Raiders report: No ‘magic potion’ or ‘spell’ to fix problems

Raiders report

Schedule

All practices at Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center, unless noted:

■ Wednesday — Walkthrough, 10 a.m.

■ Thursday — at Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, 1:30 p.m.

■ Friday — Off

■ Saturday — Off

■ Sunday — Off

Quote of the Day

NFL games on Thanksgiving Day have become as synonymous with the holiday as stuffing and pumpkin pie.

For the players, it’s a chance to compete in front of a massive audience and rekindle memories of watching on television growing up. The Cowboys and Lions are on the slate every year, so the experience becomes familiar.

Raiders linebacker Cory Littleton will have his first opportunity to play on Thanksgiving this week in his sixth year in the league. He may even have a bit of extra motivation.

“It’s something really cool and special that I’ve never been able to do before,” he said. “It would be very cool to get a win, especially because my brother and uncle are Cowboys fans.”

Raiders’ center Andre James is also looking to make a memory. He remembers watching the Thanksgiving games as a child. Now he will play in one.

“You’re a kid eating a turkey leg watching the football games,” he said. “That’s just the American thing to do. It’s a dream come true, honestly. I’m excited.”

Injury report

Kicker Daniel Carlson is feeling better after missing Monday’s walkthrough with an illness. He was listed as a full participant in Tuesday’s walkthrough as the team once again eschewed a full practice session on a short week.

Left guard John Simpson was listed as limited after being listed as a non-participant on Monday due to a rib injury. Interim coach Rich Bisaccia has said he is day-to-day after leaving Sunday’s loss to the Bengals early.

James (thumb) and wide receiver Dillon Stoner (Achilles) didn’t appear on Monday’s injury report, but popped up on Tuesday. Both were listed as full participants.

Linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski and cornerback Keisean Nixon both remained out with ankle injuries that kept them sidelined against the Bengals. Running back Jalen Richard was limited with a rib injury.

For the Cowboys, left tackle Tyron Smith (ankle) and running back Ezekiel Elliott (knee) were both upgraded to full participation Tuesday and are expected to play Thursday.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper remains in COVID protocol and is not expected play. Fellow wideout CeeDee Lamb has yet to be cleared from a concussion that knocked him out of Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs.

Legendary advice

James played at UCLA, so it may be no surprise he quoted John Wooden when discussing whether the Raiders have a sense of urgency as they prepare for a quick turnaround and a chance to end a three-game losing streak.

“He had a great quote that goes, ‘Be quick, but don’t hurry,’” James said. “This week, it’s just all about getting our bodies right and getting on the game plan. We just have to be on it with the film and getting our bodies back. Those are the two main things. The mental aspect and then the physical aspect of getting your body ready to play 100 percent.”

After that, it’s just about putting in the work. James said there is no shortcut for the team, and specifically the offense, to get back on track.

“Consistency, that’s the key word,” he said. “It’s what this game is all about. We just have to keep going at it. There’s no magic potion or spell that’s going to give you that. It’s just coming together as an offensive unit and just jelling together, so that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

Adam Hill Review-Journal