Monday, June 29, 2015
Part 1
After a while of not caring about baseball, it seems the end of the football season and the Eagles' exciting offseason events has slightly brought me back. It's always been up there in my top two, since I can remember being a sports fan - which dates back in memory to 2008 specifically. That was the year the Phillies won the World Series, and the Eagles made it to the NFC Championship Game (damn Cardinals). We surely would have beat the Steelers in the PA faceoff, by the way. They'd already beaten Pittsburgh in a low-scoring, 12-3 type game where BDawk did the Wolverine on Big Ben, hah. We clanged pots and pans down the neighborhood street that October night and I brought an "80 to 08" sign to school after. My interest only grew in the following years as I progressively learned more about the team and eventually the league as a whole.
Those were the Raul Ibanez, Danys Baez, Chris Coste, Chan Ho Park, Ben Francisco, Miguel Cairo days. Hearing about Harry K's death the very same April day we found a kitty nicknamed "Babe". Feeling overjoyed to watch the end of Doc Halladay's perfecto against the Marlins on our computer. "Hit toward third, Castro has it! Spins, fires, a perfect game! Roy Halladay has thrown the second perfect game in Philadelphia Phillies history! He faced 27 batters, he retires alllll 27!" Watching Cliff Lee's start in the '09 World Series at Riley's Pub and being disappointed when they lost in the end. But along came Cliff and Doc and Roy Lee Harvey Oswalt to the rescue. When John Mayberry Jr. was capable enough to hit big homers against Colorado, and Placido was an old gem of a contact hitter at third. The Four Aces 2011 summer.. best team and best summer ever. I was so eager to follow the trade deadline through MLBTR and watched Hunter Pence, that fun "Let's Go Eat" joker, hug his Astros teammates goodbye. They already had the core of Chase, Chooch, Big Piece, JRoll, Hollywood Cole, and JWerth from the 2008 success. Ruben, for all his deserved criticisms nowadays, had added another layer of awesome talent on top of an already dominant NL East champion. They looked unstoppable. It was so early on in my love for both sports but the Phillies were soon approaching 100-game winners and looking like they were reaching the Yankees/Red Sox echelon of greatness. It had been just a three-year wait from their last trophy hoist and I didn't have to struggle like I did with Andy and the Eagles. I began to favor baseball for that very-obvious reason.
Then there came that fateful night. My awe-struck wonder of this dream team was crushed under the heat of the Cardinals, that plucky team that blew past expectations and ran over the juggernaut. I was sick that night, when Carpenter put the dagger in us. Then Ryan tore his Achilles to end it, a devastating yet fitting sign of what was about to happen to him, Cliff, Doc, Oswalt, RAJ, and the annual pennant-contending franchise. The red pinstripe-clad fantasy squad who seemed infallible in my eyes was about to change completely.
Even when someone left or retired, you couldn't help put feel they would be back strong next spring, leading the East and the NL at the end. Amaro hadn't proven us wrong yet with his moves, and the production of the core had only been complimented with the adjacent additions of star power that July. Charlie, the gum-chewing savant with his old country voice, would be static in the manager position and welcoming the new faces that kept the win column going. They would always be back. They wouldn't get old for a while, and they would stick around thanks to earned contracts sent out by his truly, RAJ. Phillies for life, and building a dynasty at that. While the Eagles fluctuated and didn't make any deep playoff run after '08, we were wishing for Andy to be fired and a new mind in place to shift the balance. There was no clear path to a Super Bowl in those late 2000s teams, and even when the drafting finally improved (Shady, Mac, and DJax) they were inconsistent. Nothing was the same (shoutout to drizzy) with the defense when the legend Jim Johnson died.
It was the opposite with the Phils. We were flying by the seat of our pants, as is the common phrase, happy with the consistency of the roster and the GM cultivating it on a year-by-year basis. The attendance correlated with that, not fluctuating, rather they repeatedly sold out and could overwhelm the poor Nationals faithful at Nationals Park. There was nothing to suggest that this exhilirating ride would end... until that moment.
The Big Piece was downed. Our rock, the former MVP and fearful slugger, the prototypical #4 hitter and a home-run beast in his prime. He could unleash that beautiful swing and drop the bat, walking with the immediate knowledge that with all his might he had just blasted that ball out again, making the Bell light up and ring to its hearts content. That swagger knowing he could propel, uplift his team with his rare strength in an instant, is just inspiring. Everyone wants a player with that game-changing type of ability. He had that, for a long time. We had that, as a collective unit, the force of the National League. And he was rewarded for his superb impact with that...ugh, heaving, dreaded sack of cash that weighs upon us seven years later. No, I assure you it was warranted for a player of his merit at the time. A dominance with the bat in hitting homers with that many RBIs at that rate, surely was unparalled for his age and would be a continuous influence in the middle of the lineup for the foreseeing future.
You could grieve with the strikeouts and questionable discipline on breaking pitches for a guy of his talent because of his surefire ability to drive in runs. Power, as it is in this era of pitching supremacy is hard to come by, and always sought and desired to push teams ahead against the staffs the likes of the 2010s Giants, Dodgers, Cardinals, and later Nats. Keeping that in mind, Ruben Amaro was not incorrect in his line of thinking to keep his franchise first baseman in place. For the reason explained, teams are wary to let go of young stars in free agency or in trade exchanges. In terms of hitting at least, they want to keep an inexpensive supply of youth with power to slot in and maintain a run-scoring lineup. Our own South Jersey hero Mike Trout isn't gonna be going anywhere until 2020 probably, and Mike Stanton is 25 and on the richest contract in sports history ($325 MM) as of this writing. Those elite hitters don't reach free agency anymore. Albert Pujols is who would be compared to Howard, if anybody, for playing the same position and hitting the market at 31, relatively young in baseball years. He was even rumored to be swapped for the Big Piece at one point in 2010, but that never amounted to anything and he signed a 10-year albatross of a contract with Los Angeles. The difference here is that the Angels hadn't quite gotten to the level of their NL counterparts and were hoping to make a splash by acquiring Albert, Josh Hamilton, C.J. Wilson and co. It was a gamble while he was being pursued by other clubs (Miami comes to mind), but he has appeared worthy of his $240 million distinction outside of a down 2013 campaign. The Cardinals homegrown star is on pace to end up with 50 bombs in a turnaround 2015 season, and the Angels are keeping pace in the AL West (39-37, 2nd).
The Angels have remained competitive in the years since Albert was signed away from St. Louis. He garnered a ring that year after not having won one since '06. Ruben was trying, and credit to him for investing in his core players, to keep his mega team together. They were at the top in 2008 and came close in 2009, but their hunger might have been different from a team like LAA who hadn't been at the peak of the food chain for over 8 years (2002). But ultimately, his contract with Ryan Howard and the subsequent crippling injury that occured was perhaps the first sign that our reign was going to soon come to a discouraging end.
Ryan was our source of power, reliable to electrify the crowd with balls sailing into the stands, and chugging along with 40 homers and 120 ribbies like it was effortless. He declined in 2012 and so went his teammates as well. The plug was pulled and the light went out that night in 2011, Game 5 of the NLDS. Albert and the Cardinals were celebrating on the other side, advancing all the way to the trophy that was supposed to be ours, the best team in the league giving way to these underdogs. David Freese, who joined Pujols on Anaheim later on. Allen Craig, the postseason hero who would be considered now as a deadweight contract lulling in Triple-A Pawtucket with the Red Sox, being thrown into imaginary Hamels trades for cash concerns only. These no-name kids that Luhnow just pumped through the system and gave starting jobs with utmost confidence. His scouting and development accumen that would make Jordan and Wolever green with envy. "Baseball's greatest fans" were appeased that fall while the passionate Philly people were detoured.
That excruciating expression of pain to the downed #6 proved as good as ever an example of the hopeless drought to be endured in 2012 and on. Limping to the finish line, battered aspirations and all. We were an animal in the wild who ruled the kingdom and were at last shot down so that new kings may rise. The announcers could only be happy for Chris Carpenter's brilliant shutout performance. He threw to first to complete the win and the series as Howard lagged behind. It was only a 1-0, one run game, but that in itself shows how close they could have been to returning to their glory. That picture, I'm assured of this.. burned in the mind of Phillies fans, at least at that point in time. A picture of the elated St. Louis team that, although it wouldn't be clear until long after, had shocked our prideful champs right down into the doldrums of the 1900s, before the Whiz Kids. This time, they weren't coming back. Like Ryan, they weren't going to recover to their commanding state. He needed to be assisted to stand, to rise up from the painful realization that he was hurt badly and his team was going no further.
It represents well the state of the 2015 Phillies and the Cardinals. Of course, the Giants have won three titles in five years and been ruler of the National League, but there is no doubting that St. Louis can reverse that fortune with one auspicious playoff run. They have the depth and management to withstand change and movement within and around them, remaining powerful challengers for the Series all the same. That assurance is one that disappeared for the Phillies. We could always depend on the core guys from 2008 who were left to remain NL East winners at the least. Unfortuntely, they had lost that JRoll "team to beat" magic of a young group trying to prove everyone wrong and end a streak of absence that lasted 28 years. It just so turned out that being at the top and defending the gold was harder than the grind and struggle to be in the championship conversation. For the first time since 2006, they missed the playoffs and went an even 81-81, .500 and third place.
Sure, we went to games that year. One May game where Harper went off in a Phillies loss and my ungrateful self proclaimed "Take me back when they're better," as we walked from the stadium to the car. Then in September, versus Francis and the Rockies. Nate Schierholtz - the most noteworthy part of the second Pence trade, as Joseph is being changed to 1B from C and Rosin was picked up in Rule 5 and given back - walked it off in an exciting 3-2 win, sending the fans home happy. Now you might be thinking "what's wrong with Philly fans, every bad team would love to win the title and go back to the playoffs three more years, .500 isn't that bad".. but it showed a vulnerability that would only be ripped down strenuously and progressively. Won the title in 2008, lost it in 2009, lost NLCS in 2010 to eventual champs (Giants), lost NLDS in 2011 to eventual champs (Cards), third in the division in 2012, fourth in the division in 2013. Mercifully, they were buried at fourth with 73 wins (for the second straight season) in '14, and are prepared for the #1 pick and the illustrious tag of worst team in baseball as of 2015. Has that measure of consecutive recession ever happened in sports? It means first to worst in every sense of the phrase.
Going back to Ryan's injury, that symbol of helplessness and falling off a cliff from being revered and at your best can be matched directly with my team's performance since 2011. He had to be picked up from despair and watch as other teams passed him by. That's the state of the Phillies, who hung on to their success long enough to be a detriment. Who were once the premium team with homegrown offensive stars all over the diamond and arguably the best-built rotation to boot. Maybe it's selfish, but that dissent from prestige and all the controversy among a losing team being indecisive about blowing it all up lost my interest.
Maybe I'm not a real Phillies fan, too young to understand that they have been through periods of loss before. Maybe I was too easily hurt at the loss of that new feeling of wonder and excitement, the urge to follow a highly-prosperous and competitive team year in and year out. Maybe I'm not a real fan of baseball in general, the sport as a whole, the other teams besides the Phillies. When they weren't doing well, my interest drifted. I quickly shifted over to football when that coach from Oregon boldly altered the Eagles that my brother, dad, and I support heavily. That new hope for change into a consistent contender, something to believe in. I think that ambition started with those '08 Phillies, the first team I felt attached to and invested in their future. Maybe that's why I get excited to see the process of our lowly Sixers and trust in Sam Hinkie along with other fans when there are some who aren't nearly as open-minded or patient. I guess that need for a champion was fulfilled when the Phillies won it and all we're waiting for now is a return to that glory. We've already seen a Philly team reach the top in my generation so we can expect that the Eagles, Sixers, and Flyers will get there some day too. These fans are passionate enough to desire the championship success desperately, but they are also open to the idea that it will take certain steps to reach that goal because we've been through the heartache. Hey, the worst thing that can happen is that they don't win the Super Bowl. Oh well, that's another one we haven't gotten since 1960, we'll be back with Chip doing some crazy stuff and Hinkie working his trade magic too. And I haven't forgotten about Sexy Hexy, Flyers fans. That Pronger trade was something huh? And they've been going all defense in the draft after Weber turned us down.
But yeah, that's why I went away from baseball. The team I knew went in the dumps to put it in layman's terms and I didn't know how to fully handle it yet I suppose. The Eagles have been bad but it was only 4-12 once and they have done solid since. I think the fact that the Phillies being bad was enough for me to be detached from baseball entirely says something about me as a fan, good or bad depending on how you perceive it. Things are looking up for the Phils, but I'll save that for next time.
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If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading this random thing I decided to write while we're down the Jersey Shore. Funny that playing the Show brought up all these ideas that I felt needed to be put to text.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
2015 Quarter Report Weeks 1-4
Standings
Standings
| NFL Standings - Updated: Oct 5, 2015 | |||||
| NFC EAST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 0 | 124 | 39 | |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 1 | 133 | 70 | |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2 | 2 | 95 | 129 | |
| New York Giants | 1 | 3 | 46 | 110 | |
| NFC NORTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2 | 1 | 71 | 60 | |
| Detroit Lions | 2 | 2 | 100 | 99 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 2 | 2 | 117 | 107 | |
| Chicago Bears | 2 | 2 | 105 | 96 | |
| NFC SOUTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| New Orleans Saints | 4 | 0 | 124 | 50 | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 2 | 99 | 115 | |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | 1 | 50 | 53 | |
| Atlanta Falcons | 0 | 4 | 52 | 118 | |
| NFC WEST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3 | 0 | 94 | 58 | |
| San Francisco 49'ers | 2 | 2 | 119 | 106 | |
| St. Louis Rams | 1 | 3 | 78 | 113 | |
| Arizona Cardinals | 0 | 4 | 79 | 127 | |
| NFC WILD CARD RACE | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 1 | 133 | 70 | |
| San Francisco 49'ers | 2 | 2 | 119 | 106 | |
| Detroit Lions | 2 | 2 | 100 | 99 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 2 | 2 | 117 | 107 | |
| AFC EAST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Buffalo Bills | 3 | 1 | 129 | 113 | |
| New England Patriots | 2 | 2 | 86 | 110 | |
| Miami Dolphins | 1 | 3 | 82 | 119 | |
| New York Jets | 0 | 4 | 59 | 102 | |
| AFC NORTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Baltimore Ravens | 3 | 1 | 80 | 57 | |
| Cleveland Browns | 3 | 1 | 126 | 71 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 2 | 103 | 99 | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1 | 3 | 79 | 119 | |
| AFC SOUTH | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3 | 1 | 98 | 68 | |
| Tennessee Titans | 3 | 1 | 96 | 85 | |
| Houston Texans | 1 | 3 | 109 | 111 | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0 | 4 | 58 | 109 | |
| AFC WEST | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Denver Broncos | 4 | 0 | 105 | 74 | |
| Oakland Raiders | 3 | 1 | 93 | 67 | |
| San Diego Chargers | 2 | 2 | 97 | 108 | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1 | 3 | 74 | 98 | |
| AFC WILD CARD RACE | W | L | T | PF | PA |
| Cleveland Browns | 3 | 1 | 126 | 71 | |
| Oakland Raiders | 3 | 1 | 93 | 67 | |
| Tennessee Titans | 3 | 1 | 96 | 85 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 2 | 103 | 99 | |
League Leaders
Injuries
| NFL League Leaders - Updated: Oct 5, 2015 | |||||
| Passing | PASS | Rushing | RUN | ||
 | 1. Joe Flacco | 1277 yds - 8 TD - 2 INT |  | 1. Andre Ellington | 74 car - 427 yds - 4 TD |
| 2. Philip Rivers | 1109 yds- 8 TD - 2 INT | 2. Jamaal Charles | 78 car - 416 yds - 1 TD | ||
| 3. Peyton Manning | 944 yds - 8 TD - 1 INT | 3. LeSean McCoy | 60 car - 381 yds - 4 TD | ||
| 4. Robert Griffin III | 1068 yds - 8 TDs - 4 INT | 4. Eddie Lacy | 73 car - 292 yds - 6 TD | ||
| 5. Aaron Rodgers | 1276 yds / 5 TD / 4 INT | 5. DeMarco Murray | 94 car - 351 yds - 4 TD | ||
| Receiving | REC | Tackles | TKL | ||
 | 1. Josh Gordon | 28 rec - 458 yds - 5 TD |  | 1. Paul Worrilow | 49 |
| 2. Jordy Nelson | 31 rec - 418 yds - 1 TD | 2. Koa Misi | 47 | ||
| 3. Dez Bryant | 26 rec - 398 yds - 4 TD | 3. Brian Cushing | 45 | ||
| 4. Brandon Marshall | 19 rec - 281 yds - 4 TD | 4. Daryl Washington | 44 | ||
| 5. Steve Smith Sr. | 30 rec - 331 yds - 3 TD | 5. DeMario Davis | 43 | ||
| Sacks | SACK | Interceptions | INT | ||
 | 1. Von Miller | 7 |  | 1. Alterraun Verner | 7 |
| 2. Barkevious Mingo | 4 | 2. Mohammad Grimes | 3 | ||
| 3. J.J. Watt | 4 | 3. David Amerson | 3 | ||
| 4. Tyvon Branch | 3 | 4. Justin Gilbert | 3 | ||
| 5. Justin Houston | 3 | 5. Patrick Peterson | 3 | ||
| Kicking | FG | Punting | PUNT | ||
| 1. Nick Novak | 11/11 |  | 1. Bryan Anger | 30/1086 yds |
| 2. Dan Carpenter | 10/11 | 2. Matt Bosher | 28/1002 yds | ||
| 3. Mike Nugent | 10/12 | 3. Brandon Fields | 24/884 yds | ||
| 4. Matt Prater | 9/9 | 4. Zoltan Mesko | 29/983 yds | ||
| 5. Blair Walsh | 8/9 | 5. Marquette King | 13/741 yds | ||
Injuries
Spoiler
Power Rankings
| 2015 Week 4 Power Rankings | |||
| RK (LW) | Team | Record | Next Game |
| 1 (def.TB) |  New Orleans Saints | 4-0 | vs DET (2-2) |
| 2 (def.CHI) |  Denver Broncos | 4-0 | vs CLE (3-1) |
| 3 (-BYE-) |  Seattle Seahawks | 3-0 | @ STL (1-3) |
| 4 (-BYE-) |  Philadelphia Eagles | 3-0 | @ CAR (1-2) |
| 5 (def.HOU) |  Indianapolis Colts | 3-1 | @ KC (1-3) |
| 6 (def.CIN) |  Oakland Raiders | 3-1 | @ MIN (2-1) |
| 7 (def.ARI) |  Baltimore Ravens | 3-1 | vs PIT (2-2) |
| 8 (def.KC) |  Cleveland Browns | 3-1 | @ DEN (4-0) |
| 9 (def.NE) |  Buffalo Bills | 3-1 | vs MIA (1-3) |
| 10 (def.JAX) |  Tennessee Titans | 3-1 | @ ATL (0-4) |
| 11 (los.DAL) |  Washington Redskins | 3-1 | --BYE-- |
| 12 (-BYE-) |  Minnesota Vikings | 2-1 | vs OAK (3-1) |
| 13 (los.BUF) |  New England Patriots | 2-2 | vs HOU (1-3) |
| 14 (def.NYJ) |  Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-2 | @ BAL (3-1) |
| 15 (los.STL) |  San Francisco 49ers | 2-2 | @ CIN (1-3) |
| 16 (def.MIA) |  San Diego Chargers | 2-2 | vs CHI (2-2) |
| 17 (def.GB) |  Detroit Lions | 2-2 | @ NO (4-0) |
| 18 (los.DET) |  Green Bay Packers | 2-2 | --BYE-- |
| 19 (def.WAS) |  Dallas Cowboys | 2-2 | @ TB (2-2) |
| 20 (los.NO) |  Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-2 | vs DAL (2-2) |
| 21 (los.DEN) |  Chicago Bears | 2-2 | @ SD (2-2) |
| 22 (-BYE-) |  Carolina Panthers | 1-2 | vs PHI (3-0) |
| 23 (def.SF) |  St. Louis Rams | 1-3 | vs SEA (3-0) |
| 24 (los.OAK) |  Cincinnati Bengals | 1-3 | vs SF (2-2) |
| 25 (los.IND) |  Houston Texans | 1-3 | @ NE (2-2) |
| 26 (los.CLE) |  Kansas City Chiefs | 1-3 | vs IND (3-1) |
| 27 (los.SD) |  Miami Dolphins | 1-3 | @ BUF (3-1) |
| 28 (def.ATL) |  New York Giants | 1-3 | --BYE-- |
| 29 (los.PIT) |  New York Jets | 0-4 | vs JAX (0-4) |
| 30 (los.BAL) |  Arizona Cardinals | 0-4 | --BYE-- |
| 31 (los.NYG) |  Atlanta Falcons | 0-4 | vs TEN (3-1) |
| 32 (los.TEN) |  Jacksonville Jaguars | 0-4 | @ NYJ (0-4) |
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I think that's sufficient enough, next quarter update is midseason.
Scores
CLE (2-1) def. KC (1-2), 37-20
BUF (2-1) def. NE (2-1), 38-30
PIT (1-2) def. NYJ (0-3), 27-24
OAK (2-1) def. CIN (1-2), 20-14
NO (3-0) def. TB (2-1), 30-24
IND (2-1) def. HOU (1-2), 31-28
BAL (2-1) def. ARI (0-3), 23-20
TEN (2-1) def. JAX (0-3), 28-9
DEN (3-0) def. CHI (2-1), 24-17
DAL (1-2) def. WAS (3-0), 38-31
NYG (1-2) def. ATL (0-3), 20-6
STL (0-3) def. SF (2-1), 34-31
SD (1-2) def. MIA (1-2), 34-27
DET (1-2) def. GB (2-1), 36-32
Players of the Week
NFC
QB Tony Romo (DAL) - 28/34 for 249 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT, 18 car for 16 yds / MLB Sean Lee (DAL) - 12 tkl, 1 INT, 1 FF
AFC
WR Julian Edelman (NE) - 11 rec for 205 yds, 2 TD / LOLB Von Miller - 8 tkl, 2 sacks, 1 INT
Saturday, December 6, 2014
| Oakland Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals | |||||
| Sep 27, 2015 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Oakland Raiders (2-1) | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| OAK | CIN | |
| Total Offense | 319 | 350 |
| Rushing Yards | 88 | 67 |
| Passing Yards | 231 | 283 |
| First Downs | 15 | 14 |
| Punt Return Yards | 20 | 18 |
| Kick Return Yards | 44 | 50 |
| Total Yards | 383 | 423 |
| Turnovers | 1 (+1) | 2 (-1) |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 6/14 (42%) | 6/14 (42%) |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0/1 | -- |
| 2-Point Conversion | -- | -- |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 4 | 1 |
| Penalties | 1/15 | 0 |
| Posession Time | 12:31 | 15:29 |
| Scoring Summary | |||
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | OAK | CIN | |
| 2:06 | (OAK) Blair Walsh 21-yd FG | 3 | 0 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | OAK | CIN | |
| 6:28 | (CIN) Andy Dalton 31-yd TD pass to Tyler Eifert | 3 | 7 |
| 0:46 | (OAK) Blair Walsh 34-yd FG | 6 | 7 |
| THIRD QUARTER SCORING | OAK | CIN | |
| 4:03 | (OAK) Bobby Rainey 9-yd TD rush | 13 | 7 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | OAK | CIN | |
| 5:38 | (CIN) Andy Dalton 11-yd TD pass to Tyler Eifert | 13 | 14 |
| 1:00 | (OAK) Austin Davis 7-yd TD pass to Khari Donnelly | 20 | 14 |
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Suh spins past the tackle for a huge sack on Andy Dalton.
A Bengals defender knocks away a potential TD, the synopsis of a tough day to come for Derek Carr.
DK Suh wraps up and slams Dalton for his second sack.
Marvin Jones hauls in a red zone target but lands his feet right before the green, leading to a field goal on 4th down instead.
Carr hurts what seems to be his knee on a wildcat run and limps off the field, leaving Austin Davis to finish the game.
Bobby Rainey spikes the pigskin following his second touchdown run on the year.
Brandon Flowers intercepts the ginger on a throw to main man A.J. Green.
Big 4th down stop by Cincy's D against Murray, who failed to convert on two straight runs.
The Red Rifle was stuffed but he gets 6 again with Tyler Eifert.
Khari Donnelly catches the first score for Davis since his signing from St. Louis, finishing off a game-winning drive with 4 minutes left.
Player of the day Chris Clemons receives the second pick from Dalton, who still managed 300 yards besides the mistakes.
| Matchup Preview *|* September 27, 2015 | |||||||||
 | @ |  | |||||||
| Oakland Raiders (2-1, Away) | Cincinnati Bengals (1-2, Home) | ||||||||
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Sunday, November 30, 2014
Scores
NO (2-0) def. NYG (0-2), 29-3
CIN (0-2) def. BAL (2-0), 21-19
DET (0-2) def. STL (0-2), 38-10
PHI (2-0) def. BUF (2-0), 49-20
DAL (0-2) def. MIA (1-1), 24-21
TEN (1-1) def. CAR (1-1), 23-20
NE (1-1) def. NYJ (0-2), 13-10
IND (1-1) def. JAX (0-2), 30-6
TB (1-1) def. CHI (2-0), 24-23
KC (0-2) def. MIN (2-0), 27-25
CLE (1-1) def. PIT (1-1), 38-24
DEN (2-0) def. HOU (1-1), 37-20
OAK (1-1) def. SD (1-1), 34-17
SEA (2-0) def. ARI (0-2), 22-14
GB (1-1) def SF (2-0), 35-25
WAS (2-0) def. ATL (0-2), 38-13
Players of the Week
NFC
RB LeSean McCoy (PHI) - 17 car for 202 yds, 2 TD, 2 rec for 9 yds / CB Alterraun Verner (TB) - 9 tkl, 2 INT
Players of the Week
AFC
RB DeMarco Murray (OAK) - 24 car for 107 yds, 3 TD, 1 rec for 24 yds and TD / LOLB Von Miller (DEN) - 15 tkl, 4 sacks
Saturday, November 29, 2014
| San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders | |||||
| Sep 20, 2015 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| San Diego Chargers (1-1) | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Oakland Raiders (1-1) | 0 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 34 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| SDG | OAK | |
| Total Offense | 264 | 358 |
| Rushing Yards | 57 | 158 |
| Passing Yards | 207 | 200 |
| First Downs | 15 | 13 |
| Punt Return Yards | 0 | 14 |
| Kick Return Yards | 62 | 80 |
| Total Yards | 326 | 452 |
| Turnovers | 3 (-2) | 1 (+2) |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 5/13 (38%) | 4/8 (50%) |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0/2 | -- |
| 2-Point Conversion | -- | -- |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 1 | 2 |
| Penalties | 0 | 1/9 |
| Posession Time | 16:14 | 11:44 |
| Scoring Summary | |||
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | SDG | OAK | |
| 3:57 | (SDG) Josh Brown 42-yd FG | 3 | 0 |
| 0:58 | (SDG) Akwasi Owusu-Ansah returns Derek Carr INT for TD | 10 | 0 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | SDG | OAK | |
| 5:35 | (SDG) Philip Rivers 14-yd TD pass to Keenan Allen | 17 | 0 |
| 3:53 | (OAK) Derek Carr 20-yd TD pass to DeMarco Murray | 17 | 7 |
| 0:50 | (OAK) DeMarco Murray 1-yd TD run (blocked PAT) | 17 | 13 |
| THIRD QUARTER SCORING | SDG | OAK | |
| 4:22 | (OAK) DeMarco Murray 3-yd TD run | 17 | 20 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | SDG | OAK | |
| 3:19 | (OAK) Derek Carr 41-yd TD run | 17 | 27 |
| 1:44 | (OAK) DeMarco Murray 29-yd TD run | 17 | 34 |
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Once again, an early fumble caused by this hungry defense was overturned.
Carr's troubles from week 1 resurfaced as Owusu-Ansah picks him off for the second time.
DeMarco catches and runs in his first of four touchdowns.
Lightning strikes twice and thrice as Murray crosses the plane.
A nifty extra-point block kept the Raiders at 13 points.
Oakland's linebacking crew were waiting to crush the frustrating Woodhead.
Jermaine Gresham trucks Eric Weddle for more yardage.
Danny "Mango" Woodhead gets his in the form of a huge hit from Chris Clemons, fumbling in the process.
A sneaky fake punt try by Dustin Colquitt failed as Attaochu drops the open field pass.
Derek Carr and Murray both executed the wildcat option to perfection, padding the lead in garbage time.
Clemons intercepts a duck from Rivers to finish the divisional revenge.
| Matchup Preview *|* September 20, 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||
 | @ | | ||||||||||||||||
| San Diego Chargers (1-1, Away) | Oakland Raiders (1-1, Home) | |||||||||||||||||
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Game Prep
Develop Promising RT ---> RT Marcus Cannon (+475 exp)
Develop Promising QB ---> QB Derek Carr (+638 exp)
Develop Promising LG ---> LG Orlando Franklin (+455 exp)
Develop Promising LOLB ---> LOLB Sidney Pierce (+471 exp)
Scouting
75 pts ---> TE Raakim Trammell (proj. 1-2)
Scores
CAR (0-1) def. ATL (0-1), 17-13
NO (1-0) def. TB (1-0), 48-10
BAL (1-0) def. PIT (1-0), 24-10
WAS (1-0) def. NYG (0-1), 30-3
SF (1-0) def. STL (0-1), 20-17
OAK (0-1) def. KC (0-1), 16-10
GB (0-1) def. DAL (0-1), 30-23
BUF (1-0) def. HOU (1-0), 26-14
MIN (1-0) def. DET (0-1), 23-13
SEA (1-0) def. CIN (0-1), 38-31
CHI (1-0) def. ARI (0-1), 41-31
TEN (0-1) def. JAX (0-1), 28-26
PHI (1-0) def. NYJ (0-1), 28-9
DEN (1-0) def. SD (1-0), 24-20
CLE (0-1) def. NE (1-0), 45-13
MIA (0-1) def. IND (1-0), 17-14
Players of the Week
NFC
WR Brandon Marshall (CHI) - 8 rec for 143 yds, 3 TD / MLB Paul Worrilow (ATL) - 13 tkl, 1 INT, 1 FF
AFC
WR Josh Gordon (CLE) - 9 rec for 147 yds, 2 TD / MLB Koa Misi (MIA) - 16 tkl, 1 sack
@ 
| Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs | |||||
| Sep 13, 2015 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Oakland Raiders (1-1) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| OAK | KAN | |
| Total Offense | 274 | 317 |
| Rushing Yards | 121 | 153 |
| Passing Yards | 153 | 164 |
| First Downs | 18 | 16 |
| Punt Return Yards | 9 | 7 |
| Kick Return Yards | 26 | 51 |
| Total Yards | 309 | 375 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 3/9 (33%) | 5/11 (45%) |
| 4th Down Conversion | 1/1 | 0/1 |
| 2-Point Conversion | -- | -- |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 1-2 | 1-1 |
| Penalties | 2/10 | 1/5 |
| Posession Time | 14:56 | 13:04 |
| Scoring Summary | |||
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | OAK | KAN | |
| 4:55 | (KAN) Alex Smith 8-yd TD pass to Dwayne Bowe | 0 | 7 |
| 2:05 | (OAK) Blair Walsh 25-yd FG | 3 | 7 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | OAK | KAN | |
| 5:58 | (OAK) Blair Walsh 53-yd FG | 6 | 7 |
| THIRD QUARTER SCORING | OAK | KAN | |
| 3:30 | (KAN) Cody Parkey 27-yd FG | 6 | 10 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | OAK | KAN | |
| 2:26 | (OAK) DeMarco Murray 2-yd TD run | 16 | 10 |
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The rush was on early and often in a mostly strong performance for the D.
McGill crushes the KC quarterback in the chest.
Paul Posluszny pushes Alex Smith into the ground.
Poz's teammates help him celebrate another knockdown of Smith.
Cobb stretches out for a great catch in the third quarter, extending the drive.
A grueling effort against the stout Chiefs d-line for DeMarco ended with a 4th quarter score.
Dominant rookie LE Sharif Irvin leads the league in sacks with 5.
Tramon Williams deflects the critical 4th down throw into the end zone.
The player of the game - #3 overall pick Irvin.
| Matchup Preview *|* September 13, 2015 | ||||||||||||
| @ |  | ||||||||||
| Oakland Raiders (0-1, Away) | Kansas City Chiefs (0-1, Home) | |||||||||||
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Game Prep
Spacing Passing Drill ---> QB Derek Carr (+11 conf)
Develop Promising CB ---> CB D.J. Hayden (+449 exp)
WR Development ---> WR Donte Moncrief (+243 exp)
Scouting
91 pts ---> WR Jaqwaylin Sanders (proj. 1-7)
Scores
SEA def. DET, 34-13
BUF def. NYG, 45-20
CHI def. STL, 24-17
HOU def. MIA, 47-17
NE def. TEN, 30-17
MIN def. GB, 23-20
PIT def. CIN, 42-13
NO def. CAR, 17-13
IND def. JAX, 23-17
WAS def. NYJ, 34-16
TB def. ARI, 41-14
SF def. ATL, 43-20
SD def. OAK 26-23
PHI def. DAL, 47-10 (yesss)
BAL def. CLE, 14-6
DEN def. KC, 20-17
Players of the Week
NFC
QB Colin Kaepernick (SF) - 24/28 for 259 yds, 3 TD, 3 car for 83 yds and 1 TD / FS Lamarcus Joyner (STL) - 7 tkl, 1 INT, 1 FF/1 FR, 1 TD
AFC
WR Torrey Smith (BAL) - 9 rec for 117 yds, 2 TD / FS Anton Ingram (TEN) - 10 tkl, 1 INT, 1 TD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Individual statistic leaders and standings will be checked every quarter of the season (week 4 is the first update).
Friday, November 28, 2014
@ 
| Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers | ||||||
| Sep 6, 2015 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | OT | SCORE |
| Oakland Raiders (0-1) | 0 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| San Diego Chargers (1-0) | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 26 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| OAK | SDG | |
| Total Offense | 331 | 321 |
| Rushing Yards | 159 | 41 |
| Passing Yards | 172 | 280 |
| First Downs | 20 | 15 |
| Punt Return Yards | 31 | 18 |
| Kick Return Yards | 109 | 107 |
| Total Yards | 471 | 446 |
| Turnovers | 3 (-1) | 2 (+1) |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 2/13 (15%) | 5/14 (35%) |
| 4th Down Conversion | 4/4 (100%) | 0-0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | -- | -- |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties | 0 | 2/20 |
| Posession Time | 18:07 | 16:32 |
| Scoring Summary | |||
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | OAK | SDG | |
| 0:35 | (SDG) Josh Brown 25-yd FG | 0 | 3 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | OAK | SDG | |
| 4:28 | (OAK) Blair Walsh 44-yd FG | 3 | 3 |
| 1:53 | (SDG) Josh Brown 42-yd FG | 3 | 6 |
| 1:12 | (SDG) Philip Rivers 32 yd TD pass to Ladarius Green | 3 | 13 |
| THIRD QUARTER SCORING | OAK | SDG | |
| 4:35 | (OAK) Bobby Rainey 5-yd TD run | 10 | 13 |
| 2:31 | (OAK) Blair Walsh 39-yd FG | 13 | 13 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | OAK | SDG | |
| 6:51 | (SDG) Philip Rivers 43-yd TD pass to Danny Woodhead | 13 | 20 |
| 0:30 | (OAK) Derek Carr 10-yd TD pass to Jermaine Gresham | 20 | 20 |
| OVERTIME SCORING | OAK | SDG | |
| 3:06 | (OAK) Blair Walsh 51-yd FG | 23 | 20 |
| 0:19 | (SDG) Philip Rivers 10-yd TD pass to Danario Alexander | 23 | 26 |
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Danny Woodhead fumbled, but it was overturned.
Blair Walsh watches his first field goal as a Raider go through.
DeMarco rebounded from a poor start to rush for 93 yards.
The diminutive Woodhead had an impact but he took his shots.
Backup runner Bobby Rainey hops in, vulturing the TD.
Carr finally came through with a touchdown on the run in the 4th quarter.
Tramon Williams picks off Rivers, one of his only mistakes of the day.
| Matchup Preview *|* September 6, 2015 | |||||||||
| @ | | |||||||
| Oakland Raiders (0-0, Away) | San Diego Chargers (0-0, Home) | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Game Prep
Starting RE Development ---> Benson Mayowa (+317 exp)
Starting LE Development ---> Sharif Irvin (+837 exp)
Starting RG Development ---> Claudeson Reed (+761 exp)
MLB Confidence ---> Paul Posluszny (+4 conf)
Starting WR Development ---> Donnard Bernard (+465 exp) & Brennan Duncan (+503 exp)
OL Development ---> Walker Banks (+247 exp)
Scouting
88 pts ---> RE Khari Cobb (proj. 1-24)
Depth Chart
| Oakland Raiders Depth Chart - 2015 | ||||
| Regular Offense | ||||
| STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
| WR | Khari Donnelly (79) | Brennan Duncan (70) | Martavis Bryant (64) | |
| TE | Jordan Cameron (87) | Jermaine Gresham (83) | JaMichael Felton (73) | |
| LT | Walker Banks (79) | Barry Richardson (74) | ||
| LG | Orlando Franklin (83) | Gabe Jackson (72) | ||
| C | Stefen Wisniewski (88) | Fernando Velasco (72) | ||
| RG | Claudeson Reed (88) | Mike McGlynn (71) | ||
| RT | Marcus Cannon (78) | Menelik Watson (74) | ||
| WR | Randall Cobb (88) | Donnard Bennard (72) | Donte Moncrief (68) | |
| QB | Derek Carr (74) | Austin Davis (76) | Matt Barkley (71) | |
| FB | Lonnie Pryor (79) | |||
| HB | DeMarco Murray (87) | Bobby Rainey (76) | Ronnie Hillman (73) | |
| Base 4-3 Defense | ||||
| STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
| LDE | Sharif Irvin (84) | Robert Ayers (78) | Phil Taylor (77) | |
| LDT | Ndamukong Suh (97) | Paul Soliai (82) | Phil Taylor (77) | |
| RDT | Jonathan Hankins (85) | Justin Ellis (66) | Phil Taylor (77) | |
| RDE | Lamarr Woodley (82) | Benson Mayowa (68) | ||
| WLB | Khalil Mack (88) | Sidney Pierce (69) | ||
| MLB | Paul Posluszny (80) | Avery Williamson (73) | ||
| SLB | Sio Moore (87) | Victor Butler (74) | ||
| CB | Brandon Flowers (87) | D.J. Hayden (77) | ||
| SS | Tyvon Branch (86) | William Moore (77) | Marcus Gilchrist (75) | |
| FS | Chris Clemons (85) | Will Hill (77) | Taylor Mays (71) | |
| CB | Tramon Williams (85) | Keith McGill (71) | ||
| Special Teams | ||||
| STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
| K | Blair Walsh (83) | |||
| P | Marquette King (80) | |||
| PR | Khari Donnelly (92) | |||
| KR | Bobby Rainey (82) | |||
Roster Overview
QB: Derek Carr returns as the second-year starter. Austin Davis comes from the Rams on a 2-year, $3.86M contract as a quality backup. Barkley was brought back to Cali after his USC days as a younger alternative.
RB: Murray solidifies a run game that Gruden will lean on more than Puleo did. Rainey can accelerate well and will try his hand at kick returning. Hillman crosses over the West and will certainly challenge for handcuff carries.
WR: Cobb will automatically be the #1 in a receiver group worse than GB, followed by Donnelly. Bernard is an undrafted free agent from Pitt who will jump into the slot. 3rd round pick Duncan will be pushed by youngsters Moncrief and Bryant who will undoubtedly be a part of the future core.
TE: AFC North tandem Cameron (6yr/$36.8M) and Gresham (3yr/$15M) surmount underwhelming Mychal Rivera. Felton dropped out of the top 5 into the top of the 3rd round but the Raiders will hope he is a diamond in the rough.
OT: UCLA monster Banks was the #4 selection in the draft and is a great blocker (89 PBK/84 RBK) with big strength (94). Cannon blocked for Brady in New England and hopes to rise above bust status. Richardson has 7 years of experience while Manchester's own Watson will stay around as a 2013 second round pick.
C: Wisniewski enters year five as a huge cog in the line. 30 year-old Velasco is good veteran depth.
OG: Franklin protected Peyton and is still getting better at 28. Reed is just 22 and rated highly by NFL scouts. Jackson has fallen behind after being 2014's 2nd rounder, and journeyman McGlynn was on Andy Reid's Chiefs last season.
DE: Irvin is the Leonard Williams of this class and will be adjusting from the 3-4 to a 4-3. Woodley has returned despite his original signing being considered a failure. Ayers and Taylor are still in their mid 20s with something to prove. Mayowa will need to improve quickly considering he was undrafted in 2013; RE will be a spot to invest in for 2016.
DT: Beast Suh will wreak havoc up the middle. 23 year-old Hankins came from the Giants in a trade last year and seems like a fitting addition in the trenches. Soliai was out there in the preseason after being with the Falcons in 2014, he's clearly got some left in the tank. Ellis is another leftover from McKenzie (2013 4th rd).
OLB: Mack and Moore are stalwarts to build the team around. Michigan State's Pierce was the 24th pick in round 3 and Butler will be a valuable 2nd-stringer even at 29.
MLB: Posluszny was the lead man in Gus Bradley's Jacksonville defense. At 30, he'll have former Tennesee special teamer Williamson on his heels.
CB: Flowers joins his third AFC West squad, paired with Green Bay's Tramon Williams. Hayden will be entrusted with the nickel spot until he grows into the top corner he was expected to be out of Houston. McGill was a 4th-rounder of the old regime who - at 26 - is likely looking for more playing time he won't find.
FS: Clemons was re-signed due to lack of other starting options, he's reliable. Baltimore Raven Hill was an upside pickup at 25 who could earn the job by next season. Mays is a second USC product intending to redeem himself if any injury occurs.
SS: Branch holds down the strong side as one of our defensive playmakers. Moore was appointed for his hard-hitting but he will be on the trade block with promising Gilchrist waiting in the wings.
K: Walsh was dropped inexplicably by Minnesota in the preseason and takes over for long-time placekicker Sebastian Janikowski, mainly because he's 10 years younger.
Team Schedule
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1:00 PM@
4:15 PM@
4:15 PM--BYE WEEK--
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8:20 PMvs
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1:00 PM@
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