Author: Chris McClain

Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders went to Arizona hoping to get their second win of the season against a 2-8 Cardinals team that is also struggling to find any sort of consistency. Quarterback Derek Carr and the Raiders offense once again struggled, but luckily for Gruden, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s defense put them in an opportunity to succeed. Guenther’s defense has struggled to come away with takeaways this year, but they got a pair of them Sunday. Second-year cornerback Gareon Conley got the first one on just the second offensive play of the game. Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen was looking for his veteran receiver Larry Fitzgerald but Conley came away with the interception instead, returning it 28 yards to give Carr a short field. The Raiders offense took advantage when Carr found a wide open Jared Cook for the 23-yard touchdown to give the Silver & Black the early 7-0 lead. Rosen and Fitzgerald would get revenge on the next drive when the receiver ran by Nick Nelson and Marcus Gilchrist for a wide-open 18-yard touchdown to tie up the game at seven apiece. The Cardinals would take the lead late in the first quarter on a short bubble screen to the speedy Christian Kirk. Rookie defensive end Arden Key had a chance to bring Kirk down in the backfield but he slipped by and went 59 yards...

The Oakland Raiders returned home to host the Los Angeles Chargers hoping to get their second win of the season. It looked like it was going to be another slow start to the Raiders offense, but punter Johnny Townsend saw a weakness in the defense and ran a fake punt 43 yards to the left side to extend the drive. Derek Carr used the first down to go 80 yards with 13 plays and knock on the Chargers’ goal line. Facing a fourth and goal, head coach Jon Gruden elected to go for it but called a sweep and the ball carrier was stopped short to turn the ball over on downs. Luckily for the Raiders, the defense stepped up by forcing a three and out to give the offense good field position after a Chargers punt. Carr would go 32 yards on eight plays this time, but have to settle for a field goal after tight end Jared Cook dropped a pass for a first down. Daniel Carlson hit the 46-yard field goal to give the Raiders the early 3-0 lead. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s squad would keep up the solid play, holding the Chargers scoreless through the first quarter. Problem for Gruden was his offense could not find the end zone. Their second-best chance came late in the quarter but Carr was sacked hard in the red...

The Oakland Raiders returned home to host the Indianapolis Colts in their first game after trading wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round pick. Head coach Jon Gruden had a chance to show his new offense early after the Raiders defense gave up a first-drive touchdown to Andrew Luck. But without Cooper, the Raiders would start with a three-and-out. Quarterback Derek Carr got the offense going in the second quarter, using six plays to drive his squad 75 yards for their first touchdown of the game when he found a wide-open Seth Roberts for the score. The Raiders offense would build on the momentum on the next drive as Carr would orchestrate another touchdown drive. This time, the quarterback would drive the team 69 yards on seven plays, finding his trusty tight end Jared Cook who barreled into the end zone to give the Silver & Black the lead. Meanwhile, the Raiders defense would find some rhythm and slow down Luck and a Colts offense which has been finding its chemistry. The Raiders would take a 14-to-13 lead into the locker room at halftime. Carr would show his grit in the third quarter, diving over the line of scrimmage and into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown in the NFL. The rushing touchdown was also the first by an Oakland quarterback since 2013....