The Oakland Raiders game plan doesn’t require a fancy diagram or a complicated film study to notice what the coordinators should try to accomplish against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3.
Cleveland’s run defense hasn’t just sprung a leak with a steady drip; it’s gushing at a steady flow. In Week 1, the New York Jets gouged the Browns’ interior defense for 154 yards, and the Tennessee Titans gained 166 yards on the ground in the following week.
The Browns obviously know about their poor run defense, so one would assume they’ll do everything to address the weakness. However, until the Browns ...
The Oakland Raiders should send Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine a gift basket for his decision to start Josh McCown over Johnny Manziel at quarterback.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, Pettine officially declared McCown as the starter against the Raiders in Week 3. Manziel earned his first victory as a starter in Week 2, which equals McCown's win total in his last 11 starts.
Manziel didn’t light up the field in victory, but his play style presents greater difficulties for the Raiders defense in comparison to McCown.
Matchup with McCown
There’s more than just conventional logic that ...
In his upset win in Week 2 over the Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr put up a terrific performance, going 30-for-46 for 351 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
Heading into Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, can Carr keep up this pace? How productive were the Raiders on the ground to complement Carr?
Watch as Stephen Nelson and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms go in-depth on Carr in the video above.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
The Oakland Raiders haven't won a game on the road since beating the Texans in Houston in Week 11 of the 2013 season. Since then, they're 0-11 straight up and 5-6 against the spread away from home, losing their last three road contests by an average of 35 points. Oakland plays its first road game of this season Sunday at Cleveland.
Point spread: The Browns opened as 4.5-point favorites; the total was 42.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).
NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 24.8-18.8 Browns
Why the Raiders can cover the spread
The Raiders ...
The Oakland Raiders prepare to win their first game on the road since Week 11 of the 2013 season against the Houston Texans. This upstart Raiders team must break through more barriers to register as a real contender on the NFL schedule. Until then, the Raiders remain in the proving-grounds stage.
Oakland will take their talents out east against the Cleveland Browns, who earned their first victory of the season at home against the Tennessee Titans. The Browns are the least of the AFC North teams the Raiders play this year, but don’t overlook them.
Cleveland fields a top-five secondary that could ...
The Oakland Raiders split their two home games and will now venture on a journey east to take care of business on the road.
The Raiders’ Week 2 victory didn’t come easily, with plenty of shortcomings leftover to clean up before playing the Cleveland Browns.
Prior to Oakland’s two-game road trip, we’ll evaluate a handful of players whose stock either dropped or rose based on their last outings.
This stock report features favorable assessments for offensive players and some critical evaluations on the defense. Of course, a 37-33 win would suggest that it’s the defense that needs some fine-tuning to match an optimal offense.
Find ...
There has been very little for Oakland Athletics fans to cheer for during the 2015 season, but that will change Saturday when fans are treated to a nostalgic afternoon of baseball.
The team announced Tuesday that Barry Zito will start Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants. One of his former Oakland teammates, Tim Hudson, will toe the rubber for San Francisco in a showdown that is bound to conjure memories for those in attendance.
This clash is particularly noteworthy for Athletics fans because Zito, Hudson and Mark Mulder formed the backbone of a strong pitching staff that helped the team reach the ...
The Oakland Raiders' Week 2 victory against the Baltimore Ravens was a big step for a franchise, coach and quarterback looking to turn the Raiders into an NFL force once again. But Week 3 will be an even better indicator of how far the Silver and Black have come.
Oakland travels to Cleveland to take on a gritty Browns team, which will present its own set of challenges. But the biggest challenge for the Raiders this Sunday will not be the team they play against—the Raiders will be fighting for a win in the Eastern time zone.
It sounds silly, but Oakland's ...
The Oakland Raiders have acquired cornerback David Amerson on Tuesday, a day after he was cut by the Washington Redskins, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.
Amerson recorded two tackles this season with Washington but didn't appear in a single play during its Week 2 win against the St. Louis Rams.
Rotoworld's Evan Silva spoke with NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, who saw one of the reasons why Amerson's time in Washington ran out:
But it seems like the Raiders are in need of some help in their secondary. In their first two games, they've given up four touchdowns and an average of 326.5 yards per game.
Acquiring ...
When Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson retires, he’ll find a place in Canton, Ohio, as a Hall of Famer. The eight-time Pro Bowler has nothing more to prove to any of us in terms of his greatness, sacrifice and love for the game. It’s time for him to step aside and allow able bodies to contribute in the Raiders’ porous secondary.
This doesn’t suggest pushing Woodson aside because he’s 38 years old. When healthy, the 18-year veteran plays at a high level. In 2014, he led the Raiders in tackles with 111 in total. That’s when he’s healthy.
In the fourth quarter ...