Tag: Derek Carr

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 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.

 

Raiders Instant Report Card: Carr and Crabtree lead Oakland past Baltimore

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP photo: The Oakland Raiders wide receiver looks relieved, cool and collected after a narrow win against the Baltimore Ravens at the post game press conference on Sunday for the Raiders third straight road win

BALTIMORE, MD — Winning on the road in the NFL is a tough feat for any team to accomplish.

The Oakland Raiders are demonstrating that they have no problems winning on the road, after picking up their third win of the season with a 28-27 nail-biting win over the Ravens in Baltimore. Oakland won in New Orleans (Week 1) and in Tennessee (Week 3).

The Silver & Black (3-1), are off to their best start since 2000.

Checkout each unit’s grade following Oakland’s (3-1) road victory Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium:

Quarterback (A+) – What more can you ask Derek Carr to do on Sunday?

The Raiders starting quarterback played quite well, tying a career-high with four touchdown passes on 25-of-35 passes for 199 yards. But the game was not for the faint of heart, as Oakland couldn’t maintain a nine-point fourth quarter lead.

With Baltimore now clinging to a 27-21 lead in the fourth quarter, Carr engineered a 6-play, 66-yard drive that resulted in a 23-yard strike to wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the back of the end zone with 2:12 left.

For the season, Carr has thrown for 1,078 yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception, giving Raider Nation confidence that Carr is the real deal.

In 11 red zone possessions this season, Oakland has scored 10 touchdowns which leads the league.

Running Backs (C) – Oakland’s ground attack mustered up just 62 yards, 28 of those by rookie DeAndre Washington who led all Raider rushers with 30 yards.

Washington’s fumble in the fourth quarter almost proved costly for the Raiders, after the fumble would set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Ravens’ running back Terrence West.

Starter Latavius Murray (eight carries for 19 yards) and rookie Jalen Richard (two carries for 15 yards), rounded out the rushing yards for Oakland.

Richard did factor in on Oakland’s first score of the day, returning a 47-yard punt to the Ravens’ six-yard line. Carr would find wide receiver Seth Roberts for the touchdown on the next play, giving Oakland a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Offensive line (B) – A group that was missing left tackle Menelik Watson, the offensive line kept Carr up right for the majority of the day, yielding no sacks to a vaunted Ravens defensive front anchored by linebacker Terrell Suggs and defensive lineman, Timmy Jerningan. Both Suggs and Jerningan entered Sunday’s contest tied for the team lead with three sacks each.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends (A-) – Crabtree has turned into Carr’s favorite target, as evident of the 12 times the Raider signal-caller target the talented wide receiver.

Crabtree was unstoppable against Baltimore, hauling in seven passes for 88 yards and three touchdowns and looking more and more like a game-changer the Raiders envisioned. With seven catches Sunday, Crabtree has gone 21 straight games where he’s caught at least three passes in a game.

The two-time Fred Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top wide receiver in 2007 and ’08 out of Texas Tech, leads all Oakland wide receivers in catches (26) and touchdowns (4), and is second behind fellow wide receiver Amari Cooper’s 318 yards with 308.

Cooper finished with five catches (six targets) for 48 yards, and is still looking for his first receiving touchdown of the season after catching six in his rookie campaign last season.

Seth Roberts is second among Raider wide receivers with three touchdowns catches this season.

Starting tight end Lee Smith (right ankle) left the game in the second quarter and didn’t return, while backup Clive Walford came in and caught two passes for five yards.

Defensively, Oakland yielded 412 total yards and 25 first downs to Baltimore. Oakland’s defense did slow down Baltimore in the first half, surrendering just six points on seven offensive drives for Baltimore and forcing the Ravens to punt five times.

Defensive Line (C+) – The defensive line allowed running back Terrence West to rush for 113 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown Sunday. Oakland is still allowing physical running backs to run right through them, even though having defensive tackle Mario Edwards out does hurt stopping the run.

But seeing defensive end Khalil Mack record his first sack of the season in the fourth quarter off Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco was a tremendous site for Oakland. Mack was having trouble getting to the opposing quarterback this season as he finish with 15 sacks, second in the NFL to J.J. Watt’s 17.

Linebackers (B-) – Bruce Irvin recorded his third forced fumble in the fourth quarter (one of two  off Flacco in Ravens’ territory was a huge turning point for Oakland, who was holding on to a 14-12 lead.

Irvin, who also recorded his second sack of the season,  has been a nice addition for Oakland this season after spending his first four seasons in the NFL in Seattle and was part of the Seahawks team that won Super Bowl XLVIII.

Rookie linebacker Corey James led all Raider defenders in tackles with 12 (three assisted).

Secondary (B) – Things got dicey for the Raiders in the fourth quarter, trying to maintain a nine-point lead at 21-12, especially trying to stop Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.

Smith Sr. took a Flacco slant pass 52 yards for his first score of the season, cutting Oakland’s lead to 21-19 following the extra point. The 16-year vet finished with eight catches for 111 yards and a touchdown.

The secondary held Flacco to 298 yards on 32-of-52 passes. On 30 dropbacks in the first half, the Raiders harassed Flacco, hurrying him seven times, and hitting the Super Bowl winning quarterback four times.

The Raiders now head home for a date with their AFC West rival, the San Diego Chargers next Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum.

Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT.

 

 

Baltimore will be Oakland’s stiffest test of the season

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP file photo: Oakland Raider quarterback Derek Carr (4) during an audible against the Tennessee Titans Sun Sep 25th will throw against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday

OAKLAND, Calif — With all due respect to the Atlanta Falcons, who gave Oakland their only loss on the young season: you are still a suspect team with an inconsistent pass rush and a quarterback in Matt Ryan that is a great fantasy football league stat filler, not a championship quarterback.

Or the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans, whom Oakland has defeated this season.

Oakland faces their toughest test yet of the season, against Ravens team in Baltimore Sunday  in Week 4 in a game that could have a significant determine playoff seeding in the AFC.

Sunday’s game will showcase the NFL’s second-ranked offense in the Raiders, who are averaging 436 yards and 26.7 points per game (Atlanta leads the NFL, averaging 448 yards and 34.7 points per game), against Baltimore, who are just allowing 254.3 yards and 14.7 points game, second behind Seattle’s 250.3 yards and 12.3 points per game.

Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr lit up a depleted Ravens’ defense in the two team’s match up last season in Oakland, throwing for a career-high 351 yards on 30-of-46 passes, three touchdowns and one interception in the Raiders’ 37-33 victory.

Carr’s 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Seth Roberts with 26 seconds left in the game capped off a 9-play, 80-yard drive after Carr went 7-of-9 on the final drive.

Last week, Carr completed 21-of-35 for 249 yards, one touchdown, and one interception leading the Raiders (2-1) to a 17-10 victory in Nashville, their second road win of the season.

For the season, Carr has thrown for 867 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.

Oakland’s ground game racked up 123 yards, with starting running back Latavius Murray scoring his third rushing touchdown on the season.

Oakland’s 32nd ranked defense, who gave up 500 yards of total offense in back-to-back games to start the season, held Tennessee to 393 yards.

Rookie safety Karl Joseph, making his first career start, led the Raiders with 10 tackles (4 assisted), and cornerback Sean Smith recorded his first interception as a Raider.

The Ravens are coming off a tight, 19-17, road victory in Jacksonville Sunday, thanks to a Justin Tucker 54-yard field goal with 1:02 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Baltimore is off to it’s third 3-0 start in franchise history, their first since 2009.

Baltimore starting quarterback Joe Flacco is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL entering his ninth season, already with six 3,000-yard passing seasons, a 10-5 playoff record, and a Super Bowl ring.

Even though Flacco has passed for 774 yards, he’s been uneven with the football, throwing three touchdowns and four interceptions, two against a young Jaguars’ defense last week.

However, Flacco was one pass away for tying an NFL record for consecutive completions in a game (22), but did break his own franchise record of 14 straight completions in a game, which he set in 2009.

Oakland should have their hands full with wide receiver Mike Wallace, who signed with Baltimore during the offseason.

Wallace, who is one of the more dangerous deep-ball receivers in the NFL, has caught all of Baltimore’s receiving touchdowns.

On the season, Wallace has 10 catches for 166 yards, while fellow wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. is second on the team (behind tight end Dennis Pitta’s 18 catches), with 16.

Smith Sr. registered 10 catches for 150 yards last year against Oakland and can go off in a heartbeat, if Oakland doesn’t loses track of him.

Baltimore’s defense were relentless in Week 3 against Jacksonville, holding the Jaguars to just 216 total yards. The Ravens held Jacksonville to just 2.3 yards per rush on 21 carries for 48 yards.

Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, now in his 14th year with Baltimore, is tied for the team lead in sacks with defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan with three.

Jernigan should see plenty of former Ravens’ offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, who returns to Baltimore for the first time after signing a five-year, $58.5 million deal with Oakland in the offseason. Osemele spent his first four seasons with the Ravens from 2012-15.

Oakland, having to make the near five-hour cross-country flight, looks to improve on a 1-16 record in their last 17 games in the Eastern time zone with a victory.

Kickoff is at 1:05 p.m. ET.

 

 

Carr and the Raiders head to Tennessee for Week 3 tangle

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP photo: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr gets a satisfactory moment last Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum against the Atlanta Falcons only to lose 35-28. Carr and the Raiders are preparing for the Tennessee Titans next Sunday

OAKLAND, Calif — Will the real Oakland Raiders please stand up?

Will the Raiders team that pulled out a dramatic 35-34  come-from-behind victory in New Orleans  in Week 1 show up Sunday in Tennessee against the Titans? Or the one that followed up a great win with a head-scratching 35-28 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons that saw the Raiders (1-1) be brought back down to earth?

I know that is a lot of questions, but seriously, the Oakland Raiders have plenty of questions to answer, most notably the lackluster play of the defense, a unit that has surrendered more than 1,000 yards in two games this season.

During the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss, head coach Jack Del Rio took over play calling from defensive coordinator Ken Norton. Del Rio mentioned that there will be changes coming and those changes will happen soon, which makes the seat under Norton a little warmer.

Oakland has a chance to flex some muscle against the Titans Sunday, which they hope can re-energize the team with getting a win

The Raiders travel to Music City to take on a Titans (1-1) that has shown promise early in the season, but has only managed to score just 16 points in two games.

Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota leads an offense with capable play-makers in tight end Delanie Walker, running backs DeMarco Murray and rookie Derrick Henry, and rookie wide receiver, Tajae Sharpe.

Mariota proved that he has grown up in the NFL in Year 2,  especially in the fourth quarter tossing two touchdowns in the final frame in the Titans’ 16-15 win last week in Detroit.

Mariota showed confidence and poise, leading the Titans on a 13-play, 83-yard drive, that culminated in a 9-yard touchdown pass from Mariota to the veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson with Mariota completed all nine of his passes for 74 yards on the Titans’ game-winning drive.

Walker, the Titans’ skilled tight, must be licking his chops as he should figure into the passing game heavily, as the Raiders allowed Falcon tight ends to record 10 catches and 180 last week.

But as much as Oakland has been torched by the opposition’s passing game this season, the Raiders must contend with a Titans’ running game that gave the team problems during Tennessee’s 27-14 victory over the Raiders in Oakland during the preseason.

Both Murray and Henry combined for 20 carries for 89 yards and two touchdowns, and found huge holes in the Raiders’ defensive front.

Oakland is looking for another win in Nashville, rallying to beat the Titans 24-21 on Nov. 30, 2015 as quarterback Derek Carr found wide receiver Seth Roberts for the game-winning score late in the fourth quarter.

For the season, Carr has thrown for 618 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, while second-year wide receiver Amari Cooper leads Oakland with 208 yards receiving.

 

 

Raiders Instant Report Card: Raiders fall short in home opener to Falcons

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP photo: Oakland Raiders Derek Carr had his successes with three touchdown passes and 299 yards but the Raiders fell short to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum

OAKLAND, Calif — Well, I guess a 2-0 start for the first time since Oakland’s Super Bowl season of 2002 was not in the works for the Raiders after all Sunday.

On a day where the Oakland Coliseum was electric as ever with strong optimism from the sold out Raider Nation crowd, the Raiders couldn’t neutralize Matt Ryan and the Falcons, losing 35-28 to Atlanta in Oakland’s home opener in Week 2.

Checkout each unit’s grade following Oakland’s (1-1) home loss to the Falcons (1-1) below:

Quarterback (A) – For the second straight week, Oakland quarterback Derek Carr played a terrific game, completing 34 of 45 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns (all in the second half), with no interceptions.

With Oakland trailing Atlanta 13-7 in the third quarter, Carr engineered an 8-play, 81-yard drive in 3:43 and delivered a soft pass to a streaking Clive Walford for a 31-yard touchdown up the Raiders’ sideline that gave the Raiders a 14-13 lead.

It was one of Carr’s best throws of the day against a Falcons secondary that played aggressively all day.

After two games into the season, Carr has thrown for 618 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Running Backs (B) – For the time being, Oakland appears to be taking the “running back by committee” approach this season, given how no running back had more than eight carries on the day.

Starter Latavius Murray led the team with eight carries for 57 yards and a touchdown. Murray’s 1-yard score gave Oakland its first lead of the game, 7-3 early in the second quarter. Murray was also heavily involved in the passing game, finishing tied for the team lead with six catches and 44 yards Sunday.

