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No. 1 receiver was traded away.The losses for the Oa


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Date Nov. 28th 08:48 AM Icon 522 Date 0

 

Two defensive captains have been cut [url=www.thecowboysfootballauthentic.com]Womens Cole Beasley Jersey[/url] , a respected veteran retired and the team's kland Raiders have been mounting on and off the field in recent weeks as a season that began with optimism has fallen apart at the midway point.After four straight losses, including a blowout by Bay Area rival San Francisco, have left the Raiders (1-7) tied for the worst record in the NFL, it's time to start looking to the future.To that end, coach Jon Gruden called in his rookie class Friday following the 34-3 loss to the 49ers and delivered a message to the group."He was just telling us he needs more from us rookies," defensive end Arden Key said Monday. "He needs more, more, more. He said we're doing pretty good but he needs more. We need to lead the league in effort and we're not doing that as rookies. ... It was a wake-up call and we answered."Little has gone right of late for the Raiders, who have been outscored by 85 points during a four-game losing streak. The team has also cut captains Bruce Irvin and Derrick Johnson during that span, watched cornerback Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie retire, and traded receiver Amari Cooper to Dallas for a first-round draft pick.That follows the trade one week before the start of the season that dealt star pass rusher Khalil Mack to Chicago for a package of picks, including two first-rounders.Oakland was last in the league with seven sacks before cutting ties with Irvin, who led the team with three. Only rookies Maurice Hurst (two sacks) and Key (one), along with Clinton McDonald (one) have sacks among players on the active roster.That's why Gruden wants more from his rookie class that also features defensive tackle P.J. Hall."I know right now the maturity level on this team has to rise up," veteran defensive lineman Frostee Rucker said. "We just have to be a complete team and do the little things better. That's what we're starting with today, trying to do the little things better."The Raiders also added some reinforcements Monday, signing defensive linemen Jacquies Smith and Kony Ealy to contracts.Ealy had 14 sacks in three seasons with Carolina from 2014-16, including three in a Super Bowl loss to Denver following the 2015 season. He was traded to New England in 2017, got cut by the Patriots and then signed with the New York Jets, where he had one sack in 15 games.Ealy spent training camp in Dallas before getting cut by the Cowboys on Sept. 1.Smith was originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and finally got his first chance to play in 2014 with Tampa Bay. He had 13 1/2 sacks in 27 games his first two seasons with the Buccaneers before suffering a major knee injury in 2016.Smith has played just seven games the past three seasons with Tampa, Detroit and Arizona, recording three tackles and no sacks in seven games. Smith was released by Arizona in September.Smith worked out for the Raiders in recent weeks and got the call Sunday [url=www.thecowboysfootballauthentic.com]Womens Tyron Smith Jersey[/url] , a day after Irvin was released. Smith said he feels as healthy as he has since before the injury and is eager for the chance to show what he can do."It's been very frustrating," he said. "Obviously, I have a ton of confidence in myself. Obviously, I've made a ton of plays in this league. Just getting back and getting that opportunity to do that. I'm very confident in my ability. Obviously, these guys see something in me to give me a shot."NOTES: The Raiders waived James Cowser. ... LT Kolton Miller didn't have a helmet at practice after re-injuring his right knee last Thursday. ... LG Kelechi Osemele participated in practice despite injuring his knee again against the 49ers. ... RB Marshawn Lynch stopped by practice for the first time since undergoing surgery on an injured groin last month. They're breathing easier in New Jersey, Seattle, and the Motor City, and taking in some rarefied air in western New York.That's what happens when your hapless, helpless and hopeless football teams suddenly turn nasty, effective and victorious.Most shocking, no doubt, was what the Bills did to the Vikings . After being the brunt of so many jokes the last two weeks following inept showings, then exacerbating it by tweeting an image of their helmet traveling to meet the Vikings' helmet — in Wisconsin — the Bills dominated in Minnesota. To boot, they were 16-point underdogs, making them the sixth team in the last 81 games with such a spread to pull off an upset.Where did that come from?Well, cynics will say the Vikings were coming off that emotional tie with Green Bay and face the NFL's most powerful squad in a short week when they host the Rams on Thursday night. The folks in Buffalo will tell you the Bills, who broke a 17-season drought of playoff appearances last winter, aren't as bad as they've looked."No one thought that we were going to come in here and play the way that we did, except the people in this locker room now," offensive tackle Dion Dawkins said, and he was right, particularly about the oddsmakers. "We came into the game fueled and ready to play."Say what you will about their forgettable first two outings [url=www.thecowboysfootballauthentic.com]Youth Anthony Brown Jersey[/url] , the Bills proved a lot Sunday. A team in turmoil, missing its best offensive player in injured running back LeSean McCoy, seemingly a sieve on defense, manhandled one of the Super Bowl favorites. With a raw rookie quarterback, too."We really don't really pay attention to what people think about us," linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. "It's all about internal belief and confidence. If you listen to outside noise, we'd never win a game because nobody respects Buffalo at all. We have to continue to go out and earn that respect."Eli Manning has earned plenty of respect — and two Super Bowl rings — in a borderline Hall of Fame career. What he's earned the last year or so has been doubters that he had anything left.At Houston, he showed when given any sort of protection by the Giants, he can be productive and a winner. Manning was besieged in the first two defeats, either sacked or hit or pressured so much he barely got the snap before he was inundated. Against the Texans, and with 2015 first-round draft pick Ereck Flowers wisely benched at right tackle, Manning had some of the best numbers of his career: 25 for 29 for 297 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with nine receivers."I thought we kind of condensed the offense a little bit and made sure guys knew what they were doing," said Manning, pointing out without saying as much that the Giants were slow to react in losses to Jacksonville and Dallas. "Plays that they knew, they were playing fast, the offensive line was playing fast and we have good players, just let them go play. Let's not try to be perfect and trick or do too much. Let our guys go win, because we got good athletes."Seattle once had as talented a roster as any team, winning one Super Bowl that should have been two, and dominating the NFC West. With defections, injuries and retirements, though [url=www.thecowboysfootballauthentic.com]Womens Ezekiel Elliott Jersey[/url] , these Seahawks need to succeed with guile, grit and coaching acumen.In their first home game, the Seahawks showed they still have a huge advantage at CenturyLink Field, especially when they get going quickly. The Cowboys, coming off a masterful manhandling of the Giants last weekend, ran into a buzzsaw.The 24-13 whooping the Seahawks put on the Cowboys was reminiscent of past Pete Carroll teams. They played with an edge that has marked his squads since his Southern Cal days."We were trying to get to our formula, and we just didn't get started well in the first couple games," Carroll said. "But this is how we want to play. "The day of relief was completed Sunday night when the Lions stunned the Patriots 26-10 as Matt Patricia got his first victory as a head coach — besting his boss while he was leading the New England defense, Bill Belichick.Detroit fans believed their team's prospects heading into 2018 were solid in a tough division. Then they fell flat in the opener against the Jets — yes, the Jets won at Ford Field and the Patriots lost. Last week, the Lions lost at San Francisco.But now, a sigh of relief that could be felt along all the Great Lakes, and a further belief that Detroit can compete in an NFC North where the Vikings and Packers have struggled, too, and the Bears lead at 2-1.Followers of the Bills, Giants, Seahawks and Lions also can take comfort in knowing there are three 0-3 teams out there: the Raiders, Texans and Cardinals. They might even feel some empathy for fans in Oakland, Houston and Arizona.


 
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