Raiders Bottled Up in Finale vs. Chiefs

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' week 17 divisional matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs where the Raiders had a chance to rally in the final seconds, but the Chiefs' defense had the number of the Raiders' offense all game long as they lose the regular season finale to the Chiefs 17-23.

Last week, the Raiders sent Charles Woodson out in Oakland with a bang. His final game in the NFL is surely a stinger. But let's not turn this attention to Woodson's final game ending on a bad note, this game was bad on all facets of the game offensively. The receivers couldn't get open, the O-line was getting beat around, the running game was held in check, offensive playcalling was soft, and Derek Carr was trying to do too much. The defense, despite giving up 21 points, hung around for the Raiders, created a pair of turnovers to make this a game, but it wasn't enough.

(+)

Turnovers. I'm just going to rehash from what I said in the halftime post, they said Alex Smith barely turns the ball over during the Chiefs' winning streak. This game, the Raiders took it to heart and managed to generate two interceptions on Smith. T.J. Carrie had a pick, David Amerson, another pick for 6. There's no question the secondary needs to be addressed this offseason with Woodson gone and possibly other players getting cut (e.g. D.J. Hayden), but this game proved that Amerson is worth keeping around. He's not going to be a shutdown corner, but he's a decent football player. As much as Carrie had a down year due to injuries and shuffling from corner to safety, he's the Raiders' best player in the secondary. Props to them getting the picks and bringing the Raiders back in this game.

Khalil Mack, 10 tackles. There's no question Mack is a candidate for defensive player of the year. He rightfully deserves Pro Bowl honors and he's possibly moving up in the NFL's top 100 list. When he's not getting sacks, he's a tackling machine. Perhaps the highlight of this game was when he decided to do push ups after stopping a run. He could've had a couple of sacks here like last game, but I saw a lot of times he got held and the refs weren't calling them. Nonetheless, it was an impressive sophomore campaign for Mack, a huge leap from his rookie season.

(-)

O-line. Okay, I know most of the Chiefs sacks were because Carr didn't want to throw the ball away. I'm not pro Carr, so I'll pinpoint that flaw from Carr's game. I think with all the injuries and shuffling, especially from that right side of the O-line, the lack of depth was showing. Obviously, J'Marcus Webb is not starter material, Feliciano still has a long way to go in polishing his game to be the Raiders' long-term answer at right guard. The negatives on the O-line doesn't just stem from the pass protection, but they couldn't open up holes for Murray to get the run game going. 6 sacks on Carr, it's a "bang-bang" argument that it was Carr not getting rid of the ball or the O-line just couldn't block.

Offensive playcalling. I would hate for the Raiders to do this to Carr by hiring a new offensive coordinator and give him a new playbook in three years, but Musgrave needs to go along with this conservative playcalling. He made a fool out of us during the stretch of the Chargers, Jets, and Steelers games, thinking that this offense is explosive, but it's clear that they've regressed. Defenses have a lot of game film on them and Musgrave doesn't make any adjustments. Too many quick screen passes, no elements of surprise, really predictable.

Conclusion

It sucks the Raiders couldn't send Charles Woodson off a winner in his final NFL game and it sucks they did not end the season on a high note. Even though the record is unsatisfactory, a 7-9 finish exceeded a lot of expectations. Although I had this team going at 8-8 or 9-7, the consensus was that this team was going 6-10 and the Raiders proved a lot of experts wrong. This team had a couple games slip away from them this season, but they were virtually in every game except the first game of the season vs. the Cincinnati Bengals. Though this loss against the Chiefs ended the season on a sour note, there's a lot of good things to look forward to for the future. Once again, I'll provide a "season in review" post to elaborate on the good and the bad this season, so stay tuned for that. Sorry if I'm a little slow getting these posts on time. I am currently battling a cold that I got on Friday, so not a good way to start off the New Year for me. But, thank you Raider Nation for following my coverage of the 2015 season for the Oakland Raiders. I'll see you guys later.

Week 17: C-Wood's Last Game RAIDERS @ Kansas City Chiefs

Q4:

OAK 17 KC 23

Game winning drive with no timeouts 101: always aim for the sidelines. The Raiders had a chance to steal one in Kansas City, but they just kept throwing on the field. What were they doing there? It also didn't help that Carr took a sack, pretty much sums this game up. O-line was horrible today, Carr needs to know when to throw the ball away and use his mobility more, Musgrave didn't open up the playbook until that last TD drive to Crabtree. Woodson walks out the game with a loss on the road. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

OAK 10 KC 23

What I said in the halftime post, it's been the same thing like it was all game long in the 2nd half. The offense is just stagnant and they can't decipher this Chiefs defense. O-line can't protect Carr, the running game is still non-existent, predictable quick screen passes from Musgrave. This is just awful.

Q2:

OAK 10 KC 14

Bend, but don't break. As much as the Chiefs' offense are gashing the Raiders' defense, the defense just finds ways to bring life for the team. Two timely interceptions on Alex Smith, one returned for a touchdown, just enough to put the Raiders back in this game. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

OAK 0 KC 14

Well, the majority of this quarter was all Chiefs. They were just methodical in their first two drives. Andy Reid was throwing everything on the offensive playbook at the Raiders' defense and that resulted in two TDs. At the end of the first quarter though, a rare sighting of a long kickoff return for the Raiders as the returning game has been nonexistent all season long. Taiwan Jones provided a much needed spark on the last kickoff return for the Raiders to get back in it.

RAIDERS-Chiefs Halftime Post

OAK 10 KC 14

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' divisional matchup vs. the Chiefs in Kansas City where the Chiefs have a narrow 10-14 lead at the first half.

(+)

Turnovers. It's been said a lot of times, Alex Smith barely turns the ball over during the Chiefs' hot winning streak. This game, he already has two interceptions. T.J. Carrie managed to get a pick. After Derek Carr threw a costly pick to Ron Parker, the Raiders' defense responded with a pick 6 from David Amerson. As much as the defense is getting picked apart, this category is what's keeping them alive.

(-)

Offense. Latavius Murray held to 22 yards, the receiving corps not doing much, Derek Carr held in check. The Chiefs defense, despite missing a couple of key players are doing their job containing this offense. The only good drive I can pinpoint was when it was set up by Taiwan Jones' big return, but that drive stalled resulting into three points. Whatever it is, the offense has to get going at some point.

Bottom Line

The Raiders fortunately get the ball back after deferring. The offense just needs to find answers to decipher this Chiefs' defense. As much as the defense is keeping the Chiefs offense in check after giving up two TD scores, they're going to need some help if the Raiders sustain long drives on offense. Let's see what happens.

Raiders Send Off Charles Woodson a Winner in Final Home Game vs. Chargers

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' TNF matchup vs. the San Diego Chargers on the night before Christmas where in an emotional game of epic proportions and that lasted almost over three hours, the Raiders eventually prevailed and they win it for Charles Woodson, beating the Chargers 20-23 in OT.

First off, Merry Christmas Raider Nation! I hope you guys are having a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with your friends and family. To all the East Coast fans, Merry Christmas to you guys as it is 12 midnight and I'm sure you guys are unwrapping all your presents while us West Coast guys have to wait three more hours to unwrap our gifts. Onto this game, Raider Nation, this was the best Christmas present we can ask for: a win on Christmas Eve and definitely, this is the best present C-Wood can ever ask for. This game was an emotional one of epic proportions. Not only is this Woodson's last game, but it could possibly be the last game in Oakland, so there would be tears in the stands. The way the game was played out, it took the life out of us and credit where credit is due, the Chargers' defense tightened things up here for this game and kept the offense in check. But, like I said in the halftime post, the defense needed a play and late in the 4th, they managed to force a fumble to get the Raiders back into it. Grueling game, but it ended in jubilation with a W.

(+)

Latavius Murray, 19 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD, 6 receptions, 62 yards. I think this was Murray's best all-around game of the season. You guys could argue the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets games were Murray's best, but this game against the Chargers, he wasn't just used in the running game, but in the passing and caught a perfect 6 receptions off 6 targets. Though many said he had one of the best hands out of the backfield, he just couldn't show it because the football was bouncing off his finger tips or he was catching with his chest. He fully demonstrated the use of his hands and catching ability out of the backfield. Not to mention, he broke 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career. It was a good, balanced, all-around game for the "Tay Train."

Defense. How the defense was able to hold the Chargers to 20 points was beyond me. The D-line wasn't getting any pressure on Rivers, the secondary was getting picked apart like an apple tree all game. It also didn't help that they made some untimely penalties after making a 3rd down stop, but they hung around. Malcolm Smith and Ben Heeney were tackling machines out there. Smith recorded 14 total tackles, Heeney added 9 tackles. Like I said, I hate the philosophy of "bend, but don't break" on defense, but a timely turnover in the 4th was that's needed to provide a spark for the Raiders and they delivered again to win the game off a 4th and 3 play in OT.

(-)

Penalties. 15 penalties for 121 yards. Most of it were due to false starts and holdings. The O-line as a whole didn't play their best this game and they were accountable for most of those penalties because of false start and holding calls against them. The way this game played out, it reminded me a whole lot of 2011 when the Raiders set the record for most penalties in a season. It's a mixture that Del Rio needs to discipline these guys and the refs need to quit throwing flags on literally every snap of each play.

Offensive playcalling. Personally after this game, I don't know if Bill Musgrave is the long-term answer for this offense that has so much talent on the field. I will note out the O-line's poor performance this game and Amari Cooper's injury as reasons why the offense couldn't get anything going. But Musgrave's calling didn't help any way either. 2nd and long or 3rd and long, what does Musgrave draw up? A checkdown, a screen pass, a quick throw that just generates minimal gains when the Raiders have so much ground to cover up to extend the drive and get a first down. Despite cashing in on the turnover to tie the game up and the long first drive in OT that set up Sebass' field goal, the offensive playcalling was lackluster and uninspiring all game long.

Conclusion

Overall, the Raiders didn't play a clean game, but against all odds, they did just enough to get a W. The Chargers blew a lot of games this season, but hey, the Raiders blew a lot of games too that they could've won. It was a matter which team could finish the game and luckily the Raiders got on the winning side after the Chargers pretty much dominated the whole game, but they couldn't put the game away. It was ugly, but a win is a win and Charles Woodson walks out a winner in the Raiders' final home game in Oakland.

Let me take the time to say this personally: Charles Woodson, C-Wood, when I was a kid, still understanding the game of football, I didn't understand how great you were in your first go around with the Raiders. You made some plays, but I couldn't jog them in my memory. When you returned to Oakland after establishing yourself as a champion and a leader in Green Bay, your return gave me a chance to witness your greatness as a young adult Raider fan who possessed more commitment and more knowledge about the game of football and I savored every second of it. Your return to Oakland was exactly what the Raider organization needed. It was a symbol of hope, a symbol of change, a symbol that would ignite the renaissance of Raiders football. Though it sucks you can't return for another year in to be a part the great turnaround, we, the Raider Nation are glad that this change in restoring the pride and glory of Raiders football started when you returned before you called it a career. You truly are one of the greatest to play the game of football and most definitely, you are a first ballot Hall of Famer. We'll see you in Canton, Ohio with that gold jacket on in the near future.

Thank You...

Week 16: Emotional X-Mas Eve Thursday Night Game RAIDERS vs. San Diego Chargers Q-by-Q Reaction

The last home game for Charles Woodson, it could be the final game in Oakland as talks of relocating to LA loom as the season ends. This is going to be an emotional night.

OT:

SD 20 OAK 23

Grueling game to watch. Oh my goodness. The Raiders had every opportunity to win in the first drive and they unveiled the special play with Woodson on offense. They had to settle for field goal and finally they get the stop they need on 4th and 3 to send Charles Woodson out a winner in Oakland. Beautiful farewell words by C-Wood after the game, thanking the fans, igniting the chant of "RAIDERS" one last time. Long way to give him a win, but it was worth it. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q4:

SD 20 OAK 20

This has been a poorly officiated game. Great rally from the Raiders though to take a brief lead after a fumble. Good heads up play by Benson Mayowa that set up a Michael Crabtree TD. The Chargers drove down the field for game tying field goal thanks to a PI by D.J. Hayden. Oh well, we get extra time. That means more action here.

Q3:

SD 17 OAK 12

Well, the safety finally got us something to cheer for. Other than that, both offenses struggled to get anything going this quarter. The Raiders offense had an opportunity to cash in on the safety and yet another quick 3 and out. It's either Musgrave is calling poor plays or the lack of depth on the O-line is starting to show, particularly on the right side. Feliciano got put on roller skates big time on the last 3rd down play.

Q2:

SD 17 OAK 10

What separates this game from the last game so far? The Chargers have their linebackers healthy. Te'o, Perryman, they weren't present in the week 6 game and they have proven to be a huge difference. The Raiders' offense, aside from the running game, they couldn't get anything going in the passing game and Carr took a sack, which all quarterbacks don't want to do when they're driving for field goal range. Well, good effort from the lateral to end the quarter, but the Chargers kept things in check to prevent a Hail Mary. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

SD 7 OAK 7

That's not one of the ways to close out a quarter, running with Latavius Murray for a loss. This game had some deja vu of last week's game vs. the Packers. Derek Carr is commanding a respectable drive, then he throws a pick, setting up a Charger TD. However, his throw was tipped. But, great response after with Murray running loose for a 22 yard TD to tie the game up.

RAIDERS-Chargers Halftime Post

SD 17 OAK 10

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' TNF matchup vs. the San Diego Chargers where the Chargers have a one touchdown lead, 17-10 at the half.

(+)

Latavius Murray, 12 carries, 66 yards, TD. We'd figure before the end of the season Murray would reach the 1,000 yard mark and this game was perfect given the Chargers' run defense is not that great. Murray becomes the first 1,000 yard rusher for the Raiders since Darren McFadden in 2010. He's running hard out there and credit to the O-line for opening up holes for him. Of course the highlight of the first half is when he burned the Chargers for a 22 yard run for a TD to tie it up at 7 a piece.

(-)

Penalties. Though the Chargers have a slight edge for most penalties with 5 compared to the Raiders' 4, the Raiders are committing penalties at the most crucial times they need to extend the drive. The false start and holding calls are coming to them at critical and when special teams finally shows their bag of tricks, they get called for illegal formation.

Defense. The pass defense was awful in the 1st half, there is no denying that. Most of that is because there is no pass rush generated. Philip Rivers is taking full advantage of that with a lot of quick passes that turn into big gains and they are rarely running the ball. With Mario Edwards, Jr. being put on IR after the Green Bay game, the lack of depth is starting to show and that results in less opportunities for Mack to put pressure on Rivers.

Bottom Line

Like I said, the offense had their way against the Chargers back in Week 6. However, with the return of Weddle, Te'o, and Perryman, it's not translating into the same winning formula. I don't understand why Derek Carr is being put under center more than playing in the shotgun. A few plays in the shotgun would help. On defense, somebody has to make a play because Rivers is going to have all day to burn this defense if there's no pressure on the D-line. Let's see what happens.

C-Wood Re-Signs with the Raiders

Full story: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12232425/charles-woodson-agrees-return-oakland-raiders

Well, the Raiders wasted no time waiting for the free agency period as they have announced today that they re-signed Charles Woodson to another 1-year deal. C-Wood can play until he's 40 years old if he wants to, he still has something left in the tank. Now there was one key to bring Woodson back to the Raiders and that was retaining Defensive Backs Coach, Marcus Robertson. He credited Robertson for helping him adjust to the Free Safety position and the Raiders bringing back Robertson for next season was an automatic "sure thing" for Woodson to make one more go around with the Silver and Black. I would like to see the Raiders go after a young safety (through draft or free agency) so Woodson can take him under his wing and take his spot to retire a Raider. He deserves to retire a Raider, there's no doubt about that. A true Raider until the end, welcome back C-Wood (x3)!