Silver and Black Report

QUARTERBACK: C -

Again, JaMarcus Russell’s statistics don’t tell the entire story of what occurred during the game. He ended 12-of-18 for 153 yards, but he did not lead the team to any points and the offense was stagnant the entire first half. In the first half, the offense tallied only 60-yards of offense and three first downs. On the game’s first play, Russell connected on a slant with his prized rookie and then he followed that with a composed play-fake and pass to his favorite target for 35-yards. On the second drive, his pass on 3^rd and 7 was floated down the sideline to Darrius Heyward-Bey and should have been intercepted. Russell was accurate today for the most part, as displayed on a 3^rd and 7 in the 2^nd quarter when he found Louis Murphy for first down yardage, but the target was not able to make the catch. Russell was a victim of his un-proven wide-outs. But ultimately, he has to put points on the scoreboard and help his teammates get better with his elevated play. On another 3^rd and 7, he had an open Johnnie Lee Higgins, but he put too many RPMs on the short toss that was not handled due to the lack of touch. Jeff Garcia ended 9-of15 for 111 yards and a touchdown. On his scoring pass, he had defenders coming at him, as he let go a strong throw towards the sideline.

RUNNING BACK: C -

Justin Fargas did not play and was out. Michael Bush got the start, but was non-factor with three touches total for 9-yards. Darren McFadden continues to prove that he is the most dynamic presence on the team. Upon entering the game, the speedy rusher jolted through the Saints defense for a big gain that was ultimately negated due to a flag. His three official carries were un-eventful, and he had a fumble that was recovered and returned deep into Raider territory. Oren O’Neal looks slow to holes and at times is a hindrance to the runners who are trying to get up the field. Gary Russell ran for 42-yards and contributed on special teams.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: D+

Zach Miller had a game of ups and downs. He recorded 5 receptions for 74 yards, but his blocking was not up to par today and his hold infraction negated a big gain by McFadden. Louis Murphy (3 rec. 84 yards) had a drop and was stripped on a big gainer after making a nice catch in the 3^rd quarter. The rookie out of Florida also had an up and down game, looking uneasy at times and very skillful other times. Darrius Heyward-Bey worked on his shorter routes today, hauling in a slant on the game’s first play for 12-yards. The CB defending him on another slant almost jumped the route for an interception. Jonathan Holland’s 43-yard touchdown reception and run was the best play of the night. Higgins dropped a possible big gainer in the 3rd quarter.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D -

Again, they were not able to pave lanes for the first team rushers and were slow at the point of attack. Oakland ran for 1-yard in the 1^st half. The pass blocking took a step back today, as Russell and Garcia had defenders around them and had to move in the pocket often. Robert Gallery was infracted for a hold at the end of the half; a few plays later, Russell was sacked. Cornell Green was up and down and Samson Satele does not appear to get any push in the interior. On Garcia’s touchdown pass, the pressure was coming.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

William Joseph and Gerard Warren are one of the few players that can boast about having a solid play here and there at defensive tackle. The best player along the interior today was Desmond Bryant. He got penetration and was disruptive on a few plays; recording a sack and helping on a couple of runs that tallied little yardage. Trevor Scott brought the heat at the end of the 1^st half; forcing Mark Brunell to throw away a pass out of the end zone and then facilitating a turnover on the ensuing play with his closing speed toward the passer.

LINEBACKERS: C -

This unit struggled in space all day. Ricky Brown had a couple of stops that were note-worthy. But overall, Thomas Howard and Sam Williams were not effective. Jon Alston continues to cruise on easy street, not making any stellar plays and looking more and more like a back-up or one-dimensional special teamer. Brown and Howard are one of the few players on this side of the ball that play with fire.

SECONDARY: F

Toyed by Drew Brees all day, the defensive backs and safeties were horrendous today. Hiram Eugene missed various tackles that sprung New Orleans’ rushers for substantial gains. He also was victimized on deeper routes and useless in coverage. The interception he recorded was forced by the pass rush and right into his hands. Stanford Routt missed a tackle that sprung Robert Meachem for a 71-yard gain and his coverage was abysmal was flagged twice while trying to cover Lance Moore. Chris Johnson allowed free-releases all day and was soft against the Saints’ receivers. He showed hustle and used his world-class speed chasing down Meachem on Routt’s missed tackle. Overall, the secondary missed too many tackles and blew too many assignments against a team who is a machine on offense. Michael Hawkins delivered a nice hit in the 4^th quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Gary Russell, Jon Condo and David Nixon had a few nice tackles on punt coverage. Nick Miller recorded 105 yards on punt and kickoff yards, but does not appear to be a threat to Justin Miller. Ricky Schmitt looks to be a solid punter, but with Shane Lechler on the roster, and the Raiders hoping to have the all-pro ready for the opener, the rookie from Sheperd could be attracting suitors elsewhere.

COACHING: D-

Tom Cable’s team looked over-matched all day. Just like they did in the regular season meeting last year in New Orleans. The defense took a step backward on all facets and the offense also regressed. At home, you expect the Raiders to give a better effort. John Marshall’s unit could be kept off-balance all season if they continue to have issues stopping the run. The back-end of the secondary is lacking talent and has young players that are inexperienced.

