Tag: NFL

Raiders welcome division rival Chargers to the Coliseum for big primetime matchup

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Photo credit: raiderswire.usatoday.com

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

After playing for the first time at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum since Week 2, the Oakland Raiders look to build upon their Week 9 victory over the visiting Detroit Lions when they host their division-rival the Los Angeles Chargers Thursday in primetime to kickoff Week 10 in the NFL.

Kickoff is set for 5:20 p.m. PT and will be televised on FOX as part of Thursday Night Football. This will be the first meeting between the two franchises this season, which will be the 119th edition in the all-time series.

The Raiders (4-4), climbed to the .500 mark after defeating the Lions, 31-24 behind quarterback Derek Carr, who engineered his 18th career game-winning drive in the contest. Carr, who had his third-consecutive game this season in which he’s thrown two touchdowns and have a passer rating of 115.0, found rookie wide receiver Hunter Renfrow in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:04 left in the game.

Running back Josh Jacobs rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Jacobs, who became the first player in team history to be named NFL Offensive Player of the Month for October, is by far the leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year by leading all rookies in rushing yards (740), touchdowns (6), runs of 20+ (5), and 40+yards (2).

In the game, Jacobs would surpass Marcus Allen for most rushing yards in a single season by a rookie in team history, topping Allen’s 697 set in 1982.

With Jacobs’ two scores and touchdowns each by Renfrow and rookie tight end Foster Moreau, it was the first time in team history that rookies have scored four touchdowns in one game offensively.

Defensively, cornerback Daryl Worley’s second quarter interception in the end zone changed the momentum of the game, leading to a touchdown by Oakland’s offense right before halftime.

But Karl Joseph made the biggest play of the game, breaking up a pass on fourth down that would’ve tied the game and forced overtime. Joseph would finish with six tackles.

The Chargers (4-5) are coming into Thursday night off the heels of a 26-11 win over the visiting Green Bay Packers at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

Quarterback Philip Rivers completed 21-of-28 passes for 294 yards, with the scoring provided by two touchdowns from running back Melvin Gordon (20 carries for 80 yards), and four field goals from kicker Michael Badgley.

Rivers has thrown 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but has thrown for an NFL-high 2,609 yards this season.

Third-year wide receiver Mike Williams logged his first career 100-yard game, catching three balls for 111 yards against the Packers.

Defensive ends Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa was all over Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, sacking the future Hall of Fame signal-caller three times (each player recorded 1.5 sacks).

Bosa, who is being mentioned as a possible Defensive Player of the Year candidate this season, is third in the NFL in sacks with 8.5.

Following Thursday’s game, Oakland ill return to action in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals to finish up their three-game stretch at home, while the Chargers return to Los Angeles to face the Kansas City Chiefs before their Bye Week.

Sportstalk podcast from Inca Aztec Restaurant in downtown San Jose: Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019

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photo from yelp.com: Inca Aztec Restaurant downtown San Jose home of the Sportstalk podcast on Wed. Nov. 6, 2019.

Cast: Jerry Feitelberg (host and Golden State Warriors beat writer), Mary Lisa Walsh (San Jose Sharks reporter), Marko Ukalovic (San Jose Barracuda reporter), and Amaury Pi-Gonzalez (That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary) and producer Lee Leonard.

Podcasting from Inca Aztec Restaurant at 95 South Market Street downtown San Jose, call 408-715-7042 for information or reservations. The magic culinary can best be described as a mix of Peruvian and Mexican influences. Inca Azteca Restaurant Bar is the union of two cultures. The South American Andean region of Peru and the most important territory of Mexico. During years of tradition, spectacular recipes are created and now Inca Aztec has the magic gastronomic experience. Our thanks to our hosts owners Rey and Alma and general manager Rolando.

