Silver and Black Report

The Raider Nation is not happy.

Well, more than anything, their bored with the current state of the club and feel like this team has abandoned any chance at improving this off-season via free agency. With an un-capped year, the sentiment from the Oakland Raiders fan base is that they should purge themselves of all the hefty contracts and unproductive players or, bring in some big names that can instill some semblance of hope for next season.

Here are a few moves the Silver & Black should make that make football sense and will appease their following.

Get rid of JaMarcus Russell

Yes, this relationship should be ended. Russell has not shown any leadership qualities, has a poor work ethic and has been completely inept when on the field. It’s so bad, that when Bruce Gradkowski came into games, he suddenly became the almighty savior and the entire offense sparked up because there was a competent passer in control of the huddle and game plan. Russell does have serious talent. But he’ll never channel that in a positive way – especially not in Oakland. The enormity of being the 1^st overall pick, shouldering the burden of a large contract and being the focal point of an organization that was sinking rapidly was not understood by Russell. Even if he goes somewhere else and the scenery is changed, Russell just does not show any urgency to be great – that huge signing bonus is enough for him.

Acquire Troy Smith or a vet QB; let them battle with Gradkowski

Troy Smith wants out of Baltimore. He would prefer to land in Cleveland, but Oakland may be a nice option for him. Smith would re-unite with Hue Jackson – his position coach with the Ravens – and get a fair shot to start in this league. If Smith thinks he can be atop a team’s depth chart, then competing against Gradkowski should be something he should embrace. Neither Smith nor Gradkowski have the natural talent that Russell had out of college, but both have intangibles that are far more desirable for a team looking to bounce back to respectability. Both will fight for their job and will give the Raiders hope at quarterback. If not Smith, bringing in another veteran, someone who has NFL experience, as a starter and had past success, that could also be an option.

Avoid picking up any veteran FA RB

Justin Fargas was let go. Partly, because it was time for the Raiders to hand over the reigns of the offense to Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Yes, both have major question marks, whether they can stay healthy or carry the load. But eventually, they have to let both of these young players get their deserved reps and demonstrate why they were taken in the draft. Staying away from a LaDanian Tomlinson or a Larry Johnson is the key. Why bring in a veteran rusher who will want to take away carries from McFadden or Bush?

Extend Zach Miller NOW

Since my vision involves purging, why not then transfer that freed money over to a very productive player. In 2011, Miller will be a free agent. So avoid any snags and deal in good faith with the tight end by keeping him in Silver & Black for the next 5-to-6 seasons. Since entering the NFL, Miller has improved his statistics every year. Quite the feat when you consider his one of the only options that are considered a threat on offense for a very feeble attack.

Lock up Seymour

Richard Seymour would be very happy if Oakland approached him with a respectable long-term deal that will ensure a boatload of money the next few seasons. This will also help the Raiders keep a key cog on defense and a solid leader to anchor this momentous turnaround they are looking for. No, he won’t command Julius Peppers money, but a 4-5 year deal worth around $55 million with about $22-25 in guarantees could get it done.

According to a report by Pro Football Talk, the Oakland Raiders will host Larry Johnson on Sunday, when the running back comes in for a free agent visit.

The former Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals rusher is scheduled to visit the Washington Redskins tomorrow.

Johnson, 30, was a very productive ball carrier for the Chiefs from 2004-to-2006. In 2006, he racked up 416 rushing attempts and since has not been the same. Injuries, off the field issues and a suspension that was termed “conduct detrimental to the club,” by the Chiefs marred his final years with the club that drafted him.

To what extent the Raiders are interested is unknown.

Oakland has two young running backs in Michael Bush and Darren McFadden. Neither has shown the ability to carry the ball consistently over the course of 16-games, but bringing in Johnson and his questionable demeanor and adding him to the mix seems odd.

Oakland should just go with their current crop of rushers and if they have a need to add a third rusher, adding one via the draft or an undrafted free-agent may be the better option rather than a guy who had a lot of off the field concerns and is on the down side of his career,

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable divulged to The Boston Globe his happiness with Richard Seymour and how glad he is to have him in Silver & Black.

“Look at what he brought to our team — the ability of opponents or lack thereof to run at him on that side of the line of scrimmage,” Cable commented.

Oakland tagged Seymour their exclusive rights franchise player, ensuring he stays at least one more season as a Raider.

“He was everything that I thought he would be,” Cable said.

Cable sees Seymour as a leader; a mentor for many of the young players and a successful talent that knows what it takes to win after coming from New England – a team that consistently performed at a high level and knew what it took to stay atop as a perennial winner.

“The thing that I was probably most excited about was how much he impacted our young players on our football team,” Cable said. “He’s been in the NFL for quite some time and knows how to prepare, how to get himself ready, how to take notes, the time it takes day to day, week to week as you go through the season and ultimately how to take care of your body.

“I think there was a lot of good lessons learned there for a bunch of young football players.”

Cable, while in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, was asked about wide receiver Javon Walker.

“Will he be there next year?” Cable questioned. “We’ll see.”

There is no denying that the Raiders need to improve on their play at the line of scrimmage – on both sides of the ball.

And cable addressed that stating, “I think both. You always have to look at it and see where you want to be in those two areas.”

He also continued about the importance of leadership on this club and how some veterans impacted the roster.

“Both [Seymour] and Greg Ellis brought a lot of that to our football team. And guys like Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski I thought brought some of that to the other side of the ball. I don’t think you can ever have a team that can turn it around and start building something without that type of leadership in the locker room.”

What about Darren McFadden?

“Every time he’s gotten himself going and had pretty good production something has happened to either take him out of that game or not let him be as big a part in the next one. He’s a fine player and as he’s able to stay healthy for longer periods of time you’ll see more for what we all hope.”

Cable stated he never felt concern about his job after the season and operated as he would knowing he would be the head coach in 2010.

“No, it wasn’t. We went through the evaluation process. As I was told, ‘You’re under contract and we need to talk about everything.’ That’s what we did. There was a lot of speculation but the whole time I went to work every day and did what I knew I needed to do to get ready for the evaluation, get ready for the Senior Bowl,
ready for all those things that were coming up.”

He continued: “I was never told I wasn’t. . . . That’s the one misnomer. There was a lot of speculation. But every day I went to work and every day I got ready for the routine, the self-scout and all the things you’d normally do. So for me sitting back, I wondered what all the fuss was about. I just going to work every day.”

As for the development of Michael Huff: “I’ve always felt Michael was on the cusp of his breakthrough. He had it this year. Lionel Washington and those guys on defense really got him ready to go, and I thought he was outstanding the whole year from the first game all the way through the last one. It was definitely a breakthrough for Michael, and hopefully that’s just the sign of where he’s at as a player now and we can get a lot of big play from him.”

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: C

Oakland’s offense tallied 174-yards in the first half with Frye under center. In his second drive on 3^rd and 3, he inexcusably lofted a prayer to Johnnie Lee Higgins that was intercepted by Champ Bailey. That gave Denver the ball at the Raiders 41-yard line and five plays later, the Broncos went up 6-0 on Matt Prater’s 43-yard field goal. Frye ended the 1^st quarter with designed bootleg run after a fake to Darren McFadden, which netted 26-yards. A few plays later, he hit Higgins on 3^rd and 10 for a 12-yard gain and the Raiders ended that drive with a score. Frye had some tempo with the offense and he could’ve had a touchdown pass if Chaz Schilens would’ve hung on to a long toss in the 2^nd quarter that he could not come down with. At times, Frye had happy feet and bailed out on plays by using his legs to roll out due to pressure. Right before halftime, he had a chance to use his legs on a 3^rd and 3 and run for a first down, instead Frye tossed an incomplete pass and the Raiders settled on a field goal to extend their lead to 13-6. In the 4^th quarter, he took a big hit as he released a pass, the back of his head bounced off the turf and the way his body reacted on impact led you to believe that there was enough trauma there that he could not finish the contest.

JaMarcus Russell: B

Raider fans probably said, “Oh no, not again…,” as soon as he entered the game. Immediately, he faced a tough situation, a 3^rd and 12 that he was not able to convert when he bounced a deep out to Louis Murphy. On his second drive, he found an open Michael Bush on a 3^rd and 2 after scrambling, but the rusher was not able to convert on the catch-able pass. Russell did not feel the pressure early on that game-winning drive and disaster almost occurred when the fumbled on the first play. But he redeemed himself on 4^th and 10 – after missing the prior play due to injury – by hitting Tony Stewart with a 10-yard strike. On consecutive plays he hit Stewart again and Schilens for gains of 9 and 13 yards. He then slid in the pocket to avoid the Denver rush and hit Schilens for 4-yards on 2^nd and goal, but the Broncos were flagged for illegal contact and that gave the Silver & Black a new set of downs. A few plays later, Russell connected with Schilens for a 10-yard game-winning touchdown.

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: A

Even though Bush dropped a key pass on 3^rd and 2 late in the game, fumbled in the 2^nd quarter which was recovered by a teammate and Darren McFadden had a costly turnover that led the Broncos score that gave them a 16-13 lead, this group had a very productive afternoon. This is what Raider fans envisioned of this combo when they were drafted, as both combined for 207 yards on the ground. On Bush’s first touch of the contest, he rumbled for 23-yards and a score to give Oakland a 7-6 lead. On 3^rd and 9 in the 2^nd quarter, he ran for 13 yards and later that drive, he broke a Brian Dawkins tackle and weaved his way for 13 yards. Late in the 3^rd quarter he couldn’t punch it in near the goal line, but neither could McFadden who was thwarted by a stout Denver defensive stance on 4^th and goal, when he tried to cut his run back after initially taking the pitch and looking like he could get to the pylon. That drive got started with a bang when Bush gained 18 yards had a burst for another 40 and McFadden bolted for 28 yards on consecutive plays.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: C

Tony Stewart was key with his 3 receptions for 37-yards. With Zach Miller out, he made vital receptions late in the game to keep a drive alive and to get them close to the winning score. Brandon Myers had only one catch for 6-yards, but his blocking was stellar. Schilens finished with 5 grabs for 37-yards and one touchdown. He caught the game winning score by breaking a tackle at the 3-yard line to hit paydirt. Louis Murphy gave good effort and his bets moment was when he beat Bailey for 14-yards on an out pattern.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B-

Oakland ran for 241-yards rushing. The offensive line was stellar when they asserted themselves and especially when Erik Pears was in as an extra blocker. Pears had key blocks on many of the Raiders big run plays as well as Langston Walker, who mauled the interior of the Denver defensive line on Bush’s score. Elvis Dumervil gave Mario Henderson many problems, but he did not add to his league leading sack total. Cooper Carlisle was flagged for being an ineligible man down the field to start a drive in the 2^nd quarter, but he won many matches in the trenches. Henderson was at the right spot at the right time when Bush fumbled right into his hands. You would’ve liked to see them get push near the goal line when Denver had their stand and not be so shaky late in the game when the Broncos were applying heat with only four-down linemen. But overall, they paved the way for a big day on the ground and kept Russell upright long enough to make plays as time expired. Cornell Green could’ve been a goat in the final drive with a false start from the 5-yard line with 45 seconds remaining.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

At the half, the Broncos had 55 yards rushing. They only managed 25 the rest of the day on the strength of the defensive line of the Raiders. Matt Shaughnessy was outstanding versus the run and tallied another sack (4^th of the season) with a great bull rush. Tommy Kelly and Gerard Warren were gobbling up Knowshon Moreno, who ended with 19 carries, for 42-yards (2.2 per carry). William Joseph was even very active up front, giving the Raiders a nice rotation without any weakening along the trenches. Desmond Bryant also played well and Greg Ellis compiled two more sacks; one on Denver’s first play of the final drive. This group disrupted Kyle Orton’s timing with his targets all day.

LINEBACKERS: B

Kirk Morrison probably had his best game of the season. He had 8-tackles, one for a loss and was solid working in space when in zone. Thomas Howard ended with 4 tackles and got better in pursuit as the game went on. Trevor Scott did not tally a sack today, but his run defense continues to be a spark on the front-seven.

SECONDARY: C-

Denver’s targets tallied 278 yards receiving. Stanford Routt was beaten badly in the slot by Brandon Stokley for 63-yards on a play that could have been a back-breaker for the visiting Raiders. On 3^rd and 12 on the opening drive, Chris Johnson was beat by Eddie Royal for 18-yards, Brandon Marshall also terrorized him fooling him on one route for 24-yards, but he defended Jabar Gaffney well on a fade route that ended a drive. Mike Mitchell was stout versus the run and had a key blitz on a 3^rd and 6 that forced Orton into an incompletion. Nnamdi Asomugha was at his best tackling around the line of scrimmage and Michael Huff jarred loose a potential big play by Marshall on 3^rd and 17 in the final seconds of the contest.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

In the thin air, this was a game of many touchbacks and of place kickers that had were on point with Sebastian Janikowski nailing field goal of 54 and 28 yards while Matt Prater connected on all four of his attempts. Shane Lechler averaged 54.8 per punt. Higgins had a nice punt return of 15-yards and Mitchell had a solid hit on the game’s final kickoff return.

COACHING: A

Tom Cable did a stellar job today. His play calling was rhythmic and precise. The bootleg when Frye was in the game for big yardage gave them life, the draw play on 3^rd down for a nice gain surprised the Denver defense and the run game kept them unbalanced. The offensive line was the facilitator, and he made the right choice playing Walker this weekend. When Russell was inserted, the game plan did not regress and they ran plays that kept Denver back peddling; which was vastly different from his approach against Washington once Russell entered. The again, he did not have the potent ground attack as he did today. Oakland’s defense kept the team alive. In the first half, they held the Broncos to 1/7 on 3^rd downs and Josh McDaniels’ offense only mustered up 3 more after that. The Raiders blitzed often, which affected the flow of Denver’s attack. Oakland was down 6-0 before battling back, And after a missed 4^th down opportunity with McFadden Stokley’ big play and losing his starter, Cable kept his team inspired and fighting on the road. Also, bringing Bush out of the doghouse helped, as the former Louisville star injected life to an offense that hadn’t run the ball well in recent weeks.

GAME NOTES

• Frye ended 9/17 for 68-yards and 1 interception. Russell tallied 5 completions on 11 attempts for 47-yards and a touchdown pass. J.P Losman entered the game for one play – a 3^rd and 10 in the 4^th quarter – before being replaced by Russell, who was healthy enough to complete the game after sustaining an injury. Losman was pressured on his lone play and tossed an incompletion to Murphy. Russell received the game ball after the game, but Cable stated to reporters that Frye will be the starter next week versus Cleveland if healthy.
• Bush had his best game of the year with season highs in carries (18) and yards (133). Justin Fargas “tweaked” his knee according to Cable after the game.
• Former Raider LaMont Jordan rushed for 27 yards on 5 carries.
• Tommy Kelly was injured, but finished the game.
• The game was delayed with 6:53 left when a fan was apparently shinning a laser onto the field.

The Oakland Raiders (4-9) will face the Denver Broncos (8-5) on Sunday at Invesco Field. Denver has won six of the last eight meetings but still trail the overall series 56-42-2. In their first contest in late September, the Broncos rushed for 215 yards and dominated the time of possession 36:15 to Oakland’s 23:45.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

JaMarcus Russell will sit again this weekend, but this time Charlie Frye will start ahead of him, as this current Raider staff has all but given up on the former first round picks ability to lead this team. Oakland will tab the journeyman to get an offense going that was jolted by the insertion of Bruce Gradkowski a few weeks ago. “Yeah, me and Bruce come from the same mold as far as our past and what we’ve done to get where we’re at,” commented Frye this week.

He may be without tight end Zach Miller who sat out practice on Friday and has been dealt with cautiously after sustaining his second concussion of the season.

Also, Langston Walker will start at left guard for just the second time in his career in place of Chris Morris. “Just the play of what we got last week at left guard and trying to secure that a little bit,” said Tom Cable, about starting the mammoth Walker.

What to Expect:

With Frye in, the Raiders will look more like the team that Gradkowski led rather than the Russell directed bunch. Cable will be able to expand on the playbook, continue to use bootlegs to move around the quarterback and utilize his passing game to attack the Broncos 2^nd ranked pass defense. Without Miller, rookie Brandon Myers will have to play a big role as Tony Stewart is not mobile enough to scare the Denver secondary down the field.

On Defense:

Greg Ellis will be handled with care as the season winds down, as the wily veteran has had knee issues since getting it drained back in October. He participated in practice, but Oakland will try to limit any strenuous work in the week so he can play at end once Sundays roll around.

Matt Shaughnessy has had groin issues, but he is listed as probable. Michael Huff, who suffered a stinger last week, could play and was active on Friday during practice.

One player in secondary who will see more reps as the season winds down is safety Mike Mitchell. The Raiders have set-up new packages in recent weeks for thee week and last Sunday; he tallied his first career sack. In the red-zone he is a solid tackler and even though he has issues covering in space, Mitchell can be used as a blitzer when the Raiders go to their Nickel looks.

What to Expect:

Since week nine versus Pittsburgh, Brandon Marshall has been tearing up the league averaging 108.6 receiving yards per game, including 5 touchdowns and a NFL game record 21-grabs versus the Indianapolis Colts last week. Oakland’s secondary has allowed big plays all season and back in week-three versus the Silver & Black, Marshall hauled in his first score of the season. The Raiders need to find a way to get to Kyle Orton and make him move his feet in the pocket to disrupt his accuracy. If Orton is hitting his targets, Oakland gets blown out.

DENVER BRONCOS

Daniel Graham mocking the crowd in Oakland during their first match-up

On Offense:

“Knowshon is going to be a great player in this league. He’s still learning a lot of things as a rookie. There are still a lot of things he has not seen. But, all in all, he’s doing great,” said Correll Buckhalter.

Knowshon Moreno had 21-carries for 90-yards in his first meeting versus the Raiders and in the last five weeks, he has tallied an average of 82.8 yards on the ground. The rookie is finding his groove late in the campaign and impressing his teammates and coaches.

“Knowshon runs the ball pretty tough in short yardage,” stated his quarterback Kyle Orton.

What to Expect:

Denver will run the ball to eat clock, move the chains and set-up big passing plays to their targets. They dominated the Oakland front-seven in their first match-up with the tandem of Buckhalter and Moreno. So more of the same can be expected. Kyle Orton waxed poetically about his big play receiver stating, “His size and physical ability is what to me is the most impressive. But he’s a total football player. You’re not as good as he is without understanding the game and understanding defenses and what teams are trying to do.”

On Defense:

Josh McDaniels has pointed out all wee the importance of corralling running back Darren McFadden. Last week, the multi-purpose rusher tallied 3 receptions for 85-yards and the Raiders will need him to be a focal point versus Denver if Miller cannot play.

“They’re using him split out, away from the formation and seeing what kind of matchup they get,” McDaniels said, “though I’m not sure the guy covering him really matters, because they’ve thrown on corners, they’ve thrown on safeties, they’ve thrown on linebackers and he’s been very productive in each way, and he can also throw the ball.

“So we’re aware of all the skills he has and all the ways he can hurt us.”

Elvis Dumervil is continuing his pro-bowl push and now has 15.0 sacks to lead the NFL.

What to Expect:

The Broncos’ resurgence on defense this season has been the reason why they are in a position to make the playoffs as we enter the last quarter of the season. They’ll try to make life difficult for Frye who has not seen football action since October 12, 2008. If they rattle him, he’ll make a mistake or two. What the Broncos cannot allow is the Raiders to run the ball for big chunks.

GAME NOTES

• Linebacker Sam Williams (illness) is listed as questionable.
• Darrius Heyward-Bey will miss his third straight game with what Cable said was a ‘foot sprain.’ The rookie has 9 catches for 124 yards.
• Center Tim Mattran was inked to the practice squad this week.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Nnamdi Asomugha vs. Brandon Marshall

Asomugha won’t cover him all over the field, but when they do square off, it will be a treat for all observers. Marshall will get most of his yardage when facing Chris Johnson.

Frye, or Fried?

If Oakland can get a steady performance out of their new passer, then they make this a competitive game. The Raiders won 31-10 in 2008 last year in Denver with steady play from their quarterback.

PREDICTION

Broncos 29 – Raiders 16

TV & RADIO

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

GAME INFO

Sunday, December 20, 2009, 4:05 p.m. ET | Invesco Field at Mile High, CO

Home Team: Denver Broncos (8-5) Home: 4-2 Road: 4-3

Road Team: Oakland Raiders (4-9) Home: 2-5 Road: 2-4

LINE: Raiders are a 14-point underdog

QUARTERBACK:

Bruce Gradkowski – A

The Oakland offense looked lively again with Gradkowski under center. The underdog passer displayed his elusiveness and ability to spark the play of others with his 10-of-18 for 153 yards and 3 rushes for 16-yards. But he couldn’t finish the game, leaving at halftime with a torn meniscus ligament in his left knee and a partially torn meniscus in his right knee. “See what the MRI says tomorrow but who knows?” Gradkowski said after the game. “I don’t count myself out. You never need surgery with MCLs. I’ll do whatever I can to get healthy fast, if I can.” Some highlights included a 3^rd and 10 hook up for 15-yards to Chaz Schilens – the key play on a drive they took a 10-7 lead – a 10-yard scramble on 3^rd and 10 before the half and a 6-yard pass to Justin Fargas, improvising and getting the football to his running back as he was being tackled.

JaMarcus Russell – F

The life was drained out of the offense once he came into the game. Oakland’s play calling was effected by his insertion, they were not able to move the yard sticks and the immobile passer was sitting duck for salivating Washington defenders. Russell was sacked six times partly due to the offensive line’s ineffectiveness, but also because of his lack of pocket awareness and lumbering movements. Unlike Gradkowski, Russell could not extend plays, make something happen with his legs or formulate quick decisions. Oakland regressed to their old selves with shorter routes to Zach Miller. On his interception, Russell delivered the ball late to an open target and LaRon Landry was able to break on the ball.

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: D

Darren McFadden had a great start to the game.  He had a 43-yard reception to open Oakland’s third drive and an acrobatic 26-yard reception on a slant and go, hauling in the pass as he fell to the turf. But McFadden had only one other catch the rest of the way for 15-yards and was pedestrian with his 8 carries for 21-yards on a sloppy field. Justin Fargas had 9 carries for 21 yards and the team’s only touchdown on a 1-yard run on 4^th and goal in the second quarter.  Gary Russell had 2 carries for -2 yards, but fared better as a receiver with 22-yards on 2 grabs. Both times Russell ran the ball, he was the lone set-back after Oakland motioned McFadden as a flanker.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: D

Zach Miller again became Russell’s security blanket on short routes and at the end; he tallied 7 receptions for 46 yards.  Miller had a 21-yard reception negated by an Schilens pass interference penalty. On 1^st and 10 at the OAK 37, Gradkowski delivered a strike to Miller after he avoided the rush moving toward the line of scrimmage, but the tight end dropped the pass near the Redskins 30-yard line.  Johnnie Lee Higgins ended with 3 catches for 35 yards; his best receptions being a 16-yard out pattern on 1^st and 10 on the last drive before halftime and a 3^rd and 3 conversion on a 10-yard slant in which he took a major hit from cornerback Carlos Rogers. Chaz Schilens had 2 receptions for 20-yards and Louis Murphy finished with 1 grab for 8 yards. Murphy gave great effort on a 28-yard sinking Gradkowski toss that appeared to be a reception, but was overturned by a booth review.

OFFENSIVE LINE: F

Robert Gallery was missed. The line got no push at the line of scrimmage and was often manhandled which led to the putrid 65-yard effort on the ground. Washington compiled 8-sacks – yes many during Russell’s stint, when he was not able to feel the pressure and react accordingly – four by rookie Brian Orakpo and two by Andre Carter who now has 10-sacks in his last nine contests.  Cooper Carlisle got infracted for a false start in the 3^rd quarter on a 2^nd and 16 and a few plays later, Russell had to face an insurmountable 3^rd and 35 because Cornell Green was flagged for being illegally down the field as Oakland tried to set up a screen.  Green was penalized again in the 4^th quarter on a 3^rd and 5 for holding.

DEFENSIVE LINE: C

Tommy Kelly was physical at times, stuffing Quinton Ganther (14 car. 50 yards 2 TD) on short yardage situations. Gerard Warren hurt Jason Campbell (16-of-28 for 222 yards and 2 TD 0 INT) on a 3^rd and 6 when he tossed him to the turf and forced an incompletion to end a drive. Greg Ellis also got pressure along with Richard Seymour, but they both got penalized for offsides. Matt Shaughnessy recorded his third sack of the season and had a tackle for a loss. The Redskins rushed for 100 yards today, 61 of those coming in the second half.

LINEBACKERS: C-

Trevor Scott continued his solid play with a sack on the second play for the Redskins and keying run stuffs early in the contest. Kirk Morrison was out of position many times, trailing his assignment when in coverage; which helped tight end Fred Davis amass 50-yards receiving and 2 touchdowns.

SECONDARY: C-

Nnamdi Asomugha had a right forearm injury, but finished the game. Stanford Routt played in his place and was quickly greeted by Santana Moss. Campbell hooked up with his speedy receiver on a nice pitch-and-catch for 28-yards against Routt.  The 15-yard pass interference penalty against Routt that aided the drive in which the Redskins went up 24-13 was a bad call by the ref. Chris Johnson almost made a stellar interception in the 4^th quarter while trying to adjust to the flight of the ball against Moss. Tyvon Branch blew some coverages against Davis and was a victim in space, but again aided solid effort versus the run with his tackling. Mike Mitchell recorded his first NFL sack on a blitz on 3^rd and 10 that resulted in a 13-yard loss. Michael Huff left in the second quarter with a stinger.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Shane Lechler punted six times at a 49.5 average (68 long). Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 33-yarder to give Oakland a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and a 54-yarder in the 3^rd quarter to cut the Redskins lead to 17-13. His only miss was a 66-yard effort at the end of the first half. Higgins looked more elusive than what he has all season. The Redskins tackled well on punts, as a few times, it looked like Higgins could break a few returns for substantial gains. He ended with 47 yards on 4 punt returns. Russell sparked a Raider drive with a 41-yard kickoff return. The great field position by the Raiders was aided when Fred Davis was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after a touchdown, which had the Redskins kick off on their own 15-yard line.  Eight plays later, the Raiders took the lead 10-7. Hiram Eugene had a better game on special teams than he did in the defensive backfield.

COACHING: D

Again, the Raiders failed to take advantage of a struggling opponent at home and notch a back-to-back victory. This troubling trend continued once Russell came into the game. The energy was sucked out of the offense and it appeared that the team lost any confidence it had when Gradkowski limped off the field. The play calling was simplified, the offense went back to their lackluster ways and the Redskins teed off on a passer that cannot handle a NFL playbook that is a stiff in the pocket and cannot inspire or elevate the play of others. Russell hamstrung Tom Cable’s offense and his play calling. But there is no excuses for a complete shut-down in the 2^nd half against a team that struggled recently in holding 4^th quarter leads and that entered this final quarter today with a lead for the 4^th straight contest. Oakland managed 39-yards of total net offense in the 2^nd half. At least the defense was on attack, keeping Campbell moving in the pocket and making life difficult for their targets. The Raiders had a couple of breakdowns on defense, especially when they brought the heat and had the linebackers and secondary in man-to-man, leaving Washington’s passer to scramble for some key yards. But for the most part, the effort was there and John Marshall called an aggressive game showing many fronts in trying to confuse Jim Zorn’s attack. John Fassel was flagged for a 15-yard penalty when he ran onto the field to argue with a judge.

GAME NOTES

• Russell ended 10-of-16 for 74-yards and 1 interception. He is public enemy number one in Oakland right now and he failed to live up to the comment he made just recently when he was asked what type of player he was going to be when he saw the field again; “A totally different JaMarcus – people are going to have their opinion, and I really don’t pay too much attention to that.” Today, the same JaMarcus was on exhibit.
• Tony Stewart recovered a muffed punt fumble by Antwaan Randle El in the 4^th quarter.
• Inactive players for the game included: Darrius Heyward-Bey, Khalif Barnes, Javon Walker, Nick Miller, William Joseph and Roy Scheuning. Scheuning was promoted to the 53-man roster when Robert Gallery was placed on the injured list.
• The Raiders had more penalty yards (108) than rushing yards (65).

For the 18^th time in regular season play, the Oakland Raiders (3-8) will face the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5). In their storied history, the Silver & Black hold a 9-8 advantage, but during the post-season, each team has notched three victories in six meetings. Oakland is trying to avoid a seventh straight 11 or more loss season while the Steelers are trying to hang on to their playoff lives as the campaign winds down.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

Bruce Gradkowski is at the helm for the Raiders again and will face a team he’s had a miserable time against. He has a 50% completion percentage no touchdowns, five interceptions and a rating of 20.3 against the Steelers in two career starts. Last December, he took aim at Pittsburgh as a member of the Browns and had a dreadful day. “Going up against a great defense and not really knowing your own offense, it was quite an experience against a team that was on fire and headed to the Super Bowl,” Gradkowski stated this week.

It’s also a homecoming for him, as Gradkowski starred at Seton-La Salle Catholic High School from 1997-to-2000 in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL). “My family, my cousins, they’re die-hard Steeler fans. Last year when I was with the Browns it was hard for then,” Gradkowski said. “They wore neutral colors but I think being with the Raiders this past year and getting to know these guys and being with this team, I know I’ll have the family behind me on this one.”

What to Expect:

The Steelers statistically have the best run defense in the league (74.9 yards per game). So it will be a tough task for Oakland to establish Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden on the ground. Michael Bush appears to be in the doghouse, which leads you to believe that the Raiders will put the game on the hands of Gradkowski. Oakland needs to stay close, so the passer must keep the mistakes to a minimum and protection must be at a premium. Pittsburgh’s defense has been faulty in the 4^th quarter of games and the secondary without Troy Polamalu could be exposed. Problem is, will Oakland ever get a complete game from their targets?

On Defense:

Trevor Scott has found his way into the starting line-up as the weak side linebacker. Thomas Howard will move to the strong side of the formation for the first time in his career after Scott played well on Thanksgiving Day. “It will give us a chance to have what we want in terms of coverage and what we want vs. the run,” said Tom Cable.

Defensive end Greg Ellis was very limited all week in practice and is listed as doubtful for the contest Sunday. “[Ellis] made some improvement but has slowed down. So we’ll see,” Cable commented today.

What to Expect:

After getting torched by Tony Romo last week, Oakland’s secondary has to have a bounce back effort against the 8^th ranked pass attack in the league. Chris Johnson has been victimized way too often on big plays down the field and Nnamdi Asomugha had a tough time with Miles Austin, especially on shallower routes. More man-to-man coverage should be in play this week for the Raiders, as it appeared that many of their problems were due to blown assignments when they dropped back in zone.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

On Offense:

All signs to Ben Roethlisberger starting at quarterback on Sunday. “Ben hasn’t experienced any resurface of any discomfort from his concussion since Friday,” head coach Mike Tomlin said earlier in the week. “All indications are…ultimately play in the game on Sunday.”

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has been critiqued, especially since the Steelers have ditched their traditional run first mentality and have gone to a pass heavy attack, Many blame that for the defense giving up leads late in games and the inconsistency in 2009. Against Cincinnati and Kansas City, they combined for 82-passes and only 49 run plays. As for possibly running some Wildcat plays for last week’s starting passer Dennis Dixon, Arians stated, “He’s an extremely good talent as far as speed, and when a play breaks down and he can improvise, that’s when he’ll be dangerous,” and he continued; “But if you start designing runs for a quarterback, especially one of his stature, he’s going to get broken in half.”

What to Expect:

If there was ever a contest the Steelers would get their rush game going, it will have to be on Sunday with worries about Big Ben taking hits and facing a soft defense that allows 161.1 ground yards per game. And with Thomas Howard lining up on the strong side, tight end Heath Miller and the rest of the line could have a fun day pushing around that side of the Raider formation.

On Defense:

Dick LeBeau’s unit has taken some heat also, especially after their loss to the Baltimore Ravens. “We didn’t get off the field on critical downs,” linebacker LaMarr Woodley was quoted. “We can’t give up the big home-run hits, the passes down the field, long runs. We have to eliminate those problems.

“We knew what kind of player [Dixon] was. He put enough points on the board to give us a chance to win. We just allowed their offense to move the ball down the field on us.”

The Ravens stacked up 393 total yards of offense last week. But facing a Raider team with lesser talent could be just what the doctor ordered.

What to Expect:

It’s time for LeBeau to bring ‘Blitzburgh’ back in this contest. Gradkowski can be pressured into mistakes and the Raider wide receivers have not been able to consistently help their quarterback with big plays down the field. James Harrison (10-sacks) and Lawrence Timmons (6-sacks) can add to their stats if they constantly bring the heat.

GAME NOTES

• Rashard Mendenhall has rushed for 739 yards since being catapulted into the starting unit in week-four.
• Mike Tomlin stated, “We will not go gently. We are going to unleash hell here in December. Because we have to.” Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha stated after hearing Tomlin’s comments: “They’re used to winning, so when you lose three games or something like that, it’s the biggest deal in the world. They said everybody’s got hell to pay the next (few) weeks. They’re making a big deal about this.”
• When will the Raiders start using more of McFadden in wildcat formations? It’s obvious they don’t feel he’s an every down ball carrier, and they want to incorporate him into the passing attack, but he was a star in Arkansas with his multi-dimensional skill set out of that formation and in the NFL, many times have found a way to get consistent yardage out of that set.
• Running back Justin Fargas (stinger), linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba (knee) and linebacker David Nixon (illness) are listed as probable.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Gradkowski vs. Pittsburgh’s pressure

If the Oakland quarterback can make the right decisions, use his feet to neutralize the pressure and get the ball to his targets quickly, it will help moving the chains and sustaining drives. Gradkowski has to avoid another dreadful outing versus Pittsburgh, or this will be a blowout.

Pittsburgh’s ground game vs. Oakland’s Front-Seven

Howard is not adept at his new position, Pittsburgh needs to establish their ground game and keep Roethlisberger healthy. If Oakland can’t keep the Steelers’ running backs in check this could get ugly.

PREDICTION

Steelers 26 – Raiders 6

TV & RADIO

The game will be televised on CBS with Greg Gumbel providing play-by-play and former NFL player and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf handling color analysis. The game will air in the Bay Area on KPIX Channel 5 and in Sacramento on KOVR Channel 13. The game will air on Raiders Radio originating on KSFO 560 AM, the Silver and Black’s Flagship for the multi-state Radio Network. Greg Papa and former Raiders player, assistant and head coach Tom Flores will man the booth for the 12th straight year. The radio pregame show and postgame show will feature Raider Legends George Atkinson and David Humm along with KSFO’s Rich Walcoff. (Broadcast information cited from the official Oakland Raiders web site)

GAME INFO

Sunday, December 6, 2009, 1:00 p.m. ET | Heinz Field, Pitt. PA

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

Home Team: Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) Home: 4-1 Road: 2-4

LINE: Raiders are 14.5-point underdogs

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: C-

Bruce Gradkowski ended the game 18-of-35 for 200 yards one touchdown and no interceptions. Many times, he had to get rid of the football under the gun, which affected his accuracy. On back-to-back plays to open the game – on 2^nd and 6 and 3^rd and 6 – he was not able to set up his feet or release the ball cleanly to keep the drive alive. A few times, Oakland attempted to stretch the field and Gradkowski stated after the game, “There were plays there to be made downfield and I didn’t make them.”

His elusiveness helped the Raiders on their scoring drive and in total; Gradkowski’s feet helped him tally 30-yards rushing. Oakland’s passer misfired on plays that could have been converted which would have moved the chains.

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: B

Justin Fargas’ first half was superb. He ran hard and gained big chunks, compiling most of his team leading 63-yards rushing. Darren McFadden finished the game with 6 carries for 23 yards, but he was mostly used as a receiver, getting split out wide in one-to-one match-ups with the Cowboys’ cornerbacks. On 2^nd and 5 on the Raiders’ first drive, he hauled in a quick slant for 16-yards. McFadden had 4 catches for 43-yards.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: D

Zach Miller recorded 5 grabs for 73-yards in the dual between two of the top tight ends in the NFL. Miller on national television demonstrated he ranks right up there with Jason Witten (5 rec. 107 yards) and was one of the few bright spots for the Oakland offense. Chaz Schilens outstretched on a 3^rd and 4 on the game’s third drive but could not haul in a make able reception. On the Raiders next possession, he ran a sloppy slant that the defender broke up on a 3^rd and 4. Schilens ended with 2 receptions for 32-yards. Darrius Heyward-Bey finally hauled iin his first professional touchdown. “I tried to help the cause with that play,” Heyward-Bey commented, “but when you lose, it’s all that matters. You want to win at the end.” The rookie had a nice block on McFadden’s best run of the game – a sweep for 12-yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D

Right tackle Cornell Green left the game for a few plays with an injury and was replaced by Langston Walker. He eventually went back into the game. Cooper Carlisle’s holding penalty thwarted any movement on Oakland’s second drive. The front looked good early in opening holes for their rushers, but did very little at times to keep Gradkowski’s pocket clean or his passing lanes paved. They allowed three sacks.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

Dallas ran up 195 rushing yards against this defense. It all headed downhill after Tashard Choice’s 66-yard run to open their third drive in the 1^st quarter. To the defenses credit, they did hold the Cowboys to a field goal on that drive. But on the very next Dallas possession, Felix Jones erupted on a 46-yard scamper for a score. “What is Rule No. 1 in Pop Warner?” nose tackle Gerard Warren pose to reporters after the game. “Stop the run.”

LINEBACKERS: C

Trevor Scott had a stellar game at weak side linebacker. Due to injuries on this unit, Oakland mixed it up placing the defensive end in coverage situations and giving him the opportunity to use his instincts in space. Scott could’ve had an interception on a 3^rd and 9 in which Tony Romo carelessly tossed the football away,  on a 2^nd and 13, he dissected a screen and closed in on the pass catcher for a 4-yard loss and he ended with two-sacks when he pass rushed. “A few days ago they said they wanted me to start at (Will) this game so I was like, `all right, let’s run with it,’ ” Scott was quoted. “If it’s an opportunity to get on the field, so be it. Some guys don’t feel comfortable in a two-point stance, so if they stick with it, great.”  Sam Williams was beat a few times by Witten.

SECONDARY: F

Miles Austin torched this unit for 7 receptions, 145 yards and 1 touchdown. Nnamdi Asomugha was the victim a few times on man-to-man coverage. Michael Huff started the game nicely on a 3^rd and 24, breaking up a pass intended for Roy Williams and then on the next Cowboy possession on 2^nd and 9, jarring a pass out of Austin’s grasp with a solid hit. Romo had a field day with his 18 completions for 309 yards. Tyvon Branch had a beat on a deflected ball that could’ve been an interception for a touchdown, but Trevor Scott gave chase as well and both took each other out on the play.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

The anemic return units continued with their struggles. Gary Russell did very little to add some pop to the kickoff returns as Oakland looked for a change of pace after trying Jonathan Holland in that spot for a few games. Shane Lechler punted nine-times for a 54.8 average. His season average is now 51.9 – keeping him ahead of Sammy Baugh’s single season record.

COACHING: D

On defense, it was nice to see the Raiders pressure from the linebacker spot and John Marshall mixing up the formations and disguising the coverages. But many times, the attacks along the line of scrimmage led to big plays due to the Raiders being out of position.  Not too much praise though can be given especially after Dallas racked up 494 total yards of offense. Tom Cable has altered his game plan and feels more confident with Gradkowski at the helm of the offense. The Raiders are mixing up more passing a play, but at times, that has taken away from their bread and butter – running the football.

GAME NOTES

• Jon Alston was placed on injured reserve, ending his season, after suffering two concussions in four weeks. Rookie Slade Norris was activated in his place after spending the majority of the season on the practice squad.
• CB John Bowie, forever linked as the player selected with a 4^th round pick acquired from the Patriots in the Randy Moss trade, was waived this week. His final stats with the Raiders – 2 tackles.
• Greg Ellis did not finish the contest due to swelling in his knee. “I don’t know what happened. I just know swelling, a lot of pressure, going down my leg, going down my knee down my shin and my calf. I don’t know if I did something during the game,’’ Ellis stated. “It started off swelling some but that’s to be expected coming off the scope but when we started playing, it was just killing me.”

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: B

Bruce Gradkowski is now 4-9 in his career while starting and 1-0 at the helm of the Silver & Black. His decisiveness, inspiring play and ability to diversify the offense with his accuracy helped the Raider offense churn out yardage when they needed it most and it got them their first second half touchdown in seven games. His nine-yard touchdown pass to Zach Miller ended a personal three-year drought (11/19/2006) and was his first scoring pass in 116 attempts. He led Oakland in a way JaMarcus Russell hasn’t. Gradkowski managed the game well with his feet, evading sacks and getting rid of the ball quickly when all his options were covered and pressure was coming. On the game tying drive, his quick release on a blitz was able to gain 19-yards on 2^nd and 4. Then on 4^th and 10, he hit an open Chaz Schilens to give the Raiders life. The 29-yard toss to his rookie target was one of the most clutch plays this season.

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: C –

After a solid performance last week, Michael Bush could have been a goat today with his fumble in the 3^rd quarter. That turnover led to a 25-yard Shayne Graham field goal, which extended the Bengals lead to 17-10. He did average 6.8 yards per carry on his 4 attempts. Darren McFadden played a physical contest, finishing a few of his six carries with blows to the attempting tackler. He had 9 touches for 25-yards, many of them on earlier downs that helped Gradkowski into manageable down and distances in key drives. Justin Fargas led the team with 8 carries for 32-yards. Oakland did not need a powerful ground game today, something you couldn’t say if Russell was under center. Luke Lawton helped with 3 grabs for 14 yards.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: B –

Louis Murphy’s lone catch of the game was a 29-yard strike that tied the game with 33 seconds remaining in the game. He worked the cornerback well and was able to adjust to make the reception and bolt into the end zone. Zach Miller had another solid effort with 5 receptions for 65-yards and a score. His back-to-back catches; on 2^nd and 4 for 19-yards and on 1^st and 10 for 9-yards in the game tying drive helped move the chains. In his second game this campaign, Chaz Schilens hauled in a stellar 25-yard pass to start a drive, jumping to snag the football with a cornerback draped on him and a 16-yard catch on 4^th and 10 with the game on the line. Darrius Heyward-Bey dropped a potential first-down on a 3^rd and 4 in the 2^nd quarter, but snagged a 7-yard pass on a 3^rd and 3. In the 3^rd quarter, the speedy rookie did draw a 19-yard pass interference flag on Leon Hall.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B

This group played well at times, others they got mixed up in trying to block the varying Bengal blitzes. Gradkowski’s mobility and instant decision making kept Cincinnati from tallying a sack. Robert Gallery mauled the interior of the defensive line during Bush’s 10-yard gain on 3^rd and 2 in the 3^rd quarter. Most of the Bengals pressure was up the gut of the trenches and surprisingly, starting right tackle Cornell Green played a mistake free game. Samson Satele and Gradkowski had a mix-up during an exchange that was recovered by Domato Peko. Gradkowski’s interception to open a drive in the 4^th quarter was facilitated by the pressure the Bengals applied. The passer floated a pass into the hands of Jonathan Joseph as Oakland attempted for a quick strike to Murphy.

DEFENSIVE LINE: B –

The run defense allowed way too many yards (177). But many times, the front-four was able to pressure Carson Palmer. Cincinnati has protected their passer all year very well, allowing a mere 14-sacks in 2009, but Oakland was able to compile three sacks. Greg Ellis had a huge sack late in the 4^th quarter on a 3^rd and 12. Desmond Bryant added energy to the defensive line and played well in place of Richard Seymour, who left in the opening quarter with a lower back injury. Jay Richardson played with a good motor.

LINEBACKERS: A

Probably the best game the linebackers played all season. Thomas Howard was very active, firing through the line of scrimmage on many stops and covering tailback Brian Leonard on a deep pattern to force an incompletion. Kirk Morrison had his best game of the year with 4-tackles – two behind the line of scrimmage. Sam Williams was in on a turnover that Desmond Bryant facilitated.

SECONDARY: B

This was a Jekyll and Hide game for this unit. Tyvon Branch tallied 12-tackles. He was routinely making stops around the line of scrimmage and in the backfield. On a 3^rd and 6 in the 2^nd quarter, Branch blitzed, sacked Palmer and forced a fumble when Cincinnati was at the OAK 27-yard line. He did get burned on an Andre Caldwell 17-yard reception in the 1^st quarter, but he dove in the end-zone to break up a potential score on a 2^nd and goal in the 3^rd quarter – a key play as Graham missed a 37-yarder five plays later. The safety out of UCONN also saved a touchdown as the last line of defense on Bernard Scott’s 23-yard reception on 2^nd and 22 in the 1^st quarter. Chris Johnson was torched deep by Laveranues Coles for 40-yards, he whiffed when trying to tackle Scott that resulted in a 61-yard run, but he had a nice tackle behind the line of scrimmage and broke up a pass intended for Chad Ochocinco on a drive that the Bengals went three-and-out in the final quarter. Stanford Routt was infracted for roughing the passer on a 3^rd and goal. The dumb penalty gave Cincinnati a new set of downs, but Routt redeemed himself three plays later on 3^rd and goal with an 18-yard sack of Palmer that hurt Graham when he missed his field goal on the ensuing play. Nnamdi Asomugha closed the game with an interception, but on a few occasions, Ochocinco got the best of him. His blitz broke containment on Scott’s long run. Mike Mitchell played sparingly and had a couple of run stuffing tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

Rookie tight end Brandon Myers had the play of the game; stripping Caldwell on the game’s final kickoff with seconds remaining and recovering the loose ball at the Bengals 17-yard line. A few plays later, Sebastian Janikowski nailed his second field goal of the game from 37-yards out with 15 seconds remaining, giving Oakland the late victory. He missed from 57-yards wide right after Cincinnati called a time-out to freeze him and missed wide left officially as time expired in the first half. Shane Lechler boomed a 66-yard punt and averaged 50.5 per kick this afternoon. Jonathan Holland continues to be hesitant during kickoff returns and a non-threat. Coming into the game, the Oakland special teams had the fewest number of penalties called on the in the NFL (4).

COACHING: B

The play calling was significantly different with Gradkowski at quarterback. Oakland tossed the ball 34-times and the offense was pass happy on many drives. Tom Cable’s club looked impressive out of the gate in the 2^nd half, putting together a 10-play drive and cutting the Bengals lead to 14-10 after intermission. The blitzing defense was a similar attack they installed against the Eagles, and it kept the often-stationary Palmer moving in the pocket. The team played motivated even after falling behind and they came from behind in front of an empty building. It was disturbing to see the Bengals shoot themselves in the foot consistently, but with the upper hand regardless at times. In the opening drive, Cincy had 3 flags and converted on two long down and distances and after they took a 14-0 lead, they led Oakland 217-to-14 in total yards, had tallied 15 first downs as oppose to the Raiders one, and had a time of possession lead of 19:48 to 3:00. But Oakland forced turnovers and pressured the over confident Bengals, who came into the contest undefeated on the road and looking to put away their division after the Steelers were upset by the Chiefs earlier in the day.

GAME NOTES

• Ochocinco was flagged twice for false starts, playing anxiously in trying to get an edge by releasing early off the line against Oakland’s top-flight cornerback. He finished the game with 4-receptions for 67-yards.
• Gradkowski induced am encroachment penalty with his cadence in the first quarter. In total, the Bengals compiled 8-penalties for 59-yards. The Raiders’ passer facilitated another offside infraction later in the game, but the penalty was declined due to a McFadden 9-yard gain. Gradkowski finished 17 for 34 for 183 yards with an INT and two touchdowns.
• Rookie Bernard Scott ran for a season-high 119 yards in place of the injured Cedric Benson. Former Chief Larry Johnson had two carries for 5 yards in his first game as a Bengal.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist