Tag: Los Angeles Rams

Raiders to host Rams in regular season opener on Monday Night Football

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Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — Yes, the NFL regular season is finally here. No more of watching unwatchable preseason football and hoping that both teams put on solid efforts.

The Oakland Raiders will begin their 2018 regular season on Monday night when they will welcome the Los Angeles Rams to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The game between the two clubs will be the second game of ESPN’s Monday Night Football doubleheader, which kicks off at 7:20 p.m. PT.

The New York Jets travel to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Lions in Game 1. Kickoff for that game is at 4:10 p.m. PT.

The Raiders met the Rams in Week 2 of the preseason in Los Angeles. The Rams won a snore of a game, 19-15, with both teams opting to hold out their starters.

This time around, things will be different as this is the regular season and the games count more than they do in the preseason.

The big story surrounding the Raiders has been the trade of defensive end/outside linebacker Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears on Sept. 2. Oakland was unable to come to terms on a new longterm contract for the star defender.

The Raiders were hoping that Mack would return to the team and play under the franchise tag of $13.8 million but when it appeared that Mack wasn’t going to show up for any of Oakland’s training camp, head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Reggie McKenzie shipped the 27-year-old former NFL Defensive Player of the Year to the Bears for a boatload of draft picks: first- and sixth-round picks in 2019, and first- and third-round picks in 2020.

Along with Mack, the Bears received second- and fifth-round picks in 2020 as part of the deal.

Oakland will miss Mack no doubt. Mack amassed 40.5 sacks over the past four seasons for the Raiders and the name of the game on defense is to hit the quarterback and Oakland just let their best pass rusher walk out the door.

Last season, the Raiders finished 24th in defense last year despite Mack’s 10.5 sacks. This season, the Raiders will need to improve that ranking if they are to return to the playoffs after a dismal 6-10 season last year following a 12-4 campaign in 2016. That means rookies on the defensive line such as P.J. Hall, Maurice Hurst and Arden Key will be tasked to pick up the slack for Mack.

Quarterback Derek Carr is looking for a bounce back season of his own in 2018.

Last season, Carr’s numbers dipped a bit: throwing for 3,496 yards, with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a 86.4 passer rating after throwing for 3,937 yards with 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions to go along with a career-high 96.7 passer rating in 2016.

With Gruden back in town (after taking over for the fired Jack Del Rio), Carr’s play is expected to take off. Gruden is credited as being an offensive genius when designing plays and Carr’s performance will be critical for the Raiders’ offense that finished  23rd in production in 2017.

The Rams defense finished in 12th in scoring defense (20.6 points per game) and are loaded.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, leads the Rams into Oakland looking to build off of the team’s first postseason birth since 2004. Los Angeles won the NFC West title after finishing 11-5 last season and are one of the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl in Atlanta on Feb. 3, 2019.

Los Angeles added defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to play next to Donald in the offseason, along with cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters via trades to shore up their secondary.

The Rams have one of the best offenses in the league, led by third-year quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley.

After a subpar rookie season in 2016 in which he threw for just 1,089 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions under former head coach Jeff Fisher, Goff exploded in 2017 under first-year head coach Sean McVay throwing for career-highs in yards (3,804), touchdowns (28) and passer rating (100.5).

Goff threw just seven interceptions during the 2017 campaign.

Gurley had a bounce back season too under McVay after a disappointing 2016 season where Gurley rushed for a career-low 885 yards and six touchdowns. The fourth-year running back rushed for career-highs in yards (1,305) and touchdowns (13). Gurley finished second in the NFL in total rushing, falling just 22 yards short of league-leader in rookie Kareem Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Raiders could have their hands full with a Rams offense that finished first in scoring last season, averaging 29.9 points per game.

After Monday night’s game, both teams will begin their divisional schedule Sunday, September 16, with the Raiders traveling to Denver to take on the Broncos, while the Rams will host the Arizona Cardinals at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Games will be scheduled for 1:25 pm and 1:05 pm, respectively.

Raiders to host the Packers in final home preseason game Friday at the Coliseum

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Photo credit: raiderswire.usatoday.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The Raiders and Packers link up for the third time in the preseason since 2014 when Green Bay visits the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Friday night at 7:30 p.m. PT. The last time the two teams met each other in the preseason was in 2016 at Lambeau Field.

Last week, the Raiders traveled to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. It was the first time that that the Silver and Black played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since 1994, the final season for the Raiders in Southern California before the team moved back to Oakland at the conclusion of that season.

