Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez: Incognito announces his retirement after 15 yrs in NFL; ex-punter King says ex-coach Gruden hated him

Former Las Vegas Raider Richie Incognito announced his retirement Thu Jul 14, 2022 and said he was retiring a Raider after playing for four different teams and 15 years in the NFL (AP News photo)

On the Raiders podcast with Rich Perez:

#1 Las Vegas Raiders guard Richie Incognito a four time Pro Bowler has announced his retirement from the Raiders and football.

#2 Incognito played for four different NFL teams but said after playing 15 years he wanted to retire a Raider saying that “I love the Raiders organization, and Mr. Davis means the world to me. It’s why after four teams and 15 years, I’m retiring a Raider.”

#3 Former Oakland Raider Marqutte King says the reason why former head coach Jon Gruden let him go in 2018 was purely because of Gruden’s hate for King. King said Gruden never even spoke to him and that Gruden let King go simply because he hated King.

#4 At one time King was one of the most exciting punters in the NFL, King with his athletic ability and was a favorite among the fans.

#5 Raiders quarterback Derrick Carr said he was very excited about working with running back Josh Jacobs saying he’s one of the best running backs and has worked very hard to get into shape for the 2022 season.

Rich Perez is a Las Vegas Raiders beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Raiders head down south for final matchup with the Chargers this year

Photo credit: @Raiders

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — With their final regular-season home game of 2019 in their rear view mirror, the Raiders will travel south to Los Angeles to face the Chargers in an AFC West battle at ROKiT Field at Dignity Health Sports Park in Week 16. Sunday’s game marks the final game between the two clubs this season, with the Raiders winning the first meeting, 26-24, back in Week 10 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The win for the Raiders gave the Silver and Black a 63-54-2 advantage over the Chargers in the all-time series.

Kickoff for Sunday’s game is set for 1:05 p.m. PT with Greg Gumbel and Trent Green on the call, and Melanie Collins reporting from the sidelines.

In Week 15, the Raiders snatched defeat from the clutches of victory, losing to the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars 20-16 in the final home game for the Silver and Black in Oakland to fall to 6-8 on the year. The Raiders held a 16-6 lead in the fourth quarter, before the Jaguars scored 14 unanswered points thanks to two touchdowns from rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew to wide receiver Chris Conley to steal the victory from Oakland.

For Oakland, tight end Darren Waller became just the second tight end in franchise history with 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, joining TE Todd Christensen (1983-84, 1986). In the contest, Waller recorded eight catches for 122 yards, tying a club record among tight ends for most 100-yard receiving games (four).

Rookie running back Josh Jacobs rushed for 89 yards on 24 carries, giving him 1,150 rushing yards on the season. Jacobs has the sixth-best rushing season in franchise history, and is the only rookie in team history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.

Defensively, rookie defensive end Maxx Crosby continues be an anchor on the defensive line for Oakland, recording a sack giving him 8.5 for the season. Crosby, who ranks third among rookies in sacks behind 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (9.0) and Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen (10.0), needs just three more sacks in the final two games to move past defensive end Greg Townsend’s club record 10.5 sacks established in 1983.

The Chargers are coming off a game that they would like to forget, a 39-10 beating at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings at home in Week 15 to fall to 5-9 on the year.

Los Angeles shot themselves in the foot, committing seven turnovers in the game, four coming from quarterback Philip Rivers. Rivers, who threw for 307 yards on 28-of-39 passing and one touchdown, also threw three interceptions and one lost fumble.

Not to be outdone by Rivers, running back Melvin Gordon had a turnover filled day against the Vikings, lost two fumbles after rushing for just 28 yards on seven carries.

Following Sunday’s game, the Raiders will finish their 2019 season in the Mile High City where they will take on the Denver Broncos.

The Chargers will travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs to conclude their season.

Raiders to host the Jaguars in final home game of 2019

Photo credit: bleacherreport.com

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The Raiders end their 2019 regular season home schedule in Week 15 as they will host the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday Dec. 15. This will mark the first time since 2016 that these teams have met each other in the regular season, when the Raiders traveled to northeast Florida and defeated the Jaguars 33-16 for Oakland’s first-ever road win in the series.

The all-time series is tied at four games apiece, with the Raiders riding a three-game winning streak dating back to 2012.

Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT with Kevin Harlan and Trent Green calling the action from the booth, and John Schriffen patrolling the sidelines.

The Raiders took one on the chin last Sunday, losing to the Tennessee Titans, 42-21 at home to fall to 6-7 on the year.

In the contest, quarterback Derek Carr threw for 263 yards on 25-of-34 passes and two touchdowns with 115.2 passer rating. It was the fourth time this season that Carr had a passer rating of 115.0 in a game.

Tight end Darren Waller registered six catches for 73 yards in the game. Waller, who has 72 catches for 880 yards, became just the third tight end in franchise history to surpass 70 catches in a season. With three games left in the year, Waller is on pace for his first career 1,000-yard season.

The Raiders didn’t have the services of talented rookie running back Josh Jacobs, who sat out the game with a shoulder injury. Jacobs, who is the sixth leading rusher in the NFL with 1,061 yards, is expected to return against the Jaguars.

Defensively, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst provided the lone bright spot for the Silver and Black last Sunday. Hurst registered his first career interception off a tipped pass from Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and returned it 55 yards to put the Raiders in position to score their first touchdown of the game.

Jacksonville is currently riding a five-game losing streak, after dropping their latest game to the Los Angeles Chargers, 45-10 at home in Week 14. The Jaguars allowed Chargers running back Austin Ekeler to explode in the game, racking up 213 yards from scrimmage (rushing for 101 yards on 8 carries, and 112 yards receiving on 4 catches). Ekeler’s 84-yard touchdown catch in the game was the longest completion in quarterback Philip Rivers’ 16-year career.

Following Sunday’s game, the Raiders will finish up their 2019 regular season schedule on the road with games against the Chargers and Broncos in Week 16 and 17.

Raiders look to end losing streak, return home to host the Titans

Photo credit: sfchronicle.com

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — After losing back-to-back road games in which they were outscored 64-12 in both contests, the Raiders will look to get back into winning column as they host the visiting Tennessee Titans in Week 14 action at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Sunday’s game will mark the first of the final two home games this season, both of which are against AFC South opponents.

This will be the fourth time in the last five years that these two teams have met, the first matchup in Oakland since 2013. The Raiders currently own a three-game winning streak against the Titans, dating back to 2015. Oakland’s most recent victory over Tennessee, a 26-16 in Nashville in 2017, gave the Raiders a 26-20 edge in the all-time series.

The Raiders are 11-2 at home against the Titans all-time.

Kickoff for this matchup is set for 1:25 p.m. PT on CBS, with Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Melanie Collins on the call.

In Week 13, the Raiders were embarrassed again on the road, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-9, to drop their record to 6-6 on the season. Oakland lost to the New York Jets, 34-3, in East Rutherford, NJ in Week 12.

The Black and Silver lining in the loss to the Chiefs was rookie running back Josh Jacobs registering his fifth 100-yard game of the year, tying Mark van Eeghen for the fourth-most 100-yard rushing performances during a single season in franchise history. With his 104 rushing yards on 17 carries, Jacobs surpassed 1,000 yards for the season and became just the 11th player in franchise history to accomplish that feat.

Jacobs is the only rookie in franchise history to record a 1,000 yards in a single season with 1,061 yards through 12 games, good for fourth-most in the league.

Tight end Darren Waller was Oakland’s top receiving threat against Kansas City, hauling in 7 catches for 100 yards. For the season, Waller has been the Raiders best receiving option, leading the team in receptions (66) and receiving yards (807) through Week 13.

Waller is second on the team in receiving touchdowns (3) behind wide receiver Tyrell Williams.

Sunday’s game could have a playoff-type feel to it, as both teams desperately need to win keep pace for a wild card berth in the AFC playoffs. Oakland and Tennessee are currently behind the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) for the final berth with four games remaining in the season.

The Titans (7-5) are currently riding a three-game winning streak, and are coming off a huge 31-17 win on the road against their AFC South rival, the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13.

Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who is 5-1 since taking over for an ineffective Marcus Mariota following Tennessee’s 2-4 start, has thrown for 1,602 yards, with 12 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Tannehill has a passer rating of 113.9 in his six starts this season.

Tennessee’s running game is spearheaded by running back Derrick Henry.

He, like Jacobs, is a former Alabama running back that has turned into a vital piece for his team’s offense this season. There’s a good chance that both running backs will be representing their teams at the Pro Bowl at the end of the season.

The four-year pro is currently third in the NFL in rushing with 1,140 yards and is tied for second with Green Bay’s Aaron Jones with 11 rushing touchdowns among running backs.

Henry rumbled through Indianapolis, rushing for 149 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. During the Titans’ three-game winning streak, Henry has rushed for 496 yards and 5 touchdowns on 68 carries proving that he’s Tennessee’s workhorse.

Henry, who has been dealing with a hamstring issue, didn’t practice for the Titans on Wednesday.

Defensively, the Titans are the 7th-ranked scoring defense, yielding just 19.5 points per game this season and could pose a problem for the Raiders. Oakland is averaging just 19.8 points per game this season.

Second-year linebacker Harold Landry III registered one of Tennessee’s three sacks on Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Landry III leads the Titans with 9.0 sacks on the season.

Cornerback Logan Ryan and safety Kevin Byard are tied for the team lead with four interceptions apiece. Ryan and Byard each recorded an interception against the Colts.

Following Sunday’s matchup, the Raiders will host the Jacksonville Jaguars in their final home game in Oakland in Week 15. The Titans will return home for a divisional matchup against the Houston Texans.

Raiders and Chiefs get ready for AFC West showdown

Photo credit: chiefswire.usatoday.com

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The Raiders prepare for a big matchup in Week 13 as they will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the second matchup this season between the two clubs, and 119th meeting all-time regular season. The Chiefs have won four straight games against the Raiders, who are trying to win in Kansas City for the first time since 2012.

The Raiders won that contest, 26-16.

Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT after being flexed into the afternoon slot from their original 10:00 a.m. PT start time on CBS. You know this is a big game as CBS sends its No. 1 broadcast team of Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson on the call from Arrowhead Stadium.

In Week 12, the Raiders fell hard on their faces, losing on the road to the New York Jets, 34-3, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ to fall to 6-5 on the season. Oakland currently sits in second place in the AFC West, trailing the 7-4 Chiefs by one game.

The Jets’ No. 1 ranked defense against the run held Raiders rookie running back Josh Jacobs in check, holding Jacobs to just 36 total yards from scrimmage (34 rushing, 2 receiving) on the day. On the season, Jacobs has totaled 1,101 yards from scrimmage, good for the fourth-most scrimmage yards by a player in first 11 games of a season.

His 957 rushing yards this season ranks fifth in the NFL and third in the AFC and are the most among all rookie rushers.

Defensively for Oakland, rookie defensive end Maxx Crosby registered another sack, giving him 5.5 sacks in his last three games. With a team-leading 7.5 sacks this season, Crosby is tied for third-most among all rookies and are the most by a Raiders rookie since 1991, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Crosby is one of two players (T.J. Watt) in the NFL who have recorded at least seven sacks to go along with three forced fumbles and three passes defensed.

Kansas City enters Week 13 after coming off their Bye Week following a 24-17 victory in an AFC West battle with the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City on Monday Night Football.

In Kansas City’s first matchup against Oakland in Week 2 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Raiders jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter before Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tossed four touchdowns in the second quarter alone to pace the Chiefs to a 28-10 win. Mahomes completed 30-of-44 passing for 443 yards, shredding the Raiders defense in the process.

Following the game, the Raiders will return home for their final two home games of the year against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Tennessee (6-5) and Indianapolis (6-5) are logged-jammed with the Raiders in a battle for a wild card spot for the AFC playoffs.

Kansas City will head to New England to face the Patriots before returning home to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 15.

After three straight wins at home, the Raiders head east to take on the Jets

Photo credit: sports.yahoo.com

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — Having completed a successful three-game home stand undefeated, the Raiders will hit the road for a two-game road trip beginning Sunday as they they will face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in Week 12 action.

Oakland is 5-1 at home this season, but are 1-3 from the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.

Kickoff is set for 10:00 a.m. PT and will be broadcast on CBS with Greg Gumbel and Trent Green on the call.

The Raiders currently hold a two-game winning streak over the Jets, most recently defeating New York by a score of 45-20 at home in Week 2 of the 2017 season to push the all-time series to 23-17-2 in favor of Oakland.

In Week 11, the Raiders defeated the visiting Cincinnati Bengals 17-10 to pull their record to 6-4 and giving them their first three-game winning streak since 2016.

Running back Josh Jacobs recorded his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season, after rushing for 112 yards on 23 carries and broke Marcus Allen’s team-record for most 100-yard rushing games in a season by a rookie in the process.

Allen set the franchise rookie record with three games of rushing for over 100 yards in 1982

Jacobs is fourth in the NFL in rushing with 923 yards (4.8 average per rush) to go along with seven touchdowns on 191 carries. Oakland could have a tough day rushing against a Jets defense that ranks tops against the run, allowing just 79.1 yards per game on the ground this season.

In fact, the NFL’s 13th ranked defense allowed just one 100-yard rusher in 2019, surrendering 105 rushing yards to Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott in New York’s 24-22 victory over Dallas in Week 6.

Quarterback Derek Carr recorded just his second career rushing touchdown, while also tossing a touchdown to rookie tight end Foster Moreau. Carr threw for 292 yards on 25-of-29 passing in the contest.

As for Moreau, his touchdown was the 14th score by a rookie this season for the Silver and Black, tying the franchise mark set in 1982. Not only have this year’s rookies been big contributors on offense for the Raiders, the defense has seen a big boost from rookies as well this season.

First-year defensive end Maxx Crosby has a career day against the Bengals recording four sacks, including three in the fourth quarter. “Mad Maxx” set a rookie franchise record with his performance, and was just the third player to record four sacks in a game in 2019.

Crosby also had a forced fumble in the first quarter for good measure.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Crosby became just the fourth rookie in NFL history to register a four-sack game since the stat became official in 1982.

Rookie cornerback Trayvon Mullen’s interception on the Bengals’ final offensive drive of the game sealed the win for Oakland with just a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, keeping Cincinnati (0-10) winless. It was the third-straight game that Oakland’s defense would seal the win.

The Jets defeated Washington 34-17 on the road in Week 11 to improve to 3-7 on the year behind four touchdown passes from Sam Darnold. The second-year quarterback threw for 293 yards on 19-of-30 passing for New York, who jumped out to a 34-3 lead that held up midway through the fourth quarter before Washington scored their first touchdown of the game.

Jets tight end Ryan Griffin hauled in 109 yards and a touchdown. Griffin’s five catches were tied with wide receiver Jamison Crowder for most in the game. Crowder finished second on the team with 76 yards and a touchdown.

Dynamic safety Jamal Adams recorded three of the Jets’ six sacks on Washington’s rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

Following Sunday’s game, the Raiders will head to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in what will be a huge matchup in the AFC West in Week 13. The Chiefs are currently 7-4, but have the Raiders breathing down its neck with Oakland trailing Kansas by half-a-game in the division.

The Jets will face the Bengals in Cincinnati next Sunday.

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.

Raiders look for 3rd straight home win with Bengals coming to town

sfgate.com photo: Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) is sacked by Oakland Raiders defensive end Clelin Ferrell during the second half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019.

By Joe Hawkes

SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — With back-to-back wins at home, the Raiders look to finish off their three-game home stand at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum with a win over the visiting Cincinnati Bengals as the two teams hook up for action in Week 11. This will be the first matchup between the two clubs since 2015, in a game that the Bengals won convincingly, 33-13 in Oakland.

Cincinnati currently holds a three-game winning streak over Oakland, with the Raiders last defeating the Bengals, 20-17, in Oakland back in 2009.

Kickoff for this battle in the AFC is at 1:25 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on CBS.

In Week 10, the Raiders defeated their AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, 26-24, to improve their record to 5-4. Oakland sealed their second-straight victory at home behind rookie running back Josh Jacobs’ 18-yard touchdown run in the final minute of regulation. Jacobs finished with 71 yards on 16 carries and three catches for 30 yards in the game.

In the process, Jacobs became just the 16th player in NFL history to rush for at least 800 yards in his first nine career games per Elias Sports Bureau. Currently, Jacobs has rushed for 811 yards this season. His seven rushing touchdowns are tied with Arthur Whittington for second-most by a rookie in franchise history.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr recorded his 18th career fourth-quarter comeback, and his 19th career game-winning drive. Carr threw for 218 yards and one touchdown. On the Raiders’ final offensive drive of the game, Carr completed 6-of-8 passes for 57 yards that would setup Jacobs’ go-ahead touchdown.

But the real story of the game was the play of Oakland’s defense, who made life extremely difficult for Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

For the second-straight game, safety Karl Joseph would make the game-sealing play, intercepting Rivers in the final seconds of the game.

Safety Erik Harris recorded two interceptions for Oakland on the night in the first-quarter, which included a 56-yard pick-six that extended the Raiders’ lead to 10-0. It was Harris’ second pick-six of the season.

Oakland registered five sacks on Rivers, with rookie defensive end Clelin Ferrell posting a career-high 2.5 sacks, and 1.5 sacks by defensive end Benson Mayowa. Mayowa now has a career-high seven sacks.

Defensive end Maxx Crosby and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst each logged 0.5 sacks in the game.

Cincinnati (0-9) is coming off a 49-13 thrashing at the hands of their AFC North rival, the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10.

Rookie quarterback Ryan Finley made his debut for Cincinnati and had a game to forget.

Finley, who replaced franchise quarterback Andy Dalton after Dalton was benched during the team’s bye week, completed 16-of-30 passes for 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception that was returned 89 yards for a pick-six by Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters that made the score 28-3 midway through the second quarter.

The loss to the Ravens were the Bengals’ 11th-straight loss dating back to the last season, tying the longest two-season losing streak in club history per Elias Sports Bureau. They’re one loss away from matching the worst start in club history.

Following Sunday’s game, Oakland heads east to New York to take on the Jets at MetLife Stadium in Week 12, while the Bengals return home to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Raiders are breathing down the Chiefs’ neck

Photo credit: reviewjournal.com

By Joe Hawkes
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — Don’t look now, but the Oakland Raiders are knocking on the door for the top spot in the AFC West.

With Kansas City losing to the Tennessee Titans, 35-32, in Nashville on Sunday to drop their record to 6-4, the Raiders (5-4) are just now a half-game back of the Chiefs for first place with six games left in the season for both teams.

The Raiders defeated the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, 26-24, on Nov. 7 in prime-time on FOX’s Thursday Night Football at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum to kickoff Week 10. Oakland’s defense performed tremendously under the lights, registering five sacks, three interceptions and one touchdown.

Kansas City already holds a victory over the Raiders, back in Week 2.

In that game, the Raiders jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter before the Chiefs scored 28 unanswered points behind four touchdowns by quarterback Patrick Mahomes as Kansas City held on for a 28-10 win.

Mahomes would throw for 443 yards on 30-of-44 passing with a 131.2 passer rating for the game

The two teams will meet again on Dec. 1 at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 13.

With the winless Cincinnati Bengals (0-9) coming into Oakland next Sunday for a Week 11 matchup, the Raiders are almost a shoe-in to win that game and apply even more pressure on the Chiefs.

Kansas City hosts the aforementioned Los Angeles Chargers on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Nov. 18, which won’t be an easy game for them.

Mahomes looked very healthy playing for the first time since dislocating his right kneecap Oct. 17 against the Denver Broncos. His best play came with the pocket collapsing around him when he jumped up to throw over the linemen to wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who ran for a 63-yard TD with 11:54 left and a 29-20 lead.

Oakland, who were picked by many prognosticators to finish near the bottom of the division this year but the infusion of young, rookie talent on both the offensive side (running back Josh Jacobs and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow), and the defensive side (defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell and Max Crosby) has rejuvenated the Raiders.

Jacobs is running away with the AFC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in my opinion, leading all rookies in rushing yards (811), rushing attempts (168), and touchdowns (7).

With all due respect to tight end Darren Waller, who leads the team in receptions (51), targets (65) and yards (588) and wide receiver Tyrell Williams, who leads the team with five touchdown catches, Renfrow has become quarterback Derek Carr’s security blanket. Carr loves to look for Renfrow with the game on the line.

Renfrow is second on the team in receptions (28) and targets (42) for 299 yards and two touchdowns. His second-career touchdown against the Lions in Week 9 was his first game-winner.

Coupled with the fact that Carr, whose engineered 19 fourth quarter comebacks (which includes two in the span of four days) has played some of his best football in his career, throwing for 2,202 yards with 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions with a career-high 104.4 passer rating, Oakland is a legit playoff contender.

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Raiders can postpone winning games until very late

Photo credit: abc7news.com

On the Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes:

#1 What is it with the Raiders and winning their games late? Is it like some kind of torture?

#2 Head coach Jon Gruden certainly knows how to pull out all the stops, and even late in the game, he runs a play with running back Josh Jacobs carrying for 18 yards with 1:08 left in the game.

#3 Thursday Night Football Raiders looked like they really stepped up their game. This was a nail biter throughout the whole contest.

#4 Josh Jacobs is having himself a season. How much has his rushing and scoring made a difference for the Raiders in winning games?

#5 Next Sunday, the Raiders will play their third consecutive home game after winning the first two against Detroit and now Los Angeles. The Raiders hope to take out Cincinnati on Sunday. Joe sets this game up.

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