Raiders Outlast Titans in a Rainy Road Game

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' matchup vs. the Tennessee Titans where the Raiders get back on track with a 24-21 victory over the Titans on the road in what was a very wet, rainy game in Nashville.

No more 4-12 or 3-13 finishes at least. But finally, the Raiders get that elusive win against a team they were favored to beat this season. The Raiders were favored the last two games and they couldn't capitalize and we're thinking that Vegas Oddsmakers need to go back to betting against the Raiders. This is at least a way to get the monkey off the back and eclipse our win total from the past 4 seasons. Yes, they're still alive in the playoff hunt, but I'm just going to keep my mouth shut about playoffs and just be glad that the Raiders got a win.

(+)


Seth Roberts, 6 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TDs. Hands down, this is Seth Roberts' best game of his career. Last week against the Lions, you can even date back to the preseason, Roberts showed potential of big play ability. I can't even recall how many big plays Roberts made this game, but they were crucial, especially on both his TDs. The first one, he made a Titans defender miss and nothing but green ahead of him and on the 2nd one, he was just at the right place at the right time when Carr delivered that deep ball. I think it's time to give Roberts the nickname "Big Shot Rob" (reference to Robert Horry for all you Laker fans) because he's caught both Carr's two game-winning TD passes this season.

Amari Cooper, 7 receptions, 115 yards. We all admit Amari Cooper played horribly last week against the Lions. Sensational rookies will have their off games and all they can do is bounce back the next game. This game was a major bounce back for Cooper. To go from 4 yards from the previous game to 115 yards to the next game just personifies his work ethic and do anything he can to help his team win. Coop had a great redemption performance this game.

David Amerson, 6 passes defensed, 1 INT. Amerson played out of his mind this game. Yeah, I know covering guys like Harry Douglas or Dorial Green-Beckham is not that impressive, but Amerson wasn't giving any of the Titans' receivers any room to get any separation and possibly make a big play from a throw by Marcus Mariota. I didn't understand why ever since Nate Allen and T.J. Carrie came back, they demoted Amerson to the slot when he's clearly a better option than D.J. Hayden. I think this game should warrant Reggie McKenzie and the front office that Amerson is worth a keeper.

(-)

The "Zebras." The Raiders committed 11 penalties for 94 yards while the Titans committed 4 penalties for 25 yards. Hmmm, I wonder which team the refs were trying to help? I think the only legit penalty they called was when Neiko Thorpe had his hands full on Harry Douglas when Douglas scored a TD. But, back-to-back pass interference penalties on T.J. Carrie that should've never been called, an unnecessary roughness call on Khalil Mack, and a hold on the end zone when Thorpe didn't excessively grab the jersey. Those were some penalties that stood out and they were just horrible calls that the refs were making.

Conclusion

Despite the rainy weather and penalties that were lopsided against the Raiders, they managed to will themselves to a victory, but a little more work has to be done to finish these kinds of games against teams that are supposed to be "easy wins." They're still alive in the playoff, but next week, the tough stretch begins of the schedule begins. Kansas City is also in the playoff hunt and they are playing like a different beast after starting 1-5 for the season. I bet they have last year's awful loss stuck in their heads the last time they played the Raiders in Oakland as they handed the Raiders their first win. For sure, they'll be out looking for blood and the Raiders have to be well-prepared because this is a critical divisional battle if they want to keep their wild card hopes alive. I'll see you guys next week for that game.

Week 12: RAIDERS @ Tennessee Titans Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

OAK 24 TEN 21

Seth Roberts with the clutch TD catch, Nate Allen with the clutch INT to end the game! I'm going to have a heart attack with this game. With the way the offense was playing throughout the most part of this quarter and letting this Titans team hang around, I'd thought this was going to be a heartbreaking loss, particularly when Carr failed to convert on the 4th and 8 play. But finally the refs stopped screwing this team over with a big holding call on the Titans to set up Carr's third career game-winning drive. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

OAK 17 TEN 14

It's turning out into an ugly game out there with rain pouring down on the field. Jeremy Ross' fumble was costly, could've allowed the Titans to take a quick lead, but luckily David Amerson's INT offset that fumble. It looked like the refs were helping the Titans during their last scoring drive. The Raiders managed to get a stop and then boom, back-to-back penalties on T.J. Carrie. The only legit penalty they called was Neiko Thorpe's hold on Harry Douglas in the end zone. Raiders still have the lead in the 4th.

Q2:

OAK 10 TEN 6

Well, that was some comedy at the end of this quarter. Sebass laughing on the sidelines, failing to convince Del Rio to kick a 65 yard field goal and then a big gain by Roberts before he laterals it to Cooper and Cooper passes it to Carr. Carr could've thrown it, but that would've been an obvious illegal forward pass. The last drive though, they gotta finish those long drives with TDs, not field goals, but nonetheless, a better start this week. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

OAK 7 TEN 6

Slow start for both teams to begin the game. The Raiders couldn't capitalize on good field position early on and Marcus Mariota and the Titans absolutely killed the defense with some bootlegs and play action to the tight ends. After that though, the offense managed to pull through a good response by sustaining a long drive that culminated in a Crabtree TD. Who knows, the Titans' blocked PAT could be a pivotal moment as the game progresses.

RAIDERS-Titans Halftime Post

OAK 10 TEN 6

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' road matchup vs. the Tennessee Titans where the Raiders have a 10-6 advantage at the half.

(+)

Amari Cooper, 4 receptions, 58 yards. Last week, Coop had the worst performance of his rookie season against the Lions, only grabbing 1 catch for just 4 yards. So far, he has redeemed big time. He's a lot more aggressive this game, running hard on his routes to make plays. One particular play, Carr underthrew the pass and it was guaranteed INT by the Titans defender, but Cooper just snatches it away for a 30 yard gain when the Raiders were backed into their own end zone for a moment. With the aforementioned stat line, that's the Amari Cooper we're used to seeing.

Seth Roberts, 2 receptions, 60 yards. Roberts is developing into a big play receiver this game. He's known for his blocking for the Raiders' running game, but the last two games, he's been making big plays for big gainers and in this game against the Titans, he made some multiple big plays for 20+ yards.

(-)

Finishing long drives. As I said in the 2nd quarter, the Raiders had a good, long, solid drive that started in their back end zone. They made it to the Titans' red zone, but they couldn't cap off the drive for a TD and have to settle for a Sebass field goal. Good job, chewing up the clock, but the goal is 6 instead of 3.

Bottom Line

The Raiders deferred on the coin toss and the offense is coming right back. I like that the aggressiveness is back on the offensive side of the ball, let's hope that they stay aggressive and the defense just needs to hold the fort against Mariota and the amount of tricks the Titans' offense has up their sleeves.

