Raiders' good, bad, ugly

Derek Carr has taken a lot of heat during his time with the Raiders and had to listen to a lot of criticisms from fans and the media following the team’s back-to-back losses.

Raiders, Irving discuss deal

Credit Raiders general manager Mike Mayock for staying busy even as the regular season has moved along. With his team having trouble generating much of a pass rush through the first month of the season, Mayock wants to put Las Vegas in position for an upgrade.

No masking this issue

League, Raiders continue to evolve amid pandemic

Learning on the job

Littleton still adjusting to change of position

Guenther defending more than field

Criticism of DC mounting as unit’s struggles continue

Early bye offers opportunity to heal

As a general rule of thumb Jon Gruden isn’t a big fan of the bye week. That it came for the Raiders this season right after their emphatic win over the defending Super Bowl champs only enhanced the head coach’s distaste for the annual in-season break given to the NFL’s 32 teams.

‘We keep fighting and that is a great ingredient'

The Raiders reached their bye week feeling pretty good about their 3-2 record. A win over the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs provided much of that optimism, but as head coach Jon Gruden was quick to point out, there is still plenty of room for improvement before Las Vegas can truly be considered a contender in the AFC. Then again, the win in Arrowhead might just be the key to getting the team on a more consistent path. Gruden talked about the victory over Kansas City and some of the Raiders plans for the bye week, along with other topics, during his daily meetings with reporters.

RUNAWAY RUGGS

Rookie receiver doing damage downfield

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Head coach Vic Fangio has been under fire for many reasons, but he got a little breather following Denver’s win in New England. Fangio’s defense sacked Patriots quarterback Cam Newton four times and forced three turnovers, helping offset an average day from the Broncos offense. That left Denver at 2-3, still on the outside looking in, in the AFC West, but in much better shape than had the Broncos lost and dropped to 1-4. …

Abram oozing confidence

As fierce a tackler as Johnathan Abram has proven to be, the Raiders want their second-year safety to be wise about when and how he takes his shots.

WR Williams out for season

Tyrell Williams won’t be playing for the Raiders this season and might not suit up in silver and black again.

‘We're confident in these young people'

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden kept busy in the days before the team officially opened Allegiant Stadium on Monday Night Football, overseeing practices and trying to correct mistakes that Las Vegas had made in its season-opening win in Carolina. Additionally, Gruden met with reporters via Zoom calls throughout the week, offering updates on players and addressing various other topics. Here’s a little bit of what Gruden had to say.

‘We've gotten faster and a little bit more dynamic'

QUESTION SESSION WITH GM MIKE MAYOCK

Ruggs, Edwards form 1-2 punch

Rookie wide receivers ready for starting roles

Raiders' good, bad and ugly

THE GOOD

Raiders rock Vegas debut

First Down

Kwiatkoski sidelined

Raiders shuffle LB corps in attempt to fill void

Jacobs earns ‘passing' grade

Josh Jacobs was a dynamic running back during his first year in the NFL and would have easily been the choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors had it not been for Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray.

Gone wrong on the right

RTs Brown, Young injured in Week 1; Good steps up

Abram makes presence felt

Johnathan Abram announced his return to the Raiders secondary in a big way during Week 1, sailing in like a missile to make a tackle on one play then slamming into Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey for a 1-yard loss on another.

‘We have the best facility I have ever seen in my life'

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden had his hands full as the team went through its first training camp in Las Vegas. Because of the pandemic, it has been unlike any other training camp Gruden has been a part of and it’s forced the entire coaching staff to be creative and innovative in how they approach things. Gruden talked about some of that and various other topics when he met with reporters throughout the early part of camp.

Raiders continue to reshape roster

The Raiders made a series of roster moves early in training camp, most notably the decision to part ways with talented-but-often-injured linebacker Marquel Lee.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

“It’s the No. 1 area that I want to see Derek Carr become what he was, what, three years ago when he was trending really well.

No more excuses for Carr, offense

For so many reasons, the spotlight is shining brighter on Derek Carr than it ever has before.

Ferrell blocking out noise

Clelin Ferrell proved to be a stand-up player throughout his rookie season, even as a multitude of critics quickly tried to bury him as a first-round bust. He wasn’t, of course. Not even close. But, with a tip of the cap to Chappelle’s Show, haters gonna hate.

NEW MIDDLE MAN

Prized free agent Littleton set to anchor defense

It's not about proving anybody wrong; it's about the Super Bowl

There has been a lot written, said and talked about when it comes to Derek Carr ever since he entered the NFL in 2014. Good, bad, or otherwise. And while Carr has mostly danced around conversations pertaining to himself, particularly any sort of criticism, he was pretty open when speaking with reporters early in training camp. He talked about dealing with the pandemic, the benefits of a third consecutive season in the same offense, teaming with Marcus Mariota and a variety of other topics. Here are excerpts from that conversation. Call it Carr in his own words.

INSIDE JOB

Collins emerging as leader on interior defensive line

CAMP BUZZ

CAMP BUZZ

AFC WEST ROUNDUP

AFC WEST ROUNDUP