NOTES:

• TOTAL YARDS: New Orleans 536 Oakland 316
• PASSING YARDS: New Orleans 304 Oakland 264
• RUSHING YARDS: New Orleans 232 Oakland 52
• Time of Possession: New Orleans 39:27 Oakland 20:33
• 1st downs: New Orleans 31 Oakland 9
• 3^rd down Conversions: New Orleans 8-16 Oakland 1-10

DeMarcus Davis, Staff Writer SBReport.net
Saturday August 29, 2009

Oakland, CA – Oakland’s starting defense was carved up and was served up some pipin’ hot butt whoopin as the Saints started the day off on offense first and threw and ran the ball down the Raider’s collective throats. The Raider defense played soft and was reacting to what the Saints were doing, rather than attacking, or at least showing that they could show a vanilla base attack scheme. The Saints marched 80 yards down field and were connecting on every pass and gaining yards on every run. The Raiders ‘D’ had absolutely no answer for QB Drew Brees as New Orleans would strike first blood by going ahead 7-0 on a 4-yard touchdown run in which Raider DE Trevor Scott had an opportunity to stop the score, but could not wrap up on the two handed tackle.

Oakland’s offense looked to match the Saints’ drive. Led by QB JaMarcus Russell, the first play of the game for the Raiders was a 1st down pass to WR Darrius Heyward-Bey. Russell would then follow up with a 35-yard pass to a wide open TE Zack Miller. However, that is where the wheel fell off the Raider bus because on the next play, Russell would get stripped on a pass attempt and the Saints recovered.

The next Raider defensive stand initially looked a bit better, but quickly collapsed as Oakland would fail to cover wide open WR Dervery Henderson sprinting to the endzone to put the Saints up 14-0. Oakland’s offense again would offer no answer as they would be forced to punt on their next drive. By the end of the 1st quarter Drew Brees had already amassed 159 passing yards, was 3-for-4 on pass attempts, and posted a 133.1 passer rating.

New Orleans’ offense continued to live in the Raiders half of the field as they again went on a long drive, 78-yards, as the Oakland Raider defense offered little to no resistance to the New Orleans’ juggernaut-esque offensive onslaught. Drew Brees connected with another receiver in the endzone to put his Saints up 21-0 just inside of the 2nd quarter.

In fact, the Raider defense only made a successful stand once Drew Brees was out of the game and QB Mark Brunell came in to play. The Saints would score again with a Brunell led offense half way into the 2nd quarter, but only a field goal after the Saints kept backing up from committing their own series of shot-yourself-in-the-foot penalties.

Brunell would get another bite at the apple when RB Darren McFadden fumbled the ball inside his own 20 yard line and was recovered by New Orleans. Raider safety Hiram Eugene gave the Raiders some life when he intercepted Mark Brunell after the Saints were on the Raiders’ doorstep. That pick off would be wasted when the Saints forced Oakland to punt after yet another dismal offensive showing. The Saints’ Brunell would make the Raider’s pay for not seizing their prior opportunity as he would hit receiver Robert Meachem on a short pass, but was sprung free for 71 yards on a whiff of a tackle attempt by Raider CB Stanford Routt. The Saints would get a field goal out of the drive to push the score to 24-0.

The Saints would abuse the Raider offense yet again to get their offense back on the field to try for another score before the end of the 1st half. This time, New Orleans would pound it into the endzone from 1-yard out to extend their lead to 31-0 as that would conclude the scoring for the 1st half.

To sum things up for Oakland, the Raiders in the first half committed badly timed, soul crushing penalties and miss-cues. It came in the form of errant passes by Russell on a key 3rd down plays, or a pair of dropped passes by the once sure-handed WR Louis Murphy, or holding penalty bringing back a 15 yard run play. It didn’t matter who ran the ball or who was catching it. The ENTIRE Raiders offense looked horrible. The Raiders only managed to muster up 6 offensive plays in the 1st quarter and the ONLY positive one could take from the 1st half offensive performance was the 1st pass to DHB to start their 1st drive and the 35-yard pass to TE Zack Miller…and that’s it! What little gains the Raiders got in the first half were almost called back because someone either held on the play or were lined up incorrectly on the line of scrimmage.

The Raiders didn’t get significant yardage until QB Jeff Garcia manned the helm. The troubled receiver Louis Murphy found some redemption as Garcia connected to him twice for big yardage plays, but could do nothing with the field position as they would fail on their second 4th down attempt.

That offensive failure would lead the way for New Orleans journeyman QB Joey ‘freakin’ Harrington to look like John ‘freakin’ Elway! Harrington took his ball club 78 yards, resulting in yet ANOTHER obscene, gratuitous touchdown; making the score 45-0.

Late in the 4th quarter, the one ray of hope came in the form of a touchdown pass to WR Jonathan Holland as he danced and weaved his way through a defender’s weak arm tackle to score the team’s only touchdown to avoid the embarrassing home shutout by making he score 45-7 in front of a nearly emptied out Oakland home crowd.

Poor defense, poor offense, and poor personnel decisions have culminated into what was seen here today. Granted this is only preseason, but the lack of execution in all facets of the game is the Raiders’ greatest concern.

Before today’s pre-season game against the New Orleans Saints, the Oakland Raiders announced the signing of linebacker Chris O’Neill and the release of Napoleon Harris.

O’Neill signed initially with the Raiders during the off-season as an un-drafted free-agent tight end out of Boise State. He played linebacker in training camp before Oakland decided to part ways with him.

Harris was in Napa on Monday for his second tenure with the Silver & Black. He spent the week with the team, but Oakland decided that their former 1^st round selection in the 2002 draft was not going to ultimately make the final roster.

On 2^nd and 3, the opening play of the 2^nd quarter was a run by Lynell Hamilton for 3 yards. Drew Brees then continued to dissect the Raiders’ secondary with a quick slant to Marques Colston for 15-yards. Brees then hits Lance Moore after a great ball fake for a 5-yard touchdown. The 11-play for 78 yards drive gave the Saints a dominating 21-0 lead. The Raider secondary is non-existent. There has been no pressure applied to Brees, as the Saints have changed the pace of the game going no-huddle and kept the Oakland defense off-balance with their mix of run and pass.

Nick Miller handles the ensuing kickoff to the 23-yard line. Up to this point, the Oakland offense has only ran six plays. Darren McFadden’s first carry of the game on the next play goes for 29-yards, but a holding penalty on Zach Miller negates the huge gainer. McFadden hauls in a dump off on the next play for 4-yards. Javon Walker enters the game for the first time, but Russell hits Miller on a 6-yard route towards the sideline. Russell on 3^rd and 7 hits Louis Murphy on a short crossing pattern, but the rookie could not handle the football as he juggled it attempting to secure it and making a move up the field.

Prior to the punt, Sam Williams was flagged on a false start. Ricky Schmitt punted and Gary Russell darted down the field for the nice tackle.

Mark Brunell enters the game and hands-off to Hamilton, as he gains three-yards running towards the right side. Brunell rolls out on the next play and throws incomplete to Robert Meachem. They tried to set-up a screen on the next, which fell incomplete, but Jay Richardson was there to stuff the play if it was completed.

Johnnie Lee Higgins fielded a 32-yard punt at the OAK 27-yard line.

McFadden on the draw runs hard for 3-yards right into linebacker Jonathan Vilma. Russell on the next play rolls away from the pressure on his backside and throws a wobbly pass to Louis Murphy, but the rookie had troubles securing the pass, as it was called an incomplete pass by the referees. On 3^rd and 7, Russell throws a bullet to Higgins on a quick out pattern that would have been a first down. Russell’s strong arm needed to be restrained on that short toss.

Linebacker David Nixon made a nice stop on punt coverage.

Brunell goes deep on the ensuing play to Meachem, but the pass errant and Stanford Routt was in coverage. The quarterback then steps into the pocket on the following play and hits Hamilton for 9-yards. Hamilton then darts across the gaping hole in the line of scrimmage and makes safety Hiram Eugene miss on the 19-yard run. Brunell then goes deep again, this time to Lance Moore, who almost makes the catch, but Stanford Routt was called for the pass interference (31-yards on the infraction). A few plays later, Routt gets flagged again giving the Saints an automatic 1^st down at the OAK 7-yard line. The run defense finally shows life near the goal line, as Ricky Brown and Desmond Bryant built a wall versus Hamilton. Jamar Nesbit was flagged for a hold on Gerard Warren on the next play, and the Saints faced a 3^rd and goal at the 16-yard line. Brunell connects on a touchdown pass, but for the second straight play a score was negated due to a flag. Now New Orleans faced a 3^rd and goal at the 22-yard line. Brunell hits Billy Miller, near the goal line, but the Saints shoot themselves in the foot again with another penalty. Now facing a 3^rd and goal from the 27-yard line, a hand-off to Hamilton goes for minimal yards, as Tommy Kelly and Ricky Brown were there for the stop.

John Carney nails a 35-yard field goal to extend the Saints’ lead to 24-0.

Russell from the shotgun dumps a short pass on the flat to McFadden, and the running back weaved for 11-yards. McFadden on the following play fumbles on the sweep and the Saints recovered the loose football and returned it near the Oakland goal line. Oren O’Neal was slow to get to the defenders and McFadden was mobbed behind the line of scrimmage as he ran towards the left side. Tom Cable challenges the fumble call on the field, but the play was not overruled.

The Saints took over at the 6-yard line with 4:22 remaining in the half. Trevor Scott applies pressure on the Saints’ first play after the turnover and forces Brunell to throw out of the end-zone. Scott again puts the heat on the Saints’ quarterback on the next play, and the forced throw lands right into the hands of Hiram Eugene. The safety gets the pick in the end zone and returns it 31-yards to the 30-yard line.

Russell was almost picked off on the ensuing play, on a slant intended for Heyward-Bey. On 3^rd and 5, Troy Evans blitzes and Russell has no shot to get away from the heat and gets sacked for a 12-yard loss.

David Nixon again plays the punt return very well; as he records his second tackle. (Play was negated due to a flag on the Saints)

Gary Russell and Jon Condo stuff the punt return on the next play.

PJ Hill is now carrying the football for the Saints. Warren on the tackle after a 4-yard gain. On the next play, Meachem gains 71-yards on the pass after Routt miss a tackle on the play. Chris Johnson runs down the WR before he hits paydirt. With the ball on the 2-yard line, Warren and Sam Williams keep Hill out of the end zone. Hill scores on the next play to give the Saints a 30-0 lead before the point after.

Up to this point, the Saints have 19 first downs; Oakland 3. Saints have racked up a total of 344 yards; Raiders 77. The Saints are 6-of-8 on 3^rd downs, the Raiders are 0-for-4.

After a Nick Miller 25-yard return, Russell rolls out, gets pressured and is not able to release the football cleanly on the toss, hit by a defender as he threw it. Robert Gallery was flagged on the play for holding. On 3^rd and 10 a few plays later, Russell gets sacked to end the Raiders horrid first half effort on offense.

Chris Johnson hauled in an interception as the half ended.

Score: Saints 31 – Raiders 0

NOTES

• TOTAL YARDS: New Orleans 351 Oakland 60
• PASSING YARDS: New Orleans 259 Oakland 59
• RUSHING YARDS: New Orleans 92 Oakland 1
• Time of Possession: New Orleans 20:27 Oakland 9:33
• 1st downs: New Orleans 19 Oakland 3

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The New Orleans Saints won the opening coin toss and elected to field their high-powered offense first.

Sebastian Janikowski powers the football right thru the end zone.

The Saints first play from scrimmage was an end around to Devery Henderson for 5-yards. Drew Brees on the next play connects with Jeremy Shockey for 21-yards, with Nnamdi Asomugha in coverage. Lance Moore hauls in a 9-yard pass on the ensuing play. On the next play, Asomugha and DE Greg Ellis stuffed RB Mike Bell on a 1-yard gain. Bell slipped, and lost his footing before being tackled. Brees then hits Moore again, this time for 7 yards with Ricky Brown in coverage. Brown got victimized again, throwing a ball behind Shockey and completing the toss for 22-yards and a 1^st down at the OAK 14 yard line. Bell plows on consecutive plays for a total of 9 yards to set-up a 3^rd and 1 at the OAK 5 yard line. On 3^rd and short, Bell jumped across the line of scrimmage before being met by Brown, but he picked up a fresh set of downs for the Saints. Heath Evans caps the 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. On the play, both defensive tackles were shoved aside. The secondary was not in very good positions throughout the drive, with Brees easily finding his targets and no pressure from the Raiders front-seven. Brees went 4/4 for 60 yards on the drive.

With the Saints up 7-0, Justin Miller gets Oakland going with a return to the 25-yard line.

JaMarcus Russell opens the game with a quick slant to rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey for a gain of 12-yards. On the next play, Russell fakes a handoff to Michael Bush and then finds Zach Miller open in the middle of the field for a gain of 35-yards. Russell again fakes a hand-off on the net play, but on the blitz, Roman Harper attacked the quarterback’s backside and swatted the football out of his hands for the turnover. Russell did not feel the pressure as he floated outside of the pocket looking for his targets down the field. Jonathan Vilma recovered the football and the Saints were back on offense at their own 33-yard line.

Shockey again hauled in a 5-yard pass to start their next drive. Moore catches a quick slant in front of Chris Johnson for a first down on the second play. Brees then rolls out, hits Shockey, but for a minimal gain. Oakland is not applying any pressure on Brees. Out of the shotgun formation, Bell gets the hand-off, but Thomas Howard is there for the stop. On 3^rd and 6, Brees sets-up a screen for Bell and he gains 11 yards, as the Raiders are un-balanced on defense right now. Gerard Warren has a nice tackle around the line of scrimmage on a no gain. Asomugha blankets Moore on the next play, and the all-pro defensive back jars the ball loose for an incompletion. On 3^rd and 10, Brees has a lot of time and then finds a wide-open Henderson for a 40-yard score and a 14-0 lead. Hiram Eugene blew the coverage deep as he followed Brees, who then looked off the safety for the big play.

Brees so far is 9-of-10 for 123 yards and 1 TD pass.

Miller fields the kickoff at the goal line and returns out to the OAK 22-yard line.

Bush opens their second drive with a carry to the left side for a 1-yard gain. Russell then hits Bush on a screen to the right side for Bush that nets 2 yards. On 3^rd and 7, Russell out of the shot-gun, floats one down the sideline which was almost intercepted; pass was intended for Heyward-Bey (Cornell Green flagged on the play, which was declined).

Ricky Schmitt booms a nice 55-yard punt, and Trevor Scott was in on the tackle, along with Tony Stewart.

Desmond Bryant sacks Brees on the next play, as Oakland finally gets some pressure on the quarterback. Bryant worked along the interior and fought his way to the passer. Hamilton gains 15 yards on the next play. Then, they follow it up with an 11-yard run. Chris Johnson played the slant perfectly against Henderson for an incompletion. On 2^nd and 10, Moore beat Asomugha along the sideline, but Brees overthrew the pass. Michael Huff had a nice angle on the play. But on 3^rd and 10, Henderson smokes Huff for another conversion for 16 yards. Chris Johnson beat Henderson on the next play for a gain of 13-yards.

As the clock winds down, the Saints run another play, a short pass to Hamilton at the OAK 8-yard line.

SCORE: Saints 14 – Raiders 0

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

On Saturday, the Oakland Raiders (1-1) and the New Orleans Saints (2-0) will do battle in both clubs most important pre-season contest. In the third game for both teams, many of the participants that you will see once the regular season begins will be on display getting their last dress rehearsal before preparing themselves for the action of Sundays. The Raiders have made it clear who their starting quarterback will be, but a few other spots remain up in the air.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

Oakland’s running back trio is powerful. At any moment, they can play varying styles of football and each one has different attributes that Tom Cable loves. And he likes the fact that all three are close and have enjoyed the competition in camp this summer. “They have a good time with it because they are so close,” Cable said. “They all want to be the guy but they push each other and pull for each other in their own way.”

But there is one guy who should be getting the majority of the reps and that is Darren McFadden. His multi-dimensional skills greatly increase the versatility of this offense. McFadden is one of the only players on this roster that scares opponents. And in any given moment during a game, the speedster has the ability to hit paydirt from anywhere on the field.

“He’s a real key for us,” Cable stated in early August. “When you look at us when we used him many ways, not just as a runner, but many ways, we were much, much better offensively. So (the goal is) to expand on that role and make him a key part of what we’re trying to do.”

Michael Bush will get the start versus New Orleans. This after McFadden and the veteran Justin Fargas got their numbers called in prior weeks. Bush is not a bulldozer and he has nimble feet. Once he gets going though, he’s hard to stop. Some of his best plays are in screens, as he has very good hands.

What to Expect:

Bush will get the bulk of the load in the 1^st quarter, but its time for Cable to settle in on McFadden and take some of the carries from Fargas, especially when the season begins.

The debut of Javon Walker will be met with anticipation. He practiced this week, looked sharp and could be a player that warrants a lot of attention if he can max out his potential. “He’s a little rough with some of his assignments, but that’s normal,” Cable said. “He hasn’t had a lot of work, but he’s able to clear that because he’s had so much experience. He’s a really bright guy, and the net time you see him do it, he’s fixed the mistake from the time before. We’ll expect him to go after it Saturday.”

On Defense:

Well, nothing has changed on this defense, and the run stuffing issue is still very problematic.

Terdell Sands is on the hot seat, and after a horrible effort against the 49ers last week, all the potential starters and contributors will be assessed against a team that features talent at running back.

“I thought we had some guys not play very well,” Cable said about their effort last game. “We have to do a better job adjusting to it as coaches, and then, two, I think you have to at some point set your jaw and decide you’re not going to get your rear end kicked like that.”

John Marshall was looked at as a guy who could change the ugly trend on this defense. But how can he with the same group that has been struggling with this aspect of defense for some time now?

“We have a few things to shore up, but we have a good system in place,” Ricky Brown said. “Once everybody buys into it, the sky’s the limit for us, you’ll see.”

What to Expect:

Expect this team to get a real challenge on Saturday. The Saints toyed with the Raiders last year in their regular season meeting. And their ability to run and pass, mix it up with pro-bowl talents all over the field will be a good gauge to see where Oakland’s defense is at right now.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:

On Offense:

Reggie Bush is expected to get a heavy workload this weekend after missing the Saints prior game with a strained calf. He rarely gets fed the ball often on running plays as you would to a rusher who can take and then dish out the pounding, but his teammate Mike Bell can and does.

Bell led the Saints in rushing yards last weekend and in total, New Orleans tallied 173 yards on 27 carries.

“Mike’s a guy, ever since he’s gotten here, who’s gotten better and better,” said starting quarterback Drew Brees . “He showed what he could do the other night. He ran extremely hard. He’s had a great training camp. He’s the guy who might be the MVP of training camp. I think he understands what we need from that third running back position. I see him playing a role in what we do if he continues to run like that.”

What to Expect:

Sean Payton will throw the playbook at the Raiders. The third year coach of the Saints wants his team to be more physical, which may not be a problem against the Silver & Black’s weak run defense. How often will they try to attack the Raiders’ secondary will be interesting to note. And if they can get a productive game out of the rushers, it may not be difficult to keep the Raiders unbalanced with screens to Bush or lengthy down field tosses against their suspect safeties.

On Defense:

It is imperative for the Saints to improve on defense if they want to make the playoffs in 2009.

One player that will be highlighted this season will be defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. The second year pro had a good camp and is primed to surprise the league.

The run defense has had its moments during the summer. But for the most part, the offense is what gets all the notoriety in New Orleans. One player on offense who knows a thing or two about playing with confidence is Bush, and he stated that this defense needs to have more juice in order to make that turnaround.

“It’s all about swagger,” Bush said. “I think that’s going to help us and help our defense. Our defense has to have swagger and so does our offense. If we develop a swagger as a team, that’s just going to make us that more dangerous.”

What to Expect:

The Saints flirted with free-agent linebacker Derrick Brooks. But he doesn’t have much left in the tank and the defense really wanted to add an impact player to that group. Mark Simoneau is on injured reserve.

Jonathan Vilma, Scott Fuita and Scott Shanle have to play very well in order to ease some of the uneasiness around the team about that aspect of their defense.

NOTES:

• On offense, Chaz Schilens (foot), Khalif Barnes (ankle), John Wade (stinger), Justin Fargas (hamstring) all missed time during practice yesterday. Matt Shaughnessy (foot), Isaiah Ekejiuba (shoulder), Kirk Morrison (elbow) and Mike Mitchell (hamstring), along with linebacker Slade Norris (calf) were out for the defense.
• Some Saints that will not be seen in action versus the Raiders include: defensive end Charles Grant (hamstring), left tackle Jammal Brown (sports hernia), offensive lineman Anthony Davis (elbow), tight end Darnell Dinkins (ankle), wide receiver D’Juan Woods (neck) and safety Chip Vaughn (knee).

BROADCAST INFORMATION:

Greg Papa and Tom Flores, alongside Jim Plunkett, will simulcast the game on the Raiders Radio and Television Network. Raiders Legend George Atkinson will serve as the sideline analyst next to the host of the broadcast, popular radio personality JT the Brick.  This week’s game will be televised locally on tape-delay on KICU Action 36 Cable 6 on Saturday, August 29 at 5 p.m. There will be an encore showing of the game on Sunday August 30, at 1 p.m. on KICU Action 36 Cable 6. The game can be heard on Raiders Radio originating on KSFO 560 AM, the flagship for the Silver and Black’s multi-state Radio Network. Papa and Raiders two-time Super Bowl wining head coach Tom Flores will man the booth for the 12th straight year.  The radio pregame and postgame shows will feature Raider Legends Atkinson and David Humm along with KGO’s Rich Walcoff. (Information cited from the official Raiders Web Site)

According to several reports, the Napa Police Department has plans to question head coach Tom Cable about the alleged role he played in an encounter with assistant Randy Hanson.

Hanson was treated at the Queen of the Valley Hospital for a broken bone in his face. Cable stated on August 17^th, “It’s an internal issue that we are dealing with, and that’s all I’m going to say. He continued, “I’m not going to comment on [what happened to Hanson].”

The defensive assistant reportedly told the police in a statement that a member of the Oakland coaching staff at the team’s hotel initiated the attack. Other news outlets have stated that Cable attacked Hanson during a meeting.

Just last week, Cable replied, “When all the facts come out, everything will be fine.”

Hanson has not been at the Raiders’ facility since the incident occurred and since, the case has taking a new turn because of his willingness to collaborate with the authorities.

This cannot be good news for the team, who is heading into their third preseason game and is wrapping up a summer of optimism.

Cable seems confident in his statements that all will be worked out and that his name will be cleared of any wrongdoing. But you tend to think that there is fire where you see smoke, and with the police now involved, and Hanson retaining an attorney specializing in employment law, you could see some more drama coming out of Oakland as the pre-season winds down and the regular season begins.

Never a good thing for any team, especially one that has the recent on the field track record that this one has.

WR OUT, DB IN

Oakland waived WR Samie Parker and inked DB Michael Hawkins.

The speedy DB has been with Cleveland, Minnesota, Dallas and Tampa Bay after being Green Bay’s fifth round selection (167^th overall) in the 2005 draft. Hawkins made his debut in 2004-2005 with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League.

Parker did not distinguish himself in camp and will move on once again, as he has been with 5 clubs in the last 3 years. The Raiders don’t have a lot of quality depth at wide receiver, but with the return of Javon Walker this week, and the expected return of Chaz Schilens in the first quarter of the season, keeping Parker seemed a long shot.

RAIDERS CLAIM DEFENSIVE TACKLE

In another transaction, the Raiders claimed DT Joe Cohen off waivers from the Miami Dolphins. They also waived CB Jason Horton in the process.

At this point, they are looking for any willing bodies to compete at defensive tackle. The front four does look good heading into the season; especially after the San Francisco 49eers torched them last weekend. Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren, Terdell Sands and William Joseph were expected to be tackles rotating time once the regular season began.

But Sands looks to be a player near the cut-line with his ineptness and contract. Joseph was one of the few on that defense that had good glimpses last weekend.

NEAL NEWS

On the official Raiders web site, Lorenzo Neal is listed as “released.” And it appears both sides agreed on a injury settlement, ending any curiosity about the move.

• The Oakland Raiders brought back Napoleon Harris yesterday; the same linebacker that was traded for Randy Moss after the 2004 campaign. The former first round draft choice (23^rd overall) of the Silver & Black has made stops in Minnesota (2005-2006 & 2008) and Kansas City (2007-2008) before coming back to the bay area. Out of Northwestern, the once boisterous defender has tallied 481 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in his career. He’ll always be remembered for being traded to the Vikings in exchange for Moss. Oakland also sent the seventh overall pick in that draft and a seventh rounder to Minnesota. Harris wore number 96 in practice and worked with the second team. SB Report journalist DeMarcus Davis stated, “The one play I saw him make was a tackle on Michael Bush up the middle. Harris shed his blocker to make the tackle.”
• Javon Walker worked with the team for the first time on Monday and looked crisp running his route drills. The wide receiver is expected to play versus the Saints this week, but is not sure for how long. “The rehab part is the hard part,” Walker said. “The easy part is being out there practicing and catching balls now.”
• Oakland released CB Ricky Manning Jr to make room for Harris. Manning was signed on August 15 and played during the pre-season for the Silver & Black.
• JaMarcus Russell had another up-and-down day in practice. He zipped the ball a few times to Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey. The rookie out of Maryland was observed dropping another ball that was a perfect toss.
• Ricky Brown played MLB along with Jon Alston and Thomas Howard.
• Raiders that sat out of practice: Shane Lechler (groin), Justin Fargas (hamstring), Mike Mitchell (hamstring) & Hiram Eugene (flu).

