Raiders Vs. Lions: Oakland Blows 13 Point Fourth Quarter Lead, Falls 28-27

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Raiders vs. Lions: Darrius Heyward-Bey's Career Game Overshadowed by Big Time Mistakes

Darrius Heyward-Bey had the best statistical game of his career on Sunday. The former first round pick finished off the game against the Detroit Lions with 8 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. What was perhaps most impressive about Heyward-Bey's performance is how many of his yards were picked up after the catch as he almost never went down on first contact and fought incredibly hard for every inch he could.

However, despite how well Heyward-Bey played against the Lions on Sunday, what will likely be remembered are the two major mistakes he made, both of which can be considered to have played a major role in the Raiders losing the game.

The first major mistake came late in the third quarter. The Raiders had just made a huge stop on fourth and one and started their drive with great field position. The Raiders had a 17-14 lead and could have really made it hard for the Lions to come back had they scored a touchdown. In fact, it looked as though that is exactly what would happen until Heyward-Bey made his first big time mistake.

After back to back productive plays that got the Raiders over the 50 yard line, Carson Palmer threw a ball to Heyward-Bey. Making one of the runs I was talking about earlier, Heyward-Bey broke a couple of tackles and fought his way down inside of the five yard line. Unfortunately, as Heyward-Bey made a final push to get closer to the end zone, a Lions player stripped the ball and the Raiders were unable to recover it. Rather than going up by two scores, the Lions were able to keep it close and maintain hope of a late game come back.

While that play happened with enough time left in the game for the Raiders to make up for it, Heyward-Bey's second big mistake came too late for him or anyone else to make up for it. After Calvin Johnson finished his monster day with a go ahead touchdown, the Raiders had under a minute to get into field goal range for the win.

With under 20 seconds left in the game, Carson Palmer found Darrius Heyward-Bey open around the 37 yard line and delivered the ball right into his hands. Unfortunately, the DHB of years past reared his ugly head and he was unable to come down with a catch that would have put the Raiders easily in Sebastian Janikowski's field goal range. Instead, the Raiders wound up having to attempt a 65 yard field goal. As a result, Janikowski had to keep the ball low to drive it and Ndamukong Suh was able to get a hand on it.

Sure, there were many other plays that, had they gone a different way, the Raiders might have won. However, there is no arguing that Heyward-Bey was responsible for two of the biggest gaffs in the loss. It is great to see Heyward-Bey getting better, but these big time mistakes really need to be stopped if he is ever going to live up to his draft status.

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Raiders Vs. Lions Recap By The Numbers: Darrius Heyward-Bey Sets Career Mark

The Oakland Raiders suffered another heartbreaker of a loss against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, holding a 27-14 lead in the fourth quarter only to watch it all fall apart in the final five minutes. The Raiders wound up taking the 28-27 defeat. There was some good news to be found in the offensive numbers, however. Let's take a look at some of the key stats.

Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer had a standout game, possibly his best since joining the team midseason. He finished the game 32-for-40 with 367 passing yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. That touchdown was a 43-yard pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey in the second quarter.

Heyward-Bey had a stellar game of his own and it's safe to say that he has fully recovered from his neck injury a few weeks ago. The receiver racked up a career high 155 yards on eight catches, averaging 19.4 yards per catch.

Running back Michael Bush led all rushers with 77 yards on 18 carries, continuing his string of solid outings.

For all news and information regarding the Raiders, please visit Silver and Black Pride.

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NFL Playoff Picture: Oakland Hurt By Loss To Detroit, Still Chasing AFC West, Wild Card

The Oakland Raiders suffered a heartbreaker of a loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 15 and remained a game off of the pace for the AFC West lead and the AFC Wild Card. The San Diego Chargers won their Sunday night game against the Baltimore Ravens and are now neck and neck with the Raiders in both chases with an identical 7-7 record.

The good news is that both of the teams that the Raiders are immediately chasing and hoping to overtake for a playoff berth both suffered losses today. The New York Jets were dominated by a Philadelphia Eagles offense that suddenly decided to wake up. Perhaps more importantly, the Denver Broncos had their improbable win streak snapped by the New England Patriots and have come hurtling back to earth.

If the Jets and Broncos could continue to struggle in the last two weeks of the season and the Raiders can manage to cobble together two more wins to wrap up 2011, they would still have a very realistic shot at making it to the postseason. Still, things are much more precarious than anyone would have dreamed at the beginning of the season, when Oakland was running away with the division.

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Oakland Raiders Blow Two TD Lead, Fall 28-27 To Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

The Oakland Raiders looked like they were about to make a decisive move to get back in the AFC playoff race. Instead they're going to be spending the rest of the season needing to win their games and hope everyone else loses theirs.

