Category: Raiders buzz

Maxx Crosby breaks right through rookie wall, ‘still churning away’ late in season

Ah, the rookie wall. It may be an imaginary wall, but it’s a real thing. It’s the wall a lot of rookies hit right around the 13th game of the season when their bodies are used to the season being over because college seasons usually go about 12 …

Ah, the rookie wall. It may be an imaginary wall, but it’s a real thing. It’s the wall a lot of rookies hit right around the 13th game of the season when their bodies are used to the season being over because college seasons usually go about 12 games, but in the NFL, they have (at least) four games left.

Not every rookie hits it. Some can play through it. Some blast through it and say ‘what wall?’ Raiders fourth round defensive end Maxx Crosby is on such rookie.

“Crosby’s still churning away,” Gruden said recently, bucking the rookie wall theory. “We’re proud of our rookies. It’s a tough, tough task to walk in here and get this much play time in your first year, but there might be something to that. I don’t know. I don’t believe in all that stuff.” 

Crosby then went out and blew up plays against the Chargers just as he has all season long, helping the Raiders pull out of a four-game slide.

Crosby leads the Raiders in basically every pressure category including sacks (8.5), QB hits (13), tackles for loss (15), and forced fumbles (3). Four of those sacks came in the team’s tenth game of the season. He’s also had at least one tackle for loss in each of the past seven games.

It should come as no surprise that Crosby isn’t slowing down. He was the harding working player in training camp and he’s got energy for days. Or in this case, months.

With one game remaining in the season, the Raiders have 30.0 sacks on the season. That’s good for 26th in the league, which may not seem like anything to sing about, but the last season the Raiders were dead last in the league by a considerable margin. They had 13.0 total sacks and of the defensive ends still on the team, they had a combined ONE (Arden Key).

This season the defensive ends on the team have a combined 24.0 sacks. Crosby’s 8.5 sacks leads the way, then behind him is veteran Benson Mayowa (7.0), then rookie top pick Clelin Ferrell (4.5), and finally Arden Key (2.0) and newcomer Dion Jordan (2.0).

Josh Jacobs not expected to play in Raiders season finale in Denver

Christmas morning Josh Jacobs woke up feeling not so good. And by that night, he was in surgery for a skin infection. The surgery went well, and all appears to be well in that regard. But Jacobs has bigger problems. Namely his shoulder injury. The …

Christmas morning Josh Jacobs woke up feeling not so good. And by that night, he was in surgery for a skin infection. The surgery went well, and all appears to be well in that regard. But Jacobs has bigger problems. Namely his shoulder injury.

The injury kept him out of last Sunday’s game against the Chargers and based on a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it will keep him out again this week when the team travels to Denver to face the Broncos.

The skin infection would seem to most to complicate any chance Jacobs had of playing in the finale. Though Gruden insisted on Thursday any decision on Jacobs’s status was based solely on the shoulder injury.

“His shoulder is the issue,” Gruden said of Jacobs. “Unfortunately, he does have a skin infection and that I think will be ok but it’s his shoulder. It’s been his shoulder. It is his is shoulder and that’s the area that we’ve got to take a good look at.”

Raiders-Broncos Thursday injury report: No concussion but Trayvon Mullen 1 of 6 starters to miss practice

Last Sunday in Los Angeles, the Raiders came out with their first win in five games, but also came out considerably banged up. Thursday, five starters missed practice, including Josh Jacobs, Tyrell Williams, Richie Incognito, Gabe Jackson, Josh …

Last Sunday in Los Angeles, the Raiders came out with their first win in five games, but also came out considerably banged up. Thursday, five starters missed practice, including Josh Jacobs, Tyrell Williams, Richie Incognito, Gabe Jackson, Josh Jacobs, Lamarcus Joyner, and Trayvon Mullen.

Jacobs has the top story today as he had surgery on Wednesday and initially it was unknown what the surgery was for or how it would affect his status on Sunday. Gruden went about trying to clear that up.

“He has a skin infection and that will have nothing to do with his playing status,” Gruden said of Jacobs. “His shoulder is the issue and we’ll anxiously see how he is tomorrow.”

Williams stepped up against his former team on Sunday and Thursday he was stepping back, again with his nagging plantar fascia injury. Gruden said the injury was “uncomfortable” for Williams and if he can’t go, Marcell Ateman would replace him in the lineup.

Mullen was taken off the field on a stretcher and to the hospital last Sunday after a hard collision with teammate Curtis Riley. Since then, all news has been good news for Mullen, despite the fact that he was not at practice Thursday.

“He’s pretty good, he’s got an illness not related to what happened in LA,” Gruden said of Mullen, referencing the Chargers game.

“No concussion. You have to be evaluated anytime they ask or request that you be evaluated and when there’s an injury of that concern there is a standard protocol that you go through and I believe he’s passed it with flying colors and hopefully he’ll be ready to go.”

Incognito missed last week’s game with Denzelle Good filling in admirably at left guard. It doesn’t look great for Incognito’s chances for this week either, with Gruden saying Incognito is “questionable at very best” for this game.

No word on yet on Joyner’s or Jackson’s chances of playing.

Broncos 3.5-point favorites over visiting Raiders in season finale

Broncos 3.5-point favorites over visiting Raiders in season finale

The Broncos are out of playoff contention. The Raiders are hanging on by a thread, but are not officially out of it. But that doesn’t matter to the oddsmakers who have the 6-9 Broncos favored by 3.5 points over the 7-8 Raiders according to various betting sites.

As usual, it’s about what these teams have done for you lately. And the Raiders broke a 4-game losing streak last week while Broncos have won three of their last four games. They’ve also won three straight at home.

The key has been the emergence of QB Drew Lock who has started the past four games and has completed 64.8% of his passes for 843 yards, 6 TDs and 3 interceptions in his four starts. His 210.8 yards per game isn’t setting the world on fire, but there is no denying this team has played considerably better than it had under Brandon Allen and Joe Flacco before him.

The Broncos had a hiccup against the Chiefs — the Raiders know all about that — but the other three wins the past four weeks, they have outscored their opponents by an average of 7 points per game.

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Raiders RB Josh Jacobs has Christmas Day surgery

While most of you were probably on your couch watching a Christmas movie, Raiders running back Josh Jacobs spent Christmas night laying in a hospital bed. The rookie posted a pic on Instagram Wednesday night that he had surgery done. The early word …

While most of you were probably on your couch watching a Christmas movie, Raiders running back Josh Jacobs spent Christmas night laying in a hospital bed. The rookie posted a pic on Instagram Wednesday night that he had surgery done.

Jacobs missed the game last week in Los Angeles as he has been dealing with a shoulder injury the past 8 weeks. He does not say if the procedure was on his shoulder or something else and it sound relatively minor. Early reports are that it won’t affect his status for the team’s season finale in Denver on Sunday.

The Raiders had a walk-thru on Tuesday (Christmas Eve) and Jacobs participated, though they listed him as DNP on their estimated injury report Wednesday with the shoulder injury and an illness.

We will see shortly if Jacobs takes the field for practice and Gruden will speak afterward and should be able to offer some more details on the nature of the surgery and how likely it is that he will be able to play Sunday.

 

Raiders select South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw in latest PFF mock draft

Raiders select South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw in latest PFF mock draft

Despite wide receiver and linebacker being the two biggest needs for the Raiders heading into 2020, we can’t neccesairly bank on them using their two first-round picks to upgrade those positions. Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden are building this team from the inside out and have put an emphasis on finding young defensive line talent.

Luckily for the Raiders, the 2020 draft is loaded with players across the defensive line, specifically at defensive tackle. One player that has to be considered for a possible first-round selection is South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw.

At 6’6, 310 pounds, Kinlaw has played all across the defensive line for the Gamecocks this season. In 12 games, he’s recorded 35 tackles, six tackles for a loss and six sacks. He was recently given to the Raiders in a mock draft by Pro Football Focus at pick No. 18:

The Raiders get their version of division rival Chris Jones. At 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, Kinlaw has all the physical traits you could want. Oh, and he also has the on-field production, with 40 pressures and a 90.7 pass-rushing grade this year.

The Raiders have some young defensive tackles that they like in Maurice Hurst and P.J. Hall, along with veteran Johnathan Hankins. But it’s a spot on the team that could always use more help. If Oakland wants to continue to upgrade their pass-rush, selecting Kinlaw would undoubtedly help. Keep an eye on him during the draft process as a possible selection for the Raiders.

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Raiders Week 16 Ballers & Busters vs Chargers

This season apparently it’s the Chargers who are the cure for what ails the Raiders. The Raiders broke their 4-game losing streak, scoring the most points (24) they have scored since the last time they played the Chargers (26). Meanwhile the defense …

This season apparently it’s the Chargers who are the cure for what ails the Raiders. The Raiders broke their 4-game losing streak, scoring the most points (24) they have scored since the last time they played the Chargers (26). Meanwhile the defense held the Chargers to 19 yards on the ground and 17 points overall.

In so doing, the Raiders actually stayed in the playoff race heading into week 17. It’s one of only a handful of times in the past 17 years the Raiders had something to play for in the final week.

Top Baller: WR Hunter Renfrow

The Raiders scored on their opening possession thanks to a pass to Renfrow on a slant in which he bounced off the initial tackle attempt and raced 56 yards to paydirt. It was the first of five third down conversions by Renfrow on the day. In total he caught 7 passes for 107 yards in the game – his first 100-yard game at any level, as it happens.

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RB Marshawn Lynch comes out of retirement again, returning to the Seahawks

RB Marshawn Lynch comes out of retirement again, returning to the Seahawks

He’s back! Again! For the second time, Marshawn Lynch is coming out of retirement. And this is no ceremonial thing either. He is coming back to suit up for the Seahawks as they face their rival San Francisco 49ers in the season finale. Lynch’s agent Doug Hendrickson announced the move Monday night.

Lynch last played in the league in 2018 for the Raiders after having come out of his first retirement to sign on with his hometown team in 2017. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry in 21 starts in Oakland.

At the age of 33, he was ready and willing to return for the Raiders, but they moved on, drafting Josh Jacobs in the first round last April. Mama Lynch could be seen regularly at Raiders games in her son’s 24 Raiders jersey. I spoke to her about a month ago and she made it clear that any time the Raiders wanted him, he was ready to come back.

It wasn’t the Raiders who called, but it was a former team of his. He will suit up again for Pete Carroll’s Seahawks and perhaps this time he’ll finish his career in Seattle. At 11-4, the Seahawks have already clinched a playoff spot.

But if they beat the 49ers on Sunday, they would win the NFC West and jump from the wildcard road team to either hosting in the wildcard round or getting a first-round bye. If they think Beast Mode would make the difference, it’s a great signing.

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Brandon Parker back to the bench as David Sharpe gets nod at right tackle for Raiders in finale

Right tackle Trent Brown played played through a lot of injuries this season. When a couple leg injuries caused him to miss the team’s week seven game in Green Bay, it was David Sharpe who stepped in for him for that game. Ultimately it was a …

Right tackle Trent Brown played played through a lot of injuries this season. When a couple leg injuries caused him to miss the team’s week seven game in Green Bay, it was David Sharpe who stepped in for him for that game. Ultimately it was a pectoral injury knocked him out for the season and this time it was Brandon Parker who was given the start.

Parker started the past three games in place of Brown and has had a rough go of it each time. Sunday, he got the start and 20 snaps into the game, he was benched in favor of David Sharpe. It’s now Sharpe’s job to lose. As it probably should have been all along.

“Brandon Parker struggled and we made a change and right now that ball’s in Sharpe’s corner,” Gruden said Monday. “We plan on starting Sharpe, he deserves it. He did some good things as the game unfolded.”

Sharpe would play 49 snaps in the game, some at tight end in jumbo packages early on and then at right tackle the rest of the way. The former fourth round pick has proven to be the better option to replace Brown. They have given Parker ample opportunities to show he has improved, but they can’t afford to take that risk again with the playoffs potentially in the balance.

Derek Carr: ‘Unbelievable’ Raiders still in playoff chase, and the scenario gets crazier

Derek Carr: ‘Unbelievable’ Raiders still in playoff chase, and the scenario gets crazier

A crushing defeat to the Jaguars last week left the Raiders clinging to the slimmest of playoff chances. And even discussing playoffs coming off a four-game losing streak seemed kind of ridiculous. Today alone, five different games had to go a certain way for the Raiders not to be eliminated. And crazy as that scenario seemed, ALL FIVE HAPPENED.

The first four were all early Sunday games. The Ravens beat the Browns, Jets beat the Steelers, Saints beat the Titans and Colts beat the Panthers. With the stars aligned, all the Raiders had to do was hold up their end and beat the Chargers. They did that, coming out with a 24-17 victory in Los Angeles.

Now sitting at 7-8, the best the Raiders can do is to finish at .500, but with the way the playoff picture has looked, that could still be good enough.

“To say that we’re still playing week 17 for something, that’s unbelievable,” said Derek Carr. . . “Really what our team has been able to accomplish. No one thought we could do that, let’s be honest. No one thought we’d play week 17 for the playoffs, let’s just keep it real.”

What’s most unbelievable to Carr and his head coach about this is the road the Raiders took to get here. Including a considerable amount of injuries. The Raiders were without their starting left guard, right tackle, and running back for this week. Not to mention earlier season losses of their starting middle linebacker and both starting safeties.

The injuries continued in this game with the team losing starting cornerback Trayvon Mullen to a neck injury. So a further hobbled Raiders team will head into week 17 against the Broncos.

Just like this week, it will take a crazy series of game results falling their way in order to get into the postseason too.

The Ravens must beat the Steelers, Texans must beat the Titans, Colts must beat the Jaguars, and, of course, the Raiders must win in Denver. If any one of those things does not happen, the Raiders are out. But if, like this week, they all happen, “unbelievable” won’t begin to cover how the Raiders managed to find their way into the postseason.

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