Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 11, 2013 The Oakland Raiders are coming off of a big 27-17 victory late Sunday night against the San Diego Chargers but now head to Kansas City to take on another division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs. Things don't get any easier against the Chiefs as their new regime has them unbeaten on the season at 5-0. New Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and new quarterback Alex Smith have the offense doing enough to win games while the team relies heavily on its strong defense. Smith and the passing game is only averaging 227.8 yards per game, but Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs rushing attack are averaging 120.6 rushing yards per game, 12th in the NFL. The Raiders defense will need to continue their strong play with strong gap discipline as Charles is a dangerous threat that can take it the distance at any moment. Averaging 79.4 yards per game, Charles is coming off of his best game of the year where he torched the the Titans defense for 108 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries. He also added five receptions for 37 yards. The Raiders defense will also need to keep an eye on Charles out of the backfield due to his strong receiving capability. Raiders quarterback and Terrelle Pryor will have their hands full as they take on a stout Chiefs defense. The Chiefs currently rank first in the NFL with a +10 turnover margin while allowing just 11.6 points per game, also the best in the NFL. Pryor has not thrown an interception since the two he threw in week one and he will need to continue that trend against a ball-hawking Chiefs defense. Pryor needs to make sure he makes the correct reads and avoid throwing the ball to the men in red. Though it is not yet known who will be available to play running back for the Raiders, it appears that they would be capable of having a big day. The Chiefs weakest point on defense is no doubt their rush defense, as they're allowing 115.0 rushing yards per game, 21st in the NFL. On the other hand, the Chiefs are allowing only 197.8 passing yards per game, the fourth best in the NFL. Should Darren McFadden and/or Rashad Jennings be available on Sunday, expect offensive coordinator Greg Olson to look to get them going in an attempt to open up the passing attack a little. Turnovers and special teams could prove to be crucial pieces of this game and the Raiders will look to take charge in those aspects of the game. WR Jacoby Ford • Needs 38 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 133-consecutive PAT attempts. • Needs just 79 points to reach 1,500 for his career. RB Darren McFadden • Needs 91 rushing yards to move into eighth place on the Raiders’ all-time rushing list. • Needs 5 receiving yards to eclipse 1,500 yards for his career. WR Denarius Moore • Needs 324 receiving yards to reach 2,000 for his career. QB Terrelle Pryor • Is currently third amongst all quarterbacks with 229 rushing yards. Pryor could eclipse the Raiders’ single-season mark of rushing yards by a quarterback with just 299 more yards. Rich Gannon set the mark in 2000 with 529. WR Rod Streater • Needs 188 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.
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Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 9, 2013
Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie announced Wednesday that the team has signed veteran free agent DT Daniel Muir. Muir is a six-year veteran that has appeared in 46 NFL games, including 26 starts during his career with the NY Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers. With those three teams, Muir has accumulated 130 tackles, .5 sacks and one pass defensed. Muir last saw action in 2012 when playing with the Jets, appearing in three games and recording three tackles. The 322-pound defensive tackle saw his best year in 2009 with the Colts when he made 10 starts and recorded 66 tackles and half a sack. The Raiders also announced they re-signed offensive lineman Jack Cornell to the practice squad. Cornell was released earlier this week by the Raiders in order to make more room for wide receiver Andre Holmes to be activated. Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 8, 2013
The Oakland Raiders have announced that they will be one of three teams to play one of their home games at Wembley Stadium in London for the 2014 NFL stadium. The game will be the fifth time the team has played a game outside of the United States having already played in London once, as well as the Tokyo Dome in Japan, Montjuic Stadium in Bacelona, Spain, and at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico. The Raiders last went to London on their inaugural trip outside of the United States when they took on the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 5, 1990 in a preseason American Bowl contest. All previous games outside of the United States have been exhibition, but this game will be during the regular season with the Raiders as the home team and the result will matter in the record. The current Raiders roster has ties to the United Kingdom: Senior offensive assistant Al Saunders was born in London before moving to Northern California as a kid, while defensive lineman Jack Crawford and offensive lineman Menelik Watson grew up in the UK before moving to the