley and Rashard Robinson being questionable.

The good news for Niner fans is Sunday will be the end of misery and the team could look forward to their highest draft pick since the 2005 NFL Draft. Once again, the need for the quarterback position is the highest.

NFL podcast with Tony Renteria: 49ers Joe Staley named for Bill Walsh Award; How Raiders will look on defense against the pass

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San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley (74) looks on from the sidelines during a week 13 NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Chicago. The Bears won 26-6. (Scott Boehm via AP)

The Oakland Raiders are in Denver this Sunday Tony talks about the preparation the Raiders will need on defense going in against the Denver Broncos. The Raiders with quarterback Derek Carr out of the line up will get a good look at back up quarterback Matt McGloin for a good preview of how McGloin might perform in the post season. How McGloin does against the Broncos will gave Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio a sense of how to prepare McGloin  in a post season game.

The 49ers have five key injuries which include running back Carlos Hyde, wide receiver Torrey Smith as they prepare to face the Seattle Seahawks at Levis in Santa Clara.  The 49ers coming off that one point victory in LA last Saturday are expected to have their hands full Tony says their chances to win that game are slim and none. Could their be some miracle left in them.

The 49ers left tackle Joe Staley was named as the team’s MVP for the 2016 season. The 49ers coaching staff voted Staley the MVP and quarterback Colin Kaepernick was also voted the winner of the Len Eshmont Award. The award is given to the player that best “exemplifies the inspirational and courageous” play.

Tony Renteria does the NFL podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: McGloin ready to step in at QB for injured Carr on Sunday

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Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin (14) throws the ball during warm ups prior to an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016 in Oakland, Calif. Oakland won 33-25. (Peter Read Miller via AP)

When the Oakland Raiders kick off against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium this Sunday it’ll be a big difference from having good ole reliable quarterback Derek Carr under center for most of this season after he broke his leg last week against the Indianapolis Colts. With Matt McGloin doing the audibles it’ll be a different game for the Raiders.

Sunday it’ll be their first game without their franchise quarterback from players and coaches they have the utmost confidence in McGloin getting the call for this Sunday. McGloin has been with the franchise and was the starting quarterback since 2013 for the Raiders before Carr took over as the starter. McGloin starts this game with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. McGloin is someone the Raiders feel confident in.

Joe Hawkes does the Raiders podcasts each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami: After win 49ers try to go after third one against Caroll and Seahawks

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Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Caroll, center, after an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 22-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

The Seattle Seahawks have locked up a spot in the NFC West for a playoff  the Hawks are still battling for seeding so the Hawks will probably be playing their main guys. Hawks head coach Pete Carroll may pull them out later in the game just because he doesn’t want anyone to get too banged up heading into the playoffs.

Last Saturday a great 49ers win and it was one of the best comeback wins and second half performances that we’ve seen all year from San Francisco and scoring the 15 points in the fourth quarter really helped out unfortunately for the Niners it’s a win in the record books but the 49ers lose that first overall pick now.

Joe Lami has all the latest on the 49ers check out the podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Raiders try to wrap up AFC West title in Denver without Derek Carr in regular season finale

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Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, left, watches as quarterback Derek Carr, bottom, is tended to by trainers during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — With a playoff spot already in their back pocket, the Raiders have a chance to clinch the AFC West title with a win in Denver (or a Kansas City loss in San Diego) Sunday at 1:25 p.m. to close out the 2016 regular season at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

But the 12-3 Raiders are going to have to go out and win the division (and the AFC’s No. 2 seed) without franchise quarterback and MVP candidate Derek Carr. Carr fractured his right fibula during Oakland’s 33-25 win over the visiting Indianapolis Colts in Week 16 on Christmas Eve.

The third-year quarterback completed 21-of-31 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns before being helped off the field following a sack by Colts defensive end Trent Cole in the third quarter. Carr’s leg got stuck in the Oakland Coliseum turf as Cole spun Carr around, fracturing his right fibula. On the season, Carr passed for 3,933 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.

The loss of Carr is devastating for the Silver and Black as they embark on their first postseason appearance since 2002, but Carr’s backup Matt McGloin is a guy that is ready for the challenge of leading a very talented team.

“I feel great,” McGloin said this week via CBSSports.com. “I know this team, these guys around me, this staff and this organization will do a great job of helping me out, embracing me, and making sure we keep moving in the right direction.”

McGloin, who threw for 1,547 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions in six starts for Oakland in 2013, will have the same offensive unit that took down the Broncos 30-20 in Week 9 in front of the country on NBC’s Sunday Night Football in the first matchup.

In his career, McGloin has thrown for 1,847 yards with 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 58.3 percent of his passes.

Starting running back Latavius Murray bludgeoned one of the league’s best defenses on 20 carries for 114 yards and three touchdowns that night in front of a sold out Raider Nation crowd at the Oakland Coliseum.

Rookie running back DeAndre Washington had career-day against the Colts, carrying the ball 12 times for a career-high 99 yards and two touchdowns, both for 22-yard scores that capped off four straight touchdowns for Oakland.

The tandem of Amari Cooper (78 catches, 1,110 yards, 4 TDs) and Michael Crabtree (84 catches, 956 yards, 8 TDs) are great weapons for the former Penn State quarterback to throw to.

Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio believes in the closeness of his team and the coaches.

“We’ve got a good group of guys and a good group of men and a good group of coaches and players,” Del Rio said via CBSSports.com “who are going to work hard to put together a good plan, and we go out and expect to win.”

Denver (8-7), who will miss the playoffs this year after winning the Super Bowl last year, is coming off a 33-10 loss to Kansas City (11-4) on Christmas Night at frigid and rainy Arrowhead Stadium.

Kansas City racked up 484 yards of total offense and held a 21-7 lead in the first quarter against the once vaunted Broncos defense, highlighted by a 70-yard touchdown run by rookie speedster Tyreek Hill and an 80-yard catch-and-run score by tight end Travis Kelce.

Both Hill and Kelce were named to the AFC Pro Bowl team as starters with Hill being named as a return specialist for his first selection of his career.

Hill, who has superb hands is second on the Chiefs with 56 catches for 547 yards and six touchdowns, has 497 yards on 38 returns including a 78-yard punt return for a score against Oakland in a 21-13 victory on Dec. 9 in Kansas City.

Hill also has an 86-yard kickoff return for touchdown that helped Kansas City take the Broncos in overtime,  30-27, in Denver on Nov. 27.

Kelce earned his second-straight Pro Bowl nod by having another impressive year for Kansas City  with 84 catches for 1,117 yards and four touchdowns.

The playoff-bound Chiefs are hoping that Denver can knock off Oakland because a Raider loss would give Kansas City the No. 2 seed and the first-round bye, and knock Oakland to the No. 5 seed where they would open the playoffs on the road in either Pittsburgh or Houston on Wildcard Weekend.

But the Raiders have shown that they can win on the road this season going 6-1 (well 7-1 if you count playing in Mexico City that was technically considered a Raider “home” game), but that was with Carr under center, not McGloin.

Second-year quarterback Trevor Siemian has surpassed the 3,000-yard passing mark for the first time in his career with 3,195 yards, but has engineered a Broncos offense that scores just 20.6 points per game, 20th in the league.

Siemian has thrown for 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions with a 83.9 passer rating.

But according to Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, Siemian will share some snaps this Sunday with former  first round draft pick Paxton Lynch.

“I think Trevor deserves the right to go back out there as a starter,” Kubiak said via the Denver Post. “He’s done a lot of good things this year. He’s a young player that needs to keep going.

“I want him to get the Kansas City taste out of his mouth. It was a tough outing. Paxton is also going to play. I’m preparing both and you’ll see them both in the game.”

Just like Oakland, Denver have a premiere wide receiving corps with Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders leading the way.

Thomas leads the team with 86 catches for 1,036 yards and Sanders is second with 79 catches for 1,032 yards.

Both are tied for the team lead with five touchdowns a piece.

After starting the season 7-3, Denver is just 1-4 since.

Oakland won last season’s game in Denver on Dec. 13, 15-12, behind the dominate performance of defensive end Khalil Mack who tied a franchise-mark with five sacks off former Broncos quarterback now Houston Texas  high-priced backup, Brock Osweiler that day.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Will 49ers bring some adrenaline into Seattle after their win in LA last Saturday?

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick dives into the end zone for a two point conversion against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

We’ve seen plenty instances like this when teams mail it in to end their season if it was any indication last Saturday at the LA Coliseum the San Francisco 49ers clearly with nothing to lose made an all out effort to win against the Los Angeles Rams and did so after a 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick two point conversion that sealed the game for San Francisco 22-21.

As bad as the 49ers are and make no mistake this is a bad 49ers team and it will go down historically one of he worst 49ers teams in the franchise’s history. This isn’t much of a team but their still trying down on the field. The win over the Rams was the 49ers third win in their meetings with the Rams once last season and twice this season.