Silver and Black Report

Here are five things on the to-do list for new Oakland Raiders head coach Dennis Allen and general manager Reggie McKenzie.

Empower Carson Palmer

The coach and general manager did that on Monday. “Carson Palmer is extremely excited about what we have going here,” Allen said. “He’s looking forward to the future and he’s excited about the opportunities here.”

McKenzie inherited the passer, but he’s by far and away the most polished quarterback Oakland has had since Rich Gannon. With a training camp and off-season conditioning under his belt this time around, he should be primed for a solid season. Just remember, he was thrown into the fire after a semi-retirement and never played a game with Darren McFadden in his backfield.

Get Rolando McClain on the right track

“I see a very talented football player. Just like a lot of things that we’ve talked about already, we’ve got to do our best to make sure we get Rolando to play at the best of his ability on every single snap,” Allen said.

There’s no questioning the middle linebacker’s mental acuity for the game. But his lack of impact plays and slow development has been frustrating for fans. Add to that his off the field issues, and the word bust begins to flash. He was seen as a sure fire prospect coming out of college, but entering his third-year, more will be expected out of him due to a new coach in place that will try to cater to his abilities.

If Allen can’t get this kid going, he’ll need a change of scenery. Oakland hopes to be the beneficiary of McClain’s arrival as a stud in this league.

Keep Darren McFadden & Michael Bush together

Stop all this trade McFadden chatter. Really! Yes, the Raiders currently have a small allotment of draft picks, but what would trading your most dynamic weapon on offensive accomplish?

You won’t get equal value, especially since he’s fragile and teams will cite his inability to play 16-games as a reason not give adequate compensation. Plus, whomever you draft with those picks may not provide the same impact that McFadden can on the 2012 team.

McFadden may never play a full complement of games, but that’s why Bush needs to remain and why both should share the load a tad more. Hue Jackson fed McFadden way too much and ultimately, we saw that Bush could handle a bigger load and not just in short yard or red zone situations.

The tandem has to stay together, as I stated here:

One big decision for Raiders McKenzie, what to do with RB Bush?

And

Cotto: Five moves to help the Oakland Raiders

Get back to basics with the defense

Good teams tackle well — Oakland hasn’t  for a very long time. The Raiders have been a sieve on defense since 2003:

2011 – 27^th in the NFL – 136.1 yds/g

2010 – 29^th in the NFL – 133.6 yds/g

2009 – 29^th in the NFL – 155.5 yds/g

2008 – 31^st in the NFL – 159.7 yds/g

2007 – 31^st in the NFL – 145.9 yds/g

2006 – 25^th in the NFL – 134.0 yds/g

2005 – 25^th in the NFL – 128.1 yds/g

2004 – 22^nd in the NFL – 125.8 yds/g

2003 – 32^nd in the NFL – 156.9 yds/g

Allen will have to simplify what he does on defense before we see all the bells and whistles. Denver players have cited his ability to simplify game plans and make every player on the defense accountable for their assignments. Building confidence in those groupings will then allow the Silver & Black to become a more fierce club and ultimately, a more aggressive one.

Boot Camp 101

Very rarely have we seen a militant camp or strenuous summers as Oakland prepared for campaigns. Now with a new head coach, a general manager that is changing the culture, Allen will have a chance to implement a tougher camp and begin instilling the discipline he preached about in his conference on Monday. The only way that you create habits is through consistency, doing the same things over and over and over,” Allen said. “Well, if you’re committing penalties, that becomes a habit. We’ve got to change those habits, all right? We’ve got to develop the proper habits so that we’re not creating those penalties on a daily basis.”

That begins in OTAs, mini-camps and training camp. Allen has that scary stare and a business like disposition. NFL insiders have said that the he wants his players to do it the right way… all the time, especially the first-time.

Oakland needed this a long time ago.

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With Dennis Allen on board, these Raiders are on notice

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Per Jason La Canfora, the St. Louis Rams have hired Mike Waufle.

Waufle was a defensive line coach with the Oakland Raiders from 1998-2003 and again during the 2010 and 2011 campaigns.

Jeff Fisher has reconstructed the St. Louis staff since his arrival, hiring Brian Schottenheimer (offense coordinator) and Gregg Williams (defense coordinator).

ANALYSIS:

Waufle is a very good coach and one that is beloved by many players around the league. With the Giants, he won a Super Bowl prior to landing in Oakland and some of his biggest admirers included Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. There’s no doubt that Tommy Kelly and younger ends like Matt Shaughnessy and Lamarr Houston have benefited from his presence. But the facts are, Reggie McKenzie is cleaning house and will empower his new coach to bring in his own staffers.

Waufle had a chance to join another staff and find stability before other openings are filled. With Oakland still searching, the long-time defensive line coach just got a gig on an upstart staff. He’ll do a good job in St. Louis working with Fisher and Williams.

