Silver and Black Report

Photo Credit: Darryl Bush (originally published in SF Chronicle)

January 19, 2003… the last time the Oakland Raiders participated in a conference championship game.

The Silver & Black advanced to the Super Bowl with a 41-24 home win versus the Tennessee Titans.

That was a daylong celebration for the Raider Nation. It began with the early tailgating, which then erupted onto a Network Coliseum parking lot concert featuring Metallica.

Yes, with Bob Rock on bass, Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich played Fuel, Master of Puppets, Sad, But True, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Seek & Destroy and Battery – as if the Raider faithful needed more adrenaline prior to the contest. (Yup, click on any of those songs to watch the performance on youTube)

League MVP Rich Gannon was 29-41 for 286-yards, three scores and no interceptions. His 2-yard scamper for a score early in the 4^th quarter ignited a crowd that was at a fever pitch all afternoon, but Zack Crockett’s 7-yard run with 3:25 remaining was the final nail in the Titans coffin.

“It’s amazing what you remember at funny times,” said Tim Brown after the game. “It’s just a great feeling to know that after watching this for 14-years, watching people play this game, to actually be on your way, it’s pushing a dream boat.”

Brown, 36 at the time, had nine catches for 73-yards.

Oakland only ran the ball 17-times that afternoon – a norm for that team, who were carried by an epic year-round performance from Gannon.

Tennessee ranked second in the league that year versus the run, but 25^th against the pass. Unfortunately for them, the Silver & Black were the leagues best passing club.

“Tennessee’s got a great defensive line, a good set of linebackers, but their defensive backs are kind of suspect,” stated starting left guard Frank Middleton. “We knew that going in. You have to take advantage of that.”

The attendance: 62,544. Not one person in that building will forget the on-field celebration, Bill Callahan hoisting the Lamar Hunt trophy and the melodic chants of “RAAAAAIDERS,” that rung loudly at the house of thrills.

Veterans like Brown and Gannon joined Bill Romanowski, Jerry Rice, Rod Woodson, Charlie Garner and Lincoln Kennedy on the field stage to celebrate their Super Bowl berth.

On that Sunday nine-years ago, Oakland felt right at home… as AFC champions.

GAME NOTES

• Anthony Dorsett, who played for the Titans on their 1999 Super Bowl team, recovered a fumble that eventually led to a score that gave the Raiders a 21-17 lead.
• The Titans fought hard that weekend. Steve McNair played a tough contest and with Joe Nedney declared out at halftime, it curtailed Jeff Fisher’s strategy throughout the game. A 50-yard field goal attempt was nixed, and when Craig Hentrich attempted a punt at a crucial spot in the contest, the Raiders special teams, featuring Crocket, Tim Johnson, Eric Johnson and Clarence Love tackled the punter at the Titans 16-yard line. A few plays later, Sebastian Janikowski booted a field goal to make it 27-17 with 4:29 left in the 3^rd quarter.
• Oakland ran only one running play over the first three quarters.
• “We were making a lot of dumb mistakes out there,” starting linebacker Eric Barton said. “Fortunately, we sucked it up and stopped it. That shows the character of this team.” The Raiders compiled 14 penalties for 127 yards, as they landed some vicious hits on McNair and battered the Eddie George, who ran the ball for 67-yards on 15-carries. “McNair played like a true warrior today,” said Callahan. “He had no quit in him, no die in him.”
• “We fought all year long,” Rice said after his 5-catches for 79-yards. “When we lost four straight games, this team stuck together and now we’re going to the Super Bowl.”
• Doug Jolley had 3-catches for 13-yards and a score. Jerry Porter had 4-receptions for 52-yards and a touchdown. Garner tallied 7-receptions for 55-yards and one touchdown.

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Terrelle Pryor will now be able to don the Silver & Black on game days.

Terrelle Pryor talked to the media yesterday for the first time since joining the Oakland Raiders. Here’s a transcript of the session, per Jerry McDonald.

It was interesting to read his comments about how he feels entrenched in the system knowing he’ll be a passer. Hue Jackson is sure Pryor will be a quarterback and Oakland at this point has no intentions of making him anything else. You can make parallels to what they are trying to accomplish with recently acquired Aaron Curry, when the Raiders head coach stated, “I don’t want to put him in a whole bunch of spots. I want to let him play one thing and let him become great because the guy has great talent.”

As for Curry, it appears that the Raiders will get him at a bargain for the remainder of the campaign. Mike Florio first reported Oakland is only on the hook for $370,000 in 2011 and that his $5.7 million salary for 2012 is not guaranteed. This is the ultimate low risk, possibly high reward trade for the Silver & Black, who now have a motivated and rejuvenated talent who was widely considered the best linebacker prospect in many years when he was being scouted in 2009.

Curry stated in his first media session, “Run. The best thing I do is run. Wait for the runner to make a move and run in his direction. That’s my best asset. “

Oakland currently ranks 22^nd in the league against the run. Rolando McClain has yet stamped himself as a force in the middle, especially versus the run. So it will be interesting to see how Oakland can pair both of these highly talented linebackers, both whom are high first round selections, in order to improve a front-seven that can be leaky at times.

Curry will replace Quentin Groves on the weak-side of the formation. It’s been a long-time since Oakland had a trio this talented at linebacker: Curry, McClain and former Browns’ first rounder, Kamerion Wimbley, who will face his ex-mates on Sunday.

Wimbley was selected 13^th overall by the Browns in 2006, Curry 4^th overall in 2009 and McClain 8^th overall in 2010.

Wimbley could see action as a rusher on 3^rd downs, as many times, Oakland will convert to a nickel formation, adding Mike Mitchell, and going with two linebackers.

Former Raider linebacker Eric Barton, who was a starter along with Napoleon Harris and Bill Romanowski, in their last Super Bowl appearance, is Curry’s brother.

Curry said yesterday, “Yeah, Eric’s way more excited than I am. I’m excited, and he’s like over-the-mountain excited. He’s like, I mean, when can I come up? Where can I stay? I’ll be there tomorrow. I’ll see you tomorrow. What’s the defense look like? Tell the coaches I say hey? I think he’s revisiting his time here and he had some special time here.”

CRIBBS CAUTION

Oakland has to be aware of the dangers kicking the football to Joshua Cribbs.

“Janikowski has a big leg, even their punter, he out kicks the punt coverage. But, that’s what he’s known for, so to combat that we will take deeper drops. I’m going to be standing back there like I was the first game against Cincinnati; I will have my foot on the edge of the end zone ready to bring them out. We’re going to make it happen when they give us an opportunity,” said Cribbs.

He continued: “We love for them to out kick their coverage because that gives them the disadvantage.”

OTHER NOTES

• “He’s a physical player,” LG Jason Pinkston said of Richard Seymour. “He plays hard every down. He goes through the whistle.”
• Rich Gannon, who helped the Raiders win three straight AFC West crowns, from 2000-2002, will be covering the game for CBS Sports, and surely one of the many former players that will be on hand to celebrate the life of Al Davis.

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Danny Clark targeting LaDainian Tomlinson during the 2004 season

Danny Clark, LB

In March of 2004, the Oakland Raiders lost Eric Barton via free agency and a week earlier they had released Bill Romanowski, leaving them with major gaps at linebacker. They quickly filled one of those voids signing Danny Clark away from the Jacksonville Jaguars with a two-year $3 million contract. Known as ‘Hammerhead’ to teammates, Clark finally was able to play every down in Silver & Black and he started all 16-games in 2004, leading the club with 129-tackles. “I appreciate where I am. I bleed silver and black now,” said Clark in 2005.

Verdict: A solid player on bad defenses, Clark always played with a good motor and gave the Raiders good value with that signing. He was released prior to the 2006 season after Oakland decided to go with their younger crop of linebackers.

Ray Buchanan, DB/S

The Raiders added Buchanan in April of 2004 with a five-year $12 million contract. The ostentatious defensive back was 32-years old when the Falcons released him due to his declining coverage skills, but the Raiders used him all over the secondary during his one-year stint. “I give them a lot of flexibility because I can play safety, but if they need me, I can go out on the edge and play corner, too, Buchanan stated upon his arrival. “They can use me in the slot to cover. My hands are not tied.”

Verdict: His lone season in Silver & Black was disastrous. Buchanan did not have anything left in the tank and his career was over after the 2004 campaign.

Desmond Howard, WR/ST

The year subsequent to signing Larry Brown after his MVP performance in a Super Bowl, the Raiders inked Desmond Howard to a four year contract worth $6 million after the Green Bay Packer became the first special teams player ever to win MVP honors in the big game. Howard’s 10-returns for 244-yards and a score in Super Bowl XXXI led him to Oakland. “This is totally amazing,” Howard said when he arrived. “To sign a contract and become an Oakland Raider, it’s an emotional roller-coaster … because I’m leaving a team I helped to win a world championship and a lot of close friends.” Then Raider coach Joe Bugel stated, “We’ve added yet another explosive, impact player to our football team.” In his first year in Oakland, he led the league with 61 kickoff returns, ending with 1,318 yards, but no scores. In 1998, he scored twice on punts, but his impact was never significant enough to justify the money he received.

Verdict: Howard was useless on offense. He never lived up to the hype he established as a collegiate and the Raiders continued to collect players with trophies rather than productive talents that impact the ball club in a positive way.

Kerry Collins, QB

In May of 2004, Collins signed a three-year $12 million deal. “I’m looking forward to playing in front of the Raider Nation,” Collins stated in a statement. The Giants released the former first rounder after drafting Eli Manning and Oakland picked him up as insurance after Rich Gannon and Marques Tuiasosopo ended their season on injured reserve in 2003. “Kerry is a highly productive performer who will add to what is already a talented position,” said coach Norv Turner. Collins took over as a full-time starter after Gannon sustained a neck injury early in 2004. He tallied a 7-21 record as a Raider, passing for 7,254 yards with 41 touchdowns and 32 interceptions.

Verdict: Collins had some streaky stretches with the Raiders, piling up passing yards with receivers Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry and leading Oakland to one of their most memorable victories the last 7-seasons during a snow storm at Denver on a nationally televised game. A cap casualty, Collins was not viewed as a long-term solution for the struggling Raiders.

Stay tuned for upcoming installments, looking back at the Raiders history during the free-agency period. Part-five coming soon…