Raiders hold off Bengals, 17-10

Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — In a game where the Silver and Black entered the contest an almost two-touchdown favorite, the Raiders narrowly escaped with a 17-10 victory over the winless Cincinnati Bengals Sunday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Quarterback Derek Carr threw for 292 yards and a touchdown, while adding rushing for another score as the Raiders (6-4) completed a three-game sweep at home to move into a first-place tie with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.

Kansas City (6-4) will play the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City on Monday Night Football.

Carr completed 25-of-29 passes and an interception in the contest.

With Oakland trailing Cincinnati 7-0 in the second quarter after running back Joe Mixon scored the Bengals’ first rushing touchdown of the season by a running back, Carr engineered an 11-play, 91-yard drive in 7:07 that was punctuated by a 3-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight Foster Moreau that tied the game at 7-7.

After forcing the Bengals to punt on the following drive, Carr led Oakland on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ate up 3:39 that resulted in a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Carr who went airborne at the goal line before crashing into the end zone that gave the Silver and Black a 14-7 lead.

Rookie running back Josh Jacobs continues to be a bellcow for Oakland, rushing for 112 yards on 23 carries. It was the fourth time in the last six weeks that Jacobs, a heavy favorite for AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year, rushed for over 100 yards.

Jacobs’ first fumble of the season would set up Cincinnati’s on touchdown in the game.

Oakland’s defense dominated Cincinnati’s offense, registering five sacks, forcing and recovering one fumble, and an interception. The defense was relentless against Bengals rookie quarterback Ryan Finley.

Fellow rookie, defensive end Maxx Crosby recorded a team rookie-record four sacks and finished with five tackles (4 solo) and three tackles for a loss. It was by far Crosby’s best game as a pro. He had a sack and forced fumble to end Cincinnati’s first drive, dropped Finley again in the third quarter and then sacked him twice in the fourth.

Finley completed 13-of-31 passes for 115 yards.

The Bengals are continuing to spiral down the drain as the only winless team in the NFL. Its the second time in Cincinnati’s history that the team has started a season 0-10, matching the 1993 team for the worst start in franchise history.

Coincidentally, it was the Raiders in 1993 that allowed the Bengals to earn their first win of the season but didn’t allow lighting to strike twice today.

With Cincinnati trailing 17-10 in the final minutes of the game, rookie cornerback Trayvon Mullen’s interception sealed the win for the Silver and Black. It was the third-straight game that Oakland’s defense closed out the game with a big stop.

The Raiders look to extend their winning streak to four games, as they will travel east in Week 12 to take on the New York Jets next Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ to begin a two-game road trip.

The Jets (3-7) demolished Washington (1-9), 34-17, at FedEx Field Sunday behind 293 yards and four touchdown passes from second-year quarterback Sam Darnold.

Fantasy Football Doctors Podcast: NFL Week 14 – Let’s win this week!

Your hosts: Dr. Vasu Vaddiparty & Dr. Charlie O

• Who are QBs that you should start this week?

• Derek Carr could have a big game versus the Bengals

• Can Josh Allen humble the Dolphins?

• Will veteran Philip Rivers handle the Chiefs?

• Is Jimmy Garoppolo worth a start?

• Tevin Coleman could be the hot RB start this week

• Will Joe Mixon have a good day versus the Raiders?

• Should you sit Sony Michel?

• The Bills’ John Brown may be the best play at WR Sunday

• Oakland’s Tyrell Williams is looking for a big day versus Cincy

• The Niners’ Deebo Samuel maybe a right play this week

  The doctors have a wealth of information for you designed to help you win your matchup this week. Push play and win!

Sloppy Raiders lose to Bengals in Cincinnati, 30-16

Photo credit: mercurynews.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

The Raiders were looking to win back-to-back games for the first time this season but failed to do so, losing to the Bengals 30-16 on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.

Oakland (3-11) is now 1-6 on the road this season.

Quarterback Derek Carr completed 21-of-38 passes for 263 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. It was the ninth straight game that Carr didn’t throw an interception in a game. But Carr almost did throw an interception in the first quarter on Oakland’s first possession of the game, but Bengals safety Shawn Williams dropped the ball.

In the game, Carr moved past Rich Gannon for the most consecutive passes without an interception (277) in team history on his 14th pass.

Gannon established the franchise record back in 2001.

But it took the Raiders six possessions to score their first touchdown of the game, a 1-yard pass from Carr to tight end Lee Smith in the second quarter with Oakland already down 17-0. Smith, who is known more for his blocking, has scored a touchdown in three-straight games.

Oakland’s first five possessions of the game went like this: punt, a fumble by Carr, punt, punt, a fumble by running back Jalen Richard inside of their own territory and punt. The Raiders lost both fumbles leading to 10 points for Cincinnati.

Behind a makeshift offensive line that was missing left guard Kelechi Osemele, Cincinnati applied pressure to Carr throughout the game, sacking him five times and hitting him seven times on throws. Star defensive tackle Geno Atkins had three sacks and defensive end Sam Hubbard recorded two sacks and a forced fumble.

Carr, who has eight fumbles on the year, lost a fumble for the sixth time this season, establishing a new career-high.

The Raiders finished with eight penalties for 90 yards.

With the Bengals keying in on Carr’s top target in tight end Jared Cook, Jordy Nelson was Oakland’s leading pass catcher Sunday finishing with six catches for 88 yards. Cook, who is in his 10th season in the league (his second in Oakland), had just two catches for 23 yards after catching seven passes for 116 yards.

Cook came into Sunday’s contest with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games is enjoying his finest season this year, with career-highs in catches (63), yards (848) and touchdowns (six) and could be headed to his first Pro Bowl.

Second-year Running back Joe Mixon had a big day for the Bengals (6-8), scoring two touchdowns in the game and rushing for over 100 yards for the second-straight week. Mixon rushed for 129 yards on 27 carries against the Raiders after rushing for 111 yards on 26 carries in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Before suffering a knee injury in the first half that would sideline him for the rest of the day, third-year wide receiver Tyler Boyd would eclipse 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

Boyd finished with just four catches for 38 yards and a touchdown, but he became just the first wide receiver not named A.J. Green to record a 1,000-yard season — and not since Chad Johnson in 2009 — to do so, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Green is currently on injured reserve with a foot injury.

Third-year quarterback Jeff Driskel struggled in his third start since taking over for starter Andy Dalton (hand), who is also on injured reserve. Driskel did find Boyd on a 7-yard score for the game’s first score, but finished 14-of-33 for 130 yards and an interception.

Next week, the Raiders return home to take on their AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve in what could be the final game ever for the Raiders in Oakland. 

The Raiders don’t have a signed lease to play at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for 2019.

Denver (6-8) fell to the visiting Cleveland Browns 17-16 at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Saturday.

Raiders are off to Cincinnati for matchup against Bengals on Sunday

Photo credit: wsj.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Raiders are seeking back-to-back wins for the first time this season, as they prepare to head East where they will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15 action. The contest will conclude the Raiders’ regular season schedule against the AFC North, as they are 2-1 against the division in 2018.

Sunday will mark just the first meeting between the two teams since 2015, and Oakland’s first visit to Paul Brown Stadium since 2012. In 28 meetings, the Raiders are 18-10 against the Bengals all-time, with Cincinnati winning the last two encounters.

Kickoff is at 10:00 a.m. PT.

Last week, the Raiders improved to 3-10 on the season, knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers from the AFC North, 24-21 in come-from-behind fashion in front of a frenzy crowd at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

The Raiders wouldn’t be denied the victory as quarterback Derek Carr engineered an 8-play, 75-yard drive that was punctuated by touchdown pass to tight end Derek Carrier for the eventual game-winner after the Steelers missed a potential game-tying field goal from 39 yards away as time expired.

Carr finished the game with a blistering 122.4 passer rating after completing 25-of-34 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns. It was Carr’s 16th comeback victory in his career. No other player has more comebacks since 2014, Carr’s rookie season.

After a rocky start to the season in which he threw 10 touchdowns and a eight interceptions through Weeks 1-8, Carr has rebounded tremendously since throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions since. Carr hasn’t thrown an interception in his last 261 attempts, the second most by a quarterback this season.

Tight end Jared Cook has been the Raiders most trusted playmaker this season.

Against the Steelers, Cook recorded his second-straight 100-yard receiving day, tallying 116 yards on seven catches. It was Cook’s fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season, which is second-most by a tight end this season.

In his second season with Oakland, the nine-year veteran is having his most productive season, with career-highs in catches (61), yards (825), and touchdowns (six). With three games left in the season, Cook has a chance to challenge Todd Christensen’s club record of 1,153 receiving yards by a tight end set in 1986.

Defensively, linebacker Tahir Whitehead recorded his first interception of the season for the Raiders and finished with 10 tackles (six solo). Whitehead now has 103 tackles for the season, giving him his third-straight season of at least 100 tackles.

With season-ending injuries to franchise quarterback Andy Dalton (hand) and superstar wide receiver A.J. Green (foot),  the Bengals (5-8), are a shell of themselves and currently are riding a five-game losing streak.

Cincinnati fell to the Los Angeles Chargers 26-21 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. in Week 14. Second-year running back Joe Mixon has been one of the lone bright spots for the Bengals this season and his game against the Chargers proved that.

Against the Chargers, Mixon carried the ball 26 times for 111 yards and a touchdown, giving him 866 rushing yards and six touchdowns this season. Barring major injury the rest of the season, Mixon should record his first 1,000-yard rushing season.

Following Sunday’s game, the Raiders will return home to take on their AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve in what could be the final home game in Oakland for the Raiders.

The City of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the franchise this week for their move to Las Vegas in 2020. The Raiders don’t have a lease signed to play at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for 2019.

Sunday’s game against the Raiders will the Bengals’ home-finale, as they will finish up on the road in Week’s 16 and 17 against the Cleveland Browns and Steelers, respectively.