Lakers Compete, Fall to Clippers Late in the 4th

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup against hallway rival, Clippers where the little brother gets the best of big brother once again as the Clippers eek out a win 118-111 over the Lakers after pulling out a close one over the Thunder without Kevin Durant just last night.

First off, Raider Nation, Laker Nation, Happy Halloween from yours truly of the True Raider Laker blog. Can't ask for any other trick or treat other than covering three games over the weekend! Tonight was the first one, second one against the Warriors tomorrow night, and the showdown with the defending champs in Seattle to wrap it up. Going back to the game overall, a lot expected the Lakers to make a lot of excessive turnovers and the Clippers would just mop the floor over them. This is not the case as the Lakers managed to make the game competitive, not giving the Clippers any easy transition points. We can live with Blake Griffin going off, but Jamal Crawford became the X factor for the Clippers and momentum started falling against the Lakers as soon as Crawford got hot.

The Positives

Jordan Hill, 23 points, 5 rebounds, 10-15 shooting. It's funny after seeing Jordan Hill's performance, that was the kind of game Mike D'Antoni expected out of Hill when D'Antoni was coaching the Lakers. Hill was known for his post up and all-out hustling for the ball, but D'Antoni didn't like that and he was out of favor. After seeing the kind of performance Hill made against the Clippers, that was like a big middle finger to D'Antoni. I was totally floored as well that Hill was making these jump shots he rarely makes. Shooting nights, coming from a big man that doesn't use it too much is rare to see, but hopefully this is a confidence booster for Hill to use it more and add another dimension to his game.

Jeremy Lin, 17 points, 9 assists, 7-13 shooting. We saw a little tease from Linsanity tonight. The first two games, he was pretty shaky, a lot of us can tell. This game should also be a confidence booster for Lin because he was much more aggressive, shooting the 3 ball, attacking the basket, and making the extra pass. He's not in full control of the ball, but this performance was a lot better and it should benefit Lin going forward.

The Negatives

Kobe Bryant, 4th quarter. Kobe finished with 21 points, provided some vintage highlights this game, but this stat line will please some of his haters, 1-7 down the stretch. Some of his jump shots were due to fatigue, others were ill-advised. Us Laker fans we are used to that, so Kobe is pretty much borderline between positive and negative. He got aggressive when needed and got teammates involved, but the down the stretch in the 4th quarter, he slowed down and got cold.

Carlos Boozer, 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3-9 shooting. Boozer usually puts up solid double-double numbers, but he wasn't performing up to his average this game. Lakers got him involved early and provided some lift, but he couldn't step it up in his offense/scoring when needed.

Conclusion

Overall, I am not mad about this game. I thought the Clippers were going to come storming out of the gate early after almost blowing the game last night against the Thunder without Kevin Durant. They did early, but the Lakers hung around, turned up the defensive activity and managed to get their offense going. Tomorrow the Lakers go up against another good team in the division, the Warriors at the Oracle. Usually the knack on teams playing back-to-back, they put up an inspiring performance on the first game and then the next game, they come out sluggish. Hopefully, the Lakers do not undergo that same fate, although they got routed in their first back-to-back series to open the season. I'll see you guys tomorrow night for that game. Enjoy eating the rest of your candy tonight.

10/31: Battle: LA '14 Part I LAKERS vs. Clippers Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: LAC 118 LAL 111

Kobe haters have a reason to smile considering he shot the Lakers out of this game. But other than that, it was a better effort from the Lakers than the last two, you can't go wrong without that. A lot of experts thought this would be a cakewalk for the Clippers, but so far they've found ways to play down to their to level of competition. First against the Durant-less Thunder last night and against an anemic Laker team tonight. Gave em all they can handle, but the effort just didn't hold up down the stretch. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: LAC 86 LAL 90

The illegal screen by Sacre definitely hurt some momentum and Jamal Crawford nailed a three before the buzzer to cut the Laker lead to 4. We can live with Blake Griffin going off as long as his teammates don't go off as well. What a quarter for Jordan Hill though, scoring 13 points and it played an integral part for the Lakers to be up by 4 heading into the 4th. To quote the NBA Jam announcer, Jordan Hill this quarter, "he's on fire!"

Q2:

Score: LAC 62 LAL 56

Now that was an entertaining quarter of basketball. The Lakers built a lot of momentum here to cut the deficit, the Clippers responded with a couple of baskets, then it turned into an all-out shooting exhibition. Lakers were clearly the aggressor here and that's a good thing as to why they are down by 6. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: LAC 31 LAL 22

Offense was anemic yet again to start, but it's kind of funny that once Kobe got onto the bench, the offense started rolling. Lucky enough that was the case and the Lakers managed to get in a little bit of rhythm to get themselves out of a hole early. However though, somebody please stop J.J. Redick and Blake Griffin.

LAKERS vs. Clippers Halftime Post

Score: LAC 62 LAL 56

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' crosstown/hallway matchup against the Clippers where the Clippers cling on to a 6 point lead heading into the locker room in this Battle of LA.

