The Raiders are 9-2 when RB Darren McFadden rushes for 100 yards or more. He ran for a season-high 114 in this past Sunday's 26-16 win at Kansas City. Photo by Tony Gonzales.
THIS WEEK'S NOTABLE STORYLINES:
- The Raiders return to Oakland to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at O.co Coliseum on Sunday. It will mark the second contest against an NFC South opponent for the Raiders this season.
- The Silver and Black has won two straight games and will be looking for a third consecutive victory on Sunday. The Raiders have notched three-game winning streaks in each of the last two seasons, the only three-game streaks since the 2002 Super Bowl season.
- RB Darren McFadden rushed for a season-high 114 yards in last week's win at Kansas City, posting his second 100-yard rushing game of the season. McFadden has rushed for 100 yards 11 times during his career and the Raiders have recorded a 9-2 mark in those games, including wins in the past five straight.
- For the third straight week, the Raiders will be facing an opponent coming off of significant rest. Each of the Raiders' last two opponents, Jacksonville and Kansas City, were coming off of bye weeks and the Buccaneers last played on Oct. 25 at Minnesota. The Raiders will be looking to post their third-straight victory against a well-rested opponent.
- WR Denarius Moore has recorded a touchdown reception in each of the last three games, becoming the first Raider since 2010 to notch scoring grabs in three consecutive contests.
- The Raiders have scored in the final two minutes of the first half in each of the team's seven games.
RAIDERS RETURN HOME TO FACE TAMPA BAY:The Raiders host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, marking the Silver and Black's second contest against an NFC opponent this season. The Raiders improved to 3-4 with a 26-16 victory at Kansas City last week, while the Buccaneers are also 3-4 following a 36-17 win at Minnesota on Oct. 25.
THE SERIES:The Raiders and Buccaneers have met just seven times in the regular season, with the Silver and Black holding a 6-1 edge in the all-time series. The two teams also faced off in Super Bowl XXXVII on Jan. 26, 2003, a 48-21 win for Tampa Bay. The last time the two teams played, the Raiders posted a 31-24 victory over the Buccaneers in the 2008 season finale. The Silver and Black also recorded a victory in the last meeting between the two teams in Oakland, a 30-20 triumph in 2004. The Buccaneers' lone win in the regular-season series came via a 20-17 overtime decision at Tampa Bay in 1996.
YARDAGE WHEN IT COUNTS:RB Darren McFadden recorded his second 100-yard rushing game of the season, posting a season-high 114 yards on 29 carries in the Raiders' 26-16 win at Kansas City last week. McFadden was instrumental in preserving the Silver and Black's late lead in the contest, carrying the ball 12 times for 73 yards (6.1 avg.) in the fourth quarter, earning four key first downs and helping wind down the clock.
100 YARDS=RESULTS:RB Darren McFadden has rushed for 100 or more yards 11 times in his career and the Raiders have posted a 9-2 record in those games, including last week's 26-16 victory at Kansas City. The Raiders have won five straight games in which McFadden has eclipsed the 100- yard mark, and have not dropped such a decision since Dec. 12, 2010, at Jacksonville.
WELL-RESTED OPPOSITION:The Raiders will take on their third-straight opponent that is coming off of significant rest this week. The Silver and Black faced a Kansas City team last week that was coming off of its bye after an Oct. 21 game vs. Jacksonville, which was also coming off of a bye. This week, the Raiders will host a Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that is coming off of nine days rest following a Thursday night game on Oct. 25.
JANIKOWSKI GOOD FROM INSIDE 40:K Sebastian Janikowski was good on four field-goal attempts at Kansas City last week, extending his current streak of field goals from inside 40 yards to 43 straight. Janikowski has not missed an attempt from less than 40 yards since Sept. 23, 2010, at Arizona. The 12-year veteran is 18-for-19 on field-goal attempts this season, with his only miss coming on a 64-yarder against Jacksonville on Oct. 21.
FIRST-HALF FLURRIES:QB Carson Palmer connected with WR Denarius Moore for a 9-yard touchdown strike with 49 seconds left in the first half at Kansas City, marking the seventh-straight game in which the Raiders have scored in the final two minutes of the first half. The Silver and Black has recorded four field goals and three touchdowns inside of the first-half two-minute warning this season.
AIMING FOR THREE:The Raiders will be aiming for their third straight victory this weekend. It would mark the third time since the 2002 Super Bowl season that Oakland has had three consecutive wins.
THREE'S A CHARM:WR Denarius Moore scored a touchdown on a 9-yard leaping grab from QB Carson Palmer at Kansas City on Sunday, giving the second-year player touchdown receptions in three straight games. Moore is the first Raider since Zach Miller (Sept. 26-Oct. 10, 2010) to record receiving touchdowns in three straight games. The last Raider to post touchdown receptions in four consecutive games during a single season was WR Tim Brown, who registered touchdowns in five straight contests from Nov. 5-Dec. 2, 2001.
D-MO TO 1,000:WR Denarius Moore reached 1,000 career receiving yards with his second catch at Kansas City last week. With 56 receptions for 1,015 yards, Moore averaged 18.1 yards per catch through his first 1,000 yards. His average ranks fifth among active players that have reached 1,000 career receiving yards.
TURNING TAKEAWAYS INTO POINTS:An opportunistic Raider defense and special teams recorded two interceptions and two fumble recoveries at Kansas City last week, turning three of those changes in possession into points. Of the Raiders' 11 takeaways this season, seven of them have resulted in 36 points for the Silver and Black.
CLEAN JERSEY:"I don't think my jersey needs to be washed," QB Carson Palmer told reporters after the Raiders' offensive line held the Chiefs without a sack in Sunday's win. It marked the second time this season that the unit has not allowed the defense to get to the quarterback. The Raiders are 3-1 this season when holding opposing teams to less than three sacks.
Notable connections
Raiders defensive backs coach Johnnie Lynn was secondary coach for the Buccaneers from 1994-95...Buccaneers senior offensive assistant Jimmy Raye was offensive coordinator for the Raiders from 2004-05...Raye was on staff with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1993-2000 as running backs coach/offensive coordinator, while Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders was the assistant head coach/wide receivers from 1989-98... Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver was the outside linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2009, while Raye was the 49ers' offensive coordinator...Buccaneers special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky was assistant special teams coach for the Raiders in 2011...Quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo was an offensive quality control coach with the New York Giants in 2005, serving alongside Buccaneers offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, who was the wide receivers coach for the Giants from 2004-09...Buccaneers running backs coach Ernest Byner served in the same capacity with the Washington Redskins from 2004-07, sharing a sideline with Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders, who was the Redskins associate head coach/offense from 2006-07...Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Ron Turner is from Martinez and was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Stanford from 1989-91 and head coach at San Jose State in 1992...Buccaneers offensive line coach Bob Bostad served as co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at San Jose State from 1997-98...LB Philip Wheeler played at Georgia Tech with Buccaneers LS Andrew Economos...DE Lamarr Houston played at Texas with Buccaneers DT Roy Miller...LB Keenan Clayton played at Oklahoma with Buccaneers DT Gerald McCoy...WR Denarius Moore played at Tennessee with Buccaneers TE Luke Stocker...S Tyvon Branch played at UConn with Buccaneers QB Dan Orlovsky...Buccaneers WR Chris Owusu went to Stanford...Buccaneers WR Roscoe Parrish was briefly with the Raiders in 2012, playing in one preseason game...Buccaneers LB Mason Foster is from Seaside and played with Raiders FB Marcel Reece at the University of Washington...Reece was also collegiate teammates with Buccaneers DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim...Buccaneers CB Eric Wright is from San Francisco...G Carl Nicks is from Salinas...RB Doug Martin is from Stockton.
Last meeting vs. Tampa Bay- Oak. 31, at TB 24 (Dec. 28, 2008):The Raiders beat the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, 31-24, in the 2008 regular-season finale.
INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS vs. TAMPA BAY:CB Ron Bartell recorded five tackles (four solo) against Tampa Bay as a member of the St. Louis Rams on Sept. 23, 2007...S Matt Giordano made his second-career start against the Buccaneers, as a member of the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 7, 2007...RB Mike Goodson made his first career start against Tampa Bay, as a member of the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 14, 2010...Goodson recorded his first 100-yard rushing game in that contest, going for 100 yards on a career-high 23 carries...CB Pat Lee made his NFL debut at Tampa Bay on Sept. 28, 2008, as a member of the Green Bay Packers...QB Carson Palmer completed 24-of-37 pass attempts for 261 yards and one touchdown against Tampa Bay on Oct. 15, 2006, as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals...Palmer was 21-for-36 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns against the Buccaneers on Oct. 10, 2010...DT Richard Seymour posted six tackles (three solo) against Tampa Bay on Dec. 17, 2005, with the New England Patriots...LB Philip Wheeler racked up 10 tackles (six solo) as a member of the Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay on Oct. 3, 2011.
