Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Too many sacks and too many sacks allowed pounding Raiders’ chances

Photo credit: @LeopoldusEsq

On the Raiders podcast with Joe:

#1 Was this win against the Raiders a matter of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens having a great game against them or because simply the Raiders were bad?

#2 Raiders tight end Jared Cook said that it was frustrating and the Raiders that they have all the pieces, but the pieces weren’t doing the right things.

#3 Quarterback Derek Carr took a beating was sacked seven times and he threw 16 times and six of those resulted in punts.

#4 Head coach Jon Gruden said the Raiders have the talent, but just couldn’t execute also there is a question about the Raiders’ second half execution.

#5 The Raiders return home next Sunday against Phillip Rivers and the LA Chargers. Joe sets the game up.

Joe does the Raiders podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Mullens, 49ers Embarrass Raiders 34-3 on Thursday Night Football

Photo credit: sportingnews.com

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA–The Nick Mullens era has arrived in San Francisco. In his first NFL start, the 49ers’ third-string quarterback torched the Raiders en route to a 34-3 shellacking on Thursday Night Football.

Brett Favre, Southern Mississippi’s most famous product, called the school’s record holder after the game to congratulate him on the instant success.

Mullens started en fuego, scoring on his very first drive. He never looked back, completing 16 of 22 for 262 yards and three touchdowns for a 151.9 QB rating.

Most impressively, he was able to connect with eight different receivers in the first half alone, which may have secured the starting job for the rest of the season.

“He did an awesome job today. The guys played well around him. There’s a lot on his plate coming in, and with it being his first time in a real NFL game, he started off real well, was poised and did a hell of a job,” said head coach Kyle Shanahan.

San Francisco was heading into the half with a 17-3 lead

George Kittle led the way with four catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, including an incredible 71-yard one-handed catch and run to start the third quarter with a bang.

The passing attack was beautifully set-up by Shanahan and the ability to balance with the run. Raheem Mostert ran for 86 yards and a touchdown on seven carries before he exited the game with a broken arm, ending his 2018 campaign.

Matt Breida was once again the workhorse, carrying 12 times for a bruising 44 yards.

The offensive line, which has looked shaky for most of the year, didn’t allow a sack and only surrendered two QB hits. Though, much of it seems to be due to great play-calling by Shanahan to get the ball out of Mullens’ hand quickly, but also due to the fact Mullens gets the ball out quickly and doesn’t hang onto it for too long.

The defense also had a huge game, holding the Oakland offense to 242 total yards, while not allowing a point after the 9:00 mark in the first quarter.

Derek Carr struggled, throwing 16 of 21 for 171 yards before being benched in the fourth quarter for A.J. McCarron. The 49ers’ pass rush looked legit for the first time all season, totaling seven sacks and nine QB hits. Cassius Marsh led the way with 2.5 sacks and three QB hits.

“It looked like we got after them. I thought Saleh did a good job mixing up his calls. We did a good job mixing up our stunts, and our guys won the one-on-one battles,” added Shanahan.

The mood has shifted entirely in Santa Clara after this huge win in the last Battle of the Bay (for now). It was the Niners most complete win under Shanahan and has the potential to turn the season around.

Mullens has lit a spark in the 49ers’ locker room and fan base and deserves to be the starter against the New York Giants on November 11th at 5:15 pm PT.

Battle of the Bay goes to the 49ers, who destroyed the Raiders 34-3

Photo credit: @NBCSRaiders

By Jeremy Kahn

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — In what was called “The Battle of the Bay,” was a nightmare for the Oakland Raiders, not the San Francisco 49ers.

Nick Mullens went 16-for-22 for 262 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL start, as the 49ers simply destroyed the Raiders 34-3 before an announced crowd of 69,592 at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday Night Football.

With the loss, the Raiders have lost four in a row and have been outscored by 85 points during the losing streak.

“I know it’s not looking pretty right now,” head coach Jon Gruden said. “I’ve heard a lot of negativity over the last six, seven months and rightfully so. But we’re going to build a championship football team here.”

This was the best NFL debut by a starting quarterback since the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, as the 49ers improved to 2-7 on the season, while the Raiders fall to 1-7.

“I’m not sure about that right now. I grew up a huge Niners fan. I also grew up a Raiders hater from growing up mainly in the AFC West, and also having a history with them. It feels good definitely. It feels good to win and I’m definitely happy for our fans,” said head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Things started well for the Raiders, as Derek Carr drove the Raiders down the field on their first series of the game that ended up with Daniel Carlson 37-yard field goal.

Unfortunately, those three points that the Raiders would score on their first ever trip to Levi’s Stadium.

“We just got outplayed. Period. Offensively, we didn’t put up enough points. We didn’t stay on the field long enough. Time of possession was clearly in their favor. A bad game offensively,” said Jared Cook.

Mullens immediately drove the 49ers down the field, as he went 3-for-3 on his initial drive as a professional that culminated with a 24-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Pierre Garcon and the 49ers never looked back.

The touchdown catch for Garcon, was his first as a member of the 49ers and his first since December 11, 2016 against the Philadelphia Eagles, while playing for the Washington Redskins.

Mullens, who was undrafted by any of the 32 NFL teams out of Southern Mississippi got the start over C.J. Beathard, who missed the game due to an injured right wrist in the 49ers 18-15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.

The 151.9 passer rating for Mullens was the highest for a quarterback in a debut since the NFL merger.

The 31-point victory by the 49ers was the biggest victory in the series since the 49ers also beat the Raiders in their first ever meeting back in 1970.

Following a three-and-out by the Raiders on their next series, the 49ers took control of the game, as they held the ball for the next 7:24 that rolled over into the second quarter that ended with a Kendrick Bourne four-yard touchdown pass from Mullens on the 13th play of the drive.

Robbie Gould extended the 49ers lead up to 17-3 near the end of the second quarter, as he kicked a 39-yard field goal.

The 49ers lengthened the lead up to 24-3 on their first series of the third quarter, as drove the team down on just three plays. The key play on the drive happened when Mullens found George Kittle, who made a terrific one-handed catch and was finally tackled 71 yards later at the Raiders six-yard line.

“I closed my eyes, 100-percent,” said Kittle. “Yep. I just kind of stuck an arm out there and it fell in my hand,” Kittle added.

Mullens awarded Kittle on the end of the drive, as he found the big tight end for a 5-yard touchdown pass to stretch the 49ers lead up to three touchdowns.

After yet another failed drive by the Raiders that saw them go three-and-out, Raheem Mostert got in on the act, as he scored on a 52-yard touchdown run down the south sideline to stretch the lead up to 31-3 in favor of the home standing 49ers.

Unfortunately, on the 49ers next series on offense, Mostert was forced to leave the game with an arm injury.

“They didn’t tell me, but I would assume that it is a broken arm,” said Shanahan.

Gould rounded out the scoring in the fourth quarter, as he kicked a 25-yard field goal, his second field goal of the game.

It was a disastrous trip down Interstate 880 for the Raiders, who could only muster 242 yards of total offense on the evening.

Carr went 16-for-21 for 171 yards passing, but he was sacked seven times by the 49ers defense, who just manhandled the Raiders offensive line.

Doug Martin led the Raiders in rushing, as he carried the ball 11 times for 49 yards, while Jalen Richard led the Raiders in receiving, as he caught four passes for 45 yards.

“We’ve got to keep fight. We’ve got to go to get that dog. Go out there and keep fighting and fighting and fighting. Just go out there and show people that we still deserve to be in this league,” said Richard.

On the other side of things, the 49ers made it look easy, as they gained 405 yards of total offense, despite the fact that they were playing their third string quarterback, who never took an NFL snap prior to the game.

Before leaving the game with an arm injury in the third quarter, Mostert led the 49ers in rushing, as he carried the ball just seven time for 86 yards, including that 52-yard touchdown run.

Kittle led the 49ers in receiving, as he caught four passes for 108 yards, 71 of which came on one play just minutes into the third quarter that culminated with Mullens’ third touchdown pass of the game.

NOTES: Former 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past August was presented with his Hall of Fame ring by Hall of Fame President David Baker.

Owens, who played for the 49ers from 1997-2003 skipped the ceremony in Canton, Ohio, as he received his gold jacket at his college alma mater of University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

UP NEXT: The Raiders return to the Coliseum, as they face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, November 11.

The 49ers next play on November 12, as they face the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.

Oakland Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders can beat 49ers on strong defense and short yardage passes

Photo credit: @Raiders

On the Raiders podcast with Tony:

#1 From the jump, there was little doubt the Indianapolis Colts’ offense took charge. Was there an inkling that this was going to be a long afternoon for the Oakland Raiders’ defense?

#2 Oakland finished with 347 yards of total offense and was 4-of-8 on third downs, but  couldn’t overcome running back Doug Martin’s (13 carries for 72 yards) fumble late in the fourth quarter in Oakland’s territory that was recovered by Indianapolis.

#3 Raider quarterback Derek Carr, who was criticized for his performance in London, had a decent afternoon last Sunday, going 21-28 for 244 yards and four touchdowns–three of those on passes and one on a carry.

#4 Former Oakland Raider Amari Cooper was compared to what is happening, Cooper who finished with a career-high 132 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, has rushed for 100+ yards in back-to-back weeks after rushing for 126 yards on 19 carries (previous career-highs) and a touchdown last week against the Buffalo Bills.

#5 The Raiders square off with the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara this Thursday night. Tony sets this game up for us.

Tony does the Raiders podcast each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Raiders head to Santa Clara for ‘Battle of the Bay’ with 49ers on Thursday Night Football

Photo credit: sports.yahoo.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — In a matchup that doesn’t have that much sizzle outside of the Bay Area, the Raiders will travel to Santa Clara, Calif to take on the San Francisco 49ers in primetime on Thursday Night Football on Nov. 1 with a 5:20 p.m. PT  kickoff from Levi’s Stadium.

This is the first regular season matchup between to the franchises since 2014, in which the Raiders (1-6) won that meeting 24-13 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The game would turn out to be one of Derek Carr’s greatest games, who as a rookie, had his best single-game passer rating (140.2) through his first five seasons. Carr completed 22-of-28 passes for 254 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

The two teams have locked up in the regular season 13 times, with the Raiders holding a 7-6 record all-time against the 49ers.

The Silver and Black enter Week 9 coming off a 42-28 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at home, where Carr posted his third-highest career passer rating (136.6) after completing 21-of-28 passes for 244 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Carr was responsible for all four of Oakland’s touchdowns, with him adding his first career rushing touchdown.

San Francisco (1-7) lost to the Arizona Cardinals 18-15 on Sunday. The Cardinals scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to complete the two-game season-season against the 49ers. Arizona defeated San Francisco 28-18 at Levi’s Stadium thanks in large part to five turnovers by the Red and Gold.

49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard completed 14-of-28 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown, a 55-yard strike to wide receiver Marquise Goodwin in the third quarter that gave the 49ers a 12-3 lead.

Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne led San Francisco with seven catches for 71 yards on 10 targets.

Following the game, the Raiders will have a 10-day break before returning home to face their AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10 to complete their two-game season-series. The Chargers defeated Oakland 26-10 in Week 5 down at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

San Francisco will stay home for another primetime game when they host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football on Nov. 12 to complete Week 10’s action.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Sox were unstoppable; Kershaw, Dodgers couldn’t do anything with Sox lineup; plus more

Photo credit: @MLB

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Boston Red Sox did what so many clubs couldn’t do–win an amazing 108 games.

#2 They cut through the playoffs and World Series like butter.

#3 With the World Series now over and the 2018 season, will the A’s add to what was a successful season to their roster?

#4 In football, the Oakland Raiders lose another tough one Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts 42-28. Another tough home loss at the Coliseum.

#5 The San Jose Sharks continue their success with a win Sunday in overtime past the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center 4-3. The Sharks are showing why they’re a first place club.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Raiders’ three-point stance: Three takeaways from the Raiders’ 42-28 loss to the Colts

Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — In the battle between two of the NFL’s most promising quarterbacks, Andrew Luck got the better of Derek Carr as the Indianapolis Colts traveled to the West Coast and defeated the Raiders 42-28 on Sunday in front of 54,372 fans at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday in Week 8.

Oakland finished with 347 yards of total offense and was 4-of-8 on third downs, but  couldn’t overcome running back Doug Martin’s (13 carries for 72 yards) fumble late in the fourth quarter in Oakland’s territory that was recovered by Indianapolis.

The Colts would capitalize on the game’s only turnover by adding another touchdown that put the game away for good for Indianapolis.

With the loss, Oakland’s streak of 16 straight wins in which they scored 21+ points in a game is snapped.

Checkout my three takeaways from Oakland’s sixth loss in their last five games:

Derek Carr quieted his critics, for now.
With Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper traded away for first-round draft picks in separate trades that pretty much cemented the Raiders were heading for a rebuild, the talk of trading Carr was growing louder by the moment.

For the first time this season, it appeared that Carr looked completely comfortable operating in the pocket. Carr finished the game completing 21-of-28 passes for 244 yards and accounted for all four of Oakland’s touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing). He finished the game with a blistering 136.6 passer rating and for the first time this season, wasn’t sacked in a game.

Carr tossed touchdowns to tight end Jared Cook (4 catches for 74 yards), and wide receivers Brandon LaFell (3 catches for 39 yards) and Seth Roberts (2 catches for 42 yards).

Running back Jalen Richard was Carr’s leading receiver, catching eight passes for 50 yards. Richard and the aforementioned Martin are expected to be the lead running backs with Marshawn Lynch on injured reserve with a groin injury.

I think its pretty safe to say that Carr won’t be going anywhere and will stay put once Tuesday’s NFL trading deadline at 1:00 p.m PT passes. Reports surfaced early Sunday that the organization “reassured” that Carr wasn’t going to be traded.

Colts’ offense looked effortless.
After throwing four touchdowns in last week’s 37-5 victory for the Colts over the Buffalo Bills in Indianapolis, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck threw three touchdowns against the Raiders. Sunday’s game marked the fifth straight game that Luck has thrown three or more touchdowns.

All three of Luck’s scores went to tight ends, as Jack Doyle (6 catches for 70 yards), Eric Ebron (3 catches for 37 yards) and Mo Alie-Cox (1 catch for 26 yards) each had a touchdown reception. Alie-Cox’s touchdown was a thing of beauty, catching it with one hand to give the Colts a 7-0 lead on the team’s first possession of the game.

Indianapolis racked up 461 yards of total offense, picked up 28 first downs, converted on 9-of-13 on third down, and dominated the time of possession holding onto the football for 36:30 to just 23:30 for the Raiders.

The game featured three punts, one by Indianapolis and two by Oakland.

Second-year running back Marlon Mack has established himself as the Colts’ lead ball carrier. Mack led a Colts’ ground game that rushed for 222 yards, their second straight game rushing for 200 yards this season. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the Colts haven’t had back-to-back 200-yard rushing games in a season since 1985.

Mack, who finished with a career-high 132 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, has rushed for 100+ yards in back-to-back weeks after rushing for 126 yards on 19 carries (previous career-highs) and a touchdown last week against the Buffalo Bills.

Backup running back Nyheim Hines carried the ball 11 times for 78 yards.

Adam Vinatieri becomes the NFL’s all-time scorer, passing Hall of Famer Morten Andersen.
Vinatieri set the record as the NFL’s top all-time scorer in the first half. He kicked a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter to tie Morten Andersen with 2,544 points and then added a 25-yarder late in the second to set the record .

Vinatieri scored three more points, giving him 2,550 for his career.

Oakland (1-6) doesn’t have time to dwell on this latest loss, as they will play their Bay Area rival the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday Night Football at 5:20 p.m. on FOX, NFL Network and Amazon. San Francisco lost a tough game to the Arizona Cardinals, 18-15, on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale dropping the 49ers to 1-7 on the season.

The Colts (3-5) enter their Bye Week on a high note after their victory.

Luck throws three touchdowns for Colts, as Raiders lose 42-28

Photo credit: @newswire_nfl

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND — After Andrew Luck threw his third touchdown pass of the afternoon, the Oakland Raiders got the ball back with a chance to tie the game late in the game; however, the Indianapolis Colts were having none of that.

Matthew Adams recovered a Doug Martin fumble that was forced by Darius Leonard at the Raiders’ 26-yard line, and the Colts and five play Marlon Mack put the game away with a one-yard run, helping the Colts complete 21-0 run on their way to a 42-28 victory over the Raiders before a crowd of 54,372 at the Coliseum on Sunday.

“It was a tough loss. They took control of the game offensively, they ran the ball repeatedly, they possessed the ball and made it tough on us. I thought we hung in there and fought,” said head coach Jon Gruden.

The Martin fumble was the only turnover of the game that saw the two offenses combine for 808 yards of total offense.

“Very disappointed. Both sides were playing hard, having a good game, offensively, defensively. To fumble like that in the end, it but a lot of went out there and played their hearts out. They put it all out there on the field. I’m really proud of ourselves,” said Martin.

Luck, who played his college football down the road at Stanford, threw three touchdowns, as he went 22-for-31 for 239 yards on the afternoon.

