Tag: christopher smith

Busters for Raiders Week 6 loss vs Steelers

The poor performances that led to the Raiders collapse against the Steelers.

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. The Raiders did it time and time again in this game. So, as you can imagine, there were a lot of Busters for this one. Let’s get to it.

Busters

HC Antonio Pierce

Just like last week in Denver, one mistake and this team lost its way and went off the rails. Everything just fell apart. And kept falling apart. One thing after another. First it was randomly giving a rookie a carry and then that rookie fumbling the ball away. That seemed to be the mistake that sent the team into their spiral.

From there it was a roughing penalty that wiped away an interception (leading to a touchdown), a holding penalty that wiped away a long completion (leading to a punt), a blocked punt (leading to a field goal), another roughing the passer penalty that kept a drive alive (leading to a touchdown).

Those mistakes put the Steelers up 22-7. The Raiders would mount a drive that looked to have ended with a touchdown. Twice. The first time, a Mattison TD catch was wiped away by a highly questionable ineligible man downfield penalty on Jackson Powers-Johnson. That sucks, sure, but on the next play Ameer Abdullah ran toward the endzone, diving for the goal line and looked like he may have scored. He was ruled down at the one, but after further review, it looked like he may have gotten in. But rather than challenge it, Pierce rushed the offense to the line for another play. Abdullah got the ball again and fumbled it away.

That was as close as the Raiders would get to making a game of it. An interception on the next possession gave the Steelers first and goal and they put the game away with over eight minutes left. What a discombobulated mess this team is right now. It started in week three and has only gotten worse since then. The blame starts with the head coach.

QB Aidan O’Connell

Everything looked great on the opening drive! But once things went off script, all that ended. Two consecutive three-and-out possessions in which he went three of five for seven yards.

O’Connell was overthrowing his receivers a lot in this game. Either too high or too long. Four of the first five drives from the end of the second quarter to fourth quarter ended with passes that were too high. The final one led to the game sealing interception.

RB Dylan Laube

His fumble started the implosion. His first career carry was a fumble. That’s gotta hurt.

DT Matthew Butler

That fumble would have been largely forgotten had Deablo’s interception stood. It didn’t because Butler was flagged for roughing the passer. It was an iffy call, but Butler made it easy when, after he landed on top of Justin Fields, he stayed in his face for a few seconds taunting him.

S Chris Smith II

It was still a one score game to begin the third quarter. Then AJ Cole’s punt was blocked. And it was Smith who missed his block that caused it. The Steelers got the ball inside the ten and added a field goal to make it an eight point game.

DE K’Lavon Chaisson

Chaisson got his first sack as a Raider. But before we could congratulate him on it, the very next play he was flagged for roughing the passer on a play the Raiders had stopped to force a punt. Instead the drive was kept alive and led to a touchdown.

LB Robert Spillane

That touchdown after the Chaisson roughing penalty came on a 36-yard run by Najee Harris who took the handoff out left and Spillane missed the tackle, allowing Harris to be gone for the score. The next Steelers touchdown after the interception came on a play action fake in which Justin Fields kept it on a naked boot. But Spillane bit hard on the play fake and Fields was already streaking for the end zone by the time he realized what was happening.

His eight tackles in this game were is fewest of the season and the first time he failed to hit double digits. That’s gotta sting against his former team.

RB Ameer Abdullah

From what could have been a touchdown to a fumble. Hero to goat. In one play. The Raiders defense held up to get the ball back. But Abdullah muffed the punt which had their drive starting at their own 13. That wasn’t his first mistake on punt return duties either. In the second quarter, he fielded a punt and ran backward, losing a yard to be stopped at the 16.

See the Ballers

10 veterans and returning Raiders firmly on roster bubble

There are a lot of new faces in Raiders camp this year. And with new faces comes new competition to beat out familiar faces. Likewise there are a few veteran players on this team who could see their jobs taken by new blood. These are the ten …

There are a lot of new faces in Raiders camp this year. And with new faces comes new competition to beat out familiar faces. Likewise there are a few veteran players on this team who could see their jobs taken by new blood.

These are the ten returning Raiders and veterans most in danger of being on the outside looking in come roster cutdown day.

This eight-year veteran backup is only here because he’s familiar with Luke Getsy’s system. That only goes so far though. The team could very decide to keep only two quarterbacks on the active roster. And it wouldn’t take much for a more intriguing option to come available on the waiver wire.

Along with being injured through most of camp, this sixth year veteran just hasn’t looked special in his time on the field. Other than Tom Telesco knowing him from their time with the Chargers, Guyton doesn’t really offer anything invaluable to the team. They could be better off taking a chance on Tyreik McAllister or snagging a talented receiver on the waiver wire.

This sixth-year veteran appeared in one game for the Raiders last season. The Raiders would have to, first of all, keep four tight ends for him to stick. And second of all, he’d have to prove he is the best choice. And quite frankly Cole Fotheringham has looked better.

Meredith has been with the Raiders the past two seasons and appeared in 17 games last season. There is eight offensive lineman ahead of him, all of whom have a very good chance of making this roster. He is the one who will be sweating it out on Tuesday and probably Wednesday as well.

He appeared in just six games as a rookie, with no starts. Not exactly what you hope to get from a third round pick. He has admitted he had an attitude problem, which is commendable. But his level of play has not offered any indication that he has made a second year leap. He was on the field a lot in the finale, after which head coach Antonio Pierce was not at all pleased with the play of the interior line.

Nesta Jade Silvera was also in that 2023 class. He was selected in the seventh round. He was also on that line that was getting gashed on the ground against the 49ers. There has been an opening for someone to step up and be the fourth interior defensive lineman. Has he shown he can be that guy? I’m not sure he has.

Is it possible the Raiders could cut all three of these former drafted defensive tackles? Sure it is. Antonio Pierce made it clear that he will be looking to the waiver to try and improve the depth along the interior defensive line. There is a chance one of these three sticks on the initial 53, but it’s just as likely that will be a short stay in favor of a waiver claim.

This 2023 sixth round pick looked good at times this preseason. But he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Meanwhile undrated rookie Amari Gainer has looked great. If Burney doesn’t head for injured reserve, he may just lose out to Gainer.

Speaking of guys who can’t stay healthy. Facyson missed almost the entire 2023 season and now he’s been missing since early in camp. If the best ability is availability, the Raiders can’t hang onto him in the hopes that he can get healthy and stay that way. Either he heads to IR, or they give up on him and move on.

Smith has a fairly good chance of sticking around. But he’s down the depth chart far enough that he is in some danger here. The Raiders selected the Jim Thorpe Award winner Trey Taylor in this past draft, so you’d figure they’d like to hold onto him, making Smith potentially the fifth safety, providing they keep that many safeties on the initial 53.

See my full Raiders 53-man roster prediction

Raiders winners and losers in 24-24 preseason tie vs. 49ers

The Raiders closed the preseason with a tie, even though Las Vegas played its reserves against 49ers starters. Who stood out the most?

The Raiders preseason finally came to a close on Friday night in a 24-24 tie against the 49ers in Las Vegas, as coach Antonio Pierce sat his starters while the 49ers played many of their stars, including quarterback Brock Purdy. Still, the Raiders’ reserves held their own, especially on defense.

The Las Vegas offense was without its top two quarterbacks and struggled early, but the Raiders’ special teams had a big day. Tyreik McAllister took an 81-yard punt return to the house for the Raiders’ first score of the night, and he added a touchdown catch later in the game for good measure.

McAllister was easily the biggest winner of the night. Here are the rest of the players who stood out this week, for better or worse.

Winner: DE Janarius Robinson

Before we get to McAllister’s big day, defensive end Janarious Robinson deserves his due. He had a tackle for loss on the 49ers’ first drive, helping the Raiders hold the San Francisco starting offense to a field goal.

Robinson led a strong pass rush for Las Vegas and pressured Purdy into a second-quarter interception. He was a lock to make the roster coming into this game and his pass-rush ability provides key depth up front.

Winner: WR Tyreik McAllister

The Raiders have been looking for depth at wide receiver and McAllister made a statement on Friday night. A former star in the Canadian Football League, McAllister scored the Raiders first points of the night on an 81-yard punt return.

His touchdown catch was equally impressive, perhaps even more so. He made an athletic adjustment on a throw by QB Carter Bradley.

It’s hard to say whether McAllister will make the Raiders’ final cut. But his chances are certainly much higher after this performance.

Winner: DBs Sam Webb and Chris Smith II

The Raiders reserves had the last laugh against Purdy, who made his share of splash plays. On Purdy’s final snap of the game, pressure from Robinson forced a throw into tight coverage by Raiders cornerback Sam Webb. Webb tipped the ball in the air, and safety Chris Smith II was in perfect position to intercept the ball.

Winner: LB Amari Gainer

Linebacker Amari Gainer made his case to remain a Raider with his play on defense and special teams. He recorded an impressive special teams tackle early in the game and finished with more than 10 tackles on defense, including two tackles for loss. He had a late penalty for a hit to the head, but that hardly put a damper on his day.

Winner: WR Kristian Wilkerson

Though he didn’t have the day McAllister did, WR Kristian Wilkerson gave the Raiders brass more to think about on cut-down day with his touchdown grab from quarterback Nathan Peterman.

Loser: RB Dylan Laube

Rookie running back Dylan Laube got the starting nod on Friday and appeared primed for his breakout moment. For a minute, he did break out. But after several impressive plays, he was belted by a 49ers defender after a nice catch and run. He fumbled the football and didn’t see action at running back for the rest of the game.

Laube still got some touches on special teams, which probably helped sustain his confidence. He’ll need it if he wants to contribute to the Raiders offense this season.

Loser: WR Jalen Guyton

Wide receiver Jalen Guyton had to make an impact on Friday to make the roster, and while he had some key catches on the Raiders’ touchdown drive to close the first half, he was outdone by McAllister and Wilkerson.

This game was a reversal from the Raiders’ loss against the Cowboys last week when Las Vegas starters faced Dallas backups. The Raiders reserves responded, and now it’s time for coach Pierce and crew to shape their final roster. Soon enough, we’ll see what this Raiders team is really made of when they face the Chargers in Week 1.

Raiders roster hopefuls get great work vs 49ers starters in preseason finale

Raiders roster hopefuls get great work vs 49ers starters in final preseason

Sometimes it can be hard to judge preseason performances because it’s usually first teamers vs first teamers, second teamers vs second teamers. But the 49ers did the Raiders a solid in the final preseaon game. They played their starters, even while the Raiders sat all their starters.

Now, the Raiders were unable to keep the 49ers from scoring. In fact, on all but the first drive, they ran through the Raiders’ backups like a hot knife through butter. But that’s to be expected. What the Raiders are looking for are small victories. Individual performances.

With these individual performances, you are actually seeing how these guys would hold up against the caliber of player they would face in games that count. And for that, the Raiders coaches should be thanking the 49ers for giving them a good look at their roster hopefuls and depth players.

Those depth players bent but didn’t break on the first drive of the day; making the stop to force the 49ers to settle for a 49-yard field goal.

That stop was brought to you by Janarius Robinson who blew past the tackle to make a tackle for a five-yard loss that the 49ers couldn’t recover from.

Though they looked out of their depth on the next drive, the third drive, they took the ball away. Making that the final play for Brock Purdy and the 49ers first team offense.

That takeaway was again led by Janarius Robinson whose pressure helped lead to a pass breakup by Sam Webb that was intercepted by Christopher Smith off the deflection.

As for the Raiders offense versus the 49ers first team defense, that was just plain bad from start to finish. Nathan Peterman led the Raiders offense to just 36 yards of offense with one first down in the first three drives. Dylan Laube looked for a moment on the second drive like he might make something happen — picking up the only first down in the first three drives — but then he fumbled the ball away.

It wasn’t until an 81-yard punt return by Tyreik McAllister that that Raiders got on the board in the first half.

Watch: Raiders backups take the ball away from 49ers starters

Watch: Raiders backups take the ball away from 49ers starters

Early in the second quarter, the 49ers still had their first teamers in the game against the Raiders crew of backups and fringe players. The first couple drives, the 49ers drove for scores. The second drive they marched down and scored the touchdown easily.

Then the Raiders turned the ball over when Dylan Laube fumbled it away. So, it looked like the 49ers might score a third time. Then the Raiders defense stepped up and took it right back.

Janarius Robinson had been terrorizing Brock Purdy all day. This time, he forced Purdy to make a quick throw and Sam Webb was there to defend it. And there was Christopher Smith to pluck it out of the air and pick it off.

5 Raiders defensive position battles to watch in preseason opener in Minnesota

Defense will be the strength of this Raiders team and there’s a lot of returning starters. But the preseason isn’t really about entrenched starters. It’s about hopefuls and those looking to be the guy who, if called upon, would keep the group from …

Defense will be the strength of this Raiders team and there’s a lot of returning starters. But the preseason isn’t really about entrenched starters. It’s about hopefuls and those looking to be the guy who, if called upon, would keep the group from missing a beat.

With that in mind, here are the top five positions battles to watch when the Raiders take on the Vikings on Saturday.

Several Raiders players get new numbers as they make 53-man roster

Raiders once had a 00. Now they have a 0 for the first time in franchise history.

Camp is over, which for many players means their camp numbers are gone too. With so many players being cut from the roster, it opens up a lot of possibilities for number changes as well.

A few players took advantage of the opportunity to change up their numbers.

0 – CB Jakorian Bennett

He becomes the first Raiders player to ever wear the number 0. The Raiders, of course, had 00 Jim Otto, but no single zero. Bennett was number 29 in camp and preseason.

14 – WR Tre Tucker

The rookie gets himself a number in the teens. He was wearing number 89 in camp and preseason while Chase Garbers wore number 14,

29 – S Chris Smith II

Smith nabs the 29 worn by Jakorian Bennett. Smith wore the number 42 in camp.

81 – TE Austin Hooper

Hooper gets the Tim Brown special. Cam Sims had worn it in camp while Hooper had worn number 82.

99 – DT Nesta Jade Silvera

Silvera wore number 97 in camp while Jordan Willis wore 99 and was cut.

Raiders sign most of draft class ahead of start to rookie camp

A bevvy of Draft class signings for Raiders on the eve of rookie camp.

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Just ahead of rookie mini camp, the Raiders have begun locking in their rookie draft class. They began rattling off the official signings today.

Here is who has signed so far:

Round 3, pick 100 WR Tre Tucker
Round 4, pick 135 QB Aidan O’Connell
Round 5, pick 170 S Christopher Smith II
Round 6, pick 203 LB Amari Burney
Round 7, pick 231 DT Nesta Jade Silvera

Tucker signs a four-year, $5.4 million deal.

O’Connell signs a four-year, $4.7 million deal.

Smith signs a four-year, $4.1 million deal.

Burney signs a four-year, $4 million contract.

Jade Silvera signs a four-year, $3.9 million deal.

None of these deals carry a cap figure that rises into the Top 51 and thus do not currently count against the Raiders 2023 cap figures.

In total the Raiders drafted nine players this year. The others are:

Round 1, pick 7 ED Tyree Wilson
Round 2, pick 35 TE Michael Mayer
Round 3, pick 70 DT Byron Young
Round 4, pick 104 CB Jakorian Bennett

Former UGA safety Christopher Smith selected in 2023 NFL draft

Christopher Smith picked by the Raiders!

Former Georgia safety Christopher Smith was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Smith was picked No. 170 overall and became Georgia’s seventh player to be taken from its back-to-back national championship-winning team.

Smith will join former Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins and running back Zamir White in Las Vegas.

Smith leaves Georgia after a five-year career in Athens. He was a starter over the last two seasons and the final five games of his sophomore season.

In 2022, Smith was a finalist for the 2022 Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defensive player. He also earned Associated Press and Coaches’ All-SEC first-team honors while starting all 15 games for the Dawgs last year.

In 55 career games, Smith recorded 132 total tackles, six tackles for a loss, one sack, six interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

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Day 3 Cleveland Browns mock draft with first three rounds complete

How will the Browns round out their 2023 draft class?

Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft saw the Cleveland Browns finally on the clock with two Day 3 picks at pick no. 74 and pick no. 98. The team addressed depth at wide receiver with the selection of Cedric Tillman at 74 before continuing to build the defensive line by selecting Siaki Ika at pick 98. Could they address defensive end with a name like Isaiah McGuire on Day 3?

The team could still use some help at edge rusher with some really intriguing options still on the board as their next pick will come at pick no. 111. They could also use more depth along the offensive line and in the running back room, let’s look at how the draft’s final day could shape up for the Browns.