Tag: Detroit Lions

49ers Hang On in Home Opener vs. Lions for First Win of the Year 30-27

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By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It came down to the wire and with a little help from the officials, but the San Francisco 49ers have their first win of the 2018 season as they beat the Detroit Lions 30-27 in the home opener at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

After going into halftime with a 13-10 lead, San Francisco started the second half with a bang. D.J. Reed Jr. got the half started by bringing the kick back to the house, only to be penalized for grabbing a defender’s face mask along the way. Despite the penalty, the 49ers were set up with excellent field position at the Lions’ 25-yard line to start the third quarter.

“Everyone held their blocks. For me, it was easy, and anybody could have done what I did. My whole special teams unit did a good job blocking. [Special team’s] coach Hightower did a good job setting it up,” added Reed.

Jimmy Garoppolo capped off the drive with his second touchdown pass of the day, finding Garrett Celek underneath. The 30-year-old tight end carried three defenders with him across the goal line to make the score 20-10.

The 49ers extended their lead in the third with a 66-yard Matt Breida rushing score to cap a three-play, 97-yard drive. The longest rush for the 49ers since 2014 made the score 27-13, but they then allowed the Lions to get back in it.

Breida had his coming out party for the 49ers, lighting up the Lions’ defense, carrying the ball 11 times for 138 yards and the score.

Led by Matthew Stafford, the Lions crawled their way back into the game bringing the score within three with 3:33 remaining, putting all the pressure on the 49ers offense to move the ball.

When the pressure came San Francisco’s way, Garoppolo made a mistake with 2:24 left and threw a pick that the Lions returned down to seven-yard-line. However, a crucial defensive holding call saved the day for San Francisco giving an automatic first down. The 49ers ended up punting with 1:08 remaining, but the defense stepped up and shut the door, not letting Lions get past midfield to secure the win.

In the win, Garoppolo improved from last week, throwing 18-of-26 for 206 yards and two touchdowns. However, Garoppolo was sacked five times in the process, with most of them being coverage sacks. The wide receivers didn’t do their job in man coverage as they struggled to get open, which allowed the pass rush to get to Garoppolo.

More importantly, three of the five sacks came within the red zone, which continues to be a pain point in the 49ers’ offense. San Francisco is reportedly exploring the possibility of acquiring wide receiver, Josh Gordon to come in and help in the red zone after the Browns came out and said he would be available come Monday.

The 49ers once again leaned heavily on kicker, Robbie Gould, who was perfect in knocking down all three of his field goals from 45, 42, and 36-yards, respectively. In doing so, he set a new franchise record for consecutive field goals made, passing Phil Dawson with 29 straight.

San Francisco did escape Sunday with a win, but there was no reason for the game to be even close. The 49ers got comfortable with the lead and let the Lions back in the game. Let it be a lesson for a young team learning how to win and don’t let it happen again, or it will cost them against stronger opponents in the future.

“I feel like the energy kind of fell off a little bit, and we needed to build it back up that last defensive stand that we had. I feel like guys kind of woke up during that last drive on defense. We’ve got to keep the pedal down all four quarters,” said defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.

The 49ers will attempt to keep the pedal down all four quarters next week, as they travel to Kansas City to try and stop Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs next Sunday at 10:00 am PDT.

49ers look to bounce back in home opener vs. Lions

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By Jeremy Harness

The 49ers will get their season on track on Sunday, as they will host the Detroit Lions in their first home game of the year.

However, as was the case most of last season, the team is dealing with a multitude of injuries at key positions, following an opening-week 24-16 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings, a game that saw Jimmy Garoppolo throw three interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown.

The 49ers got a little thinner at the linebacker position this week, as they placed Brock Coyle on the injured reserve/eligible to return list. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, he had not only a concussion in the team’s opening week loss to Minnesota, but he also suffered a T-4 compression fracture in his back.

Coyle will be out at least six weeks, and at that point, he is expected to be able to resume football activities. Beyond that, his timetable for return is uncertain.

Meanwhile, fellow linebacker Malcolm Smith did not practice Wednesday due to a hamstring injury he suffered during the preseason. Among the others who did not practice were receiver Marquise Goodwin (quadriceps), guard Joshua Garnett (toe) and safety Adrian Colbert (hamstring).

All of them are listed as questionable to play Sunday against the Lions, whose injury report is not nearly as long as that of the 49ers. Guard T.J Lang (back) and tackle Andrew Donnal (knee) were both held out of practice on Wednesday.

Just like the 49ers, the Lions are still licking their wounds after a tough loss in Week 1. However, the Lions were more decisively beaten at home Monday night against the New York Jets. Just like Garoppolo, Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford had his bouts with interceptions. The veteran threw four to the other team, including one that was returned for a touchdown in a 48-17 rout.

Cook leads Raiders to 16-10 preseason victory over Lions

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Photo credit: @RAIDERNATlON

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND, Calif. — It may be just the preseason, but it was the first game back on the sidelines for Jon Gruden, who coached for the Oakland Raiders from 1998-2001 before being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Connor Cook threw a touchdown pass in the second quarter, helping the Raiders to a 16-10 over the Detroit Lions at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Friday night.

“It was awesome,” Gruden said. “I saw some recognizable faces that had gotten a little bit older. I saw some old friends who mean a lot to me. Like I said all along, this is a great responsibility. The nostalgia has worn off. We have to do something with the opportunity. But it was sure great to see the Raiders fans.”

The last time Gruden was on the Raiders’ sidelines was in January of 2002, when the Raiders defeated the New York Jets, but then lost to the New England Patriots the following week in “The Tuck Rule” game.

After being dismissed by the Buccaneers after the 2008 season, Gruden was an analyst for ESPN’S Monday Night Football until this past season.

When the Raiders did not return to the playoffs after making it in 2016, Raiders’ owner Mark Davis dismissed Jack Del Rio and gave Gruden a 10-year, reported $100 million contract to come back to the Raiders.

Marshawn Lynch gave the fans an early treat, as he raced down the sidelines for what looked like a 60-yard touchdown run, but it was called by after a holding penalty on rookie tackle Kolton Miller, out of UCLA.

“I was really ticked off after watching that get called back,” Gruden said. “Chucky came out for a brief moment tonight.”

The Raiders were forced to settle with a punt on the only series with Derek Carr on the field, but Cook led the Raiders to the 16-10 victory over the Lions.

Cook ended up going 11-for-19 for 141 yards and a seven-yard touchdown pass to newcomer Ryan Switzer. The Raiders also got two field goals from rookie Eddy Piniero.

In his first preseason game as Lions head coach, Matt Patricia decided to rest Matthew Stafford and inserted Matt Cassel into the starting lineup and Cassel went 10-for-18 with 81 yards passing.

Cassel led the Lions on three drives, and Ameer Abdullah scored the only touchdown for the Lions, as he scored on a one-yard run.

Jake Ruddock, who is competing with Cassel for the backup spot at quarterback for the Lions went 12-for-19 with 84 yards passing.

It looked like the Raiders were going to score on their first series of the third quarter, as they got down to the Lions six-yard line, but E.J. Manuel fumbled the ball and the Lions recovered the ball.

The Lions eventually kicked a field goal after an 18 play 88-yard drive that took 8:10 off the clock to get the Lions within three.

Piniero gave the Raiders a six-point lead, as he nailed a 45-yard field goal that came off the infield dirt with just over two minutes remaining in the game.

“I remember when we drafted (Sebastian) Janikowski, it was like being on a foreign planet for him when he got here and started kicking off the dirt,” Gruden said of Oakland’s first-round pick in 2000. “We did manage to get him a couple of looks.”

Cassel replaced Rudock for the Lions final series of the game, and the Lions got all the way down to the Raiders 35-yard line, but James Cowser sacked Cassel, who fumbled the ball and Frostee Rucker recovered the fumble to clinch the game for the Raiders.

NOTES: After returning for the final three days of training camp in Napa, the Raiders will head to Los Angeles to face the Rams on August 17.

UP NEXT: The Raiders head to the Southland to take on the Rams on Saturday, August 18 at 1 pm PDT.

5 Takeaways From Raiders vs. Lions Preseason Game

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Photo credit: @nflnetwork

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND, Calif. — Football was back at the Coliseum Friday night as the Oakland Raiders began the second stint of the Jon Gruden era against the visiting Detroit Lions in the 2018 preseason opener for both teams.

Check out five things that stood out to me from Oakland’s 16-10 win over Detroit.

Welcome back Gruden!
Is it 1998 because I sworn that was Jon Gruden on a Raider sideline?

