Chiefs Bombard Raiders in 2nd Quarter to Win

Final: KC 28 OAK 10 (1-1)

A little short and sweet, this was an expected result against a human cheat code in Patrick Mahomes and a high-powered Chiefs offense. For the most part, the Raiders tested Kansas City in that first quarter. The defense held that high octane offense without a score in the first quarter, which is a silver lining. The run defense was on point. Secondary jammed the line of scrimmage and didn't give KC receivers any breathing room to turn loose for the most part. Defense had a nice game plan to start.

And then, the 2nd quarter hits and Mahomes just started throwing bombs. The Chiefs quickly adjusted to what Guenther's unit was doing and you have to credit them where credit is due. Mahomes relentlessly heaved a lot of bombs. Two to DeMarcus Robinson. One to Mecole Hardman. The receivers for KC stepped up to open up the playbook in Tyreek Hill's absence. How they managed without getting the run game going is beyond me. But, that is a testament of how unfair this offensive unit is. The next three quarters after Q1, the Raiders were overmatched big time.

On side notes, Derek Carr surpasses the legendary Ken "the Snake" Stabler as the all-time leading passing yards leader for the Raiders. However, that was a little marred by his 2 INTs. The first INT though, Bashaud Breeland outmatched Tyrell Williams off the LOS to get that INT in the end zone to stall a would-be positive drive by the Raiders sparked by Josh Jacobs' 51 yard run. The 2nd INT, there was no receiver in the vicinity. That was the only puzzling throw by Carr this game. The point is, the offense left a lot out there to be desired. Stalled drives, pre-snap penalties, turnovers, the usual suspects of the Raiders' inefficiencies on offense.

It's going to be a while before Oakland sees the Raiders again for the last time this season. They are going to be on the road for 5 straight games. The game against the Chicago Bears is a home game, but that's going international...again. A very daunting 5-game journey awaits the Silver and Black. I'll see you guys next week after the game against the Vikings.

The Silver and Black Shitshow: Chapter 6 - "Orale (Ma)Homes!/Kicking City Chicks"

*Readers' Discretion Advised*

Strap yourselves in people! This is going to be a long ass chapter!

Judgement Day was approaching for the Silver and Black Shitshow. The well-oiled machine known as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cult of Mahomes were coming to town. As the Shitshow prepared for its inevitable beatdown, one former player opened up about the lackadaisical time during his tenure with the team.

That man would be Amari Cooper.

Since contributing to the Dallas Cowboys to a 3-1 stretch run, Mr. Cooper opened up in an interview since the Tank Commander traded him to Jerryworld. He felt that the trade "changed him as a person." It was well documented during that Thanksgiving game against the Redskins where he started showing more personality than he did in four combined seasons in Oakland. He did pull a string in this interview with a couple of key quotes:

"I wasn't really happy in Oakland."

"I just always felt like I wasn't really being used how I felt like I would have used me if I was the coach."

After reading the entire interview, I only had one question: WHY!? Why did you have to phrase it that way? Because of that interview, you just made yourself Public Enemy #1 to the entire Raider Nation as they turned your back on you immediately. In fact, Raider legend, Phil Villapiano called you a "sissy" and a "punk." Phil really wanted to rewind it back to 1976 along with George Atkinson and "The Assassin" Jack Tatum to pop you in the mouth across the middle. Don't get me wrong, as a fan who endorsed you to be a Raider since I saw your breakout year in Alabama, nobody outside of Bill Musgrave knew how to utilize you and I agreed with the 2nd quote. Your first two 1,000 yard seasons were nothing more than an afterthought as Drowning Downing and Vanilla Olson ruined you following Billy's departure. In fact, you're doing much better now that you have a QB who lets plays develop instead of a Checkdown Derek that gets rid of the ball too quick. You get to showcase your precise route running a little more in Dallas. But the number one rule if you want that "Once a Raider, Always a Raider" title, you don't make your unhappy time in Oakland publicly known! You could've taken the high road like Khalil Mack did. But to say that you weren't happy in your time in Oakland puts you in company with the likes of Warren Sapp, Randy Moss, and JaMarcus Russell, former Raiders who don't deserve the "Once a Raider, Always a Raider" title. You've brought shame to me Amari. Continue on with your great performance with the Cowboys though as you helped the team to an upset victory against the Saints.

Despite the tank job the Silver and Black Shitshow showed all season, they were by all accounts not eliminated from playoff contention. How that was a possibility was beyond comprehension. SB Nation drew up a five week scenario where the Raiders won every game from here on out and a couple of games fell their way over the past week.

