NFL notes: Oakland Raiders find success with young core

The Oakland Raiders have spent most of the past decade searching for big-play options at quarterback, running back and receiver.

Three weeks into this season, it looks as if they have finally found them in Derek Carr, Latavius Murray and Amari Cooper. The three are home-grown emerging stars who have quickly gone from unproven draft picks to possible foundation pieces for the rebuilding franchise.

With Carr and Cooper developing into a dynamic passing duo and Murray’s game-breaking speed as a runner, the Raiders (2-1) are off to their best start in four years.

“It’s an exciting thing,” Carr said. “We set a standard of what we want to be, and we’re not even close yet. We have so much more to do, but we have the blueprint laid out for us. We’ve seen it work these last two weeks. We just have to continue.”

After a lopsided loss to open the season, the Raiders gave notice that they could be in for a turnaround this season when Carr engineered a late touchdown drive to upset Baltimore at home in Week 2. A deep touchdown pass to Cooper started the offensive breakthrough that game and it just continued last week against Cleveland.

Carr threw for 314 yards for his second straight 300-yard passing game, Cooper had 134 yards receiving and Murray ran for 139 yards as Oakland won back-to-back games for the first time in three years.

It was the most combined yards passing, rushing and receiving by a trio of players 25 and younger in NFL history. The Raiders became just the 11th team to have players so young reach 300 yards passing, 100 yards receiving and 100 yards rushing in a single game, according to FootballPerspective.com.

“That little stat we had was pretty cool,” Murray said. “I think there’s so much room for improvement. Needless to say it’s exciting going forward because I think we’re just scratching the surface.”

Carr has built on an up-and-down rookie season to play his best football yet the past two weeks. Murray, after sitting out the first year and a half of his career, is showing that his late-season spark last season was no fluke.

Police file no charges against Saints’ Jordan

Police say they’ve concluded an investigation of a night club incident involving New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan and do not plan to file any charges “at this time.”

New Orleans Police spokesman Tyler Gamble says detectives have forwarded their findings to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office for review.In early September, police released a report in which a woman stated that Jordan patted her on the backside and later lifted her boyfriend off his feet when he confronted the player in a bathroom. The couple also said Jordan sprayed them with champagne after the confrontation.

The NFL is looking into whether Jordan violated the league’s code of conduct.

Jordan has started the Saints’ first three games, recording one sack. He missed Wednesday’s practice with a back injury.

League monitors Washington forecast

The NFL is keeping tabs on the potential for heavy rain that could affect the Philadelphia Eagles’ game at the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

Steady rain drenched much of the East Coast on Wednesday, and it could get stronger in the coming days.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league is “closely monitoring the forecast and speaking with both teams.”

Around the league

Saints coach Sean Payton said it’s “safe to say” Drew Brees is going to throw at every practice this week as the quarterback attempts to come back from a right shoulder injury. Brees sat out last Sunday. It was the first start Brees had missed because of an injury in his NFL career. … The return of New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz seemingly is on hold. Coach Tom Coughlin said that Cruz was unable to practice after feeling some discomfort in his calf. Cruz participated in some individual drills, but he had to shut it down before the team phase of practice. … The Saints traded DT Akiem Hicks to the New England Patriots for TE Michael Hoomanawanui. Hicks’ agent, Frank Murtha, has confirmed the trade. … The Kansas City Chiefs got Sean Smith back from his three-game suspension and found out that fellow CB Phillip Gaines will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Smith was suspended for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy after getting arrested last year for drunken driving. Gaines had been playing in his place until Monday night in Green Bay, when he tore his ACL while defending a pass in the end zone.