Silver and Black Report

WIVB.com is reporting that the Buffalo Bills will meet with Oakland Raiders right tackle Cornell Green.

Green, 34, has been entrenched at right tackle for the Silver & Black the last three campaigns, tallying 38-starts. His unstable play and tendency to rack up penalties has been one of the major issues along the trenches for the Raiders.

The Bills have a need along the offensive line and Green is one option that won’t be pricey and that has starting experience.

With Khalif Barnes signed and the possibility of the Raiders targeting offensive linemen in this upcoming draft, Green’s departure will be a welcome sight to many.

UPDATE***

Green inked a a 3-year deal with the Bills.

Here is a list of Oakland Raiders that are ready to become unrestricted free agents next month. The following players are free to sign with another team in an uncapped season starting March 5. Info provided by NFLLabor.com.

• Cornell Green, RT
• William Joseph, DT
• Richard Seymour, DL
• John Wade, C
• Langston Walker, OL
• Sam Williams, OLB

Analysis

Seymour is the top priority of this bunch. If he is not signed to a long-term extension – as he would like – Oakland will tag him their franchise player. Williams is a solid special teamer, a guy who always finds a way to stick around and an all-around solid character off the field. Oakland will try to retain him at an adequate cost, which should not be that difficult since he’s not starter material anywhere else. Walker could be brought back for depth, but he’s obviously not a priority. In no way should Green be retained. Tom Cable defends him far too often and relies on the veteran unnecessarily. He’s been a faulty member of that offensive line for several seasons and inexplicably, he returns to the starting line-up every year instead of being jettisoned.

Best Offensive Player:

Zach Miller, Tight End – 66 rec. 805 yards 3 TD

It amazes me how on a horrendous offense, Miller continues to improve on his numbers on a yearly basis. Raiders don’t have many scary targets on offense. And Miller is not as dynamic as other tight ends around the league, but he sure is productive and a solid blocker.

Best Defensive Player:

Nnamdi Asomugha, Cornerback

Among the best defenders in the NFL. Asomugha is a complete defensive back and a better citizen.

Best Special Team Player:

Shane Lechler, Punter

The Pro Bowl talent ended with a 51.1 average, short of Sammy Baugh’s 51.4 record set in 1940. But he did break the net average mark with 43.9, topping the 41.2 he set last season.

Best Coach:

Lionel Washington, Defensive Backs

Tyvon Branch matured into a solid starter, Michael Huff had his best season as a pro, rookie Mike Mitchell gave the backfield a jolt and Asomugha is among the best. Washington did a solid job with this group.

Least Valuable Offensive Player:

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Wide Receiver

Nine receptions for 124-yards and one score. Two carries for 19-yards. This from the seventh overall pick in the NFL draft with $23.5 million in guarantees coming to him.

Least Valuable Defensive Player:

Chris Johnson, Cornerback

It’s hard to constantly be the target of opponents, especially with Asomugha on the other side. But Johnson gave up too many big plays and was a weak spot in a secondary that was solid to very good at times.

Most Improved Player:

Tyvon Branch, Strong Safety

He was a tackling machine around the line of scrimmage and developed into one of the upcoming SS in the conference.

Least Improved Player:

JaMarcus Russell, Quarterback

The stats were horrendous, his development was non-existent and when you get benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye, you know things are bad. He went from being the first overall pick and possible savior to public enemy number one.

Best Rookie (Offense):

Louis Murphy, Wide Receiver – 34 rec. 521 yards 4 TD

He was fiery, injected life to a dead unit at times and was a gamer. Sure he had his drops, mental lapses and was sometimes the victim of bad calls from officials, but the 4^th round pick has legitimate potential to be a starting caliber receiver at this level.

Best Rookie (Defense):

Matt Shaughnessy, Defensive Lineman

He compiled four-sacks and played well in the interior when tabbed in the second half of the season with more reps.

Player Missed the Most due to Injury:

Robert Gallery, Left Guard

He missed six regular season games with a broken leg before returning to the line-up, but then he injured his lower back in December and Oakland shut him down for the season. By far the best offensive lineman they have.

Most entertaining player when entering the field:

Sebastian Janikowski, Kicker

He enjoyed his best season as a pro. He was 26-of-29, with his only misses coming from long distance.

Deserving of more carries award:

Michael Bush, Running Back

He ended the campaign with a team leading 589 yards rushing. Bush averaged 4.8 a carry and had the best two rushing performances by a raider this season (119 vs. KC and 133 vs. DEN).

Hardest Worker Award:

Justin Fargas, Running Back

Probably the least talented of the trio of rushers but no one runs harder or with more intensity.

The ‘I want out…’ Award:

Javon Walker, Wide Receiver

He signed a six-year $55 million deal with $16 million in guarantees in March of 2008. Since, he has been one of the biggest free-agent busts in league history. Walker has been inactive all season and left in the organizations doghouse.