- Jaguars beat Colts
- Falcons beat Ravens
- Jets beat Titans
- Dolphins beat Bills
- Broncos beat Bengals
- Texans beat Browns.

I couldn't believe that the best case scenario almost happened. But, the possibility was thrown out the window when the Ravens beat the Falcons and the Titans beat the Jets. But, the Raiders still had a glimmer of hope. They just have to win against the Kansas City-welp that's it they're fucking dead. Mahomes and that well-oiled Andy Reid offense is gonna burn them! However through divine intervention, the Shitshow got a little unsung help to spring a possible upset against their bitter AFC West rivals.

*The other place where Sports Athletes' Careers go to die...from outta nowhere.*

Whenever a sports figure shows up on TMZ, chances are that things are looking bleak going forward in his career. I mean come on! They were integral in getting Donald Sterling kicked out of NBA ownership. The latest athlete to receive the "kiss of death" from the most annoying site of tabloid media in the world, none other than Kansas City Chiefs star Running Back, Kareem Hunt.

Security footage leaked to TMZ last Friday of an incident at a hotel in Cleveland where Kareem Hunt and his entourage were caught in a shouting match with a drunk, underage woman. The woman shouted the "n word" at Hunt repeatedly that Hunt started pushing and shoving the her. Hunt's entourage intervened to calm Hunt down. But, the woman and her girl friend continued to provoke the Kansas City star. Then, all hell broke loose as the woman was pushed to the ground. Hunt got a little too extracurricular by kicking the woman while he was down to the ground. The video was then under investigation by the NFL that the NFL placed Hunt on the exempt list. In return, the Chiefs released Hunt not because of the incident, but they believed he was too dishonest when it came to telling the truth.

A moment of silence for Kareem Hunt Fantasy owners.

In all seriousness, the issue of domestic violence reared its ugly head yet again in the NFL. I understand that Kareem Hunt was getting provoked by these two women as they yelled out racial slurs to him. Who can blame him for standing up? It's a matter of how he did it by being a big, dumb "KHunt." Yes, when your first initial is "K" and your last name is "Hunt," that's what you'll be remembered by. There was no question that Kareem Hunt fucked up his NFL career royally after that incident. Kicking the lady while she was already knocked to the ground? C'mon man, no need to go that far! Unless you were planning on taking over for Harrison Butker as the new kicker for the Chiefs, go kick a football! Going back to the domestic violence issue, it shows the double standard and inconsistency by the NFL when it comes to this issue. The NFL has dragged their feet time and time again with their lackadaisical stance on this issue. They don't even have a set discipline for it either! Some players get a slap in the wrist with one or a few games suspended. Some are banned from professional football. Some get released by their team and no other teams picks them up, but they're still out there (ie: Ray Rice). And others are still playing in the league and the NFL are nonchalant about their cases. The Redskins signed Reuben Foster despite another domestic violence incident that he got cut from the 49ers, the NFL doesn't bat an eye yet. The Kareem Hunt video goes viral and they take immediate action. It's no wonder that this league is dying because the NFL can't make up their goddamn minds when it comes to handling this sensitive issue and not all domestic violence cases among NFL athletes are created equal through the eyes of the league. Nor can they come up with an established, consistent disciplinary system when it comes to this league-wide chronic issue.

Raider Nation thanks TMZ for the assist. But at a cost, the Cult of Mahomes grew bigger and badder. KHunt or no KHunt, the Chiefs were going to put a mud stomping on the Shitshow. Mahomes started with a strike to Kelce and Kelce is off to the races, *Kelce fumbles the football.* Well, well, this makes things a lot interesting. But, the Raiders couldn't capitalize as they stalled with a 3 and out.

*Mahomes hits Kelce for the TD* Yup, it's over. Nothing to see here. Now the Kansas City Chiefs are going to kick our a-*down 10-0 at the end of Q1.* Well, that wasn't so bad. The Raiders held the Kansas City juggernaut to just 10 points. The Raiders are competing, that's a good sign. They just put together a solid drive capping off with a Doug Martin one-yard TD. But, unfortunately they let the Chiefs drive down the field. The biggest gut wrencher was that 38-yard Mahomes pass to Demarcus Robinson. Honestly, how the hell do you allow this guy to go sideline to sideline and not tackle him inbounds? Despite a good showing by Gareon Conley, this doesn't change the fact that this secondary is still fucking trash. Then again every secondary is trash without a decent pass rush. 

*Mahomes hits Kelce with another TD* It's 19-7. Nothing to see here. Blocked PAT. Woohoo. But Kansas City is going to come out of the locker room to whoop some Silver and Black ass. I can see it now.

