SB Nation - Chaz Schilens

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?

Previewing the Enemy: Washington Redskins

Rated-R Superstar — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:39:28 -0000

It's a Super Bowl XVIII rematch! [via prod.static.raiders.clubs.nfl.com]

Alright, it's not quite a rematch from Super Bowl XVIII when the Raiders smashed the Redskins en route to their third Super Bowl title in franchise history. Nonetheless, this Sunday, the Oakland Raiders (4-8) will look to put together a winning streak as the Washington Redskins (3-9) will be coming to town. Don't let that 3-9 record fool you. This Washington team is better than their record and it clearly showed after taking Dallas, Philadelphia and New Orleans to the wire. They don't lay down and will play hard. With the team 2-1 with Bruce Gradkowski starting, the Raiders look to come away with another hard-earned victory as they did last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers as 15-point underdogs.

Let's take a look at their schedule and see how they've fared so far.

Week 1: @ New York Giants -- L, 17-23
Week 2: St. Louis Rams -- W, 9-7
Week 3: @ Detroit Lions -- L, 14-19
Week 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- W, 16-13
Week 5: @ Carolina Panthers -- L, 17-20
Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs -- L, 6-14
Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles -- L, 17-27
Week 8: Bye Week
Week 9: @ Atlanta Falcons -- L, 17-31
Week 10: Denver Broncos -- W, 27-17
Week 11: @ Dallas Cowboys -- L, 6-7
Week 12: @ Philadelphia Eagles -- L, 24-27
Week 13: New Orleans Saints -- L, 30-33 (F/OT)

Well, this team is certainly interesting. Sitting at 3-9, this team could easily be 6-6 or even better. We will have to bring our "A" game, of course, if we want to secure a victory on our home field this Sunday.

Let's check out the Redskin offense first.

Pass Offense Rank: 220.2 yards/game; 18th in NFL
Rush Offense Rank: 101.0 yards/game; 22nd in NFL
Total Offense Rank: 321.2 yards/game; 21st in NFL
Scoring Offense Rank: 16.7 points/game; 26th in NFL

With stars Chris Cooley and Clinton Portis out, others must step up for the Redskins. [via cache.daylife.com]

If you recall, the Redskins offense was the subject of some controversy or what not concerning head coach Jim Zorn. Well, he gave up his play-calling duties to assistant Sherman Lewis. Since then, the offense has performed better. Who is the leader of this Redskins offense? I really don't know to be honest with you. Let's look a little bit into their personnel.

Jason Campbell, QB: Many people questioned Campbell's status as the quarterback this season. He was even benched in favor of veteran Todd Collins earlier. To me, Campbell is actually a pretty solid quarterback. He isn't going to set the world on fire or anything, but he can still hurt you. Campbell is completing 66 percent of his passes this season even if they are "dinks and dunks" most of the time. With 15 turnovers and 15 touchdown passes, Campbell's ratio isn't all that great. He has been sacked three or more times in five games. Obviously, getting some pressure on him would be nice.

Rock Cartwright, HB: Rock is solid, just like a rock. (Ha, get it?) If you want him to be the running back, he can. If you want him to be the fullback, he can. He'll even run back kicks and run down there on punt returns. He is a threat out of the backfield to catch passes. A somewhat physical runner, Cartwright doesn't really stand out in terms of either his speed or his strength. Cartwright has stepped up for the injured Clinton Portis (concussion), who just put on injured reserve. Also on injured reserve is Portis' backup Ladell Betts, so the Redskins are thin at running back.

Quinton Ganther, HB: Ganther, just in his second year out of Utah, is someone I just don't know too much about. Essentially moving up from fourth on the depth chart to splitting time with Cartwright, Ganther was mildly successful against the Saints last Sunday with 46 yards on just 8 carries. The week before that against the Eagles, Ganther had 32 yards on just 5 carries. We may see more of him against the Raiders with him averaging 5.8 yards per carry over the past few weeks.

Santana Moss, WR: The pint-sized and speedy Moss is Washington's leader in receptions (49), yards (642) and touchdowns (3). He is what you would call the team's go-to-guy, but really the Redskins have a lot of guys they go to. Still, Moss provides that veteran presence and can't be overlooked. Maybe this would be one of the few times where I wouldn't mind Nnamdi Asomugha moving around from receiver to receiver, which he will at least a little bit.

Wide receiver Devin Thomas had two touchdowns last week against the Saints. [via a.espncdn.com]

Devin Thomas, WR: The second-year receiver out of Michigan State, Thomas is a young man seemingly improving with each game of late. He has even been prominent in the kick return game of the past two weeks. Still, he has shined brightly in the passing game over the course of those two same weeks. After a decent game against the Eagles, he broke out for 7 receptions, 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week against the Saints.

Antwaan Randle El, WR: The ex-Steeler is still in Washington. Randle El, who is very durable having missed only one game in his eight-year career, he is a dependable target for Campbell despite only averaging 3.3 receptions per game. I believe this is more in part to the number of targets the Redskins like to use. The team isn't confined to both Moss and Rande El as you will see here in a minute in this preview.

Fred Davis, TE: After Campbell's favorite target Chris Cooley went down for the year, someone had to step up. Unknown at the time to Washington, it'd be his replacement. Fred Davis. Since October 26, Davis is averaging 7.5 catches and 45.7 yards with finding the end zone three times, including two times in his last three games. As most tight ends are, he is a threat in the red zone and Campbell has no problem looking his way.

Let's shift gears to the Redskin defense now.

Pass Defense Rank: 190.2 yards/game; 5th in NFL
Rush Defense Rank: 121.8 yards/game; 24th in NFL
Total Defense Rank: 312.0 yards/game; 9th in NFL
Scoring Defense Rank: 19.8 points/game; 14th in NFL

Linebacker London Fletcher leads Washington's better-than-you-think defense. [via cdn.bleacherreport.com]

Defensive coordinator Greg Blache and his Washington Redskins actually have a pretty solid group defensively operating out of the 4-3. You may not think so because of their 3-9 record, but I'm sure people don't think highly of our defense since we're just 4-8. Anyway, the Redskins are particularly strong against the pass. Safety Reed Doughty has quietly had a good year and young LaRon Landry is solid at his spot as well. A pretty solid group of cornerbacks are headed by veteran Fred Smoot, who is in his ninth year out of Mississippi State. The leader of the defense is the man in the middle, London Fletcher, who leads the team with 109 tackles. Brian Orakpo, the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft, plays on the outside along with veteran Rocky McIntosh. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been in and out of the lineup with injuries this season. He signed a monster contract in the offseason, but the Redskins' defense is only ranked 24th against the rush. His presence is desperately needed for Washington. Haynesworth is listed as questionable as of right now. At right defensive end, Andre Carter has nine sacks and deserves some Pro Bowl recognition for his great play. Again, this is a very solid defense and will do everything it can to keep their offense in this game late on the road.

Conclusion: The thing that sticks out defensively about the Redskins is their 24th-ranked rush defense. With Haynesworth questionable, he probably won't be playing on every down. Justin Fargas, Michael Bush and Darren McFadden should have success as long as head coach Tom Cable keeps giving them the rock. I believe of the first 28 plays against the Steelers, 18 of them were rushes. That is a similar ratio that I hope to see this week considering how strong Washington's pass defense is. Speaking of the pass, the breakout of Louis Murphy was something else, especially with Darrius Heyward-Bey out. It's nice to see someone step up at the receiver spot. Chaz Schilens even found the end zone for the first time in 2009 and Todd Watkins caught a key pass in the final drive. Johnnie Lee Higgins came through for us as well. Wide receivers against Pittsburgh caught 12 balls for 248 yards, both of which I'm sure were season-highs for our club. We're definitely going to need that against the Redskins' formidable pass defense against the previously mentioned Smoot and also Carlos Rogers and ex-Raider DeAngelo Hall. This may be a good test for Bruce Gradkowski as well, even though he did perform well against two really good defenses already in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. I think we're ready for this.

Feel free to leave your predictions or even your own thoughts and ideas about the Pittsburgh Steelers and how we can earn a win our fourth win of the season on Sunday.

*-All stats are through Tuesday, December 8, 2009.

Poll

Do you feel more confident in a win, less confident in a win or about the same in a win after reading this preview?

State of the AFC West Week 9

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:15:45 -0000

Well well well, here we are after week 9, a week I'd been looking forward to for awhile. I had a crazy day on Sunday which of course had a perfect ending. Last night's game was the proverbial "icing on the cake". The Chargers are now 1 game back at the halfway point of the season with 8 games to go. The Broncos still have the advantage with the 1 game lead and a win over the Chargers as a potential tiebreaker. As far as the schedules, of the 8 games remaining, 3 are easy division games (2 KC 1 OAK), but 4 are against tough teams (SD, NYG, INDY, PHI) and their game this week at Washington. On the other hand, the Chargers get the Browns and Titans, don't have to play Indy, but they only play the Chiefs one more time. As far as momentum, it is clearly on the side of the Chargers who have capped their three game winning streak with an emotional win at the Meadowlands. The Broncos on the other hand are riding a two-game losing streak that included two disappointing second halves. Oakland and KC are still out of the picture.

Jump the break for individual teams.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	2	150	124
San Diego	5	3	206	179
Oakland	2	6	78	201
Kansas City	1	7	126	205

(updated 11.10.2009 at 1:30 AM PST)

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders had a quiet bye week getting healthy and trying not to lose any football games. Running back Darren McFadden, wide receiver Chaz Schilens, left guard Robert Gallery and right tackle Cornell Green returned to practice Monday and are expected to play against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. So that's good news. Although Tom Cable won't be charged criminally, the NFL is evaluating the situation and sending out people to determine if Cable should attend anger management classes. The National League of Women (NOW) and other women's rights groups are calling for Cable's job. The Raiders next division match-up is this week's pillow-fight of the week in Oakland. Let the battle to determine the most dysfunctional team begin, too bad nobody will see it because it will likely be blacked out.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	11/09/2009
Tony Stewart	chest	11/09/2009
Gerard Warren	toe	11/09/2009
Jon Alston	shoulder	11/09/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	11/09/2009
Robert Gallery	fibula	11/09/2009
Tommy Kelly	elbow	11/09/2009
Chris Johnson	groin	11/09/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs played a close game against the Jaguars which inevitably ended in another loss. As the Chiefs march toward another top 5 draft pick, the big story is still the rapid fall of Larry Johnson which ended in his release from the Chiefs. Although they will probably end up paying him a lot of money since I doubt anyone will pick him up, this gives Jamaal Charles more opportunity to play and gets rid of a clubhouse cancer. Chris Chambers seem to have rejuvenated their offense, at least for the moment, with two TD passes. The addition seems to have helped the Chiefs and the Chargers at the same time, and Chris will probably be happier too. As already mentioned, the Chiefs next division game is at Oakland which I'm sure will be terribly exciting.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jon McGraw	thigh	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

Denver Broncos: Will the real Broncos please stand up? Are they the 6-0 team or the 0-2 team? Are they the second-half juggernaut or the second-half duds? Is Kyle Orton the QB who threw one INT in 7 games or 3 INT's in one game? Are they a punishing opponents on the lines or the team that didn't get ONE rushing first-down against the Steelers? The answer is probably somewhere close to the middle. Teams are starting to key on the Broncos weakness and adjusting their game-plans as such. Kyle Orton looks nervous as opposed to the pillar of strength he looked like earlier in the season. Either way, the Broncos are much better than everyone thought but they still aren't an elite team. The Steelers were clearly the superior team last night, even at Mile High. The Broncos have lost some momentum going forward but they are still healthy and still have the advantage over the Chargers. Now is the time for Josh McDaniels to adjust to the adjustments that other teams are making. Going forward, we will see if the Broncos and McDaniels are studs or duds. The game at Washington this weekend may tell us a lot about the Broncos. Their next division match-up looks to be a huge game with playoff implications at Mile High against the Chargers.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryan McBean	knee	11/10/2009
Peyton Hillis	other-excused	11/10/2009
David Bruton	groin	11/10/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009
J'Vonne Parker	knee	08/08/2009

San Diego Super Chargers: The Bolts are flying high after an emotional victory at the Meadowlands and gaining the momentum in the AFC West race if not the advantage. They are finally getting healthy, emotionally and physically, as well and it looks like All-Pro center Nick Hardwick will make his return to Qualcomm Stadium this weekend against the Eagles. The Chargers are still a little banged up at the linebacker position; SP95 was injured in the Giants game and Kevin Burnett and Tim Dobbins are still ailing. It looks like Phillips and Burnett will play this weekend while Dobbins will sit. LB Jyles Tucker is also most likely out this weekend. It looks like the Eagles are having the same problem the Chargers were earlier in the season: inability to keep anyone healthy. If Westbrook is out and the Eagles must depend on the passing game, the Chargers could win big with improved pass rush from Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips. The Chargers are also only 2-2 this season and they need to improve their play at home. The game is already sold out so we know it will be loud this weekend. Our next division match-up is Week 11 at Mile High Stadium.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Dobbins	knee	11/09/2009
Nick Hardwick	ankle	11/09/2009
Kevin Burnett	ankle	11/09/2009

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

Philadelphia Eagles Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Max Jean-Gilles	shoulder	11/09/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Victor Abiamiri	knee	11/09/2009
Chris Gocong	other-excused	11/09/2009
Akeem Jordan	knee	11/10/2009
Brian Westbrook	ankle	11/09/2009
Quintin Demps	ankle	11/09/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Shawn Andrews	back	09/15/2009
Stewart Bradley	knee	09/01/2009
Omar Gaither	foot	10/22/2009
Cornelius Ingram	knee	09/01/2009
Fenuki Tupou	chest	09/05/2009

Horse Tracks 11/10/09 - Steelers thump Broncos, who lead Chargers by 1 game in AFC West

Douglas A. Lee — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:59:39 -0000

Good Morning, MHR Friends. Seems like deja vu all over again, huh? Keep your heads up! The Broncos are 6-2 and alone in first place this morning. Yes, it's only by a game, but you're reading it here first that they'll be up by 3 games again in two weeks' time. There is no shame in losing to the Ravens and Steelers in consecutive weeks; these two teams were the AFC finalists last year, and both get after the QB like most other teams cannot. Take a deep breath, look at the Broncos' schedule and then at that of the Dolts. Feeling better? Okay, now about last night - while there were some rough moments for them, the Broncos' D once again showed they can hang with anyone. The offense (especially the running game) and punting left a lot to be desired; but I think we'll see a dominant performance Sunday against a banged-up Redskins squad. It is NOT time to panic, Friends!

NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers 28 at Denver Broncos 10 - Box Score

NFL - Steelers 28, Broncos 10 - Video with radio calls

DB - Steelers Postgame: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Turnovers Lead to Loss No. 2 - Gray Caldwell
"If you told us at the beginning of the season we'd be 6-2 at the halfway point, I think most of us would have been happy with it," Andre Goodman said. "The way the last two weeks have gone, losing to the same division, the same type of team -- playoff teams -- having a poor second half on the defensive side of the ball, it's a little disheartening, but we're not going to panic. We're just going to go back to work and do what we're used to doing."

DB - Losing the Game of Keep Away - Chris Gentilviso

DPP - Broncos lose second straight game - Mike Klis

DPP - Paige: Whose stadium is this, anyway?
"Sick effort, Denver. If you don't want your tickets, at least scalp them to people who bleed orange, blue, mustard and brown."

DPP - Krieger: Bullying tactics bother Broncos
"The team that outscored opponents 76-10 in the second half has been outscored 45-14 in the past two second halves."

SI - Steelers hard to beat when firing on all cylinders - Ross Tucker
"The Broncos may have lost the game, but they went toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champs for 53 minutes before caving in the final minutes. The Broncos will be a factor for the rest of this season and likely in the playoffs, as well."

DB - Steelers Postgame: Orton - Broncos TV

NFLTA - Steelers vs. Broncos highlights - Video

DPP - Steelers in a rush to harass QB - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Armstrong: Broncos' offense stuck in neutral

DPP - Steelers' Carter shines at safety with Clark out

DPP - A few hurdles to jump - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Steelers 28, Broncos 10: Bests, worsts and breakdown - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Steelers offense enjoys second-half feast - Mike Chambers

DPP - NFL commissioner Goodell lauds Broncos' moves - Mike Klis

CSG - Steelers top Broncos 28-10 - Frank Schwab

CSG - Ramsey: Surprisingly, Broncos QB Orton doesn't hear a boo

CSG - Broncos notes: Orton pick proves costly - Frank Schwab

NFLPA - E. Royal Remains a Playmaker in Denver Despite Changes - Jim Flynn

CBS4 - Elway Remembers Monday Night Shootouts In Denver - Matthew Buettner

AP - Broncos Lose Second Straight, Fall To 6-2 - Arnie Stapleton

FH - Big Ben, Steelers Strike in Second Half - Nancy Gay

FH - No Ryan Clark, but Same Steel Curtain - Nancy Gay

USAT - Steelers pick on Orton, run away with 28-10 'MNF' win - Jarrett Bell

ESPN - Orton, Broncos allowing San Diego back in race - Bill Williamson

DB - Ask Matt Prater...

Steelers News

PPG - Steelers dominate Broncos, 28-10 - Ed Bouchette

PPG - Steelers' Roethlisberger changes game - Ron Cook

PPG - Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill

PPG - Steelers notebook: Tomlin decides to sit Clark - Ed Bouchette

PPG - Steelers' defense leads way - Gene Collier

PTR - Big second half lifts Steelers to MNF victory - Scott Brown

PTR - Harris: In football vs. life decision, life wins

SN - Steelers aren't perfect, but they're getting closer - Dennis Dillon

SN - What We Learned: The Steelers Are Hitting Championship Form - Dennis Dillon

FOX - Steelers are regaining their Super Bowl swagger - Alex Marvez

NYT - Steelers’ Ward Helps Biracial South Korean Youths on Journey Toward Acceptance - John Branch

Redskins News

WP - Injuries compound Redskins' troubles - Rick Maese
"Running back Clinton Portis suffered a concussion in the first quarter, and Zorn said he's doubtful for this weekend's game against the Broncos. In addition, second-year safety Chris Horton is out for at least a month, and tackle Mike Williams will miss the next couple of games. "

WP - Redskins once again have trouble on the offensive line - Rick Maese

FH - Larry Johnson Released, Redskins Already Expressing Interest - Will Brinson

AFC West News

KCS - Chiefs decide to release Larry Johnson - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs turn their back on LJ, who didn't carry team's respect - Joe Posnanski

KCS - Johnson’s legacy with Chiefs not the one he wanted - Kent Babb

KCS - Johnson’s release will cost Chiefs some money - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs will probably use running-back committee to replace Johnson - Adam Teicher

KCS - Holmes left with mixed emotions after Johnson’s exit - Randy Covitz

KCS - Next stop for Johnson could be NFC East - Randy Covitz

PFW - Most likely landing spots for Larry Johnson

KCS - Here’s why one former Chief fears CTE - Pete Grathoff

SDUT - Bolts in better focus - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Phillips shrugs at piling up of sacks - Kevin Acee

SDUT - LT: ‘We finally came together’ - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Rivers scores seminal victory - Nick Canepa

OT - Oakland Raiders' Chaz Schilens eyes his 2009 debut vs. Kansas City Chiefs - Steve Corkran

NFL News

PFW - Week 10 matchup tidbits

NFL Opinion

NFP - Lovie, McCarthy are at a crossroads - Matt Bowen

NFP - The Monday tavern - Mike Lombardi

NFL - Separation among top contenders starts to crystallize - Mike Lombardi

FOX - The Day After: Biggest questions at midseason - John Czarnecki

SI - Heated rivals Patriots and Colts battle in Indianapolis Sunday - Dan Shaughnessy

NFP - Will teams copy the Yankees in 2010? - Andrew Brandt
"While most teams are looking to shed players who reach the wrong side of 30, especially at positions that require explosion and speed, the Broncos have been adding them."

CBS - Prisco Grades: Week 9

SN - NFL Power Poll: Jets move up by standing still - Clifton Brown

Poll

How many regular-season wins do you expect out of the 2009 Broncos? (Please check the schedule before you answer!)

9 or fewer

56 votes

10 or 11

330 votes

12 or more

92 votes

478 votes | Poll has closed

State of the AFC West Week 8

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:59:14 -0000

Good afternoon BFTBers, it's your old pal 'tec. We have 3 of the 4 AFC West teams in action during week 8, including the one inter-division game between the Raiders and our Chargers. The Chiefs had their bye this week, and the Broncos traveled to the east coast to take on Joe Flacco and the Ravens. Of course, we beat the Raiders 24-16, the Chiefs managed not to lose during their bye, and the Broncos are undefeated no more as the Ravens solved the Broncos enigma with a 30-7 beat-down. Let's take a look at the current standings.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	1	140	96
San Diego	4	3	185	159
Oakland	2	6	78	201
Kansas City	1	6	105	181

(updated 11.3.2009 at 1:44 AM PST)

The Chargers are now 2 games back of the Broncos with 9 game to go. As we know, the remaining schedules for both teams favors the Chargers in terms of difficulty. The Chargers are 3-1 in division games (the one loss vs. Broncos) with 2 division games left (vs. Chiefs and @ Broncos). We travel to New York this week to face the Giants. The Broncos are 2-0 in division games with 4 left (vs. Chargers, @ Chiefs, vs. Chiefs, vs. Oakland). The Broncos stay at home to face the Steelers.

Read the rest after the hop!

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs spent the week on their bye after a beat-down by the hands of the Bolts. Of course, it was a pretty eventful week after all thanks to Larry Johnsongate. This has to be a huge distraction for a team that has already had a tough year. The good thing is that there is nowhere to go but up and perhaps suspending Johnson might bring him to his senses and allow the team to come together. (I doubt it). He will be suspended one week. In former Chargers news, it appears that WR Chris Chambers, cut by the Chargers on Monday, was claimed by the Chiefs today. It looks like Chris will play one more game at Qualcomm Stadium this season. The Chiefs travel to face the Jaguars this week. Their next division game is week 10 at the Raiders.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Branden Albert	ankle	11/02/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jon McGraw	undisclosed	11/02/2009
Lance Long	concussion	11/02/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rudy Niswanger	knee	11/02/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders are another terrible team with additional off the field issues, with ESPN's OTL reporting Head Coach Tom Cable's past nefarious exploits with his lady friends. It is up to the emperor of the Raiders Al Davis, whether he stays or goes, but the Raiders say they will be investigating the allegations. We will have to wait and see how much longer Cable lasts and continue the coaching carousel by the bay. Meanwhile, the actual football team (and I use the term lightly), is taking their bye this week. It is a good time for the team to rest up, as we saw last week they had major injuries, including Robert Gallery who is a big part of their offensive line. WR Chaz Schilens also remains out. It's not like it matters much, since nobody is watching the games; mostly because the poor attendance at the games are creating local blackouts. The Raiders next division game is week 10 vs. the Chiefs. Look at that injury list! Who do they think they are, the Chargers?

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	11/02/2009
Tony Stewart	chest	11/02/2009
Gerard Warren	toe	11/02/2009
Jon Alston	shoulder	11/02/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	11/02/2009
Robert Gallery	fibula	11/02/2009
Tommy Kelly	elbow	11/02/2009
Chris Johnson	groin	11/02/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	11/02/2009

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: After a 6-0 start, the Broncos are undefeated no more after a 30-7 road loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos will face another tough team this week, a MNF meeting with the Steelers at home. The Ravens seemed to solve the mystery of beating the Broncos, so we should look at this game in preparing for our second match-up with the Broncos. The Broncos special teams continued to struggle, allowing another kick-off for a touchdown, but we already knew that was a weakness. The Ravens were able to pressure Kyle Orton early, and apparently that threw him off of his game, which spread to the rest of the team. The Broncos seemed to be off all day, not executing like they had been in the rest of their games. The Broncos crossed over into Baltimore territory only 3 times all game, and got into the red-zone only once. The Denver defense is good, but not that good, and eventually they are going to get scored on. The key seems to be being able to disrupt the offense which starts with pressuring the QB. Orton isn't going to make many mistakes, but he's not a world beater either. With the Broncos D giving up 30 points on Sunday, the Colts take over as the best defense in football. The Broncos next division game is week 11 at home vs. the Chargers. The Broncos remain ridiculously healthy.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Renaldo Hill	leg	11/03/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009
J'Vonne Parker	knee	08/08/2009

San Diego Chargers: First of all, apparently LB James Holt has been promoted from the practice squad. Now, you're going to have to find out from someone else who that is, because I have no idea. Maybe that Sliderockmpc guy, he seems to be pretty sharp. Anyhow, we all know that the Chargers front office pulled off yet another team shakeup, releasing Chis Chambers, who has already been picked up within the division by the Chiefs. These shakeups seem to be working, notwithstanding a closer than expected victory over the Raiders. Like Coach Hoke says, there are no good losses and there are no bad wins. Let's focus on our game this weekend in New Jersey. I bet there's probably at least one person that didn't know we were playing in New Jersey on Sunday. Over their three losses in a row, I've seen two big things about the Giants. First, Eli is still being bothered by his foot, in which he has plantar fasciitis. From what I know, this is not an injury that one gets over easily. Padre fans know that Kyle Blanks got it and was forced to sit out the last part of the season. Eli has been more inaccurate than usual because of the injury, which has been compounded by the fact that the Giants have been unable to get a running game going during the losing streak. Second, the Giants running defense has struggled, especially with runners up the middle. I posted a stat earlier in the week, but during the losing streak the Giants have allowed something like 7.6 YPC up the middle. Unfortunately, both of these weaknesses don't exactly translate to the Chargers strengths. We also have struggled this year with running offense and defense. On the bright side, at least I think LT has shown some substantial progress lately, and Shawne and Shaun also seem to be about to step up their game in a serious way. The Chargers next division game is week 10 at the Broncos. Tim Dobbins is going to be out a few weeks, maybe he'll come back the same time as Nick Hardwick. I'm hoping Kevin Burnett is healthy enough to play on Sunday, but I haven't heard anything.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Dobbins	knee	11/02/2009
Nick Hardwick	ankle	11/02/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Burnett	ankle	11/02/2009

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

GO CHARGERS!

Poll

Can the Chargers come back and win the division?

Yes

482 votes

No

155 votes

637 votes | Poll has closed

Chargers vs. Raiders Injury Report

John (obviousman) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:27:07 -0000

Chargers

Out

Nick Hardwick (Ankle)

Doubtful

Kevin Burnett (Ankle)

Questionable

Ogemdi Nwagbuo (Ankle)

Probable

Shawne Merriman (Foot)

Travis Johnson (Groin)

Mike Scifres (Groin)

Raiders

Out

Ricky Brown (Ankle)

Cornell Green (Calf)

Darren McFadden (Knee)

Nick Miller (Shin)

Doubtful

Chaz Schilens (Foot)

Questionable

Greg Ellis (Knee)

Robert Gallery (Fibula)

Tony Stewart (Chest)

Bruce Gradkowski (Illness)

Probable

Chris Johnson (Groin)

Louis Murphy (Hip)

Gerard Warren (Ribs)

State of the AFC West

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:57:09 -0000

Hello Bolts From The Bluers. Most of you know me as " 'tec". Now, apparently, I have a real name that appears next to my previous anonymous user-name. Incidentally, good news everyone!

I had the idea to do a weekly write-up on the state of our conference. For those that don't know, the Chargers play in the AFC West. This division consists of the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and Denver Broncos. What I will be doing is updating everyone on the status of the division: standings, notable good and bad performances, significant injuries, upcoming match-ups, etc. I'm just going to give it a go the first time around; everyone should add suggestions in the comment field below to make this better since site is for the fans!

Catch the rest AFTER THE JUMP!

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	0	133	66
San Diego	3	3	161	143
Oakland	2	5	62	177
Kansas City	1	6	105	181

(updated 10.27.2009 at 1:30 AM PDT)

As we all painfully know, Denver is leading the division at 6-0 while the Chargers are trailing behind in second at 3-3, which is 3 games back. With 10 games to go, and both teams done with their bye, there is still significant time left for the Chargers to catchup. Of course, we all know that we came back from 3 games down with 3 games to go last season, so anything is possible. Oakland is only 4 games back and Kansas City is only 5 games back, but nobody expects them to make any noise in the division. (Sorry AP don't ban me).

DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos were on a bye this week so there isn't much to say except that, if it is even possible, they got even healthier. The Broncos currently have no players on the injury report for their upcoming game against the Ravens. The only downside to their bye is that their schedule get's much tougher from here on out. 5 of their next 7 games are against tough opponents: @Baltimore, vs. Steelers, @Washigton, vs. San Diego, vs. New York, @KC, and @Indianapolis. That is a tough schedule for any team to play, regardless of how well they are playing. It will be tough to get out of that stretch with a winning record and a healthy roster. The Chargers, on the other hand, have a much easier schedule. Here is a look at the Broncos' injury report.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

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

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Another team's recent exploits that Charger fans are familiar with is the Kansas City Chiefs. As we saw, the Chiefs aren't doing anything well. Things aren't clicking on offense or defense. Matt Cassel isn't panning out so far to what the Chiefs had hoped; the argument could be made that the players around him aren't very good, but his play isn't helping matters. It appears as if he is the "system QB" that everyone thought he was, surrounded by excellent players. Only time will tell. The running game, with Jamaal Charles and Larry Johnson, isn't doing much either. Add in the "twittergate" message from Johnson criticizing his coach, who knows how much longer he'll be around. This is compounded by injuries to the offensive line. The Chiefs only scored once on Sunday, to WR Dwayne Bowe, the only bright spot on the team it seems. Center Rudy Niswanger was injured during our game last Sunday and looks to be out for week 9. Left tackle Branden Albert had to sit out the game against the Chargers as well. The good thing is, the Chiefs are on a bye this week, so they will have time to rest and heal up. The bad news is, they still have 9 games to play.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rudy Niswanger	knee	10/26/2009
Jarrad Page	shoulder	10/26/2009
Branden Albert	ankle	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

OAKLAND RAIDERS

The losers of 11 or more games over the past 6 seasons look like they will continue that streak. The Raiders can look decent one game and then look like absolute crap the next. Their game on Sunday represented one of the later. The Raiders got pasted 38-0 playing at home against the New York Jets in a game that was blacked out because they failed to sell out the game. Raiders fans are usually pretty loyal, so it says a lot that the Raiders are so bad that even Raider fans can't watch them. Most of this has to do with the horrific play of former first round draft pick Jamarcus Russell. In fact, he played so poorly in the first half of the game (2 INTs and a lost fumble), he was benched and replaced by journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. Speaking of first round picks, brilliant selection Darrius Heyward-Bey continued his ho-hum season with 2 catches for 28 yards. It isn't pretty on the defensive side of the ball either; the Raiders gave up 447 yards of offense including a whopping 316 yards on the ground. Chaz Schilens, a SDSU product WR whom the Raiders had high hopes for, has been sidelined the whole season, while other injuries to the offensive line have weakened the run offense. However, the Raiders problems run much deeper than injuries, as it is painfully obvious to everyone in the NFL except for a few lone stragglers.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	10/26/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	10/26/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

I don't need to rehash anything about the Chargers so I will focus on our next division match-up which is of course the Oakland Raiders, this Sunday, at Qualcomm stadium. Of the aforementioned games where the Raiders looked decent, the Chargers game on MNF to open the season was one of them. The Raiders played us tough on both sides of the ball which resulted in numerous Charger injuries and a close call in Oakland. Fortunately, I don't think our 13th straight win over the Raiders will be as tough as the 12th. For one, the Raiders always play us tough at home and struggle at Qualcomm. Second, LT and Sproles are both healthy and the Raiders run defense is struggling mightily. The Chargers are going to continue to use the run game, especially since the Raiders have a decent secondary. Third, I don't think the Raiders will play with the same intensity they did the first time around. This team has been beaten down all season, gotten pushed around at home and on the road, and are coming off the Jets game in which they scored zero points and their starting QB was benched. Additionally, the Charger pass rush and defensive line play has looked much improved over the last two games. Raiders coach Tom Cable has said that Jamarcus Russell will start on Sunday; he is terribly inaccurate with all day in the pocket, if the Chargers put pressure on him I expect a game similar to the one Matt Cassel managed against us last Sunday. For the first time in awhile, the Chargers are mostly healthy except for All-Pro center Nick Hardwick, who is expected back in December.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Burnett	ankle	10/27/2009
Buster Davis	other-illness	10/26/2009
Vaughn Martin	hamstring	10/26/2009

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

Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders Friday Injury Report

Tim Lynch — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:35:29 -0000

Come on Knowshon! We need you man!

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
FB/LB Spencer Larsen	Shoulder	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	OUT
WR Brandon Marshall	Illness	Did Not Participate	Full Participation	Not Listed	Not Listed
WR Brandon Stokley	Thigh	Did Not Participate	Limited Participation	Did Not Participate	Questionable
DL Le Kevin Smith	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
S Josh Barrett	Shoulder	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
ILB Mario Haggan	Knee	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
G Ben Hamilton	Hamstring	Full Participation	Did Not Participate	Full Participation	Probable
WR Jabar Gaffney	Finger	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
QB Kyle Orton	Finger	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
G Chris Kuper	Ankle	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
RB Knowshon Moreno	Groin	Not Listed	Not Listed	Did Not Participate	Questionable
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
G Robert Gallery	Fibula	OUT	OUT	OUT	OUT
WR Nick Miller	Shin	OUT	OUT	OUT	OUT
S Hiram Eugene	Calf	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
WR Chaz Schilens	Foot	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	OUT
WR Johnnie Lee Higgins	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Full Participation	Probable
CB Nnamdi Asomugha	Wrist	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
LB Kirk Morrison	Elbow	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
DE Richard Seymour	Legs	Not Listed	Not Listed	Did Not Participate	Probable

STATUS DEFINITIONS:

Did Not Participate
Limited Participation - less than 100% of normal repetitions
Full Participation - 100% of normal reptitions
OUT - player definiately will not play

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders Thursday Injury Report

Tim Lynch — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:37:37 -0000

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
FB/LB Spencer Larsen	Shoulder	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate
WR Brandon Marshall	Illness	Did Not Participate	Full Participation
WR Brandon Stokley	Thigh	Did Not Participate	Limited Participation
DL Le Kevin Smith	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation
S Josh Barrett	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Limited Participation
ILB Mario Haggan	Knee	Full Participation	Full Participation
G Ben Hamilton	Hamstring	Full Participation	Did Not Participate
WR Jabar Gaffney	Finger	Full Participation	Full Participation
QB Kyle Orton	Finger	Full Participation	Full Participation
G Chris Kuper	Ankle	Full Participation	Full Participation
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
G Robert Gallery	Fibula	OUT	OUT
WR Nick Miller	Shin	OUT	OUT
S Hiram Eugene	Calf	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate
WR Chaz Schilens	Foot	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate
WR Johnnie Lee Higgins	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Limited Participation
CB Nnamdi Asomugha	Wrist	Full Participation	Full Participation
LB Kirk Morrison	Elbow	Full Participation	Full Participation

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders Wednesday Injury Report

Tim Lynch — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:38:33 -0000

Are the Denver Broncos getting....healthy!?

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
WR Brandon Marshall	Illness	Did Not Participate
WR Brandon Stokely	Thigh	Did Not Participate
DL Le Kevin Smith	Knee	Limited Participation
S Josh Barrett	Shoulder	Limited Participation
ILB Mario Haggan	Knee	Full Participation
G Ben Hamilton	Hamstring	Full Participation
WR Jabar Gaffney	Finger	Full Participation
QB Kyle Orton	Finger	Full Participation
G Chris Kuper	Ankle	Full Participation
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
G Robert Gallery	Fibula	OUT
WR Nick Miller	Shin	OUT
S Hiram Eugene	Calf	Did Not Participate
WR Chaz Schilens	Foot	Did Not Participate
WR Johnnie Lee Higgins	Shoulder	Limited Participation
CB Nnamdi Asomugha	Wrist	Full Participation
LB Kirk Morrison	Elbow	Full Participation