SB Nation - Shane Lechler

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?

Oakland Raiders Postgame Recap: Redskins 34, Raiders 13

Rated-R Superstar — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:32:23 -0000

Bruce Gradkowski tried to get his third win as a starter in the silver and black. [via cdn2.sbnation.com]

Fresh off of a win on the road as 15-point underdogs, the Oakland Raiders (4-8) took on the Washington Redskins (3-9) as underdogs once again. Trying to stay hot behind quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, the Raiders entered today's game 2-1 when he starts with wins over the Bengals and Steelers. Unfortunately, the game was blacked out locally. Banged up, Chris Cooley and Clinton Portis were among the many Redskins out for today's game. Dive in to see how the Raiders fared with the Redskins on a gloomy day at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. A bit of rain was in the air for this one.

Darren McFadden had a nice first quarter catching the ball. [via cdn1.sbnation.com]

First Quarter: A pathetic return by Gary Russell of 11 huge yards gave us the ball first. He did, however, make the only key play of the series before a sack by LaRon Landry forced the Raiders to punt the ball to the Redskins. Darren McFadden carried it twice on the opening series and basically went nowhere. Anyway, a 68-yard boot by Shane Lechler set up Washington at their own 20 for their opening drive. A five-yard run by Quinton Ganther was the only real positive play on the series. A sack by Trevor Scott, who has been on fire, and an incomplete pass by Jason Campbell forced a Hunter Smith punt. Johnnie Lee Higgins, who had some room on the return, managed to return it to his own 39 yard line. After Bruce Gradkowski hit Higgins for a nine-yard pass, Justin Fargas fumbled; however, Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot had one foot out of bounds on the recovery. It remained Oakland ball. Gradkowski then hit Zach Miller on a big play, but an offensive pass interference on Chaz Schilens brought it back almost to the original line of scrimmage of the drive. A timeout followed it up. The Raiders couldn't really amount anything after that. Another sack doomed a second consecutive drive and it was Lechler time again. A fair catch was called by Antwaan Randle El and the Redskins had it at their own 22. The defense made some nice plays, specifically Kirk Morrison and Chris Johnson, and a three-and-out forced the Redskins to punt. A big play opened up the next drive for the Raiders, as Gradkowski hit Darren McFadden on a slant for 43 huge yards. Unable to muster anything after that, a field goal by Sebastian Janikowski gave the Raiders a 3-0 lead with just over four minutes still to play in the opening quarter. Faced with a third down, Jason Campbell swung it out to Quinton Ganther on the left side. Busting through, Ganther picked up huge yardage to put Washington into not only Oakland territory, but also field goal range. Once again, the Redskins converted on third down. On the very next play, Fred Davis was hit for a touchdown. After whistled for a 15-yard penalty, the Redskins had to kick from their own 15. A 41-yard return by Gary Russell gave Oakland the ball at midfield. An acrobatic grab by McFadden at the 24 yard line capped a seemingly long first quarter.

Fred Davis found the end zone twice and celebrates with a teammate. [via cdn3.sbnation.com]

Second Quarter: Starting the second quarter, a stupid play call (a give to Gary Russell) cost the Raiders a yard. Zach Miller and Chaz Schilens each made grabs and the Raiders had a goal-to-go from the nine. After a miscue on the give to Justin Fargas, the Raiders hit Zach Miller on third down. He was short, however, but Tom Cable remained aggressive from last week. A fourth down carry and dive by Fargas gave the Raiders a touchdown as they had regained a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. The rain got progressively worse at this point in the game, as noted by commentator Dick Stockton. Fred Davis, open in the secondary, caught a pass and it was for a good gain into Oakland territory. Back-to-back plays by the Raider defense stuffed Quinton Ganther in the backfield. Richard Seymour and Trevor Scott stopped the run and Kirk Morrison and Tommy Kelly blew the next play up on a screen in the backfield. Needing 12 yards on third down, an offsides penalty by Greg Ellis gave the Redskins five free yards. So, another offsides penalty hurt; however, it didn't hurt as much. Hiram Eugene made a great tackle on Randle El and Washington had to settle for a field goal. Graham Gano, just signed out of the UFL, connected on a 46-yard field goal. We were tied, 10-10, in a pretty evenly matched game with 7:27 left to go in the first half. After a three-and-out, a great 58-yard punt from Lechler set the Redskins up at their own 21. The Redskins didn't get far at all, and some good pressure by defensive linemen Matt Shaughnessy and Gerard Warren forced a punt. Jason Campbell was shaken up after the hit. A couple of stupid calls -- runs up the middle by McFadden and Russell -- brought up a long third down. Nearly intercepted by Reed Doughty on a pass intended for Oakland's Zach Miller, Doughy was flagged for illegal contact. It give the Raiders an automatic first down. On the very next play, an open Miller flat out dropped the ball. It was a good pass by Gradkowski, too, but Miller just let it slip through his hands. Welcome to the show Louis Murphy, as he pulled the Raiders to within two yards of the first down marker at the two-minute warning; however, on the next play, a catch of his was correctly called back on the booth review. The Raiders were forced to punt from midfield. A stupid penalty on the punt called against Hiram Eugene -- not stupid on Eugene's part but rather the referee's -- as Eugene was called for interference when he didn't even interfere. The bench was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty and so the Redskins had it at their own 40. Santana Moss made a 14-yard catch and the Redskins were threatening before the half. Next, a big play to Devin Thomas had Washington really in business. Two plays later, Fred Davis scored his second touchdown of the game to give Washington a 17-10 lead. (Damn, he's on my bench in a fantasy football league.) A holding penalty on the kickoff return set the Raiders up in bad position, and there was just seconds to go before halftime. A couple of runs by Gradkowski picked up some yards, but Oakland needed more with just 16 seconds to go without any timeouts remaining. Almost getting sack, Gradkowski flipped it out to Fargas in the flat and he ran out of bounds with less than 10 seconds to go. An incomplete pass on the next play basically made it impossible for a field goal try; however, Tom Cable decided to go for a field goal without running another play. A 66-yard field goal fell short, and Redskins safety Reed Doughty grabbed it and took off from his own end zone. Mario Henderson grabbed him and slammed Doughty to the ground to end the half. The Redskins had a 17-10 lead. For those of you keeping track, a total of 16 penalty flags were thrown. Yes, this was an ugly game.

After filling in for Bruce Gradkowski, JaMarcus Russell spent a ton of time on the ground. [via cdn1.sbnation.com]

Third Quarter: The Redskins started out with the ball at their own 30, and more importantly the lead. A pass interference committed by Tyvon Branch gave the Redskins a fresh set of downs. Michael Huff, who suffered a stinger in the first half, is still out with that injury and being replaced by Hiram Eugene. A couple of incomplete passes had Washington in a third and long situation. A rare blitz by the defense had Campbell sacked back at his own 26 by rookie safety Mike Mitchell. A punt followed that big play. The return by Higgins set the Raiders up in good field position, at their own 44. After going down with a knee injury just before the first half concluded, Gradkowski was out and unable to return. Yes, that means JaMarcus Russell was in -- and playing quarterback, too. Raiders fans everywhere are holding their respective breaths. Needing three years on third down, Russell called a timeout as Oakland was nearing field goal range. Still, they needed a first down if they even wanted to think about a pretty good try being at Washington's 38. A big play conversion to Higgins was followed up by a 10-yard loss on the sack. Ugh, Russell didn't get rid of the ball. Rookie Brian Orakpo brought him down. More stupid play-calling from Tom Cable, the reverse went nowhere. You've already called that play once, Tom. You can't fool the defense like that. An incomplete pass to Darren McFadden set up a 53-yard field goal try for Janikowski. Missing earlier from 66 yards out, this one was much more manageable and Sebastian knocked it through for his second of the day. The Washington lead was trimmed to 17-13 with just under nine minutes to play in the third quarter. The Raiders brought the heat some more on Campbell on the Redskins' next drive, as Stanford Routt nearly got to Campbell. By the way, Routt replaced by the injured Nnamdi Asomugha. Then, on second down, Matt Shaughnessy brought down Campbell for Oakland's third sack of the game. With the third down play coming up short, a good return by Higgins set up Russell and company in good field position just shy of midfield. A second down play resulting in a first down to Zach Miller had the Raiders in Washington territory; however, on the next play, McFadden slips on a run. He still managed to pick up six yards. A pitch that went backwards forced the Raiders to make a play on third down in order to keep the drive alive. Russell found Murphy and the Raiders moved the chains. It's a step forward and then a step backwards for Russell, apparently, as Andre Carter brings him down for a loss. A false start, which didn't occur under Gradkowski, moved the Raiders back five more yards. Another penalty and then another sack totally demolished the drive for the Raiders, and it became third down with 35 yards to go. Is anyone ready for Charlie Frye yet? The punt by Lechler hopped into the end zone, and Washington began their drive at their own 20 with the third quarter almost over with. Almost off of the field, Rock Cartwright made a play on third down for the Redskins and Washington's drive continued. A couple of runs by Quinton Ganther ended the third quarter. The Redskins had a 17-13 lead over three quarters.

Santana Moss and the Redskins ran away in the fourth quarter. [via cdn0.sbnation.com]

Fourth Quarter: Kicking off the fourth quarter was Washington in Oakland territory looking to add onto their four-point lead. Not surprisingly, the quarter begins with two penalties on the Raiders. Routt was called for pass interference -- which was a bad call as Santana Moss had slipped -- and then Howard was flagged for holding. A couple of plays later, the Oakland defense tried to get off the field with Washington tryign to convert a third down needing three yards. Of course, the Redskins picked up the first down with ease on a pass from Campbell to Malcolm Kelly. A touchdown basically kills any chance the Raiders have of winning this game, especially with Gradkowski shelved. An effective screen to Moss set up a touchdown run by Ganther, a Richmond native scoring the first time in his career, and Washington had taken a 24-13 lead with over 11 minutes to play in regulation. It was clearly a great drive by the Redskins. Chewing six minutes up and going 80 yards on 13 plays, you couldn't have asked for more if you were Jim Zorn. The Raiders had the ball back needing two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. In a shocking turn of events, Russell threw a pass that was picked off by LaRon Landry. Why am I still watching the game at this point? I don't know. Campbell to Moss goes for 30 yards, and the Redskins are a touchdown away from blowout city. Some plays later, Ganther's second touchdown of the day put Washington ahead by 31-13 score. Oh, yes, it was all over by then. Russell marched back out there and was sacked. We were all so very surprised. Luckily for us, Carter totally missed the fumble and Henderson pounced on it to keep possession. Blah, blah, blah, the Raiders had to punt without a first down gained; however, Randle El screwed up the punt return and dropped it. Tony Stewart fell on it and Oakland had the ball at midfield. On the very next play, Russell was sacked yet again and this time it was Lorenzo Alexander. That was the seventh sack of the game with five of them coming against Russell compared to only two when Gradkowski was in the game. God, this game couldn't end any sooner. I'll save the dramatics: Russell was sacked on fourth down. Getting Marcus Mason involved some in the fourth quarter, Washington marched down and kicked a field goal to extend their lead to 34-13. Terribly bad went to even worse as Zach Miller went down with an injury. After another useless drive that went nowhere led by the great JaMarcus Russell, the Redskins got the ball back and ran out the clock. Improving to 4-9 are the Redskins and falling to that same record are the Raiders by a 34-13 score.

Little Billy has some explaining to do. [via cdn2.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 -- Obviously, things were going a lot smoother with Bruce Gradkowski back there instead of the totally inept and awful JaMarcus Russell. Still, we have to grade them both. Gradkowski was a little below average and Russell was awful, so I tried to find the middle ground.
Rush Offense: F -- The rushing offense was absolutely dreadful. On 24 carries, a 2.7 average just isn't going to cut it. Justin Fargas led the way with 21 yards and a touchdown, but that stuff is something that should be achieved in just one quarter and not one whole game.
Pass Defense: D+ -- Jason Campbell had almost a field day going 16-for-28 with 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. They brought some heat, so that was a good thing but just about the only good thing.
Rush Defense: C -- It was a very average performance by the rush defense with the Redskins averaging around four yards per carry with a couple of rushing touchdowns.
Special Teams: B- -- Janikowski's only miss came from 66 yards. Shane Lechler averaged almost 52 yards per punt. Johnnie Lee Higgins was okay returning punts while Gary Russell was nothing special returning kicks. Overall, it was pretty decent and I guess I couldn't complain about the way special teams played. The coverage wasn't all that bad itself.

My Thoughts and Tidbits: It's quite simple, really. Once JaMarcus Russell came in for the injured Bruce Gradkowski, it all went to hell. Trailing 17-10 at the half, this game was clearly within reach all the way. Charlie Frye should start next week should Gradkowski be unable to go. Next up, we have the Denver Broncos who are 8-5 and leading the Wild Card race in the AFC. This was really rough in the second half. Enjoy your Sunday evening, guys, and try to put this one behind us.

Poll

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

Oakland Raiders Football:Pre-Game Thread Week 14

TheRaiderWay — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:55:46 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

Raiders fans hope to see more celebrations like this today at the Coliseum when the Raiders host the Washington Redskins.(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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Washington at Oakland

Regular Season Week 14

Washington Redskins at Oakland Raiders

Where: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

When: 1:05 p.m. PDT

2009 Records: Redskins (3-9) Raiders (4-8)

History: Oakland has a 7-3 lead in its all-time regular season series

Head Coaches: Jim Zorn (Redskins) and Tom Cable (Raiders)

Raiders Radio: Listen live on KSFO 560 AM

Television: Fox; Blacked out locally; DirecTV: 715

Line: Redskins by 1 point

Game Day Injury Report:

Oakland Raiders

Desmond Bryant DT Probable Back

Samson Satele C Questionable Calf

Greg Ellis DE Questionable Knee

Darrius Heyward-Bey WR Doubtful Foot

Nick Miller WR Out Shin

Robert Gallery G Out Back

Jon Alston LB IR Concussion

Ricky Brown LB IR Ankle

Oren O'Neal RB IR Ankle

Redskins Injuries here.

SB Nation Redskins vs Raiders Preview here.

Well Raiders fans, it's week 14 of the NFL regular season and the Raiders find themselves with a 4-8 record and in a familiar position as they were three previous times this season. Three times this season the Raiders provided their fans with exhilarating upset victories over the Eagles, Bengals and the Steelers respectively, only to then follow up the next week, despite a boatload of confidence, with flat performances and disappointing losses. The Raiders to a player, including Tyvon Branch, who has been asked after each victory by SABP about maintaining the momentum week-to-week, are acutely aware of their propensity of failing to bring the necessary game in the follow up week against very beatable opponents. Today is another test against the Redskins, following maybe the best Raiders win in the last 6 years last week in upsetting the Steelers in Pittsburgh 27-24. The Raiders say they have learned from their past and will be prepared to end this Sunday with back-to-back wins for the first time this season:

"It’s kind of been our Achilles’ heel around here for a while, is you win one and then a total letdown," said punter Shane Lechler (notes), one of the only players remaining from Oakland’s AFC championship team in 2002. "We’re trying to figure out that process of how to win two, put two together and get something going here a little bit."

To that end, coach Tom Cable had signs plastered all around the locker room proclaiming Sunday as the day the Raiders finally break through. "Back-to-back wins set Raiders on path to future success! If you believe it, it will happen," the signs concluded.

The Redskins are coming in with a 3-9 record, but that record is deceiving as last week the Redskins lost to the undefeated Saints 33-30 in overtime and have now lost three straight games by a combined total of just seven points. Washington has played six games (2-4 record) decided by three points or less this season.

For the Raiders, QB Bruce Gradkowski will be making his 4th start, much to the relief of Raider Nation. Bruce Almighty will have to deal with his patchwork offensive line after Oakland lost LG Robert Gallery for the season to a back injury. The Redskins defensive line is good, as is their overall defense, but without Albert Haynesworth, who is out of this game, the Raiders should be in a better position to run the ball with some success. Hopefully, the Raiders have finally realized they way to utilize McFadden and won't even bother trying to run him between the tackles. The Raiders will pound it with Justin Fargas, who is playing with his typical crash dummy style, but this is a game that Michael Bush must be used. With the recent success of Fargas, Bush has hardly even seen the field. This must change today and the Raiders must find ways to use the talents of all their running backs. With the running game going, then Gradkowski can then pick his spots and take to the air. Gradkowski should be able to look to the middle of the field as Washington FS LaRon Landry was torched twice for long touchdowns by the Saints when he bit on double moves. The strength of the Redskins' secondary is at cornerback and their safeties are more adept at defending the run than they are in coverage. The Raiders, with Schilens and Murphy on the perimeter will likely take some shots down the middle along with a targeting Zach Miller, who will have a match-up advantage against MLB London Fletcher, who at 5-foot-10 he is going to have a serious size disadvantage.

The Raiders defense will have to contend with the ever improving QB Jason Campbell, who, without RB Clinton Portis, lack star power in their backfield. The Redskins named this week Quintan Ganther to be their starting running back, so if the raiders can hold him in check early, they will be able to get their pass rush going and keep the pressure on Campbell. With ~~Charles Haley~~ Trevor Scott having a major impact now that he's been switched to the starting weak side OLB spot, look for Scott to be a menace to Campbell. However, Campbell certainly watch the film of what Big Ben did against the Raiders secondary in the 4th quarter last week, so look for Campbell to exploit the holes in the Raiders secondary (Chris Johnson/Stanford Routt) with Santana Moss. Unfortunately, the Raiders won't let Nnamdi stick to Moss like glue, so Moss will avoid Nnamdi as much as possible. Moss is an explosive receiver who leads the Redskins in receptions as well as receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He runs good routes and has an explosive burst out of his break that allows him to gain a step on the best cover corners.

With both defenses playing well, this could be a low scoring affair, with Lechler "the weapon" dictating field position and Janikowski and his canon left leg being the difference.

Prediction: Raiders 16 - Redskins 13

What are your thoughts and keys to today's game Raider Nation? Do you think the Raiders will finally break through and win back-to-back games for the first time this season? Let's hear your pregame thoughts and predictions.

GO R-A-I-D-E-R-S!!!!!!!!!

Poll

Do you believe the Raiders have now learned how to overcome their recent inability to follow a win with another win?

Yes, they will beat the Redskins today

138 votes

No, it will be like their other games after a win. They will lose

27 votes

165 votes | Poll has closed

Chiefs P Colquitt Quietly Has Big Game Against Broncos

Joel Thorman — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:17:18 -0000

Photo Source

A week after breaking the Kansas City Chiefs franchise record for punts inside the 20, punter Dustin Colquitt quietly had one of the better days of his career yesterday against the Denver Broncos.

Colquitt's gross punting average of 53.71 yards was the fourth best number in franchise history. Here's how Colquitt's punts broke down:

Punt	Start	Finish	Yards	Return
1	KC 24	DEN 16	60	21
2	KC 35	DEN 20	45	0
3	KC 22	DEN 33	45	6
4	KC 16	DEN 21	63	14

A couple of those returns hurt the Chiefs but Colquitt has consistently put his the return team in opportunistic situations.

To recap, Colquitt leads the NFL in punts inside the 20 (and set a franchise record). He's second in fair catches. He's No. 1 in total punts but is 8th in number of returns. Shane Lechler of the Raiders is tied with Colquitt for the most punts but is also No. 1 in number of returns. He's also first in the NFL (by a wide margin) in number of downed punts.

So, congrats to Mr. Colquitt for quietly putting together a very nice day.

Horse Tracks 11/26/09 - Dawkins probable; Harris, Jordan out as Broncos host Giants tonight

Douglas A. Lee — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:05:59 -0000

Happy Thanksgiving, MHR Friends! Apologies for the late post, but my wife and I are under the weather here and missing out on the festivities today. Of course, we'll be watching plenty of football (and Marquette Basketball) today. Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday - be safe, don't drink and drive. Most importantly, be thankful for everything you have! I'm thankful for so many things, including being a part of this community here! Go Broncos!!!!

DB - Matchup: Broncos vs. Giants - Broncos TV

DB - A Closer Look: New York Giants - Gray Caldwell

DB - Tickets Available for Giants Game - Chris Gentilviso
I just checked - there are still some available...

DB - Week 12 - Wed: McDaniels - Broncos TV

LTC - Giant Task - Brian Howell

DPP - Teen catches a break when Marshall becomes his guardian - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Scouting report: Giants at Broncos - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Analysis: Giants' running game to test Broncos' defense - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Briefs: Orton expected to get the start - Mike Klis

CSG - Harris to miss another game for Broncos - Frank Schwab

DPP - Q&A: Next year's QB draft class far from dandy - Jeff Legwold

NYT - N.F.L.’s Moves Signal a Truce on Concussions - Alan Schwarz

DB - Week 12 - Wed: Bailey - Broncos TV

NFLN - Top 5 Broncos moments in Denver - Video
This is a strange list...

NFLN - WK 12 Playbook: Giants vs. Broncos - Video

NFLN - Giants vs. Broncos discussion - Video

NFLN - Broncos on Thanksgiving - Video
Tony Scheffler and Elvis Dumervil talk about Thanksgiving and which Bronco player would eat the most.

DB - This Week in Gameday: Always On Call - Chris Gentilviso

DB - Committed to Communication - Chris Gentilviso

DPP - Dawkins brings team together - Mike Klis

DPP - Running game holds the key for Broncos - Dave Krieger

DPP - Woody's Mailbag: Simms' state of mind

CSG - Losing streaks make NFL life miserable - Frank Schwab

CSG - Top 10: Worst draft picks - Frank Schwab

CBS4 - Broncos' McBath Enjoys A Great Rookie Year - Jesse Sarles

AP - Broncos try to end 4 game skid - Arnie Stapleton

FH - Slumping Broncos Search for Answers - Nancy Gay

ESPN - Giants-Broncos - Bill Williamson

ESPN Insider - Giants-Denver: 10 observations - Jeremy Green
Giants 20, Broncos 17

Giants News

NYT - Giants’ Holiday Rituals Don’t Often Include Playing - Joe LaPointe

NYDN - One-game run has Giants ready to feast on slumping Broncos on Thanksgiving - Ralph Vacchiano

NYDN - Injured, inactive Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce could be on sideline in Denver - Ralph Vacchiano

NYP - Playoff-hopeful Giants set for blundering Broncos - Paul Schwartz

NYP - Blackburn glad to get extra reps - Paul Schwartz

NYP - A Dirty job made for Manning - Steve Serby

Thanksgiving Day Previews

NYT - Thursday’s N.F.L. Matchups - Mike Tanier

NFP - The Player's Turkey Day Picks - Matt Bowen
Giants 27 Broncos 23

SI - NFL, Thanksgiving go hand-in-hand - Ross Tucker

SN - Danger zone: Beware the underdogs on Thanksgiving Day - Clifton Brown

FH - Thursday-and-Long: Green Bay Should Give Thanks for Aaron Rodgers - Dan Graziano

SI - City of Detroit needs Lions to continue to play on Thanksgiving - Michael Rosenberg

FOX - Countdown: Lions aim to protect Thanksgiving slot - John Czarnecki

AFC West News

SFC - Raiders' Ellis teaches life in trenches online - David White

OT - The Raiders' Shane Lechler takes aim at Cowboys Stadium big board - Steve Corkran

OT - Oakland Raiders finally make it to Thanksgiving Day celebration - Steve Corkran

SDUT - Congress can wait for Bolts' Runyan - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Chambers returns to challenge old friends - Chris Jenkins

SDUT - Blackout still looming as deadline nears - Kevin Acee

FH - Anatomy of a Play: One Blitz Paid Off Twice for the Chiefs - JJ Cooper

KCS - Chiefs’ Chambers out to prove Chargers made a mistake in letting him go - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs lose another safety - Kent Babb

NFL News

NFL - Shanahan spends much of Tuesday talking to Bills - Jason La Canfora

USAT - Jim Kelly: Bills should move on from Edwards, target Tebow - Jim Corbett

PFW - Source: Bears surveying coaching landscape - Dan Arkush

NFL Opinion

PFW - 2010 AFC free-agent preview

PFW - 2010 NFC free-agent preview

CBS - Skirting issue? Nah, NFL doing right thing in protecting QBs - Clark Judge

NFL - QBs will dominate the MVP race, but others also deserve credit - Steve Wyche

NFL - Power outage in NFC East could lead to frantic finish - Vic Carucci

Y! - Trio of rushers a reason to give thanks - Charles Robinson

FOX - Breaking down the NFL's playoff contenders - Alex Marvez

FOX - NFL Truths: Don't get too excited about Young yet - Jason Whitlock

NFP - Wednesday whys: Tough questions on head trauma - Andrew Brandt

NFP - It's 'go' time for agents - Jack Bechta

NFP - Tavern talk: Thankful for Titans’ Johnson - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Diner morning news: Lions have a foundation - Mike Lombardi

ESPN - Jim Caldwell is the Indianapolis Colts' invisible man - Elizabeth Merrill

NYT - The Anatomy of a (Fourth-Down) Decision - Frank Frigo

SI - Patriots at Saints - Adam Duerson

NFP - News, notes on draft prospects - Wes Bunting

Picks/Polls, Etc.

SN - Week 12 NFL picks: Pats no Big Easy matchup for Saints - Vinnie Iyer

FOX - Week 12 Cheat Sheet: NFL picks and predictions - Peter Schrager

SI - The Peter King Challenge
"Prediction: New York Giants 27, Denver Broncos 20"

SI - Chargers climb into top five - Don Banks

State of the AFC West Week 10

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:32:00 -0000

Those standings look a little strange don't they? First of all, it's kind of funny that the top two and the bottom two teams have the same records. Second of all, it's starting to resemble last year's standings more and more. For the second year in a row, it looks like the division will come down to the second match-up between the Chargers and Broncos. The game will be played in Denver this season but the momentum of the teams in certainly the same. The Chargers have won 4 in a row and the Broncos have lost 3 in a row. This season there will still be games to be played but the losing team will essentially have to win out to win the division. The Raiders and the Chiefs will actually play a big part as potential spoilers; the Broncos play the Chiefs twice and the Raiders once more. If the Broncos lose on Sunday they will have to sweep those three games and I don't expect those two teams to roll over with a big chance to play spoiler against a division opponent. The Chargers play the Chiefs once more at Qualcomm after the Broncos game which will be their last divisional game.

Click the jump to see where all the teams are at

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	3	167	151
San Diego	6	3	237	202
Oakland	2	7	88	217
Kansas City	2	7	142	215

(updated 11.17.2009 at 1:16 AM PST)

Kansas City Chiefs: Things aren't getting any better for the Chiefs. As you have probably already heard, WR Dwayne Bowe was just suspended four games for testing positive for PEDs. Bowe is probably the Chiefs' best player and losing him is going to be a big blow to their already meager offense. You have to wonder if the Chiefs knew this was coming when they claimed Chris Chambers. Matt Cassel will probably have even more trouble completing passes now. But hey, at least they beat the Raiders and got their first rushing TD of the season right? It doesn't get any easier for the Chiefs as their next three games are vs. Steelers, @ San Diego, vs. Denver. Their next divisional game is @ San Diego for which there are still 7,000 tickets remaining. With both games left against Denver and one more against San Diego the Chiefs will surely try to play spoiler within the division so they still have a big chance to decide the division.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jamaal Charles	leg	11/16/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mike Vrabel	knee	11/16/2009
Dantrell Savage	ankle	11/16/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jarrad Page	calf	11/04/2009
Mike Goff	shoulder	11/11/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

Oakland Raiders: So the Raiders have lost 7 straight at home against the Chiefs, no big deal right? Well, since the middle of the 2007 season, no team in the NFL has been worse than the Chiefs. On a good note, the Raiders did have a fantastic day on the ground, especially RB Michael Bush who had 119 yards on 14 carries. I still really wish the Chargers had ended up trading for him. The routine stayed the same for the Raiders; Jamarcus Russell played poorly compounded by constant drops by rookie WR Demetrius Heyward-Bey. Russell was benched again in favor of Bruce Gradkowski who played even worse. Head coach Tom Cable, who probably won't be head coach much longer, hasn't yet announced who will be his starter this Sunday. Maybe it will be Charlie Frye. Hey at least P Shane Lechler kicked for 531 yards right? Now they get to play the Bengals, Cowboys, and Steelers. Their next and last division game is week 15 against the Broncos.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tommy Kelly	ribs	11/16/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Javon Walker	hamstring	11/16/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009
Oren O'Neal	ankle	10/14/2009

Denver Broncos: Mr. Hyde showed his face last Sunday when the Broncos lost to the Redskins. Losses against the Ravens and Steelers are understandable but the Redskins are really, really bad. Another thing happened on Sunday that hadn't happened in Bronco land all season, injuries. RT Ryan Harris is already out for this Sunday's game and QB Kyle Orton injured his ankle and is questionable for this Sunday's game vs the Chargers. From what I've heard and read they are basically going to play it by ear and see how much he can practice if it all. It's not out of the question that he plays after not practicing all week, they need to win this game and they know it, especially coach McDaniels. Back-up QB Chris Simms had an awful time after Orton left the game and while I'm sure he'd be better after a week of practice he certainly isn't Tom Brady. During their game on Sunday, on that fake punt, the Redskins did everything to show that a trick play was in the works. The Broncos still couldn't stop it. Clearly the Broncos have strayed pretty far from where they were after beating the Chargers. Their next division game is this Sunday against the Chargers; if they lose it will probably be too late to get back on track to win the division. I'm not sure SBNation's injury widget is very helpful....

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryan McBean	knee	11/16/2009
Josh Barrett	hamstring	11/16/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009

San Diego Chargers: The Chargers were able to establish a running game and stop the run in one game on Sunday, which is something they will need to continue if they want to succeed going forward. Unfortunately, the run defense came at the expense of the pass defense, although that was also a function of the defensive game-plan against QB Donovan McNabb as well as the lack of a great pass rush. The Chargers had a great pass-rush over the previous games; injuries to Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips probably didn't help things. Hopefully they are feeling better this Sunday and getting pressure on whomever is the Broncos QB; the Broncos quick WRs can do crossing routes just as well as the Eagles WRs. If C Nick Hardwick is able to return this Sunday it will be a huge upgrade on pass and run blocking. If we get ahead early I think LT will have another big day and will soften up the Bronco's secondary when we need to pass the ball. The Broncos have given up a huge amount of rushing yards in their last 4 games and I still think the Chargers are at their best when LT is pounding the ball up the middle. After this Sunday against the Broncos, the Chargers have their last divisional game against the Chiefs, and then a game against the Browns which should be nice. As far as injuries, it looks like Jeromy Clary and Tim Dobbins will be able to play, and hopefully Travis Johnson, too, since the DL by committee thing has worked out pretty well so far.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Travis Johnson	leg	11/16/2009
Jeromey Clary	ankle	11/16/2009
Tim Dobbins	knee	11/16/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Hardwick	ankle	11/16/2009
Jyles Tucker	ankle	11/16/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

Poll

Which team is more dysfunctional right now?

Chiefs

53 votes

Raiders

414 votes

467 votes | Poll has closed

All-Decade Team features four Colts players

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:20:50 -0000

The Sporting News is really starting to re-establish themselves as a very strong, insightful alternative to the mindless droning we get from other major media outlets. Their only blemish is they continue to employ this schmuck. But, despite having Mr. Florio stinking up their content, the site and magazine are very informative sources for NFL content.

SN released their All-Decade team yesterday, and on the team they listed four Indianapolis Colts players: Peyton Manning, Jeff Saturday, Marvin Harrison, and Adam Vinatieri.

If you look at their list, it is very impressive. The one name I'd personally scratch off is Randy Moss. I'd dump him in favor of Hines Ward or Torry Holt. Moss has been too inconsistent and (to put it mildly) lazy to dominate at his position for ten years. Meanwhile, guys like Ward and Holt are consistent year in and out, regardless of the QB or the system their teams run.

But, that's really nit-picking. The list is pretty spot on. SN also listed Peyton as the NFL Athlete of the Decade. Bravo to the editors at SN. It's nice to see a media company actually report and list content that seems to be backed up by real knowledge and insight, and not some silly corporate agenda (See ESPNBoston.com).

SN NFL All-Decade Team

OFFENSE
WR Marvin Harrison
WR Randy Moss
T Walter Jones
G Alan Faneca
C Jeff Saturday
G Steve Hutchinson
T Jonathan Ogden
TE Tony Gonzalez
QB Peyton Manning
FB Lorenzo Neal
RB LaDainian Tomlinson

DEFENSE
DE Michael Strahan
DT Richard Seymour
DT Casey Hampton
DE Jason Taylor
OLB Derrick Brooks
MLB Ray Lewis
OLB Joey Porter
CB Champ Bailey
CB Ronde Barber
S Brian Dawkins
S Ed Reed

SPECIALISTS
K Adam Vinatieri
P Shane Lechler
KR Dante Hall
PR Devin Hester

Working Toward the 53-Man Roster: QB/Special Teams

KA1Z3R — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:03:50 -0000

Today on, "Working Toward the 53-Man Roster" I give the Raiders quarterbacks and special teams. With the 31st. pass offense last year, Oakland will be looking for Russell to step up his game this year. Lechler will be looking for yet another Pro Bowl year at punter and Jano is going to be itching to boom a 53-yarder. But who will be the Raiders backup QB's? Can Nick Miller unseat Justin Miller at kick returner? My thoughts on these and more, after the jump

Quarterbacks:

As previously stated, the Raiders were a terrible 31st. ranked pass offense. In the previous post I covered the new receiving options, but now we'll take a look at who will be throwing to those receivers. Andrew Walter and Tuiasosopo were cut, and Jeff Garcia, Bruce Gradkowski, and Charlie Frye were added to the mix. The Raiders are only expected to keep 3 quarterbacks (after all we're not Tampa Bay), and with Russell's job secure, who of these three quarterbacks will take the other two spots?

JaMarcus Russell

via thecampusthrone.com

Russell's first full season was anything but great. Russell struggled a lot with his accuracy and mobility in the pocket which lead to a lot of three-and-out's. Though many argue he had a bad receiving corps and bad O-Line. While I agree with those people, Russell does have a lot of work to getting more consistent with his accuracy.

Just when it seemed Russell had a true #1 receiver to work with, Schilens broke a bone in his foot and will most likely be out for a couple games this year. However, Russell still has a lot of targets to work with. But the big thing is that he'll have what appears to be a good O-Line this year. Henderson's building off a stellar showing last year and Satele brings a more athletic option at center than Grove. Though the line still needs to work on its penalty problems.

In camp so far, Russell is still pretty inconsistent, but has been making a lot of good plays. Weaving passes between defenders and lobbing perfect rainbow arc passes. But it seems we can still expect a lot of dumping off to players underneath as Russell continues to struggle with the accuracy of his deep throws. You can expect Cable to keep calling deep pass plays for Russell in preseason to work on his timing on said throws.

I know it was only on one play, but Russell is actually pretty nimble and a quick-decision maker. With everyone covered and McFadden walling off a pass rusher, Russell took off and showed some speed running for 18 yards, avoiding Dallas defenders along the way. If he can make those kinds of good decisions all year long, I'd be very satisfied with JaMarcus this year.

While many have called for Garcia to start, I very highly doubt it'll happen. Cable's already stated that it's Russell's job. Barring injury, I don't see garcia starting a game this year.

Jeff Garcia

via imgs.sfgate.com

I've been scratching my head on the Jeff Garcia deal since he was signed and I still can't find a way that this a good move. For one, the Raiders are going to be much more of a downfield passing team this year with DHB, Higgins, Murphy, etc. Garcia struggles making those deep throws and is much more of a west coast offense QB. Kinda bad to have your backup not fit your scheme.

Secondly, Garcia was brought in to mentor Russell. Instead, all we've seen is Garcia trying to dethrone Russell as the starting QB. Actually, this was his primary reason for being here.

Thirdly, Garcia makes a lot of questionable decisions. Mainly, he never stays in the pocket. As soon as he gets the ball in his hands, he almost always rolls out of the pocket. The Raiders O-Line looks to actually be able to maintain a pocket this year, but you can probably still expect Garcia to roll out causing more harm than good.

The one good thing I can take from this move, the Raiders will still be doing dumpoffs a lot this year. With Garcia's short and medium range accuracy, it makes him a viable backup in those situations. But Garcia can't just dink-and-dunk with all these deep threats available. Hence why I disagree with a lot of people who believe him to be the one who should be starting for Oakland.

Garcia will most likely be the primary backup because of his great accuracy on short throws and his ability to win games.

Bruce Gradkowski

via www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

I honestly couldn't tell you much about Gradkowski, but I can tell you he's been making some really good plays in camp. He's also got a better deep ball than Garcia, Gradkowski struggles with his medium range passes.

Gradkowski hasn't exactly had a great career, though when he's had to be a starter for an extended period of time, he hasn't been too shabby. In his rookie 06 year, he completed 177 of his 328 throws for 1661 yards wth 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 13 games. Not exactly great, but not bad for what should be our third-string QB, if not second string.

If Gradkowski has good showings throughout the rest of camp, i have no doubt in my mind that Bruce can take over the backup spot behind Russell.

Charlie Frye

via www.raiders.com

Frye to me is going to be the odd-man out. While he's fairly strong armed, he makes a lot of bad decisions. 25 interceptions in 23 games, several of which he only saw limited time in. He hasn't been very good in camp and is pretty far behind Gradkowski and Garcia. I like Frye, but I doubt he makes the roster.

Projected QB depth chart:

Starter: JaMarcus Russell

Backup: Bruce Gradkowski (yes I think he'll manage to pass Garcia on the depth chart)

Third String: Jeff Garcia

Special Teams:

A bright spot for Oakland last year was it's special teams unit which saw new life after many below average years. The return game was incredible, Lechler was amazing as always, Jano can still kick field goals from 55+ yards out, and special teams ace Ekejiuba was a Pro Bowl alternate.

Kicker

Sebastian Janikowski

via assets.nydailynews.com

Oakland's record-breaking kicker, Janikowski has the strongest leg in all of football. Easily pounding kicks 55+ yards with ease and booming kickoffs for touchbacks, his only flaw his accuracy. Jano's not horrible, but his kicks often slice too far left or right quite a bit of the time. It's a problem that's not gone away over the years, but he's definitely working on it. If Seabass can refine his accuracy a little bit more, he could be a Pro Bowl kicker.

Punter

Shane Lechler

via www4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

What can be said about Lechler that hasn't already been said? He's basically the greatest punter in raiders history, if not NFL history. He holds the NFL record for best average yards per punt with 46.8 yards per punt. You can expect Lechler to continue going out every Sunday and blasting punts inside the opposing team's 20's like he has year in and year out.

Punt Returner

Johnnie Lee Higgins

via imgs.sfgate.com

A speedy receiver, a fantastic dancer, and one of the best return threats in the NFL, Johnnie Lee "Blue-Suede Shoes" Higgins does it all. Higgins turned 44 punt returns into 570 yards and an amazing 3 touchdowns. His touchdown returns were a big reason for wins against Denver and Houston last year. I expect Higgins to continue being a game-changing return threat this year as we should see similar numbers from him if he stays healthy.

Kick Returner

Justin Miller

via cache.daylife.com

While Justin isn't a great corner, he is a great kick returner that brought new life to Oakland's special teams. Oakland hadn't returned a kickoff for a touchdown in years, Justin Miller did it twice last year. Returning 32 kickoffs for 794 yards and the aforementioned 2 touchdowns, Miller might be being challenged by another Miller. Nick Miller that is. Justin's going to have to prove he's still the top kick return man in Oakland, or face losing his starting spot. Definitely something to keep track of until the regular season starts. But I expect Justin to keep his starting role.

Nick Miller

via www.raiders.com

There's some genuine competition here for the job of kick returner. Nick has been getting chances throughout camp and early on in preseason. Nick is definitely as fast as Justin, but does he have the moves that Justin has to create some big plays on kickoffs? If he does, we could see a different Miller returning kicks on Monday Night.

Projected Special Teams:

K- Seabass

P- Lechler

PR- Higgins

KR- Justin Miller

Backup KR- Nick Miller

Poll

who should Oakland's backup QB be?

JaMarcus Russell

153 votes

Jeff Garcia

480 votes

Bruce Gradkowski

360 votes

Charlie Frye

50 votes

1043 votes | Poll has closed

Working Toward The 53-Man Roster: The Defensive Line

LiveAdam — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:10:16 -0000

With the first preseason game quickly approaching, the battle between 80 men vying for 53 spots on the Oakland Raiders final roster is intensifying. While many of the 53 spots are nearly guaranteed to our feature players, certain positions such as wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, and secondary still have a few roster spots that are up for grabs with several players making their case for the spot on the roster during training camp and the preseason games. Over the next month leading up to the season opener we’ll discuss position groups and who we’d like to see make the 53-man roster in those position groups.

Last season the Raiders kept 8 defensive linemen on their 53 man roster, 4 defensive ends and 4 defensive tackles. I expect the same basic format for this year’s defensive line, and I have identified 1 open roster spot at defensive tackle.

DEFENSIVE ENDS

The defensive end position has gone through a good bit of turnover from last season. Both of the starters at DE in the second half of the season, Derrick Burgess and Kalimba Edwards, are no longer with the team.

Greg Ellis

via imgs.sfgate.com

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Greg Ellis, he was drafted 8^th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys (much to the chagrin of Randy Moss). In 2006 Ellis suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon. Through vigorous rehabilitation Ellis came back in Week 4 of the 2007, and in 13 games racked up 12.5 sacks on his way to both the Comeback Player of the Year Award and his first Pro Bowl appearance. Ellis’ playing time decreased with the addition of DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer to the Cowboys, along with the transition from a base 4-3 to a base 3-4. While listed at 265 pounds, Ellis’ playing weight is probably closer to 280 pounds, and he was not able to make the transition to OLB. As a result, despite starting all 16 games and tallying 8 sacks in 2008, the Cowboys decided to release Ellis in favor of Ware and Spencer (Ellis’ request for a contract extension assisted in his departure as well).

Ellis has been penciled in to replace Burgess at left defensive end. Like Burgess, Ellis’ run stopping at the left end may be a bit of a question mark, but he’s a bit bigger than Burgess so it may be an improvement. Ellis should also be able to provide nearly the same pass rush as Burgess. So long as he can stay healthy, I think we will all be pleased with Greg Ellis at left defensive end.

Trevor Scott

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By now we all know the story of Trevor Scott. The University of Buffalo product was converted from tight end to defensive end in the middle of his college career and made the most of it. In just two seasons at DE in college, Scott racked up 19 sacks. As a rookie last season, Scott got work as a situational pass rusher and recorded 5 sacks, with his best performance coming against Brett Favre and the New York Jets.

In the offseason Scott worked diligently on his strength and conditioning as well as his technique in order to crack the starting lineup for the defensive line, and for now it appears that his efforts are being rewarded. Scott is penciled in as the starting right defensive end. This will be a position to take note of during preseason to determine whether Scott can wreak havoc on opposing QBs as well as be stout at the point of attack against the run. If he is unable to hold his own against the run, the Raiders will need to look to Richardson or Shaughnessy as a base end and continue to use Scott as a nickel pass-rushing specialist.

Jay Richardson

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The Raiders drafted Jay Richardson in the 5^th round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He proceeded to beat out 3^rd round pick Quentin Moses for a spot on the 53 man roster, and played in rotation in 2007. In 2008 Richardson was penciled in as the starter at right defensive end. Richardson didn’t get a lot of opportunities to play at that position however, as he shifted to left defensive end when Derrick Burgess suffered a triceps injury and missed six games. Working in rotation with Burgess and Trevor Scott, Richardson managed 3 sacks, including a safety sack on Miami’s Chad Pennington.

With Greg Ellis entrenched at left defensive end, Richardson and Scott are fighting for the starting role at right defensive end. Scott has the upper hand with his superior pass rush abilities. Furthermore, Richardson recently informed the media that he is still recovering from offseason knee surgery. So long as Scott proves he can handle himself against the run I expect Richardson to come off the bench to spell Ellis at left defensive end.

Matt Shaughnessy

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Much as the media labeled Darrius Heyward-Bey and Mike Mitchell as "reaches" in the draft, I actually labeled Shaughnessy as our biggest reach of our draft class. After reading some of the scouting reports on him I calmed down a little bit though. Every indication is that Shaughnessy is a high-motor guy who may not be the most talented but will work extremely hard to get the job done. Like Richardson, Shaughnessy is a more of a base defensive end, so it will be interesting to see if he can provide some pass rush. If he can and plays against the run better than Scott, he may actually find himself as the starter at right defensive end. If Shaughnessy gets outplayed by Gunheim or Gray he could be waived, but the Raiders cannot make a habit out of drafting 3^rd round players that cannot crack the 53 man roster.

Greyson Gunheim

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Gunheim signed as an UDFA last preseason and showed enough promise to earn a spot on the Raiders practice squad before getting signed to the active roster in November. His claim to fame is the sack of Jeff Garcia that ended the 2008 season with a win against Tampa Bay. I’ve heard significantly less about Gunheim during this year’s training camp than I did last season, and Gunheim only has more people in front of him now. I consider him a long shot to make the squad this season.

Derrick Gray

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Like Gunheim, Gray signed as an UDFA in 2008 and spent the year on the Raiders practice squad. Again, he’s got a lot of people in front of him, and we haven’t heard enough about his play in training camp to think he’s going to make the 53 man squad.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES

The defensive tackles for the Raiders take a lot of grief from the Raider Nation, some of it deserved and some probably not. We all understand that they are a talented group, but inconsistency seems to follow them wherever they go. Unlike the defensive ends, the group at defensive tackle is fairly set, with likely only one roster change from last year.

Tommy Kelly

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Kelly joined the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2004. By 2008, he was one of the highest paid defensive tackles in the game, despite inconsistent play. Kelly has Ed Jasper and Warren Sapp to thank for his enormous contract, as both had high praise for him as a 3-technique defensive tackle. We all understand that Kelly may not be the best UT in the game, but he was the best UT in the 2008 free agent class and we absolutely needed to keep him around, so Al Davis did what he had to. Kelly had a fair 2008, collecting 4.5 sacks and 55 tackles. His presence in games varied from average to unstoppable. Raider Nation hopes to see more of the latter in 2009. Kelly once again will be the starting under-tackle on the defensive line.

Gerard Warren

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The Raiders made a rare trade with the Denver Broncos for Gerard "Big Money" Warren before the 2007 season. Much like Kelly, Warren is exceedingly talented, but is very inconsistent in his play, and goes from being mediocre at times to being absolutely dominant at others. Warren has the starting nose tackle job locked up though, so we can only hope for more consistency in his play in 2009.

Terdell Sands

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Terdell Sands – you either love him or hate him. Most fans expect a man with such an impressive stature to simply man-handle his opponent and win all individual battles. Unfortunately, Sands’ inconsistent play displays that he gets just as good as he gives at times. Part of our displeasure with Sands is his hefty contract that he simply hasn’t lived up to yet. Many fans call for him to be cut from the team, especially after allegedly punching Pro Bowl punter Shane Lechler in the face. Still, Sands is the closest thing to a true nose tackle the Raiders have, and he does flash dominance at times (see last year’s game vs. San Diego where he sacked Philip Rivers twice in dramatic fashion).

Reports indicate that Sands has reported to camp in significantly better shape than in previous years. Also, an interesting article including an interview with Sands surfaced earlier this offseason which indicated that Sands understood he needed to step his game up this year. Sands has a roster spot locked up, and we can only hope he can do more to stuff the line of scrimmage in the run game and demand double coverage in passing situations.

Desmond Bryant

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Desmond Bryant is my official dark horse candidate for the final roster spot designated for the defensive line. The Raiders love versatility from their backups, and at 6’5", 290 lbs with sub-5 second speed, Bryant has the size and speed to be useful both as a UT and as a DE. Many have questioned his meager numbers playing for Harvard in Ivy League football, but one article I read stated that Bryant was consistently double and even triple-teamed by opposing offensive lines. One training camp report I read stated that Bryant was man-handling Paul McQuistan in drills, and may be impressing coaches Marshall and Board. I’ll be very interested to see how much time Bryant gets during the preseason to prove he can play at the NFL level.

William Joseph

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The Raiders do love to collect former first round draft picks. Joseph was drafted by the New York Giants in 2003 and spent 5 years with them before signing with the Raiders before the 2008 season. Joseph did not make the 53 man roster initially last season, but was finally added to the roster in early November once the Raiders finally realized that they could not go through games with only 3 defensive tackles on the active roster. All indications are that Joseph is a fine athlete but is a perennial underachiever. I would not be too surprised if Joseph ended up as the Raiders 4^th defensive tackle, but I would prefer the more versatile Bryant to make the team over Joseph. The upcoming month will determine the winner of this roster battle.

Ryan Boschetti

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The Raiders signed Boschetti as a free agent this offseason. He had previously been on the Redskins’ practice squad, and Coach Cable touted Boschetti’s work ethic and high motor as a motivating force for the rest of the defensive line. Cable also stated that Boschetti was getting work at both DT and DE, showing the versatility required for a backup. Unfortunately, Boschetti’s only mention from training camp reports was when Darren McFadden knocked him on his ass during a pass protection drill. If the Raiders are looking for versatility they should look to Bryant rather than Boschetti. Don’t expect him to make the 53 man roster.

So Silver and Black Pride Nation, what are your thoughts on the Raiders’ 2009 defensive line lineup?

Poll

Of those players not necessarily guaranteed a roster spot, whom would you like to see make the defensive line squad on the 53 man roster? Please state why in the comments section.

Desmond Bryant

240 votes

Greyson Gunheim

40 votes

Derrick Gray

20 votes

Matt Shaughnessy

382 votes

William Joseph

47 votes

Ryan Boschetti

42 votes

771 votes | Poll has closed

Weekly Raider Issue #6

KA1Z3R — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:46:19 -0000

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It's mid-July and the weather is great, well at least it is where I'm at. As training camp draws nearer, the wait seems longer. Here to ease the wait, we bring you the sixth issue of the Weekly Raider. As always, I strive to bring you the finest in Raiders reading and hope you enjoy.

-Weekly Raider: #9 Shane Lechler, Punter-

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The player we want to see come on to the field the least, is actually one of Oakland's best players and the best at his position. For years Shane Lechler has been pinning teams deep in the territory to start long drives. And he's done so very consistently.

On a team full of inconsistency, Lechler and Nnamdi have been the only sources of consistency. Lechler continuously works on and perfects his craft, even though he doesn't show it in voluntary workouts. Capable of rocketing the ball way down the field and doing so with pin-point precision, Lechler has even been regarded has possibly one of the greatest punters of all-time. I'd even put him in that group. After all, he's been the best punter of the decade. If you don't believe me, look at career statistics:

2000: 65 punts for 2984 yards. averaged 45.9 yards per punt. 24 punts inside the 20. 38.0 net average

2001: 73 punts for 3375 yards. averaged 46.2 yards per punt. 23 punts inside the 20. 35.6 net average

2002: 53 punts for 2251 yards. averaged 42.5 yards per punt. 18 punts inside the 20. 32.7 net average

2003: 96 punts for 4503 yards. averaged 46.9 yards per punt. 27 punts inside the 20. 37.2 net average

2004: 73 punts for 3409 yards. averaged 46.7 yards per punt. 22 punts inside the 20. 37.2 net average

2005: 82 punts for 3744 yards. averaged 45.7 yards per punt. 26 punts inside the 20. 37.9 net average

2006: 77 punts for 3660 yards. averaged 47.5 yards per punt. 19 punts inside the 20. 36.4 net average

2007: 73 punts for 3585 yards. averaged 49.1 yards per punt. 25 punts inside the 20. 41.1 net average

2008: 90 punts for 4391 yards. averaged 48.8 yards per punt. 33 punts inside the 20. 41.2 net average

As you can see, every year of his career except 2002, he's averaged near 50 yards per punt. Also worth noting that every year of his career he's had at least 1 punt go over 64 yards (career longest is 73 yards in 2003).

Some notes on Lechler's career: had at least one punt of 50 or more yards in 33 consecutive games from Week 13 of 2003 to Week 14 of 2005, holds NFL record for best average per punt with 46.5 (former record holder Sammy Baugh averaged 45.1), and he has the second most punt yards in Raider history with 31,902 yards (Ray Guy has 44,493)

My expectations for Lechler, consistency. Look for a 48.5 yards or higher per punt year. I look for him to get about 26 punts inside the 20. The special teams are getting better and will keep those returners from getting very far.

-Random Thoughts: The Defensive Tackles-

If you check the comments, I believe on the Weekly Raiders Issue #5 post, you'll see I came down hard on the Raiders defensive tackles. I called them the worst group in the league, which they are, but I'd like to go more in-depth.

Realistically, Warren and Kelly are the only quality players at the spot. Not good since DT is a very demanding and tiring job, especially when you're getting ran at all game. There's nobody that can go in there and fill in for either of those two while they're taking a breather and be half-way decent.

Sands is a massive DT and has the build of what should be a good NT in a 4-3. Instead he just takes up space as he's so easily outmatched by the opposing offesnive line. Last year we saw a slight improvement but he clearly doesn't care enough to try. I think this year is definitely his last unless he breaks out and becomes a force in the run game. Which is very unlikely.

Joseph is an interesting case in that he came in last year, was released before the start of the season, brought back in mid-season, released after the season, then brought back in again. Joseph is okay at best. I'm hesitant to say he's bad, but he could be much better. Like Sands, he's not really motivated. Joesph basically is a smaller Sands at a much cheaper price. As a rotation guy, I like him. But if someone amongst our aging DT's gets injured, I don't want him as a backup.

Honestly, I don't know really anything about Boschetti. I know he was undrafted and hung around with Washington for a couple years, but that's about it. Being the same size as Joesph, I'd hope he can play in the same manner. With 6 DT's on the current roster, one of Joesph and Boschetti will be released. Since Joesph has seen more action and done better in that action, I think he'll be staying.

Then there's the Havard DT Desmond Bryant. I expect him to make practice squad and be groomed to either a pass rushing specialist at DT, or a big DE.

Let's take a look back at the starters of Warren and Kelly. Warren has been the best DT on roster since joining Oakland in 07. He's recorded 4 sacks each year and has been decent in the running game. Despite that 330 lb. frame, Warren is more of a pass rushing UT at this point in his career. If he can work on his abilities in the running game and get them more fine-tuned, he could be a good DT in the NFL. But even if he doesn't, he's still the best DT the Raiders have for now.

Kelly is sort of in the same boat. A good pass rushing DT (4.5 sacks last year) who was the thought to be a run-stopping DT. Though he did have some kind of surgery on his knees before last year. This year should be when we get to see what Kelly's really got. I'd expect him to be much more formidable in the running game while still keeping that pass rush. If anything, I'm hoping he'll be a base DT who can play the run and pass to an equal degree so that Oakland won't have two UT's up there at the line.

Who knows, maybe with some development and discipline, these aging vets might be able to step it up and prove me wrong. Or maybe the occasional blitz (which should be what Marshall provides scheme-wise) will let them get that extra push they need in the run game.

-Featured Fan TheRaiderWay-

Random image:

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Poll

Next Weekly Raider (offense only no rookies)

Russell

206 votes

Fargas

91 votes

Neal

73 votes

Miller

189 votes

Higgins

151 votes

Gallery

84 votes

other (please specify)

16 votes

810 votes | Poll has closed

Oakland Raiders
Desmond Bryant DT	Probable	Back
Samson Satele C	Questionable	Calf
Greg Ellis DE	Questionable	Knee
Darrius Heyward-Bey WR	Doubtful	Foot
Nick Miller WR	Out	Shin
Robert Gallery G	Out	Back
Jon Alston LB	IR	Concussion
Ricky Brown LB	IR	Ankle
Oren O'Neal RB	IR	Ankle