Silver and Black Report

QUARTERBACK — C+

JaMarcus Russell followed up his solid outing in Denver with an up-and-down performance at home. At times, he looked in full control of the offense and showed off his stellar arm with nice tosses. On play action in the first half, he executed a nice 28-yard pass on a corner route to Miller and he repeated his accuracy with a 21-yard toss to his tight end on a crossing pattern. Other times, he overthrew Ronald Curry on what could’ve been a score on 4^th and 3 in the 2^nd quarter and was not able to connect with his targets. Johnnie Lee Higgins could’ve adjusted on one seam pattern that should’ve led to a score and Miller dropped a big gainer after a big hit. It was good to see him use his legs more and take off on a couple big runs.

RUNNING BACKS — C-

More is expected out of this bunch. And today, they didn’t provide the Raiders the support needed to beat a team that is 31^st in the league at stopping the run. Justin Fargas had 18 carries for 82 yards and his first touchdown of the season, but his fumble in the 4^th quarter, on Oakland’s first play after the Chiefs took a 17-10 lead was a back-breaker that put them behind 10-points. Darren McFadden was used again in varying packages, but Oakland still has to find a way to get him more touches during a game. He again drew a pass interference call and was incorporated into the passing attack with 50 yards receiving on 3 grabs. As a flanker he hauled in a 13-yard slant and on a 3^rd and 7, was wide open on a seam pattern for 20 yards.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS — D-

Oakland gets nothing from this bunch and this has contributed to Russell’s inability to put up better numbers or perform up to his abilities. Higgins should’ve been aware of the coverage and ran a post pattern for Russell on one route in the 1^st half. Ashley Lelie was non-existent after his best performance as a Raider last week and the only receiver to record a catch was Ronald Curry, who ended with that lone reception for 0 yards (he flipped that toss to McFadden on a hook and lateral play on their opening drive).

OFFENSIVE LINE — C+

They were average at best. Kwame Harris was not a turnstile today, but he did get flagged twice – once for holding at the end of the 1^st half and a false start as the game wound down. Raiders have not been as physical along the interior since Jake Grove’s injury and 132 yards rushing today were highly disappointing after compiling 300 yards against this opponent in their first meeting.

DEFENSIVE LINE – D

They played well in the 1^st half, holding Kansas City to 26 yards rushing. But they regressed in the 2^nd half and never put enough pressure on Tyler Thigpen to disrupt his rhythm or facilitate more mistakes. Oakland cannot win games when 1 sack is recorded (Tommy Kelly) the entire game and 119 yards are allowed on the ground in the 2^nd half, while the offense struggles.

LINEBACKERS — C

Thomas Howard is playing extremely well and is flying to the football. But the rest of the unit appears lost at times and out of position. Kirk Morrison’s play has been sub par and Jon Alston is not a starting caliber linebacker at this level.

SECONDARY — C

Chris Johnson continued his solid play. His interception and 44-yard return to the KC 1 yard line inthe 3^rd quarter gave Oakland life and set them up for their only touchdown of the game. Nnamdi Asomugha took on Tony Gonzalez (who torched the Raiders with 8 rec. for 110 yards), and was beaten twice for 34 yards. Gibril Wilson started the game on the hall of fame bound tight end, but the Raiders slowed down his production with their top corner. Wilson dropped a poorly thrown ball by Thigpen that should’ve been interception. Instead, the drive continued and the Chiefs scored to take a 17-10 lead (the drive started in the 3^rd quarter, elapsed into the 4^th, and went for 91 yards on 16 plays).

SPECIAL TEAMS — D

Higgins was shutdown and Justin Miller could not provide a spark on kick returns. Shane Lechler had a miserable day punting and was part of that botched fake field goal that led to a Maurice Legget 67-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

COACHING – D –

The team was overconfident and the blasé approach in leaving points on the field hurt the Raiders. Oakland still has only 1 touchdown in the first half of games this season. They struggle to generate points, but the staff called a fake punt on 4^th and 10, thinking their hefty kicker could run for a first down and deep in KC territory, bypassed an easy field goal, instead calling a pass that fell harmlessly incomplete in the back of the end zone on 4^th and 3 in the first half. Some of the play calling was refreshing by Greg Knapp. The screen to Curry, which then turned into a hook and lateral that McFadden ran for 16 yards was exciting. ‘Wildcat’ formations a bootleg in which Russell kept for 17 yards, the utilization of McFadden and a reverse to Higgins were pleasant surprises and nicely executed at times. But the overall approach against a lowly team and leaving the points on the field for a team that has been the lowest scoring in the NFL is mind-boggling.

EXTRA POINTS

• Thigpen is now 1-6 as a starter.
• Kansas City snapped a 2 game losing streak against the Raiders, but extended their winning streak to seven games in Oakland.
• Oakland had 3 successful drives in the first half, but came away with only 3 points.

Last week’s victory in Denver was invigorating and maybe more importantly, a shot of confidence for the Oakland Raiders (3-9). But today’s 20-13 home loss at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Chiefs (2-10) was very disappointing and maybe a sign that the Silver & Black were over confident and too casual for their own good.

Considering that they played an inferior team record wise and a club that had lost 19 out of their last 20 games. A team Oakland beat in week two convincingly at Arrowhead 23-8; they were coming home feeling like they could snap the Chiefs six game winning streak in the ‘Black Hole.’

The Raider coaching staff oozed too much confidence in their decision making all game. They left too many points on the field in the first half and got too fancy in their approach against a team they should’ve manhandled.

It started with their opening drive with trick plays and starting their offensive attack by unleashing what has been all season a feeble passing attack. It was surprising to see the Raiders actually move the chains with their creativity, but as the game progressed, and by neglecting the fact that Kansas City came into the game allowing 165.9 yards per game on the ground, the Raiders let their rivals stick around and gain belief they can win this game. Bad decision-making and careless turnovers led to 10 Kansas City points.

After easily scoring on their first drive and taking a 3-0 lead, Oakland appeared to be primed to shake off the offensive ineptitude that had burden them prior to the Denver win.

But on their second drive, Tom Cable decided to surprise Kansas City with a fake field goal, which resulted in a 67-yard touchdown the other way.

Why did Cable think that his hefty kicker could run ten-plus yards for a first down? Why instead of relying on his leg to give them a 6-3 lead, did he think that his running ability would continue a drive to possibly score a touchdown ? A first half touchdown – something they have only done once in 2008.

In their next possession, Oakland’s staff again left points off the scoreboard by going for a 4^th and 3 deep in Kansas City territory. A JaMarcus Russell pass sailed into the end zone, just off Ronald Curry’s extended arms and a turnover on downs kept Kansas City in the game, instead relying on their kicker to boot a high percentage field goal.

The NFL’s lowest scoring team all of the sudden was passing on the opportunity to put up points.

Oakland, now facing a team that they thought they could toy around with, decided to roll the dice and play loosely thinking they could do as they pleased even if they didn’t convert on those situations in the first half.

What they received was a dose of reality.

When you have a chance to score, you put up points. A 31-pount output in Denver was not the cure all for an ailing offense.

Some of the trickery and play calling was refreshing. At times, Russell looked good when the Raiders opened it up. But they shot themselves in the foot with their overconfidence in thinking the Chiefs were lowlier than they are.

Oakland is still a bad team. And they played today like if they were a team that could shake off mistakes, poor decisions and miscues.

Unfortunately they learned the hard way. And instead of coming home and taking a step forward in building towards a good winning formula, they rested on their one game success and the notion that they faced an inferior team.

Oakland, CA –The Oakland Raiders elected to start the game on defense. That defense would see a Kansas City offense that looked to pass first with having tightend Tony Gonzalez split out wide. The tactic seemed to work in the beginning of the drive but Oakland would eventually figure out how to defend the new formations and forced K.C. to punt after having allowed them to get just inside of Oakland’s side of the 50-yard line.

On Oakland’s first offensive drive of the game, it was the Raiders’ turn to display some unusual formations. Oakland would line runningback Darren McFadden out as a wideout and paid huge dividends. On one play, McFadden’s speed threat forced the Chiefs’ cornerback to put out an arm bar to keep Darren from getting by him; thus committing a pass interference penalty on K.C. Next, Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell got tightend Zach Miller into the game early by hitting him with an intermediate pass for a big gain. Then, the Raiders would dazzle the crowd and give K.C.’s defensive coordinator fits with a planned hook and lateral that showcased Oakland’s offensive speed. However, with all the razzle dazzle, Oakland could not get into the endzone and settled for a tipped Sebastian Janikowski field goal that still managed to make it through the uprights to put Oakland up 3-0 in the first quarter.

Kansas City would reciprocate on their next offensive go-around with a successful, more conventional field goal drive of their own to tie up the game 3-3 with over a minute left in the first quarter.

