Tag: Seattle Seahawks

Wilson throws three touchdowns in Seahawks’ 27-3 win over Raiders in jolly ol’ London

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Photo credit: @SportsCentre

By Jeremy Kahn

Maybe heading across the pond to London would possibly change things for the Oakland Raiders, but it seems that they are not getting any better on two continents.

Russell Wilson threw for three touchdowns, as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Raiders 27-3 at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Wilson went 17-for-23 for 222 yards plus those three touchdowns and an interception, as the Seahawks go into the bye week with a 3-3 record.

Chris Carson helped out on the running game, as he ran for 59 yards, while Rashad Penny gained 43 yards before the largest crowd to ever attend a NFL game in London, as 84,922 were in attendance in the legendary stadium.

Despite going 23-for-31 for 142 yards on the afternoon, Derek Carr was forced to leave the game with 8:52 remaining in the game, as he was hit by Jarran Reed and immediately went to the sideline grabbing his upper left arm.

Jaron Brown was the receiving end of the first Wilson touchdown of the afternoon, as he took it in from five yards out. Wilson then found David Moore for a 19-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and then threw his third and final touchdown in the fourth quarter, as he threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett.

To make even worse for the Raiders, who fall to 1-5 on the season, former kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who played for the Raiders for 17 years, kicked two field goals for the Seahawks.

Marshawn Lynch, who was playing against his former team carried the ball 13 and gained just 45 yards during the game.

The Raiders finally got on the board with 8:30 remaining in the game, as Matt McCrane kicked a 48-yard field goal. McCrane could have gotten the Raiders on the board in the second quarter; however, his 48-yard attempt went wide left.

NOTES: It was a tough day for the Raiders with injuries, as besides Carr, they will leave London not healthy.

Amari Cooper left the game with 13:40 remaining in the first half, as he suffered a concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Strong Safety Bradley McDougald. Joe Feliciano, who started in place of the inactive Kelechi Osemele, who was out with a knee injury was forced out of the game with a rib injury and Seth Roberts suffered a concussion like Cooper in the fourth quarter and did not return.

UP NEXT: After their bye week, the Raiders will return to the field on October 28 at the Coliseum, where they will host the Indianapolis Colts at 1:05 pm PT on CBS.

The Raider preview: Raiders head to London for Week 6 matchup against the Seahawks at Wembley Stadium

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Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The Raiders are off to London to play in their third-straight international game, this time against the Seattle Seahawks. Sunday’s game from Wembley Stadium will mark the 53rd meeting between the two franchises, with Oakland leading the series 28-24 all-time. This will be Oakland’s fourth game in five weeks on the road.

This is the second time that two teams face each other in 2018, as the Raiders defeated the Seahawks 30-19 in Seattle to close out the preseason schedule.

Kickoff is set for 10:00 a.m. PT. So breakfast with football is always nice.

Last week, the Raiders (1-4) fell to AFC West division-rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, 26-10 at StubHub Center in Carson in what sounded like the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum with many members of Raider Nation making up the  attendance.

Starting quarterback Derek Carr completed 24-of-33 passes for 263 yards with one touchdown and one interception as the Chargers’ defense held Oakland to just 289 yards of total offense. Through five games this season, Carr has thrown a league-leading eight interceptions, three coming inside the red zone and two into the end zone.

Coming into the Week 5 meeting with Los Angeles, the Raiders were averaging 411.8 yards of total offense per game ranking second in the NFL.

Wide receiver Jordy Nelson caught his team-leading third receiving touchdown of the year, a 1-yard score from Carr in the fourth quarter with the Raiders trailing 26-3. Since 2016, Nelson leads the NFL with 19 receiving touchdowns inside the red zone according to ESPN Stats and Information research.

After rushing for 130 yards on 20 carries against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4, Marshawn Lynch was quiet against the Chargers carrying the ball just nine times for 31 yards. Lynch will look to get back on track in London against his former team in Seattle, whose defense ranks 29th against the run surrendering 129 yards on the ground per game.

Defensively, Bruce Irvin recorded his team-leading third sack of the season, while linebacker Tahir Whitehead paced the Raiders with nine tackles for the second-straight game. It was the fourth time this season that Whitehead has led the team in tackles in a game.

Whitehead leads the Raiders with 37 combined tackles (26 solo and 11 assisted) this season.

The Seahawks (2-3) lost a close game to NFC West division-rival the Los Angeles Rams, 33-31 last week at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

Seahawks starting quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-21 passing. In five games this season, the former Super Bowl MVP has thrown for 1,086 yards, with 10 touchdowns to just three interceptions.

Running back Chris Carson tallied his second 100-yard rushing game in the last three weeks, carrying the ball 19 times for 116 yards against a talented Rams defensive front highlighted by reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh.

With veteran wide receiver Doug Baldwin slowed by a knee injury this season, Tyler Lockett has become Wilson’s top target in Seattle’s areal attack. Lockett had just three catches against the Rams, but finished with a team-high 98 yards receiving and one touchdown, a 39-yard strike from Wilson in the second quarter.

On the season, the fourth-year wideout from Kansas State leads the Seahawks in catches (20), targets (28), receiving yards (347), and touchdowns (4). His 17.4 yards per catch is second on the team behind rookie tight end Will Dissly, who is on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Oakland’s much maligned secondary must account for Lockett, who can blow by defenses in the open field with his speed.

With longtime safety Earl Thomas on injured reserve after breaking his leg two weeks ago in a Seahawks’ win at Arizona, the vaunted Seahawks defense that we’ve all come to know over the last few seasons is unrecognizable. Before the injury, Thomas was playing at a high-level, leading the Seahawks with three interceptions.

In the offseason, the team parted ways with lockdown cornerback Richard Sherman and terrorizing defensive end Michael Bennett. They saw the enforcer of the defense, strong safety Kam Chancellor and defensive end Cliff Avril retire due to neck injuries just to name a few.

Seattle still has middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, who is smart football player that can cover field, sideline-to-sideline, but strong safety Bradley McDougald has quickly become Seattle’s top defender.

Now in his sixth season in the NFL and second season in the Emerald City after spending the previous four seasons between Kansas City and Tampa Bay, the 6’1″, 215-pound McDougald isn’t the menacing presence that the 6’3, 225-pound Chancellor is, but he packs quite a punch. McDougald leads the Seahawks with 32 combined tackles (29 solo and 3 assisted) to go with two interceptions.

After Sunday’s game, both teams will be head on their bye weeks for Week 7. When the teams return in Week 8, the Raiders will host the Indianapolis Colts at 1:05 pm PT, while Seattle heads out on the road to take on the Detroit Lions at 10:00 am PT.

Raiders Answer Backup QB Question After 30-19 Win Over Seahawks

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Photo credit: @NBCSRaiders

By Tony Renteria

The Oakland Raiders have spent much of the preseason looking for the backup to All-Pro quarterback Derek Carr and have found that answer in a great game by EJ Manuel.   Manuel, who spent time in Buffalo before coming to the Silver and Black last season, has looked spotty at best during the first three preseason games, but came out tonight looking like a quality starter as he went an outstanding 18-for-22 with 255 yards and three touchdowns as the Raiders won 30-19 against the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on Thursday night.

Manuel found a security blanket in Keon Hatcher, who caught two of those touchdowns from Manuel, three overall and seemed to be everywhere on the field as he was the punt returner and on special team coverage. Hatcher did make a case for making the final 53-man roster, but might end up on the scout team.

Quarterback coach Brian Callahan took over the play calling duties tonight from head coach John Gruden and seemed to do a good job balancing the run/pass ratio. The Raiders, who did not dress 21 of the 22 starters, did a very good job with players who will be cut on by September 1.

The Raiders used this last game to ensure that Manuel had it in him to be the backup and with the team more than likely only keeping two quarterbacks this last meaningless preseason game carried some meaning for the Raiders’ coaching staff.

NFL preseason leading Rusher Chris Warren III had 41 yards on 12 rushing attempts, but looked much better in pass protection and route running and looks like he will be one of the five running backs to make the roster.

Manual, Hatcher and Waarren III all made a differance tonight, lets see if tonight turns in a roster spot for these three young men.

The Raiders host the Rams to open the season on Monday Night Football on Monday, September 10 at 7:20 pm PDT.

Raiders head to Seattle for final preseason game against the Seahawks

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Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The 2018 preseason comes to a merciful end Thursday night, when the Raiders travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. This matchup will mark the 13th consecutive season that the Raiders have finished up their preseason schedule against the Seahawks, with nine of the 13 matchups in Seattle, the first being in 2015.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT.

Last week, the Raiders defeated the Green Bay Packers 13-6 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. With the score tied 6-6 late in the fourth quarter, undrafted rookie running back Chris Warren III would score the go-ahead touchdown to put the Raiders up for good.

Warren rushed for 54 yards on 15 carries.

Oakland’s defense feasted on Packers’ quarterbacks (not named Aaron Rodgers), recording a preseason-high five sacks.

The Seahawks lost to the Vikings in Minnesota, 21-20, last week.

Former Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski converted both of his field goal attempts, one booming shot from 55 yards out in the third quarter that gave the Seahawks a 13-7 lead.

Janikowski, who spent his first 18 seasons in Oakland before signing with Seattle in April, is the Raiders all-time leader in points (1,799), games played (268) and seasons of service (18).

Oakland and Seattle will meet each other in the regular season, when the two teams face off in Week 6 in London, England on Oct. 14.

49ers’ signing of Sherman is a stellar move

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Photo credit: @NFL

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Contributor

Not like the San Francisco 49ers needed any validation from this guy typing here, but the signing of cornerback Richard Sherman was a huge win for the organization and for Sherman.

According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Sherman and the 49ers came to terms on a three-year deal worth $39.15 million on Saturday after five hours of negotiating. Sources also mentioned that Sherman represented himself during those negotiations.

News broke out Friday that Sherman was having dinner with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and spent most of Saturday meeting with team officials in Santa Clara, where he also took a physical.

He became a free agent once the Seattle Seahawks released the veteran cornerback Friday to avoid paying the $11 million salary he was due in 2018. It will be very weird at first to see Sherman don the Red and Gold this season after spending his first six seasons in Seattle tormenting the 49ers for much of that time.

While in Seattle, Sherman was voted First-Team All-Pro three times and voted to the Pro Bowl four times and alongside safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, formed the feared “Legion of Boom” secondary. From 2012-16, Seattle led the NFL in scoring defense for four straight seasons.

Sherman, the 6-foot-3, 195 pound cornerback, will turn 30 on March 30, is coming off a torn right Achilles tendon suffered in November that limited him to just nine games. It was the first time in his career that Sherman didn’t play a full 16-game schedule. The original timetable for Sherman’s return to football-related activities was 6-to-8 months, which would make him available by mid-May to early-July.

Since entering the NFL out of Stanford in 2011, Sherman leads the league with 32 interceptions and 99 passes defended.  Opposing quarterbacks are completing just 47.4 percent of their passes with a 50.9 passer rating, which is first in the NFL among cornerbacks with a min of 300 targets in coverage according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Jacksonville’s A.J. Bouye (54.9), Los Angeles Chargers’ Casey Hayward (57.7), Los Angeles Rams’ Marcus Peters (60.7), and the retired Darrelle Revis (66.0) round out the top five.

Sherman is long and rangy with extreme football smarts that makes him one of the more feared cornerbacks in the game today, when healthy.

Sherman arguably made the biggest play in Seahawks history in the final minute of the NFC Championship game in January 2014 when he deflected a Colin Kaepernick pass intended for wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the end zone. Linebacker Malcolm Smith, now with the 49ers, intercepted the pass which sealed Seattle’s second NFC title and propelled the organization to its first and only Super Bowl title.

That season, Sherman finished with a career-high eight interceptions.

Since that game, the 49ers have lost nine straight head-to-head matchups with their bitter rivals from the Pacific Northwest.

With Sherman on board, the 49ers have a veteran cornerback that they can pair with Ahkello Witherspoon, who had a strong rookie season with two interceptions and seven pass breakups. At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Witherspoon is similar in size to Sherman.

Outside of the promising Witherspoon, the 49ers didn’t have a premier cornerback on the roster last season. By signing Sherman, the 49ers filled one of their biggest holes heading into this offseason and gives the team  a legitimate cornerback that opposing offenses will need to account for.

After watching their divisional rival the Los Angeles Rams add two top-flight cornerbacks in Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib in separate trades within the last two weeks, landing Sherman wasn’t a bad fallback plan for the 49ers and the vocal Sherman, who wanted to play for “a contender.”

With just over $70 million in salary cap space according to Overthecap.com, the 49ers can still address the offensive line and remain play for former Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who is an unrestricted free agent and the most coveted cornerback on the market.

The 49ers are expected to be one of the better story-lines heading into the 2018 season and have just gotten more interesting with the addition of Sherman, who gets to remain in the NFC West and face Seattle twice a year.

A win for Sherman, who will play with the ultimate chip on his shoulder, especially in those matchups. Motivation can be fuel for anyone. For Sherman, who many believe has lost a step due to the Achilles injuries (he had a “procedure” to clean up his left Achilles this offseason too), will be out to prove that he is still the best cornerback in football.

The New Era Arrives in San Francisco, But 49ers Fall To Seahawks 24-13

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/John Hefti)

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The moment the 49er Faithful have been waiting for. The emergence of Jimmy Garoppolo. San Francisco’s future made his debut in the Red and Gold with just 1:11 left in Sunday’s 24-13 loss to Seattle on Sunday.

Coming in for just three plays, Garoppolo made a difference immediately, creating tons of excitement in Santa Clara. On his first play, a third-and-five, he scrambled out to his right for four yards before sliding, commenting post game that he thought he slid after the marker.

On his second play, Garoppolo picked up a fourth-down conversion once again escaping the pocket before finding Aldrick Robinson for eight yards and a first-down.

Garoppolo’s most impressive play came on the final play of the game. With just two seconds left, Garoppolo was once again able to escape pressure and fire a ball into the endzone, finding Louis Murphy for San Francisco’s only touchdown of the game.

In the minute of action, Garoppolo proved he’s everything that the Niners expect out of him. With all of his roll-outs, he immediately reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger or Aaron Rogers. His escapability and ability to keep his eyes downfield make the future in Santa Clara very exciting. With this brief glimpse of hope, it’s hard to envision Kyle Shanahan and the Niners going back to C.J. Beathard next week against Chicago.

While the Faithful have a reason to be excited about the potential of their new quarterback, the few that remained on Sunday were classless cheering once C.J. Beathard went down. It was the loudest ovation at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday and safety, Eric Reid noticed it. Commenting post-game, Reid’s pissed off at the fans for the action. He understands the excitement, but a guy just got hurt and you’re cheering.

After a dreadful first half, the Seattle Seahawks poured it on in the second half during a rainy Sunday afternoon victory over the San Francisco 49ers 24-13.

Both teams struggled in the first half, especially through the air. Russell Wilson passed for 26 yards on 19 attempts for a 32.8 rating. Unfortunately for San Francisco, Beathard wasn’t able to take advantage as he threw 10-of-20 for 109 yards and a 45.6 rating.

Each team threw a pick in the first half, but it was San Francisco’s that was costly, as Bobby Wagner picked the ball off at the 49ers’ 16-yard line. Wilson used the great field position to run in the score from two yards out.

The kicking game proved important for San Francisco in the first, as Robbie Gould nailed a field goal from 38 yards to bring the score to 7-3 at the end of two quarters.

San Francisco was completely outclassed by Seattle, as the Legion of b=Boom started to make their mark in the contest, most importantly by getting to Beathard a total of 13 times with the last one taking him out of the game.

San Francisco finished with 280 total net yards, as Beathard threw for 201 with one interception. Carlos Hyde ran the ball for 47 yards on 16 attempts as the offensive line struggled to open holes up for him.

Wilson caught fire in the second half, throwing two touchdowns to his tight ends, Nick Vannett and Jimmy Graham, finishing with 228 yards and an 86.4 rating. He also ran the ball seven times for 25 yards and showed great escapability as the 49ers’ front seven were shutout in sacks.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s shining moment with the 49ers will need to wait

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Photo credit: Yahoo Sports

By Jeremy Harness

The way C.J Beathard played a week and a half ago in getting the 49ers their first win of the season, it was expected that he bought himself more time under center.

That notion proved to be correct, as the 49ers named Beathard the starter for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. That means the quarterback the team traded for, Jimmy Garoppolo, will have another week to absorb the team’s playbook and wait his turn to get his reps.

Although the 49ers currently have 18 players on the injured-reserve list, they have gotten a few players more healthy than was the case before the bye week.

For example, receiver and kick returner Trent Taylor was limited in practice on Wednesday with an injury suffered to his ribs. Tight end George Kittle has been nursing an ankle injury, but he was able to make it to the practice field as well.

The secondary, however, continues to be ravaged by injuries. With Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt lost for the season on injured reserve with assorted injuries, rookie safety Adrian Colbert, whom the team expects to blossom into a star in the coming seasons, did not practice on Wednesday due a thumb injury, and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the he is likely out for Sunday’s game.

Another rookie, defensive end Solomon Thomas did not play in the 49ers’ win over the New York Giants and was limited in practice Wednesday. However, Shanahan said that he expects him to play against the Seahawks.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, has suffered its share of injuries as well. While star cornerback Richard Sherman has been lost for the season with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, another corner is likely out Sunday as well. Shaquill Griffin, a rookie, exited Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons with a concussion, and he is currently going through concussion protocol.

In the meantime, Byron Maxwell, who was in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning team four years ago, was signed last week to add depth to the position, and is expected to assume the starting role for now. He reportedly took 95 percent of the snaps Wednesday.

It may not be Garoppolo’s time yet

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New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garappolo (10) passes during an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Glendale, Az. The Patriots won the game, 23-21. (Greg Trott via AP)

By Jeremy Harness

When the 49ers traded for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, it was almost an accepted fact that he would assume the signal-calling duties upon the team’s returning from its bye week.

It may be time to pump the brakes on that talk, at least for one more week.

The 49ers got their first win of the season last Sunday in a 31-21 victory over the New York Giants, and have two full weeks to savor it before getting back on the field. Following the bye week, the 49ers will face the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 26.

C.J Beathard, the team’s current starter, made a serious case for himself against the Giants, completing 19 of his 25 passes for 288 yards and a pair of touchdowns, which was good for a passer rating of 123.4.

With that said, the next six games should serve as an evaluation process for both Beathard and Garoppolo, for the team to see who should be their quarterback of the future.

John Lynch, the team’s general manager, recently said that the 49ers “don’t need him right now,” referring to Garoppolo, which means that it is expected that the rookie Beathard will be the starter when the Seahawks visit Levi’s Stadium the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

However, it is also expected that Garoppolo, who will have had a few weeks to digest the team’s playbook, will have plenty of opportunities to get on the field to show the 49ers if he can be the guy.

Decimated 49ers hope to get win before bye

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Photo credit: @49ers

By Jeremy Harness

Things only seem to get worse for the 49ers with each passing week.

At what is now the start of the rebuilding process under first-year head coach Kyle Shanahan as well as fellow rookie general manager John Lynch, the losses were expected to happen. But it seemed reasonable that the team would finish the season somewhat healthy.

That has not happened, not by a longshot.

As the losses continue to pile up for the 49ers, so do the season-ending injuries. Joining a list of players who are out for the rest of the year are safety Jaquiski Tartt, who suffered a broken forearm in last Sunday’s loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals, as well as receiver Pierre Garcon.

The 49ers currently have 18 players who are currently on IR, and some of the other notables on this list right now are defensive ends Arik Armstead and Tank Carradine as well as linebacker Malcolm Smith, who was lost for the season with a pectoral injury back in training camp.

If there is any good news to come out of team headquarters, it’s that tackle Joe Staley returned to practice Wednesday. The 49ers will need all the bodies they can get this week, as they face the mightily-struggling New York Giants on Sunday.

Furthermore, linebacker Reuben Foster was a full participant in practice after being limited for the past several weeks, meaning that he is getting much closer to full strength. Meanehile, fullback Kyle Juszczyk was limited in practice Wednesday while nursing a neck injury while tight end George Kittle did not practice at all with his ankle injury and is not expected to play Sunday.

Meanwhile, for the 1-7 Giants, there has been some significant injury issues, as star receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. was lost for the season early on in the year, and they have struggled to find a rhythm ever since.

This may be the best chance for the 49ers to get a win, and after this game, they will go into their bye week before facing the Seattle Seahawks at home. They will then take on the Chicago Bears, Houston Texas, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams to close out the season.

Raiders host Seahawks Thursday in final preseason game; Lynch to play against former team

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Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (24) has a laugh on the sideline during the 2017 NFL week 3 preseason football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017 in Arlington, Tex. The Cowboys won the game 24-20. (Paul Spinelli via AP)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — With three preseason games now in the books, the Raiders (0-3) look to end the preseason on a high-note with a win over the visiting Seattle Seahawks Thursday night at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in both team’s preseason finale.

Seattle edged out the Raiders 23-21 in Oakland to close out the preseason schedule last year as both teams rested their starters, which should be the case again this preseason.

Sadly, Raider Nation won’t see new running back Marshawn Lynch carry the football against his former team. Lynch was the heartbeat for the Seahawks during his six seasons in Seattle where he help bring the franchise its first Super Bowl championship in 2013 before retiring after the 2015 season.

Lynch came out of retirement during the offseason and Seattle traded Lynch to his hometown team, where its been nothing but love for the former Oakland Technical High School and Berkeley running back.

Last week, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr looked sharp in Oakland’s 24-20 loss to the Cowboys in Dallas, completing 13-of-17 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to backup quarterback EJ Manuel late in the second quarter.

Carr, who saw the return of starting left tackle Donald Penn to the team following a 26-day holdout during training camp in search of a new contract, threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson that capped off a 10-play, 81-yard drive on Oakland’s first possession of the game.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper hauled in Carr’s second touchdown pass of the game, a 48-yard score that culminated a 4-play, 60-yard drive, faked out the camera man during the television broadcast. Cooper, who looks noticeably bigger in the upper-body to help beat the jam from cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage, led Oakland with 78 yards receiving and tied with Patterson with four catches in the game.

Defensively, Oakland still had some mental gaps in pass coverage but did see their defensive line create some pressure on the quarterback that was seemingly absent this preseason.

Rookie defensive tackle Treyvon Hester continues to make it hard for the coaches to cut him, sacking Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on a third-and-13 for a 12-yard loss that led to Dallas’ first punt of the game.

Hester’s three sacks during the preseason is tied for most in the NFL.

Fellow rookie, linebacker LaTroy Lewis had one of the bigger plays on the night.

On second-and-5 from the Oakland 26-yard line, reserve cornerback Antonio Hamilton sacked Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush and the fumble was returned by Lewis 65 yards for a touchdown.

The final game of the preseason will give Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio and his coaching staff more film to review before all 32 NFL teams must trim their official roster from 90- to 53-man on Sept. 2.

That means, guys like Hester, Lewis, and even rookie middle linebacker Marquel Lee (who still struggles getting off of blocks from offensive lineman), have to make every snap count on Thursday night against Seattle at 7:00 p.m. PT in front of Raider Nation.

Connor Cook and EJ Manuel, who are battling for the backup quarterback job behind Carr, will get extensive action this week. Cook completed 9-of-16 passes for 89 yards, while Manuel was just 2-of-4 for 8 yards against the Cowboys.

Shouldn’t be a surprise if Cook gets the start over Manuel, who was signed in the offseason as the logical backup to Carr, but Cook, who did make NFL history last year by becoming the first quarterback to make his debut in a postseason game, appears to be the front-runner to backup Carr.

Against Seattle last year in the preseason, Cook came into the game in the second quarter in place of former Raiders backup Matt McGloin and played well completing 15-of-30 passes for 145 yards, but did throw an interception that was returned by the Seahawks 42 yards for a touchdown.

Seattle (3-0) defeated Oakland’s bitter rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, 26-13, last week at CenturyLink Field. Super Bowl winning quarterback Russell Wilson completed 13-of-19 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown for Seattle in the first half of the game.

The Seahawks have won three of the last four NFC West crowns and enter 2017 as the favorite to win the division this year, thanks to a stout defense led by the “Legion of Boom” and the aforementioned Wilson, who has won at least one playoff game in each of his first five seasons as the starting quarterback for Seattle.

Both teams open up the 2017 regular season on the road, with Oakland traveling to Tennessee to take on the Titans in Nashville, and Seattle kicking off their schedule in Green Bay against the Packers.