Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Casey Hayward is one of many players unhappy with the NFL's decision to move his team's game this week:

I’m sure the @NFLPA president playing for the Browns didn’t have any effect on these negotiations… pic.twitter.com/MZ95eVyOiz

— Casey Hayward (@show_case29) December 17, 2021

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Raiders' game against the Cleveland Browns initially scheduled for Saturday will now be played on Monday at 5 p.m. ET. Schefter also reports the game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks will be moved to Tuesday night, along with the NFC East battle between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team.

Other NFL players had negative reaction to games being moved:

https://twitter.com/bigplay24slay/status/1471927143844270085

I pay my player dues just to get lied to and the rules bent! @NFL @NFLPA

If it was the other way around I swear we would be playing tomorrow

— KJ Wright (@KJ_WRIGHT34) December 17, 2021

NFL & Owners told teams before the season no games would be re-scheduled. They reiterated that teams would have to just forfeit the game. Am I lying?🤔 See how fast NFL will switch up to what benefits them & their money. If players only understood this don’t work without them.😎

— Tre Boston (@TreBos10) December 17, 2021

Wow!!!!

— fletcher cox (@fcoxx_91) December 17, 2021

These decisions come amid massive COVID-19 outbreaks around the league.

The Browns have 24 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, per Jake Trotter of ESPN, including starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and backup Case Keenum. Jadeveon Clowney, Mack Wilson and Tony Fields II were all added to the reserve list on Friday morning. The Rams and Washington have had similar issues this week.

Hayward believes Browns center J.C. Tretter, who is the current president of the NFL Players' Association, helped influence the decision to postpone the game.

The shorthanded teams would have been at a significant competitive disadvantage if the game was played as scheduled, but the league said it wouldn't postpone games for that reason this season.

NFL memo from July stated: "Absent medical considerations or government directives, games will not be postponed or rescheduled simply to avoid roster issues caused by injury or illness affecting multiple players, even within a position group." https://t.co/v6nAdLe0zi

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 17, 2021

As NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted, games were postponed in 2020 because of evidence of ongoing spread. The three Browns players added to the COVID-19 list on Friday seemingly indicates that the virus is still spreading around the organization.

That game is still an important one as both the Raiders (6-7) and Browns (7-6) look to play their way into the playoffs. Both sides are clearly looking to get a fair opportunity ahead of the Week 15 battle.

Washington (6-7) and Philadelphia (6-7) are looking to climb up the division standings in the NFC East, while the Rams (9-4) will try to keep up in the NFC West if they can defeat Seahawks (5-8).  

The NFL and the NFL Players Association have decided to postpone Saturday's game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns until Monday,  while Sunday's Seattle Seahawks-Rams and Washington Football Team-Philadelphia Eagles games will be played Tuesday, according to a statement from the league:

The NFL officially announces three games were moved from this weekend pic.twitter.com/YPdyEh3Bw3

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 17, 2021

CBS Sports' Josina Anderson first reported the news. 

The Browns are working through a COVID-19 outbreak in their organization.

Two other games, the Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams and Washington Football Team vs. Philadelphia Eagles, were also postponed:

Cleveland had 24 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list as of Friday morning, per ESPN's Jake Trotter. That includes players who've been on the list since last week and those added leading up to the Raiders game, including quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Mayfield called on the NFL to delay the game for player safety:

Actually caring about player safety would mean delaying the game with this continuing at the rate it is….
But to say you won’t test vaccinated players if they don’t have symptoms, then to pull this randomly. Doesn’t make any sense to me.

— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) December 16, 2021

The league released a statement Thursday saying it would alter the COVID-19 protocols, including changes to the return-to-play requirements after positive tests:

Throughout the pandemic we have continuously evolved our protocols to meet our goal of advancing the safety of the players, coaches and staff. The changes we are making today aim to address the increase in cases and the advent of the Omicron variant. Effective immediately, all clubs will implement preventative measures that have proven effective: masking regardless of vaccination status, remote or outdoor meetings, eliminating in-person meals, and no outside visitors while on team travel. We will continue to strongly encourage booster shots as the most effective protection. Finally, and based on expert advice, we will adjust the return-to-participation requirements for those who have recovered from COVID-19. All of these changes are grounded in our data and science-backed approach, with safety our number-one goal for the entire NFL community.

Cleveland isn't the only team that faces severe coronavirus issues. The Chicago Bears, Rams and Washington each have at least 10 players on the COVID list too, per CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo and Cody Benjamin.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the league could postpone multiple Week 15 games as a result, but only if there's evidence of continued virus spread and not for competitive reasons:

The NFL has made clear the past two seasons it won’t postpone games for competitive reasons (e.g. the #Broncos playing with no QBs, etc.). But it did reschedule several games last season in cases where there was evidence of ongoing COVID spread. This would be a medical decision.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 17, 2021

All 32 teams' bye weeks are completed, so the remaining schedule has limited flexibility. Last year saw multiple postponements throughout the season, but enough time remained to fit in all the games.

Any need to add an extra week at the end of the new 18-week season would impact the playoff schedule and potentially eliminate the off week between the conference title games and the Super Bowl when the Pro Bowl is typically played. Last season's Pro Bowl was played virtually on the Madden video game because of the pandemic.

In turn, the NFL would prefer short-term delays of a few days to avoid widescale schedule changes with four weeks left in the regular season.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller continues to struggle in his attempt to return from a knee injury. 

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Waller isn't expected back for Saturday's game against the Cleveland Browns. 

If Waller is unable to play, this will mark his third straight game missed. He originally injured his knee in the Raiders' 36-33 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. 

Waller has already missed three games this season. He sat out a Week 7 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles with an ankle injury. 

Upon returning after the bye in Week 8, Waller caught 20 passes for 265 yards over the next four games. The Pro Bowler had a season-high 116 yards on seven receptions against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 21. 

The Raiders held Waller out of their Dec. 5 game against the Washington Football Team. He didn't practice all week due to back and knee injuries before officially being downgraded to out. 

Waller is arguably the most impactful player for Las Vegas on offense. He ranks second on the team in targets (84), receptions (53), receiving yards (643) and is tied for third in touchdown catches (two). 

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will continue to rely on Hunter Renfrow, who leads the team in receptions (86), yards (877) and touchdown catches (five). 

Foster Moreau is going to be Las Vegas' primary tight end for the time being. He had a season-high 60 yards and one touchdown catch in the game against the Eagles when Waller was unavailable. 

Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette reportedly has found his next team.

David Furones of the Sun Sentinel reported the Miami Dolphins signed him to their practice squad.

Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network noted Arnette was at practice Wednesday and was available because the Raiders cut him following "multiple off-field incidents including posting a video with a gun making a threat."

The 25-year-old entered the league in 2020 when the Raiders selected him with the No. 19 overall pick of the NFL draft following an impressive collegiate career at Ohio State.

He never lived up to expectations even before he was released.

Arnette registered two passes defended and zero interceptions in nine games as a rookie and had just four tackles and one pass defended in four games this year for Las Vegas. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall player grade of 32.9 for his early efforts in 2021.

The threatening video wasn't the only concern when it came to Arnette.

In November, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted he was facing multiple lawsuits, the first of which was because he allegedly crashed into another vehicle and fled the scene while he was running late for a meeting. 

The second happened because he allegedly spat on and "berated an employee who said his car couldn't be recovered from valet parking because he lost the receipt."

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted Arnette also allegedly crashed four rental cars within a month.

The cornerback will now have another chance to redeem his career on a Dolphins squad that has won five games in a row following a 1-7 start.                

The NFL has no plans to postpone or cancel Saturday's game between the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders despite a COVID-19 outbreak within the Browns organization.

According to Tom Withers of the Associated Press, an NFL spokesperson said: "There’s been no discussion of changing the game's status."

On Tuesday, the Browns entered into the NFL's enhanced COVID-19 mitigation protocols and placed eight players on the reserve/COVID-list list, including six active roster members in wide receiver Jarvis Landry, tight end Austin Hooper, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills, guard Wyatt Teller, defensive end Takkarist McKinley and guard Drew Forbes.

The Browns also announced Tuesday that head coach Kevin Stefanski tested positive for COVID-19.

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Cleveland could be without some key players for the 4:30 p.m. game, and it comes at a bad time given that only four weeks remain in the regular season.

The Browns have scratched and clawed throughout the year, and they got their record back over .500 last week by holding on to beat the Baltimore Ravens 24-22.

Cleveland (7-6) moved to within one game of the Ravens for the AFC North lead. The Browns are also one of five AFC teams tied with a 7-6 record.

While they are currently tied for one of the final two wild-card spots, the Browns would not make the playoffs if the season ended today because of the tiebreakers.

That makes beating the Raiders on Saturday even more important, especially since the Raiders are only one game behind the Browns at 6-7.

There isn't an easy game left on Cleveland's schedule, but a home date with Las Vegas is arguably the most winnable one, as the Browns must face the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers on the road the following two weeks before hosting the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.

While a handful of games were postponed last season because of COVID-19, the NFL has been able to avoid any such instances this season.

Coronavirus cases have been on the rise as of late, though, with the NFL announcing Monday that 36 players were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list because of positive tests.

Raiders vs. Browns is on as of now, but if more Browns players continue to be placed on the COVID list, the NFL may have no choice other than to enact its first postponement of the season.

Clark County coroner Melanie Rouse said Tuesday that Tina Tintor, the 23-year-old woman who died in the Nov. 2 car crash involving former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, burned to death.

Rouse said in a statement that Tintor "died from thermal injuries due to a motor vehicle collision" and that "other significant conditions contributing to her death were inhalation of products of combustion, fractures of the nasal bones, right-sided ribs ... left forearm and (chest)," per Ken Ritter of the Associated Press.

Ritter noted Ruggs is alleged to have been driving up to 156 mph before slamming into the back of Tintor's car.

Ruggs is charged with felony counts of DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and two counts of reckless driving.

According to Jonah Dylan of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, prosecutors said Ruggs' blood alcohol level was 0.16 percent after the crash, which is twice Nevada's legal limit for drivers. He could face 40 years in prison if convicted on the DUI counts.

Las Vegas released Ruggs following the crash, and Ritter noted he is on house arrest after posting $150,000 bail. Ruggs and his girlfriend, Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, were hospitalized after the crash.

While Ruggs' lawyers, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, said in court documents they have a witness who said firefighters were slow to respond to the fire that killed Tintor, Clark County spokesperson Erik Pappa said in a November statement there were no "delays in response or in the attack on the fire."

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for March 10.

Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will host Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, 2024, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore.

Super Bowl LVIII was originally slated for New Orleans but was moved out of the city due to the game overlapping with Mardi Gras.

If confirmed, Monday's news will cement the next four Super Bowl sites:

• Super Bowl LVI (Feb. 13, 2022): SoFi Stadium; Inglewood, California 
• Super Bowl LVII (Feb. 12, 2023): State Farm Stadium; Glendale, California 
• *Super Bowl LVIII (Feb. 11, 2024): Allegiant Stadium; Las Vegas 
• Super Bowl LIX (Feb. 9, 2025): Caesars Superdome; New Orleans

Once Allegiant Stadium was constructed in July 2020, Super Bowl hosting duties were inevitable.

The venue is now the home of the Pac-12 championship game. It welcomed the United States and Mexico men's national teams for the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in August. In February, the NFL's best players will take the field in Vegas for the Pro Bowl.

Beyond the amenities and experience Allegiant Stadium can provide, Las Vegas is no stranger to staging major events, so the wider logistics are already in place.

Bonsignore reported the city "put together an ambitious and multi-leveled plan to convince NFL owners of its viability to accommodate the biggest yearly sporting event in North America."

The Raiders are now on the clock.

Las Vegas sits at 6-7 and has lost five of six games since its Week 8 bye. In all likelihood, the team will miss the playoffs to cap off a year that quickly veered off the rails. But the front office now has two more seasons to build a roster that can put the franchise in Super Bowl contention by the time February 2024 rolls around.

The Kansas City Chiefs remain one of the hottest teams in the NFL, earning their sixth straight win with a 48-9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to lift the Chiefs (9-4) to another win at Arrowhead Stadium, improving to 6-2 at home in 2021.

It was a dominant performance for the AFC West leaders, who built a 35-0 lead in the first half before the Raiders got on the board with a field goal. The second half wasn't any better for the road team as the Chiefs closed out the season sweep over Las Vegas, outscoring the division rivals 89-23 in two games.

After major questions about Kansas City's defense earlier in the year, the unit has been on fire lately and forced five Raiders turnovers.

Las Vegas (6-7) continues its slide out of playoff contention with its fifth loss in its last six games. Derek Carr was limited to an 85.7 quarterback rating with tight end Darren Waller unavailable with knee and back injuries.

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Notable Performances

Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC: 20-of-24, 258 passing yards, 2 TDs

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, KC: 37 rushing yards, 2 TDs

Tyreek Hill, WR, KC: 4 catches, 76 receiving yards

Derek Carr, QB, LV: 33-of-45, 263 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Josh Jacobs, RB, LV: 24 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards

Hunter Renfrow, WR, LV: 13 catches, 117 receiving yards, 1 TD

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Turnover-Prone Raiders Shut Down Offensively

The Raiders had a lot of energy entering the game, sending an apparent message by dancing on the midfield logo:

Dig this! The #raiders met as a team after their pregame warmup at about the 25 yard line. Then proceeded to relocate their team huddle to midfield on top of the #chiefs logo. The stadium erupted in boos as the Raiders fired each other up. LFG!!! pic.twitter.com/6MQOVtQ5G0

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 12, 2021

This backfired quickly.

The first play of the game was a disaster as a Josh Jacobs' fumble was returned for a Kansas City touchdown:

FIRST PLAY @CHIEFS DEFENSIVE TD.

📺: #LVvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/JPoIDIgunH

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2021

The impact plays continued for the Chiefs defense with five total turnovers.

.@MATHIEU_ERA WITH THE PICK 😤#WPMOYChallenge | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/YT433B5hkc

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 12, 2021

.@_Bigmikee1 with his SECOND forced fumble 😈

📺: #LVvsKC on CBS pic.twitter.com/hzBRbWURzV

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 12, 2021

Carr had little room to operate thanks to the consistent Chiefs pass rush.

Oh my 😱 @aokafor57

📺: #LVvsKC on CBS pic.twitter.com/YEJRxb0sCh

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 12, 2021

Chiefs getting Melvin Ingram for a sixth could go down as one of the more impactful in-season trades in recent history huh

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) December 12, 2021

Raiders line can't handle the Chiefs pass rush. Defense looks terrific. Raiders do not.

— Steven St.John (@SSJWHB) December 12, 2021

Kansas City finished with four sacks and 11 quarterback hits.

Jacobs also couldn't get much going on the ground with just 2.7 yards per carry.

Hunter Renfrow was the only consistent producer for Las Vegas, catching 13 passes for 117 yards, more than double anyone else on the roster. He also added the team's only touchdown.

Filthy route for @renfrowhunter.

📺: #LVvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/JUTlpdEgwB

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2021

Even with his first-half fumble, the former Clemson star remains a reliable option with his third straight 100-yard game. He has been someone Carr can trust with Waller inactive.

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Balanced Chiefs Offense Cruises to Victory

Mahomes has been at his best this season when throwing to his star pass-catchers Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. In this game, the key to success was spreading the ball around.

Mahomes got a lot of players involved Sunday, completing passes to eight different players.

Darrel Williams and Josh Gordon were the ones who found the end zone in the first half.

Darrel Williams leaps in for the @Chiefs TD! #ChiefsKingdom

📺: #LVvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/KRDfP9OdJp

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2021

Josh Gordon scores his first TD since 2019 🙌

Welcome back

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/SnFioEBa0l

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 12, 2021

Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle also had long catches in the game.

The rushing attack was as good as we have seen in some time, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire scoring two touchdowns.

Clyde's TD puts the Chiefs up 21-0. #ChiefsKingdom

📺: #LVvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/9LWz4yML1F

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2021

The @Chiefs have opened up a 35-0 lead before halftime. #ChiefsKingdom

📺: #LVvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/JKu5Uq3gxr

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2021

Derrick Gore joined the fun with a 51-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

GORE is GONE. #ChiefsKingdom

📺: #LVvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/X1eAYY4C2Q

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2021

Hill and Kelce combined for seven catches but were hardly needed in the blowout victory.

The Chiefs offense has been inconsistent this year, scoring 22 or fewer points in five of the previous six games. Getting more players involved could be the key to unlocking the group's potential.

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What's Next?

The Chiefs continue their run through the AFC West with a road game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. The Raiders play on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.

A Las Vegas judge ruled Thursday prosecutors will be given access to medical records and blood test results from former NFL wide receiver Henry Ruggs III in relation to a fatal car crash on November 2 that killed Tina Tintor and her dog.

Ken Ritter of the Associated Press reported the ruling by Justice of the Peace Pro Tem Robert Walsh comes after attorneys for Ruggs and his girlfriend, Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, tried to prevent the use of medical information as part of the case.

Ruggs was charged with DUI causing death or substantial injury and felony reckless driving after prosecutors said he was driving 156 mph just before striking Tintor's vehicle, which caught fire. Police said Ruggs registered a blood alcohol level of 0.16, which is double the legal limit in Nevada.

"The blood test results will be released, in addition to the authentication of the medical records," Walsh said. "Nothing to do with conversations or treatment as to any patient-doctor relationship."

Ruggs' attorney, Richard Schonfeld, successfully lobbied for the next court date in the case, which is a preliminary hearing of the evidence, to be moved from next week until March 10 to provide more time for evidence collection and conversations with prosecutors, per Ritter.

Peter Christiansen, a lawyer for Kilgo-Washington, continued to argue his client shouldn't have to provide her medical records since she's being treated as a victim in the case—Ruggs' second felony DUI charge is connected to Kilgo-Washington suffering unspecified injuries as a passenger in his vehicle. She was hospitalized following the crash.

Prosecutors argued that they require her medical records to establish that she suffered "substantial injuries" under the legal definition.

Thursday's ruling allows prosecutors to use the medical information, but doctors will not be eligible to speak during the trial about any conversations they had with Ruggs regarding the treatment of injuries he suffered in the crash.

The 22-year-old Alabama native was released on house arrest after posting $150,000 bail. He faces a minimum sentence of two years in prison and a maximum sentence of more than 50 years in prison if convicted of the felony counts against him.

Ruggs didn't appear in court for Thursday's hearing, per Ritter.

The receiver was a first-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2020 NFL draft. He appeared in 20 games across two seasons with the franchise before getting released in wake of the crash.

Tintor, 23, was a Target employee who was working toward becoming a computer programmer.