Silver and Black Report

QUARTERBACK – C-

JaMarcus Russell’s accuracy problems were on display on Monday night. On a few occasions, he overthrew or sailed passes that were nowhere near his intended targets. The hefty passer was 8-of-18 in the first half for 111 yards, one interception and a 41.7 rating. Some of his highlights include; an 11-yard pass to Zach Miller on 3^rd and 7, and on the Raiders second drive, Russell scanned the field after play-action, finding Miller for 30 yards. He even showed some out of pocket awareness, rolling away from pressure at times to rid himself of the football and running for 4-yards on a 3^rd and 3. Russell ended 12-of-30 for 208 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. The offense was stagnant because of his wild throws at times, but to his credit, on 4^th and 14 with over 2 minutes remaining in the game, he hit his rookie target for a clutch 57-yard touchdown pass that gave the Raiders a 20-17 lead.

RUNNING BACKS – B+

Darren McFadden almost showed his whole repertoire. The speedster had 17 carries for 68 yards; running with power between the tackles, showing his burst through lanes and to the edges and even laying some vicious blocks. His fumble in the 2^nd quarter led to a San Diego touchdown. Michael Bush scored the game’s first touchdown and ended with 55-yards rushing. The product out of Louisville keyed a big play on Oakland’s second quarter scoring drive. On 3^rd and 10, Bush picked up a blitzing linebacker, allowing Russell to connect with Louis Murphy for 15-yards on 3^rd and 10. Six plays later, Oakland took a 10-7 lead.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS – C

If not for Louis Murphy and Zach Miller, this would be an ‘F’ grade. Miller was in pro-bowl form, tallying 96-yards on 6 receptions. Murphy was shafted out of his 2^nd quarter touchdown. But he bounced back to finish with 87-yards on 4 grabs. His touchdown late in the game would have been one of the more memorable moments in recent Raiders history if not for the collapse of the defense. Darrius Heyward-Bey was non-existent. The first-round draft choice dropped a nice gainer on a 1^st and 10 after the Chargers tied the game at 7. His speed down the field did facilitate an illegal contact infraction on Quentin Jammer on 3^rd and 10, who locked in on the receiver throughout the route. Heyward-Bey is clearly not ready to contribute on a consistent basis. Tony Stewart’s 13-yard reception showed some fight after making the grab, hitting the turf and picking up extra yardage. Johnnie Lee Higgins dropped what would have been a 1^st down on a 3^rd and 14 play, but he was clobbered and could not hold on to the pass. His 19-yard run on a reverse was a highlight, especially with Russell getting out in front to block for him.

OFFENSIVE LINE – B+

For three quarters, the Raiders mauled the San Diego front-seven. Mario Henderson, Robert Gallery. Chris Morris, Cooper Carlisle and Cornell Green were assertive, faster and more explosive at the point of attack, and played with a physical nature not seen in years along the trenches. But in the 4^th quarter, they couldn’t sustain their dominance and the production on the ground dropped off substantially in the second half. Green was flagged for a false start in the opening drive, then again in the 4^th quarter on a 3^rd and 4, and then a holding infraction a few plays later on 1^st and 10. Carlisle played his best game as a Raider and Henderson made a nice first impression as the teams left tackle.

DEFENSIVE LINE – A-

Richard Seymour aligned himself all over the line of scrimmage and was a disruptor on all night recording 2-sacks in his debut. Greg Ellis, another acquisition this off-season, also notched a sack and played equally as well versus the run and when chasing down Philip Rivers. He stripped LaDainian Tomlinson on a 3^rd and 8 deep in their own territory, as Oakland stopped the Chargers in the red-zone after the big kickoff by Sproles. The run defense looked nothing like the abysmal group of recent past. They held the Chargers to 77 yards rushing (21 in the first half), with physical play, disciplined gap control and linebackers and safeties that jolted through San Diego’s blocking schemes. Gerard Warren was steady all evening, while Tommy Kelly has flashes of total control in his game. Trevor Scott had a non-stop motor all night, and surprisingly, defended the run very well, a glaring deficit in his game all pre-season. The front-four was able to put pressure by themselves, allowing John Marshall to drop his linebackers in coverage; a move that ultimately hurt them as the game wound down.

