Tag: raiders vs jets

Raiders LB Robert Spillane named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Robert Spillane named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

By any measure, Robert Spillane had a monster game Sunday night against the Jets. He had made the biggest play of the game when he intercepted Zach Wilson late in the fourth quarter to all but clinch the win for the Raiders. And that was after being the main factor in stalling three previous Jets drives in the game.

For his efforts, the veteran linebacker has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Just how good was Spillane’s game? Well, he was named my Top Baller and, as I noted, even if you had removed his clutch interception from the equation, he *still* would’ve been Top Baller.

The Raiders defense would keep the Jets out of the end zone in the game and win 16-12.

After taking a 9-3 lead in the second quarter, the Jets were stopped on five straight drives, with Spillane making the key play on the first three of those drives — a run stuff for no gain, a sack, forcing a hold, and then another run stop.

Back-to-back big weeks for Josh Jacobs launches him into top 3 in NFL rushing

Back-to-back big weeks for Josh Jacobs launches him into top 3 in NFL rushing

Throughout the first eight games of this season, the conversation surrounding Josh Jacobs was all about how much of a letdown this season has been after leading the NFL in rushing last season.

After those eight games, Jacobs hadn’t rushed more than 80 yards in any game. He had a total of 408 yards on 133 carries. His 3.1 yards per carry was easily the lowest of his career and it put him on pace for a career-low 867 rushing yards on the season.

Then Josh McDaniels was fired. And in the two games since, Jacobs appears to have gotten back on track and suddenly is once again in the mix for the NFL rushing lead.

His rise was precipitated by games in which he ran for 98 yards and 116 yards, moving him from 18th in the league two weeks ago to third, just three yards behind Derrick Henry for second in the league.

Christian McCaffrey leads the league with 747 yards — 125 yards ahead of Jacobs — but there are still seven games left for Jacobs to gain some more ground. On the other hand, there’s only 25 yards that separated Jacobs from the next seven backs, so there’s plenty of time for them to gain ground as well.

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 10 win over Jets

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 10 win over Jets

The way this one played out was pretty much exactly as everyone expected. In the lead up to the game, I basically kept thinking to myself ‘first to 16 wins’. That’s because ain’t nobody was gonna be scoring more than one touchdown and if either team did, that would be the deciding factor.

That team was the Raiders, who beat the Jets 16-12.

Ballers

LB Robert Spillane

Even if you remove his late game clutch interception, Spillane might still have been the best player in this contest. And that’s saying a lot.

Spillane was on a mission. At least four times in this game, plays he made were the deciding factor in stopping a Jets’ drive.

Come the second quarter, the Jets had scored on their first three possessions to go up 9-3. Thanks to Spillane, they wouldn’t score again until the fourth quarter.

Their next three possessions ended with Spillane making the play. A run stuff for no gain on third and two, a sack on second and two, and forcing a hold on third and 21 then making the stop on third and 22.

Then with the Jets within four at 16-12 and driving late in the fourth quarter, he stepped in front of the Zach Wilson pass for his third interception of the season. This one with a cast on his right hand. Unbelievable.

TE Michael Mayer

It was a back-and-forth game with the Raiders failing to take the lead once in the first three quarters. That ended on the first play of the fourth quarter when Aidan O’Connell escaped pressure and put a ball up high where only Mayer could get it and Mayer leapt in the air, plucking it from over the top of the defender to the go-ahead score.

It was Mayer’s first touchdown as a pro and it was a beauty. And in a game like this, it proved to be enough to get the W.

DE Maxx Crosby

This game started poorly for the Raiders, with a 41-yard catch and run that put them in scoring range. It would go no further thanks to Crosby. He flew in for what should be credited as a sack. And when I say that, I think a rule change is in order, which states that if you have the player wrapped up and he is flagged for intentional grounding, that should be a sack. For the purposes of the game, it was the same. The Jets lost ten yards and a down and couldn’t make it back up, settling for a field goal.

It was big plays on each drive that put the Jets in scoring range. Their third one came off of an interception and moved them into first and goal at the three. A touchdown here may have been devastating in a game this close. So, Crosby wrecked it. He forced a holding penalty that backed them up to the 13. Then was in on the run stop on second and goal and the Jets would settle for a third field goal.

DT Jerry Tillery, DT John Jenkins, DT Adam Butler

Jenkins had a run stuff on the Jets’ first drive. Tillery upended the second drive when he forced a holding penalty. Butler ended the third drive on third and goal when he batted the ball down at the line.

The next possession, Jenkins had another run stuff for no gain. Then the drive after that, he got one of his big mitts on a pass to bat it at the line. Come the third quarter, Butler had a tackle for loss on a three-and-out.

The first drive of the fourth quarter ended with Tillery getting all the way out to the left boundary to help Divine Deablo lead Zach Wilson out of bounds to end the drive. And on the Spillane interception, it was Tillery who got around his man to get pressure in Wilson’s face and force the throw.

RB Josh Jacobs

His two fumbles in the game really had me thinking whether he deserved to be on this list. In the end I decided that because his hard running was such a key factor in the Raiders scoring 16 points in the first place, he deserved more credit than blame.

His first fumble came on the tail end of a 40-yard burst and it bounced out of bounds. The run put the Raiders at the 13-yard-line. The next play he ran for five yards to the eight. Two plays later, they scored the touchdown.

In the early going, yards were tough to come by for Jacobs against a stout Jets defensive front. Even so, his running was a major factor in several scoring drives. Their second scoring drive came near the end of the second quarter and featured runs of six yards and eight yards — both of which the Raiders made the first down on the next play.

The third scoring drive saw Jacobs convert a third and two and a fourth and one along with the longest play of the drive that went for 12 yards on a catch in the left flat. That drive tied the game at 9-9.

Just prior to his lost fumble late in the fourth, Jacobs showed he is still a strong runner late in games, when broke several tackles and carried defenders the final five yards of a seven-yard first down run. He also had a nine-yard run and converted on third and one on that drive.

Jacobs finished with 116 yards rushing — his first time going over 100 yards this season — and added two catches for 11 yards.

K Daniel Carlson

The Jets have the man once known at ‘Greg the Leg’ and ‘Legatron’. And the Raiders have the best in the game today in Carlson. Both kickers were doing work in this one, with Carlson splitting them from 40, 41, and 54 yards.

Honorable Mention

WR DeAndre Carter — Had a 32-yard kick return to the Jets 45 that helped lead to the game-tying field goal. Later had a 15-yard run on fourth and one.

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Raiders Week 10 snap counts vs Jets: Jermaine Eluemunor plays every snap at left tackle

Raiders Week 10 snap counts vs Jets: Jermaine Eluemunor plays every snap at left tackle

With starting left tackle Kolton Miller’s shoulder injury, the Raiders kept it under wraps who would be replacing him at left tackle. In the end it wasn’t the next man up on the depth chart but rather a shuffle of linemen as they attempt to field the best five.

The most likely option was the one they went with which was the move right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to the left side and bring in Thayer Munford to play right tackle.

For depth the team elevated Brandon Parker from the practice squad. Along with Justin Herron they had reinforcements should they need them.

The didn’t end up needing any reinforcements. Eluemunor played every snap at left tackle and Munford played every snap at right tackle. Herron played four snaps as an extra tackle in jumbo packages and Parker played four snaps on special teams.

The Jets still got good pressure, with much of that came from the inside as Quinnen Williams. Overall the Jets would sack Aidan O’Connell three times, with Munford and Eluemunor each giving up a sack. Though, to be fair, the Eluemunor sack allowed was because of pressure up the middle from Williams.

Offense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Thayer Munford T 64 100% 4 15%
Greg Van Roten G 64 100% 4 15%
Dylan Parham G 64 100% 4 15%
Jermaine Eluemunor T 64 100% 4 15%
Aidan O’Connell QB 64 100% 0 0%
Andre James C 64 100% 0 0%
Davante Adams WR 62 97% 0 0%
Jakobi Meyers WR 58 91% 0 0%
Michael Mayer TE 56 88% 4 15%
Josh Jacobs RB 53 83% 0 0%
Hunter Renfrow WR 27 42% 0 0%
Austin Hooper TE 27 42% 0 0%
Tre Tucker WR 15 23% 4 15%
Ameer Abdullah RB 10 16% 17 63%
DeAndre Carter WR 7 11% 11 41%
Justin Herron T 4 6% 0 0%
Zamir White RB 1 2% 10 37%
Defense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Robert Spillane LB 66 100% 0 0%
Tre’von Moehrig FS 66 100% 0 0%
Marcus Peters CB 66 100% 0 0%
Marcus Epps SS 66 100% 0 0%
Maxx Crosby DE 66 100% 0 0%
Bilal Nichols DT 52 79% 6 22%
Nate Hobbs CB 51 77% 2 7%
Divine Deablo LB 44 67% 0 0%
Jakorian Bennett CB 36 55% 2 7%
John Jenkins DT 35 53% 6 22%
Adam Butler DT 32 48% 5 19%
Jerry Tillery DT 27 41% 4 15%
Malcolm Koonce DE 26 39% 19 70%
Tyree Wilson DE 22 33% 5 19%
Malik Reed LB 20 30% 5 19%
Amik Robertson CB 18 27% 2 7%
Tyler Hall CB 15 23% 5 19%
Luke Masterson LB 10 15% 23 85%
Amari Burney LB 7 11% 4 15%
Isaiah Pola-Mao FS 1 2% 21 78%
Special Teams Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Brandon Bolden RB 0 0% 23 85%
Curtis Bolton LB 0 0% 19 70%
Jesper Horsted TE 0 0% 17 63%
Christopher Smith SS 0 0% 16 59%
DJ Turner WR 0 0% 16 59%
AJ Cole III P 0 0% 9 33%
Jacob Bobenmoyer LS 0 0% 9 33%
Daniel Carlson K 0 0% 8 30%
Brandon Parker T 0 0% 4 15%
Jordan Meredith G 0 0% 4 15%

Raiders winners and losers in 16-12 victory vs. Jets

Raiders winners and losers in 16-12 victory vs. Jets

It wasn’t pretty, but the Raiders won their second game in as many tries with interim coach Antonio Pierce at the helm, beating the Jets 16-12 on Sunday night.

The Raiders fell behind 9-3 in the first half but kept fighting and slowly crept back into the game, finally taking control with big plays in the fourth quarter on offense and defense. Still, the score wasn’t settled until a Hail Mary pass from the Jets fell to the Allegiant Stadium turf as time expired.

Here are the winners and losers for the week as the Raiders improve to 5-5.

Winner: Coach Antonio Pierce

Winning your first game as an interim coach in the NFL is impressive, but winning two in a row is something else entirely. Coach Antonio Pierce had the national spotlight to contend with as well, with some national observers surely expecting the Raiders to be humbled after their big win last week.

Pierce wouldn’t let that happen. He displayed calm confidence on the sideline until the final snap when he told his defense to back up and guard the goal line for the Jets’ final desperate pass.

He did waste a challenge in the first half by throwing the red flag on an unchallengeable play, but it didn’t cost the Raiders too much, as they still scored a field goal in a hurry-up situation to end the second quarter.

More than anything, this win validates last week’s jubilation and adds to the rapidly growing confidence of the entire roster and organization. Pierce stands apart as the catalyst for it all.

Winner: LB Robert Spillane

Linebacker Robert Spillane displayed toughness throughout the evening and then showed off his athleticism late, intercepting a pass from Jets quarterback Zach Wilson as the Raiders clung to their 16-12 advantage with mere seconds remaining in the game.

Spillane was also credited with a QB sack and a tackle for loss, in addition to seven overall tackles (four solo). Incredibly, Spillane played the game with a recently broken hand. His toughness and consistent effort were emblematic of the new Raider way that Las Vegas aspires to live up to under coach Pierce.

Winner: QB Aidan O’Connell

Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell had a rough go early in the game but kept his head while facing intense pressure from the Jets’ defensive front. In crunch time, he made a huge throw on a 3rd-and-4  play at the Jets 7-yard line. Flushed from the pocket, O’Connell tossed a touchdown to rookie tight end Michael Mayer as he scrambled to the right, breaking a 9-9 tie and putting the Raiders ahead for good.

O’Connell finished the game with just 153 yards on 16-27 passing, and he fumbled a snap in the first half and then threw an interception on the same series. But overall, the rookie performed well under pressure — both figurative and literal.

Winner: Tight end Michael Mayer

The Raiders rookie tight end had his first career touchdown grab, and it was a big one. In a potential sign of things to come, Mayer used his size in the end zone to haul in a well-placed pass from O’Connell.

The Raiders need more playmakers to step up to force the opposition to guard the entire field, not just superstar wide receiver Davante Adams. On Sunday night, Mayer made a difference.

Winner: RB Josh Jacobs

Running back Josh Jacobs fell just short of a 100-yard rushing day last week against the Giants but wouldn’t be stopped against the Jets. He finished the game with 116 yards on 27 carries, good for 4.3 yards per attempt.

Jacobs had a roller-coaster second half. He had a 40-yard run to set up Mayer’s touchdown, though he fumbled the ball out of bounds at the end of the run. Then he lost a fumble on Vegas’ next drive as the Raiders looked like they were about to put the game away.

Spillane intercepted Wilson on the ensuing possession, however, erasing Jacobs’ mistake. Jacobs ran hard and Raiders offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree kept calling run plays, despite the Jets defense lining up to stop the run. In the Raiders’ theme of the night, Jacobs’ persistence and fortitude, along with that of his coaches, paid off.

Winner: WR Davante Adams

The national TV audience tuned in to see one of the best players in the NFL in Raiders WR Davante Adams, and though he didn’t score a touchdown or break 100 yards, Adams delivered.

His one-handed grab in the first half was as good as it gets, and it added to his reputation as one of the NFL’s best. In all, Adams was targeted 13 times and had 86 yards receiving on six catches.

Two more for the winner list, honorable-mention style: DE Malcolm Koonce and WR DeAndre Carter. Koonce had a strip sack in the third quarter to force a Jets punt. The Raiders are still in desperate need of another pass rusher to play opposite superstar DE Maxx Crosby, and Koonce broke through for a big play.

Carter helped the Raiders claw back and tie the score at 9-9 with a 32-yard punt return that led to a field goal from kicker Daniel Carlson. Carter also converted a 4th-and-1 play in the fourth quarter with a 15-yard run around the edge of the defense.

Loser: C Andre James

The loser list is short this week, but center Andre James made the cut. He didn’t have a terrible game, but he had a couple of bad plays on the same drive early in the game.

First, he allowed a sack, and then he was called for holding. Neither replay was flattering, and they were both highlighted by the national broadcast. The Raiders offensive line appears to be getting back to their form last year, when they performed well in the run game but not nearly as well in pass protection. The Jets’ front is among the league’s best, so they’ll have a chance to rebound in the weeks ahead.

The Raiders are trying to revive their legendary toughness and unyielding desire to win at any cost, and this game was a prime example of the “Just Win, Baby” mantra trademarked by the team’s late owner, Al Davis. Pierce and his team will try to keep the ball rolling next week when they face the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday.

‘A dream come true’: Robert Spillane gets emotional after clutch INT vs. Jets

‘A Dream come true’: Robert Spillane gets emotional after his the pick in the clutch

Raider interim head coach Antonio Pierce said with candor this week that their matchup with the Jets wouldn’t be a shootout. He said it with a laugh because he knew this one was going to be a grind-it-out affair against a stout New York defense.

The game lived up to that expectation. It was tied 9-9 as it headed into the fourth quarter on six field goals and nine punts. 

Late in the game, the Raiders were up 16-12 and then turned the ball over on a Josh Jacobs fumble. The Jets took the ball with under five minutes remaining and were driving to try and take the lead back. That’s when Robert Spillane put on his cape. 

The veteran linebacker stepped in front of a Zach Wilson pass and took a potential score off the board, all but ending the game.

“Saw Zach Wilson dropping back, saw a little route concept into the boundary,” said Spillane. “Divine Deablo did a great job of making him double pump on the throw which gave me time to get there. So just good team defense.”

Deferring credit is something we have come to expect from Spillane. But even if he won’t, his teammates will.

“That was huge. Spill steps up, makes a huge play. It’s what he does,” Maxx Crosby said of Spillane’s clutch interception. “He’s a great player. He came in here since day one with the right mindset. He’s been a huge part of this defense so I’m super happy for him.”

Being the one to make that play means something to Spillane. So much so that when asked about it after the game, he got choked up in his response.

“It’s a dream come true,” Spillane said with tears welling up in his eyes. “I poured my heart into this football … so, uh, to be able to help my team win is a blessing.”

There are so many layers to this with Spillane, someone who most people saw as merely a thumper. A run stopper. And his one interception over his first five seasons only confirmed that in many people’s eyes. Sunday night’s game-changing pick was his fourth takeaway of the season and his third interception.

This particular interception is the most amazing of all because he broke his hand two weeks ago and had surgery on it. That injury has not cost him a single snap, and now we find out it apparently doesn’t affect his ability to catch a football either.

“I’m a football player,” Spillane said plainly. “Football players play football games. They play hurt, they play injured. I learned that at a very young age. Most people think you have to play hurt but not injured. You have to play injured. You got to play with broken fingers. You got to play with a broken hand. You got to play with a torn MCL. It’s an honor and a privilege to go out there. So I never want to miss any opportunity to be on the field.”

I’ll admit to being somewhat skeptical when Spillane was signed by the Raiders. That had less to do with Spillane than with the team’s track record with adding not well-established free agent middle linebackers. In hindsight, I’m thinking now we all should’ve listened to Crosby when he told us early on about the intangibles that Spillane brings to the field.

Crosby and Spillane have known each other since college. Crosby went to Eastern Michigan, while Spillane went to Western Michigan. So Crosby was a believer and had a hand in getting Spillane to the Raiders.

“During free agency we had a great talk, and I was trying to convince him to come here,” Crosby said. “And he ended up coming, so since day one, you know, he comes in, he’s been working his ass off and he’s just a great dude to be around. He brings energy all the time. He loves football and those are the type of guys you want to play with.”

It’s often that Crosby is the one closing out games. But he’s more than happy to see his teammate and fellow football lifer be the hero at the end of this one.

Watch: Michael Mayer with skrong TD grab to give Raiders lead in 4th quarter over Jets

Watch: Michael Mayer with the skrong TD grab to give Raiders lead in 4th quarter over Jets

There was some bending happening by these two defenses, but through three quarters, neither the Jets nor Raiders defense had broken. And the score was tied up at 9-9 heading to the fourth.

The Raiders were knocking on the door at the end of the third quarter with a huge 40-yard run by Josh Jacobs after Jacobs had struggled to get anything going prior against the stout Jets front.

The Raiders set up at the 13-yard-line, looking for their first touchdown of the day. and three plays later, they got it. Thanks to a well-placed ball from Aidan O’Connell and a well-timed pluck by rookie tight end Michael Mayer over the top of safety Jordan Whitehead.

With six field goals and nine punts before that drive, it was beginning to look like neither team was getting into the end zone. Those two big plays by Jacobs and Mayer changed that. And in a game like this a touchdown is a big deal.

The Jets answered with a drive to make it a 16-12 game with 12 minutes left.

Raiders HC Antonio Pierce expecting low-scoring game vs Jets

Raiders HC Antonio Pierce expecting low-scoring game vs Jets

If you like a lot of offense, Sunday night’s matchup between the Raiders and Jets may not be for you. The matchup features the Jets’ top 10 defense and 31st ranked offense versus the Raiders middle-of-the-road defense and 29th ranked offense.

Both teams also have defensive head coaches. The Raiders under interim head coach Antonio Pierce and the Jets under Robert Saleh.

That’s just the way Pierce likes it.

“It’s always good, a defensive coach,” Pierce said this week when prepping to face Saleh and the Jets. “You kind of know what kind of game is going to be. It ain’t going to be a shootout, I can tell you that.”

Both teams are also not playing the quarterback to started the season for them.

The Raiders struggled to score even 20 points with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback while the Jets lost Aaron Rodgers four plays into the season. Garoppolo was replaced by rookie fourth round pick Aidan O’Connell while Zach Wilson got his job back for the Jets.

Though the Jets do have stars on offense like RB Breece Hall and WR Garrett Wilson, their biggest stars are on defense in CB Sauce Gardner and DT Quinnen Williams.

Likewise the Raiders stars Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs have not done nearly the damage on offense this season as Maxx Crosby has from the defensive end spot. He leads the league in several categories and has basically willed the Raiders to each of their four wins this season. Making him a bonafide candidate to win Defensive Player of the Year. honors.

Add that both teams are having injury issues at the offensive tackle spot and both teams could be looking to go with the ground and pound. Making for the likelihood of a lot of field goals and a low scoring affair.

Raiders vs Jets final injury report: LT Kolton Miller Doubtful, CB Marcus Peters Questionable

Raiders vs Jets final injury report: LT Kolton Miller Doubtful, CB Marcus Peters Questionable

It looks like the Raiders will be without their starting left tackle Sunday when the Jets come to town. After missing the entire week of practices with a shoulder injury, Kolton Miller has been officially listed as Doubtful for the game.

The Raiders have a couple options to replace Miller at left tackle. They could move right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor over there which would mean Thayer Munford would start at right tackle. Or they could leave Eluemunor at right tackle and start Justin Herron at left tackle.

“Part of our process here the last couple of days is just ‘next man up’ mentality,” said interim head coach Antonio Pierce. “So, if it isn’t Kolton Miller, it’ll be the next gentleman up. Obviously, everybody’s been practicing the right way, so if that comes to fruition and we have to move on from Kolton to somebody else, we’re not going to blink, and they’re not going to blink. And we expect him to do the exact same job Kolton Miller does. And when Kolton Miller goes in here, and he’s in there, he’s going be Kolton Miller. So, we’re fine. No panic. Nobody’s over here worried about what’s going to happen with Kolton if he’s in or not.”

Technically speaking, the ‘next man up’ would be Justin Herron as he is listed as the backup left tackle on the team’s website.

Other Raiders whose status is uncertain include CB Marcus Peters and FB Jakob Johnson. Both are Questionable for the game.

The Jets will be without a couple tackles as well with Billy Turner and Duane Brown both officially OUT.

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.