Tag: NFL

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.

Raiders get set for crucial AFC divisional game with Chiefs in Kansas City

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Photo credit: @RAIDERS

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — After back-to-back wins at home over the Broncos and the Giants, the Raiders head on the road to take on the Chiefs in Kansas City Sunday in a critical AFC West matchup. The Raiders are looking to complete the season sweep over the Chiefs after dispatching Kansas City, 31-30, in Week 7 at Oakland that halted Kansas City’s 11-game divisional win streak.

Kickoff is at 10:00 a.m. PT from Arrowhead Stadium. With both teams–along with the Los Angeles Chargers–sporting identical 6-6 records, the winner of this game would be in the driver seat of the division with three games to go in the regular season.

For the second straight week, Oakland’s defense held the opposing team to under 300 yards of total offense in limiting the Giants to 265 yards in Week 13. Defensive lineman Denico Autry recorded one of Oakland’s three sacks, his third in the last two games. Defensive end Khalil Mack and linebacker Bruce Irvin each posted a sack off of Giants starting quarterback Geno Smith.

Middle linebacker NaVorro Bowman led the team with eight solo tackles (one assisted).

Running back Marshawn Lynch carried the offensive load for Oakland, running for a 100 yards in a game since October 2015 as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Lynch rushed for 101 yards on 17 carries, including a 51-yard touchdown run on Oakland’s first drive of the game. It was Lynch’s second-straight 100-yard game for Oakland this season.

Lynch owes the Raiders a big performance against the Chiefs, after getting ejected from the previous game for making contact with an official after coming off the bench to aid in defusing an altercation between Kansas City cornerback Marcus Peters, and the Raiders offensive line.

Lynch and Peters are “cousins” with the two having close ties from growing up in West Oakland.

With Oakland’s wide receiver corps depleted with Michael Crabtree serving a one-game suspension for fighting with Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, and Amari Cooper out with a concussion/left ankle injury, wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson step up for the Silver and Black leading the team with 79 yards receiving on four receptions. Patterson’s 59-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter, helped seal Oakland’s victory over the Giants.

Crabtree is expected to be ready to go against the Chiefs, but Cooper is a different story. Cooper did clear the league’s concussion protocol, the team announced Wednesday, but has yet to practice on the sprained left ankle. If you’re part of Raider Nation, you better take a wait-and-see approach with Cooper.

Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr completed 22-of-36 passing for 287 yards and a touchdown, a nine-yard toss to wide receiver Johnny Holton in the fourth quarter.

Carr’s biggest performance of 2017 came against the Chiefs in front of a national audience on NBC’s Thursday Night Football, throwing for a ridiculous 417 yards on 29-of-52 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Carr and Cooper were in perfect harmony that night, with Cooper having a career night with 11 receptions (on 15 targets) for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Cooper scored on touchdowns of 38- and 45-yards respectively.

In seven career games against Kansas City, Carr is just 2-5 against the Chiefs, his worst record against one team. Carr is just 3-4 against the Broncos in seven career games, his second-worst record against one team.

But Sunday’s game is essentially a playoff game for Oakland’s signal-caller, who sports a 0-3 record at Arrowhead Stadium. Carr knows that he must play well in order for the Raiders to leave Kansas City with a win.

Speaking before Wednesday’s practice, Carr acknowledge that the Silver and Black have their work cut out for them facing the Chiefs.

“Definitely number one right now, especially this week,” Carr said via the team’s official website. “It’s definitely up there. It’s something that we have not been able to do since I’ve been here. We have to get on that.

“We have a tough task ahead of us because, although their record is the same as ours, we’re both pretty good football teams. We have to go out there and play hard.”

After starting the season 5-0, including an impressive 42-27 win at New England in Week 1, Kansas City’s season has fallen into a tailspin. The Chiefs are just 1-6 in their last seven games and are currently riding a four-game losing streak after falling to the New York Jets, 38-31, at MetLife Stadium in an offensive shootout last Sunday.

Kansas City’s offense racked up 474 yards of total offense against the Jets, with starting quarterback Alex Smith having a huge day throwing and running the football. Smith threw for 366 yards on 19-of-33 passing, with four touchdowns and no interceptions. The former Utah quarterback also had a 70-yard run in the game.

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill erupted for six receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns, while tight end Travis Kelce finished with four receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, Kansas City was shredded by the Jets allowing 488 yards of total offense to Gang Green. Journeyman quarterback Josh McCown threw for 331 yards on 26-of-36 passing and a touchdown. Kansas City’s secondary allowed wide receivers Jermaine Kearse (9 receptions for 157 yards) and Robby Anderson (8 receptions for 107 yards) to run uncovered for most of the game.

The Jets converted 13-of-20 third downs and hogged the time of possession, controlling the clock for 42:49 and didn’t allow the Chiefs to get near McCown. Justin Houston, Kansas City’s most feared pass-rusher, was held to just one tackle for the game.

That won’t cut it for a team who has a rich history of getting to the quarterback with guys named Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith and Tamba Hali just to name a few.

In Kansas City’s biggest game of the season, the team will play without the aforementioned Peters, who was suspended by the team Wednesday for leaving the field while the game was still being played against the Jets. Peters also threw a penalty flag in the stands after a Jet touchdown.

With Peters out against the Raiders, the Chiefs already leaky secondary has gotten weaker and that could be a place where Oakland could attack. Teams are averaging 252.8 passing yards a game against the Chiefs this season. Kansas City ranks 28th in the league against the pass.

Oakland averages 241.2 passing yards per game this season, good for 15th in the league. Overall, the Silver and Black rank 21st in the league averaging 20.8 points per game.

Following Sunday’s game, the Raiders will host the visiting Dallas Cowboys at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland’s final home game of the regular season, while Kansas City hosts the Chargers in another pivotal AFC West matchup in Week 15.

Marshawn Lynch records first 100-yard rushing game since October 2015 in Raiders’ 24-17 win over NY Giants

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Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) scores a touchdown in front of New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie during the first half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — Don’t look now, but Raiders’ running back Marshawn Lynch has gotten his running legs under him in 2017.

With Oakland playing without starting wide receivers Michael Crabtree (serving a one-game suspension) and Amari Cooper (out with a concussion and ankle injury), Lynch was the focal point for the Raiders Sunday rushing for 101 yards on 17 carries in a 24-17 win over the visiting New York Giants. Lynch’s 51-yard touchdown run up the middle of the Giants’ defense in the first quarter on Oakland’s first drive of the game was a classic “Beast Mode” run that the Silver and Black were expecting when Lynch came out of retirement in the offseason to play for his hometown Raiders.

It was Lynch’s first 100-yard rushing game since October 2015 when he was member of the Seattle Seahawks. The former Seahawk demolished the 49ers, rushing for 122 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown in a 20-3 Seattle victory at San Francisco in Week 5 that season.

In Oakland’s 21-14 victory over the visiting Denver Broncos in Week 12, Lynch had 100 yards total from scrimmage, rushing for 67 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown, while also helping out in the passing game with three receptions for 43 yards.

By virtue of their win over Big Blue, culminating with Kansas City’s 38-31 loss to the Jets at MetLife Stadium in New York and the Chargers’ 19-10 home win over the helpless Browns Sunday, the Raiders find themselves in a three-way tie with the Chiefs and Chargers for first-place in the AFC West at 6-6 with four games to go.

Kansas City remains in first-place by holding a better division record as they are 2-1 inside of the division, while Oakland and Los Angeles are 2-2. Each team plays each other in the final month.

Oakland heads to Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday to face Kansas City with first place on the line in Week 14 and if you’re Raider Nation, you want to see Lynch run the ball more.  For the season, Lynch has 140 carries for 558 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games started this season.

The last time Lynch saw the Chiefs, he was being ejected from the game after racing off the Raiders’ sideline and making contact with an official while trying to defuse an altercation involving Lynch’s cousin, Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, and the Raiders’ offensive line. Oakland held on for a 31-30 victory over Kansas City in Week 7 at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. Lynch finished the game with two carries for nine yards.

Kansas City has lost their last four straight games, and are just 1-4 in their last five games after starting the season 5-2 and holding down the top perch in the AFC West for most of the season.

Raiders’ playoffs still in sight after 24-17 win over Giants at Coliseum

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Oakland Raiders wide receiver Johnny Holton (16) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants during the second half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND — Entering the game, the Oakland Raiders knew that a win over the New York Giants coupled with a loss by the Kansas City Chiefs would put them in the hunt for the AFC West crown.

Marshawn Lynch carried the ball 17 times for 101 yards, that included a season-long 51-yard touchdown run on the Raiders’ third play from scrimmage and the Raiders hung on to defeat the New York Giants 21-17 before a crowd of 54,994 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

“It was obviously an explosive play. I think it was the longest run of the year for him with us. It was a great job executing the play and him hitting it and taking t to the house. It was awesome for us to get that start,” said Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio.

With the victory, and the Chiefs loss to the New York Jets, the Raiders, the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers are tied for the lead in the AFC West with four games remaining.

Lynch took the ball on all three plays of the Raiders’ initial drive that culminated with him finding a hole and scampering 51 yards to the end zone to give the Raiders a quick 7-0 lead just 1:31 after getting the ball from the Giants, who went three-and-out on the first drive of the game.

Without the services of the suspended Michael Crabtree and the injured Amari Cooper, who missed the game due to an ankle injury, Derek Carr found other weapons in his arsenal on the afternoon.

Carr ended the afternoon going 22-for-36 with 287 yards passing and a touchdown, as the Raiders stayed in the playoff hunt.

Seth Roberts led the Raiders in catches, as he caught five passes for 46 yards, while Cordarrelle Patterson caught four passes for a team-leading 97 yards.

Johnnie Holton caught three passes for 39 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown pass that gave the Raiders a 24-14 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

“I knew it was a touchdown. I took some steps I feel. I tried to make the defender miss, the ball ended up coming out, but I recovered it to make sure it was a touchdown for sure,” said Holton.

Just prior to the Holton touchdown pass, the Giants cut the Raiders’ lead down to 17-14, as Geno Smith found rookie Evan Engram for a 10-yard touchdown pass.

Engram led the Giants with seven catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. The talented rookie also made a terrific one-handed catch to get the Giants into field goal on what ended up being their final drive of the afternoon.

After there was no scoring in the third quarter, the two teams scored on every possession in the fourth quarter.

DeAndre Washington gave the Raiders a 10-point lead, as he scampered in from nine yards out and then Engram got the Giants within three. Then, Holton essentially put the game with his 16-yard touchdown pass and then Aldrick Rosas closed the scoring with his 52-yard field goal.

In his first game as starter of the Giants, Smith went 21-for-34 for 212 yards passing and a touchdown.

Smith became the first quarterback not named Eli Manning to start a game for the Giants in the last 210 games, the second-longest streak in NFL history behind Brett Favre’s 297 consecutive game streak.

“I thought Geno competed at a high level. There were a couple fumbles, we’ll have to take a look at the tape. The one where he was throwing, trying to pull it back, and it got away from him. The one where the ball got ripped out of his hands there. That nice two-minute drive at the end of the ball game, he did something creative and threw a nice ball for the touchdown. I thought he competed,” said Giants head coach Ben McAdoo.

The Giants went right down the field following the Carr to Holton touchdown pass, and Rosas nailed a 52-yard field goal with 1:38 remaining; however, the Raiders recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Notes: Now the Raiders head back out on the road to Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Chiefs, next Sunday afternoon. In their previous meeting, the Raiders edged the Chiefs 31-30, as Carr found Crabtree in the end zone with no time remaining and Giorgio Tavecchio nailed the extra point to give the Raiders that improbable victory. The Chiefs are heading home after a 38-31 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.

Jimmy Garoppolo is Difference Maker in 49ers’ 15-14 Victory over Bears

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San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) looks for an open man against the Chicago Bears in an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017. (Mark Black/Daily Herald via AP)

By: Joe Lami

It came down to the last play of the game, but Jimmy Garoppolo’s debut start for the San Francisco 49ers was victorious as the hapless team defeated the Chicago Bears 15-14 on Sunday afternoon.

“I thought it was a real good first start. He handled the offense well. [He] definitely moved the chains and the ball for us. It’ll be fun to get back and watch the tape and be able to coach him through what he did good and did bad,” said coach Kyle Shanahan.

Robbie Gould’s return to Chicago was perfect, as he nailed five field goals all within 35 yards in the victory.

Although the 49ers didn’t get into the end zone, Garoppolo was the difference as he was able to get San Francisco’s offense moving, throwing the ball down the field and reaching the red zone five times. He finished the day 26-of-37 for 293 yards and one interception, which had a completion stolen out of the hands from Louis Murphy Jr.

This season, San Francisco had five losses all decided by three points or less, but the difference on Sunday was Garoppolo and his ability to move the offense.

The biggest difference Garoppolo made came on third down, as the 49ers’ nearly doubled their efficiency with him on the field, converting 58% of their third downs.

Most impressively, he led the 49ers on their drive, going 86 yards on 14 plays in the last 5:23, setting up Gould’s 24-yard game-winning field goal.

The Bears’ offense was held to only one touchdown and 147 net yards as the 49ers’ defense showed up to play. Chicago’s first touchdown came out of the hands of rookie quarterback, Mitch Trubisky, who finished the day throwing just 102 yards.

Their second score came on special teams when Tarik Cohen returned a 62-yard punt return to the house.

The 49ers’ earn Shanahan’s second career win and up their record to 2-10 as Garoppolo makes this team look a lot better down the stretch of the season with four games to go.

San Francisco 49ers Podcast with Joe Lami: Garoppolo gets ready for Chicago this weekend; Shanahan says he looks ready in practice

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Photo credit: @insidethe49

On the 49ers podcast with Joe Lami:

1 The talk about when the 49ers’ Jimmy Garopollo will get in ends this Sunday in Chicago when Garoppolo gets his first start of the season is highly anticipated.

2 Garoppolo came in the closing moments last Sunday to throw a touchdown after quarterback C.J. Beathard left due to an injury.

3 Garoppolo has been practicing with the team. Head coach Kyle Shanahan says Garoppolo looks game ready since joining the team almost four weeks ago.

4 Garoppolo will throw against the Bears’ defense if he can get enough time in protection. He could do some damage.

5 So it’s Garoppolo and the 49ers in Chicago this Sunday. Joe tells us who he likes in this one.

Joe Lami does the 49ers podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

49ers report: It’s Jimmy Garoppolo time in San Francisco

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Photo credit: @49ersHub

By Jeremy Harness

49er fans have been eager to see this moment from the day the team traded for him, but now that moment has come.

On Sunday, the 49ers will see quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo under center, making his first start for his new team, one month after the team acquired him in a trade with the New England Patriots.

The 49ers would have wanted to ease Garoppolo into the starting spot, but he was forced into action late in last Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, when starter C.J Beathard injured his knee in the final minute of the game.

It didn’t take him long to throw for his first touchdown in a 49er uniform, as he accomplished that on the last play of the game, albeit in a losing effort. For that reason, the defeat did not silence the excitement for the new quarterback, as the score was seen as a sign of many things to come.

The 49ers will see more of that this Sunday, as they head to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears, a team that Garoppolo, who grew up in the Chicago area, rooted for as a kid.

“I’m just trying to take it one game at a time right now,” Garoppolo said. “There’s a lot of football left in this season. We’re trying to make the best of it, but we’ve got to take it one week at a time.

“If we start looking too far ahead, we’ll get ahead of ourselves. “(But) I think we’re in the right mindset going into this one.”

Oakland Raiders take on the New York Giants with QB Geno Smith (not Eli Manning) at quarterback

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New York Giants quarterback Geno Smith speaks with reporters at the NFL football team’s training facility, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants announced on Tuesday that Smith will start in place of Eli Manning when they face the Raiders in Oakland on Sunday. (AP Photo/Tom Canavan)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — Sunday’s matchup between the Raiders and Giants at 1:25 p.m. PT will begin a stretch where the Silver and Black will play three of their next four games against NFC East opponents, with the Raiders hosting the Dallas Cowboys on December 17 and then travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles on Dec ember 25. Oakland lost to Washington in Week 3 to start the NFC East portion of their schedule.

This will be the first time the Giants have played at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum since 2005.

Oakland (5-6) defeated the visiting Denver Broncos in Week 12 by a score of 21-14 in a game that the Raiders desperately needed to keep their playoff chances alive in the AFC. Oakland’s much maligned defense was the fuel that drove the Raiders to victory, holding the Broncos to just 219 yards of total offense and registering five sacks, two apiece by defensive lineman Denico Autry and linebacker Bruce Irvin.

Defensive end Khalil Mack recorded his 10th career sack against Denver, the most for Mack against any team in the league. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman collected Oakland’s first interception of the season, picking off Broncos starting quarterback Paxton Lynch in the end zone, stalling Denver’s scoring opportunity.

As a unit, the defense held Denver scoreless through three quarters before the Broncos scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Oakland held Denver to 5-of-14 on third-down and made starting drives difficult for the Broncos as punter Marquette King pinned Denver inside their own 10-yard line four times.

Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr had one of his better games of the season, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-24 passes while posting a 136.3 quarterback rating. Carr completed passes to nine different Raider receivers on the day. Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson led all pass catchers with three receptions for 72 yards, including a 54-yard reception late in the fourth quarter to ice the game for Oakland.

Running back Marshawn Lynch had his best game by far for Oakland, racking up 111 yards of total offense (67 rushing and 44 receiving) with one touchdown.

The New York Giants (2-9) have had a tumultuous season to say the least.  A team that many prognosticators predicted would be a Super Bowl favorite in the NFC, has been a dumpster fire this season. Both of Big Blue’s wins came against teams from the AFC West, defeating Denver in Week 6, 23-10, and the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime, 12-9 in Week 11.

New York is coming off a 20-10 loss in Washington on Thanksgiving night to begin Week 12.

Injuries are part of the game, and the Giants have had the injury bug hit them the hardest with 16 players on injured reserve this season.

Wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall were lost for the season with leg injuries, the offensive line has been shuffled more times than a deck of playing cards, and the defense which was the team’s strength last season finishing in the top-10 in total defense, has slipped to 22nd this season.

And now the unthinkable has happened: The Giants are benching franchise quarterback Eli Manning, a move that has come under heavy scrutiny by many in sports media and professional sports since the Giants announced the move Tuesday.

Manning will be on the sideline when backup Geno Smith takes the field for the Giants, snapping a string of 210 consecutive starts for the two-time Super Bowl MVP. On the season, Manning has thrown for 2,411 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 84.1 passer rating in 11 games.

But clearly with Manning’s benching, the Giants are aggressively turning the page on the Manning era and the Raiders could be the beneficiaries Sunday with the Giants starting Smith. Smith was an average quarterback in five seasons with the Jets before signing with the Giants in the offseason.

But Smith has had some success against the Raiders and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

In three games against the Silver and Black, Smith has a passer rating of 91.8, his second-highest against any team in his career, according to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. Smith is 2-1 against Oakland all-time, throwing for 705 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions in those contests.

Rookie tight end Evan Engram is key for New York’s passing offense. Engram leads the Giants with 44 receptions for 470 yards (10.7 avg.) and five touchdowns, tied for the most among rookies this season. Running back Orleans Darkwa powers the Giants’ ground game, rushing for 519 yards (4.6 avg.) on 112 carries and two touchdowns, all career highs.

Defensively for the Giants, eighth-year defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has 6.5 of the teams 20 sacks, while safety Landon Collins leads the team with 86 tackles (64 solo). Cornerback Janoris Jenkins leads the team with three interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns to lead the NFL. Jenkins was placed on season-ending injured reserve this week with an ankle injury.

After Sunday’s game, the Raiders will travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs in a critical divisional game. The Silver and Black already hold a victory over the Chiefs after defeating Kansas City 31-30 back in Week 7 in Oakland.