Blazers' Back Court Alone Burns Lakers

Julius Randle was the top performer of this game racking up 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, but the Lakers had no answer for Portland's back court duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as their combined 57 point effort helped the Blazers put away the Lakers 96-108. Jordan Clarkson added 19 points and D'Angelo Russell added 16 points, making some strides in having an efficient game by shooting 6-11 the field. Despite a 7-20 shooting night, Kobe Bryant turned back the clock a little bit, racking up 21 points, shaking off a nightmarish shooting performance against the Warriors back on Tuesday.

Final Score: @ Portland 96-108 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20151128/LALPOR/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Indiana (11/29)

Lakers Slapped Around by Warriors as Warriors Set Record for Best Start in NBA History

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the defending champion Golden State Warriors at the Oracle where the defending champs made it look easy as the Lakers got an inevitable old-fashioned butt whooping by the Warriors 77-111.

It is what it is as the final score suggested. We drank the "kool-aid" thinking that the Lakers might have a chance to upset the defending champions on their home floor and spoil their run at history, but we knew that the Warriors were going to straight up kick this Laker team in the @$$. And the end result was expected. I couldn't help but laugh because this game was laughable from the start to finish because this Warriors squad made the Lakers look like a JV basketball team out there.

(+)

No positives. Unless you count putting up 77 points on this Warriors team, fine. The Lakers did have some fight in the 2nd quarter, but this game was all bad to warrant no positives to take away from this game.


(-)

Basketball Fundamentals. The Lakers just lacked this all season long. No ball movement, no defense, what more can I say? I've lost count on how many lobs this Laker team allowed, how much they left this Warriors team wide open on threes, how much they let Curry work his magic. Players are not spacing the floor. Nobody is making an effort to go after the ball and give second chance possessions. Nobody is running. Nobody is cutting. Everybody's calling for "iso" plays and throwing up "Hail Mary" shots. Too much dribbling. There is no identity with this team! They're not an offensive team. They're not a defensive team. What exactly is this team? I know this is a young team; this is their first year together. However, what kind of identity will this team shape from now to the future? The soul searching just continues for this team and this game is the latest chapter of it.

Kobe Bryant, 4 points, 1-14 shooting. It's really hard to see Kobe Bryant's 20th season go up in smoke like this. He missed a lot of shots this game that he usually makes if he was still in his prime. Multiple air balls, in fact, he had a shot in which the ball got stuck between the backboard and the back of the rim and the refs had to call for a jump ball. And you got a lot of Kobe fans out there saying "Kobe is going to drop 30 points a game, he'll win MVP, and deliver the Lakers another NBA championship!" As a Laker fan and as a Kobe fan, I am embarrassed by those over-the-top statements because for the past three seasons, he hasn't been the same player. He's 37, has a lot of mileage, the injury bug finally caught up to him, his time is up. He even preached the young Laker squad to move the ball, but still, he tried to play hero ball this game and Byron Scott has the audacity to defend his shot selection, saying "he earned it." I've woken up to the harsh reality, but some would deny it and I bet they'll vote him on the All-Star ballot this season. I love Kobe, he defined my lifetime as a Lakers fan, but enough is enough already.

Conclusion

Well, excuse my semi-tirades on the negative list. Like I said in the 3rd quarter post, congratulations to the Warriors on making history to start the season at 16-0. There is no better fanbase that deserves this moment in history than those a part of Dub Nation. For the Lakers, this organization needs to be evaluated. They're bent on the notion that because it's LA and they have 16 championships, big time free agents will want to play for the Lakers. Well, if there's not a stable core of players in place and there's no contingency plan for the future, I don't see any star player play for the Lakers anytime soon. Sorry, but that's reality. The Raiders have gone through this process and are almost out of the hole and the Lakers are going through this turmoil since 2013 (I was eventually going to bring out this parallel path). I expect the growing pains to continue this season. I'll see you guys for the next televised game, whatever that is.

#FireByronScott
#FireJimBuss

10/24: #ShockTheWorld LAKERS @ Golden State Warriors Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

LAL 77 GS 111

At least they tried. Okay, maybe they didn't try enough. Stay tuned for the full recap. 

Q3:

LAL 55 GS 89

Congratulations to the Warriors on a 16-0 start. That's all I can say right now for this quarter.

Q2:

LAL 38 GS 54

The good thing I can take from this quarter is that the Lakers are showing some fight at least. The first quarter was an atrocity to start with, but things got cleaned up a little bit in this quarter to make this competitive. The Lakers still have a lot of work to do though. Onto the halftime post.

Q1:

LAL 11 GS 30

1st quarter in and this game is just becoming comedy gold. The Warriors are just making mince meat out of this Laker team. Too many easy baskets, how in the hell do you leave the best player in the NBA wide open for a three? Poor defense, a lot of missed opportunities to get something going. The Lakers just don't have any answers right now and they're just being embarrassed on national TV.

LAKERS-Warriors Halftime Post

LAL 38 GS 54

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' matchup against the undefeated, defending champion Warriors where the Warriors have a 38-54 advantage after the half.

(+)

Lou Williams, 10 points, 4-5 shooting. Looking at Williams' stat sheet the past few games, they haven't been good from a field goal percentage stand point. This game though, his mini run in the 2nd quarter against the Warriors was a big one to put the Lakers back in. Lou Williams was heating up, but typical Byron Scott had to bench him while he's hot.


(-)

Defense. The Warriors are making this look easy against this Laker defense. It's like watching the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the Washington Generals out there. The Lakers are allowing the Warriors to get wide open, leaving a lot of space for guys such as Curry, Draymond Green, and Iguodala to make plays. Leaving Curry, the best player in the NBA right now, wide open for a three says it all about how bad the Lakers defense has been all season long.

Ball Movement? Kobe Bryant in an article preached to this young Laker squad to move the ball. Apparently nobody got the memo. Too much isolation, too much dribbling, too much standing around, too many forced shots, nobody is making an effort to get open, nobody is cutting to the basket. You do this kind of stuff against the Warriors, they will destroy you defensively, and that was evident in the first half.

Bottom Line

For the Lakers to win this game, Luke Walton has to send the Splash Brothers, Iggy, Draymond, and Andrew Bogut to the showers early, to get ready for their game against the Suns on Friday in Phoenix. That's the only way! All jokes aside, there's a lot of basketball left. This Laker team has to slow their role at some point. This game is not over yet, but it will if they don't continue to compete like they did in the 2nd quarter. Let's see what happens.

Lakers Lose to Trail Blazers

Rookie, D'Angelo Russell had his best all-around game of the season (well, if you can call it that since the numbers don't look that impressive) as he was the Lakers' top performer, notching a near triple-double of 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, but that stat line pales in comparison to his counterpart, Damian Lillard as Lillard's 30 point and 13 assist performance helped the Blazers pull away from the Lakers 107-93. Julius Randle notched another double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson added 19 points, and Kobe Bryant added 18 points to round out the starters. Lou Williams lead all scorers off the bench with 14 points. Things don't get easier as the Lakers have a daunting matchup on the road in a prime time Tuesday night against the 15-0, defending champion, Warriors.

Final Score: vs. Portland 107-93 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20151122/PORLAL/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Golden State (11/24) <= Q-by-Q, Halftime, and Full Recap Posts

Raiders Defense Competitive, Offense Lackluster in Loss to Detroit

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' road game vs. the Detroit Lions where the Raiders' defense kept it competitive, holding the Lions to 3 field goals in the first half, but with a horrible game by the offense, the Lions pulled away in 13-18 upset.

Nice tease. The Raiders gave us a nice tease with great wins over the Chargers and the Jets, looked like a playoff contender. They lose a heartbreaker  against the Steelers in a big game, we were proud the way they fought back. Then, it comes crashing down in a home game vs. Minnesota and on this awful loss against Detroit, it looks like the fun is over. Not to be a downer or anything, but the playoff hunt is over. A game like this against Detroit, was going to tell a whole lot about the Raiders and they are just not quite there yet.

(+)

Khalil Mack, 8 tackles. Let me say this first and foremost, aside from allowing a rushing TD by Matthew Stafford in which the defense probably looked gassed from carrying this team all game long, the defense played well. Holding the Lions team to three field goals at the half is a win in itself. Like I said, this would've been more of a beat down had the defense played like they did against Pittsburgh and Minnesota. I said this in when I posted up my thoughts on Aldon Smith's suspension, they needed to move Khalil Mack back at his natural OLB spot. It was good to see Mack back at that spot and once again, being that relentless tackling machine and being a disruptive force all over the line. The sacks didn't show, but it created some opportunity for Benson Mayowa, Ben Heeney, and Shelby Harris to finish off Stafford in the pocket.

(-)

Amari Cooper, 1 reception, 4 yards. Don't get me wrong, I still like Amari Cooper ever since he broke out in his junior year at Alabama. I'm glad we got Amari and I think he's hands down Rookie of the Year. But I was 100% disappointed at his performance today. Just one reception and that came off a quick screen pass. Everything else that Carr threw to him, he just couldn't make the grab. Is it a little concerning that he hasn't reached over 100 yards since the Chargers game? It is, but then again Crabtree is eating up his targets. But this doesn't change the fact that this was a horrible game for Cooper, a "drop fest" to say for him. He'll have his growing pains as a rookie throughout the season, but disappointed in his performance.

Offensive miscues. Miscommunication on timing and routes, miscommunication on blocking protections by the O-line, delay of game penalties, the offense was just not on its game today. Derek Carr, he may look like a seasoned veteran, but he's got to know when the play clock is about to expire. The O-line had a hard time to open up holes for the running game and to make matters worse, Rodney Hudson went down again. The receivers weren't on the same page with Carr for the majority of the game. Just a lot of ticky-tack miscues that were part of the reasons why this offense couldn't get going.

Coaching. Too conservative, too hesitant. On a 3rd down play, Jack Del Rio had a chance to challenge a catch made by Michel Crabtree in which he maintained two feet inbounds and maintained possession before falling out of bounds. Del Rio didn't even bother to challenge that. Poor usage of the timeouts, poor clock management, uninspiring play calling by Bill Musgrave. The coaching staff as whole got outcoached.

Conclusion

Mathematically, the Raiders are not completely out of the playoffs, but with their schedule down the stretch, I don't see how this team can run the table and win out with Kansas City twice, Denver, Green Bay, and San Diego. That is too tough of a stretch to overcome to clinch a playoff spot. I know I'm being a downer, but it's just now all about finishing with a respectable record. Don't get me wrong, this team is close to turning the corner, but obviously they have more roster holes to fill before they can truly be a contender and this game vs. Detroit opened our eyes and put us back to reality that this team is not there yet. Right now, I just want the Raiders to just play to win the game, play with pride, and just finish strong to end the season. I don't care about playoffs, Super Bowl, or whether or not this team is staying in Oakland or moving to LA, just finish strong. If we can get some divine intervention down the stretch, then sure I'll ride the playoff bandwagon again. But it is what it is and the Raiders just gotta play with pride and play to win the game. I'll see you guys for the Titans game on Thanksgiving weekend.

Week 11: RAIDERS @ Detroit Lions Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

OAK 13 DET 18

Disappointing loss. Nothing more to say. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

OAK 13 DET 9

Much better display on the offensive side of the ball, but we need more than field goals by Sebass. The defense held its own once again against Matthew Stafford despite a nice gain by Golden Tate to end the 3rd quarter. But this quarter, just as I said in the halftime post, the offense needed to wake up and it did with a 43 yard pass to Seth Roberts from Derek Carr and they managed to punch it in with a Latavius Murray TD. Close game into the 4th on the road. The Raiders need to close this out.

Q2:

OAK 0 DET 9

Well, 3 field goals is a win this half. But, disappointing performance by the offense to start, leaving the defense out there to possibly gas out. However, they're hanging in there though. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

OAK 0 DET 6

This "bend, but don't break" defense is making me puke. The Lions, for the most part, dominated this quarter in terms of Time of Possession. Matthew Stafford was having his way against this secondary. It was ugly out there since the defense couldn't stop the run or the pass this quarter. Luckily enough, some key drops by Eric Ebron and Ameer Abdullah in the red zone gave the Raiders a break and it's 6 point lead rather than a 14 point lead.

RAIDERS-Lions Halftime Post

OAK 0 DET 9

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' matchup vs. the Detroit Lions in the Motor City where the Lions lead by three field goals, 0-9 at the half.

(+)

Jamize Olawale, 3 carries, 11 yards, 1 reception, 15 yards. Probably the lone bright spot on the offense. If there's any reason that Reece's role is being limited in the offense, Olawale is the answer and he was making some tough runs in the game. He's truly been underrated in the last few games.

Defense. The score would've read 0-21 if the defense played like they did in the last two games. Personally, I'm not a fan of the "bend, but don't break" defense, but the Raiders managed to accumulate 2 sacks and hold Stafford and this Lions' offense out of the end zone.

(-)

Amari Cooper, 0 receptions. Don't get me wrong, I love Amari Cooper. I was one of those guys who rallied for the Raiders to draft him, but these drops are just unbearable to see. He missed a catch that ricocheted off his hands. He was a target on two third down situations for Derek Carr and the offense and he caught neither ball on either third down.

Offense. I don't know what to say, but the whole offense looked completely out of sync in the first half. From the O-line missing a couple of blocks to open up running lanes for Latavius Murray to Derek Carr and the receivers having a series of miscommunication on the routes and where the ball is being delivered.

Bottom Line

The offense needs to wake up. Even though the defense is holding its ground here, we know that they can't keep up with this for a full 60 minutes of football. It'll only be a matter of time before Ameer Abdullah breaks a big run all the way to house or Matthew Stafford finding Calvin Johnson deep because this defense is out there on the field for far too long. Let's see what happens.

Lakers' Struggles Continue vs. Raptors

The Lakers continue to put more salt in the wound to their season with the loss to the Raptors Friday night. Julius Randle was the Lakers' top performer with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, but the Lakers' effort wasn't enough against Kyle Lowry and the Raptors as the Raptors defeated the Lakers 102-91. Only 4 players of the starting 5 and of the team as a whole were in double figures as D'Angelo Russell added 17 points, Jordan Clarkson added 13 points, and Kobe Bryant added 10 points.

Final Score: vs. Toronto 102-91 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20151120/TORLAL/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Portland (11/22)

Aldon Smith Suspended for One Year

Well, we knew this was going to happen eventually, just surprised it had to happen at this point of the season with the Raiders fighting for their playoff lives. Today, the NFL dropped the hammer on Aldon Smith after his recent charge of DUI and hit-and-run back in August. The details of his suspension is one calendar year. That means Smith's 2015 season with the Raiders is officially done and if the Raiders are to sign him to a long-term deal in the coming offseason, he can't report to the team until next November. However, according to the Pro Football Talk article that I linked under "one calendar year," he can apply for reinstatement 60 days before his one year suspension is up and he has to pass all alcohol/drug tests.

I can hear the Niner fans and the NFL fans who poke fun at the Raiders chirping away about how the Niners made a smart decision and how the Raiders made a really dumb decision in bringing him in and then the whole "typical Raiders, signing troubled criminals again." News flash: we knew. We knew that signing Aldon Smith was a risk-reward type acquisition. I'll link to the post I made in September when the Raiders first signed him. Let me ask you guys something: between the recent arrest in August to the suspension today, how much did Aldon Smith make headlines around the league during his time with the Raiders? Aside from the Santa Clara DA filing charges and his arraignment in last month in which he pleaded "not guilty," Zero! Nothing! True, it was all overshadowed by the Deflategate saga and the incumbent situation with Greg Hardy and his domestic violence troubles. But, for the most part, Aldon Smith has kept himself clean with the Raiders. No DUI troubles, no arrests, nothing since joining the Raiders. The Raider organization has done a masterful job putting in the necessary support system to help him succeed. You have a lot of players in that locker room who are all about the team and the community; high-character guys and an organization with a unified owner, GM, and head coach that helped Aldon stay clean, focus squarely on football, and give him the necessary help. Now, what if he was in a long-term deal, in a full season? We don't know, but facts are facts and Aldon Smith has kept himself out of trouble since joining the Raiders.

Now where do the Raiders go from here? The defense is already as terrible as it is with its secondary. With Aldon, I would say the defense was half-way decent since Khalil Mack doesn't have to be double teamed a lot from the opposing team's O-line. Without Aldon there, the defense is projected to be much worse as it is now at this point of the season. The linebacker position, with the exception Malcolm Smith, it's a "who's who" now. Curtis Lofton is struggling, Ray-Ray Armstrong is not to be trusted, Neiron Ball is hurt, Korey Toomer and Lorenzo Alexander are special teams players at best, Ben Heeney is still a work-in-progress. If Jack Del Rio and Ken Norton, Jr. are hearing this, now would be a great time to put Khalil Mack back at his normal OLB spot. Mario Edwards, Jr. is currently on a tear, filling in admirably for Justin Tuck and Denico Autry and Benson Mayowa are serviceable defensive ends that can play opposite of Edwards. Khalil Mack should be the jack-of-all trades. He is an integral chess piece that needs to be moved around to exploit mismatches. Just give him more opportunity to get sacks because if they just leave him there at DE with Aldon Smith gone, he'll be double teamed all day.

Other than that, it was fun while it lasted to see Aldon Smith and Khalil Mack play in the same line. I'm sure that gave a lot of offensive coordinators a heart attack just at that notion. It didn't work out as expected since Norton is a rookie Defensive Coordinator after all. Reggie McKenzie said in an interview that Aldon Smith is in the Raiders' long-term plans and I do hope they keep him long term. If they do keep him and sign him to a long-term deal, with an improved secondary next season (hopefully) and a switch to a 3-4 base defense (hopefully), we'd like to see Khalil Mack and Aldon Smith just completely terrorize the AFC West and the rest of the NFL for years to come.

Lakers Fall to Suns

Roy Hibbert was the Lakers' top performer Monday night with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, but the Lakers couldn't build off of Sunday's win vs. the Pistons, falling to the Suns 101-120 who were lead behind Brandon Knight's career triple-double. Jordan Clarkson lead all scorers in the starting lineup with 20 points. D'Angelo Russell added 13 points and MWP filled in for Kobe once again in back-to-back sets, racking up 12 points to round out the starters. Lou Williams lead all scorers off the bench with 16 points and Nick Young added 11 points.

Final Score: @ Phoenix 101-120 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20151116/LALPHX/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Toronto (11/20)

Lakers Top Pistons

Well, at least there's one positive to end the night. Kobe Bryant had a near triple-double this game as he was the Lakers' top performer with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists in the Lakers' 85-97 win over the Detroit Pistons. Jordan Clarkson tallied the same point total with 17 points and Roy Hibbert added 12 points to round out the starters. Nick Young lead all scorers off the bench with 13 points.

Final Score: vs. Detroit 85-97 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20151115/DETLAL/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Phoenix (11/16)

Raiders Fall to Peterson, Patterson, Vikings

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders must win matchup vs. the Minnesota Vikings where the Vikings pulled away behind Adrian Peterson's 80 yard TD run and Cordarrelle Patterson's 93 yard TD return.

The reason why I pinpointed those particular Vikings plays on the headline, those were just backbreaking plays. The Raiders kept hanging in there for the most part of the game. Carr gets two drives to put the Raiders to a 13-14 lead and then, it's just gone. The Vikings controlled the majority of the game with the lead. There were just too many mistakes and too many penalties this game.

(+)

Pass rush. I guess this could be the only positive I can pinpoint. Aldon Smith, Khalil Mack, and Mario Edwards, Jr. managed 1 sack each. It's not a promising stat line, but I thought they did a good job for the most part, disrupting Teddy Bridgewater and collapsing the Vikings' O-line. Nate Allen and T.J. Carrie's return definitely helped in that department to transform the secondary from "atrocious" to "OK." Other than that, not too much positives, but the Raiders managed to get to the quarterback.

(-)

Special teams. I'm going to refer back to that Cordarrelle Patterson TD return. That play completely took momentum out of the way for the Raiders. I didn't understand what was Sebass thinking in not booting that ball at the back of the Vikings' own end zone. Those squib kicks just disrupt the flow of the special teams coverage and Patterson just went "bye-bye" to the Raiders' special teams coverage.

Other backbreaking plays. From Derek Carr's 2nd INT in the end zone to Adrian Peterson's 80 yard TD to seal the deal. Those are the kinds of plays that stall a comeback bid. Andre Holmes should've fought for that ball and bat it out of Newman's hands to allow the drive to live for another day. Adrian Peterson's 80 yard TD run, I would assume the Raiders' run defense just gave up on that play. Don't get me wrong, AP is a future legend, but that was the worst effort I've seen to tackle a 30 year old running back.

Conclusion

The Bills took care of the Jets on Thursday night and the Raiders own the tiebreaker over them, the Chiefs are taking care of business against the Broncos. Peyton Manning, 34 passing yards, benched after breaking Brett Favre's record for most passing yards. These are scenarios that the Raiders need to learn how to take advantage of, while the Vikings took advantage of their opportunities since Green Bay lost three times and the Vikings have temporary control of the NFC North. This was a very disappointing game and the margin for error is starting to be slim to none if the Raiders want to make the wild card. The next series of games: Detroit, Tennessee, and Kansas City are pivotal and will tell whether or not the Raiders are playoff-ready because they are winnable. While at the same time, all three games have the makings of a "trap game" considering the Lions and the Chiefs took care of the Packers and Broncos both on the road and they'll be looking to ride that momentum. But, the focus now is Detroit and the Raiders have no room for error at this point of the season. I'll see you guys next week for the Lions game.

Week 10: Bridgewater vs. Carr Round 1 RAIDERS vs. Minnesota Vikings Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

MIN 30 OAK 14

Fighting to get back into that playoff picture and they couldn't do it. To make matter worse after Terrance Newman's 2nd INT over Derek Carr, Adrian Peterson runs wild for the knockout blow for an 80 yard TD run. We'd figure that this would be an ugly game and the Vikings handed the Raiders a decisive loss for the 1st time since Week 1 against the Bengals. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

MIN 20 OAK 14

Not much action at all, but two stalled drives by the offense. The Raider defense is hanging around there, keeping Peterson and Bridgewater in check, but the Vikings hung in there with their stout defense, able to get to Carr. This 4th quarter is just critical right now to get a stop and give Carr and the O a chance to drive down field and gain the lead.

Q2:

MIN 20 OAK 14

Just when Carr willed the team back to take the lead, just a critical error on special teams to allow Cordarrelle Patterson for a kickoff return for a TD. That's on Sebass; he should've kicked it out of the end zone, despite the wind. Oh well, at least Blair Walsh missed the field goal at the end to give the Vikings more leverage. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

MIN 10 OAK 0

It's a methodical domination by the Vikings controlling the time of possession. This is the problem with Rodney Hudson out. His absence leaves the Raiders' O-line and the offense as a whole in disarray. This offense are getting quick 3 and outs; they're not getting anything going. And the defense is leaving a lot Vikings tight ends wide open, bringing back problems that were noticeable in weeks 1-3 with the failure to cover tight ends. Just an awful, awful start right now.

RAIDERS-Vikings Halftime Post

MIN 20 OAK 14

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Derek Carr and the Raiders' matchup vs. Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings where the Vikings have 20-14 lead at the half.

(+)

Clive Walford, 2 receptions, 18 yards, 1 TD. In three of the last four games, Clive Walford has caught a TD pass from Derek Carr. Walford, week by week, is showing that he's going to be Carr's security blanket as long as he gets more reps. He made a beautiful TD catch today, managing to keep his toes outside the chalk.

Andre Holmes, 1 reception, 34 yards, 1 TD. Man, this guy can't catch short passes, but he's able to catch long balls from Carr. Holmes frustrates us Raider fans, but man that was a nice route he ran to get himself wide open for a 34 yard TD. I think Holmes should just be there exclusively for deep balls given his height and jumping ability.


(-)

Penalties. The Raiders commit 8 penalties for 82 yards. There were a lot of questionable calls out there, but they have to clean those up and play a little smarter in the 2nd half.

Special teams. Busted coverage in that Cordarrelle Patterson TD. Like I said, that falls on Janikowski as he should've just booted it out of the end zone. Those kind of kicks where the returner has to stop and regather ball just throws off coverage and Patterson took full advantage of that and burned the special teams coverage of the Raiders.

Bottom Line

Despite a slow start, the Raiders managed to climb back into this game. Carr, for the most part, is doing a fine job without starting center, Rodney Hudson. The defense is hanging around there against Peterson and Bridgewater. The Raiders get the ball to start, let's see what happens.

Lakers Losses Continue Piling Up vs. Mavs

Another game, another loss. No surprises there. Jordan Clarkson was the Lakers' top performer this game with 21 points and 4 rebounds on 9-18 shooting, but the team could not tack on a win yet again as they fall to the Mavs 82-90. Kobe Bryant added 19 points on 7-15 shooting in his return from a two game absence and Lou Williams lead all scorers off the bench with 10 points, but finished with an atrocious 3-11 shooting.

Final Score: @ Dallas 82-90 [L]
Full article: *TBP*

Highlights:

*TBP*


Next Game: vs. Detroit (11/15)

Lakers Fall Short vs. Magic

I just looked at Nikola Vucevic's buzzer beater over Roy Hibbert to understand how the Lakers lost this one in Orlando. Roy Hibbert was the Lakers' top performer this game with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist, but the Lakers couldn't hold on for OT and possibly get a win as they fall to the Magic 99-101 thanks to Nikola Vucevic's game winner at the buzzer. D'Angelo Russell finally got it going finishing with 14 points and Julius Randle added 12 points to round out the starters. Rookie Larry Nance, Jr. quietly had his best game in his rookie season, scoring 13 points on a perfect 6-6 shooting off the bench. To the usual scorers off the bench, Lou Williams added 13 points despite shooting 2-8 from the field and Nick Young added 10 points.

Final Score: @ Orlando 99-101 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20151111/LALORL/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

*TBP*

Next Game: @ Dallas (11/13)

Bumpy Road Trip: Lakers Fall to Knicks Sunday; Heat Tuesday

Usually, I'd just quick recap these games, but I'm going to do something a little different if I were to miss on quick recapping Laker games that are not nationally televised. I originally was scheduled to post the game vs. the Knicks after the Raiders-Steelers game, but I didn't and that's on my part and missed out yesterday because I had college work to turn in before midnight. But I looked at the highlights of both the Knicks and Heat games today and I'll just give out quick little thoughts.

