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.