The Raiders went up 27-14 on an Aaron Curry fumble recovery for a touchdown, but decided not to go for two points to make it a true two touchdown lead. So the Detroit Lions could end up winning instead of tying with two TDs, which is eventually what ended up happening.

After a personal foul penalty by the Raiders set the Lions up on the next drive near midfield, Matthew Stafford found Brandon Pettigrew for 17 and eight yards, Calvin Johnson for 24 yards, and Titus Young for a three yard score. After the Raiders picked up two first downs and ran the clock down to the two minute warning, Shane Lechler pulled off the perfect coffin corner punt down at the one yard line.

But the Lions only needed a few short completions between Stafford and Pettigrew and Nate Burleson to get out of that quandary, and then Stafford connected with Johnson for 21 and 48 yards to put the Lions into the red zone. On 2nd and goal, Stafford found Johnson in the back of the middle of the end zone to give Detroit the one point lead.

Carson Palmer (who had a great game but ended up losing anyway) found Kevin Boss for 13 and 21 yards and T.J. Houshmandzadeh for six yards, but Ndamukong Suh blocked Sebastian Janikowski's potential game-winning 65 yard field goal as time expired.

To discuss the game with Raiders fans, go to Silver and Black Pride. To discuss the game with Lions fans, go to Pride of Detroit.

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VIDEO: Ndamukong Suh Blocks Sebastian Janikowski Game-Winning FG Attempt

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VIDEO: Calvin Johnson Game Winner For Detroit Lions Vs. Oakland Raiders

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NFL Playoff Picture: Oakland Raiders Blow Chance To Tie Denver Broncos

The Oakland Raiders were presented with a huge opportunity to get back even with the Denver Broncos in the AFC West, and instead the Raiders stumbled and fumbled away a golden opportunity. The Raiders dropped a heart-breaking 28-27 defeat in a game they led 27-14 with under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

This defeat came as the Denver Broncos were handled with relative ease by the New England Patriots. The Broncos cut the lead to 11 late in the game, but could not overcome the explosive Patriots offense in a 41-23 Patriots victory. The Broncos drop to 8-6, but they maintain their one game lead over the Raiders.

The division has gotten even crazier thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs shocking upset of the Green Bay Packers. The victory leaves their faint playoff hopes alive as they improve to 6-8. While it is unlikely, the Chiefs can still win the division if they win out, the Broncos lose out and the Chargers fit a loss in there as well. It is kind of ridiculous to consider, but given how the AFC West has played this year, nothing would really be surprising.

The Raiders also blew a golden opportunity in the wild card race. The New York Jets were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles to drop to 8-6. They are now tied with the Bengals and a game up on the Raiders and Titans. The Chargers can join that 7-7 mix if they can defeat the Ravens on Sunday Night Football.

Suffice to say, the AFC is a mess right now. The AFC West and AFC North division races remain up in the air and one of the two wildcard races is also up for grabs. Sunday Night Football between the Chargers and Ravens does not answer any questions, but in fact could simply add more.

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VIDEO: Aaron Curry Fumble TD Return And Celebration For Oakland Raiders

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Raiders Vs. Lions Score: Oakland Takes Decisive 27-14 Lead Over Detroit

The Oakland Raiders have done a good job driving the ball down the field in the second half against the Detroit Lions, but they had only three points to show for it. Oakland has four drives and put up 148 yards overall, but one drive was killed by a holding penalty, and another ended in a Darrius Heyward-Bey fumble as it looked like he was about to set up an Oakland red zone opportunity. The Raiders finally got on the board early in the fourth, after a short drive set up what amounted to a pretty automatic a Sebastian Janikowski 51 yard field goal.

The Lions still only trailed by six when they got the ball back, but they were pinned deep inside their own territory, and Matthew Stafford was pressured, flushed out, and Tommy Kelly stripped and forced a fumble that Aaron Curry ran back in for what could be a deciding score. Oakland is in good shape midway through the fourth quarter, and Detroit is in panic mode.

To discuss the game with Raiders fans, check out Silver and Black Pride. To discuss the game with Lions fans, go to Pride of Detroit.

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Raiders Vs. Lions Score Update: Carson Palmer Leads Oakland To 17-14 Halftime Lead

The Oakland Raiders haven't been able to stop the Detroit Lions. But the Lions haven't really been able to stop the Raiders either. The result has been points, points, points.

After the Raiders went up 14-7, back came the Lions. Matthew Stafford connected with Calvin Johnson for 17 and six yards, then found Nate Burleson running a post pattern for 39 yards. Burleson then slipped through bad Raiders tackles to find the end zone and tie things up.

