A Season in Review: 2019 Raiders

Sorry for the long wait guys. Typically, I post "Season in Review" posts during playoff football, but I had too much on my plate for the entire month of January. Anyway, welcome in to your Season in Review post for the 2019 Oakland Raiders. As everybody knows now, they're now officially the Las Vegas Raiders as of this year. It doesn't roll out the tongue quite well yet, but we'll see where it goes.

The Raiders welcomed the Gruden-Mayock era with a 7-9 record. If we can infer from last season, Jon Gruden is rebuilding this team under his own image. The controversial Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper trades are evident of that. Mike Mayock comes in from a TV gig and succeeds Reggie McKenzie as the Raiders' new GM. For the most part, the offseason and draft was solid to start. They snagged offensive tackle Trent Brown and veteran guard Richie Incognito to shore up the O-line. And the draft was also solid as they picked up Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs, Johnathan Abram, Trayvon Mullen, Maxx Crosby, and Hunter Renfrow to set the foundation. We also saw huge strides from individuals. Darren Waller was the most prominent with a 1,000 yard season as a Tight End.

Despite a solid rebuild, they've had their shares of bumps on the road and most of it was detrimental to the team's progress. We'll never forget the clown show that was Antonio Brown. The Raiders brought him in to be Derek Carr's go-to-guy and he clowned himself out of the league. Abram got hurt on opening night. Trent Brown was in and out due to injury. The NFL suspended Vontaze Burfict indefinitely after a "dirty" hit in the Colts game. The team found themselves back in square one: a team that was devoid of talent.

Surprisingly though, this team showed a bit of fight in them and opening night's win against Denver showed the potential of what they would become. They exonerated Gruden from blame for the Khalil Mack trade in a 24-21 comeback win vs. the Bears in Week 5 and prior to that, they snagged a win in Indianapolis for a bounceback win. As much of a joke the AFC wild card race was (negated by Tennessee's improbable playoff run), the Raiders hung around that race and at one point, were neck and neck with the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West. Unfortunately, this team was overmatched against more of the better teams in the league. That doomed their playoff push. Also, I can't forget about that soul-crushing loss to the Jags in the last home game in Oakland in Week 15. That game goes beyond an undeserved playoff spot. They let a city and community down and they just made Oakland fans more pissed off as this team transitions to Sin City.

Now that's over with, let's evaluate the state of this team as they relocate. As I mentioned before, just because this team is moving doesn't mean that their fortunes will change at the blink of an eye. But, they do have to make Las Vegas' investment worth it. The city took a chance on them despite an ugly past decade, brand new shiny stadium and all. The product must improve. And quite frankly, this team still has a lot glaring holes despite a few good pieces. If I can summarize this team, Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, and Maxx Crosby are guys that are legit. Trayvon Mullen flashed some potential. Clelin Ferrell was a little disappointing. But, he can improve. I saw a lot of comparisons of Ferrell's production to Khalil Mack's rookie season production. Even if Mack didn't flash, opposing teams knew to gameplan for him because he can wreck a game. I didn't see that in Ferrell. I didn't think offensive coordinators respected him and he's a top 5 pick. As I mentioned, he's a good player, but not worth a high pick. Teams typically invest in a top 5 pick on someone who can be a franchise-changing player, not invest for need. The Ferrell pick stands as that, but we'll wait and see what a player he'll be in 3 years.

Then, you have the Derek Carr conundrum. At this point of his career, DC is a polarizing figure among Raider Nation. Yes, he's better than what the Raiders had in years past, but he's not living up to be that franchise quarterback. When you think about in retrospect, the Raiders invested big time in the offense for 6 years to surround Carr with talent, but he has failed in making the most out of it. I heard from a fellow Raider fan that "no quarterback has a perfect bed to sleep on." And that's true. The great quarterbacks find ways to make the team better in a bad situation. And we didn't see a great quarterback in Carr at this point of his career. Yes, he's had two 4,000+ passing yards season in Gruden's system, but honestly, how many of those games were the Raiders competitive in? Despite the criticism, Carr gets one shot in Vegas and the stars are aligning for him. He's playing in a dome now, so he'll deal with less bad weather. The talent is expected to improve. But, if he still can't get it done, he and his apologists are out of excuses.

In closing, this team needs to know how to get better. For the last 14 seasons, NFL teams get better, but the Raiders find ways to take two steps back in the revolving door of deconstruction and rebuilding. If they want to be up to par to where the Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs are, this franchise has to wake up and get right. I hope they do. But realistically speaking, they have a long ways to go. Luckily, they're starting off right with two first round picks in 2020. However, you can have all the draft capital in the world, but it won't mean much if you can't develop them. Have fun with this team Las Vegas. The investment in this team better be worth it.

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 Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with Win over Chargers

Final: OAK 24 LAC 17 (7-8)


Stayin' Alive. Stayin' Alive. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Stayin' Alive. Stayin' Alive. ~ The Bee Gees

I just got off watching the highlights of the full game. I managed to catch the last five minutes of the 4th quarter. Yeah. The Raiders have bounced back and are still miraculously alive in the playoff hunt with this win over the Chargers and a lot of help around the NFL. All the scenarios that need to happen happened this week. Jets beat the Steelers. Ravens beat the Browns. Colts beat the Panthers. And Saints beat the Titans.

It's quite unbelievable that the Raiders still in the playoff hunt. When you think about it, they got flat out embarrassed on the road against the Jets and the Chiefs. Titans came into Oakland and blew them out. Jaguars delivered a gut wrenching loss in the final home game at the Coliseum. But, they managed to take care of business here.

Looking at the highlights, it was not a pretty game. The O-line allowed 3 sack on Derek Carr. The biggest plus though was that Hunter Renfrow was back. Renfrow provided a spark in the passing game with 7 receptions, 107 yards and a TD. Renfrow was definitely missed the last two games and he made the receiving corps look good. He made Carr look good. Let's not kid ourselves, Carr had a good game with almost 300 passing yards, a pass TD, and a rushing TD. His up and down performances continues to raise some bipolarity among Raider Nation. This doesn't change the fact that he's not playing with the money he's worth. But no question, this guarantees that Carr will play at least a season in Vegas. DeAndre Washington filled in for Josh Jacobs well with 85 rushing yards and a TD. The running game didn't miss a beat.

There's not much else I can say about this game. But, luck was definitely on the Raiders' side this week. Let's be a little realistic here, none of the teams in the running for the sixth seed in the AFC are playoff worthy. This is a mess that the Raiders definitely need to capitalize on. As I mentioned, the scenarios that needed to happen happened this week. Next week, they need to win against Denver, Ravens and Texans have to win against Pittsburgh and Tennessee respectively, and the Colts need to win. The odds will be a lot tougher next week. Ravens and Texans are likely going to rest their starters as their playoff picture is set. Whether some of the games that the Raiders lost this season will come back to haunt them remains to be seen. I'll see you guys next week.

Raiders Leave Oakland With Final Home Loss vs. Jags

Final: JAX 20 OAK 16 (6-8)

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6HaXBjJpE8/

Happy to be back after a week off to take care of a project to wrap up this current semester. I was in attendance for this game. Last game in Oakland and all, my bro and I wanted to take a trip to the Coliseum one last time before they depart to Las Vegas (for real). For me, that was only my 2nd time. My first was back in 2011 vs. the Chicago Bears when Carson Palmer still quarterbacked for the team. This game was a bitter loss. It began with a lot of fireworks and it ended with a dud. We didn't see the last five minutes to catch the BART early. But we kept track of the remainder of the game and the Jaguars came back to spoil the celebration.

