NFL Research: With wins against the Ravens, Steelers and Dolphins, the Raiders have become the first team in NFL history to win each of their first three games in a season in which their first three opponents all had 10-plus wins the prior season.

That information was on NFL.com last night. Amazing way for these Raiders to open the season. Beating three teams with winning records last season.

Raiders are 3-0 for the first time since 2002.

A sad fact, but one that gives hope for this season. The 2002 season ended with the Raiders in the Superbowl.

This highlights just how good Derek Carr is playing right now. I’m starting to feel like he will find a way to bring the Raiders back no matter what.

The Raider started slow today, spotting the Dolphins fourteen points before they came alive. Going on a 25 point run that started with a safety.

Carr once again passed for over three hundred and fifty yards while completing touchdowns to Hunter Renfrow and Alec Ingold. Alec’s touchdown a reward for recovering a fumble on the previous play.

The running game also got on track with Peyton Barber racking up 111 yards on 23 carries as the next man up to the injured Josh Jacobs.

The defense looked stifling at times, but also allowed the Dolphins backup QB to look good late in the game as he drove down the field to tie the game up. they stood tall when it matter, in overtime. Stopping what looked at times like a game winning drive.

With a 3-0 record, the Raiders now move on to a divisional matchup against the Chargers. A team that managed to get a well deserved win against the Chiefs this week.

A slow start against the Ravens had me wondering if we’d see the same old Raiders. The defense seemed to struggle, the offense showed live but not enough. But as the game progressed, Derek Carr’s lead offense started to score and the defense showed that maybe it wasn’t going to be a repeat of years past.

The game resulted in an overtime victory, but before that their final drive seemed to highlight the Raiders of seasons passed. Offering hope as they drove down the field and got in field goal range to win it. Pressing his luck, Gruden sent on the field goal team rather than seek a few more yards for an easier kick. Only to see the chance of a field goal evaporate with a penalty. Something decades of Raiders have suffered with.

But, hopefully, to prove this season might be different, Carr threw a touchdown to a wide-open Jones on the very next play.

The next week, the roll into Pittsburgh and we got to watch a Raiders defense frustrate Big Ben the whole day while Carr looked every bit the NFL’s leading passer.

So we roll into week three and now it’s time for these Raiders to show they are for real this year by beating a team they should beat after taking down two top teams from the year before. This is a game for them to show they are serious about winning this year.

I for one think its high time Gruden’s Raiders showed us they want to win.

For a years now this site has been last on the list of things I want to get done in the day. The site has suffered for that. All I can say is that I’m sorry but at the end of the day my family and work have to come first.

I will endeavour to do things here when I can. What it really needs is a brand new lick of paint. The only prebuilt system here is the blog engine. Which I also co-opt for a log in system for the entire site.

So a new lick of paint means a site wide rewrite. I’ve done several of them over the years and use them as learning experiences for myself. So should work let up a little, I’ll start work on that and hope to have something for the new season – whenever that might be.

Stay safe people. This pandemic thing is no joke, even if the President’s ideas for how to fight are. Do not inject bleach into yourself. It will only lead to bad results.

When there is no cure, the only true solution is to avoid the virus. That means staying home or dressing up like Bruce Willis when he leaves the underground area in 12 Monkeys movie.

In possibly the best performance of the year, the Raiders come away with 31-24 victory. Thanks to good performances from both sides of the ball.

Notable being Maxx Crosby with two passed batted down and Eric Harris, who had the first Raider interception of the year and celebrated by returning it for a touchdown.

Rookie Josh Jabobs generated some tough yardage to ensure the victory.

But once again, the Raiders were on the wrong end of a penalty. When Colts QB swapped face mask holds with the Raiders player, only to see the Raiders being the only ones called.

It no wonder the Raiders are above one hundred penalties each and every year. This has to stop.

“If that’s Brady, you get a flag there,” says the color commentator in the Raiders/Vikings game. “Carr, not so much.”

Its either a penalty for ALL or its a penalty for NONE. This is bullshit, this is the modern NFL were the darlings are protected and the rest are fair game.

No wonder there was a head hunting scandal.

The first quarter was about the Raiders. Becoming the first team in some time to hold the Chiefs from scoring. The Raiders’ offense put up ten points in this quarter as well and things looked good.

The second quarter, the Chiefs shredded the Raiders defense scoring four touchdowns and running up of 240 yards of offense. It looked like the Raiders would be dead in the water in the second half given the show in this quarter.

The second half was scoreless. Both teams moved the ball well but drives ended without points. An interception in the endzone for the Raiders on one drive. Another interception on another when the Raiders receiver ran into the a Chiefs defender leaving only the player guarding him there when the ball arrived. For me it was a pick, for the refs its wasn’t. This along with my previous post tells you all you need to know about my feelings on this set of officials.

The half was the first ever scoreless half between the Chiefs and Raiders. It came in what likely will be the last ever NFL game played on field with the baseball dirt still on it. The Raiders are the last team to share with an MLB team and move to Las Vegas next year of decades of searching for a solution that would have allowed them to remain in Oakland.

Derek Carr also became the Raiders all time passing leader midway through the game when he passed Ken Stabler.

Jacob Jones continued his impressive start in the NFL with a hard earned 100+ yards for the second game in a row.

All told, the game showed the Raiders are close but not there yet.

Oh and before I forget. Watching this Raiders team tackle reminds me of how bad Raiders teams of recent memory have been in this fundamental task.

My voice and maybe others in the Raider Nation are likely a little sore with the start of the second period. Maxx Crosby was penalized for roughing the passer on the drive that lead to the Chiefs scoring at the start of the 2nd.

He was all alone with Mahomes in the backfield and jump up and into him to stop the QB from passing the ball. Leading to an incompletion and the QB on the ground. I would love to hear an NFL official describe just how this is a penalty play because it wasn’t.

We was robbed! Its the Chiefs and the NFL versus the RAIDERS!

Carr and the bad spot

Carr runs up the sideline dive high and forward, looking for the first down. The ball falls straight down, out of his hand, nearly a foot behind the first down marker and the call? They bring the ball back to where he left his feet. That was not were he fumbled. The ball bounced where he was when the fumble occurred.

We was robbed!

DB Juston Burris, who played four games for the Jets and then four games with the Browns last season, has been signed by the Raiders. He primarily was a special teams player for both.

The move comes as Jonathan Abram moves to Injured Reserve following his injury in the season opener against the Broncos

Abram was also fined by the NFL for the hit that hurt his should and plans to appeal.

The Raiders have a losing record when facing the Chiefs for the second game of the season.

In the 9 games playing them as the Chiefs, they have 4-5 (0.444) record, while scoring 173 points and allowing 176 for an average result of 19.22 to 19.56.

They also played two games against them as the Dallas Texans, losing both, scoring 32 points and allow 60 for an average score of 16-30.

At home, the numbers look even worse with a 1-4 record with the only win being in 1974.

Overall, the Raiders have a worse record versus the Chiefs:

52-63-2 ( 0.453), 2247 points for, 2476 points against.

Games 2000-2009

Games 1990-1999

Games 1980-1989

Games 1970-1979

Games 1960-1969 (vs Dallas Texans)