The Positives

Kobe Bryant, 14 points, 4-6 shooting. Kobe will do his thing. He delivered some nostalgia during the 1st half. The impossible fadeaway 3 pointer over DeAndre Jordan, attacking the basket with a dunk and a reverse layup. He's also making good decisions with the ball and finding the open man when needed as he found Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer.

Jeremy Lin, 9 points, 4 assists. JLin has been more aggressive this game since the last two games against the Rockets and the Suns. That three he made to open the game up pretty much got his confidence back by a little. He's doing what he does best, driving to the hoop, drawing defenders onto him and finding players with the extra pass.  Lin needs to keep up that performance as he's done a great job in the 1st half.

Ronnie Price, 6 points, 3-4 shooting. Price has also showed some aggressiveness on offense. He provided the scoring off the bench when the Lakers needed it and he provided much needed buckets for the Lakers to get back into the game.

The Negatives

Wesley Johnson, 0 points, 0-5 shooting. This is the knack I have on Wesley Johnson, he's too inconsistent with his confidence in the game. He's started cold, just delivering single digit points in the first three games. He's stepping up all-around, but when offense is needed from other players besides Kobe, Lin, Boozer, or Ed Davis off the bench, Wes needs to step it up.

Bottom Line

What I like is that the Lakers are not giving the Clippers any easy buckets, hence why the score is much closer. They gotta play like they did in the 2nd quarter in order to keep within striking distance and possibly pull off their first victory of the season.

2014 Fantasy Basketball Team

Team name: Now or Never

PG: KOBE BRYANT
SG: Bradley Beal (Wizards)
G: Derrick Rose (Bulls)
SF: Andre Iguodala (Warriors)
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge (Blazers)
F: Dwight Howard (Rockets)
C: Ryan Anderson (Pelicans)
C: Roy Hibbert (Pacers)
Util: Tony Parker (Spurs)
Util: Trey Burke (Jazz)
BN: Marcus Smart (Celtics)
BN: Dion Waiters (Cavs)
BN: P.J. Tucker (Suns)

Lakers Thumped by Suns

The Lakers find themselves in an early 0-2 hole early on in the young NBA season. Kobe Bryant was the Lakers' top performer with 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists on 11-25 shooting (well he's back), but that didn't outshine the Suns' offensive exhibition as the Suns beat the Lakers 99-119. Ed Davis came off the bench with a near double-double, finishing with 14 points and 9 rebounds on 6-10 shooting and Wayne Ellington was the second leading scorer off the bench, chipping in 13 points on 6-9 shooting.

Final Score: @ Phoenix 99-119 [L]

Full Article: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/141029_suns

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. LA Clippers (10/31) <= Q-by-Q, Halftime Post, and Full Recap to resume

Laker Offense Inefficient On Opening Night vs. Rockets

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the NBA Season opener between the Lakers and the Houston Rockets where the Rockets beat the Lakers 108-90 and Dwight Howard has secured another win over the Lakers since leaving LA, this time at the expense of Kobe Bryant's return.

For the most part, there were some parts of the game where the Lakers kept themselves alive in this game and made it competitive, but they just couldn't get their offensive game on to counter the Rockets' high powered offense. The defense was pretty up and down this game, there were times they turned up the activity and other times, they couldn't stop the Rockets offense.

The Positives

Kobe Bryant, 19 points, 6-17 shooting. Well, early on Kobe Bryant carried the offense. The offense just didn't do much this game and Kobe had take it upon himself to generate some offense. He struggled with his shot early, but he managed to get back rhythm in his jump shot. It'll take some time for him to gain some of his explosiveness, but his jump shot, his fundamental footwork is still there and he played an "OK" game.

Carlos Boozer, 17 points, 7 rebounds, 7-13 shooting. I said in my halftime post, somebody's going to shoulder some of the scoring load off of Kobe and that role is left to either Jeremy Lin or Boozer and Boozer picked up the slack in the 2nd half and brought some nominal energy to give the Lakers some spark before it slipped away in the in the middle of the 4th quarter.

The Negatives

Offense. Perhaps the biggest opportunity the Lakers missed. They shot 35.4% from the field, they didn't shoot too much on the 3 ball, but it's still bad. You save the offense inefficiency in the preseason. Just an overall sloppy game offensively for the Lakers on opening night, though they did get it going somewhat in the 2nd half, but still they struggled mightily to buy a shot.

Foul trouble. This is the trouble the Lakers are going to have without a true big man that can enforce the rim protection. Hill, Boozer, and Davis were obviously undersized going up against Howard. Only Davis fouled out, Hill committed 3 fouls, Wes had 5 fouls, Kobe also had 5 fouls. Reason why the Rockets had so many free throws was because the Lakers were committing fouls, especially against Howard early on to put him on the free throw line.

