Tag: Tom Brady

Raiders look for second half turnaround after bye week head to Mexico City Nov. 19th

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Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) signs autographs at the end of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Raiders defeated the Dolphins 27-24. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — With nine games in the books, the Raiders are 4-5 at the bye week. Coming into the 2017 season, not many people had the Silver and Black under .500 especially with the offensive talent the Raiders sport led by starting quarterback Derek Carr.

In eight games (Carr missed Week 5 with a back injury), Oakland’s signal-caller has thrown for 1,954 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Carr is completing a career-high 65.2-percent of his passes this season and is on pace for another 3,000-yard passing season (his fourth-straight).

As much as wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper get most of the praise in the passing game, it has been tight end Jared Cook that has proven to be Carr’s most trusted pass-catcher through the first half of the season.

Cook leads Oakland in receptions (39) and receiving yards (499) this season. The nine-year veteran is just 13 receptions away from tying his career-high of 52 he established in 2014 as a member of the then-St. Louis Rams, and is just 261 receiving yards away of from surpassing his career-high of 759 yards he set in his third season with the Tennessee Titans in 2011.

Cook caught a team-leading eight passes for 128 yards in Oakland’s 27-24 win in Miami last Sunday in prime time on NBC Sunday Night Football.

For Oakland, it was a much needed win coming off a 34-14 loss in Buffalo the previous Sunday, and entering Hard Rock Stadium having lost the previous five straight matchups to the Dolphins.

Despite struggling with dropping the football early in the season, Cooper is second on the team with 38 receptions for 462 yards and three touchdowns. His 11 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-30 victory over AFC West rival the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 helped snap Oakland’s four-game losing streak after starting the season 2-0.

Crabtree has 36 receptions for 451 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns, three of those scores came in Oakland 45-20 demolishing over the visiting New York Jets in Week 2.

Running back Marshawn Lynch leads the Raiders ground game with 323 yards rushing and four touchdowns this season. The Oakland-native hasn’t put up big numbers this season in his return to the football field after a year of retirement, but his ability to slow down the game and pick up first-downs could be key for the Raiders down the stretch.

If Oakland is leading in the fourth quarter, the ball should be fed to No. 24. No questions asked. Lynch had a bounce back performance against the Dolphins, rushing for 57 yards on 14 carries for two touchdowns after serving a one-game suspension the previous week for making contact with an official against the Chiefs in Week 7.

The NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year in defensive end Khalil Mack leads Oakland with 4.5 sacks this season and continues to be a terror to opposing offensive linemen, but its been the play of cornerback TJ Carrie that flies under the radar.

Carrie is tied with fellow secondary mates Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph for the team-lead with 50 tackles and has four passes defensed in eight games. The in-season pickup of inside linebacker NaVarro Bowman, who was released by the San Francisco 49ers after seven seasons on Oct. 13, has added a veteran presence and leader with big-game experience to the locker room.

In three games with the Raiders, Bowman has registered 32 tackles (11 tackles in back-to-back games and 10 tackles against the Dolphins), immediately paying dividends for Oakland.

But the fact that the Raiders haven’t recorded an interception through the team’s first nine games (an NFL record), is still a problem. The team’s top pick in last April’s NFL Draft  in cornerback Gareon Conley was expected to be a big part of the defense, but has only played in a handful of plays this year while battling shin splints.

For those of you who are wondering, the 1982 Houston Oilers own the record for fewest interceptions recorded by a defense in a season with three, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Along with the then-1982 Baltimore Colts, the 2005 edition of the Raiders are tied for second in NFL history recording just five interceptions.

When Oakland returns from the bye week, they will have to prepare for quarterback Tom Brady and the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots in Mexico City on Nov. 19.

The 40-year-old Brady is still going strong in his 18th season in the league, second among passers in yards (2,541) and touchdowns (16). His two interceptions are the second-fewest thrown by starting quarterbacks behind Kansas City’s Alex Smith, (league-high 18 touchdowns) who threw his first interception of the season in Week 9.

Before Oakland plays New England, the Raiders will be rooting for the Patriots (6-2) in Week 10, who travel to Denver to take on the Broncos (3-5) Sunday night at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on NBC’s Sunday Night Football in prime time.

 

Brady throws four touchdowns in return to the Bay, Niners lose for the ninth-consecutive time

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By Morris Phillips

As sure as grass and pigskin, Tom Brady’s return to the Bay Area as a football player—decades in the making—had the 39-year old superstar’s competitive juices flowing, yet it wasn’t always pretty—credit the 49ers’ defense—but was briefly spectacular.

With the 49ers trailing just 13-10 early in the fourth quarter, and attempting to build on five consecutive Patriots’ offensive possessions without allowing any points, time was still running out on the home team, facing Brady with second-and-goal from the five-yard line.  Pressure was the call on the play as Brady dropped back purposively looking to re-establish the Pats’ 10-point lead.

With two 49ers’ crashing through the middle, including top pick DeForrest Buckner lunging, then grabbing at Brady’s feet, the veteran quarterback spun away only to see defensive lineman Ronald Blair rushing free towards him with bad intentions.

So what did Brady do?  What could he do?

While falling backwards as not to have Blair send him to concussion protocol, Brady simply lofted a touchdown pass to Danny Amendola in the back of the end zone while the quarterback celebrated laying on his back.  Unique, ridiculous and—believe it or not–rehearsed, Brady delivered when little seemed possible.

“It depends on what coverage they are playing and we work on that drill every week.  He started scrambling and we all find a zone and try to get open,” Amendola said.

“Brady Vick,” Julian Edelman said, playfully describing his nimble quarterback.

Amendola’s touchdown allowed the Patriots to escape a tight ballgame late, and they went on to beat the 49ers, 30-17, sending the home team to their team record-tying ninth, consecutive loss, but even in the persistent rain, the 49ers—and Brady—at least provided something to watch.

The 49ers’ defense found effectiveness from a couple of sources: the nasty weather, and Brady being a little off in junctures of the game.  Brady targeted his Bay Area buddy, Edelman, 17 times, but only connected eight times with the shifty receiver, illustrating the number of passes he overthrew or missed.

But according to New England coach Bill Belichick, the 49ers also found effectiveness in crashing safeties Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea at the snap, and outnumbering the Patriots in the run game repeatedly.  Did it show in the final numbers?  Not so much, as LeGarrette Blount became the latest opposing runner to surpass 100 yards rushing (124) against the Niners’ run defense.  But during the second half stretch where the Patriots struggled to mount drives, the strategy worked, and Belichick took note, even mentioning that along with the safeties, the 49ers also brought corner Tramaine Brock right behind one of the safeties on several snaps.

Veteran problem solvers like Brady and Belichick can only be fooled for so long, and that was the case on Sunday.  After those five, fruitless possessions, the Patriots closed the game with 17 points, scoring on three of their next four possessions.  But the 49ers’ offense may have been just as much to blame as the defense.

“He’s going to make the plays he’s going to make, and that’s what he did today.  He’s Tom Brady,” 49ers’ linebacker Ahmad Brooks said.

Colin Kaepernick started well on Sunday, completing 8 of 9 passes for 117 yards a touchdown in the first half.  But again, after halftime, Kap struggled with accuracy, missing on 13 of his final 21 throws.  Whether fatigue, or shifting defensive principles after halftime, Kaepernick has struggled after halftime in all of his starts, especially with pass accuracy.

Consequently, the 49ers did little to take advantage of how close the score was heading into the fourth quarter, punting on six, straight possessions after they climbed within three points before halftime, and only changing that pattern with a late, meaningless touchdown.

While both teams entered Sunday’s contest with issues pressuring opposing quarterbacks, only the 49ers’ issues continued.  Kaepernick was sacked five times—by five different Patriots—while Brady was dumped just once.  Experience, shifting schemes, or happenstance, the Patriots helped themselves in this regard, while the 49ers did not.

Afterwards, Brady lauded the experience of playing professionally in the Bay Area for the first time, and mentioned his pre-game conversation with 49ers’ assistant Tom Rathman, one of Brady’s favorite players as a youth growing up in San Mateo.

“They have a great organization, they always have,” Brady said of the 49ers and the experience of being back home.  “They inspired a lot of kids here in the Bay Area in my time growing up, and I was one of them.”

Edelman, the Woodside High graduate, second Brady’s thoughts, saying “I was a huge fan.  I still like to see them do well, just not when they play us.  It was a great experience.”

The 49ers travel to Miami next week to take on the suddenly-hot Dolphins who have won four straight.  When you’ve won just one ballgame all season, all challenges seem daunting, and this one no less.  In fact, the Dolphins have more in California (twice, at the Chargers and Rams) then the 49ers (once).

 

Oakland looks to avoid 0-3 start travelling to Foxborough

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — At 0-2, the Oakland Raiders finds themselves quickly swimming upstream this year.

OK, you can say that it’s early in the NFL season and half the League is 1-1 or 0-2 but for the Raiders, it feels like they’re 0-4.

David Carr has played steady in his first two career starts, but has shown at times to be wild with the passes. Carr has thrown for 414 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions, one of which came while getting hit on the throw.

The running game has been non-existent in two games, averaging a pedestrian 63 yards rushing per game, 31st in the League ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars (44.5 rushing yards per game).

Running backs Maurice Jones-Drew (9 carries, 11 rushing yards,1.2 yards per carry, 0 TDs) and Darren McFadden (16 carries, 52 carries, 3.3 yards per carry, 1 TD) need to get it going and take some of the pressure off of Carr. MJD underwent a procedure on his broken right hand last week and didn’t suit up Sunday.

Monday the team added former San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Brown to an already questionable receiving corps, that includes James Jones, Rod Streater, Denarius Moore, and Andre Holmes.

Brown caught 41 passes for 472 yards and a touchdown for San Diego last season, after missing 2012 with a broken ankle. 

Jones leads the team with 12 catches, for 146 yards receiving, and two touchdowns, but 112 of those yards came in the team’s home opener, a 30-14 loss to the Houston Texans.

Defensively, the team is not good, ranking 32nd in most categories most notably, against the run. Oakland has given up 100 yards on the ground in back-to-back weeks, and have gotten manhandled upfront.

The expected strength of the team with key veteran additions such as defensive end Justin Tuck, linebacker LaMarr Woodley, cornerbacks  Terrell Brown and Carlos Rogers, it looks like Father Time has finally caught up with them.

“We suck…I’m embarrased,” veteran safety Charles Woodson said after Sunday’s 30-14 loss to the visiting Houston Texans.

Oakland’s play needs to improve, according to Raiders head coach, Dennis Allen, whose job is clearly on the hot seat as he sports an 8-26 record.

“Well, we need to go out and prove it on the field,” Allen said Wednesday during his weekly press conference.

“Like I said the other day, the talk is cheap. We’ve got to go out and play well. I think we’ve got more talent on this football team and we need to go out there and play like it on Sunday.”

The team will have another opportunity to get their first win of the season Sunday, when Oakland travels to Foxborough to take on the 1-1 New England Patriots, led by Tom Brady and mastermind head coach, Bill Belichick.

Belichick (per CSNCalifornia.com Raiders Insider, Scott Bair)  expects to see a different Raiders team than the one he saw tape on against Houston.

“Based on the comments that I’ve seen out of there and the leadership that they have on that team, the veterans that they have on that team, I’m sure that we’ll come in here and we won’t see the team we saw against Houston last week,”  Belichick said.

“That’s what we’re getting ready for – we’re getting ready for their best game. I don’t think the Houston game was probably it.”

New England is coming off a comfortable victory Sunday, 30-7, in Minnesota. The Patriots defense abused former Brady understudy, Matt Cassell, intercepting the Vikings quarterback four times and sacking him six times, that prompted the home crowd to chant “Teddy!” “Teddy!” in hopes to see rookie backup quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater.

Linebacker Dont’a Hightower and defensive end Chandler Jones each recorded two sacks.

Oakland, who currently sport the longest losing streak in the League (eight consecutive games dating back to November of last year),  is going to have its work cut out for them Sunday against a Patriots team that were 9-0 at home last season, including the playoffs.

New England has won the past three straight games against the Silver and Black, who have dropped 12 of 13 on the road.

Catch the game on CBS at 10 a.m.

Players to Watch:

Oakland: Quarterback Derek Carr. Carr will need to make smart decisions with the football, especially with former All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis lurking in the secondary. Carr completed 27 of 42 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown, but with two interceptions in Sunday’s loss to Houston.

New England: Running back Stevan Ridley. Ridley ran through the Vikings defense, carrying the ball 25 times for 101 yards and a touchdown. Ridley only had 21 yards rushing on eight carries in the Patriots 33-20 loss in Miami in Week 1.