Gruden, sporting his traditional Raiders visor, returned to the Raiders after spending the last nine years in the booth as a color analyst on Monday Night Football, reintegrated himself to Raider Nation by visiting the “Black Hole” prior to kickoff.

“It was awesome. I saw recognizable faces…saw some old friends,” said Gruden after the game.

Like I said all along, this is a great responsibility and the nostalgia has worn off and we got to do something with the opportunity, but great to see to the Raider fans and they stayed with us to the end I appreciate it.”

Clearly, the game didn’t look like it passed Gruden by on Friday night as the Raiders racked up 345 yards offensively against the Lions, but penalties were an issue for the Silver and Black who accumulated nine for 75 yards on the night.

“Beast Mode” is ready for the season.
As expected, Oakland’s first-team offense played one series but Raider Nation got a glimpse of running back Marshawn Lynch who looked in midseason form. On his first carry of the game, Lynch took the hand-off from quarterback Derek Carr and ran down the Raiders’ sideline for a 60-yard touchdown before it was called back by a holding call by rookie left tackle Kolton Miller.

Connor Cook should be Derek Carr’s primary backup.
Cook took over for Carr after Oakland’s first-team offense was forced to punt on their opening drive of the game and led the Raiders to a 13-7 lead at halftime. The third-year quarterback out of Michigan State finished the game completing 11-of-19 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.

Cook’s touchdown went to backup wide receiver Ryan Switzer for seven yards that pushed Oakland’s lead to 10-0 in the first quarter.

“He did some good things,” said Gruden of Cook. “There’s still a couple of things decision-wise I think he needs to correct, but he moved the football, he put points on the board, and I like the two-minute drill at the end of the half.”

Veteran quarterback EJ Manuel played in the second half but didn’t look good, driving the Raiders to the Lions’ six-yard line before fumbling the snap allowing Detroit to recover the football at their own seven-yard line.

Detroit drove down the field and added a 24-yard field goal by kicker Ryan Santoso to pull closer to Oakland, 13-10 early in the fourth quarter.

Manuel finished the game 4-of-6 for 46 yards, is listed third on the team’s depth chart behind Cook in training camp and heading into next Saturday’s game against the Rams in Los Angeles, that shouldn’t change.

P.J. Hall was impressive, Kolton Miller was not.
OK, it was just one preseason game, but rookie nose tackle P.J. Hall had an impressive showing Friday night, recording one sack and a batted pass on his first two NFL Series. The Sam Houston State product had 14 blocked kicks in his career for the Bearkats.

Unlike Hall, Miller didn’t fair well in his first NFL start.

Miller started at left tackle in place of Donald Penn, who is currently on the physically unable to perform list (PUP),  appeared to be shell-shocked at the speed of the game in the NFL. His holding penalty on the team’s opening drive negated a 60-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch.

Oakland’s first-round  draft choice this past April from UCLA was replaced by second-year tackle Jylan Ware on Oakland’s third offensive possession.

Raiders stay healthy, sort of.
Cornerbacks Antonio Hamilton (ankle) and Dexter McDonald (hand) were the only players appeared injured in the game.

Hamilton limped off the field twice in the second half, while McDonald was seen shaking his left hand in the second quarter while attempting to make a tackle.

Raiders to take on Lions in preseason opener Friday night

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — The Oakland Raiders open up the 2018 preseason schedule Friday night at the Oakland Alameda-County Coliseum where they will host the visiting Detroit Lions. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PDT.

The two teams held two days of practice sessions in Napa this week and per Raiders beat reporter Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group, outside of a minor dust up early in practice that was broken up quickly, both teams appeared ready for their first preseason game.

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, yes, that Jon Gruden, leaves the comfy broadcast booth of Monday Night Football and returns to the NFL sidelines for the first time in nine years. Gruden replaces Jack Del Rio, who was fired after last season’s 6-10 record following a 12-4 season in 2016; resulting in the team’s first playoff appearance since 2002.

Coincidentally, it was Gruden, following a trade to Tampa Bay after three seasons as Oakland’s head coach, that defeated the Raiders in the Super Bowl that season giving the Buccaneers their only championship in the team’s history.

Its almost certain that Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr won’t play, meaning that backup quarterbacks Connor Cook and EJ Manuel will each play extensively. Cook is entering his third year in the league (all with Oakland) and is currently ahead Manuel, who is in his sixth season (his second season in Oakland) on the Raiders’ depth chart.

Veteran running back Doug Martin adds depth to a running back group that includes returning starter Marshawn Lynch, and holdovers Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington.

Martin, who spent the past seven seasons in Tampa Bay where he was the bellcow when healthy, has two seasons in which he’s rushed for over 1,400 yards. Like Lynch, Martin is from Oakland and looks to rejuvenate his career playing for the Silver and Black.

Lynch is unlikely to play against the Lions, giving opportunities for Martin, Richard and Washington to solidify themselves as Lynch’s primary backup.

Undrafted rookie running back Chris Warren III has had an impressive training camp, per numerous reports out of Napa and could factor into Oakland’s offensive equation.

During a scrimmage with Detroit, the former Texas Longhorn took a running hand-off from Cook and drove his shoulder right through second-year starting linebacker Jarrad Davis that went viral on the internet.

Warren III’s father, Chris Warren II, played 11 seasons in the NFL earning three Pro Bowl nods with the Seattle Seahawks. Warren II finished his NFL career rushing for 7,696 yards.

With defensive end/outside linebacker Khalil Mack a training camp holdout due to a contract negotiation (or lack there of depending on what day of the week it is), Oakland’s defense will be an interesting watch against Detroit.

Rookies in defensive end Arden Key and nose tackle P.J. Hall are expected to play heavily Friday night and per reports out of Raiders’ training camp, both players should help improve a defense that finished 23 in total defense in 2017. Key, who left LSU after his junior year, had some off the field issues while in school, but Gruden raved about the 6’5″, 238-pound Key’s ability to rush the passer and Oakland drafted him in the third round of this year’s draft.

Key recorded 20 sacks, 11 coming during his sophomore season for the Bayou Bengals.

The 6’1″, 308-pound Hall was a selected by Oakland in the second round this year and was a clog in the middle at Sam Houston State, but maybe more valuable on special teams for Oakland early in his career.

While at Sam Houston State, Hall blocked 14 kicks.

Detroit will also have a new face on the sidelines Friday night in first-time head coach Matt Patricia, who replaces the fired Jim Caldwell.

Caldwell had winning seasons in three of his four seasons, but back-to-back 9-7 finishes culminating with the hiring of Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Bob Quinn, who didn’t hire Caldwell initially,  ushered Caldwell’s exit.

Patricia brings a defensive wizardry to Detroit, coming from the Bill Belichick coaching tree after spending 14 seasons in New England, six as their defensive coordinator. Patricia hasn’t worked for any other organization in the NFL outside of the Patriots before agreeing to takeover the Lions.

Detroit finished 27th in total defense in 2017, a ranking that will likely improve under Patricia. Since 2012 when Patricia was first named defensive coordinator of the Patriots, Patricia has never ranked outside of the top 10 in scoring defense while winning two Super Bowls during that span.

Cornerback Darius Slay is Detroit’s brightest star on defense. Slay was voted to his first Pro Bowl last season after finishing tied with Tennessee safety Kevin Byard with eight interceptions.

The head coach with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering, will have franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford to lead a Lions offense that finished 13th in the NFL in total offense last season. Stafford engineered the NFL’s sixth-ranked passing offense, averaging 261.4 yards per game which featured the NFL’s only starting wideouts to gain over 1,000 yards receiving in a season in Marvin Jones (1,101) and Golden Tate (1,003).

Tate led the Lions in receptions last season with 92 (seventh in the NFL), while Jones led Detroit with nine touchdown catches.

Running back LeGarrette Blount, fresh off of winning his third Super Bowl after spending last season in Philadelphia, reunites with Patricia in Detroit and should help out the Lions’ poor rushing attack. Patricia and Blount won a pair of Super Bowls in New England together.

The Lions finished 32nd in the NFL in rushing averaging just 76.3 yards per game with running back Ameer Abdullah leading the team with just 552 yards in 14 games (making 11 starts) as the team’s primary ball-carrier.

Blount was Philadelphia’s leading rusher, racking up 766 yards as the Eagles went with a committee in the backfield with Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement splitting time also.

Following Friday night’s game, Detroit will head home to host the visiting New York Giants on Aug. 17, while Oakland will face the Rams in Los Angeles on Aug. 18.

Notes: The Raiders signed free agent safety Quincy Mauger Thursday. Mauger originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 2017, spent his rookie season on the reserve/injured list with a knee injury. A four-year player out of Georgia (2013-16), he appeared in 50 games, recording 186 tackles (128 solo), 0.5 sacks, seven interceptions, 12 passes defensed, and one forced fumble.

A native of Marietta, Ga., the 6-foot, 206-pound Mauger played in 12 contests as a senior in 2016 with the Bulldogs and tallied 20 stops (12), two interceptions, and two passes defensed.

“Megatron” pipe-dream for the Raiders; Former Lion Calvin Johnson on wish list

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In this Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015 AP File Photo, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) warms ups before an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field in Detroit. Johnson says NFL players could get painkillers like they were “candy” during the first half of his career with the Detroit Lions. His comments were part of a wide-ranging interview on ESPN’s news magazine E:60 that was scheduled to be broadcast Thursday, July 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND–The rumors swirling around retired wide receiver Calvin Johnson wanting to return to the NFL and play for the Oakland Raiders are intriguing in so many ways that it makes my head spin.

This is nothing more than a pipe-dream, a “Megatron” pipe-dream for the Raiders.

Johnson, who retired from the Lions in his prime at age 30 after the 2015 season after an 88-catch season for 1,214 yards and nine touchdowns, didn’t see Detroit as a championship contender.

Whenever I talk football with my mentor and lifelong Raiders fan Ronn Ford and the Lions come up, he always says that “Detroit will never win a championship because they can’t win outside of Wayne County.”

Detroit sits in Wayne County for those who didn’t know.

Johnson’s frustration for the Lions’ shortcomings was reminiscent of another Lions great in running back Barry Sanders, who also retired at age 30 because Detroit never could get over the hump and challenge for a Super Bowl.

During Johnson’s nine-year career in the Motor City, the Lions have only made the playoffs twice and lost both times, while Detroit was just 1-5 in six appearances in Sanders’s 10 seasons.

Johnson mentioned that the reason he retired from the Lions were a result from nagging hand, legs and ankle injuries, but honestly, Johnson knew the Lions organization couldn’t put the pieces in place to make a legitimate run at a Super Bowl. Sure Johnson had Matthew Stafford to throw him the football, but the Lions could never develop a strong  running game to take the pressure off the duo and that left Detroit predictable on offense.

That happened to Sanders, who had play-making wide receivers in Herman Moore, Brett Perriman and Johnnie Morton to play off of, but saw a revolving door at quarterback with the likes Andre Ware, Erik Kramer, Scott Mitchell and Charlie Batch under center.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing a solid 239 pounds, Johnson was blessed with rare size and ability to make the toughest catches look so routine on any given Sunday when he was usually double- and triple-teamed.

There isn’t one signature play that stands out for me when describing Johnson, but his career numbers are insane: 731 career catches, 11,619 receiving yards and 83 touchdown catches that led to six Pro Bowls, three first-team All-Pro,  and the cover of Madden ’13.

By all accounts, Johnson earned the respect from all of his teammates and from opponents and cemented that he was one of the NFL’s best players at any position, not just wide receiver.

But before Raider Nation gets excited about the prospect of seeing “Megatron” don the Raiders’ Silver & Black and lineup in three-wide receiver formations with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree waiting for a pinpoint pass from quarterback Derek Carr, Johnson must first reapply to the NFL and return to the Lions, who hold his rights. While as a guest at the Italian Bowl earlier this month, Johnson shed some light regarding his situation with the Lions.

“I don’t have the freedom just to go,” Johnson said. “I was stuck in my contract with Detroit and they told me they would not release my contract, so I would have to come back to them, so I didn’t see a chance for them to win a Super Bowl at the time and for the work that I was putting in, it wasn’t worth my time to keep beating my head against the wall and not going anywhere. It’s the definition of insanity.”

Johnson did go on to say that he has thought about playing for other teams, but it would be up to Detroit to if they were to release Johnson should he want to return to the NFL.

Detroit recently invited Johnson to training camp this season, but there hasn’t been any word from Johnson if he would accept the invitation.

The Raiders, who are coming off a 12-4 season and their first playoff appearance since 2002, have the Super Bowl window wide open right now.

Johnson was invited to Raiders practices this offseason as a guest of new offensive coordinator Todd Downing. Downing and Johnson go back to Detroit where Downing spent five years in the organization, four of them served as the team’s quarterbacks coach.

