Silver and Black Report

OAKLAND, CA — Oakland showed that it was not going to allow the Bengals to run on them from the outset. With the Bengals going on offense first, the Raiders looked stout against the Bengals’ run attack. Even Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha got in on the action with a 5-yard loss of a tackle. But that would be the only thing the Raiders could stop on the opening drive. Cincinnati would gash the Raiders for 23-yards, 32-yards, and 21-yards. Cincy QB Carson Palmer would punctuate the drive with a 1-yard dive to put is team up 7-0.

Oakland would get it’s shot at playing offense, but after a couple of modest runs and an incomplete pass, they were forced to punt the ball away. The Raiders would catch a break when Carson Palmer was sacked and fumbled by safety Tyvon Branch. The ball was initially scooped up by Raider LB Kirk Morrison, but he too was stripped while carrying the ball carelessly. Thankfully, Raider CB Chris Johnson shoved a would-be recovering Bengal out of the way to allow a fellow Raider recover it instead. Oakland QB Bruce Gradkowski would fumble the snap (more like a botched snap by the center, but the QB gets the credit for the fumble). The Bengals would recover the ball.

In the fist Cincinnati drive, they beat the Raiders defense with the pass. This next drive, the Bengals would beat the Raiders’ defense on the ground with a series of 15, 11, 10, 9, and 6 yard runs culminating in a 1-yard rushing touchdown by QB Carson Palmer to extend their lead to 14-0.

Oakland showed some resilience with Gradkowski under center; managing a drive of his own. WR Chad Schilens kicked off the drive with a 25-yard reception. That play would be followed up by a combination of smart running by Darren McFadden for 9-yards and Justin Fargas for 12-yards. Gradkowski would then find an open Zach Miller in the endzone for a touchdown to bring Oakland to within 7-points with the score of 14-7.

After Oakland forced the Bengals to punt on their following offensive drive, Gradkowski would put his team into field goal range, but not without TE Zach Miller being the beneficiary of a 19-yard pass from Gradkowski. Unfortunately, Jano missed he field goal (wide left). The moment prior to the attempt, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis called a time out to ice Jano. Jano had kicked it anyway and the ball was wide right. And that’s how the half would come to an end; with a score of 14-7.

In the third quarter, Oakland would receive the ball first and would see Janikowski successfully kick a 52-yard field goal following a balanced attack of runs and passes. Even WR Darrius Heyward-Bey got in on the reception party with a 7-yard catch. Jano’s field goal made the game 14-10.

The Bengals mustered a drive of their own to get their kicker into field goal range since they could not get into the endzone, but to the Raiders delight, their kicker missed a chip-shot of a 37-yard attempt to keep the Raiders hanging around.

The Raiders would give the ball right back however, after Raider running back Michael Bush fumbled the all and Cincy ran the ball back 38-yards to the Raiders’ 13-yard line. The Raider defense flexed it’s muscle by keeping the Bengals from scoring a touchdown. This time, Cincy kicker Shayne Graham would not miss from 25-yards out as the Bengals got a tad bit of breathing room with a 17-10 lead with 3:29 left in the third quarter.

The two teams defenses would trade offensive stops; playing the game of field position by forcing each other to punt up until 2:12 to go in the 4th quarter.

The veteran savvy of QB Gradkowski would rise to the occasion as he lead his offense 80-yards in a classic two-minute drill; a pass to McFadden for 6 yards, Miller for 19 yards, Miller again for 9 yards, a 1-yard run from McFadden, Schilens for 16 yards, and then finally…a great 29-yard pass and leg-churning run after the catch to WR Louis Murphy who willed himself into the endzone with a lone defender trying desperately to keep him out for the 17-17 tie (with the subsequent PAT).

On the subsequent kick off with 33 seconds left on the game clock, Raiders special teams would hit the Bengals returner and cause a fumble. Oakland quickly jumped on the ball to recover it on the Bengals’ 17-yard line.

The Raiders, now in the driver’s seat with the ball on the Bengals’ 17 yard line and with 19 seconds left on the game clock. Cincy would use all of it’s remaining timeouts to stop the clock each time the Raiders would take down the ball. Sebastian Janikowski would kick the 33-yard game winning field goal with 15 seconds left on the clock for a score of 20-17 Raiders.

After a minimal kick off return, Bengals’ QB Carson Palmer would throw a Hail Mary, but to only have it intercepted by CB Nnamdi Asomugha to end the game, keeping their home game dominance over the Cincinnati Bengals.

*It should also be noted that Chad Ochocinco was rendered relatively inefective. 4-for-67 yards. Earlier in the week, Ochocinco was quoted as saying to Contra Costa Times Writer Jerry McDonald, “Oh, man, I’m just coming to give the Black Hole the best show they’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if they’ve really had much to look forward to this year but, man, we’re coming to town. It will for damned sure be a circus.” Ocho DID give the Black Hole the best show they’ve seen…at least since the Eagles game, by losing to the Raiders and shutting down Chad…and his mouth. Then on his Twitter page, he tweeted a post saying, “I’m scoring touchdowns for my man Ryan Hall’s fantasy team this weekend.” Gee…that worked out well for him.