Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 17 loss to Colts

Raiders went out swinging, but went out just the same.

After a big win at Arrowhead over the defending champion Chiefs in Week 16, a trip to Indianapolis to face Gardner Minshew and the Colts seemed like a very winnable game for the Raiders.

It isn’t really that simple, though. The Raiders beat the Chiefs thanks to a couple of defensive TD’s. They can’t rely on that every week.

By half time, the Colts had scored off two big catches and the Raiders offense managed just a field goal. The Colts didn’t need to score a touchdown in the second half and still pulled out the win.[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media]

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 15 rout of Chargers

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 14 route of Chargers

What an insane game this was. Four days earlier, the Raiders were shut out 3-0 by the Vikings. Then they come out in this one and not only score a touchdown on their opening drive, not only score 21 points in the first quarter, not only go up 42-0 in the first half, not only scored 49 points before the Chargers scored for the first time, but scored a franchise record 63 points in a 63-21 trouncing of the Chargers.

That was one heck of a run-on sentence.

So, you might just see a heavy dose of Ballers this week. I wasn’t even sure there’d be a Buster, but in the end I found one. But just one.

4 Vikings offensive keys in Week 14 vs. Raiders

The Vikings offense is struggling and they will need to perform well to beat the Raiders on Sunday

After having a bye week to lick their wounds from the two previous defeats, the Minnesota Vikings are back in action, this time on the road. Minnesota takes on the Las Vegas Raiders in Allegiant Stadium at 3:05 p.m. CST.

The Vikings offense struggled mightily in their two losses just before the bye week. In weeks 11 and 12, the Vikings’ offense was tied for 29th in EPA/play with the Cleveland Browns and in front of only the Carolina Panthers and the New York Jets.

Since cutting bait with Josh McDaniels and that regime, the Raiders’ defense has come alive.

Minnesota is still firmly in the playoff picture as they currently hold the second wild-card spot and the sixth seed in the playoffs. But those two losses to the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears may loom large as these were chances to distance themselves from the pack.

Instead, they are fighting off three teams with the same 6-6 record as they hold, including the Green Bay Packers, for a shot at the playoffs. Every game matters and the Vikings need to capitalize on each game.

If the Vikings want to get back to their winning ways against the Raiders, the offense has to look a lot better than it did before the bye. To do that, they will need to follow these four keys to victory.

Raiders, Jets Thursday injury report: LB Divine Deablo returns, LT Kolton Miller missing again

LB Divine Deablo returns, LT Kolton Miller missing again

Thursday brought good news and bad news for the Raiders. Good news was the return of linebacker Divine Deablo, who has missed the past couple games with an ankle injury. Bad news — and potentially very bad news — was left tackle Kolton Miller missed a second straight practice with a shoulder injury.

Also missing today for Raiders was Jakob Johnson who has not practiced since suffering a concussion in Detroit two weeks ago.

CB Marcus Peters returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s practice. He was limited along with several other Raiders players.

For the Jets, LB Chaz Surratt and T Biller Turner were once again missing.

Raiders, Jets Wednesday injury report: T Kolton Miller, CB Marcus Peters both miss practice

T Kolton Miller, CB Marcus Peters both miss practice Wednesday

Wednesday the Raiders took the practice field preparing for their attempt at an encore against the other New York City team. And they did so with a few important players.

Most notably, they were without left tackle Kolton Miller with a shoulder injury. They were also without CB Marcus Peters with a knee injury.

Still not practicing were LB Divine Deablo (ankle) and FB Jakob Johnson (concussion).

The Jets were without LB Chaz Surratt and T Billy Turner.

Raiders vs Giants final injury report: LB Divine Deablo, FB Jakob Johnson both OUT

LB Divine Deablo and LB Luke Masterson OUT. LB Robert Spillane Questionable. Yikes.

The final injury report is out and so too are several Raiders players. Among them is linebacker Divine Deablo (ankle), LB Luke Masterson (concussion), fullback Jakob Johnson (concussion), and tackle Thayer Munford (neck).

As if it the linebacker corps wasn’t already thin, Robert Spillane is officially Questionable with an injured hand.

Last Sunday the Raiders found themselves down to Amari Burney and Curtis Bolton at linebacker. They signed Jaylon Smith this week off the Saints practice squad. It may be too much to ask him to be ready in a matter of days, so they will certainly be hoping at very least Spillane can go.

The Giants will be without former Raiders TE Darren Waller who suffered a hamstring injury last week, making his return to Las Vegas not as he had hoped.

Also OUT for the Giants is QB Tyrod Taylor and K Graham Gano.

Questionable are OL Evan Neal (ankle), OL Andrew Thomas (hamstring), and RB Jashaun Corbin (hamstring).

Raiders vs Giants Thursday injury report: Raiders banged up at linebacker

Raiders vs Giants Thursday injury report: Raiders banged up at linebacker

Today the Raiders made a move to try and fortify their linebacker corps. They signed Jaylon Smith off the Saints practice squad. The hope being that he can get up to speed quickly being that he played in Patrick Graham’s defense back in 2021 for four games.

It’s a stretch, but they have little choice in the matter. Currently they are facing being without Divine Deablo (ankle) and his replacement Luke Masterson (concussion).

In addition, Robert Spillane has an injured hand that kept him out of practice Wednesday and had him limited Thursday.

Raiders vs Lions final injury report: K Daniel Carlson, CB Nate Hobbs Questionable

K Daniel Carlson, CB Nate Hobbs Questionable, Divine Deablo OUT.

For the first time in a month Raiders starting nickel corner Nate Hobbs practiced this week. He was limited all week with the ankle injury that had caused him to miss the past four games and is officially Questionable for the game.

Joining him among the Questionable is kicker Daniel Carlson who suffered a groin injury just prior to last week’s game in Chicago, causing him to miss a 41-yard field goal he normally makes with ease.

Officially OUT is starting weak side linebacker Divine Deablo.

Deablo will likely be replaced by Luke Masterson.

If Hobbs can’t go, he will once again be replaced at the nickel by either Amik Robertson or Tyler Hall. If Daniel Carlson can’t go he will be replaced by recent practice squad addition, James McCourt.

Raiders vs Lions Friday injury report: QB Jimmy Garoppolo upgraded to full practice

QB Jimmy Garoppolo upgraded to full practice

A day ago, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said he was “very hopeful” Jimmy Garoppolo would be able to play Monday Night when the team travels to Detroit to face the Lions. Friday, his hopes look to be fulfilled as Garoppolo was upgraded to full participation in practice.

This puts him in line to start the game, giving the Raiders their best chance to be competitive against a hot Lions squad.

Starting cornerback Marcus Peters, who missed practice on Thursday with a back issue, returned to practice Friday. He was limited.

Nate Hobbs returned this week after missing four weeks with an ankle injury. He was limited the past two days.

Still missing from practice was kicker Daniel Carlson (groin) and linebacker Divine Deablo (ankle).

The team signed K James McCourt to the practice squad earlier this week in case Carlson is unable to go. Should Deablo not play, Luke Masterson would start in his place.

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 4 loss to Chargers

Raiders Week 4 Ballers & Busters

It was a third straight loss for the Raiders in a game that most of the way didn’t even look close. Though the Raiders were able to make it interesting late, pulling one play away from a potential tie — they could not get over the hump and watched another one slip by them.

Ballers

DE Maxx Crosby

Crosby didn’t get the headlines because of Khalil Mack’s insane six-sack day, but the man who would eventually replace Mack with the Raiders had a good day as well. Crosby put up two sacks of his own and even led the Raiders in tackles.

RB Josh Jacobs

Easily his best game of the season. Jacobs led the team with eight catches for 81 yards for a total of 139 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.

WR Davante Adams

He and Aidan O’Connell got off to a slow start in this one, but as the game went on, they got more acquainted. In the end, Adams nearly dragged the Raiders kicking and screaming back from the depth. Five of his eight catches came on the Raiders’ final two drives, including a 19-yard catch on fourth and ten that put them in first and goal at the three. O’Connell threw an interception on the next play.

S Tre’von Moehrig

Speaking of interceptions, the Raiders got their first of the season in this game. Moehrig had two chances at picking off a Justin Herbert pass. The first one was in the end zone and he got both hands on it, but was bumped in the air by the receiver and was unable to come up with it. But the next time he got a shot at it, he made the catch.

Unfortunately, a penalty on the return would make it the equivalent of a fair catch on a punt, but that wasn’t his fault. Had his return stood, he would’ve put the Raiders in great field position.

DT John Jenkins, DT Bilal Nichols

It was good to see a couple of the Raiders’ interior linemen do some good work. Jenkins tied for second on the team in tackles, many of which were for a loss or little to no gain. He also batted a pass down at the line. Nichols held up at the line to make the stop on two separate QB sneak attempts. His tackle on Justin Herbert on a scramble just short of the sticks set up a fourth and one stop and gave the Raiders’ offense one more chance to tie it.

P AJ Cole

Cole averaged 53.8 yards per punt on five punts. This included a 61-yard punt and a 70-yard punt that was downed at the five-yard-line.

FB Jakob Johnson

Johnson was laying blocks much like we saw a lot of last season, opening some sizable holes for Josh Jacobs to run through. This included a block downfield on a Jacobs catch, allowing him to go for 21 yards on third and 18. That set up a field goal to pull to within two scores.