"Just Win Baby" - Raiders Convert Game-Winning Two-Point Conversion vs. Broncos + Blogger's Final Word

 Final Score: LV 32 DEN 31 [W] (8-8)

Well, looks like this is the first and last post of 2021 on this blog. Welcome in and Happy New Year! TrueRaiderLaker has finally reached its endgame after a 10 year run and what a way to end it as the Raiders finish at 8-8 with a dramatic come-from-behind win against the AFC West team I hate the most, the Denver Broncos in a 32-31 victory. Though, this was a challenge to get a hold of this game if you're residing in the Bay Area. Since this game was meaningless, we had to see the Arizona-LA Rams game as that had more playoff implications on the line. But, there's a reason why we have Internet. And I managed to catch the game on a non-descriptive livestreaming website. The fact that this game was not televised in the Bay Area is a harbinger of unfortunate things to come as a Raider fan in the region. 

Let's get the negatives out of the way: penalties, turnovers, and the defense collapsing yet again. The Raiders racked up a lot of penalty yards this game with 111 yards on 14 penalties. Honestly, this is to be expected every damn Raider game. The zebras will have no hesitation to throw a flag to screw the Raiders in any way possible. Even if this team is in a new city, the Raiders getting numerous penalties still follows around. Defense gave up a lot yards yet again and they broke down yet again in the 4th quarter, allowing a 92 yard go-ahead TD from Drew Lock to Jerry Jeudy.

The turnovers, 2 fumbles lost and 2 INTs. Darren Waller had a great game, which I'll talk about later, but he had two faults this game. He fumbled on a catch and run. And the football bounced off his hands into a Broncos defender for 1 of 2 Derek Carr INTs. Henry Ruggs took a nasty hit on a sweep and fumbled the ball. Derek Carr's first INT as mentioned was not his fault, but the 2nd INT was as he made an errant read. Lock and the Broncos' offense hasn't been impressive all game besides a pair of scoring plays. But, they had big time help on those turnovers to get things going. 

But despite all that, the Raiders still found a way to live up to the Al Davis moniker of "Just Win Baby." Derek Carr adds another game-winning drive to his resume. But, Darren Waller is hands down the MVP this game with 9 receptions for 117 yards and 1 TD plus the game-winning Two-Point reception. He only needed like 2-3 receptions to break the record for most receptions in a season by a Raider since Mr. Raider himself Tim Brown did it with 104 receptions. Waller completely shattered that record today and it's a fitting way to end a Pro Bowl-worthy season. Bryan Edwards had a mini breakout game with 2 receptions for 51 yards and 1 TD. It has been a frustrating rookie season for Edwards, but hopefully this game provides something to build off of next year. Josh Jacobs capped off another 1,000 yard rushing season with 89 rushing yards and 2 TDs. He's been hampered by the ankle injury since the Atlanta game, but he also capped off a strong finish to a Pro Bowl season.

This game had a deja vu finish from last year. The Raiders tried to win the game on a two-point conversion, but they were stuffed and ended the season at 7-9. This year, same team, same place, same scenario, but they got it done this time around. Despite the defense being a letdown like usual, they made a crucial stop in the final two minutes of the game, which allowed ample time for Carr and the offense to orchestrate the game-winning drive. But, the Broncos still had one more chance. And the fact that the Raiders committed a penalty after a big gain by Denver had us to the edge of our seat. It was like "is this going to be the Dolphins game again?" And Brandon MacManus has a big leg even though he uncharacteristically missed some field goals this game. Denver also had nothing to lose as well that they rolled MacManus out there to try a 70+ yarder. Nonetheless, they went for the 63 yard game-winning field goal, but the Raiders blocked it and Arden Key who was the scapegoat in Week 16 recovered the football from the block to seal it. 

From that, the Raiders avoid 7-9 part 2 and finish 8-8. It's not a losing record, but it's not a winning record either. Like I said in my preview, I had this team 9-7 at best, 8-8 at worst. This has been a frustrating start in the 2nd Gruden era. Deconstruction in the first year. Back-to-back collapses in years 2 and 3 after 6-3 starts. It's not a good look when you're paying a coach $100 million for 10 years. Sure, they're improving in win total, but it's not an impressive improvement and some of Raider Nation who have a voice in calling out this franchise's perennial mediocrity aren't either. 

There's still a lot of work to do and we all know where most of the work will take place: on defense. This side of the ball has been a perennial doormat for the Raiders as far as I remember and it needs to change. Hire an innovative DC, scrap the 4-3 scheme, start signing and drafting the right players. I don't care what they do. I am tired of seeing mediocrity on that side of the ball. I am tired of this team spending draft capital and throwing money at defensive players that don't pan out or don't live up to their potential. I am tired of  the hiring of unproven or below-average DCs. This defense needs to get out of the bottom of the barrel and become an above-average unit.

As for individuals, cut Tyrell Williams. Nelson Agholor has pretty much supplanted him and has built a good rapport with Carr. Why they haven't re-signed him is beyond me. But Agholor balled out this year and deserves a contract extension. That might mean moving on from Tyrell Williams at this point. Trade Trent Brown. I had to laugh at Gruden's comment calling him the LeBron James at the right tackle position. But, Trent Clown has been the absolute opposite of that. They always say the best ability is availability. Whether it's through an injury or COVID-19 violations, Trent Clown is never available. He is a looming black mark on Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock besides the Antonio Clown saga last year. Let Jason Witten walk. He's as old as the Raiders' last Super Bowl appearance. Cut Nevin Lawson, he's trash. Arden Key, release him too. Cut Maliek Collins. The entire DT unit needs a massive overhaul.

Regarding the 2020 draft class, it's a little unfair to evaluate and consider them underwhelming since they had no OTAs or preseason. But, Henry Ruggs needs to work on his route running. Damon Arnette needs to work on football instincts. Bryan Edwards needs to get involved in the playbook more. These three literally stand out in the Raiders' 2020 draft class. John Simpson might be another name to keep a lookout for since Richie Incognito got injured and Simpson was plugged into the O-line unit in some games. The 2019 draft class, Josh Jacobs and Hunter Renfrow are as advertised and have been the only players that panned out so far. The jury is still out there for Clelin Ferrell as a top 5 pick. Maxx Crosby had a down year. Johnathan Abram throws his body out there and gets injured. He needs to work on coverage. Trayvon Mullen took two steps back this year. The general rule is to not evaluate a draft class until they've been on the team for three years. There's still a lot of things to be fleshed out in the two draft classes in the Gruden-Mayock era.

Everything else, Darren Waller is a star and provides a mismatch nightmare for the Raider offense. As I mentioned, Nelson Agholor is a must-retain. And whether you're tired of Derek Carr or not, I think he did enough to see another season in Vegas. This win at Denver further solidifies it. The jury is also out there whether or not Carr is a legit franchise QB. He literally has all the Raiders' passing game records and statistics, but the win-loss record is another story. 

Every year, it's been the same excuses for Carr. He doesn't have the talent around him. He doesn't have a defense. The OC is terrible. Oh, they fired the OC, where's the continuity? The only time these excuses were valid were his rookie year. But, this ain't 2014 anymore. There's a reason why Carr stays afloat in the mid-tier level of starting NFL QBs. If you want to be mentioned in the same breadth of franchise QBs like a Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, you have to play like an elite QB week in and week out. As good as Carr is, he is hampered by streaky QB play and mental errors. He plays more like a game manager. He will be entering his 7th year as an NFL pro and in his 4th year under Gruden's system. And the talent is expected to improve on both sides of the ball. If we believe Derek Carr is an elite franchise QB, he has to perform like one. He has had enough continuity. 

