SB Nation - Cooper Carlisle

Oakland Raiders Postgame Recap: Raiders 20, Broncos 19

Rated-R Superstar — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:43:37 -0000

Yes, Charlie Frye was the guy going into this one. No, he wasn't the last one standing. [via cdn1.sbnation.com]

It thankfully wasn't JaMarcus Russell getting the start under center. Instead, it was Charlie Frye getting the start at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders today as they hoped to put a minor dent into the the Denver Broncos' playoff hopes. Little did we know that both Russell and Frye would play a role in deciding the outcome of today's game. The Raiders (4-9) and the Broncos (8-5) met earlier this year in Oakland in which Denver prevailed convincingly. Last year in Denver, however, it was Oakland who came away with a shocking 31-10 victory. This time around, let's see how the two bitter rivals went at each other. Anything can happen in a rivalry game between two original AFL franchises.

Michael Bush made his only carry in the first quarter worth an important six points. [via a.espncdn.com]

First Quarter: The Broncos began the game kicking it off to the Raiders. Not surprisingly, the ineffective Gary Russell was returning kicks. He took a knee, though, and the kick into the end zone actually benefited us. Charlie Frye, a 6-14 record as a starter, took the field and threw an incomplete pass on the first play. Out of the power-I, Justin Fargas gained a few yards on the next play. Needing seven yards, a six-yard pass to Chaz Schilens brought out the punt team. Shane Lechler only managed a weak 45-yard punt right to Eddie Royal which was returned for not too many yards. On first down, the rookie out of Georgia by the name of Knowshon Moreno carried it to the right side and was tackled by Nnamdi Asomugha. On second down, Greg Ellis almost got to Kyle Orton and forced an incomplete pass off the deflection. A false start penalty on tight Daniel Graham set Denver back some more, and they needed 12 yards on third down. It didn't matter as Royal picked up more than enough to convert it. Utilizing the running backs effectively -- particularly Knowshon Moreno with just a little dash of Correll Buckhalter -- allowed the Broncos to move down the field nicely. A third down stop inside the 10 by the Raiders defense forced a chip shot field goal by Matt Prater. The Broncos had taken the early 3-0 lead. The second possession started with a four-yard pass from Frye to Schilens. A three-yard run by Darren McFadden made it a very, very manageable third down. The Broncos out of the blitz and despite being in a shot gun, Frye hurried the throw. It wasn't much a throw. The ball just sort of floated out there and Champ Bailey grabbed it easily out of the air. On Denver's first play on their next possession, Brandon Marshall made a 24-yard catch after running his route after being put in motion. Two plays later, the Broncos ran a screen to Ryan Clady which cost them yards thanks to a very nice tackle by Asomugha. A confusing penalty pushed the Broncos back to the 17 yard line. Kyle Orton was sacked by rookie Matt Shaughnessy on the next play, and then a screen play to Eddie Royal was stopped by Stanford Routt and company on the right side. Another Matt Prater field goal -- this one extra "boomy" -- gave Denver a 6-0 lead with just over four minutes to play in the first quarter. A dumb intentional grounding penalty cost the Raiders 15 yards and a down. Kenny Peterson squashed Fargas behind the line of scrimmage and it become third down and impossible. Another blah run and it was punt time once again. A 64-yard punt by Lechler, all of which came by of the leg, was returned for a mediocre gain by Kenny McKinley. Moreno continued to own us on the ground with a couple of more nice carries. A third down blitz forced an incomplete pass on coverage by, yes, Chris Johnson! Mitch Berger, who seem as if has been punting forever, booted a smashing 12-yard punt out of bounds. Oakland started at their own 34 yard line and Charlie Frye shocked the crowd with a 26-yard scamper on the left side after a play fake. That exciting play capped the first quarter at Invesco Field at Mile High.

Sebastian Janikowski dropped in a 54-yard field goal as he routinely does. [via a.espncdn.com]

Second Quarter: The second quarter began with Frye looking deep for Louis Murphy; however, it was incomplete although an illegal contact penalty gave the Raiders five free yards. Shortly, third down and long followed. A nice crossing pattern to Johnnie Lee Higgins picked up 12 yards and the first down as well. Then boom, I don't even know what just happened! Michael Bush, on his first carry of the game, goes 23 yards and in for the score. It's his first touchdown in nine games and a Sebastian Janikowski extra point gave Oakland a 7-6 lead early in the second quarter. Denver's next possession ended up with a punt after a first down. Mike Mitchell knocked down Orton after bringing the blitz on third down. Higgins returned the punt for a decent gain and the Raiders had good field position. After some plays, Elvis Dumervil grabbed Charlie Frye's facemask and was called for a roughing the passer penalty. A 15-yard penalty gave Oakland the ball at their own 48. A couple of run plays later made it third and manageable for Frye and company. Chased out of the pocket, Frye threw off of his back foot and hit Murphy on the right side. It was a great effort by both parties. Josh McDaniels threw out the challenge flag, but it only cost him a timeout in the end. The ruling on the field stood as originally called and Oakland had a first down at Denver's 41 yard line. McFadden picked up three yards on a carry to the left side as we Raider fans collectively as a bunch were wondering where Michael Bush was. Anyway, the game must go on. A one-yard pass from Frye to Luke Lawton on a play-action made it third down and six yards to go. Ah, now Bush is in the backfield. Out of the shot gun, Frye fired down the field to Schilens. It appeared as if Schilens had come down with it, but Denver's Tony Carter wouldn't give up on the play and made a nice play on the ball. Janikowski squeaked in a field goal to give the Raiders had a 10-6 lead over the Broncos. Denver opened up their next drive with what's been working well and that's been Knowshon Moreno's legs. A six-yard carry was all very well, but then Tyvon Branch blew the next one up in the backfield. An incomplete pass intended for LaMont Jordan set up a punt and a bunch of booing from the home crowd. A punt gave it back to Oakland, but it backed them up 15 yards after the Higgins return because of an illegal block in the back penalty on Sam Williams. According to commentator Steve Tasker, a former special teams specialist, claims there was no illegal block in the back. It didn't matter what he thought, however. A timeout was burned by Frye before the first play was run. Brandon Myers, filling in for the injured Zach Miller, made his first catch of the game for a decent gain. Michael Bush finally got a carry after his 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter and it was good enough for a first down. Frye was having communication problems with his helmet, so he ran over to the sidelines to get the play yelled at him. Andra Davis almost picked off Frye on the next play. Whew, that was close. Another near-turnover happened on the next play as Bush lost it; however, left tackle Mario Henderson was able to pick it up. A third down draw to Bush goes for 13 yards and Denver's defense had no idea. A solid run by McFadden took us to the two-minute warning. In good position for points, the Raiders looked to forge ahead some more. A nice throw from Frye to Murphy picked up a good chunk of yards and yet another 13-yard run by Bush took it to Denver's 16 yard line. Tony Stewart got into the act a few plays later with his first catch of the game. The Broncos got their stop on third down and the Raiders were confined to just three points. Janikowski booted through his second field goal of the day and Oakland had a 13-6 lead over Denver. Using up 22 seconds, the Broncos had three incomplete passes and then a short little pass over the middle to Jabar Gaffney. Tom Cable used his final timeout and forced the Broncos to at least bring out the punting unit. A 45-yard punt ended the half with Oakland on top over Denver by a 13-6 score. Oh, but wait as there was a penalty and so the Raiders got the chance to run one more play. A nice run for McFadden took us to halftime.

Honoring Chris Henry before the game, Brandon Marshall scored a touchdown during it. [via a.espncdn.com]

Third Quarter: The Broncos started the second half with the ball. A touchback by Janikowski plated Denver at their own 20. After picking up a first down, Kirk Morrison made a nice tackle in the open field to bring up a third down for the Broncos. Orton fired and completed it to Brandon Stokley as he, along with Tony Scheffler, made his first catch of the game on the opening drive of the second half. A 13-yard run by LaMont Jordan followed that as Hiram Eugene knocked him out of bounds. The Denver offense appeared to be firing on all cylinders as Orton hooked up with Eddie Royal in the middle of the field. A sense of urgency indeed from the Broncos offense, Gus Johnson. A big third down and long Denver could not convert thanks to a heavy blitz and great coverage by Chris Johnson. Matt Prater banged through his field third goal of the game and Oakland maintained their lead, with it now standing at 13-9. Oakland had the ball back and Frye hit Bush in the flat for a nice gain on the left side to pick up a first down. A toss to McFadden on the right side -- hey, McFadden in space -- picked up good yardage and even a first down in the process. Shaken up on the play was Champ Bailey, and he had to leave the game. A promising drive turned sour, however, with McFadden getting the ball stripped. Denver had it at midfield. A struggling offense has gained momentum just like that. On the first play, though, Asomugha blew it up in the backfield as he dropped Moreno for a four-yard loss. A stupid penalty on the other side of the field went against Stanford Routt and a third down and 11 turned into an automatic first down. A one-handed grab by Brandon Marshall gave the Broncos a first down and then he made another play all the way down to the Raiders' 19 yard line. Denver really took advantage of Marshall in this quarter when Asomugha wasn't on him. On a scamper by Kyle Orton, Tommy Kelly was down on the field with an injury. Some plays later, Orton hooked up with Marshall as Brandon was a yard deep in the end zone against a zone defense. Following that play, a fight occurred. I didn't see who exactly was involved, but it looked like Richard Seymour against some offensive linemen from Denver. Anyway, Denver cashed in on the McFadden fumble and the Broncos had scored 10 straight points to take a 16-13 lead late in the third quarter. Gary Russell finally got a chance to return a kick and it was actually a good one; however, penalty flag totally negated that one. It seems like the game is totally spiraling out now. A couple of sweet runs by Michael Bush -- including one of the 40-yard variety -- took the ball down to the 31 yard line of Denver's. Then, Darren McFadden had a huge run of his own that went for 28 yards on the left side. After a pair of one-yard Bush runs, the Raiders were still on the outside looking in with 28 seconds to go in the third quarter. On third down and needing a yard, another carry for Bush went nowhere but instead backwards. That ended the third quarter.

Yes, this is the correct reaction after JaMarcus Russell's performance. [via a.espncdn.com]

Fourth Quarter: To start the quarter, the Raiders were looking for the end zone. On fourth down, Cable elected to go for it. A fake dive and pitch to McFadden went for two yards, but was ultimately a yard short. Denver took over at their own one yard line. The defense stood firm, however, and Berger booted it to Higgins. A nice punt, Higgins backpedaled and was able to return it for some yards to his own 40 yard line. Carries by McFadden, Bush and then Bush again picked up a first down for the Raiders as they moved into Broncos territory. Frye dropped back to pass and was totally rocked by Andra Davis. Trying to get up to his feet under his own power, Frye just could not due to the impact of the hit. The trainers came onto the field and so, yes, JaMarcus Russell marched onto the field as we hung our heads. Where was J.P. Losman? An illegal shift penalty pinned the Raiders back even further. A run by Bush was followed up by a timeout. Let's have a recap within the recap for a second. Russell comes in and we have two men in motion at the same time, a weak run to the left side and then a timeout. Alright, so the run play wasn't on him. Still, you see what it's like with Russell in the game at quarterback instead of right tackle. Well, the next pass was totally short intended for Murphy and a five-yard spiking penalty on Louis brought out Lechler for a punt. The Broncos came out running it with Moreno and Jordan, and the Raiders are going to need a stop somehow to get the offense back out there. On the next play, a slant to Stokley went all the down inside he five as he beat Routt on that play. A horse collar penalty on Routt was tacked on. There was a bit of a delay afterward with some laser trouble in the crowd, but the game was continued. A stop on third down on the ground and a fourth down stop through the air held Denver to a field goal. After lasers and guys losing their pants, we had a bit of a scrummage after the field goal. It's all going down today. Just under six minutes remained with the Broncos on top, 19-13. A run by Bush and a four-yard reception by Schilens made it a very manageable third down for Russell. A low ball to Bush, that should have been caught, was dropped by Bush. The defense did their part, largely due to the sack, and Oakland was getting the ball back after the Denver punt. After a Higgins return, the Raiders had it at their own 38 yard line with still 3:29 to play. Russell was still the quarterback. On the first play, Cooper Carlisle had to scoop up a Russell fumble. God, we're doomed. Oh, but a flag on the next play on Andre Goodman gave the Raiders the ball in Broncos territory. A pass interference was rightfully called and new life had been granted. On second down, Russell was knocked out of the game. It's up to quarterback number three -- J.P. "Does He Even Know a Play?" Losman -- to save us now. After one incomplete pass by Losman, Russell was back in there. On fourth down, he fired it over the middle and it was caught by Tony Stewart who had enough for a first down. That took us to the two-minute warning. The first play out of it, Russell hit Stewart for nine yards. Following that, he found Schilens at the 10 yard line. Following an incomplete pass, an illegal contact penalty gave the Raiders an automatic first down at the five. There were 45 seconds to go in the game. Out of the shot gun, right tackle Cornell Green had a false start. That's pretty inexcusable. Still, it was a first down. Out of the shot gun, Russell dropped back to pass and has his arm hit as he he threw. The ball went out of bounds to the right. Then, on the next play, the impossible happened. Russell fires and it's caught by Chaz Schilens, his favorite target. With 35 seconds to go, the Broncos had just one timeout remaining. McKinley brought out the kick to the 21 yard line. Greg Ellis breaks through on the first play and sacks Kyle Orton while forcing a fumble in the meantime. After a second down incomplete pass, a deep ball to Brandon Marshall was broken up thanks to a huge hit from Michael Huff. A fourth down pass was completed to Brandon Stokley with about eight seconds to go; however, with no timeouts, Denver couldn't stop the clock. The game was over the Raiders had prevailed, 20-19, on the road over the Broncos.

The caption goes right here. [via cdn1.sbnation.com]

The Report Card: I'll give grades to the pass offense, rush offense, pass defense, rush defense and special teams. Of course, you're welcome to give your own grades in the comments.

Pass Offense: D+ -- When you only complete less than 50 percent of your passes and you throw for 115 yards with an interception, you don't even deserve a "D+" grade; however, when you lead your team down the field like that to win the game, there's a curve involved. I think this is even a little generous.
Rush Offense: A -- Michael Bush had a tremendous day on the ground and Darren McFadden was certainly very good himself despite just 12 carries. Overall, a touchdown to go along with a 7.1 yards per carry average is very nice. Getting that touchdown in the third quarter maybe would've bumped it up to an "A+" grade, but we'll take this one every single time out.
Pass Defense: B -- Brandon Marshall was contained to a degree and that's all you can really ask for against a great wide receiver. Nnamdi Asomugha covered him well, but Stanford Routt and Chris Johnson didn't. Overall, the heat was on Kyle Orton enough to make him uncomfortable back there at times.
Rush Defense: A- -- A bad start, yes, but the rush defense really put the clamps down. LaMont Jordan had a nice average, but Knowshon Moreno did absolutely nothing in the second half. This was probably our best game as a unit as far as the opposition's ground game goes.
Special Teams: B -- Maybe not a great return pursuit a few times and Lechler didn't have his best day, but overall, it was a really good effort. Gary Russell didn't get a chance to return too many, but Johnnie Lee Higgins was decent and Sebastian Janikowski didn't miss.

My Thoughts and Tidbits: Wow, that was a terrific ending. Who thought that Frye would get knocked out, Russell would get knocked out and then Losman would have to come in? Then, who thought Russell would come back in the game and then lead the team to a game-winning touchdown drive? Man, that was an incredible game. The defense really played hard. The defensive line brought the heat, the linebackers tackled and the defensive backs made plays all over the field. That's how you respond after a bad game, guys. Let's finally get two consecutive wins with us taking on the Cleveland Browns (3-11) next Sunday. Thank you, Oakland Raiders, for our early Christmas present.

Poll

Weekly Recap Poll: Who was the Oakland Raiders player of the game?

New York Jets Run Defense vs. Oakland Raiders Run Offense

John B — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:41:16 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

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The model for beating the Jets seems to be running the ball, controlling the clock, and forcing the rookie quarterback into mistakes to give a short field. With JaMarcus Russell under center, expect the Raiders to follow that model and offer a heavy dose of the run game.

The numbers don't look all that pretty for Oakland on the ground. They're averaging 3.3 per rush. The funny thing is they have three really good running backs, speedster Darren McFadden, power runner Michael Bush, and elusive Justin Fargas. The problem is up front. The Raiders don't have a solid foundation on their offensive line, and right now it is in shambles with no less than three starters banged up, Robert Gallery, Cornell Green, and Cooper Carlisle. The ends have played poorly to this point. If they can't get it going against this group, it's an indication of a long year.

This is going to be an interesting test for Sione Pouha on the nose against Samson Satele, a chance to get his sea legs before Miami's power run attack next week. I don't doubt the Jets will be able to stop the run. The ineptitude of Oakland's run game will allow the Jets to stack the box with eight or perhaps nine should the need present itself. I'll feel a bit better about things if Pouha can control the point of attack.

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Oakland Raiders Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:27:29 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

Browse more photos »

I'm not convinced the Raiders can throw the ball effectively on the Jets, and that's putting it nicely. JaMarcus Russell is only hitting 45.6 percent of his passes. He has 2 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. Russell is the posterboy for everything that's wrong with quarterback evaluation for the NFL Draft. Scouts saw that he's big, athletic, and has a big arm and automatically assumed he would become a great quarterback. Those attributes are accessories. Russell is not accurate, does not have sound mechanics, lacks instincts, and does not seem to handle adversity well. Say what you will about Mark Sanchez. Perhaps he ends up as a bust. Sanchez at least has these tools. Part of Russell's problem is the place he ended up. The Raiders didn't have the coaching to develop him or put a good team around him. In the end, their quarterback is a liability. The Jets are probably going to attack him.

The Raiders also lack weapons in the passing game. Their leading wide receiver, Louis Murphy, has 12 catches for 174 yards. First round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey has 2 receptions for 46 yards. Heyward-Bey shows what's wrong with receiver evaluation. Most experts thought Oakland took him way too early, but he still had a borderline first round grade. That was only because he has great straight line speed. Good hands? He doesn't have them. The ability to run routes well to shake defenders? Nope. The Jets have been getting great cornerback play. There's no reason for them to not attack Russell. Their corners can eat up these receivers.

The one weapon in the passing game the Raiders have is Zach Miller. He leads the club with 21 receptions and 354 yards by wide margins. This will be interesting because for once the Jets cannot use Darrelle Revis to take away the focal point of the opposing passing attack. Since he's the only weapon in the passing game, though, the Jets can scheme to take him away fairly easily.

Oakland has a patchwork offensive line at this point. Starting guards Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle are probably out. So is right tackle Cornell Green. Center Samson Satele is nothing special. The Dolphins let him walk to sign Jake Grove away from the Raiders. This is not what you want protecting Russell. Oakland will probably settle for Russell avoiding catastropic errors. Any plays in the passing game will be a bonus.

Weekly Raider Issue #5

KA1Z3R — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:25:03 -0000

via i596.photobucket.com

Hello Raiders faithful and welcome to the 5th. issue pf the Weekly Raider. As always, there's plenty of great stuff in here to read. We're only a couple weeks away from training camp so you'll not only get your weekly raider and featured fan, but plenty of my thoughts going into training camp. Hope you enjoy!

-Weekly Raider: #53 Thomas Howard WLB-

via i200.photobucket.com

Not too along ago, The Weekly Raider featured the other member the Law Firm, Kirk Morrison. This week, we put the dynamic Thomas Howard under the microscope. And no, i'm not talking about the Duke of Norfolk.

Drafted in 06, Howard would have a fairly good rookie showing with 84 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and 2 passes defended. The Raiders love speed as everyone knows, but this speed prospect showed early on that he was one of, if not the, fastest linebackers in the NFL. Able to shoot through the line to make stops or chase down guys from behind. And that's just in the running game. Howard could cover anything form speed backs, to tight ends, to even receivers. Tell him to cover it, and he'll do so very well.

In 07, we'd see Howard jump from speedy linebacker, to feared pass defender. 11 passes defended and a linebacker leading 6 interceptions. 2 of which he would take back for TD's. His legs proved hm well with interceptions as he would have a linebacker leading 172 interception return yards. Just like Morrison, Howard too would have a streak of three weeks in a row with an interception. That's not even mentioning his 78 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and 1 sack. I was incredibly shocked not to see Howard get a bid to the Pro Bowl.

However, also like Morrison, Howard would slump in 08. With 80 tackles and only 2.5 for loss and only 1 interception. However his pass defense number would still be good with 5 passes defended. Howard was still a force in the passing game to be sure, but it seems that like Nnamdi, he too was avoided. With teams able to throw on the safeties, Hall, and even CJ in the early going, there was no need to risk a pick-six by throwing to #53.

But, I have high hopes for Howard this year. Though the safety spot is still very iffy this year, Chris Johnson has become a dangerous cornerback, so some attention may be taken away for the Law Firm of Howard and Morrison (I'm still waiting for the cop show). It also appears that Alston may be getting the SLB spot, which would add yet another force in the pass defense to the linebackers. Howard still needs to work on his run stopping and I look forward to see if he'll get to use that speed to blitz this year. Which I fail to see why he wouldn't.

My expectations for Howard, continue to expect tackle numbers in the 80's, but I see at least 6 for loss this year. Though I don't think he'll have another 6 interception season, I believe 4 interceptions seems about right for him and I think you'll see one turn into a pick-six. I look forward to see what Howard will bring to the table this year as arguably our best playmaker on defense.

-Random Thoughts: Training Camp Preview-

Training camp is almost here and I couldn't be any more excited. Look for a lot of competition this year. Whether it be a minor competition of third string QB, or one as major as the starting running back or starting strongside linebacker. To me there's a only a few guaranteed starting spots.

QB: Jamarcus Russell
TE: Zach Miller
LG: Robert Gallery
RG: Cooper Carlisle
DT: Tommy Kelly
WLB: Thomas Howard
MLB: Kirk Morrison
CB's: Asomugha and Johnson
P/K: Seabass and Shane

Everything else is wide-open. Who knows how well O'Neal will play coming back this year (if he even does, whih he should), will Alston keep playing at his OTA level, who going to start at what offensive tackle spots, and many more questions. The top three things I'm going to be watching in training camp: the backup tight end battle, the starting strongside linebacker battle, and the battle for the starting safeties. The reason that the wide receiver competition wasn't on my list is because I know that two of four people will start this year. Any combination of Schilens, Higgins, Walker, and Murphy.

Wait? The rookie Louis Murphy? Indeed. Cable has credited him as the best rookie among the entire group. And I don't blame him. The same speed as DHB, better hands from what I've read, and most importantly, no major hammy issues. If DHB wants a shot to even be our #3 receiver, he has to get his hamstrings to stop giving him troubles. Only then can he get his hands to the level of Murphy's. I'm hoping he went to Russell's passing camp, because he has a lot of work to do.

My predicted roster/depth chart by the end of training camp ( / are used to separate first, second, and third string) :

QB: Russell/Garcia/Gradkowski

RB: Fargas/McFadden/Bush

FB: Neal/O'Neal

TE: Miller/Myers

WR's: Schilens/Higgins/Murphy/Walker/DHB/possibly Watkins

LT: Henderson/Pears

LG: Gallery/Morris

C: Satele/Wade/Morris

RG: Carlisle/McQuistan/M. Johnson

RT: Barnes/Green/M. Johnson

DE's (I'm not good with right and left): Ellis/Richardson/Scott/Burgess or Gunheim

WLB: Howard/Ekejiuba

MLB: Morrison/Brown/Condo

SLB: Alston/Brown/Williams

CB's: Asomugha/C. Johnson/Routt/Miller

FS: Branch/Eugene

SS: Huff/Mitchell (yes I think Huff will see a chance to start early on)

K: Jano

P: Lechler

PR: Higgins

KR: Miller

So what are your thoughts on training camp?

-Featured Fan: Rayder K-

Random image:

via www.mic.no

Author's Note: For those who don't know, this is the Norwegian Melodic Black Metal band Dimmu Borgir. Dimmu Borgir is Norwegian for Dark Fortress or Dark City. They're one of my favorite bands.

Oakland Raiders--Monitoring Team Needs--Free Agency to the 2009 Draft

Jeremy Bolander — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:58:18 -0000

Keeping track of a team's dynamic roster gain/loss throughout the offseason is one of the keys to understanding their draft day moves and choices. Enter Monitoring Team Needs, an at-a-glance way of checking up on your team's latest roster flux, as we count down through Free Agency, and into the days before the 2009 Draft.

Below is a table that breaks down this roster flux, showing who has come and gone, as well as updating the neediest areas of the team and some of the top names that have a good chance of being available when they pick in the Draft. Draft prospects are linked to their Mocking the Draft Profiles and any names or positions highlighted in bold should be considered either to be positions of particular need and emphasis, or players of particular relevance and interest to the team's situation. Below the chart we will discuss some of the names and situations described, and as always, you can join in on the discussion in the comments.

See you below the fold!


OAKLAND RAIDERS 2008 Record and Rank: 5-11 3rd place	Team Needs	Likely Draft Targets (rd)
	LT, WR, CB, DE, DT, ILB, TE, OLB, FS	OT, Andre Smith, Alabama
Free Agents Acquired	Current Free Agents	Free Agents/Players Lost
DE Derrick Gray (res/fut) P Ricky Schmitt (res/fut) CB Nmamdi Asomugha CB Chris Johnson	QB Marques Tuiasosopo UFA WR Drew Carter UFA WR Johnnie Morant UFA WR Ashley Lelie UFA TE Tony Stewart UFA TE Ben Troupe UFA *P Shane Lechler UFA(franchised)** OG Cooper Carlisle UFA C Jake Grove UFA OL Chris Morris RFA LS Jon Condo ERFA* DL William Joseph UFA LB Sam Williams UFA LB John Alston RFA* LB Rickie Brown RFA * LB Isaiah Ekejiuba UFA CB Justin Miller UFA CB Duane Starks UFA FS Rashad Baker UFA	FB Justin Griffith (cut) WR Ronald Curry (cut) OT Kwame Harris (cut) DE Kalimba Edwards (cut) FS Gibril Wilson (cut)

Apparently RB Michael Bush is being shopped around. The Raiders spent all of last year overloaded at the RB position, unable or unwilling to even activate Bush, despite his full recovery from an injury.
The Raiders need to target offensive line heavily. Refusing to resign UFA OG Cooper Carlisle and allowing underacheiver OT Kwame Harris to walk have left only two entrenched starters on the offensive line. C Jake Grove has been getting heavy contract talks from the team, but nothing is for sure yet. He did a great job of coming back from knee surgery, and could be a key piece of the line going forward. Regardless of signing him, Oakland will need to look at all three positions on the O-line in the coming days. Names floating around the complex are OT Marvel Smith from the Steelers and OT Khalif Barnes form the Jaguars. If the Raiders can pick up either of these guys (and then move OT Mario Henderson over to RT) they could be in a prime position to target a guy like Alex Mack, California, but they could also have their pick of whichever top tackles on the board fall.

Raiders @ Saints: Who Dat Say!?

Saintsational — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:00:04 -0000

I love the smell of victory in the morning. I also like reading quotes about that victory. Here is your collection of post-game quotes from the Saints drubbing of the Raiders yesterday. By the time you are done reading these quotes you will be pumped all over again. Get comfortable because I've got a lot for you.

Special thanks again to MtnExile for his ridiculously awesome work with the above graphic. Is that not the coolest/funniest thing you have ever seen? Be sure to show your appreciation in the comment section for MtnExile's awesome work! If anyone else thinks they have something they can contribute to CSC feel free to let me know.

Saints and Raiders Postgame Quotes

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON

Opening Statement…

"Without having looked at the film, I thought we eliminated some of things starting with the penalties and turnovers. We are 7-0 going into this game when we don’t turn the ball over, now 8-0. It doesn’t have to be too complicated. I thought we played with great energy. I thought we looked liked the team that had the bye, not them. I thought we looked like the team that was healthy, not them. In both cases, I was proud of the energy we had after the short week. We had a lot of guys stepping up and playing and filling in. I though on both sides of the ball and the kicking game we outplayed them. I thought we deserved the win."

Q: Coach, Drew Brees has had some great games, but do you think this could be considered his best game?

A: It was clean. He had great command of the huddle. They do a lot of things on defense, they get into a third and four defense, they get into a goal line defense a little earlier than we are used to so we had a bunch of different looks thrown at us so I think we have some real good personnel. We have a lot of respect for their corners and the talent on that team (Raiders). I thought Drew (Brees) handled it and managed the game very well. Any time you win like that and you play like he did from an efficiency standpoint, it is outstanding and it is a big part of us winning. So, we’ll have a chance to look at it and I don’t like comparing it to other games but certainly he played outstanding. It was a big win for us."

Q: Last week you addressed the false starts, turnovers and repeat offenders, there were no false starts tonight, what did you do?

A: It starts with coaching. Last night we spent a lot of time looking at penalties and turnovers and some of the things that have hurt us. We all take that pretty seriously, not just the players, the coaching staff and myself too. We have to call more attention to it and understand the importance of it. I credit the players who were able to handle it. We had a couple of penalties early on that brought us out of field goal positions, out of scoring position, but other than that I thought we played very disciplined."

Q: What does it say about Drew Brees and this offense that he found every receiver an every back that touched the field?

A: He has real good vision. I’ve said these before; I think all those guys understand the importance of their specifics within the route. He’s find the holes in the coverage and the weaknesses in the coverage and there is not many times when he doesn’t. I think those guys appreciate that and understand. You saw Reggie Bush catch a check down and score a touchdown today and he is about third or fourth in the read. We played well up front and on both sides of the ball we handled the trenches. I was encouraged with that. It was a good win for us to close out this home stand with, and we are going to be away for a while. The good news is when we come back it is a night game on Monday Night Football. In the meantime we will have an opportunity to play a real good team in our division next week in Carolina. We’ll have to take that game very seriously. They are much improved, just from looking at them on tape."

Q: Last week you were encouraged by the defensive output and they played very well today, what do you attribute that to?

A: A couple of things. You can see that they are tackling well, they are tackling very well, and there is not a lot of leaked yardage. We are minimizing the big play; we talked about that as an emphasis and as a goal. We got our hands on about four passes today; we picked up one interception, which was a great play by Jason David, but we had two or three other opportunities. We have to work on that, but I think you see a pretty good balance. I think you saw today, if you went back and looked at the third down percentage converted, we won in that phase as well. We got them into some third and longs, but when you win the turnovers, you win the third downs, you win the penalties, you win the time of the possession, you with the rushing; when you win all those areas you are generally winning the game. We just have to keep playing a complimentary game with each other. I have been real encouraged with how we are playing. Like I said, looking at that game you would have thought we were the team coming off the bye week and we were the team without the injured players. So, we had some defensive tackles in that I can’t even pronounce the names of the players yet. I am encouraged with that."

Q: When Taylor Mehlaff kicked the ball out of bounds, you pulled him aside and had a conversation with him. What was said?

A: That is one of his strengths. There are going to be some jitters your first game out. He settled down and played well for us. I was encouraged with that. Like every one of us, your first time out doing something, I know for me as a coach and a lot of you guys in your profession, whatever it is, coming in is not easy and I thought he settled down some and I was encouraged with that. That is the strength of his really when you study his ability. We just have to slow him down a little bit and keep working on him. He doesn’t need to hit a driver every time, just needs to back off a little bit. He has a strong leg."

#58 LB Scott Shanle

On the significance of today’s win

"It has been a long time since we had a win like that where we played well in all three phases. That’s key with the stretch of the season that we are hitting. We are at a critical stretch of our season. We are at .500 right now. We want to go 2-0 in these next two games and hit the bye week right."

On Jamarcus Russell

"I thought he has a cannon of an arm. He’ll get better with experience. They have good players. A lot of it is getting experience at this level."

#71 DT Kendrick Clancy

On the defensive pressure today

"It was all about being disciplined and following the game plan. It was a pretty solid game plan followed by everyone and we came out on top. "

#5 K Taylor Mehlhaff

On his performance

"It was not the way I wanted to start my career and the game. I was doing great in warm-ups. I peaked up mentally to watch it too soon. That’s what happens. You end up pulling it. I pulled it right over the upright. Obviously, I was disappointed with that. In college, my coach use to say it’s not what happens during the game, but it’s how you respond. I was just happy the way I came back and kicked the rest of the game. I hit all my field goals really strong. I put the ball up there on some kickoffs. We had some tackles inside the 20. I was happy by the way I came back."

On if he was nervous today

"Obviously, there were some nerves out there. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I wasn’t nervous. It’s all about controlling it. I think of myself as a mentally tough kid. I have a lot of confidence in me. Some people would shy away from the challenge of going back out there when they miss a field goal. I wanted another chance. I wanted to go out there and redeem myself to prove to these guys that I can do it for them and they can count on me. I am happy the way that I came back."

#42 CB Jason David

On his interception

"The defense has been doing a great job these last couple of weeks. It is always good for the whole team when you can come up with a turnover. We are just out there trying to do our job and play good football. "

#25 RB Reggie Bush

On Drew Brees connecting to nine different receivers

"We stuck to the script and executed our plays. We didn’t turn the ball over. We protected him in the pocket. Our main goal today was to protect the ball."

On his touchdown reception

"It was a normal passing play that we run a lot. I checked down over the ball and fortunately for me Drew (Brees) likes to check the ball down. I was just at the right place at the right time and I was able to make a play out of it."

#9 QB Drew Brees

On the Reggie Bush touchdown reception

"It was a play action fake and Reggie was looking up over the ball. I’m looking down the field and if there is nothing down then I check it down to him. He did the rest. It was a great play on his part. That’s the kind of stuff that happens when you are flowing as an offense. You are taking those underneath completions and turning them into big plays."

On if he knew about the 16 straight completions

"I didn’t know that. Somebody mentioned something around the second quarter. I felt that there hadn’t been an incompletion yet, but I didn’t know how many there were. I was trying to complete them all."

#51 LB Jonathan Vilma

On the run defense the past couple of weeks

"We have taken pride in wanting to stop the run and wanting to be a good defense. I think we are paying more attention to detail. We are picking up our assignments. It has been a collective effort against the run. All 11 guys are taking notice and paying attention in getting the job done."

#16 WR Lance Moore

On Drew Brees’s performance

"I think he is the best quarterback in the league, but he is playing like the best quarterback in the league right now. It’s an honor and a pleasure being out there and catching balls from him."

On the amount of playmakers on the team

"We are extremely deep. We have playmakers all over the place. Even when guys are hurt, we have guys who are capable. We are definitely going to be a force to wrecken with out there when those guys come back."

#20 – DARREN McFADDEN (running back):

"My toe (injury) wasn’t the issue out there today. We just got beat. And we got beat bad. Lots of people tell me the toe will hurt more on this kind of turf surface over the grass, but it doesn’t really make that much difference to me. We just got beat out there today."

"I just hope we can re-group and get back to Raider football. I know I’m just a rookie but we have to come in and win games."

#23 – DEANGELO HALL (Corner Back):

"You’ve got to hand it to the Saints. They kept us off balance all day. Brees was fantastic. Each time we thought we got a good pass rush on him he would just deliver the ball on the money. It’s always difficult whoever you are playing, when they get off to that kind of start its hard to stop. The whole time out there; it didn’t matter whether they did the run or the pass, they just did what they wanted to do."

"The coaching change had nothing to do with what went on out there today. We have to stop making excuses. It didn’t have anything to do with anything. They (saints) just came out and played better than we did."

#2 – JaMARCUS RUSSELL (QB): "I thought early in the game we did move the ball; but we just didn’t take advantage of our opportunities. We did have the lead early. We just have to go out there and make plays. Early on, if we have scored a touchdown instead of a field goal it would have been different. But we just have to learn how to execute when we get close to the end zone."

"We just have to better ourselves. Those guys (defense) get paid to do what they do, and I just have to make plays and move the ball."

"We have a good team; we just have to learn how to execute. I can’t be focused on what Brees is doing. I’m focused on my team mates and what I can do to help them."

QUESTION – how many ticket requests did you have for the game?

A: "About 40 in all. It was disappointing whether your family is there or not. A loss like that is still a loss. I’m pretty sure everybody out there – our team, our fans – wanted us to win."

"It was fun to come back here (to the ‘Dome) but that (LSU) was in the past. I am just looking to the future now. This team is moving forward and I am just trying to do what I can to get us there."

Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable

Opening remarks: "It’s not the start that we were hoping for. Only one guy did not finish the game. That was Ashley Lelie. Everybody else seems to be fine. We still have work to do."

On his optimism at the beginning of the second half: "I thought it was really critical. We talked about it at halftime. We kind of leaned on the fact that we were going to get it first. We were down by seven at that point. It was an opportunity to go do something with it right away. Unfortunately, we didn’t."

On the loss today: "I really think it was us (not playing to our potential). Give credit to them (the Saints). They played very, very well. It’s a well coached team. Really for us, it was a lot of balls where they needed to be. We didn’t catch everything. We didn’t target everything as well as we wanted to. There was some improvement there. I know that sounds crazy. It certainly was an improvement for the number of times that we through the football. We’ll keep evaluating that and still try to come up with the right balance."

On the balance and productivity of the Saints offense: "We have to use them as a model. I don’t know what he finished with, but I know that he was hot. That’s where we want to get to. There is no question."

On not doing what it takes to win: "We came here to win a football game. I thought that we didn’t do the things that it takes to win. That is staying in drives and putting the ball into the end zone in the red zone and not giving up big plays. We have work to do. We’ll get there. We will get there this year."

"It was really pretty good. I really kind of kicked myself there. We’re in field goal range, in terms of Janikowski’s range, right before the half. You could argue with yourself if we might have punted there and make them (Saints) have a longer field with about a minute and 36 seconds left to go. You believe in the guy so you give him a shot. The length wasn’t the issue at all. It was just a little bit left. I think that was the right decision, but you could argue that one."

Saints Turnback Raiders

"I was pleased today with how we played smart and tough football," said Payton, as the Saints got back to .500 (3-3). "We took care of the ball, defended well and took advantage of our opportunities. It was a team win all the way around.

-Sean Payton

"Drew was something else," said Payton. "He was making all the right reads and giving a lot of different guys a chance to contribute."
-Sean Payton

"I tried to complete them all," Brees said matter of factly after the game. "We were good on third downs today, nearly 65%. I think if you look at the stat sheet, no one guy really jumps out. That was by design. We just wanted to get a lot of guys involved and keep them, second guessing."

-Drew Brees

"I thought we were more patient with the running game, and as a result, it helped our balance,"

-Sean Payton

"We are getting our hands on some footballs and are developing and we are getting close to making plays out there," Vilma said. "The defensive line was awesome. They are doing some job up there."

-Jonathan Vilma

Saints win big over Raiders, 34-3

"I thought we played like the team that had the by, not them," New Orleans head coach Sean Payton said. "I thought we looked like the team that was healthy, not them. In both cases, I was proud of the energy and effort we had coming off the short week.

"I thought we deserved to win."

-Sean Payton

"Jason David’s interception that set up a touchdown a few plays later put us up all of a sudden three scores," Payton said. "That’s a significant play in the game."

-Sean Payton

"To limit them the way we did, that’s encouraging," Saints linebacker Scott Fujita said. "This is the kind of momentum we need at this point in the season."

-Scott Fujita

"We were a little salty," Brees said. "We wanted to get back on the field and get a win and feel good about ourselves again."

-Drew Brees

Duncan: Don't look now but the New Orleans Saints are playing defense

"We've started now to develop a culture on the defense," said linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who led the Saints with 11 tackles. "We're trying to be one of the top-tier defenses. We're developing towards that."

-Jonathan Vilma

"They are tackling very well," Saints Coach Sean Payton said. "We are minimizing the big play. That's been a point of emphasis."

-Sean Payton

"We're just starting to come together and jell as a defense," defensive end Will Smith said. "Everybody is staying disciplined and playing their gaps. We're not letting the running back have a seam to get out."

-Will Smith

"It's the front four; we're going to go as far as they take us," Fujita said. "They've been pretty impressive, especially with as beat up as they are. They make it so much easier on the linebackers. There's rarely anybody getting to the second level to block us. Jon's got a lot of free lanes to run through. They're carrying us right now."

-Scott Fujita

"Everybody is on the same page, and we're coming together as a unit," Smith said.

-Will Smith

"It's good to get recognized, but you have to earn it," Smith said. "Sometimes we get hidden in the shadows a little, but it's not a big deal to us. We like being under the radar."

-Will Smith

New Orleans Saints easily beat Oakland 34-3

"I thought we played hard," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I really want to credit Bobby (McCray), he had some big sacks. Jason David had a big intception that set us up for another score. "Mark Campbell big play on the goalline. I was encouraged with the way Deuce played. Thought we were consistent running the ball. I felt real good about that."

-Sean Payton

"I felt like we were very efficient all game," Brees said. "We spread it around a lot, even in the run game, we had four guys to carry it. Nine guys catching it, we were able to spread it around. We were effiecient, got into third and short and able to convert. Very happy with that today."

-Drew Brees

Payton's place not in Oakland

"He might not be the prototype 6-foot-5 guy," cornerback DeAngelo Hall said of the 6-foot quarterback. "But Drew knows how to win. He knows how to work a defense. If I was starting a team and had to pick a quarterback, I'd probably have him at the top of my list.''

-DeAngelo Hall

"Sean Payton is an excellent play-caller, master of the art of play-calling,"

-DeAngelo Hall

Erratic Russell misses the mark in loss to Saints

"Some of them can be a (wrong) route and some of them can be on (poor) timing," Cable said. "A lot of it can be fundamental. That's stuff you got to go look at tape and really kind of analyze it."

-Tom Cable

New coach, but same old results

"We got our (butts) kicked," Raiders right guard Cooper Carlisle said. "Simple as that."

-Cooper Carlisle

"You blink your eyes or turn around, and you're down 21, 28, 31, next thing you know, the game is out of hand," Raiders cornerback DeAngelo Hall said.

-DeAngelo Hall

"The game came down to really a terrific quarterback who really never got bothered," Cable said of Brees. "That's something we've got to fix."

-Tom Cable

"It's not the first time," Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. "I saw him on Halloween in '04. He got us pretty good. He's a smart quarterback."

-Nnamdi Asomugha

"There's no one thing you can do to stop him," Hall said. "There's no one special formula."

-DeAngelo Hall

"You have to use (Brees) as the model if you're the Oakland Raiders," Cable said. "He was hot and, certainly, that's what we want to get to. There's no question."

-Tom Cable

"Patience is everything," Cable said. "Unfortunately, in this league, at this level, there isn't a lot of patience by the powers that be. The bottom line is, to bring a young quarterback where you want him to be, you got to have patience, and we'll do that. We'll take care of it."

-Tom Cable

"You're going to have times when things go bad," Russell said. "You just have to move forward, and everything's not going to be perfect as far as how you draw it up. You just have to work hard and keep going."

-JaMarcus Russell

McDonald: Raiders' Russell's not so super in New Orleans' dome

``This is probably one of the most unselfish teams I've ever seen,'' Hall said. ``It don't matter who makes the plays, but they get made. My hat goes off to them. Great game plan, they executed it, kept us off-balance. They looked good.''

-DeAngelo Hall

Ostler: With all due patience, can Russell hit a target?

What if Russell is a scatter arm? What if that huge right arm of his is a bazooka in the hands of Mr. Magoo?

"Patience is everything," said Raiders interim coach Tom Cable. "To bring a young quarterback to where you want him to be takes patience."

-Tom Cable

I asked Saints wide receiver Lance Moore if he and the other receivers expect Brees to be on the money with every pass.

"Pretty much," Moore said. "He does it in practice every day."

'A hell pit?' Raiders remain in turmoil as Cable era begins

"He may have touched some people," wideout Ronald Curry said of Cable's address, "but it's not about speeches. The bottom line is performance. So the obvious is out there. We've got to take care of that."

-Ronald Curry

"I thought we could have played harder," Cable said. "We worked with a real purpose this week. We have to look in the mirror and say we can do better, and it starts with me."

-Tom Cable

Raiders Report Card

Raiders turn in lackluster performance in New Orleans

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