Derek Carr has millions of motivations to return to the field

Between guarantees for injury written into his contract and a chance at revenge against his old team, Derek Carr has millions of motivations to return to the field:

Spencer Rattler will start against the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football, but the New Orleans Saints have continued to keep the door open for Derek Carr to return at some point. With the season and hopes of a playoff berth almost over, why would Carr return to the field?

Outside of simply being a competitor, Carr has simple motivation to play again this season. Next week, New Orleans plays the Las Vegas Raiders. Getting a chance to beat his former team is an opportunity he’s been waiting for since leaving the Raiders.

The organization’s decision to move on from him infamously made Carr’s wife cry. If there is any chance to play, Carr likely won’t give up hope until that game has passed.

That’s why Carr could want to keep the door open, but what about the Saints side? Technically, the Saints still have a shot at making the playoffs. It’s a slim shot and could be over this week, but keeping the door open displays a desire for competitiveness isn’t gone. Nobody wants to go in the tank, at least not inside the building.

Carr’s injury guarantees may be a factor, too. If he plays again this season and suffers another injury, serious enough that he couldn’t pass a physical in March, the Saints would be on the hook for another $30 million that otherwise wouldn’t cash out unless they choose to pay it.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Raiders-Falcons final score helped 49ers 2025 NFL draft position

The 49ers needed that Flacons win over the Raiders on Monday.

The San Francisco 49ers’ postseason hopes are over, which means each week now becomes about where they land in the 2025 NFL draft order.

By virtue of missing the playoffs, the 49ers have secured at least a top-18 pick. Losing Thursday helped their draft pick, but it took until Monday night for the 49ers to ensure they’d get into the top 15 after 15 weeks.

Because they hold an extremely high strength of schedule, the likelihood the 49ers will get a better pick in a tiebreaker is low, so getting clear of the slew of other 6-8 teams is crucial if the club is to maximize its pick in next year’s draft. That’s why the Las Vegas Raiders’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday helped San Francisco.

With Atlanta’s 15-9 win over the Raiders, they moved to 7-7 and snapped a four-game losing skid. Had the Raiders won, the Falcons have been 6-8 and above the 49ers in the draft because of the tiebreaker. Alas, the 49ers are now slated to pick No. 15 overall because they leapfrogged the victorious Falcons in the order.

Here’s what the NFL draft order looks like with three games to go:

1. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
2. New York Giants (2-12)
3. New England Patriots (3-11)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11)
5. Carolina Panthers (3-11)
6. Tennessee Titans (3-11)
7. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
8. New York Jets (4-10)
9. Chicago Bears (4-10)
10. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-8)
12. Indianapolis Colts (6-8)
13. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8) 
14. Dallas Cowboys (6-8)
15. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
16. Atlanta Falcons (7-7)
17. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)

Given the logjams in the top and middle of the first round, there’s a ton that could change over the next few weeks. The 49ers still face the Dolphins and Cardinals in two of their final three games, and both will be massive in determining how the 2025 NFL draft order shakes out.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Are Raiders playing today in Week 15?

Are Raiders playing today in Week 15?

Will the Las Vegas Raiders be on the field today in Week 15 of the NFL schedule?

Following a Week 14 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Raiders are hosting the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football on Monday, December 16.

The 2-11 Raiders are attempting to snap a nine-game losing streak. Meanwhile the Falcons have been dealing with struggles of their own, having dropped four consecutive contests. Atlanta’s veteran starting quarterback Kirk Cousins is beginning to feel the pressure, with fans calling for the team to insert rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. into the lineup. Cousins is expected to start versus the Raiders, however.

Raiders’ 2024 schedule

  • Week 12: vs. Broncos (L, 19-29)
  • Week 13: at Chiefs (L, 17-19)
  • Week 14: at Buccaneers (L, 13-28)
  • Week 15 (MNF): vs. Falcons (6-7)
  • Week 16: vs. Jaguars (3-11)
  • Week 17: at Saints (5-8)
  • Record: 2-11

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Chiefs DT Chris Jones comments on Charles Omenihu’s Week 13 return: ‘It was good to get him back’

Kansas City #Chiefs DT Chris Jones comments on Charles Omenihu’s Week 13 return: ‘It was good to get him back’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones is a leader for his unit and has commanded so much attention from offensive lines this season. He spoke with reporters Thursday about his excitement to have veteran sack specialist Charles Omenihu in the lineup against the Las Vegas Raiders for Week 13.

