The Oakland Raiders continue to turn heads as an improved team. The upcoming challenge against a winning ballclub brings an early playoff vibe to their Week 8 matchup.
The New York Jets and Raiders have plenty of ties and similarities, which makes this battle between two second-place teams an intriguing contest.
Wild-card implications creep into the narrative with undefeated division leaders ahead of both clubs.
In the draft, the Raiders seemed torn between wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Oakland obviously chose the wideout with the No. 4 overall pick, and the Jets selected Williams, who was arguably the best ...
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper topped 100 receiving yards for the third time this year in Sunday's 37-29 win over the San Diego Chargers, making him the first rookie since Mike Ditka in 1961 to hit the 100-yard mark in three of his team's first six games of the season, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info).
Cooper, the third overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, had his finest performance to date in Week 7, catching five passes for 133 yards and a touchdown despite drawing just six targets.
He was especially dominant in the second quarter, first ...
On a rare occasion, this week’s Oakland Raiders stock report contains very few negatives. The Raiders dominated the San Diego Chargers for 45 minutes in Week 7.
Oakland's defense seemed complacent for the final quarter, which falls on defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. Nonetheless, his stock remains even due to his stellar game plan to keep the Chargers out of the end zone for three quarters.
Two reserves made key contributions on offense, and two defensive players helped set the tone for a physical and disruptive play style against the Chargers' passing attack.
One particular player who’s criticized for every miscue finally shows ...
It’s okay, Oakland Raiders, there’s no such thing as running up the score on your opponent. Blowout wins show dominance and the relentless desire to bury the opposition for a decisive victory. That’s the mindset of a team with a killer instinct on a mission to establish supremacy.
If the Raiders want to break away from that, “they’re just a year away” tag, it’s time stop winning and start dominating.
In a postgame press conference, quarterback Derek Carr and head coach Jack Del Rio made reference to the most recent fourth-quarter letdown as something to clean up going forward:
Carr’s closing comments paraphrase the ...
On Sunday, the Oakland Raiders played their unofficial ninth home game of the season and emerged victorious in a close but not so close contest.
As expected, fan loyalty at Qualcomm Stadium seemed split down the middle. One prominent Raider even admitted to using crowd control during the game. But whether the fans played a role in it or not, Oakland jumped on the San Diego Chargers from the first whistle.
However, despite 45 minutes of pure dominance on both sides of the ball by the Silver and Black, the Chargers found a way to add a dramatic spin to the end ...
The Oakland Raiders' young offense took another step in the direction of gaining respect from media outlets, analysts and opposing defenses during Sunday's 37-29 road win over the San Diego Chargers.
The Raiders' youthful core, featuring quarterback Derek Carr, running back Latavius Murray and wide receiver Amari Cooper, continues to produce at a steady pace:
The trio hasn’t attracted league-wide attention as a threat, but general manager Reggie McKenzie has planted the seeds for a blooming offense that is averaging 24 points per game in 2015.
On Sunday, the Chargers found out how quickly the Raiders offense can light up the scoreboard.
Commitment to ...
The final score doesn’t reflect the reality that a victorious Oakland Raiders team dominated the San Diego Chargers on the road.
The Raiders haven’t won a divisional road game since 2012, and they narrowly escaped with a victory on Sunday after lighting up the Chargers in the first half.
Oakland’s offense looked cerebral and traveled up and down the field like a car on the open freeway. Quarterback Derek Carr threw the ball with pinpoint accuracy. He also found plenty of weapons to stretch the field.
Tight end Clive Walford became Carr’s third weapon in the passing attack. Running back Taiwan Jones added ...
The Oakland Raiders have been a fun punch line over the years, but no one is laughing anymore. For the first time in over a decade, this franchise is a legitimate contender for the playoffs.
While the last few minutes were a little too close for comfort, the Raiders went up 37-6 Sunday against the San Diego Chargers and held on for a 37-29 Week 7 win. This put the team at 3-3 for the year and squarely in second place in the AFC West behind the undefeated Denver Broncos.
There were certainly negatives as the Chargers scored 23 in a row to ...
The matchup against San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers puts immense pressure on the Oakland Raiders secondary. For one, Rivers leads the league in completions and passing yards, coming off a 503-yard performance against the Green Bay Packers. Secondly, he’s throwing at a record-setting pace, per Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith:
Finally, the Chargers have surrounded Rivers with plenty of options to target from the pocket, ranging from backup tight ends to small running backs. Oakland cannot expect to cover all of the receiving targets.
The Raiders must address the root of the issue, which involves putting Rivers on his back.
Raiders ...
No one envisioned Oakland Raiders defensive back T.J. Carrie progressing at this rate since breaking into the league as a seventh-round pick from Ohio in 2014. Kudos to general manager Reggie McKenzie for picking up a late-round gem who serves as an integral piece of the Raiders secondary.
Now, the Raiders must optimize Carrie’s talent to neutralize the most potent passing attack in the league. Oakland travels south within the state to square off against San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers on the heels of a 43-of-65, 503-yard passing performance against the Green Bay Packers' 11th-ranked pass defense.
Carrie is an essential ...