Rookie running backs DeAndre Washington (six carries for 46 yards), and Jalen Richard (seven carries for 17 yards) continue to give Oakland the change of pace runners the team lacked last season.

Offensive line (B) – With Austin Howard starting in place of  right tackle Menelik Watson (groin), the offensive line surrender their first sack of the season, but kept Carr clean for the majority of the game.

After the offensive line racked up 167 yards on the ground against New Orleans in Week 1, Oakland finished with 155 yards against Atlanta Sunday.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends (B) – Carr looked for his tight ends early in the game to get the offense in rhythm, connecting on his first three passes to reserve tight end Lee Smith (who caught the first of the two), along with Walford.

Walford finished with six catches for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Amari Cooper led Oakland with 71 yards receiving on five catches, but could’ve had more if not for a questionable illegal touch pass call midway into the fourth quarter.

With Oakland trailing Atlanta 28-21 and facing a 3rd and two at their own 49-yard line, it appeared that Cooper was forced out of bounds by Falcons’ cornerback Desmond Trufant, came back on to the field and  took a Carr pass 51 yards for the tying touchdown.

Not the case.

By rule, Oakland loss the down, forcing 4th down which the Raiders didn’t convert after just gaining one yard on a hand off to Richard.

Cooper is still seeking his first touchdown of the season after two games, while fellow starting wide receiver Michael Crabtree (2-yard score) and Andre Holmes (6-yard score) hauled in their first touchdown catches of the season in the fourth quarter with Oakland rallying late.

With four catches on Sunday, Crabtree is tied for the team lead with Cooper with 11 catches. Crabtree totaled just 31 yards against the Falcons.

Rookie wide receiver Johnny Holton caught his first pass in the NFL, a four-yard catch in the second quarter.

Offensively through the first two games for the season, Oakland is leading the league in total yards per game (486.0) and rushing yards (167.0), second in points per game (35.0),and sixth in passing yards per game (319.0).

The offense can score points at will and rack up a chunk of yards, but the defense is having trouble stopping the opposition early, which could hinder Oakland’s chances of being a playoff team this season.

Defensively, Oakland is dead-last in total yards surrendered per game (507.0) and passing yards (419.0), and second-to-last in points (34.0). Surprisingly, Oakland is 10th in rushing yards against per game (88.0).

But the defense got trashed again Sunday, allowing 528 total yards to the Falcons. Oakland has given up 500+ yards of total offense in back-to-back weeks, which is outright unacceptable for any defense to allow that type of production.

Defensive Line (C) – Atlanta’s strong running game took advantage of some holes in Oakland’s defensive front, rushing for 139 yards. Starting running back Devonta Freeman rush for 93 yards on 17 carries for Atlanta.

Backup defensive tackle Stacy McGee recorded Oakland’s lone sack of the game, while defensive end Khalil Mack had another tough Sunday handling double teams and chip blocks from Falcons tight ends and running backs.

Linebackers (B-) – Starting outside linebacker Malcolm Smith, who took over calling the defensive plays for the defense from middle linebacker Ben Heeney after the defense was shredded by New Orleans for 507 total yards last week, finished with five tackles.

Heeney, led all linebackers in tackles with six. You could see that Heeney played looser Sunday without having to call the plays on defense.

Secondary (C+) – The secondary didn’t get blown up for 423 passing yards, four touchdowns (one going for 98 yards) as Saints quarterback Drew Brees piled up in Week 1, but it did allow 396 yards and three touchdowns to another NFC South quarterback in Matt Ryan.

Ryan completed 26 of 34 passes, but did throw an interception to cornerback David Amerson in the end zone after trying to hit his tight end Jacob Tamme on a post route in the third quarter with Oakland up, 14-13.

The nine-year veteran from Boston College shrugged off the interception and found Tamme on the Falcons’ next drive for a 14-yard touchdown that gave Atlanta a 19-14 lead before converting a two-point conversion that made the score 21-14.

Julio Jones, the Falcons’ all-world wide receiver who was battling an ankle injury during the week, caught five balls for 106 yards and a touchdown.

Jones capped off a 10-play, 76-yard drive with a 21-yard score in the second quarter that gave Atlanta a 10-7 lead.

Jones’s 48-yard reception where he beat safety Reggie Nelson (finished with a team-high 10 tackles) over the middle, and his 20-yard catch and run past cornerback Sean Smith in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference-makers for Atlanta closing out the game.

Raider Nation will have to wait until Oct. 9  (Week 5) to see their football team, as the Silver & Black will be on the road for the next two weeks, traveling to Nashville to face the Titans (1-1) and to Baltimore to play the Ravens (1-1).

 

 

Oakland Raiders-Atlanta Falcons preview: Raiders look for first 2-0 start since ’02; host Falcons in Week 2

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP file photo: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks for some daylight as he’s pass rushed by the New Orleans Saints Paul Kruger (99) during last Sunday’s game at the Superdome in New Orleans

OAKLAND, Calif — The Raiders opened up the NFL season in dramatic fashion, knocking off the Saints 35-34 in New Orleans last Sunday and have been one of the trendiest sports topics for the week, thanks in large part to the two-point conversion that head coach Jack Del Rio dialed up for quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

But the NFL is a week-to-week league and Oakland (1-0) will face another NFC South opponent when they host the Atlanta Falcons (0-1) at Oakland Coliseum Sunday in what should be a sellout for Raider Nation.

Kickoff is at 1:25 p.m. PDT.

Carr finished the game 24 of 38 for 319 yards passing and one touchdown, including the two-point conversion to Crabtree with 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Carr’s clutch throw to Crabtree  earned Carr the Castrol Edge Clutch Performer of the Week, for Week 1 as announced by the NFL Friday.

“Everyone on this team is so confident in what we can do,” Carr said after practice Wednesday at the team’s training facility in Alameda. “It’s not arrogant, it’s not that we think we’re better than anybody. We respect every team that we play. At the same time, we know the work we’ve put in. We know how to compete.”

Carr drove the Raiders 75 yards in 11 plays, capping off the game-winning drive with a 10-yard touchdown to wide receiver Seth Roberts.

Crabtree finished with seven catches for 87 yards, while his fellow wide receiver Amari Cooper finished with six catches and led the team with 137 yards receiving.

Oakland’s running game was in good hands with starting running back Latavius Murray (14 carries, 59 yards, one touchdown) and rookies DeAndre Washington (five carries and 14 yards), and Jalen Richard (three carries and 84 yards).

Richard’s 75-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was a huge turning point for Oakland in the game.

Oakland’s defense seemed to be  heading in the right direction in the first quarter, when newly signed outside linebacker Bruce Irvin sacked Saints quarterback Drew Brees forcing a fumble that was recovered by rookie defensive tackle Jihad Ward inside Saints’ territory.

The Raiders converted that turnover into a Sebastian Janikowski 47-yard field goal, but that was the only pressure that Brees felt all day from an absent pass rush that saw star defensive end Khalil Mack facing countless double-teams and chip blocks from tight ends and running backs.

But the secondary took a beating from Drew Brees and Co., giving up a total of 507 yards of offense. Brees completed 28 of 42 passes for 423 yards and four touchdowns.

High-priced free agent cornerback Sean Smith had a day that he wanted to forget, giving up huge plays in the passing game, most notably the 98-yard touchdown pass that speedy wide receiver Brandin Cooks caught that gave New Orleans a 24-10 lead in the third quarter.

Smith was benched in favor of former first-round draft pick D.J. Hayden after giving up the touchdown to Cooks.

Cooks finished the game with six catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns, but fellow wide receiver Willie Sneed gave Oakland fits also, burning the Raiders for 172 yards on nine catches and one touchdown.

Defensive coordinator Ken Norton and the defense are going to face another high passing attack in the Falcons, led by quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu. Atlanta’s passing offense can feast on a Raiders’ secondary if they miss assignments.

Atlanta is traveling to the West Coast after dropping their home opener last week to Tampa Bay, 31-24.

Ryan finished 27 of 39 for 334 yards and two touchdowns, while Sanu finished with five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown, and Jones hauled in four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Jones has been dealing with an ankle injury and has been limited in practice for much of the week, but should be ready to go Sunday.

The six-year wide receiver from Alabama finished in 2015 tied with Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown for the league lead in receptions (136) and edged Brown for the league lead in receiving yards (1,871 to Brown’s 1,834) is still one of the premier wide receivers in the league even at less than 100%.

“I’ve played through things,” Jones said earlier in the week via CBS Sports. “It’s nothing that’s going to hold me back from going out there and producing or doing what I do.”

Atlanta’s running game has the potential to have a big day against Oakland, after just rushing for 52 yards Sunday against Tampa Bay, 10 by Ryan.

Starting running back Devonta Freeman (11 carries and 20 yards) and fellow running buddy Tevin Coleman (eight carries and 22 yards) are looking for bounce back games after facing a stingy Buccaneers defense that yielded  just three yards per carry to Atlanta.

Atlanta is looking to avoid an 0-2 hole after starting last season 6-1, before derailing to an 8-8 finish and missing the playoffs for the third straight season.

The Falcons defeated Oakland 23-20 in the last meeting between the two teams on Oct. 14, 2012 behind a Matt Bryant 55-yard field goal with one second left in the fourth quarter.

Starting off the season 2-0 for the Raiders would be a confidence booster for a team that hasn’t seen a 2-0 start since 2002, the year the team reached the Super Bowl.

Winning exudes confidence and with Carr, who finished with 3,987 yards passing and 32 touchdowns in 2015 already off to a promising start to 2016, the Raiders may have the makings of a special team.

 

Raiders’ Instant Report Card: Carr delivers for Oakland in stunning win over Saints

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP photo: New Orleans Saints kicker Will Lutz (3) gets sympathy from holder Thomas Morestead after missing a 61 yard field goal attempt which would have won it for the Saints as the Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Darius Latham (75) and strong safety TJ Carrie (38) celebrate a one point victory on Sunday at the Superdome in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, La — The Raiders, who many have picked to be one of the more dominate teams heading into the 2016 season, proved that the hype around the team is real by pulling out a thrilling, 35-34 road win against the Saints in both team’s season opener.

New Orleans’ rookie kicker Will Lutz missed a 61-yard field goal wide left as time expired.

Checkout each unit’s grade from Oakland’s (1-0) big win in New Orleans Sunday below:

Quarterback (A) – Raiders’ quarterback Derek Carr continues to grow as an NFL quarterback, leading Oakland back from a two-touchdown deficit in the second half. Carr completed 24-of-38 passes for 319 yards and one touchdown, a 10-yard dart to slot receiver Seth Roberts with 47 seconds left in the game that pulled Oakland within an point of New Orleans, 34-33.

You’d expect the Raiders to kick the extra point and force overtime, right?

Nope.

Carr looked to the sideline and both he and head coach Jack Del Rio agreed to roll the dice and go for two, which Carr found wide receiver Michael Crabtree for the go-ahead conversion.

At one point, Oakland’s offense stalled going scoreless on six offensive drives.

Running Back (B+) – Latavius Murray scored Oakland’s first touchdown of the season, a 6-yard run that gave Oakland a 10-3 lead in the first quarter. Murray finished the game with 14 carries for 59 yards and one touchdown, but Jalen Richard was the story for me.

Richard, the rookie from Southern Miss. and Louisiana native, only had three carries, but it was the 75-yard run up the middle of the soft Saints’ defense while eluding would-be tacklers in the fourth quarter with Oakland trailing 27-19 was what ignited the Raider comeback.

It was Richard’s first-career touchdown run.

Richard finished with 84 yards and a touchdown, while fellow rookie DeAndre Washington carried the ball five times for 14 yards.

Offensive line (B) – The key for Oakland’s offensive line was to protect their signal-caller and establish the run and stay healthy.

They were 50/50.

Even though Carr wasn’t sacked and Oakland’s ground game racked up 167 yards, the Raiders lost two offensive linemen when Menelik Watson (groin) and Matt McCants (knee) left the game.

Oakland’s offensive line is regarded as one of the best as a group coming into this season because of its depth, was tested Sunday.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends (A-) Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree combined for 225 receiving yards and 13 receptions (on 20 targets).

Cooper (6 catches, 137 yards, 11 targets), had no trouble getting open hauling passes of 34, 43, and 45 yards through a suspect Saints’ secondary.

Crabtree overcame a slow start (1 catch for 8 yards in the first half), to finish with seven catches for 87 yards on eight targets.

Clive Wafford caught three passes for 25 yards on five targets to lead the tight ends.

Defensive line/front seven (C+) – Bruce Irvin’s strip-sack (fumble recovered by rookie defensive tackle Jihad Ward)  on Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees on New Orleans’ first drive of the game was one of the lone bright spots for a unit that hadn’t done a much in the game.

Khalil Mack was relatively unheard of for the game, as he fought through countless chip blocks and double teams.

Linebackers Ben Heeney and Malcolm Smith combined for seven tackles (six assisted).

Secondary (D) – Brees and the Saints passing attack carved up Oakland’s revamped secondary for 423 yards passing and four touchdowns on 28-of-42 passing. Brees tied Peyton Manning for the most 400-yard passing games in NFL with 14.

Oakland’s high-priced cornerback tandem of Sean Smith and David Amerson were abused by New Orleans wide receivers Willie Snead (9 catches, 172 yards, 1 TD, 9 targets), and Brandin Cooks (6 catches, 143 yards, 1 TD, 9 targets).

With Oakland trailing 17-10 midway through the third quarter, Cooks ran right by Smith, who was playing man-to-man, and free safety Reggie Nelson, for a 98-yard touchdown catch that gave New Orleans a 24-10 lead. The scoring play established a new franchise record for the longest score for the Saints, and it was also the longest play in Brees’ career.

After that play, Smith was benched for the remainder of the game and was replaced by former first rounder, D.J. Hayden.

Overall, the defense gave up 507 totals yards to the Saints.

Special Teams (B+) – Kicker Sebastian Janikowski converted both of his field goals (31 and 47-yarders), while punter Marquette King booted four punts (42.0 yard average).

Up next: Oakland returns home to prepare for their own opener when the visiting Atlanta Falcons travel to the Bay Area next Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

Raiders kickoff the season in the Big Easy

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP file photo: You might see a lot of this more often Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) and wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) jumping for joy in this Aug 27th photo against the Tennessee Titans as they open up in New Orleans on Sunday

OAKLAND, Calif — With the preseason in the rear view window, the 2016 regular season begins for real for the Oakland Raiders as they open up on the road in New Orleans against the Saints in Week 1 action.

Kickoff is at 10:00 a.m. PT at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome where the Raiders are a 3-point favorite to notch their first win of what people are predicting will be a great year for the Silver & Black. The game can be seen locally on KTVU/FOX Channel 2, making breakfast and football a perfect match.

Sunday’s game will mark the first time Oakland has opened up against an NFC opponent on the road since 1999, where Oakland traveled to Green Bay to start that season.

This will also mark the first time that Oakland and New Orleans face each other in the regular season opener.

With the Raiders hosting the Atlanta Falcons next week in Oakland’s home opener, it will also mark the first time since 1999 that Oakland (who played the Packers and Vikings), will begin the season facing two NFC opponents in back-to-back weeks.

Quarterback Derek Carr leads a promising Raiders’ offense headlined by wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. In four preseason games, Crabtree and Cooper combined for 10 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown.

Crabtree and Cooper are primed to have huge seasons for Oakland, which is looking to end the team’s playoff drought, dating back to 2002, the team’s last playoff appearance.

Oakland is hoping with the additions of rookie running backs DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard added to the backfield with starter Latavius Murray can make the offense more diverse. Oakland was a pass-first, run-second team last season, even though Murray was one of only seven running backs in 2015 to rush for 1,000 yards (1,066 rushing yards to be exact).

Defensively, Oakland had trouble stopping the run in the preseason.The Raiders were getting gashed by beefy running backs like Green Bay’s Eddie Lacy, and Tennessee’s duo of DeMarco Murray and rookie Derrick Henry.

Oakland will be without defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. for at least the first eight weeks of the season due to a hip injury. Edwards Jr., along with defensive tackles Dan Williams and Justin “Jelly” Ellis are so critical to the Raiders’ run defense.

New Orleans features former Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram, Tim Hightower, and C.J. Spiller in the back field and each can run the ball well between the tackles, a weakness for Oakland.

The Raiders’ rebuilt secondary could be in for a long day when it faces one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL in Drew Brees.

Brees, who enters his 16th year in the NFL, is coming off a season where he threw for a league-leading 4,870 yards in 2015. It was the seventh time in Brees’ career that he threw for over 4,500 yards in a season.

The future Hall of Fame quarterback continues to get better with time and still plays at a high level at age 38, as evident of the new deal he signed on Wednesday.

Details of Brees’ new deal, provided by Spotrac, Brees will pocket roughly $44 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons, with $20 million coming in 2016 and only $17.25 million going towards the salary cap.

The deal will almost certain guarantee that Brees finishes his career in New Orleans, the franchise he led to a Super Bowl title in 2009.

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks leads a dangerous Saints’ passing attack. The third-year wide receiver from Oregon State, recorded his first career 1,000-yard receiving season finishing with 84 catches, 1,138 yards, and nine touchdowns, which Cooks led the team in all categories in 2015.

One Saints player to really keep an eye on is second-year wide receiver Willie Snead, who burst on to the scene last season for New Orleans recording 69 catches for 984 yards and three touchdowns.

Former Raiders head coach Dennis Allen enters his first full season as the Saints’ defensive coordinator. Allen, who has seven total seasons on New Orleans’ defensive staff, looks to improve a defense that ranked 31st last season in rushing yards per game allowed (129.8), passing yards per game allowed (284.0) and total yards per game allowed (413.8).

With the additions of veterans in defensive tackle Nick Fairley, linebacker James Laurinaitis, and defensive end Paul Kruger, to go along with mainstay in defensive end Cameron Jordan, the Saints are hoping to provide more pressure to the quarterback this season.

With both teams having suspect defenses heading into the match up, this game could be an offensive barrage by both teams and could come down to which team has the better, more confident quarterback in the fourth quarter.

Will it be Brees, who is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in NFL history and holds a 8-2 career record (19 touchdowns and four interceptions) against Oakland?

Or will it be Carr, who is 4-12 on the road in his young career, but has thrown 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions in those games?

Sunday is almost here.

Oakland Raiders commentary: Carr impresses, but Titans get win over Raiders

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

AP photo: Oakland Raiders running back DeAndre Washington gets broadsided by the Tennessee Titans linebacker Sean Spence in the second half of Saturday night’s pre season game at the Oakland Coliseum

OAKLAND, Calif — Even though the Raiders lost to the Tennessee Titans 27-14 in both team’s third preseason game Saturday night at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, it was good to see Derek Carr and the Raiders’ first-team offense finish off drives with getting the ball into the end zone.

Carr, who led to the Raiders to just six points in the previous six quarters he appeared in during the preseason, went 12-for-18 for 169 yards passing and two touchdowns against the Titans while playing the entire first half.

After Tennessee took an early 7-0 lead behind a DeMarco Murray one-yard run, Oakland’s signal-caller drove the Raiders’ first-team offense 58 yards in seven plays for their first touchdown of the game (and of the preseason) as a unit, a 6-yard toss to rookie running back DeAndre Washington on an angle route out of the backfield to the tie game, 7-7.

Washington, along with fellow running back Jalen Richard, combined for 95 yards of total offense, but the diminutive Washington did cough up the ball in the third quarter  after taking a huge hit from Titans linebacker David Bass which resulted in a 47-yard fumble recovery by fellow linebacker Sean Spence that gave Tennessee a 27-14.

But Carr was just getting started.

Following a Ryan Succop 30-yard field goal that pushed Tennessee’s lead, 10-7, Carr engineered a six-play, 75-yard drive culminating a picture-perfect, 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Amari Cooper down the Titans’ sideline and hitting Cooper in the back of the end zone that gave Oakland (1-2) a 14-10 lead shortly before halftime.

Replay would confirm Cooper kept both feet in bounds. Cooper finished with three catches for 52 yards.

Earlier in the game, Carr placed another beautifully thrown pass to his other top target, wide receiver Michael Crabtree for 41 yards.

It would be Crabtree’s only catch of the game.

In the midst of Oakland’s first drive to begin the third quarter, Carr would give way to backup Matt McGloin.

McGloin, and third-string rookie quarterback Connor Cook, proceeded to throw two interceptions to Tennessee’s second- and third-string defenders.

What I wasn’t impressed with was Oakland’s first-team defense, which gave up 276 yards (106 on the ground), in the first half.

Tennessee’s Murray (8 carries for 40 yards) and rookie running back Derrick Henry (12 carries for 49 yards) did the most damage to Oakland’s rush defense. Tennessee found gaping holes that turned two-yard gains, into five-yard gains.

It was the second time this preseason that Oakland had issues with beefy, powerful runners.

Oakland struggled to curtail Green Bay’s Eddie Lacy, surrendering 45 yards on nine carries and a touchdown in Oakland’s 20-12 loss at Lambeau Field last Thursday.

Oakland’s first-team defense never forced the Titans to punt, allowing Tennessee to score three touchdowns and two field goals in two quarters.

It wasn’t until their final drive of the third quarter that Oakland’s starting unit forced Tennessee’s offense to punt.

The secondary had trouble defending the passing game of the Titans.

Tennessee (2-1) starting quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 9-for-16 passes for 170 yards, 65 of those yards to veteran wide receiver, Andre Johnson who will be one of Mariota’s go-to guys this season.

On the Titans’ second drive of the game, the 35-year-old former Miami Hurricane had consecutive catches of 13, 38, and 14 yards.

It was vintage Johnson.

Johnson finished with three catches for 65 yards, while promising rookie wide receiver Tajae Sharpe (fantasy football sleeper), hauled in a 60-yard, catch-and-run pass that helped setup Tennessee’s first score of the game.

Oakland finishes the preseason at home Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks, with the starters unlikely to play.