Tag: NFL

Pence (and Trump) choose to politicize Niners – Colts game in Indy; Pence walks out on orders from his boss

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
niners kneeling in Indy
49ers players kneel during National Anthem in Indianapolis with Vice President Mike Pence in the stands Photo: Mike Conroy/Associated Press

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife attended the San Francisco — Indianapolis football game in Indianapolis on Sunday. They did not stay long but they did make it to their seats.

As the former governor of Indiana attending a Colts game was a perfectly natural choice for the Vice President. He attended games as the governor of the state and was known to be a Colts fan. Pence was not at the stadium on Sunday to watch a football game.

The Trump Administration has picked a fight with the NFL and its players

The President made a bombastic speech where he called for NFL players to be fired if they “took a knee” during the playing of the National Anthem. The President has framed his argument that “the kneel” is showing disrespect to our troops, flag and country.

The players have consistently said that the protest is not against the military but against the inequality that is experienced by people in America on a daily basis. If the President was really concerned about the situation, he would invite protesting players to the White House and open a dialogue about their grievances.

That has not happened because the “Trump political base” would not like him sitting down with protesters. The President can say there were “good people” among the white nationalist who created havoc and ultimately the death of a young woman in Charlottesville, Virginia but evidently there are no “good people” among the NFL players who exercising their Constitutional rights to Free Speech and non-violent protest in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Sunday was a show for the Trump “MAGA” base

Pence, the White House and the political handlers knew exactly what was going to happen before the game began. They knew members of the 49ers team were intending to “take a knee” during the anthem. The Vice President and his enterouage had their walkout already planned.

If you do not think this was a political stunt, look at Trump’s tweet concerning the incident.

From @realDonaldTrump

The President could not even let the action look like a strong move by his Veep. “I asked @VP to leave … “. Simply put — this was a political stunt orchestrated out of the White House and this is not “Fake News”.

In the meantime not a word about the protest in Charlottesville

Charlottesville nbc29
White nationalist protest on Saturday night in Charlottesville Photo NBC29

The white nationalist returned to Charlottesville, Virginia again on Saturday night with their tiki torches and vile speech. There were only 40-50 protesters but they were back. Their leader posted a “victory” speech on the internet.

Not word on Twitter from @realDonaldTrump or @VP about that protest and the on-going attempt to incite violence against minorities.

This is a diversionary tactic plain and simple

Plan

This “counter protest” by the President is simply designed to make people look away from what is happening in his house by getting people to look what is going on over there.

Thank you to every member of the military

military

Finally, let us all be thankful for our active military and military veterans who protect our Constitutional rights of free speech. Because of their work, we have the opportunity to agree or disagree and work for change.

Oakland Raiders welcome Ravens to Oakland for key Week 5 tilt

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Photo credit: OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — After playing three of their first four games of the season on the road, the Raiders begin a three-game home stand when they host the visiting Baltimore Ravens at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Sunday’s matchup will mark the third-straight season that the Raiders and Ravens have hooked up, in 2015 and in Baltimore last season, with Oakland winning the previous two meetings by one-score each.

Kickoff is at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Oakland (2-2) is lost to the Denver Broncos 16-10 last week on the road in the Mile High City.

Defensively, Oakland limited the Broncos to just 298 yards of total offense and 155 net passing yards. Defensive end Khalil Mack registered two of Oakland’s four sacks on Denver starting quarterback Trevor Siemian, with defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. and linebacker Bruce Irvin collecting a sack a piece.

Mack also recorded seven tackles in the game and with his two sacks, now has four sacks on the season, the most he’s had through the season’s first quarter.

Through four games, the Raiders rank 13th in the NFL on defense, limiting opponents to 19.8 points per game. Opponents have only scored seven touchdowns against the Raiders so far this season.

Not only was the loss to their bitter AFC West rival stinging, but the lost of starting quarterback Derek Carr to a traverse process fracture in his lower back in the process is even a bigger loss. Carr was injured late in the third quarter after taking a knee in the back by defensive end Adam Gotsis, while being sacked by Shelby Harris and Derek Wolfe.

Backup quarterback EJ Manuel came in relief of Carr, completing 11-of-17 passes for 106 yards, but threw an interception in the final minutes that ended Oakland’s chances of a comeback.

With Carr shelved for the next 2-6 weeks after a CAT scan revealed the fracture on Monday morning, Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio named Manuel the starter against Baltimore.

A former first-round pick in 2013 by the Buffalo Bills out of Florida State, Manuel has thrown for 3,608 yards with 19 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Manuel has completed 58-percent of his passes in 29 career games played, with 17 career starts.

For the second-straight week, Oakland’s offense sputtered racking up just 258 yards total, but converted just 2-of-12 on third down after going 0-for-11 on third down in the Silver and Black’s 27-10 loss in Washington back in Week 3.

Oakland was missing starting wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who sat out Week 4 with a chest injury suffered in the Washington game, and the Broncos were double-teaming Amari Cooper with a safety helping over the top of the offense.

Crabtree remains questionable for Sunday’s game and has been Oakland’s top playmaker with a team-leading three touchdowns receiving, but the aforementioned Cooper has been a no-show the past two weeks.

In both of Oakland’s recent losses, Cooper has registered just three catches for 15 yards and zero touchdowns and a slew of drops. Cooper leads the NFL with seven-on-target drops according to ESPN Stats and Information.  The former Alabama wide receiver has to step up and regain the form that led him to back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in two of his first four seasons in the NFL.

The offense, which ranks 17th in the NFL averaging 22.8 points per game, has to find better ways of moving the football and getting running back Marshawn Lynch involved more. Lynch, who only has 45 rushes for 151 yards and one touchdown, is part of a ground-attack that only averages 86.2 rushing yards per game, 24th in the NFL out of 32 teams.

Baltimore (2-2) is in a similar place as the Raiders are entering Sunday’s game.

Like Oakland, Baltimore has lost two-straight games following a 2-0 start and are looking to rebound after losing to a fellow rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-9 at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 4. The Ravens at one point, found themselves down 19-0 midway through the AFC North battle.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco completed 31-of-49 passes for 235 yards, a touchdown and two back-breaking interceptions in the fourth quarter. For the season, Flacco has completed 73-of-118 passes (61.9-pct) for 601 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions for a Ravens’ offense that ranks 31st in the league, averaging just 15.0 points per game.

Baltimore’s rushing attack could be key against Oakland Sunday, as the Ravens average 127.3 yards rushing per game, which ranks ninth in the NFL. Running back Alex Collins, who the Ravens activated from their practice squad in September, has gained 206 yards rushing on 25 attempts (8.2 avg) in three games this season.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, Collins is one of three NFL running backs to gain over 200 rushing yards on fewer than 45 carries this season, joining Tennessee’s DeMarco Murray (42 for 215) and Philadelphia’s LaGarrette Blount (42 for 249).

Tight end Benjamin Watson and running back Javorius Allen leads Baltimore with 16 catches a piece, while Watson leads the team with 146 receiving yards. Jeremy Maclin is a chain-moving wide receiver for the Ravens, but Mike Wallace is Baltimore’s best deep threat.

Oakland is thin at cornerback with David Amerson (concussion) and rookie Gareon Conley (shin) both questionable for Sunday’s game.

But Baltimore’s defense, which has been suspect at times this season, can still cause headaches for opposing offenses. Through four games this season, the Ravens have registered an NFL-best nine interceptions.

Safety Eric Weddle, and cornerbacks Lardarius Webb and Brandon Carr each have two interceptions a piece, making the Ravens the only team in the league with three players with at least two interceptions through Week 5.

Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs leads the Ravens with three sacks this season, while inside linebacker C.J. Mosley leads Baltimore with 38 tackles.

Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr to miss 2-6 weeks with spinal fracture

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Photo credit: NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — Raiders starting quarterback suffered a traverse process fracture after taking a knee to his lower back late in the third quarter in Oakland’s 16-10 road loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday, and is expected to miss 2-6 weeks.

News of Carr’s injury was first reported via the Bay Area News Group.

According to additional reports, Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio found out about Carr’s injury about 10 minutes before he met the media Monday morning. Del Rio noted that Carr had an X-ray and an MRI during the morning, but initial tests didn’t reveal anything.

But a CAT scan was performed and revealed the fracture.

Backup quarterback EJ Manuel will take over Carr’s starting duties for the 2-2 Raiders, according to Del Rio. Manuel stepped in for Carr and played well, completing 7-of-11 passes for 106 yards, but through an interception late in the fourth quarter that iced the game for Denver.

Manuel will start for the Raiders Sunday against the visiting Baltimore Ravens (2-2). Oakland begins a stretch of three-straight home games after starting the season having played three of their first four games on the road.

Before leaving the game, Carr completed 10-of-18 passes for 143 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Holton in the second quarter.

For the season, Carr has completed 74-of-109 passes for 753 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions with a 101.2 passer rating through four games.

49ers lose OT battle of field goals 19-13

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San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould (9) kicks his fifth field goal of the game during overtime of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Sunday, October 1, 2017

After a nearly five-quarter battle of field goals, Arizona took its first and only lead against the 49ers with the NFC West game’s only touchdown.

Trailing by three points with time running out, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer connected with veteran Larry Fitzgerald on a 19-yard touchdown pass, giving Arizona a 19-13 overtime win over San Francisco at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The 49ers remain winless in four games under new coach Kyle Shanahan. San Francisco has failed to score a touchdown in three of its games.

After San Francisco took a 15-12 lead on Robbie Gould’s 23-yard field goal with 2:24 remaining in the 10-minute overtime, the Cardinals drove 75 yards on seven plays for the win.

Splitting two defenders, Fitzgerald worked himself open enough under the tight coverage of Rashard Robinson to snag Palmer’s throw five yards into the end zone. The 14-year veteran came down with the ball under his ribs, which knocked the wind out of him.

Palmer completed 6 of 7 passes for 77 yards in the game-winning drive. He was 33 of 51 for 357 yards overall with one interception. The veteran signal-caller was sacked six times, including four times in the fourth quarter.

San Francisco won the coin toss to start the overtime and used 7:36 of it.

Former 49ers kicker Phil Dawson booted four field goals for Arizona (2-2). Hitting from 29, 43, 50 and 32 yards. Gould connected on field goals from distances of 49, 39, 47, 48 and 23. Yards

Carlos Hyde rushed for 68 yards on 16 attempts for San Francisco, Brian Hoyer completed 24 of 49 passes for 234 yards and one interception.

The 49ers had two serious injuries of note: wide receiver Marquise Goodwin suffered an apparent concussion, and defensive back Adrian Colbert with a hamstring.

Prior to kickoff, players at the 49ers bench area formed two lines. Players in front kneeled and the players in the back remained standing, setting off a round of boos.

San Francisco’s quest for its first win continues next Sunday, when the 49ers travel to Indianapolis.

Oakland Raiders are off to Denver to open up divisional play against the Broncos this Sunday

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Photo credit: Raiders Report (@raiders_fanly)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — The Raiders travel to Denver to take on fellow AFC West rival, the Broncos, Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High to open divisional play for the Silver and Black.

Both teams are looking to get back into the win column after both losing on the road in Week 3.

Oakland (2-1) was humbled by the Redskins 27-10 in Washington on prime-time in a game that the Redskins held quarterback Derek Carr and the high-power Raiders offense to just 128 yards in 48 plays ran. The offense didn’t hit the 100-yard mark in total offense until the fourth quarter.

Carr had a game to forget, completing just 19-of-31 passes for 118 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions with a 52.9 passer rating. Tight end Jared Cook led all Oakland receivers with 43 yards on four receptions. Cook scored his first touchdown in a Raider uniform on a 21-yard pass from Carr.

Carr was also sacked four times, another rarity for the Silver and Black who only surrendered 16 sacks in 2016.  Oakland’s stout offensive line has already gotten Carr sacked six times this season through three games.

Oakland’s defense was paced by linebacker Cory James, who recorded a team-high 12 tackles and one forced fumble. Defensive end Khalil Mack recorded his second sack of the season while finishing with nine tackles on the night for Oakland, who allowed 472 yards offensively to Washington on Sunday night.

Washington starting quarterback Kirk Cousins torched the Raiders, passing for 365 yards and three touchdowns to zero interceptions. Cousins completed 25-of-30 passes and finished with a blistering 150.7 passer rating against Oakland, who couldn’t keep running back Chris Thompson at bay the entire night.

Thompson hauled in six receptions for 150 yards (74 yards coming on an easy pitch-and-catch

But the lack of production from Oakland’s top receivers was the real eye-popping issue from the game.

Washington’s secondary led by the trash-talking Josh Norman, the Redskins’ top cornerback, were in the faces of Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Washington held the duo in check, limiting Cooper and Crabtree to just two receptions for 13 yards on eight targets.

Crabtree and Cooper will have their work cut out for them again Sunday when they have Denver’s stellar pair of cornerbacks in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., lined up against them, especially when  Crabtree and Talib line up.

Who can forget when Talib ripped off Crabtree’s gold chain following a play in last year’s season finale, a 24-6 victory for the Broncos at home?

The Crabtree/Talib matchup could be the best one-on-one matchup within the game, and could prove to be the difference maker in a win for either team.

Denver (2-1) is coming off a 26-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Western New York last week. The Broncos defense recorded four sacks and held Buffalo to 272 yards of total offense. Linebacker Brandon Marshall recorded a team-high 10 tackles and one sack.

Outside linebacker Von Miller also posted a sack, but his 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on third-and-six after not helping up Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, which was an absolute joke, proved to be critical in aiding the Bills to victory.

The Broncos’ defense is one of the best in the league, ranking first in rushing yards per game allowed (59.7), fourth in total yards per game allowed (263), 10th in passing yards per game allowed (203.3) and 16th in points per game allowed (21.3) through three games.

Oakland has the ninth-best offense in the league, averaging 27 points per game.

Offensively, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas led Denver with six receptions for 98 yards, but quarterback Trevor Siemian didn’t pass the ball well, completing 24-for-40 passes for 259 yards and like Carr in Washington, threw two interceptions against the Bills.

Siemian finished with a 58.2 passer rating on the day.

With Kansas City sitting on top of the AFC West at 3-0 and both teams needing to keep pace, Sunday’s game is most certainly a must win.

After the embarrassing showing in Washington where many critics started to question the Raiders’ effort on national television, what team will show up in Denver?

The one that resembled a powerhouse team after vanquishing Tennessee and the New York Jets almost with ease?

Or the team that was hung upside down by their ankles in Washington, watching all of their lunch money spill out?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offensive woes dooms Carr and Raiders in Washington DC

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Photo credit: Oakland Raiders

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

HYATTSVILLE, MD — Boy, you didn’t see that one coming from a mile away.

Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders were straight out humbled by Washington 27-10 Sunday night at FedEx Field to brought their record to 2-1 on the season.

Carr and the offense were completely out of sync, registering just 128 yards of total offense. The Raiders signal-caller completed just 19-of-31 passes for 118 and threw two interceptions (with a 52.9 passer rating) that led to a 14-0 lead for Washington at halftime.

Last season, Carr didn’t have a game in which he threw two interceptions in the contest. Before tonight’s two-interception clunker, Carr’s last two-interception game was in Week 15 of the 2015 season against the Green Bay Packers.

“Man, we just got our butt kicked,” Carr told reporters after the game, “This isn’t alarming, but we did get punched in the mouth.”

Punched in the mouth is an understatement.

Washington (2-1) took a pair of rusty pliers to Oakland’s mouth and pulled their teeth out. Oakland took care of the football in the first two games this season, but tonight was a different story.

Oakland couldn’t move the ball on third down, finishing 0-for-11 while Washington converted 7-of-15 on third downs. Washington controlled the time of possession, holding on to the football for 38:06 to just Oakland’s 21:54.

Oakland gained just seven first downs the entire night.

The Raiders didn’t record a first down until 11:34 into the second quarter, and that came off a penalty on Washington.

Wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree were virtual no-shows, combining for two catches for 13 yards on eight targets on the night. Crabtree left the game in the fourth quarter after taking a wicked hit to the chest and didn’t return.

Running back Marshawn Lynch racked up 18 of Oakland’s 32 rushing yards and was a non-factor after Oakland had to abandon the run after Washington took a 21-0 lead at the 10:37 mark in the third quarter following a 52-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to wide receiver Josh Doctson.

Trust me, the offense had a hand in this debacle, but Oakland’s defense got pushed around and were hammered by Washington.

Doctson jumped over Oakland and former Washington cornerback David Amerson up the right sideline that was a gut-punch to a Raiders defense that surrendered 472 yards of total offense.

Cousins ripped Oakland to shreds, completing 25-of-30 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns with a 150.7 passer rating.

Washington running back Chris Thompson was unstoppable, dominating Oakland with six receptions for 150 yards and a 22-yard touchdown catch from Cousins.

Tight end Vernon Davis went back into the time machine, hauling in five catches for 58 yards, which included an 18-yard touchdown catch after gaining a step past cornerback Sean Smith down the middle of the field.

But what makes this loss so gruesome for the Silver and Black was that it occurred in prime-time in front of the entire country.

The over-priced offensive line, and rightfully so, was just out-worked by a speedy and powerful Washington defensive front that gave Oakland problems from the opening kickoff.

Carr, who was sacked just twice coming in two games coming into Week 3, was sacked four times by Washington. On Oakland’s second possession of the game, Carr was sacked on back-to-back drop-backs and the offensive line couldn’t maintain Washington’s speed on defense.

If it weren’t for a fumble by Washington wide receiver Jamison Crowder on a punt that Oakland recovered to set up a 21-yard touchdown pass from Carr to tight end Jared Cook (four receptions for 43 yards) to cut Washington’s lead to 21-7 with 3:52 left in the third quarter, the Raiders could’ve been shut out.

At one point, I’m looking at the stat sheet and the Raiders had just 74 yards of total offense. One of the league’s premier offenses was a shell of itself in the first of their franchise-record five prime-time games this season.

It will be a long flight back to the Bay Area for the Raiders and to a man, everyone on that team plane has to be upset. Everyone from the coaches to the players had a hand in this no-show of a football game.

Oakland has to now turn their attention to Week 4 and prepare for a trip to Denver for a key AFC West game next Sunday.

With both teams looking up at the undefeated Kansas City (3-0) in the division, the matchup against the Broncos (2-1) at Sports Authority Field at Mile High is now a must-win for Oakland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redskins dominate Raiders on primetime television 27-10

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Photo credit: Washington Redskins

By Jeremy Kahn

What could go wrong for the Oakland Raiders against the Washington Redskins most definitely went wrong.

Kirk Cousins threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns, as the Redskins defeated the Raiders 27-10 at FedEx Field.

Not only did Cousins have a huge night, but the Redskins also got a huge game from running back Chris Thompson, who picked up 188 yards and a touchdown.

The Redskins defense sacked Raiders quarterback Derek Carr four times, and held the Raiders to just 128 total yards of offense.

Cousins went 25-of-30 on the evening, that included touchdown passes to Thompson, Vernon Davis and the final touchdown pass was a 52-yard touchdown pass to Josh Doctson.

Thompson gained 38 yards on the ground, and 150 yards through the air, becoming only the second running back to gain 150 yards thru the air against the Raiders since they returned to Oakland from Los Angeles in 1995.

In comparison to the Raiders 128 yards of total offense, the Redskins gained 472 yards of total offense and are now 2-1 on the young season.

Carr went 19-for-31 for 118 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Entering the game, Carr went 112 consecutive passes without throwing an interception; however, that ended on the second play of the game, as Montae Nicholson intercepted a Carr pass.

The duo of Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper caught a combined two passes on the evening.

Marshawn Lynch carried the ball just six times for 18 yards.

Nothing went right for the Raiders on the evening, as they went 0-for-11 on third down conversions.

The Raiders offense gained just 47 yards in the first half, their lowest performance in a first half since Week 14 of the 2015 season against, this according to ESPN Stats and Info.

NOTES: Once again, the Raiders will stay on the road next week, as they face the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority at Mile High.

The only other running back to gain 150 yards of receiving was Jamal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Rams Finally Knock Off Niners In Shootout Win 41-39

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

By: Joe Lami

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FDA approves Radicava, 49ers legend Dwight Clark may try new treatment

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Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark runs onto the field before the start of the “Legends of Candlestick” flag football game Saturday, July 12, 2014, in San Francisco. The game between former San Francisco 49er greats and a team of former NFL stars captained by Hall of Famer Dan Marino is the final one to be played at Candlestick Park. The park, which opened in 1960 and was also the home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team until 1999, is slated for demolition in the next year. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By: Ana Kieu

For the first time in more than two decades, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new drug for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The FDA announced on Friday that Radicava, also known as edaravone, has been approved for use in the United States. The other only drug used to treat ALS is called Riluzone, which was approved in 1995.

Various tests conducted in Japan determined that ALS victims who received edaravone experienced a lower decline in their daily level of functioning compared to those who received a placebo. Edaravone creator MT Pharma said that the drug can reduce the decline of physical function by 33 percent.

Deputy director of the FDA’s neurology products division Eric Bastings said his federal agency learned about the use of edaravone to treat ALS in Japan and filed a marketing application with the drug developer. Bastings also mentioned that his agency was pleased that people with ALS have an addition treatment option.

ALS is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease. Gehrig was a well-known baseball player who retired on June 21, 1939, due to the condition. The New York Yankees retired his No. 4 and he became the first player in MLB history to receive that honor. He played for the Yankees as a first baseman from 1923 to 1939. He passed away in his home in the Riverdale neighborhood of The Bronx, New York, on June 2, 1941, at the age of 37.

In 2014, ALS returned to the spotlight, thanks to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The campaign was all over social media. Many people posted videos of themselves dumping cold water on their heads. In just eight weeks, the ALS Association received $115 million dollars in donations. These donations helped fund important developments in ALS research.

The CDC says that 12,000 to 15,000 Americans have ALS. The majority of these sufferers first found out they had the disease between the ages of 55 and 75. For the most part, sufferers live two to five years after discovering they have it. Conversely, ALS is a little more common in men as opposed to women. Nobody knows what causes the disease, but 5% to 10% of all ALS cases emerge within families. People with ancestral ALS live an average of one to two years after symptoms appear.

ALS Association President Barbara Newhouse commended the approval of Radicava. Newhouse thanked the FDA and MT Pharma for working together to speed up the approval of the brand-new ALS treatment. She hopes the announcement can signal the beginning of a new chapter in the fight against the disease.

Radicava is an intravenous infusion that must be prescribed by a doctor. The drug is administered in 28-day cycles and its cost is $1,000 per infusion, which amounts to almost $150,000 a year for ALS treatment. MT Pharma will offer co-pay assistance for insured patients. They also mentioned an unnamed program to help help uninsured patients who meet certain requirements.

MT Pharma announced that Radicava will be available in the United States this August.

There has been no word from Clark yet on whether or not he’ll consider using edaravone. Clark was diagnosed with ALS on March 20. Edaravone can slow down the progression of ALS when started early. He has said in the past that he would fight like hell against ALS so there’s a chance he’ll use this new drug to battle his condition.

Gareon Conley stirs the pot after being accused of rape

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Ohio State defensive back Gareon Conley runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine Monday, March 6, 2017, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

By: Ana Kieu

The Oakland Raiders drafted Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley in the first round with the 24th overall pick during the 2017 NFL Draft.

Getting drafted should be a joyous moment for both the player and his new NFL team, but this wasn’t the case for Conley. Just days before Conley was selected by the Raiders, a 23-year-old woman accused him of raping her at a Cleveland hotel on April 9. She claimed that she met Conley in an elevator at 3 a.m. and he propositioned her and another woman to have a foursome. She also claimed that Conley had sex with her after watching another couple have sex. The case remains ongoing as Conley denied her allegations.

Conley’s lawyer said that he won’t talk to Cleveland police until after the draft. Conley went through an interview and submitted his DNA on Monday, according to his attorney Kevin Spellacy. Spellacy also said that he’s been trying to obtain video surveillance from the Westin Hotel, but his attempts have been unsuccessful so far. Two of Conley’s friends told the police that nothing happened between Conley and the unnamed woman, who got upset when they asked her to leave.

Despite all the negativity, Conley is ecstatic about being selected in the first round of the draft. He sent out a tweet last Thursday, giving shoutouts to his Ohio State teammates, cornerback Marshon Lattimore (New Orleans Saints, first round, 11th overall pick) and safety Malik Hooker (Indianapolis Colts, first round, 15th overall pick).

Conley also retweeted tweets from quarterback Derek Carr and defensive end and linebacker Khalil Mack.

It’s clear the Raiders got what they wanted. They were looking for an upgrade at the cornerback position. Conley’s draft position called for a $5.8 million signing bonus on top of a four-year rookie contract worth $10.5 million. However, his draft value can decrease and that’s not a good thing.

Conley had doubts about his NFL future, but he knows that he must take responsibility for his actions. He said that he didn’t know what he was getting himself into at the time and could’ve used his judgement to make better decisions. When he got drafted, things felt surreal and he felt much more special.

Conley’s storyline doesn’t consist of him being an entitled athlete who vanished in the big leagues. He’s a humble man who attended Massillon Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio. He finished his high school career with 50 receptions, 25 tackles, 16 touchdowns on offense and an interception on defense. He also visits his high school occasionally to tell students about the significance of coaching and doing things the correct way.

Conley initially committed to the University of Michigan, but later switched to the Ohio State University. In 2013, he reshirted his freshman year. In 2014, he played in all 15 games, recording 16 tackles. In 2015, he started all 13 games, recording 49 tackles and two interceptions. In 2016, he was named the Second Team All-Big Ten and Third Team. He forwent his senior year to enter the 2017 NFL Draft.

Not many residents in Conley’s hometown of Massillon express doubt in him.

Washington High offensive coach Joe Pierce said that Conley wasn’t the best player in his junior year as he slowed down due to a broken arm, but continued to excel on defense. As a senior, Conley caught 51 passes for 1,095 yards and 16 touchdowns in addition to being a top-rated defensive back.

Former defensive back Dan Hackenbracht said that Conley’s self-discipline and dedication set him apart from others, adding that he also studied film at a different level.

Conley’s stepmother provided a financial incentive to her son to play college football. She has a daughter named Dajia who had a lower chance of attending college at no cost due to the fact that she’s a cheerleader. Conley ended up obtaining his dream scholarship.

Besides, the rape allegation against Conley might not even be true. Both Conley and the female accuser admitted they were in the same hotel room, but he already took a polygraph test and passed it before the draft.

A recent video posted online shows the accuser following him inside and outside a Cleveland bar and even reaching out to touch him.

No charges have been filed against Conley. He maintained his innocence throughout the process. Yes, he could be indicted, despite passing a polygraph test. However, these are two separate issues — whether he’s telling the truth and whether the evidence would allow a prescutor to indict him.

The process demands for a one-sided introduction of evidence with the defendant having no representation. The legal standard for an indictment is lower than the standard required for a conviction. The prosecutor has to convince the grand jury that probable cause exists to believe a crime was committed. The fact that the defendant has nobody arguing the opposite position makes it easy to receive an indictment.

Many people believe that a judge has the most power within the justice system, but the truth is that the prosecutor does. He decides who gets charged, who doesn’t get charged and what they both get charged with. If this prosecutor decides that the victim told the truth and that the defendant didn’t or if he simply decides to turn the defendant’s life upside down, an indictment can be acquired.

Yet, there are two factors that could influence the process, and that’s when the victim was administered a rape kit and Conley has agreed to provide a DNA sample. Nothing happened between Conley and the victim, according to his defense along with the witnesses in the hotel room.

Conley is innocent until proven guilty.