Tag: Oakland Raiders

Despite doubts, Jon Gruden is the right mechanic to fix Derek Carr and the Raiders

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

Photo credit: @BleacherReport

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — For those who thought it was a cold-blooded move by Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis to fire former head coach Jack Del Rio 20 minutes after a 30-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers to close out a disappointing 2017 at 6-10, let me just put you at ease:

It was rightfully timed, but honestly, it could’ve came earlier in the year.

In fact, Davis’ frustration can be traced back to Week 4. After starting the season 2-0 with impressive wins against the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets, the Raiders would go on to lose their next four straight games, bringing their record to 2-4.

Following a 2-2 stretch in late November and early December that pulled the Raiders into a three-way tie in the AFC West at 6-6, the Raiders never looked like the team that finished 12-4 in 2016 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Davis didn’t talk to reporters after Oakland’s fourth straight loss to end the season, but those close to the owner have said that Davis has grown frustrated with the team’s lackluster performance, most notably on the offensive side of the football, after committing big money contracts to quarterback Derek Carr and offensive linemen Gabe Jackson, Donald Penn and Kelechi Osemele in recent seasons.

Davis wanted to turn the page quickly to 2018 and handing the keys to the franchise over to former Raiders head coach and current ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden was supposedly the way to do it.

According to multiple reports, Gruden is expected to be named the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders, which also includes an ownership stake in the team. No deal is official, but the deal is “imminent” according to the reports.

In his first stint with Oakland, Gruden compiled a 64-38 regular season record, including a 4-2 postseason record. Gruden also led the Raiders to the AFC Championship Game in 2000, but was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for draft picks following the 2001 season after a contract dispute with Mark’s father, Al.

Gruden would lead the Buccaneers to a 48-21 victory over the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII following the 2002 season. During his seven years in West Florida, he was 112-57 in the regular season, including a 3-2 postseason record.

The reunion between the Raiders and Gruden makes sense. Gruden is beloved by Raider Nation in Oakland. He never wanted to leave the Silver and Black and had the team on the verge of a Super Bowl championship, and Davis desperately wants to win a Super Bowl for the City of Oakland before the team moves to Las Vegas in 2020.

Gruden’s eventual hiring will do wonders for the Raiders, but most notably for quarterback Derek Carr, who regressed a bit in 2017. Carr did suffer a broken bone in his back, where he missed just one game but didn’t look healthy or confident all year.

After back-to-back seasons of averaging 3,900 yards and 25 touchdowns for a 93.9 quarterback rating, Carr took a step back in 2017, throwing for just 3,496 yards and 22 touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 86.4.

In 2017, Carr threw 13 interceptions after throwing just six in 2016.

Carr’s top wide receivers, Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, didn’t scare many teams this season. After an 89-catch, 1,003-yard receiving season in 2016, Crabtree finished with the season as the team’s leader in catches (58) and touchdowns (8) to go along with 618 yards in 14 games played after missing two games.

But Cooper’s 2017 season was just harder to figure out. Cooper was on his way of becoming one of the more electrifying wide receivers in the NFL with back-to-back 1,000-yards seasons, finished with just 680 yards receiving on 48 catches with seven touchdowns.

Tight end Jared Cook led Oakland in receiving yards with 688 on 54 catches for two touchdowns in his first season in Oakland.

But Carr is the the driver of the offense and Gruden will be tasked to repair a broken offense that finished 23rd in the NFL in scoring offense at 18.8 points per game in 2017 under first-time offensive coordinator Todd Downing after finishing fifth in scoring offense at 26.0 points per game in 2016 under then-offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.

Whispers around the organization suggest that Carr had a hand in the shakeup at offensive coordinator, switching from the demanding Musgrave to the laid back Downing.

Simply put, Carr and Downing were best buddies and Musgrave was the third wheel. Carr and Downing hated having Musgrave’s hands in the offensive popcorn bucket and had to go.

Musgrave’s contract wasn’t renewed after the 2016 concluded.