The Raiders would start it’s second offensive drive conventionally and after again failing to get into the endzone, Oakland would go with one gimmick too many as they would attempt a fake field goal with the holder Shane Lechler passing the ball between his legs after the snap to kicker Sebastian Janikowski who was running towards the undefended flats. The problem came when Jano failed to hold onto the pitch and fumbled the ball and Kansas City recovered and returned the ball 67-yards for a touchdown to go ahead of the Raiders 10-3 in the second quarter.

Oakland’s QB JaMarcus Russell would march his team back and get his offense no further than Kansas City’s 21-yard line as he failed to connect to a diving Ronald Curry in the endzone on fourth down. K.C. would get the ball back on their own 21-yard line just over 5 minutes left in the first half.

The Raiders defense would then stiffen after yielding only one 11-yard pass by K.C. to force them to punt away. Ironically, the Chiefs’ defense showed some toughness in return and immediately halted and Raider aspirations of an offensive drive by quickly forcing them to punt at the 2-minute warning.

After a forced K.C. punt, Oakland’s offense would try to mount some sort of drive to at get itself back into the game. However, instead of moving forward, the Raiders moved backwards following two offensive penalties and a fumble and recovery on their own 16-yard line to end the half down 10-3 as they then limped back to the locker room to a chorus of boos by the frustrated home crowd.

With Oakland’s offense seemingly stuck on the pause button, it would be up to the defense to spark the team and a spark is just what it gave them. Raider cornerback Chris Johnson would jump the passing route and pick off a Yancey Thigpen pass and returned it 44-yards to the Chiefs’ 1-yard line. Runningback Justin Fargas would clean up with a 1-yard catapult (which looked like he could have leapt clear into the neighboring city of San Leandro with height and distance he cleared the line) into the endzone to bring the Raiders back into a 10-10 tie early in the third quarter.

Both teams would then go 3-and-out on their next two respective drives. With the Chiefs next drive, they would march down the field with help from a hapless Raider 3rd down defense and a propensity to be unable to cover Kansas City tightend Tony Gonzalez (along with some ignored holding penalties against the Chiefs). The Chiefs would stomp their way 91-yards and punctuate their drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Larry Johnson to put K.C. ahead 17-10 minutes into the fourth quarter.

To further compound the reversal of momentum, Raider running back Justin Fargas would fumble the ball on their own 21-yard line by a strip of the ball by a K.C. defender. The Chiefs would then have to settle for a field goal to widen the lead by ten points; making it a score of 20-10.

Oakland’s offensive woes would continue with another 3-and-out that was fraught with wildly errand passes by JaMarcus Russell and more predictable off-tackle running by Justin Fargas that truly was a “Bridge-to-Nowhere.”

Oakland did manage to string together a drive in the waning moments of the 4th quarter, but the all-to-familiar theme of “too little, too late” rang true once again as the Raiders squeezed out three points on a 51-yard Sebastian Janikowski field goal to get them within a seven point deficit by a score of 20-13.

Raider Head Coach Tom Cable elected to kick the ball deep instead of an offsides kick. The tactic backfired as the Raiders’ very generous 3rd down defense leaked like a sieve and allowed the Chiefs to extend their drive and exhaust Oakland’s remaining timeouts. The Chiefs would then kneel on the ball to run out the clock and beat the Raiders with a final score of 20-13.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Oakland Raiders (3-8) are actually favored going into a contest for the first time in 2008. After a convincing 31-10 road victory last weekend against the Broncos and with the lowly Kansas City Chiefs (1-10) coming into town, the Silver & Black are the prognosticators choice on Sunday, as they will look to sweep the season series from their west rivals for the time first time since 2001.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

When the Raiders win, they run the ball effectively. The Chiefs have been one of the league’s worst clubs at stopping the run allowing an average of 165.9 yards per game (31^st in the NFL). Combine that with Darren McFadden’s health, his week two 164-yard effort at Arrowhead and the Silver & Black’s 158-yard output against the Broncos, and the Chiefs could be in for a long day. “They’ve got two big punishing backs and their offensive line is very good,” Kansas City coach Herm Edwards commented this week. “They run their scheme very well. They’ve got some good receivers but their game is run the ball. They’re going to try to pound you that way.”

Also promising last weekend was the production the Raiders got out of receiver Ashley Lelie. The former Bronco torched his teammates for 92 receiving yards and a touchdown. And a week after learning a family had passed away; JaMarcus Russell played his best game as pro statistically going 10/11 for 152 yards and a touchdown pass.

What to Expect:

Oakland will run the ball. They’ll try to stem everything on offense of the success of the ground game and hope to see their trio of rushers mimic the numbers they produced during their week-two 23-8 victory in Kansas City. Having a solid game under his belt and the Chiefs focusing on stopping the run, the Raiders will let Russell get vertical a few times as well to excite the ‘Black Hole.’

On Defense:

Derrick Burgess got back on the field last Sunday after a six game absence. He didn’t record a sack, but along with Kalimba Edwards, the Raiders were able to apply enough pressure on Jay Cutler to force some miscues and ground the Denver aerial attack. Burgess has only 1.5 sacks this season, his solo sack coming during the Raiders victory against the Chiefs.

Thomas Howard is playing the best football of his career right now, even though he has not tallied as many interceptions as he had last season. He is flying to the football, making plays in the backfield and last weekend, Howard picked off his first pass in 2008.

What to Expect:

What was impressive last weekend was how the Raiders held the Broncos to only 48 yards rushing in the 2^nd half and when they went ahead and made Denver one-dimensional, they forced turnovers and frustrated the opposing offense.

Larry Johnson has tormented the Raiders in the past, but in their first meeting they held him to 22 yards on 12 carries. Can they do it again?

On Special Teams:

You can make the case that Johnnie Lee Higgins has been the Raiders most valuable player in 2008. He has only 8 receptions, but one of those was a game altering 84-yard touchdown reception in the 4^th quarter versus Buffalo.

But where he has made his mark is on punt returns, where in recent weeks he has shifted the momentum of games with returns of 93 yards for a score in Miami and 89 yards right before halftime against the Broncos.

The Chiefs are allowing 10.3 yards per return on punts and 24.2 yards per on kickoffs.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

On Offense:

Tyler Thigpen is at the helm of the Chiefs offense. In their first meeting, Thigpen was 14-of-33 for 151 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception while being sacked three times. He has started the last 5 contests for Kansas City and during that span; Thigpen has been sacked 13 times.

Larry Johnson needs to get going if they expect to pull out the road victory. Last weekend, he had a 63-yard run and had 81 yards on 7 carries. Rookie rusher Jamaal Charles could be an under the radar talent that could help cause match-up problems. During their 54-31 loss to Buffalo, Charles tallied his first career touchdown reception from 36 yards out.

What to Expect:

The Raiders allow 160 yards per game on the ground. And even though they’ve played well recently in the trenches, Kansas City’s best bet will be to try to pound away at the Raiders defensive line and stay away from their athletic secondary. The Chiefs are averaging a second best 4.9 yards per carry. Now, if they can sustain drives with their rush and keep Thigpen out of long down and distances, they may have a shot at pulling off the upset.

On Defense:

The Chiefs may have a depleted unit on Sunday. After allowing 54-points last weekend, Herm Edwards said yesterday that four regulars were unable to practice this week and that two others were limited.

“We’ll have 11 (players),” Edwards said of his defense’s travel unit. “Don’t know which 11, but we’ll have 11.”

In the secondary, safety Jarrad Page (groin) and cornerback Patrick Surtain (quad) are banged up. Linebacker Pat Thomas (thigh) is expected to be ready, but his unit mates Donnie Edwards (knee and ankle) and Weston Dacus (knee) were two players that did not practice on Thursday.

GAME NOTES

• Kansas City has lost 19 out of their last 20 games.
• Oakland will look for back-to-back victories against divisional rivals. Last year, they pulled off the feat by beating the Chiefs on the road 20-17 (11/25/2007) and the Broncos at home 34-20 (12/2/2007). The Chiefs have a six game wining streak in Oakland.
• Transactions this week: On 11/26, the Raiders signed G Dylan Gandy and placed WR Javon Walker on injured reserve. On 11/25, they signed DB Darrick Brown onto the active roster and waived OL Junius Coston.
• The Raiders have lost 9 of their 11 contests against the Chiefs. Kansas City also leads the all-time series 50-44-2.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Tony Gonzalez vs. the Raiders Secondary

The hall of fame bound tight end has a reception streak of 126 games and he set a record for tight ends last weekend with his 25^th career 100-yard receiving game. Will Michael Huff be on the field against the veteran? Huff has had success in the past due to his size and speed.

Raiders front seven vs. LJ & JC

Larry Johnson and Jamaal Charles are capable of big games. And with the suspect Raiders run defense, they could rack up big yardage.

