Silver and Black Report

Best Offensive Player:

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

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

Best Defensive Player:

Nnamdi Asomugha, Cornerback

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

Best Special Team Player:

Shane Lechler, Punter

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

Best Coach:

Lionel Washington, Defensive Backs

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

Least Valuable Offensive Player:

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Wide Receiver

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

Least Valuable Defensive Player:

Chris Johnson, Cornerback

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

Most Improved Player:

Tyvon Branch, Strong Safety

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

Least Improved Player:

JaMarcus Russell, Quarterback

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

Best Rookie (Offense):

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

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

Best Rookie (Defense):

Matt Shaughnessy, Defensive Lineman

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

Player Missed the Most due to Injury:

Robert Gallery, Left Guard

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

Most entertaining player when entering the field:

Sebastian Janikowski, Kicker

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

Deserving of more carries award:

Michael Bush, Running Back

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

Hardest Worker Award:

Justin Fargas, Running Back

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

The ‘I want out…’ Award:

Javon Walker, Wide Receiver

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

Best Victories:

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

Worst Losses:

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

Best Moments of the Season:

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

Worst Moments of the Season:

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

Unit that was lackluster:

Punt and Kickoff returns

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

Hey look, I’m a starter award:

Michael Huff, Safety

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

Hey look, I should not be a starter:

Cornell Green, Right Tackle

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

Best Off-season Move:

Greg Ellis, Defensive End

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

‘We are waiting…,’ Award:

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

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

Best Quote(s):

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

Contact Author:  Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK:

Charlie Frye – A

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

JaMarcus Russell – C-

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

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: D

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

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: A

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

OFFENSIVE LINE: D

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

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

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

LINEBACKERS: D

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

SECONDARY: B-

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

SPECIAL TEAMS: C-

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

COACHING: B

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

GAME NOTES

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

Contact Author:  Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

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

JaMarcus Russell:

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

Luke Lawton:

Clean blood and urine samples.

Shane Lechler:

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

Nnamdi Asomugha:

Another Pro-Bowl selection.

Tyvon Branch:

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

Darren McFadden:

More touches in varying formations and glue for his hands.

Cornell Green:

A new address in 2010.

Darrius Heyward-Bey:

An injection of instant wide receiver skills.

Tommy Kelly:

A functioning belt.

Mike Mitchell:

More reps and clean targets for his fury.

Nick Miller:

A one-way ticket off the inactive list.

Javon Walker:

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

Greg Ellis:

A healthy set of knees.

Johnnie Lee Higgins:

A new barber.

Louis Murphy:

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

Tom Cable:

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

Sebastian Janikowski:

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

OAKLAND, CA — Rookie wide receiver Louis Murphy comments on his development and the Bruce Gradkowski led win in Pittsburgh last Sunday. Murphy’s stats so far in 2009: 23 receptions (2nd on the team, best by all WR), 411-yards (2nd on the team, leads all WR) and 4 touchdowns (leads the club). He currently ranks 9th among rookie receivers in yards and only three other first-year players have more touchdowns at his position. Murphy places first in first-down conversion rate per reception at 82.6% among rookie receivers with at least 10-receptions.