*Raiders down 26-10* Raider Nation, I can't say that I told you so, but I told you so. This team is just not that good to combat the Cult of Mahomes. Checkdown Derek is suffocating behind Tom Cable's most penetrable O-line. *Carr hits Cook for a TD to cut it to 26-16.* It's no longer AC/DC = TD, it's now JC/DC = TD. Unfortunately, Carr could not hit Jalen Richard in stride for the two-point conversion.

*Fumble by Richard, Chiefs extend lead 33-16.* It's impossible for the Shitshow to win in a shootout. Just drop your flags and tank. The Tank Commander commands it. *Derek Carr hits Lee Smith for a TD to cut lead to 33-23.* Okay, it's back to 10 points, but we all know the Cult of Mahomes and the Cheetah speed of Tyreek Hill and Mini "Gronk" Kelce will respond back.

*Raiders cut the lead 33-30* Holy shit, this is actually a game now! The Raiders can do it! They can pull the biggest upset of the year! Derek Carr has risen! He'll beat the Chiefs from behind like he did in 2014 and 2017. Jordy Nelson has rekindled his Green Bay form! Jared is cooking! Pocket Rocket Jalen Richard has returned to form! The defense just needs one stop for once in its Khalil Mack-less life. They continue to bend, but we just need one stop. Give the ball back to Derek and this inspired Raiders offense. Just hold them in the end zone boys! Hold them to a field-

*Mahomes hits Chris Conley to extend the lead KC 40-30 late in the 4th.* "GODDAMN IT! Y'ALL HAD ONE FUCKING JOB! CAN'T THIS DEFENSE DO ITS FUCKING JOB FOR ONCE?! THIS IS WHY TRADING KHALIL FUCKING MACK AND RELEASING BRUCE FUCKING IRVIN WERE TERRIBLE IDEAS! WE NEEDED THAT QB PRESSURE! FUCK!"

As a Raider fan, I could not be mad at this effort. They could've just let Kansas City "beat the Devil" out of them as they don't have a lot to play for. But there was one thing that they were playing for and that was pride. The Raiders-Chiefs rivalry had lost its luster as it has been lopsided in favor of the Chiefs since the 1990s. And as football fans, we hope that this rivalry returns to its former glory once again as we were cockteased from 2015-2017. There were signs of heart from the Raiders and a Derek Carr that's slowly re-surging back to 2016 form and good to know that some veterans on this roster still give a flying fuck about playing for the Silver and Black. 

Chiefs Kingdom though, my goodness, talk about a weekend for you guys. Your former stud running back did the dumbest shit in the world and now the whole nation sees it. Your defense is ass. You should be mad that you didn't win in convincing fashion against a Raiders team that is completely voided of young, promising talent and veterans on their last legs. This tells me one thing: the Chiefs will keep going depending how far Patrick Mahomes and this offense can take them. Hmmm...that sounds familiar. That reminds me of the 2016 Raiders. The defense was asinine, but Derek Carr and the offense kept putting points on the board until he got hurt. Better hope the same fate doesn't await the almighty Mahomes. Without Hunt, Mahomes is going to have to carry that big load. Oh and Andy Reid is still the head coach. We know how his teams turn out in the postseason. And to top it all off, you guys still won't sniff a Super Bowl as long as Darth Brady, Emperor Belichick, and the Death Star Patriots from Foxborough, MA are still around and exerting their AFC dominance. 

*Oh, the Raiders are expected to make an appearance on the next episode of Days of Our Steelers? I can't wait to do a Silver and Black Shitshow chapter on that... Wait, so you guys think it's best for me to leave this to (Urinating)'Tree? Well, what the hell is my Week 14 content gonna be about then?*

Double Recap: Raiders Keep Season Alive with Crazy Win vs. Chiefs; Young Lakers Taken to School vs. Clippers

Welcome in to a double full recap in what was a crazy Thursday night for the blog as the Raiders and Lakers played on national TV. The Raiders resurrected some 4th quarter comeback magic as they knock off their divisional rival Chiefs, ending the Kansas City jinx in a 30-31 thriller. Meanwhile, the Lonzo Ball-Brandon Ingram era for the Lakers hit a brick wall in the team's opener, falling to the Clippers 108-92.

Wow, these two games were polar opposites of each other. My goodness. But I'm gonna be honest, I lost a lot of energy from that frantic finish on the Raiders-Chiefs Thursday Night game. The final sequence of that game was a pure example of the torture us Raider fans have to go through with this team. But, hey Derek Carr did it again against the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football in Oakland. I think the NFL seriously needs to consider more Raiders-Chiefs on Thursday Night in Oakland because that's the only way they can beat the Chiefs. All kidding aside, it took five tries in the final seconds. You'd think the game would be over, but finally the Raiders get calls their way and they capitalized on it with Carr's game-winning TD to King Crab. On the flip side, it was a tough sledding for the Lakers in their game against the Clippers. I said last night, despite Chris Paul's absence, the Clippers are still a proven veteran team and it showed tonight. The Lakers committed some silly turnovers and they were too passive offensively. Defensively, they had a lot of breakdowns which lead to some good outside looks by the Clippers and they just didn't have an answer for neither Blake Griffin nor DeAndre Jordan inside the post.

By virtue, I will cover the losing team first. It's a tradition that I've used when I'm covering the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals where I would address the losing team first and then address the winning team later.

Lakers

(+)

Brook Lopez, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 7-19 shooting. The Lakers brought in Brook Lopez for this kind of stat line. His 3-point game wasn't in sync, shooting 1-5 from beyond the arc, but he did most of his damage inside the post and from the perimeter as well. Keep in mind, I didn't see the first half, but in the second half, Lopez ignited a mini run with a couple of floaters and hook shots before the Clippers proceeded to destroy the Lakers' non-existent defense. Lopez is capable of creating his own shot and he's expected to fill the stat sheet up from here on out.

Lonzo getting teammates involved. Since I missed a majority of the game, I couldn't analyze how well Lonzo moved the ball and with his low assists numbers, I assume either players missed their shots or passed up a shot. But, hearing from Chris Webber at the end of the game that he thought Lonzo did a good job getting teammates involved, that was encouraging to hear. Remember, Lonzo is not a scorer. He's a pass first guy and he's looking to make plays for teammates. He had a nice highlight in the third quarter with pick-and-roll action, finding Lopez for a layup.

Jordan Clarkson 18 points, 7-16 shooting. Last season, Clarkson has proven to be a capable sixth man since the Lakers traded away Lou Williams. It's good to see he's carrying that over. Lopez and Clarkson are in reality the Lakers' offense until further notice.

(-)

Blake Griffin vs. Larry Nance Jr. and Julius Randle. There's no way around this, Blake Griffin destroyed the Lakers' Power Forwards tonight. He completely overpowered both of them in the paint. I saw the highlight of Randle getting posterized on Griffin's dunk in the 2nd half. The defensive assignment on Griffin proved to be too much.

Turnovers and indecisiveness. That was evident in the 3rd quarter. I feel it was the Lakers' youth trying to do too much. They're too focused on making the home run, highlight play and placing some overemphasis on the ball movement. It happens to young teams and you'd hope that the Lakers learn to slow down and be more decisive in their execution as this season progresses.

Defensive breakdowns. This has been a problem since forever literally. I couldn't recall how many times the Lakers allowed high percentage shots to the Clippers. They're gambling too much on double teams, closing out on their man too late, and failing to provide help defense at the right time. Luke Walton should continue to coach these players up on communicating better defense because that will be the biggest concern throughout the season.

Brandon Ingram, 3-15 shooting. Trade him. Okay, that was a joke. Clearly, this was not a good 2nd year debut for Ingram. In the 3rd quarter, Ingram settled for a couple of jumpshots. Those are high percentage shots, but they were just falling short. Say what you want about Ingram being a bust, but like I said, you can't judge a player until year 3. Unless Ingram has games like these in 75% of the season, then maybe we can start questioning how untouchable he is. Shooting-wise, bad game by Ingram, but it's only one game.

Raiders

(+)

Amari Cooper, 11 receptions, 210 yards, 2 TDs. These last few games, it was frustrating to see Cooper getting shut out in the game plan and rarely seeing some targets. It was also frustrating that a majority of Raiders fans were hating on him. Clearly the drops are frustrating, but it's not entirely his fault that Todd Downing doesn't trust him. This game was a great way to break Amari out of his slump. He was targeted a lot in this game. I'm disappointed that some are considering this game a bad game for Coop. Yes, he drop a couple of long balls, but you can't expect him to be on target all the time. He had 19 targets today. I'm sure if he was 18 of 19 in his targets, people still find ways to hate. Coop showed us that he's still a big play receiver and a YAC monster. And you wanna question his toughness? He took a big hit from Daniel Sorenson. I'm still one of those few who'll continue to defend Coop.

Derek Carr, 29 of 52 passes, 417 passing yards, 3 TDs. This one has to be extra special for Carr as nothing has gone his way against the Chiefs in the last five games. The completion percentage is by all means bad. And yes, most of his throws were 50/50 balls. But, no Marshawn Lynch, no running game, Carr had to carry the offense behind his back. Three years ago, Carr lead the Raiders to their first win against the Chiefs on Thursday Night. Three years later, he did it again!

NaVorro Bowman, 11 tackles. Wait, I thought 49ers fans said that Bowman was done? Clearly, they're in a youth movement, but Bowman still proved he can be a difference maker in stopping the run. Overall, the run defense held Kareem Hunt to 87 yards. That's not too bad for a defense that has struggled in defending the run. It's safe to say, Bowman's presence patched up some of the run defense woes.

Jared Cook, 6 receptions, 107 yards. Cook may not have a lot of monster games, but he's responsible for a couple of lore plays. If you look at the divisional playoffs, he made a spectacular catch against the Cowboys to give the Packers the win. This game, he added his name to Raiders lore. Without his clutch 4th down catch and deep ball catch to put the Raiders on the KC 1-yard line, the "L" would've been in the bag for Oakland. If there's one game that Cook needed a big game, this was the one.

Michael Crabtree, 3 receptions, 24 yards, 1 TD. Quiet game for Crab overall. Marcus Peters had a lot to do with that. But he wiped that out with the game-winning TD catch. There's nothing more to say about Crabtree. The man is clutch.

(-)

Secondary. Obi Melifonwu's debut can't come any sooner since he's taken off the I.R. list after Week 8. And hopefully, we get an update on Gareon Conley's shin injury. This secondary is the death of the Raiders' pass defense. David Amerson regressed big time. Sean Smith is a waste of $40 million (even though he didn't play as much). Reggie Nelson is a step late. They allowed Tyreek Hill to walk free. They allowed a big pass play when Marquette King once again pinned them deep. Keith McGill could've had an INT, but an unlucky tip to Albert Wilson. This secondary is seriously a weak link and considering they're banged up, makes it even worse.

Marshawn Lynch's ejection. Marshawn Lynch is a real dude, no question about it. If you hadn't seen it, Marcus Peters put a late hit on Carr, leading to an all-out scrum. The O-line already had Carr's back. Hudson, Osemele, and Penn came to his aid. And you got Lynch running from the sidelines to break up the fight, when he shouldn't be and he shoved a ref. Lynch was not needed when you have five big linemen ready to wage war for Carr. Since Lynch got ejected, the run game became non-existent for the most part besides DeAndre Washington's rushing TD.

MVP (Lakers)

Brook Lopez, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 7-19 shooting

Expect these kinds of stats from Lopez as this season moves forward. He's hands down, the Lakers' best scoring option outside of Clarkson.





MVP (Raiders)

Amari Cooper, 11 receptions 210 yards, 2 TDs

So many MVPs to choose from the Thursday Night game, but I had to give it Amari Cooper. There was so much talk about him going MIA, but when you get him involved, he puts the spark in the Raiders' offense.




Conclusion

Thursday has passed by as it hits 12 midnight in the U.S., but what a night it was. Surely you can't win em all. The Lakers have a lot of growing pains that they'll have to endure with their young core. The Clippers are still a good team without Chris Paul. Blake Griffin is a proven All-Star and they have all kinds of veterans on their squad. The Lakers have a lot of young pieces outside of Brook Lopez and they don't have quality veteran presence like the Clippers have. They still have a lot of learning to do, but they should improve game-by-game. For the Raiders, they needed this win against the Chiefs. As I said, this was a script-changer for a season that is shadowed with internal turmoil. With the crazy finish the game had and the Raiders coming from behind to win, they should get their mojo back. Now, coming off the emotional-draining victory, they have to get back to the drawing because the schedule gets harder from here on out. Whew, I'm beat. I'm emotionally drained. This was a crazy Thursday night. I can't wait to do it again in December and hopefully, I can make a few adjustments. Raider fans, I'll see you next week when the Raiders take on the Bills. Laker fans, I personally don't know when the next nationally televised Laker game is. I have to re-check the schedule. But, if you've followed my blog for a long time, Laker games that are available only in the home market in LA will be subjected to a quick recap post (denoted as a "Quick Fact Check"). The Lakers do have a game tomorrow off back-to-back sets against the Phoenix Suns, so expect a quick recap on that. Other than that, I'll see you guys later.

#ReignTogether - Week 7: TNF - RAIDERS vs. Kansas City Chiefs 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half of the Chiefs-Raiders matchup in a mega Thursday night. Raider fans, as usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game. 

Q4

KC 30 OAK 31

Somebody call 911, I'm having a heart attack! Now, that's vintage 2016 Raiders! The Raiders needed a miracle after the Chiefs were pretty much controlling the clock. The Raiders' defense made a clutch stop with a Mack sack. Derek Carr threw a couple of clutch passes to Cooper and Jared Cook on 4th down. But, my goodness that finish! Jared Cook had a TD. No, call overturned, 10 second run off. The Raiders had three tries to get into the end zone. Through divine intervention, the Chiefs committed some costly penalties as time expired. Carr finds Crabtree for the game-winning TD and Tavecchio, my goodness, was that XP close to being wide. But it's good! Holy mother! Stay tuned for the full recap, but I'm turning it over to the Lakers-Clippers game. #ReignTogether

Q3

KC 30 OAK 21

Well, that quarter is the sole reason why the secondary is garbage. Unlucky tipped pass for a TD. The Chiefs winning a couple of challenges to keep the chains moving. It's looking ugly out there. The Raiders' current drive is going to be pivotal. Let's see what Carr and co do.

#ReignTogether - Week 7: TNF - RAIDERS vs. Kansas City Chiefs 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to one half of a super Thursday night! This is the 1st half open thread of the Raiders' Week 6 divisional matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. For Raider fans, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

KC 20 OAK 14

Rough night for Tavecchio so far in terms of field goal attempts. Could've had this thing nodded up at 20. I'd say for 1.5 quarters in this quarter, we saw the explosive Raiders offense from last year. The AC/DC connection was re-ignited as Carr found Coop for the Raiders' two TDs in this game. Like I said, when they get Coop into the game plan, that opens up the playbook. Defensively, they implemented a lot of zone plays because that's how the Steelers shut the Chiefs' offense down last Sunday. But, on the other .5 of the last quarter, the problems of both sides reared its ugly head once again. I'm seeing some questionable offensive play calling by Todd Downing down the stretch. Ken Norton Jr. somehow thought it was a brilliant idea to put David Amerson on an island against the speedy Tyreek Hill. When Tyreek Hill is on the field, 100% of the time you have to double cover him! You leave him one-on-one and Alex Smith is going to heave it and Hill has the speed to burn them. Well, the run game is looking a lot different now since Marshawn Lynch is thrown out of the game. It's common sense for him to stay off the field. Carr has five big offensive lineman ready to go to war for him if any defender touches him. Lynch's presence is definitely going to be missed. That means more work load for Richard and Washington and Carr's gonna have to carry this offense. That work will be a lot to shoulder against a team like the Chiefs. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

KC 10 OAK 14

You see where getting Amari Cooper involved in the game plan gets you? That's what was missing in this offense. Explosive plays! The Raiders are throwing everything in the book at the Chiefs. Carr rolling out for a couple of completions. The flea flicker on the handoff to Cordarrelle Patterson to find Amari Cooper for a TD. And then on the 2nd scoring drive, Coop reminded us why he's a Yards-After-Catch monster. That's what was missing! Defensively, they're taking a page out of Pittsburgh's gameplan. They're playing a lot of zone to prevent explosive plays. It worked so far, despite KC getting a TD off a Denico Autry penalty. Good back-and-forth quarter.

#ReignTogether - Thursday Night Doubleheader! - Raiders vs. Chiefs-Lakers vs. Clippers

At some point, both the NFL and NBA scheduling would have two of my favorite teams overlap each other. Tomorrow night is going to be big for this blog. The Oakland Raiders are entering a very critical divisional matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs in prime time in order to turn the season around. The Los Angeles Lakers usher in a new era as they take on the Clippers in the battle for L.A. Both these games are going to be in front of a national audience, respectively on NFL Network/CBS and on TNT!

Now, onto the age old question, how is this going to work out on the blog? Obviously, the start of the Lakers-Clippers game will overlap the late 2nd half of the Raiders-Chiefs matchup. I may have to load up a livestream of the Lakers-Clippers start so I can fire up the 1st half open thread while I'm doing the 2nd half open thread of the Raiders-Chiefs matchup on TV. Considering Raiders-Chiefs starts at 5:25 PM, priority will be given to that game. And then once the game ends, I will switch up the channel to the Lakers-Clippers from there on out. I guarantee you, I will find ways to comment on both threads during that time and provide my Q-by-Q reaction on both threads as quickly as possible. In terms of the full post game recap, I will merge both of them into one mega recap. I'll recap the Raiders first and then, the Lakers after and I'll combine the "conclusion" section on my overall thoughts on both games and the outlook ahead for both teams.

I'm excited to experiment with this and I'm looking forward to both games. On the Raiders end, you have the debut of NaVorro Bowman. I said it in my full recap after the Raiders-Chargers game last week, the Raiders had to consider calling NaVorro Bowman. And they did so without hesitation signing him to a 1-year deal. He's expected to play tomorrow and stabilize the Linebacker core for a short term. But, this game against the Chiefs, NaVorro Bowman is a secondary headline. Make no mistake, the Raiders are not playing up to par as of late. They're proving that last year's 12-4 season was a fluke game-by-game. And they're going up against a previously undefeated Chiefs team that just lost to Pittsburgh and you can bet, they'll take their frustration out on the Raiders. They want to turn this season around? This is it. This is the Super Bowl even though it really isn't. But, in a literal sense, it is because the Raiders' aspirations for a Super Bowl trip is looking bleak based on the last few games. This game is a script-changer for the season.

On the Lakers' side, you have the most anticipated regular season debut of Lonzo Ball. We can't forget about Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and Thomas Bryant. But most likely, Ball and Kuzma are going to log the heavy minutes among the Lakers' latest draft class. While the Lakers are going through their rebuilding phase, the Clippers are starting their rebuilding phase. They broke up 1/3 of Lob City by trading Chris Paul to the Rockets. The Clippers have had the Lakers' number and CP3 was a part of those Clipper victories. But just because they don't have CP3 doesn't mean that the Lakers can finally beat them. They still have Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. They added Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari. I would say they got better defensively by adding Patrick Beverly and he's going to be a handful for Lonzo Ball because of his scrappy, hard-nosed defense. To make things worse, the Lakers will be short-handed for tomorrow's game. Julius Randle is out. Andrew Bogut is out. KCP will be serving a two-game suspension. Randle is arguably the best rebounder on the team. Bogut out and KCP out are huge losses for the team defensively. It'll be interesting to see how Luke Walton will set the starting lineup and rotations. But, the Lakers should remain competitive with Lonzo, Kuzma, Brook Lopez, and Brandon Ingram. Speaking of Ingram, we're anxious to see how much he improved from his rookie year. He's due for a successful 2nd year campaign in terms of growth and development. Clippers may be the heavy favorite in the opener, but I want to see some competitiveness from this young Laker squad to go along with growth development.

Granted, this won't be the last time this is gonna happen. Both my teams are going to intertwine again in December on Christmas Day when the Raiders take on the Eagles on Monday Night Football and the Lakers take on the Clippers to wrap up the NBA's Christmas galore. But, tomorrow night can not come any faster! Raiders-Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. Lakers-Clippers on the NBA on TNT. For one night, the colors of Silver and Black and Purple and Gold reign together. GO RAIDERS! GO LAKERS! I'll see you guys tomorrow.

Chiefs Remain a Thorn on the Side for Raiders, Carr, Del Rio

Welcome in to the full postgame recap of the Raiders' divisional matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs where the Raiders had a chance to increase the gap between them and the Broncos for the AFC West. But, the Chiefs squander that chance as the Raiders lose 26-10, extending Andy Reid's near-perfect record of wins after the bye week.

We've learn a lot of things about the Raiders after this game. The offense is mortal, Jack Del Rio's gambles on 4th down can be costly, and the defense still has its same old problems. This was a gut check game and like how I titled this game, this was "the test." If the Raiders pass this and get a W against the Chiefs, they have every right to be considered contenders for the AFC West. And the Raiders, I'd say, they get a D on this exam and we have to pump the brakes on playoff contention, division title. They started strong, Coop had a good game, but it wasn't enough. 

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Amari Cooper, 10 receptions, 129 yards. I think this was the only positive of the game. Coop did work against the secondary and one thing that's different is that he finally knows how to drag his toe to stay inbounds. Carr found Coop open a lot on the first drive. Aside from the Jalen Richard's 50 yard kickoff return, Coop was instrumental in helping the Raiders' offense drive down the field for a quick 7.

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Defense. Are we not surprised? Run defense is bad. Defensive backs are giving receivers a 10 yard cushion for easy gainers. This game alone summed up the entire defensive unit during the season. Okay, Khalil Mack had his 2nd sack of the season. But, everything else, not a single positive thing to take out of this display by the defense. This thing is starting to be routine and Ken Norton, Jr. continues to test some our patience with the scheme and playcalling.

Running game. 65 total rushing yards from the running game against a 29th ranked run defense. I think we all need to owe Latavius Murray an apology. We're asking too much from DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard to do something and the rookies both combined for just 57 yards. Lee Smith done for the year, the revolving door at the right tackle position is definitely hurting the Raiders' ability to run the ball. But the void of missing Tay Train's ability to run between the tackles and in goal line situations showed here.

Right tackle. We're going to need as many bodies on that position as much as possible. I looked at the injury report before this game. Vadal Alexander out. Menelik Watson out. Matt McCants out. Austin Howard was the only active right tackle and he didn't have that great of a game. The right tackle position is going to derail the O-line from being elite if this revolving door continues to happen.

Derek Carr, 1 INT, 1 Fumble lost. Carr still threw for over 200+ yards, but like I said, he's going to check under his bed for the Chiefs' defense before he goes to sleep. We can pinpoint to the weather, but I think trying to exorcise some demons against the Chiefs' defense got to him a little bit and there's no denying that they have his number. We can consider this to be one of Carr's worst games so far of the season.

MVP

Amari Cooper, 10 receptions, 129 receiving yards

Okay, I'm having trouble putting the text next to Coop's pic. Other than that, Coop's game was the only positive. He was a one man show against the Chiefs' secondary and he finally masters the toe drag this game.

Conclusion

Well, the good news is the Raiders are still tied with the Broncos for 1st place in the AFC West, but this game was a missed opportunity to widen the gap. But 4 straight losses to Andy Reid, Alex Smith, and the Chiefs. We can't consider to be division contenders until the Raiders find a way to crack the Chiefs' code. Their blowout loss two weeks ago against Pittsburgh showed that game was fools' gold and like I said, Andy Reid is a mastermind when it comes to gameplanning after the bye week. The next two games in Florida for the Raiders should allow them to regroup after this tough loss. Jacksonville is beatable even they've won their last two games since starting 0-3 this season. Tampa Bay has a promising QB-WR tandem in Jameis Winston and Mike Evans, but they are beatable. The focus right now should be forget about today's game, board the plane to Florida, and go 2-0 in those weeks. They'll be staying there, which saves a lot of travel hassle. It's important to get those games before the big time Sunday night showdown vs. the Broncos in November that could place implications in the AFC West race. I'll see you guys next week for the game against the Jaguars.

Week 6: The Test - RAIDERS vs. Kansas City Chiefs 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to the 2nd half open thread and discussion of the Raiders-Chiefs matchup. As usual, leave a comment below the post on your thoughts of the game.

Q4

KC 26 OAK 10

The Chiefs still haunt Derek Carr and the Raiders offense. Despite the big game by Coop and the TD by Holmes, the offense was pretty much held in check by a Chiefs defense without their star pass rusher in Justin Houston. Like I said in a comment, Andy Reid is a mastermind when it comes to gameplanning after the bye week. Alex Smith, we can call him "Mr. Check Down" if we want to, but it's hard to generate any turnovers from him and that plays a factor in his winning record against the Raiders. Fact check game here for the Raiders. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

KC 23 OAK 10

Almost didn't realize the quarter right there. But not much action went on this quarter. The defense is bending, but not breaking. They managed to create a few key stops against the Chiefs' offense, but Derek Carr and the Raiders' offense, they couldn't anything going this 2nd half. There's a whole lot of conservative playcalling on Bill Musgrave's part and it ate up some precious time during that 3rd quarter to get the Raiders something to jump start the home crowd.

Week 6: The Test - RAIDERS vs. Kansas City Chiefs 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to the first half open thread and discussion for Week 6 of the Raiders' divisional matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Leave a comment below the post about your thoughts on the game.

Q2

KC 13 OAK 10

Amari Cooper has been the highlight of this game so far. One thing so positive about him is that he works hard and continues to polish his skills as a receiver. We've been screaming on him to drag that last toe as the college rule are still implanted on his head that all you need is one foot in to be inbounds. But, he's been putting in work to drag that toe and he has destroyed the Chiefs' secondary so far. Jano was able to hit the field goal at the end of the quarter to cut the lead into 3. You gotta love rainy football weather, especially in the Oakland Coliseum given how slippery the field is. Despite the low scoring affair, the defense did a good job on stopping Alex Smith and the Chiefs offense on the first drive, but they allowed a pair of TDs during that half. Part of it was that the Chiefs had good field position to start. An early missed field goal by Jano and Del Rio's failed gamble on 4th down basically gift wrapped Alex Smith some solid field position to start. Despite the rainy weather, the Raiders have to find a way to execute better and specifically, the defense needs to communicate. Five weeks they've been a liability. I like the turnovers. The sacks are getting there, but they have to find a way to contain the big play and unlock Alex Smith's "Mr. Check Down" persona. The 2nd half open thread will open shortly.

Q1

KC 7 OAK 7

I'd say that first quarter was a deadlock between those teams. The Raiders started with some fireworks with a Jalen Richard 50 yard return. AC/DC did work. Carr found Cooper a lot of times for the majority of the first drive, then capped it off with a TD to Holmes. Defense held Alex Smith and the Chiefs' offense in check. Mack got his 2nd sack, he's gonna need more of that. The Marcus Peters INT was deflating to say the least. The Chiefs answered right back to tie it up. The offense is driving. Hopefully, the Raiders get another score.