The Oakland Raiders signed five more players to reserve/future contracts.
Punter Greg Pakulak (Kentucky), running back Louis Rankin – pictured – (Washington), guard Roy Schuening (Oregon State), defensive end Tommie Hill (Colorado State) and linebacker Quentin Scott (Northern Iowa).
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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist
Well, we got our answer this weekend and over the course of the last two games, as the Oakland Raiders have allowed 388 yards rushing versus the Chiefs and Broncos. This after their impressive effort in week-one against the Chargers when John Marshall’s group held Darren Sproles and LaDainian Tomlinson to 21 first half yards and 77 the entire game.
They are allowing 155 ground yards per game (28th in the NFL), and after an off-season of talking about being disciplined, staying in gaps and the acquisition of Richard Seymour, the Raiders look like the same team that cannot stop the bleeding against the run.
“We were not able to stop them from running the football,” said Tom Cable after the game.
And the disappointment of not being able to hold their own in the trenches boiled over, especially when Richard Seymour got flagged for a personal foul in the 2nd half. “I think there is a lot of stuff that goes on in the line of scrimmage. He could have been. His frustration probably was more on the fact we weren’t getting of the field and we are getting the ball run on us,” Cable continued.
Oakland now faces a stretch where they will face Houston, who has struggled to run the football, but feature a capable Steve Slaton (38 car. 127 yards), New York (the 8th ranked rushing offense in the league averaging 142.0 per contest), Philadelphia (ranked 12th in rushing) and the New York Jets (12th ranked rush attack), before facing San Diego again.
WALKER; IS HE IN, OR OUT?
The Raiders need to make a decision on Javon Walker. The former Bronco receiver who was inactive yesterday said after the game that he was ready to play, stating, “I’m more than healthy enough.”
If that is the case, why is he not on the field?
JaMarcus Russell is struggling, partly because of the inexperience at wide receiver and the lack of talent on that unit. So why not play a veteran who claims to be healthy and that you have paid a lot of money to? It seems like Oakland is fine with Walker collecting a check and not contributing to this club. And that is a bad message especially since Walker is saying all the right things and claiming he is ready to go.
With the offense ranking 30th in points scored per game, last in passing yards per contest and struggling mightily, why is he inactive then?
“I watch those guys make plays on the opposite side of the ball. It’s kind of weird because every time they made a catch, they would look at me because they know that, they know my mentality playing football. I was in Denver with all those guys.”
Walker continued, “They know my aggressiveness when it comes to attacking balls and making plays. That has not changed here.”
Chaz Schilens may come back this week, but that won’t suddenly make this offense more potent. Schilens has 15-career receptions and is a project himself, even though he may be recognized by the staff as their best receiver.
“I’m just going with the flow,” commented Walker.
I guess I would too if I already banked $12 million in my first year as a Raider and have close to $4 million coming to me this season.
NOTES:
Mike Mitchell, exciting the crowd prior to a thumb injury
Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist
Oakland, CA – Oakland won the toss and elected to kick. The Cowboys started their drive backed up to their own 6yd line after having committed a holding penalty on the kickoff. The Raiders began with a strong defensive stand as they batted a pass incomplete, stuffed the Cowboy runner for a 1 yard loss, and forced an incompletion to record their first 3-and-out.
Oakland began their shaky offensive start on an un-retuned punt that bounced away from returner Johnnie Lee Higgins. The Raiders managed to get to within the Dallas 5 yard line, but would have to settle for a field goal to make it 3-0 as their drive stalled, but not without having aired the ball out to DHB and to Chaz Schilens; both deep pass attempts. One of the DHB passes being nearly intercepted due to it being slightly under thrown and just a tad off line.
The next Dallas drive would be very much different from their first. They would march 82 yards against a porous run defense and a front four that provided little pressure when the Cowboys opted to pass. On the last play of the drive, Cowboy QB Tony Romo held on to the ball for what seemed an eternity from about the Raiders 10 yard line. With no blitz coming from the defense and the front four not able to get a single sniff of a Romo jersey, the Dallas QB took his time to wait for a man to get open in the endzone to take the lead of 7-3.
JaMarcus Russell led his ensuing drive from his own 21 yd line to the Cowboys’ 40 yd line after having battled back from a team false start after an 18yd run by Russell. Oakland would elect to punt the ball away as they weren’t able to reach the first down marker.
The Raider defense bounced back from their last pitiful stand and forced the Cowboys to go 3-and-out after forcing them deep inside their own 5 yd line on the punt.
Now with QB Brice Gradkowski in at the helm, the Raiders unleashed RB Darren McFadden who ripped the Cowboy defense for 45 yards on one single run play to end the first quarter.
The Raiders continued their march with a nice catch and an even more brilliant run after the catch by WR Chaz Schilens who initially slid to make the grab and then quickly popped up before a defender could touch him down. Chaz then scuttled towards the sidelines, stopped just short of it, then hopped forward to get beyond the first down marker all while defenders were reaching for him to get him out of bounds. Shortly thereafter, Gradkowski would connect with TE Tony Stewart with a 5 yard strike to put the Raiders back on top 10-7.
The Raiders and Dallas would trade ensuing stalled back-to-back drives.
QB Jon Kitna, still at the helm for the Cowboys, was picked off by maligned safety Michael Huff on a deep pass intended for WR Sam Hurd. The ball would be down inside the Raiders 10 yard line, but could do little with the gift of a possession and would be forced to punt.
Fast forward to close the half-way point of the 2nd quarter, the Cowboys began a drive that exploited an lesser effective defensive line anchored by Terdell Sands, who at times looked to have given up on pass plays where he was being double teamed. The time Kitna was given allowed the Cowboys to march down the field with a first and goal situation.
With Raiders backup players on defense, they held their own with a surprisingly stout goal line stand lead by Isaiah Ekejiuba and by benefit of a botched snap that sailed over Kitna’s head. On 3rd down, Kitna could not connect with his receiver as the ball was too high to bring down.
So, with a few seconds left on the game clock, the Cowboys attempted a field goal attempt that fortunately for the Raider fans in attendance, just slipped outside the left goal post (wide left).
The Raiders finished off the half on a run by RB Michael Bush to run down the clock. The score would remain 10-7 with the Raiders being ahead and will receive the ball in the 3rd quarter.
The Oakland Raider began the 3rd quarter with an impressive offensive drive that featured a big passing game between QB Gradkowski and WR Louis Murphy. Then the Raiders put an exclamation point it with showcase runs by RB Louis Rankin (with one of them being a nifty and nimble touchdown run); perhaps he best player to not make a roster spot due to the log jam at running back. Oakland extended it’s to 17-7.
The following Raider defensive stand was initially good, that is until CB Jason Horton got tagged with a hands to the face penalty and a pass interference penalty. The same Jason Horton who has been getting schooled at Raider Training Camp in Napa. The Cowboys kept things going long enough to score field a goal to get them closer to the Raiders by making it 17-10.
Raiders’ offensive backups would not go quietly into the night as they would strike deep and in a hurry. Bruce Gradkowski connected with WR Nick Miller deep for 48 yards. It was a spectacular grab because Miller reached out for the pass, leaped forward and while in mid air, briefly let go of the ball, re-positioned his hands, then cradled the ball a split second before he hit the ground. Simply amazing! The Raiders then extended their lead to 24-10 with a 1-yard touchdown run by RB Gary Russell.
Fast forward once again to about 11 minutes left in the 4th quarter and again, the Raiders’ depth steps it up with a big stop against Dallas. This time from the special teams coverage team as LB David Nixon would scoop up a muffed Cowboys fair catch and down it on the Cowboys’ own 11 yard line. QB Charlie Frye punctuated the drive with an audibled short fade pass to WR Will Franklin to bump the Raider lead to 31-10 to the dismay of the throngs of Cowboy fans in attendance.
With Oakland on defense with over 5 minutes left on the game clock, they made an impressive goal line stand to shut the Cowboys out f the endzone on a 4th down attempt; keeping it 31-10 at the 3:30 mark.
Oakland’s backups look impressive as the starting units still need some work. Run stopping is STILL an issue with this 1st defensive unit and JaMarcus Russell’s accuracy needs to be worked on (namely under throwing the deep passes) despite having gone 6-for-9 with his pass attempts.
On the brighter side of things, running back Louis Rankin and WR’s Louis Murphy and Nick Miller are making names for themselves and are making convincing cases of why they should earn a spot on this team.
For the Oakland Raiders; wide receivers Jonathan Holland and Todd Watkins will be inactive. CB Derrick Brown, RB Louis Rankin, LB Ricky Brown, T James Marten and DE Greyson Gunheim will also be unavailable for game action.
Rankin, who was signed from the practice squad this week after the Silver & Black waived CB Michael Waddell, will not see action with the Raiders depth at running back and Justin Miller’s recent play on kick returns.
For the New England Patriots; S James Sanders, RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, LB Tedy Bruschi, G Dan Connolly, T Wesley Britt, G Billy Yates, TE Tyson DeVree and QB Matt Gutierrez (third string) will be inactive.
Some of the most notable performances from the Oakland Raiders first pre-season contest came from their fleet of talented rushers. Here is a look at the ball carriers that helped maul the San Francisco 49ers during their 18-6 victory at the McAfee Coliseum:
