Raiders-Jets Wednesday injury report: Lamarcus Joyner ‘got in some work’ in walk-thru, still listed as DNP

When practice began Wednesday, Lamarcus Joyner was on the field with his teammates. The nickel corner had missed all last week and Sunday’s game against the Bengals with a hamstring injury he suffered late in the win over the Chargers two weeks ago.

The severity of the injury is not known, but it was a non-contact injury, which can often be the scariest kind. So, it seemed a promising sight that he was on the field.

Wednesday was just a walk-thru, so not a lot can be taken from Joyner’s presence.

“He got in some work,” Gruden said of Joyner. “I don’t know what he’ll be listed as, probably limited. We got all these words we gotta use. We weren’t doing much today, as you can see in terms of full speed. But we got a lot of reps to get familiarized with who we’re playing. I’m hopeful he’ll be ready to play, but we’ll see how it goes when we lather him up tomorrow.”

Well, he ended up being listed as not practicing. That isn’t a false listing because the team wasn’t having a full practice. It’s more of an estimation that says had the Raiders been practicing full, he would not have been out there.

As for the Jets, they appear to have had a full practice and at least their Wednesday injury report is quite lengthy. As always, it will matter more whether all these same players are missing or limited on Thursday as often times Wednesday is a rest day.

#Raiders #Jets Wednesday injury report: Lamarcus Joyner listed as DNP as team does only walk-thru today. pic.twitter.com/joDp38mSZg

— Levi Damien (@LeviDamien) November 20, 2019

[vertical-gallery id=57972]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders narrowly favored over Jets in New York

[jwplayer CyWAa1YN-ThvAeFxT]

Two weeks ago, the Raiders were a 4-4 team, and the Jets were sitting at 1-7. Since then, both sides have not lost. The Raiders have beaten the Chargers and Bengals to win their third straight, and the Jets have beaten their New York roomie Giants and Washington.

You would figure a 6-4 team would be rather heavily favored over a 3-7 team, but that isn’t the case this week with the Raiders and Jets. The Raiders are favored, but by just 2.5 points at BetMGM.

There are probably a couple reasons for this narrow line favoring the Raiders. First off, the Raiders may have won three straight, but all were one-score games. Even their win over the winless Bengals was by just seven points. The Raiders were a 10.5-point favorite, so they didn’t cover that spread.

The Jets, on the other hand, have put up 34 points each of the past two weeks and doubled up Washington last week. The Jets’ other win this season was over the Cowboys, who, as it happens, also now sit at 6-4 on the season.

The other reason is simply that the game is in New York. The Raiders are 5-1 at home (if you count the game in London) but are 1-3 on the road this season. Those kinds of things are factored into how the lines are calculated.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[vertical-gallery id=57972]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders playoff odds increase to 56 percent with win versus Jets

[jwplayer CyWAa1YN-ThvAeFxT]

Despite the three-game winning streak, the Oakland Raiders are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture. They are the No. 7 seed in AFC, just behind the Buffalo Bills (7-3) and the Houston Texans (6-4).

However, things can change very quickly in the AFC, and with the Raiders facing the 3-7 Jets on Sunday, a win could quickly put them in the driver’s seat in the wild card race.

According to the New York Times playoff simulator, the Raiders currently have a 45 percent chance of making the playoffs. But with a win on Sunday, those odds increase to 56 percent, regardless of any other outcome over the weekend. If teams such as the Colts or Steelers lose, those odds can move all the way up into the 60s.

However, a loss on Sunday would be devastating to the team’s playoff chances. Losing to the Jets would drop their playoff odds down to just 29 percent as Oakland would essentially need to win four of their final five games to make the postseason.

While Sunday’s game is just one of 16 for the Raiders, it feels much more important than that. Oakland needs the win to stay on pace with teams like the Colts, Steelers, and Bills, especially with a Week 13 matchup with the Chiefs looming.

[vertical-gallery id=57972]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Could penalties be the reason the Raiders don’t make the playoffs?

Could penalties be the reason the Raiders don’t make the playoffs in 2019?

After winning a third-straight game, the Oakland Raiders are on track to potentially steal a wild card spot in the second year of this new rebuild. At 6-4, Oakland’s chances of making the playoffs sit at 45 percent, according to the New York Times.

If Oakland wants to make the playoffs, they are likely going to need to win four of their final six games to do so. While the schedule is pretty soft for the Raiders, there are reasons to be concerned about this team going forward. One potential downfall could be the team’s high penalty rate this season.

According to NFL Penalties.com, the Raiders have been flagged 88 times this season, just behind the Cardinals at 94, who have played one more game this season. In a recent piece by Bleacher Report, penalties, especially defensive penalties, were named the biggest kryptonite for the Raiders going forward:

The Raiders have been flagged a league-high 46 times on defense. That includes a ridiculous nine pass interference calls. No other defense has committed 40 penalties.

Oakland has lost a lot of talent on defense by way of injuries, so they can ill afford to continue to give away free yardage each week. If the Raiders are serious about making the playoffs this season, penalties are something they have to clean up going into the final six games of the season.

[vertical-gallery id=57972]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow ranked as PFF’s 8th-best rookie in 2019

[jwplayer CyWAa1YN-ThvAeFxT]

Heading into the 2019 NFL draft, it was no secret that Oakland was searching for a new slot receiver. Seth Roberts was gone, and they had nobody on the roster to fill that role. Luckily, Jon Gruden and his coaching staff had the opportunity to coach at the Senior Bowl, where they got to see the best slot receiver in all of the nation up close; Clemson’s Hunter Renfrow.

Despite a somewhat slow start, Renfrow has caught fire over the last month, catching 19 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns in his previous four games. While Renfrow will likely never be a true No. 1 receiver, he’s already becoming one of Derek Carr’s favorite targets.

In a recent piece by Pro Football Focus, the site named the top-10 graded rookies so far from the 2019 class. Not surprisingly, Josh Jacobs continues to sit in the No. 1 spot. But it’s Renfrow who has suddenly made an appearance inside of the top-10 at No. 8. Take a look at what Pro Football Focus has to say about the rookie receiver:

The longtime Clemson Tiger and now Oakland Raider Hunter Renfrow has been heating up over the last few weeks, ranking second in PFF grade for a wide receiver since Week 9. Playing in Gruden’s west coast offense that lives and dies by horizontal passing, Renfrow is a critical component and has really helped the offense as a whole. On slant and crossing routes specifically, Renfrow is tied for seventh in PFF receiving grade.

If Oakland can find a true No. 1 receiver this offseason, that should open up things in the middle even more for Renfrow going forward. He clearly knows his role and is a perfect fit in Gruden’s West Coast offense. Look for the rookie to continue to be targeted frequently in the team’s final six games.

[vertical-gallery id=57972]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

[jwplayer 8bRKg48f-ThvAeFxT]

The awards and notoriety just keep coming for Raiders’ defensive end Maxx Crosby. After his dominant performance on Sunday against the Bengals, the 2019 fourth-round pick from Eastern Michigan was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his game in Week 11.

Crosby finished the contest with five tackles, four sacks and three tackles for a loss. He recorded three sacks in the fourth quarter as the Bengals were trying to find a way to tie the ballgame. However, Crosby was in the backfield all day long.

Crosby should have a chance to have another big game this week as the Raiders will travel to New York to take on the Jets. With the Jets’ subpar offensive line, look for Crosby to continue his hot streak into Week 12.

[vertical-gallery id=57972]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders Week 11 Ballers & Busters vs Bengals

Sunday, the Raiders won their third straight to reach a 6-4 record on the season. None of them were convincing wins, not even this one against the 0-9 Bengals. But what matters is who came out with the W.

Pulling out one-score wins like this requires clutch performances. The Raiders got a few of those Sunday.

Top Baller: DE Maxx Crosby

Four. Sacks. Not much else needs to be said about that. It was the most sacks in a game by a Raider since Khalil Mack had five sacks in a game back in 2015.

Crosby’s first sack was a strip-sack that Maurice Hurst recovered for the Raiders. A fumble on the ensuing Raiders’ possession would lead to a touchdown drive by the Bengals to go up 7-0. The next Bengals possession ended with a three-and-out, Crosby pressured QB Ryan Finley to force an incompletion.

A late first-half drive, the Bengals were approaching scoring range, and Crosby was held. They would miss a 53-yard field goal attempt to go into the half with a 14-7 Raiders lead.

The Raiders were holding onto a 14-10 lead to begin the 4th quarter, and on the first play, Crosby drove right through left tackle John Jerry to sack Finley for a second time.

On the ensuing drive, the Raiders would extend the lead to 17-10. Plays of 17 and 16 yards would put the Bengals at the Oakland 44-yard-line. And here came Crosby again to put them back in their own territory with a 9-yard sack. Two plays later, he pressured Finley resulting in a stop for no gain. The drive ended two plays later with a turnover on downs.

With 1:54 remaining, the Bengals needed to drive 80 yards for a touchdown. On the first play, Crosby shot into the backfield to get his fourth sack. On 2nd and 19, Finley threw deep and was picked off to end the game.

[lawrence-newsletter]

Pages: 12345678

The Raiders’ defense is finally coming into its own after 10 games

The Raiders defense has been vital during three game-winning streak. Raiders wire takes a look at how the defense is coming into its own

[jwplayer 6Q40ShvH-ThvAeFxT]

When the Oakland Raiders lost by a large margin to the Green Bay Packers Week 7, the defense was at it’s the lowest point of the season. In that game alone, they allowed Aaron Rodgers to throw five touchdowns and finish the game with a passing EPA of 25.3, according to Sports Info Solutions.

The defense couldn’t generate a pass rush and was picked apart in the secondary throughout the matchup leading to an embarrassing performance.

After the game, the coaching staff realized there was a need for change to the defensive unit. The front office went to work and started with trading former first-round pick Gareon Conley to the Houston Texans, earning a third-round selection in the process.

This allowed the Raiders to see what they have in the second-round pick from 2019, Trayvon Mullen. The Raiders adjusted their defensive line as well, moving Clelin Ferrell primarily to the defensive end position after having the former Clemson star work inside on passing downs.

These adjustments took a while to click with the Raiders defense struggling the next two weeks against the Texans and the Detroit Lions. However, against the Chargers, fans saw the defense add value to the 2019 Raiders, and this continued into their matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Bengals, the Raiders have allowed a measly 4.5 yards per play. Before this two-game stretch, the Raiders were allowing 6.3 yards per play, which was 30^th in the NFL. Now, they have moved up to 25^th,finally getting below the 6 yards per play mark at 5.9.

Much of this improvement is established by the growth of the pass rush and better play in the secondary. The Raiders have 12 sacks in the past three weeks, with five each during the two previous outings. For perspective, The Raiders finished with just 13 sacks in 2018.

The rise of young rookies like Maxx Crosby has added a much-needed boost to a dormant pass rush that has plagued the Raiders since they lost Khalil Mack. Dion Jordan was a welcome addition as well, Crosby spoke about his presence rushing from the interior after the game. “Having Dion Jordan next to me with his speed coming inside was super helpful,” Crosby said.

The secondary has created 4 takeaways over the past two games as well and a passer rating of 48.25. While one game was against rookie quarterback Ryan Finley, the other was against a supposedly hot quarterback Phillip Rivers. Erik Harris has stepped up his play tremendously, and rookie cornerback

Mullen is starting to come into his own as a player. Mullen was the highest-graded cornerback last week at 91.0, according to Pro Football Focus with Daryle Worley and Nevin Lawson not too far behind him after an excellent performance.

All of this is critical for the Raiders going forward as they make a playoff push for either the wildcard or the division championship. The last two games were not the best from an offense that carried this team to a 4-4 record winning games where they were the clear underdogs. The defense helping the Raiders secure games might help them secure a playoff spot as well.

[vertical-gallery id=57972]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders rookies Maxx Crosby, Trayvon Mullen make PFF’s Week 11 Team of the Week

[jwplayer 6Q40ShvH-ThvAeFxT]

The Oakland Raiders’ rookie class has been discussed ad nausesm on this website and among others. However, Sunday’s game was arguably the best for the class as numerous players had career days for the Raiders.

Two of which were Maxx Crosby and Trayvon Mullen, who both appeared onPro Football Focus’ Week 11 Team of the Week:

The Week 11 Team of the Week is LIVE! 📈🔽:https://t.co/aQ8ihRnqjl pic.twitter.com/S9L8RSVxKJ

— PFF (@PFF) November 19, 2019

Crosby had a historic day, finishing the game with four sacks, three of which came in the fourth quarter. He recorded eight total pressures as he finished as the highest-graded edge defender of the week with a grade of 90.2.

Mullen recorded the game-winning interception, but that’s not the only reason he was successful. According to Pro Football Focus, Mullen allowed just 17 receiving yards on seven targets. Without Gareon Conley on the team, Mullen has picked up the slack as the team’s other cornerback opposite of Daryl Worley, and he is starting to thrive.

Mullen and Crosby’s Week 11 performances should be very encouraging for the Raiders going forward, considering these were two players who were drafted outside of the first round who are becoming stars before our eyes. Look for the two to continue to play a ton of snaps in the final six games of the season for the Raiders.

Raiders still outside the playoff picture in the AFC

[jwplayer 6Q40ShvH-ThvAeFxT]

The Raiders have won three straight games and have put themselves in an excellent position to potentially make the playoffs this season. Despite their 6-4 record, the Raiders are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff bracket.

Through Week 11, the Raiders are now the No. 7 seed in the AFC, just behind the Buffalo Bills (7-4) and Houston Texans (6-4) for a potential wild-card berth. They also sit one game ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5) and Tennessee Titans (5-5), who both have playoff aspirations, as well.

Take a look at the updated standings in the AFC now that Week 11 has come to its conclusion:

AFC
SEED	TEAM	DIVISION	RECORD
1	New England	East	9-1-0
2	Baltimore	North	8-2-0
3	Kansas City	West	7-4-0
4	Indianapolis	South	6-4-0
5	Buffalo	East	7-3-0
6	Houston	South	6-4-0
OUT OF PLAYOFFS
7	Oakland	West	6-4-0
8	Pittsburgh	North	5-5-0
9	Tennessee	South	5-5-0
10	Cleveland	North	4-6-0
11	Jacksonville	South	4-6-0
12	Los Angeles	West	4-7-0
13	Denver	West	3-7-0
14	N.Y. Jets	East	3-7-0
15	Miami	East	2-8-0

In Week 12, Raiders fans should root for the Texans to beat the Colts on Thursday night as Oakland has the tiebreaker over Indianapolis and not Houston. If the Colts were to fall, Oakland could substantially jump them in the wild-card standings for the foreseeable future.

There is still a lot of football to be played, and the Raiders still have work to do. But considering expectations heading into the season, I suspect most Raiders’ fans are happy with their current seeding.