All three of his touchdowns went to three different tight ends, as Mo Alie-Cox, Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle were on the receiving end of the touchdowns.

The Luck touchdown pass to Doyle with 5:28 remaining in the game gave the Colts the lead for good, and then Mack put it away two minutes and 33 seconds later, as he scored from one yard out.

Luck’s first touchdown pass to Alie-Cox “was Michael Jordan esque,” according to Gruden, as the tight end made a fabulous one-handed catch in the end zone to give the Colts a quick 7-0 lead after their 11 play 75-yard opening drive.

As fate would have it, the six foot five inch Alie-Cox also played college basketball at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Mack ran for a career-high 132 yards and those two touchdowns. Just last week, Mack ran for a then career-high 126 yards in last week’s game versus the Buffalo Bills.

Derek Carr also threw three touchdowns, and ran for one, but the Raiders fell 1-6 on the season and face a short week, as they travel down interstate 880 to face the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday night.

After the Raiders were unable to get a first down on their first series of the game, the Colts drove the field and settled for a 26-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri, as the first quarter came to an end, giving the Colts a 10-0 lead.

Carr got the Raiders back into the game on their drive, as he found Seth Roberts for a 31-yard touchdown pass to cut the Colts lead down to 10-7.

Following a three-and-out by the Colts, Carr once managed to get the Raiders into the end zone, as he found Jared Cook for a 25-yard touchdown pass. The Raiders were helped out by three defensive penalties on the Colts defense.

The Colts cut the Raiders lead down to one, as Vinatieri kicked a 25-yard field goal and the veteran kicker made NFL history on that field goal.

Vinatieri passed Morten Andersen for most points scored in NFL history on the field goal, as the game was stopped and the entire Colts team came out to greet the 23-year veteran out of South Dakota State University.

Carr and the Raiders got all the way down to the Colts one-yard line, and on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, Carr scored on a one-yard run that was originally ruled no good; however, there was a penalty and then Gruden challenged the call. The officials looked at it, and it was overturned, giving the Raiders a 21-13 lead.

It was the first NFL rushing touchdown for Carr, and it was the first one by a Raiders quarter since Terrelle Pryor scored on a 93-yard touchdown run against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 27, 2013.

The duo of Luck and Mack drove the Colts right back down the field, as Mack gained 49 yards on a first down run, then after a Nyheim Hines six-yard run, Luck found Ebron for a 20-yard touchdown pass to cut the Raiders lead down to 21-19. The Colts went for two points on the ensuing conversion, as Luck found Chester Rogers for the two-point conversion that tied up the game.

Carr gave the Raiders the lead again on their possession, as the big play came when Carr found Cook for a 30-yard pass play to get the Raiders down to the Colts 22.

Martin then took over on the ground, as he carried the next two times for a combined 16 yards and then Carr gave the Raiders the lead, when he found Brandon LaFell for a six-yard touchdown pass.

Mack then tied up the game once again, as he scored from four yards out, four plays after Luck’s only completion of the afternoon to T.Y. Hilton that went for 34 yards.

After another quick offensive series by the Raiders, and an abysmal 25-yard punt by rookie Johnny Townsend gave the Colts great field position at their own 43-yard line.

Six plays later, Luck found Ebron for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown from 10 yards out.

After the Martin fumble that gave the ball back to the Colts, Mack put the game away, as he scored on a one-yard run.

Carr attempted to get the Raiders back into the game, but his fourth down pass to LaFell went incomplete and the Colts ran out the clock.

NOTES: Mack is just the seventh 100-yard rusher for the Colts in the seven seasons since Luck was drafted out of Stanford with the number one pick in the 2012 draft.

The second-year back out of the University of South Florida is the first Colts running back since Joseph Addai during the 2007 season to have back-to-back 100-yard games.

Raiders Offensive Lineman T.J. Clemmings was forced to leave the game with a knee injury in the second quarter. Former Raiders Safety Mike Mitchell left the game for the Colts in the second half with a calf injury.

UP NEXT: The Raiders travel to Levi’s Stadium for the first time ever, as they face the 49ers on Thursday night at 5:20 pm PT. This will be the first meeting between the teams since the Raiders’ 24-13 victory over the 49ers on December 7, 2014 at the Coliseum.

According to Pro Football Reference, there have been 784 prime-time games played in the NFL on November 1 or later and the matchup between the Raiders and 49ers will have a combined winning percentage of .133, the lowest winning percentage of any matchup in history.

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: McKenzie says “no one is untouchable” while Gruden says “we’re not trading anyone”

Photo credit: usatoday.com

On the Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe:

#1 How much of a factor was it for the decision to trade wide receiver Amari Cooper? He had 36 yard totals in four different games and his production was down before being traded to Dallas on Monday.

#2 The trade came at a peculiar time during practice Monday. Cooper got pulled out of practice Monday and was notified that he had been traded.

#3 Monday general manager Reggie McKenzie said no one is untouchable and then head coach John Gruden said, “we’re not trading anyone else.”

#4 Quarterback Derek Carr has gone through a challenging week and a half after getting sacked nearly a dozen times in London by the Seahawks in their last game.

#5 The Raiders are over the jet lag and are set to host the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday. How do you see this matchup?

Raiders podcasts with Joe are heard each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Raiders return home to host Colts in Week 8 following Bye Week

Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — Returning from their Bye Week, the Raiders return to action in Week 8 as they will welcome the visiting Indianapolis Colts to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday. Kickoff for the game is at 1:05 p.m. PT. It will be the first true home game for the Silver and Black since their Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns 45-42 in overtime on Sept. 30.

The Raiders (1-5) are looking for back-to-back wins over the Colts after defeating Indianapolis 33-25 in Oakland on Christmas Eve in 2016. That was also the game where quarterback Derek Carr broke his fibula and was lost for the rest of the season in which Oakland, who were 12-3 at the time and heading into the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl season of 2002, prior to Carr’s injury.

Oakland (1-5) entered their Bye Week after losing to the Seattle Seahawks 27-3 in London, England in Week 6. Carr completed 23-of-31 passes for just 142 yards, but was sacked six times in the game. Oakland’s offense managed just 185 yards total and was just 4-of-12 on third downs.

Defensively, rookie defense end Arden Key made his first start of his career and recorded his first sack, but Oakland’s defense was gashed for 369 yards of total offense by Seattle.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson passed for 222 yards and three touchdowns (one interception by Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley, who was making his first start of the season for Oakland).

But the week off for Oakland would be an eventful one, as the team unexpectedly traded wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday. News of the trade was first reported by ESPN’s Josina Anderson. Dallas is sending Oakland a first-round pick in 2019 for the wideout, who has just 22 catches for 280 yards and one touchdown this season in six games.

The former first-round pick by Oakland in 2015 was in the NFL’s concussion protocol after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Seahawks. In his first two seasons in the NFL out of Alabama, Cooper had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl after each season.

With the team already dealing away star defensive end Khalil Mack to Chicago a week before the season for a 2019 first-round pick, and including their own (which could be in the top-five if the season continues to spiral downward), Oakland has three first-round picks in 2019.

You add the fact the team placed running back Marshawn Lynch on injured reserve with a groin injury, the Raiders will feature Doug Martin and Jalen Richard in the backfield the rest of the way. Richard’s career-high 31 receptions rank sixth among all running backs in 2018.

Indianapolis (2-5) drubbed the Buffalo Bills 37-5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 7.

Quarterback Andrew Luck completed 17-of-23 passes for 156 yards and four touchdowns. Luck has been hot in his last four games, throwing 15 touchdowns over that stretch. The Colts dominated the time of possession, controlling the game for 33:19 to Buffalo’s 26:41 and was nearly unstoppable on third downs, converting 7-of-13 chances (53 percent).

Second-year Marlon Mack rumbled over Buffalo’s defense, rushing the ball 19 times for 126 of the Colts’ 220 yards, the most rushing yards in a game for Indianapolis since 2007 per the Elias Sports Bureau.

Rookie linebacker Darrius Leonard was all over the field against the Bills, racking up 17 combined tackles (12 solo, 5 assisted). In six games this season for the Colts, the second-round pick in 2018 has recorded double-digit tackles in four of them including a career-high 19 combined tackles (15 solo, 4 assisted) in a 21-9 win over Washington back in Week 2.

Indianapolis’ defense sacked Bills quarterback Derek Anderson twice and intercepted him three times. The Colts limited Buffalo on third downs (2-of-9 for 22 percent).

Following Sunday’s game, the Raiders will travel to Santa Clara to take on their Bay Area rival, the San Francisco 49ers for Thursday Night Football, while the Colts will head home to host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in an AFC South battle.