History is Made; Raiders Lose; Two Players Ejected

Many positives and negatives in this game between the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns, more for the Browns than the Raiders this time. We can start with a positive for Sebastian Janikowski with his 61 yard field goal to end the half; the fourth longest field goal in NFL history. Charlie Frye made his second start in a row and ended up with a career game with 333 yards, but made three interceptions which initially made it impossible for the Raiders to come back.
The penalties for the Raiders is the most disappointing part of this game. Accumulating 133 yards in penalties, the Raiders literally assisted the Browns all the way down the field to throw the dagger touchdown to make the score 17-9 to end the half. Also, how does two players from the same team get ejected from a game? Stanford Routt and Tony Stewart had themselves ejected for flagrant personal fouls after the whistle was blown.
The season is almost over, the Raiders obviously do not have any hope for the rest of this season, however, my concern is the quarterback position for this team. There are so many questions, I do not even know where to start. As for the draft, I hope Al Davis can see past his selfish ways, and make a pick that can benefit this team. An offensive or defensive lineman would be great, also another wide receiver would be good too.
Baltimore is next week, can we stun the Raven's chance in making the playoffs? We shall see.

Raiders Win on Road, Russell Leads Comeback

It's been two weeks, and last week's loss does not really have significance unlike the week 15 game between the Denver Broncos in Mile High.
With the injury to both of Bruce Gradkowski's knees during the Redskin game, Tom Cable made the decision to Start Charlie Frye, the former Cleveland Brown starting quarterback who threw 19 touchdowns in 2006, but then only played 3 games in three years.
We will get to the Jamarcus Russell and his glorious comeback drive, however, the player that Oakland fans should be thanking is Michael Bush and his dominance in running the football. His 18 carry 133 yard performance is a great boost for this Oakland Raider team that has had a tough time in maintaining a strong offensive line.
The 23 yard touchdown burst for Bush was the moment this team had chance to win this game. The second moment in which the Raiders had a chance to win this game was in the 4th quarter; 4th and ten, Jamarcus is in for Frye who suffered a concussion in the game. WIth no timeouts and one and half minutes left, Russell saves the game by throwing a first down to TE Tony Stewart for the first down, which then led up to the ten yard touchdown pass to Chaz Schilens to take the lead.
I say that Russell should take some of the credit for this win as well as Bush, however, this is something Oakland fans want to see every week, not occasionally. Next week will be the chance the Raiders have been looking for in winning consecutive games. We shall see, stay tuned for an interesting season.

Gradkowski Throws TD Late, Beat Defending Champions

The most obvious thing you can say about this two game winning streak for the Oakland Raiders is who knew? Who knew that sitting Jamarcus Russell would give this Raider team so much confidence? Bruce Gradkowski has become the answer, and is now 2-1 as the starting quarterback. The Oakland Raiders these last three weeks have often looked like the legendary teams of the past, especially with the come from behind wins verse the Bengals and Steelers. There were even glimpses of the Gradkowski throwing the side-arm pass, which Rich Gannon made popular when he was playing in the NFL.
Gradkowski finished with 308 yards on 22 of 30 passing and three touchdowns. Bruce's performance really came in the clutch when he took his team and passed for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win the game with nine seconds left. One of the more impressive games the Raiders have played. However, Gradkowski's performance would not have been validated unless Louis Murphy's four catches for 128 yards.
The team is young and has a long way before they can contend with these elite teams, but it will only take time, and Bruce Gradkowski seems like he is the right fit for this team at the moment, unless Al Davis has anything to say about it. What we know for sure is, when we win your job is safe.
Our next game is verse the Washington Redskins, which recently just came of from a heartbreaking loss in overtime to the undefeated New Orleans Saints. Review will be available soon.

Raiders vs. Cowboys Preview

-This is a very important game for the silver and black, especially on the road. After that stunning win verse the Bengals, the Raiders need to be extra motivated to win this game as much as last week’s game. No matter how lost the season may be, this game is as important as ever, especially since it is on Thanksgiving.
Dallas’ defense looks as good as ever; however, their offense has been struggling, especially in the passing game. Tony Romo and Roy Williams have not been connecting as much as they want to, so the Raiders need to capitalize on those opportunities of dropped and batted passes. Being aware at all times and trying to force turnovers will help us win this game. With Gradkowski coming into his second game starting, we can make a mark on this season as a team that has some promise in the future if we can win this game. Let’s Go Raiders, and let’s make it two in a row.

Russell Out; Raiders Win in the Fourth

-Who knew that Lane Kiffin was right all along? It is quite amusing to see the Raiders win; especially verse a good Cincinnati Bengal team. Cables proposition of sitting Jamarcus Russell is probably the most beneficial move that Cable has provided for this young Raiders team. Brad Gradkowski got the opportunity to start and he did not disappoint. With the long touchdown bomb to Louis Murphy, Gradkowski gave the Raiders the best chance to win, also with the good special team play of forcing the fumble to set up the game- winning field goal from Janikowski.

Although Gradkowski did not have the highest expectations riding on his shoulders, however, on the sideline, Gradkowski looked like a real leader. This young Raiders team needed that emotional leader to push the offense and defense and special teams to play at their highest level, Russell did not provide that at all for this team. That brings me to raise this important question; Jamarcus Russell being hailed as the future of the Raiders organization, will this decision for him to sit out the rest of the season turn his priorities around, or is Russell going to look past all that and not learn from this situation. We shall see soon enough.

Russell Out; Gradkowski In For Good

Jamarcus Russell got the boot today as the starting quarterback of the Oakland Raiders, instead backup Bruce Gradkowski will be receiving the rest of the snaps for the rest of the season, as Tom Cable states. However, is this personnel change going to make any difference when it comes to our terrible offense? Of course it doesn't matter. Both quarterbacks are not as good as the most average quarterback in the league.
This weeks entry is not going to be lengthy, the only important stories to mention today is the ousting of Russell, and the fact that Cable is in fear of losing his job. For both cases, they are beneficial for this slumping franchise.

Distractions in Oakland

In these last couple of weeks the only story that has coincided with the Oakland Raiders has been the legal allegations of Tom Cable and his previous history with domestic violence. Many people have shared their opinions about the Oakland head coach; including the fact that they want Cable suspended for the time being while the NFL conducts an investigation on the case.
I already wanted Cable out of Oakland the minute he stepped in. Lane Kiffin, I thought, was the best chance for this young team to grow up and work as a unit. I was there when Al Davis fired Lane Kiffin from the head coaching position of the Oakland Raiders, especially when Kiffin was starting to have the players trust; he had all the right ideas, with the questioning of starting QB Jamarcus Russell and the disappointment he has become for the whole team. With all those good ideas, then comes Al Davis and his selfish antics in running this organization.
Week 10 will be against the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that they beat when Jamarcus Russell took the offense down the field and scored in the last minutes of the game. We shall see if the same thing happens this time, a little boost of confidence for this losing team should be good.

Tomlinson Scores 2 Touchdowns; San Diego Rolls

Another convincing win for the Chargers in week 7 to beat the 2-5 Raiders for the 13th consecutive time. Again, the rushing defense for the Raiders gave San Diego running back LT an easy day ending up with two touchdowns. From what I have remembered from previous years and many divisional games, is that Tomlinson always tears us apart.
Its quite amazing for a team to dominate a rival team thirteen consecutive times, it definitely shows that the Raiders have no confidence when it comes to beating this team, even though some of the match ups between these teams got pretty close and down to the wire.
The main problems for the Raiders are the numerous amount of injuries that have plagued the defensive and offensive line, in turn making this team vulnerable to big rushing yardage, and turnovers. There is so much talk about the defensive and offensive lines and how effective they should be, because quite basically, the lineman are the foundations of the team. As a unit, the foundation snaps the play and then the rest of the team get what the defense gives them. For example, if the offensive linemen for the Raiders are bad, Jamarcus is not going to have a good game, and then the receivers will not get a catch.
Another main point of the season is the moment when fans start wanting their teams to lose after there is no hope. Teams such as the Lions, Bucs, Rams, Raiders, and Titans, all don't have any chance of making the playoffs. Thoughts of a 1st round pick would be good for a team, however, the Raiders gave away there first round pick to the Patriots for Richard Seymour, so any chance of making this team better is going to have to go farther than just a 2nd or 3rd round pick. Picking up free agents, and changing the coaching staff, maybe even a change in the ownership position is going to have to happen if the Raiders want any winning records these coming up seasons.

Oakland Raiders' Struggles Continue

Just when you think that after upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles at home the Oakland Raiders would actually take a look a realize the potential they have on this roster. However, with the New York Jets coming into Alameda County Coliseum, it was a totally different Raiders team than the week before.
The struggles for Jamarcus Russell continued this week. In the first quarter, Russell managed to lose a fumble and throw two interceptions to put the Jets up two touchdowns early; Not only was Russell having a bad day, but the Oakland defense had an even tougher day by allowing more than 315 yards of rushing offense for the Jets, an NFL record. Russell would end the day 6 completions to 11 attempts with 2 interceptions. Backup QB Brad Gradkowski would finish out the shutout loss, with a not so good performance as well.
As the publisher of this blog, I deserve time to present my opinion about the Quarterback troubles the Oakland Raiders are dealing with. Week after week I am hearing about the terrible performances that Jamarcus Russell is putting on, and then when you want maybe a spark from your bench, Brad Gradkowski is your only man. I am positively sure that every Raider fan is asking, "Why release Jeff Garcia?" It is a legitimate question, especially when this specific player provides so much beneficial qualities to a team. Jeff Garcia not only knows how to play the game of football, but he knows how to think the game as well. He provides this young team with a mentor, veteran, winner, trusting teammate, and a great team player in the locker room.
Releasing Jeff Garcia was a huge mistake, especially when you know the lack of preparation and professionalism that Russell allows himself to commit. It is a matter of time to see how Russell will turn out, but when someone as good and knowledgeable as Jeff Garcia is passed on, you know there is something absolutely wrong with the way this team is being run.
Consistency is the main focus for the Raiders, they need to keep that intensity going after an upset like that, because now the Raiders leave that game thinking what happened since last week? Cable stated that Russell will remain the starter verse the Chargers in San Diego next week, If we can play the way we did in the first week of the season vs. the Chargers then we may have a shot, but with the crowd and how our rushing defense has been performing, it may be another long day for this Oakland Raiders team.

Upset in Oakland; Russell & Defense Improve

The statements from Antonio Pierce after the 44-7 beat down of the Raiders really must have given Oakland the intensity they needed to finally pull of this upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Pierce, who said that the game between the Giants and the Raiders seemed like a scrimmage, definitely was a reason why the Raiders stepped up there game, and fought through the whole game to finish on top.
This is a huge upset win for them, especially when no one expected the Raiders to win this one in the first place; The Raiders had to regroup as a unit and execute in every way they could. The 80+ yard touchdown catch by Zach Miller was the game changing performance because it seems as if the team's intensity level rose and knew that they had a chance in this game.
Last weeks entry about Jamarcus Russell is still a discussion that people should talk about, because even though he put up steady numbers throughout the game on Sunday, he was still a little shaky throwing those two interceptions.
The defense saved Russell from those mistakes as linemen Jay Richardson, Richard Seymour, Trevor Scott and linebacker Thomas Howard all sacked Donovan McNabb for a total of 6 sacks throughout the game. What is even more impressive is the fact that the defense was playing without team captain Nnamdi Asomugha because of an eye injury.
You see these second year quarterbacks that have grown and matured as superstar players, for example, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco; they both understand their offense and have excelled tremendously in the careers so far, changing the whole outlook of their teams. However, three years in the league, Jamarcus Russell has had some up and down battles, where he is streaky in his good and bad performances. In Russell's defense, he is still in his learning stage as a starting quarterback, however, unlike Ryan or Flacco, Russell does not have the weapons like the Falcons or Ravens have on their roster.
Week 7 game against the New York Jets will be a huge game for the Raiders to win at home, although with more things to improve on this team, to come together and beat a decent team, with rookie Mark Sanchez and a great defense, would be a great turnaround for this Oakland Raiders team.

Jamarcus Russell: Potential or Bust

The last two weeks of the 2008 NFL season, Jamarcus Russell and the Oakland Raiders beat the Houston Texans, a team they have not beat since the Texans started their franchise. Then Jamarcus, along with a strong running game from Michael Bush, end the playoff hopes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Those two games were a defining moment in the expectations this young team was going to have for themselves in the 2009 season.
The media would criticize Russell over and over about his weight or his experience as a a starting quarterback for an NFL team. It seemed that people began to have some hopes about our production in the 2009 season; all of the sudden the mood has changed in a very drastic way. What is interesting is that the mood of the fans not only changed, but the actual leadership that is required for Russell to have among his teammates seems to be absolutely gone.
It's so hard to say something like this, because you think your overall draft pick will benefit your team, however, Jamarcus Russell is a completely different story.
According to ESPN Week 5 Notes, written by Bill Williamson, "Oakland quarterback Jamarcus Russell threw just 13 times;, it tied the NFL low for passing attempts by a team that lost by 35 points or more."
Besides the low pass attempts, Russell forced three fumbles, in which it looked like the ball barely fell out of his hands; almost to the point where he is not even trying; not saying it's true, however, after observing the game, it seemed that way. Again, It is up to management to find the right pieces to make this football team work. Al Davis, saying he wants Russell to start and be his star is, obviously, not the right choice. There is a big question that needs to be answered, why release Jeff Garcia? You never want to condemn players, because maybe they have to deal with a lot of pressure, but that doesn't mean players handle it in an unprofessional way, but prove themselves in every way to be a great player and teammate. Although Russell shut the media up after those last two games of the 2008 season, the media now have a real reason for why Russell is the worst quarterback in the NFL.

Oakland Raiders: Heros to Zeroes

To speak about the feelings fan have had about the Oakland Raiders in this last decade, they would obviously have mixed feelings. Good times and bad times are a simple way of putting the Raiders last ten seasons, of course, there are those certain things about our history that have affected our present woes of today. You can't quite name all of them, because there are a number of famous moments, but to name a few, including the AFC Championship verse the Patriots dubbed "The Worst Call of All Time" (you what I speak of). The case of Barret Robbins, former starting center of the Superbowl XXXVII Raiders team who for some reason disappeared hours before the game started. It wasn't Robbins fault for the most part, because it was from Gannon's arm that three interceptions were caught and taken to the house.
What is important is that it all comes down to management, decisions such as the firing of Jon Gruden basically set our fate for the Superbowl, and it continues with the hiring of Tom Cable. In these last seven years, the Raiders seemed to be at the bottom of the football food chain, in which they had no way to go but up, but now it just looks like this organization had sunk deeper than ever before.
It is certain that Raider fans and their faith for the Silver and Black is as high as it could ever be, but changes need to be in order. Not to crash the party and degrade the Hall of Fame coach and owner in Al Davis, because he has many accomplishments that are still to this day cherished, but it seems that Davis is still living in the past. It is a matter of recruiting, and finding the right personnel to fit in to the right places. The Oakland Raiders, due to the decisions in personnel and lack of pride have made this team heroes to zeroes. The future will hold the key.

Remaining Schedule Looks Bleak for Raiders Hopes

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The next three weeks for the Oakland Raiders looks pretty bleak, especially when players are looking to improve from their 44-7 loss to the New York Giants. What is interesting about the remaining schedule is that the team has to look forward to playing the whole NFC East, which happened to be called "the most physical division in the NFL" last season. The only chance the Raiders could win again would be against the Kansas City Chiefs in week 10. To only make matters worse, the Broncos are 5-0 coming off a huge win against superstar Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. With Kyle Orton unexpectedly having a pro bowl year, Raiders really have no other teams that they have a chance of beating. After the first week of the season, the Raiders seemed to play like a whole different team with the physical game against the San Diego Chargers, however it has gone downhill from there.
As a Raiders fan, it is hard to hear about their woes each day, especially with how bad Jamarcus Russell is playing and the whole fiasco regarding head coach Tom Cable and the alleged assault on a fellow assistant coach.
Colin Cowherd, co-host of Sportsnation on ESPN, said it best. "In the NFL, there are three important positions that make a football team what it is: The owner, head coach, and the quarterback. The raiders have Al Davis, Tom Cable, and Jamarcus Russell, respectively the three worst in their positions."
It hurt my feelings to have to hear something like that, but Cowherd could not have been more right.