The Raiders kicked off their Las Vegas era in the best way possible. On Monday night, the Raiders welcomed New Orleans Saints for their first-ever home game at Allegiant Stadium and managed to celebrate an unlikely 34-24 win.

The Raiders entered the game slowly, being held scoreless in the first quarter and falling behind 10 to enter the second period. However, fueled by quarterback Derek Carr’s two touchdown passes, the Raiders managed to tie the game 17-17 before the end of the first half.

Carr threw another touchdown pass in the third quarter, while Jalen Richard rushed for a TD midway through the fourth to give the Raiders a nice 31-17 cushion ahead of the closing period of the game. Saints responded with a touchdown rush by Alvin Kamara, but their comeback attempt ended there.

Kicker Daniel Carlson removed all doubts about the winner less than two minutes before the end, delivering a 54-yarder that set the final score of 34-24 and improved the Raiders to 2-0 record.

The Raiders were led by Carr, who finished the game with 282 passing yards and three TD scores. His favorite target was tight end Darren Waller, who had 12 receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown, while back Josh Jacobs added 88 rushing yards.

“This organization means everything to me,” said Carr after the game. “They’ve stuck behind me through some hard times. Through some times our team, we struggled, there’s no doubt about it. But when you can get on the other side of things, be 2-0, as the Las Vegas Raiders, that’s a pretty cool thing.”

Saints’ best player on the field was Kamara, who had 174 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. However, the absence of star wideout Michael Thomas and shaky outing by signal-caller Drew Brees prevented New Orleans from doing more in this game.

Brees threw for 312 yards and a TD but also had a key interception that likely shifted the momentum towards the Raiders.

“If there’s one thing I wish I could take back from the game, it would be that,” said Brees. “Otherwise, we had a lot of mental errors. I felt like we were not playing as fast and just as sure and confident.”

Saints will look to bounce back against Green Bay Packers on Sunday while the Raiders face New England Patriots in hopes of extending their winning streak to three games.

The post Raiders Get a 34-24 Upset win Over Saints in Las Vegas Debut appeared first on SportzBonanza.

We’ll have to wait the regular season in order to enjoy football again. According to multiple reports, the NFL decided to cancel all preseason games in 2020.

NFL previously discussed several options for the preseason amid the coronavirus pandemic, including playing two games compared to the usual four. However, with the health crisis getting worse in recent weeks, the league made a proposal to the NFL Players’ Association to have no preseason games.

The union accepted the offer on Tuesday and officially informed the players.

NFLPA previously pushed for this scenario, as they believe it will lower the safety and health risks of the players. Still, having no preseason games will bear some significant challenges.

Usually, preseason games were a great way for undrafted players to impress and make the roster. Veterans also had the chance to solidify their place on the depth chart or show enough to get a chance from another organization.

The preseason football also enables teams to shake off the summer rust and get them in the game shape ahead of the regular season.

Despite all of this, the decision to have no games ahead of the start of the regular season is probably the wisest thing. It will help the league avoid unnecessary risk, and it won’t be such bad news for fans, as they can’t attend.

The post NFL Cancels All Preseason Games in 2020 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The National Football League has reportedly made the decision to halve the length of its traditional four-week long preseason schedule, and will only have its teams play two games to tune up for the 2020 regular season.

While no official announcement has been made, league sources told Pro Football Talk that the league will essentially eliminate Weeks 1 and 4 of the scheduled preseason in order to reduce team travel and contact between players in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The league currently believes that players will be forced to quarantine for two weeks prior to training camps, which would mean that they would have to enter an isolation bubble as soon as this week had they gone forward with the previously-planned schedule.

Instead, season preparations are set to be packed into a shorter amount of time in order to lesson the burden on the league’s players as well.

All teams are set to play one home game and one road game as part of the modified preseason docket. The first week of games will take place between August 20th and 24th and the second week of games will happen between August 27th and August 31st.

If the current pandemic does not throw a wrench into the NFL’s plans, the regular season is set to kick off on September 10th.

The post NFL Will Reportedly Shorten the 2020 Preseason to 2 Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The NFL, which is optimistic about its 2020 season taking place without a hitch despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, released its 2020 regular season schedule on Thursday.

The regular season, which will begin on September 10th and finish on December 27th, has a ton of big matchups in store and will provide plenty of intrigue after big moves this offseason saw some of the game’s most familiar faces moving to new teams.

Opening weekend is always a delight for football fans, and there will be plenty of juicy matchups to analyze and watch this season. Here are our top three picks for games to watch during the first round of games.

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs

The defending Super Bowl champions will begin the defense of their title on Thursday night in the season’s opening game. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs won’t have it easy, however, as they welcome DeShaun Watson and the Texans in a matchup of two of the league’s premier young quarterbacks.

The Texans and Chiefs faced off in the divisional round of last year’s playoffs, with the Texans stunning fans at Arrowhead Stadium after taking a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Kansas City stormed back to win, however, in the first victory of a Super Bowl march in what was a thrilling 51-31 shootout. The season’s opening game this year promises much of the same thrilling action.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay is going to be one of the most scrutinized teams in the 2020 season after they added former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in one of the league’s most stunning moves. Joining him will be tight end Rob Gronkowski and a host of attention that will turn them into one of the league’s biggest draws.

They won’t have an easy matchup in Week 1, as they will visit the always-hostile Superdome and the 2019 division champion New Orleans Saints. Tom Brady and Saints QB Drew Brees, despite both being over 40-years-old, are still two of the league’s top signal-callers and should provide an entertaining matchup.

Los Angeles Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals

Are you looking for a game that should provide plenty of intrigue related to the 2020 NFL Draft? This Week 1 matchup might feature two teams that registered double-digit losses last season, but it also promises to feature the debuts of two of the premier players picked in this year’s draft.

Top overall pick and potential franchise savior Joe Burrow is expected to make his debut with his team in this Week 1 matchup at home against the Chargers, who selected quarterback Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick this year. Week 1 could provide us with a fascinating showdown between these two prime targets to become NFL stars.

The post The 2020 NFL Season’s Most Intriguing Opening Week Games appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The road to playoffs just got a bit easier in the National Football League. According to ESPN, the NFL team owners voted on Tuesday to expand the postseason from 12 to 14 teams starting 2020.

The new playoffs system will see one additional team from both NFC and AFC make it to the wild-card. This means that each conference will now have three wild-card teams instead of two.

The change also affects the first-round byes. In the past, both No.1 and No.2 seed in each conference had the bye. Under the new format, only the No.1 seed will get a week off, while the No.2 seed will play the third wild-card team.

This is the first time in 30 years that the league decided to expand the playoffs. Back in 1990, the number of teams that make it to the postseason was increased from 10 to 12.

NFL reportedly started considering playoff expansion 10 years ago and was close to making it official in 2014. However, the plan was put on hold until the new collective bargaining agreement was in place. After the league and the players agreed to new CBA earlier this year, team owners acted swiftly and made the change.

The post NFL to Have 14 Playoff Teams in 2020 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Raiders kicked off their Las Vegas era in the best way possible. On Monday night, the Raiders welcomed New Orleans Saints for their first-ever home game at Allegiant Stadium and managed to celebrate an unlikely 34-24 win.

The Raiders entered the game slowly, being held scoreless in the first quarter and falling behind 10 to enter the second period. However, fueled by quarterback Derek Carr’s two touchdown passes, the Raiders managed to tie the game 17-17 before the end of the first half.

Carr threw another touchdown pass in the third quarter, while Jalen Richard rushed for a TD midway through the fourth to give the Raiders a nice 31-17 cushion ahead of the closing period of the game. Saints responded with a touchdown rush by Alvin Kamara, but their comeback attempt ended there.

Kicker Daniel Carlson removed all doubts about the winner less than two minutes before the end, delivering a 54-yarder that set the final score of 34-24 and improved the Raiders to 2-0 record.

The Raiders were led by Carr, who finished the game with 282 passing yards and three TD scores. His favorite target was tight end Darren Waller, who had 12 receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown, while back Josh Jacobs added 88 rushing yards.

“This organization means everything to me,” said Carr after the game. “They’ve stuck behind me through some hard times. Through some times our team, we struggled, there’s no doubt about it. But when you can get on the other side of things, be 2-0, as the Las Vegas Raiders, that’s a pretty cool thing.”

Saints’ best player on the field was Kamara, who had 174 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. However, the absence of star wideout Michael Thomas and shaky outing by signal-caller Drew Brees prevented New Orleans from doing more in this game.

Brees threw for 312 yards and a TD but also had a key interception that likely shifted the momentum towards the Raiders.

“If there’s one thing I wish I could take back from the game, it would be that,” said Brees. “Otherwise, we had a lot of mental errors. I felt like we were not playing as fast and just as sure and confident.”

Saints will look to bounce back against Green Bay Packers on Sunday while the Raiders face New England Patriots in hopes of extending their winning streak to three games.

The post Raiders Get a 34-24 Upset win Over Saints in Las Vegas Debut appeared first on SportzBonanza.

We’ll have to wait the regular season in order to enjoy football again. According to multiple reports, the NFL decided to cancel all preseason games in 2020.

NFL previously discussed several options for the preseason amid the coronavirus pandemic, including playing two games compared to the usual four. However, with the health crisis getting worse in recent weeks, the league made a proposal to the NFL Players’ Association to have no preseason games.

The union accepted the offer on Tuesday and officially informed the players.

NFLPA previously pushed for this scenario, as they believe it will lower the safety and health risks of the players. Still, having no preseason games will bear some significant challenges.

Usually, preseason games were a great way for undrafted players to impress and make the roster. Veterans also had the chance to solidify their place on the depth chart or show enough to get a chance from another organization.

The preseason football also enables teams to shake off the summer rust and get them in the game shape ahead of the regular season.

Despite all of this, the decision to have no games ahead of the start of the regular season is probably the wisest thing. It will help the league avoid unnecessary risk, and it won’t be such bad news for fans, as they can’t attend.

The post NFL Cancels All Preseason Games in 2020 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The National Football League has reportedly made the decision to halve the length of its traditional four-week long preseason schedule, and will only have its teams play two games to tune up for the 2020 regular season.

While no official announcement has been made, league sources told Pro Football Talk that the league will essentially eliminate Weeks 1 and 4 of the scheduled preseason in order to reduce team travel and contact between players in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The league currently believes that players will be forced to quarantine for two weeks prior to training camps, which would mean that they would have to enter an isolation bubble as soon as this week had they gone forward with the previously-planned schedule.

Instead, season preparations are set to be packed into a shorter amount of time in order to lesson the burden on the league’s players as well.

All teams are set to play one home game and one road game as part of the modified preseason docket. The first week of games will take place between August 20th and 24th and the second week of games will happen between August 27th and August 31st.

If the current pandemic does not throw a wrench into the NFL’s plans, the regular season is set to kick off on September 10th.

The post NFL Will Reportedly Shorten the 2020 Preseason to 2 Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The NFL, which is optimistic about its 2020 season taking place without a hitch despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, released its 2020 regular season schedule on Thursday.

The regular season, which will begin on September 10th and finish on December 27th, has a ton of big matchups in store and will provide plenty of intrigue after big moves this offseason saw some of the game’s most familiar faces moving to new teams.

Opening weekend is always a delight for football fans, and there will be plenty of juicy matchups to analyze and watch this season. Here are our top three picks for games to watch during the first round of games.

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs

The defending Super Bowl champions will begin the defense of their title on Thursday night in the season’s opening game. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs won’t have it easy, however, as they welcome DeShaun Watson and the Texans in a matchup of two of the league’s premier young quarterbacks.

The Texans and Chiefs faced off in the divisional round of last year’s playoffs, with the Texans stunning fans at Arrowhead Stadium after taking a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Kansas City stormed back to win, however, in the first victory of a Super Bowl march in what was a thrilling 51-31 shootout. The season’s opening game this year promises much of the same thrilling action.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay is going to be one of the most scrutinized teams in the 2020 season after they added former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in one of the league’s most stunning moves. Joining him will be tight end Rob Gronkowski and a host of attention that will turn them into one of the league’s biggest draws.

They won’t have an easy matchup in Week 1, as they will visit the always-hostile Superdome and the 2019 division champion New Orleans Saints. Tom Brady and Saints QB Drew Brees, despite both being over 40-years-old, are still two of the league’s top signal-callers and should provide an entertaining matchup.

Los Angeles Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals

Are you looking for a game that should provide plenty of intrigue related to the 2020 NFL Draft? This Week 1 matchup might feature two teams that registered double-digit losses last season, but it also promises to feature the debuts of two of the premier players picked in this year’s draft.

Top overall pick and potential franchise savior Joe Burrow is expected to make his debut with his team in this Week 1 matchup at home against the Chargers, who selected quarterback Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick this year. Week 1 could provide us with a fascinating showdown between these two prime targets to become NFL stars.

The post The 2020 NFL Season’s Most Intriguing Opening Week Games appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The road to playoffs just got a bit easier in the National Football League. According to ESPN, the NFL team owners voted on Tuesday to expand the postseason from 12 to 14 teams starting 2020.

The new playoffs system will see one additional team from both NFC and AFC make it to the wild-card. This means that each conference will now have three wild-card teams instead of two.

The change also affects the first-round byes. In the past, both No.1 and No.2 seed in each conference had the bye. Under the new format, only the No.1 seed will get a week off, while the No.2 seed will play the third wild-card team.

This is the first time in 30 years that the league decided to expand the playoffs. Back in 1990, the number of teams that make it to the postseason was increased from 10 to 12.

NFL reportedly started considering playoff expansion 10 years ago and was close to making it official in 2014. However, the plan was put on hold until the new collective bargaining agreement was in place. After the league and the players agreed to new CBA earlier this year, team owners acted swiftly and made the change.

The post NFL to Have 14 Playoff Teams in 2020 appeared first on SportzBonanza.