Tonight on Sportstalk: Will the Sharks shake off the taste of losing as they have completed three games of their current six game homestand? The Sharks have lost in tough games, including in Boston 5-1, and most recently on Sunday 5-2 to the Vancouver Canucks. Also, join our conversation on the NHL and some the top teams in the league: Bruins, Sabres, Capitals, Islanders, Blues, Avalanche, Oilers, and Canucks.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Can Raiders get by Chargers on Thursday Night?; 49ers distributing momentum going into Monday Night at Levi’s; plus more

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Photo credit: forbes.com

On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 The Oakland Raiders just got by the Detroit Lions Sunday 31-24 at the Oakland Coliseum. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns. One of the big throws for Carr was his pass to Hunter Renfrow that gave the Raiders a go-ahead lead and eventual win.

#2 What a Thursday Night Football it was for the San Francisco 49ers in their win over the Arizona Cardinals 28-25, a narrow win, but it kept them undefeated at 8-0. Seeing that that was a close game, could their contest coming up in Santa Clara against the Seattle Seahawks be a close one, too, on Monday Night Football?

#3 The Sacramento Kings won their second straight game on Sunday night against the New York Knicks 113-92 at Madison Square Garden. It was a much-needed win for the Kings after suffering a five-game losing streak before their first two wins.

#4 The announcement came in October about the MLS coming to Sacramento in 2022 and the partners of the Sacramento Republic are excited to bring Major League Soccer to the state capital, which could bring a new rivalry between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Republic.

#5 The San Jose Sharks star player Evander Kane is being sued by the Cosmopolitan Casino in Las Vegas for $500,000, a gambling debt that goes back to the NHL playoffs when the Sharks were in Vegas back in April. Will the publicity of the debt create a disruption for the Sharks going forward?

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

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Can 49ers keep it going against Seattle on Monday Night Football?

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On the 49ers podcast with David:

#1 Monday Night Football at Levi’s Stadium next week is expected to bring lots of excitement as the 49ers face what could be their biggest challenge of the 2019 season against the Seattle Seahawks.

#2 How banged up can a team get as the 49ers played against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 27th and turned around and played just four short days later against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 31st?

Listen to David’s 49ers podcasts every Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Takeaways from the Raiders’ win over the Lions

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Photo credit: freep.com

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Raiders returned home from their whirlwind tour in which they logged over 20,000 miles with a gutsy, 31-24 victory over the visiting Detroit Lions on Sunday that pulled the team to the .500 mark at 4-4.

Quarterback Derek Carr threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Hunter Renfrow with 2:05 left in the game, cementing Oakland’s win in the team’s first game at home in seven weeks.

Carr’s clutch throw to Renfrow for the win got the Raiders off on the right foot, as they enter a critical three-game homestand that will be key in Oakland’s playoff chances this season. The Raiders face the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football on a short week, then host the Cincinnati Bengals at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Nov. 11.

Check out my takeaways from the Silver and Black’s win against the Lions:

Josh Jacobs is the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year without question

As much as Oakland’s win can be credited to its signal-caller (Carr completed 20-of-31 passes for 289 yards and 2 TDs), Jacobs’ performance was instrumental.

The rookie running back found gaping holes in Detroit’s defense, rushing for 120 yards and two scores on 28 carries. It was Jacobs’ third game this season in which he’s rushed for 120+ yards with 20+ carries.

With a 16-yard rush late in the first-half, Jacobs broke Marcus Allen’s franchise rookie record for rushing. Jacobs now has rushed for 740 yards and through eight games, breaking Allen’s mark of 697 set in the nine-game, strike-shortened 1982 season per Elias Sports Bureau.

Not only does Jacobs leads all rookies in rushing, but his six touchdowns and runs of 20+ yards (5) and 40+ yards (2) are tops among the group.

Raiders’ defense is opportunistic

Lions quarterback did have a big day against the Raiders’ suspect secondary, throwing for 406 yards and three touchdowns, but Oakland did capitalize on two Detroit turnovers in the first half to take a 17-14 lead.

Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst recovered a fumble deep inside Oakland’s territory after Stafford botched a handoff to running back JD McKissic on Detroit’s opening drive of the game. The Raiders would turn that into an 11-play, 68-yard drive in 5:32 that culminated in Jacobs’ first score of the game, a 2-yard run that put Oakland ahead 7-0.

After the Lions took a 14-10 lead following a 59-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to wide receiver Kenny Golladay, Stafford tried to hookup with Golladay again, but Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley made a terrific play on the football by intercepting Stafford in the end zone.

The Raiders would turn that takeaway into points, with Jacobs capping off a 12-play, 80-yard drive in 5:14 with his second score of the game from 3-yards out to put Oakland ahead 17-14 going into halftime.

For as much as the takeaways led to 14 points for Oakland, those weren’t the biggest plays in my book by the defense in the game.

With Detroit inches away from scoring and facing a fourth down, the Raiders defense looking to preserve a 31-24 lead, Karl Joseph’s pass breakup of the potential game-tying touchdown in the back of the end zone was the biggest play made by the defense on the day.

Quote of the game

“I love this place. It’s special. To come home in front of them and get a win, especially the way we did it. It would be nice to win something 40-0 some time. But when you win one like this, it does so many good things for a team.” – Derek Carr talking about the feeling he gets playing in Oakland in front of Raider Nation.

The Raiders are playing their final season in Oakland this year, before moving to their new 65,000-seat home, Allegiant Stadium, in Las Vegas in 2020.

Thursday night’s matchup against the Chargers (4-5) should make for an enticing game.

The Chargers will enter the game fresh off the heels of a 26-11 victory over the visiting Green Bay Packers at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

Running back Melvin Gordon scored two touchdowns, and kicker Michael Badgely booted four field goals for the Chargers, who snapped a three-game home losing streak and handed the Packers (7-2) their second loss of the year.

Raiders return home and get huge 31-24 win over Lions

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Photo credit: detroitnews.com

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND-What did former WWE competitor Dwayne The Rock Johnson always says when he returned to his hometown of Miami, Finally, The Rock has come home.

Well, after an odyssey that saw them travel nearly 20,000 miles and to the United Kingdom for a game, Finally, the Oakland Raiders have come home.

Derek Carr found rookie Hunter Renfrowe for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 2:04 remaining in the game, as the Raiders defeated the Detroit Lions 31-24 at the Coliseum.

Karl Joseph came up with the defensive play of the game, as he batted down in the end zone with three seconds remaining in the game, as the Lions drove the length of the field with the help of a pass interference penalty; however, the Lions could punch it in for the potential game-tying touchdown and the Raiders evened their record at 4-4.

This was the Raiders first game in the Coliseum since losing to the Kansas City Chiefs on September 15.

During that stretch, the Raiders played four games on the road and a game against the Chicago Bears in London during the time away.

Carr also threw a touchdown to rookie tight end Foster Moreau, and rookie running back Josh Jacobs continues to shine, as he two touchdowns. This is the first time since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 that the Raiders got four touchdowns from rookies in the same game.

Matthew Stafford attempted to find Logan Thomas for that potential game-tying touchdown, but Joseph got his hands in the way and the Raiders walked away with a huge win in the opener of a three-game home stand.

Jacobs, the rookie out of Alabama gained 120 yards and scored two touchdowns in helping the Raiders to even their record at 4-4 on the season.

Throughout the first three quarters of the game, neither team punted and the Raiders retook the lead 24-17 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, as Carr found Moreau for a three-yard touchdown pass.

The Lions tied up the game with just 5:16 remaining in the game, as Stafford found L.J. Mikissic for a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Carr went 20-for-31 for 289 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon. Renfrowe led the Raiders with six receptions for 54 yards, while Jalen Richard caught three passes for a team-leading 56 yards.

Jacobs led the Raiders in rushing with 126 yards on the ground on 28 carries and those two touchdowns.

One of the biggest plays of the game will not appear in the box score, as the Raiders went for a fake punt and Derek Carrier scrambled 27 yards for a first down. Unfortunately, the fake punt went for naught, as Daniel Carlson missed a 45-yard field goal that would have extended the Raiders lead up to six.

I was pretty nervous. I was pretty nervous. We faked one versus Chicago. We faked one today. We felt we had a chance to pull it off and credit to (assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich) Bisaccia. Hes one of the best special teams coaches in football. I wish we had made the field goal and gotten something out of it, said Jon Gruden.

On the ensuing series, the Lions drove down to the five-yard line, but the Raiders defense held the Lions out of the end zone and Matt Prater kicked a 23-yard field goal to tie up the game.

Stafford went 26-for-41 for 406 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

McKissic was the leading ground gainer for the Lions, as he carried the ball four times for 32 yards. The running back was on the receiving end of a Stafford touchdown.

Kenny Golladay caught only four passes on the afternoon, but gained a whopping 132 yards and a touchdown for the Lions, while former CAL star Marvin Jones, Jr., caught eight passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.

The Raiders benefitted from two big Lions turnovers, as Stafford fumbled on the Lions opening series and it was recovered by Maurice Hurst. The second turnover came with the Lions leading 14-10 in the second quarter, and the Lions on the Raiders 20-yard line, Staffords pass was intercepted in the end zone by Darrell Worley.

We scored a touchdown off a takeaway, but we had to go 80 yards. It wasnt like we were knocking on the door. We love the takeaways. We think thats a winning edge in football, said Gruden.

UP NEXT: The Los Angeles Chargers come to the Coliseum on Thursday night, as the longtime division rivals face off against one another.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami: For Halloween, 49ers scare Cardinals to stay perfecto

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Photo credit: ninerswire.usatoday.com

On the San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami:

#1 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is working that magic again. He had command of his passes and was able to be mobile and get his passes where he wanted them to.

#2 The 49ers were able to hold onto the lead, despite the Arizona Cardinal trying to play catch up in the second half.

#3 Evidence that Garoppolo had time to throw was by his numbers going 28-37 for 317 yards and a passer rating of 136.9.

#4 The key play for the Cardinals in the second half was when quarterback Kyler Murray threw an 88-yard touchdown to receiver Andy Isabella. Also, Murray threw for 241 yards going 17-24 and nearly caught up with the 49ers.

#5 The 49ers head to home to host the Seattle Seahawks for Monday Night Football on ESPN at Levi’s Stadium. How do you size this one up?

Joe Lami is your host for the 49ers podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Garoppolo’s big night leads 49ers past Cards 28-25

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By Jeremy Harness

This season, Jimmy Garoppolo has simply played the role of a distributor this year, whether it be handing off or making kay passes to keep the chains moving. On Halloween night, he stepped up and put the scare into the Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers remained undefeated on Thursday night, but they had to stave off a furious second-half comeback from the Cardinals in the process, getting out of the desert with a 28-25 victory.

Garoppolo completed 28 of their 37 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns, for a pass rating of 136.9.

The defense, which has been stellar all season, suffered a major hiccup in the second half and allowed the Cardinals back in the game, particularly when rookie quarterback Kyler Murray found receiver Andy Isabella for an 88-yard catch-and run, after which Kenyan Drake converted a two-point attempt to cut the lead to a field goal with just under five minutes remaining.

Murray wasn’t too bad himself, passing for 241 yards while completing 17 of his 24 throws with a pair of scores. Meanwhile Drake, who was just picked up days ago in a trade from the woeful Miami Dolphins, carried the ball 15 times for 110 yards and a touchdown.

The offense, however, was able to pick up the defense by holding on to the ball and getting key first downs to get the Cardinals to use their timeouts and, eventually, run out the clock.

The 49ers caught a huge break at the end of the first half, when they took a gamble and watched as Jeff Wilson, Jr. was stopped cold at the Arizona 1-yard line to supposedly end the half with only a seven-point lead.

However, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury, who apparently wasn’t comfortable with the personnel he had on the field at the time, had called a timeout prior to the play being run, nullifying the stop and give the 49ers another chance.

They made good on that reprieve, as Garoppolo found Emmanuel Sanders in the corner of the end zone to extend the lead to 21-7. Sanders, who has been with the team for a little more than a week after being traded from the Denver Broncos, had seven catches for 112 yards.

They dodged another bullet in the first quarter, when tight end George Kittle caught a helmet to his left knee and, for a moment, looked to be in pretty bad shape. However, two series later, he was able to get back into the game and capped off the final drive of the quarter with a 30-yard catch-and-run to tie the game at 7-7. Kittle caught six passes for 79 yards with that score.

The 49ers return home to host the rival Seattle Seahawks on ESPN’s Monday Night Football at 5:15 p.m.

Raiders return home for matchup against the Lions

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Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

After being away from the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum for a five-game stretch in which they finished 2-3, the Oakland Raiders return home to begin a three-game homestand starting with a in Week 9 matchup as they host the visiting Detroit Lions this Sunday, Nov. 3.

Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT on FOX.

Oakland is looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Lions, and finish off with a .500 record against the NFC North this season in which the Raiders are 1-2 with a win over the Chicago Bears in London in a “home game,” and road losses in Minnesota and Green Bay.

In Week 8, the Raiders lost to the Houston Texans, 27-24, that saw their record fall to 3-4. Oakland’s offense had success against a very tough Houston defense, with quarterback Derek Carr tossing three touchdowns in a game for the first time in 2019. Carr finished 18-of-30 with 285 yards and a blistering passer rating of 125.0

Tight end Darren Waller and wide receivers Hunter Renfrow and Tyrell Williams each caught a touchdown in the game. For Waller, it was the first time he’s scored a touchdown in consecutive games in his career after scoring a pair of touchdowns in Week 7 at Green Bay.

Renfrow’s touchdown, a 65-yard score, was his first-career score.

Defensively for the Raiders, linebacker Tahir Whitehead led all defenders with a season-high 11 tackles, while defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and defensive ends Arden Key and Benson Mayowa each recorded a sack.

Entering Week 9, Oakland is second in the NFL with with eight sacks surrendered on offense. Only in 1970 and 2016 have the Raiders surrendered fewer sacks (seven) through the club’s first seven games of the season.

Additionally, the Raiders also rank second in the NFL with sacks allowed per pass play percentage of 3.5 percent on the season.

The Lions (3-3-1) enter Week 9 coming off a 31-26 victory over the NFC East’s New York Giants at Ford Field in Detroit that snapped the team’s three-game losing streak.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 25-of-32 passes for 325 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Wide receiver Kenny Golladay finished with six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns, while fellow wide receiver Danny Amendola chipped in 95 yards for a team-high eight catches.

Following Sunday’s game, the Raiders will host their AFC West rival the Los Angeles Chargers on a short week on Thursday Night Football. The Lions will remain on the road as they head to Chicago to take on their NFC North rivals, the Bears.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: No matter who won, it was an incredible World Series; Murray vs. Garoppolo for Thursday Night Football; plus more

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Photo credit: @Nationals

On Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tony, the World Series is over. The Washington Nationals looked like they were really going to make this one look easy, but the Houston Astros got hot and won three straight before the Nats forced a Game 7 and Nationals took game 7. It was the most wins by a visiting team in series history. Both teams played an entertaining series.

#2 The San Francisco 49ers play in Arizona for Thursday Night Football. Taking a look at the quarterbacks — for the Cardinals, Kyler Murray, and for the 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo. Tony explains how he sees this matchup.

#3 After the Warriors played the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Warriors were behind 70-37 at halftime and eventually lost the game, the Warriors’ Draymond Green said the team sucked and then the Warriors went to New Orleans and won. It didn’t last long as the Phoenix Suns took it to the Warriors at Chase Center and lost Stephen Curry to a broken hand?

#4 In a free agent deal, the Oakland Raiders signed linebacker Brandon Marshall, who formerly played for the Denver Broncos. Marshall signed a one-year deal. Tony tells us how the Marshall signing will help out especially considering the season suspension hole that was created by linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

#5 The Sacramento Kings, who played the Charlotte Hornets and lost remain winless, came off a tough loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. The Kings, who had home floor advantage on Wednesday night, are looking for that slight edge to get into the win column.

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com