But a minute was more than enough to get Oakland into field goal range. Carson Palmer connected with Michael Bush for 13 and ten yards and found T.J. Houshmandzaedh for six and 16 yards. That set up a pretty automatic 46 yard field goal for Sebastian Janikowski to give the Raiders the lead going into halftime.

Both the Raiders and the Lions have combined to put up 477 yards of total offense in the first half, averaging over seven yards per offensive play.  Palmer has completed an incredible 81% of his passes for 202 yards and a touchdown, Stafford has been pretty good himself, completing 60% of his passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Both teams really haven't tried to run the ball much; the Lions have been ineffective, the Raiders have been pretty solid (70 rushing yards on 11 carries).

To discuss the Raiders, head to Silver and Black Pride. To discuss the Lions, go to Pride of Detroit.

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Raiders Vs. Lions Score: Oakland In A Shootout With Detroit, Up 14-7

The Oakland Raiders and the Detroit Lions have put out the offense in this game. Both the Raiders and the Lions have proven they can drive down the field on either team, as they've put up over 200 yards of offense in the first quarter.

The Raiders actually drove the ball down the field early and had the ball just outside the red zone with a 4th and 1 at the 24, but Carson Palmer overthrew his man (who was streaking past his defender on his way to the end zone). The Raiders did come back on the next drive though, using a Marcel Reece 26 yard rush and an 18 yard completion (in addition to two horse collar 15 yard penalties by the Lions) to set up a Louis Murphy touchdown.

Bad coverage by the Raiders defense led to a Calvin Johnson 51 yard touchdown, allowing the Lions to tie things up with the Raiders near the end of the first quarter.

However, Carson Palmer came right back with two connections to Darrius Heyward-Bey to put Oakland up 14-7 in the second quarter.

Don't expect this to be the end of the scoring in the Coliseum.

To discuss this game with fans of either team, head to either Silver and Black Pride (Raiders) or Pride of Detroit (Lions).

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NFL Playoff Picture: Colts Shocker Over Titans Helps Oakland Raiders

The NFL playoff picture is starting to clear up in Week 15, but there is still a sufficient amount of crazy action to keep teams on their toes. The Oakland Raiders host the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon looking to improve their playoff chances, but they received some help Sunday morning.

In a stunning victory, the Indianapolis Colts finally got their first win of the season. The Colts surprised the league by knocking off the Tennessee Titans 27-13 in Indianapolis. The win gets the Colts their first victory, but more importantly for the Oakland Raiders, the Titans take a big hit in the wildcard race.

The Raiders and Titans were both 7-6 entering Sunday and a game back of the New York Jets for the wildcard. The Raiders are looking to win the AFC West, but the wildcard is also a possibility. The Raiders need to defeat the Lions Sunday afternoon, but potentially removing Tennessee from the equation is a step in the right direction.

The AFC West picture got at least a little more interesting as the Kansas City Chiefs shocked the Green Bay Packers to improve to 6-8. In taking Green Bay's zero, the Chiefs incredibly faint playoff hopes remain alive for now. They are eliminated from AFC West contention with a Broncos win. They were already eliminated from wildcard contention due to their head-to-head loss to the 8-5 New York Jets.

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Raiders Vs. Lions: Time, TV Schedule, Radio, Odds And More

The Oakland Raiders are preparing to host the Detroit Lions on Sunday in Week 15 action. The Raiders have lost two games in a row and are anxious to get back on the winning track if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive. They'll be facing a challenge in a solid Detroit team, however. The two teams are extremely evenly matched on paper.

All of your pertinent information for following Sunday's game is right here:

Time: Kickoff is scheduled for 1:05 PM PST at O.co Coliseum.

TV: The game will be televised on FOX (KTVU FOX 2). Your commentators will be Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick.

Radio: The radio broadcast will be on KITS 105.3 (LIVE 105), or on Sirius 92.

Betting Line: This game is probably as close as it gets for the oddsmakers this week. The point spread is even on some betting sites, while other sites are favoring the Lions at between 1 and 1.5 points, according to our friends over at OddsShark.

For all news and information regarding Oakland football, head on over to Silver and Black Pride.  For more info on the Lions, check out Pride of Detroit.

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Denarius Moore Injury Update: Oakland Raiders Receiver Will Start Sunday, Unlikely To Return Punts

Oakland Raiders receiver Denarius Moore is ready to rejoin the team for the first time in four weeks following a strong week of practices with encouraging results. According to Vittorio Tafur of SFGate, Moore is feeling good and looking forward to rejoining the team.

