Raiders select Alabama WR Henry Ruggs III in latest mock draft

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It’s no secret that the Oakland Raiders will be looking to add to their wide receiver room this offseason. While the team is having a ton of success on offense, the unit lacks a true No. 1 receiver that can dictate coverage.

Oakland has a bunch of nice complementary players, including Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow, but they need that one stud they can go to in the game’s biggest moments.

Luckily for Oakland, several elite wide receiver options are entering the 2020 draft. One such player is Henry Ruggs III of Alabama. While Ruggs doesn’t have the prototypical size for a No. 1 receiver, he is one of the most explosive receivers in the country.

Through nine games, Ruggs is averaging 20 yards per receptions on 29 catches as he has scored seven total touchdowns. In Luke Easterling’s latest mock draft at the Draft Wire, Ruggs was the selection for the Raiders at pick No. 17. Take a look at Easterling’s reasoning for the pick below:

The Antonio Brown debacle is in the rear-view mirror, but the Raiders still need a No. 1 receiver who can take over a game with size, athleticism and physicality. Current management takes a page out of the late, great Al Davis’ book, opting for Ruggs and his elite speed.

Ruggs would be a great fit in Oakland’s offense because he can stretch the field, opening up the underneath routes for Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow, while also taking a safety out of the box in the run game.

Ruggs isn’t likely to be a 100-catch receiver in the NFL, but that isn’t what Oakland needs. They just need someone to keep defenses honest, and that’s precisely what Ruggs can do.

Expect the Alabama receiver to be on the shortlist of players the team considers come April’s draft.

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Updated playoff standings entering Week 11

After a much-needed win in Week 10, the Oakland Raiders are right in the thick of things in the AFC playoff chase. Sitting at 5-4, there are only a few teams in the conference with a better record than the Raiders.

With the Chiefs losing in Week 10, Oakland is somehow only one-game back of the division lead with a game left with Kansas City.

While a wild card berth is still the most likely outcome for the Raiders, it’s certainly not impossible that they catch the Chiefs given how soft their schedule is over the next few weeks.

Let’s take a quick look at the current playoff standings in both the AFC:

SEED	TEAM	DIVISION	RECORD
1	New England	East	8-1-0
2	Baltimore	North	7-2-0
3	Houston	South	6-3-0
4	Kansas City	West	6-4-0
5	Buffalo	East	6-3-0
6	Pittsburgh	North	5-4-0

SEED	TEAM	DIVISION	RECORD
7	Oakland	West	5-4-0
8	Indianapolis	South	5-4-0
9	Tennessee	South	5-5-0
10	Jacksonville	South	4-5-0
11	Los Angeles	West	4-6-0
12	Denver	West	3-6-0
13	Cleveland	North	3-6-0
14	Miami	East	2-7-0
15	N.Y. Jets	East	2-7-0
16	Cincinnati	North	0-9-0

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4 key things to know about Chargers vs. Chiefs

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the four most important things to know about the matchup between the Chargers and Chiefs.

The Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) and Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) clash in Mexico City on Monday night.

Here are four key things to know about the Week 11 matchup.

Patrick Mahomes is back

After a knee injury sustained in Week 7, it only took Mahomes two weeks to return to live game action. In his return last weekend against the Titans, he managed to put up what would be a typical performance, throwing for 446 passing yards, which was the second-highest passing yardage total of his career. This season, he has amassed 2,686 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception.

Pressure, pressure, pressure

After making a few key signings to the defensive front, the ability to get after the quarterback skyrocketed for the Chiefs. Through 10 games, Kansas City leads the league in sacks (52). The team suffered a huge loss after defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah suffered a torn pectoral muscle last Sunday. Ogbah led the team with 5.5 sacks. They still have pieces up front that won’t make it an easy task for the Chargers offensive line.

Can’t stop the run

While the Chiefs have a knack for pressuring opposing quarterbacks, they struggle to stop the run immensely. Kansas City ranks as the second-worst team in the league, allowing 148.1 yards per game. For the Chargers, having success running the ball with running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler will be key in order to keep Patrick Mahomes off the field.

Not the same Chiefs everyone is used to

The Chiefs were a trendy pick to reach the Super Bowl, but their play hasn’t suggested that. After starting 4-0, they have lost four of their last six games. Even with Mahomes back last weekend, who was nearly flawless, they still lost. Their offense will put up a plethora of points, but their opponent has been able to match it because the defensive has allowed so many big plays. On top of that, the pass protection has been on a downward spiral. Kansas City allowed only three sacks in the first four games, but they’ve allowed 15 in the last six contests.

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Chargers’ Russell Okung out of practice while rehabbing groin strain

Chargers offensive tackle Russell Okung did not practice on Tuesday and his status for Week 11 is questionable.

Following Thursday night’s game, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said that offensive tackle Russell Okung’s status for the Monday night game against the Chiefs would be up in the air. Fast forward five days later, and it appears to be the same way.

Okung left the Week 10 matchup against the Raiders after only playing seven snaps with a groin injury and did not return to the game.

“He’s rehabbing. He’s working on the side. We’ll see where he’s at. .I’d love to see him play, but if he can’t go, he won’t go,” Lynn said, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

If Okung is forced to miss Week 11, rookie Trey Pipkins will get the start at left tackle, while Trent Scott will fill in at right tackle for Sam Tevi, who underwent a minor surgery on his meniscus last Friday and could miss a couple weeks.

Pipkins and Scott will get a full week to prepare before facing a Chiefs front that leads the league in sacks (52).

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Time, date set for Week 16 matchup between Chargers-Raiders

The time and date has been set for the Week 16 battle between the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers.

The league announced that the Week 16 battle between the Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders is set for Sunday, Dec. 22 at 1:05 p.m. PT.

The game from Dignity Health Sports Park will be televised on CBS.

The date and time had not been set yet because there was a possibility that the two teams could have been playing a day before on Saturday night on primetime television.

The Chargers will get their opportunity for revenge after losing to the Raiders last Thursday night by the score of 26-24 before finishing the 2019 season against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Raiders mid-season awards: Best rookies through Week 10

Technically last week was the actual midseason mark for the Raiders, but it was a short week, so there just wasn’t time to put together any awards, so we’re doing it after nine games instead. Starting with the rookies of the midseason.

Offensive Rookie of the Midseason: RB Josh Jacobs

This one was a no-brainer. He is not just the best rookie on the Raiders, but the best in the NFL. He is currently fifth in the NFL, averaging 90.1 yards per game for a total of 811 yards rushing. He is also sixth in the league with 7 rushing touchdowns. Those are rankings among all running backs, not just rookies.

Jacobs consistently gets something out of nothing, rarely getting stopped for no gain or a loss. He is a patient runner who shows excellent burst through the hole, and strength at the point of attack to drive through defenders. He’s rushed for over 120 yards in three of his last five games.

Defensive Rookie of the Midseason: DE Maxx Crosby

‘Mad’ Maxx has been a terror off the edge for the Raiders. He is currently tied with Benson Mayowa for the team lead with 7 QB hits. He has 2.5 sacks along with 5 tackles for loss, 3 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

Last week against the Chargers, he had just a half-sack but made Philip Rivers’s life miserable all game long. Crosby was showing his hair-on-fire play from the jump but only seems to be getting better. Quite the get in the fourth round.

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Raiders double-digit favorites over visiting Bengals in Week 11

There was a stretch this season in which the Raiders weren’t favored for any games. Basically, it started in week two against the Chiefs and went through their 5-game road stint to Minnesota, Indianapolis, London (Bears), Green Bay, and Houston. They would win two of those five and currently sit at 5-4 on the season.

Coming off two-straight wins against the Lions and Chargers, the Raiders are now 3-1 at home and are getting some respect from oddsmakers. They welcome the winless (0-9) Bengals to town on Sunday, and the line is the largest of the week at between -10 and -10.5, depending on the site.

The five teams the Raiders have beaten this season have a combined record of 19-26-1, and none of the teams to whom they lost currently has a losing record. Far from it, actually. They have a combined record of 27-12 record.

So, they’ve handled their business against ‘beatable’ teams. Teams don’t get more beatable than the 0-8 Bengals whose defense ranks dead last in the NFL and in the bottom five on offense. They’ve scored over 20 points just once this season and have surrendered at least 21 points in every game.

Meanwhile, the Raiders have scored at least 24 points each of the past six games, but have allowed at least 21 points in all but the opener against the Broncos.

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Former Raiders DT Justin Ellis signs on with Ravens

‘Jelly’ has found a home. Former Raiders starting defensive tackle Justin Ellis has signed with the Baltimore Ravens, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Source: The #Ravens have signed veteran DT Justin Ellis, who had been a starter for the #Raiders for years. A midseason addition given injuries at that spot.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 12, 2019

When the Raiders made their final roster cuts on August 31, Ellis was placed on injured reserve. He was dealing with a knee injury at the time. He remained on the Raiders’ injured reserve until October 8, when he was released with an injury settlement.

The former fourth-round pick signed a new long term contract with the Raiders in the 2018 offseason. It was one of Jon Gruden’s first moves as head coach. And he hasn’t been able to stay healthy since. Ellis would start the 2018 season on injured reserve, not returning until Week 12. He played in the final six games.

With several decent options to be part of the Raiders’ DT rotation, they moved on from the big nose tackle.

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2020 Pro Bowl voting now open

It’s time to cast your vote to send your favorite Charger to the 2020 Pro Bowl.

Voting for the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl is officially open.

Fans can vote on NFL.com/ProBowlVote from Tuesday, Nov. 12 until Sunday Dec. 12. The rosters for the AFC and NFC will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 17 on NFL Network.

During the final two weeks of 2020 Pro Bowl voting — November 28-December 12 — fans will also be able to vote on Twitter. To cast a vote, fans should tweet the first and last name of the player, the player’s official Twitter handle, or a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. It must include the hashtag: #ProBowlVote.

Fans, players and coaches will each account for one-third toward determining the 88 All-Star players who will be selected to the Pro Bowl

Even though it hasn’t been the sunshine and rainbows for the Chargers, the team still has several players worthy of Pro Bowl consideration this season.

Running back Austin Ekeler has been a force as a ball carrier and as a pass-catcher. Ekeler has totaled 899 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. Wide receiver Keenan Allen has cooled down a little bit the past few weeks, but he has still amassed 62 receptions for 725 yards and three touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, cornerback Casey Hayward continues to shut down some of the league’s best receivers on a weekly basis. In the trenches, defensive ends Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa remain as one of the top pass-rushing tandems, combining for 13 sacks.

Fullback Derek Watt and linebacker Drue Tranquill have done their fair share of work on special teams. Watt leads the league in special teams tackles with 12, while Tranquill is third with nine.

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Where do Chargers stand in NFL power rankings after Week 10?

After suffering defeat in Week 10, Chargers Wire takes a look how the Bolts stack up in power rankings heading into Week 11.

In one that they needed badly, the Chargers were unable to deliver after suffering defeat to the Raiders on the national stage. The loss dropped Los Angeles to 4-6, but their playoff hopes are still alive.

Let’s see where the Bolts are viewed in power rankings.

USA Today: 19 (Previous: 19)

“Key injuries … Philip Rivers trying to do too much … off-field distractions … we’ve definitely entered “same-old Chargers” territory.”

Touchdown Wire: 22 (Previous: 22)

“Last Thursday night, Oakland rookie Josh Jacobs’ 18-yard touchdown run with 1:02 left in the game gave the Raiders a 26-24 lead over the Chargers. The Raiders then kicked off to the Chargers, who gave the ball to Philip Rivers in the hope that he could engineer a crucial win. What resulted was probably the worst drive of Rivers’ career. The veteran shot-putted the ball all over the field, and only one of his seven passes didn’t fall incomplete — his last pass of the night, which was caught by Oakland safety Karl Joseph.”

NFL: 18 (Previous: 18)

“Philip Rivers is currently on the dark web searching for mind-eraser technology to wipe away a lost Thursday night in Oakland. The Chargers quarterback threw three interceptions and had two more picks nullified by penalty in a 26-24 loss to the Raiders that put Los Angeles’ playoff hopes in serious doubt. Rivers was under constant duress due to a surprisingly meddlesome Oakland front seven, which had its way with an L.A. offensive line missing both starting tackles. The low point for the Chargers came on a final possession that went like this: incompletion, incompletion, incompletion, penalty (first down), incompletion, incompletion, incompletion, interception. Like I said, Philip Rivers is scouring the digital underground in search of mind-eraser hardware. Next up for the Chargers? A showdown against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Mexico City. It’s a virtual must-win for the Bolts.”

ESPN: 19 (Previous: 19)

“At 4-6, the most important game for the Chargers is the next one, a Monday Night Football tilt against the AFC West rival Chiefs. With Kansas City losing over the weekend against the Titans, the Chargers still sit two games back in the division with six left to play. So even though it has been up-and-down year for the Bolts, they could catapult themselves back into the playoff conversation with a win over the Chiefs.”

Sports Illustrated: 19 (Previous: 18)

“Tough one to drop in primetime for a team that had a chance to take more steps away from the brink. The Chargers go as Phillip Rivers goes, and three interceptions were too much to overcome despite Melvin Gordon’s best game of the season (133 total yards, 1 TD).”

CBS Sports: 18 (Previous: 18)

“They can’t turn the ball over the way they did against the Raiders and expect to be a playoff team. That loss to the Raiders was a momentum killer.”

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