@ Knicks

So, the Lakers got their first win against another lowly team in the Brooklyn Nets Friday night and they looked to tack on another against the Knicks in the Big Apple. Surprisingly, the Knicks have done pretty decent to start off the season and rookie, Kristaps Porzingis has prove Knicks fans wrong ever since they booed the pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Of course, the major headline here is Kobe Bryant in what could be his final visit to Madison Square Garden. The Garden crowd was just anxious every time Kobe had the ball because they wanted to see him shoot. They don't care if he hits his shots or misses, they were just anxious when the ball was in his hands. For the most part, it was a dog fight in the 1st and early part of the 2nd quarter, then the Lakers gained control late in the 2nd and the majority of the 3rd. So, things were going pretty good for the Lakers, until the 4th quarter hit. The Knicks rallied in the end and the Lakers were missing shots to cut the deficit against the Knicks and it was already too little too late as they fell to the Knicks 95-99. Nonetheless, Kobe Bryant finished up with 18 points and of course, shot 6-19 from the field, which is an awful percentage on the stats sheet.

@ Heat

Here, in the game against the Heat last night, Byron Scott allowed Kobe to rest because they play the Magic today in back-to-back sets and unlike the Knicks game, the Heat thoroughly had control for three quarters. The 2nd quarter was the only entertaining quarter, but other than that, the Heat put the game on ice in the 2nd half. Chris Bosh had a career day for the Heat against the Lakers with 30 points and 11 rebounds and Hassan Whiteside had 19 points and 15 rebounds. Not one Laker reached double figure in the rebounding stat line for this game as they lost to the Heat 88-101.

Takeaways

Some patterns to takeaway from these two games, D'Angelo Russell has struggled since dropping 16 points against Brooklyn on Friday night: 6 points on 3-7 shooting against the Knicks and 4 points on 2-6 shooting against the Heat. I'm not going to say, he's a point blank "bust," but he's going through the process of growing pains as a rookie and that is a repercussion us Laker fans have to deal with. We wanted this guy over Okafor, this is the price we're going to pay and we have to be patient in Russell's developing process. One positive I can say about both these game is that Metta World Peace looked good these games. He was still able to lock down Carmelo Anthony is defensive situations vs. the Knicks and I'll admit, he shot better in these two games than he has in his entire first stint with the Lakers. MWP is still awesome though. But in conclusion, 1-5 is not a pleasant start for Laker standards. We know this team is lost in limbo between the past, present, and future, and Byron Scott, well, let's not mention Byron Scott. I know I endorsed the hire last season, but I'm eating my words. The Lakers get the Magic today and I'll try to quick recap that as soon as the game is over. I'll see you guys later.

Antonio Brown's Career Day Burns Raiders

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' matchup vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers in what is a matchup of epic proportions with playoff implications on the line. It was a fight to the finish, but in the end the Raiders fell just short as they fall to the Steelers in Pittsburgh 35-38.

Add this game to the list of "what-ifs" if the Raiders failed to qualify for the playoffs this season. This is another heartbreaking defeat this season. But I won't deny that this game was a valiant effort by the Raiders in a very hostile environment in Pittsburgh, but moral victories don't count. I don't know what else to say other than this game hurts.

(+)

Michael Crabtree, 7 receptions, 108 yards, 2 TDs. Like I said in the halftime report, as the season winds down, maybe it's time to give Crabtree a contract extension. Cooper saved face by tacking on 88 receiving yards and a TD, but he dropped some sure-handed catches, the rest of the receivers dropped some balls this game, but Crabtree stepped it up and followed up his spectacular performance last week against the Jets. He grabbed a TD to give the Raiders the first strike and grabbed another TD to tie it all up late in the 4th quarter. Reggie McKenzie needs to hear us now and offer a long term contract to stay.

Derek Carr, 24 of 44 passes, 301 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT. I'll be honest, in the first half, Derek Carr wasn't getting anything going for him. He made a couple of overthrows and lead his receivers way out of bounds when he was making some throws off the bootleg. But he still made some TDs to Crabtree, Cooper, and Walford to keep this team within striking distance. But what was striking about adding Carr is that he lead the Raiders to a game tying drive. If you look at that last drive, Latavius Murray was out, Rodney Hudson was out, Carr threw a pick the drive prior to the last drive of the game for the Raiders, but he still managed to will the team and tie the game up. This was especially on the road as well. Tremendous poise by Carr despite all the situations that happened this game.

(-)

Secondary. In case we haven't heard the news, the secondary is still atrocious with the exception of Charles Woodson. Let's look at Antonio Brown's numbers: 17 receptions, 284 yards. That is a career high for Brown. The guy is just uncoverable and there was absolutely nothing the secondary can do about it. The Raiders need a shutdown corner and a ball hawk safety because D.J. Hayden, David Amerson, Larry Asante, Taylor Mays, Antonio Brown burned all of them big time this game.

Run defense. The Steelers were without Le'Veon Bell, this is going to be easy picking for the run defense to bruise up DeAngelo Williams, right? The Steelers did to the Raiders' run defense what the Raiders did to the Jets' run defense. DeAngelo Williams had 27 carries for 170 yards and just rammed this defense down. Then again, he has an amazing wide receiver in Antonio Brown so that likely opens up the run game.

Turnovers. If there's one knack on Latavius Murray, he doesn't hold on to the ball or lets the ball bounce off his chest for a potential circus INT. Murray had two fumbles, one that almost was scooped for a TD had Mike Mitchell stayed in bounds. Taiwan Jones also had trouble handling the ball. Most may argue that Derek Carr's INT was costly, but Taiwan Jones' fumble off the kickoff was more of the back breaking turnover because that helped set up the Steelers to gain a two possession lead. Turnovers hurt this game, especially when the defense can't get a breather from trying to stop Antonio Brown.

Conclusion

Chicago, Denver, and now Pittsburgh. The Raiders' only legit loss was against the incumbent, undefeated Cincinnati Bengals in the first game of the season. The three losses against Chicago, Denver, and Pittsburgh will play a huge role down the stretch. With the Jets winning today and the Steelers toppling the Raiders here, the Raiders are tentatively out of the wild card picture. Overall, this game was an adrenaline rush the whole way, but like I said the Raiders competed their butts off, but the effort fell short. There's no time to mope now, the Raiders can rebound at home next week against a surprising Minnesota Vikings team. These next three games vs. Minnesota, @ Detroit, @ Tennessee will be critical and then the Raiders have a divisional matchup with the Chiefs before their rematch with the Broncos in Denver. But for now, focus on Minnesota because they've been red hot lately and the run defense is going to be tested against Adrian Peterson. This is the matchup we, the Raider Nation have been waiting for and also what the Vikings fans have been waiting for: Teddy Bridgewater vs. Derek Carr for quarterback supremacy among the 2014 draft class. It should be an exciting game. I'll see you guys next week vs. the Vikings.

Week 9: AFC Rivalry Renewed RAIDERS @ Pittsburgh Steelers Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

OAK 35 PIT 38

What a competitive game, but too many mistakes just cost the Raiders at the end. Antonio Brown burned this secondary big time. That catch and run by Brown was huge and gave the Steelers excellent field position to set up a game winning field goal. This game lived up to the hype as a game of epic proportions with playoff implications on the line. This game won't go up there with the "Immaculate Reception" or anything, but the Steelers once again break the hearts of us Raiders fans in Pittsburgh. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

OAK 21 PIT 21

The Steelers are not feeling the lost of Le'Veon Bell because DeAngelo Williams is just taking it to the Raiders run defense. The Raiders managed to tie it up this quarter, but they've lost some key pieces to that offense. Latavius Murray went back to locker room with concussion, Clive Walford got shaken up from a hit. These are definite blows to the Raider offense and it could affect the outcome of the 4th quarter.

Q2:

OAK 14 PIT 21

Ah, the Raiders didn't even try to tack on any points with 29 seconds left in the 2nd quarter. But right now, somebody please cover Antonio Brown? Just awful coverage on him and that helped set up 2 rushing TDs by DeAngelo Williams. So far, momentum has favored the Steelers. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

OAK 7 PIT 3

Impressive 1st drive by the offense to take the crowd out of it. However, since then, the offense has been kept in check by this underrated Steelers defense. And that's where credit is due. Right now, the Steelers are showing why they've been perennial contenders against this Raiders team and while the offense has not clicked since Carr's TD pass to Michael Crabtree, Ben Roethlisberger and Steelers offense started to click on the current drive at the end of this quarter.

RAIDERS-Steelers Halftime Post

OAK 14 PIT 21

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' critical matchup vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh where the Steelers lead the Raiders by a single TD 14-21 at the half.

(+)

Michael Crabtree, 2 receptions, 41 yards, TD. This is why Crabtree needs an extension. After putting up 100+ yards against the Jets, he's followed up that performance in the first half against the Steelers by hauling in a TD by Carr on the Raiders' first drive. He could've had more, but Derek Carr lead him way too far out of bounds on two of those incomplete passes. Amari Cooper and the rest of the receiving corps struggled with drops and that's why Crabtree is leading the team in receiving.

Latavius Murray, 9 carries, 72 yards. While the passing game was up and down in the first half, I thought the running game was the only consistent going for this Raiders' offense. Going back to the first drive, Murray exploded with a 44 yard run and that was the difference maker as to why the running game was consistent for the offense in the first half.

(-)

Secondary. Antonio Brown, 10 receptions for 180 yards in the first half. Enough said.

Bottom Line

Despite Antonio Brown's career day and bringing the Raiders' secondary back down to earth, lucky enough the Raiders are down by a one touchdown score. Even though the Steelers did it in an unconventional way, the Raiders are hanging around. The offensive play calling has to be better and this Raider offense is too good to have shackles on, but that's due to a lot of dropped passes; those have to get cleaned up in the second half. And the defense, the secondary only has one job, stopping Antonio Brown. This man-to-man coverage isn't working against him. Put safety help on him or something because he is just toasting Amerson and Hayden so far.

Lakers Get on the Win Column vs. Nets

In a battle of two win-less teams in the NBA, only one came out on top and luckily it was the Lakers on Friday night. Rookie, D'Angelo Russell finally hit his stride in living to the #2 overall draft status as he was the Lakers' top performer with 14 points on 6-9 shooting in the Lakers' 104-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets. It was a balanced, team effort as Kobe Bryant racked up 18 points, Julius Randle contributed 14 points, and Jordan Clarkson also had 16 points to round out the starters. Both Lou Williams and Nick Young lead all scorers off the bench with 10 points despite horrid shooting from the two.

Final Score: @ Brooklyn 104-98 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20151106/LALBKN/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: @ New York (11/08)

Lakers 0-4 After Loss to Nuggets

And the atrocious start continues. Jordan Clarkson was the Lakers' top performer Tuesday night, scoring 30 points on 12-19 shooting, but that wasn't enough to give the Lakers their first W this season as they fall to the Nuggets 120-109. This marks the 2nd consecutive year that the Lakers have started the season at 0-4. Julius Randle added 16 points on 7-14 shooting and Kobe Bryant added 11 points, despite a 4-11 shooting night. Lou Williams lead all scorers off the bench with 24 points; although shooting the ball poorly at 4-11, Williams made it up with a 16-19 performance from the free throw line.

Final Score: vs. Denver 120-109 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20151103/DENLAL/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Next Game: @ Brooklyn (11/06)

Julius Randle's Career Night Can't Save Lakers vs. Mavs

Julius Randle had quite a day in his young NBA career as he was the Lakers' top performer with a double-double of 22 points and 15 rebounds on 9-17 shooting, but it wasn't enough to cover the Lakers' defensive liabilities against the Mavericks as they lost 103-93. Not a lot of Laker players had good shooting nights as Kobe Bryant had 15 points on 3-15 shooting and D'Angelo Russell continues his rookie woes early on, finishing with 10 points on 4-13 shooting. Lou Williams also had a bad shooting night off the bench, finishing with 13 points on 4-12 shooting.

Final Score: vs. Dallas 103-93 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20151101/DALLAL/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: @ vs. Denver (11/03)

Raiders Defeat Jets Behind Derek Carr's 4 TD Performance

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' week 8 matchup vs. the New York Jets where the Raiders gain early leverage in the AFC playoff picture as they beat the Jets 20-34 lead by Derek Carr's career day of tossing 4 TDs.

Well, the finish that we wanted was there. There's still a lot more room to improve in closing out games, but the Raiders finished better this game and they earned a convincing victory against the Jets in what is a matchup that could possibly shake up the playoff picture in the fight for a wild card spot. Despite the injuries the Jets had on offense, this was still a good win because the Raiders' offense absolutely shredded the Jets' top ranked defense and they didn't even need Amari Cooper to have a big game since they know Darrelle Revis was going to keep him in check. So, it is what it is.

(+)

There were a lot of positives this game, I don't even know where to start!

Derek Carr, 23 of 36 passing, 333 yards, 4 TDs. So far, the Raiders are 3-0 this season when Derek Carr throws for three or more touchdown passes. With a Jets defense that loves to blitz and with a stingy secondary, this sets the bar out of all of Carr's performance this season. Like I said, he just continues to level up his game week after week. Under this offense, Carr is just nothing short of amazing. He's commanding the huddle, changing up the plays when he sees an exploitable matchup, and just going through his reads like it's nothing even with pressure coming in his face. This game is a definite bar setter for Carr.

Michael Crabtree, 7 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD. Darrelle Revis got held up with Amari Cooper all game long and that opened up Crabtree to have an excellent game. Crabtree absolutely delivered. That 36 yard run was probably the highlight of the game because by having a good defense, we thought the Jets would be sure tacklers. But one missed tackle by the Jets defense allowed Crabtree to cut loose for that TD. Crabtree has been reliable all game long and he definitely turned it up a notch since his partner-in-crime in Amari Cooper was going to be challenged by Revis.

Latavius Murray, 20 carries, 113 yards. So, the Jets had a top 5 run defense huh? That run defense was non-existent today against the "Tay Train." Though I'll give them credit for stopping Murray in run plays up the middle, but everything else from running to the edge, waiting for the pull from the guards to break a run, Latavius Murray burned that top 5 Jets run defense in every other category besides running up the middle. No problem for the run game to get going at all.

Taiwan Jones, 2 carries, 5 yards, 1 reception, 59 yards, 1 TD. Taiwan Jones has found a role under Bill Musgrave and it's the same role that Percy Harvin had when Musgrave called plays in Minnesota. When Jones is on that field, besides Marcel Reece, he gives this offense a new dimension because of his speed and elusiveness. On a simple screen pass, Jones eluded two Jets defenders and absolutely torched them 59 yards to the house for the Raiders' last TD of the game. I'm very glad he's found a role after the previous pathetic excuse of a coaching staff tried to convert him into a defensive back.

(-)

There were not a lot of negatives this game, but I guess clock management needs a little more work for the Raiders. There's some questionable pass plays in which the Raiders could've just run the ball and kill some clock, but the Raiders wanted to be more aggressive and the Jets did have two timeouts left. It's not too much of a negative, but it's a learning curve for the Raiders' offense to clock out opposing defenses.

Conclusion

Overall, this was a satisfying win and the margin of victory is a type of margin that upholds the Raiders' domination of this game throughout. I'll say this proudly, Derek Carr and the offense are legit. There are too many weapons on that side for everyone to be underutilized and Bill Musgrave has done a masterful job in utilizing them to the best of his ability in his game plans. The defense though has a couple of pieces left till they are legit, but they are holding their own out there thanks to the tutelage of Jack Del Rio and Ken Norton, Jr. This season is a significant sound of progression and why not push for playoff aspirations now? They knocked off the Jets this week to gain leverage and they look to build on that by facing the Steelers next week in Pittsburgh as the Steelers are also pushing for a playoff spot and gain some leverage. But no matter the end result, the Raiders are finally looking like a legit football team. It has been so long that there is some optimism and this team is giving us a reason to believe. I'll see you guys next week for the Steelers game.

Week 8: Early Playoff Implication Game? RAIDERS vs. New York Jets Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

NYJ 20 OAK 34

Another 4th quarter, another 4th quarter of some antsy moments since the Raiders were keeping time on the clock for the Jets to knock on the door and come back with the way the defense was playing soft again. But, thank goodness Geno Smith had some bad clock awareness. He took a sack from D.J. Hayden and a sack from Khalil Mack to keep the clock rolling for the Jets to run out of time. But nonetheless, the Raiders can hang that elusive double digit victory on the wall. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

NYJ 13 OAK 31

I'm lovin' this after this quarter. The Raiders are in no way shape or form, playing conservative. They gave up a TD though, but whatever. But every time, the Raiders offense have answered back by putting together solid drives and they tacked on three more points to extend the lead this quarter. Next, they can't give up 23 unanswered points. Luckily, the offense is driving again to tack on more hopefully.

Q2:

NYJ 6 OAK 21

It was a matchup between the Raiders' red hot offense and the Jets' stingy defense. And I gotta tell ya', the Raiders are doing a good job neutralizing the Jets' biggest strength in blitzing and bringing the heat. The Raiders offense throughout the first half have outplayed the Jets' defense and that's a sign of consistency that us Raiders fans wanted to see after their big outing last week against the Chargers. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

NYJ 3 OAK 7

The first quarter, the Jets controlled most of the time of possession, but the injuries to Jets' center Nick Mangold and Ryan Fitzpatrick are huge pluses in favor of the Raiders. On the first possession, the Raiders tested the stingy Jets defense and they handled that drive with ease. Although they got a huge break because Amari Cooper made a catch on a deflection from Michael Crabtree. But great awareness by Cooper on that play as he was at the right place at the right time to prevent a potential INT. So far, the momentum favors the Raiders with the Jets' injuries on the offensive side of the ball and the drive they fielded together before the end of the quarter.

RAIDERS-Jets Halftime Post

NYJ 6 OAK 21

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' matchup vs. the New York Jets where the Raiders picked up where they left off last week in San Diego, leading the Jets 6-21.

(+)

Derek Carr, 14 of 18 passes, 178 passing yards, 3 TDs. Last week against the Chargers, Derek Carr finished the game with 200+ passing yards and 3 TDs; this week he has 3 TDs at the half. All I can say is, we have our franchise quarterback and he continues to get better every week. Last season, the Jets gave Carr all kinds of fits under Rex Ryan and this season with another defensive coach in Todd Bowles and the same personnel plus a better secondary, Carr is handling them the 2nd time around. Carr continues to show us new things week after week.

Michael Crabtree, 5 receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD. All the attention is on Amari Cooper, so they sent Darrelle Revis to try and neutralize Carr's favorite target. Have the Jets forgotten that the Raiders have Michael Crabtree on the opposite side of the field? We figured with that scenario, Crabtree was going to have a monster game and that prediction is living up to standards as Crabtree just can't go down and managed to slip in for a 36 yard TD and he's been reliable on third down situations.

Andre Holmes, 2 receptions, 54 yards, 2 TDs. Wow, Andre Holmes was literally the forgotten man the past few weeks, but he's stepping up big time. Basically, Holmes is the only familiar target Carr has from last season and he has resurrected from the grave. Credit to Musgrave though. He used rookie tight end Clive Walford as the X-factor for the Raiders' offense and now this week, it's Andre Holmes who has that mark and he has answered the challenge since Cooper and Crabtree got their hands full against Revis and Cromartie.

(-)

No negatives.

Bottom Line

All I can say is, please close out the game the right way. The Raiders have another big lead coming out of the first half and last week, they got too conservative, allowing the Chargers to creep back into the game. The Raiders have to do this right and put the pedal to the metal because that Jets defense is light years better than the Chargers defense last week and they have a knack to keep the team's hopes alive. Let's see what happens.