Christmas Doubleheader Recap: Raiders, Lakers Get Lumps of Coal From Eagles, Timberwolves

Welcome in to the full recap of a Christmas double-header in the Raiders' Week 16 game at the Philadelphia Eagles and the Lakers' matchup vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both teams were sent packing with an "L" tonight as the Raiders fall to the Eagles in a tightly contested game 10-19 and the Lakers dropping a game to the T'Wolves 121-104.

Not the Christmas gifts we were hoping for. But, for both my fellow Raider and Laker fans, Merry Christmas to all of you. Hope you guys enjoyed time with your family and unwrapped a lot of presents under the tree. Onto the two games, first on the Raiders. They had nothing to play for with the Chiefs winning last night, but they held their own against the NFC's top team. But, they turned the ball over too many times, which costed them an upset victory and I'm sure Vikings fans are livid since they want home field advantage. Not all is bad for Minnesota though. The T'Wolves won against the Lakers behind their trio of Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Jimmy Butler with a little help from Jamal Crawford and Taj Gibson. The Lakers were in it, but so many turnovers and missed shots in the 2nd half doomed them.

Raiders

(+)

Defense. This was pretty much the whole positive of the Monday Night game for the Raiders. I hope they keep John Pagano around. Since, he took over for Ken Norton, Jr., the defense has played a lot better despite the missing pieces around this unit. The entire front outside of Khalil Mack was able to create pressure on Nick Foles. That's the biggest question the Eagles must answer: how can they fill the void Carson Wentz left behind? Because Foles does not have Wentz' scrambling ability. The front seven for the Raiders made Foles uncomfortable throughout the game. They forced some fumbles. Reggie Nelson grabbed an INT. Most impressively, Sean Smith held his own against Alshon Jeffrey, holding him to no catches. Then again, Jeffrey is more of a get up and grab type of receiver and is not as fast. So, Smith was able to get that advantage. Overall, the defense made enough plays for the Derek Carr and the offense to win the game. It's just that Carr and company kept giving it away.

(-)

Turnovers. The Raiders were definitely in the Christmas spirit of giving. Derek Carr threw two interceptions. Marshawn Lynch fumbled after the Raiders get it back with a fumble recovery. Jalen Richard fumbled twice. The 2nd half was pretty much a turnover fest for both teams. So this game came down to who commits the costlier turnovers. It turned out the Raiders did and nothing you can say, other than it's a microcosm of how underwhelming this season has been for the Raiders.

Lakers

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Kyle Kuzma, 31 points, 8-18 shooting. Kuzma got things going for the Lakers to start the game with four quick points. I changed the game back to the Raiders-Eagles game after that. But, looking at the stats sheet in the first half, Kuzma scored 16 points on 6-11 shooting. The great thing about him is that he can create his own shots and he needed to do that since Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are not there to draw defenses in and free him up. An interesting stat from Bleacher Report is that Kuz is the first rookie to score 30+ points on Christmas Day since LeBron James in 2003. That's a pretty amazing feat and his legend from 27th overall to a star-in-the-making continues to grow.

Julius Randle, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 7-10 shooting. It's either feed Julius Randle down low and he'll bully his way in or let him have the ball and go coast-to-coast full speed and bully his way in. That was the case tonight. That has always been Randle's game, muscling his way into the paint and crashing the boards as well. Commonly, once Randle plays bully ball, that's when the Lakers make their run. Randle continues to come off the bench and just pinball his way off defenders in the paint.

Josh Hart, 12 points, 5-13 shooting. Hart's finding his way into the rotation and making the most out of it. He'll give out good small sample sizes on his game. Tonight, it was making the unselfish passes and making a three to cut the deficit to eight before the T'Wolves pulled away. The Lakers have to continue to give him more PT as he's the overlooked guy between Ball and Kuzma.

Jordan Clarkson, 17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals. Clarkson is still struggling with his shot with an 8-24 shooting tonight. But, he made his presence known with the all-around stat line. With Ball out, Clarkson filled in well as a facilitator. He set up guys like Randle and Nance nicely for easy shots by using his slashing ability to draw the Timberwolves defense to him.

(-)

The biggest negatives here were the missed shots and the 2nd half turnovers. Based on the report on the first half, the Lakers had chances to build on a big lead, but they ended up missing. I'm sure Clarkson's 8-24 shooting night had something to do with it. KCP also struggled with a 3-11 shooting night. Like JC, Caldwell-Pope has been struggling with his shot. I don't want to believe his legal issue stemming from last season off a DUI had something to do with his struggles. But, he just can't find the range these last few games, especially from three. The turnovers in the 2nd half, Timberwolves defense started to tighten up and swarm the Lakers to turn the ball over.


MVP

Reggie Nelson, 6 tackles, 1 INT

For this weeks MVP, it's like asking "who do I give it to?" The whole defensive unit deserves it, but random selection, Reggie Nelson gets it. It's his last year here, so he might as well ball out while he can. He had an interception to set the Raiders up in good field position to take the lead and could've had a sure pick 6 in the 1st half.



Kyle Kuzma, 31 points, 8-18 shooting

Kuz had to pick up the slack for tonight's game with the Lakers missing Ingram and Ball. But still, he was able to play his game and create his own shots. He's been on a tear these last few games and it looks like Kuz is showing no signs of slowing down.




Conclusion

I'm almost there to the finish line on this hectic Christmas night. Overall if you think about it, turnovers and misfires directly link to the Raiders and Lakers losses tonight. There is not a lot of luster for either games. The Raiders are playing for pride after being eliminated from playoff contention. The Lakers are still in the development stage and the Timberwolves were able to take advantage of Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram's absence. Only one more week for the Raiders till this jinx of a season is over when they wrap it up against the Chargers on New Year's Eve. Raider Nation, I'll see you guys next week for that game. On the Lakers' side, I missed out on the Portland game on Saturday night. I'll provide a quick fact check and commentary for that game tomorrow. Other than that, Merry Christmas to all Raider and Laker family and friends even though both outcomes were not what we wanted for this holiday season. I'll see you guys later.

#ReignTogether Week 16: RAIDERS @ Eagles 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread of the Raiders-Eagles on a Monday Night Christmas. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

OAK 10 PHI 19

On the Raiders' menu tonight for a late Christmas dinner...

Stay tuned for a mega full recap after the Lakers-Timberwolves game.

Q3

OAK 10 PHI 10

Crazy sequence of events in this 3rd quarter. Raiders and Eagles exchanged a couple of turnovers. After Carr's INT, it looked like momentum shifted towards Philly. But, the Raiders force a turnover of their own to gain momentum, but that was quickly negated when Marshawn Lynch fumbled the ball. Outside of that, the defense is holding their own against this high-powered Eagles offense. Philly is really missing Wentz' ability to scramble and make plays with his legs. Raiders are also getting the running game going. It has worked this quarter, but there are still a couple of run plays where there's a lot of confusion on who's blocking making it inconsistent. Not to mention, Philly's defense recovers well and is prepared for the next run after a big gainer.

#ReignTogether Week 16: RAIDERS @ Philadelphia Eagles 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Merry Christmas! It's one of those rare occasions again where both the Raiders and Lakers play on National TV on the same night. #ReignTogether! This is the first half open thread of the Raiders' Week 16 Monday Night matchup vs. the Eagles in the City of Brotherly Love. Raiders may be eliminated from playoff contention with the Chiefs winning yesterday, but they still must play to win the game. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

OAK 7 PHI 7

This is now a competitive game after this quarter. The offense wakes up. Amari Cooper catches the Eagles secondary with a double mood and Derek Carr delivered a perfect strike for the TD. Though the Eagles front seven has been stellar, their secondary outside of Malcolm Jenkins is shaky at best and the Raiders are exploiting that with quick throws and double moves. The defense is holding its own and their creating pressure in the pocket against a patchwork O-line and getting into Nick Foles face. It has disrupted Philly's passing game, making them one dimensional relying on the run. The only negative is of course the penalties. They're not going to get off the field as long as flags are flying in the middle of play or after the play. With nothing to play for, the Raiders are doing their best to play spoiler to shift the home field advantage to the Vikings in the NFC. They have to continue to exploit the secondary and get pressure on Foles. Foles is not athletic as Wentz, so that provides the defense a valuable advantage for the Raiders to get the upset. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

OAK 0 PHI 7

This game has less hype with the Raiders being eliminated from playoff contention. At this point, the Raiders might as well take some shots with nothing to lose. They did so going for 4th and 2, which was well-defended by Philly. Meanwhile, the Eagles still have something to play for and on that TD, they gutted the defense with a whole lot of run plays. Like I said in the comments, that drive alone was what Raiders offense aspired to be, but it failed miserably with Todd Downing calling the plays.

Raiders Outlast Texans in a Monday Night Mexican Standoff

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' Monday Night game vs. the Houston Texans in Mexico where the Raiders reclaim sole possession of first place in the AFC West beating the Texans 20-27.

Aside from the OT win against the Bucs Week 8, this is up there as one of the more polarizing victories we can take in. We take the win, but the penalties were excruciating. As I said, the Texans looked like the better team out there. Brock Osweiler, Lamar Miller, and the Texans, they were gashing the defense all game long. They were keeping Derek Carr in check defensively. But, the Raiders just made the bigger plays and yes, we got a little help. There'll be two controversies that'll be talked about in this game: DeAndre Hopkins ruled out of bounds when his foot wasn't on the white chalk and of course, the 4th and inches in the 4th quarter that was ruled short. But as Khalil Mack would say: "by any means" and the Raiders found another way to win when the odds were stacked against them.

(+)

*I'm having a hard time to take away any positives here. Bear with me.*

Jamize Olawale, 3 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD. The master of the wheel route! The expectations were high for Olawale when the Raiders cut Reece, but we knew Olawale was a stud. In the 4th quarter, Olawale executed the wheel route to perfection and he was off to the races for a 75 yard touchdown. Aside from Amari Cooper's go-ahead touchdown for the lead, Olwale's play was critical for the Raiders to get back into this game.

Jalen Richard, 3 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD. I'm not going to include the rushing stats because the run game was non-existent all game long. But Richard stepped it up, scoring the first TD of the game. In the 4th quarter, he made a clutch catch from Derek Carr as the clock winded down to the 2 minute warning.

Defense. The defense had to be catching their breath from playing a long time in that Mexico City altitude. They couldn't get off the field on 3rd downs early on. Penalties also couldn't get them off the field. But I commend them for holding their ground all game long. Get all the oxygen you can get guys.

Derek Carr, 21 of 31 passes, 295 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT. His 1 INT to start the 3rd quarter was bad, but drops by the receivers really hurt his stats. Also the fact that the running game couldn't get going, Carr had to carry the team. He made big throws at the right time. Most of his throws aside from the INT were money. It's just that the receivers were dropping a lot passes.

(-)

The running game. I gotta tip my hat off to the Texans' defense on this negative. Clowney, Mercilus, Wilfork (still a good run stuffer), they were pushing the O-line back and making the negative plays. The running game did show up at the end of the game, but they couldn't get anything going and the Texans' defense did a good job on that.

Drops. There were a lot of them. Seth Roberts had a couple drops. Michael Crabtree, definitely Michael Crabtree had a couple of uncharacteristic drops. Crabtree has been relatively quiet the last two games. Hopefully, he can shake this off and have a nice bounceback game against the Panthers next week.

Controversy. Yup, DeAndre Hopkins out of bounds and the 4th down play will overshadow this victory. Hopkins, no question was inbounds. But like I said on the 4th down, I think because the runner's knee was down before the ball extend the mark, I think that's the rationale why they ruled the turnover on downs. But, this will be talked about over this win.

MVP

Derek Carr 21 of 31 passes, 295 passing yards, 3 TDs

I don't think anybody deserved MVP after this game. But, I'd say Derek Carr deserved this. The stats could've been more if it weren't for the drops, but Carr did make the clutch throws for the explosive plays down the stretch.




Conclusion

Sloppy game. Controversial game. But at the end of the day, a win is a win. Kansas City lost last night and the Raiders are sole possession in 1st place. The cushion could be even greater when KC plays Denver next week. But overall, this was not a great game for the Raiders performance-wise, but hey, all that matters is that they put another W in the column. Interesting stat, the Raiders are now 4-0 in primetime games with Derek Carr under center. It goes to show the bright lights do not phase our quarterback no matter the scenario. The Panthers are in town next week. This could be another close game like this one, but their secondary does not match up well with the receivers. But, 4-game win streak, 1st place in the AFC West. It feels great Raider Nation. Since this game was in Mexico, I'll say Buenas Noches and Hasta Luego for next week's game vs. the Panthers.

Week 11: ¡Viva México! - RAIDERS vs. Houston Texans 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half of the Raiders' Monday Night game vs. the Texans on Monday Night Football. As usual, leave a comment below the post on your thoughts on the game.

Q4

HOU 20 OAK 27

By any means necessary. This was not a clean game. There'll be a lot of controversy surrounding that 4th down call when the Texans were in the Red Zone. I was mad when I thought they had the 4th down. But, I think the rationale was his knee was down before the runner extended on the first down mark. No question, the Texans outplayed the Raiders, but the Raiders found a way to just win baby. 8-2, alone in first place in the AFC West! Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

HOU 17 OAK 13 

The last thing we want to see is an INT thrown. Just on the first drive this quarter, Derek Carr threw to nobody open down the middle, resulting in an INT. The Texans managed to take advantage of that off a couple of bogus P.I. calls. This was a frustrating quarter to watch. The defense has regressed or they are just getting gassed because of the altitude. Just speechless to see this offense not in sync and the Texans are currently driving to look for the kill shot in this game. Everything is clicking for them on offense.

Week 11: ¡Viva México! - RAIDERS vs. Houston Texans 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Bienvenidos! Welcome to the 1st half of the Raiders' Week 11 Monday Night matchup vs. the Houston Texans in Mexico City! Leave a comment below the post on your thoughts on the game.

Q2

HOU 10 OAK 10

Well, there are a couple of reasons to draw on why this was a slow start for the Raiders. You have the one week off, the altitude, the soft turf. The offense, aside from the 2nd possession when Carr threw the TD to Richard, they're not executing well. The drops were epidemic in the half. Michael Crabtree, sure-hands, he's dropping some uncharacteristic balls. Seth Roberts too, dropping some balls. Amari Cooper, just that one catch in the first quarter, but other than that, non-existent. But, credit to the Texans defense. They are pushing the Raiders' O-line around, getting good penetration to stuff the run game. The defense also starting slow. You are beginning to wonder if the altitude is starting to take a toll because they've been on the field too long. They couldn't get off the field early on on 3rd down. Overall, I thought the Raiders looked sluggish this half. Certainly, the bye week might've played a factor, but the execution has to be better. We could've been talking 10-14, but instead we're all tied up. Hopefully, they get as many oxygen as they can in the locker room to play 30 more minutes. We just need to see a better second half. That's all that needs to be said.

Q1

HOU 3 OAK 0

Slow start on both ends of the ball. Bye weeks always leave a team rusty and this is a whole different case going to Mexico. The defense couldn't get Osweiler and the Texans' offense off the field on third down. DeAndre Hopkins could've had a walk in TD. Jadeveon Clowney was a big factor in the first offensive possession and lead to a quick 3 and out. But, the Raiders are doing a better job offensively, getting the tight end involved and implementing the no huddle.