United States in high school and college, respectively. Raiders owner Mark Davis looks forward to helping build the global brand of his organization, along with the NFL. “We are excited and embrace this great opportunity to assist in building NFL popularity worldwide,” Davis said in a press release. “The Raiders are truly a global brand and we are looking forward to our home-field advantage at the new Wembley Stadium.” The Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars will be the other two teams hosting a home game in London next year. Originally published on Silver & Black on Oct. 8, 2013 On this day, two years ago, the Raider Nation lost its leader. Al Davis passed on Oct. 8, 2011 at the age of 82. At the time, he was the owner of the Raiders as well as the general manager of the team, a title he had held since 1966. Mr. Davis did a lot for the National Football League, including being one of leading factors that the AFL and NFL merged in 1966. His maverick-style ownership of the Raiders left a rich history and tradition that is still found inside the walls of the Raiders' Alameda headquarters. Though the organization has seen lots of change since his passing, some of Mr. Davis' draft picks still remain on the roster. Lets take a look at how they're doing. Tyvon Branch, Safety Drafted out of the University of Connecticut in 2008 with the Raiders' fourth-round draft selection (100th overall), Branch has turned into an integral piece of the Raiders defense as the starting strong safety. Branch had his breakout season in 2009 when he started all 16 games and racked up 124 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles. In fact, Branch recorded over 100 tackles in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The hard-hitting safety was named a Pro Bowl alternate in 2012 for his play on the field. Branch played in 14 games that season, recording 94 tackles and one interception. Branch was injured during the Raiders week two contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars this season and remains out with a lower leg injury. Chimdi Chekwa, Defensive back Taken in Mr. Davis final NFL draft, Chekwa was selected in the fourth round (113th overall) by the Raiders out of Ohio State University. Chekwa has had a hard time finding the field in defensive packages but has become a key piece of the Raiders special teams unit this year. Just this last week against the Chargers, Chekwa recovered Eddie Royal's muffed punt. Through Chekwa's two seasons plus, the young defensive back has totaled 12 tackles, two passes defensed and one forced fumble. Jacoby Ford, Wide receiver The speedster from Clemson was selected by Davis in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2010 draft as one of the fastest draftees. A former NCAA track star, Ford caught Davis' eye after running a 4.28 40-yard dash at the 2010 NFL combine. Though often injured, Ford was able to play in all 16 games of his rookie season, hauling in 25 receptions for 470 yards (18.8 yards per reception) and two touchdowns. The speed he possessed also proved useful on returns as he returned three kickoffs all the way back for touchdowns in his rookie year. With four kickoff returns for touchdowns in his career, Ford is a key piece of the Raiders special teams. Ford's fourth touchdown return came in 2011 as the Raiders returned for their first home game after the passing of Davis. The 101-yard kickoff return against the Browns that week helped seal the 24-17 emotional victory. Lamarr Houston, Defensive end Houston has become an integral piece of the Raiders defense after being drafted by Davis in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft, 44th overall. The former Longhorn is now the Raiders featured pass rusher and has not missed a game in his NFL career yet. Houston has played in 53 career games and racked up 182 tackles and 13.0 sacks. After having a previous season-high of five sacks, in his rookie year of 2010, Houston has gotten off to an early start this season and recorded 3.0 sacks in the first five games. With little pass rushing help this season, the Raiders need Houston to continue to develop into a consistent pass-rushing presence. Houston has also become a leader of the defense with many players noting his ability as a leader and willingness to mentor. Sebastian Janikowski, Kicker Not many general managers would take a kicker in the first round, let alone at 17 overall. But that's just what Davis did in 2000 when he selected Janikowski with the 17th-overall selection of the NFL Draft. Janikowski has turned into one of the league's best kickers and a dangerous weapon for the Raiders. His powerful leg has earned him a variety of NFL records and has made him the highest scoring player in Raiders history. Janikowski needs just 84 more points to reach the 1,500 mark. Currently holding a piece of the NFL record for longest field goal make at 63 yards, it wouldn't be surprising if he is able to solely hold the record some day. Taiwan Jones, Defensive back Jones was selected in the fourth round (125th overall) of the 2011 NFL draft, the final draft for Davis. The speedy halfback was believed to be a threat carrying the ball but after some struggles, the current regime decided to move him to cornerback just this year. Jones initially enrolled at Eastern Washington as a cornerback before transitioning into running back. Jones has shown the ability to play corner and possesses great speed at the position. Raiders head coach Dennis Allen has stated many times that Jones is a great special teams player. Jones has served as a return man for the Raiders and also serves time as a gunner. Darren McFadden, Running back McFadden was drafted by Davis fourth-overall in the 2008 NFL draft after his explosive tenure at the University of Arkansas. When healthy, the back is as explosive as any running back in the league once he finds the hole. McFadden possesses the home-run speed that coaches look for and his ability to run the ball and also catch the ball out of the backfield made him an easy target for Davis. Currently in his sixth season in the NFL, McFadden has gained 3,549 yards and rushed for 20 touchdowns, while recording 1,495 receiving yards and five receiving touchdown, all in 61 games played. Terrelle Pryor, Quarterback Pryor is the last piece of Davis' legacy before he passed. Davis selected Pryor with a third-round selection in the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft, making him Davis' last draft pick before his passing. Pryor didn't get on the field much his first two seasons but continued to work hard to become the best quarterback possible. Pryor beat out Matt Flynn this past offseason and has become the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders and has continued to impress eyes across the nation with his growth and improvement. His athleticism makes him an explosive quarterback that is capable of turning even broken-up plays into big gainers. Davis is smiling somewhere while watching his young quarterback, and Pryor wants to do everything he can to make Davis right in selecting him. "I owe Mr. Davis. This man believed I'd be a star quarterback. He said that to me multiple times. Everyday I'm thankful [for him]," Pryor told Sports Illustrated's Peter King. Marcel Reece, Fullback Though he wasn't drafted by Davis, he had to be included in the list due to Davis finding him and exploring his options. Reece originally signed with the Raiders in 2008 and was tried at a variety of positions after coming out of the University of Washington as a wide receiver. After spending his first two seasons on the Raiders practice squad, Davis and the Raiders elevated him and signed him to the active roster as the starting fullback in 2010. Reece has since turned into one of the team's most dangerous weapons due to his receiving ability and even his ability to rush the ball. The versatile fullback stepped in as the starting running back last season with so many injuries to their running backs. As a result of his season as a fullback and running back, Reece earned his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2012 after hauling in 52 receptions for 496 yards and 271 rushing yards (4.8 yards per carry). Reece has appeared in 47 games for the Raiders, including 31 starts since 2008, racking up 505 yards on 106 rushes and 1,159 yards on 107 receptions. Reece signed an extension with the Raiders on Sept. 13, 2013 and hopes to remain with the Raiders for his career because of the beliefs of Mr. Davis. “It’s another step to my goal – being a Raider for life,” Reece said via the Raiders’ press release. “I plan on playing for as long as God will allow me to. If it’s for a lot longer, I want it all to be with the Raiders. Al Davis believed in me more than I did myself at times, and it meant a lot to me. I take it to heart and I take it seriously. Mark Davis has loved me the same. I love the organization and I love the Raiders family. I plan on being a Raider for life.” Jared Veldheer, Offensive tackle Davis drafted Veldheer in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft (69th overall) after he played his college ball at Hillsdale. Veldheer played so well he was able to supplant Mario Henderson as the starting left tackle by mid-season of his rookie year. Veldheer hasn't looked back since becoming the Raiders starting tackle, quickly becoming one of the best young left tackles in the league. Up until this year, Veldheer had played in every game of his three-year career, starting all but five of them. Veldheer is currently out with a torn triceps injury though could come back by the end of November. Veldheer has become a crucial piece of the offensive line due to his consistency in both run blocking and his ability to keep the quarterback off of the dirt. Stefen Wisniewski, Center/Offensive guard Davis went for a familiar family tree when he drafted Stefen Wisniewski in the second round (48th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. Wisniewski is the nephew of former Raiders Steve Wisniewski, who was an eight-time Pro Bowl guard for the Raiders. Wisniewski quickly turned into one of the team's best offensive lineman while playing at the left guard position next to Jared Veldheer. After a strong season at left guard, the Raiders asked him to return to his college position at center, where he still remains. Wisniewski remains one of the better centers in the league. Charles Woodson, Safety Woodson is one of Davis' older draft picks as he was drafted fourth-overall in the 1998 draft by Davis. Since then, Woodson has become one of the best players in the NFL. Woodson initially spent eight seasons in his first stint with the Raiders, but then moved on and signed a seven-year contract with the Green Bay Packers where he continued his illustrious career. Woodson was originally drafted by Davis as a cornerback but has since moved to the free safety position due to being 37 years old. Woodson's hall of fame resume includes 749 tackles, 18.0 sacks, 120 passes defensed, 56 interceptions and 13 defensive touchdowns. Woodson's 13 defensive touchdowns is currently tied for the NFL record with Rod Woodson and Darren Sharper, and his 13th was recorded just last week against the San Diego Chargers. Woodson decided to come back to the Raiders with a one-year deal after little interest from other teams and the fans in Raider Nation pushed hard for him to return home. The departure of Michael Huff also made a hole in the defensive backfield. Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 7, 2013 The Raiders have officially announced that they have released quarterback Matt Flynn Monday after news surfaced earlier in the day In addition to the release of Flynn, the Raiders also announced two additional roster moves: waiving offensive lineman Jack Cornell and activating wide receiver Andre Holmes to the active roster. Cornell was signed off of the practice squad last week in an effort to provide some depth to an ailing offensive line that found itself without right tackle Tony Pashos. Holmes is coming off of a league-mandated four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound wide receiver showed the ability to go deep and make difficult plays during training camp and preseason. His addition will give the Raiders another wide receiver with big-play capabilities and a target with size that is difficult to cover. Holmes hauled in seven receptions for 86 yards in the Raiders' four preseason games. Holmes went to college with left tackle Jared Veldheer at Hillsdale before signing with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent originally. He recorded two receptions for 11 yards with the Cowboys last season and was claimed off of waivers (New England) by the Raiders in May. Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 7, 2013
Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter has reported that the Raiders have cut ties with quarterback Matt Flynn, just one day after starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor put on his best performance, arguably. BREAKING: The Raiders have released QB Matt Flynn, according g to source. — Jim Trotter (@SI_JimTrotter) October 7, 2013 The Raiders traded a 2014 fifth-round draft selection to the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason for Flynn and promptly named him the starting quarterback, but things didn't work out that way. Just as he saw happen to him the previous year with Russell Wilson in Seattle, Flynn watched the more mobile Terrelle Pryor explode on to the scene and provide a spark to the Raiders offense, ultimately winning the starting job heading into week one. Flynn did get to start week four for the Raiders against the Washington Redskins as Pryor was still out with concussion symptoms from the week before. Flynn was unable to move the ball consistently and finished 21/32 for 227 yards, one touchdown and one interception, to go along with seven sacks and three fumbles. Flynn was demoted to third-string quarterback the next day, with undrafted rookie Matt McGloin moving up to second-string. Flynn was brought in as general manager Reggie McKenzie's "guy" from Green Bay, but it appears the second-year GM is ready to move forward in his plans without him. Flynn is the second quarterback that McKenzie has released after spending a mid-round draft pick on. McKenzie also released rookie quarterback Tyler Wilson after selecting him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. Wilson is currently on the Raiders practice squad. The Raiders are reportedly bringing in David Carr and Pat White for workouts. Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 7, 2013
Starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor returned to the Raiders roster and his impact on the offense was felt immediately, even with the rarely late 8:35 p.m. PST kickoff time Sunday night. On the Raiders first play from scrimmage, Pryor dropped back and dropped in a perfect ball down the right sideline to wide receiver Rod Streater for a 44-yard touchdown to give the Raiders the early 7-0 lead. Of course, the touchdown wouldn't have been possible without the Raiders defense recording its first interception of the season. On 3rd and 10, Rivers dropped back and attempted to find his receiver Eddie Royal deep down the seam of the field but couldn't connect as Raiders safety Usama Young was able to come down with the interception. Turnovers played a huge part in the Raiders 27-17 victory as the Raiders forced five Chargers turnovers: three interceptions, one fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a muffed punt recovery. Meanwhile, the Raiders had zero turnovers. Pryor's touchdown on his first throw was just the beginning of his hot start. In fact, Pryor would hit on his first 10 pass attempts en route to finishing the first half 13/18 for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. The Raiders second offensive series would see similar results as their first as offensive coordinator Greg Olson continued to call a solid game plan with a 13-play, 89-yard touchdown drive. Pryor, who was 7/7 on the drive, capped the drive off by scrambling to his right and remaining patient enough to find his other wide receiver Denarius Moore in the corner of the end zone for the two-yard touchdown pass to give Oakland the 14-0 lead. The Raiders defense continued to hold while the offense was clicking. In their bend-but-don't-break fashion, the defense was able to hold the Chargers on the goal line after Rivers drove the Chargers offense 79 yards to the Raiders one-yard line. Chargers head coach Mike McCoy elected to go for it on fourth down and called a draw to running back Danny Woodhead but Raiders linebacker Kevin Burnett met him in the hole to stop him dead in his tracks and give the Raiders the ball on the turnover on downs. Though the offense was unable to capitalize and was forced to punt, all the bounces were going the Raiders way at that moment. The usually sure-handed Ryoal muffed Marquette King's punt and Raiders cornerback Chimdi Chekwa was able to recover the fumble to give the Raiders offense the ball back. The Raiders would only advance the ball nine yards but Sebastian Janikowski would knock through the 47-yard field goal to give the Raiders the 17-0 lead, the lead they would hold heading into halftime. But the halftime would give the Chargers a chance to regroup and adjust, which appeared to be beneficial as the Raiders failed to find the same success in the second half while the Chargers found their spark. San Diego was able to force another raiders punt to begin the second half, giving them the ball back and a chance to finally get on the scoreboard. After failing to convert a 3rd-and-one, the Chargers kicker Nick Novak came out for the field goal attempt but Raiders cornerback Tracy Porter broke free to block the attempt. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Chargers tight end Ladarius Green was right there to pick up the ball and advance it for a first down to give the Chargers another chance. Rivers looked as if he had finally gotten the Chargers on the board when he found rookie wide receiver Keenan Allen over Raiders corner D.J. Hayden in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown. The officials reviewed the play and found that Allen's left foot never actually touched the ground until out of bounds, making the pass incomplete. The Raiders would hold on third down, forcing another Novak field-goal attempt which he would make, making the score 17-3. Though the Raiders offense would have their first three-and-out of the game on the next drive, veteran safety Charles Woodson would be able to make history en route to increasing the Raiders lead. On second down, Woodhead took the ball left but was stripped by middle linebacker Nick Roach as the ball was scooped by Woodson who returned it 25 yards for the touchdown. Not only did the touchdown give the Raiders the 24-10 lead, it also put Woodson in the record book as it marked his 13th defensive touchdown, tying fellow safeties Rod Woodson and Darren Sharper for the most in NFL history. Still unable to stay on the field with first downs, Pryor and the offense had to sit and watch as Rivers was able to orchestrate two relatively quick touchdown drives to make it 24-17 with just over 10:00 remaining in the game. When the team needed it most, just up one score, Pryor was able to drive the offense down the field and add to their lead. The biggest play of the drive came on 3rd and 14 when Pryor scrambled out to the right to extend the play and rookie wide receiver Brice Butler did a great job of returning for the ball down the right sideline to haul in the 20 yard reception for the first down. It was Butler's only reception on the night, but one of the most important of the night. Though the offense would gain little more yardage, it was just enough for Janikowski to add to the lead by hitting a huge 50-yard field goal off the A's infield dirt to make it a two-score game. The drive also wound crucial time off the clock, leaving just over four minutes in the game for the Chargers' comeback attempt. As it turned out, the Raiders didn't have to rely on the three extra points as their secondary came up big again while Rivers was trying to manage the comeback. On third and goal from the five-yard line, Rivers looked for Allen again but Hayden was able to make up lost ground to get in front of the pass and haul in his first-career interception in the end zone. After a quick three and out, River had one more chance to make something happen but threw up a prayer and the ball found the hands of Woodson, who slid down to ice the 27-17 victory and improve the Raiders to 2-3. The interception was Woodson's 56th of his career, and the Raiders third of the game, after having none in the first four games. Pryor finished the game with 18/23 for 221 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. Moore led the Raiders in receiving with five receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown. Rashad Jennings started the game in the place of the injured Darren McFadden and rushed the ball 10 times for 41 yards. Jennings did leave the game with a hamstring injury of his own, forcing fullback Marcel Reece to carry out ball-carrying duties to finish the game. Reece finished with seven carries for 32 yards. The Raiders head out on the road to hostile Arrowhead Stadium to take on the undeafeated Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) next Sunday. Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 5, 2013
The Raiders have announced that they have elevated offensive lineman Jack Cornell to the active roster. The Raiders needed to find some offense line help somewhere with right tackle Tony Pashos listed as questionable for Sunday's matchup against the San Diego Chargers with a groin injury. Cornell was previously on the Ravens practice squad before being waived and then signed on to the Raiders practice squad on Sept. 11. Cornell originally played offensive guard during his collegiate career at the University of Illinois but served time at the tackle position during his Ravens tenure. In order to make room for Cornell, the Raiders have announced that they have waived guard Antoine McClain. Besides Pashos being listed as questionable, center Stefen Wisniewski is doubtful to start with a knee injury. Starting left tackle Jared Veldheer is still out with his torn triceps, and rookie tackle Menelik Watson also remains out with his calf injury. Originally published on Silver & Black Report on Oct. 3, 2013
After struggling to move the ball en route to a 24-14 loss last week, the Raiders (1-3) host Phillip Rivers and the Chargers (2-2) for their first of two matchups against the division-rival Chargers. The Raiders were unable to get their offense going last week against the Washington Redskins with starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor out with a concussion and Matt Flynn inserted into the starting position. Luckily for Raider Nation, the explosive Pryor looks to be healthy and ready to take charge of the Raiders offense against a Chargers defense that is allowing 349.3 yards per game. Pryor started his first NFL game of his career against the San Diego Chargers in the final week of the season last year with then-starting quarterback Carson Palmer out with an injury. Pryor displayed his athleticism throughout the game finishing with 49 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on nine carries to go along with 13/28 passing for 150 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. But that was last year and Pryor has shown great strides in his ability to throw the ball since then. Pryor beat out Flynn for the starting job largely for his explosiveness due to his athleticism, but also because of his growth as a quarterback. Pryor will be forced to get the offense going without his starting running back Darren McFadden who has not yet returned to practice after leaving last week's game early with a hamstring injury. Pryor will instead have Rashad Jennings in the backfield. Jennings replaced McFadden last week and finished the game with 116 total yards on the day (45 rushing, 71 receiving). Jennings and Pryor should be able to find some running room against a Chargers defense 120.5 rushing yards per game. On defense, the Raiders face a tough test in Rivers and a Chargers offense that has been revitalized under the new regime in San Diego. The Chargers have been having their way with opponents largely through the air, as Rivers is averaging 299.8 passing yards per game, good for 6th in the NFL, while throwing for 11 touchdowns already. Woodson and the Raiders secondary will need to keep an eye on Chargers tight end Antonio Gates who has dominated the Raiders in past games. Gates is coming off a 10 reception, 136 yards and two touchdown performance in the Chargers 30-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys last week. While the Chargers are only averaging 105.0 rushing yards per game, having the Raiders secondary play a strong game against Eddie Royal and the Chargers wide receivers would go a long way to slowing down their offense. Despite having forced a couple of fumbles, the Raiders defense is still looking for their first interception on the season. Woodson, Mike Jenkins and company will hope they can change that, though Rivers has only two interceptions through the first four weeks. The meeting marks the 107th matchup between the Raiders and Chargers, with Oakland leading the lifetime series 57-47-2. Milestones to watch for: WR Jacoby Ford • Needs 87 kickoff return yards to pass Doug Gabriel for 8th place and 155 yards to pass George Atkinson for seventh on the Raiders’ all-time KOR yards list. DE Lamarr Houston • Needs six sacks to enter the top 20 in Raiders team history. K Sebastian Janikowski • Has now converted on 136-consecutive PAT attempts. • Needs just 90 points to reach 1,500 for his career. WR Denarius Moore • Needs 408 receiving yards to reach 2,000 for his career. QB Terrelle Pryor • Is currently second amongst all quarterbacks with 198 rushing yards. Pryor could eclipse the Raiders’ single-season mark of rushing yards by a quarterback with just 332 more yards. Rich Gannon set the mark in 2000 with 529. WR Rod Streater • Needs 244 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for his career. S Charles Woodson • Needs six interceptions to tie Ed Reed for first on the interceptions list among all active players with 61. • Needs one INT-TD to tie Rod Woodson for first on the all-time list with 12. • Needs one defensive touchdown to tie Rod Woodson and Darren Sharper for the most defensive touchdowns in NFL history with 13. |
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