Category: NFL

Oakland Raiders post game wrap: Raiders falter in the rain 26-10

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By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio (left) expression after the loss at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday

OAKLAND-Whenever the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs you know something will come out of it.

Spencer Ware gained a career-high 131 yards and scored a touchdown, as the Chiefs defeated the Raiders 26-10.

The Chiefs took advantage of two turnovers by the Raiders offense, as Alex Smith went 19-for-22 for 224 yards. Jamaal Charles and defensive lineman Dontari Poe each scored on running touchdowns to help the Chiefs send the Raiders to their second loss of the season.

Oakland native and McClymonds High School graduate intercepted a Derek Carr pass just prior to the Ware touchdown.

The Raiders scored on their opening possession to take a quick 7-0 lead, as Carr found Andre Holmes from three yards out.

After the Chiefs were forced to punt on the ensuing possession, Carr threw an interception to Peters.

Ten plays later, the Chiefs tied up the game, when Ware scored from two yards out.

Sebastian Janikowski missed a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the ball back to the Chiefs with good position.

Charles culminated the six play drive, as he scored from four yards out; however Cairo Santos missed the ensuing extra point.

Instead of kicking a 50-yard field goal, the Raiders went for it on fourth down and were unable to convert, when Carr’s pass to Seth Roberts fell incomplete.

Santos continued his kicking miscues on the next Chiefs possession, as his 38-yard field goal was wide left.

Janikowski cut the Chiefs lead in half, as he nailed a 46-yard field goal at the end of the quarter; however that would be the last points the Raiders would score on the afternoon.

Just seven plays into the second half, the Chiefs lengthened their lead up to 10 points, as Poe scored from one yard out.

After a three-and-out by the Raiders, the Chiefs extended their lead up to 13 points, as Santos nailed a 22-yard field goal. The big play on the drive came from the feet of Ware, who went down the left sideline for a 30-yard scamper down to the Raiders six-yard line.

The game became a punt fest, as the two teams combined for three punts on their next three teams until Santos closed out the scoring with a 44-yard field goal.

Following the Santos field goal, the Raiders began to drive and got all the way down to the Chiefs 20-yard line; however Carr was sacked at the 23, fumbled the ball as he was hit by Dee Ford and Tamba Hali recovered the fumble at the Chiefs 12-yard line.

The Chiefs were unable to close out the game, as they were forced to punt the ball back to the Raiders.

Luckily for the Chiefs, the Raiders were unable to capitalize, as they were forced to turn the ball over on downs for the second time on the afternoon.

That would be the last time that the Raiders would see the ball on the afternoon, as the Chiefs ran out the clock after the two-minute remaining.

It was a big day for Amari Cooper, as he caught 10 passes for 129 yards. With nine catches in the first half, Cooper was the first Raiders receiver to have nine catches or more in the first half since Jerry Rice caught 10 passes against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2002 season.

Carr went 22-for-34 for 224 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Once again, the Raiders were without the services of Latavius Murray and were led by De’Andre Washington, who carried the ball 10 times for 49 yards.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami: Can the offensive protect Kaepernick after Gabbert was sacked seven times last week

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AP photo: The last time Colin Kaepernick saw action was in this Sep 1st photo when he faced San Diego Chargers in pre season play he’ll get a full game out of the Buffalo Bills on Sunday

On the podcast with Joe:

This is it the San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepenick gets the call for this Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills there’s a lot of anticipation going into this one to see how well Kaepenick will perform in his first start of the season. The 49ers have struggled since opening day and dropping four straight is a huge concern now for head coach Chip Kelly and Joe takes a look at some of those concerns.

Last week the Arizona Cardinals picked off 49er quarterback Blaine Gabbert twice and he was sacked seven times Joe takes a  look at the what kind of protection the offensive line will offer up to protect Kaepernick. Also Joe matches up the Buffalo Bills and 49ers for Sunday’s picks

Joe Lami does the 49ers podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservive.com

 

Oakland Raiders preview: Raiders welcome Chiefs to Oakland with first place in the AFC West at stake

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP photo: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is jubilant after throwing a second half touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Crabtree last Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum

OAKLAND, Calif — With the Denver Broncos (4-2) losing to the Chargers (2-4) 21-13 in San Diego Thursday night, the Raiders have a chance to move into sole possession of first place in the AFC West with a win Sunday over the visiting Kansas City Chiefs  at the Oakland Coliseum.

Kickoff is set at 1:05 p.m. PT.

The Raiders had to rely on a botched field goal attempt by San Diego last Sunday to preserve a 34-31 home win over the visiting Chargers.

Oakland quarterback Derek Carr completed 25-of-40 passes for 317 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception against a banged up Chargers’ defense that carried 14 players on injured reserve.

Carr has definitely stepped up his game in year three, ranking in the top-1o in the league in passing touchdown passes (11; ranking fourth), passing yards (1,383; ranking eighth) and passer rating (102.3; ranking 11th) through the first five games this season.

Carr is engineering the NFL’s fourth ranked offense, averaging 28.4 points per game.

These are one of those “benchmark” games that will determine if Oakland is a definite contender in the AFC this year, as Carr recently told 95.7 the Game via the Raiders’ official website.

“Huge test for us, and that’s the thing, that’s the mindset,” Carr said this week. “We’ve got to stay focused, we’re getting a team we haven’t beaten in two years coming to our place,” Carr further explained.

“That’s a big deal, that’s a huge deal, they had our number last year, they beat us twice and that’s what they earned. We can’t sit here and look at records and pat ourselves on the back, we’re playing a team we have not beat.”

Oakland, winners of three straight games, are off to their best start at 4-1 since the 2002 season when the Raiders appeared in the Super Bowl.

Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio thinks there is still room for improvement, but likes what he has seen from his squad so far this season.

“I think we have a healthy perspective of what we want to look like and knowing that we’re not quite there,” Del Rio said recently via CBSSports.com. “There is a lot of work in front of us. I don’t think anybody would disagree with that. A lot of things we must do better as we go forward. We’re working hard at it.”

Kansas City (2-2) are coming off a bye week in Week 5, but have been one of the hardest teams to figure out through the first quarter of the year.

After looking like world-beaters by forcing eight turnovers (six interceptions) in a 24-3 win over Ryan Fitzpatrick and New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 3, the Chiefs allowed 300 yards through the air and five touchdown passes from Ben Rothelisberger in a 43-14 loss in Pittsburgh in Week 4.

But Kansas City  may have the secret formula to slow down Oakland in the form of head coach Andy Reid, whose teams are 15-2 coming off a bye week.

“Every year is different,” Reid said per the Kansas City Star. “It’s situational, who you play and where you play. I don’t even look at that.”

Since arriving in Kansas City in 2013, Reid is 5-1 against Oakland as Kansas City’s head coach. With a win, Reid will move into 13th place on the NFL all-time wins list for coaches passing former Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks head coach, Mike Holmgren, a coaching mentor to Reid.

Chiefs starting quarterback Alex Smith has performed well in the past against Oakland, sporting a 7-1 record against the Raiders throwing 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

Smith is 2-1 in Oakland, throwing nine touchdowns and zero interceptions. This season, Smith has thrown for 1,073 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions with a passer rating of 87.7.

The Silver and Black can have their hands full against a Kansas City team that took both meetings from Oakland last season, a 34-20 win in the Bay Area in Week 13, and a 23-17 victory in Kansas City in Week 17.

Including the postseason, Kansas City leads the all-time series between these two fierce rivals, 60-52-2.

Kansas City’s 17th ranked defense sports one of the game’s best young players in West Oakland native, cornerback Marcus Peters, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year who leads the NFL with four interceptions this season.

Peters should see a lot of wide receiver Michael Crabtree, but the real battle will be between Peters and the Raiders other wide receiver, Amari Cooper. Two of the best young players at their positions should be fun to watch.

Peters returned an interception 58 yards and broke up two passes in Oakland last season.

 

 

 

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Carr’s come back prowess gives Raiders offense the confidence each time out: Oakland set for KC next Sunday

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AP file photo: Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) had six catches for 189 yards and one touchdown last Sunday against the San Diego Chargers at the Oakland Coliseum

On the Oakland Raiders podcast with J Hawkes:

The Oakland Raiders are coming off a huge successful win over the San Diego Chargers 34-31 last Sunday and a look at how important is it to win these division games. Also the Raiders missed some offensive opportunities in the first half on offense. It was anticipated to be a Raider blow out but turned out to be a nail biter.

Quarterback Derek Carr got an B+ from J Hawkes instant report card last Sunday for his performance. Carr went 25-40 on passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders behind 17-9 in the third quarter got back in the ball game with a 64 yard pass to wide receiver Amari Cooper to close the score to 17-16.

Also Joe takes a preview look at the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders for this Sunday’s game at the Coliseum

 

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Kaepernick basically should have been the starter from opening day

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AP photo: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepenick tunes up before Oct 6th’s game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levis stadium will start this Sunday in Buffalo

On the San Francisco 49ers podcast with David:

The 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepenick should have been starter for months now and a lot of people have had it in the back of their heads. The fact of the matter is that former starter Blain Gabbert being starter didn’t make a whole lot of sense to be starter. Gabbert even back during camp in August and July when head coach Chip Kelly was first going over the roster and dealing with training camp issues.

It was surprising that Kelly went with Gabbert for starter. Kelly came over he has this particular style the system that he’s been running ever since he’s been in Oregon he brought with him to Philadelphia. You need an accurate quarterback but it also requires an athletic quarterback. The read option is part of his game and when you look at the 49ers and you try to match up players with Kelly’s system you would certainly be curious to see what Kaepernick could do at the quarterback position.

David Zizmor does the 49ers podcast once a week and Joe Lami does the Niners podcasts on Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Raiders Instant Report Card: Cooper finally scores, Raiders tie Broncos for first place in AFC West with win over Chargers

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — I guess the Raiders love winning games by the closest of margins this season.

In a match up teams going in opposite directions, Oakland prevailed over visiting San Diego, 34-31, Sunday afternoon. Oakland took advantage of four Chargers’ turnovers and a botched field goal attempt on San Diego’s final drive of the game.

All of Oakland’s games this season have been decided by seven points or less, leading to the Raiders (4-1) to a share of the AFC West lead with the Denver Broncos.

Denver (4-1) was knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten, losing at home to the Atlanta Falcons 23-16 Sunday. Atlanta (4-1) also defeated the Raiders 35-28 in Week 2, spoiling Oakland’s home opener.

Checkout each unit’s grade following the Raiders’ first win at the Oakland Coliseum this year:

Quarterback (B+) – Coming into the game Sunday, their was so much talk that Oakland would blowout San Diego, who are a depleted with 14 players on injured reserve but that was not the case.

Oakland missed opportunities in the first half on offense, settling for three Sebastian Janikowski field goals and trailing San Diego, 10-9 at halftime.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr seemed overly-excited in the first half in front of the sold out Raider Nation crowd, throwing only his second interception of the season on a shovel pass intended for rookie running back DeAndre Washington to Chargers defensive tackle Brandon Mebane on Oakland’s first drive of the game.

But Carr rebounded, completing 25-of-40 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns against a Chargers secondary that were playing without Pro Bowl cornerback Jason Verrett, who was lost for the season with a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

With Oakland trailing 17-9 in the third quarter,  Carr threw a beautiful pass to wide receiver Amari Cooper down the Chargers’ sideline for a 64-yard score to pull Oakland closer, 17-16.

Following a Philip Rivers’ 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Hunter Henry that pushed San Diego’s lead to 24-16, Carr found wide receiver Michael Crabtree for a 21-yard touchdown on 4th and 2 that trimmed the Chargers’ lead to 24-22 before Carr found Cooper on a quick slant for the two-point conversion that tied the score 24-24.

For the season, Carr has thrown for 1,383 yards, 11 touchdowns, and two interceptions while completing 67-percent of his passes.

”Sometimes you just have to find ways to win and get it done at the end,” Carr said after the game. ”It would be nice if we didn’t have to do all the stress and drama at the end. That would be nice.”

Running Backs (B) –Without starting running back Latavius Murray, the ground game was left in the hands of rookie running backs DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard, and fullback Jamize Olawale.

The trio registered just 23 carries for 89 yards on the ground, with Richard leading the group with only 31 yards on eight carries.

Washington rushed for 23 yards on a team-leading nine carries. Olawale (six carries and tied for a team-high six catches) was the only back to score, a 1-yard plunge in the fourth quarter that gave Oakland a 34-24 lead.

Offensive line (C-) – After not giving up a sack last week in Baltimore and keeping Carr upright, the unit gave up three sacks to San Diego Sunday.

Rookie defensive end Joey Bosa, who was making his NFL debut after missing San Diego’s first four games, found himself getting well acquainted with Carr, sacking Carr twice.

Linebacker Jatavis Brown recorded a sack for San Diego.

Wide Receivers (A) – It took five games, but wide receiver Amari Cooper finally got into the end zone Sunday.

Cooper had his best game of the season, catching six passes for 138 yards, and a touchdown. Cooper blew past Chargers’ strong safety Adrian Phillips down San Diego’s sideline for a 64-yard score.

The Raiders’ second-year wide receiver was targeted a team-high 12 times Sunday, and now leads the team in targets (44), yards (456, pacing fifth in the league among wide receivers), and is second to teammate Michael Crabtree for the team lead in receptions (29 to 26).

Crabtree finished with three catches and 47 yards Sunday, but hauled in his fifth touchdown catch of the year. Crabtree is tied with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown for the most touchdown catches in the league with five.

In 21 games with Oakland since 2015, Crabtree has recorded at least three catches in all games played and his 13 touchdowns from the start of last season are tied for sixth in the league over that span.

Oakland’s 32nd ranked defense had another tough day, giving up 423 yards of total offense to a Chargers team that was missing star wide receiver Keenan Allen and versatile running back Danny Woodhead. Allen and Woodhead both were lost for the season with torn ACL’s.

Even in the win, Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio wasn’t happy with his defense’s performance, Del Rio called out his defense, saying that they need to “Stop playing Santa Claus. Stop giving out presents.”

Defensive Line (B) – Defensive tackles Stacy McGee (1.5 sacks) and Dan Williams (0.5 sack), were key in stopping Melvin Gordon and the Chargers’ ground game.

McGee forced two of San Diego’s five fumbles on the day.

Oakland’s defensive front limited the former Wisconsin Badger to 16 carries for 69 yards rushing.

Linebackers (A) – Newly signed linebacker Perry Riley, Jr. played great in his debut in Silver & Black, leading the team with seven tackles (six solo).

The former Washington linebacker started next to rookie Corey James for the injured Malcolm Smith. Smith, who did suit up, was active but didn’t play any snaps.

Riley Jr. will get a lot of playing time and could possible remain the starter if Smith’s injury continues to derail his season.

Secondary (C-) – The “gifts” that Raiders head coach might be referring to is the abundance of passing yards the secondary has given up game after game, as evident of the 356 yards and four touchdowns that San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers threw on the rebuilt unit.

Free agent addition Sean Smith intercepted his second pass of the season and rookie Karl Joseph recorded both his first interception and fumble recovery, but Oakland couldn’t stop the Chargers wide receivers.

David Amerson, rated as the best cornerback in the league according to Pro Football Focus, was burned by wide receiver Tyrell Williams for a 29-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter that gave San Diego a 7-3 lead.

Williams and fellow wide receiver Travis Benjamin had 117 receiving yards each, while combining for 12 catches.

Oakland is surrendering 330 yards per game through the air per game, which is dead last and that needs to improve.

Special Teams (A-) – Kicker Sebastian Janikowski accounted for 14 points on 4-of-5 field goals on the day, while punter Marquette King had three punts for an average of 41.3 yards per punt.

The Raiders welcome another bitter division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs (2-2), next Sunday at 1:25 p.m. PT.

Kansas City was on a bye week.

 

 

 

Oakland Raiders-San Diego Chargers post game wrap: Raiders win a wild one

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By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: The Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) and the San Diego Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward (26) talk during the post game meet and greet at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday

OAKLAND-Could this finally be the year that the Oakland Raiders make their first playoff appearance since advancing all the way to the Super Bowl back in 2002.

If the offense continues to play like this, the Raiders will definitely see the postseason and they can thank the right arm of Derek Carr and the right foot of veteran kicker Sebastian Janikowski.

Carr went 25-for-40 for 317 yards and two touchdowns, as the Raiders came back to defeat the San Diego Chargers 34-31 before a crowd of 54,275 at the Coliseum.

It looked like the Chargers were going to send the game into overtime with just over two minutes remaining in the game, but rookie Drew Kaser was unable to hold onto the snap from Mike Windt and it was recovered by Chargers tight end Sean McGrath; however the Raiders took over on downs.

Unfortunately, the Raiders were unable to run out the clock and gave the Chargers one more shot at tying or winning the game.

Philip Rivers was able to complete a pass to Travis Benjamin, but after multiple laterals, the ball bounced out of bounds and the Raiders improved to 4-1 on the season and the Chargers fell to 1-4.

Rivers went 21-for-30 for 359 yards passing and four touchdowns on the afternoon, as he passed both Warren Moon and Johnny Unitas on the all-time list.

The downfall for both the Chargers and the Raiders was the fact that the two teams combined for five fumbles and two interceptions.

Not only did Carr throw two touchdowns to Amari Cooper, the first touchdown of the season for the second-year wide receiver, but Carr also found Michael Crabtree that gave the Raiders the lead for good with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter.

As for the 17-year veteran Janikowski, he was up to old tricks, as he made 4-of-5 field goals on the afternoon, missing a 50-yard attempt that went wide right.

Three of Janikowski’s four field goals came in the first half, including a 56-yard field goal as the first half came to a close and cut the Chargers lead down to 10-9.

Cooper caught six passes for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Jalen Richard, starting at running back in place of the injured Latavius Murray also caught six passes for 66 yards. Richard also carried the ball eight times for 31 yards, while DeAndre Washington led the Raiders in carries with nine and gained 23 yards on the ground.

Janikowski opened up the scoring in the first quarter, as the Raiders took 8:01 off the clock, as the left-footed kicker nailed a 20-yard field goal.

Tyrell Williams gave the Chargers a 7-3 lead in the second quarter, as he was on the receiving end of a 29-yard pass from Rivers.

Josh Lambo kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Chargers 10-6, but Janikowski got the Raiders within one point at the half.

Rivers stretched the Chargers out to eight points in the third quarter, as he found Melvin Gordon for an 18-yard touchdown pass on the Chargers first drive of the third quarter.

Just 66 seconds later, Carr found an open Cooper for a 66-yard touchdown pass to get the Raiders within one point.

Following the Carr to Cooper 66-yard touchdown pass, Rivers drove the Chargers down the field and concluded when the veteran found Hunter Henry from a yard out.

Which meant in the first 4:50 of the third quarter, the two teams combined for three touchdowns and then on the Raiders next possession, Janikowski kicked a 48-yard field goal to get within five points.

On the Chargers next possession, Gordon fumbled the ball and it was recovered by rookie Karl Joseph that setup the Carr to Crabtree touchdown on fourth down that gave the Raiders the lead for good.

Joseph also came up his first interception of his career near the end of the first half that setup Janikowski’s field goal to send the Raiders into the locker room trailing by one point.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami: Kaepernick most likely to start against Bills in place of Gabbert Sun Oct 16th

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AP file photo: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) takes a knee before last Thursday night’s game against the Arizona Cardinals during the national anthem. Kapernick is looking to get the call as starter in Buffalo for Sunday Oct 16th’s game with the Bills.

On the 49ers podcast with Joe Lami:

The 49ers (1-4) dropped their fourth straight contest losing at home to a Arizona Cardinals (2-3) team 33-21 last Thursday night. This was a game that the 49ers couldn’t take advantage of . Joe also covers the 49ers renegotiating the contract of quarterback Colin Kaepernick that would guarantee his $14.5 million salary. He will get paid even if he’s out with an injury.

With the move the 49ers look to replace starter Blaine Gabbert with Kaepernick in week five against the Buffalo Bills (2-2) on Sunday Oct 16th. The Niners wanted to make the contractual adjustments that would bring in Kaepernick especially at this time after Gabbert suffered a bad loss to the Cardinals last Thursday at Levis Stadium. Gabbert went 18-31 for 162 yards and he over threw the receivers numerous times and had some bad loses which forced 49ers head coach Chip Kelly to change starting quarterbacks.

Joe Lami does the San Francisco 49ers podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Oakland Raiders-San Diego Chargers podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon Fri Oct 7th 2016 preview

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AP file photo: The Oakland Raiders wider receiver Michael Crabtree (left) and Vadal Alexander (74) jump for joy after a Crabtree touchdown in the first half of last Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens

On the podcast with Joe:

The Oakland Raiders Quarterback Derek Carr had himself an afternoon against the Baltimore Ravens in last Sunday’s game passing 25-35 for 199 yards, the Raiders couldn’t hold a nine point lead in the fourth quarter. Joe takes a look at how concerning that maybe for Carr and Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio. Carr however was brilliant when he engineered a six play, 66 yard drive that got him a 23 yard touchdown to wide receiver Michael Crabtree with 2:12 left in the Raiders victory over the Ravens. As the Raiders now prepare for the San Diego Chargers at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday.

Joe Hawkes Beamon has all the latest on the Raiders on the podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Oakland Raiders-San Diego Chargers preview: Raiders host Chargers in AFC West battle

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP file photo: Oakland Raiders Michael Crabtree (15) runs a pass route against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday Crabtree who scored three touchdowns is looking forward to the challenge of the San Diego Chargers next Sunday

OAKLAND, Calif — It’s been three weeks since Raider Nation has seen their team up close, and the last time the Silver & Black were at the Oakland Coliseum, their home opener, they lost to the Atlanta Falcons 35-28 in Week 2 dropping Oakland’s record to 1-1.

After playing three of their first four games on the road, Oakland (3-1), will play their next two games at home, both against AFC West opponents, first hosting the San Diego Chargers Sunday in Week 5 action at 1:25 p.m. PT.

Oakland welcomes the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 16 (Week 6).

The Raiders slipped by the Ravens, 28-27, in Baltimore last Sunday.

Quarterback Derek Carr, as cool as a cucumber, drove Oakland 66 yards in six plays, and found wide receiver Michael Crabtree tip-toeing the back of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown with 2:12 left in the fourth quarter.

The third-year quarterback from Fresno State has played more like a 10-year veteran during the first month of the season,  throwing for 1,066 yards, nine touchdowns, to just one interception.

“He is a guy that is very well-prepared,” Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said via CBSSports.com. “He’s really, I think, taken a step forward in terms of emotional control, the poise to be, kind of, surgeon-like and just be accurate with the ball and let his playmakers do their thing.”

Crabtree, who is off to a tremendous start to the season as well, dominated the Ravens’ second-ranked defense, scoring three touchdowns on seven catches for 88 yards.

The eight-year veteran from Texas Tech has become Carr’s big-play guy, leading the Raiders in receptions (26), touchdowns (4), and is second behind fellow wide out Amari Cooper (318) in receiving yards with 308.

Rookies are being thrust into live action for Oakland, especially as injuries begin to pile up.

The Raiders’ fifth-ranked rushing attack could be down a man Sunday, as starter Latavius Murray (toe) is not expected to play, so Oakland will rely heavily on rookie running backs DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard.

Washington, who will likely start, is second on the team with 147 rushing yards on 23 carries, while Richard is third with 144 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries.

Middle linebacker Ben Heeney and tight end Lee Smith, who were both placed on season-ending injured reserve this week, will rely on rookie middle linebacker Corey James to fill Heeney’s void.

James, who took over for Heeney during Oakland’s 17-10 road victory in Tennessee during Week 3, recorded a team-high 15 tackles (3 assisted) in Week 4.

Smith, who was key in Oakland’s ground game with his strong blocking, leaves those duties to second-year tight end Clive Walford and fourth-year tight end, Mychal Rivera

The offensive line has been dealing with some injuries at tackle with Menelik Watson and Austin Howard. Rookie Vadal Alexander stepped in against Baltimore and solidified a unit that didn’t allow a sack in the game to a Ravens team that entered Week 4 with six sacks.

San Diego (1-3) travel to Northern California as a broken down team,  blowing three leads in the fourth quarter in the team’s final five minutes of the game this season.

The Chargers blew a 13-point second half lead in a 35-34 loss to the New Orleans Saints, thanks to fumbles by wide receiver Travis Benjamin and running back Melvin Gordon.

Benjamin, who signed with San Diego in the offseason following four years in Cleveland, leads the Chargers with 21 catches for 277 and two touchdowns.

San Diego’s season has been decimated by injuries, with 14 players on injured reserve.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries have taken out top-flight wide receiver Keenan Allen and running back  Danny Woodhead on the offensive side, but that doesn’t seem to bother Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

Despite all of the season-ending injuries, and with security blanket in tight end Antonio Gates dealing with a hamstring injury, Rivers has continued to put up arcade-like numbers throwing for 1,110 yards, seven touchdowns, and just one interception.

Rivers’s 104.5 passer rating ranks seventh in the league behind Carr’s 104.6, while engineering an offense that averages 30.2 points per game.

Defensively, San Diego lost star linebacker Manti Te’o (Achilles) in the third game of the season, but linebackers Denzel Perryman and Jatavis Brown have filled in nicely combining for 44 tackles and two sacks.

The loss of Pro Bowl cornerback Jason Verrett for the season with a partially torn ACL really hurts San Diego’s pass defense, especially against Cooper and Crabtree.

Cornerback Casey Hayward has recorded three of the team’s six interceptions, while outside linebacker Melvin Ingram is the team leader with three sacks.

On paper, Oakland should dominate San Diego, but Rivers, who is 14-6 with 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions for his career against the Raiders, is the quarterback who can prevent Oakland from earning their first win at home Sunday if he gets hot.

Oakland took both meetings last year against San Diego.