The rookie's return should provide a much-needed boost to Oakland's offense, which has been struggling as of late. Still, Oakland's coaches are trying to make Moore's return as smooth as possible following his foot injury. They'll be easing Moore back into full-time action and responsibilities. As such, Moore is not expected to be making any punt returns on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. The movement on the returns is much more lateral and unexpected than typical routes, so the Raiders will be staying away from any activities that could unnecessarily aggravate the injury.

Bryan McCann is expected to act as Oakland's punt returner on Sunday.

For all news and information regarding the Oakland Raiders, please visit Silver and Black Pride.

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NFL Playoff Picture: Raiders Chasing Broncos And Jets For Postseason Berth

The Oakland Raiders are preparing to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday for their Week 15 matchup, but you can be certain that the team is very aware they are involved in a heated battle for a postseason berth.

You can see the full playoff picture over at ESPN, but the surest route to the playoffs for Oakland remains the same: overtake the surging Denver Broncos in order to capture the AFC West and the automatic berth that comes with division title. The first half of the season made it seem as though the AFC West would be Oakland's for the taking, but the reality of the 2011 NFL season has been much starker.

Should the Raiders be unable to gain ground on the Broncos, however, they would be trying to finish the season with a better record than the New york Jets (currently 8-5), the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals. The latter two teams have the same 7-6 record as the Raiders, but hold tiebreaker advantages over Oakland due to win percentage in conference games.

The Raiders will of course help their own cause immensely by winning the final three games of their season. They face tough competition in the Lions this week and the Chargers in Week 17, but defeating those two teams and the Kansas City Chiefs next week is well within the capability of the Raiders. In the meantime they -- and Raider Nation -- will be hoping for losses from the Broncos, Jets, Bengals and Titans. The playoff picture is far from hopeless at the moment, but the Raiders will need to keep winning in order to keep all hope from slipping away.

For all news and information regarding the Oakland Raiders, please visit Silver and Black Pride.

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Raiders Vs. Lions: Chris Johnson Out Due To Family Shooting

The Oakland Raiders are preparing to host the Detroit Lions on Sunday at O.co Coliseum, but they will be playing the game without cornerback Chris Johnson, according to FOX Sports.

Johnson was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list on Saturday in relation to the December 5 Fort Worth, TX shooting involving Johnson's mother and sister. Johnson, who had been with his family in the Fort Worth area since December 7, returned to the team this week, but did not attend practices.

The Forth Worth shooting left Johnson's sister, 33-year-old Jennifer Johnson, dead and wounded his mother Delia, who is expected to survive. Eugene Esters, the father of Jennifer's 2-year-old child, is charged with murder and attempted murder in the case.

Chris Johnson has been battling injuries all season apart from the personal tragedy, only starting four games prior to the shooting.

For all news and information regarding the Oakland Raiders, please visit Silver and Black Pride.

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Raiders Vs Lions Injury Report: Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford Out; Denarius Moore Questionable

The Raiders will hope to get a little offensive help back this weekend and have listed WR Denarius Moore and RB Taiwan Jones as questionable. Moore, a player that had good chemistry with QB Carson Palmer before getting hurt, was limited in practice, but Jones did not participate on Friday. 

Unfortunately for Oakland, they'll still be without Jacoby Ford and Darren McFadden, as they've both been officially declared out. Here are the final Friday injury reports for both teams as we head into the weekend. 

RAIDERS:

OUT - QB Jason Campbell (collarbone), WR Jacoby Ford (foot), CB Chris Johnson (not injury related), RB Darren McFadden (foot)

QUESTIONABLE - DT John Henderson (knee), S Michael Huff (hamstring), RB Taiwan Jones (hamstring), WR Denarius Moore (foot)

PROBABLE - WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (heel), DT Tommy Kelly (toe), DE Jarvis Moss (shoulder), WR Louis Murphy (hip), C Samson Satele (shoulder), WR Chaz Schilens (foot)

LIONS:

DOUBTFUL - CB Aaron Berry (shoulder), DE Lawrence Jackson (thigh)

QUESTIONABLE - S Louis Delmas (knee), CB Justin Durant (hamstring), DT Nick Fairley (foot), RB Kevin Smith (ankle), CB Eric Wright (hamstring)

PROBABLE - CB Chris Houston (knee), G Rob Sims (shoulder), S Amari Spievey (knee), DE Willie Young (ankle)

For more on the Raiders, check out Silver and Black Pride. 

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Radiers Vs. Lions, Injury Report: No Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford at Friday Practice, Likely Out This Sunday

It was looking like this was going to the be the case all week long, but 95.7 The Game's Raider's insider John Dickinson tweeted earlier on Friday that neither running back Darren McFadden nor wide receiver/kick returner Jacoby Ford were taking part in Raiders practice on Friday, signaling the likely fact that they won't be suiting up against the Detroit Lions this Sunday. 

Per John Dickinson on Twitter:

No Darren McFadden or Jacoby Ford at #Raiders practice. They will likely be ruled OUT for Sunday @957thegame

— John Dickinson (@JDJohnDickinson) December 16, 2011

McFadden was absent at team practices all week, while Ford was seen doing some work with trainers and some light cardio during the week, but never took part of team practices. Both being out isn't exactly a surprise, but having them against a dangerous Detroit squad would have gave the Silver and Black two more explosive playmakers on their push towards the playoffs. 

For more on the Raiders, check out Silver and Black Pride. 

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Raiders vs. Lions: Key to a Raiders Vicotry Could be Tied to Suh Laces

After missing two games, Detroit Lions star defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh will be back in time to face the Oakland Raiders this weekend. Fortunately for the Raiders, news of how to stop the massive talent has leaked just in time for the Raiders to implement it into their game plan. Stopping the defensive wonder is easier than one might think. Just untie his shoe laces.

A report surfaced this week that the offensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers instructed one of his offensive lineman to untie Donkey Kong Suh's laces every time they wound up in a pile after a play. Normally, such playground antics would not be able to throw a professional athlete off of his game. That being said, professional athletes are not normally as prone to child like tantrums as Donkey Kong Suh is.

After stomping on Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith in their Thanksgiving night game, Suh can be seen talking to coaches on the sideline and lifting his leg as he explains something. It was previously assumed that he was explaining the stomp, however, perhaps he was telling on Dietrich-Smith for untying his shoes.

While this story is a ton of fun and really entertaining to think about, there is actually something serious that the Raiders should take from it. Suh has the temper of, well, Donkey Kong. It does not appear to take much to get him to make a poor decision. If the Raiders can get into Suh's head on Sunday, they might be able to get him to help the Raider cause with unnecessary penalties.

So remember Raiders, go for the Suh Laces.  

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Oakland Raiders Fighting For Playoffs In Final Weeks, Have No Room For Error

The Oakland Raiders have struggled in recent weeks as a result of countless injuries and a tough schedule. With just three weeks left in the regular season, the time is now for the Raiders to make their move. Mistakes cannot be made, and if they are, it's tough to see the team reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

According to this report from Kate Longworth of CSNBayArea, Oakland is taking a 'backs to the wall' mentality at practice as they prepare for the Detroit Lions.

Recognizing that the season is slipping away from them, head coach Hue Jackson said there's sense of urgency on the practice field this week. And the players agreed.

"We're professionals. We're smart guys, we know what's going on," offensive lineman Khalif Barnes said. "We had a good week of practice. Guys were flying around. You could feel the intensity. I understand what he (Jackson) is talking about, it was a better week this week than the past."

The remanning stretch of schedule is not easy -- vs. Detroit, @ Kansas City, vs. San Diego -- but the Raiders still have a chance assuming they're able to play with a sense of urgency in the next three weeks. 

"Our guys are doing a really good job of communicating right now, " coach Jackson said. "Guys understand that if things don't come out the way you want, you have to make adjustments and take the next step."

It's now or never for Oakland. Will they play like their backs are against the wall, or will they fall apart and have to build for 2012?

For more on the team, head on over to Silver and Black Pride.

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Raiders Vs. Lions Injury Update: Darren McFadden Doubtful, Kevin Smith Questionable

The Oakland Raiders and the Detroit Lions have been stumbling to the finish line. Both of them have suffered from the same issue--lack of a strong running game. Both Darren McFadden and Kevin Smith have been the mainstay backs for both teams, but they can't seem to stay on the field for an extended period of time.

McFadden has been out forever, so it's no surprise that his foot injury seems to prevent him from returning to action. Smith has similar issues, but it appears that he's been able to play through it and will continue to try and play through it. Smith was able to move from not participating in practice to at least being able to perform in a limited fashion, so it might give the Lions a much-needed boost in their offensive balance.

More injuries are below.

Detroit Lions

• Not able to practice: CB Aaron Berry (shoulder), S Louis Delmas (knee), CB Justin Durant (hamstring), DT Nick Fairley (foot), DE Lawrence Jackson (thigh), CB Eric Wright (hamstring)
• Limited practice participants: CB Chris Houston (knee), RB Kevin Smith (ankle), S Amari Spievey (knee), DE Willie Young (ankle)
• Full practice participants: G Rob Sims (shoulder)

Oakland Raiders

• Not able to practice: QB Jason Campbell (collarbone), WR Jacoby Ford (foot), DT John Henderson (knee), S Michael Huff (hamstring), CB Chris Johnson (not injury related), RB Taiwan Jones (hamstring), RB Darren McFadden (foot)
  
• Limited practice participants: DT Tommy Kelly (toe), WR Denarius Moore (foot), DE Jarvis Moss (shoulder), WR Louis Murphy (hip), C Samson Satele (shoulder), WR Chaz Schilens (foot)
  
• Full practice participants: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (heel)

For more on McFadden and the Raiders, head on over to Silver and Black Pride.  For more on Smith and the Lions, check out Pride of Detroit.

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Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford Injury Update: Moore Back To Work, Ford Still In Progress

As the Oakland Raiders look to get some of their star playmakers back on the field for their matchup this week with the Detroit Lions, wide receiver Denarius Moore is working his way back into game shape, while receiver/kick returner Jacoby Ford is still a work in progress with his sore foot.

Moore took part in practice Wednesday and Thursday on a limited basis. Quarterback Carson Palmer said that he 'looked good' in his limited reps with him Thursday, but as Raiders insider Steve Corkran reports, he should be suiting up this Sunday:

Per Steve Corkran on Twitter:

No issues for Denarius Moore, either. He looks more and more likely to play Sunday after missing past three games.

— Steve Corkran (@CorkOnTheNFL) December 15, 2011

As for spark plug Jacoby Ford, he still isn't practicing with the team, though he did a bit of light running on the sideline, which is at least something, I guess. Corkran isn't very optimistic about his return:

Jacoby Ford out of practice for another day. He also isn't on an adjacent fid working with a team trainer. Doesn't bode well for Sunday.

— Steve Corkran (@CorkOnTheNFL) December 15, 2011

With Ford, Moore, Darren McFadden, and Chaz Schillens all suffering foot injuries, head coach Hue Jackson can't do much but scratch his head about it: 

"I've never seen anything like it, Never seen so many of the same type of injury and it being a foot. So you go through it all. You go through the weight room, you go through in the medical department, you go through everything, trying to figure out why it's like this. I think our medical staff is working their tails off and I know our players are. But sometimes it just doesn't happen as fast as we want. And we need them. But we just don't have them right now."

Spike Lee would also ask in his commercials with Michael Jordan, What about the shoes? So what of them Hue?

"No, trust me," Jackson said. "We've done the shoe thing, orthodics, nIce shoes, bad shoes, we do it all trying to figure it out and there's no pattern."

It is a bit of a quandary for the Silver and Black, but as long as the get some more W's, everything will be all good. 

For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride and show off your fanhood. 

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Darren McFadden Injury Update: Earliest Return Now Would Be Jan. 1

With only weeks left on the regular schedule, many folks wonder if Darren McFadden will be returning at all for the Oakland Raiders this season. His foot sprain that has haunted him for seven plus weeks now is still in progress, and now according to the Conta Costa Times, the earliest he could return is the January 1 finale against the San Diego Chargers.

Head coach Hue Jackson said with the week-to-week nature of Run DMC's injury and the hamstring injury of Taiwan Jones he would have considered bringing in another running back other that Michael Bush and veteran special teamer Rock Cartwright.  That time is passed now, and Jackson must deal with what he now has. 

Bush has been admirable in McFadden's absence, but not many in the league can replace a guy the caliber of McFadden. Hopefully the Raiders can get some wins leading up to the final week, and have a healthy McFadden for a potential playoff berth. 

For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride.  

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Week 15 NFL Picks & Predictions: Raiders, Chargers Face Do Or Die In AFC West

This week finds the AFC West firmly in the hands of the Denver Broncos, but three of the teams in the division face what may be the three best teams in the NFL: Green Bay, Baltimore, and New England. The Raiders actually have the easiest game on Sunday, hosting Detroit in the return game for Ndamukong Suh. It would not at all be a surprise if every team in the division lost this week. Let's take the games one by one:

Green Bay @ Kansas City: The Packers are coming off a game in which they dismantled and embarrassed the Raiders and made it look easy. The Chiefs are coming off a game in which they played so horribly and were losing so badly, the TV network that I was watching the game on switched to Patriots-Redskins in the MIDDLE OF THE THIRD QUARTER. Kansas City doesn't know who will start for them at quarterback. I think we can all sense where this is going. This game is the NFL's equivalent of LSU vs. Middle Tennessee State. I predict Packers by thirty-six.

Detroit @ Oakland: This game is fairly hard to peg. Whichever team loses this game will find themselves way out of playoff contention with an extremely difficult road back with only two games left on the schedule after this. The Lions dropped a couple in a row to the Packers and Saints (something most teams would do) and then barely held on against Minnesota last week when Christian Ponder played horribly and Adrian Peterson was unavailable. Which Lions team is going to show up? The team that blew out Denver 45-10 or the team that lost to the Bears 37-13?

Furthermore, which Raider team will show up? The one that played without any passion or motivation the last two weeks or the one that amassed three straight wins prior to that? The Raiders look utterly toothless on offense without Jacoby Ford or Denarius Moore. Their absence has led to Carson Palmer forcing passes and having them picked off. Darren McFadden is a lost cause and with his Lisfranc injury may be gone indefinitely. Moore may be back this week but Ford will not. Detroit has some injuries to their secondary and to just about all their running backs. The most important injury may be to Oakland safety Michael Huff, which will make it more difficult to contain Calvin Johnson, as if he needed any help. Detroit wins by six.

New England @ Denver: No matter what the Sunday or Monday night games will be, make no mistake- this is the marquee game of the week. Tom Brady and the red-hot Patriots go into Mile High to face the force of nature known as Tim Tebow. Last week we saw what Tim Tebow can do against a great defense like the Bears. Now we see what the Denver defense can do against a great offense. The last great offense faced by Denver was Detroit's and they lost that game 45-10. Tim Tebow played poorly in that game but hasn't played poorly since and Denver's defense is looking much improved as well. If Tim Tebow can somehow win this game, he will be utterly deified by the media- even more so than he is now. He will reach heights heretofore reserved for such luminaries as Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Albert Pujols (at least until the next time Tebow loses a game).

However, that result is a longshot. The Redskins have a reasonably good defense and New England shredded them. The New England defense was and is atrocious, but they are great at forcing turnovers and limiting points scored upon them despite giving up ridiculous amounts of yardage. Bill Belichick will not fall into the trap of playing conservatively against the Broncos, as that path leads only to defeat. In order to beat the Broncos and Tim Tebow, one must attack constantly and never settle. If the game is close in the fourth quarter, the Broncos will win where the Redskins fell on their faces. The Patriots' best shot in this game is to put the game out of reach early, preferably before halftime. I think they will. Patriots by eleven.

Baltimore @ San Diego: Baltimore comes into this game having won four straight. San Diego comes in hot as well, having blown out Buffalo last week. San Diego needs to win this game to keep its narrowest of playoff hopes alive. However, Ray Lewis will likely return for this game. I don't think Philip Rivers will be able to have much success against Baltimore and the Chargers' running game isn't much of a threat. Joe Flacco is playing exceptionally well of late, and Ray Rice is fantastic as usual. Norv Turner is probably a lame duck coach for this game, and may soon be joining Todd Haley and Tony Sparano in the unemployment line. Ravens by twelve.

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Raiders vs. Lions Odds: Line Shifts In Detroit's Favor With Ndamukong Suh Returning

At the beginning of the week the betting line between the Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions had the Lions as a one point favorite heading into the weekend, but has already jumped to 1.5, a strong indicator that people are putting their money on Detroit so far this week. 

With all of the injury questions and two straight weeks of abysmal play on both sides of the ball, it's easy to see why many feel less than optimistic about the Raiders chances this week. Even though they may have been playing poorly, they now know their backs are against the wall if they want to make the playoffs, so hopefully they can ring out some competitive juices this weekend at the Coliseum. 

Another factor is the return of the Lions dominate defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who comes back after serving his suspension for stomping on Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith during their  loss to the Pack on Thanksgiving Day. Suh will be hungry for some Carson Palmer for sure, as will all of the Lions defense undoubtedly, but with Suh out there they definitely seem much scarier, if not actually being scarier.

Both these teams have their playoff hopes dangling by a thread and will likely be a tightly contested match. Bet wisely on this one, as even with Suh in the lineup the Lions can definitely be taken out by the Silver and Black. 

For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride. 

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Raiders Vs. Lions, Injury Report: Denarius Moore Limited in Wednesday Practice, Jacoby Ford, Darren McFadden Still Out

As the Oakland Raiders prepare for one of their stiffest tests of the season against the Detroit Lions this Sunday, there were positive signs that one of their playmakers may finally be on the mend as wide receiver Denarius Moore was limited in practice Wednesday, hopefully signaling a return this week. 

Moore was seen running routes and catching passes during practice, who's foot sprain has sidelined him which for the last three games. As for Jacoby Ford, he was seen working with trainers at the team's headquarters, but did not participate in practice. 

As for the rest of the squad, QB Jason Campbell (collarbone), WR Jacoby Ford (foot), DT John Henderson (knee), S Michael Huff (ankle), CB Chris Johnson (not injury related), RB Taiwan Jones (hamstring), RB Darren McFadden (foot) all did not participate in practice though DT Tommy Kelly (toe), DE Jarvis Moss (shoulder), C Samson Satele (shoulder), WR Chaz Schilens (foot) were limited on Wednesday.

The Lions left a number of players out of Wednesday's practice as well, including CB Aaron Berry (shoulder), S Louis Delmas (knee), CB Justin Durant (hamstring), DE Lawrence Jackson (thigh), RB Kevin Smith (ankle), DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (not injury related), and CB Eric Wright (hamstring). DT Nick Fairley (foot), CB Chris Houston (knee), S Amari Spievey (knee), and DE Willie Young (ankle) were all limited in practice. 

For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride. 

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Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore Injury Update: Both See Limited Action In Wednesday Practice

As The Oakland Raiders look to sneak their way into the playoffs this season they must have their playmakers healthy and back an the field first. Two of those aforementioned playmakers, Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore, took part in Wednesday practice at team headquarters, though each is still not back to full strength.

According to Steve Corkran on Twitter, Denarius Moore is doing some light receiver work, getting his timing and route running back into form:

Denarius Moore running short routes, catching passes.

— Steve Corkran (@CorkOnTheNFL) December 14, 2011

While Jacoby Ford is getting in some work with team trainers:

Jacoby Ford jogs back out to the far field, where he and Taiwan Jones will work with a team trainer.

— Steve Corkran (@CorkOnTheNFL) December 14, 2011

Although you can only infer so much from these tweets, it would seem logical that Moore is the more likely candidate to return this week than Ford seeing as he is back to doing actual football activities while Ford is still doing work with trainers. There's a lot of week left before their next game, hopefully enough time to get both of them back and healthy. 

For more on the Raiders, head over to Silver and Black Pride. 

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Darren McFadden Injury Update: Oakland Raiders RB Not Practicing On Wednesday

The Oakland Raiders are looking at another week without running back Darren McFadden as he is sitting out Wednesday's Week 15 practice. McFadden has now been out 52 days with his midfoot sprain and there is nothing to indicate he is going to be back anytime soon. Hue Jackson has insisted surgery is not required but he also has given no real timetable as to his return.

At this point, it would seem that McFadden is a slim chance to return by Week 16. Beyond that, we could see he'll probably be back by week 17, but given how this has played out, it would not surprise me at all if we did not see McFadden back on the field this season, even if the Raiders make the playoffs. The more time he gets the better, but one has to wonder if this is more like the Matt Schaub Lisfranc injury than previously disclosed. In reality we can only speculate at this point.

For more on Darren McFadden and the Raiders, check out Silver & Black Pride.

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Raiders Vs. Lions Odds: Lines Virtually Even

The Oakland Raiders are coming off a demoralizing loss in which they were dominated by the Green Bay Packers, and next they're playing host to another tough NFC North team, the Detroit Lions. Oakland has been bit by the injury bug lately, and it's definitely cost them - though it's unlikely they would have beat the Packers anyway - their playoff positioning. Detroit is also battling for playoff position, currently slotted as the final seed in the NFC, and will not be a pushover, especially with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh back in the lineup.

Odds Shark has posted some odds for the game, and the teams come out as even in the spread. Detroit is favored online slightly in some cases, and when it comes to point favorites, they're never more than one-and-a-half point favorites, with Top Bet and Bet Online having them as just one-point favorites.

Maybe that's because Oakland is looking like they might be getting a little bit closer to being healthy. Or maybe it's because the Lions are just penalized so much. The site cautions against picking the Lions on the over due to Oakland likely playing tough coming off a humiliating loss. It's probably good advice.

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Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore Injury Update: Raiders Receivers Work Out With Trainer Monday

The Oakland Raiders had two of their biggest weapons get workouts in on Monday in hopes of getting them ready for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore have missed time with sprains and are still looking to return to practice this week.

Ford has been dealing with a sprained foot that has sidelined him for a month now, while Denarius Moore has been out for three weeks with a sprained ankle. The Raiders offense has missed them a tremendous amount in recent weeks. They face a Lions offense this Sunday that can be as explosive as most in the league, so once again the Raiders will need all hands on deck.

The Raiders find themselves a game back of the Denver Broncos in the AFC West and a game back of the New York Jets in the wildcard race. Their offense has been in a position to do just enough at times, but the last couple weeks the injuries have caught up with Oakland. If they can at least get Ford and Moore back, this offense gains a whole new dynamic.

For more on the Raiders and their troubling injuries, head over to Silver & Black Pride.