OFFICIAL OAKLAND RAIDERS 2008 SEASON THREAD
- Thread starter Meta4iCAL
- Start date
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80bf676c&campaign=ec0009
I was trying to post that bomb that Russell threw to Shilenz.... what a nice throw. It's good to see us take shots down the field. We need an o-line now to give our qb some time to throw the ball.
I was trying to post that bomb that Russell threw to Shilenz.... what a nice throw. It's good to see us take shots down the field. We need an o-line now to give our qb some time to throw the ball.
gotta agree with elway
davis has done NOTHING to add to the weak ass WR core we have
as we saw yesterday, NO ONE respects the passing game, so why not go man to man and come at jamarcus full boar?
you cant blame the other team for exploiting the weakness if mgmnt isnt goin to do anything to stop it.
I mean, you can diagnose the problem, but if you dont have the personnel out there, shit aint gonna work.
Al IS the problem. He does the hiring and firing....he cuts the checks, he calls the shots.
He IS THE PROBLEM.
People will play in Oakland if no one else gives them an offer, but people look at playin' for us like being on punishment, and sorry to say.....they show it in the games.
Bottom line is they dont play hard for that man. They fear him because he pays them but no respect there.
Teams usually go hard for their team owner and franchise, but it hasnt been that way in the Town for years......starting with Al's mistreatment of Marcus Allen
davis has done NOTHING to add to the weak ass WR core we have
as we saw yesterday, NO ONE respects the passing game, so why not go man to man and come at jamarcus full boar?
you cant blame the other team for exploiting the weakness if mgmnt isnt goin to do anything to stop it.
I mean, you can diagnose the problem, but if you dont have the personnel out there, shit aint gonna work.
Al IS the problem. He does the hiring and firing....he cuts the checks, he calls the shots.
He IS THE PROBLEM.
People will play in Oakland if no one else gives them an offer, but people look at playin' for us like being on punishment, and sorry to say.....they show it in the games.
Bottom line is they dont play hard for that man. They fear him because he pays them but no respect there.
Teams usually go hard for their team owner and franchise, but it hasnt been that way in the Town for years......starting with Al's mistreatment of Marcus Allen
What don't I get? When did I say Al wasn't the problem? Sometimes he makes the right decisions sometimes he makes the wrong decisions. I am not going to moan and groan like a hoe about the decisions Al makes because either you're a fan or you're not a fan. You gotta roll with the decisions he makes regardless and hope for the best. I am not going to join that Raider "bashing bandwagon".
I don't blame Al for firing Kiffin though. But I blame Al for hiring that punk. Al admitted he made a mistake when he hired the dude during his press conference.
I don't blame Al for firing Kiffin though. But I blame Al for hiring that punk. Al admitted he made a mistake when he hired the dude during his press conference.
It's all good no need to apologize dog! Whatever decision Al makes I just deal with it you know. I know he's made terrible decisions in the past (i.e. Mike Shannahan, Jon Gruden, etc...) and even Al acknowledged those mistakes in his last press conference. But what can we do now? Just accept it and move on, water under a bridge. I am not going to wish death on the dude though....just hope he makes the right decisions in the future.
Now with that being said... hopefully Al upgrades our offensive line in the offseason via the draft or free agency. We got a real good qb on our hands so let's protect him and get him some blocking. The first to go should be Kwame Harris. I don't like the way he was pushed around yesterday. He sucks!
Now with that being said... hopefully Al upgrades our offensive line in the offseason via the draft or free agency. We got a real good qb on our hands so let's protect him and get him some blocking. The first to go should be Kwame Harris. I don't like the way he was pushed around yesterday. He sucks!
LET BIG DOG EAT
Without the kid gloves, quarterback Russell might grow into a man
Nancy Gay, San Francisco Chronicle
10-27) 04:00 PDT Baltimore -- We've been calling JaMarcus Russell a rookie quarterback (with an asterisk) for a long time now, 20 NFL games. Granted, he has played in only 11 of those and started in eight.
It's time to quit using that as an excuse.
No more rationalization. He's in the middle of his second NFL season and Russell wants to play like a veteran. Let him.
Let him take his lumps like he did in Sunday's 29-10 loss to the Ravens and their No. 2-ranked defense, the NFL's best against the pass.
Let Russell take a sack for a first-quarter safety at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Let him get smashed into the turf by Ray Lewis, fend off a ferocious Ravens pass rush and throw the ball deep and have it intercepted.
Why? Because he wants this. He needs this.
"You have to grow up fast. I think in certain situations, you become better. It's tough out there, man. I promise. I mean, you can see," said Russell, who completed 15 of 33 throws for 228 yards. He threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Justin Griffith and one interception.
He was sacked four times and hit countless others. Hard.
"But today ... you just keep on fighting," a grinning Russell said afterward. "Myself, I'm not gonna let 'em stop me until I can't throw it anymore. So no matter what it is - a hit or whatever - I'm just gonna keep punching, punching, until I get what I want, as far as in life as well as football."
Injured running back Darren McFadden (turf toe) was inactive and the Raiders' running game was nonexistent in the first half. So was the Raiders' defense as Baltimore built a 19-0 lead after two quarters, a deficit that practically forced Russell to throw and the Ravens to blitz.
So what? At this point, with the Raiders' record at 2-5, what's the harm in letting Russell test his strong arm and take the consequences - good and bad - that come with being a passing quarterback?
"Believe it or not, Ray Lewis told me to protect myself," Russell said, laughing. "He said, 'There's gonna be a lot going on out here so just protect yourself. If you can, get down.'
"Believe me, I tried."
In the fourth quarter, when pass rusher/alleged bounty hunter Terrell Suggs drilled Russell in the chest and buried him into the turf following an incomplete pass, the Raiders' quarterback looked like anything but a defeated young player.
Russell looked as if he were back playing sandlot ball.
He jumped up off the grass and smacked Suggs on the butt, acknowledging a good pop and showing the Ravens - and his Oakland teammates - that their best hit man couldn't shake him.
"It's gonna take a lot, man. I'm a big guy, he's a big guy, so I'm gonna keep on getting up," Russell said. "To fight for my team. Just to show them that I'm capable. When you show toughness like that, it brings back up your level of play."
Russell wants the heat, the blitzes, the pressure and the responsibility.
Babying Russell last season did him no favors.
Not allowing him to develop his passing game this season has been a mistake.
For proof, all you had to do was look at the other team. Another 6-foot-6 quarterback, a true rookie with formerly terrible stats but a winning attitude, Joe Flacco, grew up against a generous Raiders defense that blew coverages and was fooled by trick plays.
Flacco's previous six NFL starts weren't by design. They were a necessity when illness and injury struck quarterbacks Troy Smith and Kyle Boller, and Flacco's accelerated introduction into pro football yielded one touchdown and seven interceptions entering Week 8.
Flacco, the 18th overall pick who went to Delaware, kept his head up and gradually gained confidence week by week. The Ravens, buoyed on offense by the NFL's best defense, managed to stay at .500. Flacco's teammates grew to respect their tough, athletic young passer.
In return, the Ravens gave him more to do.
On Sunday, the return of Smith to the Ravens' offense allowed first-year head coach John Harbaugh a chance for some fun: Baltimore's version of the single wing. In the third quarter, Harbaugh had his starting quarterback take the snap from center and hand the ball to Smith. Flacco then ran a pass pattern down the left flat, where the quarterback got behind Raiders linebacker Ricky Brown.
Smith threw the ball 43 yards into Flacco's outstretched hands and he fell forward to the Raiders' 6-yard line. The play set up Matt Stover's 30-yard field goal for a 22-3 lead with 3:18 left in the third quarter.
"By the time I caught the ball, I was leaning over. I stumbled as long as I could," said Flacco, who completed 12 of 24 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown - which happened to be a 70-yard connection with a wide-open Demetrius Williams. Flacco also had the last score, a 12-yard run.
Isn't it time to unleash Russell and let him throw the ball and try to do something special, for crying out loud? We might get more of what we saw too few of Sunday - like his 60-yard spiral to Chaz Schilens. Or his third-quarter completions to tight end Zach Miller for 31 and 25 yards, the types of confidence-building plays that lead to touchdowns.
"I think he is a great guy and I think his future is going to be bright," Lewis said of Russell. "He can make big throws and he has a big arm. He is a big kid, a real big kid. He moves way better than people think he can. I think the kid is going to be good overall."
E-mail Nancy Gay at [email protected].
Without the kid gloves, quarterback Russell might grow into a man
Nancy Gay, San Francisco Chronicle
10-27) 04:00 PDT Baltimore -- We've been calling JaMarcus Russell a rookie quarterback (with an asterisk) for a long time now, 20 NFL games. Granted, he has played in only 11 of those and started in eight.
It's time to quit using that as an excuse.
No more rationalization. He's in the middle of his second NFL season and Russell wants to play like a veteran. Let him.
Let him take his lumps like he did in Sunday's 29-10 loss to the Ravens and their No. 2-ranked defense, the NFL's best against the pass.
Let Russell take a sack for a first-quarter safety at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Let him get smashed into the turf by Ray Lewis, fend off a ferocious Ravens pass rush and throw the ball deep and have it intercepted.
Why? Because he wants this. He needs this.
"You have to grow up fast. I think in certain situations, you become better. It's tough out there, man. I promise. I mean, you can see," said Russell, who completed 15 of 33 throws for 228 yards. He threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Justin Griffith and one interception.
He was sacked four times and hit countless others. Hard.
"But today ... you just keep on fighting," a grinning Russell said afterward. "Myself, I'm not gonna let 'em stop me until I can't throw it anymore. So no matter what it is - a hit or whatever - I'm just gonna keep punching, punching, until I get what I want, as far as in life as well as football."
Injured running back Darren McFadden (turf toe) was inactive and the Raiders' running game was nonexistent in the first half. So was the Raiders' defense as Baltimore built a 19-0 lead after two quarters, a deficit that practically forced Russell to throw and the Ravens to blitz.
So what? At this point, with the Raiders' record at 2-5, what's the harm in letting Russell test his strong arm and take the consequences - good and bad - that come with being a passing quarterback?
"Believe it or not, Ray Lewis told me to protect myself," Russell said, laughing. "He said, 'There's gonna be a lot going on out here so just protect yourself. If you can, get down.'
"Believe me, I tried."
In the fourth quarter, when pass rusher/alleged bounty hunter Terrell Suggs drilled Russell in the chest and buried him into the turf following an incomplete pass, the Raiders' quarterback looked like anything but a defeated young player.
Russell looked as if he were back playing sandlot ball.
He jumped up off the grass and smacked Suggs on the butt, acknowledging a good pop and showing the Ravens - and his Oakland teammates - that their best hit man couldn't shake him.
"It's gonna take a lot, man. I'm a big guy, he's a big guy, so I'm gonna keep on getting up," Russell said. "To fight for my team. Just to show them that I'm capable. When you show toughness like that, it brings back up your level of play."
Russell wants the heat, the blitzes, the pressure and the responsibility.
Babying Russell last season did him no favors.
Not allowing him to develop his passing game this season has been a mistake.
For proof, all you had to do was look at the other team. Another 6-foot-6 quarterback, a true rookie with formerly terrible stats but a winning attitude, Joe Flacco, grew up against a generous Raiders defense that blew coverages and was fooled by trick plays.
Flacco's previous six NFL starts weren't by design. They were a necessity when illness and injury struck quarterbacks Troy Smith and Kyle Boller, and Flacco's accelerated introduction into pro football yielded one touchdown and seven interceptions entering Week 8.
Flacco, the 18th overall pick who went to Delaware, kept his head up and gradually gained confidence week by week. The Ravens, buoyed on offense by the NFL's best defense, managed to stay at .500. Flacco's teammates grew to respect their tough, athletic young passer.
In return, the Ravens gave him more to do.
On Sunday, the return of Smith to the Ravens' offense allowed first-year head coach John Harbaugh a chance for some fun: Baltimore's version of the single wing. In the third quarter, Harbaugh had his starting quarterback take the snap from center and hand the ball to Smith. Flacco then ran a pass pattern down the left flat, where the quarterback got behind Raiders linebacker Ricky Brown.
Smith threw the ball 43 yards into Flacco's outstretched hands and he fell forward to the Raiders' 6-yard line. The play set up Matt Stover's 30-yard field goal for a 22-3 lead with 3:18 left in the third quarter.
"By the time I caught the ball, I was leaning over. I stumbled as long as I could," said Flacco, who completed 12 of 24 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown - which happened to be a 70-yard connection with a wide-open Demetrius Williams. Flacco also had the last score, a 12-yard run.
Isn't it time to unleash Russell and let him throw the ball and try to do something special, for crying out loud? We might get more of what we saw too few of Sunday - like his 60-yard spiral to Chaz Schilens. Or his third-quarter completions to tight end Zach Miller for 31 and 25 yards, the types of confidence-building plays that lead to touchdowns.
"I think he is a great guy and I think his future is going to be bright," Lewis said of Russell. "He can make big throws and he has a big arm. He is a big kid, a real big kid. He moves way better than people think he can. I think the kid is going to be good overall."
E-mail Nancy Gay at [email protected].
Yep... our qb is growing up. That's probably the tougest defense he'll face all year and he didn't play all that bad either. You see what Ray Lewis said to him and about him. He tooks his hits like a man and kept getting up and fighting. I like his leadership... this dude is pretty tough. But you see the point of the article... let him take his lumps and bruises... experience is the best teacher! He'll learn from that game and so forth!
quoted from the article:
"Isn't it time to unleash Russell and let him throw the ball and try to do something special, for crying out loud? We might get more of what we saw too few of Sunday - like his 60-yard spiral to Chaz Schilens. Or his third-quarter completions to tight end Zach Miller for 31 and 25 yards, the types of confidence-building plays that lead to touchdowns."
The keywords are "confidence-type building plays"!
quoted from the article:
"Isn't it time to unleash Russell and let him throw the ball and try to do something special, for crying out loud? We might get more of what we saw too few of Sunday - like his 60-yard spiral to Chaz Schilens. Or his third-quarter completions to tight end Zach Miller for 31 and 25 yards, the types of confidence-building plays that lead to touchdowns."
The keywords are "confidence-type building plays"!
More Raven defenders give props to JR peep:
BALTIMORE- JaMarcus Russell couldn’t remember exactly when it happened, settling on one of the time outs late in the game.
The Baltimore Ravens had things under control, Russell kept getting hit, and Ray Lewis decided it was time to impart some wisdom upon the future of the Raiders franchise.
"Believe it or not, Ray Lewis told me to protect myself,’’ Russell said with a laugh following a 29-10 loss at M&T Bank Stadium. "He said, ..There’s going to be a lot going on out there so protect yourself. If you can, get down.’ ’’
Going down without a fight was not the image Russell was looking to project.
The Raiders trailed 19-0 at halftime, had just 35 yards of total offense and 38-0 looked within the realm of possibility.
Russell had been sacked twice, once for a safety, and threw a deep pattern up for grabs in the general direction of Johnnie Lee Higgins that was intercepted by cornerback Frank Walker.
The Raiders couldn’t run, of course. No one runs on Baltimore. The stage was set for a classic beat-down of an overmatched opponent with an inexperienced quarterback. Russell’s status as the No. 1 overall pick was like a bounty to the Ravens defense.
So the Ravens attacked, and attacked some more. Russell was sacked only four times, but the pressure was similar to what Aaron Brooks and Andrew Walter experienced two years ago when the Raiders gained all of 162 yards in a 28-3 loss to the Ravens.
In the end, Russell won nothing in a bottom-line
league. He made only two truly exceptional passes, a 60-yard strike to Chaz Schillens over former Raider Fabian Washington and a third-and-1 pass under a heavy rush which went to a leaping Zach Miller for 25 yards to the Baltimore 4-yard line.
He finished 15-for-33 for 228 yards, a touchdown and an interception. In Oakland’s last possession, he nearly had two passes stolen and taken the other way for touchdowns, one by Ed Reed and another by Washington.
It could have been much, much worse.
Nothing came easy. Even the touchdown was no cause for celebration, because the 2-yard pass to Justin Griffith was originally ruled down on the 1-yard line and Griffith left the game with a knee injury. It was overturned on a Raiders challenge, when officials ruled Griffith had broken the plane of the goal line with the ball while taking a shot from Lewis.
Russell was bloodied but far from broken. Although there’s little evidence the Raiders are good enough to avoid a sixth straight season of double-digit losses, there is at least a glimmer of hope that Russell has what it takes to survive without the scarring common to franchise quarterbacks on bad teams.
"You have to grow up fast,’’ Russell said. "I think in certain situations you become better. It’s tough out there, man. I promise. I mean, you can see. I’m not going to let them stop me until I can’t throw it any more. No matter what it is, I’m going to keep punching until I get what I want, as far as in life as well as football.’’
Late in the game, Russell was pulverized by Terrell Suggs after getting off a pass. Russell jumped to his feet and gave Suggs a hard slap on the behind, giving him credit while at the same time showing he was no pretty boy quarterback.
"He’s a football player, a very competitive player who is going to be a star in this league,’’ Suggs said. "After taking all the heat we put on him, he was able to stay in the pocket and make some plays downfield while knowing he was going to get hit.’’
Ravens defensive end Haloti Ngata said Russell "looked like he enjoyed it out there. He was poised "like the hits didn’t get to him. I think some of them did and helped us win the game, but he never showed it.’’
Lewis, after giving Russell advice on the field, spoke glowingly of him in the locker room.
"He made some big, big throws,’’ Lewis said. "He has a very big arm, and he moves way better than people think he moves. My job is to hit ’em, it ain’t to rate ’em, but think he’s got a great future.’’
There is reason for concern over whether the Raiders are capable of putting together the kind of supporting cast and creative offensive approach which will enable Russell to thrive.
He still needs to be a more accurate passer.
The physical skills were never in question, but whatever the mystical "it’’ is that makes a quarterback, Russell seems to have it in abundance.
"I’ve never seen him lose his composure, no matter how good or bad it gets, and that’s good to see from our leader,’’ Fargas said. "He always feels like he’s in the ballgame. He always thinks he can make a play.’’
"Once you step up you tend to bring other guys along with you,’’ Russell said. "That’s all I was trying to do.’’
A moment later, Russell left the podium for the long flight home, realizing with Lewis’ help that he’ll need to protect himself until that day arrives.
BALTIMORE- JaMarcus Russell couldn’t remember exactly when it happened, settling on one of the time outs late in the game.
The Baltimore Ravens had things under control, Russell kept getting hit, and Ray Lewis decided it was time to impart some wisdom upon the future of the Raiders franchise.
"Believe it or not, Ray Lewis told me to protect myself,’’ Russell said with a laugh following a 29-10 loss at M&T Bank Stadium. "He said, ..There’s going to be a lot going on out there so protect yourself. If you can, get down.’ ’’
Going down without a fight was not the image Russell was looking to project.
The Raiders trailed 19-0 at halftime, had just 35 yards of total offense and 38-0 looked within the realm of possibility.
Russell had been sacked twice, once for a safety, and threw a deep pattern up for grabs in the general direction of Johnnie Lee Higgins that was intercepted by cornerback Frank Walker.
The Raiders couldn’t run, of course. No one runs on Baltimore. The stage was set for a classic beat-down of an overmatched opponent with an inexperienced quarterback. Russell’s status as the No. 1 overall pick was like a bounty to the Ravens defense.
So the Ravens attacked, and attacked some more. Russell was sacked only four times, but the pressure was similar to what Aaron Brooks and Andrew Walter experienced two years ago when the Raiders gained all of 162 yards in a 28-3 loss to the Ravens.
In the end, Russell won nothing in a bottom-line
league. He made only two truly exceptional passes, a 60-yard strike to Chaz Schillens over former Raider Fabian Washington and a third-and-1 pass under a heavy rush which went to a leaping Zach Miller for 25 yards to the Baltimore 4-yard line.
He finished 15-for-33 for 228 yards, a touchdown and an interception. In Oakland’s last possession, he nearly had two passes stolen and taken the other way for touchdowns, one by Ed Reed and another by Washington.
It could have been much, much worse.
Nothing came easy. Even the touchdown was no cause for celebration, because the 2-yard pass to Justin Griffith was originally ruled down on the 1-yard line and Griffith left the game with a knee injury. It was overturned on a Raiders challenge, when officials ruled Griffith had broken the plane of the goal line with the ball while taking a shot from Lewis.
Russell was bloodied but far from broken. Although there’s little evidence the Raiders are good enough to avoid a sixth straight season of double-digit losses, there is at least a glimmer of hope that Russell has what it takes to survive without the scarring common to franchise quarterbacks on bad teams.
"You have to grow up fast,’’ Russell said. "I think in certain situations you become better. It’s tough out there, man. I promise. I mean, you can see. I’m not going to let them stop me until I can’t throw it any more. No matter what it is, I’m going to keep punching until I get what I want, as far as in life as well as football.’’
Late in the game, Russell was pulverized by Terrell Suggs after getting off a pass. Russell jumped to his feet and gave Suggs a hard slap on the behind, giving him credit while at the same time showing he was no pretty boy quarterback.
"He’s a football player, a very competitive player who is going to be a star in this league,’’ Suggs said. "After taking all the heat we put on him, he was able to stay in the pocket and make some plays downfield while knowing he was going to get hit.’’
Ravens defensive end Haloti Ngata said Russell "looked like he enjoyed it out there. He was poised "like the hits didn’t get to him. I think some of them did and helped us win the game, but he never showed it.’’
Lewis, after giving Russell advice on the field, spoke glowingly of him in the locker room.
"He made some big, big throws,’’ Lewis said. "He has a very big arm, and he moves way better than people think he moves. My job is to hit ’em, it ain’t to rate ’em, but think he’s got a great future.’’
There is reason for concern over whether the Raiders are capable of putting together the kind of supporting cast and creative offensive approach which will enable Russell to thrive.
He still needs to be a more accurate passer.
The physical skills were never in question, but whatever the mystical "it’’ is that makes a quarterback, Russell seems to have it in abundance.
"I’ve never seen him lose his composure, no matter how good or bad it gets, and that’s good to see from our leader,’’ Fargas said. "He always feels like he’s in the ballgame. He always thinks he can make a play.’’
"Once you step up you tend to bring other guys along with you,’’ Russell said. "That’s all I was trying to do.’’
A moment later, Russell left the podium for the long flight home, realizing with Lewis’ help that he’ll need to protect himself until that day arrives.
Dickey: Raiders have thrown in the towel on the season
By Glenn Dickey
Special to The Examiner 11/4/08
Rocked: JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders appear as if they’ve already given up on the season with their recent play. Getty Images SAN FRANCISCO – Their season may be only half-over, but Raiders players have put up the white flag. They’re making plans for their Christmas vacations and off-season activities. Those who are lucky enough to have expiring contracts are already planning their escape from the Al Davis House of Horrors.
The easiest way to determine when a team gives up is to watch the defense, because playing well on defense demands an all-out effort. On their first three drives Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons scored three touchdowns, driving 87 and 88 yards for two of them.
Not that the Raiders’ offense did anything, actuallly arriving at halftime with minus-2 net yards.
Can it get any worse? Probably. The only game that looks winnable on the rest of the schedule is a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but the way the Raiders played against the Falcons, the only team they could beat is Washington State.
In the four games since Lane Kiffin was fired, the Raiders have been blown out three times, by the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens and now Atlanta. In non-Raiders games, these teams are only a collective one game over .500. They define mediocrity. But against the Raiders, they’ve looked like Super Bowl champions.
Don’t blame interim coach Tom Cable. He didn’t ask for this job. He’s a very good offensive line coach who wanted to stay at that job, but he’s being a good soldier, taking over after Davis showed Kiffin who was the boss.
The players knew what was happening, that Davis was more interested in winning a power struggle than in winning games. Their performance since — and quarterback JaMarcus Russell’s phone call to his fired coach — show where their sympathies lie. Kiffin had started to change the culture of the team, so players weren’t accepting defeat. He was using sensible game plans, protecting Russell by emphasizing the running game, trying to keep games close — and winnable.
All that is out the window. Davis wants his quarterback to throw deep, so offensive coordinator Greg Knapp has to put that in his game plan, though it’s totally illogical. If Russell were a veteran QB, it wouldn’t make sense to be trying to throw deep with a line that can’t pass protect and receivers who can’t hang on to the ball.
Davis is obsessed with doing things his way. He will not tolerate a dissenting opinion. His inner circle has shrunk to two: longtime Raiders executive John Herrera and alleged public-relations director Mike Taylor. Neither knows much about football, but both know how to say, “Yes, Al.”
Davis spent a ton of money on players in the offseason with minimal results. DeAngelo Hall’s number has been in plain view as receivers catch passes in front of him and behind him, as with the Falcons’ first touchdown Sunday. Gibril Wilson has been noteworthy for missing tackles and not making plays. Javon Walker wanted to quit in training camp and has done little since. Tommy Kelly’s name is seldom heard.
So, the losses keep piling up. The Raiders are on their way to an NFL-record six straight seasons with double-digit losses. Raiders fans can take comfort only in the great years of the distant past. There’s no hope for the present or future with Davis in charge.
By Glenn Dickey
Special to The Examiner 11/4/08
Rocked: JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders appear as if they’ve already given up on the season with their recent play. Getty Images SAN FRANCISCO – Their season may be only half-over, but Raiders players have put up the white flag. They’re making plans for their Christmas vacations and off-season activities. Those who are lucky enough to have expiring contracts are already planning their escape from the Al Davis House of Horrors.
The easiest way to determine when a team gives up is to watch the defense, because playing well on defense demands an all-out effort. On their first three drives Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons scored three touchdowns, driving 87 and 88 yards for two of them.
Not that the Raiders’ offense did anything, actuallly arriving at halftime with minus-2 net yards.
Can it get any worse? Probably. The only game that looks winnable on the rest of the schedule is a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but the way the Raiders played against the Falcons, the only team they could beat is Washington State.
In the four games since Lane Kiffin was fired, the Raiders have been blown out three times, by the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens and now Atlanta. In non-Raiders games, these teams are only a collective one game over .500. They define mediocrity. But against the Raiders, they’ve looked like Super Bowl champions.
Don’t blame interim coach Tom Cable. He didn’t ask for this job. He’s a very good offensive line coach who wanted to stay at that job, but he’s being a good soldier, taking over after Davis showed Kiffin who was the boss.
The players knew what was happening, that Davis was more interested in winning a power struggle than in winning games. Their performance since — and quarterback JaMarcus Russell’s phone call to his fired coach — show where their sympathies lie. Kiffin had started to change the culture of the team, so players weren’t accepting defeat. He was using sensible game plans, protecting Russell by emphasizing the running game, trying to keep games close — and winnable.
All that is out the window. Davis wants his quarterback to throw deep, so offensive coordinator Greg Knapp has to put that in his game plan, though it’s totally illogical. If Russell were a veteran QB, it wouldn’t make sense to be trying to throw deep with a line that can’t pass protect and receivers who can’t hang on to the ball.
Davis is obsessed with doing things his way. He will not tolerate a dissenting opinion. His inner circle has shrunk to two: longtime Raiders executive John Herrera and alleged public-relations director Mike Taylor. Neither knows much about football, but both know how to say, “Yes, Al.”
Davis spent a ton of money on players in the offseason with minimal results. DeAngelo Hall’s number has been in plain view as receivers catch passes in front of him and behind him, as with the Falcons’ first touchdown Sunday. Gibril Wilson has been noteworthy for missing tackles and not making plays. Javon Walker wanted to quit in training camp and has done little since. Tommy Kelly’s name is seldom heard.
So, the losses keep piling up. The Raiders are on their way to an NFL-record six straight seasons with double-digit losses. Raiders fans can take comfort only in the great years of the distant past. There’s no hope for the present or future with Davis in charge.
Cable discovers what Kiffin already knew
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
News, notes and analysis from Monday’s post-mortem and press conference by coach Tom Cable following a 24-0 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
– At the midway point of the season, and four games into his tenure as interim head coach, Cable has arrived at the same spot Lane Kiffin did late in his first year.
It was at the season-ending press conference, the day before he went into Al Davis’ office and requested the firing of Rob Ryan, that Kiffin conceded the job of turning around a team with four-year history of double-digit losses when he arrived was more difficult than he had envisioned.
It had to do with dealing with players who were conditioned to expect the worst.
Cable did wonders improving offensive line play last year, but is beginning to realize what Kiffin was talking about regarding the team as a whole.
“I think when you’ve lost as much as many of the guys on this football team have, not just now but for a couple years now, you can become a product of that. You can start to worry about, `What if I don’t do this? Or what if this happens?,’ Instead of, ‘I’m gonna make this happen.’
“We’re working as hard as we can on that mindset right now. Because I really think that is something that is in us, and something that we’ve got to get out. I’ve got to get it out of them.”
– Cable said he understands people are looking hard at the Raiders to see “us crack, or fall apart.” When asked if the Falcons game was evidence that it has already happened, Cable said, “That was a real step towards it. But the good news is the sun came up today and we all got up and we’re here and we’re working on it. And we just keep pressing.”
– Assuming Cable wasn’t being literal, because it was cloudy, gloomy and raining outside as he talked.
– Another possibility Cable is coming to grips with _ intent on accelerating the progress of JaMarcus Russell and the passing game, the Raiders have fallen off as a running team. The No. 6 rushing team in the NFL last season, Oakland has rushed for less than 100 yards in five of its last six games, a span in which they’ve gained 527 yards and averaged 3.7 yards per carry.
It hasn’t helped that Darren McFadden has been hobbled by turf toe. Lead back Justin Fargas, since returning from a groin injury following the bye, has 156 yards on 56 carries _ a 2.8 average. Cable said the blocking has been subpar, and said it is his responsibility because it is his area, although he doesn’t think his dual hats of head coach/line coach are a problem.
The Raiders ran well last year in part because they stuck with it, with yardage often coming in the second half. Game circumtance, falling behind, has hurt this year, but Cable conceded, more importantly (it was) trying to develop a passing game. Where’s that happy medium? Where’s that balance at? Maybe we went too far with it.”
– Russell reaches the midway point of the season as a 48.6 percent passer (105-for-216), having been outplayed in consecutive weeks by rookie first-round draft picks Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan.
There’s talk in Cleveland that Derek Anderson, the only other regular NFL starter under 50 percent,will lose his job to Brady Quinn. Not the Raiders, as Cable said Sunday there has been no thought to playing Andrew Walter.
It was an eye-opener to see Ryan managing the game, running a no-huddle offense, changing plays at the line of scrimmage and flawlessly handling the four-minute drill as if he were Peyton Manning when the Falcons were attempting to run out the clock.
Whether it’s the system or the supporting cast, Ryan looked infinitely farther along than Russell as a game manager and pure passer.
“I’m not sure it’s fair to compare. It’s a difference in system,” Cable said. “You know, that system they’re using is a lot of `check-with-me’ and those things. He’s probably gotten that from Day One.”
The fact is, Russell has had more days of practice with the Raiders than Ryan has had with the Falcons, including last year’s late-arrival for the Raiders’ top pick. Ryan, on the other hand, started twice as many games at Boston College as Russell did at LSU.
The Raiders can only hope Russell is a slower starter with a greater upside, while Ryan maxes out his ability and peaks early. (Which happened to be the same rationale some NFL scouts had for favoring Ryan Leaf over Manning. Oops.)
Frankly, Russell looked light years from playing the kind of game Ryan did.
– Russell sat in front of his locker Monday and said he undestands it is his role to be under the microscope.
“You’re thinking, ‘What if? What could have been done differently?’ It puts you in the mind frame of, everything is your fault,” Russell said. “Basically, when it all falls down to it, everybody looks at the quarterback and the head coach. Whether you like it or not, it’s going to fall back on those two guys. To be a bigger man, you have to take it and run with it.”
– Speaking of running with it, Russell’s 22-yard bootleg was pure instinct.
“I will admit I was the only one who knew that. I don’t think the coach knew that. It was something we did, we put in,” Russell said. “I noticed a guy was blitzing off that side. It was one of our weak runs. It’s not good to outside blitz so I took it upon myself and just tried something and made a play off of it.”
– Besides the stalled running game, the Raiders have reverted to their 2007 form of late and can’t stop the run.
Defensive end Jay Richardson was having a hard time figuring out how a defense which started the season improved against the run was now giving up 177 yards a game over the last four games.
In their last two home games, where the Raiders have usually been better against the run, they’ve given up 294 yards _ 242 to the New York Jets and 252 to the Falcons.
The Raiders couldn’t stop Atlanta even when the game was winding down and the Falcons had abandoned al pretense of the passing game and were intent on killing the clock.
“It’s demoralizing. I looked at the stats after the game . . . I think they’re still running right now,” Richardson said. “I don’t care if they’ve got Jim Brown back there. There’s no excuse.”
While conceding being on the field for 82 plays played a role in the ability of the defense to stop the Falcons from running in the second half, Cable also said it was in essence a character test the Raiders failed.
“When you know it’s coming, you’ve got to step up and put it out there and we just didn’t do that,” Cable said. “At that point, we really had gotten to a point where it was inevitable and we let it happen.”
– Three games in a row, quarterbacks have come out with quick-tempo offenses, gotten the Oakland defense on its heels, then turned to a cut-back running game.
Despite having the blueprint for two weeks, the Raiders haven’t been able to stop it. Cable said the Raiders fully expected it from Atlanta, but didn’t have the necessary discipline in terms of gaps and discipline when teams started running.
– SS Tyvon Branch is having his shoulder checked by a doctor to see the extent of his injury sustained while falling on a kickoff return. LB Robert Thomas could be out a week or more with a hamstring injury. If Ricky Brown isn’t ready to return with a groin injury, that would leave Sam Williams as the starting strongside linebacker.
Cable said DE Derrick Burgess, RB Darren McFadden and LB Jon Alston remain “day-to-day.”
In New Orleans, defensive end Charles Grant was put on injured reseve with a torn triceps.
“It’s very similar so we’re trying to avoid that and give it as much time as we can,” Cable said. “It’s not torn to the point where it needs to get fixed now and all that but if we do too much too soon, we could be staring the same thing in the face.”
Some unchained optimism for the true believers:
“Here we are, we’re 2-6, the amazing thing is the AFC West is still upside-down, sideways, however you want to call it,” Cable said. “We’re at the halfway point, if we a great second half we get a chance. Right now, I think it’s really getting the brain kind of flushed out and get it back if you will focused as one. That’s something we’ve been trying to do for the last three weeks, and we’ll
get there.”
– Pain-killers made viewing the game on television easier fro fullback Justin Griffth, who was on crutches following Friday surgery to repair a torn ACL.
When asked if he had seen the game, Griffith said, “As much as I could, before the Percoset set in.”
Griffith is expecting a four- or five-month rehab and to be back before minicamp. Chances are the Raiders won’t be nearly that aggressive.
– Tommy Kelly saw reporters approaching and recoiled, shaking his head and declining interview requests.
“Y’all watched the game . . . you’ve got the footage . . . I don’t think nobody should be talking,” Kelly said. “We should close the doors! Y’all have a nice day.”
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
News, notes and analysis from Monday’s post-mortem and press conference by coach Tom Cable following a 24-0 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
– At the midway point of the season, and four games into his tenure as interim head coach, Cable has arrived at the same spot Lane Kiffin did late in his first year.
It was at the season-ending press conference, the day before he went into Al Davis’ office and requested the firing of Rob Ryan, that Kiffin conceded the job of turning around a team with four-year history of double-digit losses when he arrived was more difficult than he had envisioned.
It had to do with dealing with players who were conditioned to expect the worst.
Cable did wonders improving offensive line play last year, but is beginning to realize what Kiffin was talking about regarding the team as a whole.
“I think when you’ve lost as much as many of the guys on this football team have, not just now but for a couple years now, you can become a product of that. You can start to worry about, `What if I don’t do this? Or what if this happens?,’ Instead of, ‘I’m gonna make this happen.’
“We’re working as hard as we can on that mindset right now. Because I really think that is something that is in us, and something that we’ve got to get out. I’ve got to get it out of them.”
– Cable said he understands people are looking hard at the Raiders to see “us crack, or fall apart.” When asked if the Falcons game was evidence that it has already happened, Cable said, “That was a real step towards it. But the good news is the sun came up today and we all got up and we’re here and we’re working on it. And we just keep pressing.”
– Assuming Cable wasn’t being literal, because it was cloudy, gloomy and raining outside as he talked.
– Another possibility Cable is coming to grips with _ intent on accelerating the progress of JaMarcus Russell and the passing game, the Raiders have fallen off as a running team. The No. 6 rushing team in the NFL last season, Oakland has rushed for less than 100 yards in five of its last six games, a span in which they’ve gained 527 yards and averaged 3.7 yards per carry.
It hasn’t helped that Darren McFadden has been hobbled by turf toe. Lead back Justin Fargas, since returning from a groin injury following the bye, has 156 yards on 56 carries _ a 2.8 average. Cable said the blocking has been subpar, and said it is his responsibility because it is his area, although he doesn’t think his dual hats of head coach/line coach are a problem.
The Raiders ran well last year in part because they stuck with it, with yardage often coming in the second half. Game circumtance, falling behind, has hurt this year, but Cable conceded, more importantly (it was) trying to develop a passing game. Where’s that happy medium? Where’s that balance at? Maybe we went too far with it.”
– Russell reaches the midway point of the season as a 48.6 percent passer (105-for-216), having been outplayed in consecutive weeks by rookie first-round draft picks Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan.
There’s talk in Cleveland that Derek Anderson, the only other regular NFL starter under 50 percent,will lose his job to Brady Quinn. Not the Raiders, as Cable said Sunday there has been no thought to playing Andrew Walter.
It was an eye-opener to see Ryan managing the game, running a no-huddle offense, changing plays at the line of scrimmage and flawlessly handling the four-minute drill as if he were Peyton Manning when the Falcons were attempting to run out the clock.
Whether it’s the system or the supporting cast, Ryan looked infinitely farther along than Russell as a game manager and pure passer.
“I’m not sure it’s fair to compare. It’s a difference in system,” Cable said. “You know, that system they’re using is a lot of `check-with-me’ and those things. He’s probably gotten that from Day One.”
The fact is, Russell has had more days of practice with the Raiders than Ryan has had with the Falcons, including last year’s late-arrival for the Raiders’ top pick. Ryan, on the other hand, started twice as many games at Boston College as Russell did at LSU.
The Raiders can only hope Russell is a slower starter with a greater upside, while Ryan maxes out his ability and peaks early. (Which happened to be the same rationale some NFL scouts had for favoring Ryan Leaf over Manning. Oops.)
Frankly, Russell looked light years from playing the kind of game Ryan did.
– Russell sat in front of his locker Monday and said he undestands it is his role to be under the microscope.
“You’re thinking, ‘What if? What could have been done differently?’ It puts you in the mind frame of, everything is your fault,” Russell said. “Basically, when it all falls down to it, everybody looks at the quarterback and the head coach. Whether you like it or not, it’s going to fall back on those two guys. To be a bigger man, you have to take it and run with it.”
– Speaking of running with it, Russell’s 22-yard bootleg was pure instinct.
“I will admit I was the only one who knew that. I don’t think the coach knew that. It was something we did, we put in,” Russell said. “I noticed a guy was blitzing off that side. It was one of our weak runs. It’s not good to outside blitz so I took it upon myself and just tried something and made a play off of it.”
– Besides the stalled running game, the Raiders have reverted to their 2007 form of late and can’t stop the run.
Defensive end Jay Richardson was having a hard time figuring out how a defense which started the season improved against the run was now giving up 177 yards a game over the last four games.
In their last two home games, where the Raiders have usually been better against the run, they’ve given up 294 yards _ 242 to the New York Jets and 252 to the Falcons.
The Raiders couldn’t stop Atlanta even when the game was winding down and the Falcons had abandoned al pretense of the passing game and were intent on killing the clock.
“It’s demoralizing. I looked at the stats after the game . . . I think they’re still running right now,” Richardson said. “I don’t care if they’ve got Jim Brown back there. There’s no excuse.”
While conceding being on the field for 82 plays played a role in the ability of the defense to stop the Falcons from running in the second half, Cable also said it was in essence a character test the Raiders failed.
“When you know it’s coming, you’ve got to step up and put it out there and we just didn’t do that,” Cable said. “At that point, we really had gotten to a point where it was inevitable and we let it happen.”
– Three games in a row, quarterbacks have come out with quick-tempo offenses, gotten the Oakland defense on its heels, then turned to a cut-back running game.
Despite having the blueprint for two weeks, the Raiders haven’t been able to stop it. Cable said the Raiders fully expected it from Atlanta, but didn’t have the necessary discipline in terms of gaps and discipline when teams started running.
– SS Tyvon Branch is having his shoulder checked by a doctor to see the extent of his injury sustained while falling on a kickoff return. LB Robert Thomas could be out a week or more with a hamstring injury. If Ricky Brown isn’t ready to return with a groin injury, that would leave Sam Williams as the starting strongside linebacker.
Cable said DE Derrick Burgess, RB Darren McFadden and LB Jon Alston remain “day-to-day.”
In New Orleans, defensive end Charles Grant was put on injured reseve with a torn triceps.
“It’s very similar so we’re trying to avoid that and give it as much time as we can,” Cable said. “It’s not torn to the point where it needs to get fixed now and all that but if we do too much too soon, we could be staring the same thing in the face.”
Some unchained optimism for the true believers:
“Here we are, we’re 2-6, the amazing thing is the AFC West is still upside-down, sideways, however you want to call it,” Cable said. “We’re at the halfway point, if we a great second half we get a chance. Right now, I think it’s really getting the brain kind of flushed out and get it back if you will focused as one. That’s something we’ve been trying to do for the last three weeks, and we’ll
get there.”
– Pain-killers made viewing the game on television easier fro fullback Justin Griffth, who was on crutches following Friday surgery to repair a torn ACL.
When asked if he had seen the game, Griffith said, “As much as I could, before the Percoset set in.”
Griffith is expecting a four- or five-month rehab and to be back before minicamp. Chances are the Raiders won’t be nearly that aggressive.
– Tommy Kelly saw reporters approaching and recoiled, shaking his head and declining interview requests.
“Y’all watched the game . . . you’ve got the footage . . . I don’t think nobody should be talking,” Kelly said. “We should close the doors! Y’all have a nice day.”