PREDICTION

Raiders 26 – Chiefs 24

TV & RADIO

The game will be televised on CBS with Bill Macatee providing play-by-play and Steve Beuerlein handling color analysis. The game will air locally on KPIX Channel 5. The game will also air in Sacramento on KOVR Channel 13 as well as on KHSL in Chico, KION in Monterey and KJEO in Fresno. The game will air on Raiders Radio originating on KSFO 560 AM, the Silver and Black Flagship for the multi-state Radio Network. Greg Papa and former Raiders player, assistant and head coach Tom Flores will man the booth for the 12th straight year. The radio pregame show and postgame show will feature Raider Legends George Atkinson and David Humm along with KGO’s Rich Walcoff. (Broadcast information can be found on the official Raiders web site)

GAME INFO

Home Team: Oakland Raiders (3-8) Home: 1-4 Road: 2-4

Road Team: Kansas City Chiefs (1-10) Home: 1-5 Road: 0-5

When and Where: Sunday, November 30, 2008, 1:15 p.m. PT | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, OAK, CA

We all have many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Of course, with the Raiders sitting at 3-8 in Year Six of their ongoing slump, the Silver & Black may not be one of them.

But even in Oakland, there are things we can all be glad are taking place, and things we can look forward to enjoying in the near future.

So as we all prepare to sit down with our friends and family over turkey and stuffing and share love and laughter, let me share some of the things in Raiderland that will make me smile when I think of them.
Read more…

In his first full year as a starter, JaMarcus Russell has not been able to display the talent that made him the no. 1 overall choice in the 2007 NFL draft.

With the struggles of the offense, the changing of coaches and the lack of performers around him, its been hard for Russell to make his mark. And after weeks of not finding the end zone and even missing his first game due to injury, words like ‘bust’ began to creep in the head of Raider fans.

Especially when other young passers around the league such as Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan have had moments for their teams that give a glimmer of hope or that solidify their position with the fan base.

Prior to the win today in Denver, Russell had not had a moment or game in which fans could take in and savor knowing their young passer made some strides in his development.

Russell was 10-of-11 for 152 yards, one score and no interceptions in the Raiders 31-10 victory against the Broncos. Not exactly epic stats but steady enough to snatch a rare road victory against a hated rival. And more importantly, it gives the fan base their first signs that Russell can be the ‘franchise passer’ they hope.

Last time the Raiders won in Denver, Russell was a freshman at LSU.

Now, as the 23-year-old savior, Russell could add this to his short resume as a defining moment in his career.

Yes, he has turnstile tackles that cannot be relied upon, a receiving corps that needs some major upgrading and the daunting task of spearheading an organization that has compiled a historically horrid record the last six years while being one of the most dysfunctional franchises in sports.

But through all of that, and a week after finding out that his godmother, Teresa Roberts, died of cancer, Russell showed strength and the poise needed to help the fledgling franchise turn their fortunes in the coming years.

Earlier in the year, you could critique his decision-making, his indecisiveness in the pocket and not relying on his athletic ability enough to make plays. All that can be learned.

What can’t be taught is toughness, coolness under duress and maturity. And Russell has shown that he has all of that along with great physical attributes that not many passers in the league possess.

This year has been a test for him; not scoring consistently, losing with regularity and unstable working conditions.

But for one afternoon in Denver, he was almost perfect in his stat line, the team won and after an emotional week, a flight back to Oakland with a better feeling than what he had last week.

One things for sure; Raider fans will have a more lucid outlook of their quarterback.

QUARTERBACK — B+

JaMarcus Russell was an efficient 10/11 for 152 yards with one touchdown toss. A week after a death in his family and after Tom Cable raved about his practices leading up the game; the young passer was poised and led the team with his solid outing. With Cable, the Raiders are stretching the field more to suit his abilities. Today, the 51-yard pass to Ashley Lelie was put where his receiver can make a play on it and on a pass to the former Bronco for 22 yards, he showed off his cannon arm. One of the nicer executed plays for Russell was on a 2^nd and 7 in the 2^nd quarter, when he faked a toss and then bootlegged and found Zach Miller for 30-yards to the Denver 3 yard line.

RUNNING BACKS — B-

Justin Fargas ran hard as always, but he was ineffective in short yardage situations. Many times he left his feet or did not show a solid foundation when running, as he failed to stick it in the end zone near the goal line and was clipped off his feet when trying to pick up first downs in short down and distances. Darren McFadden became the only Raider in 2008 to tally two offensive touchdowns after he scored form 1-yard out in the third quarter. His second touchdown of the day to give Oakland a 31-10 lead was on 3^rd and 1 from the 1. He was used as a receiver and lined up all over the formation. Early in the 4^th quarter, a pass interference call on a Denver defender trying to cover McFadden placed the ball on the Bronco 6-yard line, setting up a Raider score.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS — C+

Ashley Lelie had his best game in Silver & Black against his former teammates. His 4 receptions for 92 yards and touchdown may be the best performance any Raider wide receiver has given all year. His 51-yard grab set-up Oakland’s first offensive touchdown in 206 plays.  Zach Miller was solid blocking on the edges, had 3 receptions for 41 yards, including a one handed 8-yard stab to reel in Michael Bush’s first career pass on a 3^rd and 3.

OFFENSIVE LINE — B

The Kwame Harris and Cornell Green bashing will have to be held off for at least one week. Both did a solid job keeping Denver’s pass rush away from Russell. John Wade was far better this week starting in place of a still injured Jake Grove, and Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle were steady, but not spectacular. The one major concern was their inability as a group to run block effectively in short yardage situations. Oakland had multiple chances near the goal line and in short distances, but Denver won many encounters at the point of attack and thwarted drives with their fiery play in those situations.

DEFENSIVE LINE – B+

Kalimba Edwards was disruptive in the first half and made plays in the backfield versus the run. Derrick Burgess finally got on the field after a six game absence. But Terdell Sands and Tommy Kelly along the interior were the driving force behind the resurgence of the front seven. The tandem in the interior slowed the Denver rush game and made them one-dimensional as the game wound down. Sands pancaked Peyton Hillis on Gibril Wilson’s fumble recovery and he batted a ball down at the line of scrimmage on a Denver three and out after the Raiders took a 17-10 lead.

LINEBACKERS — B

Thomas Howard was flagged a couple of times for unnecessary roughness. But that did not stop his aggressiveness throughout the game, as he attacked the line of scrimmage on various blitz plays and when in coverage, he made his presence felt, especially in the 4^th quarter when he picked off a Cutler pass after Oakland took a 24-10 lead. Jon Alston started the game with a stuff on a delayed hand off to Hillis.

SECONDARY — B

Chris Johnson was tested many times, but Denver failed to beat the aggressive cornerback. Mike Shanahan took advantage of DeAngelo Hall in their first meeting, and after praising Nnamdi Asomugha earlier in the week, the savvy play-caller attempted to go after the speedster. Johnson had an interception return for a touchdown negated by a holding penalty. Gibril Wilson was very good around the line of scrimmage in run support and as a help defender in coverage. Stanford Routt struggled covering the elusive Brandon Stokley and missed a few tackles due to poor technique.  

SPECIAL TEAMS — A

Johnnie Lee Higgins did it again, igniting the Raiders before the half with a stellar 89-yard punt return for a score. After evading the first two tacklers, he tiptoed down the sideline and followed a convoy lead by a helmet-less Alston. Oakland could’ve lived without the 15-yard penalty for celebrating when he flipped in the end zone after the score with his teammates surrounding him. Trevor Scott made a nice special teams tackle on a punt return and Shane Lechler continued his solid punting with a 58.7 average. Sebastian Janikowski took advantage of the thin air and booted a kickoff from his own 15-yard line, 85-yards to the goal line after Higgins’ score.

COACHING – B+

Tom Cable mixed up the play calling a lot better in the second half. Using McFadden in ‘wildcat’ formations as well as Ronald Curry kept the Denver defense off-balance. The Raiders were able to protect up front, allowing them to get the ball down the field when they went deep. Cable won a couple of challenges, one particularly in the 4^th quarter on a 18 yard reception on the sideline by Tony Scheffler, which was over-ruled, slowed the Denver attack. Rob Ryan mixed in blitzes well with Howard, and placed his best cover linebacker in coverage conveniently on 3^rd down late in which he hauled in an interception. The Raiders struggled to get Denver off the field in the first half, as they converted 6-of-9 third down conversions, but only 3 in the second half. Credit the coaching staff also on tightening the ship in the second half with the penalties, as the Raiders had 9 prior to halftime and ended with 10 for the game.

The Oakland Raiders (2-8) head to Invesco Field this Sunday to avenge a 41-14 defeat at the hands of the rival Denver Broncos (6-4) in week one.

A loss for the Silver & Black guarantees their six straight losing season and their 10^th loss in 11 meetings against the Broncos. The Raiders lead the all-time series 54-40-2, but Mike Shanahan has made it an enjoyable habit in beating up on his former club. Denver is aiming at a third straight victory to get a tight grip on a AFC West crown.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

So far, the Kwame Harris experiment has proven to be disastrous for the Raiders. The left tackle has not been able demonstrate that he is a capable NFL starter under Tom Cable’s tutelage and has gotten progressively worse in each passing game. Cable stated after the game in Miami, “At that point, enough is enough. We made the switch, and I thought Mario [Henderson] did a nice job in the second half.”

It appeared that Cable was done trying to make a serviceable player out of Harris, but after reviewing the film on Monday, he changed his tune saying, “He’s the left tackle of the Oakland Raiders.”

“Some things, once you get a chance to look at it on film, weren’t what you thought they were,” Cable continued. “Kwame will remain the starter. We’ve got to clean up the penalties with him but he was playing quite well other than those two false starts.”

What to Expect:

At this point, it’s not about confidence as Cable stated during the week, nor is it about technique. Harris was a bust in San Francisco and nothing has changed since he’s been in Oakland to change that label. Cornell Green on the other side has not been that much better. So an overhaul after the season should be their priority. As for this weekend, it should be back to basics and hope that they can run the football with the success they had last year in Denver when LaMont Jordan rushed for 159 yards during a 23-20 overtime loss.

On Defense:

Is this the week Derrick Burgess finally gets back on the field?

Cable thinks he could see action, but it makes you wonder if there is something else wrong with the speedy rusher other than the triceps injury that Oakland states he has.

Kalimba Edwards has played well in his spot, and Jay Richardson was able to take advantage of the pressure Tommy Kelly was able to apply to sack Chad Pennington in the end zone for a safety. So if Burgess does get back, expect Edwards and Richardson to share time on either side of the formation to get Burgess on the field and favorable match-ups as they move him around.

What to Expect:

Burgess playing means more pressure that can be applied along the front seven. And since Tommy Kelly is playing his best football in 2008, this could help the Raiders in their effort to make Jay Cutler uncomfortable in the pocket. Last time they met, he had all day to find his targets and toyed with DeAngelo Hall with a rookie receiver. Now, he has his best target back.

DENVER BRONCOS

On Offense:

The Broncos have solidified their offensive line in 2008. And starters at tackles Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris are the polar opposites of the Raiders tandem.

This is why Cutler has been able to enjoy a solid season and why Shanahan can open up the playbook and be relentless at attacking Rob Ryan’s defense. “It’s huge,” said Jay Cutler. “That’s why we’re still able to do a lot of things offensively. That’s why we’re able to stick running backs in there at will and still make things happen.”

What to Expect:

Brandon Marshall missed their first meeting. But immediately afterward, he put up a 18 catch effort versus the Chargers in week two and since has compiled 63 receptions (5^th in the NFL) and 803 yards (6^th in the NFL). With Eddie Royal on the other side (56 rec. 659 yards 4 TD), Oakland’s secondary will have their hands full. Then again, Denver could get their ground game going against a team they have historically mauled on the ground the last six years.

On Defense:

Last week, the Broncos started LE Ebenezer Ekuban (4 sacks), LT Dewayne Robertson, RT Marcus Thomas and RE Elvis Dumervil (3 sacks) along the defensive line. That group held Michael Turner to 3.2 yard per carry. And if they hold the Raider rushers to similar yardage, they’ll be able to control the ball game from the onset.

Champ Bailey is questionable for the game, and it likely he will not play especially since the Raiders have the 32^nd ranked pass offense in the NFL.

What to Expect:

Denver still allows a hefty amount of yards on the ground (143.1 yards per game). So they are susceptible to a solid ground game. But the Raiders have lost their identity as a good rushing team and if they can’t the offensive line back to playing cohesive football by Sunday, it will be another long afternoon for a team that has not scored an offensive touchdown since Oct. 26 versus the Ravens.

GAME NOTES

 

• Michael Bush saw time on the practice field as a fullback this week. The Raiders are desperate to get some playmakers on the field. And Bush only chance to see some action may be to embrace the role and maybe add some more versatility to the Raiders struggling offense. He is a good pass catcher, so that will give opponents someone extra to account for on the field. “Do I think I’m a fullback? No,” Bush said. “I’m doing it, so they can’t say I’m not helping the team.”
• Transactions: The Raiders signed offensive guard/center Junius Coston, who started seven games at right guard for the Packers in 2007. The Raiders waived defensive lineman Fred Wakefield, fullback Jason Davis and tight end Ben Troupe.
• In their last 11 meetings, the Raiders have allowed an average of 150 yards per game on the ground against the Broncos.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Marshall vs. Asomugha

Nnamdi Asomugha may be the best cornerback in the AFC. Marshall may just be the best receiver in the conference. Whenever they lock up, it will be fun to see who gets the upper hand.

Ryan vs. Shanahan

In their first meeting this season, Shanahan toyed with Ryan’s defense. What wrinkles does Ron Ryan put into his defense and how he will plan to put pressure on Cutler will be vital.

PREDICTION

Broncos 28 – Raiders 13

TV & RADIO

The game will be televised on CBS with Dick Enberg providing play-by-play and former NFL performer Randy Cross handling color analysis. The game will air locally on KPIX Channel 5. The game will also air in Sacramento on KOVR Channel 13 as well as on KHSL in Chico, KION in Monterey and KJEO in Fresno. The game will air on Raiders Radio originating on KSFO 560 AM, the Silver and Black Flagship for the multi-state Radio Network. Greg Papa and former Raiders player, assistant and head coach Tom Flores will man the booth for the 12th straight year. The radio pregame show and postgame show will feature Raider Legends George Atkinson and David Humm along with KGO’s Rich Walcoff. (All broadcast info cited from official Raiders Web Site)

GAME INFO

Home Team: Oakland Raiders (2-8) Home: 1-4 Road: 1-4

Road Team: Denver Broncos (6-4) Home: 3-2 Road: 3-2

When and Where: Sunday, November 23, 2008, 4:05 PM ET | INVESCO Field, Mile High, CO 

OAKLAND RAIDERS, FIRMGREEN TEAM UP TO ‘GO GREEN’ IN BAY AREA

The Raiders have established a relationship with FirmGreen, whose team of leading environmental consultants was retained to assist the organization in reducing its carbon footprint.  Over the next three years, FirmGreen will be evaluating the Raiders’ day-to-day and game day operations to identify opportunities for the Raiders to improve their environmental responsibility.

“We are pleased to work with FirmGreen and look forward to finding additional creative ways to further our eco-friendly approach to business,” said Raider Chief Executive Amy Trask.

While the Raiders understand that this is a process, the organization already has made some changes. The team is expanding their recycling efforts and increasing their use of products made with recycled materials.   With the help of FirmGreen, the Raiders have begun evaluating transportation initiatives including encouraging carpooling and the use of high efficiency, low emission vehicles such as those powered by compressed natural gas (CNG).

In addition, the Raiders are identifying opportunities to lower electrical consumption through efficiencies and the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and green CNG. The relationship with the Oakland Raiders provides FirmGreen a highly visible arena to showcase their clean, green, cost efficient energy solutions within the environmentally conscious Bay Area community.   FirmGreen offers green solutions geared toward residential and business facilities as well as small and large scale events, in the following sectors: solar panels, natural gas fueled generators, biodegradable products and overall general energy consultation.

“We are excited to work with the Raiders because of their commitment to becoming a more eco-friendly team,” said Steve Hodge, Business Development Director for FirmGreen.

FirmGreen Company Profile

Headquartered in Newport Beach, CA, FirmGreen Energy, Inc., is a privately held, integrated energy company participating in virtually all aspects of the global green energy business.GOTGREEN? TM Events Consulting assists event organizers to engage individuals in a systematic, cost-effective process to take greater responsibility for improving their environment in public event settings. Addressing the environmental impact of your event with a visible program shows visitors that your operation is forward-thinking and serves to enhance its desirability as an event, which provides economic benefits to the entire community.

More information at: firmgreenenergy.com

MIAMI, FL – Raiders running back Darren McFadden spoke to the media after the Raiders 17-15 defeat at Miami. Here are some of his comments after the game.

On halfback option play that lost yardage:

I held on to it too long.

It was a run pass option and I felt I held on to it too long. 

Health after the game:

I feel pretty good.

Struggling offense:

It’s very frustrating. I take part of it. I feel like, by me taking that loss of yards on the first play, I take part of it.

Losing yards on the halfback option play and his reaction:

It was just frustration. I felt like, by me knowing that I should’ve threw the ball away, it was just frustrating. I knew I lost yards.

Talking to coach about the play:

 He told me not to do it. I told him I apologize for it and letting my emotions get the best of me.