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By Gregory Houk
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December 24, 2019
ALAMEDA – Josh Jacobs could face the Denver Broncos on Sunday,
Raiders coach Jon Gruden said Monday. Trayvon Mullen also, even after the
terrifying sequence of the rookie corner that went on a stretcher in a 24-17
victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The same goes for the slot
machine Lamarcus Joyner, who left the Chargers game with a calf injury. Left
guard Richie Incognito, who missed the game because of an ankle injury, is
questionable and potentially available.
None of these things is a
certainty, but it was a rather encouraging initial report from Gruden at his
weekly press conference while the Raiders visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday in
a game that could have postseason ramifications.
Most likely, the Raiders enter
the game thinking they have a chance. Without entering each permutation, there
is a way they would not, but all that would be needed is for New England (12-3)
to beat Miami (3-12) for the Raiders' hopes of being alive despite a record of
7-8.
Then, three things must happen
to give the Raiders the No. 6 seed with a record of 8-8: Houston (10-5) beating
Tennessee (8-8), Baltimore (13-2) beating Pittsburgh (8 -7) and Indianapolis
(7-8) beating Jacksonville (5-10). Those games will be held simultaneously with
the Raiders-Broncos game at 1:25 p.m. (PST)
However, Gruden does not plan
to base decisions on who plays and who is not based on the possibility of
reaching the postseason.
"We are going to play with
the best players we have available and we will try to win the game,"
Gruden said, "We don't have enough bodies to rest the players." We
will try to win the game despite the circumstances. "
Jacobs retired from the
Chargers game after a shoulder injury (he says he is fractured) worsened after
playing against Jacksonville. He has lost two of the last three games. DeAndre
Washington (23 carries, 85 yards) stepped forward in his absence, as did Jalen
Richard, who had five carries for 11 yards, but also a 10-yard catch in the
fourth and 2 after returning from an injury in the ankle at the beginning of
the game.
Mullen, who was injured in a
collision with teammate Curtis Riley, went on a cervical table and was tied,
similar to former Raider Gareon Conley in Week 1 against the Broncos. Conley
played next week. Mullen could too.
"I received very good news about Trayvon Mullen,"
Gruden said. "There is a possibility that I can play this week."
Denzelle Good replaced
Incognito, who was at the facility last week, occasionally wearing a protective
boot but always under his own power and without a serious limp.
Gruden promises to wear
blinders on the last Sunday of the regular season with respect to other
results.
"You cannot control what
is happening. We have many young players playing," Gruden said.
"We've been saying that from the beginning… If we can get help, it will be
great. It would be great."
Vacations week
There was no practice or access
to the media with the players, their schedule changed during the Christmas
week. The Raiders will have their initial tour on Tuesday, which is usually a
day off. Players will be excused on Christmas Day, then resume practice on
Thursdays and Fridays.
Raiders linebacker Will Compton
(51) knocks down the Chargers Hunter Henry.
THE GREAT DAY OF
COMPTON
In his second game as a full-time linebacker instead of Tahir
Whitehead, Will Compton had 12 tackles, seven more than any other, and left an
even greater impression with Gruden with his presence on the field.
"I went out to the field to see one of our players and he took my
case for not smiling, not having a good time," Gruden said. "He's a
weird guy, man. He loves football. That's why he fits in here. But he really
made some plays and hit a position where we really needed him."
Since joining the Raiders on October 30, Compton played a part-time
role in six games before becoming a defensive caller and playing every hit
against Jacksonville. He played all 61 snapshots against the Chargers.
WASHINGTON GOES UP
With 23 carries of 85 yards,
his highest career, Washington intervened without problems for Jacobs and has
become so reliable in terms of assignments that he played in front for a
kickback team in a hurry.
"We went out to start the
last quarter, we didn't have enough players for the return kickoff team, so we
threw it forward," Gruden said. "He just knows football, and that is
the kind of players that allow us, I think, to win a game like we did
yesterday, because at a difficult time, we can ask him to do several things
well and he did it."
The carries reached the record
of his career – Washington later said he was ready for more – and the yard was
second after the 99 yards in 12 carries he had on Christmas Eve against the
Indianapolis Colts.
"He was injured last year
on the training ground, so we never met him as close as we did this
summer," Gruden said. "When you're near him, you see a guy who is
really professional. He knows how to block, he knows exactly what to do and he
can do it inside and out. He doesn't make mistakes. He can run a variety of
routes. He feels comfortable. in a backless formation, he feels comfortable
behind the fullback and can run from a displaced position on the shotgun.
"
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr
had 26 of 30 passes against the Chargers.
CARR EVALUATION
Quarterback Derek Carr
completed 86.7 percent of his passes (26 of 30) against the Chargers, his third
time over 80 percent this season. He is currently completing 71.1 percent of
his passes (332 to 467), but has fed on unsubstantiated stories that indicate
that Gruden might be looking to replace him or put him into competition with a
rookie when the club moves to Las Vegas.
Gruden said moving parts around
Carr this season have not made it more difficult in terms of evaluating his
game in the future.
"It's not difficult. We
spend a lot of time together," Gruden said. "He has done many good
things. I know there are many remote reports out there. But Derek has done a
great job. He has done a great job for us. "
SHARPE BACK TO THE RIGHT TACKLE
David Sharpe is back as the
starting right tackle after replacing Brandon Parker in the second quarter
against the Chargers.
Sharpe started against Green
Bay on October 20 instead of Trent Brown, who had an ankle injury, and played a
lot against Detroit. When Brown was injured again, however, Sharpe was
suffering a calf injury and Parker was approved to replace Brown after a
pectoral injury that ended the season. Parker started against Tennessee and
Jacksonville.
"We asked him to be a
tight end when he entered the game to give us a different look in the game of
play and action passes and in the running game," Gruden said. "He is
not a great road runner yet. Brandon Parker had problems, we made a change and
now the ball is in Sharpe's corner. We plan to start Sharpe. He deserves
it."
Gruden was joking about the
route, by the way. Sharpe is 6 feet 5 and 330 pounds.
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