Jon Gruden, he will be entering year 4 out of 10. No Bret Hart pun intended. His 2nd tenure is off to a disastrous start. He has hindered the team with conservative playcalling, boneheaded coaching decisions, personnel and roster decisions, etc. Rich Gannon is not coming out of that tunnel and call him out on his questionable playcalling on certain downs and distances. The 2002 Buccaneers defense is not coming out of that tunnel to help him fix this defense. He and Mike Mayock have their work cut out to improve the roster. But coaching-wise, he has to hire the best DC available. Maybe give up offensive playcalling duties, but that would require canning Greg "up the middle" Olson and hiring a creative OC whose forte is the West Coast offense. The Raiders may have a top 10 offense, but Gruden's conservative style has hindered them from being something more. And they need to work on playing good football for the 2nd half of the season. We're tired of seeing these late season collapses. Bottom line, Gruden's gotta put that $100 million contract to good use next year. Time is ticking and the vocal part of Raider Nation is running out of patience.

Final Word from the Blogger

The least I can do is thank the Raiders for winning this one game against the Broncos in my final post on TrueRaiderLaker. It's a good way to end on a high note. I've said all I wanted to say in my "Moving On" post, which is highlighted on the blog. But, it has been an unbelievable run, blogging, providing my thoughts on Raider games, Laker games, NBA Finals, Super Bowls, etc. Like I said, there's more bad than good during this period of Raider football and Laker basketball, but I'm glad I was able to cover one championship season. That has been my goal since I started this blog. And obviously that championship run came from the Lakers. But, it was also great to cover at least one winning season from the Raiders back in 2016. I'm hoping the Raiders get back to their winning ways, but it's a long way to go. And hopefully, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for that.

As I depart from this blog and deem this blog inactive after this, I just want to thank you all for following and visiting my blog. Whether you're a Raider fan, Laker fan, or a hater, I appreciate your time here on the blog and reading my posts. I'll admit, I'm not the perfect writer. But, all the blog posts I've done here are done with 100% passion. Some bloggers quit the game and never leave a final post. And I wanted to make sure that I end on good terms with all of my visitors and followers as I depart to pursue other projects.

Rest assured, this is not a retirement. I may return to the world of sports blogging some time in the near future. But, this is the decision that I wanted to make. And I'm sticking by it. I'm excited for my next endeavors and I can't wait to embark on them. And you all know how I end all of my blog posts: "I'll see you guys later." That still reigns true even in this final post. As the old saying goes, "it's never goodbye, it's see you later." In closing, I say again "Thank You" for a fantastic 10-year run. The colors of Silver and Black and Purple and Gold will forever reign on this blog. With that said, for the final time: I'll see you guys later.

~ Matt (MechG2994)

Raiders Rebound From Slow 1st Half, Pick Lock 4 Times in Rout

Final Score: DEN 12 LV 37 [W] (6-3)

The Raiders may have moved out of my home state, but the one thing that'll never change is a satisfying win over the Denver Donkeys. And today was a beauty. The title says it all with how this game went down as the Raiders blow out the Broncos 12-37. The Raiders keep it rolling with three straight wins against teams we expected them to beat.

From the scoreboard alone, it looked like the Raiders played a complete 60 minute-game. But, that wasn't the case especially in the first half. Even if the Broncos' defense is missing some pieces (notably Von Miller), they have been decent for the most part. What was frustrating though was that the Raiders were able to drive over this Denver defense with ease on the first drive that capped off with a Josh Jacobs 11-yard TD run. After that, the offense came up empty in their possessions. There was a lot of points left out there on the field.  

The big positive was the defense. They came to play out there today and pretty much made Drew Lock's life miserable today. They started sluggish with a couple of missed tackles and giving up some 3rd and long plays. But, the turnovers gave this defense some juice. Jeff Heath especially stood out picking off Drew Lock twice. Probably the critical one was the one he made in the end zone in the final seconds to keep this game a 6-10 score in favor of the Raiders. Denver never saw a lead this game and the drive that ended with Jeff Heath's 2nd pick was the closest the Broncos would get to taking a lead. 

In the 2nd half, the defense made the job of the Raiders' offense a lot easier even though the offense did improve after sputtering in the 1st half sans the opening drive. Carl Nassib had a pick in Denver's own territory, that resulted in another field goal. Broncos had a catch and fumble deep into their own territory yet again, which capped off in a Devontae Booker TD. Nick Kwiatkoski capped off the defense's spectacular performance in the turnover category with a sick 1-handed interception. 

We can't say anything else about the running game. They have been terrific these last three games. Today, Josh Jacobs, Devontae Booker combined for 193 total yards on the ground. Derek Carr's 10 rushing yards put the rushing total to 200+ yards. What's impressive is that this is behind a makeshift offensive line. No Kolton Miller. No Richie Incognito. No Trent Brown. Yes like I said, Vic Fangio and Denver D is missing some key pieces. But, the Raiders' ground game gashed them today. Especially, this was a revenge game for Devontae Booker against his former team and he hangs 81 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 16 carries. Josh Jacobs lead the rushing attack as usual with 112 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 22 carries.

So, where do the Raiders stand in the playoff picture? They currently hold the 2nd wild card spot in the AFC. If you've been living under a rock, the NFL expanded the Wild Card teams this season to three teams and the Raiders are well within the hunt. They hold the tiebreaker over Cleveland after their win two weeks ago. They get Indy and the Miami Dolphins later in the schedule. The Colts currently lead the AFC South and Miami currently has the final Wild Card spot. Those games will be critical in the foreseeable future and those teams aren't a slouch either. But, it's not too early to talk playoff scenarios and the Raiders are well within the race. They could also be well within the AFC West race if they take care of business against the Chiefs next week in primetime. It's not going to be easy, but a 2-0 season sweep against the defending champs would be monumental for this team. The last time the Raiders swept the AFC West, it was 10 years ago. And I remember that 2010 season very well. I still think they should've gotten those two wins in Arizona and Jacksonville to break the tie for the AFC West crown. It certainly is possible they can do it again 10 years later and they have the chance to do it right this time. I'll see you guys next week. 

Because I forgot to mock the Chargers last week...

Raiders End Season with Tough Road Loss, Eliminated by Titans Win

Final: OAK 15 DEN 16 (7-9)

Now the 2019 NFL Regular Season has ended. The Raiders drop their final regular season matchup representing the city of Oakland with a 15-16 loss. I already tuned out of this game as soon as the Titans sealed the win against the Texans. As I mentioned last week, they were fortunate some chips fell into their favor. This week, not so much. The scenario was clear: a win, TEN loss, PIT loss, IND win and either a CHI or NE or LAC or DET win and they're in. The latter I found out earlier and the Bears did pull out a close one against the #6 seeded Vikings to keep the Raiders hopes alive but faintly.

The way this game went on in the midst of all this playoff chaos, it was without question, the most Raider thing to ever unfold to sum up two decades of futility. Raiders string together good drives. As usual, they can't punch it in the end zone. Daniel Carlson misses a 30+ yard chip shot field goal. Two TDs were called off by the refs. I don't know how they miss Alec Ingold's second effort when he slightly extended the nose of the football on the goal line. Penalties. And the end result in a loss to a bitter rival. You can't write off a better ending as they transition to Vegas.

I would not blame this game too much on the defense. They did just enough to keep the Raiders in the game. Derek Carr and the offense just couldn't deliver with a lot of stalled drives. Then again, they had way too many injuries to overcome with Incognito and Trent Brown out and of course, Josh Jacobs' absence in the running game. The decision to go for two, I'm not too mad about it. The Titans took care of business against the Texans to close the door on the Raiders' playoff hopes. They had nothing to lose and it's pretty pointless to take the game into overtime with nothing to play for at that point.

With that being said, glad this season is done with. Even if the Raiders did their job and the scenarios that needed to happen happened, to have this team limp into Foxborough and avenge a call we dare not mention 18 years later is asking a bit too much. It would be good experience for the young rookies, but this team would be severely overmatched, especially on the road. Overall, this record is what was expected of the Raiders. We expected them to improve their win total from 4-12 last year. The fact that they were in the playoff hunt until the end was an added bonus. They have something to build upon as the team transitions from Oakland to Las Vegas. Stay tuned for my annual Season in Review post as I summarize and break down what has transpired this season. I'll see you guys later.

Raiders Pound Broncos on Monday Night

Final: DEN 16 OAK 24 (1-0)

Welcome in guys. Just providing my quick thoughts here on the game. You won't see a lot of open thread and full recap posts moving forward. Those days are over. Onto this game, it has been awhile. It has been awhile since the Raiders won on opening night, let alone at home in Oakland. These last 10-13 years on home openers, they have not been good times in the Black Hole. Most of those openers were blowout losses, close losses off stupid mistakes. It's a breath of fresh air.

The Raiders needed this game tonight to wipe out all the Antonio Brown mayhem that has transpired in the last 48 hours or so. Forget about the one possession score, the Raiders dominated the Broncos from start to finish. A lot of credit goes to Jon Gruden and Greg Olson for putting a solid game plan together to neutralize Vic Fangio's defense. A lot mixing and matching involved on run plays, quick screens and slants. Fangio looked dumbfounded in the 2nd half. Tyrell Williams had a pretty solid game against this Broncos secondary. He was key in allowing this offense to open up the playbook. Josh Jacobs, I know it's just one game, I think he may break the running back curse for Alabama. 100 yards from scrimmage, 2 TD rushing TDs, first rookie RB to put up those numbers since LaDainian Tomlinson. The most impressive thing about it is, this was without the Raiders two best interior linemen in Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito. This is a respectable Denver front seven and Jacobs was able to gash them at no problem.

The defense did its job tonight. They completely shut down Denver's running game. This was supposed to be an improved Denver running game now that they've shored up they're offensive line and healthy Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay. The front seven kept that in check. Paul Guenther's defensive unit looks like it's coming together. Benson Mayowa, 2nd stint and all, lead the team in sacks. But we gotta give overall credit on the coverage and blitz packages PG dialed up to generate pressure on Flacco. The Broncos offense got the benefit of a doubt with some fluke plays and questionable penalties to get back into this. As I mentioned, the score can be a bit misleading. Johnathan Abram showed definitely stood out on defense, flying all over the field. Tonight, he proved to be as advertised as a hard hitting Safety. But, he might want to control it a bit on where he hits. We don't want him to be marked man for walking 15-yard penalties. They already have Vontaze Burfict for that. But all jokes aside, defense did well.

It's good to be 1-0. However, the Raiders have to start looking ahead against a very tough task vs. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs next week. However, Kansas City will be missing some key weapons that makes this offense dangerous. Most of that is centered on Tyreek Hill. He'll be out for a bit with a collarbone injury. But they still have Kelce. They Damien Williams. They just signed LeSean McCoy. Sammy Watkins has stepped up in Hill's place. This offense is still potent. The Chiefs' defense though will be a juicy matchup for the Raiders, particularly in the running game as displayed tonight. Last year, the Chiefs run defense could not stop a wet paper bag last year. Their unit is much improved, but probably not much. It'll be interesting to see how well the Raiders matchup this year as opposed to last year with a younger, more athletic roster. I'll see you guys next week after that game.

The Silver and Black Shitshow: Chapter 9 - "Ode to Oakland" (FINAL CHAPTER)

*Readers' Discretion is advised*

In this final chapter of the Silver and Black Shitshow,
A farewell to Oakland against a familiar foe.
As the City that once housed them files a lawsuit,
The Raiders' stay in Oakland becomes more moot.

By all accounts, this means Oakland and the Raiders are done,
Now, the Raiders start temporary home-searching from San Francisco to London.
As the Vegas stadium isn't opened until 2020,
The team's search for a temporary home remains steady.

True, the City of Oakland had ample time to get the ball rolling,
But the fact that Mark Davis didn't even speak to the City one bit, had us all groaning.
When you have two incompetent parties working together,
Raider Nation, on both sides of the spectrum, voice their displeasure.

However, to talk about relocation isn't the time,
The fact that the Raiders played their last game at the Oakland Coliseum is a crime.
The Coliseum may be a dump,
But it is a place where you, as a Raider fan, can get pumped.

Lighting the Al Davis torch in the Coliseum for the last time was Oakland's own Marshawn Lynch.
Everybody in that Coliseum was in a pinch.
The final opponent for the Raiders in the Coliseum: the Denver Broncos.
For the Oakland fans, put one last curbstomp on them Donkos.

The most frequent matchup on Monday Night Football, on the Eve of Christmas Day,
Started off with a Dwayne Harris 99-yard punt return big play.
A quick 0-7 lead against the Ponies.
C'mon Raiders, keep your foot on the gas against those Denver Phonies!

Throughout most of the game, Derek Carr and the Raiders kept their foot on the gas.
They stomped a mudhole on the Broncos' ass.
It got worse for Denver as Doug Martin scored a 24-yard rushing touchdown.
It was just like the Sunday Night game in 2016, wear out Denver's defense with the "ground and pound."

The Broncos tried to rally in the 2nd half,
But it's clear as day, that they want Vance Joseph to get the ax.
You can see the look on disgust from John Elway, as he salivates on getting Vance Joseph fired.
Let's hope he causes more pain on Broncos fans by getting another idiot head coach hired.

Case Keenum made one last effort to make things click,
But instead, all he threw was a series of picks.
One last time for Oakland, the Raiders just won baby.
The entire Black Hole in the Coliseum went crazy.

The first year in Tank Commander Jon Gruden's return was a disaster.
This season couldn't end any faster.
When the Shitshow traded Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper,
You can say that this year was a pooper.

But this one game was all that mattered,
An Ode to Oakland, leaving the Broncos battered.
As the Raiders prepare to wander out of "The Town" by season's end,
The Raiders in any location other than Oakland, will never blend.

Signing off, I proudly shout "fuck Mark Davis,"
For the move to Las Vegas.
Leaving Oakland and all of Cali after 2019 is a huge blow,
Courtesy of the Silver and Black Shitshow.

Gut-Wrenching: Raiders Lose in the Final Seconds

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' Week 2 divisional matchup against the Broncos in Denver where the Raiders controlled most of the clock in the first three quarters. But they continued to sit on the lead. Some questionable playcalling costed them down the stretch. And eventually, they surrendered a 19-7 lead, losing 19-20.

Yup, this is a microcosm of how the season has unwinded so far. The Raiders come up with an excellent game plan. And then by the time the 2nd half hits, it becomes an absolute manure-show. I gotta admit, this was a solid game from the Raiders for about three quarters. They dominated the Broncos from the line of scrimmage. It just hasn't translated to touchdowns. Those came to bite the Raiders back. When the team has to depend on the defense to win the game, you just have the feeling that this was not gonna end well. I felt that way and that has manifested himself in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. I'll get back to that in detail.

(+)

TOP. The Raiders finished with 32 minutes in time of possession compared to the Broncos' 27 minutes. That first half, they controlled the clock and were dominating the line of scrimmage. They ran it down Denver's throats with Lynch. The O-line dominated the D-line of the Broncos. Some quick throws, misdirection, and play action helped neutralize Von Miller and that vaunted pass rush. At one point, the Raiders had 18 mins TOP while the Broncos only had 9 mins. The defense also did its job forcing Denver to some quick three and outs to give the offense time to milk the clock and control the line of scrimmage.

Amari Cooper, 10 receptions, 116 yards. I should've started Coop in my PPR league. I was appalled last week that Coop managed just 18 total yards. He's in a contract year and he put up a whopping 18 yards of total offense. I still like Coop though. And today, Chucky made sure he was more involved in the game plan. Derek Carr targeted Coop 10 times and he caught all 10 balls. He didn't drop a ball, which was encouraging. We need Coop to keep churning 100+ yards receiving to give the Raiders' passing game a shot.

Derek Carr, 29 of 32 passes, 288 yards, 1 TD. This is the Derek Carr we need. Aggressive, not afraid to throw under pressure, yet smart enough to not turn the ball. Last week, I was pretty harsh. I wanted to see 2016 DC where he had an insane amount of moxie and toughness, especially withstanding the pressure in the pocket. We saw some of that today. He took advantage of the Broncos' deconstructed "No Fly Zone" secondary and was able to withstand Denver's pressure from its D-line. Whether Derek Carr has shaken off the post-injury traumas remain to be seen. But, today was encouraging to see.

Secondary. I really can't fault the secondary for losing the game. This game should've never came down to the defense winning it for the Raiders. Some positive signs, they held Demaryius Thomas, arguably their best wide out, to just 18 total yards. They didn't surrender any TDs through the air. Rashaan Melvin picked off Case Keenum to give the ball right back to Oakland. Gareon Conley and Leon Hall just didn't give Thomas any room to make a big play. The only negative is that they let Emmanuel Sanders go off for almost 100+ yards. But other than that, they held the fort down until it was time to go "prevent D" down the stretch.

(-)

There were three key scenarios that ended up costing the Raiders game. First was the block PAT by Nugent. There's no sure guarantees in football and you can definitely that would've costed the Raiders in the long run. Bruce Irvin's roughing penalty in the third quarter. The defense had the Broncos stopped again on third down. But, a penalty negated that. Denver got new life, Royce Freeman ran it in for a TD. The fourth down where Derek Carr tried to pass it Keith Smith, but Keith Smith dropped it. That resulted in another key scoring drive from Denver. This was no shocker. The Raiders had a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot. And outside of the blocked PAT, the dumb penalty and questionable 4th down play call were two key plays that gave Denver all kinds of momentum to close this game out.

Red zone scoring. Like I said, with the way the game is flowing in favor of the Raiders, this game should've been 21-0 at the half. But, the first two scoring drives were killers to start. Jon Gruden came up with brilliant game plans to throw the Broncos' defense off their heels. But, Carr and the offense couldn't capitalize for 6. No matter if any team drives down the field into the opponent's territory, it doesn't mean anything if they just settle for field goals. And it's been a long story for the Raiders in terms of good drives: field goals instead of TDs.

I'm gonna go out on a limb about relying on the defense to win the game. I really don't like this defense, especially at its state right now, to be out there to try and win the game for the Raiders. There's not a consistent pass rush. And the secondary won't hold when they're clearly in prevent mode. Raider Nation, I'm sorry, but I gotta bring up Khalil Mack again. You see if the defense was in that scenario with Mack, it would've been a different story. Say what you wanna say with the defense being terrible even with Mack, but the guy made up for it with clutch strip sacks and pressure in key situations. Three years ago, Mack single-handedly won the Raiders the game on the road against Denver. If there was a time the Raiders needed a #52 on the field today, it was in that final seconds. And you know you could keep telling me "to get over it." "He never wanted to be a Raider." We are not going to shut up about Khalil Mack's absence because the defense, as decent as they played, they are not built to hold the fort for 60 minutes. Especially with a lack of a pass rush. Mack would've won this game for the Raiders in this scenario. It's the hard truth that some people are trying so hard to sweep under the rug since he's not on the team anymore. We are not going to shut up about Khalil Mack until this defense proves its worth.

MVP


Derek Carr, 288 passing yards, 1 TD

I still can't say that Carr justified the $100 million contract extension. But, today was a decent step forward. He just has to stop playing scared and we saw him throw under pressure and throw a TD dart to Seth Roberts.





Conclusion

We could say that the Raiders played better. They competed and dominated the Broncos. But, football is a 60 minute game and wins and losses matter. They'd fare better in hockey since hockey is only three periods. But, this team is only good for three quarters and they cap out in the fourth. That's the harsh reality. Well, onto the next one in Miami. The Raiders may have beaten the Dolphins last year, but the Dolphins have had their number especially with Ryan Tannehill under center. He's back and with the way Miami looked the first two games, it's going to be another grinder. I'll see you guys next week for that game.

Week 2: RAIDERS @ Broncos 2nd Half Open Thread

2nd half open thread of the Raiders' Week 2 divisional road matchup vs. the Broncos. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

OAK 19 DEN 20

You can put this one in the books. When the defense had to be depended on to win the game, that's a lot to ask for. I'm gonna look back at that missed XP by Nugent at the first half. That was gonna bite eventually. And it looked that way. 0-2 and that Khalil Mack trade is making Gruden and the Raiders look like big time losers week-by-week. If the defense needed to step up, for sure Mack would've answered with the way he owned Denver the last few games. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

OAK 19 DEN 10

The Raiders let the Broncos score this quarter. Going back to that catch though on the last Broncos' drive. I thought that was a sure touchdown because it looked like his foot never hit the white chalk. The Raiders get a big break there and maintain the 9-point lead. Derek Carr first TD of the season to Seth Roberts. We needed to see that. He looks much better this game than he did the last game and that's a very encouraging sign. AC/DC is tuning up too. Coop is having a really solid game and converting on key thir downs.

Week 2: Divisional Matchup - RAIDERS @ Denver Broncos 1st Half Open Thread

Welcome in to the first half open thread of the Raiders' Week 2 matchup @ the Denver Broncos in a divisional showdown. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

OAK 12 DEN 0

That's a bizarre turn of events. Don't understand why the Broncos would take a timeout with 2 seconds left. They're clearly out of Brandon McManus' range. Other than that, a dominant first half by the Raiders. The scoreboard won't say too much, but they are clearly beating Denver physically in the trenches. They almost have over 20 minutes in TOP (time-of-possession) compared to the Broncos. The Broncos barely cracked the 10 minute mark. Denver's defense gotta be worn out being out on the field too long, especially since it's like 90+ degrees out in Mile High. But, those drives could've been better. 12 points after all that. That has gotta say 21-0. On defense, the secondary is holding their ground down there. Demaryius Thomas has been awfully quiet in the first half. Conley and Melvin at the corners are doing a fantastic job. This is the first half though. Last week, the Raiders failed to make any half time adjustments and the Rams just dominated. For sure, the Broncos will have some new wrinkles up their sleeves when they get the ball back. They gotta be prepared. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

OAK 3 DEN 0

Alright Carr, that's what we were expecting. I liked the up tempo to start the game. Even though, it resulted in a stalled drive, it slowed down the Broncos' pass rush. Von Miller could've gotten a strip sack, but that was nullified by a penalty. So far, the Raiders have done a good job neutralizing Miller and Denver's pass rush. Defensively, they haven't surrendered any big plays. Leon Hall had a good contest on Demaryius Thomas to help set up another 3 and out for Keenum and the Broncos' O.

Raiders Score Just Enough to Hold Off Broncos

Welcome in to the full recap of the of the Raiders' Week 12 divisional matchup vs. the Broncos. The Raiders jump to a 21-0 start and hold on to win the game 14-21, keeping their playoff and division title hopes alive after the Chiefs lost to the Bills earlier today.

First off, belated Happy Thanksgiving Raider Nation. I hoped all of you enjoyed this Thanksgiving weekend, enjoyed time with your family and enjoyed some good food and leftovers. Now, let's get back to this game. A win is a win no matter what. But, this is a type of win that's overshadowed with some skepticism. The Broncos elected to go with Paxton Lynch this game and the Raiders were expected to come out and dominate against a team whose quarterback was making his first start. Then Lynch goes down, Trevor Siemian takes over. The defense went back to its old ways. But like I said, the 21-0 start that Carr and the offense generated was huge down the stretch, especially since they were missing Cooper and Crabtree. They ran the ball down the Broncos' throats with Beast Mode and Carr made some critical passes to Holton and Patterson to put Denver on ice.

(+)

Marshawn Lynch, 26 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD, 3 receptions 44 yards. This was another strong game by Beast Mode, just keep feeding him the ball. He got off to a slow start because the Broncos' defense knew that run plays were going to him. But, he picked it up in the 2nd quarter. Same with the run blocking from the O-line. He was also effective as a pass catcher with a key catch and run in the 4th quarter, which proved to be in vain after Tavecchio missed a field goal. As I said, last season, the Raiders beat the Broncos last season because they rammed it down the Broncos' throats. Today, they did it again and it started with Beast Mode.

Derek Carr, 18 of 24 passes, 253 yards, 2 TDs. The first drive was not a good start from Carr as he overthrew his first two passes. He then committed a fumble before the end of the 1st quarter. But, today we saw the Derek Carr of old as the game progressed. He was rolling out of the pocket and taking shots deep. Not to mention, he put up the aforementioned stats after Crabtree got ejected in the 1st quarter and Cooper had to be taken out for possible concussion symptoms in the 2nd quarter.

Cordarrelle Patterson, 3 receptions, 72 yards. A big chunk of that yardage came off his big catch and run to seal the deal against Denver. Like I said, if that 3rd down pass didn't work, we'd have a lot of hands rolling, but Patterson had good concentration on Carr's pass to make that grab.

Johnny Holton, 2 receptions, 53 yards. Holton is developing into a nice deep threat. He burned the Broncos' secondary again to set up Carr's pass TD to Jalen Richard.

(-)

Defense.  Shut out by the defense in the first half was fools' gold today. The party was over when Trevor Siemian came in relief for Paxton Lynch. Even though, the D-line generated 5 sacks and they forced an INT, most of those came against Paxton Lynch. He's not used to the NFL speed, so we expected them to dominate. The problems with this unit late in this game was still apparent going up against Siemian who's far more familiar with the terminology of the Broncos' offense.

Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree's status. Derek Carr is going to need one of them for next week. As mentioned, Coop took a big shot from Darian Stewart. His status is up in the air. And of course, Crabtree fighting Talib ignited a huge brawl early on in this game. And you know, when it comes to Raider players, the NFL pulls no punches in implementing the harshest penalty possible on players donning the Silver and Black. Most likely, we're expecting Crabtree to be suspended for next week's game against the Giants. Cooper is a 50-50 shot. Carr is going to need one of them back.

MVP

Marshawn Lynch, 26 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD, 3 receptions 44 yards

Keep feeding this guy the damn ball! Not much more to be said. Beast Mode's starting to come on down the stretch, which bodes well for the Raiders in running the table.




Conclusion

It's never easy with this current Raiders team. But, they got the W. They're going to need all the wins they can get down the stretch here. They took advantage of Denver's quarterback carousel today. Next week, they're going up against the Giants who are struggling just as much as the Raiders are. With the injuries and the struggles of Eli Manning, this team should take advantage of that. Then again, considering this game and how the Raiders almost blew a 21-0 lead, expect no easy gimmies. Outside of the Chargers, the Giants have been successful against AFC West teams this year. Raiders need to be alert and continue to play with desperation. I'll see you guys next week for that game.

Week 12: RAIDERS vs. Broncos 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the second half open thread of the Raiders-Broncos Week 12 divisional matchup. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

DEN 14 OAK 21

Like I said, it was gonna get interesting with Trevor Siemian taking over. The final score made the game more competitive than expected. Cordarrelle Patterson came up with the biggest catch in the game. If that didn't work, we'd be screaming on the TV about the play call. They tried to do that previously with a pass to Jared Cook that lead to a missed field goal by Tavecchio. But, the Raiders are happy to get out with a win with no Cooper and no Crabtree and no Gabe Jackson. They tie with the Chargers for 2nd place in the AFC West. Stay tuned for the full recap. 

Q3

DEN 0 OAK 21

The Raiders keep churning away with this one. Carr finds Holton off a deep pass against the Broncos' secondary again and it caps off with Jalen Richard's passing TD. They are doing what is expected with the Broncos' quarterback carousel. It's unfortunate that Paxton Lynch got hurt. Trevor Siemian luckily didn't start the last few weeks. I'm seeing Denver's quarterbacks woes for the first time and yes, it is really bad as many said. It's a dumpster fire.

Week 12: RAIDERS vs. Denver Broncos 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Must-win game today. This is the first half open thread of the Raiders' Week 12 divisional matchup vs. the Broncos. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

DEN 0 OAK 14

Well, from the looks of that shot, it looks like the Broncos are going to be turning back to Trevor Siemian in the 2nd half. It should make this game a lot interesting and luckily, the Raiders will be up by two TDs. So, the Raiders lose a couple of key cogs in the offense. Crabtree got ejected. Gabe Jackson got ejected. Amari Cooper took quite a hit by Darian Stewart and is questionable to return. They are absolutely fortunate to build a 14-0 lead. They've rekindled a formula they established when they beat the Broncos last season, pound the football. Lynch, Washington, and Richard each got touches and churned up some good gains against the Broncos' d-line. Even though going up against Paxton Lynch, the defense is the one that standing out. First game under John Pagano and they've finally get that elusive first INT from Bowman with an assist from Reggie Nelson off a series of tips. Bruce Irvin managed to get a sack. The D-line was getting some pretty good pressure up against Paxton Lynch. But, then again, it's Paxton Lynch. It's the guys first game and the defense was expected to feast on him. Now, if Siemian starts based on him putting on the helmet at the end of the first half, it will present a more interesting test for the defense in Pagano's first game as DC. With the Raiders' primary receivers out, they have to keep running the football on this thin Denver D-line and get Jared Cook involved as a primary go-to-guy. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

DEN 0 OAK 0

Derek Carr fumbling the football with 47 seconds left is not a good way to end the quarter. Both teams were struggling to get something going and they just gift wrapped the Broncos good field position to score. Overall, this was a mundane quarter. The big highlight of this was the massive brawl early on in this quarter that was ignited by Crabtree and Talib. We definitely haven't forgotten about that chain snatching incident last year I hope to avoid an explanation of this personal rivalry. Both players ejected was expected. I didn't understand why Gabe Jackson got ejected and I saw replay that he pushed the official. Definitely not okay and the ejection was justified.

Raiders' Improbable Comeback Bid Falls Short vs. Broncos

Welcome in to the final impromptu recap here on this blog as Open Thread and Full Recap posts are coming back next week. Today, the Raiders drop their 2nd game in a row and they dropped a big time division game, falling to the Broncos at Mile High 10-16.

I'll admit, I made it just in time from work mid 3rd quarter and yes, I saw the Derek Carr injury. I saw that Mack was single-handedly keeping the game alive (Edwards Jr. too). I saw that EJ Manuel almost gave the Raiders an improbable victory until that interception to end the game. But, going back to the Carr injury, I'm sure we all had that deja vu of last season like "oh, here we go again." It looked a lot worse on replay as Carr got knee'd to the lower back area, he also got his neck slightly pulled. From what I'm hearing after the game, the Raiders might be in luck as the early diagnosis is that Carr has back spasms. But, expect the unexpected, we could see an extensive look on EJ Manuel. More to say as I go through the positives and negatives.

(+)

Johnny Holton, 1 reception, 64 yards, 1 TD. This was one of the lone highlights for the Raiders this game. Looking at the play in the highlights, Carr pumped once and placed the ball perfectly to Holton. Holton continued to run an "out and up" type of route to leave Darian Stewart in one-on-one coverage and burn him for the 64 yard TD. 

Khalil Mack, 5 defense, 2 sacks. He could've had a forced fumble if Siemian's knee wasn't down. The defense played well in terms of bending, but not breaking. Mack was the focal point of that. It's not exactly like the 5-sack game two years ago, but Mack took over when needed to keep the Raiders hanging around in Denver.

Mario Edwards Jr., 2 tackles, 1 sack. MEJ is slowly regaining his form he showed in his rookie year back in 2015. The D-line missed his presence big time last year. He got a good sack on Siemian on the Broncos' opening drive and provided much-needed pressure up the middle to force 3 and outs on the Broncos' offense.

EJ Manuel, 11 of 17 passes, 106 yards, 1 INT. The game-losing interception certainly hurt EJ's stock for a bit, but he almost pulled off an improbable comeback. You knew Denver's defense was gonna be blood-thirsty when EJ Manuel was put in the game. But, he held his own despite a couple of miscues. It would've been understandable if he was a rookie, but burning two timeouts late in the game was bad for a 4-year NFL veteran QB. But, he was calm and collected, driving the Raiders down the field and in scoring position against a vaunted Denver defense.

(-)

Late game missed opportunities. Denver dominated the first three quarters with their defense, but the Raiders had a couple of missed opportunities to steal this game away. As mentioned, Khalil Mack could've had a forced fumble recovered by Mario Edwards Jr. had Siemian's knee not go down. Karl Joseph deflected a pass and a couple of Raiders were in vicinity to pick it off, but it landed in the hands of Emmanuel Sanders. Jared Cook had two perfect attempts to put the Raiders within two points, but the ball went through his hands. Amari Cooper dropped a pair of easy catches. Raiders had every chance to steal this game late in the 4th quarter.

4th and 11. The logic behind the failed Marquette King fake punt run was that Coach Del Rio and probably Coach Seely (special teams coach) wanted to give the Raiders' offense behind EJ Manuel some momentum and confidence. It was questionable because the Raiders were in their own territory and it gave Denver all kinds of opportunity to tact on to their lead. Also, Denver was ready for it. The fact that they were gonna try to run it with King made it all too predictable. Luckily, McManus missed the field goal to keep it within a two possession game. 

MVP

Khalil Mack, 4 tackles, 2 sacks

The defense deserves a little bit of credit for living up to the bend-but-don't-break philosophy, but that all starts up front with Mack. Like I said, Mack single-handedly kept the Raiders within this game.






Conclusion

We can all agree, these last two games were a debacle. Luckily, outside of the Thursday Night game against the Chiefs in Week 7 and the Bills in Buffalo in Week 8, the Raiders have a favorable stretch to get back on top of things. They start a three-game home stand against Baltimore, LA Chargers, and against the Chiefs on Thursday Night. Then, they travel to Buffalo and down to Miami to face the Dolphins in prime time. The Ravens are having trouble. I don't know what's up with the Chargers as they continue to blow winnable games. The Dolphins are a train wreck as of late. If I could rank between the Chiefs and the Bills, unequivocally, the Chiefs are the #1 test for the Raiders. With this loss today, the Raiders have dug themselves in a little bit of a ditch in the AFC West Race. Denver keeps 2nd place. And Kansas City is still sitting undefeated and they have home-field advantage against the same Redskins team that put the clamps on the Raiders Sunday Night. Tomorrow's game is critical to watch. In short, the Chiefs must lose tomorrow. And in turn, the Raiders have to get that monkey of their back. They need to beat the Chiefs. But for now, they must move on and take care of business against Baltimore and the Chargers these next two weeks. Like I said, I'll be back next week to provide some open thread and full recap posts. I'll see you guys later. 

Raiders Fumble Away AFC West Crown

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' final matchup of the 2017 vs. the Broncos in Denver where the Raiders had a chance to capture the AFC West, but they couldn't as they lose big time 6-24 and dropping from the #2 seed to the #5 seed en route to a Wild Card matchup with the Houston Texans.

Title of this post is pretty self explanatory. It is disappointing because this game was what the team's been playing all season and even last year when Jack Del Rio took over the helm. They wanted to win the AFC West. That's the main goal. But, they fell short. This is a bipolar reaction. They lost the division, but at least they ended the playoff drought. That, alone, is what we should be happy about. But, yeah the end result hurts. 

(+)

Connor Cook, 14 of 21 passes, 150 passing yards, 1 TD. The INT and the fumble are a pair of blemishes on Cook's first regular season game, but that will change once he becomes more assimilated with the team. Like I said, if you guys recall my post about the 2016 draft, the Raiders drafting Cook confused me. I knew that McGloin's contract was up after this season and Carr was the unquestioned starter, but I thought we didn't need another quarterback. I'm happy to feast on some crow after this. Inactive all season and he looked fantastic. Most of his throws were on the money. It was up to the receivers to make the plays. I know Coop made a play to secure Cook's first TD, possibly the only highlight of the game. A lot of improvement needed, but Cook was the silver lining here and from this day forth, I'm done with Matt McGloin. He's no longer Matty McG in my book. It's time to "Cook" on Saturday.

Marquette King. King downed the Broncos inside the 20 yard line six times this game. He had a lot of air time here. He did his job, pinning the Broncos deep. But, the defense couldn't stop them.

Brynden Trawick, 9 tackles, 1 INT. Nate Allen went out with a concussion. Keith McGill was taken out after a few series. Trawick is a special teams player at best, but he filled in admirably at the safety position playing next to Reggie Nelson. Trawick's INT on Siemian almost changed the momentum, but not much. Still a good play.

(-)

Defense. I keep seeing flashbacks of 2011 when the Raiders previously had a chance to win the AFC West, but the defense under Chuck Bresnahan failed big time. Welcome to the sequel here. Giving Siemian and the Broncos offense the first score of the game said something. This was a lackluster effort. It seemed that they didn't care and played with no sense of urgency on what is on the line here. 

Penalties. 13 penalties for 125 yards. But, I'll give a little leeway here. These refs were absolutely atrocious today. A push by Mack late in the 2nd quarter is a personal foul. Really? Blatant holds on Mack, no flags. Really? Some holding and illegal blocking on the Broncos' special teams, they call a 15 yard penalty on the Raiders' special teams after the punt. Really? They got McGloin's roughing the passer call correct. But everything else, questionable. 

Running game and O-line. Didn't impose the same physicality like on the Sunday Night game in November. Credit to the Broncos. They know Carr is out and McGloin and Cook are unproven, so they just kept stacking the box. DeAndre Washington broke out a couple of good runs, but Jalen Richard and Tay Train were held in check. The O-line needed to take over this game, but they were pushed around. The formula that worked last game didn't work. It's that simple.

Coaching staff. Jack Del Rio didn't prepare this team well. Awful game planning from Bill Musgrave and Ken Norton, Jr. Soft, conservative, you name it. I give them credit when the coordinators do a good job, but I really don't think they're the long-term answer here. Awful defensive playcalling by Norton as it has been all season. Musgrave, understandable he wanted to ease Cook and McGloin in the situation, but still garbage. O-line's main strength is the left side, Musgrave proceeds to run it to the right. He also wasted two downs by calling up pass plays. He better open up the playbook next season.

MVP

Connor Cook 14 of 21 passes, 150 passing yards, 1 passing TD

Nobody deserved MVP after this game, but the way Connor Cook looked here, he deserves it. The offense moved well at times and it's up to him to get up to speed as the Raiders prepare for the playoffs. 

Conclusion

If history tells us, it is possible for the Raiders to go all the way to the Super Bowl as a Wild Card team. Think the 1980 Raiders with Jim Plunkett and Tom Flores. The Packers recently did it in 2010. Yes, this is kind of pushing the envelope since they're going into playoffs with a rookie QB, but stranger things have happened in football. You just never know. The Raiders may have lost their division aspirations, but the Super Bowl aspirations are very much alive. There's no denying it's a tough road since the Raiders have a possibility at playing in 4 road games (counting the Super Bowl) and they just have to grind it out and overcome all odds like they have been all season long. What we saw out of Connor Cook today, hopefully nobody waved the white flag yet. They just have to put in the reps and get ready to go onto Houston on Saturday.

Well, I haven't thought about what I would do differently during the postseason. But, I think I would start off previewing the matchup before the actual game. So you guys might see a Raiders-Texans Preview post before the game and most of it is going to analyze the opponent and I'll give out keys to a win. I have a bonus considering the Raiders played the Texans this season in Mexico City, so expect a post probably Wednesday or Thursday. I won't do an annual Season in Review post until it is completely over. So hang tight. I'll see you guys on Saturday. 

Week 17: For the AFC West Crown! - RAIDERS @ Denver Broncos 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd half of the Raiders-Broncos matchup in Mile High. Raiders win, they win the AFC West. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

OAK 6 DEN 24

Nothing else I can say here. The Chiefs have the AFC West under wraps. On to Houston. Enough said. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

OAK 6 DEN 24

Well, there goes McGloin's shot at possibly starting for another team. The last scoring drive from Connor Cook is definitely encouraging to see. There's a reason the Raiders jumped ahead in the 4th round. I questioned the pick, I thought he wasn't ready. But, I'm happy to eat some crow right now. These are definitely valuable snaps that Cook is getting with the first team. Especially in all likelihood, the Raiders are going to open up the postseason in Houston against the Texans.

Week 17: For the AFC West Crown! - RAIDERS @ Denver Broncos 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome in to the 1st half open thread and discussion of the Raiders' final regular season matchup vs. the Broncos at Mile High. We already know the stipulation here: Raiders win, they win the AFC West. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

OAK 0 DEN 17

Talk about a dumpster fire start. Did they absolutely think Denver was going to lay down for them for the division? The way the Raiders are playing, it seems like it. The defense is allowing this Broncos offense to run all over them with ease and of course, flags are involved against the Raiders. This is not how Derek Carr would've want this team to play without him. I'm sure of it. This is a really pathetic start. Offensively, the Broncos' defense continue to put 8 in the box against the run and they're doing a good job accounting for that. Matt McGloin had a couple of good throws, but a lot of them were way off. He had Coop open in one of the drives and just completely missed. And now, it's likely McGloin is questionable to return after a rough hit and Connor Cook comes in despite not seeing a lot of action. I thought Cook's throws were on the money for a guy who hasn't seen regular season NFL action and hasn't had a full grasp of the playbook. But overall, we need to see better effort from the Raiders. The Chargers aren't doing them any favors against the Chiefs. Philip Rivers 2 INTs, both of them resulted in Chiefs points. Do you want the division and a first round bye or not? Hopefully, that's the question Jack Del Rio asked the team in the locker room.

Q1

OAK 0 DEN 7

It feels like this team wants to give the reins to Kansas City with the way this started out. The defense gave up an opening drive TD, 2nd time they've done it this season. Really inexcusable to have Siemian and the offense make it look easy on the first drive. Offensively, McGloin looked good in some short passing situations, but nothing else. Running game is off to a slow start. The Raiders want to win the division, they have to start playing like they want it.

Raiders Alone in 1st Place in the AFC West in Big Prime Time Win over Broncos

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' Sunday Night showdown with the Broncos. What's on the line here? 1st place in the AFC West! The Raiders have shown all of America that they are back, beating the Super Bowl champions 20-30 in Oakland.

"The Raiders are not going to run over us," they said. "They won't score against our defense," they said. "The No Fly Zone will shut down your receivers," they said. Well, what happened? Man, this was a great win. I mean every time the Raiders play the Broncos, I get a little more amped up than I should because they are the AFC West team I despise the most. I wasn't there last season to cover Khalil Mack's 5 sack game because I had some finals to study for, but I still made an effort to get my bragging rights on. Here, I'm going full force! Broncos fans have been talking a lot of trash lately before this game on how the Raiders are not going to do this. Not going to do that. But, news flash! They did what they did and punched the Broncos right in the kisser! It was great and satisfying and I'm looking forward to how many excuses some "Dinko-Donko" fans will bring up. But, Raider Nation, do we care? NOPE!

(+)

The running game. I think we can all universally agree that this was the key to beating the Broncos. If the Raiders are able to run the ball, they'll be able to keep the Denver defense honest. Of course, the attention is going to be Latvius Murray's big game. And it was big game for him. 20 carries, 114 yards, 3 one-yard TDs. That's his game. Give him the ball in short yardage situations and he'll do the rest. Although this Tay Train's game, we won't discount the two other rookie running backs. Jalen Richard had 6 carries on 82 yards, he broke off a couple of big runs against the defense. DeAndre Washington had 10 carries for 35 yards, but he had some solid gainers. No need for Carr to risk slinging the ball against the No Fly Zone secondary. The ground game turned it up a notch tonight.

Kelechi Osemele. K.O. You win! He is worth every penny when the Raiders signed him in the offseason! Not only did he bring another big body upfront, but he brings a physicality to this Raiders O-line. Back in 2013 when the Ravens played the Broncos, K.O. just threw down Von Miller like a rag doll. This game, he was absolutely bullying the Broncos' front 4. He makes the left side great and the Raiders were able to exploit that, playing power run football to the left and K.O. was blocking with tenacity and violence. What a beast!

Penalties. Wait, penalties are a positive? What? Well, luckily the Raiders didn't break another record. 23 penalties last week compared to just 8 this week. The Broncos were the ones committing all the penalties and the Raiders did everything to draw those peanlties. They made the Broncos defense, particularly the No Fly Zone so undisciplined.

Special teams. Poor Broncos cannot buy good field position early on. Marquette King was pinning Trevor Siemian and the Broncos' offense deep. It wasn't all just Marquette King. Sebass was booting out. Taiwan Jones, Brynden Trawick, everybody on special teams was making tackles inside the Broncos' 20 yard line and they couldn't get anything as the defense was forcing a lot of quick 3 and outs.

Khalil Mack, 3 tackles, 2 sacks. Round 1 of the 2016 NFL Season between Khalil Mack and Von Miller. Miller might have won the first few rounds, but Mack rallied and won the fight. Mack with one more sack than Miller, but he had more hurries, pressures, and a few disruptions that doesn't show up on the stats sheet. Mack continues to stay hot and I can't imagine what Hell he's going to bring when Mario Edwards and Aldon Smith come back hopefully after the bye. 

(-)

Should've been a complete blowout. Okay, this is not a real negative, but I wanted to see the Raiders make the Broncos throw in the towel early. The Broncos had a couple of lucky breaks. Siemian heaves a lucky throw to Demaryius Thomas when Reggie Nelson was in his grill. And of course, you got that screen to Bibbs in the mid 4th quarter. I'm just asking what in the world? But, oh well, the Raiders still got the win. But, this should've been a beatdown in Oaktown.

MVP

Latavius Murray, 20 carries, 114 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs, 1 reception, 13 receiving yards

All aboard the Tay Train! He looked like the Latavius Murray of old when he rushed for over 100 yards and 2 TDs in the Thursday Night game against the Chiefs two years ago. Continue to doubt him, but you can't deny his work ethic to get better.

Conclusion

No more calling the Raiders the laughing stock of the NFL. It's time to bury that title. R.I.P. 2003-2015. However, we're not quite out of the tunnel yet. There's still a few more games to go before we talk playoffs and possibly division champions. There's still the Kansas City Chiefs whom the Raiders have yet to beat and like last season, they are hot after the bye week. But, no question this win against the Super Bowl champions in front of a world wide audience leaves no doubt that the Raiders are for real! Now, it's a matter of finishing the season strong. They have the bye week next week to rest up and hopefully, we see the return of Mario Edwards Jr. and Aldon Smith to bolster the defense. So, help is on the way in the final stretch of the season. Let's hope the cards play out. But, it's celebration time Raider Nation! First place in the AFC West! The return to greatness is only beginning. I'll see you guys in two weeks when the Raiders go to Mexico to face the Texans in a Monday Night game. 

Week 9: Sunday Night - RAIDERS vs. Broncos 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd half post of the Raiders-Broncos matchup on Sunday Night Football! As usual, leave a comment on your thoughts on the 2nd half of the game below this post.

Q4

DEN 20 OAK 30

First place in the AFC West baby! But, overall an impressive wire-to-wire win for this young Raiders squad  against the Super Bowl champions in their first Sunday Night game. This team has come so far. I don't know what else. You've seen it here America. The Silver and Black are back! Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

DEN 10 OAK 20 

Well, not much action here, but the offense, despite not putting up points on the board, managed to run out some clock this quarter. Once again, the defense is holding its own out there, forcing Siemian on quick 3 and outs. But, Denver asked for P.I. on a great acting job by Demaryius Thomas on D.J. Hayden to extend the drive. However, that doesn't matter because the defense still held them to another 3 and out. 4th quarter is going to be critical. The Raiders have to put the defending Super Bowl champs away.

Week 9: Sunday Night - RAIDERS vs. Broncos 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to the 1st half open thread and discussion of Week 9's primetime main event of the Raiders' critical divisional matchup vs. the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football on NBC! Leave a comment on your thoughts on the 1st half below this post.

