Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 28, 2013

In what became fairly well documented on Twitter and on the television broadcast, Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver inappropriately expressed his displeasure over a penalty called by the referees during Sunday's game against the Steelers.

The play in question occurred when a Raiders defender went to make a tackle and inadvertently hit the receiver with helmet-to-helmet contact. Tarver then expressed his displeasure with a certain hand gesture and the certain two words to accompany it.

The refs eventually huddled and decided to pick up the flag.

Tarver has released the following statement in regards to his actions:

“I apologize for my action on the sideline of yesterday’s game. It was in the heat of the moment, and I regret drawing attention away from the Raiders players and what they accomplished.”

ESPN's Adam Schefter believes the Raiders will be the ones to discipline their young defensive coordinator, as opposed to a league-delivered punishment.

Raiders, not NFL, are expected to impose discipline on defensive coordinator Jason Tarver for his obscene gesture during Sunday's win.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 28, 2013

We will soon find out what that discipline may be for Tarver's actions.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 27, 2013

The Raiders hadn't been victorious coming off of a bye week since 2002, while the Pittsburgh Steelers hadn't won a game in Oakland since 1995. But come Sunday, one of those streaks had to come to an end.

Fortunately for Oakland, the Raiders were able to shake their post-bye week streak as they defeated the Steelers 21-18 on Sunday at O.Co Coliseum, keeping the Steelers losing streak in Oakland intact.

In what seems to have become the Raiders recipe for winning thus far, the offense was able to get off to a quick start but it was the defense that held the lead for the Raiders as the offense began to sputter as the game continued.

It took all but one play for quarterback Terrelle Pryor to get the Raiders on the scoreboard, meanwhile etching his name in the franchise record books, as well as the NFL record books. On the first play from scrimmage, the athletic quarterback kept the ball on a zone-read option and scampered downfield 93 yards for a touchdown on the game's first play from the line of scrimmage. A key block by wide receiver Rod Streater helped break Pryor free as he rushed himself into the record books. Pryor's 93-yard run was the longest-running touchdown in Oakland Raiders franchise history as well as the longest touchdown run in NFL quarterback history. The previous Raiders franchise record was 92 yards by running back Bo Jackson, while the previous quarterback record was former Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart, who had an 80-yard rushing touchdown in 1996.

Pryor knew that he needed Streater to block the one man that stood in his way.

"When I gashed out I was like alright, he has to block (Troy) Polamalu; I was saying that in my head, like Polamalu has to get blocked," Pryor said about the play following the game. "When I was coming around the corner I saw Ryan Clark flying over with Darren on the fake, so if he gets this block on Polamalu, I’m going straight up and going to the house. Rod (Streater) did a god job of not holding or anything, no penalty, and it was a great play."

The Raiders would not give up the lead from there on out, nor would the game be tied.

Oakland's defense set the tone defensively right from their first series, forcing Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers' offense to two consecutive three-and-outs to start the game.

Following the second three-and-out, backup running back Rashad Jennings was able to get into the backfield and get to the punt, partially deflecting it resulting in just a three-yard punt by Zoltan Mesko.

The Raiders offense would capitalize by punching the ball into the endzone with a seven-yard run by running back Darren McFadden.

McFadden was able to double his rushing-touchdown total on the day as he took the ball out of the wildcat later in the game and rolled out to his right as if to throw the ball, but then tucked the ball and ran into the endzone for the touchdown to put the Raiders up 21-3.

Not everything was smooth for the offense in the first half though as Pryor threw two more interceptions, making it a total of seven now through eight games. Pryor's first interception came as he rolled out left and looked for rookie Brice Butler deep, but Pryor appeared to not set his feet and the ball soared over Butler as it fell right into Polamalu's hands.

"I have to see it on film, I also think the wind just took it off of me," Pryor said of his first interception. "I was trying to touch it and the wind just kind of took it and it just blew up. The wind was kind of going today. I was trying to fit it in there beecause he was pretty much wide open after he left the guy. There's stuff I need to work on and can't have that, can't have turnovers, and I know that, but got the win."

Pryor's second interception of the day came late in the final minutes of the first half when he threw a perfect ball to Butler on a short-crossing route but Butler had the ball clank off his hands and into a defenders arms. Luckily for the Raiders, the turnover wasn't costly as Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham missed the 34-yard field goal wide right, giving the Raiders the 21-3 lead at the half. Suisham would miss a 32-yard field goal attempt on the first drive of the second half as well, proving to be very costly in the eventual three-point loss.

It would be up to the Raiders defense to secure the win as the offense would sputter into the finish line, adding no more points to their lead. In fact, the Raiders would only gain 35 yards in the second half.

The Raiders went ultra conservative in the play calling in the second half and continued to run the ball in an attempt to run the clock out and not give the Steelers enough time for a comeback victory, even if Pryor wanted to try and do it all and end the game himself.

"We're up 21 and our defense is playing great," Pryor said of the decision to try and run the clock out. "With Darren, one of the best backs I believe in the NFL, we just got to -- our coach, we thought we could run the time out. It didn't work the way we thought. We weren't staying on the field. We were getting in third down and long. It's very tough to throw the ball third down and long. I believe they're No. 1 in the NFL in third and long. It's hard to run on first and second and do that, throw on third. But I think strategically the coaches thought, hey, if we run the ball and pick up some first downs and keep the clock running, I believe that's what the strategy was. At the end of the day we won."

Pryor wasn't the only one making costly mistakes. Wide receiver Jacoby Ford almost had a crucial muffed punt, but then later fumbled the ball on a reception, giving the Steelers a short field on the Raiders 11-yard line. Allen knows that his team can't afford to give the ball away like that.

"We all feel good about winning a game, but we have to understand is you put the ball on the ground in a game like that, you’re giving them an opportunity to get back in the game and you can’t do that. Good football teams, they don’t do that," Allen said. "And part of it is I think they make some plays, but part of it is just our ability to focus in. Right before the half, we have a pass that hits Brice right in the hands and pops up and they get an interception. Jacoby’s play on the punt return that could have been a huge play in the game, luckily we got the call in our favor. What I’m going to visit with our guys about is you have to understand what wins and loses in this game. When you’re in these games like this, the only way they have a chance to get back in the game is for you to turn the ball over and make mistakes and we can’t do that."

The team won because of the defense's ability to get pressure on Big Ben while coming away with a crucial turnovers late in the game. Early in the fourth quarter, cornerback Mike Jenkins played Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders' "go route" perfectly and came away with a long interception.

Just a couple of drives later, Jenkins hit Sanders hard and jarred the ball loose for fellow corner Tracy Porter to make a remarkable fingertip catch, plucking the ball away from the ground for the interception.

"I just wrapped my keys," Jenkins said of his interception. "Just pretty much doing what I needed to do. I was in the right spot at the right time and I made a play."

The Raiders also made the Steelers one-dimensional as the defense was able to hold the Steelers rushing attack to just 35 yards on the ground. In addition, Roethlisberger was constantly under pressure and the Raiders were able to bring him down to record five sacks. Rookie linebacker Sio Moore had two of them.

"We made it our job to make sure we harassed the quarterback throughout the day and stop the run and we were able to do that," Moore said of the philosophy coming into the game. "And the biggest thing is we were able to do that when it came down to the fourth quarter and were able to finish.

"You have to hold on for dear life a little bit with Ben Roethlisberger. He’s a good quarterback and he knows how to escape guys; half the time you think he’s sacked. The biggest thing we were saying throughout the week was when he’s down, he’s not down, so keep going."

Despite the two fourth-quarter interceptions, the Steelers were able to score 15 points in the fourth quarter to bring the Raiders lead to just a field goal. The Steelers final points came on a third and eight play when Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston whiffed on a sack and Roethlisberger escaped to find Sanders for the eight-yard touchdown reception. Sanders would then score on the two-point conversion to cut the lead to just three.

With just 1:24 remaining in the game, the Steelers were forced to attempt an onside kick. The kick was recovered by none other than the special teams standout Jennings, who had deflected the punt earlier.

"That’s what you expect out of a guy that’s been around, been a pro," Allen said of Jennings. "That’s what these guys get paid to do; they get paid to make the plays that they’re supposed to make. I thought he did a great job. He’s been great for us in special teams. He’s done a nice job of coming in and filling in for Darren when Darren goes out. He’s obviously been a valued asset for our football team."

From there, the Raiders were able to run the clock out down to just 28 seconds, giving the Steelers time for one more shot. But Roethlisberger found Sanders over the middle but the Steelers were forced to watch time run out with no timeouts, as the Raiders secured their 21-18 victory.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 26, 2013

The Oakland Raiders announced yet another move on Saturday as they added offensive lineman Jack Cornell from their practice squad while waiving defensive tackle Brian Sanford.

Cornell was previously signed to the active roster and appeared in one game for the Raiders on Oct. 6 as the team took on the San Diego Chargers. Cornell was then waived by the team the day after the game, before being re-signed to the practice squad on Oct. 9, where he remained until today.

The Illinois alum spent his rookie year last year on the practice squad for the Baltimore Ravens but was released by the team after their 2013 training camp.

With Andre Gurode and Tony Pashos remaining sidelined with their respective injuries, the addition of Cornell gives the Raiders some added depth and insurance.

Sanford becomes the second defensive lineman released by the Raiders this week after the team waived 2012 sixth-round draft pick Christo Bilukidi.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 25, 2013 

The Oakland Raiders (2-4) return home to O.Co Coliseum to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) after a much-needed bye week.

The bye week gave the Raiders a chance to get their wounded offensive line to get healthy, though the team was only able to get one of their injured offensive lineman back to the practice field.

Center Stefen Wisniewski returned to the starting unit this week after missing the last two games with a knee injury. Wisniewski returning to the offensive line has been called "huge" by Dennis Allen and it is, as it allows emergency center Mike Brisiel to return to his starting position at right guard. The offensive line will need to have a better outing than the Chiefs game, in which quarterback Terrelle Pryor found himself sacked on the ground nine times.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, right tackle Tony Pashos remains doubtful to return to the playing field on Sunday with his hip injury. The injury means that Matt McCants will likely be the Raiders starting right tackle once again.

Luckily for Pryor and the Raiders offense, they're playing a defense that doesn't quite compare to the Chiefs defense. Long known for their stellar defense, the Steelers' defense has not lived up to its previous seasons in the turnover department and rush defense. The Steelers also only have eight sacks on the season, second to lowest in the NFL.

Though they are allowing just 22.0 points and 306.8 yards per game, the Steelers have just two takeaways through six games. This bodes well for Pryor and gives him a chance to right the ship again after throwing three interceptions in his last start.

Pryor and the offense need to protect the ball and not give Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers' offense extra opportunities. The best way for Pryor to prevent interceptions is to keep an eye on the Steelers' Pro Bowl safeties in Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu.

The Steelers defense hasn't presented the same stout rush defense that it has in the year's past. Darren McFadden and the Raiders rushers will look to get a rushing attack going against the Steelers defense that is allowing 109.3 rushing yards per game. The Raiders still possess a strong rushing attack, averaging 129.2 rushing yards per game. Pryor remains the Raiders leading rusher with 285 yards on the ground.

The Raiders will look to continue their recent success in defending the rush against rookie running back Le'veon Bell. Bell is coming off of a 19-rush, 93-yard game against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Raiders have been solid against the Rush the last three weeks, allowing just 89.3 yards per game over the period. The strong ability to stop the rush is good enough to rank sixth in the NFL over the span of the three weeks. The Raiders are the only team in the NFL that has not allowed a 20+ run. The longest run the Raiders have given up was the 19-yard touchdown run to Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.

Charles Woodson and the Raiders secondary will need to contain speedster wide receiver Antonio Brown and try to eliminate the big play. Brown leads the Steelers in receiving with 548 yards and two touchdowns on 47 receptions.

Oakland and the Steelers have met 20 times in the regular season, with the Raiders leading the series 11-9. The Steelers have not

won in Oakland since 1995, though the Raiders haven't won a game coming off of a bye week since 2002.

The Raiders will remain in Oakland following the game as they take host another home game next week when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Milestones to watch for: 

WR Jacoby Ford
• Needs 20 kickoff return yards to pass George Atkinson for seventh place on the
Raiders’ all-time KOR yards list.

DE Lamarr Houston
• Needs five sacks to enter the top 20 in Raiders team history.

K Sebastian Janikowski
• Has now converted on 134-consecutive PAT attempts.
• Needs just 78 points to reach 1,500 for his career.

RB Darren McFadden
• Needs 39 rushing yards to move into eighth place on the Raiders’ all-time rushing
list.
• Needs 475 receiving yards to eclipse 1,500 yards for his career

WR Denarius Moore
• Needs 242 receiving yards to reach 2,000 for his career.

QB Terrelle Pryor
• Is currently third amongst all quarterbacks with 285 rushing yards. Pryor could
eclipse the Raiders’ single-season mark of rushing yards by a quarterback with just
245 more yards. Rich Gannon set the mark in 2000 with 529.

WR Rod Streater
• Needs 142 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for his career.

S Charles Woodson
• Needs five interceptions to tie Ed Reed for first on the interceptions list among all
active players with 61.
• Needs one INT-TD to pass Rod Woodson for first on the all-time list with 12.
• Needs one defensive touchdown to pass Rod Woodson and Darren Sharper for the
most defensive touchdowns in NFL history with 13.

INJURY REPORT:

Oakland Raiders

Probable: CB Tracy Porter (shoulder), Stefen Wisniewski (knee)

Questionable: LB Kaluka Maiava (hamstring)

Doubtful: OL Andre Gurode (quad), OT Tony Pashos (hip), OT (Menelik Watson (calf)

Out: S Tyvon Branch (ankle)

Pittsburgh Steelers

Probable: T Kelvin Beachum (ribs), T Marcus Gilbert (quad), DE Brett Keisel (ribs), TE Heath Miller (not injury related), WR Jericho Cotchery (abdomen), DE Cameron Heyward (illness), LB Jarvis Jones (concussion), LB Lawrence Timmons (hand), LB Lamarr Woodley (knee), G Ramon Foster (thumb)

Out: WR Markus Wheaton (finger), TE Richard Gordon (toe)

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 24, 2013

The Oakland Raiders have began another program benefiting the local community, this one being tabbed the First & Goal Program.

Cytosport, Bibby’s Chocolates, New Era and THE GLAD Products Company have all partnered with the Raiders to make it possible to bring local community students, and their chaperones to Raiders home games at no cost.

For the game this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and for every home game following, the organization is providing Oakland Unified School District and its students 800 game tickets, as well as transportation and meals.

These 800 young fans will get off of a bus ride to O.Co Coliseum and hear a "chalk talk" from a different Raiders legend each week before heading into the stadium to watch the game at no cost. This Sunday's speaker will be Lincoln Kennedy, who will be discussing the importance of health maintenance and safety on and off the field.

After a provided lunch, the students will be escorted to their seats in sections 301 and 331, which have now been dubbed First & Goal Kids zones. In addition, the sections will also have kids play zones along with concession stands aimed towards the young fans.

The Raiders had previously given the 800 tickets to the Oakland Parks and Recreation Department for the first two home games of the 2013 season, who then gave the tickets to youngsters involved in various programs.

"The Raiders have a proud history of giving back to the Oakland community," the Raiders stated in the press release. "This program is another example of our commitment to the cities and towns where we live and play our games. Beyond simply keeping students in school, our goal is to motivate students to thrive and succeed in their education. We want to make a difference in the lives of the students who live and attend school in our community.”

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 24, 2013

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the three NFL matchups taking place in London next year, and the Raiders will take on the Miami Dolphins when they host one of their home games at Wembley Stadium in London next year.

The game will be one of three NFL regular-season games in London next year and will be the first time that the Raiders have played a regular-season game across the pond. This will be the second time the Miami Dolphins have played a regular season game in London, losing 13-10 to the New York Giants in 2007.

Though the matchups have been released, the dates and times of the games have not yet been released.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 23, 2013

The Oakland Raiders announced Wednesday that they have claimed linebacker Martez Wilson off of waivers from the New Orleans Saints.

The 6-foot-4, 252-pound linebacker has spent the last two-plus seasons with the Saints while appearing in 33 games, including just one start. During those 33 games, Wilson accumulated 30 tackles, five sacks, two passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

The former 2011 third-round draft pick out of Illinois appeared in all 16 games last year at both defensive end and contributing on special teams, recording 18 tackles, three sacks and a blocked punt. Wilson brings good special teams play as well as versatile linebacker play that can also give the Raiders additional help in the pass rush at times.

In order to make room for Wilson, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie announced that they have waived 2012 sixth-round draft pick Christo Bilukidi. The young defensive tackle appeared in 18 games for the Raiders in his one-plus years, recording 13 tackles and one sack.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 23, 2013


The Raiders' wounded offensive line healed up a little bit as starting center Stefen Wisniewski returned to the field for practice in Alameda on Wednesday.

Heading into the bye week, offensive line coach Tony Sparano was left with just right tackle Khalif Barnes remaining at the position he started the week six matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wisniewski originally injured his knee against the Washington Redskins in week four and was replaced by backup veteran center Andre Gurode. The team found itself in a dire situation when Gurode went down with an injury of his own, causing guard Mike Brisiel to kick even farther inside and handle the center position. With the make-shift offensive line in week six, starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor found himself sacked nine times at the benefit of the Chiefs' pass rush.

The return of Wisniewski kicked Brisiel out to right guard as the starting offensive line at Wednesday's practice was as follows (left to right): Khalif Barnes, Lucas Nix, Wisniewski, Brisiel, and Matt McCants.

McCants will remain the teams starting right tackle until Tony Pashos can return from his hip injury.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct 19, 2013

With the Oakland Raiders off for their bye week, it's a good time to take a look at some of the team's statistical numbers and check on their progression six weeks into the season.

191.7

The Raiders are averaging just 191.7 yards per game through the air so far, the third-worst in the league thus far. Wide receiver Denarius Moore looks as if he has made the best of the wide receiver battle and become the Raiders number-one wideout. Moore is leading receivers with 25 receptions for 399 yards and four touchdowns. The Raiders will need to try and find a way to improve their passing game as defenses increase their focus on stopping the rushing game.

129.2

While the passing game has struggled, the Raiders have found running room by gaining 129.2 yards per game on the ground, ninth-best in the NFL. Though running back Darren McFadden has struggled to really get going (267 yards, 3.9 YPC), quarterback Terrelle Pryor's athleticism has proven beneficial in the rushing attack. Pryor's ability to run the read-option as well as scramble for yards has produced an additional 285 yards on the season, with a 6.5 yard-per-carry average. While being ranked 9th in the NFL is nice, offensive coordinator Greg Olson needs to find a way to get McFadden going as it will help open up the passing game, as well as force defenses to take some focus off of Pryor. The Raiders rushing attack will only continue as the team continues to get healthier at the offensive line position. Heading into the bye week, for their week-six matchup, the Raiders had five players on their offensive line playing a different position than where they began the season.

13th

With defense that has only two starters that returned from last year (Lamarr Houston and Tyvon Branch, who is injured), defensive coordinator Jason Tarver has been able to build a defense that has turned into the 13th best defense in the NFL so far. Tarver and head coach Dennis Allen have preached a "multiple" defense and it has shown this year as they have used a variety of formations and shown many different fronts to the opposing offenses. The Raiders are currently allowing 241.0 yards per game through the air, 15th in the NFL. They are also allowing just 99.0 yards per game on the ground, 10th in the NFL. The Raiders have not had good rush defenses for a long time and if they continue their stout defense against their rush, it will give more opportunities to Charles Woodson, D.J. Hayden and company to make some plays in the secondary.

9.0

Many fans and observers were surprised that the Raiders did not address the need for a pass rusher in free agency or in the draft, but the Raiders have found a way to get to the pass rusher. That way is with their linebackers and secondary. The Raiders have nine sacks produced by linebackers and defensive backs, out of a total of 16.0 team sacks on the season. Tarver has done a tremendous job using exotic blitz packages to get to the opposing quarterback with a variety of players. The Raiders' 16 sacks is ranked 15th best in the NFL currently, but the team is on pace to record 44 sacks after having just 25 last season.

Zero

The Raiders are currently even with their turnover ratio, meaning they've turned the ball over just as many times as they've produced turnovers. Tarver and Allen have preached they need their defense to be able to produce turnovers, and the Raiders defense has responded with three interceptions and seven forced fumbles (6 recovered). Unfortunately though, the Raiders' offense has struggled to protect the ball with three fumbles and six interceptions. Pryor's five interceptions have occurred in week one and week 6, throwing two and three picks each game, respectfully. The offense needs to find a way to protect the ball better while the defense needs to continue to find ways to come away with turnovers if the Raiders want to improve their win record.

17.5

With the Raiders playing solid on defense, the Raiders offense is struggling to get points on the board as they are averaging just 17.5 points per game (28th in the NFL). Oakland's highest-scoring game of the season game against the Chargers in week five when they scored 27 points, though one of the three touchdowns came on a fumble recovery from Woodson. Pryor and the offense need to support their defense by putting more points on the board if the Raiders expect to win more games coming out of their bye week.

4

Though new special teams coach Bobby April has done a tremendous job with the Raiders special teams, it is clear that kicker Sebastian Janikowski is not comfortable with his new holder just yet. Janikowski is having rookie punter Marquette King as his holder after his longtime holder Shane Lechler left for the Houston Texans via free agency. Janikowski has already missed four field goals on the season after only missing three all last season (31/34). Janikowski needs to improve as the season progresses as it is crucial for the Raiders to get points on the board anytime they can. One thing that will prove beneficial to Janikowski and the Raiders is that the Oakland Athletic's baseball infield dirt will be gone now that the team is knocked out of the postseason.

Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 13, 2013

Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor and his offense faced their toughest test of season as they went into hostile Arrowhead Stadium to take on the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. After giving up a touchdown, the Chiefs defense tightened and didn't allow any more scores en route to a Raiders 24-7 loss.

Nothing came easy for Pryor from the beginning, but to make things worse, the young quarterback had an exceptionally banged-up offensive line and a Chiefs crowd that set the Guinness Book of World Record for loudest decibel record in an open-air stadium. The record was announced late in the fourth quarter as Pryor's final drive ticked off the final seconds of the game.

The crowd proved to be a big factor as Pryor had difficulty getting the play calls out in time and had three delay-of-game penalties. the offensive line also struggled with false start penalties. The Raiders reverted to old habits, finishing with 11 penalties for 68 yards.

The Raiders offensive line has been banged up all season but the injury list found a way to continue to grow on Sunday. By the end of the game, the Raiders only had starting left tackle Khalif Barnes playing the position he started the game at.

Matt McCants was inserted for starting right tackle Tony Pashos, who has been battling a nagging groin injury. Backup center Andre Gurode, who was in for the injured Stefen Wisniewski, left the game in the first half and did not return. The injury forced starting left guard Mike Brisiel to kick inside to center, putting Lamar Mady at left tackle.

The Raiders make-shift offensive line did not prove capable of stopping Tamba Hali and the Chiefs strong pass rush. Smelling weakness along the offensive line, the Chiefs' defense was able to get to Pryor 10 times for sacks. Hali led the defense with 3.5 sacks on Pryor.

Pryor's lack of time caused him to force plays which resulted in him throwing three interceptions, including one pick-six, after not having thrown any since the two he threw in week one against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Raiders first-year starting quarterback was able to get the Raiders on the scoreboard first when he broke a 0-0 tie in the second quarter by finding wide receiver Denarius Moore on a slant pattern, turning on his speed to beat the defenders and get into the end zone for a 39-yard touchdown reception. Moore beat rookie Marcus Cooper on the play, who's name was called often during the game.

But that would be the only score for the Raiders.

The Raiders defense played another stellar game, giving up only two touchdowns on just 216 yards of total offense for Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs. After holding the Chargers scoreless in the first half last week, it took until there was just 1:06 remaining in the first half for the Raiders defense to give up a score.

The Chiefs first score was set up by a pass interference penalty on rookie corner D.J. Hayden in which he failed to look back for the ball in coverage on a crucial 3rd and 10. Chiefs running back would score on the next play on a halfback draw from the seven-yard line, tying the game 7-7. Overall, the Raiders defense did a good job containing the speedy Charles as he finished with 22 carries for 70 yards but both of the Chiefs' offensive touchdowns.

Hayden came back later in the beginning of the third quarter with what looked to be a big play in the game as he came up to hit Chiefs wide receiver Donnie Avery hard and force a fumble in the red zone, with veteran safety Charles Woodson recovering the ball for the Raiders.

The Chiefs second offensive touchdown occurred after an interception from Pryor forced a short field for the defense. Pryor threw up a prayer off of his back foot that was intercepted by Chiefs Quinton Demps, giving the ball to Smith and the offense on the Raiders 24-yard line. It was Pryor's first interception in 91 pass attempts.

With the short field, Smith was able to orchestrate a five-play drive that culminated in Charles' second touchdown run of the game, giving the Chiefs a lead they would not relinquish.

As bad as the offense played, the team still had a chance to tie the score late in the game. But the offense once again couldn't get anything going as Pryor looked for Moore on the same slant but this time the rookie Cooper jumped the route and came away with the interception, Pryor's second of the day. The turnover gave the ball to the Chiefs on the Raiders 29-yard line.

Though the Raiders defense was able to keep the Chiefs out of the end zone, the Chiefs still kicked a field goal to make it a two-score game at 17-7 with just over two minutes remaining.

With little time and needing a quick score, Pryor looked for tight end Mychal Rivera but was intercepted by safety Husain Abdullah who brought it back 44 yards for the game-sealing touchdown.

Down 24-7 with just 1:35 remaining in the game, Pryor tried one last time to get something going. But in what was symbolic of the afternoon's events, the drive ended with Pryor being sacked as time ran out to get put the Raiders at 2-4 on the season and keep the Chiefs undefeated at 6-0.

With a struggling offensive line, running back Darren McFadden was once again unable to get anything going, even against a rather porous rush defense. McFadden rushed for 52 yards on 16 carries against a Chiefs defense that ranked 30th against the rush coming into Sunday.

Luckily the Raiders are heading into their bye week so hopefully they will be able to get some of their injured offensive lineman back on the field.

The Raiders take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at home when they return from their bye week on Oct. 27.