Best Victories:

1. Week 13 – Raiders 27 – Steelers 24: A 21-point barrage in the 4^th quarter led by Bruce Gradkowski’s 308-yards passing and 3 touchdowns. The 35-point final quarter was exciting and full of big plays, including two Murphy touchdowns: one for 75-yards and the closing score from 11-yards out.
2. Week 15 – Raiders 20 – Broncos 19: Charlie Frye started, J.P Losman got a snap but JaMarcus Russell was the one who put a road block on Denver’s effort to make the playoffs with his game winning touchdown pass at Invesco Field. Michael Bush had 133 yards and a touchdown on 18-carries.
3. Week 11 – Raiders 20 – Bengals 17: The Bruce ‘Almighty’ Gradkowski stint started with a win. Oakland scored 13 second half points in a frantic finish. “As a team, we’re not really known for fighting back, and we came back,” rookie Louis Murphy said.

Worst Losses:

1. Week 7 – Jets 38 – Raiders 0: New York came in reeling; losing three in a row, missing Kris Jenkins after his injury a week earlier, a struggling rookie passer, a coach beleaguered by the media that had to travel to the west coast. Oakland allowed 316 rushing yards, led by rookie Shonn Greene, this after beating the Eagles a week earlier in the midst of back-to-back home games.
2. Week 3 – Broncos 23 – Raiders 3: Denver went 3-0 with a road victory in the Black Hole. Oakland was held to 137 yards of offense, and at the time, it was only the third time since 1993 that they had offensive outputs of less than 200-yards in ensuing weeks. Russell had only one passing yard in the second half and thus began the weekly booing’s in Oakland.
3. Week 14 – Redskins 34 – Raiders 13: Russell came in for an injured Gradkowski and sucked the life out of the offense. An offense that tallied nearly 200-yards of offense against the Redskins went to hibernation when Russell took over.

Best Moments of the Season:

1. Zach Miller’s 86-yard touchdown romp versus the Philadelphia Eagles that was aided by two stellar blocks by rookie Louis Murphy.
2. Bruce Gradkowski’s 29-yard game tying touchdown pass to Murphy with 33 seconds left versus the Cincinnati Bengals. On the ensuing kickoff, Brandon Myers forced a fumble which set-up Janikowski for a game winning 33-yard field goal. “He caused the fumble,” linebacker Sam Williams said. “That was unbelievable.”
3. Louis Murphy’s 11-yard touchdown catch with nine seconds left at Pittsburgh.
4. JaMarcus Russell’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Schilens with 35 seconds remaining to beat the Broncos at Denver, “They’re all special, but this one’s pretty high,” said Russell.
5. Janikowski nailing a 61-yard field goal in cold Cleveland.

Worst Moments of the Season:

1. Darrius Heyward-Bey’s bobbled pass deep in Kansas City territory that fell into the hands of a Chiefs defender. That turnover sealed the victory for the visiting rivals as Oakland drove late in the contest.
2. Russell being pulled after going 6-for-11 for 61 yards with 2 interceptions and a lost fumble against the Jets.
3. Johnnie Lee Higgins and Louis Murphy bumping into each other as they came off the line of scrimmage, and taking themselves out of the play against the Chargers.
4. Russell entering the game against the Redskins after Gradkowski was injured and then getting sacked six of the eight times Washington tallied sacks. “We had heard that Russell’s just had a tough time, and you could tell when he stepped on the field and the crowd started booing,” Washington defensive end Andre Carter said.
5. All of the Tom Cable off the field distractions.
6. Hiram Eugene getting pushed aside by Willis McGahee during his 77-yard scamper in the season finale.

Unit that was lackluster:

Punt and Kickoff returns

Whether it was Gary Russell, Jonathan Holland, Justin Miller briefly or Louis Rankin, the return units were non-threats to opponents. Even Johnnie Lee Higgins, who made a name for himself as an explosive punt returner in 2008 was quiet in 2009.

Hey look, I’m a starter award:

Michael Huff, Safety

Turned himself into a reliable player in the secondary after years of the Raiders waiting on this first round talent to turn the corner.

Hey look, I should not be a starter:

Cornell Green, Right Tackle

The penalty machine was at it again this season. Green may be the best option for the Raiders at right tackle, which demonstrates the need for them to upgrade that side of the offensive line.

Best Off-season Move:

Greg Ellis, Defensive End

Tied with Trevor Scott for the team lead with sacks (7).

‘We are waiting…,’ Award:

Darren McFadden, Running Back – 104 car. 357 yards 1 TD, 21 rec. 245 yards

Is it the lack of creativity on this offense? Do the Raiders need a better mind running the offense? Are the quarterback issues impacting him? Regardless of the excuses, McFadden has not been the explosive talent they had hoped for and certainly not the multi-dimensional weapon he can potentially be. Plus, he had 4 fumbles this season (3 lost) while missing four games due to injury.

Best Quote(s):

• “I don’t think we could have beaten an Oakland high school team today,” said Richard Seymour after the 38-0 loss to the Jets. Ironically, he stated earlier that week that Oakland would make the playoffs.
• “If you really want to look at it, you can go 8-0 and you might end up 10-6,” stated Chris Johnson. “There’s a possible way you can actually do it.”

Contact Author:  Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK:

Charlie Frye – A

Frye was gutsy during his performance, limping around till halftime and compiling 180-yards passing and 1 touchdown on 18-of-25. He led the Raiders to 191 total yards of offense. He knew were he wanted to go with the football giving his targets a chance to move the chains. Frye started Oakland’s third drive down 7-0 with a 15-yard pass to Chaz Schilens. A few plays later, he connected with Johnnie Lee Higgins for 16-yards and then on 3^rd and 7, he spun around and scrambled to free himself and hook up with Higgins for 16-yards. Oakland scored on that drive and cut into the Baltimore lead, 7-3. In the 2^nd quarter, he performed an outstanding play fake, turning his back to the defense and then hitting Higgins for 21-yards. Five plays later, he showed great touch lobbing a 12-yard pass to Zach Miller in the end zone. The score cut the Ravens lead to 14-10 and gave him his first touchdown pass since October of 2008.

JaMarcus Russell – C-

His insertion came with a chorus of boos, but often he was able to turn the jeers to cheers. On 2^nd and 7 on his first series, Russell scanned the field and then hit Schilens for 18-yards. On 2^nd and 8 in his second drive, Russell hit Louis Murphy in stride for 11-yards. And on 3^rd and 14 a few plays later, he rocketed a pass to Schilens for 17 yards. Oakland was able to cut into the Baltimore lead on that drive, 14-13. But then he unraveled at the end of the 3^rd quarter with a pivotal interception into the hands of linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, who ran it back 28-yards to the Oakland 22-yard line. A few plays later Willis McGahee tallied his third touchdown of the game to give the Ravens a 21-13 lead. It appeared Russell would shake off the turnover with completion of 18 yards and a 3^rd and 7 conversion to Murphy for 20-yards. But in Russell fashion, he coughed it up again when he did not feel the pressure on his backside and Antwan Barnes forced a fumble at the Baltimore 25-yard line.

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: D

Michael Bush was used as a battering ram against that stout Ravens rush defense. Problem was, he had no room to wiggle through and had little effectiveness throughout the afternoon. Bush ended with 10 carries for 18-yards. Darren McFadden did not fare better with 9 yards on 5-carries. He only paid dividends on a 2^nd and 8 in the 1^st quarter when he drew an illegal contact flag on Frank Walker split out wide as a receiver. McFadden did aide Frye on a scramble on 3^rd and 1, blocking defensive tackle Haloti Ngata at the 1^st down marker.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: A

Chaz Schilens compiled 99-yards on 8 receptions. He had his best game of the season and provided one of the better highlights on Sunday jumping over former Raider Chris Carr on a 22-yard gain. Higgins closed the season on a high note as a receiver with 4 catches for 71-yards. Murphy had a career best 6 grabs for 59-yards. Zach Miller ended with 7 catches for 38-yards, including a solid route beating Ray Lewis into the end zone and leaping to haul in his third touchdown of the campaign.  Marcel Reece was used as a target and saw increased playing time in the finale.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D

They were not able to move the Ravens front seven and the running suffered with only 51-yards in the day. Baltimore compiled three sacks as well. Cornell Green added to his penalty resume with a ineligible man down the field infraction to open the game, a false start on 3^rd and 9 when Russell entered in the third quarter and another false start on the Raiders last offensive possession.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

The Ravens ran for 240 yards. Baltimore’s offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage when they decided to run the ball consistently and stabilized a Raiders front four that can get to the passer. Jay Richardson chased down Joe Flacco as the passer got back to the line of scrimmage. Greg Ellis was quiet this afternoon and Richard Seymour had a few highlights, but not enough to significantly affect what the Ravens wanted to accomplish.

LINEBACKERS: D

It seemed like Kirk Morrison was out of position all day or being pushed around by Ravens’ linemen. He tallied a sack, but the linebacker was caught in pass coverage and his 9 solo tackles were not effective. Thomas Howard jarred a Ray Rice potential completion loose and Trevor Scott tallied another sack (7 for the season).

SECONDARY: B-

Nnamdi Asomugha shut down Derrick Mason. Asoomugha’s corner blitz on 3^rd and 8 forced Flacco into Morrison. Flacco ended with a meek 102 passing yards and Stanford Routt played solid for an inactive Chris Johnson. Routt’s lone blip was when he got beat by Mark Clayton on 3^rd and 5 for 7 yards with 5 minutes left in the game. Tyvon Branch had his moments, but he again at times was sub par in space. Branch was out of position on the Ravens big running plays. Mike Mitchell and Michael Huff shared a sack on 3^rd and 8 to end a Ravens drive in the final quarter. Hiram Eugene’s horrific attempt at a tackle sprung Willis McGahee for his 77-yard touchdown scamper. His high off-balance attempt was met with a stiff arm that left him in the turf.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C-

Sebastian Janikowski hit both of his field goals (37 and 39 yards). Shane Lechler capped off a solid campaign with 5-punts for an average of 52.4. But the coverage teams were bad; allowing 138-yards by Jalen Parmele including a 54-yard kickoff return to the Oakland 43-yard line that was a backbreaker after Oakland cut the lead to 14-10 (Brandon Myers missed tackle). Fortunately, the Ravens couldn’t score, as Billy Cundiff missed from 37-yards as time expired at intermission.

COACHING: B

John Marshall brought the heat on a few blitzes and it helped the Raiders corral the Ravens at times. Tom Cable tried to mix up the play calling with two reverses to Murphy that tallied 17-yards. And considering they played a solid defense that neutralized their running game, Oakland moved the ball well via the pass and gave themselves chances to stay close and possibly tie the game late. Cable’s team played well at home to close the season, and with little fan support due to an empty stadium, they tried their best to keep the ravens out of the playoffs.

GAME NOTES

• McGahee ended with 16 carries for 167 yards and 3 rushing scores. He had big runs all day; including a 36-yard scamper on 3^rd and 5 that ended any chance of a Raider comeback. That run was out of a spread formation and Oakland’s front seven was not able to seal the corner on the edge run. Ray Rice also was solid, compiling 70-yards on the ground. On his 27-yard rush, Kirk Morrison lost containment  and another run, Branch and Mitchell were caught inside with all the traffic.
• Russell ended his dreadful campaign 9/14 for 102 yards, one interception and a rating of 56.3.
• The loss extended the Raiders streak to seven straight seasons with 11 or more defeats in a campaign. That is a NFL worst.

Contact Author:  Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: D

Charlie Frye dropped to 7-15 as a starter. He put the Raiders behind the eight ball early in the contest with his first pass of the game. David Bowens intercepted Frye as the passer tried to get the ball to Darren McFadden on a slant. The linebacker drifted into the area Frye was locked in on and set the Browns up at Oakland’s 17-yard line before Jerome Harrison drove it in for a score to give Cleveland a 7-0 lead. His next two passes were deep balls to Chaz Schilens that were off the mark. At times Frye was decisive and handled the offense smartly. He hit Schilens on a 16-yard gain on 3^rd and 3 in the first quarter, combined with Zach Miller for a 5-yard completion on 3^rd and 3 right before the half and he used his feet to extend plays. But the turnovers thwarted too many drives and his miscues crippled the offense when they needed big plays. He ended 26/45 for 333 yards, no scores and 3 interceptions.

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: C

Michael Bush had 9 carries for 50 yards at halftime. Oakland only fed him the ball on the ground one other time in the second half for 2-yards. Bush had a decent start running for 14-yards on the Raiders third drive and gaining 12 on a 2^nd and 8 in the 2^nd quarter. But for some reason, the Raiders abandoned the rushing game and made life easier for the Cleveland defense. Darren McFadden tallied 23-yards on the ground and 55-yards receiving. Against a team that allowed 149.6 yards per game on the ground and the opponent within reach, Oakland failed to establish a run game and give Frye a more balanced attack. Gary Russell added 2 catches for 14-yards, the key one being an 11 yard toss out of the backfield when Oakland started a drive backed up against their own goal line. But the fullback blew a block at the start of the 4^th quarter that led to a Matt Roth sack.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: C-

Zach Miller was stellar, compiling 9 receptions for 110 yards. His taunting infraction was sketchy after a remarkable 27-yard grab in the 4^th quarter. Chaz Schilens ended with 64-yards on 4 grabs. Johnnie Lee Higgins victimized Frye with two key drops and was out of sync in the passing game. His lone haul was a 33-yard pass on a double move, beating cornerback Eric Wright on Oakland’s first play of the final quarter. Louis Murphy had a key catch negated by a penalty that could’ve set Oakland with a 1^st down at Cleveland’s 2-yard line. His 3^rd and 1 reception late in the game for 6-yards was a nice snatch on a high toss.

OFFENSIVE LINE: F

This group allowed four sacks and offered very little support to the ball carries, as the Raiders ended with a feeble 88-yards rushing. Cornell Green’s holding infraction on 3rd and 4 wiped away Murphy’s 14-yard reception at the Browns 2-yard line in the 1^st quarter.  Once Langston Walker left the game, the Raiders lost their toughness. He was replaced by Chris Morris who quickly picked up a false start flag on a 3^rd and 3 and the Browns overloaded the left side of the formation on the ensuing play to rush Frye and facilitate an incompletion. Morris was later penalized for a hold and on the next play; Roth mauled him on a blitz that put the Raiders in a 2^nd and 26. Mario Henderson faced a lot of blitzes on his side of the formation and was flagged for a false start as the game wound down.

DEFENSIVE LINE: D

Harrison had a strong outing with 39-carries for 148-yards and a touchdown. For some stretches, the Raiders held up at the line of scrimmage and battled against an offense that wanted to stay on the ground most of the day. But Harrison pounded away and a few times, his offensive line was able to open up some gaping holes. Matt Shaughnessy gave a solid effort today with two tackles for losses – displaying strong backside help on one 8-yard loss. Gerard Warren continued his solid play and tallied a sack versus his old club. Richard Seymour single-handedly gave the Browns seven points with his personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct infractions late in the 1^st half when the contest became tense. “A little light just started the whole thing,” Seymour commented. “Everybody just jumped on. Obviously, we have to keep our composure. You never want to have personal fouls on a drive, especially on a play that didn’t even happen and you get another one.”

LINEBACKERS: D

Kirk Morrison was out of position on many of Harrison’s key runs; getting caught in traffic or getting late to a meeting point with the ball carrier around the line of scrimmage. Thomas Howard had one stand out play in coverage against Evan Moore. Otherwise, it was a quiet game from this group, including Trevor Scott who was sold at times versus the run, but did not provide the rush he has in recent weeks.

SECONDARY: C

Stanford Routt was ejected for a head-butt in the 2^nd quarter and was seen pushing Eric Steinbach a few plays before Mohamed Massaquoi’s 19-yard touchdown reception versus Chris Johnson. Johnson again had a tough time being the focal point of the opponent, beaten by Massaquoi for a 28-yard gain and getting flagged for pass interference on a 3^rd and 16 for 18-yards. Tyvon Branch was active again against the run, but he continues to have lapses in space allowing a 24-yard completion to Michael Gaines. Derek Anderson only had 17-pass attempts, but he completed eight of them for 121 yards.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B+

Sebastian Janikowski nailed a career long 61-yard field goal as time expired in the 2^nd quarter. He also booted both of his other two attempts through the uprights from 44 and 34-yards out to give the Raiders their only scores of the game. Oakland had directional kick-offs to avoid Joshua Cribbs, but it hurt them on one instance when Harrison recovered the football and went 39-yards to the Oakland 43-yard line. That field position led to a Phil Dawson 33-yard field goal, which gave the Browns a 20-9 lead. Slade Norris and Isaiah Ekejiuba had a nice stuff on Cribbs, as well as Gary Russell, who helped corral the explosive returner for 60 total yards on the day on 5 touches. The return units for Oakland continue to be abysmal and to compound the misery today, Tony Stewart was ejected after Russell’s horrific 11-yard kickoff return in the 4^th quarter.

COACHING: F

Tom Cable’s bunch again failed to notch back-to-back victories. They abandoned the run and came out with Frye firing against a team that has struggled all season stopping consistent ground attacks. The play-calling was lackluster, especially late when they attempted to run fade routes to Murphy on back-to-back plays – one which ended on a interception by Eric Wright that was overturned another on a busted play that Frye was not able to get off after penetration disrupted his short drop in the pocket. The Browns have an anemic offense as well, ranking 31^st in total yards per game entering the contest. But allowed too many big plays to help them move the chains and sustain drives. What also helped was how undisciplined the defense was, losing their composure and imploding in certain spots. Oakland tallied 13-penalties for 126-yards. Add the three turnovers, and this just proves that it does not matter who the opponent is, the Raiders are not ready to build on their recent success and go on the road and take care of business. “Some it is uncalled for stuff,” Cable said. “We’ve got to see what’s going on, but that’s 130 yards and that’s disappointing.” And that falls directly on the coaching staff, their preparation and inability to challenge these players. Another defeat next week extends their already agonizing 11 losses or more streak.

GAME NOTES:

• Inactives included: Bruce Gradkowski, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Justin Fargas, Khalif Barnes, Brandon Myers, Javon Walker and Nick Miller.
• “I didn’t give our team a very good chance to win. Turnovers trump everything,” said Frye after the game, who sustained a concussion last week and faced his former team today.
• “We’ve shown flashes of being a championship-caliber team. We’ve shown flashes of being one of those cellar-dweller type teams,” Nnamdi Asomugha said. “It’s kind of like we haven’t been able to figure out who we wanted to be. If you want to be a contender in this league, you have to have an identity.”

Contact Author:  Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

To everyone in the Raider Nation – enjoy a safe and prosperous Holiday Season with best wishes for the New Year. Since this is the season of giving, SBReport.net will hand out presents to a few Oakland Raiders:

JaMarcus Russell:

Hopefully Santa will bring him accuracy, better footwork, pocket awareness and a little more motivation this Christmas. On second thought, the jolly old fat-man and his reindeers may not be able to lug that around on his sleigh. He may not be able to give Russell a ride either – poor reindeers.

Luke Lawton:

Clean blood and urine samples.

Shane Lechler:

Continued strength on that powerful right leg so he can destroy Sammy Baugh’s 51.4 punt average set in 1940. He is currently at 51.5 per punt.

Nnamdi Asomugha:

Another Pro-Bowl selection.

Tyvon Branch:

More recognition around the league as he continues to develop into one of the better safeties in the AFC.

Darren McFadden:

More touches in varying formations and glue for his hands.

Cornell Green:

A new address in 2010.

Darrius Heyward-Bey:

An injection of instant wide receiver skills.

Tommy Kelly:

A functioning belt.

Mike Mitchell:

More reps and clean targets for his fury.

Nick Miller:

A one-way ticket off the inactive list.

Javon Walker:

A time machine to speed up his departure out of Oakland.

Greg Ellis:

A healthy set of knees.

Johnnie Lee Higgins:

A new barber.

Louis Murphy:

His own set of referees that won’t overturn any of his receptions.

Tom Cable:

A punching bag, a new playbook and hope for two-more wins and a chance to keep his job.

Sebastian Janikowski:

Ten more clean attempts at a 70-yard field goal.

The barrage of yards and points tallied by the Oakland Raiders against the Pittsburgh Steelers was quite impressive. Bruce Gradkowski totaled 308 yards passing in leading the Raiders to a stunning 27-24 victory at Heinz Field. Oakland score 21-points in the 4^th quarter and the last time they compiled 20 or more points in the final quarter of a game was on October 6, 2002 when they put up 21 in Buffalo during a 49-31 win against the Bills.

Daunte Culpepper was the last Raider passer to throw for more than 300-yards when he tallied 344 against the Minnesota Vikings on November 18, 2007. Coincidentally, the last time a wide receiver donning the Silver & Black amassed more than 100-yards receiving came in that same game when Ronald Curry gained 120 yards. Yesterday, Louis Murphy ended that 33-game receiver drought by a Raider when he finished with 128 aerial yards.

“You always visualize the game going into it, and you always picture yourself winning and doing very well,” Gradkowski stated after the contest. “That was exciting, and you wouldn’t want it to end any better.”

Gradkowski’s homecoming was like a dream come true. He brought along teammates to his family’s home to share a meal and then on Sunday, he feasted on the Steelers’ secondary with a career game.

“It’s been exciting to come back and share this with my family, and how happy I saw my mom and dad after the game, that’s awesome,” Gradkowski said. “But it’s awesome for our guys, too. I couldn’t be happier for our team.”

And that is what matters most when Gradkowski is out there – how the team fares. So far, so good, as the Raiders are 2-1 with their new passer and looking like a respectable offense.

Gradkowski is fiery and when he is on the field, the Raider offense appears to have more of a bounce in its step, a rhythm that it never had with JaMarcus Russell. But more importantly, when he is manning the position, the team plays better, his cast elevates their play and the production has been noticeable.

Wide receivers all of sudden are making plays. The offense is now moving the chains and compiling yards. Oh, and the play calling – the offense now looks more modern.

Tom Cable is now able to expand on his playbook, call a more diverse game and not worry about the limitations that his passer has.

Unlike Russell, Gradkowski is absorbing the playbook, extending plays, making things happen on the football field when a specific play is called or, he is improvising, using his head and feet to give  his Raiders a chance at something positive when the whistle blows or at the end of a drive.

“You kidding me? You’re coming home, his folks were in the stands, and to play the way he does, lead his team, hang in there at the end, make huge plays — big throws? Just a great job by him,” Cable noted after the contest.

Gradkowski is making this Raider offense a tougher one to defend. True he has a healthy Chaz Schilens to his disposal. Yes, Cable is finding ways to incorporate Darren McFadden into the scheme more seamlessly. But the passer who is able to help Cable run a more complex attack is what’s been the big difference.

And if this continues, there won’t be a quarterback controversy in Oakland…

Gradkowski will be the obvious choice to lead this team into 2010.

Langston Walker, who played at Guard when Robert Gallery was nicked stated, “Bruce is fiery. He’s yelling at us, screaming at us, running around like a banshee, but it’s all controlled. That’s how he gets it done. You saw the result.”

Cornell Green commented; “Bruce had something about him today. I don’t know if it was being home or just letting it all hang out, but he took control of the huddle. He’s cursing at people to hurry up. He brings that to the team. He brings that fire and that’s good.”

“When I am out there, when I am at practice, it is my offense and that is how I’m going to lead,” Gradkowski said after his 20-of-33 performance.

Gradkowski is impressing teammates, fans and opponents. But will all this be enough to astound the one man who may still believe that Russell is this organization’s future…

Yup, Al Davis will have to see more of this if Gradkowski wants to be a starter for the Silver & Black. The journey man who is the under dog is doing all the right things now.

Check that, forget about what I said earlier…I have a feeling we are headed toward a quarterback controversy in Oakland. It’s destiny.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Today’s inactive players for the Oakland Raiders include; running back Darren McFadden, wide receivers Nick Miller, Chaz Schilens, and Javon Walker, Charlie Frye, tackle Cornell Green guard Robert Gallery and fullback Oren O’Neal.

For the New York Giants; wide receiver Ramses Barden, running back Danny Ware, cornerback Aaron Ross, linebacker Michael Boley, tackle Adam koets, linebacker Bryan Kehl, tight end Kevin Boss and defensive lineman Chris Canty.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report.net Columnist

The Oakland Raiders will be without Darren McFadden for two-to-four weeks after he goes in for surgery on Tuesday morning for a meniscus tear.

Head coach Tom Cable talked about the injury this afternoon and also mentioned that right tackle Cornell Green will be missing at least two weeks or a month with a calf strain.

McFadden has had an uneventful season so far, gaining 145 yards on 47 carries with a score, also adding seven catches for 53 yards.

The speedy rusher has not been able to get going in the run game, has not shown any of the dynamic plays that made him a star at Arkansas and is having problems with ball security.

Last year, he played in 13-games suffering through various ailments; sustaining shoulder and foot injuries in the same game early in 2008 and not finishing the season finale with a bum ankle. He was listed on the medical reports consistently last season with turf toe and in January, he had minor arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

Justin Fargas and Michael Bush are expected to carry the load while he is out.

Oakland’s ground game is currently ranked 28th in the NFL (88.8 per game). That was expected to be one of their only strengths on offense, but a leaky offensive line and JaMarcus Russell’s struggles have grounded what was expected to be a solid rush attack.

Since their powerful start versus the Chargers in week-one, opponents have stacked the line of scrimmage against the Raiders with no fear of Russell beating them with his weak aerial attack. Oakland has not been able to assert themselves, and the offensive line has been manhandled, beaten at the point of attack and mauled along the interior.

Robert Gallery’s injury has not helped, as Oakland lost their best run blocker with a fractured fibula.

This weekend, the Raiders managed only 45-yards rushing against a Houston team that came into the game allowing a league worst 205 yards per game.

Many of the concerns regarding McFadden coming out of college was his durability, ball handling and lower body strength. So far, he has not been able to dismiss those, as he will miss some time off the field again in 2009, has shown to be careless with the football and on many occasions, has not shown an ability to fight for extra yardage, especially when defenders are shooting for his lower extremities.

ANALYSIS:

Oakland needs to line up and just run the football. They cannot depend on Russell at this point, and when you are a good football team on the ground, you line it up and run it anyway. “It seems like they’re challenging us a little bit to throw the ball,” Justin Fargas said. “Sometimes you say, ‘Hey, you know what? We’re gonna stick to what we do, and we can run it anyway.’ But like I said, it’s tough. And if you’re not at your very best, it’s gonna be hard. And we weren’t at our best.”

Oakland a few seasons ago was one of the best team’s in the league at running the football. And they stuck with it. Yes, they are missing a few key components, but their rushers must get tougher and more productive.

The Vikings, Cowboys, Giants, Ravens among other teams run the football successfully. And they face many 8 and 9 man fronts. Brandon Jacobs still gets his fair amount of yards versus those stacked fronts and other rushers around the league bruise their way to positive yardage when facing an excess of players around the line of scrimmage.

It’s time for Oakland to show their commitment to the run and get tougher.

If they can’t, this offense will be hard pressed to score many points in the coming weeks versus a physical Giants defense, the Eagles attacking bunch and a Jets squad that played inspired ball yesterday versus the best offense in the league.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: F

JaMarcus Russell continues to look lost, overwhelmed and his passing woes carried over this week again, which directly led to the ineptitude of the Oakland Raiders’ offense for a second straight contest. He was 12-of-21 for 61 yards and 2 interceptions. The 2.9 yards per completion was embarrassing. Oakland attempted to shorten routes, limit his attempts to dump offs and screens to his best players on offense – the running backs – and that still could not get the big-armed passer going. His interceptions led to ten Denver points. At the start of Oakland’s second drive, Russell was not able to hit his fullback on a short pass in the flat that Champ Bailey almost picked off. A play later, he went deep to Darrius Heyward-Bey, a poor decision due to the double coverage presented, being backed into your own end-zone and needing to be more of a game manager, playing smarter football in keeping your team in the game early, as the ball was intercepted by Renaldo Hill. His next throw was another overthrow to his speedy rookie receiver which fell into the hands of Andre’ Goodman. His best toss of the game was in the 2^nd quarter; an 18-yard rocket to Louis Murphy on 3^rd and 4 that hit his target in stride. Before the half, he appeared to hit his tight end for a gain of 29-yards, but a booth review determined that Zach Miller was not able to stay in bounds. Russell is not getting better. His confidence looks shot. And through this, Oakland is trying to run basic plays to get him out of the funk.

RUNNING BACKS: F

Darren McFadden looked fragile this afternoon. Denver rocked him a few times, which led to him going down easily on a few plays and coughing up the football in critical spots. On the second play of the game, a poorly executed screen pass, McFadden lost handle of the football. On 2^nd and 11 in the 2^nd quarter, he had the ball ripped out of his hands by Mario Haggan (a play that almost took them out of FG range) and in the 3^rd quarter, he fumbled away the possession in the red-zone during Oakland’s only realistic threat to hit paydirt. He ended with 12 carries for 45 yards. Michael Bush did not perform any better, tallying 20-yards on 6 carries. Justin Fargas recorded his first touches of the season in mop up duty. Luke Lawton made a cameo early in the game.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: F

Again, Louis Murphy was the lone receiver to record some touches, ending with 2 grabs for 25-yards. Bush led the team in receptions with 4 for 20-yards, but most of them were off broken plays, short dump offs that were ineffective, as opponents are not afraid of the Raiders vertical attack. Defenses are collapsing on the Raiders, which is causing a lot of traffic around the line of scrimmage. Heyward-Bey is not ready to handle a starting role in this league, and it is showing week-to-week. Javon Walker was inactive. Oakland is pinning their hopes on Chaz Schilens’ return; a receiver with only 15 career catches to ignite a dormant aerial attack. Zach Miller had 2 receptions; his 12-yard gainer on a 3^rd and 16 helped the Raiders set-up their lone scoring opportunity.

OFFENSIVE LINE: F

This unit has gotten progressively worse since the 1^st half of the Charger game. They are not playing with any fire; they cannot push around anyone and are passive during run plays. Tom Cable’s favorite group is beaten at the point of attack consistently and it has a serious impact on their inability to run the football. They managed only 38-yards rushing at the half and 95 for the game. Robert Gallery’s presence was missing. Cornell Green would have added to his resume of penalties this week with another hold, but Denver had mercy on the Raiders and decline it to force a 3^rd and 10. Erik Pears had a false start infraction late in the game and looked mediocre at best in his first start as a Raider. The line allowed three-sacks and was out of sync for the majority of the game. Chris Morris was flagged for a holding penalty, negating a Raider first down and putting them in a 2^nd and 13 trap. Any success Oakland had running the ball came from rushing behind RG Cooper Carlisle.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

Well, after three-games, we can establish that not much has changed concerning the run defense. The Raiders are allowing 155 rushing yards per game, as they allowed a season high 215 yards against Denver on Sunday. Correll Buckhalter ran for 108 yards and the rookie Knowshon Moreno added another 90. From the start of the contest, Denver gashed the Oakland front-seven, attacking Greg Ellis on edge runs and pushing aside Gerard Warren and Tommy Kelly in the interior. Richard Seymour was flagged for a personal foul on the opening drive of the 2^nd half. That 15-yard infraction gave Denver the ball on the Oakland 15-yard line, and two plays later, the Broncos hit paydirt to take a commanding 20-3 lead. The Raiders did not record a sack, nor did they even come close to Kyle Orton all afternoon. That lack of pressure let the Denver passer sit in the pocket comfortably and make solid decisions all afternoon. Oakland mustered up courage on Denver’s opening drive, stuffing 5 straight rushing plays before getting them off the field on 4^th down. Trevor Scott appeared out of position at times, as Denver took advantage of Oakland’s aggressiveness up the field.

LINEBACKERS: F

We observed poor tackling and an uneventful afternoon for starters Ricky Brown, Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard. Morrison was torched early by Brandon Marshall; not being able to stay with the explosive receiver on gains of 14 and 11 yards on Denver’s opening drive, and on 3^rd and goal on Denver’s first touchdown, a 2-yard pass on the Broncos’ second drive. John Marshall did not adjust early to Denver’s game plan, isolating the linebackers underneath with shallow routes and causing favorable man-to-man match-ups with some of their elusive targets.

SECONDARY: D

They only allowed 157 passing yards, but only because Denver played a conservative game at and Orton was able to go to shorter routes to get his team down the field. Nnamdi Asomugha tried to help in run support, but to no avail. He even got beat late surprisingly, as Orton connected wit Marshall on a very good pitch and catch for 17-yards. Stanford Routt was beaten a few times by Jabar Gaffney, once on a 15-yard gain to set up a 1^st and goal. On 3^rd and 11 in the 3^rd quarter, Gaffney drew a pass interference flag on Chris Johnson and a few plays later, the Raider defense looked lost on Daniel Graham’s 24-yard reception on 2^nd and 15. Rookie Mike Mitchell recovered a fumble and was in on the Raiders only stout series at the end of Denver’s opening drive that ended at the goal line. Michael Huff almost came up with another interception on one of the few plays Oakland actually got pressure on Orton. On a 3^rd and goal, the Raiders blitzed and Huff jumped in front of Orton’s dump off option. That play at the time saved a touchdown and held the Broncos to a 13-3 lead.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D

Jonathan Holland will not make anyone forget about Justin Miller. Holland was not very good, nor did he put any fear into the Denver coverage unit. Sebastian Janikowski nailed his 48-yard field goal attempt and Shane Lechler punted four-times for an average of 47.5.

COACHING: F

Tom Cable’s team was not ready for this game. Was that Josh McDaniels on the sideline or Mike Shanahan toying with the Raiders’ defense? Oakland was out of position, off-balance on defense and it took them far too long to adjust to Denver’s schemes. McDaniels is off to a 3-0 start with a quarterback that plays it safe, can manage a game and that puts his team in winning situations. Denver jumped out on the Raiders with a quick 7-0 lead. They opened the 2^nd half with an 8-play 80-yard drive to take a 20-3 lead and the Broncos did not punt till the game was already in hand during the 4^th quarter. John Marshall’s defense was pushed around and since the 1^st half versus the Chargers, they have looked like the same unit from 2008 with major flaws and schematic deficiencies. Cable will now have to play the role of psychologist to get his quarterback right, his defense back biting instead of barking and his overall team believing that they can avoid another miserable year before this type of play lingers and they reach a tough stretch in their schedule.

DENVER’S DEFENSE SETTING THE TONE

After three-games, Denver’s defense has allowed one touchdown, 16-points and opponents are averaging 78.3 rushing yards per game. They have tallied 5 interceptions this season, 10-sacks and have recovered three-fumbles to start the campaign.

Elvis Dumervil has six-sacks this season.

INEPT OFFENSE

Oakland for a second straight week could not tally more than 200 yards of total offense. It was just the third time since 1993 that the Raiders achieved such ineptness in back-to-back weeks.

The crowd let Russell know how they felt in the 2^nd half with constant ‘boos’ and chants that were unfavorable to the former number one overall pick.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist