Oakland’s roster is full of question marks and depending on what happens with the collective bargaining agreement. With March 4^th just around the corner, we’ll look at the players that could stay, or depart.

PLAYERS LIKELY TO STAY

Richard Seymour, DL

All signs point to the Silver & Black using their franchise tag on their veteran leader on defense. He was dominating for stretches in 2010 and was the vocal presence needed on the field and in the locker room for many of their developing players. His age is a concern, and Oakland would love to strike a multi-year deal with him to free up the tag for their tight end, but keeping Seymour is imperative especially with a gang of youths along the trenches and a new coordinator coming in. The tag could cost Oakland roughly $15 million for 2011.

Stanford Routt, CB

Oakland tendered first and third round choices last year, ensuring he’ll stick around. He’s a favorite of the owner and will likely stay and battle for a starting spot.

Hiram Eugene, S/ST

Evolved into special team stand-out last year, which will keep him around. It is unlikely anyone sees him as a contributor on defense, and Oakland knows exactly what his value is.

Zach Miller, TE

He has a value in the open market and many teams need a player of his abilities. Equally adept at pass blocking and at pass catching, Miller may be wooed or enticed by the chance of earning a tad more elsewhere. But he is the Raiders player rep and genuinely likes the vibe with the team.

Langston Walker, OL

Likely to stick around because of his stability. A very smart player, Walker has a home in Silver & Black as long as Al Davis is calling the shots.

Jon Condo, ST/OL

Sebastian Janikowski and Shane Lechler will lobby for his return – that’s enough for the front office.

Sam Williams, LB/ST

Not going anywhere. A role player that understand his value to the team.

Rock Cartwright, RB/ST

Players respected the veteran. He was key on special teams and a guy that was fiery during practices and on Sunday’s.

PLAYERS ON THE FRINGE

Nnamdi Asomugha, CB

There’s no way he earns the same paycheck he has the past few years. No one will just fork that over, but he will get teams inquiring about his services with what may appear like greener pastures. If Asomugha plays nice and gives Oakland a hometown discount, the Raiders will retain him. If the All-Pro cornerback wants to win and join what may appear a perennial winner, then he will depart.

Michael Bush, RB

It’s unknown how the arrest for drunk driving will effect his courtship. One thing is for sure, he is young, has little wear and tear on his body and can be valuable to a team that is looking for a primary ball carrier. Teams shy away from throwing money at running backs, but with his versatility and youth, someone could overpay pay him the first few years of a deal and force Oakland to let him walk. Hue Jackson would love to keep the duo together, it’s up to Bush whether or not he wants to be in spotlight elsewhere.

Kamerion Wimbley, LB

One of the fine moves Oakland made prior to 2010. But with that success, a team high nine sacks, now comes the attention of other suitors.

Michael Huff, FS

Has improved his play in recent years, but far from the playmaker that was highly touted coming out of Texas.

Ricky Brown, LB

A solid backup and coverage unit contributor. In March, Oakland gave him a second round tender. He won’t earn the nearly $1.6 million he did in 2010, but he has a spot on the roster.

Samson Satele, C

Played well enough to deserve another shot at locking down a spot at center, but with Tom Cable gone, does the rest of the staff feel the same way about him?

Mario Henderson, T

Replaced by a rookie, now may get a shot to play if the owner brings him back.

LIKELY GONERS

Thomas Howard, LB

Couldn’t break the rotation and was relegated to spot duty after starting since being drafted in 2006. Time to find a new home, since he won’t crack the line-up and he likely feels that he’s more than just a reserve.

Michael Bennett, RB

If Bush is back, Bennett will depart.

Bruce Gradkowski, QB

I can’t see Oakland keeping him around. Jason Campbell was at ease once the fiery Gradkowski was on injured reserve.

Johnnie Lee Higgins, WR

Had one campaign as a dangerous punt returner. Oakland can easily replace him and his inconsistent play.

Robert Gallery, G

With a change in philosophy along the trenches and Tom Cable’s departure, that could mark the end of Gallery’s career in Silver & Black that never materialized in the greatness that was anticipated.

Daniel Loper, OL

Plugged holes when needed, but at this point, he may find that job interesting on another club, especially if he doesn’t think he’ll have a fair shake in Oakland.

PICK AND CHOOSE

Kyle Boller or Charlie Frye, QBs

Both are undoubtedly backups. At least Frye has the respect of the organization and is looked at as a player/coach.

NOT GOING ANYWHERE DUE TO SERVICE YEARS

Desmond Bryant, DL

Came on strong in the second half of the season. A key reason why John Henderson may not be back.

Nick Miller, WR/ST

Doesn’t seem to have the pro pedigree, yet sticks around. May not make any other roster.

Marcel Reece, FB

One of the unsung heroes in 2010.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Jason Campbell did not have to do much, as Oakland dominated on the ground and never were in a position in which they had to lean on their passing attack. In the 1^st quarter, on 3^rd and 11 on Oakland’s second drive, Campbell sustained a right knee injury scrambling for eight-yards. He returned after one-possession on the sideline and was a driving force on the Raiders first scoring drive. Campbell’s 20-yard scramble on 2^nd and 20 and 11-yard completion on 3^rd and 7 helped the Silver & Black take a 7-3 lead. That drive was capped with a Chaz Schilens 5-yard scoring reception. More key passes included a 3^rd and 10, 16-yard conversion to Michael Bush and slant on 2^nd and 5 to Schilens before halftime. That drive ended in a field goal, giving Oakland a 10-3 lead. Campbell ended 15-of-25 for 155-yards one touchdown and no turnovers.

RUNNING BACKS/FULL BACKS: A

Michael Bush has a knack for big games in finales. In 2008, his onslaught at Tampa Bay helped the Raiders finish the season strong. Today, he compiled 137-yards rushing on 25-carries and a score. He showed power and explosiveness today, especially on the 26-yard run that gave Oakland a 17-10 lead in the 3^rd quarter. That 9-play 75-yard drive was crippling to the Chiefs especially after they had tied the game at 10, minutes earlier. Bush also added four catches for 34-yards, including a nifty one handed grab. Marcel Reece, Rock Cartwright and Michael Bennett all saw action, but it was Bush’s show.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: C+

The start of the game was disastrous for Oakland, when Darrius Heyward-Bey fumbled on their first offensive play. The end around was fumbled and the Chiefs took over at the Raiders 17-yard line. That helped Kansas City build their only lead of the contest, 3-0. Jacoby Ford had one catch for 35-yards and Louis Murphy tallied two receptions for 29-yards. Ford’s end around run, bouncing off defenders to get in from 10-yards out gave the Raiders a 24-10 lead. Chaz Schilens had his most productive outing with three catches for 24-yards and a score. Zach Miller ended with 31-yards receiving, but had a scary moment when he went out with an injury. When the tight end came back, Tamba Hali beat him for one of his 2.5 sacks. Brandon Myers had one catch for 7-yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B

The Raiders ran for 101-yards at halftime and ended with 209-total for the game. Four sacks were allowed and Campbell took some shots at times, but for the most part, they controlled the line of scrimmage against a very good run stuffing unit. Jared Veldheer had a false start in the 1^st quarter, an illegal use of hands penalty and was tormented by Hali a lot of the afternoon. Langston Walker was beat by Hali for one sack, had a two false start infractions on one drive. Samson Satele handled Glenn Dorsey and Cooper Carlisle and Robert Gallery played solid games all around in the interior.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

Without Richard Seymour (inactive) and Matt Shaughnessy (left game with injury), Oakland applied constant pressure with their linemen. Matt Cassel was beaten to a pulp most of the day, which effected his play, ending 11-of-33 for 115-yards and two interceptions. Desmond Bryant dominated at times with 5-solo tackles, constant penetration and tallying a sack in one of his best games as a pro. Tommy Kelly again was a force and rookie Lamarr Houston had two tackles for losses and one sack. They held the Chiefs to 115-yards rushing.

LINEBACKERS: A

One of the better games all season by this unit. Rolando McClain closed out his rookie campaign with solid contributions versus the run and playing his best game in space when defending passes. Quentin Groves has had his moments in recent weeks and today, he darted across the line of scrimmage many times to stuff Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones or to force them into other tacklers. Kamerion Wimbley put up gaudy statistics with four solo tackles, two for losses and three sacks.

SECONDARY: A

Tyvon Branch was flying to the ball all afternoon and had a sack on 3^rd and 11 to start the 4^th quarter before the game got out of hand. Stanford Routt began the rout with his 22-yard interception return for a score. He jumped in front of Dexter McCluster and walked into the end zone to give the Raiders a 31-10 lead in the final quarter. Even when Cassel got his passes off cleanly, the Oakland secondary had good coverage on the Chiefs’ targets. Michael Huff had a solid tackle on Chris Chambers on a 3^rd down that was short of the first down marker and had a interception that set up Oakland’s score to go up 24-10.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Sebastian Janikowski booted a 38-yard field goal and Shane Lechler had five punts averaging 46.8 per with a long of 60-yards. Hiram Eugene had one of the better special teams tackle in the game late in the 4^th quarter and Ford tallied 36-yards on two kickoffs. Nick Miller was a non-factor and on one punt, he flipped the football to Branch to no avail.

COACHING: A

Tom Cable got his team to 8-8 and swept the AFC West by defeating a playoff bound team on the road. Kansas City played all their regulars and got whooped by a motivated Raider bunch. Oakland started sloppy, and again was victorious in a contest in which they tallied ten or more penalties (10-for-77 yards). But the second half pressure they applied and dominance at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball was the most impressive part of the win. Kansas City was held to 201-total yards of offense and were forced into two turnovers (had only 12 giveaways coming into the game). Without Seymour and Darren McFadden, Oakland made a huge statement for their embattled coach. Will he stay, or will Davis let him walk? After this win, it’s hard to imagine the Silver & Black letting him go.

GAME NOTES

• Cable is 17-27 as head coach of the Raiders.
• Inactives for Oakland included: wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, cornerback Jeremy Ware, guards Daniel Loper and Bruce Campbell, running back Darren McFadden and defensive tackle Richard Seymour.
• Jarvis Moss had one sack and three QB hits.
• Kyle Boller was in on relief again, completing his only pass for 5-yards.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK

Jason Campbell’s first half statistics were respectable; 12-of-17 for 87-yards. But the offensive output for the team was horrendous. Zach Miller dropped a potential 1^st down on a 3^rd and 4, Campbell’s arm was hit as he released the football by Robert Mathis on a 3^rd and 9 and was pressured on another 3^rd and 9 when Jared Veldheer was beaten by Dwight Freeney. One of his best passes was a 10-yard strike to Louis Murphy on 3^rd and 6 in the 2^nd quarter and a 9-yard conversion to Chaz Schilens on a 3^rd and 5 on the same drive. Oakland was able to take a 13-10 lead four plays later on a field goal. He orchestrated a controlled right before halftime, spiking the ball with one-second remaining to give the Raiders another shot at a score. One of the few questionable decisions he had was on 3^rd and 9 in the fourth quarter, when he attempted to hits his tight end on a pass thrown behind him, instead of running for more yardage.

RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACK: C

The coaching and offensive line directly affected their lack of production. The speed of the Colts front-seven prevented big plays on screens and sweeps. Michael Bush had a 15-yard gain during the scoring drive in which the Raiders tied it at 10 and Oakland took the lead 13-10 on the strength of Darren McFadden’s 26-yard scamper to start that possession. McFadden only had six carries for 33-yards at halftime, not enough touches for the MVP of the team. Marcel Reece was ineffective, and his holding infraction negated a Bush 16-yard gain. McFadden ended with 45-yards rushing and 31-yards receiving.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: D

Chaz Schilens tallied his first two catches of the season for 16-yards. Darrius Heyward-Bey has some miscommunication with Campbell on a hitch on 2^nd and 9 in the 1^st quarter, but hauled in a nine yard pass to start their first drive in the 2^nd quarter. He almost broke away from a defender after getting his legs cut out from underneath him on a 11-yard catch. Jacoby Ford had two-catches, his best a 17-yarder early in the 4^th quarter during a drive that the Raiders cut into the Indianapolis lead to 24-19. Murphy had 36-yards on two receptions. Zach Miller’s score with 1:51 left in the game brought Oakland within 31-26. The tight end ended with nine catches for 66-yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D

Oakland had 60-yards rushing at the half and 80 at the end of the contest. Langston Walker was inactive and replaced by Mario Henderson at right tackle. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis combined for 2.5 sacks and made Campbell’s day unsteady in the pocket. Robert Gallery saved his passer in the 1^st quarter, fending of Freeney after Veldheer was blown away at the line of scrimmage. Veldheer was flagged for a hold and false start on the same drive in the 4^th quarter.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

No Richard Seymour meant a shuffling along the trenches for the Silver & Black. Lamarr Houston played all over the interior of the defense, but was overpowered at times and was thoughtless with his unnecessary roughness penalty that aided a Colts scoring drive right before halftime that gave them a 17-13 lead. His actions will likely land him a fine, as tempers flared on the next play when Ryan Diem retaliated and caused a scuffle. Kamerion Wimbley saw action at defensive end, but was ineffective and neutralized during runs. Oakland could not near Peyton Manning and rarely put him in frantic situations. John Henderson had his moments with nine solo tackles and one pass defended. The Colts out gained the Raiders 191-80 on the ground in Dominic Rhodes’ [98-yards rushing] return to Oakland and Joseph Addai’s [45-yards] first action since week-six. “There’s no magic to it,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “We’re running the same plays, running the same defense. We were just playing what we do, and doing it a little better.”

LINEBACKERS: D

This group had their problems with crossing routes and was trailing a few times in coverage. Even though Manning only had 179-yards passing, the linebackers did very little to make their presence felt. Roland McClain was running with Jacob Tamme during Michael Huff’s interception.

SECONDARY: B

Stanford Routt had a tough drive late in the 3^rd quarter, flagged for pass interference and beaten by Blair White for a score, which increased the Colts lead to 24-16. Chris Johnson was Manning’a bull’s-eye a lot of the afternoon, but the cornerback demonstrated great hand-eye coordination intercepting a slant that was tipped by Rolando McClain and bobbled before the pick. He almost had another interception earlier in the contest, but Pierre Garcon broke up the pass as Johnson put his hands in on it. Johnson did get flagged for pass interference on 3^rd and 17 before the half, when Manning and Tamme torched Tyvon Branch in coverage for a 18-yard score. Nnamdi Asomugha won the majority of his match-ups versus Reggie Wayne. “There’s not a quarterback that I’ve played against that controls the game the way that he does, and handles every situation and is basically the coordinator on the fly,” Asomugha said of Manning.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

This group kept the Raiders alive for most of the contest. Jacoby Ford’s 99-yard kickoff return for a score to open the game was electric. After Shane Lechler’s first attempt, which had little power behind it, the ailing punter bombed five kicks, one for 63-yards which was covered instantly by Hiram Eugene and Rock Cartwright. Stevie Brown recorded another stuff during punt coverage and Cartwright forced a holding penalty after bolting through the line of scrimmage and almost getting to the Pat McAfee. Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 59-yard field goal attempt (2^nd longest in team history) and booted three other attempts from 38, 51 and 45-yards.

COACHING: D

Tom Cable coached loose when he sent Janikowski out for a 59-yard field goal attempt down 10-7 early in the game. But the team showed little life after that on offense and was kept in it because of an opportunistic special team. There are no excuses for getting out-rushed by a team that ranks 32^nd on offense running the football and 28^th stopping the run. McFadden did not get enough touches, the offense did not get its first 1^st down till the 2^nd quarter and did not reach the red-zone till the 4^th quarter. Too many three and outs, not enough sustained drives and eventually, the Colts will get to you. Manning toyed with the Raiders at the end of the contest, getting Branch to declare the defense’s intentions and then calling an audible that led to a Garcon score to give them a 31-19 lead before calling a bootleg that netted 27-yards to end the contest. Oakland fought hard till late, but they were listless for most of the game. You have to wonder if being eliminated from any post-season positioning due to Kansas City’s 34-14 romp over the Titans effected their disposition. “The guys were trying not to pay attention to it,” Jason Campbell said. “We were just really trying to focus on our game. That’s the situation you’re in when you have to count on other teams. It’s a tough situation to be in.”

GAME NOTES

• In back-to-back weeks, the Colts stuffed Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden, and teams with top ranked ground attacks. [67 yards vs. Jacksonville & 80 yards vs. Oakland]
• Colts are one win away from clinching the AFC South title for their ninth straight playoff berth.
• Oakland had 10 penalties for 116-yards. The Raiders were also 4-15 on 3^rd downs.
• Ford joins Ike Thomas of the 1971 Cowboys as the only players in NFL history to take the opening kickoff back for a TD twice in the same season. Ford did it November 28 versus the Dolphins and today versus the Colts. He is the only Raider to return opening kickoffs for a score in team history.
• “That’s a heck of a running team. They do a good job; big strong offensive linemen, backs that can certainly run. Our guys did a nice job overall. They had six three and out, one four an out, weathered the storm, showed some poise,” Jim Caldwell after the game about the Raiders offense and the job his defense did.
• “All we did was win today,” Manning said about the Colts playoff hopes. “We have to find a way to win again next week.”
• Manning tied former Raiders OL Gene Upshaw for the most consecutive starts to begin a career with 207.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Other Raiders not playing include: cornerbacks Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware, linebacker Bruce Davis, guard Bruce Campbell, wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins and tackle Langston Walker.

Starting cornerback Kelvin Hayden and linebacker Clint Session will be out for the Colts. Joseph Addai is active, as reserve rusher Mike Hart is out.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Punter Shane Lechler and defensive lineman Richard Seymour will be questionable with hamstring injuries. Both could be held out of practice the next few days to ensure they will be ready for Sunday. In the meantime, Oakland could bring in a punter to handle duties during prep work.

This week, Oakland will prepare for Peyton Manning, and Tom Cable spoke about that on Monday, stating: “It’s a challenge, no question. But we’re a challenge for him, too. We have to look at it that way. As long as we play the way we’re capable of playing I think it will be a heck of a game.’’

The Colts’ questionable rush defense took a major step forward slowing down the Jaguars this past Sunday. Now, they face the Raiders 2^nd ranked ground game.

“Those were our two challenges. Coach [Jim]Caldwell made that challenge to us [last] Monday,” said Manning. “He challenged both the interior fronts on both sides of the ball, for us to run the ball and for our defense to stop the run. Both answered the bell. Both answered the challenge.”

Second year rusher Donald Brown rushed for a career-high 129 yards and scored a touchdown, while the Colts held the Jaguars’ Maurice Jones-Drew to just 46 yards on 15 carries. Jones-Drew had gone over 100 yards in six straight games and Jacksonville ran for 234 yards versus the Raiders.

“It is all about Oakland this week,” said Manning. “You can take a step back and you feel like these last two wins don’t mean as much. Hopefully we can feed off of a little momentum of two wins in a row and play well on the road. But we know we will have our hands full going out there. At Oakland is a tough place to play against a good football team.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The Oakland Raiders (7-7) will not have ten or more losses for the first time since 2002. Since that season, the Raiders have posted a 5-11 mark three times, a 4-12 record twice, and a two-win season once.

They are also 5-0 versus AFC West opponents for the first time since 1988. No team has gone undefeated within their division throughout a season and not made the post-season since the 1970 merger. Oakland was 5-0 in 1988 against the AFC West before losing to the Seattle Seahawks twice within a four-week span and finishing 7-9.

1,000-YARD MARK FOR DMAC

Darren McFadden ran for 119 yards versus the Broncos to reach 1,112 for the season. He becomes the first Raiders rusher to top 1,000 since Justin Fargas in 2007.

The speedy running back now has the 6th most rushing yards in a single season in Raiders history. McFadden also had his sixth 100-yard rushing game, moving into second-place in Raiders history for such games in a single season.

“It’s a surprise to me but it’s well worth the wait,’’ McFadden said after the 39-23 victory. “It’s a great feeling to be able to do that. I have to commend the offensive line for doing a great job all year and the receivers are doing a great job of blocking.’’

INJURIES

Richard Seymour did not finish the game due to a hamstring ailment and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha continues to be slowed by his ankle.

“My ankle has been a pain,’’ Asomugha said. “I come out and it feels like it’s good, feels like it’s fine. Then you make a couple of movements and it reverts back.’’

Langston Walker had a concussion and Shane Lechler sustained a hamstring pull that forced Sebastian Janikowski into the punter’s role for one attempt.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACKS

Jason Campbell – C

Again, Jason Campbell was knocked out briefly from the contest in the 3^rd quarter, but he was able to return to end the game. He wasn’t as sharp versus Denver as he was the last two-games, but he made solid decisions with the football and kept the chains moving with his steadiness. Campbell’s first interception was an athletic pick at the line of scrimmage by Kevin Vickerson, snaring the football at the line of scrimmage, within close proximity of the passer. In the 2^nd quarter, he scrambled for 25-yards and then connected with Louis Murphy for 14. He had a scoring pass to Zach Miller negated by a sketchy illegal formation infraction. A play later on 2^nd and 19, Campbell overthrew his fullback, Renaldo Hill hauled in the errant pass and returned it to midfield. One of his best tosses was a 20-yard deep out to Darrius Heyward-Bey. In the 4^th quarter, Campbell orchestrated a nice drive that featured a 15-yard completion to Jacoby Ford, a 4^th and 2 conversion to Miller and a 21-yard pass to Darren McFadden to set up a score. That drive, Oakland went up 39-23 with 3:37 remaining.

Kyle Boller – Incomplete

Had a relief appearance for a second straight game. This time around, Boller was not needed to make a crucial throw or direct the team in a vital spot.

RUNNING BACKS/FULL BACK: A

Darren McFadden piled up 116-yards on 20-carries. He added another four catches for 39-yards. His fumble in the 1^st quarter was costly. McFadden attempted to pitch the ball to Ford after a handoff on a reverse, but Jason Hunter’s recovery set up Denver at the Oakland 32-yard line. The Broncos would take the lead 14-7, but on Oakland’s ensuing offensive possession, McFadden busted a 20-yard run after a spin move at the line of scrimmage. He weaved for 36-yards, showing great patience on 2^nd and 9 a few plays later and eventually, Michael Bush tied the game at 14. Michael Bush had 12-rushes for only 24-yards, but hit paydirt twice during the contest. Marcel Reece demonstrated his versatility once again, hauling in a short toss, evading David Bruton and giving the Raiders a 30-20 lead at the start of the 4^th quarter after his 73-yard reception.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: D

Jacoby Ford was the best of his unit mates. His best catch came off a 26-yard crossing route. The exciting rookie opened Oakland’s offensive attack with a 71-yard end around to give the Silver & Black 7-0 lead in the 1^st quarter. Heyward-Bey had one catch for 20-yards, but excelled in his blocking. Murphy’s 14-yard reception was his best across the middle all season with a defender drapped over him. Zach Miller ended with four catches for 39-yards. He fought off a defender on a short toss to pick up 27-yards in the 3^rd quarter. Miller was mauled by Robert Ayers during a McFadden run that went for a loss of 4-yards and was infracted for a hold on a Ford end around.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B

The Raiders had 150-yards rushing at the end of the 1^st quarter (most in a quarter for Oakland since 1991). That tally was at 201-yards by halftime. Oakland only managed 63-yards the rest of the way, as Hue Jackson strangely enough attacked with the passing game on a rainy and muddy day in the second half. Samson Satele blocked off D.J. Williams on Ford’s opening score, Jared Veldheer and Robert Gallery dominated on the left side when Oakland asserted themselves on the ground and Cooper Carlisle was steady at right guard. Veldheer’s illegal hands to the face wiped out a 17-yard gain. Vickerson, who was blocking on Hill’s interception return, knocked Langston Walker out of the game in the 2nd quarter. Khalif Barnes was serviceable at right tackle, flagged only once, for a false start. This group did not allow a sack today.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

Tommy Kelly was dominant at times today, nota3bly in the 4^th quarter stuffing Lance Ball for a four-yard loss prior to the safety. He had 0.5 sack, Matt Shaughnessy tallied 1.5 quarterback take downs and John Henderson continues to provide solid veteran play in the trenches. Richard Seymour did not finish the contest, but Oakland controlled the Denver ground game all day, allowing an ineffective 106-yards. Tim Tebow’s 40-yard run for a score jolted the Raiders. But they became more aware of his abilities as the game continued and minimized any damage the rookie can dish out with his legs. Knowshown Moreno was injured early, so Oakland lucked out not facing one of Denver’s most productive talents.

LINEBACKERS: A

Quentin Groves had his best game at linebacker all season. He was stellar in coverage, caging Moreno on a swing pass early in the 1^st quarter for no gain and then darting through the line of scrimmage late to take down Correll Buckhalter for a safety that increased the Raiders’ lead to 32-23. Roland McClain started at middle linebacker after being inactive last weekend, ending with four-solo tackles, including one for a loss. Kamerion Wimbley looked lost in coverage versus Ball on a pass that Tebow put right in the rusher’s breadbasket and should’ve been a score.

SECONDARY: B

Stanford Routt was Tebow’s target and the weak link during the contest. He just missed an interception on Tebow’s 33-yard scoring pass to Brandon Lloyd. Routt was also flagged for pass interference while working against Lloyd on a drive that ended with a Steven Hauschka 35-yard field goal to tie the game at 20. Tyvon Branch was busy, landing some big hits throughout the contest, stout in run support and active in blitzes. He ended with three tackles for losses.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

On a muddy field, Sebastian Janikowski was perfect, hitting field goals of 49, 35 and 47-yards. He also punted for the first time in his career (33-yards), when Shane Lechler was shaken up in the 2^nd quarter. Of Lechler’s three punts, two of them landed inside the 20-yard line. Hiram Eugene was stellar on the coverage units; recovering a fumble and altering the direction of Denver return men. Sam Williams also accounted for a big hit on punt coverage. Nick Miller’s 22-yard punt return and personal foul on Richard Quinn on the same play set Oakland up at Denver’s 24-yard line for a drive that ended with a score.

COACHING: B

Tom Cable’s team went back-and-forth against a Denver club that was primed for an upset with a rookie quarterback at the helm. Eventually, the Raiders controlled the game and won a contest that was crucial for any playoff hopes. At home, you don’t want to flirt with disaster, but the defense really did not face any unanticipated schemes against the Broncos. After Tebow’s scoring run – Denver’s best punch – Oakland did not fear the Broncos’ offense. With no Moreno, they didn’t face much danger of a steady ground attack. Nine penalties, three turnovers and 2-for-11 on 3^rd downs usually spell disaster, but not today. Oakland was unwavering, scoring on three-straight possessions in the second half and exposing the inadequacies of Tebow at quarterback. The rookie did what he was asked to do – manage the contest. He was tough, bouncing off defenders and fighting for every yard. He was poised at times and lucky others. The Raiders were the better team, and it showed as the game wound down.

NOTES

The Oakland Raiders have outscored the Denver Broncos 98- 37 in 2010. The 98-points is more than any team has scored in a single season versus the same opponent since 1970. Oakland’s final totals versus their rival this year (two-games):

• Total yards – 1,010
• Rush yards – 592
• First downs – 49
• Rushing yards allowed – 181

Seymour did not finish the game due to a hamstring injury. Knowshon Moreno was held out for most of the game due to an injury to his side/rib area.

Oakland is now 5-0 within the AFC West for the first time since 1988.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

In back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh and Miami, the Silver & Black has managed a combined 77-yards rushing. This after averaging 162.2 yards per game leading up to the game against the Chiefs a few weeks ago.

It’s one thing to get manhandled by the Steelers on the road, but to run for a mere 16-yards at home against the Dolphins is inexcusable.

“If teams are smart, if they have good defensive coordinators, they are going to load up against the run when they play us,” Langston Walker stated after the game.

But just 12 attempts during a game where the passer was unreliable are not going to get it done for the Raiders.

The Raiders need a productive Darren McFadden if they plan to put point on the board. They need a steady ground game to move the chains and put their quarterback in manageable 3^rd down situations.

All issues that Oakland encountered the last few weeks.

ROOKIE WATCH

Walter McFadden saw extended action and the Dolphins made sure to attack the rookie as often as possible.

The rookie allowed five receptions for 113 yards. Four of those were on 3^rd down conversions. With Nnamdi Asomugha not fully healed, the Raiders needed their 5^th round pick to step up, instead Chad Henne, Davone Bess, Anthony Fasano (McFadden was infracted on a defensive hold on the TE) and Roberto Wallace tortured him all afternoon.

“Sure it is,” a helpless Tom Cable said, watching McFadden’s play. “You put a guy out there to do a job and it’s not going his way. We tried to help him with some coverage and things like that and bring some pressure. We didn’t get to the quarterback enough, either.”

Chris Johnson and Jeremy Ware were inactive.

QB SITUATION

There may not be a full-blown controversy, but the Raiders sure have a mess under center. Bruce Gradkowski said he was told early last week that he would start versus the Dolphins. This after Cable stated after the game in Pittsburgh that Jason Campbell was his starter.

“You’re a competitor and you like to compete, but by no means are you understanding or anything,” Campbell said. “It’s kind of tough because you’re caught right in between something and you don’t know what’s going on.”

That instability is what Oakland has avoided this year, which has led to more success this far into the season than they’ve had since 2002. Steering away from that was vital this campaign, but it appears that this volatility and constant change at quarterback will come back to bite the Silver & Black.

Regardless of who the owner or coach wants, they must decided who will go on as the starter and make it public.

The rest of the team is clouded as well and with no clear-cut leader on offense, this mixing and matching will become intolerable.

The signs of distress are there. The two-game losing streak will expose all unhappiness about the situation. And one more loss next week will not only put the Raiders on the verge of another losing season, but quite possibly a player revolt if the quarterback situation is still muddy.

“I’ll go look at it,” Cable said about assessing the state of affairs for next week. “I don’t know that Bruce is going to be healthy, based on what I was just told.”

Campbell led the team to a three-game winning streak. The team was feeling good. But now, everything’s a mess.

You would think Oakland would go with the guy that was navigating the ship through their wins.

Then again; what’s a season in the Bay Area without any controversy or confusion?

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK

Bruce Gradkowski had a gutsy and gritty effort against the Houston Texans. Bernard Pollard sent the passer to the locker room after a punishing hit. But he never missed a snap and kept the Oakland Raiders fighting all afternoon while under the gun. In the 2^nd quarter, Gradkowski scanned the field nicely and completed a 17-yard toss to Zach Miller on 2^nd and 8. On that same drive, he sustained the first major hit of the game when he faked a handoff on 3^rd and 2 and then scrambled for 5-yards. The drive ended with a 13-yard scoring pass to his fullback to tie the game at 14. Gradkowski held on to the football too long and was not aware of the backside pressure as time expired in the 2^nd quarter, which killed a possibly scoring drive. His 3^rd quarter interception was off a deflection – his first pass after being shaken up by Pollard. Gradkowski’s best toss was a 26-yard dart to Johnnie Lee Higgins on Oakland’s last scoring drive. The feistiness was there. He directed a lot of long drives and Oakland’s offense kept plugging away throughout the afternoon. Yes he had three turnovers, but his fight is what the Raiders need in the huddle.

RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACKS: B

Darren McFadden at one point was the Raiders only threat in the afternoon. At the half, he amassed 105-total yards of offense, while the rest of the team had 107. McFadden’s 43-yard screen set up Oakland’s first score. He ended with 47-yards rushing and 82-receiving. His day came to an end after a 23-yard scamper and coming up lame with a hamstring injury. “I was just trying to go for another gear and I just pulled up,’’ McFadden said. “I’m going to go to the trainers and see what they have me doing. I’ll take it day to day.’’ Michael Bush ended the game as the primary ball carrier and finished with 40-yards on 7-carries with a score. Bush contributed in the passing game with a 9-yard grab on a 3^rd and 8 and finishing with 16-yards receiving. Fullback Marcel Reece had 2 carries for 7-yards and recorded his first NFL score with a 13-yard catch.

OFFENSIVE LINE: C-

The line did an adequate job run blocking, as the team wound up with 118-yards rushing. A few times they were beaten at the point of attack, which slowed McFadden in the backfield, but otherwise, they set up blocks nicely on screens and got downfield at times to occupy defenders. On 3^rd and 7 on the Raiders opening drive, left guard Daniel Loper was beat badly by Antonio Smith for a sack. Smith tallied another sack on a 2^nd and 6 in the 2^nd quarter and on the following play, Zac Diles blitzed right past Langston Walker and Cooper Carlisle and Gradkowski was taken down to end the possession. Mario Williams beat Langston Walker for a sack in the 2^nd quarter. When Houston decided to bring the heat, Gradkowski was on the run.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: C-

The ‘C’ grade is based on what Zach Miller provided al afternoon. He ended with 11-receptiosn for 122-yards and a touchdown. His blocking was stellar and he was able to shield Reece’s defender on the fullbacks scoring play. Many times, the tight end caught the ball and turned up field for chunks of yardage. He dragged defenders for yards and initiated contact at the end of a few plays. Higgins provided the biggest highlight for the receivers with a 26-yard grab. The wide-outs tallied 4-catches of the 24-Gradkowski completions. Darrius Heyward-Bey went up for a deep toss that Gradkowski under threw against double coverage. On a 3^rd and 7 in the 2^nd quarter, the quarterback looked for DHB on a slant, but it was nearly intercepted. His only other contribution of note was drawing a holding infraction on Brice McCain in the 4^th quarter on a 3^rd and 3. Louis Murphy was non-existent till late in the contest when Gradkowski attempted to hook up with the injured target. Murphy hauled in a 6-yard toss on a 3^rd and 5, but his drop of a potential 1^st down on 4^th and 16 as time wound down killed Oakland’s chances of a comeback.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

Houston pushed the Raiders around all afternoon to the beat of 249-yards rushing. Arian Foster did not get his first carry till the 2^nd quarter, but at that point, Steve Slaton and Derrick Ward had already established a strong presence on the ground. The trenches were lifeless for the Raiders. When Houston wasn’t taking chunks of yards via the run, Gary Kubiak was rolling Matt Schaub out of the backfield, moving him in the pocket and taking advantage of aggressive Raider linemen with misdirections. Richard Seymour played, but only made a handful of notable plays; a clothesline stuff of Ward for a loss of 4 and penetrating into the Houston backfield to take down Foster for another 4-yard loss. Oakland did not tally a sack and was overmatched all day at the line of scrimmage. Tommy Kelly said, “It’s a (bleeping) shock to me. I thought we would handle it better. As a defense, we’ve got to play better, I’ve got to play better. Can’t nobody go out there and say nothing after they run for 200 yards in your house without their best player, basically.’’

LINEBACKERS: D

Rolando McClain struggled all afternoon. His best play was when he sniffed out a screen on 3^rd and 13 in the 2^nd quarter, ending in a tackle of Slaton for a 1-yard loss. On Foster’s 10-yard touchdown grab to put Houston up 31-14, McClain was beaten badly by the running back out of the backfield. None of the linebackers played well in space. Tight end Joel Dreessen ended with 73-yards and Houston got a lot of their passing yards on intermediate routes.

SECONDARY: B

For most of the game, Oakland’s defensive backfield blanketed the Andre Johnson-less Texans. Nnamdi Asomugha almost recorded an interception in the 1^st quarter and Stanford Routt had a chance to tally one late. Oakland was not afraid to leave their defenders one-on-one against Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones. Jones dropped a potential first down and without their all-world wide receiver, John Marshall was allowed to play press coverage. The tackling and pursuit on the other hand was miserable. Michael Huff gave horrid efforts on Ward’s 33-yard run to open the scoring and Foster’s 74-yard dash.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Jacoby Ford opened the game with a 64-yard kickoff return. He showed great vision bouncing it to the edge, showing off his stellar speed on the edge of Oakland’s blocking wall. Sebastian Janikowski booted a 39-yard field goal and Shane Lechler averaged 43.0 yards per punt. The coverages were tight, limiting Jones to 18-yards. Rookie Stevie Brown continues to be Oakland’s best defender on punt returns, as he tallied another solid stuff on Sunday.

COACHING: D

Oakland’s secondary was playing a solid game against a team with limited options at wide receiver. Yet they failed to generate any pass rush because of their ineffective base alignments and lack of creative blitz packages. Schaub needed to be pressured more. Tom Cable and Hue Jackson never adjusted to Kubiak’s calls. The defense was flat and uninspired to start the game. Oakland was overmatched in the trenches and it’s become a bad habit in 2010 that Cable’s bunch has played from behind because of poor starts. “You can’t sugarcoat it,” Oakland coach Tom Cable said. “When you get your rear end kicked like that it is what it is. You don’t sugarcoat that, you don’t talk around that. You have to deal with that.”

GAME NOTES

Arian Foster ended the game with 131-yards on 16-carries. Derrick Ward tallied 80-yards rushing. “It’s demoralizing when a team can run the ball at will and we don’t stop it,” defensive tackle Richard Seymour said. “That’s what it is. We didn’t stop the run. There’s no excuse for that, period.”

Langston Walker stated after the game: “This is the 2010 version of the Raiders.  We’re not worried about what we would have done last year, two years ago or whatever. We’re playing for right now and those types of things, for me personally, don’t enter into my head.

“I can vouch for the 53 other guys on this team that we’re not thinking about that. We’re thinking about going out there and winning and whipping somebody’s ass.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

It was a good showing for rookie defensive end Lamarr Houston. He started and played the entire first half and tallied two-sacks. He acknowledged during the game’s telecast that the solid coverage down the field helped him get to Tony Romo. His horrible haircut, at the hands of John Henderson, was also on display when he spoke to sideline reporter, George Atkinson.

Jon Condo got down the field on punts smoothly and made two solid tackles. Hiram Eugene assisted on Oakland’s first punt coverage attempt in the first quarter.

Nnamdi Asomugha stared down Romo and nearly picked off his pass attempt to Roy Williams on 2^nd and 5 on Dallas’ first drive. Stanford Routt played well in run support and was in coverage on a 3^rd and 7 that forced Dallas to punt.

Chris Johnson was beat for 24-yards by Miles Austin on 3^rd and 12 in the first quarter. The Cowboys breakout wide receiver last season made an athletic play to haul in the Romo pass. Austin again beat Johnson on a slant for 9 yards on a 3^rd and 6.

Michael Huff stuffed a screen to Marion Barber on 2^nd and 19 early in the contest. Later, he tallied a tackle bouncing Austin out of bounds on an end around that Mike Mitchell dissected perfectly.

Trevor Scott’s sack and forced fumble on 3^rd and 18 forced a long field goal attempt in the first quarter.

Langston Walker had a crucial flag that turned a 3^rd and 4 into a 3^rd and 9. The OL started with Walker at RT, Cooper Carlisle at RG, Samson Satele at C, Robert Gallery at LG and Marion Henderson at LT. The second unit struggled with Kyle Boller under center. Khalif Barnes was infracted for a false start to start Boller’s night and on the ensuing play, second year tight end Brandon Myers was flagged as well for the same penalty. Chris Morris was even called for holding, but Dallas declined it.

Jason Campbell chucked up a few long tosses to Louis Murphy. His best pass was a 3^rd and 3 completion for 7-yards to tight end Zach Miller. The former Redskin was getting hit as he released the football, still getting good velocity on the accurate pass towards the sideline. On that drive at the end of the first quarter, Campbell was sacked when Samson Satele was bulldozed on 2^nd and 10.  On a 2^nd and 5, Campbell got appeared in rhythm when he hit Todd Watkins on a quick slant for 10-yards – changing the pace of the stagnant Raiders’ offense as he noticed the CB was playing off his target.

Matt Shaughnessy continues his solid development with a two sack performance. On back-to-back plays in the 2^nd quarter, he almost recorded a safety with his powerful penetration into the Dallas backfield.

Tom Cable went for it on 4^th and 1 in the 2^nd quarter. The play: Campbell taking the snap from a shotgun formation, but flailing his toss incomplete. On 4^th and 1 in the 4^th quarter, Boller sneaked for a first down behind Veldheer.

Dallas also took a shot on a 4^th and 1, but Ricky Brown stuffed the screen play on a solid Raider defensive stand.

Rookie Jared Veldheer sprung Rock Cartwright for 16-yards with a solid block. He played at center in the 4^th quarter.

Michael Bennett showed his swiftness through the line of scrimmage and play making ability as a receiver out of the backfield. Rock Cartwright did a little bit of everything throughout the night. With Darren McFadden not playing, Oakland displayed their depth at running back. Bennett’s 68-yards on 12 carries and 33-yard reception were crucial in the win.

Shane Lechler was in All-Pro form with a 62-yard punt.

Shaun Bodiford muffed a punt that Dallas recovered at Oakland’s 11-yard line.

Kyle Boller’s lofted an out pass to Yamon Figurs for 18-yards in the 4^th quarter. The toss just got over the defenders fingertips and Figurs did a fine job staying in bounds. The WR/specialist followed that up with a 7-yard catch on 2^nd and 5.

Nick Miller appeared to grab a touchdown on a fade pattern near the back pylon late in the contest. The back judge called it a score initially, but the referee announced that the play was incomplete. Oakland challenged and won.

Oakland was fortunate when Leon Williams dropped a deflected pass up in the air that could’ve ended their late scoring drive. Raiders rookie Stevie Brown could’ve had a game closing interception with under 90 seconds left.

Jerome Boyd ended all hope for the Cowboys with a 50-yard interception return for a score. The deflection was bounced right into the safety’s arms.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist