Silver Mining 12/17: Raiders rise in draft after 49ers upset Seattle Seahawks

Raiders News

49ers boost Raiders’ chances for NFL Draft’s top pick | Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Raiders received good news Sunday on their flight home from Ohio. They’re on pace for the No. 2 overall pick.

Raiders’ Jon Gruden and Derek Carr react to loss | The Fresno Bee
The Oakland Raiders dropped to 3-11 after a 30-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018.

A wild week in Raider Land ends with another loss - AFC West- ESPN
An upset, firing, lawsuit and suspension were part of the week before the Raiders' loss. On the bright side, they're still up for a top draft pick.

Letter: Did Davis clan ever care about Raider Nation? – The Mercury News
Amidst the predictable chaos accompanying the Raiders' now failed negotiations with the city of Oakland about where the team will play the 2019 season is The Silver & Black owner Mark Davis' absurd contention that, "...for the fans, [playing in Oakland] is something I've got to think about."

Rookie Daniel Carlson Raiders ‘long term solution’ at kicker, approaching franchise record marks - Silver And Black Pride
A rare bright spot for this team.

AFC West

Los Angeles Chargers RB Melvin Gordon expected to return in week 16 - Bolts From The Blue
Melvin Gordon, the Los Angeles Chargers’ star running back, suffered an injury during the third quarter of the team’s week 12 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Since he went down, the Chargers...

Did the win over Chiefs solidify Chargers’ Anthony Lynn as Coach of the Year?
Did the win over Chiefs solidify Chargers' Anthony Lynn as Coach of the Year?

Chiefs News: Goal remains same for Chiefs, “win and be rewarded” - Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs headlines for Monday, December 17.

The Kansas City Chiefs will go as far as Patrick Mahomes can carry them
There's been a lot of talk about the Kansas City Chiefs defense lately, but ultimately the fate of the Chiefs season rests on the arm of Patrick Mahomes.

Broncos Fans on Blame John Elway Deserves for Browns Loss, Bad Season | Westword
After the Denver Broncos were eliminated from the playoffs, Broncos fans turned their rhetorical guns on the franchise's biggest hero, John Elway.

Exit Interview: Denver Broncos - The Ringer
The Broncos will miss the playoffs this year and run the risk of posting back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in 46 years. Will John Elway and Co. address the head coach and quarterback positions this offseason?

NFL News

The NFL’s highest paid quarterbacks will be watching some of the cheapest in the playoffs - The Washington Post
Mitchell Trubisky beating Aaron Rodgers to clinch the NFC North was instructive about the state of the position in the NFL.

Why We Still Don’t Know How Many NFL Players Have CTE | FiveThirtyEight
Over the past few years, the NFL has been haunted by the early deaths of some former players whose brains showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE …

NFL Week 15: The 12 dumbest mistakes from Saturday and Sunday, ranked - SBNation.com
For the love of god, get out of bounds, Todd Gurley.

NFL Week 15: 32 things we learned from all the games
Just two teams joined the playoff picture this week, but the postseason outlook still underwent a potentially big reshaping.

The Winners and Losers of NFL Week 15 - The Ringer
The legend of Nick Foles grows, while the legend of Tom Brady shrinks, even if for just one afternoon. Plus: John DeFilippo’s very bad week, Vance Joseph’s fourth-down call, and a rare moment of glory for NFL butts.