Tag: Raiders

Dennis Allen trying to avoid 2nd-longest losing streak of his career

A seven-game skid would stand out as the second-longest losing streak of Dennis Allen’s career. Can the New Orleans Saints afford that?

The New Orleans Saints haven’t won a game since defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. This week, the Saints travel to Charlotte to face the Carolina Panthers. Carolina owns the second longest losing streak in the NFL. The only team with a longer losing streak? The Saints.

New Orleans has dropped six games in a row. The loser of this game will have the longest losing streak in the NFL. If the Saints lose this game and extends this losing streak to seven games, it will stand alone as the second longest losing streak of Dennis Allen’s career.

Allen had a six-game losing streak in his first season with the Raiders. His longest losing streak spans over two separate seasons. Allen had the second six-game losing streak of his career in Year 2 with Oakland then lost the first four games of 2014.

The streak stretched to 10 games in total and ended by him being fired. One could argue losing this game to the Panthers and extending this streak to seven games would be worth his second termination, but we’ll have to wait and see whether the Saints have more patience than their fans.

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Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt was named a captain vs. Raiders, earning respect from coaches

Kansas City #Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt was named a captain vs. Las Vegas #Raiders, earning respect from coaches | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid appeared in front of the media on Monday for his weekly Zoom press conference. He discussed the decision to name Kareem Hunt an offensive captain for the Week 8 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

“You know, he (Kareem Hunt) was in that class with Patrick (Mahomes), and it’s almost like he kind of never left. I mean, that’s how I think the guys that have been here see that,” said Reid. “Then, the guys that haven’t been here have always heard about Kareem and the guys talking about him. I think that’s – he has that veteran leadership ability – runs tough and so he’s been welcomed back as if he hadn’t left. That’s why we felt comfortable doing that.”

Hunt has started the last few games for the Chiefs and has quickly emerged as a consistent offensive weapon. He has accumulated 308 yards rushing and four touchdowns in four games this season.

“Well, listen, he (Kareem Hunt) didn’t have training camp, so I look at it like it’s the third day of training camp,” said Reid. “He’ll start picking it up as we go here now. He’s had good work, and I think it will be even more productive going forward.”

Hunt should continue in the starting role as Isiah Pacheco continues his injury rehab and road to recovery.

Andy Reid shares his thoughts on DeAndre Hopkins’ Chiefs debut: ‘He looked good out there’

Andy Reid shares his thoughts on DeAndre Hopkins’ Kansas City #Chiefs debut: ‘He looked good out there’ | @EdEastonJr

The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs are heading home after a successful road trip with their eyes set on more next Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The latest wide receiver addition to the team, DeAndre Hopkins, will likely be a heavily targeted option after having his first full week of practice in Kansas City.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed reporters on Monday via Zoom, discussing Hopkins’ debut against the Las Vegas Raiders.

“I thought he (DeAndre Hopkins) looked good out there – did a nice job,” said Reid. “He did a nice job in the run game, did a nice job in the pass game, had the big third down catch right off the bench, and did well with that. He’s a good football player. Being able to fit in more will even be better, I think, as we go forward here. He was chomping at the bit on the sideline, wanting to play and, at the same time, knowing that he didn’t have all of it down, so there was patience there, but he was into the game, and I think you’ll be able to see more this next game.”

Hopkins seemed to be on the same page with Mahomes catching two passes on Sunday. He wasn’t on many plays as he continued to adjust to his new team, arriving only days before the game.

Chiefs DE George Karlaftis reflects on goal line stop vs. Raiders: ‘We take pride in working together’

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis reflects on goal line stop vs. Las Vegas Raiders: ‘We take pride in working together’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis was one of the many heroes on defense in the 27-20 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. In his post-game press conference, he opened up to reporters about the game-changing stop at the goal line by the defense to keep the Raiders off the scoreboard at that moment.

“We worked that all week. We worked that all season. And you know, we’ve come short a couple of times, like, if you go back to Cincinnati and stuff like that. So, put it all together. It’s great.” said Karlaftis. “We take pride in working together as a group, front end, back end, everything like that. So for our morale, for our defense, it is huge.”

The goal line stand was set up after Patrick Mahomes’ pass was intercepted deep in the Chiefs’ side of the endzone. Head coach Andy Reid expressed his thoughts on the situation after the game.

“Unbelievable. Offensively, we put the defense in a bad position, but we held up as a defense,” said Reid. “We came out and put our foot down and did a nice job there. That was important.”

Mahomes praised the defense while taking responsibility for the turnover, although the ball was tipped as he was throwing it.

“Those guys stepped up to the challenge. Obviously, it put them in a terrible position off the tipped pick,” said Mahomes. “Not only them getting that stop, I think it just flipped the momentum of the entire game. They kind of came back in that second half and were firing on all cylinders, and so for them to get that stop, then for us to have that long drive, it ended in a field goal, but it kind of switched the momentum, and then we were able to get the win from there.”

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes recaps first game with DeAndre Hopkins: ‘He did a great job’

Kansas City #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes recaps first game with DeAndre Hopkins: ‘He did a great job’ | @EdEastonJr

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated their AFC West rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, extending their undefeated record to 7-0. The defending champions also debuted their latest wide receiver acquisition in the victory.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes praised the performance of DeAndre Hopkins during his post-game press conference about his first game since the trade.

“I thought he did a great job. It was third down, and he had the big catch early in the game, and then he had a couple of other big plays,” said Mahomes. “I missed him on the one corner route early but still got open. And then, as I looked back at the tablet, there were a couple of times where, in man coverage, he was just really working and winning. Even the touchdown to Trav (Travis Kelce) I threw, if you look back on his side, he’s open too for a touchdown there. Now that you see that, I know the type of player he is – but you see that on the field, it shows that if they’re going to play man coverage against him, he’s going to get open. I have to give him chances to go out there and make plays.”

Hopkins was targeted three times in the victory, finishing with two catches for 29 yards in brief stints on the field. Mahomes is confident the five-time All-Pro can figure out the offense quickly.

“Honestly, it’s high-level stuff, just because it was zone coverage, they were in the right spot, he pulled up in the right window, stuff you see Trav do a lot, you see JuJu (Smith-Schuster) do a lot,” said Mahomes. “I was able to throw the ball, and I’ve talked about it a little bit; he has good body language when he runs routes, so you can tell what he’s going to do before he does it. We had only practiced that play, I think, once, maybe twice. For third down in that situation, for him to run it and be in the right position, it shows that he’s going to fit in perfectly in this offense.”

The Chiefs’ next play at home for Week 9 on Monday Night Football gives Hopkins more time to master the entire playbook.

Inactives for Chiefs vs. Raiders, Week 8

Here are the players who will be inactive during the #Chiefs vs. #Raiders Week 8 game | From @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders released their list of inactive players before their Week 8 matchup.

Here are the inactive players for the Chiefs:

  • OT Ethan Driskell
  • OL CJ Hanson
  • DT Marlon Tuipulotu
  • DE Mike Danna
  • WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
  • RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Here is the inactive list for the Raiders:

  • RB Dylan Laube
  • CB Sam Webb
  • WR Tyreik McAllister
  • LB Kana’i Mauga
  • OL Dylan Parham
  • TE Harrison Bryant
  • DT Zach Carter

Chiefs coaches, players recall last season’s Christmas Day loss to the Raiders

Kansas City #Chiefs coaches, players recall last season’s Christmas Day loss to the Las Vegas #Raiders | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ undefeated streak began last season following their Christmas Day loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium.

The players and coaches have pointed to that moment when the team came together and refocused on their goal of winning Super Bowl LVIII.

“I think more than anything, more than even the play on the field, I think it was just a wakeup call for us to know that we’re not going to be able to just come to the game and win,” said Mahomes during his Wednesday press conference. “We kind of battled through the year, and it was like everybody was just kind of trying to build, especially. I feel like myself; we were just building for the playoffs. We weren’t even worried about the regular season. I think you’ve seen that mentality since then is the guys are really taking every single practice and getting the best out of it so that every single week, we can play our best football, and if we don’t play our best football, we try to get better that next week. I think that’s translated into this season.

The Chiefs appeared lackluster offensively, while the defense held firm for most of the game. However, the unit couldn’t make the necessary stop in the fourth quarter to give the offense the ball back.

“The thing that I remember most is we were in there swinging away, right? It was a pretty tight game but where we kind of were disappointing as a group was when we had to stop them at the end, right? I think we had enough time-outs, and we call it a four-minute defense, right? We didn’t get that done.” said Spagnuolo during his Thursday press conference. “They ripped off a couple of long runs to kind of ice the game which is what you want your offense to do if you’re on their sideline, but we would’ve liked to have rose up somehow and got the ball back to Patrick (Mahomes) one more time. Am I right in saying it was a 20-14 final? Yeah, so if we could’ve got it back to Pat one more time – that’s what I remember. Now, I thought we played, for the most part, pretty good. I think we only gave up six points.“

The Chiefs are heading into Week 8 with the same mindset they adopted after last year’s matchup.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes discusses Raiders rivalry, Kermit The Frog doll video

Kansas City #Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes discusses Las Vegas #Raiders rivalry, Kermit The Frog doll video | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke with reporters on Wednesday about the latest chapter in the rivalry with the Las Vegas Raiders kicking off this Sunday.

“We know we’re gonna get their their best shot. I mean, that’s kind of how it’s been every single week,” said Mahomes. “But obviously, when you play a divisional opponent, like I’ve said in the past, (there) is a real rivalry between our two teams and our two organizations. You’re gonna get their best shot, and we’re gonna go out there and match that and let the best team win.”

In July, the Raiders fired the first shot ahead of the new season against the Chiefs with their viral Kermit the Frog doll video comparing it to Mahomes. The reigning Super Bowl MVP addressed his nonconcern with the clip heading into Sunday’s showdown.

“I don’t know if you would say resonates with me,” said Mahomes. “I think just knowing that the competitive spirit that they have on that side is going to match the competitive spirit that we have, I think it’s going to be a fun football game that we’re going to get the best out of each and every player on that football field. And like I said, the best team will win.”

The Chiefs’ last defeat came last Christmas Day to the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium. The visit to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will also be Kansas City’s first time back since winning Super Bowl LVIII.

Previewing Chiefs’ Week 8 game vs. Raiders on Chiefs Wire Podcast

On the latest episode of @TheChiefsWire podcast: @EdEastonJr’s chats w/ Tim Brown #KCvsLV

We’re back with an all-new episode of the Chiefs Wire podcast! This week, we’re previewing the Kansas City Chiefs Week 8 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Senior Writer Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Pro Football Hall of Famer and Raiders legend Tim Brown about his hatred of playing against the Chiefs, respect for Arrowhead Stadium fans, and memorable moments during the rivalry.

We check in with this past week’s press conferences, featuring comments from safety Justin Reid on his interception against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7. Kareem Hunt reflects on another impressive start. Head Coach Andy Reid gives an update on the roster and plans heading into Week 8 against the Raiders.

The latest episode of the Chiefs Wire Podcast will inform listeners about all the reactions from Kansas City’s Week 7 victory over San Francisco while looking ahead to the return to Las Vegas. Brown’s breakdown of the rivalry from his point of view is one of a kind and can be appreciated by every NFL fan.

Check out the link below to get your fill of Chiefs talk ahead of Sunday’s kickoff:

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes approaches more milestones ahead of Week 8 vs. Raiders

Kansas City #Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes approaches more milestones ahead of Week 8 vs. Las Vegas #Raiders | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ ongoing 12-game winning streak (including postseason), dating back to the last regular season, has them on top of the NFL standings.

“I don’t want to say it doesn’t come easily because we’re winning games against good teams by a good amount of points, and that’s not easy for the NFL,” said Mahomes during his Week 7 postgame press conference. “But I just don’t think it’s normal for what you’ve seen from us because there’s not a lot of passing touchdowns. There’s been a lot of turnovers, especially by me. So, I think it’s just showing the versatility of our team.”

Since making his first career start in the 2017 regular-season finale, Mahomes has a .792 winning percentage [95-25 (80-22 in regular season, 15-3 in postseason)] as a starting quarterback in his first eight NFL seasons.

“It’s not just about me; it’s not just about the stats, the light show, and stuff like that. It’s about playing team football,” said Mahomes. I believe that if we continue to work, we’ll get better offensively throwing the ball down the field. Until then, it’s nice to know that we have a great running game, we have a great defense, and we’re able to execute whenever the time comes to win football games.”

Mahomes’ next win will surpass Peyton Manning (80 wins) and Ben Roethlisberger(80) for the third-most wins by a starting quarterback in his first eight seasons in NFL history. He can also become the third quarterback to record three career-winning streaks of 12 or more games, including the postseason, joining Tom Brady and Manning.