>> we will introduce you to three of the stars of a national championship team that had to overcome some long odds.

good morning, everyone, welcome to the mercedes benz sports weekend. mark, i think we pick it up with the raiders. the thing that you have to say about the raiders, every hurdle they have been asked to clear as the bar continues to rise, they meet it and maybe even exceed it >> i don't think there is if he question that the tone was set in new orleans >> late effort challenge was monday night, technically, a home game. 100 thousand plus at the stadium, but i think we found out that the raiders travel

well. >> no doubt about t but when you take all of the adversity to comes with a trip like this. they were red hot. they came off a nationally televised victory and pack everybody up, not knowing what to expect and pull off another one of grate wins. it's plain where the franchise is going. >> they didn't have much running game. they go to their games out of the back field. raiders scored a couple of fourth quarter touchdowns. 27-20 was the final score as the raiders were able to run out the clock. as you would expect, it was a very excited raider locker room afterwards. >> came down here to mexico, took care of business. >> full of grit. we all know.

no excuses. we know we can play better than that, but guess what? we are 8-2 right now. >> how many times since 2002, when the raiders were in the superbowl have we seen those kinds of games go, time after time the other way? it was getting old and it turned the entire culture around >> now, the next challenge is the team that last year was the best team in the nfc. >> cam newton has it his ups and downs >> we are looking at their second game of the season, the one where they beat the 49ers, newton in that game, four touchdown passes, one interception.

he is second on their team in rushing 268-yards, not a huge number, but he has four touchdowns. the raiders know when they face this guy, they are facing a guy that is very unique when it comes to nfl quarterbacks. >> obviously, they are not a 4- 6 team as their record indicates. our focus is strictly on beating carolina. it will be a tough task. because they are a couple -- 10 months out from playing in the superbowl. >> obviously, they are we'rey of what the carolina panthers bring to town. cam newton and company have underachieved. no doubt about at the present time i think we can change the subject and talk about the 49ers a little bit. it's almost unbelievable to me that we are at a point where

they could lose 10 in a row. we are talking about possible coaching changes. >> people are asking chip kelly about job security. >> it's kind of like where do you start. is the general manager going 0 be the person that pays the price for this? all of the things we heard about. chip kelly offense, is it a matter of he doesn't have the tools or the players? have you seen anything that sparks you saying it is some jean some genius moves. >>

>> got to giver chip some credit there. he was trying to take it with good humor we have six weeks away from the end of the season and he is getting questioned about that. that's >> one of the biggest problems for the 49ers is stopping the run game. >> last five games, he has averaged 137-yards per game. he didn't even start until week 6. how about these for numbers. 204 rushing, 214 rushing in his

first two weeks. that has been a big problem for the 49ers, who eight of nine weeks have allowed an aposing r runningback to rush. >> still to come on the mercedes benz sports weekend, we'll visit with someone that took in the raider experience in mexico city. we'll talk about everything from whether or not the nfl will be back to what the league can do about laser pointers in the stands. >> let me tell you, joe, a couple of weeks ago, i had a chance to go to a napa valley film festival and see a documentary that blue blew me away. i'll tell you all about that when we come back with mother on the mercedes benz sports weekend.

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tonight is jimmy duckerren who works for the bay area fews group. you must have had a good time, you were tweeting social media crazy >> absolutely, getting out, exploring the city a little bit. driving into the as techa stadium, a fun place to see. a little challenging to get around, challenging for the players, challenging for everybody >> it's huge, number one. i know the nfl wants to expand

their game. they have been playing three games in london. do you anticipate they will be back in mexico city? >> there were some issues, number one that comes to mind, the laser pointer, they never could figure out woe was doing that. >> what do you see in terms of the future? >> if you look at this picture, you can see the laser, i clearly said it annoyed him. >> he was wondering what it was after the game. i think the nfl would like to be able to go back to mexico there is talk o trying the game in monterrey, mexico. as for mexico city, i think they will go back there. they have some issues to work out, some logistics. the locker room, having to walk so far up hill gets the players winded >> reporter: speaking of

winded, did you notice the elevation? after the game, how much did the players really focus on how much that bothered them, the elevation >> you noticed it, there is no elevation in that place, you were walking up stairs it was tough to deal with. any time anyone went down with an injury, they stayed down. they had to take a few players off. it was certainly a factor. that elevation is no joke >> reporter: i thought it was interesting that neither team decided to go there instead of a day ahead to get aclimb ated. what about -- we talked about the raiders and how well they played on the road. it was a road game? >> they are unbelievable. 6-0 away from the cars see up. it may have felt somewhat like a home game with the crowd it

was definitely a road game when are you traveling that far. >> a neutral site game like that, were there more raider fans there? which team really had the home field advantage? >> it was 70%. even the ones that were not in raider jerseys, it seems like they assimilated in, let's root for the raiders. it had all of the graphics and sound tracks they use at raider home games it was definitely a raider crowd. >> reporter: how about just the team as we talk about things happening on the field to them. we talked about how jack has gained the confidence of his players billeting them go for the two point conversion. how do you see him in terms of the landscape of the league? they are talking about him as coach of the year

>> him and jason garrett of the cowboys. his team is doing so well and that's what is usually leads to them being coach of the year. . he is setting the tone for the season, letting them be aggressive and letting them win games >> reporter: i love how spontaneous he is. when i say spontaneous, didn't that draw up a play on the fly in the fourth quarter that was actually a key play? >> yeah, they absolutely did. earlier in the game, there was a play where the linebacker was lined up on him and he knew he could take him. that wasn't the play call. he goes and takes it the coach on the sidelines, they go it to it, draw it up, huge 1st down that allowed them to run out

the clock. it shows they trust the players anded coaching staff to make the right call we are seeing emergence on the national stage, carr. he started every game of his professional career. in year three, you start to tell what you have as a qb, it is said. if that's true, this guy is starting to be recognized nationally >> actually. he has joined the cover of e-s- p-n, the magazine. he is the highest ratest passer in the fourth quarter, best touchdown to interception ratio. last year, he threw seven interceptions it was a good year, but he wasn't making the plays in the fourth quarter that he is, now. he is captain comeback for them >> reporter: the raiders have had four comebacks, which has helped them in the win column, but it has lead to skepticism

around the rest of the nfl. there are people that say paper tiger, winning by the skin of their teeth, every week, jimmy, we have a segment we like to throw at you, it's called the blunt force question, designed to make you squirrel a little bit. raiders got enough to go to the superbowl? >> i think they do. it's going to be a challenge to beat a team like new england, right now, they have the y: one spot in the afc, so it would be at the coliseum. i don't know if they would be able to stop the patriots offense, but they would be able to score on them. >> we appreciate you stopping in to talk with us. jimmy -- as we continue on the mercedes benz sports weekend, we are excited to share this story with you, not only because they are national champs becomes what they have overcome in life to bring a positive attitude to everything they do. mercedes benz sports weekend

continues, right after this. afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road. healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever i choose. the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me.

>> we welcome you back to the mercedes benz sports weekend. i got a chance to go to the napa valley film festival and saw a documentary. i had to engage with these guys. it's my pleasure to bring you more of their story. >> all the way, >> it's not so much a sports story as it is a human story, but basketball on wheels, serving as the vehicle that takes us to a very human place, the struggle we all face in one way or another. adversity in life and the search to find the tools and inspiration to overcome. >> everything was good u i wendt to a university, taking engineering. i left my house and was

approached by guys that shot me. >> anything is possible, when going against the odds. my mom never babied me. my brothers never babied me. if you fall, get up on your own. the only thing is it will do is make you stronger. >> reporter: there are many ways to not only get to a place of acceptance, but to a zone where can thrive after suffering some of life's cruelest blows. meet three men that have climbed that precedence. jerry thomas, was born with cerebral palsy. he is not only the star of the miami wheels "wb" basketball team, but the owner of a recording studio and a rap performers.

>> reporter: it doesn't take long before one get as feel for his spirit. >> in a wheelchair, being in a wheelchair is my life. i'm not different to anyone. i'm me. >> it takes proof that we are champions, okay? give me five. >> i didn't really have any wheelchair friends. i had abe body friends, when i started to play wheelchair basketball, hey -- >> mario more ran who grew up in a rough new jersey neighborhood and suffered a life altering jury threw a shooting and through a spinal chord support group. he discovered the miami heat we wills and it lead to a complete

change in his life's path. >> i had alot of family, alot of people that never believed in me and i stopped thinking bad for myself and i didn't need approval from anybody. i just started taking action that i wanted to become somebody, somebody that i could be at peace with myself. >> reporter: orlando, survived a series of life changing surgeries, following a gunshot wound sustained in a kidnapping. it left him permanently disabled, but he continues his college education and pursuit of higher learning, in and off the court. >> i knew i wasn't going to

give up it was going to be tough, but i'm in a situation where nothing can stop me. >> all three are featured in the documentary film called "rebounded" shown at the recent napa valley film festival. when the multitalented trio took the stage to address hundreds of middle and high school age kids that would watch the film, they were greeted like rock stars. parents, you know how hard it is to get and keep the attention of guys that age these guys did it. it's as true in life as it is in basketball. it's all about how you rebounded. >> all right, once again, the name of the film is "the rebounded" you can stream it online and i vowed, never to feel sorry for yourself after

seeing what those guys have been through >> those guys are incredible. glad you did the story when we come back, we'll show you how the bay area sports teams have embraced season of giving. we'll be right back. (my hero zero by lemonheads)

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our mercedes benz game changer. 58 seconds left to play. conservative coach might punt, jack goes for it, murray doesn't just pick up the yard, he gets six. the raiders ran out the clock to ice their 27-20 win. >> close game to me, after the game, great job for you guys on the fourth. i toll him, thank you for believing in us. thank you for calling and believing in us. you are thanking me, we are thanking you. >> we love the call, we love wins. he put the balls in our hands >> why not go for it when you have guys believing in you >> just another thing where they built the thing continued throughout the season. this is the holiday season, bay area teams have gotten into the spirit as far as the raiders are concerned offensive linemen served turkey to families in need. donald penn was interesting this week talking about it, saying "i mentioned it to the

guys one time and they said "we are all in." >> warriors, great, they gave away 500 turkeys at a local church in oakland. sharks in the act. >> sharks gave meals to 120 underserved members of the community in east san jose. so, as is there custom, local teams, we have alot of them and they always reach out to the community. >> nice way to cap off your holiday weekend. 49ers, dolphins, all of the post-game stuff. i hope we are intuit ising here talking about a 10th consecutive defeat? >> 49ers have never lost 10 in a row. >> continued success to the raiders, warriors and all of you, thanks for watching, everybody, we'll see you, next time.

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