The Oakland Raiders will head back out on the road this week as they travel to Tennessee to play the Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 10:00 a.m. PT. The game will mark the second straight year the Raiders have made the trip to Tennessee, as they beat the Titans in Week 12 last year. The Titans will be the first AFC opponent of the 2016 season for the Silver and Black, as they faced NFC South opponents in Weeks 1 and 2. The game begins a two-game road swing for Oakland, as it will play the Ravens in Baltimore next Sunday. Last week, the Raiders fell in their home opener to the Atlanta Falcons, 28-35, while the Titans won on the road against the Detroit Lions, 16-15.
Here is the Game Preview, presented by 95.7 The GAME.
THE SETTING | |
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Date:Sunday, Sept. 25Kickoff:10:00 a.m. PTSite:Nissan Stadium (1999)Capacity/Surface:69,143/Natural GrassRegular Season:Raiders lead, 24-20 |
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The Raiders lost a high-scoring battle last week to the Falcons in Oakland. QB Derek Carr led the Raiders' offense to 454 total yards. Carr threw for 299 yards on 34-of-45 passing with three touchdowns and a 115.0 quarterback rating on the afternoon. WRs Michael Crabtree, Andre Holmes, and TE Clive Walford all hauled in touchdown passes from Carr in the second half. WR Amari Cooper led the team with 71 receiving yards on five receptions. The Silver and Black also rushed for 155 yards in the game, with RB Latavius Murray leading the way with 57 yards and one touchdown. RB DeAndré Washington added another 46 yards on the ground, averaging 7.7. yards per carry. On defense, CB David Amerson recorded the team's first interception of the young season, picking off QB Matt Ryan in the back of the Raiders' end zone to prevent a score.
Next week, the Raiders will head to the Eastern Time Zone for the first time this year and take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4 before coming home for two straight home games against AFC West rivals (San Diego in Week 5 and Kansas City in Week 6). The Titans will have a two-game road trip after Sunday's game, traveling to Houston and Miami in Weeks 4 and 5.
OFFENSIVE ATTACK
In the early stages of the 2016 season, the Raiders' offense has gotten off to a hot start. Below are some notes on the team's offensive performance through the first two weeks:
• Oakland's offense is ranked first in the league, averaging 470.0 yards per game.
• The rushing offense ranks second in the league with 161.0 rushing yards per game.
• The team has rushed for four rushing touchdowns, tied for first in the league.
• QB Derek Carr has completed 58 passes so far, tied for first in the NFL.
• Carr ranks in the top 10 in every major passing category: completion percentage (6th, 69.9), passing yards (6th, 618), passing touchdowns (9th, 4) and quarterback rating (7th, 107.4).
• In terms of franchise history, Carr has now completed the second most completions (58), thrown for the second most passing yards (618) and has the highest quarterback rating of any player with at least 35 pass attempts through the first two weeks of a season since 1970.
BROADCAST INFORMATION | |
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TELEVISION CBS Play-by-play: Andrew Catalon RADIO Flagship: 95.7 The Game Spanish Radio Flagship: KSOL 98.9 FM (Radio Estereo Sol, 98.9 y 99.1) |
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TITANS SNAPSHOT
Overview: In his third season on the Titans' coaching staff and first at the helm, Head Coach Mike Mularkey and company enter Week 3 of the regular season 1-1 after their come-from-behind victory over Detroit last week, 16-15. The Titans, who beat the Raiders by a score of 27-14 in Week 3 of the preseason, host the Raiders for what will be their first of four contests in 2016 against AFC West teams.
Offense: The 2016 offense is led by second-year QB Marcus Mariota and newly-acquired RB DeMarco Murray. Through two games, Mariota has tossed for 509 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions, while Murray ranks 10th in the league with 131 yards on the ground and his 222 yards from scrimmage is also a team high thus far. TE Delanie Walker, their leading receiver in 2015, currently leads the Titans in receiving yards with 125 on nine receptions, while adding a score. Rookie RB Derrick Henry has also chipped in with 93 total yards through two weeks. His 50 yards through the air are good for second best in the league among NFL rookie running backs.
Defense: Now in his 58th year as an NFL coach, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau enters his second season calling plays for the Titans' defense. With two games under their belt, the Titans' defense ranks 13th in three major defensive categories: rushing yards allowed per game (101.0 yard avg.), passing yards allowed per game (237.0 yard avg.) and total yards allowed per game (338.0 yard avg.). SS Da'Norris Searcy and ILB Avery Williamson lead the team in tackles with 12 apiece, while OLB Brian Orakpo paces the team in sacks (2.0). Sixth-year CB Perrish Cox has the lone interception and turnover for the Titans' defense thus far, a defense that finished 25th in takeaways last season.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Pro Connections
• Raiders defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson was selected in the fourth round (102nd overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played 10 seasons (1991-2000) at safety for the franchise, earning All-Pro honors in 1993. He later served as the Titans' director of player development from 2003-06, assistant secondary coach from 2007-08 and secondary coach from 2009-11.
• Titans quarterbacks coach Jason Michael made his NFL coaching debut with the Raiders in 2005 as a quality control coach.
• Titans special teams assistant Steve Hoffman was the special teams coordinator for the Raiders in 2012. Following his departure in 2012, Titans special teams coordinator Bobby April replaced Hoffman and spent two seasons with the Raiders (2013-14) in the same capacity.
• Titans first-year offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the eighth round (223d overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft. He also began his coaching career with the Raiders, serving as assistant special teams (1982-1984), assistant running backs (1985- 1987) and tight ends coach (1988) before becoming the offensive coordinator (1989-1993). Combined as a player and coach, Robiskie spent 15 NFL seasons with the Raiders.
• Titans LB David Bass was originally drafted by the Raiders in the seventh round (233rd overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.
• Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave (quarterbacks) was on Titans Head Coach Mike Mularkey's offensive staff with the Atlanta Falcons from 2008-2010 when Mularkey was the offensive coordinator.
• Raiders assistant defensive backs coach Rod Woodson played secondary for Titans Assistant Head Coach/Defense Dick LeBeau (secondary/ defensive coordinator) from 1992-1996 with the Steelers. Under LeBeau's watch, Woodson won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993.
Photos from the Raiders vs Titans all-time series.
• Raiders tight ends coach Bobby Johnson (tight ends), assistant quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz (offensive analyst/assistant quarterbacks) and Titans running backs coach Sylvester Croom (running backs) were on Titans Head Coach Mike Mularkey's staff in Jacksonville in 2012.
• Raiders quarterbacks coach Todd Downing and Titans assistant secondary coach Steve Jackson spent one year together with the Detroit Lions in 2013. College Connections
• Raiders WR Amari Cooper and Titans G Chance Warmack were teammates at Alabama in 2012, helping the team win the BCS National Championship that year. Cooper also spent two seasons with now Titans RB Derrick Henry in 2013 and 2014. Cooper and Warmack were later selected in the first round of the NFL Draft (Cooper in 2015 and Warmack in 2013), while Henry was taken in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.
• Raiders LB Malcolm Smith and Titans DT Jurrell Casey played together at USC from 2008-2010 and each selected in the 2016 NFL Draft (Casey in the third and Smith in the seventh). The two played for Raiders defensive line coach Jethro Franklin (defensive line) and defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. (assistant head coach defense/linebackers) at USC in 2009. Titans C Brian Schwenke (2009-2012) played four years apiece at Cal.
• Raiders LB Shilique Calhoun and QB Connor Cook both played together at Michigan State with T Jack Conklin from 2012-2015. All three players were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Hometown Connections
• Raiders General Manager Reggie McKenzie is a Knoxville, Tenn., native and played his college ball at Tennessee from 1981-1984 before being drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1985.
• Raiders TE Mychal Rivera played at the University of Tennessee from 2010 to 2012, and amassed 1,018 yards and six TDs while playing in 37 games, 35 of them starts.
• Raiders TE Lee Smith (Powell) and DT Dan Williams (Memphis) are both from Tennessee. Williams later attended college in the state, going to the University of Tennessee.