THIS WEEK'S NOTABLE STORYLINES:
- The Raiders host the Cleveland Browns at O.co Coliseum Sunday, marking the first of three straight home games for the Silver and Black.
- Oakland will be looking to snap a four-game skid, the longest losing streak for the Raiders since the 2008 season.
- K Sebastian Janikowski is set to play in his 200th career game Sunday, joining P Shane Lechler as Raiders that have passed the 200 mark this season. Janikowski will become the ninth player ever to reach 200 games in a Raider uniform.
- Janikowski booted a 55-yard field goal last week at Cincinnati, marking his 39th career field goal from 50 or more yards. His total is tied for the fourth most in NFL history.
- QB Carson Palmer played eight seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals (2003-10), facing the AFC North division rival Cleveland Browns 12 times and posting a 9-3 record.
- LB Miles Burris enters Sunday's game with 97 tackles (60 solo) and looks to become the first Raider rookie since LB Thomas Howard in 2006 to crack the 100-tackle mark.
- TE Brandon Myers is tied for third among NFL tight ends with 55 receptions for 591 yards, and ranks third in the NFL with 26 catches in the fourth quarter.
- The Raiders are third in the NFL with 40 plays of 20 or more yards over the past eight games.
RAIDERS HOST BROWNS IN FIRST OF THREE STRAIGHT HOME GAMES:The Raiders return to O.co Coliseum to take on the Browns Sunday, marking the first of three straight home games for the Silver and Black. Oakland is looking to snap a four-game skid, while Cleveland enters the contest with a 3-8 record after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, 20-14.
THE SERIES:The Raiders and Browns have met 19 times since 1970, and the Silver and Black hold an 11-8 advantage in the all-time regular season series. The Raiders posted a 24-17 victory over the Browns at O.co Coliseum on Oct. 16, 2011, the first Oakland home game following the passing of owner Al Davis. Oakland and Cleveland have played twice in the postseason, with the Raiders recording victories following the 1980 and 1982 seasons.
HOME SWEET HOME:The Raiders will begin a three-game home stretch this week, marking the first and only time this season that Oakland will play consecutive home games. After facing the Browns Sunday, the Raiders will host AFC West division rival Denver in a Thursday night contest on Dec. 6 before taking on Kansas City on Dec. 16.
CLIMBING TO 200:K Sebastian Janikowski is set to play in his 200th career game this week, joining P Shane Lechler as the second Raider to reach the 200 mark this season. The two specialists, who both entered the league as Oakland selections in the 2000 NFL Draft, join an elite list of players that have played in 200 games for the Silver and Black.
ACCURATE FOR 200 AND COUNTING:K Sebastian Janikowski has converted 80.6 percent of his career field-goal attempts, a figure that ranks 12th among NFL kickers that have played 199 or more games.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE:K Sebastian Janikowski booted a 55-yard field goal at Cincinnati last week, marking his 39th career field goal of 50 or more yards. His total is tied for fourth in NFL history and trails only Jason Hanson's 51 career field goals of 50 or more yards among active players.
LATE SCORE LEADERS:The Raiders rank second in the NFL in scoring at the end of the half with 65 points.
CARSON vs. CLEVELAND:QB Carson Palmer spent eight seasons (2003-10) with the Cincinnati Bengals, AFC North division rivals of the Cleveland Browns. Palmer has faced the Browns 12 times in the regular season, posting a 9-3 record. The Raiders' signal-caller has completed 249- of-396 pass attempts for 2,835 yards and 25 touchdowns vs. Cleveland.
NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER:FB Marcel Reece had an excellent November, pacing the team in rushing and ranking second with 23 receptions. Reece made three starts at RB in place of an injured Darren McFadden (ankle) and posted his first-career 100-yard rushing game (103) on Nov. 18, vs. New Orleans. He also had a career-high eight receptions on Nov. 4, vs. Tampa Bay.
HITTING OPPONENTS WHEN THEY'RE HOT:During this current four-game losing streak, the Raiders have played four of the league's hottest teams. The last four Raiders opponents – Tampa Bay, Baltimore, New Orleans and Cincinnati – are a combined 17-8 (.680) since Oct. 11. During the last seven weeks:
- Cincinnati, now on a three-game winning streak, also beat the Giants, 31-13, on Nov. 11.
- Baltimore owns one of the league's best records over that stretch, 5-1. Only Denver (6-0) owns a better mark. Denver beat both Cincinnati and New Orleans during the stretch.
- New Orleans handed the league's lone undefeated team, Atlanta, its first loss.
- Tampa Bay, 5-2 during the period, owns the league's second-most yards from scrimmage since Oct. 11.
BURRIS ON THE STOP:LB Miles Burris has racked up 97 tackles (60 solo) through 11 games this season, which ranks third on the team. With three more tackles, Burris will become the first Raider rookie to crack the century mark since Thomas Howard in 2006. His tackle total ranks third among Raider rookies since 2005.
AIR YARDS vs. YAC:The Raiders rank first in the NFL with 1,629 yards after the catch (YAC).
Notable connections
CB Coye Francies was Cleveland's sixth-round (191st overall) selection in the 2009 NFL Draft and played in eight games with the Browns from 2009-10...QB Terrelle Pryor attended Ohio State...S Mike Mitchell attended Ohio University...CB Brandian Ross went to Youngstown State... DE Lamarr Houston played with Browns QB Colt McCoy and RB Chris Ogbonnaya at Texas...LB Rolando McClain and Browns RB Trent Richardson were teammates at Alabama...TE David Ausberry, QB Matt Leinart, QB Carson Palmer and C/G Alex Parsons, and Browns LB Kaluka Maiava, TE Jordan Cameron and DL Frostee Rucker all attended USC... DE Matt Shaughnessy and Browns OL Joe Thomas were teammates at Wisconsin...WR Denarius Moore played with Browns RB Monterio Hardesty and OL Jarrod Shaw at Tennessee...RB Jeremy Stewart and Browns DB Johnson Bademosi and FB Owen Marecic were teammates at Stanford...Bademosi and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey are both from Silver Spring, Md. ...TE Richard Gordon and Browns WR Travis Benjamin played together at Miami...Browns head coach Pat Shurmur was offensive line coach at Stanford in 1998...Browns defensive line coach Dwaine Board served in the same capacity with the Raiders in 2009...Linebackers coach Johnny Holland and offensive line coach Frank Pollack were on staff with the Houston Texans along with Browns senior assistant-defense Ray Rhodes from 2008-10...Browns offensive assistant Chris Beake was on staff with the San Francisco 49ers from 1999-2003, coaching alongside defensive coordinator Jason Tarver (2001-03) and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp (1999-03)...Beake was linebackers coach for the Falcons, coaching with Head Coach Dennis Allen (2004-06), who was defensive assistant/quality control, and Knapp (2004-06)...Browns linebackers coach Bill Davis was the 49ers' defensive coordinator from 2005-06 when Tarver coached outstide linebackers for San Francisco...Browns OL Alex Mack and OL Mitchell Schwartz both went to Cal...Browns TE/FB Alex Smith played at Stanford...Browns DB T.J. Ward is a San Francisco native and went to high school at De La Salle in Concord...LB James-Michael Johnson is from Fairfield, Calif., and attended Rodriguez High School.
Last meeting vs. Cleveland: at Oak. 24, Cle. 17 (Oct. 16, 2011):In the first Raider home game following the passing of owner Al Davis, Jacoby Ford returned a kickoff 101 yards for a TD and Shane Lechler tossed a 35-yard TD pass on a fake field goal to lift Oakland to a 24-17 victory.
INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS vs. CINCINNATI:TE David Ausberry made his first career catch and had his first career rushing attempt vs. Cleveland on Oct. 16, 2011...S Tyvon Branch totaled 10 tackles (nine solo) at Cleveland on Dec. 27, 2009...S Matt Giordano recorded his first career sack vs. the Browns on Oct. 16, 2011(Colt McCoy)...RB Mike Goodson posted then-career highs with eight receptions for 81 yards as a member of the Carolina Panthers vs. Cleveland on Nov. 28, 2010...WR Darrius Heyward-Bey had six catches for 82 yards vs. the Browns on Oct. 16, 2011... DE Lamarr Houston posted a sack vs. Cleveland on Oct. 16, 2011...K Sebastian Janikowski booted a 61-yard field goal at Cleveland on Dec. 27, 2009...P Shane Lechler tossed his first-career touchdown pass, a 35-yarder on a fake field-goal attempt on Oct. 16, 2011...LB Rolando McClain was credited with two passes defensed vs. the Browns on Oct. 16, 2011...RB Darren McFadden rushed for 91 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown run, on Oct. 16, 2011, vs. Cleveland...FB Marcel Reece made his NFL debut at Cleveland on Dec. 27, 2009, recording a 9-yard reception...LB Philip Wheeler forced a fumble as a member of the Indianapolis Colts vs. Cleveland on Sept. 18, 2011.
