Tag: NFL

Raiders return to national stage, play Eagles in Philadelphia Christmas night

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Photo credit: @SuperBowl2018US

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — Similar with the Dallas Cowboys, the Oakland Raiders gear up for another unfamiliar opponent when they travel east this week to take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Christmas night at 5:30 p.m. PT. This is Oakland’s first appearance on MNF this year, while it’s Philadelphia’s second appearance this season.

This is Oakland’s first game in Philadelphia since 2005 and their final trip east this season. The Raiders hold a 6-5 edge over the Eagles in 11 games played all-time.

Last Sunday night, the Raiders (6-7) lost a close game, 20-17, over the visiting Dallas Cowboys in prime-time on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Oakland’s defense held Dallas (8-6) to just 330 yards of total offense.

Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack penetrated Dallas’s top-ranked offensive line for two sacks on the night. With 10.5 sacks on the season, Mack is in the top-10 in the NFL in sacks and has posted a sack in five-straight games since Week 11.

Cornerback Sean Smith recorded two interceptions off Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott, matching Oakland’s season total coming into the game. Oakland has just four interceptions this season. Middle linebacker NaVorro Bowman led the defense once again with 11 solo tackles against Dallas.

Offensively, the Raiders continued to struggle scoring points Sunday. Oakland was shut out in the first half for the fourth time this season as the Cowboys took a 10-0 lead into halftime.

Starting quarterback Derek Carr threw for just 171 yards on 21-of-38 passing and two touchdowns, both to starting wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Crabtree finished with seven catches for 39 yards to go along with his two scores. WR Seth Roberts (starting for wide receiver Amari Cooper who missed his second-straight game with a left ankle injury), led Oakland with 52 receiving yards on three catches.

On the ground, Oakland rushed for 122 yards, including 76 yards from starting running back Marshawn Lynch and 47 yards from Carr.

With their playoff chances on life support, the Raiders are facing a must-win game against the team with league’s best record in the Eagles.

Philadelphia (12-2) clinched their first playoff berth since 2013 behind second-year head coach Doug Pederson. Pederson finished 7-9 in his first season at the helm of the Eagles. In last week’s 34-29 victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, Philadelphia also secured a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs and have the inside track on the No. 1 seed.

The Eagles lead the NFL in scoring per game (31.3), second in rushing yards per game (140.5), and third in total yards per game (386.9). Before suffering a season-ending ACL injury during Philadelphia’s 43-35 victory in Los Angeles over the Rams, second-year quarterback Carson Wentz was having an MVP-type of season throwing for a franchise-record and league-leading 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.

In 13 games this season, Wentz threw for 3,296 yards to go along with a 101.9 quarterback rating. In his rookie season, Wentz threw for 3,782 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a 79.3 quarterback rating.

With Wentz out for the remainder of the year, the Eagles turned to sixth-year pro in backup quarterback Nick Foles. In his start last week against the Giants, Foles threw for 237 yards on 24-of-38 passing and four touchdowns. The last time Foles saw the Raiders, it was in 2013 and he destroyed the Silver and Black.

Foles tied an NFL record with seven touchdown passes in Philadelphia’s 49-20 victory at Oakland on Nov. 3, 2013. Foles threw for 406 yards on 22-of-28 passing for a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 in the contest.

Oakland’s 23rd ranked passing defense must be on high alert for an Eagles squad that have three receivers who’ve registered 700-plus receiving yards: wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (781), wide receiver Nelson Agholor (722) and tight end Zach Ertz (719). The trio have combined for 25 touchdown catches this season, with Jeffery scoring a team-best nine while Ertz and Agholor each are one behind with eight scores.

Ertz leads the team with 63 receptions.

Eighth-year running back LeGarrette Blount leads the Eagles with 717 rushing yards on 159 carries (4.5 avg) and two touchdowns in is first year with Philadelphia.

Philadelphia has the sixth-ranked defense in the NFL this season. First-year Eagles’ defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has this unit playing top-notch football this season, forcing turnovers almost automatically. Schwartz’ defense has recorded 17 interceptions this season, good for third in the NFL.  Starting cornerbacks Jalen Mills, Patrick Robinson and starting safety Rodney McLeod are tied for the team lead with three interceptions apiece.

Mills has the team’s lone defensive touchdown scored this season. Defensive end Brandon Graham has a career-best 9.5 sacks this season, tied for eighth in the NFC.

Next Sunday, the Raiders will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers on a short week to close out the 2017 regular season. This will mark Oakland’s first trip to the StubHub Center.

San Francisco 49ers preview: Jaguars’ pass rush provides unique challenge to surging 49ers

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Photo credit: @AroundTheNFL

By Jeremy Harness

Jimmy Garoppolo is now 3-0 as the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback, but this week will present a challenge that the last three teams were unable to bring.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are among the league’s leaders in sacks, making the offensive line’s ability to protect him much more important. In addition, even though they have locked up their first playoff spot in 10 years, the Jaguars have the inside track on winning the AFC South and have a chance of getting a first-round bye.

In short, Jacksonville still has a lot to play for as they head into Week 16, when the two teams will meet at Levi’s Stadium on Christmas Eve.

Another huge challenge for the 49ers is Jacksonville’s running attack, which leads the NFL in rushing yards and appears to have returned to full strength at this point. Running back Leonard Fournette, who has had a wildly-impactful rookie season, practiced on Wednesday after sitting out last week’s game with a quadriceps injury.

As for the weekly injury report, that list has grown once again for the 49ers. Cornerback Greg Mabin was completely held out of practice on Wednesday due to a calf injury, while receiver Marquise Goodwin also missed practice, partially due to a back ailment.

Meanwhile, backup running back Matt Breida (knee) was among the ones limited in practice on Wednesday. Safety Adrian Colbert, whom the 49ers are expecting big things from and has shown flashes of his potential this season, is currently in concussion protocol and also has a thigh injury that limited his participation Wednesday.

One player not listed on the injury report is fullback Kyle Juszczyk, but he was recently named on another list. This week, he was the only 49er on the NFC’s Pro Bowl team, and in fact, he was named a starter.

Jimmy G, 49ers beat Titans 25-23 for third straight win

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo fields questions after an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

By Jeremy Harness

The feeling that Jimmy Garoppolo will be the one to help the San Francisco 49ers return to glory is in full swing now. The new guy under center brought the 49ers back from behind on two different occasions in the fourth quarter against a playoff contender in the Tennessee Titans, before Robbie Gould, who has been as clutch of a kicker as there is in the NFL, came through with a walk-off 45-yard field goal to give his team a 25-23 win at Levi’s Stadium Sunday afternoon.

This marks the 49ers’ third win in a row, which so happens to be the number of games that Garoppolo has started for his new team, and Sunday marked his first home start in a 49ers uniform.

He finished with 381 passing yards, while completing 31 of his 43 throws, one of those finding the end zone for a touchdown. He continually made the right decision and found wide open receivers, repeatedly exposing the Titans’ secondary and put his receivers in position to make big plays, particularly down the stretch.

After Ryan Succop nailed a 50-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 23-22 lead with 1:07 remaining, Garoppolo got right to work. He completed passes in the middle of the field, but he was able to get his team down the field efficiently enough that they did not have to burn their last timeout prematurely.

In fact, they did not even have to spike the ball in order to stop the clock. Because of that, they were able to preserve that last timeout until three seconds remaining, with the 49ers sitting at the Titans’ 27-yard line, setting up Gould’s game-winner.

The 49ers will have a pair of very tough games to close out the 2017 season, as they will face the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars before taking on the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams, who drubbed the Seattle Seahawks, who had had a stranglehold on the division since 2013, Sunday afternoon.

The Titans, however, remain in the AFC’s wild-card spot, and that they still have a chance to win the AFC South if they win out.

Marcus Mariota had a bounce-back performance on Sunday, completing 23 of his 33 passes for 241 yards along with a pair of scores. He did not throw an interception.

Raiders lose by an index card, drop 20-17 decision to Cowboys

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Dallas Cowboys running back Rod Smith, center, scores a touchdown between Oakland Raiders linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) and strong safety Keith McGill II (39) during the first half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND–With their playoff lives on the line, the Oakland Raiders saw their hopes take a big hit with the help of an index card. Dan Bailey kicked a 19-yard field goal with 1:44 remaining in the game and the Dallas Cowboys escaped with a 20-17 win at O.co Coliseum Sunday night.

Dak Prescott looked short of the first down on a fourth-and-one play with about five minutes remaining in the game. However, it was so close the chains were brought out and it still looked short. Instead of giving the Raiders the ball on downs, referee Gene Steratore folded an index card, and despite the fact that it was still short, the official gave the Cowboys the first down.

Prescott found Dez Bryant for a 40-yard pass down deep into Raiders territory and then Bailey kicked a 19-yard field goal with 1:44 remaining to give the Cowboys the lead.

“Didn’t use the card to make the final decision. The final decision was made visually. The card was nothing more than a reaffirmation of what was visually done. My decision was visually done based on the looked from the pole,” said Steratore.

Following Bailey’s field goal, the Raiders got the ball and on fourth-and-10 deep into their territory, Derek Carr threw a long pass to Michael Crabtree, but the pass fell to the ground that would have given the Cowboys the ball on downs. However, Cowboys rookie cornerback Jourdan Lewis was called for pass interference, and after the 43-yard penalty, the Raiders were still in business.

Carr drove the Raiders down to the Cowboys’ eight-yard line, and scrambled for what looked like a possible game-winning touchdown. Carr then fumbled the ball through the end zone and the Cowboys got the ball back.

The last play was changed, as Carr was without Crabtree on the final possession of the game after he was sent into the tent for concussion protocol.

“I guess it was the officials. They took me out of the game and the last paly. They took me out and made me go into the tent,” said Crabtree.

Prescott kneeled for a one-yard loss and the Cowboys escaped with a three-point victory (20-17) on the road.

With the win, the Cowboys are in a three-way tie for seventh place in the NFC playoff picture and a half-game behind the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons hold the tiebreaker with the Cowboys after defeating them 27-7 earlier this season. The Falcons play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Monday Night.

As for the Raiders, their playoff hopes are on life support, as they need a lot of help just to get into the postseason. Presently, the Raiders are in ninth place in the AFC and the top six teams go to the playoffs.

The Cowboys pulled off the play of the game in the third quarter, as they faked a punt on fourth-and-11, and Punter Chris Jones scampered down the field for a 24-yard gain.

Prescott ended the drive, as he scored from five yards out to give the Cowboys a 17-10 late in the third quarter.

Carr and Crabtree tied up the game, as they hooked up for the second time in the game, when Carr found Crabtree from two yards out.

On the night, Carr ended 21-for-38 for 171 yards passing and two touchdowns. Carr also added 47 yards on the ground on four carries.

Crabtree caught seven passes for 39 yards and two touchdowns.

Prescott went 18-for-27 with 212 yards passing and two interceptions. It was the first multi-interception game of the season for the Raiders.

Marshawn Lynch led the Raiders with 16 carries for 76 yards.

NOTES: With the home season now done, the Raiders head out on the road to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas night.

UP NEXT: The Cowboys return to AT&T Stadium to host the Seattle Seahawks, who are coming off a 42-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Century Link Field, on Sunday, December 24 at 1:25 pm PT.

Surging 49ers hope to keep streak going; host Tennessee in week 15

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Photo credit: @WBLZSports

By Jeremy Harness

Despite the fact they have owned one of the worst records in football this year, the San Francisco 49ers were known to be one of the most upbeat, positive teams in the NFL on a weekly basis–all because of the simple fact that there’s a new regime in place with a fresh outlook on the game.

The 49ers have seemed to have hit a nice stride these days, particular after a 26-16 win on the road against the Houston Texans, giving the team their second win in a row and their third win in four games, after losing their first nine games of the season.

The only thing that could be considered a negative is that they appeared to have blown their chance to get the top pick of next year’s NFL draft.

Looking forward to Sunday, the 49ers face an uphill battle against the 8-5 Tennessee Titans, a team that’s shooting for a playoff spot at this point, something that the 49ers don’t plan to see for another couple of years.

For the 49ers, the two keys remain the same: hope and improvement. Those two are as strong as ever right now. The team’s new quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, has won his first two starts with his new team, and this Sunday marks his first home game as a starting quarterback.

Despite their record, the 49ers have remained competitive in most of their games this year, and under different circumstances, the team could be much closer to .500.

However, the 49ers’ injury report has grown a bit from last week, as tackle Trenton Brown didn’t practice Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, while tight end Garrett Celek (knee) and safety Adrian Colbert (thumb, thigh) were both limited in practice.

Another addition to this list is safety Eric Reid, who has a rib injury and a knee ailment. He has been dealing with both injuries for most of the season. He was limited in practice on Wednesday.

It’s now or never for Raiders as Cowboys come to Oaktown for primetime battle in Week 15

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Photo credit: @RAIDERS

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The Oakland Raiders will host the Dallas Cowboys in a primetime game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Sunday night. This will mark the end of Oakland’s home schedule for 2017. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. PST.

The game will be Oakland’s third appearance on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. They’ve played the Washington Redskins in Week 3 and the Miami Dolphins in Week 9.

For those who are interested, the Raiders are 1-1 on Sunday Night Football so far this season.

A loss to the Cowboys would officially eliminate the Raiders (6-7) from any postseason consideration, which was not what Oakland was hoping for coming into this season after making the playoffs for the first time since 2002 last season with a 12-4 record.

In Week 14, the Raiders fell flat on their faces losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, 26-15, at Arrowhead Stadium.

Starting quarterback Derek Carr was mediocre at best, throwing for 211 yards on 24-of-41 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions for a 60.1 quarterback rating. The Raiders offense was stuck in the mud for most of the game as Kansas City’s 30th ranked defense held Oakland scoreless through three quarters, while limiting the Silver and Black to just 268 yards of total offense.

On Oakland’s first five possessions of the game, the Silver and Black punted the football four times and Carr threw one interception. Starting running back Marshawn Lynch led the team in rushing, registering seven carries for 61 yards and one touchdown. Lynch rumbled for a 22-yard touchdown with 8:51 left in the game to break the scoring seal for Oakland, who were already trailing 26-0 at this point.

Shockingly, the Raiders ran the football just 11 times against Kansas City, who are terrible in stopping the run. Teams are averaging 124.8 rushing yards against the Chiefs this season.

Tight end Jared Cook was Oakland’s top receiver, leading the team with 75 yards on five receptions and one touchdown. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree had a team-leading seven receptions for 60 yards.

The Raiders’ defensive unit recorded three sacks for the second straight week, two registered by outside linebacker Bruce Irvin. In Oakland’s past two games, Irvin has recorded an NFL-high five sacks during that span and is second on the team behind defensive end Khalil Mack (8.5) with 7.5 sacks. Mack and middle linebacker NaVorro Bowman each recorded a sack.

Bowman also led the team in total tackles (11) and had one pass defensed, while safety Karl Joseph recorded his first interception of the season–just Oakland’s second interception of the season; Bowman has the other one–off Chiefs’ starting quarterback Alex Smith.

Dallas (7-6) defeated the New York Giants, 30-10, at MetLife Stadium in Week 14. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott threw for a career-high 332 yards on 20-of-30 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 137.1 quarterback rating.

Entering Sunday night’s game at Oakland, Dallas will have their first regular season visit since 2005. Prescott has thrown for 2,752 yards with 21 touchdowns and just nine interceptions for a 91.6 quarterback rating.

The second-year quarterback is on pace for his second-straight 3,000-plus yard passing season.

Wide receiver Dez Bryant is Prescott’s top receiver and could feast on Oakland’s weak secondary this week. Bryant leads Dallas in receptions (61), receiving yards (712) and receiving touchdowns (six). 10-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten remains a red zone threat, ranking second on the team with five receiving touchdowns for 457 yards on 52 receptions.

With stud running back Ezekiel Elliott serving a six-game suspension, the Cowboys are powered by backup running back Alfred Morris. The sixth-year pro has racked up 485 yards on 97 carries and one touchdown.

Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is the big star of the defense, leads the Cowboys with 13.5 sacks this season. Lawrence has the ability to quickly get to the quarterback and with Oakland’s once stout offensive line giving up more sacks this season with 17 (after surrendering just 16 sacks all of last season), Carr must be on high alert for No. 90 on Sunday.

Defensive tackle David Irving is second on the team with 7.0 sacks this season, while safety Jeff Heath leads the Cowboys with 52 tackles. Eighth-year middle linebacker Sean Lee is second behind Heath with 51 tackles. Heath also leads the team with three interceptions.

Following Sunday’s game, Oakland will travel east for a Christmas Eve against the Eagles in Philadelphia next Sunday. Philadelphia (11-2) has clinched the NFC East Division and are looking to lock down the NFC’s top seed, but will have to do it without franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.

Wentz tore his ACL in Philadelphia’s 43-35 victory against the Rams in Los Angeles in Week 14 while diving into the end zone on a hit from Rams’ linebacker Mark Barron.

49ers Win Second Straight 26-16 For First Time Since 2014; Jimmy G Compiles 334 Yards

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Houston Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing (56) reaches up to sack San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

By: Joe Lami

San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, is starting his career with the Niners with a 2-0 record after the team beat the Houston Texans 26-16 on Sunday.

Garopollo is beginning to get the Niners rolling, as they’ve won back-to-back games for the first time November 23, 2014, where the Red and Gold strung off three straight victories.

Garopollo stepped up his play against the Texans, improving on his output that beat the Bears. He finished with 334 yards, one touchdown and one interception for a rating of 92.2 in the victory.

Garopollo’s lone touchdown came at a pivotal time in the third quarter with the game tied at 16, as he found Garrett Celek from six-yards out.

San Francisco’s other touchdown gave them a 10-3 lead in the second quarter as Carlos Hyde hammered it in from the two-yard-line.

Both of San Francisco’s scores were set up by big plays. Before Hyde’s touchdown, Garopollo kept firing it to Kyle Juszczyk, who gained his longest receptions of the season of 29 and 31 yards at the time.

Celek helped set up his own touchdown as he caught a ball for 61 yards, bringing it down to the red zone. He finished the day with 67 yards, but he didn’t lead the team.

Marquise Goodwin is beginning to gain chemistry with Garopollo as the speedy track star was able to catch for 107 yards, leading the way for the Niners.

San Francisco’s ground game was once again split between Hyde and Matt Breida. Hyde carried the ball 14 times for 78 yards, while Breida had 12 carries for 27 yards.

For the second game in a row, San Francisco’s defense was the brightest spot, doing a great getting off the field on third down, holding the Texans to 23% conversion while also recovering one fumble.

The front-seven were able to get to the quarterback position all day, totaling seven QB hits and putting Tom Savage in the concussion protocol after his hands were seen shaking in the second quarter.

Savage wasn’t doing all that well anyway, with six passes for 63 yards. His replacement, T.J. Yates, threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns.

The defense once again showed up to play, and for the second time in a row, their offense matched them to get the win.

The climate is changing in Santa Clara after the Niners have three wins in their last four games. Things are turning around and the Red and Gold Faithful are beginning to notice. It’s not inconceivable for the Niners to get on a roll. They hope to show off the new found confidence to the faithful when they host the Tennessee Titans.

Raiders’ offense a no show in Kansas City

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Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) has works with referee Carl Cheffers (51) and umpire Bill Schuster (129) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. The Kansas City Chiefs won 26-15. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

With the chance to move into sole possession of first-place in the AFC West, the Raiders (6-7) didn’t put up much of a fight against their bitter rival the Kansas City Chiefs (7-6), losing at Arrowhead Stadium 26-15 Sunday afternoon.

The two teams came into the game tied atop of the division with identical 6-6 records, along with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers, who host Washington Sunday, face the Chiefs in Kansas City next Saturday night.

The Raiders’ defense pressured Chiefs’ starting quarterback Alex Smith all day, sacking him four times, two by linebacker Bruce Irvin. Oakland also recorded just their second interception of the season by safety Karl Joseph, but the unit wore down as the Chiefs controlled the clock for 36:30 of the game. Kansas City racked up 408 yards of total offense, 268 of those yards thrown by Smith, who completed 20-of-34 passes on the day.

Chiefs’ starting running back Kareem Hunt rushed for 116 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown.

Oakland’s offensive unit mustered just 268 yards of total offense Sunday.

Kansas City jumped out to a 26-0 lead before Marshawn Lynch’s 22-yard touchdown run put the Raiders on the board with 8:51 to go in the game. Lynch finished the game with 61 yards on seven carries as the Raiders ran the ball just 11 times in the game.

Starting quarterback Derek Carr completed 24-of-41 passes for 211 yards one touchdown and two interceptions with a 60.1 passer rating for the game. Kansas City sacked Carr three times. In Carr’s last game against Kansas City on Oct. 19, he destroyed the Chiefs passing for 417 yards on 29-of-52 passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions and a 101.2 passer rating.

“It sucked,” Carr said via the Raiders’ official website. “It wasn’t good enough. And you put it all on me–don’t you blame one coach, one player.”

Oakland’s loss falls squarely on the offense, not just on Carr.

In the first half, Oakland had five possessions: four punts and one interception and were shutout through three quarters. The Raiders made just four first downs and were out-gained offensively by Kansas City, 362-110 yards through three quarters. The offense looked unfocused and lacked creativity against the NFL’s 30th-ranked defense in the Chiefs.

Tight end Jared Cook led Oakland with 75 yards on five receptions and a 29-yard touchdown catch down the middle of the field from Carr to trim Kansas City’s lead to 26-13 before Carr found wide receiver Michael Crabtree on a quick-slant route for a two-point conversion late in the game.

Crabtree finished with a team-leading seven receptions for 60 yards. To illustrate the Raiders’ struggles on offense Sunday, can be traced to a play in the third quarter.

On second down from his own 5-yard line, Carr launched a pass deep to Crabtree that fell short of the wide receiver. After diving for the football, Crabtree rolled over and remained seated with his shoulders slumped. It was a play that Carr and Crabtree connected on quite a few times last season.

“We had some opportunities we just didn’t connect on,” Carr said. “And that just can’t happen. There’s no easy way to go through this one. This one sucked.”

Wide receiver Amari Cooper, who missed Oakland’s 24-17 win over the New York Giants last Sunday with a left ankle injury, tried to give it a go Sunday, but didn’t look nowhere near healthy. Cooper re-aggravated the injury after being rolled up from behind on a downfield block for running back DeAndre Washington on a running play in the second quarter.

Cooper finished with zero receptions against Kansas City after posting career-highs in receptions in a game (11) and receiving yards (210) and two touchdowns against the Chiefs on Oct. 19.

This loss greatly hurts Oakland’s chances at making the AFC playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The Raiders finished 12-4 in 2016.

“We obviously came in with high hopes,” Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said after the game via the San Francisco Chronicle. “Everything we wanted to accomplish in our season was in front of us. It was a big day and a big moment. And we did not play well.”

Next Sunday, the Raiders host the visiting Dallas Cowboys at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on NBC’s Sunday Night Football in the team’s final home game of 2017. The Cowboys (7-6) kept their playoff chances in the NFC alive with a dominating win over the New York Giants, 30-10, at MetLife Stadium.

Cowboys’ starting quarterback Dak Prescott overwhelmed the Giants, passing for a career-high 332 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions on 20-of-30 passing.

Kickoff for the prime-time game is at 5:25 p.m. PT.

Raiders lose to Chiefs 26-15, playoff status takes a hit

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) makes a catch against Oakland Raiders cornerback TJ Carrie (38) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

By Jeremy Kahn

With a chance to move into first place in the wild AFC West, the Oakland Raiders laid a big egg against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kareem Hunt ran for 116 yards, as the Chiefs jumped out to a 26-0 lead on the Raiders on their way to a 26-15 victory over the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium.

With the victory, the Chiefs moved into first place in the AFC West as they broke their four-game losing streak.

Alex Smith threw for 268 yards and Charcandrick West scored a touchdown as the Chiefs held the Raiders off the scoreboard until nearly midway through the fourth quarter.

Marshawn Lynch finally got the Raiders on the board with 8:51 remaining in the game, as he scored on a 22-yard run through the Chiefs defense.

This was the Chiefs’ 14th win in their last 15 games against opponents from the AFC West, a division that the Raiders and Chiefs shared last season.

Derek Carr threw for 211 yards on 24-for-41 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions. In their last meeting, Carr threw for 417 yards and three touchdowns, including a touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree on the final play of the game.

Harrison Butker helped out huge with his right foot for the Chiefs, as he kicked four field goals on the brisk Kansas City afternoon.

After the Raiders finally got on the board with the Lynch touchdown, they successfully recovered the onside kick and converted it into points.

Carr found Jared Cook on fourth down for a huge touchdown, and the Raiders completed the two-point conversion to get within 11 points.

Smith found Albert Wilson for a huge first down on third down. However, the Chiefs were unable to run out the clock.

Carr and the Raiders got the ball with 2:45 remaining in the game, and he was pushing his team to drive down the field. However, the comeback came to crashing halt, when Steven Terrell intercepted Carr’s pass to essentially end the game.

NOTES: Amari Cooper was able to play after sitting out the week, as he recovered from a concussion and a sprained left ankle. Cooper was forced to leave the game in the second quarter with a right leg injury.

The Raiders return home for their final home game of the season against the Dallas Cowboys on December 17.

Niners look to build momentum with new QB Jimmy Garoppolo

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San Francisco 49ers Jimmy Garoppolo (10) drops back for a pass during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Sunday, December 3, 2017, in Chicago, IL (Terrell Lloyd via AP Images)

By Jeremy Harness

It took quite a long time, but things appear to be looking up for the 49ers as the final month of the season commences.

In his first start with his new team, even though he did not throw a touchdown pass, Jimmy Garoppolo led the 49ers to a final-seconds win over the Chicago Bears. It was only the second win of the year for the 49ers, but it was a special one for kicker Robbie Gould, who spent his entire career with the Bears, and he was the one who kicked the game-winning field goal.

Now the team will try to build on those positive vibes – and they have been few and far in between this year – on the road against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

One thing that is good for the team is this: The 49ers appear to be in pretty good shape in terms of the injury report. Tackle Trent Brown could not practice last week, but he was upgraded to limited on Wednesday with a shoulder that is on the mend, and safety Adrian Colbert also practiced on Wednesday while nursing a thumb injury.

The 49ers’ defense, however, will have a huge challenge on their hands when the Texans are on the field. Opposite star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Houston is expected to get Will Fuller back to the active roster.

He was limited in practice on Wednesday with a rib injury, but coach Bill O’Brien was reportedly optimistic that Fuller will be able to play against the 49ers.