Derek Carr has a bruised thumb and it looks likely that we will see him against the Ravens this weekend.
Charles Woodson dislocated his shoulder and is lobbying to play this weekend but the coaching staff likely will rest him. Fellow starting safety Nate Allen has a MCL tear and will miss at least a few weeks.
The Raiders have re-signed Taylor Mays. Mays apparently could have also signed with the Seahawks.
Brandian Ross was released from the injured reserve list.
Carr’s injury is a bruised thumb and he likely can play on Sunday against the Ravens.
The team had initially reached out to Ponder with a view to signing him should they need to but have not reportedly told him they don’t require his services at the moment.
The Raiders offense only started to work once the Bengals switched to a prevent and the versatile but often ignored Marcel Reece shined with two touchdowns from Matt McGloin.
McGloin was in the game because Derek Carr hurt his throwing hand when he rushed for a eight yard gain that ended with him using said arm to stiff arm the defender. Carr tried throwing on the sidelines before heading to the locker room, never to return to the sidelines. His return was listed as questionable during the game.
The Bengals kept Mack and co in check all game – a job made easier as the game progressed because of the highly ineffective Raider offense.
On the bright side, Murray ended with a 4 yards per carry average, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree each had five catches (for 47 and 37 yards respectively).
The worst had to the be shear amount of tape the Bengals laid down of them exposing us with seam routes. It will be the preferred method of attack by Raider opponents until they do something to stop it.
Finally, can someone explain to me the officiating in that game? How was Jones not ejected from the game for ripping Amari Cooper’s helmet off and then smashing Cooper’s head into the helmet? Or why when you see the jersey of DJ Hayden being pulled as he tried to escape from his guy to go after the ball carrier is there no flag? Or maybe explain how Mack is held constantly and no calls? I assume the league will “correct” the first point with a fine for Jones but that’s all a little too late.
All told it wasn’t a great day to be a Raider fan.
WR Brice Butler, CB Dexter McDonald, RB Roy Helu Jr., G Jon Feliciano, OT Matt McCants, TE Gabe Holmes, DE Benson Mayowa
The Raiders take the field today with new LB Aldon Smith expected to be in uniform and hopefully creating the kind of chaos he did when playing for the team across the bay.
Hopefully we see the Aldon Smith from this last full seasons (2012) where he had 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. And then later (with a little luck, in sixteen games time), the guy that has 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in the playoffs.
With the signing it forced the Bengals to re-evaluate how they where going to handle the Raiders pass rush and signaled to the league that the Raiders are looking to start winning now.
The Raider Nation is rising again.
George Atkinson III, RB (Notre Dame)
Mitch Bell, G (Louisiana Tech)
SaQwan Edwards, CB (New Mexico)
Garrett Gilbert, * QB (SMU)
Shelby Harris, DE (Illinois State)
Dan Kistler, T (Montana)
Tevin McDonald, S (Eastern Washington)
Leon Orr, DT (Florida)
Josh Shirley, LB (UNLV)
Max Valles, DE (Virginia)
The Raider must have liked what they saw of Kam Chancellor’s half brother in the final exhibition game against the Seahawks because they have picked him up.
The undrafted free agent out of Norfolk State played on thirty one snaps in the game and recorded five tackles on defense plus an additional two on special teams.
Lambert played in 47 games with 40 starts during his four-year college career. He had two hundred and six career tackles including ten tackles for loss. Plus eight interceptions and twenty-six pass breakups.
Cornerback SaQwan Edwards was waived in order to make room for Lambert.
The Raiders start the regular season against the Bengals at home. They will face an offense put together by their former head coach and current offensive coordinator of the Bengals, Hue Jackson.
The Raiders have played the Bengals once before on September 13th. It was 1992 in Cincinnati and the Bengals won the game in overtime 24-21.
The Raiders have opened the season against the Bengals twice, they hold a 1-1 record in these games (in 1983, they won 20-10 and in 1970, they lost 21-31). Both games where playing Cincinnati.
Overall the Raiders 20-9 record against the Bengals (18-9 in the regular season and 2-0 in the play offs). Their home record is 14-1 with an average victory of 26-17 in these games.
Since 2000, we have played the Bengals four times and have a 2-2 record against with the Raiders winning their home games and the Bengals winning in their place.
RB George Atkinson III, G Mitch Bell, RB Michael Dyer, LB Spencer Hadley, DE Shelby Harris, T Dan Kistler, TE Brian Leonhardt, DT Ricky Lumpkin, S Tevin McDonald, DT Leon Orr, LB Josh Shirley, K Giorgio Tavecchio, DE Max Valles, DE Gary Wilkins, WR Devon Wylie, WR Kris Durham, S Taylor Mays, QB Christian Ponder, DL C.J. Wilson
Raiders didn’t manage to trade Ponder to the Eagles as was rumored earlier in the day. Brain Leonhardt’s time with team was running out when the team signed Lee Smith in the offseason and reached zero today. Dowling getting cut didn’t help path the way for Mays to lock a position with the team. With Shelby Harris being cut, it was assumed that Max Valles would be a lock but if he’s to come back it will be via the practice squad (which maybe will also contain Harris).
Sio Moore was traded to the Colts on Friday for a sixth round draft pick.
After hip surgery, Moore had found himself sidelined as the new regime installed their system with free agent pick up Malcolm Smith as their starting weakside linebacker. Moore then was unable to work his way back up the depth chart and looked slow in the little preseason action he saw on defense (against the Seahawks).
Moore had finished third in tackles on the team a year ago despite missing five games and had been voted to the All-Rookie team in 2013.
Also, the Raiders are apparently shopping QB Ponder around but will likely release him should they not find a taker. This tells us McGloin has won the battle to backup Carr.