Silver and Black Report

Fullback Luke Lawton was banned four games by the NFL yesterday after reportedly violating the league’s performance enhancing drugs policy.

The 29-year old will not be available for the Silver & Black’s next two games and the first two games of the 2010 regular season. Lawton signed as a free agent with the Raiders on 2008 and has been a member of the Bills, Jets and Colts in his 5-year career.

Lawton will be a free-agent once the season ends, so any teams that decides to sign him will have to wait for his services till at least week-three of next year.

He will lose nearly $63,000 in salary.

Reserve Marcel Reece could be activated from the practice squad, but it is more likely that Gary Russell will get most of the reps at that position.

OTHER NOTES

• Zach Miller has been cleared to practice, but Brandon Myers has not, as both tight ends have sustained concussions in recent weeks. Miller has felt better as the week ended and feels that he could see action soon once he passes some final tests. “I think it’s called a post-accident concussion test,” Miller said. “It’s the same test I’ve taken four times already. I’m really close. I’ve been practicing, feeling fine practicing, so everything looks good.”
• If neither could go, that leaves Tony Stewart as the lone tight end. Erik Pears could be used again as an extra blocker on the edges to assist Stewart and added some bulk to a ground game that will look to pound the ball with Michael Bush and Darren McFadden.
• The Browns got an extension till 1 p.m. Saturday to try to avoid their first local blackout since 1995. Browns’ officials would not state how many more tickets needed to be sold to prevent the game to be seen within a 75-mile radius of downtown Cleveland.
• Since 2003, Cleveland has a record of 36-74. The Raiders are 29-81 during that same span.

Starting left guard Robert Gallery is out for the remainder of the season with a lower back strain injury sustained against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday.  Gallery hurt his back blocking on the trick hand-off to Darren McFadden and lateral to Bruce Gradkowski that loss 16-yards.

Tom Cable said after practice that the injury would require surgery. “He’s a very good player, was playing very well before he got hurt in Kansas City, so he comes back and gets back in the groove,” Cable stated. “It’s disappointing for him and our team. He’s not had these types of things that have kept him out of games in the past. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s the game, and it does it to a lot of people.”

The former number two overall pick in the 2004 draft has been Oakland’s best lineman since being moved to guard in 2007.

So far in 2009, Gallery has missed time in camp due to an appendectomy and six-regular season games with a broken leg suffered during a week-two contest. If Samson Satele is healthy and ready to start at center, Chris Morris will take Gallery’s position in the line-up. If Satele cannot see action due to his strained calf, recently acquired Langston Walker will start at left guard for the first time in his career and Morris will man the center spot.

In the six-games Gallery has played in, the Raiders are averaging 120.3 rushing yards per game. During the six-games he was out, the team ran for an average of 89 yards per contest.

OTHER NEWS

• Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and defensive end Greg Ellis did not practice today. Both are not looking to be ready for Sunday’s game.
• The game will be blacked out for the sixth time this season. Against Cincinnati, the recorded attendance was 34,112.

ANALYSIS

He may not be the dominant all-pro tackle many predicted he would become prior to the 2004 draft, but Gallery’s presence will be sorely missed along the Raider trenches. The 29-year old is the best offensive lineman on the Raiders and one of the better run blocking interior lineman in the AFC. His mobility and ability to pave lanes on counters, sweeps and trap plays will effect the production on the ground. And that will directly effect what plays Tom Cable is able to call as the season winds down. With Bruce Gradkowski at the helm, Oakland has not relied upon the vitality of their rushers, as oppose to when JaMarcus Russell was in the line-up. So leaning more on the passing game, their fiery quarterback and the development of their young targets is in order for the Silver & Black. The Raiders are not a physical bunch along the offensive line. When they have short down and distances or goal line situations, it will be interesting to see how they handle their play-calling.