LINEBACKERS – C-

Thomas Howard was the best performer of the night on this unit. On consecutive plays in the 4th quarter, he darted across the line of scrimmage to tackle Darren Sproles for a 3-yard loss, then lined-up in front of him out wide and clobbered the little rusher on a screen to force an incomplete. Ricky Brown had his ups and downs, but shined in the first half in run defense. Inexplicably, this got too much depth in coverage late in the game, allowing the Chargers to pick up chunks of yardage on their march to the game-winning drive.

SECONDARY – B+

Nnamdi Asomugha was stellar all evening, showing off his tackling abilities in run support and blanketing the field, as rarely did Rivers attack the pro-bowler. One of the few times he did, Asomugha was beat by Vincent Jackson on a 15-yard pass for a score. Asomugha had late help from Stanford Routt on the play. Chris Johnson had his moments; mauling Sproles on a dump off on a 2^nd and 12 in the first half and jumping underneath a slant route and almost getting a pick. But with Asomugha on the other side, Rivers attacked the riskier cornerback and got most of his 252-yards on him and safety Tyvon Branch. Branch was exceptional tackling around the line of scrimmage and to his credit, did an admirable job against one of the better pass catching tight ends in the NFL. But Antonio Gates did amass 83-yards on 5 receptions and when San Diego was successful moving the ball, it was when they attacked everyone in the secondary not named Asomugha. Michael Huff had a fumble recovery, handled Gates on a few tosses that went incomplete and on a 3^rd and 3 as San Diego moved into field goal range, the safety recorded an interception of a deflection. Even Hiram Eugene got in on the act, showing toughness on a few tackles and holding his own in deep coverage. This group helped a lot in run defense.

SPECIAL TEAMS – D-

Sproles had some momentum swinging returns, as he finished with 170 yards on kickoffs. Trevor Scott looked lively on the coverage units, as well as Todd Watkins and the rookie Mike Mitchell who had a nice stop in the second half on a punt. Louis Rankin was a non-threat on kickoffs and Higgins was quiet. Shane Lechler had a solid punting game (48.8) and Sebastian Janikowski booted both of his field goal attempts cleanly.

COACHING – A-

Tom Cable and his staff did a wonderful job preparing for the Chargers, playing it safe throughout the game, corralling the team as needed, opening up the playbook at times and ultimately getting this club primed for the opener. Cable made the right call on that 4^th and 14 touchdown to Murphy, as they got San Diego crossed up on the play, and changing the pace of the stagnant game with the reverse to Higgins. On the 3^rd and 5 prior to the nullified Murphy score, Cable called a time out, composed the team and ran a nice play that should have been a score if not for the referees overrule. John Marshall should have stayed in attack mode late in the game, as Oakland was more imposing and physical than the Chargers throughout the game. Schematically, dropping back the linebackers and giving Sproles and Rivers the shorter routes was their undoing. Nonetheless, this coaching staff did a nice job. They weren’t at fault for Russell’s wildness and the team not being able to sustain their physical play over four quarters.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The physical play of the Raiders on both sides of the ball

Oakland set the tone early with their powerful ground game. After the 1^st quarter, they had a dominating 81-yards rushing. On the other side of the ball, San Diego was only able to produce 9-yards on the ground. Tom Cable’s offensive line pushed aside the Charger’s front seven in the first half, which allowed Darren McFadden and Michael Bush to combine for 105 yards at intermission. Mario Henderson mauled Shawne Merriman at times; Robert Gallery, Chris Morris and Cooper Carlisle shoved aside any Charger opposite them and Cornell Green played over his head on occasion. Oakland’s defense also flexed their muscle with hard-hitting and relentless pressure. Tyvon Branch looked every part of a strong safety when around the line of scrimmage, Richard Seymour, Greg Ellis and Trevor Scott brought the heat and Tommy Kelly and Gerard Warren actually looked stout in the trenches. Oakland has not played with this physical nature in a long time. Did they wear down as the game ended? The linebackers getting depth in their coverages late and John Marshall hitting the brake pedal as time expired was disappointing, but overall, San Diego will feel the effects of the brute play of the Raiders this morning.

VERDICT: GOOD

The new acquisitions on the defensive line

Greg Ellis and Richard Seymour tallied all three Raider sacks. Seymour played every position along the front-four, was disruptive, and his utilization drove San Diego’s offense nuts. His play appeared to have elevated the performance of others and solidified a line that was in desperate need of a force in the interior. Ellis was the steady veteran he always is. Whether on run defense or chasing Philip Rivers down, Ellis provided more than what Derrick Burgess had in his last two campaigns in Silver & Black.

VERDICT: GOOD

JaMarcus Russell’s up and down night

At times, Russell hindered the offense, missing wide-open targets and looking like the passer still in development. Other times, he looked poised, steady and like a quarterback evolving. His 57-yard bomb to Louis Murphy in the 4^th quarter was clutch, especially after his accuracy struggles and missing a few plays on that same drive after a sneak in which he hurt himself. Ultimately, he has to make more positives plays to help this team perform at a higher level. The touchdown to Murphy, which the referees overruled, was a nice flash.

VERDICT: TIE

Darren McFadden getting his touches

Oakland has to continue to feature this dynamic talent. He is a scary weapon that can provide some moments of excitement. The Raiders used him well on runs, splitting out as a wide receiver and motioning him all over the formation. More screens to the speedster should be mixed into the game plan. There is no denying that he can run the ball between the tackles as well, as he can handle the pounding with his chiseled frame. Ball security is an issue, but until further notice, he should be the main ball carrier on this offense.

VERDICT: GOOD

Special Teams, not so special

Last year, the Raiders played well on coverage units. In the opener, they allowed momentum-swinging plays to the diminutive Darren Sproles. After Oakland took a 7-0 lead, on the ensuing kick, Sproles busted a 66-yard return. Then when they took a 10-7 lead, Sproles replied with a 59-yard burst.

VERDICT: BAD

John Marshall’s debut

For the most part, good, but the first year defensive coordinator inexplicably dropped his linebackers deep into coverage, allowing key yards late in the 4^th quarter to Sproles out of the backfield. Oakland forced a turnover in the 1^st half after the Chargers drove deep in their territory, a fumble by LaDainian Tomlinson; his first in 993 touches. The front-seven played physical and was disciplined. But the breakdown late could have been prevented scheme wise after the Raiders punished the Chargers all night.

VERDICT: TIE

NOTE: Game Grades will be posted soon…

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

On the opening kickoff, Isaiah Ekejiuba made a stellar tackle on the Dallas 14-yard line. The special teams ace just continues to play at a high level on the coverage units.

On 3^rd and 11, and their backs to the end zone on their opening drive, Dallas was pressured into a quick toss down the sidelines, as the Raiders blitzed and forced Tony Romo to get rid of the ball quickly.

On their own 32, the Raiders begin their attack with a JaMarcus Russell pass to Chaz Schilens for 11 yards. Three plays into the Raiders first drive, Russell under throws the speedy Darrius Heyward-Bey on a bomb down the sideline, which falls incomplete after bouncing off the arms of the defender and receiver. On the next play, 3^rd and 8, Russell buys some time by rolling out of the pocket and again throws deep, but this time, his under throw forces a flag (48 yard penalty), as Schilens cannot haul in the football. Russell needs to do more of this in order to prolong plays and stretch the field. The play sets up the Raiders at the Cowboys 8 yard line.

1^st and goal from the 8-yard line, Schilens hauls in a 6-yard pass on a slant. The following play was a hold on RG Cooper Carlisle. 2^nd and goal from the 12-yard line resulted on a dump off to Lorenzo Neal for a loss of 2 yards. 3^rd and goal, Russell on the other side of the formation hits Schilens with another slant well short of the end zone. The penalty was a drive killer, but Sebastian Janikowski was able to boot a 23 yard field goal to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead.

Nnamdi Asomugha left the game, Stanford Routt took over, and Romo hit Roy Williams for 12 yards. A few plays later, Routt was penalized for a hold covering Williams. On their second drive, Dallas has set the tone with a nice quick pace, changing the cadence and snap count and keeping the Raiders off balance. Patrick Crayton surprised everyone on the Raider defense with a 13-yard end around rush. The Cowboys have nice rhythm on offense, but a hold along the offensive line, nullifies a touchdown run and pushes the ball back to the 11-yard line. Two plays later, Romo hits Jason Witten for an 11-yard touchdown toss. The Raider show blitz on the play, drop back 7 into coverage, and Romo maneuvers around in the backfield to evade pressure and find the pro-bowl tight end. After the Raiders took a 3-0 lead, the defense yields to Jason Garret’s attack, allowing Dallas to go 71 yards on 9 plays to take a 7-3 lead.

Justin Miller returns his first kickoff for 17 yards to the 20-yard line.

On the first play of the Raiders second drive, Keith Brooking blitzed, and mauled JaMarcus Russell, as he went through the line cleanly and sacked the QB for an 11 yard loss. Darren McFadden looked explosive on his first carry for 13 yards. On 3^rd and 8, the Raiders converted when Russell threw a perfect out patter to Schilens for 16 yards. On the next play, Russell ran for 17 yards, scrambling after the play breaks down, showing very good decisiveness in taking off for the big gain. Russell again tries to hit Heyward-Bey deep, this time on a 2-step drop and fade pattern, which fell incomplete. Carlisle is penalized again, this time for a false start. On 2^nd and 15, Dallas collapses the pocket and knocks down Russell’s pass at the line of scrimmage. The Raiders pick up 9 on a screen to McFadden; Shane Lechler comes on for the punt as the drive ends at the Dallas 39 yard line.

Lechler drops the ball on the Dallas 5 yard line, downed by RB Gary Russell.

As the 1st quarter clock runs out, McFadden breaks off a 45 yard run. Bruce Gradkowski is now at QB.

Score after the 1st Quarter: Cowboys 7 – Raiders 3

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Robert Gallery is firmly entrenched at guard

The Oakland Raiders needed a complete makeover along the offensive line this off-season. So far, they’ve upgraded both tackle spots and added a new Center to the mix. But will that be enough to provide a solid foundation for JaMarcus Russell’s development and to open up holes for their talented crop of rushers?

Kwame Harris is gone, and someone else will likely occupy Cornell Green’s right tackle spot. That alone will improve the play of the line, especially at both tackle positions, which were a reason why Oakland’s offense sputtered and could not provide a solid wall for Russell.

Chris Morris, John Wade and Samson Satele are the contenders at center. Jake Grove signed a huge deal in Miami, so the Raiders picked up the Dolphins center the last few seasons – Satele – in hopes that his style will fit the zone-blocking scheme that Tom Cable utilizes. Oakland won’t add a center in the draft, as it appears that they have enough there already to go into camp with.

Along the interior, barring any injuries, Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle will be firmly entrenched at left guard and right guard. Veteran Paul McQuistan is a back up for either starter, but there is nothing much after that. Marcus Johnson has seen time at tackle and guard while in the league, but its unknown whether or not he can provide enough stability at guard to warrant a spot as a back up there.

Most of the movement this off-season has been at tackle, and this is where Oakland will have to show the most improvement with all the talent brought in this off-season. Khalif Barnes is the front-runner for the left tackle spot and Erik Pears and Mario Henderson could have a nice battle in camp along the right side.

Oakland looks to have more reliable players along the trenches, but will that shy them away from spending their 7^th overall selection on one of the many solid linemen available this draft?

The Raiders have done enough along the offensive line and can afford to go in another direction with that top pick. But if they feel like they need more talent there, which it appears like they do, targeting interior linemen or young tackles to develop should be a focus when they go through the selection process during the draft.

PROSPECTS TO WATCH

Sebastian Vollmer, T, Houston

An all-conference left tackle, Vollmer allowed only one sack in 610 pass attempts last season in Houston. Born and raised in Germany, and still learning the nuisances of the game, this is the type of project that can entice the Raiders. They will be able to start the veterans acquired this off-season and hope that Vollmer learns under the close tutelage of Cable. His size and attributes will be hard to pass up in the middle rounds.

Xavier Fulton, T, Illinois

Anthony Parker, G, Tennessee

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The Oakland Raiders acquired a starting center on Monday when the Miami Dolphins sent 24-year old Samson Satele to the Silver & Black for a sixth round selection in April’s draft.

The trade also included a swap of fourth round selections, as the Raiders dropped from the 104^th overall slot to 122^nd.

Satele was expendable after the Dolphins signed ex-Raider Jake Grove to a five-year, $29 million contract, with $14.5 million in guarantees. Their second round draft choice in 2007, which started every game the past two years, was not what Tony Sparano wanted in the middle of the trenches, looking for a more physical presence in the interior to go along with the more power running game they are trying to adopt.

Grove, who played in Oakland the past five seasons, has had durability concerns and has only started 16 games only once in his career.

“We signed another center and feel like we had to get better in that area,” Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland said on Monday. “It’s pretty critical that we did.

“We saw there was some value out there with Samson. We felt like if we kept Samson we would have moved him to guard and let him compete.

He continued, “But we found out there was significant value for Samson.”

This trade may sway the Raiders away from drafting a center in next month’s draft. Oakland had a need at center, filled it with a player with starting experience in the league, and with both guard spots locked up, Satele quickly becomes the distant front-runner to nab the job in 2009.

Chris Morris and John Wade remain on the roster, but it will take a miracle for either to surprise Cable enough to earn the top spot. Morris is not physical nor is imposing on the field, but his style does lend itself to the zone blocking system Cable teaches.

Having stability with Cooper Carlisle, who just signed a five-year deal, and Robert Gallery at guard will go a long way in trying to bring back a steady presence in the trenches.

It will be interesting to see what they do at right tackle especially after making it clear that recently inked Khalif Barnes will be protecting JaMarcus Russell’s blind side. Mario Henderson is the leading candidate to win that job. And owner Al Davis has talked up his play at the end of 2008 in various occasions during the off-season.

So if Henderson shows consistency and takes well to right tackle, we may be seeing a line that will have Barnes (LT), Gallery (LG), Satele (C) and Carlisle (RG) barring any injuries in the summer.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

As expected, the Oakland Raiders are not a major player in the frenzy that is the first few days of free agency.

After inking Chris Johnson, Shane Lechler, Nnamdi Asomugha and Isaiah Ekejiuba to deals; and tendering restricted free agents Jon Alston, Jon Condo and Ricky Brown, the Silver & Black are just passive observers and looking for cost efficient ways to improve a team that has approximately $6 million in cap space to play with.

With the draft coming up and the likelihood of them keeping their 7^th overall selection, a lot of creativity will be needed if they plan to bring in any significant free agents.

Some believe that Javon Walker may still be cut before he gets his roster bonus. But that will just hinder an already tight salary situation.

Jake Grove is still a free agent and the Raiders have expressed interest in bringing him back. Tom Cable wants him to stick around and Grove, who was happy about the coaching hiring, wants to remain in Silver & Black. But negotiations have been stalled due to monetary terms, as the Raiders would like to get him signed to a multi-year deal.

It’s imperative they keep some semblance of continuity on that offensive line, especially since guard Cooper Carlisle has been fielding offers from other clubs and could be lost.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have contacted Carlisle and reports indicated that they might be interested in bringing him in as a reserve. Carlisle still feels he can play at a high level, which bodes well for the Raiders, because he was their best lineman in 2007 and was a steady presence throughout 2008, although his level of play slipped as the year went on.

Carlisle, 31, fits Cable’s zone blocking scheme, but the Raiders may try to deviate from that some in 2009 in their efforts to return to a more power ground game.

If that is the case, it will be interesting what occurs to both Grove and Carlisle, both who fit better Cable’s philosophy.

As for the Michael Bush rumors, its hard to believe that Oakland will entertain any offers for a young rusher who is making very little money and that can spearhead an offense that has no pop.

Oakland must rely on their ground game in 2009 and hope that Bush and Darren McFadden can develop into studs to alleviate the pressure on JaMarcus Russell.

Justin Fargas is still around. So if the Raiders do plan on trading from an area of strength, they should part ways with Fargas, who signed last year a three-year $12 million deal and is expected to get a $1 million roster bonus.

The Raiders have kept a lot of their own players to start this off-season.

That may not seem impressive because they did only manage five victories in 2008.

But considering that Asomugha and Lechler were two of those players –probably the best at their positions in the NFL – its good to see that the Raiders are trying to make the right transactions, not the flashiest ones.

Then again, they are trying to fix the mess that was last season’s flashy spending spree. 

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

This is the first installment of SBReport’s unit analysis. As we quickly approach training camp and bring you live coverage from the Oakland Raiders Alameda training facility, SBReport will break down every component of the Silver & Black’s squad. Today, we focus on Tom Cable’s offensive line, their ability to sustain their success paving lanes for a group of talented ball carriers and hopefully keeping JaMarcus Russell upright in his first season as the Oakland Raiders starting quarterback.

Read more…