Jon Gruden jawed at the officials, worked closely with the quarterbacks

OAKLAND Dawson Knox Jersey , Calif. (AP) — and was once again adored by the Oakland Raiders fans.It was as if he had never left the Coliseum.Jon Gruden was a winner in his return to the sideline for Oakland when the Raiders got a touchdown pass from Connor Cook in a 16-10 victory over the Detroit Lions on Friday night.“It was awesome,” he said. “I saw some recognizable faces that had gotten a little bit older. I saw some old friends who mean a lot to me. Like I said all along, this is a great responsibility. The nostalgia has worn off. We have to do something with the opportunity. But it was sure great to see the Raiders fans.”Gruden was welcomed back warmly to the Coliseum for his first game here as Raiders coach since beating the Jets in a playoff game Jan. 12, 2001. Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay after that season and has spent the past nine years as an ESPN analyst.Raiders owner Mark Davis lured Gruden back to the sideline with a 10-year contract worth a reported $100 million following a disappointing six-win season under Jack Del Rio.The Gruden era appeared to get off to a rousing start when Marshawn Lynch ran 60 yards for a TD on the third snap, but the score was called back on a holding penalty by rookie tackle Kolton Miller.“I was really ticked off after watching that get called back,” Gruden said. “Chucky came out for a brief moment tonight.”Oakland settled for a punt on the only drive with starting quarterback Derek Carr, but scored three times in five drives with Cook at the helm. Cook threw a 7-yard TD pass to Ryan Switzer in the second quarter and led Oakland to a pair of field goals by rookie Eddy Pineiro. Cook finished 11 for 19 for 141 yards.The Lions also welcomed a new coach in Matt Patricia, who opted to rest star quarterback Matthew Stafford, who got enough work in two days of joint practices against Oakland.“We got a lot of good work in this week,” Patricia said. “He took a lot of reps and he saw a lot of different looks. That was the goal Brian Burns Jersey , to come out here and be able to get some of those different team tempo plays and have it scripted and a little controlled. Just thought it was a good opportunity tonight to have the other guys go out and compete.”Matt Cassel got the start and went 10 for 18 for 81 yards, leading Detroit to one score on three drives, with Ameer Abdullah capping it with a 1-yard TD run . Jake Rudock finished 12 for 19 for 84 yards.NATIONAL ANTHEMLynch once again sat during the national anthem. Lynch also sat for the anthem all of last season but never gave a reason for his decision. No other players on either team demonstrated during the anthem, with the Lions all standing together with locked arms.ROOKIE REPORTLions second-round RB Kerryon Johnson showed good burst, running for 34 yards on seven carries and adding four catches for 33 yards.“To me, didn’t make enough plays at the beginning, didn’t make enough plays at the end,” Johnson said. “I still have work to do. We still have work to do. It was the first game. First-game jitters out for everybody.”The Raiders also had a strong performance from a second-round pick with DT P.J. Hall getting a sack and batting down a pass in the first half. Oakland undrafted free agent RB Chris Warren III ran 13 times for 86 yards .INJURIESRaiders CB Antonio Hamilton limped off twice in the second half with an apparent ankle injury.HELMET FOULThere was one penalty under the new rule prohibiting players from leading with their helmets. Oakland S Karl Joseph was called for the infraction on a tackle against Abdullah in the second quarter.OFF THE DIRTPineiro’s second field goal came at the end of the first half after Gruden called for a run that set up Pineiro’s 48-yarder off the infield dirt. Pineiro added a 45-yard field goal off the dirt in the fourth quarter. The Raiders will play at least one regular-season game this season with the infield dirt in place for Oakland Athletics games.“I remember when we drafted (Sebastian) Janikowski, it was like being on a foreign planet for him when he got here and started kicking off the dirt,” Gruden said of Oakland’s first-round pick in 2000. “We did manage to get him a couple of looks.”NEXT UPLions: Host Giants on Aug. 17.Raiders: Visit Rams on Aug. 18. THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Todd Gurley is a serious sports fan who loves going to the Super Bowl each winter Greg Little Jersey , attending all of the decadent parties and soaking up the game-day atmosphere.The Los Angeles Rams‘ superstar running back will miss out on most of those wild parties this year in Atlanta, but he doesn’t mind too much.“I’m used to going to the Super Bowl, being with my boys, hanging out,” Gurley said. “But we actually get a chance to play in it this year, so it’s cool, man. It’s a great feeling. We’re all happy. I’m happy. It’s no better feeling than how we’re feeling right now.”The Rams (15-3) want Gurley to be more than a spectator against the New England Patriots, and they’ll probably need much more from the 2017 Offensive Player of the Year than he was able to provide in his unusually quiet NFC championship game.Gurley is not a boastful person in most public settings, but he is confident in his ability to finish the season with a bang. He also insists he doesn’t mind if C.J. Anderson or somebody else does his job, as long as the Rams are all getting rings.“We’re all going to have our downs, but you enjoy it even more when you do something great Will Grier Jersey , or you have that success,” Gurley said. “I know who I am. I’m comfortable with myself. I’m the best. I’m the best at my position. I’ve been that way all my whole life, so it’s like I’m going to keep striving. I know what I can do.”Nobody saw it in New Orleans, where Gurley made almost no impact on the Rams’ 26-23 overtime victory. The highest-paid running back in NFL history touched the ball only five times, albeit scoring a TD on one of those touches, rushing just four times and failing to catch two of the three passes intended for him.He was mostly a spectator down the stretch while watching Anderson, the veteran running back acquired by Los Angeles to fill in while Gurley missed the final two games of the regular season with a knee injury.Unlike some elite running backs, Gurley has repeatedly said he doesn’t care how many touches he gets as long as the Rams are winning. He appears to have a harmonious vibe with Anderson, who predicts a bounce-back performance by Gurley in the Super Bowl.He also still remembers the Rams’ miserable 4-12 season in 2016, when his ability was widely questioned. Being one part of a winning team is infinitely more appealing than being a star on a loser.“This whole game is bigger than me,” Gurley said. “It’s not just about me. Why is Todd not getting the ball? Why is that? Because there’s only one football and there’s 11 guys.”Still Christian Miller Jersey , Gurley is a major reason why the Rams were in position to reach the Super Bowl in the first place, thanks to his latest outstanding regular season. He finished third in the league with 1,251 yards rushing and racked up an NFL-best 21 touchdowns, excelling as a runner and a receiver for the second straight year in Sean McVay’s offense.But Gurley’s up-and-down form and usage since early December has been surprising and potentially troublesome for the Rams.Although he was effective as a receiver, Gurley managed just 76 combined yards rushing in his final two regular-season games in early December before sitting out the Rams’ last two games. He returned with a 115-yard rushing game against Dallas in the divisional playoff round, but Anderson put up 123 yards — and then Gurley barely factored in the Rams’ game plan in New Orleans.McVay has attempted to take the blame for this series of quiet performances by his franchise running back.“Any time that you have a player like Todd Gurley on your team, I’ve got to do a better job of getting him involved and getting him into the flow of the game,” McVay said this week, lamenting Gurley’s lack of touches against the Saints. “That’s something that I have to be accountable for.”But if McVay goes to Anderson early and often again in Atlanta, Gurley insists he won’t mind watching another Super Bowl.“You live for moments like that,” Gurley said. “But like I said Jordan Scarlett Jersey , you live, you learn. I don’t give a damn what I do (in the game), honestly. I just want to win, so I don’t really care. You always want to do good, but you just want to win.”