Tag: Raiders vs. Rams

Raiders winners and losers in 20-15 defeat vs. Rams

The Raiders barely lost in LA but turnovers cost them dearly. Who stood out more than others, for better or worse?

Turnovers plagued the Raiders yet again on Sunday, and Las Vegas lost a close game to the Rams in Los Angeles, 20-15.

After quarterback Aidan O’Connell left the game with an injured right thumb, reserve QB Gardner Minshew took his place. Minshew led his team to a field goal on his first drive, but he committed the first of his four turnovers, an interception, a couple of drives later.

The Rams (2-4) gladly took the ball and scored a touchdown for a 7-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. All of LA’s points came off Minshew giveaways, including a fumble the Rams returned for a touchdown late in the first half.

Here are the winners and losers for the week. The Raiders lost their third straight to drop to 2-5.

Winner: TE Brock Bowers

Rookie tight end Brock Bowers figured to play a starring role on offense after the Raiders traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the Jets, and Bowers delivered.

He caught 10 of his 14 targets for 93 yards and had good moments as a blocker as well. His 25-yard catch and run led to a Las Vegas field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Bowers set the mark for most receptions by a tight end in NFL history through his first seven games and now has 47 total grabs. This season hasn’t gone as the Raiders planned, but they have a superstar on their hands in Bowers. He gives Raiders fans something to look forward to on Sundays, as watching their team turn the ball over like crazy is likely getting old for many.

Winner: CB Nate Hobbs

Cornerback Nate Hobbs had an impressive fourth-down tackle for loss early in the game that preserved the Raiders’ 3-0 lead. Hobbs also intercepted the Rams late in the third quarter and returned the ball 35 yards as Las Vegas was trying to claw its way back into the game.

The play set up a field goal by kicker Daniel Carlson, which put the score at 20-12 with nearly an entire quarter to play.

Winner: K Daniel Carlson

The Raiders could’ve won a really boring game, as Carlson gave them all the points they would need had they not turned the ball over. Instead, the Raiders lost a really boring game, and plenty of frustration was added to the mix for Raiders fans.

Carlson hit all five of his field goal tries and once again proved he’s one of the NFL’s best.

Winner: RB Alexander Mattison

The Raiders went to the run game a lot on early downs, and running back Alexander Mattison responded with a solid performance. He finished with 92 rushing yards on 23 carries, including some tough carries through defenders. He added three catches for 31 yards.

Loser: QB Gardner Minshew

This game started falling apart for the Raiders as soon as Minshew started handing out gifts to the Rams defense.

Minshew fumbled when the Raiders got the ball back after his first interception, and the Rams returned it for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead. Minshew took a break from turning the ball over until the third quarter when he threw behind WR DJ Turner on 3rd-and-6. It appeared Turner could’ve run for an easy first down had the pass been on target.

Instead, the Rams intercepted the ball and eventually scored another touchdown for an insurmountable 20-6 advantage. Minshew’s last interception was on the Raiders’ late desperation drive; they had the ball at their own 11-yard line, down 20-15 with 1:39 on the clock and no timeouts remaining.

O’Connell’s injury looks serious, so Minshew is the man for now. That appears to be bad news for Las Vegas unless the veteran QB makes a dramatic turnaround this season.

Loser: QB Aidan O’Connell

Just when he got his starting job back last week, O’Connell’s thumb is reportedly broken. Plus, he had to watch this terrible performance like the rest of us. That’s an all-around losing day for the Raiders’ second-year signal caller.

Loser: CB Jack Jones

It ended up not costing the Raiders, but cornerback Jack Jones played poor coverage and had a laughable tackle attempt as the Raiders had just pulled within one score of the Rams. After the play, Los Angeles missed a field goal, keeping the score intact at 20-12.

Jones also looked silly when he got stiff-armed on a tackle attempt late in the game. It’s no secret that cornerbacks don’t love tackling, but Jones sometimes looks like he’s allergic to contact. Considering how this season is shaping up, he may lose playing time to younger prospects such as CB Decamerion Richardson, who saw some snaps in this game.

Loser: GM Tom Telesco

There’s a lot to like about the new Raiders’ general manager, Tom Telesco. His first three draft picks for the Raiders are quality starters (Bowers and offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze).

But the Raiders quarterback situation is awful. Sure, Telesco didn’t have a ton of options due to the quarterback-heavy NFL Draft and limited free agent options, not to mention the Raiders’ lack of quality quarterbacks on the roster when Telesco arrived.

But having Minshew and O’Connell as Las Vegas’ only two signal-callers approaches professional malpractice. The Raiders signed Minshew to be their starter, and the results are questionable to downright terrible. The hope is that Telesco can continue to build through the draft, but that is no comfort for Raiders fans in Week 7 of a long campaign.

Loser: DJ Glaze

Glaze went offsides as the Raiders had a 4th-and-goal opportunity at the 5-yard line with just minutes remaining in the game, facing a 20-12 deficit. In fairness, Glaze wasn’t the only lineman to go offsides, but it’s his name that was called out to the TV audience.

After the penalty, the Raiders decided to kick a field goal, which Carlson converted to make the score 20-15. After a defensive stop, the Raiders had the ball late with an opportunity for a winning drive, but that drive started at their own 11-yard line and they had no timeouts.

Loser: HC Antonio Pierce

Coach Antonio Pierce watched his team commit 10 penalties and turn the ball over four times. His team now owns a minus-13 turnover margin, which is the worst in the NFL and ties a franchise record for ineptitude.

Incredibly, his team still had a chance to win. In hindsight, Pierce should have gone for it on 4th-and-goal after Glaze’s false start rather than kicking a field goal. Even in real-time, it would have been a solid decision, as the team needed a touchdown regardless of whether Carlson had made the try or not.

The bad news keeps getting worse for Las Vegas, as the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs visit Allegiant Stadium next week. It’s a monumental task for the Raiders. But if they continue beating themselves with turnovers and penalties, every week is likely a loss for Las Vegas, regardless of the opponent.

TV broadcast coverage map for Raiders vs. Rams Week 7

Where you can catch the Raiders vs Rams on TV this Sunday.

It’ll be a new, post-Davante Adams world for the Raiders when they face the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday. The superstar wide receiver was finally dealt to the Jets after requesting a trade, and coach Antonio Pierce has to turn his team around after losing his All-Pro playmaker.

However, relatively few NFL fans will be watching. The Raiders (2-4) will play the Rams (1-4) while the Chiefs battle the 49ers in a nationally televised Super Bowl rematch. The Raiders game is on CBS at 1:05 p.m. Pacific time and will be shown in the Las Vegas and Los Angeles areas, along with a few pockets of fans in the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, and the South.

Raiders fans in LA will be happy whether they watch on television or attend the game in the silver and black’s former home city — especially if the Raiders earn a much-needed win. This week’s broadcast map provided by 506sports.com shows the Raiders vs. Rams broadcast areas shaded in green.

The Raiders are 1-2 in games without Adams thus far, but this week will have a different vibe. There are no illusions of Davante walking through that door to save the season or at least save the offense.

Rookie tight end Brock Bowers figures to see an increase in usage, and that should excite Raiders fans. Bowers already leads NFL tight ends in targets (46) and receptions (37) by a wide margin, but given the Raiders’ circumstance on offense, getting the ball to Bowers even more could be a good idea for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Adams’ primary replacement at wide receiver, Jakobi Meyers, didn’t practice on Friday and is listed as doubtful. Meyers didn’t play last week, either, and Las Vegas receivers weren’t targeted until late in the first half of that blowout loss to the Steelers.

Perhaps getting the ball to Bowers early and often could help wideouts Tre Tucker and DJ Turner find more open spots in the defense. Wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson is a name to watch as well. He caught a touchdown against the Steelers; that should bolster the confidence of the inexperienced 6-foot-1 wideout, even though his touchdown was in garbage time.

Raiders winners and losers in preseason win vs. Rams

Raiders winners and losers in preseason win vs. Rams

A week after running a predictable, productive Raiders offense, quarterback Nathan Peterman had a hard-luck game against the Rams but recovered to lead Las Vegas to a 17-16 preseason win at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

But over the course of the game, plenty of Raiders had their chance to impress coach Jon Gruden as Las Vegas prepares to cut its roster down before the regular season. Some did, and others did not. Here are the Raiders winners and losers from Week 2 of the preseason.

Winners

Nate Hobbs

For the second consecutive week, rookie cornerback Nate Hobbs impacted the game behind the line of scrimmage. He displayed impressive instinct in making a tackle for loss early in the game, reading a swing pass to the right in plenty of time to lay a crisp hit on Rams wide receiver J.J. Koski, forcing a punt.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley sent him on another early blitz, too, just as he did last week. This time, Hobbs missed the quarterback, though he got his hands on him. But he showed striking quickness in getting into the backfield. In the third quarter, Hobbs made a play deep in the secondary, too, with an athletic interception.

The Raiders may have a real find in Hobbs. A fifth-round pick, he’s thriving in Bradley’s defense thus far. And that’s fortunate for Las Vegas. He’s slated to start at nickel cornerback with veteran Nevin Lawson suspended to open the season.

Alex Leatherwood

The Raiders’ prized first-round pick is a work in progress, and he has to develop quickly. Las Vegas needs him to be a rock at right tackle starting Week 1, rookie or not.

Leatherwood played early in the game and had nice moments on multiple rushing plays, nimbly chopping his feet and pushing defenders backward. Many of those moments were when he and another Raider were 2-on-1 against a Rams lineman, but he did his job and then some.

He looked solid in pass protection too, but his winning moment came when he picked up a blitz from a smaller defender. Leatherwood struggled a week ago with missed assignments, so it was a notable improvement. Plus, he looks like an elite athlete in most of his movements, just as advertised.

Marcell Ateman

The Raiders’ offense struggled mightily after running back Trey Ragas notched a nifty 4th-and-goal TD in the first quarter, with quarterback Nathan Peterman having some rough luck with poor blocking and tipped footballs that turned into two interceptions.

But in the fourth quarter, wide receiver Marcell Ateman shook his defender and was wide-open for a 29-yard TD pass from Peterman, giving Las Vegas a 17-10 lead. Drafted in coach Jon Gruden’s first year back with the Raiders in 2018, Ateman has stuck around the franchise despite scant playing time. A big-bodied type of WR the team is short on, Ateman made his case to remain a Raider on Saturday.

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Josh Jacobs says he loves the Raiders’ ‘fighting spirit’ after practice brawls vs. Rams

Josh Jacobs says he loves the Raiders’ ‘fighting spirit’ after practice brawls vs. Rams

The Raiders had an eventful two days in Southern California this week, practicing with the Rams before the teams play a preseason game on Saturday. Each session was marred by brawls, and practice ended early on Thursday after punches were reportedly thrown.

But coach Jon Gruden said the team had some quality reps amid all the fighting. Plus, a football team can learn a lot about itself when the hitting devolves into blows unrelated to football.

After Thursday’s practice ended, Raiders running back Josh Jacobs tweeted a simple message, obviously related to the events during practice that day and his team’s camaraderie.

During post-practice media availability, Jacobs confirmed his tweet was about the Raiders’ on-field fights with the Rams and elaborated on his point, even throwing a bit of shade the Rams’ way.

“Definitely. If you look at our guys and you see how we reacted and you see their guys and how they just let some things happen, I mean … I like that our team got a fighting spirit and not only that but they had each other’s back.”

Will the Rams take note of that comment? They’ll probably let the Raiders know about it on Saturday if they did.

It’s clearly not the Raiders’ goal to brawl with the opponent, especially not during the regular season. But with these fights happening during practice, at least they grew stronger as a group. Or rather, confirmed that they’ll always have the back of their fellow Raiders through thick and thin.

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