Raiders week 15 Ballers & Busters

Giving up 37 points to the Jets apparently wasn't low enough for this team. No one expected them to actually beat the Chiefs, so they did one better and lost in epic, historic fashion. They were actually plus three in turnover ratio on the season so they turned the ball over seven times.

On the flip side of all this was the Raiders scoring the most points they've scored all season (31). And even in the midst of the chaos, late in the third quarter they somehow pulled within four points. That was the closest they had come since :22 seconds into the game when they gave up a screen pass for a 49-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

Being within four points lasted all of :69 seconds before the Chiefs scored yet again on a long screen pass, this time from 71 yards out. And that, as they say, was that. Here are those who helped with the comeback attempt and those who helped cause the blowout.

Ballers

Rashad Jennings

It was another game over 100 yards from scrimmage for Jennings, who missed last week with a concussion. Of those yards, 91 came on the ground with two touchdowns. He ran four times for 17 yards on the Raiders first touchdown drive, including and 8-yard run on third and five. He also had the one-yard touchdown at the end of the drive. He would finish off the next Raiders touchdown drive with another one-yard score.

He was a big part of the Raiders' touchdown drive to get within four late in the third quarter. On that drive he three times for 34 yards including a 21-yard run - his longest of the day.

Marcel Reece

He was a regular Swiss Army knife in this game. He did it all. He ran the ball well, caught the ball well, blocked well, and even passed the ball well. He had his biggest play of the day on the first offensive play for the Raiders. He took a short catch in stride and went for 45 yards to set up the field goal. In the second quarter, the Raiders went for the fake punt, Reece took the direct snap, and passed out wide left for Chimdi Chekwa for 22 yards and the first down. In the third quarter, he laid a solid block to help spring Jennings for his longest run of the day of 21 yards and the Raiders would score a touchdown to finish off the drive. He blocked for Jennings on a couple of other good runs as well. As for stats of his own, he finished with 5 carries for 18 yards and 2 catches for 52 yards.

Rod Streater, Andre Holmes

These two have become quite dependable and showed some rare receiving prowess in this game. Streater had the first catch was on the Raiders' second drive and went for 26 yards. On the next drive, he ripped the Chiefs secondary. He started with a 5-yard catch, then burnt Brandon Flowers who was forced to hold him to keep from giving up a long touchdown. A couple plays later, on third and 3, he caught a pass for 23 yards to set the Raiders up at the Chiefs' 8-yard line. They would punch it in a few plays later.

Holmes took over from there. The first drive of the second half had Holmes all over it. Starting things off in a ten-yard hole after a holding penalty, Holmes picked up the first down on a 22-yard pass. Two plays later, he found an open spot in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown. On the following drive he had a catch that made the highlight reels. He had the defensive back draped all over him but he went up high and pulled down the pass with one hand for a 28-yard catch. Two plays later the Raiders would score a touchdown.

Jared Veldheer, Tony Pashos

Matt McGloin had a relatively clean pocket all day and it is thanks in large part to the blocking he was getting on the edges. He wasn't sacked in the game and was hit just once from up the middle. Veldheer did an especially good job protection McGloin's blindside considering he was facing off against All Pro defensive end, Tamba Hali.

Betweener

Mychal Rivera - His receiving skills are quite good overall. He caught three passes in this game for 30 yards and a touchdown. But his blocking is atrocious. Several times he gave a poor effort on the block or was simply not good enough and the Chiefs were able to brush him aside for a run stuff. He also had a key drop on third down on the Raiders first drive which forced them to settle for a field goal.

Continue on to the Busters