THE GOOD:

JaMarcus Russell is the starting quarterback for the Silver & Black! As much as some would like to see the more reliable veteran Jeff Garcia at the helm, the Raiders need Russell to be the starter. So far in the pre-season, he’s shown improvement, going 13-for-20 for 126 yards 1 touchdown and no interceptions. Against the Cowboys he was decisive when he needed to bolt out of the backfield with an 18 yard run. He has a lot to learn and his leadership qualities are still in question. But he was chosen number one overall to revitalize this organization. He’s not going to do that by sitting. Tom Cable stated, “At this point, he’s the quarterback of the Oakland Raiders.” Garcia has not pushed him due to a calf strain. You just hope if you’re the Raider coaching staff that there isn’t a point in the year where you have to make a difficult decision.

THE BAD:

So far, there is nothing I’ve seen that will change my opinion that this run defense will stink it up again, as it has since 2003. Take a look back:

2008 – 31^st in the NFL – 159.7 yds/g

2007 – 31^st in the NFL – 145.9 yds/g

2006 – 25^th in the NFL – 134.0 yds/g

2005 – 25^th in the NFL – 128.1 yds/g

2004 – 22^nd in the NFL – 125.8 yds/g

2003 – 32^nd in the NFL – 156.9 yds/g

The Raiders have not added any talent along the defensive line, but felt that a change in defensive coordinator would make a difference. “We are just going to look at it, and I’m pretty sure the coach is going to come up with a solution to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” said defensive end Greg Ellis. “It wasn’t like [the 49ers] were able to run any play and get yards on us; that one play we just didn’t handle well. Then they did what anybody should do, they kept repeating it, one side to another, and they kept having success with it.” The 275 yards given up to San Francisco this weekend was alarming. Especially how the first units were manhandled. Ellis was on point with his comments though, teams realize that something is working against the Raiders and they keep repeating it. And as that occurs, no one in Silver & Black can adjust. Terdell Sands and Tommy Kelly been a part of what has gone wrong in the front four. Yet they remain and have been given raises during that span. Gerard Warren has never been known to be a run stuffer, and young Trevor Scott just gets blasted on the edges.

THE GOOD:

The passing attack looks to be vastly improved. There are many questions still because of the youth and inexperience of the receivers. But rookie Louis Murphy is one of those players helping the Raiders forget about their abysmal 2008 aerial display. Prior to his injury, Chaz Schilens was showing his maturity and Zach Miller is probably the most consistent player on offense. This weekend, Brandon Myers gave some glimpses of what he can do. “Those guys just keep getting better and better,” Cable stated about his rookies. “It’s exciting to see where we’re headed with that group. “ But the key will be how Javon Walker bounces back and whether or not Darrius Heyward-Bey can rebound from a tough summer.

THE BAD:

The offensive line remains inconsistent. Yes, they will be more adept at pass blocking, which will help Russell and his development and the efficiency of the passing game. But they need to work on asserting themselves in run blocking to help the trio at running back that will shoulder the bulk of this offense. The Raiders need to be highly successful running the football in 2009. Samson Satele, Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle have to develop a mean streak. This weekend, they did not look good against the 49ers’ defense. It doesn’t appear that Khalif Barnes will be ready for the opener and Mario Henderson has now the burden of being a starter. You just can’t turn it on and off if you’re the offensive line. Oakland has to get back to establishing their presence on the ground in the next pre-season game so they are ready to unleash Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas in September.

THE GOOD:

Ricky Brown has stepped it up during camp and pre-season. His interception against the 49ers and an injury to Kirk Morrison may have sealed his spot in the starting line-up. Brown has been vocal and fiery all summer. You have to like when players step it up and make a case for being a starter.

It’s hard to single out one player along the defensive line when they struggle so much, but William Joseph is playing a lot better and leaving the coaching staff with good impressions. He was getting push in the interior versus the 49ers and his pursuit on a end around was disciplined.

Bruce Gradkowski is playing with confidence every time he steps on the field. He has led Oakland scoring drives and appears to be ahead of Charlie Frye for the third spot on the quarterback depth chart.

THE BAD:

The back-end of the secondary remains a major question mark. Rookie Mike Mitchell has missed valuable learning time due to an injury, Tyvon Branch has looked lost at times in coverage and Michael Huff is still an enigma. Huff has all the physical ability needed to be a star in this league. But since entering the NFL, he has not been able to put together a string of games that lead you to believe that he can be a reliable starter. Hiram Eugene is at best a back up. Oakland may be facing a lot of issues when teams attempt to stretch the field against them and the safeties have to start dissecting what are their assignments during plays that have multiple targets running around the secondary.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Quarterback: B-

The numbers were fairly decent for JaMarcus Russell (7/11 for 76 yards and 1 TD), but most of his tosses were of the short variety and were safe. His 24-yard touchdown pass to Louis Murphy is what the team wants to see more of. On 3^rd and 22, hit got enough time to scan the field and then Russell was able to realize the break in the coverage and hit the rookie to give them a 7-0 lead. Russell was decisive and accurate on a 20-yard completion to TE Tony Stewart, releasing the ball above his OL and a defender plowing into him. Bruce Gradkowski looks to be way ahead in the fight for third in the depth chart. He was 3/5 for 44 yards, one touchdown and one interception. As soon as he came into the game in the 3^rd quarter, he showed off his mobility with a 9-yard scamper. A few plays later, he hooks up with the rookie tight end for a nice 36-yard pass before he connects with Brandon Myers again to cap the drive with a touchdown and a 14-3 lead. Jeff Garcia came on late in the 1^st half, immediately completed a 9-yard pass to Johnnie Lee Higgins, then ran for 9 yards, but as time expired and the Raiders in 49ers territory, he overthrew his target, and the pass was deflected into the hands of a defender. Garcia looked healthy and ready to continue work this week after his stint. Charlie Frye had his moments, but his interception led to the 49ers game-winning score. After Gradkowski’s pick, Carlos Thomas returned Frye’s first pass to the Raider 25 yard line. Frye was feisty at the end of the contest, scrambling and making plays with his feet.

Running Back: C

Much of the talk here is what they couldn’t do due to the weak play of the offensive line. Darren McFadden opened the game with Oren O’Neal. The fullback looked slow and not able to neither seal any lanes nor get into the second level of the defense. McFadden had to dance around bodies just to get to the line of scrimmage. On a 2^nd and goal in the 1^st quarter, Justin Fargas got the call, but the offensive line was mauled on the play. The running backs were at their best during screens and dump offs and little else. The best ground game Oakland had was with their shifty quarterbacks when they broke out of the pocket.

Wide Receivers & Tight Ends: B+

Brandon Myers was athletic, sure-handed and looked every part of being a tight end at the NFL level. His 4 receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown were very impressive. Murphy continues to show that he can be a contributor to this attack. He found the soft spot in the 49ers cover-2 on the touchdown and tallied 34 yards on the night. Zach Miller had 3 catches and was Russell’s safety blanket once again. On a 3^rd and 9 in the first quarter, it appeared that Darrius Heyward-Bey wiggled open on a out pattern, but Russell was not able to connect on his pass. Johnnie Lee Higgins was active and beat a CB so bad, he drew a pass interference penalty that netted the Raiders 22-yards.

Offensive Line: D-

This group was ineffective and looked sluggish all night. They were not able to open up any holes for the rushers, beaten at the point of attack on the majority of running plays the Raiders called. On a 2^nd and 13 in the 2^nd quarter in which Fargas got near the goal line on a screen pass, Center Samson Satele was flagged for a hold. James Marten could’ve had a costly penalty, as he was flagged before Frye’s touchdown run deep in SF territory. Cornell Green’s penalty in the 2^nd quarter also put the Raiders in a tough down and distance.

Defensive Line: F

The 49ers rushed for 275 yards and controlled the time of possession 38:44 to 21:16. Frank Gore got his feet wet early, but his back-up Glen Coffee plowed through the Raiders, amassing over 100 yards rushing in the 1^st half and 129 for the contest. Michael Robinson and Kory Sheets joined the party later; they totaled 148 yards. Gerard Warren and Tommy Kelly were a sieve. They got pushed around all night, and when Terdell Sands and William Joseph were in there, it did not get any better. The most noticeable trend from last night was how the edges of the defense were exposed. Trevor Scott, Greg Ellis and Jay Richardson all were manhandled on tosses, sweeps and any rush plays run at them. William Joseph did have some nice plays, batting a ball down on 4^th down to end a 49er drive and shutting down an end around for -6 yards. Ellis got pressure early on passing downs, but his rush was neutralized once San Francisco began to pound at John Marshall’s defense.

Linebackers: D

If not for a Ricky Brown interception and return for 46 yards that set Oakland up for points in 49er territory, this unit would have been given an ‘F’ as well. Oakland blitzed a lot with this group, but only managed one sack the whole night. Kirk Morrison was whipped away on a few rushes, Thomas Howard was active, but needed to make trailing tackles on rushers that broke free into the second level of the defense, and Jon Alston, who started at OLB was ineffective. Slade Norris missed some tackles and Morlon Greenwood could not a case for himself making the roster with poorest showing by the defense.

Secondary: C

The starters were solid, but not tested much since the 49ers had so much success on the ground. Starter Chris Johnson had his moments in the 1^st half; covering and tackling Vernon Davis for minimal gains. Hiram Eugene and Tyvon Branch appeared lost at times as well as Jerome Boyd. Ricky Manning Jr. played well, and recorded a big tackle on a 3^rd and 7 run to get the Raiders off the field.

Special Teams: B

Nick Miller did not put any fear into the 49er coverage units. His fumble late ended any hope the Raiders had of winning the game. Justin Miller had a 26-yard kickoff return and punter Ricky Schmitt did an admirable job averaging 48.0 yards a punt.

Coaching: B-

Tom Cable should had left Russell in the game to end the half. That was a perfect opportunity to let the young passer orchestrate a 2-minute drill. He did a good job challenging Frye’s touchdown. He stuck to the game plan, playing all the quarterbacks on the roster and giving them all a shot to get their feet wet last night. His team built a nice lead and appeared in control to start the 3^rd quarter, but there was no answer for the onslaught on the ground. Cable did a nice job taking a time-out in the 2^nd quarter when the 49ers got to the goal line. That got the Raiders a breather and thwarted a 13 play drive that could’ve ended in a touchdown, but instead the 49ers got a FG.

NOTES:

• When the 49ers took a 21-14 lead, they had scored 18-unanswered points on the strength of a powerful running game and 3 turnovers. San Francisco has also dominated the time of possession, 35:14 to 15:52 to that point in the final quarter.
• Kirk Morrison was seen leaving the game with his arm in sling. He will be out at least 2-weeks, and with Ricky Brown making plays and looking more intense out there, it appears that the product out of Oakland will have to deal with a bumpy road in 2009.