• Tony Stewart (toe) practiced. 
• Arman Shield (knee) tried to practice, but couldn’t. 
• John Bowie still out (knee). 
• Hiram Eugene out (hip). 
• Michael Huff (ankle), practiced, it bothered him, then sat out. 

• All the quarterbacks threw well today (against the wind). 

• Louis Rankin, Johnnie Lee Higgins, and Darren McFadden worked on returning kicks (Sunday). 

• DeAngelo Hall practiced with a protective cast on his right hand. 

•  Ricky Brown worked with the starting defense as expected. 

• Javon Walker, on one play, was not paying attention during team drills against the defense, looking back at the end zone behind him (not even in a full stance) when JaMarcus Russell initiated the play. Russell had to double pump the ball, hesitating,  because Walker was not ready and looked confused. Russell eventually threw Walker the ball, but looked extremely odd. It appeared like Walker was somewhere else on that play. Other than that, he had a good practice.

• Chaz Schilens caught a rifled pass from Marques Tuiasosopo in tight coverage.

• Coach Lane Kiffin gave praise to WR Todd Watkins and his abilities to make plays. 

• RB Louis Rankin unleashed a long run with a nice block from newly converted FB Marcel Reece. 

• TE Zack Miller made a one-handed catch from  Russell with safety Tyvon Branch on his hip.

• QB Andrew Walter threw an interception directly at Ricky Brown. The line drive pass was intended for Johnnie Lee Higgins who was 10 yards behind the coverage. It seemed that Higgins ran the wrong route. Afterwards, Higgins could be seen talking about the play to a fellow receiver.

• WR Drew Carter made a nice deep sideline grab with the defender trailing on the play. The play was even better because the defense had blitzed and the offensive line, which picked it up beautifully. However, Carter would drop the same type of pass a couple of plays later.

• CB Stanford Routt’s skills at defending has greatly improved by breaking up a couple of passes while staying right on the receiver’s hip (not giving him room to separate). 

• WR Ronald Curry had an up and down workout as he would catch and drop passes throughout.

• WR Todd Watkins went down low to haul in an Andrew Walter pass for a completion in tight coverage.

• Kicker Aaron Elling missed a 39 yard field goal (wide right) against the wind.

• After practice, the only two players getting more work in was Todd Watkins and Arman Shields. Watkins has been consistently putting in extra time and sweat after each practice since the last OTA’s and through training camp. This time, he was working on hand positioning with Arman and later catching line drive passes off the automatic ball machine.

In general, I thought the first units played pretty well. On defense, the Raiders pass defense was very good. Going on the last drive, the Titans sputtered all evening. Their two big runs in the first half displayed that the Raiders need to play better because they are over 5 yards, they do end up over 5 yards a carry at the half versus the first team. “So, that was the only disappointing thing there and that we didn’t force any turnovers the whole night,” said head coach Lane Kiffin during a conference call with the media on Saturday.

Now that the offensive line showed what it is capable of doing  against a strong defensive team, the up and down play of it’s receiving corps is thrust back into the forefront with veteran Javon Walker not being able to haul in a couple of passes. “There’s a couple of balls that we would have liked him to come up with so at the end of everything all that matters is that you take everything in and how do you perform after you do everything, how do you perform on game day,” said Kiffin.

The coach even referred back to last week’s game against the 49ers, citing problems there as well, “For him not make those plays or on our first game…you know there’s a fade that we throw to him that he can’t go up and get is discouraging because he was paid a whole lot of money and was paid like one of the top five receivers in the NFL for him to make those plays.”

In terms of second year receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins and his route running, consistency and understanding of the offense, “Johnnie just ran the wrong route…that was discouraging. That’s something that Johnnie did last year a lot in practices and why we weren’t able to trust him to play him that much in games,” said Kiffin although he plans to give him another go next week at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

Higgins will also get the nod to return kicks after his debacle near their own endzone that resulted in a fumble and a subsequent Titan recovery for a touchdown.

The receiving corps as a whole must do a much better job next week as they will undoubtedly be compared to the dynamic duo of receivers Arizona has(Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin), and potentially have their differences magnified. Two such players who look to be up to the comparison challenge are Chaz Schilens and Todd Watkins, despite the difference in experience and size.

Watkins has been the best target in training camp thus far and will undoubtedly look to show his former team just what they missed out on. Having been on the outside looking in back during his rookie year (2006), he was placed on the practice squad, mostly due to the crowded depth chart behind Fitzgerald and Boldin. Since then, Watkins has had time to hone his skills and become a receiver that a team can rely upon to come up with big the catches.

But the receiver of the night was without a doubt rookie Chaz Schilens; a tall target that opened a lot of eyes with his ability to go up and haul in passes in tight coverage. As Kiffin exalted, “He played the best of all our receivers last night including the front-running guys. It was good to see because he did not play well in the first game on offense or on special teams.” It will be exciting to see these pair of receivers put pressure on the incumbents and hopefully elevate their game. If not, then look forward to another difficult season at receiver. 

After a lackluster aerial performance in their first pre-season game, the Oakland Raiders decided last night to feature what could be their best pass-and-catch combo.

 The Silver & Black lost 17-16 in Nashville, but draft mates JaMarcus Russell and Zach Miller looked in sync as the Raiders showed a glimpse of what the duo can do.

 Miller navigated around the Titans coverage, Russell showed off his athleticism and big arm and all of the sudden, after a scoring drive in which both connected three times for 46-yards and a perfectly executed 10-yard touchdown play, things don’t look so bad in Oakland in terms of their passing game.

 Is there a lot of work yet to be done? Obviously, and the Raiders are still waiting on Javon Walker to produce and hope to get a dynamic weapon incorporated in the offense in Darren McFadden.

 As for Russell, feeling comfortable with Miller has been apparent since their arrival, and the rapport developed on the field will pay its dividends as both develop together.

 ”I figured that out from my first time playing,” Russell stated. “He has a knack for getting open. Once you put it in his vicinity, he’s going to catch it.”

 Miller’s blocking was surprisingly dependable in his rookie season. But now its time to get him involved in moving the ball down the field. And he’s ready for the task stating; “I hope to see that for years to come.”

 RUNNING RAIDERS

 Oakland continued their running barrage, piling up 224 yards at a 6.1-yard per carry rate.

 Last week, Louis Rankin’s performance and 72-yard scamper was surprising, displaying the depth of the Raider backfield after the expected trio of Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, who look to be the ball carriers that will get the most reps during the season.

 Adimchinobi Echemandu yesterday became the latest running back to come off the bench and provide a highlight reel run with his 71-yard outburst.

 Michael Bush got more work in, leading the Silver & Black with 14 carries last night and producing a productive 59 yards. Rookie Darren MacFadden continued to impress with a 7.3 yard per carry average on his 6 touches on the ground.

 SPECIAL TEAMS – Sebastian and Shane who?

 Aaron Elling had a solid showing going 3-for-3 on his field goal attempts, featuring a 56-yard boot at the end of the half.

 Recently signed punter Glenn Pakulak had six punts and averaged 47.7 yards on his attempts with a long of 71-yards.

 OH NO JOHNNIE LEE…

 A week after looking like the clear cut favorite to take over punt return duties with a stellar game versus the 49ers, Johnnie Lee Higgins demonstrated why his inconsistencies and decision making puzzle the Raiders. He fielded a punt in the 2^nd quarter on the 6-yard line, attempted to change direction several times with tight Titan coverage down the field and fumbled into the end zone leading to Tennessee’s first score last night.

The Oakland Raiders released linebacker Edgerton Hartwell yesterday during the fading hours of training camp.

Hartwell, 30, was looking to grab a spot on a linebacker unit that has no clear-cut starters after standouts Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard. The former Baltimore Raven and Atlanta Falcon has played only 13-games the last two years due to injuries to both knees and Achilles tendon.

In 2002, Hartwell became one of the better linebackers in the league, taking over in the middle for the then injured Ray Lewis and becoming a force versus the run.

Hartwell averaged well over 100 tackles per season as a Raven, but when he became a free agent, Atlanta lured him with a six-year contract totaling $26.25 million, which included an $8 million signing bonus. Injuries beset his career there and an attempt to revive his career in Cincinnati in 2007 with his former coach in Baltimore Marvin Lewis failed after they released him prior to even playing a single game for the Bengals.

Early in camp, he looked apprehensive working in a new system and never appeared sharp trying to regain his form of a few years back.

PAKULAK PUNTING FRIDAY FOR INJURED LECHLER

Before camp ended, the Raiders also announced the signing of punter Glenn Pakulak, due to the recent injury sustained by starter Shane Lechler.

Although not serious enough to jeopardize his chances of opening the season, Lechler could be sidelined up to 10 days with an aggravated quad muscle.

Aaron Elling will continue to handle the kickoff, field goal and extra point duties as Sebastian Janikowski was also ruled out for Friday’s pre-season game against the Tennessee Titans. 

The Oakland Raiders (1-0) traveled last season to Tennessee to face the Titans (1-0) and were defeated 13-9. This Friday, both teams will meet again for their second pre-season contest, marking the 10^th time both franchises have met prior to the regular season.

Lane Kiffin and Jeff Fisher will try to stretch their starters into the 2^nd quarter in hopes of getting them primed for their third contest of the pre-season, where they will get an entire half of dress rehearsal.

Oakland is coming off an 18-6 victory versus the 49ers, while the Titans started their pre-season with a 34-13 win against the St. Louis Rams.

 OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

After the explosive performance of the rushing attack last week, Oakland feels good about their situation in the backfield and the status of the offensive line in terms of their run blocking. And that will get better with time…

But the aerial game was put under the microscope this week and will surely be the emphasis against the Titans, as they try to get JaMarcus Russell and his targets in rhythm as the season approaches.

He will have Ronald Curry at his disposal on Friday, along with Javon Walker, who has gained momentum this week with some solid practices.

As for having more than five attempts in this game and seeing more action, Kiffin stated last weekend, “It wasn’t by design for [Russell] to have so few attempts, but we knew he was not going to play very much. He’ll play more next week, so he’ll throw more in general.”

What to expect:

Curry will start this week; Zach Miller will most likely be incorporated into the passing game a bit more and its time for Walker to show that he can get in sync with his new quarterback. Others like Chaz Schilens and Jonathan Holland will have to start showing they are worthy of remaining on this roster and possibly taking a job on a unit that is looking for depth. Arman Shields will sit out the game and at this point, he looks like a player that will either be headed to the injured reserved list or the practice squad.

 On Defense:

Ricky Brown is making a strong push for the job at strong side linebacker. He has competed mainly against Sam Williams and Robert Thomas, but with the addition of Adam Archuleta this week, things may get interesting.

Brown is adept playing in traffic, fighting through blockers and getting to the football due to his background as a kickoff and punt coverage specialist. And that is what Oakland is looking for at this point in trying to improve their run defense and stoutness within the front seven.

What to expect:

The addition of Archuleta will also help the secondary at this point, which is looking for bodies to field for these pre-season games. Oakland also added Nick Sanchez this week, an un-drafted free agent that will likely get a long look on Friday to compensate for the ailments of DeAngelo Hall, Tyvon Branch and others along the defensive backfield. When the Raiders pull their first team secondary on Friday, it will be interesting to see who is playing where in the secondary as they approach cut time looking to make decisions on who will be back-ups for Hall, Nnamdi Asomugha, Michael Huff and Gibril Wilson.

On Special Teams:

Last year during the pre-season, Johnnie Lee Higgins made a splash on punt returns, but then looked shaky in the regular season. This year, he started quickly with his explosive punt return for a touchdown against San Francisco. This week, Oakland hopes to get him looks as a kickoff returner, along with Jonathan Holland, as they are hoping someone steps forward and earns that spot with solid performances in games.

Oakland will be without the services of punter Shane Lechler (quadriceps). Aaron Elling is expected to handle kicks and punts versus the Titans.

TENNESSEE TITANS

On Offense:

Jeff Fisher and the Titans will love to pound away at the Raiders front seven, as they did last week against the Rams during their 340-yard rushing performance.

”The Raiders are big and stout,” Fisher said. ”They will bring pressure and it will be a great challenge for our offense.”

The first string offense of the Titans has looked good this week in practice, and with Vince Young looking to get in sync with his new targets, expect the former Texas quarterback to hook up early and often with tight ends Alge Crumpler and Bo Scaife.

On Defense & Special Teams:

Former Raider Chris Carr made some nice plays on defense during practices against Young, specifically recording an interception earlier in the week against the first team.

But he will also have to make some plays on special teams also to increase his chances of being an impact player for the Titans in 2008.”I think right now that is my role [returning kicks],” Carr said. ”I would like to help out the team in whatever way possible, and if they want me to return kicks then I will do it. If they need me to step in at any other position then I will be ready.’”

KEY MATCH-UPS

Oakland’s LT vs. Kyle Vanden Bosch

Russell is expected to play a half, and whoever is starting at left tackle will most likely have the assignment of protecting his blind side for the game’s first two quarters. But since Kwame Harris is out with a shoulder injury, Mario Henderson will likely get the nod; a player that has been outwardly critiqued by Kiffin and that has struggled mightily since camp started.

Raiders run defense vs. Titans ground game

This week, Rob Ryan’s bunch will face a team that is very good at running the football and that has a rookie that has made headlines. Chris Johnson dazzled teammates with his 66-yard run against the Rams and will get more touches this week against a team that will look to establish their presence in the line of scrimmage.

GAME TID BITS

• Cornerback Nick Harper (concussion), tight end Dwayne Blakely (groin), kicker Rob Bironas (groin) and linebacker Kurt Campbell (ribs) are some Titans with ailments. Jevon Kearse and tackle David Stewart were given rest this week by Fisher.
• John Bowie will sit out the game Friday.
• John Wade will start at center.
• The Raiders are not expected to give Darren McFadden opportunities to return kicks this pre-season.

PREDICTION

Sorry, not yet…

GAME INFO

Home Team: Tennessee Titans (1-0) Home: 1-0 Road: 0-0

Road Team: Oakland Raiders (1-0) Home: 1-0 Road: 0-0

When and Where: Friday, August 15, 2008, 5:00 pm PT | LP Field – Nashville, Tenn.

RADIO & TV:

This week’s game will be televised live on the FOX Television Network with Kenny Albert providing play-by-play and former NFL players Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa handling color commentary.  The game will air live in the Bay Area on KTVU Channel 2. The game would also air live in Sacramento on KXTL Channel 40. KSFO 560 AM is the Raiders flagship for the multi-state Raiders Radio Network. Greg Papa and former Raiders player, head coach and assistant Tom Flores will man the booth for the 12th straight year. (Broadcast information found on the official Raiders web site) 

• Wide receiver Jonathan Holland continued with his woes, dropping another toss his way. The bullet sideline pass came straight at him and he even got both hands up to make the catch. The ball somehow passed through both hands and hit him squarely in the facemask hard enough to hear the impact from across the field.
• The offensive line improved since yesterday’s horrible performance. The pass protection most notably got better.
• Javon Walker got behind defensive back Derrick Brown on a deep route, but the pass was underthrown and Brown was able to break up the play. Walker continued stringing along solid practices.
• Todd Watkins’ break on the pass route shook defensive back Derrick Brown to the turf, as  the camp stand-out successfully hauled in the sideline toss.
• Tackle “Super” Mario Henderson committed a false start, but was not penalized with laps.
• Derrick Burgess lined up offsides and was made to run laps.
• Javon Walker ran a lap, but unsure as to why. However, he didn’t run the entire way. He jogged some, he walked some, he slowed down, and generally took his time.
• Paul McQuistan spent some time at left tackle.
• Thomas Howard made a leaping interception on JaMarcus Russell.
• Jesse Boone and John Wade spent time at the center position.
• Nnamdi Asomugha was able to practice today on an injured right foot as well as corner mate DeAngelo Hall (hand).
  

At the SFGate web site, David White reported today that the Oakland Raiders released linebacker Malik Jackson and signed former Stanford cornerback Nick Sanchez.

 Per the article, Sanchez was expected to practice during today’s training camp session at the Napa facility.

 Sanchez is not expected to make a serious push for a roster spot, but the Silver & Black need some bodies in the secondary for pre-season action. With the arrival of Adam Archuleta – who will try to make his presence known as a linebacker – Jackson became disposable. And if Oakland does need to insert the former St. Louis Ram into the secondary due to Tyvon Branch’s injury and without risking any other casualties in the defensive backfield, they’ll be able to do so to get a better feel of how he functions in their scheme.

 This summer, Gibril Wilson, John Bowie, Michael Waddell, the recently released Greg Wesley, Jarrod Cooper, DeAngelo Hall and Nnamdi Asomugha have all missed time due to ailments.

 If Archuleta can gain the confidence of the coaches playing close to the line of scrimmage in run support and also give them a reliable back-up for their talented secondary, his versatility may be able to land him a job.

 In Jason Jones’ blog at Sacbee.com, Archuleta was quoted regarding his move to linebacker and making a squad at that position:

 ”It’s been in the back of my mind for a while,” Archuleta said. “I enjoy playing in the box and that’s what gets me jazzed so I decided I was going to try to make a run at linebacker.”

UPDATE — Per SB Report journalist DeMarcus Davis, Sanchez recorded an interception during 7-on-7 drills today in camp.

Greg Wesley, who stated in May that, “he was done,” with the Kansas City Chiefs, is now done with the Oakland Raiders.

 The 30-year old safety that signed with the Silver & Black in July attempted to compete for a back-up spot, but his inability to get on the practice field, conditioning and the availability of Adam Archuleta made him expendable.

 Archuleta’s signing was posted on the official Raiders web site today, and terms of the contract are reportedly the same as the safety that he will be replacing.

 Should Archuleta make the 53-man roster, he will stand to make $730,000.

 During a media session earlier today, head coach Lane Kiffin stated about Wesley’s status, “I don’t know that yet. He did move around well today.”

 Upon arriving to Oakland, Wesley raved about the direction of the team and commented on why he stayed in the AFC West. “With some of the transactions they made this year. Some of the players they got coming back. I feel that they will be a pretty good team this year.”

 As for Archuleta, the Raiders may take a look at him at strong side linebacker, a position they’ve been trying to solidify the last few seasons after finding stand outs Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard in back-to-back drafts. 

 Oakland has used the often-injured Sam Williams and spot starter Robert Thomas in recent years at that position. This summer, special teams ace Ricky Brown has made a push atop the depth chart, but it is uncertain whether or not they will hand over the job to the inexperienced defender.

 Archuleta played linebacker in college, but has spent the majority of his pro career at safety while at St. Louis, Washington and Chicago.

 He played well under Lovie Smith in his early years as a Ram, and in 2005, he was a sought after free agent, eventually signing with Washington, for one of the richest deals ever given to a safety at that time (6-years for $30 million with a $10 million bonus).

 The Redskins traded Archuleta to Chicago after one campaign - reuniting him with Smith - for a sixth round draft choice. But after an uneventful and disappointing season in 2007 in which he started 10 of the first 11 games of the season prior to injuring his hand, the Bears released him.

 Archuleta has started 86 of his 103 contests since entering the NFL as the 20^th overall selection in the 2001 draft, compiling 423 solo tackles and four interceptions.

 He is known to be a solid tackler, but his struggles in coverage have been his downfall in recent years. At 5’11” and 215 pounds, it will be interesting to see how Archuleta plays in alignments where he is close to the line of scrimmage in run support and where he wont be asked to be the last line of defense in pass coverage down the field.

Some of the most notable performances from the Oakland Raiders first pre-season contest came from their fleet of talented rushers. Here is a look at the ball carriers that helped maul the San Francisco 49ers during their 18-6 victory at the McAfee Coliseum:

Darren McFadden – His first play was a 4-yard run in the 1st quarter, followed by a 3-yard scamper that set up a 3rd and 3 that Oakland eventually converted. On that same drive, he carried the football for a 5-yard gain, a 6-yard run on 3rd and 1 and another 6-yard dash as the drive ultimately ended at the 49er 49-yard line, partly due to a crucial hold on Justin Griffith once the Raiders entered San Francisco territory. Of note, most of the runs by McFadden were directed to the right side of the offensive line.

The rookie first rounder showed a glimpse of great things to come. He is still not fully immersed in the playbook, and Oakland has not yet shown the variety of plays they have lined up for him either as a main target or decoy. And that alone should be very exciting to look forward to.

Michael Bush – Lane Kiffin wants him to be a workhorse and a short yardage menace. His first opportunity came on a 3rd and 2 in the 2nd quarter and he was able to gain 7-yards on the conversion. On a 3rd and 2 in the 3rd quarter, he picked up 6-yards and ultimately, that drive ended with a 5-yard scoring run on 4th and 1 by Bush, which gave the Raiders a 15-3 lead.

After not seeing football action for the majority of his final season in college and all of 2007 as a rookie, seeing the second year pro on the field and pounding away at the line of scrimmage must have been pleasing to the Raider coaching staff.

Louis Rankin – The un-drafted free agent continued his solid summer with a 72-yard run. The depth and talent of the Raiders backfield will draw attention from other teams. As Oakland decides which players to hold on to, other clubs will keep an eye of what ball carriers will be let go that could help boost their own units.

Justin Fargas – He was the starter tonight, and will be when the regular season opens. He ripped an 11-yard gain on the Raiders first ground attack and ended with 25-yards on 5-carries. He is fully healed and appears ready to put together another solid season in Silver & Black.

Overall, the Raiders rushed for 248 yards. And with a offensive line that has a lot of work to do in terms of their pass protection, a young quarterback that is still in the early stages of development, and a team looking to improve its offense, the copious amount of yards produced tonight are positive signs going forward in their effort to enrich what was an already very good ground game in 2007.

Johnnie Lee Higgins knew coming into the pre-season that he will have a shot to redeem himself from a shaky first season returning punts.

With the loss of Chris Carr, the Oakland Raiders (1-0) pegged the slim receiver as the main punt returner in 2008 and in his first game action; Higgins delivered the first score of Friday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers (0-1), returning an Andy Lee punt 53-yards for a touchdown in the 2^nd quarter.

That set the tone to an evening in which the Silver & Black forced four turnovers and beat their bay area rivals 18-6 in front of the ‘Black Hole.’

Alex Smith, who is in a three-way battle at quarterback for the 49ers, drove his team 59-yards on 10-plays as the first half wound down to give his team some life. Joe Nedney booted a 22-yard field goal and the Raiders went into halftime with a slim 7-3 lead.

But the Raiders opened up the 2^nd half with an efficient 13-play, 75-yard drive, led by Andrew Walter, who appears to be the clear favorite to back-up the starter JaMarcus Russell.

Walter completed his first five passes, highlighted by a 19-yard toss to wide receiver Todd Watkins to open the scoring drive. Watkins has been one of the better players in camp this summer, and he continued to display to coaches that he is deserving of a roster spot with his 3 receptions for 39 yards tonight.

Michael Bush capped off the opening drive of the second half with 5-yard run into paydirt on a 4^th and 1 to give the Silver & Black a 15-3.

The Raiders added an Aaron Elling 23-yard field goal in the 4^th quarter to make it 18-3.

GAME NOTES:

• The Raiders compiled 248 yards rushing, led by rookie Louis Rankin’s 91-yards.
• San Francisco converted just two out of their eleven third down attempts and were unsuccessful on both of their 4th down conversions.
• Andrew Walter was 10/12 for 82-yard passing.
• Stanford Routt and Hiram Eugene recorded both Raider interceptions.
• Chris Johnson did a solid job on kick returns, amassing 43-yards on two returns.