On Monday night, the Oakland Raiders played in a nail-biting game filled with frustration and excitement. It went down to the wire, as the Raiders held off the Broncos to emerge victorious with a Week 1 road victory at Mile High.The Raiders defense silenced any critics that were judging solely by preseason results. The defensive line dominated the Broncos on their way to limiting them to just 38 yards on the ground, and also sacking Kyle Orton five times.Limiting the ground game was crucial. The Raiders penetrated the line but maintained gap discipline to blow apart any idea of a ...
The opening Monday night of the NFL season has always been fun, especially in recent years when ESPN has elected to have doubleheaders. While I will use any excuse I can to write about football, two games that feature incredible individual performances makes the writing process significantly easier. So let’s dive in. I’m not a confident Jets fan anymore (but it was a fun 24 hours while it lasted).The Dolphins threw some really weird looks at the Patriots on Monday night, particularly on the offensive end. I shouldn’t have expected anything ...
After the Raiders' victory over the Denver Broncos on Monday night, most of the talk has been about the continual excellence of Darren McFadden. And he deserves it, with his 150 yards on 22 carries. But football is a team game, and he had a lot of help from one teammate in particular.
Fullback Marcel Reece got the Oakland Raiders their only passing touchdown of the night when he caught a three-yard pass from Jason Campbell to put the Raiders on top, a lead the Raiders would hang onto for the victory.
Reece, after playing wide receiver in college, has become one of ...
I've been playing fantasy football for the past two seasons and I aim to have one guy on all my teams. When it's time to draft a kicker, my choice has been Sebastian Janikowski.I don't know whether it's because one of my fondest video game memories was drilling a 55-yard field goal with the Raiders kicker to win the Super Bowl in NFL 2K5 some years back or what, but Sea Bass has been my go-to guy in the position that gets the least coverage in the fantasy universe.My fandom for the former Florida State Seminole came up big yesterday.Now, ...
On Sept 12, 2011 I published an article saying that a new pattern needed to be established in the performance of the Oakland Raiders for the first game of the regular season. The new pattern is now established, as the Oakland Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos 23-20 Monday night.The victory will do so much for the morale of the team and the Raider Nation. Most of all, a slothful pattern in first-game performances was demolished and reconstructed with a positive win away from home. Let's take it one step at a time.In 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong said, "That's one small step ...
The Oakland Raiders will travel across the country to play the Buffalo Bills in what could be a wild Week 2 matchup of surprise teams in playoff contention. After a wild Week 1 that saw both Oakland and Buffalo walk away with convincing wins, their matchup will determine which direction each team is heading. This battle between the Raiders and Bills may not be the most marquee matchup of Week 2, but you will regret missing it if you pass on watching it. Where: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, New York When: Sunday, September 18, 1:00 PM EDT Watch: CBS ...
The Oakland Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos on Monday night despite getting just 105 yards from quarterback Jason Campbell.Darren McFadden ran for 150 yards on 22 carries, and although he didn't find the end zone, the running back proved he's a dark-horse candidate for the MVP award. McFadden finally shows signs of becoming the player Oakland thought it was drafting with the fourth overall pick in 2008. He struggled through two disappointing seasons before breaking out with over 1,600 total yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010. Oakland swept the AFC West last season but went 2-8 outside of the division ...
We've been waiting for Darren McFadden to emerge in the National Football League, the former Arkansas star who was picked fourth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. His ascension up the NFL ranks was delayed for two years, constantly battling injuries and never able to display his full capabilities. But now, a season after McFadden rushed for over 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns, the 24-year-old's hard work after a rough beginning appears to be paying off. Now apparently fully healthy, McFadden blistered an underrated Denver Broncos defense on Monday, rushing 20 times for 147 yards as ...
First the good news, the Oakland Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos 23-20 on the road. A win is a win, and a win on the road against a divisional rival is always something to celebrate. Darren McFadden had another stellar game against the Broncos with 150 yards in 22 carries. McFadden has now recorded three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances against the Broncos. Sebastian Janikowski kicked an NFL record-tying 63-yard field goal at the end of the first half, and nailed all his field goal and point after attempts. Darrius Heyward-Bey had four receptions for 44-yards, but a couple of those ...
It certainly won’t be the first task on the Oakland Athletics' to-do list this offseason; that item will be the removal of the “interim” label in front of Bob Melvin’s manager title. It may not even be the second task on the to-do list thanks to the GM candidacy rumors surrounding Billy Beane and the Chicago Cubs; the A’s may need to officially promote David Forst to the top front-office position.Both moves would simply be formalities, though. They are decisions that are already assumed and would not require much prioritizing in terms of strategy ...