The Rams held off the Raiders for a 19-15 victory last Saturday, with neither team playing their starters on either side of the football, which wasn’t a huge surprise. It was odd seeing the two teams playing a preseason game against each other, given that the two teams will meet each other in Week 1 of the regular season in Game 2 of ESPN’s Monday Night Football doubleheader on Sept. 10 in Oakland.

Rookies were the story of the game on both sides of the football for Oakland, even in the loss.

Running back Chris Warren III saw plenty of action rushing for 110 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. With veteran Marshawn Lynch slated as Oakland’s starting running back, the undrafted Warren III’s play has earned him strong consideration to make the team and contribute significantly.

Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst recorded two tackles and one sack against the Rams. The fifth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft has had great practices during training camp and could see some action with the first-team defense against the Packers.

Typically, the third preseason game is where the starters play the first-half of the game so expect to see quarterback Derek Carr along with new Raiders wide receiver Jordy Nelson on the field Friday night.

Nelson signed a two-year $14.2 million ($13 million guaranteed) contract with Oakland in the offseason after spending his first 10 seasons in the NFL in Green Bay. Seeing Nelson in the Silver and Black of the Raiders instead of the Green and Yellow of the Packers will take some time to get used to.

Green Bay defeated the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, 51-34 last week at Lambeau Field.

Following Friday night’s game, both teams will have a short turnaround to end the preseason on the road. Oakland travels to Seattle to face the Seahawks on Thursday Aug. 30, and Green Bay will meet the Chiefs in Kansas City the same day. With the conclusion of the preseason, all NFL teams will make their final roster cuts on Sept. 1, reducing their roster to the mandated 53-man limit.

This will mark the 13th straight season that Oakland has finished the preseason schedule against the Seahawks, with nine of the 13 games coming in Seattle, but this will be the first time since 2015 that the Raiders will finish in Seattle.

Raiders fall short in 19-15 loss to Rams

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Photo credit: @Raiders

By Jeremy Kahn

In their first game back at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since the end of the 1994 season, the Oakland Raiders return was spoiled by the current tenants, the Los Angeles Rams, on Saturday.

John Kelly ran for 56 yards and a touchdown, helping the Rams to a 19-15 victory on a balmy Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles.

After trailing 16-0, the Raiders came all the back to get within one point, as Chris Warren ran for 110 yards and a touchdown in front of a partisan Raiders crowd at the stadium that they called home from 1982-1994.

Kelly got the Rams on the board in the second quarter, as he scored on a two-yard run to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.

That Kelly touchdown would be the only one that the Raiders defense would allow, as it became a field goal for the Rams, who are coming off a NFC West Division a season ago.

Greg Zuerlein gave the Rams their next six points, as he nailed a 42-yard field goal with 2:05 remaining in the half and then kicked a 28-yard field goal to send the Rams to the locker room with a 13-0 lead.

Sam Ficken stretched the lead up to 16-0, as he nailed a 31-yard field goal straight thru the uprights for the Rams.

On their next possession, the Raiders finally got on the board, as Warren scored on a three-yard run; however, the Raiders attempt at a two-point conversion was not successful.

Mike Nugent, who is trying to make the team as the teams’ kicker behind rookie Johnny Townsend cut the Rams lead down to seven, as he kicked a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

James Cowser made the defensive play of the game, as he intercepted a Brandon Allen pass at the Rams’ 36-yard line and returned it to the 21-yard line for a 15-yard return.

Just four plays later, the Raiders pulled within one point, as E.J. Manuel found former Stanford standout Griff Whalen for a 10-yard touchdown pass; however, the Warren rush on the two-point conversion came up short and the Rams maintained their one point lead.

Following the Whalen touchdown, Allen drove the Rams all the way down to the Raiders’ 14-yard line and the Rams were held to a 32-yard Ficken field goal.

With a chance to win the game, the Raiders began their final drive of the game, but the offense stalled, as the Raiders could only get to the Rams 47-yard line and then Manuel was sacked for a 10-yard loss and that would be the last time that the Raiders would get the ball.

Following the Townsend punt, the Rams ran the ball and were able to run out the clock and give the preseason tilt to the Rams.

Without the services of David Carr, Marshawn Lynch, Amari Cooper and many other would be regulars, the Raiders were led by Manuel, who went 10-for-16 for 89 yards and a touchdown. Connor Cook started the game for the Raiders, and went 6-for-12 for 49 yards, as he competes with Cook for the backup quarterback position to Carr when the season begins on September 10 at the Oakland Coliseum.

Warren took advantage of Lynch not playing, as he carried the ball 18 times for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Both rookie Paul Butler and Jalen Richard each caught three passes for 35 yards for the Raiders, who fall to 1-1 on the preseason.

NOTES: The Raiders and the Rams will see each other once again in just 23 days, as the two teams will face each other in the season opener on September 10 in Oakland in the second game of the Monday Night doubleheader.

UP NEXT: After the short trip to Los Angeles, the Raiders return home for their home preseason finale on Friday night, as they will face the Green Bay Packers at the Oakland Coliseum at 7:30 pm PDT.

Raiders get set for LA trip, take on Rams at Memorial Coliseum Saturday

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Photo credit: therams.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — For the first time in 24 years, the Raiders will play a game in Los Angeles when they face the Rams at the Memorial Coliseum Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. PT.

This is the second-straight season that the Rams and the Raiders link up in the preseason.

Los Angeles won 24-21 at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum last August. Oakland will host the Rams in Week 1 as part of a double-header on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, but don’t expect both teams to reveal any true game plans Saturday.

It was December 24, 1994 that the then-Los Angeles Raiders lost a 19-9 game to the Kansas City Chiefs that would end the Raiders’ 12-year run in Southern California. Depending on who you talk to, the Raiders still hold a major footprint in the country’s second-largest media market next to New York.

Even with the Rams back in town after relocating from St. Louis, where they won the franchise’s only Super Bowl trophy, following a 20-year stint from 1995-2015, it’s as if the Raiders have never left as you can still see people wearing Raiders’ gear.

The Raiders did win a Super Bowl in Los Angeles following the 1983 season, the third trophy in franchise history.

That’s why I’m very interested to see how much of the 93,607-seat Memorial Coliseum will be Silver and Black Saturday afternoon as both teams will play their second preseason game.

The Raiders defeated the visiting Detroit Lions, 16-10, last Friday night at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Quarterback Derek Carr and the first-team offense started the game, playing just one drive before heading to the sideline. Carr completed just 2-of-4 passes for 11 yards in his night of work, but the first-team offense did show some potential of being a big-play offense this season, after seeing running back Marshawn Lynch dart down the Oakland sideline for a 60-yard touchdown run before the play was called back following a holding call on rookie left tackle Kolton Miller.

Expect Carr and the first-team offense to play more than one series, after Raiders head coach Jon Gruden broke training camp Thursday giving the players the day off.

Connor Cook, who took over for Carr, completed 11-of-19 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown while playing the remainder of the first half. Cook would lead the Raiders to a 13-7 halftime lead, looked good engineering the Raiders’ second-team offense.

Undrafted rookie running back Chris Warren III played extensively, recording 13 carries for 86 yards. Its just one preseason game, but Warren III is making a strong case to make the team with impressive showings in recent training camp practices according to reports from Napa.

Defensively, Oakland was without star defensive end/outside linebacker Khalil Mack, who has been a training camp holdout as he seeks a new contract. Missing that game cost Mack $814,000. Mack won’t play Saturday, which will cost him another $814,000.

Oakland’s defense won’t nearly be as formidable without Mack, who has made three trips to the Pro Bowl, named All-Pro twice, and won Defensive Player of the Year in his first four seasons in the NFL.

Rookie defensive tackle P.J. Hall showed great activity when he stepped on the field, recording a sack and a batted pass on his first two plays in the NFL. Other rookies like defensive tackle Maurice Hurst and cornerback Nick Nelson will get more playing time Saturday.

New kicker Eddy Pineiro made a case to be Oakland’s permanent kicker, nailing all three of his field goals. The rookie made field goals from 21, 48, and 45 yards.

Fellow rookie in defensive end Arden Key is expected to play Saturday after missing the previous game with a “tweaked” ankle per reports. As a sophomore at LSU, Key would set a school-record by registering 12 sacks in 2016.

As a matter of fact, Oakland could have their entire rookie class available this Saturday for the first time since their rookie class of 2016, per Marcus Allen Krause of Silver and Black Pride.

Second-year cornerback Gareon Conley, who has been nursing a shin injury, is expected to make is preseason debut against the Rams.  It was revealed early in training camp that Conley had suffered vitamin D deficiency, which became a major talking point on the Raiders.

Last week, the Rams traveled to Baltimore to open up their preseason slate, before being toppled by the Ravens 33-7.

Backup quarterback Sean Mannion started for the Rams in place of starter Jared Goff, completed just 3-of-13 passes for 16 yards and one interception, as Los Angeles held out the majority of their starting offense. Third-year quarterback Brandon Allen fared better, connecting on 10-of-15 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Star running back Todd Gurley didn’t suit up for the Rams, but was on the sideline.

Los Angeles rewarded Gurley with a four-year $57 million extension with $45 million guaranteed in the offseason following a career-year in 2017 in which he rushed for 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Gurley also finished with career-highs in receptions (64), receiving yards (788) and touchdowns (5) last season in route to being named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Los Angeles traded for former Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who is coming off his third-straight of a least 60 catches, 1,000 yards and six touchdowns, and gave the aforementioned Goff another weapon to throw to.

Los Angeles led the NFL in scoring, averaging 29.9 points per game in 2017, and were a top-10 offense orchestrated by the second-year Goff (who threw for a career-high 3,804 yards with 28 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 100.5 passer rating), designed by first-year head coach Sean McVay.

McVay, the NFL’s youngest head coach at age 31, is a Gruden disciple, cutting his teeth as a coaching assistant on Gruden’s staff with the Buccaneers in 2008. The former wide receiver at Miami of Ohio from 2004 to 2007 eventually would work his way to being the offensive coordinator at Washington under head coach Jay Gruden, the brother of Jon.

After leading the Rams to an 11-5 season, the NFC West title and the team’s first playoff appearance in 13 years, expectations are running high for McVay and Co. in Year 2.

Whenever the Rams come to terms with star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year (and former Defensive Rookie of the Year) on a new contract, Los Angeles will have one of the best defenses in the league heading into the season. The Rams added defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib via trades to bolster the defense around Donald.

Just like Mack, Donald is holding out of training camp looking for new long term deal. Donald didn’t make the trip to Baltimore last week, and he too was fined a game check.

Donald missed out on a $405,000 payday for skipping the game.

The four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro is adamant that he’s not playing a game without a new deal after outplaying his rookie deal after the Rams selected him 13th overall in 2014.

So the similarities are there between the Rams and the Raiders:

  1. Head coaches that are offensively innovative and detailed, but don’t expect Gruden or McVay to reveal their hands prior to Week 1.
  2. Star defensive players that should get massive deals, but when will Mack and Donald sign?

Following Saturday’s game, the Raiders will host the Green Bay Packers at home next Friday, while Los Angeles will host the Houston Texas next Saturday.

Headline Sports with London Marq: What else will happen if Bonds gets elected to Hall of Fame?; How big was Terrell Owens’ mistake?; Braves’ Acuna accomplishes a great feat; plus more

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Photo credit: @Deadspin

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 Barry Bonds, who had his number retired by the San Francisco Giants last week, unofficially launches the campaign to have the former outfielder bid for the Hall of Fame. After all, that has been reported regarding steroid use by Bonds and his admitting to using the cream and the clear undetectable steroids unknowingly in grand jury testimony. If Bonds were elected to the Hall, will this also open the door to players like Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeriro and others to be voted into the Hall too?

#2 The A’s won their 21st one-run game of the season against the Seattle Mariners. They are now just one game back of the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. The game was close and the M’s are trying to chase the A’s in the AL West for second, but the A’s now have taken two of the three game series from the Mariners.

#3 In football, people are still talking about how Terrell Owens broke with protocol and held his own Hall of Fame ceremony at his alma mater and not in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. How big of a mistake was that move?

#4 The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna “Matata” Jr. is just having himself a time at the plate, homering in five consecutive games, three of those homers as a lead off hitter, accomplishing the feat that no other player has accomplished.

#5 The Oakland Raiders play game two of the preseason in LA against the Rams. The Raiders, who defeated the Detroit Lions 16-10 last Friday, face the Rams this Saturday. Talk about some of the things that head coach Jon Gruden will be looking for in this game and what does he expect out of his quarterback Derek Carr?

London Marq does the Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

49ers string off fifth straight win, close out 2017 with 34-13 blowout over Rams

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San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde, right, celebrates after scoring against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

By: Joe Lami

The Jimmy Garoppolo era in San Francisco continues to amaze as he remains undefeated as a starter after the 49ers beat the Rams 34-13 to close out the 2017 campaign.

Already making the playoffs, the Rams decided to sit stars Todd Gurley and Jared Goff and the Niners used it to their advantage, dominating from the opening kick-off.

Garoppolo finished the day with two touchdowns, and two interceptions and was 20-of-33 for 292 yards. His first touchdown came in the first quarter as he found his favorite target, Marquise Goodwin, from eight yards out.

Goodwin suffered a concussion later in the game and was taken to a local Los Angeles hospital, but is doing a lot better. He only had one other catch for a total of 28 yards.

Garoppolo later found Aldrick Robinson in the fourth quarter to make it 34-6.

Upon speculation of his last game in the red and gold, Carlos Hyde had one of his best games of the season, running for 90 yards and hammering in two touchdowns.

Sean Mannion was clearly no Goff for the Rams, as he struggled most of the way. The Rams secondary passer threw for 169, completing 20 of 34.

Lance Dunbar scored the only Rams touchdown in garbage time with 6:40 remaining.

The 49ers finish their season, having won five straight and six of their last seven. Since Garoppolo became the starter, they have been one of the best teams in the league and have looked unstoppable.

The excitement is finally felt in the Red and Gold faithful, creating one of the most important offseasons in franchise history. With the winning streak, they’ve thrown together, San Francisco has gone from selecting second in the NFL Draft to selecting ninth.

Most shockingly, the 49ers and Raiders finished 2017 with the same record.

Rams Finally Knock Off Niners In Shootout Win 41-39

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Sammy Watkins (12) scores a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–The San Francisco 49ers continue to seek out their first win of the 2017 season, as their comeback attempt was thwarted in the final seconds of Thursday night’s contest against Los Angeles. Both defenses struggled in the nationally televised shootout, in which the Rams bested the Niners 41-39.

The contest came down to San Francisco’s final offensive play, a failed two-point conversion that was intercepted by Rams’ defensive tackle Michael Brockers. The Niners were forced to go for two after Robbie Gould missed a PAT earlier in the fourth.

Things didn’t start well for San Francisco after Brian Hoyer was picked off on a pass attempt to Marquise Goodwin on the first play from scrimmage by Nickell Robey-Coleman. The return was brought back to the three-yard-line and set up Todd Gurley’s first touchdown of the day. Just 12 seconds into the contest, the Niners were trailing 7-0.

“I just told him, “let’s start over”. It was the first play of the game. It was a tough way to start out, but I thought he did a good job leading us down on the score and making a play to get us in the end zone on that next drive,” explained, head coach Kyle Shanahan on how he dealt with Hoyer.

It looked like things were looking grim for San Francisco, but they were able to fire back with a score of their own. On the ensuing drive, San Francisco found the end zone for the first time this season with the help of a 20-yard run from Carlos Hyde and a Rams penalty on 4th down. Brian Hoyer kicked out to the right on a scramble and found his way to paydirt from nine yards out.

The Rams went into the half with a 24-13 lead, as Gurley was able to find the end zone two more times. The first one Jarred Goff hit him in the flat for a 7-yard score and Gurley was able to hammer the ball in from two yards out with 49 seconds remaining in the second.

Gurley was a force in the first half, but San Francisco was able to slow him down in the second, including a couple of goal-line stands. The third-year player finished with 113 yards on 28 carries and caught five passes for 36 yards for three total touchdowns.

Goff is beginning to match the expectations of the first overall selection in the 2016 draft, as he exploded through the air on Thursday, passing for 292 yards, completing 75% of his passes; all while setting a career-high in touchdowns with three and passer rating of 145.8.

Despite the Rams offensive explosion, the 49ers were able to keep it close with LA’s defense struggling just as much as San Francisco. The 49ers trailed by 14 at the end of the third quarter but scored 19 points in the 4th.

Garret Celek started the fourth quarter comeback, connecting on a one-yard pass from Hoyer. Trent Taylor scored his first NFL touchdown to cut the lead to 8 and Hyde ran in his second of the contest to make the score 41-39, but the missed PAT came back to haunt the 49ers.

The comeback was set-up by some great defensive plays in the fourth as well on special teams. After the Taylor score, Victor Bolden Jr. forced a fumble to set up the Hyde touchdown.

The Niners then decided to kick an onside kick and recovered. With the chance to win the game on a field goal and starting with the ball at the 50, their offense was unable to get anything going. The Rams wrapped up the victory on a 4th and long, sacking Hoyer for the fourth time.

Despite being sacked four times, Hoyer had his best performance in red and gold. He was able to get over opening the game with an interception. He finished the contest 23-of-37 for 332 yards and two touchdowns. Most impressively, the 49ers’ finally aired the ball deep, as Hoyer was able to connect on two deep balls for 59 and 50 respectively. Both of which came off a play-action.

The 59-yard strike found the hands of Pierre Garcon, who led the team with 7 catches for 142 yards.

Carlos Hyde remained a beast for San Francisco, finding paydirt twice while carrying for 84 yards on 25 attempts.

Thursday night’s contest also saw a handful of injuries that set both teams back. San Franciso will use the next three days off to recover before coming back on Monday to set up their contest with the Arizona Cardinals a week from Sunday.

“I was proud of the guys, how they fought. We just need to get better. We’ve got 10 days until our next game. It’s a division opponent in Arizona. Right now, it is a grind to play on Thursday, but the benefit of it is you get a little bit more time to recover. I don’t really care about the record right now. I care about how guys are responding to it and I want these guys to come back Monday ready to go and ready to fight to get our first win,” said Shanahan.

Takeaways from Raiders preseason home tilt with Rams

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Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL preseason football game in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — Halfway through the preseason, the Raiders are 0-2.

Cause for concern if you’re Raider Nation?

Not really, seeing that the first game of the regular season against the Titans in Nashville isn’t for another month and records don’t carry over from the preseason, but after watching the Raiders lose to the Rams 24-21 at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Saturday night, a few things jumped out at me in the press box relating to the Silver and Black:

Starting quarterback Derek Carr looks healthy, but starting left tackle Donald Penn’s absence looms large

Saturday night marked the first time that Carr was in uniform for the Silver and Black for a home game after sustaining a season-ending leg injury on Christmas Eve against the Indianapolis Colts last season.

Showing no signs of the injury that derailed the Raiders’ chances of winning their first playoff game since 2002, Carr completed 7-of-9 passes for 100 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in three drives for Oakland.

Carr found backup tight end Lee Smith for Oakland’s first score of the game with a 19-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter that gave Oakland an early 7-0 lead, then in the second quarter, Carr hooked up wide receiver Michael Crabtree on a 13-yard, catch-and-run touchdown that saw Crabtree absolutely abuse Rams cornerback Troy Hill with a ridiculous fake out move that left Hill on roller skates.

Fellow wide receiver Amari Cooper may had the highlight of the night when he jumped over two defenders to reel in a 31-yard pass from Carr in the second quarter.

Carr finished with a passer rating of 113.0, but had to move around in the pocket to avoid a bevy of Rams’ pass rushers coming from the left side of the offensive line to complete his passes. When you’re worth $125 million and play the most crucial position in football and the team will only go as far as you, your health is of the utmost concern and it was evident that the Raiders need their wall of an left tackle on the field if Carr is to remain healthy.

Penn has been a no-show during all of training camp in Napa due to wanting a new contract. The 11-year veteran is set to make $5.8 million in the final year of his deal and wants to be paid as a top-10 left tackle.

Some may point out that Penn could be replaced if he decides to stay away, which I don’t buy. Penn may have given up the sack that led to the end of Carr’s MVP-like 2016 season, but he is irreplaceable and the Raiders and Penn need to come to an agreement somewhere if they expect to be a Super Bowl team.

The defense can be leaky

Defensive end Khalil Mack recorded a sack in his first preseason action, but the rest of Raiders’ defense has some work to do.

Rams’ starting quarterback Jared Goff was razor sharp, completing 16-of-20 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown in leading Los Angeles to 17 points in his three drives of work. Goff looked more poised and confident in Year 2 than he did as a rookie last year and showed growth as an NFL quarterback by keeping the Raiders defense on their heels with quick passes and tough runs by starting running back Todd Gurley.

But the real guy that was hurting the Raiders was Rams’ rookie wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

Kupp was a matchup problem for Oakland, especially working in the slot and it showed in catching six balls for 70 yards and a 23-yard touchdown where Goff found Kupp 10-yards ahead of the closest Raider defender. There’s no question that Goff will look for Kupp early and often in games during the regular season.

There were times where you saw Raider defensive backs looked out of position, most notably on the Rams’ final drive of the game and backup quarterback Sean Mannion dropped a 20-yard dime for a touchdown to another promising Rams rookie, wide receiver Josh Reynolds, for the game-winning score leaving reserve cornerback Chris Humes confused.

Mannion finished 15-of-22 for 132 yards after taking over for Goff at halftime.

The battle for the No. 2 quarterback continues, but Cook could have inside track at job

One week, fifth-year quarterback EJ Manuel appeared to be in the driver’s seat to be the No. 2 guy behind Carr after completing 10-of-12 passes for 107 yards and posting a 103.8 passer rating against the Cardinals, Manuel didn’t look near as good against the Rams in front of Raider Nation.

Manuel took over for Carr and was just 3-of-9 for 16 yards with a passer rating of 42.4 in two drives.

Connor Cook may have actually helped his case at being the primary backup behind Carr with his night.

The second-year signal-caller from Michigan State finished the game completing 9-of-15 passes for 81 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown dart to backup wide receiver Johnny Holton to give Oakland a 21-17 lead late in the fourth quarter. Cook completed his final six-straight passes on the 11-play, 65-yard drive for the Silver and Black.

After posting a meager 58.0 passer rating in Arizona, Cook finished with a passer rating of 97.4 against Los Angeles.

Both teams will be in action again next Saturday, Aug. 26 for preseason football, with the Raiders traveling to Dallas, and Los Angeles hosting their in-city rival, the Chargers.

Lynch sits again, Carr puts right arm around Mack during National Anthem

Prior to the start of the game, Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat down during the National Anthem. Lynch also sat during the National Anthem in Arizona last weekend.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr put his right arm on the shoulder of defensive end Khalil Mack during the National Anthem.

Recently, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett (who sat during the National Anthem during Seattle’s 48-17 win over the Chargers last Sunday), called for white football players to join the anthem protest to help change and improve race relations and the general treatment of other human beings.

 

 

 

Oakland Raiders host Los Angeles Rams at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Preseason Encounter

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Oakland Raiders quarterback EJ Manuel (3) during an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — The Raiders will play their first home game of the preseason schedule when they host the Los Angeles Rams Saturday night at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.

Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. PT.

This will mark the first game between the Raiders and the Rams in the preseason since 2015 (an 18-3 home win for the Silver and Black). Oakland and Los Angeles last played in the regular season in 2014, when the Rams rolled over the Raiders 52-0 in St. Louis where the Rams called home from 1995-2015 after relocating from Los Angeles originally.

Oakland dropped their preseason opener 20-10 to the Arizona Cardinals last Saturday night in Glendale.

The Raiders held out most of their top players most notably quarterback Derek Carr, running back Marshawn Lynch, wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, offensive lineman Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson, and Kelechi Osemele.

With left tackle Donald Penn still holding out due to a contract dispute, the Raiders were cautious about playing Carr in the preseason opener. Carr is the franchise signal-caller the organization rewarded with a five-year, $125 million extension following his second-straight 3,900-passing yards and 25 touchdown-passing season in the offseason.

But with the second preseason game on the horizon and the Raiders returning to their Alameda headquarters Thursday following their annual training camp in Napa for the remainder of the season, you’d expect Carr and the first-team offense to be on the field Saturday night for at least the first quarter in front of Raider Nation.

Training camp reps are great, but Carr and the first-team offense need to be on the same page and live-action in an NFL game (even if it’s preseason), is the only way teams get better especially a team that have been picked by most Las Vegas odds-makers as the AFC’s representative in Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis on Feb. 4, 2018.

Once Carr gets his work in for the evening, the battle for Carr’s backup will continue between five-year veteran quarterback EJ Manuel and second-year signal-caller Connor Cook.

Manuel got the starting nod against Arizona and played admirable in the first half, completing 10-of-12 passes for 107 yards and a quarterback rating of 103.8. The former Buffalo starter was signed in the offseason to be Carr’s backup, but Cook was drafted in the fourth round by the Raiders in 2016 and the organization believes he could be just as good as Carr someday.

Cook took over for Manuel and played the entire second half and was just 10-of-21 for 82 yards, but did lead the Raiders to their lone touchdown of the evening, a one-yard rushing score by second-year reserve running back John Crockett in the third quarter that finished off a five-play, 63-yard drive.

Remember, Cook did make NFL history last season becoming the first rookie quarterback to make his pro debut in a playoff game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, albeit after the Raiders lost Carr to a broken leg for the remainder of the season after an 12-3 start on Christmas Eve.

Losing Carr was the ultimate lump of coal in the stockings of Raider Nation.

Defensively, defensive end Khalil Mack and linebacker Bruce Irvin sat out Saturday’s contest in the desert. Both Mack and Irvin should see the field and get a chance to play with some of Silver and Black’s younger talent in second-year linebacker Cory James and rookie middle linebacker Marquel Lee.

James led all defensive players with seven tackles (seven solo) and looked more comfortable defending the run, while Lee finished with six tackles (five solo) and a fumble recovery in his first NFL preseason game.

Lee did struggle at times covering the running back out of the backfield and tight ends on option- and curl-routes, and needs to improve his coverage skills as the Raiders face dynamic tight ends almost on a weekly basis with Kansas City and San Diego coming to mind with elite guys named Travis Kelce and Antonio Gates, respectively.

Rookie defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes may have wrapped up a starting job, but fellow rookie defensive tackle Treyvon Hester racked up two of Oakland’s four sacks in Arizona with rookie linebacker LaTroy Lewis registering the other two sacks to go along with four tackles (four solo).

Add in holdovers Justin “Jelly” Ellis and defensive end Mario Edwards, Oakland’s defensive front could be intriguing to watch in 2017 after lacking any serious punch in 2016 with a league-low 25 sacks, 18 by the aforementioned Mack (team-leading 11.0 sacks) and Irvin (second with 7.0 sacks).

The Rams enter Oakland 1-0 in the preseason following a 13-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Los Angeles last Saturday.

Former California starting quarterback Jared Goff, the Rams No. 1 overall pick in 2016, started the game and finished 3-of-4 for 34 yards during his only drive. The Rams are entering the 2017 season hoping that they can rebound from a disastrous 4-12 season a year ago that resulted in a head coaching change, out goes longtime head coach Jeff Fisher and enters first-timer Sean McVay.

McVay spent the last seven seasons in Washington as an offensive assistant, but the last three as the offensive coordinator where he’s aided in the growth of Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins has posted back-to-back 4,000-yard passing seasons in the Nation’s Capital and is line for a major contract next offseason after making  nearly $44 million (fully guaranteed) on one-year franchise tenders the past two seasons (which includes this season at $23.9 million after walking away with $19.9 in 2016).

The Rams are banking on the 31-year-old McVay (the youngest head coach in NFL history) to develop Goff into a franchise quarterback. Goff started the team’s final seven games of the season last year and completed 112-of-205 passes for 1,089 yards and a  five-to-seven touchdown:interception ratio during that stretch.

Los Angeles did add weapons for Goff to help expedite the second-year pro by bringing in former Buffalo Bills wide receivers Robert Woods (signed by the organization to a five-year, $34 million ($15 million guaranteed) contract in free agency), a USC Trojan; and former top-pick Sammy Watkins in a blockbuster trade last Friday.

Watkins is also looking to have a bounce back season in 2017 that is reminiscent of his second year in 2015; where he exploded on to the NFL landscape with 60 catches for a career-high 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games after a down year in Buffalo in 2016; where he posted career-lows in catches (28), yards (430) and touchdowns (2) while dealing with a nagging foot injury that limited the former standout from Clemson to just eight games.

When healthy, Watkins can take the top off a defense as his career average of 16.1 yards per catch can attest, which should open things up for wide receiver Tavon Austin.

Austin, who is paid like the Rams’ No. 1 wide receiver at $42 million ($28.5 million guaranteed), doesn’t play like a No. 1. With the additions of the Woods and Watkins on the outside, the 5-foot-9, 174-pound Austin can now flourish in the slot and be utilized in the similar fashion that the 5-foot-10, 178-pound DeSean Jackson (now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) was utilized by McVay in Washington.

The Rams also added skill players via the NFL draft, utilizing three of their first four picks on tight end Gerald Everett, and wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds that will give Goff or third-year backup quarterback Sean Mannion (18-for-25 for 144 yards against Dallas) more options to look to in the passing game.

Kupp had fumble recovery on the Rams’ first drive of the game for a touchdown and could be a fixture in the Rams’ offense by Week 5 as coaches have salivated over his route-running ability. The former wide receiver from Eastern Washington is arguably the greatest weapon in Football Championship Subdivision history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, setting all-time records in total receptions (428), receiving yards (6,464), and receiving touchdowns (73).

Kupp finished his senior season as the best wide receiver in FCS in 2016, hauling in a conference-leading 117 receptions, for 1,700 yards receiving and 17 receiving touchdowns.

Third-year running back Todd Gurley is still the bell-cow for the Rams.

As a rookie in 2015, Gurley carried the ball 229 times for career-highs in rushing yards (1,106) and rushing touchdowns (10) in 13 games, but dipped a bit in his second year out of Georgia. Although Gurley played all 16 games in 2016 and finished with a career-high 278 carries, Gurley had only 885 yards rushing and six touchdowns to go along with a career-high 327 receiving yards.

Defensively for Los Angeles, veteran defensive coordinator Wade Phillips brings 39 years of coaching experience to Southern California and help McVay’s transition as a first-time head coach almost seamless. Phillips was the defensive coordinator from 2015-16 where he help guide Denver to their third Super Bowl championship in franchise history in 2015.

In 2016, Phillips’ defensive unit finished tops in the league in pass defense and yards per play.

Fourth-year defensive tackle Aaron Donald highlights the Rams’ defense. Donald was selected to his third-consecutive Pro Bowl in 2016 after recording eight sacks and 62 tackles while playing in all 16 games.

The glue to the Rams’ defense, Donald is currently holding out for a new contract that will make him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in football. Recent reports have Donald threatening to extend his holdout into the season, which would cripple the Rams.

After Saturday’s game, the Raiders will travel to Dallas for their third preseason game against the Cowboys; and the Rams will return home to take on the Chargers in the “Battle of Los Angeles” or what my mentor likes to call the game, the “Carson Chargers” vs the “Inglewood Rams” at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Both games will be on Saturday Aug. 26th at 7:00 p.m. PT.