The Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers clinched AFC wild-card playoff berths Sunday.

 The Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers clinched AFC wild-card playoff berths Sunday.



The Vegas Raiders have celebrated a late-season renaissance, as they're heading back to the playoffs for the first time since 1982. Despite recent tragedies, they've emerged with an electrifying brand of football, one that will likely be built upon in the future.
The Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, 35-32, in overtime to earn their first playoff berth since 2016. Oakland entered the Week 17 matchup without much hope of making the postseason after being eliminated from playoff contention last week. After a huge day by Antonio Brown, the Steelers earned themselves a wild-card berth.
The Oakland Raiders finished the regular season with a 12-4 record and will host a wild card game in the playoffs. They will play the number four seed from the AFC, Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers', seeded seventh, will face off against the number two Kansas City Chiefs, also in the playoffs.
The Raiders (10-7) ended the Chargers' playoff hopes and their own with a 24-21 victory over the Los Angeles (9-8) at the StubHub Center Sunday evening. For head coach Rich Bisaccia and interim defensive coordinator John Pagano it's likely to be their last game as Raiders. 
Bisaccia, a 53-year-old former Marine and defensive coordinator for the Cowboys and Jaguars, was named interim coach after Gruden stepped down to pursue the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coaching job. He made some changes in how the team practices, tweaked their game plan, and most notably reined in the often undisciplined penalty-prone players.
Consider the roller coaster that was Oakland's 2009 season. On Feb. 17, the Raiders were 6-7 following a 48-9 blowout loss to the Chiefs in Week 14 that dropped them to 5-6. But the roughed up Raiders have regrouped impressively, winning three consecutive games -- including back-to-back overtime decisions -- to stay in playoff contention with one game remaining. They'll travel to San Diego (9-8) next weekend, the same Chargers team they beat 27-24 in overtime on Sept. 28.


Commentaires

Enregistrer un commentaire

Posts les plus consultés de ce blog

New York Jets coach Adam Gase didn't hesitate to accept blame for a fourth-down decision that cost the team a win.

Image
 New York Jets coach Adam Gase didn't hesitate to accept blame for a fourth-down decision that cost the team a win.  It all started when Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez hit receiver Santonio Holmes for a 40-yard touchdown with 9 minutes 53 seconds remaining to give New York a 24-17 lead over the Buccaneers. But instead of spiking the ball to stop the clock, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called for a running play that left more than four minutes on the clock. When Schottenheimer called timeout after Holmes scored, he tried to explain his actions. The Jets' fourth-quarter decision to not have quarterback Sam Darnold run the play on fourth-and-2 against the Patriots came from a directive by offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur that Darnold should throw the ball instead of run on the play. But LaFleur "looked around and saw four guys in formation," he said in a news conference Monday, referring to safety Duron Harmon, center David Andrews and both tackles. "
Lire la suite

Drew Lock is focusing on the game, not his future with the Broncos.

Image
 Drew Lock is focusing on the game, not his future with the Broncos. For a veteran making his third consecutive start at quarterback, Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock has no expectations for himself in Saturday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Lock has struggled in his two starts, averaging a respectable but unspectacular 6.4 yards per attempt. And for all of the criticism that some of his decisions on Sunday drew—namely, throwing a fade to a double-covered Tyrell Williams down 20-0 late—those came against an all-pro interior that only allowed 115 rushing yards in total, 49 yards from scrimmage from Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman combined and still recorded three sacks. Lock played well enough to win, and if the Broncos exploit their advantages agains. Broncos rookie QB Drew Lock drew favorable comparisons to fellow former Missouri standout and current Chiefs starter Patrick Mahomes. But the 2019 second-round pick was the clear third rival to Chad Kelly for the No. 2 r
Lire la suite