Conclusion

Short full recap, I have a class tomorrow early in the morning that's why. Anyway, it's just the first regular season game. I said in my preview, the Lakers will have some upset wins and tonight was just not the night. Obviously area of concern, Julius Randle; it was revealed he has a broken fibula. Even if he can recover fast, likely he'll sit out for the rest of the season and it's unfortunate for the rookie to start off his career like that. Injuries aside, the Lakers go on the road tomorrow against the Phoenix Suns and have a Halloween matchup with the Clippers on Friday night. Since the Suns game is not televised nationally, I will just post a quick recap on that. However, the Clippers game is going to be on ESPN on Friday, so I'll see you guys for that game.

10/28: Opener LAKERS vs. Houston Rockets Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: HOU 108 LAL 90

Game was pretty much over by the middle of this quarter. The Rockets capitalized on opportunities on offense and the Lakers couldn't. Lakers also made too many turnovers and that helped let the game slip away. Prayers to Julius Randle. It's unfortunate that his NBA career has to start off with an awful leg injury that could potentially shut him down for the rest of this season. You don't want to see a rookie go through that injury in his first professional game. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: HOU 85 LAL 69

Tough luck on that open layup by Xavier Henry to beat the buzzer. Early on, the defensive activity was much better and the offense started to pick up. As I said in my halftime post, either Boozer or Lin have to step up to shed some load off of Kobe and Boozer did just that scoring and Lin penetrating and either creating his own shot or finding the open man. However, the Rockets are still getting what they want offensively late in the quarter and it opened up their lead once again.

Q2:

Score: HOU 62 LAL 45

This quarter, a little better on offense. Players started hitting their shots, but it still not good enough. The Rockets completely shot lights and they've shred the defense with the three ball and the points in the paint this quarter. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: HOU 31 LAL 19

Not a start I want to see. The Lakers started off sluggish offensively. Most of it was due to Dwight's presence from inside, but once he got taken out because of his 2 early fouls, they had an opportunity to get going, but they couldn't buy a bucket. They managed to kept it close through free throws late in the quarter, but the Rockets' 7-0 run put the Rockets back up big.

LAKERS vs. Rockets Halftime Post

Score: HOU 62 LAL 45

Alright welcome in to the first halftime post of the NBA Season of the Lakers' home opener vs. the Houston Rockets and Dwight Howard's return to LA once again. The Rockets head into the half up big 62-45.

The Positives

Kobe Bryant, 16 points, 6-12 shooting. It will take some for Kobe to regain his form in the regular season pace. He struggled early on starting 3-7, but he started shaking off the rust and picking up his game. He's always reliable and he was basically the lone bright spot individual player-wise in this game so far in the midst of the offensive struggles the Lakers are having, which I will address in the negatives.

Rebounding. I was expecting the Rockets to completely out-rebound us considering we don't have that type of big man who can bang in the paint, but surprisingly the rebounding numbers are pretty close. The Rockets just only out-rebound the Lakers 25-21. Boozer had 6 rebounds, Hill had 7 rebounds and they're almost in double figures. Ed Davis would get it going sooner or later, but all three have done a great job boxing out and securing the ball even if they're a bit undersized.

The Negatives

Offensive inefficiency. The Lakers are shooting 36.4%. Lucky enough the Lakers are not taking any unnecessary threes, but there were too many easy shots they could've made. It's obvious Nick Young is absent and we're missing that scoring off the bench to give us an offensive spark. Aside from Kobe's solid game so far, the offensive inefficiency would've been a lot worse. Some of it, credit where it's due, Dwight's defensive presence, but most of it, when he was on the bench, the Lakers couldn't capitalize offensively to exploit the Rockets inside.

Bottom Line

Bottom line is, somebody's going to have to step it up besides Kobe. I'm looking at Jeremy Lin, he's been a non-factor. If Lin can get it going, then that sheds off the scoring load. Also, Carlos Boozer, he has to find a way to score and shed some of that load off too. Defense also has to play better, it started off okay in the 1st quarter, but it got out of hand in the 2nd. Let's see what happens.

Lakers 2014-15 Season Preview: Contending or Rebuilding?

Good evening, Laker Nation and welcome to my preview for the Lakers' 2014-15 NBA Season. We are less than 24 hours away from the first tip off of the NBA Season as a whole and the Lakers have a home opener against the Dwight Howard and the Houston Rockets.

So, where to begin here. Okay, last season, arguably the season most of us Laker fans want to forget about. The Lakers were awful at home, they gave up a huge amount of points, jacking up too many threes, that's the nutshell for that season. We're all glad that Mike D'Antoni is gone and the 7 seconds or less and shoot the three away offense is gone. This offseason, the Lakers had a lot of expectations to sign big time free agents, LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony, and that plan blew up into smithereens and Mitch Kupchak had to resort to plan B, trading for Jeremy Lin, signing Ed Davis, claiming Carlos Boozer off amnesty waivers, and re-signing guys like Nick Young, Xavier Henry, Jordan Hill, Wesley Johnson, etc. Then after a long coaching search, the Lakers come into terms with Byron Scott to be the new head coach, even though it was long, it was kind of predictable since the Laker organization laid eyes on him all this time.

In terms of preseason play, unlike last season, I did see some highlights of some of the preseason games. In fact, I just only saw one full game and that was the preseason opener vs. the Denver Nuggets when the Lakers won that 95-98. Based on what I saw, Kobe Bryant's back, that's good to see, aside from the first preseason, I thought I saw no rust from Kobe after being out of the game for quite some time. Another positive I saw, I saw more activity from the Lakers both on the offense and defensive side of the ball. It's like every from every missed shot during every Laker possession, they were working their butts off to give the Lakers second chance points, particularly Jordan Hill, Ed Davis, and rookie Julius Randle. They were also using their athleticism to get some blocks on the defensive end; there was one play in particular where both Randle and Davis got a double block for a jump ball, I thought that was pretty impressive. Two players that stood out to me during the preseason: Wesley Johnson and Ronnie Price. Wes has improved his confidence in his jump shot, I mean he was hitting shots that usually missed last season and I hope he continues to build off of that confidence, he's decent defensively, but he's too athletic to not be efficient on offense. Ronnie Price, I've always liked him since he was in Utah, when we had playoff battles against the Jazz; he's always been a really scrappy defender and a great competitor when given the minutes. Looking at the highlights of the second preseason game against the Jazz and the Phoenix Suns, he was generating turnovers, drawing charges, he really turned up the defensive activity for other players around him and they bought in and turned it up.

Some areas of concern, I'd say the lack of a big body in the paint, lack of a true small forward, and injuries. We're going to miss what Gasol brought to the table, what Bynum brought to the table, and yes what Dwight brought to the table, someone that could post up and be dominant in the paint. I say that's one of the areas the Lakers failed to address. We signed Davis, Boozer, Hill, and drafted Randle, but they don't have capabilities to be that "bang bang" player in the paint because either they're a bit undersized or they're post up game is not polished. Small Forward, aside from Wesley Johnson, that position has huge void. Though, Nick Young can play that spot when he gets back, once we go up against a Durant (when he comes back), a LeBron, or a Carmelo Anthony, that position is going to be in deep trouble. Injuries, obviously Xavier Henry is out with a knee, Nick Young is out with a thumb (while guarding Kobe, smh), Ryan Kelly, out with a hamstring, Wayne Ellington, out with a concussion, but the key injury of them all, Steve Nash with a back injury. If you read the story, Nash injured his back carrying his bags and he's officially out for the season. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Nash, one of the best point guards to ever play the game, but it's time to hang it up for him. As much as I feel sorry for him for not getting that elusive ring, he's got nothing to lose, he's already a future 1st ballot HOF. The least he can do to earn the money on his contract is take on an unofficial assistant coach role and mentor Lin, mentor Price, and mentor the 2nd round rookie, Jordan Clarkson.

Wow, probably the longest preview I made, but I'm almost done. About the schedule, it looks like yet another brutal start to the season: Rockets, Suns, Clippers, Warriors, Suns again, Hornets, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Spurs, and Warriors again. You talk about a schedule where the Lakers have to start off playing against teams that made the playoffs, almost made the playoffs, and played above .500. However, we have a legitimate chance at pulling upsets on most teams. Unlike last season, the Lakers are gonna compete night in and night out against these teams, maybe aside against the Spurs and Clippers, most of these games at the start should be competitive.

So the ultimate question goes: with Kobe back are the Lakers in contention or are they still rebuilding towards the future? This Laker team should be a little, not a lot, but a little better than last year's team. Kobe and Byron Scott are going to show these younger players what it means to play like a true Laker and they will pave the way towards the future. Not a lot of expectations on my part, but the Lakers, as long as the are competitive, they will be a lot better defensively and make better decisions on offense rather than just run and jack up threes. I say we will finish just about 2 or 3 seeds short out of the playoffs, but if they stay healthy, then they have a nominal chance at sneaking in. Either way, like I said, this season should be a lot better than last year. GO LAKERS!

*And a little note for Raider fans, some sad news I forgot to point out. Offensive linemen, Mo Collins passed away yesterday at the age of 38 of kidney failure. I was still too young to know about the O-line back then when Rich Gannon, Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, and Charlie Garner were running the show, but Mo played an integral part along with guys like Barry Sims, Lincoln Kennedy, and Steve Wisniewski to turn that offense to what it was back then, an offense that could kill you on the air or on the ground. It was good to reminisce those days as a kid in the midst of what's transpiring this season. RIP big man, say hello to Al and our integral member of the Raider Nation, the Oaktown Pirate (which I also forgot to point out during last week's game vs. the Cardinals).*

Raiders' Mistakes Costly, Lose to Browns

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders-Browns game where the Raiders fought hard in the first half, but the Raiders had a couple of heartbreaking mistakes down the stretch to give the game away to the Browns as the Browns defeat the Raiders 13-23 after an embarrassing loss to the previous win-less Jaguars last week.

I just want to put both of my hands in front of my face before I post this up. That's it, it's official, we are the worst team in the league. I said in my full recap last week when the Raiders lost to the Cardinals that the Cleveland Browns always play tough at home. The difference between this week and last week, the Browns were playing in Jacksonville last week, this week, they got the Raiders and home and they totally blew it open in the second half. I didn't want to put the stamp on yet, but after this game, we deserve that stamp as the absolute worst in the NFL. I'll be criticize for saying that, but there's a fine line between being a die hard fan who supports a team no matter what and being a die hard fan, who supports the team no matter what, but who is also being honest and accepting the facts.

The Positives

The linebackers. Khalil Mack finished with 6 tackles, Sio Moore finished with 9 tackles, and Miles Burris also finished with 9 tackles. Mack and Moore have the potential to be a terrorizing tandem in the outside linebacker spots and they put their first stamp this game. As mentioned, the Browns were the 3rd best rushing team and Khalil Mack and Sio Moore kept that running game in check. Of course there's the exception where Ben Tate got a rushing TD when Carr fumbled after running into Austin Howard and the defense was pretty much gassed out. Miles Burris, he may be the worst middle linebacker in the league, but he played a pretty big part as well shutting down the Cleveland running game. Although, Burris is indeed lucky the Browns barely dialed up any passing plays down the middle on third downs.

The Negatives

Turnovers. The big time story here, the turnovers ultimately killed the Raiders and they were momentum killing plays. The first one, the INT Matt Schaub threw during a fake field goal, the Browns scored on a Billy Cundiff field goal. The second one, that was more devastating and it ultimately cost the Raiders. Darren McFadden's fumble, in Cleveland territory, the ball got popped loose after a big hit from Donte Whitner and it fell into the hands of Joe Haden, the Browns score on a Brian Hoyer touchdown pass. The third one, Derek Carr runs into Austin Howard, the ball comes loose, Browns recover and the Browns punch in the dagger on a Ben Tate TD. What did Sparano say? Oakland's gotta stop beating Oakland? With the turnovers, the Raiders beat themselves yet again and it was frustrating to see.

Penalties. The Raiders committed 8 penalties for 54 yards. I'll give Dennis Allen a benefit of a doubt that he did make the Raiders more discipline, but the tradeoff is that they become more conservative. Sparano takes over, he wants the Raiders to be physical and take shots, the tradeoff, more penalties.

The offense. We went from dropping 28 points to the Chargers to dropping 13 points against the Cardinals and 13 points against the Browns. A couple of factors played a part: a lackluster running game, dropped passes from receivers (typical), penalties, and Carr getting pressured in his face. The play calling was also lackluster, Greg Olson has went back to his conservative ways. I barely saw Carr in the shotgun, he was mostly under center. He utilized McFadden on a pitch and on the edge, and he went back to running up the middle. It's no surprise anymore. By seasons end, Olson's likely gone along with Tarver.

Conclusion

Welp, the easy part of our schedule is over and the next wave is not going to be fun. Seattle, Denver twice, KC twice, San Diego, St. Louis, a Bay Area showdown with the 49ers, I mean you can't squander an opportunity like that. The Raiders blew it big time in the first half of the schedule and they're going to pay for it with the 2nd half, unless this team miraculously turns it on against this nearly impossible stretch. It doesn't get any easier and it doesn't get any easier next week when the Raiders head over to face the defending champs in Seattle with the 12th man. I'm not really going to clamor "0-16", but with the loss to the Browns and the schedule up ahead, it looks 99% imminent. Anyway, I'll see you guys next week for the game against the Seahawks.

*On another note, basketball season is around the corner and with that, I have to post the annual 2014-15 preview for the Lakers. That will be posted tomorrow, so stay tuned.*

Week 8: RAIDERS @ Cleveland Browns Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: OAK 13 CLE 23

I'm not going to wait until the clock ticks zero, so whatever the score is at the end, I'll update it. I'm just lost for words right now about this game. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: OAK 6 CLE 9

McFadden's official candy bar...

Momentum crushing play...

Q2:

Score: OAK 6 CLE 9

That last play scared me because I thought the Raiders were gonna run out of time to end the half, but Carr showed great patience and pushed the team to get back and line up on scrimmage in time to spike it. It's a game of field goals and the Browns only lead by 3. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: OAK 0 CLE 6

Matt Schaub sees action for the first time as a Raider on special teams and yet he still throws picks. I don't what was the process of that play calling. Well, not much has happened here this quarter. Even though, the Raiders did give Cleveland a 6 point lead, the defense is keeping their running game in check, although we know the Browns' running game is bad and Brian Hoyer is on an ongoing slump.

RAIDERS @ Browns Halftime Post

Score: OAK 3 CLE 9

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders-Browns game where the Browns lead a field goal at the half.

The Positives

Mack & Moore. Khalil Mack, 3 tackles. Sio Moore, 4 tackles. This is our linebacker corps of the future and if only they had a defensive line to help them, they would've wrecked even more havoc on the edges. They don't have a sack yet though, but the duo has done a great job keeping the Browns' running game in check. I said in my Q-by-Q post that the Browns' running game are awful when in fact they are the 3rd best rushing team in the league. Whoops, but nonetheless, both Mack and Moore have kept Ben Tate in check and the Browns' running game as a whole.

Justin Ellis. He may not have anything in the stat line, but Ellis is showing why the Raiders selected him in the 4th round as a space eater Nose Tackle. There was one play when the Browns were in the red zone that he just blew by the Browns' offensive line and almost got a handful on Brian Hoyer. Aside from Mack, Carr, Jackson, and Carrie, Ellis is also trying to make his mark for this 2014 draft class starting in that defensive tackle spot in place of Pat Sims.

The Negatives

Maurice Jones-Drew, 5 carries, 7 yards. MJD looked really old out there so far. He couldn't get on the edge like he used to or make tacklers miss due to his small size. Our 1-2 punch of McFadden and Jones-Drew has gotten off to a slow start and it reflects why the Raiders are last in the running game.

Offensive play calling. Honestly, how did we go from throwing bombs against a good Chargers to become more conservative? I don't see Carr being put on shotgun formation to launch the ball deep, they've totally regressed going back to a vanilla-style play calling and Greg Olson plays a big part in that despite Sparano taking over the reins.

Bottom Line

Well, it's only 3 points at least. The defense has to continue to keep the Browns' offense in check and the Raiders' offense has to get going. This half is critical if the Raiders really want to get on that win column and end a long losing streak dating back to last season.

Raiders Fall to NFC West-Leading Cardinals

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders-Cardinals game where the Raiders' struggles continue and couldn't find a way to upset the Cardinals as former Raiders, Carson Palmer, Jared Veldheer, and Tommy Kelly come back in a Cardinal uniform and beat the Raiders 24-13.

0-6, the Jaguars got their first win of the season today, 0-11 against NFC opponents, you can't ask for an even more embarrassing start as the Raiders become the only winless team this season. I wasn't into this game at all. The only bright spots, Woodson's interception and Derek Carr's throw to Brice Butler to put the Raiders in the red zone woke me up, but I couldn't find any way to get into this game after those highlights.

The Positives

Charles Woodson, 7 tackles, 1 INT. Charles Woodson is like fine wine, he gets better when he ages. He had a injury scare during the early 2nd half when he made tried to make a play against Arizona's run play, but other than that, as bad as the defense has been this season, Woodson has been one of the constants this season on the defensive side. It's sad to see him that he's one of the only Raiders on defense making plays, especially when his great career is winding down to an end.

Khalil Mack, 11 tackles. Mack still has yet to get a sack in his rookie career, but this was his best game yet as the Raiders' 5th overall pick. Mack was disciplined and to quote Madden in an old Madden game, Mack "stayed at home and wait for the runner to come at him." The Cardinals tried to pull off an misdirection play on an end-around to a receiver and Mack didn't bite and manage to tackle the receiver for a loss. Mack played a great all-around game, he even got his cleat tangled to Carson Palmer's cleat, I got a slight chuckle out of that. Like I said with Woodson, as bad as the defense was, Mack is also a bright spot on that side of the ball and that's what you expect out of the 5th overall pick.

The Negatives 

The offense. 4 TDs against a good Chargers team, but this game, they only managed a whopping 1 TD and they couldn't gain any momentum after putting together a solid drive that resulted in a Darren McFadden TD. Derek Carr was getting pressured, the running game was being stuffed, and receivers were dropping passes. You don't like it when the offense follows up with a dud after a spectacular showing last game.

Penalties. We're partying like it's 2011 when the Raiders lead the league in penalties and actually broke the record as the most penalized team in the history of the NFL. Don't get me wrong, there were a couple of penalties that were questionable, there were a lot of questionable PI and illegal contact calls. I was especially livid on that roughing the passer call on Sio Moore, I thought that shouldn't have been a penalty and it costed the Raiders a solid 3 & out on defense, Penalties definitely killed us, but the offense's lackluster showing ultimately put the game away for the Raiders.

Conclusion

So, the Raiders can't beat the Jets, they're 1-6, can't beat the Texans, can't beat the Patriots, can't beat the Dolphins, despite the fact they went to London early, can't beat the Chargers, they just loss to the Chiefs today, now they didn't beat the Cardinals? It is frustrating because looking at the rest of the schedule, you don't know what teams can the Raiders beat. Next week, the Raiders take on the Browns in Cleveland, they lost to the Jaguars, but the Browns are still a tough team, especially when they're playing at home. It's no longer of getting that first win, it's a matter of what team can the Raiders beat as the schedule gets rougher. Any given Sunday, but as a Raider fan, it feels like that phrase doesn't apply to us because even we can make the bad teams look good. We'll see what happens next week, I'll see you guys for that game.

Week 7: NFC West Showdown 1 RAIDERS vs. Arizona Cardinals Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: ARZ 24 OAK 13

There were a couple of questionable penalties this 2nd half against the Raiders, but can't do anything about it. So many injuries continue to pile up on the defensive side of the ball. Carson Palmer, Matt Shaughnessy (didn't play), Jared Veldheer, and Tommy Kelly served the Raiders some justice in Oakland this game after being released by Reggie McKenzie in a 3 year span. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: ARZ 21 OAK 13

After the first TD, the Raiders continue to miss out on tying the game and perhaps taking the lead. It's a good game so far, but as a Raider fan, the team has had a lackluster performance. That last Cardinal TD definitely hurts.

Q2:

Score: ARZ 14 OAK 10

T.J. Carrie got a lucky break on that punt. The Raiders fought back after being down 14-0. A rough start for Derek Carr and the offense early on, but they managed to put together a good drive to cut deficit and half and with an interception by Woodson, the offense had a chance to tie it up, but got 3 instead from Jano. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: ARZ 7 OAK 0

The Raiders offense got off to a slow start, we gotta give credit to the Cardinals' stout defense for not allowing a big play from Derek Carr because Carr tried launching one deep ball to James Jones and they covered it well. The defense, aside from the 2nd drive TD, they did decent this quarter, stopping the offense on a 4th and 3.

RAIDERS vs. Cardinals Halftime Post

Score: ARZ 14 OAK 10

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' non-conference showdown against the Arizona Cardinals where the Cardinals lead the Raiders 14-10 going into the half

The Positives

The offense. The offense was anemic to start and credit where credit is due, the Cardinals defense played a big part in that, but they kept hanging in there and waited for that one big play to come. That big play came in when Carr through a 55 yard bomb to Brice Butler and that set up a Darren McFadden rushing TD.

Charles Woodson, 2 tackles, 1 INT, 22 yard return. The Raiders couldn't capitalize on his key interception, but that play that Woodson was huge to bring up some momentum back to the Raiders side. Who knows? Carson Palmer might respond back with an offensive drive that would've put the Cardinals up 21 to 7 and that interception allowed the Raiders to cut the deficit to a 4 point lead.

The Negatives

Andre Holmes. I have full faith that Holmes will get it going in the 2nd half. You can thank Patrick Peterson for Holmes lack of impact because the Cardinals' best corner has done a good job covering him.

Offensive line. Another rarity in the negatives because the O-line has done so well trying to protect Carr. Here in this game so far, they're letting Carr be under pressure and they allowed a sack and that's the impact of the Cardinals' stout front seven.

James Jones, 1 reception, 6 yards. They're paying attention to Andre Holmes specifically, but Jones just couldn't ways to make them pay for not accounting for him. He's been the reliable receiver to throw to for Derek Carr and so far, he's been non-existent and with the exception of Brice Butler, it's hurting the receiving corps.

Bottom Line

The Cardinals get the ball back in the 2nd half, I think the Raiders are doing a good job defensively, though they allowed two big time touchdowns. They're not letting Carson Palmer get what he wants. If there's a good time for the offense to get it going, it's gotta be in the 2nd half. We'll see what happens.

Raiders Squander Upset vs. Divisional Rival Chargers

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders’ divisional game vs. the San Diego Chargers where the Raiders gave the #1 power ranked Chargers all they can handle, but it wasn’t enough as a Derek Carr INT late in the 4^th put the game away for the Chargers, sneaking out with a 31-28 victory.

Damn! So freakin’ close. I’m having mixed feelings about this game because the Raiders kept this game competitive, putting up their best performance at home for the season. However this loss was against a division rival. It’s always gut wrenching to lose to a division rival, especially since the Chargers are one of the best teams in the division, behind the Broncos of course and they were riding a 4 game winning streak too. Talk about an opportunity squandered to shock the NFL world and the Raiders had a long history of competing toe to toe with the best teams and then foiling late. 

The Positives

Derek Carr, 18 of 34 passes, 282 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT. That INT in the final minute of the 4^th definitely shows that Carr will still create rookie mistakes, but he did keep this game alive and kept the game competitive. For the offensive playcalling, I’ll give it a pass. Olson added more vertical passing plays and Carr had the best game of his young NFL career, despite playing with an ankle injury. For those crucifying Carr for a 0-5 start and crying for McGloin, just stop. I’m not taking sides; we have a very capable franchise quarterback for the future and we have a very capable backup in the long run, so enough is enough with the Carr-McGloin comparisons. It took a significant change for Carr to turn loose and he turned loose this game.

Andre Holmes, 4 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD. Nobody expected Holmes to explode this game, but he stepped up big time. This is the potential the Raiders see in Holmes is that he can be a big, strong receiver, like a poor man’s Calvin Johnson/Dez Bryant/Anquan Boldin. Holmes played a great game today and for sure Tony Sparano is going to challenge him to be consistent in putting up those kinds of statistics. 

Running game. Darren McFadden had 14 carries for 80 yards, Maurice Jones-Drew, 4 carries for 30 yards, and the Raiders combined had 114 rushing yards. As piss poor as the running game was early in the season, it definitely improved. Again, you can see the impact with Sparano at the helm, the running game is going to get an extreme makeover and this game, the running game showed huge improvement. The Chargers have been good in stopping the run because they’re physical and the Raiders countered with physical, smash mouth ball in the running game.

The Negatives

Defense. Dennis Allen may be gone, but the bend but don’t break philosophy is still there. The Raiders only managed one sack on Rivers, the C.J. Wilson sack and then after that, they couldn’t generate any pressure on him. He had a lot of time to throw in the pocket on 3^rd downs, it was frustrating to watch. Jason Tarver has to be on the chopping block as well, there were some good stops here and there, but the Chargers kept responding when the Raiders scored touchdown after touchdown. True, the Chargers had more TOP (time of possession), leaving the defense gassed at times, but they need to help themselves too by making critical 3^rd down stops to get themselves off the field.

Conclusion

Don’t get me wrong it was a close game, but I am absolutely sick and tired of these moral victories. The Raiders have to put up a W in the column, that’s the only end result that matters. Now the experts are going to start chirping away again about how Chargers are one of the best teams in the NFL and how the Raiders will go top 5 again in the draft. You have to prove these experts wrong by putting up a W. The Raiders start their series against the NFC West against the Cardinals. So much former Raiders returning for that game in a Cardinals uniform: Carson Palmer, Jared Veldheer, Matt Shaughnessy, Tommy Kelly. I’m sure they’ve been waiting for that game all season long. The Cardinals got a scare today against Washington, but it’s going to be a good test, especially since rumors are swirling in that if the Raiders move to LA, they might move to the NFC West. If the game sells out, I’ll see you guys for that game.

Week 6: DIVISION GAME #1 RAIDERS vs. San Diego Chargers Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: SD 31 OAK 28

Heart breaking loss. Derek Carr played well, but yes that INT in crunch time definitely marred his great game as a rookie. The defense definitely also has some explaining to do for yet another pathetic showing. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: SD 21 OAK 21

I was questioning why the Chargers were fake punting it on 4th and 30 or something like that, but the Raiders did a good job making them pay for that with a Carr TD to Butler. Defense is still frustrating to watch. They left Usama Young 1 on 1 on Gates and it costed dearly.

Q2:

Score: SD 14 OAK 14

They're hanging in there. That's all that I'm getting out of this quarter. So far in the 1st half, the Raiders have become competitive, they're not letting this hot Chargers team intimidate them. And thank goodness this is not going into the locker room with the Raiders down big, that's a plus. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: SD 7 OAK 7

Greg Olson needs to stop teasing us. The first drive, he made a hell of a play call with Carr throwing down field for Holmes for the TD and then the rest is all conservative. Defense is again letting us down. No surprise there.

RAIDERS vs. Chargers Halftime Post

Score: SD 14 OAK 14

Alright welcome into the halftime post of the Raiders' first divisional showdown of the season vs. the Chargers where both teams are locked up at 14 a piece in this critical division game.

The Positives

Derek Carr 11 of 21 passes, 187 yards, 2 TDs. Ankle injury, what ankle injury? I'm still skeptical about Greg Olson's play calling, but the offensive play calling is turning D.C. loose out there despite his ankle injury. A 77 yard bomb to Andre Holmes and then Carr put together a great, long TD drive to James Jones. Carr is playing great out there despite not being 100%.

Andre Holmes, 3 receptions, 115 receiving yards, 1 TD. He's struggling with a couple of drops, but this is the Andre Holmes that we know and love. Hidden potential, if you put him down the field, he'll grab the ball like a rebound since he was also a standout basketball player. By opening up the playbook more down field, Holmes is getting more looks and he's having the game of his life here against a solid Chargers defense.

The Negatives

Dropped passes. The Raiders dropped over 7-8 passes and most of those drops would've critical for a big gain. Carr is making the plays with the wide receivers, but the tight ends down the middle need to step up, especially Mychal Rivera. Rivera has dropped 2 critical passes down the middle for a big gainer.






Penalties. The Raiders committed 6 penalties for 40 yards and particularly in that last drive to put Sebass to kick a FG to put the Raiders up 3, there was a holding call on Watson, an offensive PI by James Jones. Those penalties hurt and the end result, Sebass missed a field goal he usually makes.

Bottom Line

The Raiders are playing inspired out there. However, I believe in fools gold and the Chargers could turn it up a notch just at a snap of a finger. No more vanilla playcalling, the coaches have to stay aggressive and with Sparano as the HC, he's making sure Olson and Tarver are calling aggressive plays.