“It was fun. It was fun; It was good to get him back. He worked his butt off to be back and to have him back out there doing what he does best, rushing the passer.” said Jones. “I think he played more than we actually planned for him to play, and he looked really, really good. So we’re excited about that. We’ve got to keep him going and continue to get better with that. You know, he can bring a lot of versatility to our pass-rush unit. So, we always can do more sacks, man.”

Jones took advantage of Omenihu’s return to the lineup with two sacks on Raiders quarterback Aiden O’Connell. He now owns 80.5 career sacks, breaking a tie with Justin Houston to move into fourth place for most
sacks in franchise history. Jones already owns the franchise record for most sacks by a defensive tackle.

Chiefs OC Matt Nagy opens up about the offense’s frustration vs. Raiders: ‘We wanted to be better’

Kansas City #Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy opens up about the offense’s frustration vs. #Raiders: ‘We wanted to be better’ @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs have the best record in the AFC but are far from satisfied with their performance on offense. Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy addressed Patrick Mahomes’ frustrated appearance during last Friday’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at his press conference on Thursday.

“I know there was the question in regard to how he was in the game there in the red zone and on that one play, but that’s never been who Patrick is; it’s truly not; the frustration part is the team aspect of us,” said Nagy. “We were all frustrated; we wanted to be better in that game. You get opportunities to close a game out the last two weeks; as an offense, we’ve had the opportunity to do that, and we haven’t done that.”

The Chiefs offense has shown signs of improvement over the last few weeks, with significant performances from Mahomes, but there are still some holes in the red zone efficiency.

“I think, leading up to that point, that’s where it kind of got to a point whether there’s penalties, whether there’s missed opportunities, whatever it is, all of us together, I think it’s just one of those things that we know we’ve got to be better,” said Nagy “we can be better, we have to be better moving forward here towards the end of the season and into the playoffs.”

Kansas City will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night with a chance to clinch another AFC West division title. An offensive explosion would be ideal to calm the concerns heading into the postseason.

Chiefs DE Charles Omenihu describes Week 13 return from ACL injury: ‘I feel good’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu describes Week 13 return from ACL injury: ‘I feel good’ | @EdEastonJr

The return of Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Charles Omenihu during last week’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders added another much-needed pass rusher to the lineup. He spoke for the first time on Wednesday to the media since returning to the field to reflect on his injury recovery.

“I feel good, I feel good, I don’t have any soreness; there’s no swelling,” said Omenihu. “Greg (Carbin) and Tiff (Morton) (Chiefs training staff) have been marvelous in the process of getting me back and getting to the point where I can play 34 snaps and feel good and have no trouble. Today [and] throughout the weekend, I was all good.”

Omenihu was an effective player on the defensive line when he was on the field after a suspension cost him six games to start last season. He efficiently finished third on the team in sacks and is expected to fulfill that role now that he’s back on the field and through his first game of 2024.

“I mean, my expectations were to play really well. Did I meet my own personal expectations? Probably not,” said Omenihu. “I’ve got to sometimes give myself grace (since) that I hadn’t played in…I saw somebody said 308 days. It’s been a long time since I’ve played. You’ve got to be realistic, but my foot’s on the gas, man. I’ve gotta go. That’s my mentality.”

Omenihu’s return could have affected Chris Jones’s performance, as he ended his sack drought by collecting two against Las Vegas.

Chiefs secondary played a significant role in the Week 13 victory over the Raiders

Kansas City #Chiefs secondary played a significant role in the Week 13 victory over the Las Vegas #Raiders | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided an update about the defense during his weekly Zoom press conference with reporters on Monday. He addressed questions regarding his secondary and the decision to have Joshua Williams take over for Nazeeh Johnson in the second half of the Week 13 victory.

“Listen, I’m glad we have both (Nazeeh Johnson and Joshua Williams). I think both of them can still work in there and do some things,” said Reid. “We haven’t given up on Nazeeh (Johnson) or anything of that sort. I mean, he’s coming off a pretty major knee surgery, so we’ve kind of kept an eye on him with that. I think as we go forward, we can use both of them, I’m sure.”

While there is uncertainty at cornerback, the secondary has shown improvement, especially with the emergence of safety Jaden Hicks.

“He’s (Jaden Hicks) a good player, and so him working in there, I think, is a positive. Again, he’s a young guy, and he just keeps progressing and challenging himself that way,” said Reid. “I know the coaches have trust in him, so we’ll just see how things go moving forward. He’s earned that right to play more, and so he’s got the confidence of (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags that way – and(Defensive Backs Coach) Dave (Merritt).”

Kansas City’s 19-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders has them playoff-bound for the 10th consecutive season. The streak is the second-longest in NFL history, trailing only New England’s record of 11 consecutive playoff berths from 2009 to 2019.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid explains the reason for trusting Travis Kelce’s laterals: ‘It’s something we do’

Kansas City #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid explains the reason for trusting Travis Kelce’s laterals: ‘It’s something we do’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had another magical play with a catch-and-lateral to running back Samaje Perine during the Week 13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Head coach Andy Reid, on his weekly Zoom call with reporters on Monday, shared his thoughts on the latest Kelce lateral.

“He’s (Travis Kelce) been doing it for a few years,” said Reid. “We do it in practice every day – you guys see that, so you know this isn’t just something that we throw out there on game day. It’s something we do, so everything is ok with that just as long as you complete them.”

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes found Kelce for a five-yard pass, which initiated Kelce’s flip to Perine to pick up an additional 10 yards for the first down. The same thing happened a few weeks earlier against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. Kelce finished the Black Friday victory with a team-high seven receptions for 68 yards, racking up 28 yards after the catch.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco praises veteran’s leadership during injury recovery: ‘He’s been awesome’

Kansas City #Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco praises Kareem Hunt’s leadership during injury recovery: ‘He’s been awesome’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs debuted the backfield tandem of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt during Friday’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The rushers only had 14 carries between them, but each saw action on the day.

Pacheco returned to the field after being placed on injured reserve earlier in the season with a leg injury. During his postgame press conference, he shared his thoughts on Hunt’s leadership while out of the lineup.

“Yes, hats off to him (Kareem Hunt) stepping up; it’s been a tough run. He’s been awesome leading the room,” said Pacheco. “Everyone’s been following the leaders. Most importantly for me, just pinpoint details in the meeting room for when I had the opportunity to get out and show my ability. Focus on the details: the chips, the check-downs, just the little things that would make my game a little bit better today.”

Pacheco led the team’s rushing attack in Week 13 with seven rushes for 44 yards to help propel the Chiefs to their 11th victory this season. He had an impressive 34-yard rush to quickly move the Chiefs downfield to the Raiders’ 14-yard line, marking the club’s longest rush.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid comments on straying from the run game vs. Raiders: ‘We were struggling’

Kansas City #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid comments on straying from the run game vs. the Las Vegas #Raiders: ‘We were struggling’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs relies heavily on the passing game in their 19-17 victory on Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders. During his postgame press conference, head coach Andy Reid explained his decision to limit running plays.

“We weren’t doing too good with it. I felt – the way they were playing, they were bringing an extra guy. I felt like we were better off with a short passing game, which was working; we were going up and down the field,” said Reid. “We just weren’t doing very good in the red zone – we were struggling with the runs early, so that was a decision I made.”

Isiah Pacheco returned to the field after being placed on injured reserve earlier in the season with a leg injury. He had his first opportunity to team with Kareem Hunt in the backfield, as the two combined for only 14 carries on the day.

“Yeah, that was great. I thought that was a positive,” said Reid. “It was good to get (Isiah) Pacheco some reps in there. I thought he did a nice job when we had an opportunity to run.”

Pacheco broke free in the third quarter for a 34-yard rush to move the Chiefs quickly downfield to the Las Vegas 14-yard line, marking the club’s longest rush of the 2024 season.