Without question, this game was a tale of two halves and a microcosm of Jon Gruden's teams in his second stint. This team preaches 60 minutes of football. Yet, they only play 30 minutes of it. The first half was all Raiders. They did a good job that first quarter balancing the run and pass plays to keep Jacksonville's defense off balance. It was nice to have Josh Jacobs back this game as he carved up the Jags' run D. Darren Waller went off this game with 122 receiving yards. Jags' pass D was very susceptible to Tight Ends, which was perfect for Waller. The only lone touchdown on the Raiders was Derek Carr's pass to Tyrell Williams who proceeds to break away from his defender and take it in for a 40-yard TD. The Jaguars were able to get one big play off of Gardner Minshew for the first quarter. But, they were mostly held in check. Raiders added a triplet of field goals from Carlson to extend the lead to 3-16 at the half.

Then, the Jaguars proceeded to score 17 unanswered points. Derek Carr started feeling more pressure and felt the wrath of Sacksonville during the 2nd half. Penalties racked up. Carlson misses a field goal twice with the potential to put the Raiders up six and set up a potential game-winning field goal since the Jags scored with 31 seconds left in the game. As I said, a microcosm of Gruden's teams.

The playoff talk was already over with back-to-back blowout losses on the road. If there was any game they had to get, it was this one. This loss is pretty much a symbolism of the Raiders' ugly 2nd tenure in Oakland: four winning seasons in 24 years since their return. I was too young for three of those even though I vividly remember. This 2nd tenure has sucked. I feel sorry for all of Oakland fans because they had to put up with this for a while. Now the team is departing for Vegas and this is the
last memory we'll see of the Raiders in the Bay Area and all of Cali: letting us down one last time.

Despite the loss, it doesn't take away the fun I had earlier today talking with a lot of Raider fans, taking a look at the tailgate in the Coliseum parking lot one last time. Sure, Vegas has a shiny new stadium for Raider Nation waiting. But, the atmosphere in Oakland is something that Sin City will never replicate. I see a lot of posts on the notion that the Raiders will get better once they move to Vegas. It's not that simple. Relocation doesn't automatically reverse the fortunes of a franchise, especially of a team that has so many holes on the roster. That's where the Raiders are right now. I'm tired of Derek Carr. The organization has invested too much around him for him just to be a "deer in the headlights." Paul Guenther needs to go. Jon needs to bring his brother in to call plays. This organization has lost touch in reality. Despite the draft capital in the next two years, they'll be back in square one where they need to start paying these rookies big dollars in 4-5 years. We keep saying that the future is bright. The greatness of the Raiders is in its future right? So far it hasn't happened and one relocation won't automatically bring an immediate bright future. That's my rant for tonight. They still got two games left on the road. The road to Vegas starts here and the Raiders have their work cut out. I'll see you guys later.

Chiefs Make It Look Easy

Final: OAK 9 KC 40

Here we go with another post before the game ends. This team is nowhere near close to being a playoff team. A blowout loss last week. A blowout this week. I am not surprised that this team continues to fold in big moments.

The only positive was the running game. This was exactly the game plan to keep Mahomes and the red hot offense off the field. Josh Jacobs had over 100+ rushing yards. And that's that. You can't really fault the defense on this one. This team had three turnovers. That's the last thing you wanted to do. And the Chiefs made them pay. Carr threw a pick to Tyrann Mathieu after a solid opening drive. Trevor Davis fumbled on the kickoff return. Carr threw a pick 6. All those turnovers allowed the Chiefs to jump to a 21-0 lead. And they never looked back as Mahomes and the offense absolutely gashed this team. As I said, you can't completely blame the defense on this when the offense outside of the running game couldn't anything going. The Raiders went the length of the game to throw one completed pass to a wideout. That's just sad.

Let's talk about Derek Carr for a bit. He makes us Raider fans bipolar. When he plays great, he's great. When he plays poor, he's garbage. It's a controversial topic. Of course, it's a team game. He's not completely to blame. But, let's face facts here. The Raiders are paying him over $100 million just to play game manager and play scared in the pocket. Both Reggie McKenzie previously and Mike Mayock thus far have invested so many resources to build a talented offensive unit around him. And he can't deliver. You can pin some blame on the turnover for offensive coordinators that Carr had the over the years. You can blame the Antonio Brown fiasco. You can blame the turnover from the 2016 and 2017 rosters. But you know what separates the Aaron Rodgers' of the world? The Russell Wilsons of the world? Heck, even the Tom Brady's of the world? They find ways to make the team better with the weapons they have, with the O-line they have. You don't hear many fans clamoring that they need to give them more talent on that unit or give them more time to learn a new system.

For six years, we've made those kinds of excuses for Carr. He needs a better O-line. Reggie McKenzie gave him that with Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson and later, Mike Mayock gave him that with Trent Brown. He needs weapons. They give him Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and later Jared Cook and Darren Waller. He needs a running game. They gave him Marshawn Lynch who still had some left in the tank and drafted a stud in Josh Jacobs. All those years, they've invested on the offensive end to build around Carr. Hence why they couldn't build up the defense as well. Because all of the investments is going to Carr and the offense. I love DC the person. He had some good years in 2015 and 2016. But, it's time to take the blinders off for good. He may be the record holder of stats in franchise history. But, the overall W-L record as a starter, the record in cold weather games, and the record against the Chiefs speak for themselves. He stares down receivers. He's too timid to extend plays with his legs nowadays. There's no time to give him more time. He's either the guy or he's not. It's time to look this in the mirror.

**Next week, I will not be posting all week. The semester is ending and I gotta put all my writing efforts for a Master's paper in progress. Lakers' Weekly Roundup for this week will be posted soon. Then, I'm going dark from this blog all of next week.**

Jets Bring the Blitzkrieg on the Raiders

Final: OAK 3 NYJ 34 (6-5)

The final score is subject to change since the game is still going on. But for the Raiders, this game is pretty much over. East Coast game, wet weather, windy conditions, we should've expected that this game was going to go awry for the Silver and Black. And it did big time.

I'm not going to dive deep into this game. The Raiders had a nice opening drive, which finished with Daniel Carlson field goal, but that's all they can write. After that, it's been all Jets. Too many big plays were given up in the passing game. As I mentioned last week, Sam Darnold has been playing better and it showed this game. Over 300 yards passing, 2 passing TDs, and 1 rushing TD. The defense wasn't that great today. The offense was awful especially. You know it's bad when Gruden pulls Carr and Jacobs out before the 4th quarter starts.

This has been common for the Raiders for a while now. In the biggest of games where it's a must-win, the spotlight is just too bright for them and they fold. You can chalk this one up to the tally. This also adds to Derek Carr's awful track record in cold, bad weather games. He's 2-8 going to 2-9 in these kinds of games.

Bottom line, the Raiders got punched in the mouth today. They were caught looking ahead to the matchup against KC next week. Though, they're still right in the hunt with Indy losing to the Texans earlier this week. Next week in a rematch against the Chiefs at Kansas City will be a telltale game and is barometer for this season going forward. So far, the odds are not in the Raiders' favor. The weather is going to be cold again and Andy Reid-coached teams tend to win big after coming off a bye week. Regardless, next week is a must-win for the Raiders' season. I'll see you guys next week for that game.

Raiders Avoid Trap Game vs. Bengals

Final: CIN 10 OAK 17 (6-4)

Didn't I mention last week that this would be a potential trap game? Well, this game certainly looked like it, but the Raiders pull it out to keep that wild card bid alive and most of all, this put them on the brink of the division lead provided if the Chiefs lose to the Chargers tomorrow night.

The Raiders were heavily favored to win this game by a big margin, but anything can happen on any given Sunday. Jon Gruden gave this team a pep talk before this game that upsets do happen in the NFL and the Raiders shouldn't take the Bengals lightly. The first quarter, they didn't get the memo. Their opening drive started strong, but stalled. Defense did its job on Cincy's opening drive. Maxx Crosby strip sacked Ryan Finley and Maurice Hurst recovered the fumble. On a side note, Mad Maxx had a hell of a game on defense, sacking Finley four times. He's arguably the MVP this game. What a steal in the 4th round by Gruden, Mayock and company! But going back to the slow start, Jacobs had that rookie mistake, fumbling the ball in the red zone. Defense couldn't stop the run and Mixon runs it in for the TD to put the Bengals up 7-0. At this point of the game, you'd think "uh oh."

Despite the slow start, the Raiders recovered well. The offense got going as soon as Carr made big throws to Tyrell Williams. Carr had his fingerprints on the next two scores. He tosses a TD to Foster Moreau. The following drive, he rushed for a TD. You barely see Carr scramble. When he does, you just hold your breath after what transpired at the end of 2016 with the fractured fibula. The last TD, it looked like the Bengals got him for a sack, but Carr was able to escape and run into the end zone.

For the majority of the 2nd half, it was a defensive battle throughout. The Raiders could've added another TD to put the game away. Let's talk about that. During that play, one of the Bengal D-lineman flinched and went over the line of scrimmage. Easy offsides penalty right? Well, instead they called a false start on Richie Incognito. Drive stalls after that, and the Raiders had to settle for three. Luckily, the defense came up big this game. I mentioned Maxx Crosby's 4-sack performance. Trayvon Mullen came up with the clutch pick to seal it. And the Raiders are 6-4, still in the wild card hunt and in the hunt for the AFC West. They have another winnable game next week. Again, the Raiders should never take any opponent for granted. The Jets have played a lot better than what their record shows. They've notched back-to-back wins against the Giants and Redskins. They're getting better QB play from Sam Darnold. They have to take care of business on this one before looking ahead to Kansas City. For an added bonus, let's see if the Chargers can play spoiler when they play the Chiefs tomorrow night. I'll see you guys later.

Raiders Escape Chargers on TNF; Go Above .500

Final: LAC 24 OAK 26

Well, that was a wild Week 10. And this is the game that started it all. Last Thursday, the Raiders pulled off another close call win, this time against the Los Angeles Chargers. Since Week 10 ended, there's a lot of implications to discuss here.

Let's overview quickly about this game. The Chargers man. They are a living enigma this season. They do good against good teams. But, against bad teams? Everything hits the fan. The defense got off to a really good start. Erik Harris was Philip Rivers' worst nightmare this game. Harris got two picks. The first one set up the Raiders for three points. The 2nd pick, he took it all the way to the house for six. To be honest, Harris could've had so many picks against Rivers this game. But of course, the refs gotta get in on the action by throwing flags. That was probably one of the few negatives this game outside of the offense's slow start and Daniel Carlson's missed PAT. Clelin Ferrell's hand placement on the LOS was an example of bad technique and placement. But despite that, Ferrell wrapped up a pair sacks. He, Maxx Crosby, and Benson Mayowa managed to get some push and get to Rivers.

The defense wasn't able to sustain the fast start due to the penalties and the Chargers scored 14 unanswered. The offense didn't help either. They had a pretty slow start, but they picked it up in the 2nd half when it mattered the most. I'm not going to dive in too much, but it all started with a near 5 minute drive before the end quarter capped off by Carr's TD pass to Alec Ingold. Both offenses were stagnant in the third quarter. But, the Raiders pulled it off with Josh Jacobs' 18-yard, game-winning rushing TD and Karl Joseph's INT on a 4th down stop. Just like that, the Raiders find themselves at .500 and well within the playoff hunt, let alone in the race for the AFC West.

As mentioned, Week 10 was full of upsets this week capping off with the Seahawks handing the Niners their first loss. The big headliner was Tennessee's upset win over the Chiefs in Patrick Mahomes' return. I've seen my share of meltdowns with the Raiders. The way Kansas City loss that will go down as the biggest "WTF happened" game of the year. They botched the snap on a field goal attempt after the defense gave them a 4th down stop. Intentional grounding was called. Tannehill lead the Titans to a game winning TD and a 2-pt conversion to make it a one possession game. Mahomes drove the Chiefs within field goal range, but the game-tying field goal was blocked. KC's loss is huge as the Raiders are now within one game from the division with win-less Cincinnati  and the Jets coming up on their schedule. Buffalo also had an upset loss to the Browns, but Pittsburgh won against the Rams to keep the Raiders one seed away from the last wild card spot.

Both the Bengals and Jets games have "trap games" written all over it. The Raider can't get caught up in the hype just yet. They need to take care of business against the two teams they should beat before the rematch against the Chiefs at Arrowhead. A lot of things can unfold the next two weeks. I'll see you guys after the Bengals game.

Raiders Finally Home, Rally Against Lions

Final: DET 24 OAK 31 (4-4)

I'll admit, I'm a little behind on some things. I have not posted the weekly roundup for the Lakers. And I just saw them rally against the Bulls. That'll come later. But first things first, the Raiders are finally home in Oakland. It felt like forever in a daunting road trip. Certainly for Oakland fans, every home game counts. The Raiders just have to live up to their end of the bargain and take care of that Town Business. They did that on Sunday against the Lions. It wasn't pretty, but they got the victory.

The only negative I can think of this game was the pass defense. The Lions have one of the most underrated deep threat duos in Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. The two of them combined racked up 258 receiving yards. If I remember, Jones already went over 100 yards by the time the first half ended. Then again, we have to understand that this defense is still a WIP. There's still so many moving parts here. But they have that bend but don't break mentality and it showed this game. Worley had that crazy pick into the end zone. I feel that was the game changer for the Raiders. The fake punt where Derek Carrier rushed for 27 yards was the 2nd game changer (even though they ended up empty handed on the possession after).

Offensively, let me just say it right here, Josh Jacobs is a beast! The O-line wasn't even 100% this game. Rodney Hudson out indefinitely. Trent Brown exited the game early. But, he still gashed the Lions for 120 yards and 2 TDs. I still remember my comment on how running backs from 'Bama don't turn out good in the pros. Jacobs definitely has a chance to break that curse. He can run, catch out the back field, pass protect, and he has low maintenance so that means fresher legs. Jacobs' rookie season has been nothing short of spectacular. Derek Carr had another clean game again. We're probably seeing 2016 Carr come back from the dead. He made a throw to Jalen Richard while he was covered for a big gainer. He extended the play for the game winning TD to Hunter Renfrow. The offense carried this team and we're starting to see the unit buy into Gruden's system.

I want to go back to that stop that won them the game. Matthew Stafford and the Lions were stopped short of the goal line on third down (probably by about three yards). They had no timeouts, but the Raiders called timeout with 8 seconds to allow the Lions to draw up a play. At first, I was a bit mad at it. Those are decisions that lose a game. If the Lions scored, they probably would've escaped with a W. Now that I think about it, the Raiders defense was discombobulated and at least that gave them a chance for them to align the right personnel. The crazy thing about is the Lions did not have their best receivers on that 4th down. It was a chain of "what are you doing" decisions, but good thing the Lions wounded up making that mistake.

With this win, the Raiders are now at .500. They're still in the hunt with Kansas City for the AFC West title with Mahomes still sidelined. As I said countless times, this is the Raiders' best stretch for this season. They have to take advantage of this favorable stretch. The Chiefs are still the likeliest loss. The Chargers might have their groove back after they fired Ken Wisenhunt, but they are beatable. This upcoming Thursday Night game against the Chargers will be a great barometer on the progress of this team. Expect a playoff-like atmosphere for that game.

Watson Breaks Silver and Black Hearts in Houston

Final: OAK 24 HOU 27 (3-4)

Always some drama down the stretch whenever these two teams play in Houston. While the Raiders got the better of the Texans in the last two meetings, the Texans were able to get this one.

Before I start this game, as you all know this past Tuesday, we all lost another Raider legend. Hall-of-Fame cornerback Willie Brown passed away. I've told this story a couple times, when I was still a young Raider fan, my dad used to tell me stories about the 70's Raiders. Willie Brown was a prominent figure of those teams, leading the "Soul Patrol" that consisted of other great Raider DBs like Jack Tatum, George Atkinson, and Skip Thomas. It's crazy to think we lost two prominent Raider legends in the same year with Cliff Branch unexpectedly passing away in August. At least Old Man Willie got to see himself inducted into Canton. Nowadays, these writers are petty in the selection process. It's a crime that more Raider legends of the past are not even in the Hall of Fame yet and they may not see that light of day.

Onto the game, the Raiders had a bounce back game written all over this matchup. The first possessions from the Raiders was pretty weird to start. They got off the right footing by running Josh Jacobs behind the O-line at full strength finally before Rodney Hudson went down. But, they kept trying to mix it up with run and pass by feeding the ball early to Darren Waller. Waller still had a decent game, but Justin Reid and the Texans secondary had some pretty good coverage around him the whole game. It was nice to see Tyrell Williams back on the field. He made his presence felt with 3 receptions for 91 yards and 1 TD. They get their down field receiver back, which opens up a lot opportunities. Hunter Renfrow had a nice 65 yard catch and run to open things up.

You can't completely blame the offense this game. Derek Carr played a clean game. It's been a while since he had a 3 passing TD game. The game was pretty much lost on penalties today. 11 penalties for 100 yards won't win you a whole lot of games. Not too mention, Houston dominated time of possession. A scrambling QB like Deshaun Watson is hard to decipher. Watson was able to keep some plays alive with his legs. For the most part, rush defense did its job. But, pass defense got gashed today and it caught up in Watson's go-ahead TD. Funny enough, the Raiders sent Gareon Conley to Texans and he got himself early revenge. There was one crucial point in the game where it looked like Conley had a lot of contact on Williams, but Gruden refused to challenge. He lost one earlier on the Renfrow offensive P.I. Though that play was 50/50, it would've worth a shot to challenge P.I. But, I understood the rationale since they wanted to keep two timeouts plus the two minute warning. The Texans mustered enough first downs at the end.

Well, the long road trip is over and the Raiders can return on home turf. For the most part sans Minnesota and Green Bay, the Raiders were able to compete and snatch some shocking wins. This stretch is a lot more favorable: vs. Detroit, vs. LA Chargers, vs. Cincinnati, @ Jets, @ Chiefs, vs. Titans, vs. Jaguars, @ LA Chargers and @ Denver. Chargers might've gotten some momentum after the win in Chicago today. Chiefs are likely getting Mahomes back. Sacksonville lives again in the Jaguars. The way this is trending, we can see an 8-8 finish possibly. But as always, one game at a time. I'll see you guys next week after the game.

Pack Pummel Raiders

Final: OAK 24 GB 42 (3-3)

Alright, I'm gonna make this quick in order to save time to do some finishing touches on the Lakers hype video for Tuesday. So, the Raiders come off the bye and Aaron Rodgers and the Packers pretty much gave them a rude awakening back. The Raiders first drive started off a good. Josh Jacobs managed to rip off a big run to get things going. It was nice to see Gabe Jackson back. When you have Incognito, Hudson, and Jackson in front, Jacobs is going to see a lot of nice holes inside. The O-line sans Trent Brown did a nice job for the most part. Although, as usual, the great first drive ended up stalled and the Raiders had to settle for three. I think that was already a momentum-killing play because against Aaron Rodgers and the Pack, you need touchdowns. The Lions learned that the hard way last Monday Night sans obvious refball. Of course you know the story of the referees when the Packers play in Lambeau Field. The penalties definitely piled up for the Raiders, but I don't think the refs were as egregious to them as they were to the Lions on Monday Night. This is especially when they were firing on all cylinders today. Rodgers was playing at an MVP-level. The Raiders secondary definitely helped that as they were blatantly allowing the Green Bay's patchwork receivers be open all game long.

Offensively, it was a mixed bag. The running game was awesome today. Darren Waller came alive in the 2nd quarter and finished with a monster line of 7 receptions, 126 yards, and 2 TDs coming off of signing a 3-year contract extension with the team. Execution was there, but penalties, turnovers, and stalled drives ruined it. Mistakes from Derek Carr reared its ugly head again. Remember two years ago when Carr tried to dive for the game winning TD against the Cowboys and he lost the ball in the end zone? He happened to do that again today. It's more important to get a yard and try again on another down to score. Also in the fourth quarter, Waller had the double coverage beat in the end zone, but Carr just underthrew the ball and into the hands of a defender for the INT. On a 4th and goal, they ran it with Jacobs. If you remember from last week, Jacobs leaped into the end zone for the game winning TD against the Bears. He tried that same play in this 4th down, but he didn't extend his arms long enough for the ball to break the plane.

Overall, I'm not too mad at this game, but still disappointed. If the Raiders came out of this game and the game plan was flat, that is definitely subject to a rant. But they had a good game plan, just penalties and turnovers prevented a majority of that. And Aaron Rodgers is a walking Hall-of-Famer. Anyway, the Raiders have a potential bounceback game next week against the Texans. Then, it's home sweet home in Oakland again in November against the Lions. I'll see you guys back here next week.

Raiders Gash Mack, Bears Defense

Final: CHI 21 OAK 24 (3-2)

The trade that sent Khalil Mack to the Bears for a first round pick was a case that lingered in the Raider Nation court of public opinion. This game was the equivalent of a court hearing. It was simple, Bears win, it further pushes the narrative that the Raiders made a monumental mistake. If the Raiders win, Jon Gruden walks away a free man and all of his detractors can officially shut up about gift wrapping Mack to the Bears. The verdict? He ain't guilty after this game. And guess what, the 1st round pick from the Bears went off today. This was a win of epic proportions for the Raiders. Not only did they beat a great defense, but they gashed them. As I said last week, this was going to be an interesting matchup between the O-line and the Bears' D-line and how the offense was going to gameplan against Mack. They neutralized Mack the whole game, double teaming him. That's the way to slow him down. He got free in one play during the 2nd half, but Carr was able to get rid of the ball quick. That's quite the advantage Carr has, playing on the opposite side of Mack for three years.

The Raiders came out with a great gameplan to start the first half. As mentioned, this O-line was not afraid to get head-to-toe with the Bears' vaunted front seven. They were more physical, which opened up a lot of holes for Jacobs, Washington, and Richard to run through. The Raiders didn't have Tyrell Williams this game, so they switched it up going with three Tight Ends. We all know Waller is a big time target. But Derek Carrier and Foster Moreau stepped up big to get the passing game going. Josh Jacobs had an awesome game. He's no question the MVP this game with 150 total yards and 2 rushing TDs. The 2nd TD brought the Raiders home. The Bears' first round pick to get Mack wounded up being the Josh Jacobs pick. And Gruden can't ask for better exoneration by having that first round pick gash the Bears like that.

The only negative this game is the second half. Once again, that half reared its ugly head again. Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs had a miscue on the pitch to bring the Bears back. Chicago's offense scored 21 unanswered. Honestly, when the Bears' offense is better with Chase Daniel than they were with Mitch Trubisky under center, that says a lot. But, the Raiders managed to get some momentum back with a third down stop to put Chicago out of field goal range. The fake punt with A.J. Cole running up the middle was gutsy. Gruden didn't want to take any chances to have his defense out there and stop the Bears from all three downs after giving up 21 unanswered. The defense played well today. No Clelin Ferrell, but the Raiders managed to generate 4 sacks on Chase Daniel. This is a defense that's still a WIP, but the run defense is on point. Pass defense could still use a lot of work, but this unit never breaks. As I said, Gruden wasn't taking any chance since the Bears' offense was picking up steam and the defense was making plays.

After this game, we can finally put all this Mack talk in the rear view mirror. Jon Gruden and the Raiders had to put up with this trade for one whole year. After this, we can all settle down now. With the Raiders standing at 3-2, the schedule after the bye gets a lot easier. They still got a couple of road trips to go, but the fact they're standing above .500 five games into the season is one heck of an improvement from last season. Still a lot to clean up, but these Raiders are on the come up and the bye can't come at a better time after a big time win. You're free to go Chucky! We've done our due process here since the trade. "Knock on wood if you're with me."

Raiders Bounce Back with Win vs. Colts

Final: OAK 31 IND 24 (2-2)

I said it last week, this matchup against the Colts has "bounceback win" marked. After a 14-34 shellacking in Minnesota, the Raiders rebounded with a 31-24 road win over the Indianapolis Colts. We gotta give credit to Jon Gruden for adding some tweaks on what has been mundane playcalling in the past two weeks. He mixed it up with two Tight End sets with Darren Waller and Foster Moreau. There was great balance in the distribution of the football. Chucky claimed he wanted Josh Jacobs involved more, particularly in the passing game. Jacobs had more involvement earlier today. Especially since the Colts were missing their stud LB Darius Leonard, that opened up opportunity for Jacobs to rack up yards: 79 yards on 17 carries and 29 yards on 2 receptions. Derek Carr had a nice bounceback game. The stats are not eye opening as Carr passed for 189 yards and 2 TDs. But, Carr overall played okay sans the 1 fumble lost. The O-line kept him clean for the most part. We got to see Trevor Davis in action. The Raiders acquired him from Green Bay in exchange for a sixth round pick. They used him sparingly in a Percy Harvin-esque role, but he made the most out of it. Davis took an end around 74 yards to the house to put the Raiders up 14-0.

Overall, the scoreboard is a bit misleading. The Raiders dominated time of possession and controlled the momentum the majority of the game with a few hiccups here and there. As mentioned, the Carr turned the ball over to set up Brissett's TD to Jack Doyle to cut it to 14-7. After Erik Harris' pick 6 to pretty much seal the game, they inexplicably gave up a sideline 48 yard TD to Eric Ebron. But luckily, the Raider offense managed to drive and get a few first downs to seal the game overall. This was the matchup that the Raiders had to take advantage of and they got the job done. On side notes, Carr had a precautionary X-Rays on his leg from what I heard after the game. Hopefully, there's no issue and he's okay. He actually took a hit from ex-teammate Denico Autry. Vontaze Burfict could be facing suspension after a hit on defenseless receiver penalty. Those kinds of penalties are ticky tacky since defenders can't stop their momentum. But as I said, Burfict is marked man and a walking 15-yard penalty due to his reputation as a dirty player. He'll be a big loss for Guenther's unit.

The Raiders move ahead after their cross country trip and they'll be traveling to London next week for a "home game" against the Chicago Bears. Now, this game we've had circled since the schedule came out. It's been a year since Chucky shocked Raider Nation by sending Khalil Mack to Chicago and so far, that trade has been lopsided in favor of the Bears. Mack was the missing piece for Chicago to resurrect the "Monsters of the Midway." After an opening night dud to Green Bay, they've picked it up. It's going to be quite a matchup in the trenches with the Raiders' revamped O-line and the Bears' stellar D-line. That defense will be hard to pick apart for sure. I'll see you guys next week after that game.

Raiders Fall Behind 21-0 Deficit vs. Vikings

Final: OAK 14 MIN 34 (1-2)

This team is begging me to bring back "The Silver and Black Shitshow," which I promise never to do again. Anyway, the Raiders get routed by Vikings 14-34 to open up a grueling road trip. Last week, the Raiders run defense contained Kansas City's rushing attack. This week, they got shredded. Dalvin Cook rushed for a 110 yards and 1 TD against the Raiders' run defense. When the opposition's running game opens up, that spells a lot of trouble for this defense the entire game. It also doesn't help that they couldn't get off the field behind some really silly penalties to keep Minnesota's drive alive. The unit was also dropping like flies this game with a couple of injuries. The offense was stagnant this game as well. The only legit TD is Carr's flea flicker to J.J. Nelson for this offense. Other than that, Carr was stagnant. Minnesota's defense got to him 4 times going up against what really is a patchwork O-line with some key injuries.

As I mentioned before, this is a daunting stretch with the Raiders not having an Oakland home game until November. And this is obviously an unpleasant way to start. Next week against Indy has "bounceback" game written all over it with the Colts' struggles this season since Andrew Luck's shocking retirement. This team needs a little bit of regrouping with some blowout losses the last two weeks. I'll see you guys next week after the game.

Chiefs Bombard Raiders in 2nd Quarter to Win

Final: KC 28 OAK 10 (1-1)

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

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

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

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

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.

2019 Oakland Raiders Preview (Not Really)

This has been a really long 48 hours with this whole Antonio Brown fiasco. Jon Gruden, Mike Mayock, the entire Raiders organization, you guys just got played.

There's an old saying: "what you want is what you get." The Raiders wanted to give Derek Carr an elite receiver in Antonio Brown. As talented as he is, we all know that know that he was going to bring a lot of baggage to this team. But they still traded to get him at the cost of a 3rd round pick, which is not bad. However, as this whole shitshow unravels, Pittsburgh's front office look like absolute geniuses. And the Patriots adding Brown at half of the price of his guaranteed money, after he was released by the Raiders today is more insult to injury.

The Raiders should've seen this coming. That when you bring Antonio Brown in, you knew you're getting yourself into a deranged soap opera. Gruden is in his 2nd year after a 10 year hiatus. Mike Mayock is in his 1st year as a GM. They were not prepared for a circus of this magnitude with this clown. This is Antonio Brown's Raider tenure in a nutshell: frostbite, helmet, fines, altercation with GM, released. His entire Raiders tenure was popcorn entertainment all the way through. At first, we thought the helmet drama was just a facade for Hard Knocks. It's not too big of a deal. But when it escalates after the show to the point AB threatens to punch Mayock in the face after getting slapped with a reasonable fine, that's when we should know this was was gonna turn ugly. 

Mayock tried laying down the law. The only problem is you have Gruden undercutting the power of the GM, sweeping this under the rug, and ultimately letting him play. Literally after Brown just gave a half-assed apology to the media. Hey "Chuck E. Cheese!" What happened to "no one is above the team" mantra? Cause it worked so well with Khalil Mack that you shipped his ass to Chicago even though he didn't say anything and his agent was doing all the talking. But with Antonio Brown, you kissed his ass all the way through when he's berating the team and the organization and he pulls this shit to make you all look stupid. 

I don't even want to share my hype video on here cause I posted it 24 hours before all this happened. Big promotion and such to amp up the Monday Night game since AB was back. The video was in a very awkward position with suspension looming, a possible release, etc. 24 hours after I uploaded, he's gone from the team. I'm done promoting that. As a content creator, the last hype video I'll always remember are my hype videos from 2015-2017. They were the most genuine. Everything else after looks like a desperate view grab even though I still put 110% on it while this shitshow unravels to throw jabs at me and force me to call audibles even though I'm a big advocate of expecting the unexpected.

This post was almost a chance for me to make amends to Raider Nation about poking fun at this team this past season. My biggest gripe is the sheep who support everything this team does. You disagree with the majority, you get labeled a fake fan. Those "It's Raider Nation or nothing. You don't like our team, go support somebody else" type of fans. That kind of mentality is the reason why the team has no desire of getting better and the last decade (excluding 2016) has proven that. We tend to forget a football team is also a product. When that product is not performing to our expectations that we pay for and are highly invested in, of course we're not going to be happy about it! You think I'm gonna call some Samsung owners fake Samsung customers when a Galaxy S7 just exploded inside their pocket and their voicing their displeasure? Of course that's not cool and you have a right to tell them that they dropped the ball on poorly mass producing the product. That's where I stand with the Raiders now. You just want to pull them to the side and tell them that they're fucking up and they need to get their shit together. Stupid decisions year after year is the reason why this team is a cellar dweller since 2002. 

It's sad the last season in Oakland will end with a distinct plop. There was no intention of winning one more Super Bowl for that city and the Bay Area. Sure it might get better when they get to Las Vegas, but at the same time they're watching this incompetence unravel very closely. These last three seasons are just a facade so they can finally build from the ground up when they get to Vegas. They have the cap space and draft picks to do that. Whether or not the incompetence and dysfunction carries over remains to be seen. If this team surprises me this season with some wins, I'll accept that I'm wrong with humility. Until then, here's to another evaluation season to see how the three 2019 first round picks pan out and everybody else is fighting for a roster spot in 2020. Deuces! 

Raiders 2019 NFL Draft Round 1 Recap

Day 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft is a wrap and the Raiders have made all three of their first round selections. They tanked enough to get #4 overall pick. They get additional late first round picks from the Bears and the Cowboys since they traded Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper respectively. The Gruden/Mayock regime can't possibly screw this up correct? Let's take a look at their selections and I provide my own personal thoughts on them.

#4: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

The top 5 pick that surprised a whole lot of analysts that covered a lot of mock drafts prior. So, this is the reason why Gruden and Mayock sent their scouts home? I got a chance to see Ferrell play against Alabama in the National Title game. I was paying close attention to he and Quinnen Williams as I thought the Raiders would get both players back-to-back. Not the case today as the Jets took Williams at #3. Clelin Ferrell is not a bad player. He was key in disrupting Alabama's offense and not allowing Tua Tagovailoa to turn loose as the Tigers rolled over the Tide that game. Then again, that Clemson D-line was stacked with all kinds of talent and Ferrell without question is a 1st round talent. He's ranked as a top 10 DE/EDGE rusher in this draft. High character, coming from a military family. He's exactly what the Raiders needed to shore up the pass rush that was non-existent since they gave away Mack to Chicago. The only problem is that he was taken a little too early. Most mock drafts had him as a mid-late 1st rounder. Again, I thought the Raiders would've used their late 1st round picks to get him or they could've traded down and he still would've been on the board. Bosa went at #2. Williams at #3. The top defensive prospects are gone, so why not trade down, accumulate more picks, and still get Ferrell? Another thing is that other top prospects like Josh Allen out of Kentucky was still on the board. But, the Raiders selected Ferrell because he's a better scheme fit. The number one rule for teams with a top 5 pick is that you use that pick for a need. You use it for an impact player that can help right away, hence why I and along with a few others were stunned that they reached for Ferrell this early. Like I said, he's not a bad player. He's just overvalued for a #4 overall pick. Inserting him with Hurst, Hall, and Key on that D-line is going to be Paul Guenther's big project. That line is filled with a lot of promise and unknowns.

#24: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

From the Khalil Mack trade obviously. There's a lot of uncertainty at the running back position with Marshawn Lynch retiring (again) and Doug Martin remaining unsigned (like the Raiders need him). They did sign Isaiah Crowell this offseason to address RB. With this selection, they might potentially have added their bell cow back of the future. I didn't get to see much of Josh Jacobs in the championship game vs. Clemson. Alabama got destroyed so they couldn't rely on the running game too much. But from what I've heard and looking at his highlights, he's versatile and can fit in a zone or power scheme. He's shown some flashes as a solid pass catching back, has a nose for the end zone, and possesses some good speed when he hits one big hole. He's pretty shifty with his feet as well. Given that and his pass catching ability, I'm probably assuming that Josh Jacobs is more of a scat back. He's definitely a perfect replacement for Beast Mode since Marshawn is a similar runner. The only knock on Jacobs is that Alabama's running backs are hard to trust when they go to the NFL. Think Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry (TBD), etc. Alabama RBs have been on a downward trend lately and many are figuring out that they're byproducts of Alabama's pro-ready O-line. Nonetheless, The competition at RB is heating up with Jacobs and Crowell expected to be #1 and #2. And then Richard, D-Wash, and CW III (Chris Warren III) projected to fight for that #3 spot.

#27: Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State

I initially projected the Raiders to go defense heavy with all three of their first round picks. I wouldn't be surprised if they used one of those picks to get a DB. And they did address that with their last pick of the draft. Last year, the Raiders' secondary started to turn the corner. Karl Joseph broke out since taking over for Reggie Nelson. Gareon Conley was finally 100% and showed some flashes of being a shutdown corner. Thank goodness they didn't bring back old-@$$ Reggie Nelson and signed LaMarcus Joyner from the Rams. I'm being a little off topic here, so let's go back. The Raiders select Johnathan Abram. He was the leading tackler in the SEC Conference. He's a hard-hitting safety that excels in whenever Mississippi State's defense stacks the box. He's also a versatile safety, able to play both Free, Strong and can easily be plugged into playing as a nickel corner. I'm not sure if this pick indicates that the writing is on the wall for Karl Joseph. He's a free agent by season's end. We'll see what happens. But, the Raiders are stacking a lot of depth in the secondary. They're deep especially at the Safety position with Joseph, Joyner, Erik Harris, Curtis Riley, and now, Johanathan Abram.

Antonio Brown Traded to the Raiders

Sad that Antonio Brown had to be killed off-screen at the conclusion of "Days of Our Steelers." It's been awhile since I've talked any Raiders football. But last night's trade had Raider Nation buzzing. Simply put, AB is an Oakland Raider (in principle). The Raiders agreed to send a 3rd round and 5th round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for the embattled Star Wideout. In addition, the Raiders offered Brown a 3-year, $50 million contract, which he'll sign once free agency frenzy is officially underway. 

This has been rumored awhile now, but it hasn't heated up since the idea that the Raiders were rumored in assembling a "Big 3" with Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, and QB prospect, Kyler Murray. As mentioned, AB wanted the Steelers to trade him out west. Initially, it wasn't the Raiders. If AB were to go to the Bay Area, many sources projected him to be a 49er and be Jimmy Garoppolo's go-to-guy. Heck, even Jerry Rice publicly rallied for AB to don the Red and Gold. It hasn't happened.

The Antonio Brown trade saga took quite an unexpected twist when reports were made that the Steelers were trading him to the Buffalo Bills. AB refuted the idea and the deal quickly died. So, Brown was a Buffalo Bill for a good seven hours or so. It was clear that AB goes where AB wants to go. He successfully got the Steelers to bend the knee and cave in to his demands. Let's face it, the Steelers were pretty much tired of his diva antics. With the way they handled the Le'Veon Bell situation, they didn't want to deal with the same situation with Antonio Brown and let his drama  linger with the team any longer. So, he had to go. And if there's any indication that Brown going to the Raiders is 100% true, he quickly posted up his on Instagram of him photoshopped in a Raiders uniform and showing affection for Derek Carr, to which Carr was really receptive about.

Let's get into the trade details here. The fact that the Raiders only gave up a 3rd round pick and 5th round pick to get AB was surprising. If the Steelers were adamant about giving him away, they'd get something higher like a first rounder. To be honest, if the Raiders did surrender their first round picks to get AB, I would've been furious because you trade way young players like Mack and Cooper who haven't reached their prime yet to get those picks, yet you give them away for a star that may have 2-3 years left in the tank. So, I'll give the Gruden and Mayock brain trust credit on this deal. Now, the Bears are in cap hell before Trubisky's deal rookie deal is up and they locked up Mack to a monster deal. The Cowboys are going to need to make some decisions since Coop's due for a big contract, yet they'll have to account for Zeke next offseason. The Raiders have started making their moves with a lot of cap space and three 1st round picks. They might rebuild faster than expected. That's IF everything goes right.

This trade does not escape disastrous implications. Like I said, AB may have a good 2-3 years left in the tank before he starts showing signs of decline (AB and Jordy Nelson as the starting WRs, I would've been excited if this was 2014). And his diva attitude is self-evident during the later years of his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler. Then again, that locker room, that organization is getting toxic, which is a glorious sight to see. Minus a few players of course. Boy, do I feel sorry for JuJu and James Conner? The way he handled his trade saga also docks some points off. You know it's real when "Classy Larry (Larry Fitzgerald)" calls you out to stop the madness. The dynamic between him and Jon Gruden is going to be interesting because you'll have two inflated egos bound to collide like the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies. Go listen to some stories on the tension between Gruden and Keyshawn Johnson when Chucky was still coaching in Tampa Bay. AB does express his excitement to be Derek Carr's go-to-guy. Now, that prompts the Raiders to step back because they've implied that Carr was on the trading block so they can get Kyler Murray in this draft. If they trade Carr now, the relationship with AB is going to go sour in a hurry. Yes, his $125 million deal is burdensome to the team in the midst of a rebuild, but they're forced to keep him at this point and we'll see how Carr improves in Year 2 under the Gruden system. Carr definitely needs to make major strides because not only will he have Gruden in his face, but Antonio Brown is going to get in his face as well for not giving him the ball on the sidelines. Sure, they're buddy-buddy in the Pro Bowl, but it's much different when you're teammates and on a 16-week gauntlet. Just ask Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens. Man, if this trade trends to disaster, "The Silver and Black Shitshow" may be renewed for another year. Anyway, welcome to the nation AB.

Side note: The Raiders made another trade today sending Kelechi Osemele to the New York Jets for a fifth round pick. K.O. initially signed to a 5-year $70 million contract in 2016, which is a lot money for an Offensive Guard. This was likely for a salary dump. K.O. was awesome in his first year. It's unfortunate that he struggled with injuries in the next two. If there's anyone I'd want in that O-line to stick around for the long run, it'd be Rodney Hudson. Donald Penn is getting old. Kolton Miller is still raw. At least Gabe Jackson will hold down one of the Guard positions. Definitely, the Raiders are going to have their work cut out to rebuild that Carr Insurance. It also doesn't help that Tom Cable is still coaching that unit.

A Season in Review: 2018 Oakland Raiders

This week on the Silver and Black Shitshow...Nope, I'm going to give this that treatment. This is your annual "Season in Review"post presented by yours truly. As I type this post, this has a different vibe of sorts compared to past "Season in Review" posts over the years. I'll try to hold it together and hopefully, I don't make this as an actual Silver and Black Shitshow post.

By all accounts, this season was pretty depressing to watch. I saw last week's season finale against the Chiefs and it was a microcosm of how this season went down. This year was marred by some really shocking trades and a power struggle between Jon Gruden and Reggie McKenzie. It was all about Jon Gruden taking over the Raiders from top to bottom. The Khalil Mack trade prior to the start of the regular season was really a dagger to the heart of all of us and pretty much indicated that this season was over before it even started. Here's this guy who was a franchise-altering 1st round pick and arguably, the Raiders' best pick in a long while. And, they traded him for a bag of peanuts. Specifically, they traded Khalil Mack and a 2nd round pick for the Bears' 1st round draft picks this year and in 2020.

Looking back at it at hindsight, the Raiders could've done a better job in packaging this deal. The fact that they added a draft pick to go with Khalil Mack was plain stupid. A 2nd round pick too! So the Raiders just lessened Chicago's blow of mortgaging their future for a once-in-a-generational talent. And we get more insight about the trade that there was a civil war between Reggie McKenzie and Jon Gruden and Mark Davis. In fact, there were two wars occurring at the same time: the war between the Raiders and Khalil Mack and his agent and the war between Reggie McKenzie and Jon Gruden and Mark Davis. The Raiders and Khalil Mack couldn't agree on a contract. Reggie McKenzie presented heavy resistance against trading Khalil. A Raiders beat writer reported this story that teams approached Reggie about acquiring Mack and Reggie was like "over my dead body." But, Gruden and Davis had other plans. Two against one and the odds were clearly against McKenzie by a huge margin. The found a suitor in the Bears and you know the rest. A month later, they pulled another trade sending Amari Cooper to the Cowboys for a first round pick. We thought that was a better deal than the Mack deal. At least the Bears can afford Mack because Mitch Trubisky is on a rookie deal. The Cowboys gave up a first round pick for someone who is inconsistent. The Raiders were hoping that both deals fell in their favor.

It didn't work that way as the Bears and Cowboys won their respective divisions and are in the playoffs. Thus, lowering those 1st round draft picks. Although the Bears did lose on Wild Card weekend as the infamous legends of Nick Foles and Cody Parkey continued to grow. Talk about a plan that went backwards for the Raiders. We don't know too much of the long-term implications, but there's no question the Raiders took two big "L's" in trades that were supposed to favor them. Khalil Mack transformed the Bears defense into one of the best in the NFL. Amari Cooper gave the Cowboys' anemic passing game some life and they went on a hot streak after a sluggish start. Let's a play a game of what really constituted Amari Cooper's poor play? Raider fans would like to erase Coop's memory, but true fans never forget that the kid was a stud in terms of route running and secondaries respected his deep threat ability. Drops were his only ailment. He had 1,000 yards receiving  his first two years before dipping in production. Even Gruden admitted they had Cooper open in a couple of plays, but Derek Carr opted to the checkdown or he ran out of time because he was playing behind a bad O-line. Well, Dak Prescott was playing behind an injured O-line too and he was as bad as Derek was this season. But, he still found ways to get the ball to Coop. Then again, the Cowboys have Ezekiel Elliott and a competent running game. But, it's something to think about in retrospect. Not to mention, there were times Carr threw to Coop over the middle and he could've gotten him killed in those situations.

The irony behind these trades is that Raider Nation, we're a proud, loyal fanbase. We don't want anything to do with players who are not part of their team anymore. I look at forums, I see stuff like "Mack and Cooper are gone. Get over it." And then when they put up big games, the same fans who say "get over it" are saying stuff like "F*ck Khalil Mack" or "F*ck Amari Cooper." If they want us to get over it, why can't they stop talking trash about them when they have good games or especially when they have terrible games? They still bring up notions that Mack disappears or Coop drops a lot of balls. The Bears lost. The Cowboys lost. Yet, they all want us to get over them at the same time. I love Raider Nation, but seriously, is anybody pointing out the damn irony behind fans who still like to bash Mack and Coop's failures or get salty behind their successes in other teams, yet at the same time, they're telling us to get over them? Am I the only one? I probably am.

The Raiders' loss in Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper is the Bears and the Cowboys' gains. Enough said. This season was the repercussions of those trades as the Raiders were one of the worse teams in the league this year. The Raiders did have a lot close games to start this season, but they wound up losing. And then as the season progresses, it was clear as day that they were in a full-on tank job if you can say that. Tank jobs, front office overhaul with the firing of Reggie McKenzie, Derek Carr's uncertainty as the Raiders' franchise quarterback going forward, major roster turnover sums up this season in a nutshell. You can go back to all my Silver and Black Shitshow posts and these were common themes for the season. I won't address all of that. It is what it is. The only exciting wins was against Pittsburgh to derail their playoff hopes and against the Broncos in what is effectively the last game in the Oakland Coliseum.

In terms of positives around this roster, Jordy Nelson and Jared Cook have held up their end of the bargain as the vets. Doug Martin played well as the bell cow back in lieu of Beast Mode. Gareon Conley and Karl Joseph, holdovers of Reggie McKenzie's 2016 and 2017 draft classes, balled out when given the chance. I do like Maurice Hurst out of the 2018 draft class. I do think Arden Key has plenty of potential. Like I said in the past, you can't judge a draft class until year 3. There were some struggles for this rookie class. They can only get better.

There's so many stories heading into next season. The Raiders announced Reggie's replacement by hiring Mike Mayock as the new GM. I loved listening to Mayock's analysis on draft prospects on NFL Network. He's highly respected among scouts. I think the reasoning behind his hiring is so Jon Gruden doesn't become a complete control freak like he has been this season. Someone needs to be the voice of reason to keep Gruden from going full Chucky. Mayock is a great analyst and very elaborate on his scouting and mock drafts. But, it's a lot more different when it comes to handling pro personnel, contracts management, and drafting the right players come draft day, which Mayock lacks any experience in. Who knows? He could be a John Lynch who's doing a nice job with the 49ers despite zero GM experience in the past. Maybe even better. Raider Nation is always optimistic about any moves within the organization, whether it's a head coaching hire or a GM hire. For me, this team has tested loyalty time after time. We get optimistic about front office moves, offseason moves, draft picks, then the regular season hits and everything just falls apart. This has happened in the last 15 out of 16 years with this team. There's just zero tolerance for me at this point with what moves this team makes. I have to see it with my own eyes that this team is getting better. I don't care what the offseason plan is. What the draft strategy is. I need to be convinced that this team is going upward, especially since they have $98 million to spend in free agency and a trio of 1st round draft picks. You can have all that capital in the world and still find ways to blow it.

Now, onto the biggest question that the world is asking: where the hell are the Raiders going to play at? Mark Davis pretty much burned bridges with the City of Oakland. Oakland proceeded to do the same with a lawsuit. They're technically still the Oakland Raiders, but they can't play in Oakland because of the lawsuit. They tried to find a temporary home in San Francisco and they said no. Now, they're exploring outside the border, possibly playing home games in London. They do have an international game set. Can you imagine how much the travel expenses will be for the Raiders having to practice in their Alameda Facility, training camp in Napa, and then flying over to London for their pre-season and regular season home games? Not to mention, they have to play on the road games too. I'm wondering if Mark Davis has enough to account for that, plus relocation fees, plus that Bank of America loan he'll need to pay off to finance that stadium in Vegas?  And of course, the lawsuit will play a big factor in that too since Oakland is suing for damages, which of course involves money.

Since the move approval in 2017, this team has changed day-by-day, minute-by-minute from top to bottom. And quite frankly, time after time, I find myself distancing from this team and organization that I stood by and rooted for since I was a little boy, dating back to the Rich Gannon-Tim Brown days. By the time this team moves to Vegas, there will be little soul left of the mystique of what was the Oakland Raiders. Will they get better with the change of scenery? Maybe. But, they've transformed into just another soulless corporate entity for the National Football League with this move to Las Vegas. There'll be no Black Hole. There'll be no home field advantage. What there'll be are a bunch corporate executives who won't give a crap about any aspect about the game other than money, tourists who either don't understand football or the Raider tradition, and fans of opposing NFL teams with stronger followings than the Raiders, such as the Steelers and Cowboys. And what next as this team continues to look for a temporary home this year?

These last couple seasons since the move was announced has been really weird. It's saddening. It's depressing. Maybe even more depressing than the previous losing seasons the Raiders had in the past decade since the Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay. This team has played with so many of our emotions. I'll still be a fan, but I'm not as invested as I was in the past. I know, I'll be called a fake fan or some sorts. But, I stood by this team when the quarterbacks went from Gannon to Kerry Collins to Aaron Brooks to Andrew Walter, JaMarcus Russell, Daunte Culpepper, Josh McCown, Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye, Jason Campbell, Carson Palmer, Terrelle Pryor, now Derek Carr. The one thing that separates me from any other fan is not the collection of jerseys or merchandise, or memorabilia, but attaining the knowledge and appreciation of the Raiders' history past and present. I appreciate the teams of the 70's with John Madden, Ken Stabler, Fred Biletnikoff, Cliff Branch, the "Soul Patrol" with Willie Brown, Jack Tatum, and George Atkinson. I appreciate the 80's with Tom Flores, Jim Plunkett, Marcus Allen, Howie Long, Mike Haynes, Lester Hayes, Matt Millen, and Lyle Alzado. Heck, even the lost decades. Anybody remember how explosive Napoleon Kaufman was in the mid to late 90's? Then, you also had the short-lived Bo Jackson era. Tim Brown and how underrated he was as a wide receiver, putting up numbers playing with average QBs until Rich Gannon came along in 1999. Change is always difficult. It's either we embrace it or we don't. It's simple as that. Like I said, maybe the Raiders will be a perennial contender in Las Vegas. But, it won't be the same as they're not going to be a Cali product. And I speak on that on behalf of both fanbases in Oakland and Los Angeles, not just Oakland even though they're better off as the Oakland Raiders with all due respect.

But you know how Raider Nation rolls. It's not a city. It's not a state. It's a Nation and it's worldwide. We'll see this upcoming offseason if the Raiders are ridiculously going to consider this "World Tour" this year before going to Vegas in 2020. If change is indeed coming, I have to see it myself. There's just too much uncertainty with this team. May the football gods be with the Raiders as a team and as an organization as they wander into the great unknown.