The Oakland Raiders will depend on a pair of rookies to compensate for roster attrition and weaknesses within the front seven.
According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders placed defensive end Justin Tuck on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle suffered in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.
To put Tuck’s importance in perspective, he ranked 11th overall among 51 defensive ends in a 3-4 alignment, per Pro Football Focus. He’ll likely continue to provide vocal leadership behind the scenes and from the sidelines, but his on-field production comes to an end in 2015.
Mario Edwards Jr.
It’s the next-man-up mentality for the Raiders, ...
What’s wrong with the Oakland Raiders' rushing attack? The coaching staff will spend a large portion of the bye week coming up with a solution to the biggest problem on the offensive side of the ball.
Head coach Jack Del Rio's conservative use of starting running back Latavius Murray down the stretch in the previous two outings compounded the issues in the backfield.
Del Rio didn’t seem particularly down on Murray during Wednesday’s press conference, and it’s safe to say that he’ll continue to shoulder the bulk of the load coming out of the bye.
So, what’s wrong with the ground attack? We’ll ...
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr’s pick-six thrown to Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris stands out, but there’s a bigger issue going unnoticed.
No, this isn’t a reference to the Blue Angels theory reported by Bleacher Report’s Kyle Newport. According to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, head coach Jack Del Rio actually assigned fault to both the quarterback and wide receiver involved in the play:
Let’s backtrack a bit.
The Raiders averaged 24 points per game heading into Week 5 and struggled to score 10 points on Sunday.
The Broncos have the fifth-ranked pass defense in the league, allowing 192.8 yards per contest, but ...
The Oakland Raiders continue to go through growing pains with another loss at home to the undefeated Denver Broncos.
In 2014, the Raiders didn’t belong on the same field as the Broncos. On Sunday, Oakland led for an entire half but fell behind late due to missed opportunities and one critical turnover.
For the most part, Denver’s offensive line provided enough time for Peyton Manning in the pocket. However, safety Charles Woodson forced two interceptions. One of those turnovers preserved the Raiders' 7-3 lead going into halftime.
Despite Woodson’s remarkable performance, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris took an interception one step further for a ...
The Oakland Raiders have a full week off to iron out the wrinkles on offense. The process begins with expanding the playbook near or in the red zone.
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave attacks opposing defenses with a variety of creative designs for a versatile quarterback in Derek Carr who shows functional mobility.
In the first four games, Carr showed the ability to throw accurately inside and outside of the pocket. Unfortunately, Musgrave fails make use of those attributes when approaching the end zone.
On Sunday, Musgrave’s conservative approach hurt the Raiders' chances of finishing off drives and potentially stymied a comeback rally.
Oakland controlled ...
The Oakland Raiders blinked first in a defensive slugfest with the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos.
The Raiders avoided a surgical carving from quarterback Peyton Manning, but Denver’s defense bailed the team out of another late-game grinder.
Neither offense came out of this contest with a glowing performance, but the better defense made more plays to seal the victory. Oakland’s young offense sputtered, and reliable kicker Sebastian Janikowski showed signs of wilting with some critical misses.
Experience played a major factor in the outcome. Quarterback Derek Carr reverted back into a skittish form of himself and tossed a costly pick-six in the face of pocket pressure, ...
O.co Coliseum is hostile territory for any fans not wearing black and silver, but one Oakland Raiders fan extended some unsolicited grace to a Denver Broncos fan during the AFC West rivals' Week 5 matchup on Sunday.When the Denver fan raised her arms in celebration, the Oakland fan lowered one, gently, in the ultimate example of courteous competition. [Vine]Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
The Oakland Raiders must focus on two particular motives against a Denver Broncos team led by their defense and a conservative passing attack.
The Broncos have the No. 25 passing offense and No. 29 rushing attack, but their defense compensates for a less explosive offense. Denver only allows 17.2 points per game while averaging 24.2 points per contest.
A 39-year-old Peyton Manning on the decline behind a makeshift offensive line creates advantageous matchups for the Raiders in the trenches. Bleacher Report's Cecil Lammey elaborates on the struggles in Denver:
Manning is certainly not the same player he used to be. He was never known ...
The Oakland Raiders prepare for a divisional matchup against their toughest opponents thus far: the undefeated Denver Broncos.
Head coach Jack Del Rio has already dismissed the idea that his past with the Broncos provides an advantage in the matchup. New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips took over for Del Rio and propelled Denver’s pass defense to become the league’s best, allowing only 185 yards per game.
Oakland’s offense has a tough challenge ahead while the defense is preoccupied with Denver quarterback Peyton Manning.
The Raiders hope to avenge two embarrassing losses in 2014. In the last two meetings, Denver outscored Oakland, 88-31. The ...
Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie’s 2013 draft class didn’t fare well in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears. Adversely, a pair of newly signed free agents made an impact on the defensive side of the ball.
The leftovers from McKenzie’s first full draft class largely contributed to the loss on Sunday, but two new faces provided much-needed help for a defense struggling with injuries and a lack of depth.
Oakland will travel back home to prepare for the Denver Broncos. Prior to discussing that upcoming divisional matchup, we’ll delve into rising and falling stocks based on Week 4 performances.
This week’s stock ...