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Five observations from the Raiders’ Week 12 loss to the New York Jets | Raiders.com
The Raiders didn’t make life easy on themselves
Sunday is a day the Raiders would rather forget, and while the Jets were no doubt the better team at MetLife Stadium, the Silver and Black certainly didn’t make things easy on themselves.
From penalties, to dropped passes, turnovers, and poor execution in all three phases of the game, the Raiders didn’t look like the confident unit we’ve gotten used to seeing as of late.
The Raiders won’t have much time to dwell on their Week 12 effort though, as they’ll have to play a much better brand of football next week in Kansas City if they want to stay in the AFC playoff picture.
He was a critical part of that Monday. And for a Chiefs team that’s still a Super Bowl hopeful, it’s becoming more and more clear that he must remain part of it in December and potentially January.
“Frank’s getting amped up at the perfect time toward the end of the season,” Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward said. “I mean, he’s feeling himself. He signed a big contract, and he’s proving he’s worth it now because he’s getting his legs back; he’s getting healthy.
“Frank is going to be a problem these last five, six games and toward the playoffs.”
Around the NFL
Steelers bench QB Mason Rudolph for Devlin Hodges | NFL.com
Pittsburgh was down 7-3 after the first drive in the third quarter when Rudolph was benched. It didn’t take long for Hodges to make his mark on the game as he found James Washington for a 79-yard catch-and-run touchdown. That score marked the Steelers’ first TD of the game and they would add two field goals in the fourth quarter to hold on for the win.
The switch at quarterback didn’t come at a surprise. Rudolph finished the day 8 of 16 for 85 yards with one interception and a passer rating of 39.8. Hodges went 5 of 11 for 118 yards and the TD in relief duty.
Frank Gore passes Sanders for No. 3 on rushing list | ESPN
Gore officially passed Sanders on a 6-yard run in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ game against the Denver Broncos. Now in his 15th season, Gore previously became the fourth player to rush for 15,000 career yards during the Bills’ Week 4 game against the New England Patriots.
6. Brandon Allen’s issues persist. His big plays don’t.
One of the arguments against the Broncos’ number two quarterback has been his ghastly completetion percentage. This ignored that one of Allen’s biggest problems so far has been his inability to find second and third reads, as he locked on to his primary receiver and gave them chances. Up until today, it worked in his favor because Noah Fant, Tim Patrick, and Courtland Sutton all took turns making great plays on their opportunities.
Today those shot plays weren’t there, but Allen continued to miss easy completions.
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans reaches 1,000 yards again, tying Randy Moss’ mark | ESPN
It took quarterback Jameis Winston four tries to reach him, but with a 17-yard grab in the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has officially reached 1,000 yards, joining Randy Moss as the only two receivers in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons
Saints survive pass interference controversy as missed kicks doom Panthers | Yahoo Sports
With the game tied at 31-31, the Panthers had the ball in the red zone with less the three minutes remaining. Quarterback Kyle Allen looked to wide receiver Jarius Wright in the flat on a third-and-3 pass from the five-yard line.
Allen’s pass hit the ground, and the Panthers appeared on the verge of settling for a field goal with 2:21 remaining. But just as the Carolina kicking unit started to set up, head coach Ron Rivera threw a challenge flag.
Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had made contact with Wright during his route, and Rivera challenged that officials missed a pass interference penalty.
Gardner-Johnson clearly made illegal contact with Wright while the ball was in the air, but the play didn’t appear to meet the high standards officials have set to overturn pass interference calls.
Never mind, though. Officials decided this play met the bar and changed the call on the field to pass interference.
Patriots, CB Stephon Gilmore hold Amari Cooper without catch for first time as Cowboy | ESPN
After the game, Gilmore responded to a Patriots tweet about his diving interception, which referred to him as the best cornerback in the NFL, by saying there is “no debate.”
After the game, Gilmore responded to a Patriots tweet about his diving interception, which referred to him as the best cornerback in the NFL, by saying there is “no debate.”
”This was another great effort by Steph,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “He just works and prepares so hard for his matchups every week and takes those as such a personal challenge.”
In the Wild Card race, Buffalo has a commanding two-game lead over the sixth-place Oakland Raiders but even more importantly over the seventh-place Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Colin Kaepernick has had no offers from NFL teams since workout, say reports | The Guardian
Colin Kaepernick’s NFL exile looks set to continue for the foreseeable future with reports emerging that none of the league’s 32 teams have reached out to him following his public workout earlier this month.
SB Nation’s Fan Pulse (after Week 11)
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