The Raiders have had one of the worst run defenses since 2003:

2011 – 27^th in the NFL – 136.1 yds/g

2010 – 29^th in the NFL – 133.6 yds/g

2009 – 29^th in the NFL – 155.5 yds/g

2008 – 31^st in the NFL – 159.7 yds/g

2007 – 31^st in the NFL – 145.9 yds/g

2006 – 25^th in the NFL – 134.0 yds/g

2005 – 25^th in the NFL – 128.1 yds/g

2004 – 22^nd in the NFL – 125.8 yds/g

2003 – 32^nd in the NFL – 156.9 yds/g

Waufle surely wasn’t the lone reason why the front-seven hasn’t turned it around, a chronic problem that has hurt the Raiders for nine seasons. But he was a very good mentor for some of the younger linemen Oakland has groomed in recent years.

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Here are excerpts of Hue Jackson and Chuck Bresnahan’s briefings with the media as they talk about their upcoming match-up versus the Detroit Lions. The Oakland Raiders face a daunting task trying to stop Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and a physical defensive front that will get their best lineman back after a suspension.

HUE JACKSON

On Lions defensive line:

“They have a good rotation and they’re very strong, very athletic and I haven’t seen any other team that we’ve faced that has that kind of talent throughout their front four. When they bring one guy in, they put in another guy. There’s not much drop-off. Those guys – they play hard, they play fast, they have a good front, so again, it’s a challenge but it’s a challenge we’re looking forward to.”

On Ndamukong Suh:

“He’s good. He’s really good, he’s really good. Great respect for the player, he knows how to play the game and he’s very strong, very athletic, makes some incredible plays. So again, it’s going to be a challenge for our line but this is the line that we put together and I feel very comfortable that these guys will come and play.”

On being back at the O.Co Coliseum:

“Oh my gosh, that’s going to be a huge boost. We’ve been on the road with angry people screaming at us, yelling at us for the last couple of weeks and giving it to us, and we’ve had to take it. Now we’re at home and our crowd will be there for us, and they’ll be there yelling, screaming for us and we’ve got to give them something to yell and scream for.”

CHUCK BRESNAHAN

On Lions aerial attack:

“They’re going to throw it to big number 81 [Calvin Johnson] and little number 16 [Titus Young] down the field, so you’ve got to be ready at all times.”

On run defense:

“You know what – it’s very frustrating. Not just for me, for our coaching staff, for the players in general because we talked about consistency and not riding that roller coaster. Until we get over the hump and do that each and every week, and I tie that right in with the penalties…we have a game where we have one penalty and then you go maybe the next game, you have two and then the next game you have nine and we’ve got to play at a consistent level and that’s been a real emphasis point for us throughout the season. But each and every week now because these games are more and more important because of the playoff atmosphere and the playoff consequences. So we’ve got to get that taken care of, but it’s been very frustrating.”

NOTES

• Oakland is allowing 160.2 rushing yards per game over the last four weeks. “Stopping the run is a collective effort. It’s not just the front four or the front seven,” said Richard Seymour this week. The Raiders are also allowing a league worst, 5.2 yards per carry.
• “Coming from a smaller school and being successful right away tells you how smart and hard-working he is,” stated Lions coach Jim Schwartz about Raiders LT Jared Veldheer. “He’s big and he’s smart, and when you are an offensive lineman, that’s half the battle.”
• “Calvin Johnson is as good as there is. The guy has unbelievable athleticism.” – Hue Jackson
• “He’s obviously healthy and looked good and is excited to be back and focused on the Oakland Raiders.” – Schwartz on Suh.

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Sitting atop the AFC West, the Oakland Raiders (5-4) will begin the weekend as the hunted when they face the Minnesota Vikings (2-7). After their 24-17 road victory at San Diego, the Silver & Black have placed themselves in a position where they can control their own destiny the rest of the way, even though it’s a thin lead they hold within their division.

“We also recognize as fast as you’re in first place you can be out of first place,” Raiders head coach Hue Jackson said. “You have to do everything you can to keep it and hold on to it, which is winning. There is no other avenue other than winning to stay where you are and I think our players understand that and we don’t have a lot of conversations about it, but I think we do respect and know where we are, know what we’re trying to accomplish.”

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

No Darren McFadden again this week…no problem. Michael Bush will step in and attempt to mimic the performance he had last week against the Chargers, as that earned him FedEx Ground Player of the Week honors.

But the real challenge will be for the offensive line. The Vikings have the 6^th ranked rush defense in the league and historically have been one of the better ground-stuffing units in the NFL. Along with that stout front, they feature a furious pass rush with Jared Allen, who leads the NFL with 13.5 sacks.

This could be a game where Oakland uses their aerial attack to facilitate everything else on offense. Carson Palmer is coming off his best performance of the season, Minnesota is struggling in their depleted secondary and if Jared Veldheer and the rest of the line can handle the Vikings’ pass rush, they’ll be able to pick apart that cover-two scheme.

On Defense:

Their only objective will be to stack the line of scrimmage and slow down Adrian Peterson.

Oakland is ranked 25^th in the league versus the run. They’ve had some horrid performances against teams that assertively pounded the ball into the trenches. And no other rusher in the league faces more stacked fronts than Peterson does.

“He is as good as there is. He is a rare player,” Jackson said. “He is a really good young man, and a tremendous football player, loves playing the game, is as good as there is, so what a challenge for our defensive football team.”

During victories,  the Silver & Black have allowed 69.6 ground yards per game, but in losses, they’ve been torched for 211 yards per game.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

On Offense:

With 846-rushing yards for the season, Peterson ranks fifth in the NFL. “He is the straw that stirs the drink for our offense,” head coach Leslie Frazier said of his rugged rusher. “We got to get him going and keep him involved over four quarters. We want to attack Oakland’s run defense. That’s who we are, every week.”

“I mean there are times that defenders really don’t want to tackle Adrian Peterson,” Frazier continued. “They’ll hope that someone else gets in the way before they get to him. He strikes fear in opposing defenders in the way he runs.”

A powerful ground attack will help rookie passer Christian Ponder, who is coming off a bad performance versus the Packers, but has shown glimpses since being inserted into the line-up.

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave stated that even through the rout at the hands of Green Bay, his rookie “remained poised and competitive and really just continued to be himself.”

On Defense:

The Raiders offensive line has only given up 11 sacks all season. Defensive coordinator Fred Pagac knows that he has to break them down if they want to slow down their offense.

“Well, game plan-wise we are going to be attacking where we think we can get to them, obviously Jared Allen has been doing a great job for us this year, Brian Robison has been doing a great job pressuring. We are going to have to run some stunts and games; we may have to run a few pressures at them. That’s all going to be game planned down the road,” he said.

Only the Colts are allowing more points per game, as the Vikings are ranked 31^st in that category, surrendering 27.1 points per contest.

GAME NOTES

• Oakland is fourth in the NFL averaging 156.2 yard rushing, including a 145.5 average in the past two games without McFadden. It’s cool getting the ball but it’s what I’m supposed to do,” Michae Bush said this week. “Running the ball, like I told the coach, `Just feed the stud.’ I told him that last week. Give me the ball and let’s see what we can do.”
• Jacoby Ford has been ruled out with an ankle injury. Denarius Moore has 23 receptions for the season and has been Palmer’s favorite target since he arrived. Nineteen of those 23 catches have been for first downs. With Ford out, Jackson commented, “I expect Darrius Heyward-Bey to have a big game.”
• In 8 career games versus Oakland, Jared Allen has 27-solo tackles, 6 sacks and one forced fumble.
• The Raiders lead the all-time regular season series against Minnesota 8-4.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Can the Raiders stop Peterson?

“We’ll definitely try to get our running game going, and they know that,” Peterson said. You don’t need any more information after that.

Raiders Offensive Line vs. Vikings Front-Seven

If Palmer is upright and is comfortable in the pocket, he’ll pick apart a really bad secondary. But Allen and the rest of the salivating rushers have to be gobbled up by Veldheer and co. Likewise with the run blocking. If the Raiders have another big rushing game without McFadden against this front, then you have to start considering the Oakland offensive line as one of the best in the league.

X-Factors?

Percy Harvin does not have a touchdown reception, but has been targeted 53-times this season. He also has 23 carries so far. He can be a dangerous return man as well. For Oakland, Kamerion Wimbley was unleashed last week and when a rusher gets on a roll, sacks come in bunches.

PREDICTION

Raiders 27 – Vikings 20

 

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San Francisco, CA - Raider head coach Hue Jackson said earlier in training camp that he wants to, “Build a Bully.” Instead, it was his defense that got bullied by a 49er offense that just last week, seemed like it didn’t know what a first down looked like or whether a drive without a sack or interception was even possible.

In that 49er vs Saints game, New Orleans blitz heavily and often which gave San Francisco’s offensive line protection fits. Tonight, the Raiders backed off the heavy blitz concept and attempted to learn what it’s defense could do in more simple coverages. What it found out was not pretty.

Oakland’s defense gave up 105 yards to one carrier, (Kendall Hunter) on 9 carries; one of which was a back breaking 53-yard gash for the 49ers first touchdown, 62 yards to Xavier Omon, and a 53 yards to runningback Anthony Dixon. On Hunter’s touchdown run, Raider defensive tackle Jamie Cumbie got blocked of the point and linebacker Travis Goethel made the wrong read by running to the outside of the line where he both got blocked by the tackle and sealed off by the guard. This left the single high safety Jerome Boyd isolated in deep coverage to make a solo tackle in the open field, but Boyd couldn’t make a play on the runner as he got caught flat-footed stuck half way in no-man’s-land.

Oakland’s offense made little strides coming off last week’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals; failing to score a touchdown in the redzone, despite timely big catches by Raider receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey for 18 and 22 yards on 2-of-3 pass attempts thrown his way. The only other bright spot for the Silver and Black came from rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore; whose smooth, veteran-like receptions accumulated receptions of 18 and 22 yards. He also smacked the new NFL kickoff rule (and it’s naysayers) in the face by fielding a kickoff 3-yards deep into his own endzone and returned it for 48 yards.

On the 3rd offensive series for Oakland, quarterback Jason Campbell got injured after he recovered his own fumble and got struck in the head from a knee of a 49er player. Campbell looked to be out of it initially. After taking his time, he walked off the filed under his own power. Trainers further evaluated Campbell on the sidelines. He would not return to the game.

With Oakland already seeing injuries from it’s starting players, Chris Johnson, Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy, and Darren McFadden, the Raiders can ill-afford to lose it’s starting quarterback in this crucial, shortened, and important evaluation of not only it’s players, but it’s new offense. The Raiders play host to the New Orleans Saints next week.

The Oakland Raiders (6-6) took a major step forward last weekend with a victory at San Diego, making themselves a playoff contender in the AFC. The Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5) are sitting pretty atop the AFC South, looking to control their own destiny as the season winds down. “This isn’t about anyone but us,” said tight end Marcedes Lewis. “We set our goals high before the season and we have a chance to make those a reality.” The Silver & Black have altered their practice schedule and are fully aware of what it will take to fly east and come away with a victory. “Just looking at the history of us, just in my time here, we’ve really struggled,” Tom Cable stated. “When you look at the records of teams going west to east it’s not very good. The only thing we could come up with was try to get their body clocks on something similar to that.”

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

When the Raiders run the football effectively, they usually win. In their six victories, Oakland has averaged 133.5 more ground yards than their opponent. During the six losses, they’ve been outgained in the rushing department by 84.2 yards per contest.

“If we just keep running the ball and doing what we do, then I think that’s the Raiders,” running back Michael Bush commented this week. “We come out, pound you, pound you, pound you, throw the ball, then I think we’ll get a lot accomplished.”

What to Expect:

The Jaguars have the 17^th ranked (109.5) rush defense in the NFL. It’s imperative Oakland runs the ball with consistency and keeps Jason Campbell in manageable 3^rd down situations on the road. The quarterback was masterful in his decision-making, scrambling and mastery of the offense last weekend. Maybe he feels completely comfortable knowing Bruce Gradkowski is no longer looking over his shoulder? If that’s the case, Oakland will then be able to open up the passing attack a bit more against a Jacksonville secondary that allows 253 yards a game via the air (27^th in the NFL).

On Defense:

The Raiders are now tied with the Steelers for the most sacks in the NFL (36).

Oakland can get into the backfield with a four-man rush, but it’s their blitzing mentality that can rattle opponents, and that shows on how the sacks are distributed throughout the team.

Tommy Kelly leads the team with 6.5 and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley has 5.5, but starting safeties Tyvon Branch and Michael Huff have combined for 7.

Their rush defense is aided whenever they can jump ahead; which has been the case in many of their wins, especially last week versus the Chargers, when Oakland allowed a measly 21-yards on the ground.

What to Expect:

Shutting down Maurice Jones-Drew is imperative. If Oakland can stack the box and be successful in slowing down the league’s second-leading rusher, Jacksonville’s targets pose no threat to a very active Raiders secondary. The Jaguars rank 29^th in passing offense. More importantly for Oakland, the Jaguars have the most giveaways in the AFC (16 interceptions, 10 fumbles).

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

On Offense:

The Jaguars deploy a simple game-plan; run the ball with Jones-Drew and feed off that. The fifth year talent out of UCLA has tallied 1,177-rushing yards in 2010.

“I like our physical approach,” head coach Jack Del Rio said. “… The team that controls the line of scrimmage wins the game a large percentage of the time.”

Jacksonville’s passer David Garrard has thrown 11 interceptions and has been sacked 26-times this season. He is turnover prone, but his mobility and ability to break containment could give the pass-rush happy Raiders some problems.

What to Expect:

Mike Sims-Walker has been limited in practice. Leading receiver Mike Thomas and Marcedes Lewis need to be factors in this contest. Oakland will commit to stopping Jones-Drew, so if Garrard can draw the safeties in and get the ball down the field a few times, it could soften the defense enough where they can pound away in the ladder stages of the game with their powerful run game.

On Defense:

Kirk Morrison was moved to Jacksonville in the off-season for a fourth round draft choice. The former middle linebacker for the Raiders is excited to play against his ex-teammates and the team he grew up cheering for.

“Because you grew up there, you want to play as a Raider for your whole entire life but sometimes change is good. And, definitely, for me, it has helped me out tremendously,” said Morrison.

He sees a change in Oakland and is anticipating a tough contest on Sunday.

“Both teams really like to run the football, both teams are going to be physical. It’s December football. I know how excited we are here for the opportunity that we have. I can only imagine what’s going on in that locker room down in Oakland . Guys are playing inspired football this late in the season. You haven’t seen that over there, I know I didn’t. We didn’t have that opportunity in the five years that I was there to be playing December with so much at stake and with so much on the line. It’s going to make for a nice atmosphere on Sunday afternoon.”

What to Expect:

The Jaguars rank 24^th in points per game allowed, 17^th in run defense and 27^th in pass defense. So you wonder, how they have got atop the AFC South? “We’ve got a pretty good story going on in a year when this city really needed it,” said Del Rio. The defense was stout against Arian Foster (56 yards), Peyton Hillis (48 yards) and Chris Johnson (53 yards). If they can slow Darren McFadden, Oakland will struggle to move the chains

GAME NOTES

• “Running the ball and stopping the run are good things to do, but it goes beyond that,” Del Rio said. “They have five miscellaneous touchdowns. We don’t have any yet.” Jacksonville has scored fewer points (257) and have a worse point differential (minus-43) than four last-place teams. They’ve also won games with a 50-yard Hail Mary pass, a 59-yard field goal on the game’s final play and after committing 6 turnovers.
• In 2009, the Jaguars were 7-5 and in the lead for a wild card berth before losing four straight to end the season.
• Since 2003, the Silver & Black are 5-17 in day games at east coast sites.
• The Jaguars are 12-1 the last two seasons when scoring more than 20-points.
• John Henderson, Quentin Groves and Khalif Barnes used to play for Jacksonville. The defensive tackle said of Jones-Drew, “Powerful. Great running back. Going down Sunday. 1 o’clock, Jacksonville, Florida. Sixty-six degrees. Maybe 20. Maybe a little bit of rain. It’s going down.’’

PREDICTION

Raiders 24 – Jaguars 17

The Jaguars are too one-dimensional on offense. Jones-Drew could carry them, but against a Raider team that is motivated and finding ways to fly east prepared and working to get acclimated to the time-zone, Garrard and the rest of the team must keep John Marshall’s unit off-balance. Something they won’t be able to do if the Raider team that showed up in San Diego shows up in Jacksonville.

BROADCAST INFORMATION (cited from official Raiders web site)

TELEVISION: The game will be televised on CBS with Kevin Harlan providing play-by-play and former NFL player Solomon Wilcots handling color analysis.  The game will air in the Bay Area on KPIX Channel 5 and in Sacramento on KOVR Channel 13.The game also airs on KHSL in Chico, KION in Monterey and KJEO in Fresno. RADIO: Greg Papa and Tom Flores will call the game live on Raiders Radio Network originating on KITS LIVE 105.3 FM and KFRC 1550 AM, with pre and post-game analysis on KFRC. Papa and Raiders two-time Super Bowl winning head coach Flores will man the booth for the 13th straight year. The radio pregame and postgame shows will feature Raider Legends George Atkinson and David Humm as well as local veteran radio personalities Bruce Magowan and Jason Ross.

GAME INFO

Sunday, December 12, 2010 1:00 p.m. ET | EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL

Home Team: Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5) Home: 4-2  Road: 3-3

Road Team: Oakland Raiders (6-6) Home: 4-2 Road: 2-4

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

QUARTERBACK: A

Dare I say, Jason Campbell was Rich Gannon-esque in his play this afternoon versus the San Diego Chargers! The Oakland Raiders passer was efficient, poised and gave the team a chance for positive plays on every snap this afternoon. Campbell on 3^rd and 7 during Oakland’s first scoring drive pump faked, was chased from behind and ran for 6-yards to set-up a 4^th and 1. On the next play, his ball handling was masterful, executing a beautiful fake handoff and then bootlegging untouched from 9-yards out to give Oakland a 7-0 lead. At the start of the next drive, he connected with his fullback after getting away from Shaun Phillips, for 11-yards. Ten plays later, Campbell increased the Raider lead to 14-0 with a touchdown lob to Jacoby Ford from 4-yards out. His legs were important; breaking containment on a 2^nd and 9 for 12-yards on another scoring drive and rushing for 9-yards on 3^rd and 7 up the gut of the Charger defense before Oakland went up 21-3. Campbell’s pocket presence was stellar and his leadership was on display when he chewed out the rookie receiver when aligned wrong and forced to use a time out. His finest play came in the 2^nd half when he adlibbed, dishing the football to Michael Bush after being pressured and almost sacked – a gain of 24-yards on 2^nd and 12. On 3^rd and 1 in the 4^th quarter, Campbell fooled the everyone with nifty ball handling, on a play action pass that ended in  Louis Murphy’s hands for 37-yards. He ended 10-of-16 for 117-yards, one score and 0 interceptions [105.5 rating]. He also ran for 37-yards.

RUNNING BACKS/FULL BACK: A

Darren McFadden was productive after a two-week hiatus. He was explosive, powerful and the game-breaker Oakland sorely missed during losses to the Steelers and Dolphins.  His fumble at the end of the first half could have proved costly, especially because the clock was ticking and Oakland could’ve ran into the halftime with all the momentum. But San Diego did not capitalize on the turnover when Nate Kaeding missed a 50-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds of the 2^nd quarter. McFadden’s best work came in the 2^nd half; a 19-yard reception on 3^rd and 5 on the opening drive of the 3^rd quarter, a 20-yard run on the ensuing play, a 5-yard gain on 3^rd and 5 and the 7-yard run for a score to give the Silver & Black a 28-13 lead. On the pitch, he beat San Diego defenders to the edge and plowed through Eric Weddle at the goal line. McFadden ended with 97-yards on 19-carries and 3 receptions for 30-yards. Michael Bush was used perfectly today, as Oakland mixed both ball carriers to perfection. The bruising rusher tallied 95-yards on 23 carries and a score. Twice, Bush sold Campbell fakes by running into the line of scrimmage and fooling Charger defenders that though he had the ball in his hands. He picked up tough yards all afternoon and his 7-yard scamper, which featured two broken tackles, gave Oakland a 21-3 lead in the 2^nd quarter. Marcel Reece had several run busting blocks. He also had one of the game’s finer plays, hurdling over Brandon Siler on a screen that amassed 23-yards.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: C

The Raiders did not need this grouping today. But Jacoby Ford did continue his solid play with a 4-yard touchdown grab. The play was aided by a Darrius Heyward-Bey screen on Donald Strickland to free up Ford on the fade pattern. Louis Murphy couldn’t get his feet inbounds on a 2^nd and 8 deep ball in the end zone versus Quentin Jammer. Murphy showed great effort on another deep ball that he almost tipped to himself for a completion, before hauling in a vital 37-yard grab to put away the Chargers. Chaz Schilens made his first appearance of the season but was a non-factor in the fame with one-target. Campbell missed the open Schilens on what would have been a 1^st down gain. Zach Miller continues to struggle since his injuries, tallying one catch for 5-yards. Heyward-Bey had a reverse for a second straight contest – today he compiled 13-yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: A

The team rushed for 251-yards. That’s the most given up by San Diego all season. Jared Veldheer was dominant run blocking on the left side. He played at center when Samson Satele was hurt, but returned back to left tackle to end the contest. Oakland overpowered San Diego all afternoon and pushed around the defensive front when they needed vital yards. The Chargers led the league in sacks coming into the game and they only recorded one; a scramble by Campbell in which he slid at the line of scrimmage to prevent a major loss. The quarterback was kept clean, the running game was dominant – it was one of the better performances in years from this unit. Khalif Barnes was flagged twice, Satele had a hold on a drive Oakland had to punt and Gallery had a false start, but those infractions barely marred what was a cohesive performance. Langston Walker’s personal foul pushed Sebastian Janiwkoski out of range for a field goal attempt.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A

The Chargers managed only 11-yards rushing at halftime. They only gained another 10 the rest of the game, as Oakland took the lead and the Bolts abandoned their ground game. Regardless, the Raiders were stout early and were the more physical bunch when San Diego attempted to get Mike Tolbert going. Lamarr Houston had a pivotal play stuffing Tolbert on a 4^th and short in the 2^nd quarter and then sacking Philip Rivers on a 2^nd and 6 for a 6-yard loss. Tommy Kelly was active, manhandling Tyronne Green for sack no. 6.5 of the season. Desmond Bryant’s roughing the passer flag aided a drive that ended with a Antonio Gates 4-yard score to cut the Raiders lead, 21-13. On that scoring play, Tyvon Branch, Stevie Brown and Rolando McClain had a mix-up that, which freed up the tight end.

LINEBACKERS: B

Rolando McClain’s performance was probably the best of his rookie season. He ended with 7-solo tackles, but more importantly, he was on his assignments versus Tolbert out of the backfield, limiting him to one reception for no gain and shadowing other threats around the line of scrimmage. His physical presence was felt when he cleanly knocked Darren Sproles out of the game with a vicious hit after a 7-yard reception. Kamerion Wimbley was consistently chasing down Rivers, finally getting to the passer for a sack in the 4^th quarter.

SECONDARY: B

Stanford Routt was targeted at one point, so Rivers took advantage of the Raiders cornerback for a few plays in the 2^nd half while working on Seyi Ajirotutu and Malcom Floyd. But otherwise, the defensive backfield fared well against a passer that lit them up for over 400-yards in their first meeting. Rivers ended 23-of-39 for 280 yards, but because of the constant pressure applied, the Raiders’ secondary could get their hands on some tosses. Michael Huff was dominant in the 1^st quarter, recording a sack and an interception. Rookie Stevie Brown landed a big hit on Gates and batted away a potential score on 3^rd and 12 at the end of the 3^rd quarter versus Floyd. Mike Mitchell did an admirable job against Gates, but was stronger as a run defender around the line of scrimmage.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

Oakland again took advantage of a miscue on special teams when Sproles muffed a Shane Lechler punt in the 1^st quarter (recovered by Hiram Eugene). Lechler did not have much length on his punts, but he did place three inside the 20-yard line. Johnnie Lee Higgins was reliable on punt returns, recording 16-yards on one and Rock Cartwright fielded a short kickoff and tallied 28-yards on the return. Travis Goethel had a solid tackle on Sproles early in the game and Mitchell continues to be an energizer on that unit. Ford had a 28-yard return negated by a Ricky Brown holding penalty.

COACHING: A

The win was the most impressive for the Raiders this season for many reasons. San Diego had an 18-0 record in December since 2006, along with a current four game wining streak and a 7-year winning stretch versus Oakland at Qualcomm. Hue Jackson was masterful in his play calling at times; whether calling a bootleg run that fooled many for a score and that his players sold perfectly, a play action toss that again fooled the cameramen and Chargers for a 37-yard gain or perfectly called screens that consistently hurt a blitzing team that could not get to Campbell all afternoon. Oakland executed perfectly at times on offense and had sustained drives that led to an impressive 38:39 versus 21:21 time of possession advantage. John Marshall applied pressure consistently via blitzes from his linebackers and/or members of the secondary. They were well designed and had Rivers running all afternoon. Even with 13-penalties for 105-yards (Chargers only infracted 3-for-19 yards), Oakland had control of the game and clamped down when needed. Tom Cable has this bunch believing and a performance like this, after losing back-to-back games, on the road, in December, goes a long way in selling the owner why he’s the right man for the job. The defense could attack a one-dimensional Chargers attack once they went up 21-3. Norv Turner then put the game on Rivers’ shoulder and the rest is history. Campbell was poised all day and owned the offense that Jackson put together for this contest.

GAME NOTES:

• The Raiders are 4-0 in AFC West for the first time since 1990.
• Oakland swept the Chargers for the first time since 2001. The Raiders last win in San Diego was in 2002, when a Rich Gannon led Silver & Black won 27-7.
• Cornerback Walter McFadden, running back Michael Bennett, cornerback Chris Johnson, linebacker Bruce Davis, guards Daniel Loper and Bruce Campbell and wide receiver Nick Miller were inactive.
• Oakland rushed 52-times for 4.8 yards per carry.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

I just get the feeling that the San Diego Chargers will try to pound the football all day against the Oakland Raiders.

The rush defense is a major concern for the Silver & Black. In Pittsburgh, the Steelers averaged 4.9 yards per carry for a tally of 162-yards. Last Sunday, the Miami Dolphins ran the ball 49-times and amassed 186-yards rushing, this after Oakland allowed an average of 75.3 yards per contest during their three-game winning streak.

San Diego’s Mike Tolbert has carried for 214-yards and two scores the last two games and rookie Ryan Matthews could be back in the mix, as he’s practiced with the club this week.

Norv Turner wants more balance. So don’t expect Rivers to chuck the ball around 42-times as he did in their first meeting. Tolbert is rolling and he praised his blockers, specifically Kris Dielman, Nick Hardwick and Louis Vasquez, stating, “[the offensive line] want to go downhill and want to block and want to pound on the people in front of them.”

“There’s definitely a different feel,” stated left guard Kris Dielman. “Pass-blocking, you’ve gotta have patience and stay in balance. With run-blocking, you can be more aggressive. You can get after it. When you’ve got the lead and don’t need to keep throwing the ball and you’re able to open up the run, you can impose your will on (opponents), wear ‘em down, have some fun.”

The Chargers are averaging 4.0 yards a carry, a major improvement from last season, when at this point in 2009, they tallied only 3.3 yards per run.

“From our point of view, it’s very exciting to be running the ball and continuing to run the football,” said center Nick Hardwick. “To us, that’s big, being on the attack. By nature, pass-blocking is a retreat as a force trying to maintain our lines. As a run-blocking unit, you’ve got them on the retreat and trying to maintain their lines.

“We’re coming downhill. We’re getting two bodies on one body, and behind us, we have a battering ram in the fullback. And there’s another battering ram behind him. Offensive line. Boom! (Jacob) Hester slams. Boom! Tolbert comes in, slams. Boom!”

OTHER NOTES

• Malcom Floyd is expected to play after returning to practice on Friday. In their earlier meeting, the wide receiver had a career game, posting 213-receiving yards on 8-catches and a score.
• In October, the Raiders head coach put into perspective the win over the Chargers. “That’s a heck of a team, and it’s been nemesis for a number of years, obviously dating back to 2003,” Tom Cable said. “They’ve been the champ. And if you ever want to be that, you’ve got to beat the champ. So it’s just a good win.” He stated this week, it’s a must-win for the Silver & Black. “I think so.” Cable said, “We have to go down there and be at our best to have a chance.”
• Rolando McClain may miss his first game as a pro with arthritis in his left foot. “He was better last night, but worse this morning, so it will be day-to-day and we’ll probably have to wait until Sunday morning,’’ Cable said on Friday. If he can’t play, Ricky Brown will take over at middle linebacker.
• Chaz Schilens has practiced three straight days, but don’t think that will be enough for him to be active. Oakland has always taken a wait and see approach with the fragile receiver, and another week of practice may be what’s needed to get complete clearance so he’s ready to see game action.
• Richard Seymour and Zach Miller were limited in practice, but both are expected to play. Tyvon Branch’s shoulder could be worse than expected, and if he can’t go, Mike Mitchell will step in at strong safety. With Chris Johnson likely out again, the secondary could be limited again this week. Which is why Walter McFadden must forget about the rookie woes from last weekend and move forward because Philip Rivers and the Chargers could try to expose him once again.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The Oakland Raiders have not been able to run the ball in back-to-back weeks, but of concern as well should be their rush defense.

In Pittsburgh, the Steelers averaged 4.9 yards per carry for a tally of 162-yards. On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins ran the ball 49-times and amassed 186-yards rushing. This after allowing an average of 75.3 yards per contest during their three-game winning streak, only over 100-yards only once during that span; to Kansas City, the league’s best ground game in a overtime battle.

So what’s going on?

Opponents are going back to bullying the Raiders on the ground and getting physical with a defensive line that plays a lot better when they can just rush the passer and play from in front.

Oakland is no longer ambushing their opponents like in Denver, or holding their ground till the offense or special teams can come up with plays as what happened against Seattle and Kansas City.

Trevor Scott’s injury was pivotal, a key player who is workmanlike in his approach. But that shouldn’t be, or is the main reason teams are just lining up and running the ball down the Silver & Black’s throat.

Richard Seymour is healthy and as aggressive as ever. Tommy Kelly is having a solid campaign. Lamarr Houston and Matt Shaughnessy have had their moments. But as a group, the line has not come together to become a unified unit in recent weeks. Even with John Henderson back healthy and in the rotation, Oakland has not been able to  hold the fort in the trenches.

“On the line of scrimmage, it’s a street fight. You either get after it and start right from the beginning and set a mentality for the day, or is going to be a long day,” said Tom Cable following the loss to the Dolphins.

Oakland could face a dreadful afternoon this weekend. The San Diego Chargers have averaged 127.2 rushing yards per game during their current four-game winning streak.

There is no denying that Norv Turner wants to establish a run game. And with the Raiders struggling at the line of scrimmage, Mike Tolbert could match the 26-carries he had versus the Colts.

Jacob Hester is a bruising fullback. Tolbert is a tough runner. Oakland knows what’s coming, but can they stop it?

Tolbert praised his blockers, especially Kris Dielman, Nick Hardwick and Louis Vasquez, stating, “[the offensive line] want to go downhill and want to block and want to pound on the people in front of them.”

Philip Rivers tossed for 431-yards against the Raiders the first time around. He may not need as many yards this Sunday to beat them, and surely, Turner wants more balance if they expect to extend their 7-year winning streak at home versus Oakland.

PHIL SIMMS – OUT

CBS Sports analyst Phil Simms will not broadcast next to his cohort Jim Nantz this weekend. The network’s no. 1 team during NFL games will not feature Simms while he recovers from back surgery. Analyst Dan Fouts will replace him for the time being.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The Oakland Raiders (5-4) rallied down by 10 at the half to down the Kansas City Chiefs 23-20 in front of a sold-out Coliseum.

Here are some highlights of the contest:

Jacoby Ford, WR/KR

He amassed 158-yards on returns and 148-yards receiving. “It’s something I’ve been wanting to do ever since I was little,” Ford said. “I went out there, and it was a dream come true to be out there having fun making plays with those guys.” A spectacular 37-yard grab on a 3^rd and 8 in the 4^th quarter, where he was falling down and on his knees while grabbing the football and a game sealing 47-yard gain to set up his kicker foiled the Chiefs. “Jacoby Ford made a great catch to send it to overtime. He made a play.,” said Brandon Flowers of Ford’s 29-yard catch late in the 4^th quarter.

2^nd Half Rally

Oakland came back twice, down 10-0, and again when losing 20-17 after Dwayne Bowe’s 20-yard score. At that point, the air was let out of the balloon and the Raiders were facing a tough defeat in front of their faithful. But Jason Campbell completed tosses to Johnnie Lee Higgins and Ford to give Sebastian Janikowski a 41-yard attempt to knot the contest. The frantic final drive was converted with no time outs and almost thwarted by a Jared Veldheer holding penalty at the Chiefs 41-yard line. “No matter what you do, we’re gonna keep fighting you for 60 minutes. That’s the Raiders,” commented Mike Mitchell.

Run Defense

A dominant Richard Seymour spearheaded the maligned run defense. He devoured Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles and his teammates; Matt Shaughnessy, Desmond Bryant and Tommy Kelly, all had big efforts in stuffing the team that ranked first in the league rushing at 190 yards per game. “Lamarr (Houston) and (Matt) Shaughnessy holding the edge, turning the run back inside and me and Big Rich (Seymour) clean it up. We’re just executing. I just hope it continues,” stated Kelly in the locker room. Kansas City ended with 104-yards on the ground, and that inability to run hindered the Chiefs normal play calling and what Charlie Weiss could do against John Marshall’s bunch.

The Raiders Staff

Whatever Tom Cable said to them in the locker room at halftime worked. Ford had the 94-yard return for a score to open the 3^rd quarter and the Raiders looked like a different bunch in the 2^nd half. Hue Jackson debuted the ‘Wild Hog’ threw in a flea flicker and stayed aggressive with a passer that was ineffective in the first half. Oakland played without some of their best talents and lost starter as the game evolved. But the team continued to plug away till the final play.

Janikowski

He was 3-of-4, missing a game tying kick earlier in the game. But in the final seconds, he nailed a 41-yarder and then in overtime, booted a 33-yard kick. Oh, and on a wet turf with not the best footing.

Winning Ugly

It wasn’t an epic explosion or an effort we have seen the last few weeks. Oakland was 3-of-12 on 3^rd down, got flagged 15-times, had 3 turnovers and could’ve folded in the first half. They showed strength during adversity and won from behind against the team atop their division. Oakland can now say they can win ugly games and come from behind. “It just seemed like one of those days where nothing could go right,’’ Campbell said. “It’s muddy, it’s wet and you’re trying to grind it out. But the whole time, I got a lot of support from my teammates. They were like, `J, keep fighting, keep working. You’ll work your way out of it.’ ‘

OTHER NOTES

• “He’s a track guy. He can run fast, he can accelerate,’’ Jason Campbell said of Jacoby Ford. “ I was excited to see Jacoby go get that ball. It meant a lot from quarterback standpoint, you see a guy, you put it out there for him and see him burst into another speed and go get that ball, it’s just exciting, not just me but for the whole team.’’
• “It seemed like every play there for awhile,’’ Tom Cable said of the penalties. “I don’t know what the deal is. I know we’re not that undisciplined. I know because I’m there every day in practice.’’
• “It was slow motion because I was like, ‘Oh, I have it (the touchdown).’ And I said, ‘Oh, I don’t have it.’ And I was kind of disappointed. I caught it, and I looked at the ground and I was like, ‘Am I in the end zone?’ I’m in the end zone,” Khalif Barnes said about his touchdown.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist