Tag: Marshawn Lynch

Raiders visit Tennessee Titans Sunday in key Week 1 matchup that could be playoff preview

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AP File Photo: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) smiles on the sideline during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — Finally, the NFL regular season is here.

For me, the preseason schedule is nothing more than a dinner salad. It’s just there to help me pass the time until my main course (preferably a grilled salmon with broccoli and red potatoes or homemade spaghetti), is brought to my table.

Bring on the “meal” that is the NFL regular season.

Week 1 has some great matchups that can set the tone for the 2017 season: Kansas City traveling to Foxborough to take on the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Thursday night in the league’s kickoff game, Seattle at Lambeau Field to take on the Packers and Dallas hosting the New York Giants on Sunday.

Add the Raiders against the Titans in Nashville to that list of games.

Oakland has been picked by many national publications and experts as a trending opponent to play New England in the AFC Championship Game (the Raiders “host” the Patriots on Nov. 19 in Mexico City), but the true test starts against Tennessee at 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. CT/10:00 a.m. PT) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

The Raiders are making their second straight trip to Nashville for a regular season game. Oakland defeated the Titans 17-10 in Week 3 last season.

Derek Carr threw for 249 yards with one touchdown and an interception, while the defense forced three turnovers to pace the Silver and Black to victory that day.

Carr posted his second consecutive season with at least 25 touchdowns passes (28) and 3,900 yards (3,937) after throwing 3,987 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2015.

The Raiders raced out to a 10-2 start in 2016 before a 2-2 finish, highlighted by Carr’s season-ending leg injury that doomed Oakland’s chances in the playoffs. Oakland had no chance against the Texans in the AFC wild-card playoff game with rookie Connor Cook under center and lost 27-14 in Houston, there first playoff appearance since 2002 when I was just a freshmen in college.

With additions like running back Marshawn Lynch, tight end Jared Cook and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the offseason through free agency to go along with wide receivers Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper and Seth Roberts, Oakland has the offensive talent to match any team in the league score-for-score.

The Silver and Black finished with the NFL’s sixth-ranked offense averaging 26 points per game last season so its a virtual guarantee that the offense can score more this season.

Will longtime kicker Sebastian Janikowski still handle the kicking duties for Oakland this season? Janikowski and the team are at crossroads on a contract that the Raiders want to restructure that pays Oakland’s all-time leader in games played (268) $4.05 million this season, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

At 39, Janikowski said he wanted to kick for the Raiders when the team moves to Las Vegas in 2020. The veteran kicker has been dealing with back issues that kept his out of the team’s final two preseason games.

On Monday, the Raiders worked out three kickers: Mike Nugent, Josh Lambo and Marshall Koehn.

With Janikowski still on the roster Tuesday, he’s collected $238,000, representing one-seventeenth of Janikowski’s salary or one game-check. If Janikowski is still on the roster Saturday at 1:00 p.m. PT, the remainder of his contract becomes fully guaranteed.

Defensively?

The strength of the unit will come from defensive end Khalil Mack, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year after recording a team-leading 11.0 of Oakland’s league-low 25 sacks in 2016.

Mack is tougher than sandpaper to block.

Double- and even triple-teams seems to not work on a guy that also registered a pick-6 (interception returned for touchdown) last season. Mack had a stretch where he recorded at least one sack in eight straight weeks.

Linebacker Bruce Irvin finished second on the team with 7.0 sacks, but has double-digit sack talent. Irvin was tied with Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley for the league lead with six forced fumbles in 2016.

Oakland is high on rookie defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, the team’s third-round pick in this year’s draft out of UCLA. Vanderdoes had an impressive training camp and showing in preseason games and has cemented a starting spot on the defensive line.

But Oakland still has a bag of footballs at middle linebacker, with rookie Marquel Lee as a starter and second-year player Tyrell Adams as the backup. Lee was decent against the run in preseason, but still has to improve in pass coverage against running backs out of the backfield and tight ends over the middle of the field.

In the secondary, David Amerson is Oakland’s best cornerback. TJ Carrie is expected to start at the other cornerback spot since high-priced free agent addition Sean Smith can’t cover speedy wide receivers. Smith was working as a hybrid safety/linebacker in training camp covering tight ends with the second-team defense, and lined up as the fourth cornerback when the offense deployed four wide receivers in drills.

The hope is once this year’s first-round draft pick, cornerback Gareon Conley steps onto the field, he’ll surpass the entire group. Conley didn’t play in the preseason and barely took reps with the team during training camp as he dealt with legal issues and litany of nagging injuries.

Second-round draft pick Obi Melifonwu, who the team hoped would contribute at safety, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after battling a knee injury during training camp.

The earliest that Melifonwu could return would be Week 8.

Some pundits are questioning with players like linebacker Perry Riley Jr., who was signed by Oakland off the street last season and was the team’s starting middle linebacker the rest of the way and cornerback Joe Haden available via trade this season, why didn’t the Raiders, a legitimate Super Bowl contender, upgrade those key spots on a defense that finished ranked 26th in total defense last season?

The overlooking of a strong middle linebacker and a sturdy cornerback may come back to bite the Raiders in key situations this season, as it did last season.

Like Oakland, Tennessee has a hot, young signal-caller that is returning from a leg injury of his own and have the Titans thinking playoffs for the first time since 2008 in quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Mariota had Tennessee on the brink of the playoffs last season at 8-7 before finishing tied at 9-7 with division rival Houston for the AFC South title, but Houston won the division due to a better division record (Houston was 5-1, Tennessee was 2-4) that left the Titans outside of the playoffs.

The former No. 2 overall pick by Tennessee out of Oregon threw for 3,426 yards with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2016. Mariota, just like Carr, is a mobile quarterback that will use his legs to get out of trouble.

Just like Carr, Mariota suffered his season-ending injury on Christmas Eve while being sacked by the opposing team’s defense.

The Titans’ running game could spell trouble for Oakland, especially with the physical running styles of both DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. Tennessee boasted the NFL’s third-ranked rushing attack averaging 136.7 yards and Murray was a big reason for that.

The seventh-year running back from Oklahoma finished third in the NFL in 2016 in rushing with 1,287 yards and nine rushing touchdowns in his first season with Tennessee after a forgettable season 2015 season in Philadelphia.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, the Titans called 44-percent of rushing plays (2nd in the NFL) and was fourth in the league averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Henry, a former Heisman Trophy winner, was selected by the Titans in the second round in the 2017 NFL draft, was second on the Titans with 490 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in his rookie campaign.

Wide receiver Rishard Matthews gives the Titans a big-play threat downfield that they haven’t had in forever.

Matthews quickly became one of Mariota’s trusted receivers last season in his first season with Tennessee after four seasons in Miami, finishing tied with tight end Delanie Walker for the team lead in catches with 65 to go along with 945 yards and leading the team with nine touchdown catches.

Walker gives Mariota a pass-catching threat that is tough as nails that Raiders safety Karl Joseph will have to keep an eye on come Sunday. After not playing in last season’s contest, Walker could be the difference maker this time around as Oakland has had trouble in recent years covering agile tight ends with linebackers and safeties.

Especially agile tight ends like Walker, who has been targeted by Mariota 159 times over the past two seasons. The 12-year veteran from Central Missouri State racked up 800 yards receiving and seven touchdown catches last season following a career-high season in 2015 when Walker had 94 catches for 1,088 yards and six touchdowns.

Tennessee’s first-round pick, wide receiver Corey Davis who didn’t play in the preseason while dealing with a hamstring injury, is expected to see action on Sunday but its unknown how many plays the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Davis will line up for.

The Titans did sign eight-year veteran wide receiver Eric Decker in the offseason to bolster the wide receiving corps for Tennessee, and has a hidden gem in rookie wide receiver Taywan Taylor in the event Davis doesn’t start.

It might not be the best week to start a Davis on your fantasy team, just some friendly advice.

On defense, Tennessee is quietly won of the better defenses in the league that no one really talks about led by defensive tackle and space-eater, Jurrell Casey, who is the 6-foot-1 and 305-pound clog in the middle of the Titans’ 3-4 defensive scheme ran by legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

Casey recorded 44 tackles for 5.0 sacks for a Titans defense that ranked 20th in total defense in 2016, finishing second in the league against the run surrendering just 88.3 yards per game and 30th against the pass yielding 269.2 yards through the air per game.

Tennessee’s pass rush is powered by outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan. Orakpo led the Titans with 10.5 sacks and Morgan was second on the team with 9.0 sacks.

Casey, Orakpo and Morgan combined for 23.5 of the Titans’ 40 sacks in 2016. Tennessee was just one of seven teams to record 40-plus sacks last season.

Inside linebackers Avery Williamson (team-leader in tackles with 104) and Wesley Woodyard (57 tackles) aren’t household names, but are consistent and provide additional support in the running game.

The player that I’m most intrigued to watch Sunday is second-year safety Kevin Byard.

The MTSU product didn’t record an interception during his rookie season after recording 19 interceptions (a career-high six during his junior season), but did finish third on the team with 58 tackles, four passes defensed and a sack in 16 games played. His seven starts were the most for a Titans rookie safety since Michael Griffin’s 10 starts in 2007 according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

At 5-foot-11 and 212 pounds, Byard isn’t the biggest safety, but his instincts and attention to detail is an important element for Tennessee’s defense.

Throw in free agent addition in cornerback Logan Ryan, a Super Bowl champion with New England and the drafting of USC’s speedster and highlight-maker Adoree’ Jackson, the Titans have talent in the secondary to compete with top-end wide receivers.

Sunday’s matchup between the Raiders and Titans could very well be a playoff preview that may not be decided until late in the fourth quarter.

The game’s outcome could be reminiscent of last season’s game when Tennessee had a would be game-tying touchdown from Mariota to wide receiver Andre Johnson that was called back due to an offensive pass interference call before the Raiders took over on downs two plays later.

Prediction: Raiders 27 Titans 23

 

 

 

Raiders host Seahawks Thursday in final preseason game; Lynch to play against former team

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Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) has a laugh on the sideline during the 2017 NFL week 3 preseason football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017 in Arlington, Tex. The Cowboys won the game 24-20. (Paul Spinelli via AP)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — With three preseason games now in the books, the Raiders (0-3) look to end the preseason on a high-note with a win over the visiting Seattle Seahawks Thursday night at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in both team’s preseason finale.

Seattle edged out the Raiders 23-21 in Oakland to close out the preseason schedule last year as both teams rested their starters, which should be the case again this preseason.

Sadly, Raider Nation won’t see new running back Marshawn Lynch carry the football against his former team. Lynch was the heartbeat for the Seahawks during his six seasons in Seattle where he help bring the franchise its first Super Bowl championship in 2013 before retiring after the 2015 season.

Lynch came out of retirement during the offseason and Seattle traded Lynch to his hometown team, where its been nothing but love for the former Oakland Technical High School and Berkeley running back.

Last week, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr looked sharp in Oakland’s 24-20 loss to the Cowboys in Dallas, completing 13-of-17 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to backup quarterback EJ Manuel late in the second quarter.

Carr, who saw the return of starting left tackle Donald Penn to the team following a 26-day holdout during training camp in search of a new contract, threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson that capped off a 10-play, 81-yard drive on Oakland’s first possession of the game.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper hauled in Carr’s second touchdown pass of the game, a 48-yard score that culminated a 4-play, 60-yard drive, faked out the camera man during the television broadcast. Cooper, who looks noticeably bigger in the upper-body to help beat the jam from cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage, led Oakland with 78 yards receiving and tied with Patterson with four catches in the game.

Defensively, Oakland still had some mental gaps in pass coverage but did see their defensive line create some pressure on the quarterback that was seemingly absent this preseason.

Rookie defensive tackle Treyvon Hester continues to make it hard for the coaches to cut him, sacking Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on a third-and-13 for a 12-yard loss that led to Dallas’ first punt of the game.

Hester’s three sacks during the preseason is tied for most in the NFL.

Fellow rookie, linebacker LaTroy Lewis had one of the bigger plays on the night.

On second-and-5 from the Oakland 26-yard line, reserve cornerback Antonio Hamilton sacked Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush and the fumble was returned by Lewis 65 yards for a touchdown.

The final game of the preseason will give Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio and his coaching staff more film to review before all 32 NFL teams must trim their official roster from 90- to 53-man on Sept. 2.

That means, guys like Hester, Lewis, and even rookie middle linebacker Marquel Lee (who still struggles getting off of blocks from offensive lineman), have to make every snap count on Thursday night against Seattle at 7:00 p.m. PT in front of Raider Nation.

Connor Cook and EJ Manuel, who are battling for the backup quarterback job behind Carr, will get extensive action this week. Cook completed 9-of-16 passes for 89 yards, while Manuel was just 2-of-4 for 8 yards against the Cowboys.

Shouldn’t be a surprise if Cook gets the start over Manuel, who was signed in the offseason as the logical backup to Carr, but Cook, who did make NFL history last year by becoming the first quarterback to make his debut in a postseason game, appears to be the front-runner to backup Carr.

Against Seattle last year in the preseason, Cook came into the game in the second quarter in place of former Raiders backup Matt McGloin and played well completing 15-of-30 passes for 145 yards, but did throw an interception that was returned by the Seahawks 42 yards for a touchdown.

Seattle (3-0) defeated Oakland’s bitter rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, 26-13, last week at CenturyLink Field. Super Bowl winning quarterback Russell Wilson completed 13-of-19 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown for Seattle in the first half of the game.

The Seahawks have won three of the last four NFC West crowns and enter 2017 as the favorite to win the division this year, thanks to a stout defense led by the “Legion of Boom” and the aforementioned Wilson, who has won at least one playoff game in each of his first five seasons as the starting quarterback for Seattle.

Both teams open up the 2017 regular season on the road, with Oakland traveling to Tennessee to take on the Titans in Nashville, and Seattle kicking off their schedule in Green Bay against the Packers.

 

Oakland Raiders preview: Raiders head to Dallas for preseason clash with Cowboys

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Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) talks with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) after an NFL preseason football game in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — The Raiders travel to Dallas for their final preseason game this week when they take on the Cowboys on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 5:00 p.m. PT at AT&T Stadium. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2013, when both teams met each other in the preseason and on Thanksgiving Day in the regular season.

Both teams will meet each other again this season when Dallas comes to Oakland-Alameda Coliseum on Dec. 17 on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, which will be one of the NFL’s most watched games in 2017.

Last week, the Raiders lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams 24-21 in Oakland’s first home game this preseason.

Quarterback Derek Carr completed 7-of-9 passes for 100 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while posting a quarterback rating of 113.0 in his first action in the 2017 preseason. The game also marked the first time that Carr played at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in an NFL game since breaking his leg on Christmas Eve against the Indianapolis Colts.

Carr looked good and showed no lingering affects from the season-ending injury that derailed the 2016 season for the Silver and Black, a season that saw Oakland finish 12-4 and reach the postseason for the first time since 2002.

Carr found wide receiver Michael Crabtree for a dazzling 13-yard touchdown pass where Crabtree shook the defender out of his cleats, and backup tight end Lee Smith hauled in a 19-yard touchdown down the middle of the field from Carr for the quarterback’s first touchdowns in the 2017 season.

Raiders running back and Oakland native Marshawn Lynch finished with 10 yards on two carries. Lynch made his home debut in front of Raider Nation and got the crowd on its feet with a “Beast Mode” like run for five yards on his first carry.

Defensively, Khalil Mack appeared to be in regular season form after recording four tackles (three solo) and a sack in his first action in the preseason, but Oakland’s defense overall still have some holes to fill, most notably at middle linebacker and in the secondary.

But the big story heading into Saturday night’s game in Dallas for Oakland is the return of the their left tackle Donald Penn to the team. Penn was seen on the practice field in Alameda on Wednesday after ending his 26-day holdout in search of a new contract.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area Raiders Insider Scott Bair, the two-time Pro Bowler ended his holdout and re-joined the club on “faith” and “believing the Raiders will work out a higher pay rate” once he returned.

To make room on the active roster for Penn, Oakland waived defensive end Jimmy Bean.

Penn allowed just one sack and 28 total quarterback pressures in 2016, ranking No. 6 among all NFL tackles according to Pro Football Focus. The 11-year veteran is in the final year of a two-year, $11.9 million contract and wanted money that would put him in the top-10 among highest paid left tackles in the game.

Penn is scheduled to make $5.8 million this season, which is pittance compared to other elite left tackles.

Typically in the third week of the preseason, teams will play their starters well into the second half hoping to build more chemistry as the regular season approaches and with Penn missing most of training camp, you’d expect to see him in the lineup Saturday with Carr and the rest of the first-team offense to play catch-up.

Dallas defeated Indianapolis 24-19 last week at AT&T Stadium.

Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott completed 7-of-8 passes for 106 yards, with a 32-yard touchdown toss to wide receiver Dez Bryant down the left side line on the game’s opening drive. Bryant finished with two catches for 55 yards in one-half of action.

Star running back Ezekiel Elliott, who hasn’t played in the entire preseason for the Cowboys, is expected to get reps against Oakland according to Dallas head coach Jason Garrett via ESPN Dallas Cowboys reporter Todd Archer.

Elliot, the NFL’s rushing leader with 1,631 yards to go along with 15 touchdowns and a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie, was recently suspended by the NFL for six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy following and has repealed the decision. The hearing is set for Tuesday, Aug. 29.

“I think the biggest thing is just having the mindset of preparing him for Week 1 of the season, and that’s the approach that we’ve taken,” Garrett said via Archer. “He’s got a number of more reps in training camp than he did last year. If you remember, he had the hamstring injury last year and ended up playing in the second-to-last preseason game and got eight, 10, 12 snaps in that ballgame, so that’s the approach that we’ve taken with him, and anything beyond that we’ll take as it comes.”

Both teams will have short turnarounds after Saturday night’s contest, with the Raiders set to play the Seattle Seahawks in Oakland on Thursday, Aug. 31, and the Cowboys traveling to Houston to take on the Texans the same day.

All teams must trim down their rosters from 90- to 53-man by Sept. 2, as mandated by the NFL.

 

 

 

 

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 travels to Arizona for preseason opener Aug 12th

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AP Photo File: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) applauds during an NFL football training camp on Saturday, July 29, 2017, in Napa, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — The Raiders gear up for 2017 preseason with a road trip to the Valley of the Sun to take on the Arizona Cardinals Saturday night Aug. 12, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. PT from University of Phoenix Stadium. This marks the third time in seven years that the Silver and Black open up the preseason schedule on the road, as they opened the 2016 preseason in Arizona last season and in Minnesota for the 2014 preseason.

This also marks the fifth time in seven years that Oakland and Arizona meet in the preseason, with the Raiders taking last year’s preseason opener 31-10.

The Raiders will be a team that will score a lot of points this season with Derek Carr throwing to his talented wide receivers in Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. Oakland was the sixth-ranked offense with Carr throwing for 3,937 yards and 26 touchdowns (to just 6 interceptions) in 2016.

Cooper and Cooper each had 1,000-yard receiving seasons last year.

Add in a physical running back in Marshawn Lynch to an already deep running back stable with Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington to go along with free agent addition Jared Cook and holdover Clive Walford to sure up the tight end position, the Silver and Black will be a feared offense in 2017.

With left tackle Donald Penn a training camp holdout over his contract, I wouldn’t expect to see Carr and the first-team offense play no more than a series or two as the point of the preseason is to find your team’s identity, see which rookies can be contributors to an NFL team, and most importantly, keep your starters healthy.

Carr who signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension with the organization during the offseason and is coming off a broken fibula last season, is the most important Raider the team has to keep healthy with all of the Super Bowl hype surrounding the team heading into the season.

The reigning Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year in defensive end Khalil Mack and the defense look to improve a unit that finished 26th in the league last season despite Mack registering 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception that returned for a touchdown.

Overall defensively, Oakland already has the majority of their starting lineup intact with the exception of middle linebacker, and possibly cornerback opposite of David Amerson.

Rookie Marquel Lee and second-year pro Tyrell Adams battling for the starting job at middle linebacker. Lee is currently ahead of Adams on the team’s depth chart in training camp and should start in Oakland’s first preseason game but should see a lot of action.

Lee is one of 30 rookies who should see their first live action in an NFL game.

Nine-year veteran Sean Smith is being pushed hard for his starting spot at cornerback by fourth-year player TJ Carrie and rookie Gareon Conley. Carrie has passed Smith on the Raiders depth chart in training camp after lining up with the starting 11 over the weekend in Napa.

Conley hasn’t practiced yet due to shin splints and off the field issues, is playing catch up.

Arizona lost to the Dallas Cowboys 20-18 in the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game last Thursday as both teams held out most of their starters.

Former 49ers starter/backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed 11-of-14 passes for 185 yards leading Arizona to touchdowns on their first two drives.

 

 

 

 

 

Reports: Donald Penn not reporting to Raiders training camp amid contract dispute

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AP File Photo: Oakland Raiders tackle Donald Penn during an NFL football team activity Tuesday, May 23, 2017, in Alameda, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

NAPA–There will be a noticeable absence when the Raiders open up training camp Saturday and its a player that they can’t afford to be without.

Left tackle Donald Penn is not expected to report for Oakland’s first practice as he seeks a new contract from the organization. Penn is set to make $7 million this season, the final year of a two-year $11.9 million deal with Oakland.

News of Penn’s intentions of skipping training camp was first reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport via Twitter.

But at 34-years-old, Penn knows that Father Time is rapidly approaching and wants to get one more big-money contract before he calls it a career. Rapoport noted that Penn is reportedly looking to be paid “among the top-10 left tackles in the league.”

Penn has proven to be extremely durable throughout his 10-year career, starting all 16 games the last nine seasons including 48 straight for Oakland the last three seasons. According to ESPN Stats and Information, Penn allowed just 28 quarterback pressures in 676 pass-blocking snaps last season and giving up just one sack, the sack that snapped the fibula of franchise quarterback Derek Carr on Christmas Eve.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Penn is a brick wall that protects Carr and saw the Raiders dish out lucrative contracts along the offensive line in recent years, inking center Rodney Hudson and right tackle Kelechi Osemele to massive deals.

This past offseason, Oakland rewarded right guard Gabe Jackson with a five-year, $56 million contract extension.

In a phone call with NFL Network’s Willie McGinest on Friday, the two-time Pro Bowler expressed his deserving of a new contract.

“He wants to probably be paid in the top-10. He’s not looking to be the highest paid, the top-5 highest paid. He just wants the respect of what he’s done on the field,” McGinest said during Friday’s addition of NFL Total Access. “Stop looking at his age, he’s like, don’t mention his age, look at my production and what I’ve done. And if I’m in the top-10, then I can probably be comfortable with that.”

Oakland enters the 2017 season with Super Bowl aspirations and look to be one of the league’s top offenses once again, with the additions of running back and hometown product Marshawn Lynch (came out of retirement) and tight end Jared Cook (signed in free agency), to go along with Carr and wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper.

Information from the NFL Network was used in this report.

 

Seahawks-Raiders agree on deal for Lynch

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Marshawn Lynch, a former NFL football running back with the Seattle Seahawks, speaks Thursday, May 5, 2016, at a job fair in Seattle sponsored by the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, an organization backed by Starbucks and other companies that seeks to increase employment and education opportunities for youth aged 16-24. The Seahawks announced Thursday that Lynch has been placed on the reserve/retired list. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — Retired running back Marshawn Lynch is set to come out of retirement after the Raiders and Seahawks agreed to a trade that will allow Lynch to play for Oakland, sources tell ESPN NFL Insider, Adam Schefter.

In order for the deal to be complete, Lynch must first pass a physical, which is expected to place on Wednesday at the team’s Alameda headquarters. Per Tom Pelissaro of USA Today, Seattle will receive Oakland’s 2018 5th-round pick in exchange for Lynch and the Seahawks’ 2018 6th-round.

Sources report that its a two-year deal (but essentially a one-year deal) worth a maximum value of $8.5 million with $3 million in base salary.

Lynch retired from the NFL after the 2015 season, was born and raised in Oakland and attended Oakland Technical High School where he was star. The length of the contract is interesting given the fact that the Raiders are heading to Las Vegas by 2019.

The NFL Network first reported the deal between Oakland and Seattle.

Lynch, who turned 31 this past Saturday, was the No. 12 pick in the 2007 draft by the Buffalo Bills out of Cal,  has rushed for 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns in nine NFL seasons. Lynch played through an injury-plagued 2015 season where he only rushed for 417 yards on 3.8 yards per carry in seven games.

Oakland is looking to fill the hole at running back, after losing last year’s starter Latavius Murray to the Minnesota Vikings in free agency. The Raiders had the sixth-best rushing attack in 2016 and think that adding Lynch to the mix with youngsters Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington could add even more punch to the Raiders’ offense.

The five-time Pro Bowl running back had his best season in 2012 where he rushed for a career-high 1,590 yards and 12 touchdowns while catching 23 passes for 196 yards and a score. Lynch was named first-team All-Pro that season.

The 5-foot-11 Lynch led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2013 and 2014 with 12 touchdowns and 13 touchdowns respectively. “Beast Mode” had four straight seasons rushing for at least 1,200 yards from 2011 through 2014.

Per ESPN Stats and Information, Lynch ranks second in the NFL in rushing touchdowns since 2007 with 74, only second behind running back Adrian Peterson’s 97 rushing touchdowns, who signed with the New Orleans Saints this week after spending his first 10 seasons in Minnesota.

 

 

 

 

Raiders close to deal with Marshawn Lynch; Seahawks still holds RB’s rights

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Marshawn Lynch, right, a former NFL football running back with the Seattle Seahawks greets Sheri Schultz, left, the wife of Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Thursday, May 5, 2016, before he spoke at a job fair in Seattle sponsored by the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, an organization backed by Starbucks and other companies that seeks to increase employment and education opportunities for youth aged 16-24. The Seahawks announced Thursday that Lynch has been placed on the reserve/retired list. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — “Beast Mode” back on the football field?

Almost a done deal.

NFL Network’s Michael Silver and Mike Garafolo reported Friday that Marshawn Lynch is nearing a new contract agreement with the 30-year-old running back.

But before Lynch can officially play for his hometown Raiders, Seattle must trade Lynch as they still hold his rights as he retired after the Seahawks’ Super Bowl 50 loss to the New England Patriots at the end of the 2014 season.

Sources close to the situation told Garafolo that Oakland and Seattle are optimistic that a deal can be struck, the two sides have yet to engage in trade talks for one of the NFL’s most punishing running backs when healthy.

Lynch sat out all of 2016 after an injury-filled 2015 (where he dealt with hamstrings/hernia injuries) but has been durable for the majority of his nine-year career. Three years removed from a Super Bowl championship (a season that Lynch rushed for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns), it’s fair to ask how much football does the former Oakland Tecbnical High School product have left?

The rumors have been swirling for weeks that Lynch was itching to resurrect his career and Oakland was his preferred choice, not Seattle. Lynch took to Twitter to clear the air of those rumors:

“If u kno me you kno my business is my business,” Lynch tweeted, “and if u don’t kno me that’s a fun fact for ya… when (expletive) get REAL I’ll let you kno!!!!”

Oakland, who have second-year running backs Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington slated to share the load in the backfield after letting starter Latavius Murray (and his 12 rushing touchdowns) depart for Minnesota via free agency, may believe Lynch is an upgrade and will add more bite to a deep running back corps.

NFL Network’s Steve Wyche noted that he was in Alameda this week and sources told him that one possible sticking point in a deal coming together between Oakland and Lynch, would be the compensation that Oakland would need to give Lynch. Wyche got indication that Oakland really wants to get a deal done and see Lynch as a key piece to a potential Super Bowl participant this season, but want some assurances from Lynch before the NFL Draft on Apr. 27.

According to Spotrac.com, Oakland is sixth in the NFL with roughly $33 million in salary cap space and have key core players who are up for hefty extensions, most notably quarterback Derek Carr and defensive end Khalil Mack.

Wyche was adamant that the Raiders didn’t want to dip to heavy into that cash to overpay for Lynch. Sources told Wyche that Oakland wants to, “take care of the horses.”

Carr and Mack are two of the Raiders’ biggest “horses” who’ve earned new contracts.

Should Lynch and the Raiders come to an agreement, it would give the Silver & Black some much needed great news, in wake of the organization’s announcement to relocate to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas in the next two years.

 

 

 

Cal puts up little resistance as No. 5 Washington rolls to a record-setting 66-27 win at Berkeley

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ross-run

By Morris Phillips

Team speed, pervasive throughout Washington’s 66-27 dismantling of Cal on Saturday night, must have disembarked the Huskies’ charter flight from Seattle to the Bay Area even before the UW players and coaches.

It must have.  What else could explain the parade of Huskies racing into the end zone—some untouched, almost all racing ahead of the pack—in what would become a record setting rout for the nation’s No. 5 ranked team?

In all, five different Washington players registered at least one play of 32 yards or longer, as the Huskies rolled, at one point scoring 38 consecutive points.  The 66 points allowed was the most the Bears had allowed since 1973, and UW’s seven touchdown passes—six courtesy of quarterback Jake Browning—surpassed the Washington (9-0, 6-0 Pac-12) school record of six.

“All of the credit goes to those guys,” Cal quarterback Davis Webb said.  “They were coached well, they played really well and that’s a really great team over there.  That’s the best team we’ve played this year and I think they proved that tonight.”

Two circumstances conspired to turn this one into a rout—Cal’s injury situation which left them perilously thin in their defensive, back seven, and undefeated Washington’s psyche following the release of the first College Football Playoff rankings which placed them fifth, behind one-loss Texas A&M.  Dykes spoke about Cal’s situation that put them at the mercy of Miles Gaskin, UW’s speedy back, and their dominant pair of receivers, John Ross and Dante Pettis, who racked up 14 catches for 312 yards and all six of the touchdown passes thrown by Browning.

“We’re banged up on the backend, so Washington got some matchups on guys that weren’t necessarily a great matchup,” Dykes admitted.  “There wasn’t much we could do about it.  We knew going into the ballgame that we’d play the best players we had available to us, that’s what we do every week.”

So lopsided were those matchups between the Washington receiving duo, and Cal’s corners and safeties, one’s reaction was either wide-eyed surprise, or a frustrated shake of the head.  Ross’ 67-yard score had all of that as Browning wound up and hit the junior in stride 45 yards down field where he shook Bears’ corner Chibuzo Nwokocha.  Ross then retreated several yards while gaining momentum and that caused Nwokocha to run into teammate Luke Rubenzer, removing both from the pursuit.  Twenty yards later Ross was untouched as he crossed the goal line with safety Khari Vanderbilt able to apply only a fruitless, arm swipe.

On Pettis’ option pass for a touchdown, normal starting safety Rubenzer bit hard on the possibility of a run, allowing Darrell Daniels to slip past him where he was waiting for Pettis’ pass and a 39-yard scoring play.

Those two spectacular plays came in the first quarter with Ross’ score putting UW up 21-6.  But after Cal rallied to within 21-20 on Davis Webb’s scoring run and Chad Hansen’s touchdown catch, Washington dropped the hammer with five consecutive touchdowns, then Cameron Von Winkle’s 36-yard field goal that put Washington up 59-20 with 12:58 remaining in the game.

As Washington turned on the gas, Cal kept shooting itself in the foot.  At one point, the Bears turned the ball over on three, consecutive possessions.  Offensively, Webb got little done, even with Hansen back in the starting lineup after missing two games with injuries.  The Bears converted just one of their 13 third-down opportunities, a credit to Huskies’ effective pass rush and the cover skills of the veteran secondary.

Defensively, the Bears drew high praise from UW Coach Chris Petersen who said the Bears did well by crowding the line of scrimmage to stop the run, disguising coverages to protect their deeper defenders, and mixing it up to prevent the Huskies from recognizing any tendencies.  But Browning, the Folsom, CA product sorted through it all, making big plays in the passing game when he needed.  In all, Browning completed just 19 passes, but they covered 378 yards and six were touchdowns.

Webb finished 23 of 47 for 262 yards, but threw three interceptions.  Cal’s running game was stymied as Khalfani Muhammad rushed for just 34 yards, and Tre Watson had 10 carries for 29 yards.  Muhammad also suffered the indignity of being picked up off both feet and thrown back by UW’s 350-pound Vita Vea on a goal line play during Cal’s brief, second quarter rally.

Afterwards, the Huskies refused to say they were motivated by the CFP’s snub, with Petersen, Pettis, Browning, Ross and corner Kevin King all saying that too much football remains for them to get ruffled over the initial, playoff poll.  And who can blame them?  After 12 consecutive wins dating back to last season, the Huskies have matchups with improving USC at home, and Washington State (6-0 in conference play) on the road to consume their attention.

“There’s a lot of football left to play,” Browning said.  “Put us outside the top four and make us earn it.”

The Bears travel to Pullman next Saturday night to face the Cougars, who smashed Arizona 59-7.

NOTES: Cal’s attendance continued to suffer as the team was given a third, 7pm or later start time in four home games this season.   Only 47,000 attended the game and the stadium was half full for the second half when the outcome was all but decided.

Marshawn Lynch was honored with a bobblehead giveaway that captured his wild, cart ride following Cal’s 2006 overtime win over Washington.  Lynch recreated the ride, with his mom, Delisa in tow, then after leading the Bears on to the field with a few, sharp turns, Lynch was joined by rapper E-40 for a final spin.

 

 

Raiders host Seahawks in preseason finale

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — As the NFL preseason draws to a close, the Raiders will host Oakland native Marshawn Lynch and the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at O.co Coliseum Thursday night as both teams look to finish off strong before the games start to really count.

Oakland is coming off their third preseason game, losing to the Packers, 31-21, in Green Bay last week. The Raiders first-team defense played strong early, forcing the Packers into back-to-back three-and-out drives and three straight punts in the first  quarter. Rookie linebacker Khalil Mack was active all over the field, collecting five tackles and an interception.

Linebackers Miles Burris and Nick Roach each finished with six tackles, while defensive end LaMarr Woodley recorded his first sack as a Raider.

Offensively, Oakland’s first-team showed progress, after running back Maurice Jones-Drew stormed for a 40-yard touchdown run on the Raiders’ first possession to tie the game at 7-7, after Eddie Lacy’s 1-yard run on Green Bay’s first possession.

Quarterback Matt McGloin, who has made a strong case to be the Raiders’ No. 2 quarterback, finished 10-of-17 for 162 yards passing, and two touchdowns, both to wide receiver, Bryce Butler. Butler added three catches for 60 yards receiving.

Even with McGloin’s impressive play, rookie quarterback Derek Carr is slated to start Thursday. Carr sat out the Green Bay game to rest his bruised ribs he suffered in Oakland’s second preseason game.

Seattle showed why many experts believe that they can repeat as Super Bowl champions with another dominating performance, dropping the Chicago Bears, 34-6 at home.

Quarterback Russell Wilson looked in midseason form, scoring three touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing) while passing for 202 yards on 15-of-20 passes. Wilson also had a robust 140.o quarterback rating.

Lynch, who held out the early part of training camp after being unhappy with his contract, had three carries for 16 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown run on the Seahawks’ opening drive of the game. Lynch would watch the remainder on the game from the sidelines, tossing the cleats for some basketball shoes.

Even the Seahawks’ punishing defense appears to be ready for another run at the Lombardi trophy, having surrender only 20 points in three preseason games.

Oakland will also see a familiar face Thursday, with Terrelle Pryor returning to the Black Hole. It will be a good test for the Raiders’ defense who haven’t faced a quarterback with the frame and elusiveness quite like Pryor.

Both teams will see each other during the regular season, when the Silver and Black travel to CenturyLink Field for a Week 9 match-up.

With all 32 teams having to reduce their rosters down to 53 players by Saturday, August 30, it will be a busy week in Oakland. The Raiders have 10 open positions on the practice squad to fill as well.

After Thursday night’s game, the Seahawks will open up their title defense on Sept. 4 when they will host the Green Bay Packers, while Oakland will begin the season on the road when they will travel 3,000 miles to New York and face the Jets on Sept. 7.

You can watch the game on KTVU/FOX 2, or listen on 98.5 KFOX.