The Oakland Raiders earned their first victory against a winning team in convincing fashion on Sunday.
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave put together an aggressive game plan for the passing attack. Quarterback Derek Carr made a statement on the first drive when he threw at New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper didn’t fully explode on the Jets secondary, but the message became a symbolic stance for the Raiders offense. Oakland made it clear they weren’t backing down from one of the league's toughest defenses.
The Jets came into this contest with the best run defense, allowing 71.5 yards per game. ...
Since they were demolished by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII, the Oakland Raiders have won an NFL-low 60 games over the course of 12-plus non-playoff seasons.
In fact, no other NFL team has won fewer than 65 games during that span, and in terms of point differential and turnover margin, the Raiders are in a league of their own (in a bad way).
Sports writers have become so accustomed to writing it that there are tweens in the Bay Area who think "the lowly Raiders" is the team's official nickname.
But after a second consecutive impressive victory on Sunday, the upstart ...
The Oakland Raiders are for real, and Sunday's 34-20 win over the New York Jets proved it.
Behind Derek Carr's arm and the receiving stylings of Michael Crabtree and Andre Holmes, the Raiders have reeled off back-to-back victories and improved to 4-3.
Here's how each player's fantasy stock is trending following Sunday's impressive outing.
Derek Carr
Carr didn't look like a safe fantasy play entering Sunday, but he made the Jets' fourth-ranked pass defense look pedestrian.
Now, he looks like an every-week QB1. After carving up the Jets and tying his career high with four touchdown passes, Carr has thrown for seven scores and no ...
The better passing attack will provide an edge in the Oakland Raiders’ Week 8 matchup with the New York Jets. Both teams field a top-five run defense playing at full strength.
Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson will play in his third game since serving a four-game suspension. Raiders defensive tackle Justin Ellis practiced the entire week and expects to play Sunday.
Raiders’ Pass Attack Hurdles
Anyone who believes that wide receiver Amari Cooper doesn’t play a huge role in this game should refer to the first six games:
For Oakland, there’s no measurement for Cooper’s crucial role in every contest. Second-year wideout Seth Roberts ...
The marquee matchup on Sunday between Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper and New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis becomes a potential battle in itself.
Theoretically, Jets head coach Todd Bowles may not choose to cover Cooper in a one-on-one scheme. Nonetheless, it couldn't hurt Oakland to challenge one of the best cornerbacks in the league by using film study.
Before delving into Revis’ weaknesses, let’s take a look at the tale of the tape:
*Note: One interception returned for a touchdown.
There are impressive numbers on both sides that jump off the screen.
Many analysts talk about fighting for 50/50 balls in the air. Revis ...
Thursday's NFL-sponsored town hall meeting in Oakland discussing whether the Oakland Raiders would move to Los Angeles received an unexpected visitor: team owner Mark Davis.
According to a report from CBS San Francisco, Davis made his surprise appearance and stressed that he is “still committed to keeping his team in Oakland.”
In addition to Davis, Mayor Libby Schaaf and NFL representatives were in attendance, and fans were given the opportunity to voice their concerns, questions and opinions about the Raiders’ potential move to Los Angeles.
Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times noted Davis was popular at the event:
Despite the warm welcome, the ...
Don't look now, but the Oakland Raiders aren't a punchline anymore.
No, really. They aren't.
For most of the past decade, there hasn't been a more floundering, directionless team in the National Football League than the Raiders. But in 2015, under the direction of first-year head coach Jack Del Rio and with young playmakers on both sides of the ball, with a win over the New York Jets at home in Week 8 the Raiders could take a big step toward—and I can't believe I'm saying this—the playoffs.
After dismantling the Chargers in San Diego in a game that wasn't as close as ...
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 ...