Underdog No More: Eagles Top Patriots for 1st Super Bowl Championship

Welcome in to the full recap of Super Bowl LII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots where Nick Foles and the Eagles muster enough offense and touchdowns to knock off Tom Brady and the defending champion Patriots 41-33 in a high scoring affair.

We finally have another team and another quarterback besides Eli Manning and the New York Giants that beat Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the mighty New England Patriots! The Eagles channeled their inner Rocky Balboa against Apollo Creed in Rocky II. If you want to beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, you have to score as many points as them. And they had to continue to put the pedal to the medal. That was something the Falcons didn't do last year and Philly learned from that. It was a close game and a wild shootout. Both the Eagles and Patriots combined for over 600 yards of total offense. The Patriots took the lead only once at one point during this game. But, Nick Foles and the Eagles continued to respond and muster enough yards and scores to get the lead for good. Meanwhile, the Eagles' defensive line were inches away from Brady the whole game. And they came up big with a strip sack before the two minute warning and enough pressure off the edge on the final play of the game to seal the victory.

New England Patriots

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Tom Brady, 28 of 48 passes, 505 yards, 3 TDs. Age 40 and he's still putting up ridiculous numbers. One can argue where his legacy is now after this recent Super Bowl loss, but I don't think it changes any status of Brady after this. He had a couple of wobbly throws down the line and obviously, he was feeling the pressure of this impressive Eagles defensive line. But, he set the tone for the offense to play fast and catch them off guard. He shredded their secondary with a lot of quick throws and he got some time in the pocket to throw deep balls to Hogan and Amendola. The biggest thing is that you never count Tom Brady out. He almost rallied the Patriots again in the 2nd half before Philly quickly regained the lead.

Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan. Amendola lead all receivers with 8 receptions for 152 yards. Hogan piled up 6 receptions for 128 yards. They stepped it up as deep threats while Brandin Cooks was getting all the attention and especially when he got a vicious hit from Malcolm Jenkins. Since that hit, Amendola and Hogan picked up their game and they had their way with a shaky Eagles secondary that gave up big plays all game long.

Rob Gronkowski, 9 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TDs. This was more of the Eagles defense letting off the double team on Gronk in the 2nd half. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Brady connected with Gronk like 8 out of 9 times on that drive. The Eagles were leaving him one-on-one in coverage and Gronk almost 100% of the time will win that matchup. That was especially evident when the Patriots took the go-ahead touchdown for the lead early in the 4th quarter.

Stephon Gilmore vs. Alshon Jeffery. In the first half Jeffery was making all kinds of noise with tough catches for positive yardage. Then in the 2nd half, he was completely held in check when the Patriots moved Stephon Gilmore around to shadow him. That assignment was unintentional, but considering Patrick Chung was getting dinged with some injuries during this game, Matt Patricia and the Patriots' defense had no choice but to move Gilmore. And it actually worked for them.

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Defense. It's almost tough to pinpoint some negatives on the Patriots, but most likely the unit that let them down was their defensive unit. They managed to get to Foles a couple of times and forced an INT, which is more of Alshon Jeffery's fault for keeping the football in bounds. But, they had no answer against the Eagles run pass option (RPO). It's tough when the running game is going for them and Foles is shredding the secondary with quick throws because of his read and react to the defense. The Eagles had a good balance offensively.

James White and Dion Lewis not being utilized more. They're gonna get too many touches in the running game, but they're very good as pass catchers out of the backfield. But this game, White only had 2 catches for 21 yards and Dion Lewis wasn't mentioned at all for pass plays. The Patriots could've used these guys more out of the backfield with the screen game. But, more than likely, the Eagles were ready for that, which is why a couple of screen passes were blown.

Philadelphia Eagles

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Nick Foles, 28 of 43, 373 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 1 reception, 1 yard, 1 TD. The redemption story for Nick Foles couldn't have capped off with a better ending. Many wonder if the Super Bowl would create any nerves or jitters for Foles, but as Stuart Scott would say, he was as cool as the other side of the pillow. Foles played a near perfect game tonight. The 1 INT was pretty fluky considering Jeffery batted that ball back inbounds and it wounded up in the arms of Duron Harmon. Nonetheless, Foles executed the RPO to perfection and he wasn't afraid to make the big throw. He's also now the first QB in the Super Bowl to have a passing TD and receiving TD. The Eagles are gonna have a tough decision with Carson Wentz coming back 100% next season. But most likely, Foles after this game made a case for himself for quarterback-needy teams.

Corey Clement, 3 carries, 8 yards, 4 receptions 100 yards, 1 TD. As I said in my preview, Corey Clement was gonna be one of the X-factors for the Eagles and he showed out big time. His TD will be talked about whether he maintained full possession of the ball, but he was the Eagles best security blanket this game. His big catch and run in the 2nd quarter was also huge which set up the big 4th down trick play to Nick Foles in the end zone. By the way, Clement was also one of the catalyst for that play as he pitched it to Trey Burton on the end around and all Burton had to do was throw a perfect ball for Foles to catch it wide open.

Nelson Agholor, 9 receptions, 84 yards, 1 carry, 9 yards. Agholor was another X-factor for the Eagles. He came up with a couple of huge catches in the 2nd half. Especially when Alshon Jeffrey was held in check for the majority of the 2nd half, Agholor needed to step up and he came through on the biggest stage.

Running game. The RPO couldn't have worked with how LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi ran tonight. Blount had 14 carries for 90 yards and 1 TD. Jay Ajayi had 9 carries for 57 yards. I thought they were really patient in letting the holes open up for them. Ajayi especially. We all know Blount would ram it down the teeth of the defense. I couldn't imagine how sweet it must've been for Blount to score against his former Patriot teammates on that 21 yard TD to give Philly a 15-3 advantage.

Zach Ertz,  7 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD. Oh, it would've been tragic if the refs referred to the ruling on Jesse James TD when the Patriots faced the Steelers during this season. It was the same exact situation where James tried to extend the ball to the goal line and the ground knocked it loose. Referees ruled it an incomplete pass since he didn't complete the process. It was almost deja vu with Ertz. He dove for the end zone, the ground knocked the ball loose. I'm sitting there and saying they'll probably rule this incomplete like the Jesse James catch. But, the ruling was that Ertz was already a runner and completed the process of the catch. Regardless, the definition of a catch in the NFL needs to revised. Nonetheless, Ertz showed why he is the Eagles' effective security blanket. He was clutch on a couple of 4th down catches and scored the go ahead TD to put the Eagles back on top.

Eagles' defensive line. Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Vinny Curry, Chris Long; the entire defensive line did a nice job applying pressure on Brady. If only they had a better secondary, they could've piled up a lot of sacks. But, time and time, they were inches away from getting after him. They couldn't have gotten a sack at a better time than under three minutes in the 4th quarter. Brandon Graham created pressure off the edge to force the biggest turnover of the game. Vinny Curry applied pressure to rattle Brady before the Hail Mary. The Pats' O-line had their hands full against this unit.

Doug Pederson. To think that this guy was an understudy of Andy Reid. But, this game showed why he's head-over-shoulders better than Reid as the Eagles' head coach. Through and through, he understood the situation that the Patriots can come on back at any time. He understood clock management. He made the right in game adjustments to give the Eagles this win. Coach Pederson showed a lot of guts this game, opting to go for it on a couple of 4th downs and dialing up probably the trick play of the game in Super Bowl history. The Patriots tried to do the same play earlier in the game. I'm sure the Patriots defense was not ready for that because nobody would've dared to try that at the NFL level.

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Secondary. This was one of the problems I pinpointed on this Eagles team prior to this game outside of Malcolm Jenkins. They have a good front seven, but their secondary is not all that great. It showed this game as they left Patriots wide receivers open left and right. Chris Hogan caught Jalen Mills with a double move for a big time catch. I remember on that Week 16 Christmas game the Raiders had against the Eagles this season, Amari Cooper I believe did a double move on the same guy, Jalen Mills and Derek Carr noticed it and threw it deep to Coop for the TD. I have to look back at that. But, going back here, the secondary for the Eagles gave up a lot of big plays, which is why the D-line was getting pressure, but weren't getting the sacks.

Conclusion

When the Patriots lose, America wins. And for all of us regardless of which team we root for, we all admit, we were envious of the Patriots' winning ways. And I'm sure the Patriots losing tnought brought us all satisfaction. That is unless you're an NFC East fan like the Cowboys, Giants, and Redskins because they can't make fun of the Eagles with their 0 Lombardi trophies anymore. Even with this loss, they'll likely be back as long as Belichick is roaming the sidelines and a certain #12 with the last name "Brady" is under center. They'll be back and likely emerge as the favorite representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. But tonight, the Eagles played like there was no tomorrow. Nobody gave them a shot and they've embraced the underdog role once more on the big stage. Like I said, drawing from Philly culture and lore, it was like Rocky II when Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed went the distance and Rocky as the underdog, came out on top as the new champ. And of course, what followed was the famous "Yo Adrian, I did it" line. The Eagles all season long were the embodiment of Rocky Balboa, the underdog that just won't go away. And the City of Philadelphia will remember this Eagles team for a long time as the team that brought them home their first Lombardi trophy. There's gonna be a lot of decisions for the Eagles though with a couple of key players coming back. But certainly, they've solidified themselves as a powerhouse NFC team once again. Philadelphia was long overdue for a Super Bowl championship and after so many years of heartbreak and turmoil, they're finally on the mountain top thanks to their Eagles. "Fly Eagles Fly" indeed. Thank you guys for following my coverage of Super Bowl LII. Until the offseason in March. For now, it's the full-time transition to basketball on this blog. I'll see you guys later.

SUPER BOWL LII - Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread and discussion for Super Bowl LII between the Eagles and the Pats. As usual, everybody's invited to join in, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game!

Q4

PHI 41 NE 33

All Eagles defenders had their eye on Gronkowski on that Hail Mary. Vinny Curry had pressure off the edge to rattle Brady a little bit and all the secondary had to do was just bat the ball down. They got beat all game long and they came up with the play of the game to give the Eagles their first Super Bowl Lombardi trophy. Before that, Brandon Graham had the huge forced fumble with Derek Barnett recovering on it. No Tuck Rule to save Brady that time around. The Eagles were underdogs all postseason long and they have shocked the world in convincing fashion. Truly, it was a sweet revenge game thirteen years in the making the Eagles against the Patriots. Stay tuned for the full recap after the Lombardi presentation.

Q3

PHI 29 NE 26

Big 3rd down coming up for the Eagles. The Patriots opened up with a little Brady to Gronk action and they managed to score on the opening drive. Probably the biggest call of the game. Foles throws deep to Corey Clement. It looked like Clement didn't get two feet down and he was in the process of securing the football in his hands. Probably he maintained possession the whole way before the 2nd foot stepped out. Nonetheless that was big for the Eagles to maintain their lead and like I said, they have a big third down coming up as the 4th quarter opens up.

SUPER BOWL LII - Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Super Bowl LII is here! Welcome in to the 1st half open thread and discussion of the "Big Game" featuring the NFC champion, Philadelphia Eagles and AFC champion and reigning, defending Super Bowl champion, New England Patriots! Anything goes, so leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game!

Q2

PHI 22 NE 12

Trick plays, shanked kicks, big plays, oh my! Very entertaining 1st half. The Eagles are pulling out all the stops against the Patriots with the RPO. They gained some good chunks of yardage in both the pass and the run. Ajayi, Blount, and Clement already racked up 100+ yards on the ground. Of course, Clement had that big gainer at the end of the quarter to set up the 4th down score.  Defensively, they've done a good job pressuring Brady. They don't have a sack yet, but they've done a good job rattling Brady in the pocket. If there's any indication, the Eagles are playing to win and that's what they're gonna have to carry over for the 2nd half. The Patriots, regardless of how much they're trailing, find ways to come back. Cooks is out for the game after a hard shot from Malcolm Jenkins, but Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan have stepped up as Brady's deep threat receivers. James White and Dion Lewis gained chunks of yardage running with the football and catching out of the backfield. The Patriots are probably satisfied with a 10 point deficit because they have all the 2nd half to turn it up and make a push. For the Eagles, they have to limit some mistakes. Penalties have slowed this team down a bit and Jake Elliott's missed PATs destroyed some momentum. The biggest thing is that they have to keep their foot on the gas if they want to avoid the same fate as the Falcons did in last year's Super Bowl against the very same Patriots team. The 2nd half will open up shortly after Justin Timberlake.

Q1

PHI 9 NE 3

Here's what I can say about this quarter: the Eagles are putting together some methodical drives with their Run-Pass Option (RPO). The Patriots defense have a tough cover guessing which plays Philly is going to execute. And so far, it has resulted in nine point from the Eagles offense. But, Brady and the Pats are pushing the pace. They want to play fast and the Eagles' defense are trying hard to match the pace the Patriots' offense is trying to set. The 3rd down play to Amendola was huge. Eagles defense thought they're going to have a quick 3 and out, but a busted coverage gave New England new life.

Super Bowl LII Preview: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots

We're just at about the midway point of the week until Super Bowl Sunday! Welcome in to yet another Super Bowl preview on this blog provided by yours truly. This year's 52nd edition of the big game features the AFC champion and the reigning, defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. This is a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX where the Patriots topped the Eagles 24-21 for their 2nd consecutive Lombardi trophy. Much has changed since then, but for the Patriots, only Tom Brady and Bill Belichick remain from that Super Bowl win. While for the Eagles, there has been a lot of makeover since that season highlighted by Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens, Brian Dawkins, and head coach Andy Reid. And speaking of repeat, this Super Bowl is like deja vu all over again where the Pats can go back-to-back for their 6th trophy and send Philly into a world of heartbreak like they did 13 years ago since their first meeting at the big game. Or the Eagles can avenge that and deliver the first Lombardi trophy to the City of Brotherly Love. For these previews, I summarize both teams' road to the Super Bowl, keys for both teams, and I give my final score prediction. Let's roll!

Philadelphia Eagles

Nobody would've ever thought that the Eagles would've finished this season as the best team in NFC, let alone make it to the Super Bowl. It goes to show how much of an impressive job their front office did turning this once rebuilding team into a contender. The talent on this Eagles roster is a nice balance of youth and veteran leadership. They acquired some quality talent this year, especially in the free agent market. They signed Alshon Jeffrey, star wideout from the Bears. They snagged Chris Long and LeGarrette Blount from the Patriots. Both of them did a nice job in applying their experience as Super Bowl winners last year with the Patriots with this Eagles team, instilling veteran leadership and a championship culture. The trade for Dolphins Pro Bowler, Jay Ajayi was a huge mid-season deal for the team as he added another dimension to an already high-powered Eagles offense as a change-of-pace back and a pass catcher in the backfield.

In spite of the dream season, Philly did lose a couple of key players along their way. They lose Pro Bowl left tackle, Jason Peters in the early part of the season. But the most-wrenching injury they dealt with was to 2nd year starting QB, Carson Wentz. A lot of the Eagles wins this season were highlighted by the magnificent quarterback play of Wentz until that unfaithful Week 14 game against the Rams in LA where he tore his ACL diving into the end zone. I remember when the Raiders had that unfortunate scenario last season with Derek Carr. They were winning games until Carr went down in Week 16 against the Colts. Fortunately for Philly, they had a quality backup QB who won games as a starter and made the Pro Bowl at some point in his career. That backup would be Nick Foles. You talk about a feel-good, full circle story for Nick Foles. The guy almost quit football and he stepped in when Wentz got hurt. Now, he's the starting QB for the Eagles once again and he's seeking out to remind everyone the kind of magic he orchestrated when he last won the Eagles some games as a starter in 2013. I still remember when he tossed for 7 TDs in Oakland during that Week 9 matchup. I thought back then that was humiliating to give up that many TDs to a 2nd string QB. But Foles, he may be no Carson Wentz, but he plays like he's been there before and finds ways to win games for the Eagles. Overall, the Eagles' 13-3 record may be marked with an asterisk with the easy strength of schedule they had, but they snagged some quality wins here and there. Wins against Carolina and the LA Rams stood out. Both teams made the postseason. They hung 50+ points against a Broncos defense with Von Miller and the "No Fly Zone" secondary. How about the job they did in the postseason? They held the defending NFC champion Falcons to 10 points in the divisional round and they dropped almost 40 points against a quality Vikings defense in the NFC Championship to advance to the Super Bowl. It truly is a dream season for the team and the fans. And they've fully embraced the role of the underdog a la Rocky Balboa. In  those two games in the postseason, they were heavy underdogs and they found ways to prevail against all odds. They'll look to do that again in what should be another David vs. Goliath type of matchup.

New England Patriots

We've all wrote about the Pats' road to the Super Bowl before. It is almost inevitable that the Patriots would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl as long as an Emperor Palpatine-lookalike (Star Wars reference) is roaming the sidelines and a certain QB from San Mateo donning #12 is under center. The Patriots' winning ways start and end with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. And if you truly hate the Patriots, then them making it to the Super Bowl almost every season seems like a redundancy and a nuisance as you just want to see a "fresh face" franchise represent the AFC for once in the modern Super Bowl era. But if you're full fledged football fan, you're seeing greatness at work and Brady, Belichick, and the Patriots are looking to make history for ring #6 and become the first team to repeat champions since they did it themselves back in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX. Not much has changed from the Super Bowl team last year. But that doesn't stop them from making a few splashes in the offseason as they acquired speed demon wideout, Brandin Cooks from a trade with the Saints and defensive back Stephon Gilmore from division rival, Bills. They may have lost LeGarrette Blount to the Eagles, but they found a decent replacement in Rex Burkhead from the Bengals to be their running back for 3rd and short and goal line situations.

Coming into the season, there was a lot of talk about the Patriots and another 16-0 season. But that all went away when they received a stunning blowout loss to the Chiefs on the season opener. Not to mention, they lost Julian Edelman for the year. Their defense struggled early on in the season and they loss their key player in Dont'a Hightower for the year. After that Chiefs loss, the notion that the Patriots dynasty is dead permeated throughout the league. But, we should've known better to never count them out as long as Brady and Belichick are there. And who would've guessed that the Patriots would once again come out on top as the team to beat and the team with home field advantage throughout the AFC? The mantra of "next man up" and "do your job" lived on as certain players stepped up to make plays. The Brady to Cooks duo got better as the season progressed. Danny Amendola stepped in and filled the void Edelman left behind. The defense got better as a "bend-but-don't-break" unit. Brady, at age 40, continues to defy father time and play at a high level. Not even the "Madden Curse" can't work its voodoo against him (he was Madden '18's cover athlete). In the postseason, New England made quick work of the underachieving Titans in the divisional round. They got a good run for their money against the Jaguars, Blake Bortles, Leonard Fournette, and their vaunted "Sacksonville" pass rush. The Jags almost had the formula to beating the Pats. But, when a team has an elite QB and an elite head coach who've seen all kinds of stuff over the years, they'll find ways to overcome anything. And that was the result in the AFC championship game. The Patriots just find ways to crush the hopes and dreams of teams trying to knock them off the throne. For the Patriots heading into Super Bowl LII, it seems like the inevitable is going to eventually happen with them coming out on top against any NFC opponent who try to oppose their two decades of dominance (unless it's Eli Manning and the Giants).

Keys for the Eagles

This Eagles team is a well-rounded group. They have a lot of weapons on offense. They have an opportunistic defense lead by a deep defensive line that is capable of getting after the quarterback. The biggest thing for the Eagles is that Nick Foles is going to have play a near-perfect game similar to NFC championship against the Vikings. The run-pass-option (RPO) is the strength of this Eagles offense and Nick Foles excels at it because of his ability to read and react to what the defense is doing. During the NFC championship, Foles and co. did an impressive job in maintaining that balance in running and passing with the RPO. The Patriots' defense is obviously going to be a tough test because Bill Belichick and Pats' DC, Matt Patricia are masterminds in taking away opponents' best players. Definitely, they'll be ready account for their primary weapons such as Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffrey, Jay Ajayi, and LeGarrette Blount. Probably, the obvious X-factor is Nelson Agholor. Agholor has been a fine breakout receiver for the Eagles after some tough sledding in his first two seasons. He's going to have to step up and cap off his breakout season in the biggest game of his career. Corey Clement, the third running back behind Ajayi and Blount has been solid out of the backfield as a third option. He's another X-factor to look out for as the Patriots account for Ajayi and Blount to stop the run. The defensive line for the Eagles has a knack to sack the quarterback. Chris Long, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Vinny Curry all have the ability to wreck the pocket. They not only have to get pressure on Tom Brady, but they also have to force turnovers, especially since their secondary unit is a little suspect. Even though their secondary is filled with solid playmakers such as Patrick Robinson and Malcolm Jenkins. Jim Schwartz, Eagles DC, is gonna have his hands full designing exotic looks to slow down Brady and the Pats' offense.

Keys for the Patriots

The Patriots "bend-but-don't break" defense has been stellar as of late to get opposing offenses off the field and give the ball back to #12. They're especially good in goal line stands. Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia are obviously going to game plan to give Nick Foles different looks. That's the strength of the Pats' defense. On offense, it's simple, just make sure that Tom Brady has the ball in his hands in the final minutes of a possible tightly-contested game. Brady at age 40 can still get the ball out quickly to a receiver. Especially with this Eagles front, playmakers such as Danny Amendola, James White, and Dion Lewis are gonna have to step in. Amendola has done a good job in playing Julian Edelman's role. He was big in the final quarter of the AFC Championship against the Jaguars. Lewis and White are exceptional pass catchers out of the backfield. White especially was huge for New England in that insane 28-3 comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. He's going to have to have an encore for the Pats to repeat. The biggest question mark on the Patriots' offense is Rob Gronkowski's health. He took quite a shot to the helmet from Jacksonville's Safety, Barry Church, in the AFC Championship game. If he's good to go, it should open up a lot of opportunities for the offense. He's especially gonna open up a lot of opportunities for Brandin Cooks for big plays. Speaking of Cooks, he's still got a pretty favorable matchup against this Eagles secondary even if Gronk can't go. Cooks' presence alone as a deep threat makes things easier for Amendola and Chris Hogan to get open and make plays. But again, a healthy Gronk opens up a lot of opportunity for New England to execute big plays.

Prediction

If this Super Bowl didn't feature the Patriots, it would've made my pick a little more indecisive. But, it's just nearly impossible to pick against them as long they have a certain #12 at the helm and an old guy with a hoodie roaming the sidelines. The Eagles have been underdogs all season long and definitely, they're gonna show some fight. But, in the end the experience of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots playing and winning multiple Super Bowls is just gonna prove too much for Philly. I'd say it's gonna be a dog fight for the the first half and  and a little bit in the third quarter. But, Brady and the Pats will continue to find a way to close out teams and they'll eventually pull away in the 4th quarter to give New England their 6th Lombardi trophy, much to the dismay to a majority of us who are tired of their winning ways. But it is what it is. Brady on the field and Belichick on the sidelines + facing off an NFC team that's not Eli Manning and the Giants = a guaranteed Patriots Super Bowl win.

PHI 17 NE 27

A Season in Review: 2017 Raiders + Chucky's Back!

Alright Raider Nation, welcome to the long-awaited "Season in Review" post for the 2017 Oakland Raiders. No further description needed, I reflect on the season and offer my free agency/draft approach. And on a bonus, it is now in the books: Jon Gruden is back in black as of Tuesday. The Raiders hire him to be the head coach after they kicked Jack Del Rio to the curb following the uninspiring loss to the Chargers at the end of the season. I'll offer my thoughts on the return of Chucky.

Last year, Jack Del Rio offered this speech after the Raiders' gritty win against the Saints: "last year, we learned how to compete. This year, we know how to win!" Let's revise that phrase to summarize this underwhelming season. The previous year, the Raiders learned how to compete. Last year, they know how to win. This year, they know how to take two steps back and revert back to the Raider teams of the past. Because that's what the season was in a nutshell. The Raiders got off to a good start at 2-0, first time since 2002, with convincing wins against the Titans and the Jets. And then it all fell apart in Washington by Week 3. What once was a Super Bowl-aspiration season turned out to be a nightmare with total implosion within the team. From rumored tensions in the locker room. To the anemic offense called by Todd Downing. To Derek Carr's back injury. To the defense continually regressing under Ken Norton Jr. before Jack Del Rio decided it was time for a change when it was too little too late. This year made the 12-4 dream season of last year an afterthought. And it was back to the same old Raiders from 2003-2014 where the team was inconsistent and undisciplined on all facets of the game. It's astonishing that despite the Raiders' poor play, they were still in the playoff hunt until Week 16. Let's be honest, the AFC West was a complete joke this season. The Raiders were lucky to be in the playoff hunt for that long despite some ugly losses and close losses. Remember, last season, the Raiders had a lot of close games that luckily went in their favor. This year, the close games didn't go in their favor so much. It shows that they can't always have the comeback magic.

So, what constituted the Raiders' regression from 12-4 to 6-10? It started with the play of the offense this season. We had high hopes for this unit to be a juggernaut. They had the 2nd best O-line next to the Cowboys. Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are standout wide receivers. Derek Carr was MVP-material prior to the fibula injury last year. They added Jared Cook, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Marshawn Lynch. This was a top-5 offense on paper. There's only one problem: the Raiders got rid of Bill Musgrave who made this offense into a top-5 unit last year and promoted Todd Downing, who's never called a play or game planned in his coaching career. In my season preview, I thought Downing would be a better OC than Musgrave. Since that, I've been eating crow. The biggest thing that boggled my mind was that he was so good at the beginning of the season. Going up against the likes of Dick LeBeau and Todd Bowles, proven DCs who are known to confuse offenses with different looks and blitz packages, Downing outcoached them both from an X's and O's standpoint. Then, the Redskins game happened and his offense was exposed big time to the point of predictability by season's end. Granted, with Carr's back injury in Week 4, Downing had to dial down the playbook a bit. But, he couldn't expand the short passing game nor get creative if he's calling a bubble screen. And most of all, he kept running Lynch in single back formation. All the defenses know that he was gonna get the ball. It also explains why Jamize Olawale barely saw the field this season because Downing barely used the I Formation, which is the base of a power run play. Look at the tape in Seattle, Lynch was more effective when he had a fullback like Michael Robinson and later Derrick Coleman leading the way, blocking for him. Why we didn't see Olawale and Lynch in the same backfield was beyond me.

The only positive to take away from this season was when Jack Del Rio finally fired Ken Norton Jr. after the Patriots blasted them in Week 11 and transferred the playcalling duties on defense to John Pagano. When Pagano was added to the coaching staff, we all knew he was the backup plan if Norton continued to mess up. When the Raiders made the switch from KNJ to Pagano, you saw the difference in the defense. They gave up less points. The defense communicated as a unit and understood their assignments. The D-line generated pressure. Mack and Irvin moved around to get to the QB. Sean Smith went from burnt toast to shutdown corner down the stretch. They used a modicum of exotic blitzes. The biggest thing that separated Pagano from KNJ was that Pagano evaluated his personnel and simplified a scheme that played to the strengths of the players. That's how you separate a proven DC to a parody of a DC who's in over his head.

The Jack Del Rio era was short lived. But, let's not discredit how much he changed the culture here in Oakland. He improved a 3-13 Raiders team to a 7-9 team in his first year and took them to a 12-4 season his second year. Unfortunately, bone-headed coaching decisions and failing to take command of a tense locker room and instill some discipline lead to his demise. I'm still dumbfounded that the Raiders gave him a 4-year extension and proceeded to fire him after that. It's a waste of money and they'll still pay Del Rio regardless. He was a good coach, but not a great coach and the Raiders need a great coach to take them to that next step. Which brings us to the big headline: the return of Jon Gruden, aka "Chucky." Growing up a Raider fan during the days of Gannon, Brown, Rice, and Woodson, I never understood the impact that Gruden had turning the Raiders into contenders during early 2000s. It wasn't until I got older and started diving into the history of the Raiders where I got to know Gruden better through the stories of older Raider fans and old clips. The guy has a passion for football. He is really animated and a no non-sense type of coach. I've heard stories on how he'll pull out players when they make a boneheaded penalty or mistake and he's not afraid to chew out the refs as he damn near pleases on the sidelines. That's how he lived up to the "Chucky" persona. Raider Nation is bitter that Al Davis traded him during the 2002 off season and they're even more bitter about Super Bowl XXXVII. I still remember that game and it was the worst feeling in the world.

Gruden returning to the Raiders, it's like a forgive and forget type of hire. The circle is complete. There is a big concern: it's been 10 years since he last coach, 14 years since he last coached the Raiders. And since, the game has drastically changed. Remember, the Raiders hired Art Shell for a 2nd stint and that was a disaster considering that he used outdated schemes that didn't adjust to the modern game at that time. No disrespect to Shell's legendary status as a Raider, but it didn't seem like he was aware on how much the game changed back then since he last coached. Gaining from Gruden's conference on Tuesday, he's aware about the game's evolution and as an analyst, he's observed all 32 NFL teams. He studied film. But it's gonna take time for Chucky to re-adjust to the game. It's a lot different in coaching the sidelines than observing teams as an analyst. Not to mention, the 10-year, $100 million contract Mark Davis offered to Gruden is absolutely ridiculous for a guy who hasn't coached in over a decade. But with Chucky back on the sidelines, fun and games are over and this Raiders squad full of young talent is gonna be in for a wild ride in offseason activities, in training camp, in practice sessions, and in the games. On the plus side, he's assembling a good coaching staff on paper. Rich Bissacia as the Special Teams coordinator from the Cowboys, Paul Guenther as the DC from the Bengals, Edgar Bennett, who was the OC of the Packers, is coming in as the new Wide Receivers coach. He's also holding a reunion of some past Raider coaches and assistants: Greg "run up the middle" Olson and Tom "just cut it loose" Cable are back. Luckily, Olson is just an OC in name only since Gruden will be calling the shots on offense. Cable is gonna coach the O-line as he did previously with the Silver and Black during the awful Lane Kiffin days. Jokingly speaking, they just need someone from the Norv Turner era to come back. That's all that's missing on this coaching staff that Chucky is assembling.

The impending offseason is gonna be a big one for the Raiders. Of course Khalil Mack's contract extension is hovering around. Reggie McKenzie and the Raiders make sure they get him locked up before he becomes a free agent in 2019. With Carr's $120 million extension and Gabe Jackson's $65 million extension, Mack no question is going to be offered big time money. They're going to have to cut some people to free up some cap space. David Amerson, with all the injury concerns, he's likely a cap casualty. Sean Smith, he's played better under Pagano, but he's likely gonna be let go to free up some cap space. Crabtree is also trending in terms of who the Raiders are going to release. Locking up NaVorro Bowman to a long-term deal is also a must. Bowman came in by Week 7 and fixed the Raiders' revolving door at the Middle Linebacker position. He made the entire linebacker unit better. Young guys like Nicolas Morrow and Marquel Lee benefited from Bowman's presence in the middle of the field. T.J. Carrie is also a must re-sign, even though he's as high on the list as Bowman is. The secondary was a complete mess, but Carrie outside Karl Joseph was a bright spot. He played exceptional as a cornerback, playing both outside and in the slot. In terms of players likely walking, Reggie Nelson is likely gone. They'll probably let Justin Ellis walk since they can find a suitable replacement in the draft for a run stuffing DT.  If they choose not to bring back Bowman because obviously Mack's extension is higher priority, they could draft Roquan Smith from Georgia. Gruden may be an offensive mind, but he's no stranger in having a hand in drafting defense. The Raiders drafted Charles Woodson in Gurden's first year. We know the Raiders will draft 10th overall, but because they finished with an identical record with the 49ers, it could down to a coin flip on who gets that position.

Overall, this season wasn't as we expected it to be. But, the talent on this roster is there to make a series of playoff runs. It's just that coaching failed them in the long run because they didn't know how to use them or how to keep a couple of egos in check. That won't happen as long as Chucky is roaming the sidelines. The return to greatness does not happen without a few bumps on the road. Carr and the offense should bounce back next season. The defense, with a couple of moves, should play a lot better with a proven DC at the helm this time around. Del Rio, you were awesome in bringing back the swagger of the Raiders. But sorry Jack, Chucky's back! Here's to a bounce back season in 2018!

Raiders End Disappointing 2017 Season with Loss to Chargers; Jack Del Rio Fired; Return of Chucky?

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' 2017 season finale at the Los Angeles Chargers where the Raiders end the season in what was a microcosm of the whole season. They lose to the Chargers 10-30 and finish the season at 6-10.

As I'm preparing this post, I received the headline on Bleacher Report that the Raiders have fired Jack Del Rio immediately at the conclusion of this game. You guys have heard the rumors that they are planning to bring Chucky back. And they're essentially giving the farm to get Jon Gruden: $10 million per year and a stake of the Raiders ownership. Here's what's wrong with this picture: after Del Rio lead the Raiders to a 12-4 season last year, Mark Davis decided to prematurely give him a 5-year contract extension. What good is that if you're gonna fire him after a down year? When they hired him during the 2015 season, they should've just let Del Rio play out before handing him any extensions. Granted, Del Rio may have changed the culture, but it looks like he hasn't learned anything from his tenure in Jacksonville. No understanding of X's and O's, bad clock management, and bad personnel decisions. I think letting go of Bill Musgrave for Todd Downing when the offense was top 5-10 last year and keeping Ken Norton Jr. for 2 1/2 years when the defense was on the bottom of the barrel sealed his fate here this season. And quickly, he has lost the team with all distractions and rumors of the team being divisive in the locker room. To me, I thought we should've kept him if he proves himself with a proven OC. He already had a proven DC in place with John Pagano, but that doesn't look like that's gonna happen. With Gruden possibly coming back for a 2nd tenure, the biggest issue will be whether or not Chucky will adjust to the modern football game considering he's been out of coaching for almost 10 years. Remember back in 2006, the Raiders brought back Art Shell for a 2nd tenure and his schemes were completely outdated to the modern game at that time. But regardless, the return of Chucky could provide a spark for Raider Nation, although some are still bitter about Super Bowl XXXVII. Time heals all wounds I guess.

Now onto this game, there's not much to say here. Philip Rivers and the Chargers pretty much picked this defense apart. Outside of Derek Carr throwing the 87 yard TD pass to Amari Cooper and Marshawn Lynch reaching 10,000 career rushing yards, the offense has not done anything. Derek Carr turned the ball over a couple of times here. The game was just pretty bad overall and this final game of the season added insult to injury from Super Bowl aspiration to utter disappointment this season.

(+)

Marshawn Lynch, 19 carries, 101 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 18 yards. As mentioned, Lynch broke 10,000 career rushing yards during this game. I personally didn't know he was that close to closing in on that milestone, but he did it anyway. The biggest weakness on the Chargers defense has been their rush defense and Lynch was able to break out big runs against them. Obviously, they couldn't rely on him too much because they were already down big this game. Anyway, that was the only silver lining, the 10,000 career rushing yards. Congrats Beast Mode.

Amari Cooper, 3 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD. If and when Chucky's comeback is official, it's going to be interesting to see how he utilizes Amari Cooper next season. Because Todd Downing didn't have any clue how to get him involve. As a Coop advocate, this was a very disappointing season for him. But, he still has deep threat ability, sharp route running, and yards-after-catch. He just needs to limit the drops. Look no further than when he grabbed the 87 yard deep ball from Carr for the Raiders' only TD this game. He's still a big play receiver. He caught a couple of balls for 10+ yards to add to his total receiving yardage. Clearly, there's still some lightning in the AC/DC connection.

(-)

Defense. It was fun while it lasted with the defense playing lights out in these last few weeks since John Pagano took over. This was eventually the biggest test for the revamped defense because Philip Rivers and the Chargers knew his defensive scheme. As a result, over 400 yards given up through the air and through the ground. They only managed to get one sack on Rivers throughout the whole game. The secondary broke down when Karl Joseph went down. A lot of miscommunication on their end which lead to wide open TDs for the Chargers: one to Tyrell Williams that went 56 yards and the other to the speedster Travis Benjamin for 62 yards.

MVP

Amari Cooper, 3 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD

He had the only TD of the game. He received a lot of scrutiny this season in what was a very disappointing season. But, the deep threat and route running ability is still there. Whoever's offensive coordinator whether it's Gruden or another OC he'll bring in when it's official, they'll find a way to utilize Coop better and challenge him to limit his drops.

Conclusion

Thank goodness this trainwreck of a season is over. The Raiders have made their decision in firing Del Rio. They wasted no time on the coaching decision, now they have to make some tough decisions on player personnel. There's a lot of rumors swirling around on who they would keep and who they would let go. One of the big ones is Michael Crabtree with the rumors that the Raiders might let him go to free up some cap space. Most of the 2014 draft class outside of Carr and Jackson will be free agents. And of course, you got the impeding extension of Khalil Mack and clearly the Raiders are thinking about that. It goes to show, there's still a long ways to go before this team could be discussed as one of the NFL's elite. Chucky's impending return will not fix the Raiders overnight. Outside of that, happy New Year Raider Nation and thank you for following my coverage of the 2017 season. As usual, "A Season in Review" post will follow to reflect on this 2017 season. I'll see you guys next season.

Week 17: RAIDERS @ Chargers 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread and discussion of the Raiders-Chargers matchup to conclude the 2017 NFL Season. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

OAK 10 LAC 30

Finally, this game is over. So many lowlights in this game served as a microcosm of the 2017 season. With a lot of rumors swirling around this team, there's a lot of decisions to consider in this offseason. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

OAK 10 LAC 30


Just take shots to the end zone at this point. What do the Raiders got to lose? This quarter was pretty much dominated by the Chargers since the start. After the field goal, the Raiders offense got things going, but they couldn't convert on the 4th and 2 play by tossing the ball to Lynch and see if he can get the edge and run for the first down. I was scratching my head on the play call. That should've been a power run play if Todd Downing knew what power run plays are. One more quarter to end this disappointing season.

Week 17: Finishing Strong - RAIDERS @ LA Chargers 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Happy New Years Eve Raider Nation! This year didn't go the way we expected, but it's all about finishing the year strong at this point. This is the 1st half open thread and discussion of the Raiders-Chargers Week 17 matchup to close out the 2017 season. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

OAK 10 LAC 20

Wild finish in the 2nd quarter as both offenses started to generate some points. Raiders offense got going with Derek Carr's 87-yard bomb to Amari Cooper for the game-tying TD. My only gripe is they've waited until the end of the season to go deep, especially on 3rd down. Where was that all season? Even though Carr did throw some deep balls to Holton in the Denver game and Miami game. Still what happened to just letting it rip and take shots on the field? On that play, it was 3rd and 23 and we thought it was going to be another check down. But Carr stayed patient in the pocket and saw Coop streaking in the open field to have that TD play happen. I'll admit, the playbook is opening up this game, but we're still seeing predictable screens and run plays and penalties negating some big plays. Seth Roberts has been a relatively good blocking receiver, but he's costed the team twice with some illegal blocking penalties. On the defensive side, Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense were gonna be a pretty daunting test for the defense under Pagano and it has been as advertised as the Chargers dropped 3 TDs this game. They really have to slow that unit down, especially they need to find ways to contain Gordon and Benjamin because that is their lightning rods on offense outside of Keenan Allen and Antonio Gates if they get going. On offense, nothing to lose here, so keep taking shots down field but at the same time, Carr's gotta be smart. That last play that ended up in an INT was not great at all with Coop handling double coverage. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

OAK 0 LAC 0

We go scoreless in the first quarter. Both offenses struggled to get going. Better execution from the Raiders on the 2nd drive. They got Crabtree and Cook involved in the passing game (where was that the whole season) and Marshawn Lynch exploiting the weak rush defense of the Chargers. But as usual, it was marred by a holding penalty and they had to settle for predictable screens. The biggest thing this defense needs to do is contain Melvin Gordon and watch where Travis Benjamin is lined up. That's where the Chargers offense gets going.

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

(+)

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 Playoff Hopes Dashed on Sunday Night in Loss vs. Cowboys

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' Week 15 matchup vs. the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football where the playoff hopes of the Raiders may have just been broken as the Raiders lose to the Cowboys 20-17.

This game is probably going to be added in Raiders' infamy. There was the "Immaculate Reception." The "Tuck Game." And now, this game will be known as the "Index Card" game. The 4th and 1 where the Cowboys elected to go for it truly decided the outcome of the game. If Dallas gets it, they get to chew more clock. If they don't, Oakland has the ball and set up a possible game-winning drive. Referees couldn't determine the measurement, so they used a index card. From the point of the refs, it looked like the tip of the ball went over the border of the index card. I'm looking at another angle that someone posted on the Raider Nation forum, it looked like there was separation between the tip of the football and the index card and likely Dak would've been stopped short. That was one story of the game. The other story was Derek Carr's fatal mistake. He played relatively well. It's just that he tried to go for the home run TD run when he could've just stepped out of bounds after getting the first down. They have one more timeout and have enough time to take a shot in the end zone, but Carr fumbles in the end zone and that was a gut-wrenching finish and it summed up the Raiders' 2017 in a nutshell.

(+)

Derek Carr, 21 of 38 passes, 171 yards, 2 TDs, 4 carries, 47 yards. The fumble that resulted in a touchback is a smear in his game. Probably got a little too greedy to play hero. But, we finally get to see Carr escape out of the pocket this game. We haven't seen that kind of mobility since last season before the broken fibula. That's what was missing this whole season was Carr's ability to scramble out of the pocket and use his legs to make plays. He had a big gainer in the third quarter, which set up the Raiders' first TD of the night. His numbers passing-wise were pedestrian, but his TD passes to Crabtree were on the money.

Michael Crabtree, 7 receptions, 39 yards, 2 TDs. Crabtree didn't have a big of a game with those 7 receptions on 17 targets, but with Coop out, obviously he's going to draw all the attention of the Cowboys' defense. Despite all that, he still hauled in 2 TDs and drew a big time PI penalty to keep the Raiders alive in the final minute of the game.

Khalil Mack, 6 tackles, 2 sacks. The Cowboys' elite offensive line was Mack's biggest test as a pass rusher. Not to mention, Mario Edwards Jr. was inactive this game so all the attention was drawn towards Mack and Irvin. But, Mack still delivered and was still able to wreak havoc in the pocket to get to Prescott.

(-)

Special teams. This unit was the biggest turkey of the game. Outside of Marquette King's punting and Coradarrelle Patterson's returns, Giorgio Tavecchio missed a 30 yard field goal at the end of the 2nd quarter, which quietly costed the Raiders because they'd be talking a potential game-winning field goal at the end. Allowing the punter, Chris Jones to run free on a 4th and 11 fake punt in the 3rd quarter was absolutely inexcusable, although the Cowboys did execute the right blocks for that to happen. And of course, the penalties piled up mostly on the Special Teams unit. The Raiders can never catch a break on special teams penalties. It seems that every time the Raiders bust out a big return, flags are on the field and 100% of the time, it's either holding or illegal block in the back on the Raiders.

MVP
Derek Carr, 21 of 38 passes, 171 yards, 2 TDs, 4 carries, 47 yards

It's simple, if Carr runs it in with the ball secured, he's going to be praised for single-handedly winning the game for the Raiders. But it is what it is. The small, but solid performance from Carr tonight was what we were longing for since last season: escaping out of the pocket and taking shots down field in crunch time to potentially win the game. Obviously, it's too little too late for that this season. Hopefully, it translates next year and that swagger and poise from the 2016 season returns to form.

Conclusion

The crazy part about this is that the Raiders are not mathematically eliminated from the playoff hunt, but it's gonna take hundreds of scenarios for that to happen. So with that, it's time to officially pull the plug on a playoff appearance this season. The Raiders dug themselves into a ditch this season, and the hole was too deep for the Raiders to get out. These next two games, the team just has to play for pride and get to 8-8. It'll be a tough one in Philly next week. There is no way that the Eagles will hand over home field advantage in the NFC to the Minnesota Vikings that easily. Last time the Eagles played the Raiders with Nick Foles under center, Foles set an NFL record with 7 TDs. A lot has changed since then. I'll see you guys next week for a crazy Christmas Day on the blog.

Week 15: RAIDERS vs. Cowboys 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread of the Raiders-Cowboys Week 15 battle on Sunday Night. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

DAL 20 OAK 17

That final drive...

It's over. It's been over since last week, but this was the final nail in the coffin on the Raiders' playoff hopes. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

DAL 17 OAK 10

Just for the Cowboys converting on the fake punt, Brad Seely, Special Teams Coordinator for the Raiders, YOU deserve the boot too. The defense managed to make a good stop on Dak Prescott and company. Then, the fake punt on 4th and 11 happens. Chris Jones had a lot of green in front of him to make a very critical first down which set up the TD from Prescott. How in the world do you not account for that? Well, it's almost impossible because it's unexpected. But, the Raiders were riding the momentum and that fake punt absolutely brought momentum back to the Cowboys. They were pulling out all the stops during that quarter to catch the Raiders off guard. It shows which team is playing with more desperation.

Week 15: Sunday Night Marquee Matchup - RAIDERS vs. Dallas Cowboys 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Raiders-Cowboys, playoff implications on the line in prime time. This is the first half open thread and discussion of what was the fantasy Super Bowl matchup last season between these two teams after a 12-4 and 13-3 season respectively. Now, they're fighting to sneak in the wild card at 6-7 and 7-6 respectively. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

DAL 10 OAK 0

Watching this game be like...

Honestly, everything is going wrong with the Raiders as it has been all season. Yes, my reaction is like Tiger Woods' mug shot. Absolutely mundane first half for the Silver and Black. Despite the 10-0 lead, Dak and the Cowboys are dominating the Time of Possession behind the offensive line. First quarter alone, the Cowboys offense was on the field for 8 minutes compared to 2 minutes for the Raiders offense. The defense is on the field for too long. The secondary woes can't be masked for a long time. The passing game is struggling. The running game is way too predictable when you have Marshawn Lynch running in Singleback formation most of the time! It also doesn't help that the penalties are piling up, which I think some of them were bogus calls. The Raiders are playing the game of their playoff lives and like the Chiefs game, they are wetting the bed, especially at home!  Nothing more needs to be said about the Raiders, other than show some fight and play like you give a *NSFW language*! The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

DAL 3 OAK 0

This quarter was just too sad to watch. But, it's the story of the Raiders' 2017 season. Dallas pretty much set the tone in this quarter with the elite O-line and running game they have.  8 minutes to 2 minutes on Time of Possession tells the story in this quarter. Cowboys dominated that and is leaving the Raiders gasping for air. It doesn't help that the Raiders' passing game is struggling and the fact that they've abandoned the run after a good gain from Lynch on the first possession says it all.

Raiders Flop in AFC West Battle vs. Chiefs

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' Week 14 road matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs where 1st place in the AFC West was on the line, but the Raiders didn't show up for three quarters as they fell to the Chiefs 15-26.

Such an epic fail of epic proportions. But I've seen worse as a Raider fan throughout the losing seasons. This was a game the Raiders had to have not only to be on top of the AFC West, but to keep their playoff hopes alive. And they wet the bed big time today. The first possession of the game set the tone with an incomplete pass to Coop, a run to Lynch for a minimal gain, and a sack on Carr to force a quick 3 and out against a Chiefs defense that's missing some key players. The Chiefs offense under Alex Smith was anemic through the past 6 losses, but they clicked against the Raiders' weak secondary. The Raiders offense finally woke up in the 4th quarter to make the final stretch of the game entertaining after three quarters of mundane football. But 26 down with 7 minutes to go in the 4th, especially when those scores were because of the defense being on the field for too long is a tall task to come back from.

(+)

Slash Bros. Bruce Irvin with two sacks. Khalil Mack with one sack. Irvin looked like he had a third sack this game, but the stats sheet say NaVorro Bowman had that sack. I saw that play again where they had pressure on Smith and it looked like Bowman had the sack rather than Irvin. But aside from that, the Slash Bros came to play today as I said countless times in the comments sections. They were doing their jobs generating outside and inside pressure on Smith.

Jared Cook, 5 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TD. It took all three quarters for the offense to finally go to Jared. Why? When the receivers were not connecting with Derek Carr, it's obvious they have to go to the Tight End who can catch! Why wait to find Cook when the game was pretty much out of reach? 

(-)

Entire offense. Like I keep saying, it took three quarters for the offense to finally show up. From Todd Downing's playcalling, to Derek Carr being off target with the receivers, to the receivers dropping balls, the offense was stagnant until the fourth quarter. Shorthanded Chiefs defense and the offense was nearly shut out. So many predictable screens that even a pop warner defense can see through the play. They keep running the ball in singleback formation, which is why Lynch got stuffed early on and why Washington got stuffed when he was giving Lynch a break. Why not run more I Formations when running the ball? It's always gotta be in Singleback formation whenever they call run. That's what's frustrating. Derek Carr was off target. I'm starting to be convinced that it was way too preemptive to give him that extension when he was just coming off a major injury. Receivers dropping balls, looks like the Raiders need to hire new receiver coaches in addition to giving Downing the boot for a proven OC. This offense has been frustrating to watch all season long. They are too talented to be held down like this.

Secondary. No surprises here that there's still problem in the secondary. The Chiefs exposed that big time throwing the ball to Tyreek Hill and Hill just carved up Carrie and McDonald all game long.

Marquette King. This was not good game punting-wise for Marquette King. A 40.9 average on 7 punts is not good. Most of his punts today didn't reach past Kansas City territory, which is why the Chiefs had good field position in some of their drives today. I'd say he only had one good punt today when he punt the ball out of bounds inside the 20 to prevent Tyreek Hill from fielding a decent return. One deep punt went for a touchback and the rest gave Kansas City good field position to start.

MVP

Bruce Irvin, 4 tackles, 2 sacks

Had to give it to one of the Slash Bros. But, Bruce deserves this one considering he's been playing better since Pagano took over. One of the few players who came to play today in this critical division battle.






Conclusion

While the Raiders are not mathematically eliminated, this loss pretty much shuts up any hope of running the table any further. This whole season has been one big disappointment. The most overhyped season after an overachieving 12-4 season playing against sub .500 teams. This was the season where the Raiders needed to prove that last season was no fluke. And with the lackluster season, they're proving that last year was a fluke. Today summed it up. Critical matchup of their lives against a reeling Chiefs team and the Raiders looked more like the team who just lost six straight games rather than the Chiefs. Not much to say. With playoff hopes fading, the Raiders just need to salvage what they can heading into next season. And definitely, expect drastic changes to follow after this debacle of a season. Raiders play the Cowboys next week on Sunday Night. That matchup was supposed be the preview of the Super Bowl, but it's looking more like both teams are playing for pride with their playoff hopes on life support. I'll see you guys next week for that game.

Week 14: RAIDERS @ Chiefs 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread of the Raiders-Chiefs Week 14 divisional matchup for 1st place in the AFC West. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

OAK 15 KC 26

A little drama in the final quarter in this game, but the Raiders waited a little too long to finally get things going on offense. Coming from 26 down in the middle of the 4th quarter is insurmountable. Good effort though with the Lynch TD, the onside kick recovery, the TD to Cook, and the 2-point to Crab, but all for naught if they couldn't do that in the first three quarters of the game. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

OAK 0 KC 26

That last sack from Justin Houston sums up how poor this offense is playing. From Derek Carr to the offensive line to the receivers, nothing positive is generating from this unit. Todd Downing put together a really pathetic gameplan against this shorthanded Chiefs defense. This offense has been a disappointment all season long. 

Week 14: RAIDERS @ Kansas City Chiefs 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

The fight for first place in the AFC West race! This is the first half open thread of the Raiders' Week 14 road matchup against the Chiefs. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

OAK 0 KC 16

With the way this first half went you might as well rewrite this from Raiders vs. Chiefs to Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin vs. the Chiefs. As I said in the comments, they are the only one's coming out to play. They're the only players who look like they really want this game. 3 sacks from Bruce. Khalil had a sack. Both are generating outside and inside pressure on Alex Smith. They are carrying this team. The rest of the defense is giving up a lot of pass plays. I was skeptical about the defense in the last two games and now they're playing against a proven QB and they're getting roasted. The offense, don't get me started. The playcalling is garbage. Todd Downing is calling all kinds of predictable screens and running run plays in singleback formation again! Derek Carr and the receivers are not on the same page. Marquette King is not having a good day punting the ball and pinning KC deep. This is the season is right here and it seems that they don't want it. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

OAK 0 KC 3

Terrible is an overused statement to describe this first quarter. The Raiders get first possession of the game, here were the plays: dropped pass, a run for no gain, and a sack allowed from the O-line. Story of the season on how underwhelming this offense is. KC's defense is shorthanded and the offense outside of Marshawn Lynch's big run cannot generate anything. Meanwhile the defense did its job the last two possessions. The D-line is creating pressure. Bruce Irvin already has two sacks. But, the secondary is starting to break, giving up big pass plays against a really anemic Chiefs passing game. Right now, the Raiders look really unfocused on what's at hand in this game. I'm sure all of you had a weird feeling heading into this game that the Raiders would wet the bed. That is becoming reality with this kind of start.

Raiders Hold Off Giants to Get to .500

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' Week 13 matchup vs. the New York Giants where the Raiders keep their playoff hopes alive taking care of business against the Giants 17-24. With the Chiefs loss earlier today and the Chargers win, the Raiders find themselves on a 3-way tie for the AFC West.

Thank you Ben McAdoo and the Giants for inexplicably benching Eli Manning and putting in Geno Smith for this game. We don't know how different the outcome would've been if Eli started, but obviously the Giants have a lot of injuries and got nothing to play for other than a high draft pick. If the Raiders lost this game, it would've been the story of this tumultuous season. But, they are slowly but surely turning around a slow start into a strong finish. Not to mention, some scenarios are falling their way now with the Chiefs being in a free fall after a 5-0 start.

(+)

The Slash Bros. Defense as a whole is still suspect even with the change from Ken Norton Jr. to John Pagano. But, they did what was expected of them against the Giants and this patchwork O-line. The specific two who did most of the work though: Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin aka the "Slash Bros." Both had a sack. Irvin forced a fumble. Mack had a forced fumble and recovery. They did work against the Tackles off the edge and had Geno Smith running for dear life on almost every play whenever the Giants offense had possession.

Marshawn Lynch, 17 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD, 2 receptions, 20 yards. Beast Mode was alive and well with that 51 yard rumble into the end zone on the Raiders' first drive. If I'm correct, this is Lynch's first 100+ yard rushing game since coming out of retirement and since becoming a Raider. He had a scare with that 51 yard run as it looked like he pulled something if I heard well. But luckily, he still came out there and carried the running game against a bad Giants run defense.

Cordarrelle Patterson, 4 receptions, 97 yards. Speed kills. Patterson stepped it up big and bailed out Carr and the Raiders again with a big 59 yard catch and run to set up Carr's passing TD to Johnny Holton. Patterson is not a route runner, but if you set him up in catch and run situations he can turn on the jets if he wants. That's exactly what the Raiders did. The plays for Patterson were executed and the blocks were set up nicely to give Patterson room to run.

(-)

Ball security. The Raiders are really fortunate with this since the defense bailed them out on some of the turnovers. Jalen Richard in particular had a lot of trouble fielding punts for the Raiders. Definitely not his best game as a punt returner if Special Teams relied on DeAndre Washington late in the game to field punts and kickoffs late in the game. Johnny Holton had one fumble when the Raiders were in Giants territory. It could've been costly, but the defense bailed him out. He could've had another fumble, but luckily he crossed the plane before the Giants defender was able to make a play on the ball.

Offensive playcalling. My goodness, Todd Downing is either calling the run plays in the wrong formations or is not creative enough with some screen passes. Particularly in the running game, Downing is calling run plays in Singleback formations rather than the typical "I" Formation. The Giants' D-line were getting easy penetrations and stuffing some runs for no gain or a loss of yardage, especially when the Raiders called run in Singleback formation. Whenever Downing calls screen, the Giants see it coming from a mile away. Still as of now, I'm still eating crow making my bold prediction earlier in this season that Downing is a better OC than Musgrave. Some plays worked today, but a lot of the playcalling was super easy for Steve Spagnuolo and the Giants' defense to read.

MVP

Marshawn Lynch, 17 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD, 2 receptions, 20 yards

Beast Mode's 51 yard TD run turned out to be the real difference maker this game. The Raiders just have to continue to turn Marshawn Lynch loose. They've limited his carries to keep him fresh and he's starting to pay dividends as the Raiders run the table to the playoffs.


Conclusion

The Raiders take advantage of another struggling team and took care of business. Like I said, at this stretch of the schedule with the exception of the game @ Philadelphia, a lot of the games are very winnable and the Raiders winning out is a realistic scenario. Next week's game against the Chiefs in Kansas City is huge. They are struggling big time since the 5-0 start. If there's any indication that the Raiders are getting hot at the right time, a win against the Chiefs at Arrowhead will be the one that highlights the Raiders' run to the playoffs after a 4-6 start. Looking ahead, that Week 17 game against the Chargers could be the deciding game of the AFC West if the Raiders and Chargers keep up with the wins. But more importantly, it's about taking care of business in Kansas City. Overall, it feels good to finally be at .500. It's time for the Raiders to break that ceiling and control their destiny in this tight AFC West. I'll see you guys next week for the Week 14 game against the Chiefs.