Q2

DEN 10 OAK 20

That was quite a scare at the final seconds. If Emmanuel Sanders made that catch, it would've been a whole different narrative. But, so far no jitters for this young Raiders team in their first nationally televised prime time game. Yes, there's a lot of points the offense left out there out on the field, but so far they've managed to keep this Denver defense on their heels for the majority of the game. The key here was the running game. Jalen Richard broke out big chunks of yardages to get within Denver territory. Latavius Murray broke out a huge chunk before the 2nd quarter came to an end and he managed to get two 1-yard TD runs. The defense kept Trevor Siemian and Broncos' offense in check. They were getting a lot of quick 3 and outs. But, they did allow a touchdown. I don't know how Siemian was able to get that pass to Demaryius Thomas when Reggie Nelson was in his grill and that set up the Broncos' only touchdown of the game by Jordan Norwood. Other than that, stats sheets go in favor of the Raiders this first half. Offense is displaying some good balance in both the run and the pass. Not a lot of negative this half, but of course, the penalties came back up again during the 2nd quarter. Another negative, I don't know if it's me, but what is going on with Janikowski? Raiders could've been up 10-23, but Sebass missed a 48-yard field goal. Last game, he missed both game-winning field goals with the wind in his face, but here, he missed without any wind. He has to get it together. The Raiders should approach the 2nd half with the same formula: use the O-line to play smash mouth football on the run and continue to lock up when the Broncos take the field on offense. The 2nd half open thread will open up shortly.

Q1

DEN 0 OAK 6

Wow, just looking at the score alone, the narrative is that the game is going to be a defensive battle. But, so far, the Raiders have dominated this quarter in terms of field position and being in good position to put points on the board. They could've had a TD, but Seth Roberts slipped on the first drive for the Raiders' offense. Special teams and defense are being difference makers. Trevor Siemian and the Broncos' offense could not get anything going. Raiders offense is currently driving. Let's see if they cap it off with a TD.

Manning, Denver Defense Earn Place in Football History; Shut Down Panthers in Super Bowl 50

Alright guys, welcome in to the full recap of Super Bowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos! In a battle of #1 seeds in the Big Game's 50th installment, the Denver defense, lead by Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, leave their mark in history as they completely shut down the league MVP Cam Newton and the Panthers, 10-24 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

There's no magnificent ending in sports other than to see a legendary player end his storied career by going out on top a champion. This is what circled around this game. The legacy that Peyton Manning will leave, there is no question that he's one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game of football, but you can't write a better ending than what he wrote tonight and that's walking out of Levi's Stadium, in the 50th edition of the Super Bowl, a champion. But let's step away from Peyton's storied career for a minute. Time and time again, the Denver Broncos defense showed why they were the best defense in the league. Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, the rest of the Broncos defense, they attacked Cam Newton and the Panthers O-line like crazy. They didn't give him any room to run as they kept stacking up the box, their defensive backs didn't give the Panthers receivers any room to run, and they made timely turnovers to seal the game. Like I said, the Panthers had some opportunities, but they shot themselves in the foot countless times and it costed them in the long run and the Denver defense was able to eat them up.

Carolina Panthers

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Defense. I predicted that this would be a low scoring game because of how good both defenses are. But let's look at the Panthers' side first. They were on the field for too long this game because of the slow start of the offense and the amount of mistakes the offense was making. But, they hung tough out there. After being off balance for Denver's first offensive drive, they kept them in check all game long, holding them to field goals by Brandon McManus. Luke Kuechly, 10 tackles, 1 sack, no question he's a beast. But Kony Ealy was their top performer out there with 4 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble. Ealy's play tonight kept the Panthers defense afloat and prolonged window of opportunity for the Panthers offense to get the team back into this game.

Corey "Philly" Brown, 4 receptions, 80 yards. When Brown went out to the locker room somewhere in the third quarter, that was it for the Panthers because he was their play maker all game long when the Panthers' offense couldn't get anything going. Cam Newton had pressure in his face all game long, being unable to make some throws he usually make. But Philly Brown stepped up to be that big play maker and he did a tremendous job against this stingy Denver secondary before he went down to injury.

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Missed opportunities. It wasn't just the Broncos' defense who beat the Panthers, it was also the Panthers who beat the Panthers this game. 4 turnovers in the game, a missed field goal by Graham Gano. The running game, when Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert had some good runs, they fumbled. When T.J. Ward fumbled his interception, the Panthers couldn't come up to recover the fumble and score it for a TD. When Cam Newton fumbled the snap in the 4th quarter, he didn't bother to recover the ball to give the team one last run. This is a reflection of a young team and their mistakes showed in the biggest game of their life.

Penalties. Like I said before, the Panthers also beat the Panthers and they shot themselves in the foot this game. Too many pre-snap penalties that costed them yardage when they were putting together solid drives in Broncos territory and too many illegal block/holding penalties that costed them some decent field position to start.

Denver Broncos

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Von Miller, 6 tackles, 2.5 sacks. Von Miller, hands down deserved Super Bowl MVP honors. The Panthers' O-line just didn't have the answers on how to contain him or block him! Von was just too fast for the Panthers to handle. The strip sack he had on Newton for a TD during the first quarter pretty much set the tone that Newton was not going to run circles on this defense. When he brings pressure from the blind side, it results in a sack and he got to Newton too many times. Some of the time, he was able to sack him, hence his 2.5 sacks, but a lot of the time when Miller collapsed the pocket it allowed opportunities for Ware and Derek Wolfe to get after Newton. There was nowhere for Newton to escape and Von Miller definitely made his presence felt this game as a pass rusher and as a disruptive playmaker.

Dustin Colquitt. Hey, punters are people too! Rarely is the importance of special teams emphasized, but the defense wouldn't have feasted on the Panthers' offense if it weren't for Dustin Colquitt. Colquitt pinned the Panthers deep for the most part of this game. This answers the reason why the Panthers' offense was getting awful field position to start! Even when the Broncos were deep into their own territory, Colquitt's punts didn't allow Ted Ginn, Jr. to have a favorable punt return nor did he give them any field position to start in Denver territory.

C.J. Anderson, 21 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD. Aside from the defense, Denver's running game was the the other key for the Broncos to have any chance of winning and C.J. Anderson provided that spark. The O-line deserves credit too for opening up some timely holes, but Anderson getting the running game going with some explosive runs kept the Panthers' defense off balance in some stints of the game. Not to mention, his 2 yard TD run sealed the deal for the Broncos in securing a Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored Panthers.

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Demaryius Thomas, 1 reception, 8 yards. Panthers' cornerback, Josh Norman did his job in containing the Broncos' #1 receiver. I don't know if it's the big contract that he got in the past offseason, but Thomas was non-existent for the most part of the season, let alone in the playoffs. And two years after setting receiving records in Super Bowl XLVIII, he is held to just 1 catch for 8 yards in Super Bowl 50. How's he going to live up to his contract now that Peyton Manning may call it quits? We don't know, but he hasn't been the Broncos' go-to-guy as of late.

Conclusion

I'll remove some impartiality a little and say as a Raider fan, this game makes me want to puke after witnessing the Denver Broncos win yet another Super Bowl title and this time in my hometown of Santa Clara. You never want to see a heated divisional rival win it all at your expense. And in the process, they tied us for the most championships in the AFC West. Okay, I've gotten that off my chest. But it's going to be interesting to see if they're still going to be a powerhouse team as they transition into football life without Peyton Manning. As long as they keep their core players in Von Miller, Derek Wolfe, Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan, etc. and Wade Phillips is still calling plays, their defense is going to carry the team on their back because the players are in the prime of their careers with the exception of DeMarcus Ware of course. Hey, in the incoming offseason, the Raiders might not have a shot at Von Miller to pair him with Mack, but they have a legit chance in snagging Malik Jackson or Danny Trevathan or both away to weaken them. As for the Panthers, they're young and this is part of the growing process. There's no question they'll be contenders for quite some time. The only question is, when players like Josh Norman for example played lights out in his contract year, will he play at the same level once he gets a contract extension? Both teams have a lot of questions to answer in the offseason because a lot of their integral pieces will be free agents. As for Peyton Manning, a heck of an ending to a storied career. The game of football is going to be weird to watch since guys like Charles Woodson and Peyton Manning, the last of their kind in the 1998 draft, called it quits after this season. But congrats to Peyton for a storied NFL career and we'll see him again with a gold jacket on in Canton, Ohio. Thank you guys for following my coverage of Super Bowl 50. Until next season. I'll see you guys later.

Congrats Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 champions!

(I'm gonna puke)