Photo credit: mercurynews.com
On the 49ers podcast with David:
#1 The Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for 101 yards and passed for 105 yards in their win over the Forty Niners on Sunday
#2 It was a game that saw the top offense play and the top defense play and no one gave in all day long.
David does the 49ers podcast each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Photo credit: chiefswire.usatoday.com
By Jeremy Kahn
Time and time again, the Oakland Raiders take a couple of steps and lately they have taken a couple of steps backwards.
Reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes went 15-for-29 for 175 yards and two touchdowns, as the Kansas City throttled the Raiders 40-9 at Arrowhead Stadium.
Things did not start well for the Raiders and it only got worse, and it did not get any better for the visitors.
Derek Carr threw an interception on the Raiders first series of the game, as Tyron Mathieu returned the errant Carr pass into Raiders territory.
Mahomes immediately drove the Chiefs and it ended, when he ended Darrel Williams for a three-yard touchdown pass to give them a quick 7-0 lead.
If you thought, the first series of the game did not end well, just wait and see what happened on the Raiders second series. Trevor Davis took the Harrison Butker kick and immediately fumbled the ball that was recovered by Dorian O’Daniel at the Raiders’ 24-yard line.
Luckily for the Raiders, the Chiefs were not able to cash in, as they were forced to turn the ball over on downs.
Over the next two series, the Raiders were forced to punt and then turned the ball over on downs.
Mahomes decided that enough was enough, as he took the ball over on downs and ended up calling his own number, when he took the ball 13 yards for a touchdown to extend the Chiefs lead.
Jalen Richard tried to get the Raiders going, as he returned the Butker kick to the 26-yard line; however, Carr and the Raiders saw the drive come to a crashing halt, when Juan Thornhill intercepted a Carr pass and returned the pass 46 yards to the end zone to give the Chiefs a commanding 21-0 lead.
Daniel Carlson did not make things any better, as he missed a 44-yard field goal with just over a minute to go in the second quarter.
The Chiefs added to their lead on the first series in the third quarter, as Butker nailed a 50-yard field goal.
Once again, the Raiders were not able to get on the board and then the Chiefs took advantage, when they scored on a LeSean McCoy three-yard touchdown run that came just after it looked like the Raiders were going to get the ball back on a turnover.
Travyon Mullen intercepted a Mahomes pass; however, Chiefs coach Andy Reid challenged the call for possible pass interference and after review it was reserved.
Carlson finally got the Raiders on the board, as he kicked a 34-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, Mahomes went on a methodical nearly 10-minute drive that went 14 plays and 75 yards and culminated when rookie Darwin Thompson scored on a three-yard run.
Carr finally got the Raiders into the end zone for the first time since the fourth quarter of the November 7 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, as he found Derek Carrier for a four-yard touchdown pass.
The Carlson point after was blocked, and returned to the Chiefs end zone for two points, when Charvarius Ward scooped it up and scampered into the end zone for the final points of the game.
NOTES: When the Raiders connected on the Carlson field goal, it stopped a streak of 59 consecutive points, a record for futility in the 122-game series that dates back to 1960, when the Raiders and the then Dallas Texans first faced each other in the AFL in 1960. The field goal also ended a streak of 15 consecutive drives without a point against the Chiefs.
UP NEXT: The Raiders return home for a two-game homestand that begins against the Tennessee Titans on December 8 at 1:25 pm PST.
Photo credit: sfgate.com
By: Joe Lami
Sunday’s game with the Raven’s was being billed a potential Super Bowl preview, and we can only hope that the Super Bowl is as good as this one was. Although San Francisco ended up losing to the Baltimore Ravens 20-17 on a buzzer-beating 49-yard kick by Justin Tucker, this team can swing with the best of them, and even left something on the field. The Niners now fall to 10-2, with both losses coming on last-play field goals.
Ravens’ back, Mark Ingram said before the game, “this one is going to be a slugfest.” And boy, was he right. Both offenses and defenses shined at times throughout the game, but it came down to who got the final possession. Unfortunately for the Niners, the answer was the Ravens, who finished with a 32:26 time of possession, with each team eight possessions apiece.
The Niners neutralized Lamar Jackson the best they could, but it’s challenging to slow down the run-away MVP candidate who rushed for 100 yards in his fourth-straight game and passed for 105 yards. Showing his dual-threat capabilities, he scored a touchdown both ways.
Raheem Mostert has his best game as a pro. At times, he looked nearly unstoppable, running outside zone rushes for 146 yards on 19 attempts, including a magnificent 40-yard TD run.
The Niners looked dominant from the get-go, marching down the field on the opening possession for the scored. Garoppolo threw a strike to Deebo Samuel on fourth and two from 33-yards out. Deebo’s beginning to show his dawg mentality, powering through Marcus Peters to go up for the catch.
Unfortunately, it was short-lived; on San Francisco’s next drive Chuck Clark punched the ball out of Jimmy Garoppolo’s hands at his 23. It would only take two plays for Jackson to find the end zone for the first time of the day, as he tossed a TD to Mark Andrews.
The fireworks continued with both teams scoring TDs on their next drives. Lamar Jackson got his second of the day, but first on the ground, running in from a yard out to cap an 84-yard, 13-play drive. The Niners answered thanks to some terrific blocking that set off a 40-yard Raheem Mostert touchdown run, equalizing the game at 14.
Justin Tucker knocked in his first field goal of the game from 30 yards to give the Ravens a 17-14 lead. At the time, it was a pretty big win for the Niners, slowing down Baltimore’s offense.
The Niners couldn’t answer with two minutes to work with until halftime. Mostert was able to string together a few runs to set-up a 51-yard attempt from Gould. But he fell short in his first attempt in three weeks to end the half. The missed field goal would come back to haunt the Niners.
The second half played way slower, as the Niners only got three possessions. They were lengthy, though, as Kyle Shanahan was doing his best to keep the ball out of Lamar’s hands. Lamar opened the second half with the ball and was driving until Marcell Harris made a play and punched the ball out at the Niners’ 34.
San Francisco then began a 14-play, 53-yard drive that took 8:26 off the clock that finished with a 30-yard Robbie Gould field goal to tie at 17.
The Niners defense stood tall for two more drives, forcing a punt and a turnover on downs. Fred Warner was the defensive MVP for the Niners. The middle linebacker was all over the place, getting two PBUs on third downs, and 11 tackles.
Unfortunately, the Niners offense also stagnated due to the Ravens’ league-leading defense that held Jimmy Garoppolo to 165 yards on 15/21 and a TD. John Harbaugh also did his best to keep the ball away from the 49ers and ended with the last possession.
The Niners have proved they’re one of the best teams in the league and were able to keep up with Baltimore despite a few things not going their way. They’ll now keep their eyes on Monday night’s Seahawks’ game to see if they’ll still have the division lead at 10-2 when they travel to New Orleans next week.
Photo credit: theringer.com
By: Joe Lami
The Niners continue to pass every test sent their way with flying colors, but Sunday’s will no doubt be their toughest one yet. Flying cross-country to take on MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson and the 9-2 Ravens for a 10 a.m. kick-off will reveal how elite this team is.
Baltimore looks like a runaway freight train with Jackson at the helm, winners of seven-straight. The NFL hasn’t seen a quarterback as electric as Jackson since Mike Vick. Jackson is currently on pace to crush Vick’s single-season rushing yards record. Containing him will be San Francisco’s top priority.
His ability to both run and pass makes him a nightmare matchup. He’s averaging nearly 80 yards per game on the ground at a staggering 7.1 yards per attempt. Not only can he gash on the ground, but he can tear it up through the air. Jackson has 23 passing touchdowns, one behind the league lead, while throwing for 2,427 yards. He’s only thrown five interceptions and been sacked 20 times. He’s simply not making many mistakes this season.
San Francisco’s elite defense will be put to the test. The Niners lead the league in getting to the quarterback on 13.33% of all plays, but their front four won’t be able to pin their ears back and rush the quarterback. Robert Saleh will need to be more conservative on the edge, making sure to contain Jackson as much as possible. The Niners have the top pass defense in the league, giving up only 136 yards per game. However, they struggle on the ground, giving up 111 yards per game, good enough for 19th in the league.
Jackson isn’t the first scrambling QB they’ve faced so far; he’s just the best. Kyler Murray gave the Niners a bit of difficulty in the two wins over the Cardinals. Throwing for 391 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, he kept the Cardinals within striking distance in both games. The Niners did an excellent job of keeping him from running all over, averaging 60 rush yards per game. They also tallied seven sacks.
Kyler gives a similar taste as to what the red and gold might do to contain the scrambling quarterback. But comparing a rookie to the MVP front-runner makes the challenge much more difficult. However, San Francisco is forcing the second-worst opponent passer rating in the NFL at 72.7.
Jackson has been doing an excellent job of spreading the ball around; five receivers have at least 20 receptions. But Mark Andrews and rookie, Hollywood Brown have been his top two targets, combining for 85 receptions, 1,162 yards, and 12 touchdowns.
Sunday’s game features the top two scoring offenses in the NFL. Baltimore leads the league with 47, while the Niners are second with 39. The Ravens also lead the league on third-down conversion, 50.4%, while the Niners come in third at 46.6%.
It’s not just Jackson though; the Ravens have one of the best defense’s in the NFL too. While the Niners are the #1 yards defense and #3 scoring defense, it’s flipped for Baltimore. They prance into Sunday’s matchup sporting the #3 yards defense and the #1 scoring defense.
Baltimore might be the only team more complete than the Niners and will provide a pivotal test as this team eyes a long playoff run. It’s just a shame that it’s not a primetime game for the nation to witness.
photo from sfgate.com: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 25, 2019, in Los Angeles.
On the SF 49ers podcast with Joe:
#1 The 49ers (10-1) had a bulldozer game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. The 49ers dominated the Packers on both sides of the ball.
#2 Looking to Sunday’s game in Baltimore, a game that could either be the 49ers’ best or worst of the season.
#3 The Baltimore Ravens (9-2) have home field. They’re also coming off a huge victory over the LA Rams from last week. They have home field against the 49ers and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
#4 Do the Ravens have the pick of the oddsmakers? They’ve been favored by six points and this could be a rough afternoon for the 49ers.
#5 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo goes up against a pretty good pass rush. How does Joe see Garoppolo throwing against the Ravens?
Joe Lami is a 49ers beat writer and does the 49ers podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
espn.com photo: Derek Carr hasn’t won in five games at Arrowhead Stadium, with most of those games being lopsided.
On the Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes:
#1 Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden says that playing in Arrowhead Stadium is one of the coolest places to play. Gruden said he absolutely loves going there.
#2 On the other hand, for Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, Kansas City is like a house of horrors for him.
#3 Carr is 0-5 in five of his last six games at Arrowhead.
#4 Carr knows how the turf feels like in Kansas City as he’s been sacked 17 times in the those last five games at Arrowhead.
#5 Carr said after last Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets “I want to win now” Carr also said “we haven’t won there (in Kansas City) yet”.
Joe Hawkes does the Raiders previews each week and podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Photo credit: chiefswire.usatoday.com
By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor
OAKLAND — The Raiders prepare for a big matchup in Week 13 as they will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the second matchup this season between the two clubs, and 119th meeting all-time regular season. The Chiefs have won four straight games against the Raiders, who are trying to win in Kansas City for the first time since 2012.
The Raiders won that contest, 26-16.
Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT after being flexed into the afternoon slot from their original 10:00 a.m. PT start time on CBS. You know this is a big game as CBS sends its No. 1 broadcast team of Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson on the call from Arrowhead Stadium.
In Week 12, the Raiders fell hard on their faces, losing on the road to the New York Jets, 34-3, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ to fall to 6-5 on the season. Oakland currently sits in second place in the AFC West, trailing the 7-4 Chiefs by one game.
The Jets’ No. 1 ranked defense against the run held Raiders rookie running back Josh Jacobs in check, holding Jacobs to just 36 total yards from scrimmage (34 rushing, 2 receiving) on the day. On the season, Jacobs has totaled 1,101 yards from scrimmage, good for the fourth-most scrimmage yards by a player in first 11 games of a season.
His 957 rushing yards this season ranks fifth in the NFL and third in the AFC and are the most among all rookie rushers.
Defensively for Oakland, rookie defensive end Maxx Crosby registered another sack, giving him 5.5 sacks in his last three games. With a team-leading 7.5 sacks this season, Crosby is tied for third-most among all rookies and are the most by a Raiders rookie since 1991, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Crosby is one of two players (T.J. Watt) in the NFL who have recorded at least seven sacks to go along with three forced fumbles and three passes defensed.
Kansas City enters Week 13 after coming off their Bye Week following a 24-17 victory in an AFC West battle with the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City on Monday Night Football.
In Kansas City’s first matchup against Oakland in Week 2 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Raiders jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter before Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tossed four touchdowns in the second quarter alone to pace the Chiefs to a 28-10 win. Mahomes completed 30-of-44 passing for 443 yards, shredding the Raiders defense in the process.
Following the game, the Raiders will return home for their final two home games of the year against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Tennessee (6-5) and Indianapolis (6-5) are logged-jammed with the Raiders in a battle for a wild card spot for the AFC playoffs.
Kansas City will head to New England to face the Patriots before returning home to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 15.
Photo credit: latimes.com
On the 49ers podcast with David:
#1 The 49ers George Kittle said the 49ers “made a pretty good statement” on Sunday Night Football with a convincing 37-8 win.
#2 For 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, a great night of throwing the football: 14-20, 253 yards, and got the team in the redzone enough to crush the Green Bay defense.
#3 Baltimore Ravens the difference between not having former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco not there and having quarterback LaMar Jackson and how the Ravens are 9-2.
David Zizmor does the 49ers commentary each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
photo from sfgate: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) is sacked by San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, center, and San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead, bottom, during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019.
By: Joe Lami
SANTA CLARA — Sunday Night’s highly anticipated matchup between the 49ers and Packers probably made NBC decision makers second guess themselves, as the flexed-in game turned out to be a complete drubbing. San Francisco dominated Green Bay 37-8, improving to 10-1 on the season, solidifying themselves as a legit Super Bowl contender.
It’s San Francisco’s largest win over their rival since they shutout Green Bay 35-0 in 1954.
The consistent questioning of who the Niners have beat can finally be laid to rest, after they handed Aaron Rodgers his second-worst performance of his career, throwing 20 of 33 for 104 yards and a touchdown before being pulled late in the fourth quarter. He was held to a career-worst 1.7 yards per dropback, following a bye week.
The pressure got to Rodgers early and often, as the Niners pass-rush hit him ten times, sacking him for five, and forced a fumble at his own 14 on the opening possession. Fred Warner was credited with the strip-sack, while Nick Bosa picked it up but got stopped short of scoring his first career touchdown at the two-yard-line.
It wouldn’t matter though, as Tevin Coleman punched it in on the next play to give San Francisco the early lead.
Arik Armstead led the charge on defense, sacking Rodgers twice, bringing his season total to ten on the season and putting him Top Five in the league. Bosa was also credited with his eighth sack on the season, bumping him to 12th in the NFL, and just 0.5 behind his older brother, Joey.
The Niners’ offense struggled in the early going, despite being handed excellent field position. Until three minutes to go in the first half, where they strung together 13 points in the final moments’ thanks to a 42-yard catch and run from Deebo Samuel for a TD and two Chase McLaughlin field goals to give them a 23-0 halftime lead.
Green Bay finally got on the board in the third quarter, when Bay Area native, Davante Adams, scored his first touchdown of the season, bringing the game with 15 after a two-point conversion.
However, the celebration was short-lived when the Niners fired back immediately with a quick 57-second, 75-yard touchdown drive. 61 of them came on George Kittle catch-and-run, where he completely burned the cornerback on a post-corner route in the middle of the field, before turning on the afterburners to find pay dirt, making it 30-8.
Kittle finished with six catches for 129 yards in his first game since Halloween, where he went down with ankle and knee injuries. Shanahan later confirmed that Kittle played through a broken ankle. Techincally, a chipped bone, though stable, Kittle still needed to battle through the pain. When asked about the pain, Kittle shrugged and said, “that’s football.”
Raheem Mostert ran in San Francisco’s final score from 15-yards out, finishing with six carries for 45 yards and the TD.
Green Bay’s offense only mustered 198 yards, with Aaron Jones chipping in 38 on the ground. Entering the game, Jones led the NFL in rushing TDs with 11. San Francisco’s defense completely dominated Green Bay in every facet.
The Packers picked up their first third-down conversion of the game on the second to last play, with just 1:04 remaining. Holding the Packers to 1/15 on third-down, the Niners were only a minute away from shutting out the Packers on third-down for the first time since 1999.
“They’re just relentless. They play 11 guys so strong, so complimentary of one another with the pash rush, the coverage, our linebackers. It’s incredible to see how smothering all 11 guys can be and that is what they do week in and week out,” said Mike McGlinchy.
Jimmy Garoppolo shined bright and avoided any costly turnovers in a magnificent performance, where he completed 14/20 for 253 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, he gave a killer sideline speech that kicked the Niners’ offense into gear when it struggled after the opening possession.
The Niners couldn’t have started their toughest stretch of the season any better, destroying Green Bay at home. They’ll now carry confidence into back-to-back road games against playoff teams in Baltimore and New Orleans.
sfgate.com photo: San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) celebrates after scoring against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019.
By Amaury Pi Gonzalez
Thanksgiving Day sports fans will be around the table during the Turkey dinner and they will talk about some of the things Bay Area sports fans should be grateful for this year. For example.
-Colin Kaepernick will never play again for the 49ers.The most unpopular man in the country,poll says 91% of the American people do not want him back in the NFL. The 49ers 10-1 record is tied for the best in the NFL with the reigning champion New England Patriots after the 12th week of action.
-The City of Oakland dropped the lawsuit against the Athletics.Other obstacles remain, but the 2019 season is ending on a good note after another 97 wins and and another playoff-wild card berth.
-The Oakland Athletics do not have to share the Oakland Coliseum with the Raiders anymore.Green and Gold will take over Silver and Black at the Coliseum from now on,until they build their new ballpark at Howard Terminal or at the current location.
– San Francisco Giants bullpens will not be on the field,but behind TrIples Alley,which will be reduced from 421 feel to a hitter-friendly 380. Only teams in MLB remaining with bullpens on the field are Oakland and Tampa Bay. 2020 will be the first year that Oracle Park will not have the bullpen on the field, but 2019 (after the Giant season and in the fall)is when the team made the change.
-Golden State Warriors playing in their first year at their new home, Chase Area in San Francisco a state-of-the-art sports facility. Fans can watch and “grow together”with their new cast of future star players. The Warriors and the Boston Celtics are the only two teams in history of the NBA to have played for the championship five consecutive seasons. 2019-20 will not be the case for the Warriors. -San José Sharks has dug out from their 4-10-1 start and are now over .500 with 12-11-1 record as of Sunday November 24.
-The Big Game.University of California Berkeley fans are grateful as the Golden Bears beat Stanford Cardinal 24-20 for the first time in a decade.
-San José Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2019 inducted John Doyle, All American. Doyle is a Bay Area soccer icon, starring at the high school, club, college, Olympic & professional levels who represented USA Soccer at the highest level.
Wishing you and your family a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving Day.
“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens
Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for Oakland A’s baseball and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Sports Radio Service 