Draft: 4th round (24th pick) Florida

Height: 6-3 Weight: 205

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

QUARTERBACK: A

Bruce Gradkowski had the best statistical game for any Raider passer in a long time. His poise was stellar along with his ability to extend plays and make clutch throws in key spots. Oakland would have never won this game with JaMarcus Russell at the helm. Early on, Gradkowski missed an open Louis Murphy on a 3^rd and 3 that would’ve led to a big gain. But he bounced back from that on the next drive hitting Johnnie Lee Higgins on a 22-yard pass on 3^rd and 14 – the key play on a possession that ended with a field goal to cut the Pittsburgh lead to 10-6. Gradkowski ended the first half 7-of-9 for 86 yards. He opened the 2^nd half with a nice sidearm delivery to Zach Miller for 10-yards on a 3^rd and 8, and in the 4^th quarter, he moved the chains on a 3^rd and 3 scrambling for 8-yards. Oakland’s passer could’ve had at least 30-more yards rushing if not for infractions that negated some nice runs. He made a strong throw to Chaz Schilens for 17-yards with a lineman bearing down on him for a score that made it 13-10 with 8:21 remaining. The 75-yard bomb to Murphy was vital giving the Raiders a 20-17 lead with 5:28 left in the game. Then his passes to Higgins for 17-yards, Todd Watkins for 12-yards on 3^rd and 10, and Murphy for 19-yards marched the Silver & Black down the field as time expired. His final throw, an 11-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Murphy to cap the frantic 4^th quarter became the best moment for Oakland in 2009. His final numbers: 20/33 for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns.

RUNNING BACKS & FULLBACKS: C+

Justin Fargas led the team with 15 carries for 63-yards. He kept the Steelers’ defense honest, but was not a major factor in Oakland moving the ball when they needed it most. Darren McFadden had a key run on 3^rd and 2 in the final quarter, darting for 6-yards on a pitch near the end of a drive in which the Raiders took the lead. He ended with 9 rushes for 25 yards. Michael Bush was a non-factor with one-carry for one yard and making a cameo as a passer on a toss in which he overthrew a wide-open Schilens. Luke Lawton was flagged for a false start to start a drive deep in their own territory.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: A

The receivers had their best game of the season, without the presence of rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey – out with a foot injury. Murphy shined when it mattered most with 4-catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He had his best game as a pro and could’ve had another big gainer after beating William Gay on a slant and go route on the first play of the 2^nd quarter, but Gradkowski overthrew him. He torched Ike Taylor for the 75-yard touchdown and tiptoed his way into the end zone the last 5-yards. Higgins made his first sizeable contribution to this team in 2009. He had 4 receptions for 63-yards. Schilens also keyed the huge 4^th quarter with his scoring grab; ending the game with 45-yards on 3 catches. Zach Miller continued his solid play with 43 yards receiving.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B-

Samson Satele was injured, did not return to the line-up and was replaced by Chris Morris. Robert Gallery injured his back and was replaced by Langston Walker. Oakland as a team ran for 109-yards – a win considering that Pittsburgh is the toughest team in the league statistically to run against. They allowed only 2-sacks, keeping Gradkowski’s jersey clean for most of the day, but the passer’s legs were the main reason Oakland was able to extend plays. Mario Henderson was flagged for a hold on a Gradkowski 20-yard scramble.

DEFENSIVE LINE: B-

Yes, they allowed 132-yards on the ground. But the defensive line was stout during some stretches and if you take away Rashard Mendenhall’s 60-yard scamper, the run defense would’ve had one of their best games of the season. They missed Greg Ellis’ pass rushing abilities, but they were able to keep Ben Roethlisberger moving out of the pocket. Pittsburgh’s passer is always dangerous on the run and he showed at times what he could do when improvising. A key play for this unit was a 4^th and 1 with their backs to the end zone at the 5-yard line, stuffing Big Ben on a sneak and keeping vital Pittsburgh points off the scoreboard. Richard Seymour was flagged for an illegal hands to the face.

LINEBACKERS: B

Trevor Scott recorded the Raiders only sack of the game. Kirk Morrison finished with 7-tackles. Thomas Howard played decently in his first start as a strong-side linebacker. At times, this unit was late on their assignment on shallower routes when they were in zones, but overall, they played well enough to keep the integrity of the defense on run and pass plays near the line of scrimmage. Scott’s sack was imperative on 3^rd and 6 at the end of the 3^rd quarter, as it was a 9-yard loss for the Steelers and forced Jeff Reed into a 53-yard field goal attempt  that he missed, keeping another three-points off the board for Pittsburgh.

SECONDARY: C-

Santonio Holmes had a career game (8 rec. 149 yards 1 TD). And far too often, this group either had a blown tackle or a missed assignment. Chris Johnson almost had an interception on a 3^rd and 11 early in the contest. On Holmes score, Tyvon Branch and Johnson were beat on the corner route. The previous play, Branch was beaten by Hines Ward for 27-yards on a post pattern. Branch (11 tackles) was taken advantage of in coverage, but was at his best as the last line of defense on run pays and around the line of scrimmage. Johnson had a case for a illegal hands to the face/facemask penalty on Hines Ward during his 11-yard scoring reception that made it 24-20 Pittsburgh with 3:32 remaining. Michael Huff broke up several plays with big hits as the ball approached the intended receiver. Hiram Eugene’s first interception of the season was a stellar grab in the end zone as time expired in the first half. That was the only turnover in the game and it was another play that kept points off the board for the Steelers. Roethlisberger’s throw to Holmes for 57-yards in the 4^th quarter was precise and over the head of Stanford Routt – Branch made the touchdown saving tackle.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C-

Stefan Logan’s 83-yard kickoff return to open the game startled the Raiders. But Oakland’s defense kept the Steelers out of the end zone. Logan had another solid return later in the game for 37-yards to set-up a Pittsburgh possession at their own 40. Sebastian Janikowski nailed both of his field goal attempts (48 and 43 yards) in a tough outdoor stadium to kick in. Shane Lechler had 6-punts, averaging 46.8 per. Gary Russell had one of his better games with 72-yards worth of kickoff returns.

COACHING: B

Tom Cable got a little mischievous in opening the playbook. Bush’s halfback pass was on a 3^rd and 8 – a risky play – considering the field position they had. Ultimately they scored on that drive, but not the player you want passing the ball against a defense that likes to bring pressure. In their opening drive of the second half, Cable called for more trickery on a hand off to McFadden, which he lateral back to Gradkowski and wound up losing 16-yards. The passing plays called were aided by Gradkowski’s improvising, but Cable did make the right calls during that scoring outburst in the final quarter. Something he would have never been able to relay to Russell if he was in the game. The Raiders scored 21-points in the 4^th quarter – a stunning development considering their woes on offense late in games. And after disheartening drives by the home team, Oakland answered with big plays of their own – a credit to the coaching staff keeping the morale of this team up in a tough stadium to play in, on a cold day versus a team playing for their playoff lives. John Marshall’s bunch blitzed today from all the levels of their defense and gave the Steelers’ offense all they could handle. The defense played a solid game into the 2^nd half until the madness begun and both teams started exploding in the waning moments.

Bruce Gradkowski’s performance on Sunday just earned him a shot at proving his case to why he should be leading the Oakland Raiders, and not JaMarcus Russell.

Realistically, we all know that the money and years invested on the LSU product will weigh heavily on their decision for the future. We all know that Al Davis – who has the final say on any and all decisions – will let his feelings be known about who should be under center. And that will be an uphill battle for Gradkowski. But for one weekend, he did what is asked of every quarterback in this league – and that’s to win.

Moreover, he led with passion, feistiness, playing within himself, evading key mistakes and performing when it mattered most. His numbers were not eye popping. But the outcome and how the team played while he was in the huddle and at the helm spoke volumes.

Sure, the back-up quarterback is generally a fan-base’s solution to everything. And we’ve seen many second stringers come into games, have short stints as a starter, play well enough to tease and then fizzle out quickly when they get propelled to the forefront.

In this case, what Gradkowski did and what was seen against the Cincinnati Bengals is an indictment on what Russell has not done or been able to accomplish.

Unlike Russell, Gradkowski has altered this offense in his first week of practice and debut as a starter into a confident group. Something a highly touted passer picked number one overall should do, don’t you think?

Last week, Zach Miller stated, “He’s obviously a pretty smart guy, reads things well, throws a real good ball. He’s a pro quarterback, so they’re all good. We feel like we’ll be able to throw it around better now.”

No, Oakland’s best offensive player was not talking about the prospective gun slinging big-armed passer they got in the draft.

The Raiders toughest talent on offense stated, “A love for the game that he shows in the way he plays, the way he calls plays. The way he works on details of plays with players, in between. He’s just uh, I think that’s the main thing I’m seeing with him. It’s just, he’s a get-after-it type of guy.”

Justin Fargas was not talking about the guy given a lot of money after he held out for all of his first camp and pre-season and that has been critiqued for his lack of passion for the game since.

Darren McFadden continued with the valuation of Gradkowski commenting, “He goes through all his reads. He’s been making the right decisions”

Russell has made a lot of bad decisions on and off the field; whether reading a defense, or not yearning or immersing himself into his craft; like a quarterback who was chosen to be the savior of an organization should.

And for those reasons, Gradkowski should finish 2009 as the starter in Oakland. If he bombs and does not perform well, Russell will get back in there – its not realistic to think at this point that the Silver & Black will part ways with the 24-year old. And even if he ends the campaign on a roll, all that will do is raise questions on who should be leading this team, while challenging Russell to elevate his game and give Oakland a nice quarterback controversy in 2010.

And boy, is this organization used to their share of controversy.

MURPHY PRAISING HIS QB

Rookie Louis Murphy hauled in the tying touchdown late in the 4^th quarter. After the game he stated about his quarterback: “It was a great approach. This week, he was full of energy,” Murphy said. “He commanded the huddle, and he was punctual, and he was ready for the Bengals . . . he said that we’re gonna continue to try to just move the ball and try to get first downs. Nothing too big, just move the chains. So that’s what we did.”

BRANCH PRAISED BY CABLE

Tom Cable praised starting SS Tyvon Branch on Monday when asked if the second year pro had one of his finest games yesterday, stating, “I don’t think there’s any question.”

He got a game ball after tallying 12-tackles, one-sack, a pass defended and a forced fumble.

NOTES

Yankees hurler CC Sabathia visited the Black Hole during Sunday's game vs. the Bengals

• New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia – a long time Raider fan – was in attendance on Sunday.
• Linebacker Ricky Brown was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. The starting linebacker suffered an ankle injury earlier in the campaign. Oakland added LB David Nixon to the active roster.

OAKLAND, CA — Oakland showed that it was not going to allow the Bengals to run on them from the outset. With the Bengals going on offense first, the Raiders looked stout against the Bengals’ run attack. Even Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha got in on the action with a 5-yard loss of a tackle. But that would be the only thing the Raiders could stop on the opening drive. Cincinnati would gash the Raiders for 23-yards, 32-yards, and 21-yards. Cincy QB Carson Palmer would punctuate the drive with a 1-yard dive to put is team up 7-0.

Oakland would get it’s shot at playing offense, but after a couple of modest runs and an incomplete pass, they were forced to punt the ball away. The Raiders would catch a break when Carson Palmer was sacked and fumbled by safety Tyvon Branch. The ball was initially scooped up by Raider LB Kirk Morrison, but he too was stripped while carrying the ball carelessly. Thankfully, Raider CB Chris Johnson shoved a would-be recovering Bengal out of the way to allow a fellow Raider recover it instead. Oakland QB Bruce Gradkowski would fumble the snap (more like a botched snap by the center, but the QB gets the credit for the fumble). The Bengals would recover the ball.

In the fist Cincinnati drive, they beat the Raiders defense with the pass. This next drive, the Bengals would beat the Raiders’ defense on the ground with a series of 15, 11, 10, 9, and 6 yard runs culminating in a 1-yard rushing touchdown by QB Carson Palmer to extend their lead to 14-0.

Oakland showed some resilience with Gradkowski under center; managing a drive of his own. WR Chad Schilens kicked off the drive with a 25-yard reception. That play would be followed up by a combination of smart running by Darren McFadden for 9-yards and Justin Fargas for 12-yards. Gradkowski would then find an open Zach Miller in the endzone for a touchdown to bring Oakland to within 7-points with the score of 14-7.

After Oakland forced the Bengals to punt on their following offensive drive, Gradkowski would put his team into field goal range, but not without TE Zach Miller being the beneficiary of a 19-yard pass from Gradkowski. Unfortunately, Jano missed he field goal (wide left). The moment prior to the attempt, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis called a time out to ice Jano. Jano had kicked it anyway and the ball was wide right. And that’s how the half would come to an end; with a score of 14-7.

In the third quarter, Oakland would receive the ball first and would see Janikowski successfully kick a 52-yard field goal following a balanced attack of runs and passes. Even WR Darrius Heyward-Bey got in on the reception party with a 7-yard catch. Jano’s field goal made the game 14-10.

The Bengals mustered a drive of their own to get their kicker into field goal range since they could not get into the endzone, but to the Raiders delight, their kicker missed a chip-shot of a 37-yard attempt to keep the Raiders hanging around.

The Raiders would give the ball right back however, after Raider running back Michael Bush fumbled the all and Cincy ran the ball back 38-yards to the Raiders’ 13-yard line. The Raider defense flexed it’s muscle by keeping the Bengals from scoring a touchdown. This time, Cincy kicker Shayne Graham would not miss from 25-yards out as the Bengals got a tad bit of breathing room with a 17-10 lead with 3:29 left in the third quarter.

The two teams defenses would trade offensive stops; playing the game of field position by forcing each other to punt up until 2:12 to go in the 4th quarter.

The veteran savvy of QB Gradkowski would rise to the occasion as he lead his offense 80-yards in a classic two-minute drill; a pass to McFadden for 6 yards, Miller for 19 yards, Miller again for 9 yards, a 1-yard run from McFadden, Schilens for 16 yards, and then finally…a great 29-yard pass and leg-churning run after the catch to WR Louis Murphy who willed himself into the endzone with a lone defender trying desperately to keep him out for the 17-17 tie (with the subsequent PAT).

On the subsequent kick off with 33 seconds left on the game clock, Raiders special teams would hit the Bengals returner and cause a fumble. Oakland quickly jumped on the ball to recover it on the Bengals’ 17-yard line.

The Raiders, now in the driver’s seat with the ball on the Bengals’ 17 yard line and with 19 seconds left on the game clock. Cincy would use all of it’s remaining timeouts to stop the clock each time the Raiders would take down the ball. Sebastian Janikowski would kick the 33-yard game winning field goal with 15 seconds left on the clock for a score of 20-17 Raiders.

After a minimal kick off return, Bengals’ QB Carson Palmer would throw a Hail Mary, but to only have it intercepted by CB Nnamdi Asomugha to end the game, keeping their home game dominance over the Cincinnati Bengals.

*It should also be noted that Chad Ochocinco was rendered relatively inefective. 4-for-67 yards. Earlier in the week, Ochocinco was quoted as saying to Contra Costa Times Writer Jerry McDonald, “Oh, man, I’m just coming to give the Black Hole the best show they’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if they’ve really had much to look forward to this year but, man, we’re coming to town. It will for damned sure be a circus.” Ocho DID give the Black Hole the best show they’ve seen…at least since the Eagles game, by losing to the Raiders and shutting down Chad…and his mouth. Then on his Twitter page, he tweeted a post saying, “I’m scoring touchdowns for my man Ryan Hall’s fantasy team this weekend.” Gee…that worked out well for him.

OAKLAND, CA — Running back Justin Fargas and wide receiver Louis Murphy talk to the media after the Raiders 38-0 defeat at the hands of the New York Jets.

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OAKLAND — Chaz Schilens has been practicing this week in preparation for their game against the New York Jets on Sunday. Here is video of the wide receiver along with other Raiders talking about their game this weekend, and their victory over the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.

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