Category: NFL

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Carr having a break out two weeks for Raiders under center

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AP file photo: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr might have had a tough day on Oct 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs date of photo but has developed into one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL as he prepares to face the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr in the last two games with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was just phenomenal.  Against Jacksonville he had a decent game. In the second half of last Sunday’s game against the Bucs he threw for four touchdowns and on interception. He’s the 18th quarterback to throw for 5oo yards in a game he broke a franchise record for the most passing yards.

Again Carr did this without throwing an interception, the Raiders are a fun team to watch and it also was fun to see that involved tight ends Clive Walford and Mychal Rivera had a great game. It was really refreshing to see that Carr does has no fear. Carr was recently named offensive player of the week for his performance in Tampa Bay.

Joe Hawkes does the Raiders preview and podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com game day coverage with Jeremy Kahn

 

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: City auditor says documents missing 49ers says they’ll produce missing pages in coming days

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sanjosemerucrynews.com file photo: Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor seen speaking at an undated city council meeting is leading an audit on the San Francisco 49ers who provided some documents but not all regarding if they used general funds on Levis Stadium operations on Wednesday

As of yet it was reported that the San Francisco 49ers front office has not turned over any documents demonstrating they haven’t used any Santa Clara County general fund money to pay for stadium upkeep to paying for personnel. The Niners were supposed to have the itemized documentation ready last Monday as a result of not having those documents ready the City of Santa Clara hired an auditor to look at the 49ers records.

The 49ers were supposed to show in the audit that they weren’t using tax payer funds to fund the stadium operations and that was supposed to be the 49ers job. The city auditors found that city funds were being used for security measures and other stadium operations which was contractually forbidden when the city and the 49ers went on the stadium venture. The city says that they either get reimbursed and if the 49ers don’t reimburse them at cost then the city says they’ll take over stadium operations.

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

 

Carr continues to steer Raiders in right direction with Denver looming

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — Winning football games in the NFL are extremely difficult, especially when you don’t have a quarterback.

Ask teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears and the New York Jets who are playing musical chairs at the game’s most critical and scrutinized position how difficult it is to win in the NFL.

Those teams are a combine 5-25 this seasons, while the likes of the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, and the Atlanta Falcons are a combine 24-4 this season with smart signal callers who can take over games.

Then there is Derek Carr and the 6-2 Oakland Raiders who continue to surprise each week.

Carr, who has ice water in his veins to go along with great confidence, plays more like a 10-year veteran than a third-year quarterback as evidence to his record-setting performance in Oakland’s wild 30-24 overtime victory in Tampa in Week 8.

The Oakland quarterback threw for 513 yards (setting a new franchise record, breaking the mark held by Cotton Davidson), with four touchdowns and no interceptions on 40-of-59 passes against the Buccaneers.

Carr and the Raiders’ offense racked up 626 total yards while dominating the time of possession by nearly 15 minutes. Tampa Bay’s defense looked gassed under the sweltering West Florida sun, staying on the field for 85 plays Sunday.

Carr found wide receiver Seth Roberts for a 41-yard catch-and-run touchdown down the middle of the field with under two minutes in overtime. Before that, Carr found tight end Mychal Rivera for the game-tying score with 1:38 left.

The win moved Oakland to 5-0 on the road this season. It’s the first time that the franchise is 5-0 on the road in a season since 1977.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Raiders became the 46th team under the current playoff format to win five straight road games in a season.

The previous 45 teams have all gone on to make the playoffs that season.

On the season, Carr has thrown for 17 touchdowns (third-best) to just three interceptions. His 2,231 yards through the air ranks him fifth among all quarterbacks in the league.

But many outside of the Bay Area aren’t sold on the Raiders, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2002 which is the last time Oakland played in the Super Bowl, because they don’t have a signature win.

With the hated Denver Broncos coming into town and the game being featured on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, Carr and the Raiders will have a chance to show the rest of the country how good they really are with first place in the highly competitive AFC West at stake.

Denver (6-2) dropped division rival San Diego at home 27-19 Sunday behind their punishing third ranked defense.

Super Bowl 50 MVP linebacker Von Miller recorded one of four sacks on the day for Denver. Miller is second in the NFL with 8.5 sacks this season.

The defense also added three interceptions, one of which was returned 49 yards for a touchdown by free safety Bradley Roby in the second quarter against San Diego Sunday.

This is the type of game that Carr and the Raiders must get up for more so than the previous eight games this season.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper had a career day, victimizing Tampa Bay for 12 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown, while fellow wide receiver Michael Crabtree added eight catches for 108 yards against the Buccaneers.

Cooper is third among NFL wide receivers with 787 receiving yards, while Crabtree is tied with Green Bay’s Jordy Nelson and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans for the league lead in touchdown catches with six.

The duo are considered one of the best in the league, but will have their hands full with Denver’s cornerback tandem in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, Jr.

Talib and Harris Jr. lead one of the best secondaries in the league, along with hard-hitting safeties T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart. Denver surrenders a league-low 183.9 passing yards per game to opposing teams, while Oakland averages 285 passing yards per game, fourth-best in the league.

Despite recording a league-record 23 penalties for 200 yards on Sunday (yes, that is two football fields worth of penalties if you’re scoring at home), the Raiders are proving that they can play with anybody because they have a quarterback

Oakland’s 31st ranked defense which has allowed 410.4 yards per game to opposing offenses, yielded just 270 yards of total offense against the Buccaneers.

After a slow start, linebacker Khalil Mack has returned to dominating fashion. Mack registered two sacks off Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, giving him five of Oakland’s 11 sacks for the season.

Carr who has quickly become an MVP candidate, and the  will need to lead Oakland to victory over the Super Bowl champs if the Raiders are to garner any respect outside of the 510 area code.

San Francisco 49ers report: City of Santa Clara demanding 49ers hand over documents on tax payer money audit on possible stadium use

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by David Zizmor

SANTA CLARA–Not only are the San Francisco 49ers struggling with their on field product who haven’t won a ball game since opening night back in early September but now the team is facing a city audit by the City of Santa Clara who are threatening to take over stadium operations if the 49ers can’t demonstrate they did not use city funds to pay for Levis stadium.

Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor told the media that the 49ers are not cooperating when city auditors met with team officials who requested documents, reports, receipts or any accounting that the team wasn’t spending money on Levis Stadium from the city general fund. Gillmor said that if there is documentation proving that the 49ers are spending city money on Levis Stadium the city would take over the operations of the stadium.

The 49ers countered by saying that the team was not using stadium money saying, “the mayor’s accusation that the money is going from the city’s general fund into the stadium is false and irresponsible.” According to a San Francisco Chronicle report the 49ers are expected to hand over financial documents to the city auditor itemizing what the city funds were spent on to city auditors on Monday.

David Zizmor does the 49ers weekly commentary for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Carr and Raiders set records in win

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By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: Oakland Raiders wide receiver Seth Roberts (10) starts his run towards the end zone after a pass from Raider quarterback Derek Carr for a 41 yard overtime touchdown to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa

Derek Carr did something on Sunday afternoon that no other Oakland Raiders quarterback ever had done since the team was founded in 1960.

Carr finished the game with a team record 513 yards passing, as he went 40-of-59 passing and the Raiders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-24 in overtime at Raymond James Stadium. With the victory, the Raiders improve to 5-0 on the road and to 6-2 on the season.

The 513 yards broke a 52-year old record that was orinigally set by Cotton Davidson.

Things were not all good for the Raiders, as they set an NFL record for most penalties in a game with 23 for a whopping 200 yards.

Carr found Seth Roberts for the game-winning touchdown with under two minutes remaining in the overtime. Sebastian Janikowski missed a potential game-winning field goal from 52 yards out on the Raiders first possession of the extra session.

That was the second missed field goal of the game for Janikowski, who missed a 50-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would have given the Raiders the win.

Mychal Rivera sent the game into overtime, as he scored his first touchdown of the season with 1:38 remaining in regulation.

Both Amari Cooper and former Buccaneers offensive lineman Donald Penn each caught touchdown passes. Cooper ended the afternoon with 12 catches for 173 yards, while Michael Crabtree caught eight passes for 108 yards.

The Raiders amassed 626 yards of total offense, as they were on the field nearly 15 minutes more than the Buccaneers, who were on the field for 85 plays on defense.

Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston threw for 180 yards, and Jacquizz Rodgers gave them a 24-17 lead late in the fourth quarter.

Carr hooked with Roberts for a game-winning 41-yard touchdown on fourth and four. Two Buccaneers defenders missed Roberts, and he scampered the remaining 30 yards for the win.

This is the first time that the Raiders are 5-0 on the road since John Madden was on the sidelines during the 1977 season. That season, the Raiders as the defending Super Bowl champions made it all the way to the AFC Championship game where they lost to the Denver Broncos 20-17 at Mile High Stadium.

San Francisco 49ers Bye Week Notes; 49ers problems surmounting Baalke at the forefront

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By: Joe Lami

ninernoise.com photo: When it comes to the problems of the San Francisco 49ers in handling personnel and staffing critics point to 49ers general manager Trent Baalke for being responsible

SANTA CLARA–It’s week eight in the NFL season, and good news for 49ers’ fans, the team won’t adding another loss to their record due to their bye week. 2016 has been a nightmare season for the team in Santa Clara and just when you think the team has hit rock bottom, they find another way to sink even lower.

Week eight has the potential of being a big turnaround week for San Francisco. It will allow banged up players to get their health back and a mental rest from a six-game losing streak. Week nine will be the most important game of the Niners season. It can allow the team to regain confidence and get back to winning or it can tank them the rest of the season with a loss. If San Francisco can’t defeat the Saints on home turf, I don’t expect them to win another game this season.

The biggest problem is San Francisco hasn’t been the  players or coaching, it has been the talent of players, and the blame needs to be pointed at GM Trent Baalke, who will be seeing his final half season of his 49ers’ tenure and possibly his football career. What owner or GM would want to give him another chance after his implosion of a once great team.

The personnel problem for San Francisco is an absolute joke. There are only five players that should return to the 53-man next year and the rest could be let go. NaVorro Bowman, Carlos Hyde, Josh Garnett, Joe Staley, and Eric Reid are the types of players that the team needs to be built around. When there are only five players that should be kept, you know it’s time for a complete rebuild.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami: A six game losing streak Niners GM Baalke should take most of the blame

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49ers.pressdemocrat.com file photo: San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke could be on the hot seat according our talk show host Joe Lami who hosts the podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

On the 49ers podcast with Joe Lami, the 49ers haven’t won a game since opening night and with a 1-6 record and New Orleans coming to Santa Clara on Sun Nov 6th the 49ers will have had some rest by then after taking a bye week for Sun Oct 30. Joe takes a look at how desperate this team has to be to get back on track and back into the win column again.

The last time the 49ers lost six straight was in 2008 that was when former head coach Mike Nolan was fired after losing four straight and Michael Singletary lost the next two games at head coach with all the problems this team is having this year Joe takes a look who should take most of the blame, 49ers CEO Jed York, general manager Trent Baalke, or head coach Chip Kelly.

Joe does the 49ers podcast each week at http://www.sportsrasdioservice.com

 

Oakland Raiders-Tampa Bay Buccaneers preview: Raiders look for Florida sweep in Tampa

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP photo: Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio goes out for a third quarter hand shake with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) during their visit with the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday

TAMPA, FL — With already four wins on the road this season, the Oakland Raiders have a chance to go 5-0 on the road if they can knock off the Buccaneers in Week 8 at Raymond James Stadium Sunday.

Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. ET/10:05 a.m. PT.

The 33-16 Week 7 victory over the Jaguars in Jacksonville was a satisfying win for the organization and for head coach Jack Del Rio, who was fired by the Jaguars after nine seasons. Del Rio was booed by Jaguars fans while leading the Silver and Black on to the field.

After missing two games with turf toe, running back Latavius Murray returned to the starting lineup and gave the running game a boost by scoring two touchdowns on the ground. Murray led Oakland with 59 yards on 17 carries.

Quarterback Derek Carr continues to be one of the best passers in the league, after completing 23-of-37 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown to wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

After catching just two passes on four targets for 10 yards in Oakland’s 26-10 loss to the visiting Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, Crabtree bounced back with eight catches (on 11 targets) for 96 yards. Crabtree hauled in a 2-yard touchdown catch to give Oakland a 20-6 lead shortly before halftime and the rout was on.

Oakland’s defense forced two interceptions and forced a fumble against a Jaguars (2-5) team that like Oakland, came into the 2016 season with high expectations but have turned into one of the more disappointing teams in the league.

Jacksonville finished with 344 yards of total offense, picking up most of those yards when the game was out of reach. It was the least amount of yards that Oakland’s 32nd ranked defense has surrendered this season.

Instead of traveling back to California then turning around to return to Florida, the Raiders (5-2) for the first time since 2001, remained in Florida and trained at the IMG Academy in Bradenton in preparation for Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay (3-3) is an intriguing opponent for the Silver and Black, who shouldn’t overlook this team heading into next week’s showdown with the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football in Oakland.

The Buccaneers traveled to the West Coast and thrashed another bottom-feeder in the San Francisco 49ers 34-17 in Week 7.

Running back Jacquizz Rodgers, who was picked up on waivers from the Chicago Bears, has filled in nicely for oft-injured starter Doug Martin with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games.

After recording his first career 100-yard rushing game in a 17-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 5, Rodgers ran roughshod over the Niners for a career-high 154 yards on 26 carries. Oakland will need to stop the run early or Rodgers could have another breakout performance.

Tampa Bay found itself down 14-0 early before exploding for 27 unanswered points and piling up 249 yards on the ground. Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston tossed three touchdowns and 269 yards on 21-of-30 passes and an interception.

Even without veteran wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, Tampa Bay has some play-makers that can pose problems for Oakland’s defense.

Against San Francisco, wide receiver Mike Evans caught eight passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns, while fourth year wide receiver Russell Shepard hauled in five passes for 77 yards including a 19-yard touchdown catch from Winston right before the end of the first half.

Evans is tied with Crabtree for the league lead with six touchdown catches this season.

Backup running back Peyton Barber’s 44-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter iced the game for Tampa Bay. Barber finished with 84 yards on 12 carries.

One match up to watch out for will be between Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper and Buccaneers rookie cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.

Cooper lit up the former Florida cornerback with 10 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns in Alabama’s 42-21 victory on Sep. 20, 2014 in Tuscaloosa.

 

 

 

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Bucs coach Kotter says it’s hard to prepare for receivers like Cooper and Crabtree

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AP file photo: Michael Crabtree (15) and Amari Cooper (89) warm up before their game in San Diego Sun Oct 25th at Qualcomm Stadium

The Oakland Raiders after having a successful game last week in Jacksonville spent the rest of the week in Florida in Sarasota working out and getting prepared for this Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay. Also getting prepared are receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree who had success in Jacksonville as Crabtree had eight catches for 96 yards, and a touchdown.

Tampa Bay head coach Dirk Kotter said it’s not easy to prepare for wide receivers like Crabtree and Cooper who says they’re all over the place. Kotter says both Cooper and Crabtree both play at very high level and compared them to former Atlanta Falcons Julio Jones and Roddy White. J Hawkes talks about his pick in the Raiders at Tampa Bay contest for this Sunday.

Joe Hawkes Beamon is a talk show host on Sportstalk and does the Raiders podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Skeptical on 49ers denial of Staley and Smith trade block rumors

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AP photo: San Francisco 49ers left tackle Joe Staley chews on his mouth piece from the 49ers bench during the second half against the Carolina Panthers on Sep 18th at Carolina is the subject of trade rumors with wide receiver Torrey Smith

There is skepticism amongst the San Francisco 49ers’ brass who deny such rumors that their shopping left tackle John Staley and wider receiver Torrey Smith. Here’s the thing with the 49ers in the Jed York and Trent Baalke era they have this habit of leaking information through whoever their designated media person is and kind of denying it when it comes back and the rumors come back that their true because their the ones who leaked it.

Sometimes you can test and see what the public will think once the rumor is out there to see if everybody is going to back it or not. They were leaking information about former head coach Jim Harbaugh for a year before firing him or letting him go.  This is not news, when quarterback Colin Kaepernick got benched last year there was a whisper campaign in the media about how the coaches were unhappy with him. That Kaepernick was the fall guy for everything that was wrong with the offense last year.

Dave talks about it all on the podcast below.

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