If/when Gruden is named head coach of the Raiders, Downing won’t be retained which will put Carr on notice immediately with the new coaching staff. Gruden, along with former franchise quarterback Rich Gannon who is rumored to join Gruden’s staff as the quarterback coach, will make it their personal goal to get every ounce of talent out of Carr.

From footwork to calling the plays in the huddle, Carr will be broken down and rebuilt by Gruden and Gannon.

In the end, the play of the the Raiders’ $125 million quarterback will determine the team’s success, but Gruden will be responsible for delivering the organization’s elusive fourth Super Bowl title it thirsts for.

That’s Amaury’s Podcast, News, & Commentary: Sharks-Habs battling to get back in win column tonight; NFL Wild Cards; Manny Machado will he stay or will he go; Gruden waits for hiring process at Raiders

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @NBCSports

Daniel Dullum is filling for Amaury’s Podcast today:

1 The Sharks are coming off a tough 6-0 in Dallas on Sunday and are looking to get back into the win column. The Montreal Canadiens are currently on a four-game loss streak and host the Sharks in a frosty cold Montreal, but there’s no outdoor game here as they’ll hook up tonight at the Bell Centre for this contest.

2 NFL Wild Card Playoffs start this Saturday. Daniel takes a look at Tennessee @ Kansas City and in game two Atlanta @ LA Rams.

3 For Sunday’s Wild Card games game one Buffalo @ Jacksonville and game two Carolina @ New Orleans.

4 The Cubs looked like the front runner in the Manny Machado sweepstakes, but the latest is Machado is up for grabs and the Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos is not very excited about letting Machado get away. A Machado contract would command around $325 million.

5. Former Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has said “let’s wait and see” in regards to his getting the job at the Raiders. Gruden can’t very well come out and say “the job is mine” because the Raiders are obligated by NFL policy to abide by the Art Rooney rule and have to interview at least one minority before announcing that Gruden is the new head coach. Sources say a minority assistant coach could be interviewed and if they hire Gruden that assistant coach could be hired on under Gruden as his assistant coach.

Daniel Dullum is filling in for Amaury for today’s podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Raiders part ways with head coach Jack Del Rio after 30-10 thrashing from Chargers

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio reacts during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

By Jeremy Kahn

Who would have thought when the 2017 season began, the Oakland Raiders would not make a return appearance to the AFC Playoffs, but now they are looking for a new head coach as well.

Jack Del Rio was informed after the game that he was being dismissed as coach of the Raiders by owner Mark Davis.

The firing of Del Rio comes just months after the Hayward native signed a four-year extension with the team.

“Today was kind of a microcosm of our season,” Del Rio said after the Raiders’ 30-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. “The opportunities and lack of production really not good enough, really disappointing.”

In his first season with the team in 2015, Del Rio went 7-9, then in 2016, the Raiders returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season, as they went 12-4; however, this season their record fell to 6-10 and they missed the playoffs for the 14th time in 15 seasons.

“He told me he loved me and appreciated all I did to get this program going in the right direction, but that he felt the need to change,” Del Rio said. “I told him how much I appreciated the opportunity he gave me; very grateful, my childhood team.”

“But it’s a results business. I understand that.”

In his three seasons with the Raiders, Del Rio went 25-23, becoming just one of seven Raiders coaches in team history to have a winning record their tenure ended.

Del Rio joins Al Davis (23-16-3), John Rauch (33-8-1), John Madden (103-32-7) , Tom Flores (83-53), Art Shell (56-52) and Jon Gruden (38-26).

ESPN.com contributed to this report.

Raiders’ season ends on a sour note as they get blown out by Chargers 30-10

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Darius Philon reacts after a play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

By Jeremy Kahn

With their playoff chances on the line, the Los Angeles Chargers did not let the pedal off the gas against their biggest rival–the Oakland Raiders–on Sunday afternoon.

Philip Rivers threw for 387 yards and three touchdowns, as the Chargers defeated the Raiders 30-10 at the Stubhub Center.

Unfortunately, the news was not all good for the Chargers, as they were eliminated from the AFC Playoff race just moments after their win, when the Tennessee Titans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium.

Former Cal star Keenan Allen scored on a 27-yard fumble return for the Chargers, who were attempting to become just the second team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting the season with an 0-4 record.

Allen also scored on a six-yard touchdown pass from Rivers, as the Chargers ended the season by winning six out of their last seven games.

Rivers also threw touchdown passes to Tyrell Williams for 56 yards, and Travis Benjamin was on the receiving end of a 62-yard touchdown pass.

As for the Raiders, the nightmare season is now over, as they entered the season with such high expectations; however, they lost their final four games of the season to end the season with a 6-10 record.

Amari Cooper ended the season on a high note, as he was on the receiving end of an 87-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr; however, that would be the only Raiders touchdown of the afternoon.

Cooper ended the afternoon with three catches for 115 yards and that 87-yard touchdown reception from Carr.

In the season finale, Carr went 19-for-28 for 243 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception.

Marshawn Lynch led the Raiders in rushing, as he carried the ball 19 times for 101 yards on the afternoon.

It turned out to be a good day for Lynch, who went over the 10,000-yard plateau for his career and also earned a $600,000 bonus for going over the 800-yard mark for the season.

Raiders close out regular season against Chargers at StubHub Center

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

Oakland Raiders’ Amari Cooper (89) catches a pass against Philadelphia Eagles’ Corey Graham (24) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 25, 2017, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The Raiders will wrap up the 2017 regular season on the road against the Chargers at the StubHub Center. Sunday’s game will also conclude the regular season series between these longtime rivals, who first met back in 1960. Los Angeles defeated the Raiders back in Week 6, 17-16, in Oakland. Raiders lead the all-time series 62-51-2.

Oakland (6-9) dropped their third straight game, losing to the now 13-2 Philadelphia Eagles 19-10 before a national televised audience on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. The Raiders’ defense played strong, holding the Eagles to just 216 yards of total offense (138 passing and 78 rushing).

The Silver and Black held the Eagles to just 1-of-14 on third downs. Middle linebacker NaVorro Bowman led the Raiders with seven tackles, while defensive linemen Denico Autry and Jihad Ward each recording a sack; it was Ward’s first career sack.

Safety Reggie Nelson was around the football the entire night, forcing two turnovers against Philadelphia in the second half. Nelson forced a fumble that was recovered by cornerback TJ Carrie, and then registered an interception off Eagles starting quarterback Nick Foles in the fourth quarter. For the game, Nelson finished with six tackles and three pass defensed.

Offensively, Oakland’s running game came alive behind starting running back Marshawn Lynch, who rushed for 95 yards on 25 carries. Starting quarterback Derek Carr threw for 140 yards on 15-of-29 passing with one touchdown and one interception.

After missing the previous two games with an ankle injury, wide receiver Amari Cooper returned to the lineup and finished with three catches for 66 yards and one touchdown. Cooper got great separation from Eagles starting cornerback Jalen Mills running a slant-and-go for a 63-yard score in the first half.

Los Angeles (8-7) enters Week 17 with a shot at making the AFC playoffs. After a slow start to the season, the Chargers have now won five of their last six games after dispatching the New York Jets, 14-7, last Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The Chargers can clinch a playoff berth with a win against the Raiders, coupled with losses by both the Tennessee Titans (8-7) and Buffalo Bills (8-7).

Starting quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 290 yards on 22-of-40 passing with one touchdown against the Jets last week. The 14-year veteran enters the final weekend of the season ranking third in the NFL in passing yards with 4,128 and ninth in touchdown passes with 25 and only 10 interceptions.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen appears to be all the way back from the torn ACL he suffered last season, ranking fourth among wide receivers in the NFL with 1,260 receiving yards to go along with 93 catches–all career-highs for the fifth-year pro. Allen has caught five touchdowns this season.

Running back Melvin Gordon is Los Angeles’s most versatile offensive weapon. Gordon is tied for third in the NFL with 12 touchdowns (eight rushing and four receiving). The third-year pro rushed for 81 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown against the Jets, helping him eclipse 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

Gordon enters Sunday’s matchup against Oakland rushing for 1,012 yards on 257 carries, to go along with 52 catches for 445 yards this season.

The Chargers have one of the better defenses in the league, ranking fifth in the NFL with 41 sacks. Second-year defensive end Joey Bosa leads the team with 11.5 sacks, while fellow defensive end Melvin Ingram is close behind with 10 sacks. After finishing tied for the NFL lead in interceptions in 2016, Los Angeles is currently tied for third with 17 interceptions this season.

Safety Tre Boston and cornerback Casey Hayward are tied for the team lead with four picks apiece.

Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT.

Christmas haunts Raiders as they drop 19-10 decision to Eagles

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Philadelphia Eagles’ Jake Elliott (4) and Donnie Jones (8) celebrate past Oakland Raiders’ T.J. Carrie (38) after Elliott’s field goal during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 25, 2017, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

By Jeremy Kahn

With a possibility to be spoilers to the Philadelphia Eagles’ playoff plans, the Oakland Raiders were unable to take advantage of that.

Jake Elliott kicked a 48-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining in the game, as the Eagles defeated the Raiders 19-10 at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday night.

With the victory, the Eagles improved to 13-2 on the season and clinched home field advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs. The last time the Eagles were home throughout the entire NFC Playoffs was during the 2004 Playoffs. The Eagles ended up in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, where they lost to the Patriots 24-21.

The game-winning field goal by Elliott was set up by a Ronald Darby interception that was returned 52 yards for a touchdown. However, Darby was ruled down by contact by Amari Cooper.

Nick Foles went 4-for-4 on the ensuing drive for a 21-yard drive that culminated with the Elliott field goal.

The Eagles got on the board in the first quarter, as Foles found Jay Ajayi for a 17-yard touchdown pass.

Derek Carr tied up the game with a 63-yard touchdown pass to Cooper, as cornerback Jalen Mills attempted to jump the route.

Giorgio Tavecchio gave the Raiders their only lead of the game, as he kicked a 25-yard field goal on the Raiders’ opening series of the third quarter.

The two teams traded turnovers on three consecutive possessions, beginning when Patrick Robinson intercepted a Carr pass.

Ajayi fumbled the back to the Raiders, and then Marshawn Lynch gave the ball back to the Eagles on the next play, as he fumbled.

Elliott then tied up the game at 10, as he nailed a 35-yard field goal.

With a chance to give the Raiders the lead, Tavecchio missed a 48-yard field goal with just under eight minutes remaining in the game.

Foles was unable to get the Eagles going, as he threw an interception that bounced off the hands of Zach Ertz and into the hand of Reggie Nelson.

Malcolm Jenkins then got the ball back for the Eagles, as he stripped Jalen Richard of the ball and he recovered it on their own 16.

Following three consecutive three-and-outs, Darby intercepted Carr’s pass that eventually turned into Elliott’s game-winning field goal.

The final points of the evening came on the final play of the game, as Derek Barnett scored on a 23-yard fumble return, when Jalen Richard’s pitch back to Carr fell to the Lincoln Financial Field ground and Barnett scooped it up and went into the end zone.

NOTES: With the postseason no longer in their sights, the Raiders will close out their 2017 season against the Los Angeles Chargers at the Stubhub Center on Sunday afternoon at 1:25 pm PT.

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

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

Photo credit: @SuperBowl2018US

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ertz leads the team with 63 receptions.

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

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

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

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

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

By Jeremy Kahn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crabtree caught seven passes for 39 yards and two touchdowns.

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

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

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

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

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

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

Photo credit: @RAIDERS

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raiders’ offense a no show in Kansas City

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

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.