Friday afternoon the Oakland Raiders will embark on a 10-day trip to Florida where they will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last week the Silver and Black suffered a difficult loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, their division rival. The team wasn't very productive across the board, but the players and coaches have been working exceptionally hard this week to get back on track. First up will be the Jaguars, who currently hold a record of 2-4, and are looking to pick up a win at home.
It was a busy week for the Silver and Black, let's get you caught up on the week that was.
**Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio sat down with Chris Townsend on The Silver & Black Show to talk about last week's loss, and how the team can improve.
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**Rookie safety Karl Joseph appeared on The Silver & Black Show with Nicole Zaloumis to relive his first NFL interception, and shared some information about himself.
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Rookie Running Back Jalen Richard Reflects On "Crazy, Long" Journey To The NFL
It's funny that the biggest news of Jalen Richard's life actually came in the form of receiving no news at all.
After he signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent after a successful tryout in May, went through the Offseason Workout Program and training camp with the team, and then made it through the initial wave of roster reductions, there was just one, last, albeit stressful, hurdle in front of Richard before he officially fulfilled his dream of making an NFL roster.
So, on September 3 – the day that final rosters had to be submitted to the league – he waited, and waited, and then waited some more, hoping to hear some news about his NFL future.
Then, as the clock struck 2:30 p.m., and his phone remained quiet, he knew that he had done it. The kid from central Louisiana had done the improbable as an undrafted free agent, seemingly coming out of nowhere to make Raiders 53-man roster.
Key Matchups To Watch: Oakland Raiders vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
After dropping their Week 6 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders will look to return to the win column Sunday afternoon at EverBank Field as they take on Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Sunday's game is a return to Florida of sorts for Head Coach Jack Del Rio, who served as the head coach for the Jaguars from 2003-11, and although he's downplayed his return to Jacksonville all week, there will likely be a little extra emotion for the Silver and Black's Commander in Chief.
The Raiders currently sit tied atop the AFC West, and will look to remain there – if not reclaim the outright lead – with a win over the Jaguars, so let’s take a look at three matchups that will be critical in determining the outcome of the Week 7 bout.
Right Combination Play: Andre Holmes Finds The End Zone
While the Oakland Raiders fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 26-10 Sunday afternoon, the Silver and Black's offense came out of the gates quickly, taking just seven plays on its first series of the game to the find the end zone.
With 12:02 remaining in the first quarter, and the Raiders on the Kansas City three-yard line, quarterback Derek Carr, operating from the shotgun in a five-receiver set, found wide receiver Andre Holmes in the back of the end zone to give Oakland an early 6-0 lead.
The connection to Holmes not only gave the Raiders an early advantage, but was also the only touchdown of the day for the Silver and Black, so Carr's pass to Holmes is this week's Right Combination Play presented by State Farm.
Tell The Truth Tuesday: Khalil Mack And Del Rio Talk Raiders Mindset
The Oakland Raiders were back at their practice facility Tuesday afternoon, and shared their thoughts on Sunday's game. The team expects more out of itself after falling to the Kansas City Chiefs 26-10, a tough loss against a division rival. From Head Coach Jack Del Rio to defensive end Khalil Mack, several members of the team broke down where the team can improve, and what the mentality is right now.
It's time for another Tell the Truth Tuesday.
Five Questions Heading Into The Oakland Raiders Week 7 Clash With The Jacksonville Jaguars
The Oakland Raiders will look to get back in the win column Sunday afternoon when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field.
The Jaguars are coming off back-to-back wins, and similarly to the Silver and Black, the team is led by a young, franchise quarterback in Blake Bortles.
While Jacksonville may boast just a 2-4 record, they do have an impressive pass defense, and also have the weapons out wide to put points up in a hurry. The Raiders will no doubt have their hands full this weekend, so let’s take a look five questions we have heading into the Week 7 matchup in the Sunshine State.
Quick Hits: Carr Talks About Facing Fellow 2014 NFL Draftee Blake Bortles
The Oakland Raiders will depart for Jacksonville this week to take on the Jaguars, and quarterback Derek Carr has been preparing for the game all week. Before practice on Wednesday, Carr talked with reporters about his relationship with Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles. The pair of signal-callers entered the league in 2014 and have both led the way for their respective teams during that time. The third-year quarterbacks will face off Sunday, and Carr shared his thoughts on the game and the team's preparation.
Here are the quick hits from Carr's media session.
**Raiders in the Community:
An exclusive look at the Oakland Raiders getting involved in their local community by donating their time to the Tri-City Food Bank located in Fremont, California.
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**Video of the Week:
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Tweets of the Week:
