OAKLAND http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/darrell-henderson-jersey , Calif. �? from Patrick Mahomes figured to be a major part of Kansas City‘s passing offense this year. The Raiders were counting on technician Antonio Brown to get open on intermediate and deep balls to provide a needed spark in Oakland.When these two AFC West rivals meet Sunday in the second game of the season in Oakland, they both will need to figure out how to thrive without their most dangerous receiving options.“I’m big on next guy up,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We’ve done that over the years and so I expect the next guys to step up and play. Nobody is alike, but most of the guys at this level have strengths, and so you play to their strengths and then you keep coaching them and teaching them to make their things that maybe they’re not as strong better. But when you are putting your game plan together, you play to your strengths.”Hill was sidelined by a broken collarbone in a season-opening 40-26 win at Jacksonville. Sammy Watkins stepped up to fill that void last week with nine catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Second-round pick Mecole Hardman also figures to carry a heavier load this week.The Raiders did just fine in last week’s 24-16 win over Denver two days after releasing Brown following weeks of turmoil and missed practices. Tyrell Williams had six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, showing he has the skills to be the No. 1 receiver the Raiders thought he could be when they made him their top target in free agency even before making the trade for Brown.“It’s definitely an opportunity I’ve been excited for,” Williams said. “My second year in the league when Keenan Allen had gotten hurt, I kind of was the No. 1 receiver that year (for the Chargers). I kind of just went unnoticed, I guess. Just getting this opportunity and being able to showcase this is exciting.”Tight end Darren Waller, whose career has been hampered by substance abuse issues, had seven catches for 70 yards and proved to be a matchup nightmare for Denver’s defense.WORKHORSE BACKOne of the big questions surrounding running back Josh Jacobs after the Raiders drafted him 24th overall was how he’d handle the load of a featured back in the NFL after being a part-time player at Alabama. Jacobs had more than 15 carries in a game just twice in college but raced past that mark in his NFL debut when he ran 23 times for 85 yards and two TDs and caught a 28-yard pass. He became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2001 to gain at least 100 yards from scrimmage and score two rushing touchdowns in his debut.“It was just something to show durability,” he said. “That I can take 20 carries a game and still come out and be full.”OPPORTUNISTIC DSince Reid took over as coach in Kansas City in 2013, the Chiefs lead the NFL with 26 defensive touchdowns. No opponent has been victimized more than the Raiders http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/irv-smith-jr.-jersey , who have given up four of those scores, including two thrown by Derek Carr in 2015 and last season. Carr has thrown nine career interceptions against the Chiefs, his most against any opponent.BLIND SIDEThe Raiders saw big improvement from second-year left tackle Kolton Miller in the opener. After allowing an NFL-worst 14 sacks as a rookie, according to Sports Info Solutions, Miller completely shut down Denver’s Bradley Chubb last week. He gets another tough test this week against Frank Clark, who had 2 1/2 sacks against Oakland last year when he was with Seattle and faced Miller on a gimpy knee.“He’s just stronger, he’s more experienced, he’s healthy,” coach Jon Gruden said. “Those are three things that have taken his game to another level, and he’s got to continue to prove it every week.”END OF ERAThis game could be the final one played with infield dirt across the field. What once was a common sight in the era of multipurpose stadiums is now almost a relic as the Coliseum is the only remaining stadium used by NFL and baseball teams. The Raiders’ next scheduled game in Oakland isn’t until Nov. 3, after the end of the World Series, so the dirt will be gone for the final five home games of the season; they have a home game in London. The Raiders are set to move to Las Vegas next season, where dirt won’t be an issue.“It hurts. It hurts tackling and falling on that dirt,” Raiders safety Karl Joseph said. “But that’s part of who we are http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/dexter-lawrence-jersey , the Raiders. I don’t think I’ll miss falling on that dirt too much. CLEVELAND (AP) — No awkward hug. No cold handshake. No holiday greeting.Baker Mayfield’s only interaction with former coach Hue Jackson was an icy stare.Mayfield threw three touchdown passes to thrill a sellout, holiday-spirited crowd that came out to boo Jackson, and rookie Nick Chubb ran for 112 yard as the Cleveland Browns beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-18 on Sunday to sweep their southern Ohio neighbors for the first time since 2002.Article continues below ...“Quite honestly, I couldn’t care about what happened in the past,” Mayfield said. “It is about this year and we won. We are moving forward.”The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft continued his stellar rookie season, one that took off after Jackson was fired by the Browns on Oct. 29. Mayfield has thrown 24 TD passes, third most in NFL history by a rookie and just two shy of the record shared by Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson.With their fifth win in six games, the Browns (7-7-1) improved to 5-2 under interim coach Gregg Williams, who has gone from long shot to legitimate candidate to become Cleveland’s next coach. It’s only the second time since 2007 that the Browns have won at least seven games.The Bengals (6-9), on the other hand, are disintegrating under coach Marvin Lewis. They lost for the sixth time in seven games and are assured of finishing last in the AFC North, a spot the Browns have occupied every season since 2011.Cincinnati made it interesting as Jeff Driskel threw two TD passes in a two-minute stretch to get the Bengals close.However, Mayfield connected with tight end David Njoku for 66 yards just before the two-minute warning and the Browns ran out the clock.Following the long completion, Mayfield jogged past Jackson standing on the sideline and stared at his former coach http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/josh-jacobs-jersey , whom he called “fake” after their matchup last month in Cincinnati.Mayfield playfully denied he was showing up Jackson.“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said.Told that the exchange was blowing up on social media, Mayfield said, “That’s all right. We won.”Lewis spent little time discussing what went wrong, holding a news conference that lasted just over a minute.“We came into this season thinking, ‘We can win this division,'” Driskel said. “You have to look at yourself and ask, ‘What can I do to prevent this next week or next season?'”Mayfield has Browns fans convinced there are glory days ahead. He challenged Clevelanders to fill FirstEnergy Stadium for the home finale, and they did show with a surge in ticket sales this week.The Browns were officially eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday. That hardly dampened the enthusiasm around a team that has recovered from a 0-16 season and become one of the league’s best stories in 2018.Mayfield’s the main reason.In the fourth quarter, fans chanted “Ba-ker, Ba-ker” after he scampered 10 yards. Moments later, they were roaring again after Mayfield stretched to reach for a first down before being shoved hard out of bounds by defensive end Carlos Dunlap, triggering a sideline skirmish near Cleveland’s bench.“It has been a good run,” Mayfield said. “Obviously Ben Banogu Jersey , we would love to be in the playoffs, but like I said earlier in the year, you know that you have to go through some tough times to see the brighter end of it.”NO PASSING GRADEDriskel, making his fourth start for the injured Andy Dalton, was sacked three times and under duress all day. He completed two passes for 3 yards in the first half, when the Bengals had minus-15 yards passing.TRICK AND TREATBrowns offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens went into his bag of tricks to set up Cleveland’s second TD. On first down, the Browns ran a pass off a reverse with wide receiver Jarvis Landry threading a 63-yard pass — the ball traveled more than 50 yards in the air — to Breshad Perriman. Two plays later, Mayfield rolled right and found just enough space to throw a scoring pass to Darren Fells.“I need to ice up my shoulder,” joked Landry.ROOKIE RECORDChubb and set the franchise rookie rushing record for a season, previously held by Trent Richardson.STELLAR STARTMayfield has thrown at least one TD pass in each of his 12 starts. He trails only St. Louis’ Kurt Warner (23 from 1999-00) and Minnesota’s Brad Johnson (15 from 1996-97) for the most consecutive starts with a scoring pass to begin a career.MIXON MILESTONEBengals running back Joe Mixon came in leading the AFC in yards rushing and attempts and needing 5 yards to reach 1,000. He got them on his first carry, a 6-yard run in the first quarter. Mixon is the first Cincinnati back to reach the plateau since Jeremy Hill (2014).INJURIESBengals: LB Vontaze Burfict played most of the first half before going out with a concussion. He came in listed as questionable with a head injury that forced him to miss practice. … Starting CB Dre Kirkpatrick hurt his right shoulder in the first quarter and did not return.Browns: Pro Bowl rookie cornerback Denzel Ward is back in concussion protocol after getting hurt in the fourth quarter. Ward had just returned after missing the previous two games with a head injury.UP NEXTBengals:At Pittsburgh on Sunday.Browns: Finish season at Baltimore on Sunday.
