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Raiders season ends in Wild Card game at Houston

Published

10 years ago

January 7, 2017

written by intern Jeff Weisinger edited by Malaika Bobino

An unforgettable season came to an abrupt end in Houston today. The Oakland Raiders 27-14 loss to the Texans in the AFC Wild Card game was probably the worst road loss of the year.

The Raiders returned to the playoffs for the first time since the team’s Super Bowl run in 2002 that was marred by injuries. Along with Derek Carr staying home with a broken fibula, Pro Bowl left tackle Donald Penn was sidelined for the first time in his career with a knee injury and safety Nate Allen was out in concussion protocol.

“It didn’t help. Certainly didn’t help,” Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said of Oakland’s injury issues. “The way all competitors look at it is we’re going to do what we can with who we have and expect to succeed.”

However, when the next man was called to step up, the Raiders simply fell flat. The offense couldn’t get going and the defense couldn’t make stops. Everything that had worked during the season was the complete opposite of “inspired football.”

The task seemed to tall for third-string rookie quarterback Connor Cook, who became the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to make his first start in the playoffs. Cook finished the day completing just 18-of-45 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions.

He had next to no help from the rest of his offense as he was sacked three times while Oakland receivers dropped several passes that would’ve kept drives alive and give the Raiders a chance at an upset.

“It was his first start – on the road, in a playoff game, against the No. 1 ranked defense,” said Del Rio. “It was a tough draw for him. We had hopes that we’d be able to do enough around him that he wouldn’t be called on to do so much. I think we ended up throwing it 45 or more times in the game. That’s not the design. I can assure you that.

“It got out of whack there. Once you’re behind like that, you’re playing catch up and you’re not able to get some of the things you want to get done.”

Oakland couldn’t convert on third down, going just 2-for-16 on third downs in the game and totaled just over 200 yards (203) for the second straight game without Carr. They spent all game playing from behind without any legitimate answers against the Texans.

Cook said that the issues on third down were the Raiders “just not executing.”
“I was confident in the game plan,” he continued. “I was confident in the guys around me and that I could rely on them and I think sometimes I just tried to do a little bit too much out there at times.”

Cook faced intense pressure from the top-ranked Texans defense and the offensive line had no answers on dealing with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and linebacker Whitney Mercilus.

“I thought they did a nice job,” Del Rio said. “They’re a good front. They’ve had a good defense all year.”

For the second time against the top-ranked Texans defense this year, Oakland’s rushing game was non-existent as the Raiders rushed for just 64 yards on the day with Latavius Murray racking just 39 yards on the ground on 12 carries. Saturday marked the second straight game that the Raiders were held under 65 yards on the ground.

“Great defense,” Murray said. “They did what they had to do.”

In their last matchup against Houston in Mexico City, Oakland ran for just 30 yards. An improvement of sort if you’re looking for a bright spot somewhere in the loss.

The Raiders lack of offensive production without Carr continued to be a struggle. Cook had his moments where he looked sharp when Oakland ran the no-huddle offense. On their first drive running the no-huddle, the Raiders drove down the field smoothly scoring a touchdown in the first quarter on a short two-yard run by Murray to cut Houston’s early lead to 10-7.

The drive was set up by a 37-yard punt return by rookie running back Jalen Richard who broke a tackle, bouncing the return out toward the sideline before being forced out by Texans punter Shane Lechler.

“When anybody makes a play and gives a team a spark, obviously you want to take that momentum in to score,” said Murray. “We were able to do that.

Cook threw his first postseason touchdown pass to Andre Holmes with 8:14 left in the game, making the score 27-14, giving Oakland a tiny glimmer of hope. However, that glimmer faded faster than a dying star as Corey Moore picked off Cook with 4:32 left in the game. Cook threw one more interception in the final two minutes to A.J. Bouye to officially end the Raiders season.

Despite the Wild Card loss, Oakland showed immense progress from last year. The 12-4 record is the team’s best record since 2000 and they were a win away from their first division title since 2002.

“We’re just getting started,” Del Rio said. “We need to learn from what we feel and the experiences that we had throughout this year, both good and bad, learn from it and go forward.”

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Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

23 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.