Johnson’s situation is eerily similar to new Raiders running back and Oakland native Marshawn Lynch’s situation after he retired abruptly at age 29 from Seattle at the end of the 2015 season, a team he helped bring its first Lombardi trophy to the Pacific Northwest after the 2013 season.

The Raiders lured Lynch out of retirement but Seattle couldn’t afford and didn’t want him on the team so rather than out-right releasing Lynch and get nothing in return, the Seahawks shipped Lynch to Oakland and the sides agreed to a new deal.

Oakland and Seattle are expected to swap late-round picks in 2018 as part of the compensation in the deal for Lynch.

The deal made sense for both teams since it freed Seattle of Lynch (who allegedly rubbed some in the organization the wrong way depending on who you ask), and allowed Lynch to play for his hometown Raiders.

To acquire a player like Johnson, who can step on any football field right now and dominate with any quarterback, could cost a team a high second-round draft pick or even a late first-round pick. If I were the Lions and Johnson does want to come back and play for another team, you must hold out for the best deal possible.

Would general manager Reggie McKenzie give up those assets for Johnson, even if he turns out to be a one- to two-year rental player for Oakland?

After getting rid of eroding contracts and players that didn’t fit in the team’s future, McKenzie has drafted cornerstone players in the aforementioned Carr and Cooper, to go along with defensive end/linebacker Khalil Mack and offensive guard Gabe Jackson to have given the Raiders stability it hasn’t seen in ages.

Again, a lot of the talk of Johnson joining the Raiders is just lip service and a good conversation to have a few beers over at your favorite sports bar, but maybe its the football gods trying to re-write the history books for both franchises.

Armed with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Raiders drafted Louisiana State University quarterback JaMarcus Russell while the Lions quickly scooped up Johnson at No. 2 out of Georgia Tech.

On opening day of the 2007 season, the rookie Johnson caught four balls for 70 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown catch in Detroit’s 36-21 road victory over the Raiders.

To this day, Raider Nation has to be kicking itself as Johnson was on his way into becoming a superstar and possibly a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, while Russell would be out of the league in three years for weight issues and poor play.

 

 

 

 

NFC North again? Oakland welcomes Detroit in preseason home opener.

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By. Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — With two rough and tough practices with the Dallas Cowboys under their belts where tempers were hotter than the Oxnard sun that both teams practiced under this week, the Raiders will try to keep that same intensity when they host their first preseason game at O.co Coliseum Friday night against the visiting Detroit Lions.

It will be the second consecutive time Oakland will face a team from the NFC North as the Raiders fell to the Minnesota Vikings, 10-6, in Minneapolis last Friday.

The first-team offense was anemic early with anointed starter Matt Schaub at one point, finding themselves down 10-0. Schaub finished 3-of-7 for 21 yards, but was plagued by three dropped passes that could’ve turned into first downs.

Matt McGloin played well with the second-team offense, finishing with a team-high11-of-18 for 90 yards and a 10-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that pulled Oakland within a score.

“I thought our guys came back and fought. I thought late in the game we were able to move the ball a little bit…I thought at times we could run the ball pretty well,” said Raiders head coach Dennis Allen after the game. “There are some positives there that we can take and continue to work with but obviously we have a long, long way to go as a football team to be the type of team that we want to be, but I’m sure our guys are going to continue to work.”

Derek Carr, the Raiders second round draft pick, finished 10-of-16 for 74 yards and an interception.

Darren McFadden finished with one carry on a nice 23 yard-burst in the first quarter, while Maurice Jones-Drew had 10 yards on two carries (he had a 7-yard run called back due to a penalty).

Overall, Oakland outgained the Vikings, 268-236 in total yards.

Defensively, Oakland looked sound, finishing with six sacks. Defensive tackle Pat Sims recorded a sack on the first drive of the game.

The Lions (1-0) are coming off a 13-12 home victory over the Cleveland Browns to kickoff their preseason schedule.

Detroit backup quarterback Kellen Moore threw for 121 yard on11-of-13 passing, including the game-winning touchdown from 21-yards out to wide receiver Corey Fuller with 1:05 remaining in the fourth quarter.

On the defensive side of the ball for Detroit, safety Isa Abdul-Quddus and linebacker George Johnson had great showings, combining for six tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception.

After Friday’s game, Oakland will continue their through the NFC North when they will travel to Green Bay for their third preseason game against the Packers.