Silver and Black Report

Reggie McKenzie could have a very young coaching staff in his first year as GM.

If reports are true, that the Oakland Raiders are considering adding Jason Tarver to their coaching staff, the Silver & Black will surely have a very youthful and raw sideline in 2012.

Tarver, 37, worked one year as the co-defensive coordinator under David Shaw at Stanford, after working for the 49ers from 2001 through 2010 as an offensive assistant.

Greg Manusky was rumored to be a candidate for the job, but he became the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts. Oakland asked permission to interview Denver linebackers coach Richard Smith and New Orleans defensive assistant Bill Johnson, but were denied on both.

Packers cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. is another name that has been bantered about, with no real indicators demonstrating he was looked at or given permission to speak to Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen.

Tarver served as quality control coach for San Francisco for three years before he was promoted to assistant running backs/offensive assistant coach for the 2004 season. He then became San Francisco’s outside linebacker’s coach for six seasons prior to his move to Stanford.

He is a very bright mind, who has a master’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology. When asked why coach, especially with his vast knowledge in other areas, Tarver stated, “I really love the look on guys’ faces when you help them make a play. It’s almost better than doing it yourself. That’s what really made me want to do this.

“And then, I like to see 22 guys running around and see how it all fits together. That’s a puzzle that’s always fun. It’s a moving puzzle every single play, and you’ve got to figure it out between the plays.”

A quality control staffer in the NFL reviews a lot of film of upcoming opponents and formulates early plans of attack, dissects tendencies and reports it back to the coordinators and head coach.  Something Tarver was extremely good while learning the intricacies of coaching.

“As you are looking at things and seeing it, you learn how we attack guys. I learn that part of it by getting them data,” Tarver said. “We see everything.”

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In today’s edition of the Daily News, columnist Filip Bondy compared fans of the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants. He gave ten reasons to never fear 49ers fans, on the eve if their championship game meeting.

One of the reasons in the tongue-in-cheek column was:

2. All the real fanatics live in working-class Oakland and cheer for the Raiders. We’ve seen Raider Nation, and it’s a frightening spectacle. Niner fans don’t know from spikey costumes.

I’m sure that will bring a huge smile to the Raider Nation, as many of them will cheer against their Bay Area rival on Sunday. Here are some images  in honor of the article and the faithful that show-up every weekend wearing their Sunday best:

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Bill Belichick is aiming at his fourth Super Bowl title.

If you’re a fan of the NFL, this is a bittersweet weekend because you are getting a full day worth of football, but very agonizing if you expected your team to be in this spot and you begin to realize that the season is winding down.

The New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers are in the final-four. Winners go to the Super Bowl. The losers lament a season that just fell short of being on the grand stage.

RAVENS vs. PATRIOTS

For Baltimore, it’s a simple formula…

Run Ray Rice and hope to get enough pressure on Tom Brady to slow down his offensive onslaught.

In their last playoff meeting, Rice had a monster outing and then boasted about it being his finest day as a pro. The Ravens rushed that afternoon for 234-yards in a 33-14 win at Foxborough. The same must happen again.

Baltimore has to play keep-away, control the clock and pound that suspect New England defense. Yes, the Patriots played inspired football last weekend and looked fiery versus the Broncos. But that was a different offense. The Ravens are far more versatile and can move the chains with consistency with a balanced attack.

Sure, Tom Brady will put up points. That Ravens secondary doesn’t have the talent at cornerback to match-up outside with New England, nor do they want to use their linebackers and safeties in space to cover the best tight end tandem in the league. But ultimately, if Terrell Suggs and the rest of the front-seven can get into the pocket, that can shift the flow of the game dramatically.

Brady is a master and on a mission. Bill Belichick can still game plan with the best of them. And having the game in New England will be vital.

Ultimately, I trust Brady more. And even with all their flaws on defense, I can’t see Joe Flacco playing a mistake free game. As much as I like Rice and what he could potentially do, Belichick and co. will find a way to corral him and Brady’s arsenal will make the Ravens look slow and old.

PREDICTION: Patriots 34 – Ravens 27

GIANTS vs. 49ERS

Jim Harbaugh has the 49ers one-win from the big-game.

Who do I trust more? Eli Manning or Alex Smith? Easily… I’ll go with the man who has already won a ring and more importantly, a passer who has played league MVP-type football all-season for the New York Giants, but will be trumped by the likes of Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers in the voting.

San Francisco’s defense is legit. They are tough, as evidenced by some of the hitting last week and are stout versus the run. But even Brees carved them up and had the Saints up late in the 4^th quarter, while being a one-dimensional attack. The 49ers will get a heavy dose of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, and the Giants the last few weeks have had just as good as a aerial attack as anyone in the league.

Jacobs and Bradshaw are tough and shifty, can break big runs and will keep the 49ers off-balance enough to move the chains and help Manning’s play-action.

The 49ers need a major effort from Frank Gore. If not, they’ll have to depend on Smith’s arm again and that suspect group of receivers. The Giants secondary can be had. But can Kyle Williams, Michael Crabtree or Ted Ginn Jr. make enough plays? They were non-existent last weekend, and the only thing that saved the Niners’ offense was a career-performance from their all-world tight end, Vernon Davis.

Running the ball with Gore is a must. They need a 25+ carry, 130+ yard performance out of him. If they want to slow down that Giants’ pass rush, they must run right at Jason Pierre-Paul and neutralize New York’s four-man rush attack. If Perry Fewell has to commit extra men near the line of scrimmage to stop Gore, that could open it up for Davis, who has a clear advantage over anyone on the Giants defense who tries to cover him.

This game will be tight at the end. As I stated earlier, I trust Manning more, and if New York can apply some pressure on Smith, he’ll surely make a throw that will hurt  his team.

PREDICTION: Giants 23 – 49ers 17

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Gerard Warren during his playing days with the Silver & Black.

Last weekend, several former Oakland Raiders were participants on wild-card weekend. How did some of those players/coaches perform on Saturday when the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers engaged in an epic 36-32 contest, and during the New England Patriots romp of the Denver Broncos.

Aaron Kromer – Saints OL coach

The Saints allowed three sacks and had constant pressure put on Drew Brees against a very tough and active 49ers defense. In spite of the 37-yards on only 14 carries, Brees tallied a remarkable 462-yards passing on 40-of-63. With no ground attack, making play action a poor decoy, Brees was still able to rally the Saints for a 32-29 lead on a 66-yard pass to Jimmy Graham late in the final quarter. Kromer’s offensive line was not stellar, and now all three of their five starting linemen can begin to make plans for their trip to the Pro Bowl.

Gerard Warren – Patriots DT

The former 3^rd pick overall in the 2001 draft was a Raider from 2007-2009. He had 10-sacks in Silver & Black. Warren had two tackles, one for a loss on Saturday.

Sterling Moore – Patriots CB

Oakland signed the un-drafted rookie on July of 2011 before being waived in September. Since, he’s been with the Patriots, posting his best game in week-17 when he compiled two interceptions, one that was returned for a touchdown. Moore was very good against the Broncos, tallying two passes defended.

John Fox – Broncos head coach

Fox ended his first year in Denver with a 45-10 drubbing in New England. The Broncos did win the AFC West, had an incredible second-half run after starting 2011 at 2-5, placing them in the cellar of the division.

Jim Harbaugh – 49ers head coach

Harbaugh spent two seasons (2002-03) as an offensive assistant with the Silver & Black. He was part of the staff that helped Rich Gannon earn league MVP honors in 2002. On Saturday, in his first campaign as head coach with San Francisco, he earned a thrilling playoff victory at home against the Saints. “You’ve got to live or die in these games and we live on, and we live on in spectacular fashion. I’m really proud of my guys. I know you had ‘The Catch’ and ‘The Drive,’ I don’t know what you call this one,” said Harbaugh after the contest, referring to Vernon Davis 14-yard catch with nine seconds remaining to cap a 36-32 victory.

John Morton – 49ers WR coach

From 1997-2004, Morton worked for the Raiders in the personnel department, quality control on offense and as a wide receiver coach. He also served briefly as a tight end coach. There, he met Harbaugh, which eventually led to his capacity as receiver’s coach with San Francisco.

Tom Rathman – 49ers RB coach

Served in the same capacity for the Raiders for two seasons, aiding Justin Fargas’ success in attaining his first 1,000+-yard season. Rathman also donned the Silver & Black, playing his final campaign in 1994 with Los Angeles. The 49ers ran for 143-yards on Saturday on 22-carries.

Last week’s look at ex-Raiders, click here.

NOTE

• Tom Brady’s six touchdown passes versus the Broncos tied him with Steve Young and Daryle Lamonica for most scoring tosses in a single post-season game.

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The Oakland Raiders dropped their second preseason game, losing to the San Francisco 49er’s 17-3 at Candlestick Stadium on Saturday night.

Starting quarterback Jason Campbell fumbles the ball while attempting to scramble

San Francisco welcomed their rivals from across the bay with a 79-yard drive to the Raiders 2-yard line. There, Oakland’s defense stalled the driving offense and forced a David Akers field goal attempt. Holder Andy Lee botched the snap, resulting in an interception to Raiders starting middle linebacker Rolando McClain.

After an Oakland three and out, defensive end Matt Shaughnessy gave the Raiders starting defense just what they needed with quarterback Alex Smith driving San Francisco’s offense on their second drive. On their own 36-yard line, Shaughnessy dropped back into zone coverage and intercepted Smith’s 3rd-down pass to Vernon Davis.

With wide receivers Jacoby Ford and Chaz Shilens out with injury, Raiders rookie Denarius Moore recieved his first start, opposite of Heyward-Bey. Campbell quickly found the rookie on consecutive plays, a 17-yard completion up the middle, and an 11-yard catch that brought Oakland to the San Francisco 35-yard line.

Campbell wasn’t done throwing to the rookie. Campbell looked for Moore deep in the end zone a couple of plays later, but Moore’s acrobatic catch was made just out of bounds.

Campbell connected with Heyward-Bey on the ensuing play, who made a nice leaping catch over a defender to bring Oakland to the San Francisco 2-yard line. After a couple of failed plays netting zero yardage, head coach Hue Jackson went for it on 4th and goal but Campbell was sacked causing the Raiders to come up empty.

Oakland continued their struggles in the red zone. Following an Akers field goal, Oakland’s offense made it to the red zone before consecutive penalties by offensive lineman pushed them back to the 32-yard line.

Raiders quarterback Trent Edwards, who entered the game after a hard hit took Campbell out, threw an ill-advised pass into double coverage which was intercepted by cornerback Tarell Brown.

Kyle Boller started the second half for the Raiders and orchestrated the offense to its only points, a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Though, Boller also threw an interception of his own on a 4th and 2 pass to his fullback Manase Tonga.

San Francisco ran all over the Raiders, finishing with 239 total rushing yards. Kendall Hunter led the rushing attack with 105 yards on 9 carries on both Oaklands first- and second-string defenses. Xavier Omon added his own 5-yard

Rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore runs after one of his two catches

touchdown with 3:39 remaining in the game.

Despite only scoring three points, Oakland can take away some positives on offense. Heyward-Bey finished with two catches for 40 yards; Denarius Moore had two catches for 28 yards; and Campbell finished 5-7 for 74 yards and no interceptions before leaving the game with an injury.

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 have confirmed that Hue Jackson has been given permission to interview for the head coaching vacancy with the San Francisco 49ers.

Oakland’s offensive coordinator was a driving force in the team ranking 10^th in the NFL in total offense and ending with 410-points, a year after ranking 31^st and scoring 197-points.

Jackson is atop the list of Raider candidates if Oakland does not retain Tom Cable for one more season. The Raiders have till January 18 according to reports, a deadline in Tom Cable’s contract, which the team can exercise the one-year, $2.5 million option.

Jackson had one-year stints as an offensive coordinator in Washington and Atlanta before landing in Oakland this past campaign.

Al Davis has rarely wrapped a lasso on assistants that have been presented with opportunities elsewhere. So when a team like the 49ers called, it was obvious that the owner would not let his offensive coordinator pass up that opportunity.

“Al’s very happy to do that,” senior executive John Herrera said Tuesday. “He would not stop Hue Jackson from having the opportunity to interview for a head coaching position. He believes in diversity. He didn’t need the Rooney Rule to hire Art Shell [in 1989].”

You can speculate that the Rooney Rule is a reason for Jackson’s interview in San Francisco. The 49ers in my opinion will look for a marquee name, and with Jim Harbaugh out there, its not out of the realm of possibility that they hand over significant power to the Stanford coach in order to get his services.

Cincinnati agreed to a contract extension on with Marvin Lewis, another spot that would’ve been logical for Jackson.

So unless the 49ers are completely infatuated with Jackson or their top choices fall through, Oakland will likely have their offensive coordinator back on the sidelines.

What would be the optimal outcome for the Raiders is the return of Cable and Jackson at their prior capacities.

The players want Cable back and have campaigned for his return. Cable has earned the right to coach this team one-more season after doing the unimaginable a few years back, getting this club back to respectability.

There is no guarantee that Cable can take them to the next level, but a bigger unknown is whether Jackson can coach in this league, especially with only one year under his belt at a premium position along a head coaching staff.

Jackson has the look of a coach and his results after one campaign are resounding.

But Oakland cannot afford to let the players down and dump the coach that has worked diligently hand in hand with the owner without rebelling or stepping on his toes to a point where he can justify the departure.

So unless the 49ers really want Jackson, Cable and last year’s staff should stay in tact.

And even if Jackson is desired that much, it shouldn’t effect Davis’ decision regarding Cable.

EDIT –

Per Tim Kawakami’s Twitter: “NFL source confirms: Raiders’ Jan. 18 option for Tom Cable is for two more guaranteed years, not just one. Al D has a big decision.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Jason Campbell had a dreadful afternoon for the Silver & Black, posting the second worst passer rating by a Raider since the 1970 NFL merger. At the onset of the game, it didn’t look like he was destined for a miserable afternoon, as he smartly moved in the pocket, dumped short tosses as defenders were oncoming and moved the Raiders down the field to the tune of a 6-0 early lead.

But a few things were troubling; one being the continued struggles in the red zone for the Oakland Raiders. Hue Jackson’s call on 3^rd and goal to Marcel Reece was not even threatening to the San Francisco 49ers defense. And the few times Oakland moved the ball the rest of the game, when they entered 49er territory, they stalled and failed to attack the end zone. Whether it’s Campbell or Bruce Gradkowski, Oakland has botched their drives when they get close to paydirt – one of the many reasons why this team is 2-4.

“To not come out with points, it seemed like the air kind of went out of us, for whatever reason we just didn’t get into a rhythm in the second half,’’ Campbell said.

Head coach Tom Cable commented, “The game really comes down to opportunities. We had a ton of opportunity offensively to score. We did not score, and we’re not very good in the red zone. We let them hang around.’’

One things for sure; the offense missed Gradkowski’s fire in the huddle. Play calling is a lot more rhythmic with Gradkowski under center, the wide receivers play a lot better and the overall efficiency of the attack rises to another level. Oakland can’t stroll out there an impaired Gradkowski, but as soon as he’s healthy, Campbell should and will be back on the bench.

All signs pointed to what could have been a solid afternoon for the Silver & Black. Mike Singletary was under fire, Alex Smith was on the verge of losing his job with another bad outing, Frank Gore and the ground game had been dormant, the 49ers ranked worst in the league with a -10 turnover differential and more importantly, they were desperate for a win. But Oakland failed in their desperation to finally get back-to-back wins under Cable, an occurrence that happened only once before at the end of the 2008 campaign.

“It’s not like we get overconfident,” said Nnamdi Asomugha. “It’s just something we have to do. We just have to win that second game.”

The Raiders failed again to gain the belief of fans. Cable again failed, trying to get the best out of his team a week after a win. The troubling trend is how Oakland plays during these games. The verdict yesterday, eight penalties, 5-of-15 on 3^rd downs, lapses in key spots (Frank Gore’s big runs) and two turnovers.

“There goes the story of the Raiders,” said Tommy Kelly. “Play good, play good…Boom. There goes something. To go from the high of last week to this low, it’s rough.”

Zach Miller knew going into the game that Singletary and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky would double-team him. “They made sure they ran a linebacker underneath me and a safety over the top, with a lot of bracket,’’ Miller said after his 2-catches for 48-yards, both late in the contest.

“It was definitely mental,” cornerback Stanford Routt said. “We beat ourselves, plain and simple.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Jason Campbell speaks to the media following today’s loss against Bay Area Rival San Francisco 49ers.

QUARTERBACK: F

Jason Campbell had a dreadful afternoon for the Oakland Raiders. He opened the first quarter with some positive plays, releasing the football with a defender on him to Michael Bush on a 3^rd and 6 after evading initial pressure in the pocket, scrambling for 9-yards on a 3^rd and 8 and using his legs to extend plays on other downs. But between the 1:05 mark of the 1^st quarter till the final quarter, Campbell did not complete a pass. His other completions of note; a 2^nd and 8, 8-yard completion to Darrius Heyward-Bey with a lineman converging on him and another dump off to Bush for 6-yards on a 2^nd and 7. On Campbell’s first interception, he tried fitting the football into a small window to his tight end, but Manny Lawson had positioning on Zach Miller. He showed poor awareness at the start of the 4^th quarter when he was almost sacked for a safety. On 3^rd and 3 late, Campbell was on target to Jacoby Ford, but the ball bounced of the rookie and into the hands of Takeo Spikes. The final stats: 8-of-21 for 83-yards, 2 interceptions and a rating of 10.7.

RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACKS: C

Michael Bush filled in as a starter for the injured Darren McFadden once again. He ended with an average of 2.4 yards per carry. The 47-yards were a non-threat to the 49ers, which got to Bush in the backfield often and slowed him down at the line of scrimmage. Marcel Reece was a no-show in the passing attack. Oakland curiously went to the fullback on their opening drive on 3^rd and goal at the back of the end zone, but to no avail. Reece was flagged for holding early in the 3^rd quarter, stalling a Raider drive.

WIDE RECEIVERS & TIGHT ENDS: F

Raider wide receivers have tallied only 10-receptions in their last three games. Going against a secondary that has allowed 227.6 passing yards per game, more should be expected out the under-developed targets. Heyward-Bey again dropped a pass and was overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage against physical cornerbacks and Louis Murphy’s lone contribution of note was drawing a pass interference flag on Shawntae Spencer on the game’s opening play (46-yard penalty) and gaining 43-yards on a reverse. Zach Miller did not record his first reception until midway in the 4^th quarter. The tight end converted on a 3^rd and 8 with a 22-yard catch and on the ensuing play, he demonstrated great concentration getting his hands on a deflection by Taylor Mays for 26-yards. Oakland’s targets needed to show up today. With Miller double covered, as the 49er coaching staff promised and McFadden out of the game, the aerial attack was all but dead and the receivers were ghosts once again.

OFFENSIVE LINE: F

The line was pushed around and failed to sustain any continuity in the ground game. Campbell used his legs far too often to avoid sacks and extend plays. Even when Campbell connected on tosses, he had a defender on him. San Francisco could’ve tallied more than two-sacks this afternoon if not for the mobility of the Oakland passer. Robert Gallery starter and played with no ill effects of the hamstring injury he sustained week-one. Parys Haralson beat Cooper Carlisle on a sack and Khalif Barnes was needed on several plays for added bulk.

DEFENSIVE LINE: D

The front four did a nice job of limiting the 49ers on the ground in the first half. San Francisco managed only 28-yards rushing at intermission, but the constant pounding and demoralizing second half effected their play, as Frank Gore ended with 149-rushing yards, 64 of them on the first play of the 49ers drive after Oakland chopped their lead to 10-9 with 8:21 remaining. A few plays later, Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis for a 17-yard score and a 17-9 advantage. Matt Shaughnessy was the unit’s best performer on Sunday, versus the run and as a pass rusher, tallying 4-tackles a one sack. Lamarr Houston was flagged for a hit on the helmet and Richard Seymour was infracted a couple of times for offsides. Tommy Kelly notched a sack and at times got some good push in the middle of the 49er front.

LINEBACKERS: D

Rolando McClain had one tackle of note late in the game for a loss, but at that point Gore had done most of his damage. In coverage, the rookie played his best on a 3^rd and 13 in which he locked in on Gore out of the backfield and almost recorded his first career interception. Kamerion Wimbley had three-solo tackles, but rarely did he get to Smith on blitzes. Trevor Scott was the best of the bunch for a second straight week. Scott is proving to be a better weak side linebacker than defensive end.

SECONDARY: D

Nnamdi Asomugha almost landed with an interception on a 3^rd and 3 when covering Michael Crabtree. He covered Davis in the red-zone and was the best Raider defender in a shaky secondary. Chris Johnson also had a few assignments on Davis; playing him best on a 3^rd and 7 knocking him out of bounds to end a drive. Tyvon Branch and Michael Huff had a tough day covering at the back-end. Hiram Eugene was in the defensive backfield and sprinting towards Davis on his 17-yard score that made the game 17-9.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

Ted Ginn Jr. had 85-total yards of returns. Jacoby Ford had what could have been a momentum swinging 47-yard kick return after the 49ers went up 10-6 on Crabtree’s 32-yard score. But Stevie Brown was flagged for an illegal block in the back. Oakland punted 3-plays later. Shane Lechler showed off his powerful leg with 6-punts that averaged 53.5 per. Sebastian Janikowski was 3-for-3 with a long of 40-yards.

COACHING: D

Oakland had a few stints of being very aggressive with their play calling; opening the contest with a flea flicker and the reverse for big yardage with Murphy. Other times, they went into a cocoon and played too conservatively. Hue Jackson’s play calling left a lot to be desired in many spots, especially in the red-zone, where Oakland continues to struggle, highlighted by a play early in the game in which Marcel Reece was their main option out of the backfield in the end zone. On defense, John Marshall had his share of blitz packages, especially on running downs. But many times, they threatened with extra defenders but only rushed four against a passer that needed to be rattled. Oakland was flagged 8 times for 60-yards, lost to winless club and failed again to notch back-to-back victories. Miek Singletary’s team shot themselves in the foot just as many times and hung around enough to take advantage of a lackluster Raider performance on offense. At one point in the third quarter, the 49ers had more penalty yards (123) than Oakland had total offense (119). All of that falls on Tom Cable. After Gore’s huge run, Oakland’s balloon was deflated. A lowly offensive output (179-total yards of offense), 5-of-15 on 3^rd downs and two turnovers are all indicators of a team not ready to take that next step.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist