Silver and Black Report

The Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans have faced five-times since their first meeting in 2004. Houston leads the series 4-1.

In 2009, the Texans throttled the Raiders 29-6. Darren McFadden ended with 6 carries for -3 yards. Steve Slaton scored twice and Jacoby Jones returned a kickoff for a score, while the defense allowed 165-yards to the Raiders – the second fewest in team history. “We could not run the football and that really disrupted our offense,” Raiders coach Tom Cable said. “We are really killing ourselves — we’re shooting ourselves in the foot all over the place.”

During the 2008 season, the Raiders defeated the Texans 27-16. In one of the few games JaMarcus Russell actually looked like a potential franchise passer, the former number one overall choice connected on 18-of-25 passes for 236-yards and two scores. Johnnie Lee Higgins busted the game open late in the third quarter with an 80-yard punt return for a score.

“I feel like I’m explosive,” said Higgins. “You never know what can happen. You know, it looks like he’s tackled, it looks like he’s down. Oh, he’s gone. It looks like he can’t catch it, like he can’t do this. … There he goes. So I look at myself, I always look at myself as a playmaker.”

Sage Rosenfels led the Houston to a 24-17 victory in 2007 against the Silver & Black.

Josh McCown was propelled back into the starting role at that point for Oakland after missing four games with a broken toe and being replaced by Daunte Culpepper. McCown was booed throughout the contest, as he tossed 3 interceptions on 13-completions out of 28-attempts.

“As much they may hate me or anybody else they don’t understand how I feel,” McCown said. “Nobody in this room and none of the fans want to feel what I feel right now. Trust me. It’s a sick, hurting feeling you can’t describe.”

During the contest, Sebastian Janikowski attempted a 64-yard field goal at the end of the first half. The kick had plenty of distance but bounced off the right upright.

“It wasn’t going to be a distance issue. He felt great going that direction,” then head coach Lane Kiffin said. “It would have been a spark for us going into the locker room at halftime, but it hit the post.”

Justin Fargas ended that contest with 23-carries for 104-yards and a score.

In 2006, Oakland held the Texans to negative 5 passing yards in the game and still lost 23-14. “It’s the weirdest feeling I’ve ever had in a football game,” David Carr said.

Here are archived pictures from some of those contest snapped by SBReport.net and Raiderfans.net photographers:

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The Oakland Raiders took a major step forward in attempting to fix their leaky defensive line with the acquisition of five-time pro-bowler Richard Seymour.

The 29-year old defensive tackle/end has been a standout on the New England Patriots Super Bowl winning teams and one of the league’s best interior linemen since being selected 6^th overall out of the University of Georgia in the 2001 draft.

At 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, Seymour will add run stopping abilities to a defensive line that has been one of the NFL’s worst since the 2003 season. He is also a playmaker who can get to the quarterback and one of the better players in the league in big-games.

Oakland purged themselves this weekend of a mistake they made a few years back, parting ways with Terdell Sands after the behemoth tackle was lackadaisical and uninspired since the Silver & Black bestowed upon him a four-year, $17 million contract. Sands was due $1.6 million, but Oakland had already forked over $1.9 in an off-season roster bonus.

The Patriots will receive Oakland’s 2011 first round draft choice in the swap; which could be damaging to the Raiders if they cannot avoid a seventh straight 11 or more loss season in 2009 and they continue to demonstrate ineptitude on the field into the 2011 draft. Oakland has been selecting no lower than seventh overall in the first round since the 2004 draft. They’ve acquired a lot of talent during that span, but not one player since 2004, chosen in the first round by them, has distinguished themselves as a pro-bowl caliber talent.

This including recent picks; JaMarcus Russell (1^st overall) and Darren McFadden (4^th overall), who the organization hopes will spearhead a turn around in the coming years.

Seymour has a year remaining on his deal, so it is also imperative the Raiders can lock him up with an extension or just waste away a potentially high selection.

In the short-term this gives the Raiders some versatility on the defensive line. Seymour can line up at end or tackle in many formations, which will give John Marshall’s defense different looks. Seymour has the rare ability to play both one-and two-gap styles due to his strength and quickness. In the 3-4 front that was typical in New England, Seymour usually played end. He moved inside to tackle when the Pats switched to 4-3 looks and also on some passing downs.

Oakland is trying to generate more of a pass rush this season; incorporating more blitzes into their attack. With Seymour, they can get some interior pressure, or pair him with Greg Ellis to bookend the tandem. Trevor Scott also does not have to be relied upon at end as much as it was expected. More of a situational pass rusher, the second year pro has a good motor and his best asset is getting into the backfield, but Scott has become a major liability on the edges versus the run.

Gerard Warren and Tommy Kelly will surely benefit from his arrival, and all of the sudden, there is some hope that the Raiders may be able to be more creative along the front-four and actually have some success at slowing opponent’s ground games.

Here’s a look at how the Raiders fared since 2003 at stopping the run:

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

ANALYSIS:

One major criticism I have had about the Raiders since 2003 is their blindness and lack of effort in addressing the concern along the defensive line. Yes they have added pass rushers like Derrick Burgess and Greg Ellis during that span, and tackles such as Ted Washington and Warren Sapp, but they turned their back to the habitual incompetence along the interior of the line. Seymour is a big-time playmaker. He turns only 30 during the season, and comes from a winning program that has been the model franchise in the league for many years now. He is winner, and Oakland needs players like him on the roster. He directly addresses issues in stopping the run, ads versatility to the line, which can be confusing to offensive coordinators and can be a disruptor. Last season, he matched his career high of 8 sacks and tallied 52-tackles. For a second straight season, he was not named to an all-pro team or pro-bowl, but no one can deny the influence he had in the locker room and on the field for the Patriots.

To give this trade a complete thumbs up for the Raiders; Oakland must retain him after his contract is up, Seymour must continue having the solid seasons we are accustomed seeing of him and by 2011, Oakland better be contending for a AFC West crown and not looking at another top-10 pick. If they are still mired in losing, that will likely mean that JaMarcus Russell has not been able to develop into the quarterback they thought he would be, other selections may have not panned out, they will be forking over a pick they may need to a perennial Super Bow contender, and will just be the butt of all jokes once again if all goes wrong.

On Saturday, the Oakland Raiders (1-1) and the New Orleans Saints (2-0) will do battle in both clubs most important pre-season contest. In the third game for both teams, many of the participants that you will see once the regular season begins will be on display getting their last dress rehearsal before preparing themselves for the action of Sundays. The Raiders have made it clear who their starting quarterback will be, but a few other spots remain up in the air.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

Oakland’s running back trio is powerful. At any moment, they can play varying styles of football and each one has different attributes that Tom Cable loves. And he likes the fact that all three are close and have enjoyed the competition in camp this summer. “They have a good time with it because they are so close,” Cable said. “They all want to be the guy but they push each other and pull for each other in their own way.”

But there is one guy who should be getting the majority of the reps and that is Darren McFadden. His multi-dimensional skills greatly increase the versatility of this offense. McFadden is one of the only players on this roster that scares opponents. And in any given moment during a game, the speedster has the ability to hit paydirt from anywhere on the field.

“He’s a real key for us,” Cable stated in early August. “When you look at us when we used him many ways, not just as a runner, but many ways, we were much, much better offensively. So (the goal is) to expand on that role and make him a key part of what we’re trying to do.”

Michael Bush will get the start versus New Orleans. This after McFadden and the veteran Justin Fargas got their numbers called in prior weeks. Bush is not a bulldozer and he has nimble feet. Once he gets going though, he’s hard to stop. Some of his best plays are in screens, as he has very good hands.

What to Expect:

Bush will get the bulk of the load in the 1^st quarter, but its time for Cable to settle in on McFadden and take some of the carries from Fargas, especially when the season begins.

The debut of Javon Walker will be met with anticipation. He practiced this week, looked sharp and could be a player that warrants a lot of attention if he can max out his potential. “He’s a little rough with some of his assignments, but that’s normal,” Cable said. “He hasn’t had a lot of work, but he’s able to clear that because he’s had so much experience. He’s a really bright guy, and the net time you see him do it, he’s fixed the mistake from the time before. We’ll expect him to go after it Saturday.”

On Defense:

Well, nothing has changed on this defense, and the run stuffing issue is still very problematic.

Terdell Sands is on the hot seat, and after a horrible effort against the 49ers last week, all the potential starters and contributors will be assessed against a team that features talent at running back.

“I thought we had some guys not play very well,” Cable said about their effort last game. “We have to do a better job adjusting to it as coaches, and then, two, I think you have to at some point set your jaw and decide you’re not going to get your rear end kicked like that.”

John Marshall was looked at as a guy who could change the ugly trend on this defense. But how can he with the same group that has been struggling with this aspect of defense for some time now?

“We have a few things to shore up, but we have a good system in place,” Ricky Brown said. “Once everybody buys into it, the sky’s the limit for us, you’ll see.”

What to Expect:

Expect this team to get a real challenge on Saturday. The Saints toyed with the Raiders last year in their regular season meeting. And their ability to run and pass, mix it up with pro-bowl talents all over the field will be a good gauge to see where Oakland’s defense is at right now.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:

On Offense:

Reggie Bush is expected to get a heavy workload this weekend after missing the Saints prior game with a strained calf. He rarely gets fed the ball often on running plays as you would to a rusher who can take and then dish out the pounding, but his teammate Mike Bell can and does.

Bell led the Saints in rushing yards last weekend and in total, New Orleans tallied 173 yards on 27 carries.

“Mike’s a guy, ever since he’s gotten here, who’s gotten better and better,” said starting quarterback Drew Brees . “He showed what he could do the other night. He ran extremely hard. He’s had a great training camp. He’s the guy who might be the MVP of training camp. I think he understands what we need from that third running back position. I see him playing a role in what we do if he continues to run like that.”

What to Expect:

Sean Payton will throw the playbook at the Raiders. The third year coach of the Saints wants his team to be more physical, which may not be a problem against the Silver & Black’s weak run defense. How often will they try to attack the Raiders’ secondary will be interesting to note. And if they can get a productive game out of the rushers, it may not be difficult to keep the Raiders unbalanced with screens to Bush or lengthy down field tosses against their suspect safeties.

On Defense:

It is imperative for the Saints to improve on defense if they want to make the playoffs in 2009.

One player that will be highlighted this season will be defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. The second year pro had a good camp and is primed to surprise the league.

The run defense has had its moments during the summer. But for the most part, the offense is what gets all the notoriety in New Orleans. One player on offense who knows a thing or two about playing with confidence is Bush, and he stated that this defense needs to have more juice in order to make that turnaround.

“It’s all about swagger,” Bush said. “I think that’s going to help us and help our defense. Our defense has to have swagger and so does our offense. If we develop a swagger as a team, that’s just going to make us that more dangerous.”

What to Expect:

The Saints flirted with free-agent linebacker Derrick Brooks. But he doesn’t have much left in the tank and the defense really wanted to add an impact player to that group. Mark Simoneau is on injured reserve.

Jonathan Vilma, Scott Fuita and Scott Shanle have to play very well in order to ease some of the uneasiness around the team about that aspect of their defense.

NOTES:

• On offense, Chaz Schilens (foot), Khalif Barnes (ankle), John Wade (stinger), Justin Fargas (hamstring) all missed time during practice yesterday. Matt Shaughnessy (foot), Isaiah Ekejiuba (shoulder), Kirk Morrison (elbow) and Mike Mitchell (hamstring), along with linebacker Slade Norris (calf) were out for the defense.
• Some Saints that will not be seen in action versus the Raiders include: defensive end Charles Grant (hamstring), left tackle Jammal Brown (sports hernia), offensive lineman Anthony Davis (elbow), tight end Darnell Dinkins (ankle), wide receiver D’Juan Woods (neck) and safety Chip Vaughn (knee).

BROADCAST INFORMATION:

Greg Papa and Tom Flores, alongside Jim Plunkett, will simulcast the game on the Raiders Radio and Television Network. Raiders Legend George Atkinson will serve as the sideline analyst next to the host of the broadcast, popular radio personality JT the Brick.  This week’s game will be televised locally on tape-delay on KICU Action 36 Cable 6 on Saturday, August 29 at 5 p.m. There will be an encore showing of the game on Sunday August 30, at 1 p.m. on KICU Action 36 Cable 6. The game can be heard on Raiders Radio originating on KSFO 560 AM, the flagship for the Silver and Black’s multi-state Radio Network. Papa and Raiders two-time Super Bowl wining head coach Tom Flores will man the booth for the 12th straight year.  The radio pregame and postgame shows will feature Raider Legends Atkinson and David Humm along with KGO’s Rich Walcoff. (Information cited from the official Raiders Web Site)

According to several reports, the Napa Police Department has plans to question head coach Tom Cable about the alleged role he played in an encounter with assistant Randy Hanson.

Hanson was treated at the Queen of the Valley Hospital for a broken bone in his face. Cable stated on August 17^th, “It’s an internal issue that we are dealing with, and that’s all I’m going to say. He continued, “I’m not going to comment on [what happened to Hanson].”

The defensive assistant reportedly told the police in a statement that a member of the Oakland coaching staff at the team’s hotel initiated the attack. Other news outlets have stated that Cable attacked Hanson during a meeting.

Just last week, Cable replied, “When all the facts come out, everything will be fine.”

Hanson has not been at the Raiders’ facility since the incident occurred and since, the case has taking a new turn because of his willingness to collaborate with the authorities.

This cannot be good news for the team, who is heading into their third preseason game and is wrapping up a summer of optimism.

Cable seems confident in his statements that all will be worked out and that his name will be cleared of any wrongdoing. But you tend to think that there is fire where you see smoke, and with the police now involved, and Hanson retaining an attorney specializing in employment law, you could see some more drama coming out of Oakland as the pre-season winds down and the regular season begins.

Never a good thing for any team, especially one that has the recent on the field track record that this one has.

WR OUT, DB IN

Oakland waived WR Samie Parker and inked DB Michael Hawkins.

The speedy DB has been with Cleveland, Minnesota, Dallas and Tampa Bay after being Green Bay’s fifth round selection (167^th overall) in the 2005 draft. Hawkins made his debut in 2004-2005 with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League.

Parker did not distinguish himself in camp and will move on once again, as he has been with 5 clubs in the last 3 years. The Raiders don’t have a lot of quality depth at wide receiver, but with the return of Javon Walker this week, and the expected return of Chaz Schilens in the first quarter of the season, keeping Parker seemed a long shot.

RAIDERS CLAIM DEFENSIVE TACKLE

In another transaction, the Raiders claimed DT Joe Cohen off waivers from the Miami Dolphins. They also waived CB Jason Horton in the process.

At this point, they are looking for any willing bodies to compete at defensive tackle. The front four does look good heading into the season; especially after the San Francisco 49eers torched them last weekend. Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren, Terdell Sands and William Joseph were expected to be tackles rotating time once the regular season began.

But Sands looks to be a player near the cut-line with his ineptness and contract. Joseph was one of the few on that defense that had good glimpses last weekend.

NEAL NEWS

On the official Raiders web site, Lorenzo Neal is listed as “released.” And it appears both sides agreed on a injury settlement, ending any curiosity about the move.

One of the areas of need for the Oakland Raiders is defensive tackle. For years, they have struggled to stop the run and during that span, they’ve thrown money at the likes of Dana Stubblefield, Warren Sapp and Ted Washington to plug the trenches. But it has not worked, and even when trying to develop their own talent – Tommy Kelly and Terdell Sands – Oakland has not been able to find a way to stop teams from controlling games on the ground.

Inexplicably, Sands and Kelly in back-to-back off-seasons received substantial raises, and they’ve been part of some of the bad units once coached by Rob Ryan.

In 2003, Oakland was worst in the league allowing 156.9 yards per game. Then in 2004, they allowed 124.8 yards per contest. The Silver & Black followed that up with a 128.1 per game average allowed in 2005. In 2006, 134 yards per game, in 2007 145.9 per contest and finally last season, 159.7 rushing yards allowed per contest, the highest average during a span in which they posted a 24-72 record.

Now they go into 2009 staring at a similar rotation along the front. Can they hang their hat on their new coordinator (John Marshall) in hopes that all will be well? Can Kelly live up to his mega-deal? Can Sands fulfill the potential he has as a run stuffer or just be another mammoth frame?

Gerard Warren has been a contributor in spurts, but he has been a bust since being drafted by Cleveland with the 3^rd pick in the 2001 draft. Warren is better off the bench as part of a rotation when he is not expected to play a lot of reps. Beyond that, there is nothing else and the same personnel remains that allowed a copious amount of yardage in 2008.

Because of the struggles along the defensive front, the linebackers have suffered. Kirk Morrison getting bowled over and not being able to shed linemen or fullback blocks on his way to ball carriers has been a common site. His move back to the outside of the formation would be ideal if the Raiders could find a suitable middle linebacker. But that is not likely and Morrison will have to work on improving his footwork, use of hands and pursuit.

Thomas Howard is a speedy linebacker that excels in coverage.

Adding starter to the bunch would be nice, but not as much of a priority as other spots on this club. Oakland has struggled to find a complimentary outside linebacker, as Ricky Brown, Sam Williams, and Isaiah Ekejiuba are better suited as special team contributors.

PROSPECTS TO WATCH

B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College

One of the more ideal selections in the first round for the Raiders. Raji has the mass and bulk needed to alleviate the pressure on the linebackers and add toughness to a weak run stuffing group. He also can bring pressure from the interior, something that could make Derrick Burgess more of a threat on the edge,

Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech

After Burgess, the Raiders have a weak rotation at end. Trevor Scott was a pleasant surprise last season, but there are question whether or not he can handle the rigors of being an every down defender. He looks to be more of a 3^rd down rusher, and like Jay Richardson, he may not bring enough of a presence to help fix a weak run defending front seven. Johnson is an athlete who can become a solid edge rusher. And with Burgess’ pending free-agency, they may have to prepare for the future by taking a end in this draft that could be a solid 2^nd round selection.

Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

One of the sleepers in this draft that could be a starter in this league with his size and athleticism at end.

Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

• Quarterback JaMarcus Russell threw much better today after sustaining an elbow injury a couple of days ago. Most of his passes were short dump offs, but there were some that he riffled into tight coverage for completions.
• On a strange looking play, defensive end Derrick Burgess and tackle Cornell Green met at the point of attack, grabbing each other as the play came their way. The two didn’t want the other to get the upper hand in positioning, so they held on to to their jerseys as they ran around each other.
• Defensive tackle Gerard Warren did not work out with the team, but participated in individual drills with the trainer. Warren’s thigh is still bothering him according to Lane Kiffin.
• Mammoth tackle Terdell Sands was out today to have his knee drained and will go to a one-a-day practice format. Kiffin expects to have Sands in drills tomorrow.
• Safety Greg Wesley practiced again today with the second team defense.
• Wide receiver Todd Watkins just keeps on making sensational catches. Head coach Lane Kiffin was asked about Watkins, and stated, “He’s played extremely well. We were joking in there because he came off the street and Mark Jackson found him for us, so he’s taking credit for him. A year ago, we tried him out and ended up bringing him back. The guy has made a number of plays. We were going through some lists and some different people were talking in the room, I’m not going to tell you exactly where, but a number of guys on offensive staff had him extremely high on the list.”
• Cornerback DeAngelo Hall slightly injured his left hand after trying to break up a Todd Watkins catch. Hall came off the field holding his extremity and didn’t come back out with the 1^st team defense. Hall appeared to be fine afterwards, as he was seen joking with teammates on the sideline and not favoring his hand.
• Receiver Ronald Curry hauled in a deep reception on a long toss versus cornerback Michael Waddell.
• The offensive line was sharper today. During the last offense vs. defense drills, there were no false starts that entire session.