st at MCG in ODIs and joint third-highest for Australia against

HOUSTON -- The easiest thing to do is to acknowledge the rising star power featured by the Oakland Raiders and acknowledge its role in landing atop the AFC West.There is no denying that quarterback Derek Carr, receiver Amari Cooper, and defensive end Khalil Mack are integral to the Raiders foundation. Oakland (7-2) emerges from its bye week on a three-game winning streak set to face the AFC South-leading Houston Texans (6-3) on Monday night in Mexico Citys Estadio Azteca.The Raiders recent collection of early-round draft picks have emerged ahead of schedule and have matched expectations relative to their individual talents. But the Raiders have become the talk of the NFL thanks in no small measure to their depth, and a number of their rotation players were serendipitous discoveries.The Raiders feature 19 undrafted players on their current roster and those players have combined to start 29 games this season.Behind Carr, Cooper (58 receptions for 843 yards and two touchdowns) and receiver Michael Crabtree (49 receptions for 596 yards and six touchdowns), Oakland ranks sixth in the NFL in passing offense at 278.3 yards per game. The Raiders are even better in pass protection, pacing the league with Carr operating behind an offense line showcasing undrafted tackles Donald Penn and Austin Howard.While Penn has started all nine games this season, Howard has made five starts at right tackle. Toss in undrafted rookie guard Denver Kirkland, who has made four starts as an extra lineman, and the Raiders have parlayed line stability into success.The number of (undrafted players) that made our team jumps out, Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said. For us, its been a process. Its not like all of a sudden we look up and were shocked by it because weve been working with these guys and developing these guys and theyve been giving great energy and effort every day.What is vital to the Raiders is maintaining the momentum theyve cultivated winning six of seven games. Their success has generated conversation throughout the league, and how the Raiders handle their lofty status atop the division will be revealed in how they perform against the Texans after their scheduled break.Weve just got to get back in the swing of things and keep our same focus, Raiders defensive tackle Dan Williams said. Right now, were in good position to achieve our first goal, which is to win the West. I think everybody has the same focus. Weve definitely matured from a year ago and I think were going to get back where we left off.Penn said, Things are coming together. I cant wait to see where its going to go.The Texans removed one monkey from their collective backs by winning on the road for the first time this season, outlasting the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Sunday.What should galvanize the Texans was the performance of their rushing offense against the Jaguars.Before the break, Houston posted just 105 rushing yards against Detroit, its third-lowest total this season. The Texans rebounded for a season-best 181 rushing yards in Jacksonville to offset another subpar effort from quarterback Brock Osweiler and provide hope for an uneven offense moving forward.I think its good, Texans coach Bill OBrien said of the running game. I think theres always things we can improve, but we ran for 180 last game and ran it pretty good against Detroit, so I think its been good.But every weeks different. This is a very, very stout defense. Theyve got big guys inside, good guys on the edge and fast, athletic guys on the inside at linebacker, so its going to be a different challenge.Mack has been a terror in the past four weeks, producing 18 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. In a 15-12 Raiders win over the Denver Broncos last season, Mack sacked Osweiler five times.Taking that exceptional individual performance into account, Osweiler and the Texans will have a keen eye on Mack.Its very important, Osweiler said. You know, any time you play against a player like Khalil Mack, you need to respect what he brings to the table and you need to have answers for what he brings to the table.Were very fortunate to have a phenomenal offensive coaching staff here, led by (offensive coordinator George) Godsey and Coach OBrien. Im sure theyll have answers for him. But without a question, we are well aware of what Khalil Macks capable of doing -- obviously I experienced it firsthand last year -- and we will have answers for him. Boomer Esiason Youth Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Cincinnati Bengals Jerseys . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengals-Germaine-Pratt-Jersey/ . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Andy Dalton Youth Jersey . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Michael Jordan Womens Jersey . "Four now," Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. 7 Number of ODI centuries for David Warner in 2016 - the joint second-highest in a calendar year. Only Sachin Tendulkar, who hit nine in 1998, has more. Sourav Ganguly also scored seven centuries in 2000. However, both Tendulkar and Ganguly played more than 30 innings, compared to Warner who has only played 23 innings. This is Australias last ODI of the year.59.09 Percentage of Australias runs scored by Warner in this innings - 156 out of 264 - the second highest for Australia. The highest is 60.73%, by Damien Martyn (116* out of 191) against New Zealand in Auckland in 2000. Warners 58.44% in October in Cape Town, where he made 173 out of 296, is third on the list. Australias total of 264 is the second lowest to include a 150-plus score, behind Indias 261 against New Zealand in 1999, when Ganguly made an unbeaten 153.595 Runs scored by Warner in his last six ODI innings - the second most in six consecutive innings. Kohli had made 617 in six innings in 2012. Kohlis scores were: 21, 133*, 108, 66, 183 and 106. Warners scores are: 117, 6, 173, 24, 119 and 156.7 Instances of an Australian batsman outscoring the opposition team in an ODI (in matches excluding the Associate teams). The last such instance before today was in August 2008, when both Michael Hussey (85) and Shaun Marsh (76) scored more than Bangladeshs total score (74 all out) in an ODI in Darwin. In todays game Warner scored nine more runs than New Zealands total; the highest such difference for Australia is 38, when Matthew Hayden scored 146 and Pakisan replied with 108, in Nairobi in 2002.* Excludes matches involving Associate teams 1 Higher aggregates in a year with an average of more than 50 and a strike rate of more than 100 than Warners 1388 in 2016. He scored these runs at an average of 63.09 and a strike rate of 105.47. Tendulkar had scored 1894 runs in 1998 at an average of 65.31 and a strike rate of 102.15. De Villiers had scored 1193 runs at 79.53 and 137.91 last year. Warners aggregate is the fourth highest by an Australian batsman in a year..dddddddddddd4 Centuries for Warner in his last six innings. Zaheer Abbas, de Villiers, Kohli, Hashim Amla, Kumar Sangakkara and Quinton de Kock (twice) are the other batsmen to score four centuries in six or fewer consecutive innings. Before this year, Warner had made only four centuries in 63 innings.1 Warner became the first Australia batsman to score centuries in consecutive ODI innings on more than one occasion. Warner s first two centuries came in consecutive innings, in the first two finals of the 2012 CB series against Sri Lanka. Dean Jones, Geoff Marsh, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson did it once each for Australia.4 Number of scores of 150 or more for Warner in ODIs - the joint second most. Only Tendulkar (five) has more such scores than Warner while Sanath Jayasuriya, Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma also made four 150-plus scores. No other Australia batsman has more than two 150s.2013 Last time New Zealand were whitewashed in a bilateral ODI series of three or more matches before this series. They lost to Bangladesh 3-0 then. The only other whitewash against Australia in a series of three or more matches was in 2004-05 in a five-match series at home. New Zealand averaged only 22.16 runs per wicket in this series compared to the hosts average of 46.299 Runs scored by Warner in this series - the most by an Australia batsman in a bilateral series of three or fewer matches and sixth for any team. He went past Watsons 294 against Bangladesh in 2011. Warners 156-ball innings is the fourth-higheNew Zealand.128 Balls faced by Warner for his 156 runs, the third lowest for an opener batting through a 50-over innings. Warner was run out off the final ball of the innings. The lowest is 126 balls, by Amla against Pakistan in 2010. Marvan Atapattu faced 127 against South Africa in the