Las Vegas Raiders game wrap: Raiders snap 3 game skid edge Cowboys in OT 36-33

Las Vegas Raiders back up quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) got into the end zone on a carry in the second half of the game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington against the Dallas Cowboys on Thu Nov 25, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

Las Vegas Raiders beat reporter

It took about a month for the Las Vegas Raiders to get the taste of losing out of their mouths with an overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington 36-33 on Thursday night.

You’d have to go back to Sun Oct 24th when the Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 33-22 when they last won a game. After that game they had a bye week lost two key players to unforeseen circumstances in Henry Ruggs and Damon Arnette during that week that could have knocked any team off the rails and make them miss an opportunity at post season.

The Raiders would lose three straight games to New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. After that Bengals loss critics really wonder when the Raiders would win another game. The wait wouldn’t be long. The victory against the Cowboys on Thursday night really gave the Silver and Black some light in their playoff hope tunnel as it were and at least looking to start playing close to get within striking distance of their opponents.

The Raiders held the lead for most of the game and to come away with a win like this against the Cowboys on a Thanksgiving Day you’d have to go all the way back to 1968 proceeding that year the Raiders lost the next two Thanksgiving dates with Dallas but got back in the win column in overtime Thursday after Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson booted a 29 yard overtime field goal to get the Raiders over the hump for the three point win.

For the Cowboys the loss marks their third loss in games when they went overtime and this is the sixth overtime game in Thanksgiving Day history. One of the key reasons why the Raiders won this game is the defense played such a key role in the first three quarters of the game the Raiders held the Cowboys to a single digit in scoring for each quarter. Each time the Cowboys would get close to the red zone the Raiders would close the gap on them and force a turnover.

The other cause for the loss was the four pass interference calls that Cowboys cornerback Anthony Brown got while defending the Raiders. On the fourth interference call on Brown came in overtime that put the ball in great field position for Carlson to be able to kick the 29 yard winner and take the Raiders home.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr also had a great afternoon under center throwing 24-39 for 373 yards passing getting one touchdown. Carr didn’t allow a turnover and held onto the rock when he got sacked two times. Carr avoided moving the chains and relied on his receivers including Desean Jackson whose made a difference. Jackson three catches for 102 yards and one touchdown.

The Cowboys falling against AFC West opponents like they did last Sunday to the Kansas City Chiefs 19-9. The Raiders jumped right in with a big lead in the beginning, keeping that lead all the way until almost the end of the game.

Carr had a tremendous leadership role in leading the team really the whole game in big third down conversions all game long. Jackson had a great game at receiver and seems to be fitting in really well with the Raiders in that one two tandem of wide receiver with Zay Jones. It seems to be working out at the wide receiver angle along with wide receiver Bryan Edwards who helped out with one reception and 12 yards.

The Raiders now will have ten days off and play the Washington Football Team (4-6) coming in to Allegiant Stadium in a real big game on Sun Dec 5th. For the Raiders who have their eye on trying to get a shot at post season. Washington had a four game losing streak going before winning two in a row against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) and Carolina Panthers (5-6). The Panthers being Washington’s most recent win.

Rich is a Raiders beat writer and join Rich Fridays for the Raiders podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.

Jaguars leave sour taste in Raiders’ mouth, close out the Coliseum with 20-16 win

Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — After their offense was nonexistent for the first three quarters of the game and trailing 16-6 heading into the final frame, the Jacksonville Jaguars woke up in the fourth quarter, behind two touchdown passes from rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew to wide receiver Chris Conley to slip past the Raiders, 20-16 on Sunday afternoon in the final game at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum for the Silver and Black.

With the win, the Jaguars (5-9) snapped their five-game losing streak and extended the Raiders’ losing streak to four games, dropping the Silver and Black’s record to 6-8. The Raiders entered the game on a three-game losing streak, in which they lost by an average of 21 points.

The Raiders are moving into a brand new home, Allegiant Stadium, in Las Vegas starting in the 2020 season. The Silver and Black’s $2 billion home is located right off the Vegas Strip and is expected to be one of the finest facilities in all of the NFL.

The Raiders weren’t able to give their loyal fans one more victory at their long-time home at 7000 Coliseum Way, a place that has seen some great football from 1966-1981 before moving to Los Angeles in 1982-1994, then returning to Oakland in 1995 until today, Dec. 15, 2019.

Oakland jumped on the Jaguars early, thanks to a 40-yard touchdown throw from Derek Carr to wide receiver Tyrell Williams that capped off a 7-play, 75-yard drive that to gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. On their opening drive to start the game, Carr completed 3-of-3 passes for 59 yards and the touchdown.

The Raiders jumped out to a 16-3 lead and looked comfortable for most of the game, but saw its defense fall completely apart in the fourth quarter allowing Jacksonville to score 14 unanswered points in the final minutes to snatch the game.

Minshew, who completed 17-of-29 passes for 201 yards on the day, drove the Jaguars 79 yards to cut Oakland’s lead, 16-13, behind a 6-yard touchdown throw to Conley with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter.

Oakland tried to run the clock out and got a pair of first-downs on runs by running back Josh Jacobs and quarterback Derek Carr. But Carr was ruled out of bounds with 2:05 left in the fourth quarter as he tried to slide down inbound, sparing Jacksonville from using their final timeout.

Oakland then got a delay of game in the confusion and wide receiver Tyrell Williams dropped a third-down pass. Kicker Daniel Carlson then missed a 50-yard field goal only to get another chance after Parry Nickerson was called for running into the kicker.

Carlson missed again from 45 yards and the Jaguars took over at the 35 with 1:44 to go. Minshew moved them down the field and connected with Conley on the 4-yard score with 31 seconds left giving Jacksonville their first and only lead of the game, 20-16.

The Raiders drove the ball to the Jacksonville 40 yard line, but Carr’s desperation heave to the end zone in the closing seconds fall to the Coliseum turf.

Carr completed 22-of-36 passes for 267 yards and one touchdown, but was sacked three times by the Jaguars. Tight end Darren Waller finished with eight catches for 122 yards, but 109 yards came in the first half.

Oakland was dominant on offense, racking up 364 yards total, 27 first-downs, and controlled the game for 34 minutes. Defensively, Oakland limited Jacksonville to just 262 yards of total offense, 17 first-downs and limited the Jaguars to 26 minutes of ball control.

After the game, several Raiders, including Carr, walked to the Black Hole to thank the fans, many of whom booed Carr and the Raiders as the team exited the field for the final time.

It wasn’t the way that Raider Nation wanted to send out the Coliseum, on a day that was very emotional for many diehard Raiders fans. The sour taste that this loss leaves in the mouths of Raider Nation will take quite a while to wash out.

Up next for the Raiders: a trip to Carson to take on the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday in Week 16.

For the Jaguars: a visit to Atlanta to face the Falcons.

Carr throws two touchdowns in Raiders’ 31-24 win

photo from sfgate.com: Indianapolis Colts safety Khari Willis (37) breaks up a pass intended for Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tyrell Williams (16) during the first half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Sept. 29

By Jeremy Kahn

In the midst of their road trip, the Oakland Raiders road swing headed to Americas Heartland, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Derek Carr went 21-for-31 for 189 yards and 189, helping the Raiders break their two-game losing streak with a 31-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Carr took the Raiders down the field on their first series of the game, as he threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Foster Moreau that ended a 16-play 75-yard drive to give the Raiders an early 7-0 lead.

After the Colts were forced were forced to punt after going three-and-out on their first series of the drive, Trevor Davis quickly made it 14-0, when he took a Carr handoff and scampered 60 yards to the end zone just 10 seconds after taking the punt to the Raiders 40-yard line.

Jacoby Brissett, who was forced into the Colts number 1 position at quarterback when Andrew Luck abruptly retired during the preseason cut the Raiders down to 14-7, as he found tight end Jack Doyle for a five-yard touchdown pass.

Despite the loss, Brissett went 24-for-46 for 265 yards, throwing three touchdowns and was intercepted once.

After the Brissett to Doyle connection for a touchdown, Carr once again gave the Raiders a 14-point lead, as he found Tyrell Williams for a 19-yard touchdown pass.

Veteran Adam Vinatieri then cut the Raiders lead to 21-10 nearly half way thru the second quarter, as he connected for a 26-yard field goal.

On their first series of the third quarter, Daniel Carlson kicked a 26-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 14-point lead for the third time on the afternoon.

Like before, the Raiders, could not put the Colts away, as Brissett found Chester Rogers for a four-yard touchdown pass to cut the Raiders down to seven once again.

It looked like the Raiders put the game away, when Erik Harris picked off a Brissett pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with just 2:09 remaining in the game.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, that was not the case, as Eric Ebron caught a 48-yard touchdown pass from Brissett with 70 seconds in the game.

Following a failed onside kick, Carr kneeled to end the game and the Raiders escaped with a seven-point victory.

Rookie Josh Jacobs led the Raiders in rushing with 79 yards rushing on 17 carries.

NOTES: Vontez Burfict was ejected from the second quarter, as he was called for unnecessary roughness for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Doyle. Burficts ejection came after the officials reviewed the penalty.

UP NEXT: Even though it is a home game for the Raiders, the game will be played in London, as the Raiders will face the Chicago Bears and former teammate Khalil Mack on October 6.

Mahomes throws for four touchdowns in Chiefs’ 28-10 win

photo from sfgate.com:  Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) calls out the audibles during Sunday’s game at the Oakland Coliseum against the Oakland Raiders

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND — Patrick Mahomes continues his magical run thru the NFL, and it was another impressive showing on Sunday afternoon.

Mahomes went 30-for-44 for 443 yards with four touchdowns, as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 28-10 before a crowd of 52,748 at the Coliseum.

The second-year quarterback put on a show in the second quarter, as he threw four touchdowns in the quarter and the Chiefs took a 28-10 lead into the locker room at the end of the first half.

Demarcus Robinson caught six passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns, including two in the second quarter that helped the Chiefs overcome a 10-0 deficit.

Robinson was the receiving end of a Mahomes 44-yard touchdown pass with just five seconds gone into the second quarter, and then a 39-yard touchdown pass seven seconds after the Raiders punted the ball.

In the second quarter alone, the Chiefs gained exactly 300 yards and scored four touchdowns to take a 28-10 lead into the halftime.

Derek Carr went 23-for-38 for 198 yards passing, one touchdown and two interceptions on the afternoon.

Rookie Josh Jacobs continues to impress, as he carried the ball 12 times, while gaining 99 yards on the game.

Tyrell Williams caught a four-yard pass from Carr that gave the Raiders a 10-0 early in the first quarter.

Daniel Carlson got the Raiders on the board on their first series of the game, as he kicked a 28-yard field goal to give the Raiders an early 3-0 lead.

Mecole Hardman also caught a touchdown pass that gave the Chiefs the lead for good, as Mahomes found Hardman for a 42-yard touchdown that ended a 14 play 95-yard drive that took 6:32 off the clock.

Hardman caught three passes off the clock, as the Chiefs improved to 2-0 on the season, while the Raiders fall to 1-1 after the first two weeks of the season.

LeSean McCoy, who was picked up on waivers by the Chiefs after he was released by the Buffalo Bills led the team in rushing, as he carried the 11 times for 23 yards.

Bashaud Breeland led the Chiefs with eight tackles, while Daryl Worley and Tahir Whitehead led the Raiders with seven tackles.

Gareon Conley picked up three tackles just one week after he sustained a neck injury in Mondays 24-16 victory over the Denver Broncos.

NOTES: Mahomes threw for 278 yards in the decisive second quarter were the most by a quarterback since Drew Brees threw for 294 yards in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons on December 9, 2008.

Carr passed Ken Stabler as the all-time leading passer in Raiders history, as he connected for a 16-yard pass to Darren Waller in the second quarter. In just his sixth season in the NFL, Carr has thrown for 19,196 yards.

UP NEXT: This is the last Raiders home game with the baseball configuration ever, as the team is scheduled to open Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in 2020.

The Raiders’ next game in the Coliseum will be on November 3 against the Detroit Lions; however, the Raiders will be the home for their Sunday evening game against the Chicago Bears on October 6 in London.

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Is the Raiders’ comeback against Green Bay in Winnipeg still significant even though it’s preseason?

Photo credit: @Raiders

On the Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes:

#1 It may be just preseason, but there is something in the air in the Oakland Raiders dressing room — an excitement, and the anxiousness to get out on the field and do the job. The Raiders, who trailed to the Green Bay Packers up until the last few seconds of Thursday Night Football, came back and got kicker Daniel Carlson in kicking range to boot a game-winning field goal to get the Raiders their third straight preseason victory.

#2 Hard work and determination really goes into a win like the one the Raiders played on Thursday. Even though head coach Jon Gruden is using different rookies, players busting their tails to get a job on the team, and new faces who played their hearts out but were left with no choice but to be cut after a game like this.

#3 Talk about the field, it was a 80-yard field on Winnipeg and the 10-yard line is where the goal line. Did the CFL field kind of ruin the NFL game as the players had to convert their play to fit the field?

#4 There were no kickoffs in the game and the team who won the toss would start at the 25, how much of a difference did this make?

#5 The Raiders started Nathan Peterman, who completed 22 out of 36 passes for 230 yards, and Derek Carr sat out this one. How impressive did Peterman look and what are his chances as being the Raiders backup?

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

Raiders travel to the East Coast to face the Ravens

Photo credit: reviewjournal.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The Raiders hit the road once again as they will travel East to take on a tough Baltimore Ravens team to close out Thanksgiving Weekend. The Week 12 matchup will mark the fourth consecutive year that the two teams have clashed, with Oakland winning two of the last three contests, including a thrilling 28-27 victory in 2016 at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore won last year’s meeting 30-17 in Oakland.

Kickoff for the 11th meeting is this Sunday, Nov. 25 at 10:00 a.m. PT. The Ravens lead the all-time series, 7-3.

Last week, the Raiders (2-8) defeated the Arizona Cardinals 23-21 at State Farm Stadium.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr earned his 15th career fourth quarter comeback, engineering an impressive 9-play, 63-yard drive in the final minutes of the game, capped off by rookie kicker Daniel Carlson’s 35-yard game-winning field goal through the uprights as time expired.

The win snapped Oakland’s five-game losing streak and more importantly, shinned a little light on what has been a dark season for the Silver and Black with the losses mounting up week after week.

Carr finished the game completing 19-of-31 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions with a 100.6 passer rating. His two touchdowns against the Cardinals moved him past Rich Gannon (114) for third on the club’s all-time list with 115, trailing only Daryle Lamonica (148) and Ken Stabler (150).

For Carlson, his three made field goals on the day from 49 (career-long), 21, and 35 yards (first career game-winner) earned him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. His 11 points (two made extra points) were also a career-high and were the most among kickers in the AFC in Week 11.

Defensively, cornerback Gareon Conley and safety Karl Joseph each recorded an interception that led to touchdowns on ensuing drives, and rookie defensive tackle Maurice Hurst tallied a sack for the second consecutive week, bringing his total to four on the season and elevating him to second among rookie defenders in the NFL.

After coming of their bye week, the Ravens defeated their AFC North rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals 24-21 in Week 11 at M&T Bank Stadium snapping their three-game losing streak.

Baltimore’s offense was paced by two rookies in quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Gus Edwards.

Jackson did throw one interception in the game, but showed why he was a dual-threat quarterback at Louisville, completing 13-of-19 passes for 150 yards and rushing for 119 yards on 26 carries (team-high) in his first career start in place of franchise quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco was inactive for last week’s game due to a injured hip.

Edwards, an undrafted rookie from Rutgers University, rushed for a career-high 115 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown.

Following Sunday’s game, the Raiders will return home for two weeks to take on two first-place teams in the AFC, as they will host their AFC West rivals the Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) in Week 13, and the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2-1) in Week 14.

The Ravens (5-5) who trail the Steelers in the AFC North, hit the road for back-to-back games against the Atlanta Falcons (4-6) in Week 13 and the Chiefs in Week 14.

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Can Raiders carry that good win feeling into Baltimore this Sunday?

Photo credit: raiderswire.usatoday.com

On the Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe:

#1 The Oakland Raiders win over the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday certainly brightened thing up for the Raiders and ended their five-game losing streak in Arizona last Sunday.

#2 The Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and head coach Jon Gruden had a sideline disagreement. It was just one of those things.

#3 The Raiders battled back to catch the Cardinals. Will this be a fixture of their work ethic?

#4 Joe tells us about kicker Daniel Carlson’s game-winning field goal last Sunday and what it means to the team.

#5 The Raiders try to keep it going in Baltimore this Sunday against the Ravens. Joe tells us how he sees this matchup.

Joe Hawkes Beamon does the Oakland Raiders podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com