The Oakland Raiders (1-4) will face the Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) on Sunday at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Silver & Black are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and have been outscored 96-16 during that span. This game will mark the 11^th time both clubs have met in their history with the Eagles leading the regular season series 5-4, and the Raiders winning their lone playoff meeting, a 27-10 victory in Super Bowl XV.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

The Raiders just keep on getting worse by the week on offense. Tom Cable for weeks has said that they are working hard, getting better and trying to move in the right direction, but they have lost by 20, 23 and 37 in consecutive weeks. The team ranks 31^st in scoring (9.8 per game), 28^th in rushing (83.0 yards per game), 32^nd in passing (108.6 yards per game) and 31^st in 3^rd down conversion rates (25%). They are last in the league in time of possession as well, all signs of a grounded rush attack and a passing game that is non-existent.

With the offensive line also re-shuffled the last few games, Oakland must get back to basics versus the Eagles and run the ball with Michael Bush and Justin Fargas.

Oakland brought back Langston Walker on Wednesday after a few seasons away from the club. They re-signed him to try to sure up the right side of the line, but that may not happen this week. Ironically, Walker was on the 2006 Raiders; the worst scoring team in franchise history, but that team may be ousted from the top of the record books by this current crop.

“Hopefully I can come in and help this team at some point,” Walker said.

What to Expect:

So far, it appears that Chaz Schilens may be seeing action on Sunday. “He looked good in what he did so we’ll see,” Tom Cable stated on Wednesday after practice. His return alone will not be the cure for this offense. But at this point, any injection of energy will be welcomed to this gloomy bunch. Oakland will try to run often against the Eagles in hopes of loosening a unit that can bring the heat (13 sacks) and likes to put quarterbacks in third and long situations. JaMarcus Russell can’t carry this offense, his wide receivers are not very good and his tight end is their lone threat. So they need big games on the ground the rest of the year if they expect to win any games. If Schilens is on the field, the best they can hope is that he can make plays, push back the rookie targets down the depth chart to lesser roles and that his presence frees up Zach Miller for Russell to make plays.

On Defense:

Jon Alston will replace Ricky Brown in the starting line-up on Sunday after the starting strong side linebacker injured his ankle last week versus the Giants.

But that is the least of the Raiders worries right now, as their rush defense is allowing 185 yards per game during their three-game losing streak. After a promising week-one versus the Chargers, Oakland’s defense has gotten worse and looking like the team that has been poorest against the run since 2003. The addition of Richard Seymour was supposed to fix some of the issues they had along the trenches, but that has not been the case lately.

With losses piling up and the performances getting worse, its hard for some on this team not to go into panic or give up mood since they have seen this play out the same way for many years. “I think as a professional you have to be able to, whether a good play happened or a bad play, you have to move on to the next,” Seymour commented. “We can’t move forward looking to our rearview mirror. I think that’s going to help us being able to put things behind us and move forward.

What to Expect:

The Raiders just don’t have enough firepower on either side of the ball. And pride alone many not be enough when you face a team like the Eagles who can put up points in bunches. Oakland does not always play with pride, and this is why facing a team like the Eagles with players that are dynamic on offense could be too much to handle. Philadelphia is getting in a groove with their quarterback, a rookie wide receiver who made his mark last week, a multi-dimensional rusher and a back-up passer that has made a play or two in this league with his arm, and more dangerously, his feet.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

On Offense:

The Eagles got Donovan McNabb back last week and he threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns; demonstrating that all is well since hurting his ribs in the season opener.

Philadelphia will lean on running backs LeSean McCoy and Brian Westbrook this week, as both have combined for 296 yards rushing this season and two scores on the ground. The tandem has caught 8 passes each for 101 yards, displaying the diversity of this Eagles attack.

DeSean Jackson (13 receptions 260 yards 2 touchdowns), Jeremy Maclin (12 rec. 187 yards 2 TD) and Jason Avant (11 rec. 123 yards 1 TD) round out McNabb’s options at wide receiver. But the team’s leading target has been Brent Celek with 26 grabs for 303 yards and two scores.

What to Expect:

The offensive line, featuring tackles Winston Justice and Jason Peters, should manhandle the Raiders front four. The Eagles will be able to run the ball and confuse Oakland with their wide array of screens, misdirection plays and any trickery they have in their playbook. Jackson has 6 carries for 48 yards this season and Michael Vick, who saw action in the 4^th quarter last week, could be used in some plays to exploit an aggressive Raider defensive line.

On Defense:

Philadelphia’s pass defense currently ranks 4^th in the league allowing 171.5 yards per game. The vertically impaired Raiders will not challenge that facet of their defensive unit.

So their rush defense (ranked 13^th) should expect a heavy workload their way. Leading tacklers, linebackers Akeem Jordan and Omar Gaither and safety Quintin Mikell will try to blockade the Raiders rush attack.

Defensive end Trent Cole leads the team with 4-sacks, while his bookend Darren Howard has 2. Cole likes blowouts, and he stated this after last week’s win commenting, “I don’t ever want to have a close game.”

“That’s the worst, having a close game. We want to be on top all the time. We want to go out there and win and have no problems. We want to have a smooth, clean game, get on top and pull away as far as we can and don’t let up.”

What to Expect:

This team may have a shot at putting away this game early and enjoying another easy victory. The Eagles will stack the line of scrimmage, pressure Russell at any point they can and keep the Raiders in 3^rd and long situations. The secondary is not afraid of their wide receivers and their aggressiveness may pay off with turnovers.

GAME NOTES

• Although they never played together while at California, DeSean Jackson and Nnamdi Asomugha, good friends, will be matched-up several times on Sunday. “He’s a great player,” Jackson said this week. “I respect him, but I still have to do my job and go out there and get open as a wide receiver. I know him personally, so we’ll go out there and we’ll see how it goes.”  ”I know DeSean very well,” Asomugha said. “We’re both from the Los Angeles area. We keep in contact here and there and I’ve known him since Cal because I was out here. I’m very happy for him. I’m very impressed with the way he plays. He’s a playmaker.”Jackson is a threat on special teams, and the Raiders have been lackluster there too this season. The speedy Eagle has a touchdown already on a punt return, so Oakland will have to be at their best even though they have allowed the most punt return yards in the league so far in 2009.
• The Raiders waived fullback Oren O’Neal when they signed Walker this week. If he goes unclaimed, O’Neal will return to the Raiders on injured reserve.
• Oakland failed to sell out the game 72-hours prior to the contest, so the game will be blacked out. It’s the Raiders second consecutive blackout and 71^st since the team returned to Oakland in 1995.

KEY MATCH-UPS

How to contain DeSean Jackson?

The Eagles can line him up anywhere, use him as a ball carrier, a receiver and with Oakland most likely punting often again this weekend, his exploits as a returner will be on display.

Westbrook and McCoy vs. The Raiders Front-Seven

If the Eagles run for big yardage with that tandem, they’ll coast to an easy victory.

Fight or Flight?

Will Oakland fight till the end in front of their home crowd? Or will they play lackadaisical football again and fold if the Eagles jump out to an early lead? The Raiders must play from in front and get the crowd into the game.

PREDICTION

Eagles 27 – Raiders 10

TV & RADIO

The game will be televised on FOX with Sam Rosen providing play-by-play and former NFL player Tim Ryan handling color analysis. If sold out per NFL blackout rules, the game will air in the Bay Area on KTVU Channel 2. 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 Oakland Raiders official web site)

GAME INFO

Sunday, October 18, 2009, 1:05 p.m. PT | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, OAK

Home Team: Oakland Raiders (1-4) Home: 0-2 Road: 1-2

Road Team: Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) Home: 2-1 Road: 1-0

Point Spread: Raiders are 14½-point underdogs

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The Oakland Raiders’ home game this weekend versus the rival Denver Broncos will be blacked out locally because the game did not sell out in time.

NFL games need to be sold out 72-hours prior to kickoff to avoid the blackout, which takes effect in a 75-mile radius. For the opener, the Silver & Black got an extension to sell out the contest versus the San Diego Chargers, but were not able to avoid it this time around.

Since Oakland took over ticket sales from Alameda County before the 2006 season, they’ve had two blackouts each campaign.

The Detroit Lions are the other team not to sell out, and that will also be blacked out this weekend.

This will be the first division game for the Raiders that will not be televised locally during that span.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist