FOF2K4: A Team of Our Very Own - Season 2 [Archive]

Blade

11-04-2005, 06:49 PM

Raiders Clean House: New Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator, Scouting Staff Hired

Oakland, CA (2006 Off-season) – The Raiders started their spring cleaning, as they announced the hirings of a new Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator, and Scouting staff at a press conference, held yesterday. Joining the Raiders organization is Brent Marlin at Head Coach, Mel Porter at Defensive Coordinator, and Gino McIntyre as the new Lead Scout.

The move is a surprising one, considering the relative success the Oakland Raiders experienced in the 2005 season, going 9-7 and winning their first round playoff game, before losing by a last second field goal to the eventual Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. The contracts of the people holding these positions during 2005 had expired at the end of the season, but it was expected that at least one of the three, former Head Coach Jorge Shank, would be resigned.

“I was surprised, to say the least,” said Shank, after being reached for comment by phone. “I thought we had a pretty good year, all things considered. We were over .500, made the playoffs, and even won a playoff game, and this was with a defence that had been decimated by off-season deals and injuries. I had a couple of conversations with [GM Barrett] Blade during the season, but nothing concrete. That said, I got the impression that I would be back. What can I say? I am disappointed, but I guess it is time to move on.”

Taking over for Shank will be Brent Marlin, who was the Head Coach of the Houston Texans last season. The Texans only managed a 2-14 season under Marlin, which raised more questions about why he was being brought into the Raiders fold. He was signed to a 3-year deal, worth a reported $3.5 million per year.

“I am excited to be here,” said Marlin at the conference. “This is a great organization, and I really like the direction they are headed in, and I hope to bring some new ideas to the team. I had a rough year, last year, but you have to look at the situation I was in. I was hoping to stay and build on some things there [in Houston], but they didn’t seem interested in bringing me back, so when Barrett Blade called, I jumped at the opportunity to come here.”

The Raiders felt that a change was needed on the defensive side of the ball, as they passed on the resigning of former Defensive Coordinator Louie Sutter, instead signing Mel Porter, who was the Defensive Coordinator for the 5-11 New Orleans Saints last season. Porter was signed to a 3-year deal worth a reported $2,760,000 a year. The Raiders defence was one of the worst in the league last season, which is why the change was made.

“I just want to bring a new attitude to the team,” said Porter. “We have some good players, but I know that the management here want to revamp the defence, and I am glad to be able to play a part in that.”

The last change made by the Raiders management was the hiring of an all new scouting staff, led by a new Lead Scout, Gino McIntyre. McIntyre replaces former scout Eric Washington, who is now 62 years old.

When questioned about the moves, Raiders GM Barrett Blade was excited. “We are bringing in some great people here, and installing a new attitude. Brent Marlin is a fantastic motivator, and knows how to call plays properly. Plus, he has a great defensive mind, which is something we were lacking here last season. Coupled with Mel Porter, I think that we will have a new defensive philosophy, which I love. But Brent is still very sound offensively, and with [Offensive Coordinator] Aaron Ellis returning for another year, we will be able to maintain our success with the offence.”

Out of jobs, Louie Sutter quickly took Mel Porter’s previous position, signing with the New Orleans Saints for 3 years, worth $1,240,000 a year. Jorge Shank and Eric Washington have not signed with any team at this point. “They are all good people,” said Blade. “It was definitely a lot of fun having them with the club, but we felt changes were needed. Obviously, our defence played a part in it, as Jorge was not as sound in the defensive side of the game as we would have liked, and Louie had some issues as well. But I think he will do great with the Saints, and Jorge should land on his feet in no time.”

Blade’s focus will now be set on the free agent market and the upcoming draft. “It is an exciting time. We are hoping to bring in some good people, whether it is through free agency or the draft. We have something to build on, and it will be exciting to watch this team grow.”

Blade

11-04-2005, 06:54 PM

It had been a whirlwind month already. It has started with the interviewing of new candidates for staffing. I knew that Eric Washington had to go, he was just too old and did not have an eye for talent. I had interviewed two candidates, and I am happy that I was able to get Gino, even though he was my second choice.

The conversation with Eric had gone relatively well. I let him know that we would not be rehiring him, and he acted as if he had known it was coming. I think, deep down, he was ready for retirement anyway. The other two decisions, and discussions, had not gone as well.

First there was the Defensive Coordinator position. I thought that Louie was a decent DC, but I was not too sure about his philosophy, and he was not very good at dealing with the secondary. Looking at who was available, I immediately interviewed Mel, as I had heard good things through the grapevine. The interview went very well, as we talked for two hours about defensive systems, what had happened while he was with the Saints, and why he would be interested in working with us. I offered him a contract, and it did not take long for him to accept.

I tried to bring Louie in for a meeting so that I could let him know that we would not be offering him a new contract, but he was unable to come in. I did talk to him on the phone, though, and he was not happy. Our conversation had gone something like this:

Me: “Hi Louie. I wanted you to come in to the office so we could talk, but I understand you are not able to come by.”

Louie: “Nope. I have some engagements that I have to attend to. What did you want?”

Me: “I wanted to thank you for your work with us, but that we would not be offering you a new contract.”

There was silence on the line for a few moments.

Louie: “Why the Hell not? I did what I could with this team, and we did better than we should have!”

Me: “We did well, Louie, but our defence was one of the lowest rated in the league. That may be the main reason we did not go further last year.”

Louie was upset, and the anger shone through.

Louie: “What the Hell did you expect? You traded off our best corner, then we had to deal with injuries all damn year! And your solution was to bring in players who couldn’t even make a team after training camp!”

Me: “Louie, we did what we could. There is not a magic tree growing great defensive players, just waiting for us to grab one when there is a need. I tried to bring in the most talented players available, and guys who would mesh well with the players we had.”

Louie: “Screw you, Blade. You did jack all. It was like you were trying to screw me over all along. Go to Hell.”

Click. The line went dead.

Not a fun call to have, but I did what had to be done. I had to move on to other things, though, as I had lined up interviews with three other people who were candidates to become our Head Coach. Once I met with Brent, I knew I had found the man for the job. Our interview went very well, as he had come to the meeting prepared with a playbook and gameplan taking into account the players we already had in the organization. He also had a list of wants and desires, and what he would do when he took over the team. The interview went for three or four hours, and it was one of the best conversations I had ever had. During the conversation, I talked a little bit about my desires for the team, and some of the changes I was thinking about making, and he seemed to share a similar mind. As soon as the interview was over, I offered him a contract.

He was happy about the offer, but opted to take his time in deciding. I believe he interviewed for a couple other teams, then finally decided to take our offer.

Once Brent signed on, I was able to call Jorge in for a face-to-face discussion. Our conversation went a little bit better, but was still not easy to have.

Me: “Jorge, thank you for coming in. First off, I want to thank you for the work you put in for us last year. You did a good job, all things considered.”

Jorge: “Thanks Barrett. And I am looking forward to continuing what we have going, and having a better year next year. In fact, I have some ideas…”

Me: “Jorge, that is why I called you in. Unfortunately, we will not be offering you a new contract.”

Jorge sat stunned for a minute. Finally, he was able to speak again.

Jorge: “What? Why?”

Me: “We just feel that we need to move in a new direction. There will be some changes coming to this team, and we just want the right people in place.”

Jorge: “And why do I not fit into that?”

Me: “Well, first off, we want to bring in a strong defensive philosophy. Let’s face it, Jorge, that is not your background, or your strong suit. I know that the defensive plays were put forth by Louie, but they all went through you. That is an area we need to strengthen.”

Jorge: “So bring in a new Defensive Coordinator.”

Me: “I did. But I need to have someone at the helm who I can count on to make the right decisions when the play is being called. Unfortunately, that is not you.”

Jorge again lapsed into silence. I saw a range of emotions cross his face. Finally, he seemed to accept it.

Jorge: “Alright. I assume that because you called me in here, you have already made an offer or signed the new Coach?”

I nodded.

Jorge: “Well, then it doesn’t really matter what I say, does it? I guess I will get out of here.”

I went to say something more, but Jorge shook me off and left. It had been a tough thing to go through, but it was done, and I was free to concentrate on other things.

Later in the week, I went with John Mackey down to City Hall, where he finally presented his stadium proposal to the City Council. The presentation was a thing of beauty. It lasted for over an hour, where Mack laid out the benefits of a new stadium. He pointed out the issues with the current stadium, then brought out some visual aids. He had a miniature 3-D model of the stadium created, as well as a ‘virtual’ model built by computer so that he could walk the Council through the stadium. He also brought out financial models on the benefits that the Raiders brought to Oakland, and what it would would happen with a new stadium. It was quite a convincing presentation.

Until he showed them the cost.

Mack had designed the stadium to have a retractable roof, with a grass turf. He had planned for general seating of 70,000, 15,000 club seats, and 300 luxury boxes. Total cost: $814,000,000. I think the various council members nearly choked to death when they saw that. But then they looked at the next line. Team Contribution to the Project: $0.

Mack and I walked out of there with huge smiles on our faces. The Council had said that they would let us know of the decision to build the stadium in the next few months. We knew that the way was paved for our ultimate plan…to move the team. We only have a few months more to wait, and we were home free.

It had been a whirlwind month, but what a great month it was.

CalgaryBaller

11-05-2005, 05:29 PM

I'm loving this Dynasty Blade, one of the most creative I have read in a while. The reports are really well done.

On a side note, as a fellow Oilers fan, it sure feels good to see the offense clicking again with the recent spurt of 15 goals in 3 games. Hopefully Peca will be back quick to add more punch.

And before you ask, I was born and raised in Edmonton. I moved to Calgary with the family, and now play ball here. Hence the CalgaryBaller. But an Oilers fan through and through, suffering through both lame Oilers losses in the Battle of Alberta as a lone island of blue in "C" of red.

Northwood_DK

11-07-2005, 06:31 AM

Great read Blade. I like the story a lot and really don’t need al the game stats. Keep it going.

Blade

11-07-2005, 07:43 AM

Thanks for the support, guys! And you betcha, CalgaryBaller...Oilers are doing well...I just hope it keeps going...

Blade

11-07-2005, 07:45 AM

Outrage in the Raider Nation: Randy Moss Traded, Warren Sapp Released

Oakland, CA (Pre-Free Agency, 2006) – The news came out from the Oakland Raiders’ office and, to quote the comic book guy from the Simpsons, Raider fans were “on the Internet within minutes, registering their disgust throughout the world.” The news was unexpected and shocking: Randy Moss was traded away to the Houston Texans.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Moss2005-Trade.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Raiders GM Barrett Blade sent Moss, along with their fourth round pick this year and their fifth round pick in 2007 for Houston’s third round pick this year, their first round pick in 2007, and their second round pick in 2008. The move is clearly seen as a cost cutting move, as the Raiders were only approximately $5 million under the salary cap, and the trade freed up $8 million.

The trade is shocking due to the ‘resurgence’ the team experienced last season, reaching the playoffs and winning their first round game. Moss played a large roll in that resurgence as he collected 1528 yards and 12 touchdowns on 85 receptions in 14 games. He was named to the 2005 All-Pro first team, as well as collecting Player of the Game three times. It was his first as a Raider.

Moss was obviously upset at being moved. “They made a mistake. A huge mistake. It is no secret that I am the main reason for our success last year. My numbers speak for themselves. It was the offence that carried the team, and it was my play that carried the offence. Oakland made a big mistake, and it will hurt them. Let’s see them win a championship, or even have a winning season, in the next few years without me. I am going to love it when I get back there to play them. They are going to regret moving me.”

In another somewhat surprising move, GM Blade also released former star DT Warren Sapp. The move allowed the Raiders to free up $4.5 million on the cap, though they will have to pay a $4 million penalty in 2007. In 16 games last season, Sapp collected nineteen tackles, fourteen assists, two sacks, three blocks, and seven hurries. Though his play has fallen off as late, Sapp was seen as a vocal leader in the dressing room, and had his fair share of fans.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Sapp2005-Release.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>When questioned about the moves, Blade was candid. “They are what they are. When we came in and took over the team, John Mackey and I were forced to deal with the moves and mistakes made by the previous ownership. We have found ourselves in a difficult cap situation, and we needed to make some room. It was tough to trade away Randy, who is arguably the best receiver in the game today, but we saw no other choice. He commanded a huge salary, and had some overhead that we were not wanting to deal with. As for Warren, well, that was a move we had to make. His salary was incredible, and he is simply not a starter on this team. He has had a great career, but it is on the downswing and his stats have shown that.”

Blade was asked to clarify what ‘overhead’ meant when talking about Moss. “It is pretty obvious. Randy is a ‘me-first’ type of person. He showed that in Minnesota when he left the one game early while they were losing. He has a history of being a selfish player, and that is not what we want here. He may be one of the best players in the league, but you do not need stars at every position to win a Super Bowl. This is a team game, and by having a team who is in it together, you can overcome a lot. We have seen that time and time again in the NFL. That is the beauty of this game. And we were really hurt as a team when Randy’s performance fell off at the end of the year. That is when we need all of our players contributing. We wish Randy and Warren well, but we need to move on.”

The trade has instantly given the Houston Texans the top two receivers in the league, as Moss finished second in receiving yards last season to Andre Johnson. Oakland, meanwhile, is left with receiver Jerry Porter to try and fill the void the trade has left. And so, Raiders’ fans continue to voice their objections to the move, and hope that the impending free agency period will do more to make the Raiders a team better able to bring home a Super Bowl championship.

StanGunner

11-07-2005, 11:43 AM

great story

Blade

11-07-2005, 11:05 PM

Oakland Signs Lower Tier Players, Lose Team’s Top Safety

Oakland, CA (Free Agency Period, 2006) – Going into free agency, the Oakland Raiders had seventeen unrestricted free agents, including starting Strong Safety Derrick Gibson. With the draft weekend only a few days away, the Raiders have resigned one free agent, and brought in three new free agents, and Gibson is not one of them.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Gibson2006-FA.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Gibson has been a solid player for the Raiders since 2001, and was expected to resign with the team during the off-season. As the free agency period started, Gibson did not receive an offer from the Raiders. “I was waiting for the word to come in from my agent. After a few days, I called him up and asked if he had seen anything from Oakland. He said that there was nothing, so I explored my options. It is disappointing, because I love the city and I love this team, but it is a business, and I guess I have to move on.”

Gibson did move on, as he followed former Oakland Defensive Coordinator Louie Sutter and signed with the New Orleans Saints. Gibson signed a four-year deal worth $11.64 million. The other Raider free agents who decided to move on were K Steve Christie (Atlanta – 1 year deal worth $830,000), CB Renaldo Hill (Denver – 3 year deal worth $2.93 million), DT Edward Jasper (Cincinnati – 2 year deal worth $1.61 million), and G Rich Seubert (Chicago – 2 year deal worth $1.18 million).

Raiders GM Barrett Blade said that it was an unfortunate part of NFL life. “Derrick is a great person, and we would have loved to bring him back, but we just could not afford to pay him what he was looking for. I know that he enjoyed playing under Louie, so I think he will have a good time in New Orleans, and I wish him the best. The other unrestricted free agents we had were not resigned for a variety of reasons. Some of them were brought in as a stop gap solution last season to deal with injuries or roster holes. Others are players who we feel are not right for the direction we are moving in. We also wish all of those players the best.”

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Davis2006-FA.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>While the Raiders did not resign those players, they did resign LB DeLawrence Grant to a two year contract, worth a reported $1.53 million. Grant started in fourteen games last season for the Raiders, collecting 39 tackles, 21 assists, and 1 sack. “We felt that we had to resign DeLawrence,” said Blade. “He had a decent year for us, but we feel that he will be able to contribute even more for us this season. He is a good team guy, and we are glad to have him back.”

The Raiders also signed three new free agents over the last few weeks. Coming to Oakland are RB Chris Brown (3 year deal worth $2.98 million), LB Andra Davis (3 year deal worth $3.33 million), and DT Jerry DeLoach (2 year deal worth $2.11 million). All three signings have raised questions from Raiders’ fans about whether the team is actually improving, as these players were far from the top free agents available at their respective positions.

Chris Brown played in all sixteen games for the Tennessee Titans last season, though he started only four. He ran for 546 yards and two touchdowns on 154 carries. Andra Davis played in twelve games for the Cleveland Browns last season and collected 69 tackles, 24 assists, and one sack. Jerry DeLoach, playing for the Houston Texans, played in only five games (starting in none of them), and collected only two tackles.

Despite the criticism, GM Blade was excited about the signings. “We are very happy to have these players coming to our organization. Chris is just a fantastic young man who is the perfect compliment to Lamont Jordan. While Lamont is a guy who can make some fantastic moves to break the big run, Chris is the guy who can take the ball for the tough yards and run over defenders. In fact, I went to talk with Lamont before pursuing Chris to let him know that he was our starter and Chris would just be the ‘change-of-pace’ back, and he was ecstatic. He really pushed to get Chris hear, and even called him while we were pursuing him.”

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/DeloachBrown2006-FA.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>“Andra is a big acquisition for us. I have never seen a more punishing hitter when he lines a guy up, and that intimidation factor in the middle of our defence is going to be huge. He is also very good with pass defence. We are going to be able to do a lot with him, whether we send him on a blitz to hassle an opposing quarterback, or to drop back into coverage to take out that tight end, he is going to be important. With Danny Clark and Andra in the middle, we can do some cool things.”

“But it is Jerry DeLoach that we are most excited about. He had a rough time last year in Houston, as he was dealing with some injuries, and then got pushed down the depth chart and was never really given a chance to play. We feel he is the nose tackle we really want in the middle of our 3-4 defence. He is a little undersized at 6’2”, but he plays like someone 3 to 4 inches taller. He is incredible at stopping the run, something we were sorely missing last year, and he is solid in pass defence as well. We have a diamond in the rough here.”

The Raiders prepare now for this weekend’s draft, as they seek to fill a number of holes, most notably at wide receiver with the trade of Randy Moss, though they feel that their free agent acquisitions have solved some of their problems. Members of the Raider Nation are not optimistic about the moves, but Blade pleads for patience.

“The common thread with these players is their leadership qualities. They are good players who are going to make those around them even better. Just wait and see. We will be a strong team very soon, and we are excited about it. Soon, the fans will be too.”

As of the moment, the following Raider unrestricted free agents are still seeking a contract: TE Rickey Dudley, FB Omar Easy, LB Jay Foreman, DE Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, RB Leonard Henry, LB Grant Irons, S Damien Robinson, T Chad Slaughter, CB Bobby Taylor, WR Dedric Ward, and CB Eric Warfield.

Blade

11-07-2005, 11:07 PM

It had been a long period of time. I wasn’t even sure how much I had slept lately. However, none of it mattered, as I had a permanent smile on my face that went from ear to ear. Randy Moss was gone and Warren Sapp was gone. I was also able to pick up some free agents I liked for cheap. Life was damn good.

I was sitting back in my chair, feet up on the desk, taking a well deserved break, when John Mackey walked in. He similarly had a smile on his face, so I felt no need to take my feet off my desk. He grabbed a chair and sat down.

“So you finally did it. Moss and Sapp are out of here?”

“You betcha! I was hoping to be able to do it last year, but with the season Moss had, it was too much for Houston to pass up. That said, it is a risky trade.”

Mack nodded. “I was going to ask you about that. Why did you do it the way you did?”

“Well, there are a couple reasons. I know that the logical thing to do would be to grab their first round pick this year, since it is the first overall, but there is no one in this year’s draft that makes me want to use up that pick. Also, we are moving the team soon, I hope, so it will be good for the team’s new life to have a higher pick to rally around, from a PR perspective, I guess. Thirdly, we are kind of screwing the fans of Oakland over, since they would not get a first overall pick playing for them this year. The risk, of course, is that Houston now has two great receivers, and it stands to reason that it could improve the team, worsening our picks. I am hoping, though, that Moss and Johnson will fight for catches, and that will keep the team down.”

“Alright, Bear. It is a risk, but no matter the result, it is nice to get Moss out of here. Same with Sapp. That is going to hurt our cap again next year, but those were the two ‘A’ list guys to get rid of.”

“Yah, some short term pain for some long term enjoyment.”

Mack looked at an old newspaper on my desk. “I read the article in the Tribune about the free agent pick-ups. Did you try to get anyone else?”

I shook my head. “What’s the point. We don’t have the cap room right now for any high-end players, and I would like to get ourselves into a better financial situation for when we move. We are getting there, but give it some time, then we can go shopping.”

“Sounds good. Did Jordan actually push for Brown like you were quoted in the article?”

I laughed. “Surprisingly, yes. When I told him we were going after him, he was totally on board. Lamont is proving to be a decent team guy, and I think that we are going to have a good one-two punch now. Hopefully he can step up his performance with less pressure on him to be ‘the guy’. The other guys should fit in well, too. They are not stars, but I think they could become damn good contributors in the system we are trying to set up. Was tough to lose Derrick, but he wanted way too much for what he did last year.”

“So, what do you expect for this year, Bear?”

“I am not sure. I am hoping we have a good draft. I love draft time, as this is where we can really put our stamp on the team. But honestly, I can see us having a worse year this season than last. In my opinion, though, it will only help us with a stronger draft pick next year, when we are hopefully primed to announce that we will be moving.”

Mack laughed. “We should hear about that soon, too. The city council said that a decision regarding our proposal should be forthcoming. It should be a good day, Bear!”

“I can’t wait to hear it. I think that a lot of good times will be heading our way.”

Blade

11-07-2005, 11:51 PM

2006 NFL Draft

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StanGunner

11-08-2005, 12:06 PM

5'8" 215 lbs ??? Seems a reach.

Izulde

11-08-2005, 01:14 PM

Drafting another RB in general is questionable in the 1st round when you've already got two serviceable ones on the roster.

Blade

11-08-2005, 08:45 PM

Heh, took a while, but finally some criticism!

Yah, I wasn't looking to draft an RB at all...but...there really wasn't a lot else at that spot. There were no really good players left by that pick, other than the RB I took, whose volatility I could trust. Plus, for myself, I love an RB in that mold (ability-wise, that is...size is a gamble), so I went for it despite having Jordan and Brown (who isn't that great in the rosters I have). Oh well, that is the fun of the game, right? If I screw up, it just adds to the story!

BTW, I will be doing a behind the scenes post soonish in regards to the draft, etc...

Thanks for the comments, though! I will take the criticism as a sign of interest!

;)

jbmagic

11-08-2005, 09:05 PM

nice dynasty. great read so far.

do you do your own gameplans for offense and defense?

Blade

11-08-2005, 11:03 PM

nice dynasty. great read so far.

do you do your own gameplans for offense and defense?

Thanks!

I didn't in my first season, as I was hoping to lose more than I could win, and I was hoping defaults would help with that.

This season, I plan to do my own gameplans though...

Blade

11-08-2005, 11:04 PM

2006 NFL Draft

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Blade

11-08-2005, 11:04 PM

2006 NFL Draft

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Izulde

11-09-2005, 12:05 AM

So far out of your picks, I'm liking Grier the best, but we'll see how the rest of your draft pans out first. :D

I *love* the way you're presenting the picks. Great analysis and it's really pretty, too!

Blade

11-09-2005, 08:27 AM

Thanks Izulde! It is not as pretty as I would like, but it will do...

Blade

11-09-2005, 08:28 AM

2006 NFL Draft

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Emiliano

11-09-2005, 01:45 PM

I just finished to read this... Very nice style, and nice reports (love the draft ones made with Madden). I'm following!

MizzouRah

11-09-2005, 02:03 PM

Very nice Blade!! Can't wait to see where this goes....

Chris Jones

11-10-2005, 07:21 PM

This is by far the best dynasty I've followed. I'm a die hard Raiders fan so this kinda hurts. But man, you've done a great job with the story.

In all honesty if this was real world situation, you'd be in a world of hurt with some of the stunts your owner has pulled. Collins has thrown 2 interceptions this season and Raider Nation wants his head, I could just imagine what would happen with a Moss/Jordan no show would cause.

Blade

11-10-2005, 11:55 PM

Thanks for the kind words!

I am hoping to get more updates out soon...won't be tonight though. :(

Blade

11-11-2005, 03:18 PM

2006 NFL Draft

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Blade

11-11-2005, 03:19 PM

2006 NFL Draft

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Blade

11-11-2005, 03:19 PM

2006 NFL Draft

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Blade

11-11-2005, 10:14 PM

Fans, Critics Question Raiders Draft Strategy

Oakland, CA (Post-Draft, 2006) – The NFL draft is a time of new beginnings for young players and for teams alike. It can signal a time of hope, and a time of criticism. After the completion of the draft, the Oakland Raiders faced the latter.

The NFL Commissioner took the stand and made his announcement: “With their first pick of the NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select, from Syracuse, Running Back Erik Kuehler.” The announcement was promptly met with boos from the Raiders fans present at the event. Draft analysts were also confused about the pick.

“There is no question that Erik Kuehler is talented,” said Merv Kripper, analyst for the Big Sports Network (BSN) on their draft television special. “However, there are some question marks about the young man, with his size being the big one. With the type of game he plays, there are questions as to whether he is durable enough to be a big time runner in the NFL. Also, why did Oakland even draft him when they already have a top talent running back in Lamont Jordan and a good back-up with their recent signing of Chris Brown. This pick just seems like a waste to me.”

That sentiment has been echoed by a number of Raiders’ fans online and on the street. They are wondering why the Raiders did not draft out of need and select someone like CB Mitch Myers (6-1, 213), who was drafted by New England with the 27th pick, or DE Earl Fist (6-7, 278), who was drafted by Kansas City with the 31st pick. The arguments are further bolstered by the fact that Oakland selected CB Quinn Foley, out of Virginia Tech, with the sixth pick of the second round. Foley is only 5-6 and 178 pounds, which will make him a target by the opposition since he will be lining up against a taller receiver.

“Quinn Foley is another talented guy, but look at his size,” said Kripper. “Every situation he will be in will be against a receiver who is taller than him, sometimes by an entire foot. He is a great coverage guy, but all the opposing teams are going to have to do is throw up a jump ball. I just can’t see him becoming anything special in this league, other than a special teams guy.”

When questioned about the Raiders’ selections, GM Barrett Blade was quick to defend the picks. “We are very happy with our draft,” said Blade. “In all of our mock drafts done, we never imagined that Erik would have fallen to us. That is one of the reasons I went out and signed Chris Brown. But when he was still on the board during our pick, we had to take him. It was a question of who was the best player available at the time. We looked at the other positions, and there just wasn’t anyone else who was worth a first round pick at that spot. Erik’s talent demanded that we select him.”

“Sure, we looked at the other players available, and the ones we basically had to select from were Erik, Mitch Myers, Quinn Foley, and Earl Fist. Mitch Myers has talent, but from what we saw, he was too unpredictable. There is a good chance he will not be as good as is thought. We really liked Quinn at the cornerback position, and we felt he would still be there when our next pick came around. He obviously was. As for Earl Fist, he is a good all-around defensive end, but he is not great and he is also a bit unpredictable. If he was there in the second round, we might have selected him, but in the first? No way. Erik is small for a running back, but I think that he will be just fine in our organization. Quinn Foley will be alright, too. His size is a concern, but we felt that his athletic ability will more than make up for that.”

Blade was then questioned about what this means for Lamont Jordan and Chris Brown, especially with the drafting of fullback Alvin Grier, who should be able to make the tough yards when called upon, which was one of the reasons for the signing of Brown. “Lamont knows that he is the starter here,” said Blade. “How could he not be, with his performance last season. We expect Erik and Chris to just compliment him, but Lamont will be the starter and get the majority of the touches. As for Chris, that is a difficult situation. When I signed Chris, I was not expecting to be able to draft Erik, and Chris seemed to be a good fit. I still think he is going to be a good fit here, though it should make for an interesting training camp and preseason. But I expect Chris to get his share of touches as well.”

Chris Brown was optimistic, but guarded in his outlook on the situation. “Well, it is not what I expected,” said Brown over the phone when reached for comment. “I was expecting to be the main back-up to Lamont, and I was ready for that. Now, I am not sure what will happen, though I will be ready to play and give it all I have. I am hoping that it will be enough to prove I can be the main guy behind Lamont. We will have to wait and see, I guess.”

With the draft complete, the Raiders now look to fill their roster and prepare for training camp. “There are going to be questions,” said Blade, no stranger to criticism. “There are always questions, and there is always something for the fans to be upset about. That is why they are fans, they are passionate about their team. But we are very excited about the upcoming season, and I think that fans will be surprised by how these young players do. Football season is almost here again, and it is going to be a fun time for this club.”

Blade

11-14-2005, 10:24 PM

Rejected: Oakland Citizens Deny Proposal for New Football Stadium

Oakland, CA (Post-Draft, 2006) – The Stadium used by the Oakland Raiders has stood since 1966, and the team felt it was about time a new one was built. Raiders owner John Mackey presented the city with a proposal for a new stadium to be built in the downtown core, and the proposal was put to a referendum for the citizens of Oakland to vote on. The final tally: 202,102 (32.9%) for, 411,190 (67.0%) against.

John Mackey held a press conference after the results of the vote were made public, where he expressed his disappointment. “What is there to say,” said Mackey. “We put a lot into this proposal, because it was important to us and to our organization. The team has played in that stadium for over forty years. It was time for a new stadium to be built so that this team can move into the future. This stadium is one of the oldest in the league. History is important, but so is growth, and we feel that a new stadium is required for that growth to happen.”

Mackey was then questioned about why the proposal asked for the city to foot then entire $814,000,000 bill, with no contribution from the team. “This team brings a lot to the city. We bring in a lot of income, which we share with the city, and we also bring a lot of tourism from fans of other teams coming to the city to watch a game. We also provide a lot of jobs, from the administration staff, all the way to the concession staff. We do a lot for this city. We felt that it was time that the city contributed to this partnership, and not just reap the rewards for the team’s hard work.”

When asked about the possibility of moving the team, Mackey was blunt. “We do not want to move this team, but we need to look at our options. We feel that we have made an effort and reached out to Oakland to help this team remain strong now and in the future. Oakland has said no, and we need to sit back and digest the meaning of that. As I said, we do not want to move the team, but we need to look at the entire situation and see if we can make it work here. Right now, I do not know the answer to that.”

Oakland city Councilman Henry Collins gave his assessment of the situation. “Oakland loves the Raiders, they are a big part of our lives. That said, the people of Oakland gave their opinion of Mr. Mackey’s proposal. We are all aware of the benefits that the team provides for Oakland, but it is simply unfair and unrealistic to ask the taxpayers to foot a bill of $814,000,000 for a stadium. We want a partnership with Mr. Mackey, but that partnership is not going to be one where the people pay all of the costs. If he wants a proposal agreed upon, then he is going to have to act in a fair manner regarding the contributions on his side.”

Because a stadium proposal was put forth and rejected, Mackey and the Raiders organization are now able to entertain offers from other cities in regards to relocating. All that is certain is that the Raiders will be in Oakland this year, but the future of NFL football in Oakland is in jeopardy.

“We have a season to focus on, so that is what we are focused on,” said Mackey. “We are the Oakland Raiders right now, so that is all the organization needs to worry about. We want to win, and that is what we are dedicated to doing. Everything else will be determined in due time.”

Ominous words for a now worried Raider Nation.

Blade

11-14-2005, 10:30 PM

I walked into the pub and found John sitting in a booth in a corner. He already had an empty pitcher in front of him, and he was pouring a glass of beer from a new pitcher. He saw me and waved me over, quickly pouring another glass and setting it down in front of me as I sat. He raised his glass in the air, and waited for me to do the same.

“We are now truly free, Bear! The football team is ours to do with as we please!”

My smile was just as wide as his as I clinked his glass and took a long drink. When I was done, I set my glass down and sat back.

“Finally. All this planning, all the worrying, everything. It’s over, all thanks to this.”

Mackey pushed an envelope towards me. It was addressed to Mackey, and was obviously from the city council. I opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside, printed on nice municipal government letterhead. The letter read:

Stadium Vote:
From: The County Government

Your proposal for new stadium construction was submitted to the voters of your county for a decision.

The issue failed. We hope that you do not view this as a referendum on the viability of football in Oakland, but we understand that you are now free to seek a new stadium elsewhere. Please try again next year, however. You may find the voters more amenable.

Here's the final vote tally:

Rejected: 411,190 - 67.0%
In Favor: 202,102 - 32.9%

I laughed as I pushed the letter back into the envelope.

“Please try again next year? Optimistic, aren’t they?”

Mackey laughed. “A little bit. So, now the real fun begins. I have to see who wants an NFL football team!”

“Any idea of the cities interested, Mack?”

Mackey shook his head. “No, I haven’t done any searching yet. Didn’t want to show our hand early. That will be my job this season, while you worry about the football team. Speaking of which, I read the article about our drafting, and I have to say I agree with some of the criticism. In fact, I was watching the draft and after the second pick I was going to call you up and ask you what you were doing, but I got pulled into a meeting. So, I am asking now. What were you doing?”

I sighed, having to justify myself again. “I did what I thought was best at the time. When our pick came around, the players we were interested in were off the board. Of the players who were left in the positions we needed, there were none who were sure-fire players worth a first round pick. The reports that Gino’s staff gave me said that Erik was a fantastic talent, despite his size. He has the skills that I love in a running back, so I had to take him. I know that we have Lamont, and that I signed Chris, but Chris is not a starting calibre running back and we only signed him to a $2.98 million contract, so we are not tied up for a whole lot. Chris should be a fine number three guy. Lamont is the starter, but Erik gives us some flexibility in our options in the future if Lamont wants too much.”

Mackey nodded, though he didn’t seem convinced.

“I think our only other question mark is Quinn, and at 5’6”, he is definitely a risk. But the guy has skill to burn, and I think that he will be able to make up for his size based on that. I stand by my picks, Mack, and I have faith in them.”

“Alright, Bear. You are the GM, so it is your ass on the line, so we will see where that puts us. This truly is our team now, so we want a winning team. We will be out of Oakland soon, and we will have to deal with a new fan base, and that will be a fan base that we will not want to piss off.”

“I know.”

Mackey took another gulp of his beer. “Good. So, what is next? We still are short in terms of filling out our roster, I see.”

“Yah, there are still some free agents out there that I am looking at. They wanted to much in the first go around, but their demands are sure to have dropped, so I need to see what positions we are short at, and what players are available. New England’s GM actually called me wanted to get our cornerback Fabian Washington from us. He offered their tight end Ben Watson and a fourth round pick. I told him no, obviously, since we are good at tight end with Courtney Anderson and our new draft pick, and we are short at cornerback so we need Washington right now.”

“Ok, sounds good. Well, we need to drink it up! This is a great day, my friend!”

I laughed and clinked glasses with Mackey again. We drank for the next few hours, and as I sat there drinking, it finally became clear to me that my job was truly beginning. My butt was on the line with every transaction, and that was something I had not faced before. It was a challenge I was happy to take, but I was worried it may tear me up in the end.

Izulde

11-15-2005, 12:42 AM

I think Grzecki was actually your best pick of the whole draft myself. Rackers will probably prove to be a steal as well, even though I hope he doesnt' because I fucking hate Yale.

Blade

11-16-2005, 11:11 PM

Raiders Fill Roster as Training Camp Preparations Get Underway

Oakland, CA (Pre-Training Camp) – A new football season looms for the NFL as teams prepare for their training camps, with the first set to open in just under a week. The Raiders are no exception as GM Barrett Blade firmed up the roster with a number of signings and releases.

The first order of business for Blade was to try and sign the drafted players to contracts before training camp started, which he was able to do. “It was very important that we get our rookies under contract and in camp on time,” said Blade. “They have a lot to learn, and every opportunity for them to work with our staff, and with the other players, is going to benefit them tremendously. Every moment of instructional time is crucial, and we are very happy that they will be here from the start.”

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Denney2006-Camp.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Three of the seven draft picks were signed to four year contracts, while the other four players were signed to three year contracts. The Raiders’ first round pick, RB Erik Kuehler, was the last to sign, collecting $8.81 million overall for four years, including a $3.88 million signing bonus. “I am just glad to be here,” said Kuehler. “I want to get out there and show the team what I can do, and learn all that I can. It is going to be a lot of fun to be able to talk to the coaches, to Mr. Jordan, and to Mr. Brown, and become a better player. This is going to be exciting.”

The other players to sign four year deals were FB Alvin Grier ($4.53 million) and DT Frankie Grzecki ($2.97 million). Signing three year deals were CB Quinn Foley ($3.6 million), WR Keith Distel ($1.91 million), K Herb Mallory ($1.37 million), and TE Deon Rackers ($1.34 million).

Blade was also hard at work to fill in other holes in the roster by signing a number of free agents. With the loss of starting SS Derrick Gibson, Blade signed S Tank Williams to a two year contract worth $1.43 million to compete for the starting job. Williams played in all sixteen games for the Tennessee Titans last season, though did not start any of them, and collected 33 tackles and 6 assists, with no interceptions. Critics feel that the team may be reaching by signing Williams with the hope of him becoming a starter.

“We feel that Tank is a good safety in this league, and can become a very strong player if given the opportunity,” said Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin. “He will be given that chance here, and we feel that he will blossom. He is great in coverage, and can make receivers think twice about coming over the middle on him.”

Recognizing that there were a few more holes in the projected starting line-up, Blade went out and signed T Mike Williams (3 years, $4.24 million) and DE Ryan Denney (3 years, $3.72 million). Williams started in fifteen games for the Buffalo Bills last season and was accused of allowing more sacks than the team felt comfortable with (11 sacks allowed). Denney also played with the Bills last season, seeing action in 13 games in a limited role. He collected 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks during the season.

“We are very excited to have Mike and Ryan here,” said Blade. “These guys bring a lot of pure talent to the team. Mike was the fourth overall pick in 2002, and brings a ton of size to our line (6-6, 375 pounds). He was judged unfairly last season, based on how bad the Buffalo offensive line was. He is going to bring a lot to our line. As for Ryan, we feel that we have stolen a pure pass rusher. The guy is amazing in how explosive he is when hunting for the quarterback. We really feel that he is going to be something special.”

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Boller2006-Camp.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>The Raiders made a somewhat surprising move with the signing of free agent QB Kyle Boller. Boller was the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens last season, playing in 15 games, and earned player of the game awards five times. However, his quarterback rating of 71.8, and his 16 interceptions, prompted the Ravens to finally let him go. Boller signed a three year contract with the Raiders worth $5.26 million.

“When looking at our roster, we felt that a major weak point was at the quarterback position,” said Blade. “Kerry Collins is fantastic, but if he should go down, we do not have anyone who could fill in right away. Kyle brings that to our team. Oakland will be a good experience for him because he will be able to settle in without the pressure of having to lead the team. He will be able to grow without eyes constantly on him.”

The Raiders made three more signings to add depth to the roster, picking up former Broncos’ G Dwayne Carswell (2 years, $1.66 million), former Tampa Bay LB Marquis Cooper (2 years, $1.02 million), and former Lions’ LB Wali Rainer (1 year, $720,000). They also resigned S Damien Robinson to a one year contract worth $720,000. To make room for the new players, QB Marques Tuiasosopo, RB Zack Crockett, and WR Alvis Whitted were released.

Up next is training camp for the Raiders, and all eyes will be on the many new players in the silver and black.

Blade

11-16-2005, 11:12 PM

It was a good feeling that football was finally back. Sure, the off-season is when I really go to work, but there is just something about seeing the game back on the field that made me smile. And the fact that so many of the players I had recently signed were on that field brought me to the training camp facility every day the camp was held.

Things started off somewhat shaky as the new coaching staff met with the players and began to explain their schemes. The offence wasn’t too bad, with Aaron Ellis keeping his schemes relatively similar, but the defence didn’t fare as well. Brent Marlin decided to stay with the 3-4 scheme we utilized last season, but there were a lot of differences. And with all of the new players on defence, it made for some slow learning. The rookies had a tough time as well, though they had some good workouts when they reported prior to the veterans coming into camp.

As the camp went on, I saw a lot of good things. Erik Kuehler looked damn good, in my opinion. He definitely showed that he had the skills to play at this level, though the big question on everyone’s mind is whether his small frame can hold up to a lot of punishment. He meshed well with Lamont and Chris, which was very positive. As for Chris Brown, he definitely came into camp playing hard. He is pushing to be the backup to Jordan, and I was very worried about how he would take being third on the depth chart, if Erik had a good preseason. But preseason was still a ways off, so I put that thought aside for the moment.

One player who had a tough camp was Keith Distel. Spending a third round pick on him, I was hoping that he could show a bit more than he did, but he is learning, so I did my best to not rush to any judgements. Alvin Grier brought a smile to my face, though, as his camp gave me a good feeling that we had found our starting fullback for many years to come.

The media paid a lot of attention to Kyle Boller, who looked pretty good in camp. He threw a nice ball, though I heard he was having some problems learning the offence. I think that Andrew Walter was a little bit jilted, though, as he felt he had progressed well last year as our backup, but we were just not confident that if Kerry went down, that Andrew could move the offence and keep us in games right away.

Defensively, I really like the camp that Andra Davis had. He and Danny Clark in the middle looked pretty good, and I think we have significantly upgraded our defence. DeLoach and Denney looked good too, although Tank Williams struggled a bit out of the gate. I think he will get a lot better as the preseason gets underway, but his play did stir some nervousness in me.

Quinn Foley looked pretty good, though I think he will have to be brought along slowly before he becomes overly effective. I also realized that something may have to be done with our defensive tackle situation, as we have too many for a 3-4 system. With DeLoach looking like the starter, I have Ted Washington and Frankie Grzecki behind him, which is a bit of a log jam. I jotted down that I may have to address that situation before too long.

All in all, it was a good camp, although the fan turnout was low. Not that I cared much, Oakland would be a distant memory a number of years down the road. My only hope now was that we could field a good team, and show Oakland what they would be losing. John Mackey was nowhere to be seen, but he was probably scouting out possible cities for the team to move to. But that was for the future...

Football was back, and I was happy again. Bring on the preseason!

NoSkillz

11-17-2005, 12:10 AM

My favourite dynasty on the board!

Your use of visuals inspired me with my EHM dynasty! Keep it up Blade! :)

Blade

11-17-2005, 07:53 AM

My favourite dynasty on the board!

Your use of visuals inspired me with my EHM dynasty! Keep it up Blade! :)

Thanks for the kind words! You have a great dynasty going and I will be reading it as well!

Blade

11-19-2005, 11:11 PM

Questions, Doubts Surround Raiders Heading Into Regular Season

Oakland, CA (Week 1, 2006) – The NFL regular season has finally arrived, and there are nothing but questions and doubts surrounding the Oakland Raiders. Last season, the team had what most considered a successful season by going 9-7 and making the playoffs, winning in the first round, and only losing in the AFC Divisional Championship by a last second field goal by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts. This year, the outlook does not seem as rosy.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Denney2006-Preseason.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>The Raiders enjoyed success last year largely based on a high-powered, big-play offence led by Randy Moss, Lamont Jordan, and Kerry Collins. They were able to win their share of games despite a very poor defence. During the off-season, however, Raiders GM Barrett Blade traded Randy Moss to the Houston Texans for draft picks, taking away their most explosive offensive weapon, and did nothing to fill the gap left by Moss’ departure. Blade did make a number of minor moves to bring in new personnel, but none of the players brought in have established themselves as top performers at this stage of their careers.

As training camps finished and the preseason approached, Blade and the rest of the Raiders’ organization preached patience, saying that the players would step up and play well, despite the doubts. Now that the preseason is over and the regular season is upon us, it appears that none of those questions have been answered to anyone’s satisfaction. While it is commonly accepted that preseason performances can be misleading, the Raiders’ performance is troubling at best.

The Raiders went 1-3 in the preseason, losing to San Francisco, St. Louis, and Green Bay, while only defeating Chicago. Drawing conclusions from these games, it would appear that the Oakland defence has not improved, as opposing offences appeared to control the ball at will, mainly utilizing the run as the Raiders surrendered an average of 136.5 yards rushing a game. One of the key players brought in to help this defense was DE Ryan Denney, who went down in the first preseason game with a high ankle sprain, and is expected to be lost for another 6-8 weeks. As a stop gap solution, Blade signed former Panther DE Mike Rucker to a one year contract worth $900,000, but he is expected to fill in as a backup to Bobby Hamilton, the starting left DE last season.

While the Oakland offence was able to pick up a large amount of yards during the preseason, scoring was down considerably. Kerry Collins looked very bad as preseason started, throwing three interceptions in the first two games, though he seemed to look better by game four. Jerry Porter, expected to pick up for the departed Moss, looked strong as the top Raider receiver, but was soon lost to torn knee cartilage, and may not start a regular season game until week 3.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Brown2006-Preseason.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>The Raiders’ running game is expected to be a strong point for the team, with the trio of Lamont Jordan, Erik Kuehler, and Chris Brown. All three seemed to be mainly inconsistent in the preseason, having a strong game one week, and a poor game the next. This is probably in large part to sharing duties almost evenly during the preseason, and the Raider coaches are hoping that their defined roles in the regular season will help all three. It does appear that the rookie Kuehler has secured the back-up role behind Jordan, with Brown being used sparingly.

“The preseason is just that, the preseason,” said Blade. “The coaches are using vanilla gameplans, the young players and the fringe players are getting a lot of playing time, and everyone is trying to find their groove after a long off-season. The wins and losses do not mean a whole lot. This team has to learn to play with each other, and they make good strides with that by the end of the preseason. There is no need for panic. Wait until the regular season is underway, then evaluate what is going on.”

With an important divisional match-up right off the bat with their game against the San Diego Chargers in week 1, the Raiders are hoping that they can ease the worried minds of the Raider Nation, and that their players can have another surprising, and improved, season.

Blade

11-21-2005, 10:17 PM

Poor Decisions, Turnovers Hurt Raiders in Season and Divisional Opener

San Diego (1-0) 24 - Oakland (0-1) 6

Oakland, CA (Week 1, 2006) – The Raiders’ season opener was a big game for a number of reasons which included the first regular season game for their new Head Coach, their new Defensive Coordinator, and a few new players. To top all of that off, it was a game against a divisional rival, the San Diego Chargers. As such, it was expected that the Raiders would come out with a fire…they did not.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Feeley2006-1.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>The game started off with the Raiders 29 yards on four straight running plays, but unravelled in a hurry as QB Kerry Collins threw an interception to Chargers CB Sammy Davis. The Chargers took advantage of the turnover, putting together a six-play drive which ended on a 1-yard touchdown pass from QB A.J. Feeley to TE Antonio Gates. Once K Nate Kaeding kicked the point after, San Diego had all the points they would need to win the game.

San Diego did not need to generate a lot of offensive yardage to control the game, as they collected 320 yards, with 143 yards coming from the ground game. They were able to dominate the Raiders on the scoreboard by taking advantage of turnovers, with Collins throwing three interceptions and a RB Lamont Jordan fumble, and with penalty help, as the Raiders collected 8 penalties for 65 yards. Defensively, the Chargers were able to shut down Jordan and the running game, limiting him to only 48 yards on 18 carries, though rookie RB Erik Kuehler looked good with 29 yards on 4 carries.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson was able to grind the clock when needed, picking up 94 yards on 21 carries, though it was Feeley who was the real leader of the Chargers offence. After a mediocre year in Miami, Feeley signed with the Chargers in the off-season and proved to be strong at managing the game for San Diego. He was efficient as he went 14 for 18 with 193 yards and two touchdown passes. He also had time to throw the ball, though he was sacked twice by the Raiders.

“I felt good out there,” said Feeley, after the game. “I had a lot to adjust to in camp, but I think I showed a good grasp of our offence, and with the support that LT brings, it is easy to maintain control. And the line did a great job at giving me time to go through my progressions. We definitely had a good start here, and it is nice to get that first divisional win out of the way.”

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Distel2006-1.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>Despite the poor showing by the Raiders, there were a few bright spots. Playing in a back-up role as the #3 receiver with Jerry Porter out, rookie WR Keith Distel had a good showing, collecting 103 yards on four catches, with a long of 36 yards, in the first regular season NFL game of his career. Also, newcomer Jerry DeLoach, who displaced Ted Washington as the starting nose tackle, had a decent game, collecting his first sack as an Oakland Raider. Rookie K Herb Mallory, expected to be inconsistent as he gains experience, was able to hit two field goals, including one from 52 yards, though he missed from 18 and 28 yards.

“We are going to have a lot of film to look at this week,” said Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin. “Our execution on all sides of the ball was pretty poor. It is disappointing, but we will learn from our mistakes. There were some good things to build on, and we will focus on that this week. I like what we have in place here, and as we get used to playing together, and used to the schemes, the outcomes will get better. And with the veteran leadership we have on the team, I expect that it will be sooner rather than later.”

The Raiders will head out to San Francisco for their game next week against the 49ers, and hope to be back in the win column.

Box Score
<PRE>Attendance: 55,600 (62,500). Weather: 69 degrees, rain. 1Q: 08:56 SDO - Antonio Gates 1 pass from A.J. Feeley. 1Q: 08:56 SDO - Nate Kaeding extra point. 1Q: 00:07 OAK - Herb Mallory 52 field goal. 2Q: 08:24 OAK - Herb Mallory 42 field goal. 2Q: 03:43 SDO - Eric Parker 42 pass from A.J. Feeley. 2Q: 03:43 SDO - Nate Kaeding extra point. 3Q: 09:52 SDO - Jonathan Wells 1 run. 3Q: 09:52 SDO - Nate Kaeding extra point. 3Q: 00:00 SDO - Nate Kaeding 27 field goal. Game MVP: SDO 3 A.J. Feeley San Diego 7 7 10 0 - 24 Oakland 3 3 0 0 - 6 Team Statistics SDO OAK First Downs 18 18 Total Rushes 36 24 Rushing Yards 143 89 Yards Per Carry 3.9 3.7 Pass Attempts 18 42 Completions 14 20 Passing Yards 193 301 Yards Per Attempt 10.7 7.1 Sacked 2 2 Yards Lost 16 18 Interceptions 0 3 Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/1 Total Plays 56 68 Total Yards 320 372 Yards Per Play 5.7 5.4 3rd Down Plays 4/11 6/13 Avg. YTG on 3rd 5.0 9.0 4th Down Plays 0/0 0/1 Penalties 6 8 Penalty Yards 35 65 Avg. Drive Start OWN 37 OWN 24 Time Of Possession 31:41 28:19 San Diego Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 21 Tomlinson 21 94 4.4 11 0 25 Wells 11 36 3.2 9 1 3 Feeley 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0 44 Goings 1 1 1.0 1 0 34 Pinnock 1 10 10.0 10 0 43 Sproles 1 3 3.0 3 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 3 Feeley 18 14 193 10.7 42 2 0 2 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 89 Parker 5 96 19.2 30 42 1 85 Gates 4 39 9.7 8 27 1 88 Gardner 2 34 17.0 0 23 0 21 Tomlinson 2 9 4.5 10 5 0 84 Kennison 1 15 15.0 2 15 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 89 Parker 2 6 3.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 43 Sproles 2 55 27.5 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 5 Fitzgerald 4 153 38.2 47 1 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 10 Kaeding 1 3 27 3 3 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 59 Edwards 9 2 0.0 0 0 0 22 Davis 7 2 0.0 1 9 0 23 Jammer 6 1 0.0 1 29 0 95 Peterson 5 0 0.0 1 13 0 76 Williams 4 2 1.0 0 0 0 27 Jue 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 47 Mitchell 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 99 Olshansky 2 0 1.0 0 0 0 37 Allen 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 20 Manuel 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 91 Merriman 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 84 Kennison 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 54 Reese 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 81 Bennett 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 44 Goings 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 90 Wilson 0 3 0.0 0 0 0 79 Robertson 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 41 Fenimore 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 44 Goings 0 0 0 0 3 0 69 Peko 0 0 0 0 1 1 72 Naeole 0 0 0 0 2 1 95 Peterson 0 1 1 0 0 0 85 Gates 0 0 0 0 2 0 60 St. Clair 0 0 0 0 1 0 82 Euhus 0 0 0 0 1 0 62 Bourgeois 0 0 0 0 1 0 68 Alston 0 0 0 0 1 0 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 18 48 2.6 14 0 22 Kuehler 4 29 7.2 15 0 44 Grier 2 12 6.0 7 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 41 20 301 7.3 36 0 3 2 16 Walter 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 34 Jordan 5 36 7.2 12 12 0 80 Distel 4 103 25.7 8 36 0 83 Anderson 3 33 11.0 3 16 0 10 Francis 3 53 17.6 4 24 0 81 Curry 2 30 15.0 5 18 0 85 Gabriel 1 24 24.0 1 24 0 22 Kuehler 1 11 11.0 0 11 0 89 Rackers 1 11 11.0 2 11 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 27 Washington 2 35 17.5 0 81 Curry 1 26 26.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 2 103 51.5 58 1 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 2 4 52 0 0 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 91 Burgess 6 0 0.0 0 0 0 98 Hamilton 5 2 1.0 0 0 0 56 Davis 5 4 0.0 0 0 0 55 Clark 5 3 0.0 0 0 0 59 Grant 4 4 0.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 2 3 1.0 0 0 0 45 Robinson 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 58 Rainer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 10 Francis 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 44 Grier 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 24 Foley 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 54 Williams 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 57 Cooper 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 97 Grzecki 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 76 Gallery 0 0 0 0 2 0 66 Walker 0 0 0 0 0 1 65 Sims 0 0 0 0 0 1 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 5 0 70 Badger 0 0 0 0 1 0 34 Jordan 1 0 0 0 0 0 </PRE>

Blade

11-23-2005, 11:36 PM

Raiders’ Defence Helps Collect Win Despite Lackluster Offensive Performance

Oakland (1-1) 17 - San Francisco (1-1) 16

San Francisco, CA (Week 2, 2006) – Last season, the Raiders’ offence carried the team to the majority of their nine regular season wins and one playoff win, while their defence seemed to be an obstacle that needed to be overcame. This week in San Francisco, it was the defence that saved the team and the offence that almost let it slip away.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Williams2006-2.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>From the first series of the game, the Oakland defence made their mark, as QB Tim Rattay threw an interception to CB Nnamdi Asomugha on the third play from scrimmage. The Raiders’ offence was ineffective, quickly going three and out, so their defence got in the act again. This time it was an interception by LB Sam Williams, who took the ball back 34 yards for a touchdown, and giving the Raiders an early lead.

“That was huge for us,” said LB Danny Clark. “We have been criticized so much over the last season, and it felt really good to be able to come out hard and help this team by putting up some points ourselves. It was tough at times last year, as we would be coming off the field after giving up points and then look our offensive guys in the eyes and apologize. It is just big for us to be able to make a contribution to help our offence out.”

The Oakland offence, which struggled for the majority of the first quarter, was able to get a big play to help the team out, as QB Kerry Collins found rookie WR Keith Distel for a 42-yard touchdown pass, Distel’s only catch of the game. Another rookie, K Herb Mallory, was able to get what proved to be the winning score with a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter, although he missed a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter.

San Francisco was able to make the game a close one with three field goals by K NAME Kirk, as well as a short four-play drive which ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Rattay to WR Rashaun Woods to bring the 49ers within one point. From that point on, the Raiders’ defence were able to keep the 49ers from gaining any field position, forcing a number of punts. The Oakland offence did not fare much better, though they were able to grind time off the clock during a few drives until time expired.

Questions are starting to be asked about Collins and his performance over the first two games of the year, as he went 16 for 37 with 201 yards and a touchdown, though he did not throw any interceptions. In his first game against San Diego, he threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin preached patience.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Burgess2006-2.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>“We are not worried about it,” said Marlin, after the game. “He is still throwing for a lot of yards, and he showed last season that he is for real. He has had to adjust to life without Randy [Moss], and he has been missing Jerry Porter so far this season. Jerry should be back next week, so things will get better for Kerry. It has only been two games. It is not time to hit the panic button.”

The Oakland running game was adequate, as RB Lamont Jordan gathered 72 yards on 19 carries, and rookie RB Erik Kuehler looked strong on limited carries, picking up 20 yards on 4 touches. Jordan also contributed 49 yards receiving, while Kuehler had 17 yards receiving. Defensively, DE Derrick Burgess stood out as he collected 4 tackles and 2 sacks during the game, the only Raider to collect at least one sack on Rattay.

While the Raiders did walk away with the win, they were again plagued by discipline problems, as they committed 8 penalties for 70 yards during the game, giving San Francisco some added help. Penalties were a problem for Oakland all of last season, and does not seem to be getting better this year. “It is just a lack of focus at times during the game,” said Marlin. “It is something we work on during practice, but it does not seem to be getting better. We need to smarten up, and keep our heads during the game. It should be a problem that will disappear as the team continues to play together. If not, then some heads may need to be banged.”

The Raiders will be heading to Tennessee to take on the Titans next week, and are hoping that a possible return of Jerry Porter will help to spark the offence.

Box Score
<PRE>Attendance: 59,800 (64,500). Weather: 63 degrees, fair. 1Q: 12:53 OAK - Sam Williams 34 interception return. 1Q: 12:53 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 1Q: 06:47 SFO - Maurice Kirk 24 field goal. 1Q: 00:26 OAK - Keith Distel 42 pass from Kerry Collins. 1Q: 00:26 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 2Q: 08:44 OAK - Herb Mallory 23 field goal. 2Q: 02:57 SFO - Maurice Kirk 22 field goal. 2Q: 00:23 SFO - Maurice Kirk 49 field goal. 3Q: 07:41 SFO - Rashaun Woods 11 pass from Tim Rattay. 3Q: 07:41 SFO - Maurice Kirk extra point. Game MVP: OAK 5 Kerry Collins Oakland 14 3 0 0 - 17 San Francisco 3 6 7 0 - 16 Team Statistics OAK SFO First Downs 15 18 Total Rushes 27 24 Rushing Yards 95 98 Yards Per Carry 3.5 4.0 Pass Attempts 37 40 Completions 16 22 Passing Yards 201 219 Yards Per Attempt 5.4 5.4 Sacked 4 2 Yards Lost 25 17 Interceptions 0 2 Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/1 Total Plays 68 66 Total Yards 271 300 Yards Per Play 3.9 4.5 3rd Down Plays 6/17 7/16 Avg. YTG on 3rd 9.8 7.2 4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0 Penalties 8 6 Penalty Yards 70 41 Avg. Drive Start OWN 25 OWN 27 Time Of Possession 31:07 28:53 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 19 72 3.7 21 0 22 Kuehler 4 20 5.0 8 0 5 Collins 3 4 1.3 6 0 44 Grier 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 37 16 201 5.4 42 1 0 4 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 34 Jordan 6 49 8.1 9 14 0 81 Curry 3 30 10.0 0 17 0 10 Francis 2 36 18.0 0 26 0 85 Gabriel 1 11 11.0 0 11 0 83 Anderson 1 9 9.0 1 9 0 22 Kuehler 1 17 17.0 0 17 0 44 Grier 1 7 7.0 7 7 0 80 Distel 1 42 42.0 4 42 1 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Jordan 1 1 1.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 27 Washington 2 39 19.5 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 9 387 43.0 63 1 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 1 2 23 2 2 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 55 Clark 8 2 0.0 0 0 0 56 Davis 6 3 0.0 0 0 0 59 Grant 5 1 0.0 0 0 0 91 Burgess 4 0 2.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 54 Williams 3 1 0.0 1 34 1 95 DeLoach 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 2 1 0.0 1 0 0 24 Foley 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 62 Treu 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 45 Robinson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 10 Francis 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 44 Grier 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 98 Hamilton 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 71 Rucker 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 97 Grzecki 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 68 Williams 0 0 1 0 1 1 76 Gallery 0 0 0 0 3 0 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 1 1 70 Badger 0 0 0 0 1 2 44 Grier 0 1 0 0 0 0 San Francisco Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 32 Barlow 14 70 5.0 14 0 21 Gore 7 18 2.5 9 0 40 Beasley 1 7 7.0 7 0 13 Rattay 1 3 3.0 3 0 37 Huntley 1 0 0.0 0 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 13 Rattay 40 22 219 5.4 31 1 2 2 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 40 Beasley 6 30 5.0 18 10 0 82 Johnson 5 84 16.8 13 31 0 88 Taylor 4 44 11.0 3 12 0 87 Woods 3 34 11.3 1 12 1 32 Barlow 2 6 3.0 4 3 0 80 Morton 1 12 12.0 1 12 0 21 Gore 1 9 9.0 4 9 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 83 Battle 2 20 10.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 80 Morton 2 38 19.0 0 26 Logan 1 24 24.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 4 Lee 7 330 47.1 56 2 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 12 Kirk 3 3 49 1 1 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 50 Smith 10 1 1.0 0 0 0 24 Rumph 8 2 0.0 0 0 0 90 Allen 5 1 0.0 0 0 0 94 Schobel 4 1 0.5 0 0 0 53 Ulbrich 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 45 Ingley 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 97 Young 2 1 1.5 0 0 0 33 Parrish 2 2 0.0 0 0 0 36 Spencer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 28 Peters 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 98 Clemons 1 0 1.0 0 0 0 44 Wodarz 1 2 0.0 0 0 0 62 Newberry 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 83 Battle 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 87 Woods 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 30 Boone 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 70 Long 0 3 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 65 Smiley 0 0 0 0 1 1 62 Newberry 0 0 0 0 1 1 75 Jennings 0 0 0 0 2 0 66 VanBuren 0 0 0 0 2 0 40 Beasley 0 0 0 0 1 0 83 Battle 1 0 0 0 0 0 </PRE>

Blade

11-26-2005, 12:29 PM

Bad Mistakes Cost Raiders a Victory Against Tennessee

Oakland (1-2) 10 - Tennessee (3-0) 16

Tennessee, TN (Week 3, 2006) – In a game pitting an inconsistent Oakland Raiders against a good-looking Tennessee Titans, fans were unsure as to what kind of game would be played. What they watched was anything but well-executed football, though it made for a surprising and exciting finish.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Collins2006-3.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>The game started off very slowly as both teams were able to gather first downs, but would inevitably be forced to punt after each offensive series. There were five punts before Oakland was finally able to put the first points on the board, on a 25-yard field goal by K Herb Mallory, with 9:58 left in the second quarter. The game slowed down again as both teams traded more punts, though Tennessee K Rob Bironas missed a 46-yard field goal attempt as the second quarter wound down.

As the second half got underway, the Titans were able to string together a 14-play drive which enabled Bironas to tie the game on a 30-yard field goal. As the third quarter began to wind down, it was the Raiders’ turn to get some offence going as they worked a 10-play drive during which the Raiders mixed up their passing and running plays effectively for the first time all game. The Raiders took the lead on a 1 yard touchdown run by RB Lamont Jordan.

Fans groaned as the game again settled into a punt-fest, before the Titans started to threaten late in the game. After an 8-play drive spanning 62 yards, Bironas attempted to get the Titans close with a 22-yard field goal, but missed to the right. This left 3:03 on the clock. With the ball back and only a 7 point lead to work with, it was expected that the Raiders would start to grind time off the clock, but instead had a six play series, of which five were passes. Oakland was only able to knock 1:03 off the clock, giving the Titans the final two minutes to attempt to tie the game.

QB Steve McNair wasted no time going to the air, as he first hooked up with RB Anthony Thomas for an 18 yard pass, then found WR Tyrone Calico for a 15 yard pass. After two incompletions, McNair found Calico again, this time for a 39 yard pass and a touchdown. The Bironas extra point tied the game, and gave the Raiders the ball back with 27 seconds left in the game. QB Kerry Collins worked fast as well, finding WR Ronald Curry for a 24 yard pass, putting the Raiders on the Tennessee 45 yard line. Then the surprising happened, as none of the Raiders used a time out, of which they still had all three, and Collins threw another pass, this one a 4-yarder again to Curry. Time expired as they again failed to use a time out.

The game moved into overtime, where Tennessee won the coin toss and started out with the ball. The Raiders’ defence were up to the task early, as they forced the Titans to punt. However, as P Craig Hentrich punted the ball, the Raiders’ special teams took a horrible penalty, Roughing the Kicker. Tennessee got the ball back and continued their drive, this time working down field successfully. The final dagger was driven into the Raiders’ hearts as RB Travis Henry ran the ball in for the winning 7-yard touchdown, pushing the Raiders’ record to 1-2.

While the game saw some decent performances by the Raiders, as Collins went 20 for 34 with 232 yards, and Lamont Jordan had 94 yards on 23 carries with one touchdown, everyone was talking about the strange decisions to not run the ball late, to not use any of their time outs, and the devastating roughing the kicker penalty in overtime. Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin did not have much in the way of excuses.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Henry2006-3.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>“This is what being a head coach is all about,” said Marlin, in a press conference after the game. “When you make a decision, it is either applauded if things go well, or criticized if things go wrong. Unfortunately, things went wrong in this case. We felt that Kerry could throw some short routes which would keep the Titans off-guard, and still allow us to run down the clock. Obviously, that did not work. As for the time outs, we felt that with the way momentum had shifted, it was more important to get to overtime without giving anything up. Kerry threw the passes in those situations because he saw them there, but out intention was to get to overtime at that point. The roughing the kicker penalty is a penalty that you never want to take, and in this case, it cost us the game. That is something we will have to talk to our special teams about, and it most definitely will be addressed. This is the type of game that you need to learn from quickly, then forget about. We have another road game next week to prepare for, so that is where our focus will now be.”

With the inconsistency the Raiders have shown so far this season, this game did nothing to help the questions surrounding the abilities of Coach Marlin to lead a team to a winning record. Raiders GM Barrett Blade did his best to defend his head coach. “Brent is a good coach, but this is a new team for him. There is a growing process that has to happen on both sides. The results of this game are unfortunately, but it is only the third week of the season. There are a lot of games to go, and we are confident that things will get better.”

The Raiders continue their extended road trip against the Cincinnati Bengals, and they will hope to erase the bad taste this game left, as soon as possible.

Box Score
<PRE>Attendance: 66,500 (67,700). Weather: 91 degrees, fair. 2Q: 09:58 OAK - Herb Mallory 25 field goal. 3Q: 07:38 TEN - Rob Bironas 30 field goal. 3Q: 00:27 OAK - LaMont Jordan 1 run. 3Q: 00:27 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 4Q: 00:34 TEN - Tyrone Calico 39 pass from Steve McNair. 4Q: 00:34 TEN - Rob Bironas extra point. OT: 11:25 TEN - Travis Henry 7 run. Game MVP: TEN 9 Steve McNair Oakland 0 3 7 0 0 - 10 Tennessee 0 0 3 7 6 - 16 Team Statistics OAK TEN First Downs 17 17 Total Rushes 24 31 Rushing Yards 97 122 Yards Per Carry 4.0 3.9 Pass Attempts 34 36 Completions 20 23 Passing Yards 232 227 Yards Per Attempt 6.8 6.3 Sacked 4 2 Yards Lost 28 15 Interceptions 0 0 Fumbles/Lost 0/0 0/0 Total Plays 62 69 Total Yards 301 334 Yards Per Play 4.8 4.8 3rd Down Plays 5/15 7/17 Avg. YTG on 3rd 10.4 6.9 4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0 Penalties 8 6 Penalty Yards 60 45 Avg. Drive Start OWN 24 OWN 29 Time Of Possession 29:55 33:40 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 23 94 4.0 27 1 22 Kuehler 1 3 3.0 3 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 34 20 232 6.8 34 0 0 4 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 84 Porter 5 48 9.6 19 17 0 81 Curry 5 57 11.4 11 24 0 85 Gabriel 3 51 17.0 4 17 0 34 Jordan 2 10 5.0 10 5 0 83 Anderson 2 7 3.5 11 4 0 80 Distel 2 37 18.5 3 34 0 89 Rackers 1 22 22.0 2 22 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Jordan 1 -6 -6.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 25 Walker 1 26 26.0 0 84 Porter 1 16 16.0 0 27 Washington 1 24 24.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 8 311 38.8 47 2 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 1 1 25 1 1 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 55 Clark 7 1 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 7 1 0.0 0 0 0 91 Burgess 6 0 1.0 0 0 0 56 Davis 6 4 0.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 6 2 0.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 98 Hamilton 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 24 Foley 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 3 2 1.0 0 0 0 59 Grant 2 2 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 45 Robinson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 58 Rainer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 76 Gallery 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 57 Cooper 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 89 Rackers 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 71 Rucker 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 54 Williams 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 44 Grier 0 0 0 0 1 1 76 Gallery 0 0 0 0 2 1 68 Williams 0 0 0 0 0 1 67 Stone 0 0 0 0 1 1 70 Badger 0 0 0 0 2 0 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 2 0 Tennessee Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 20 Henry 21 81 3.8 14 1 9 McNair 4 15 3.7 4 0 25 Thomas 4 21 5.2 9 0 44 Johnson 2 5 2.5 3 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 9 McNair 36 23 227 6.3 44 1 0 2 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 44 Johnson 9 37 4.1 25 8 0 87 Calico 4 70 17.5 2 39 1 84 Troupe 3 24 8.0 3 11 0 82 Roby 2 61 30.5 4 44 0 38 Douglas 2 6 3.0 0 3 0 89 Warrick 1 5 5.0 0 5 0 25 Thomas 1 18 18.0 0 18 0 81 Jones 1 6 6.0 6 6 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 89 Warrick 2 2 1.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 20 Henry 3 67 22.3 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 15 Hentrich 7 277 39.5 48 3 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Bironas 1 3 30 1 1 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 53 Bulluck 10 1 0.0 0 0 0 31 Bashir 8 1 0.0 0 0 0 28 Thompson 6 2 0.0 0 0 0 47 Doesburg 6 0 0.0 0 0 0 92 Haynesworth 3 1 1.0 0 0 0 54 Stewart 2 3 1.0 0 0 0 93 Sullivan 2 3 1.0 0 0 0 94 Hohlt 2 2 1.0 0 0 0 32 Jones 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 51 Ellard 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 22 Fuller 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 23 Harris 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 52 McKinnon 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 75 Olson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 20 Henry 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 43 Nash 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 95 Peters 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 37 Baxley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 61 Williams 0 0 0 0 2 1 69 Piller 0 0 0 0 0 1 58 Gammon 0 0 0 0 2 0 67 Fabini 0 0 0 0 2 0 75 Olson 0 0 0 0 1 0 84 Troupe 0 0 0 0 1 0 59 Weber 0 0 0 0 1 0 </PRE>

Blade

11-30-2005, 11:28 PM

Raiders Get Total Team Effort in Late Win Over Bengals

Oakland (2-2) 29 - Cincinnati (1-3) 19

Cincinnati, OH (Week 4, 2006) – Over the first three weeks of the season, the Oakland Raiders have not looked like a strong football team. Their offence has been inconsistent, their defence have not done enough in every game to help the team win, and their special teams have made some costly mistakes. New Head Coach Brent Marlin has fallen under a hail of criticism for his play calling and decision making during key moments this season. As such, it was important for the Raiders to play a strong game in their third straight road game, this one against the Cincinnati Bengals.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Curry2006-4.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>The Raiders were able to do just that, as they came out for the game flying. On the opening drive of the game, the Oakland offence was able score on a 5-yard touchdown pass from QB Kerry Collins to WR Ronald Curry. The drive spanned 10 plays, 70 yards, and used up 6:31 of the first quarter. “It was very important for us to come out with a good series,” said Collins. “After everything that happened last week against the Titans, we knew that we had to make a statement as soon as this game started. It says something about the team that we were able to do it.”

The Oakland defence came out to play as well, as they hounded QB Carson Palmer, and kept RB Rudi Johnson largely contained. The Cincinnati offence were unable to gain a lot of ground on the Raiders, and were held to two field goals in the first half, allowing the Raiders to take a 7-6 lead into the locker room at half time. While the Raiders’ offence did not put up any more points in the first half, they were able to control the clock and keep the Bengals’ defence on the field.

Cincinnati came to life as the second half got underway, as they were able to block a punt by P Shane Lechler, giving the Bengals possession of the ball on the Oakland 33-yard line. That seemed to spur the Bengals’ offence on, as Palmer completed four straight passes, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Rudi Johnson. Oakland worked to come back on the next series with a 9-play drive, but the last play was an interception thrown by Collins to CB Keiwan Ratliff.

The Raiders’ defence stepped up on the ensuing series, forcing the Bengals to punt. Collins wasted no time as soon as the ball was back in his hands, dropping back, and looking to pass. He was sacked by DE Justin Smith on the first play, but rebounded back with a 6-yard pass to TE Courtney Anderson, then went deep to WR Doug Gabriel, who took the pass 79 yards for the touchdown, and gave the Raiders the 14-13 lead.

As the fourth quarter got underway, the Bengals could feel time slipping away, and, bolstered by good field position after a Ratliff punt return, took the lead back on a 5-yard touchdown run by Rudi Johnson. The Bengals attempted the two point conversion but were unsuccessful, and had to settle for a 19-14 lead.

With 4:35 left in the game, Collins again went with a play he has been known for over the past few seasons, the long ball. This time, he found Curry for a 71 yard touchdown pass. The Raiders also decided to go for the two point conversion, and they were successful as Collins hit RB Lamont Jordan in the end-zone for the deuce. The Bengals, down by only three and will all of their time outs remaining, showed no panic as they went back to the running game to gain yards, but Rudi Johnson was stripped of the ball by SS Tank Williams and the ball was recovered by LB DeLawrence Grant and returned 38 yards for the touchdown.

With time now running out for the Bengals, they went to the air, but Palmer was intercepted by FS Stuart Schweigert, and on their last series, was intercepted by LB Sam Williams, to give the Raiders the victory. Unfortunately, the interception by Williams was run back 10 yards before he was tackled at the knee and went down in pain. It was discovered after the game that Williams had torn his ACL in his right knee, and that it would require surgery. At this time, doctors are saying that he will not be ready to play until late next season, or even the 2008 season, if he can return at all.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Williams2006-4.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>“It was a good game for us,” said Brent Marlin. “The entire team came to play, and it was great to see. But while we feel really good about the game, our locker room was pretty downcast after the game. The injury Sam suffered is definitely serious, and while it is still too early to say what the future holds, it looks like he is going to be out for a long time. He most definitely will not be back this season. All we can do is send out our prayers for him and hope that he can get back on the field next year.”

The Raiders had a number of strong performances during the game on both sides of the ball. Collins ended up going 20 for 29 with 324 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He was able to spread the ball around as WR Jerry Porter collected 89 yards, Gabriel had 91 yards and a touchdown, and Curry finished with 87 yards and two touchdowns. Lamont Jordan was solid, collecting 109 yards on 26 carries. T Robert Gallery and G Ron Stone were dominant on the offensive line, and DE Derrick Burgess had two sacks this game, his second two sack performance of the season.

The Raiders are now set to finally return to Oakland, where they will face the Baltimore Ravens next week. It is expected that DE Ryan Denney will return to the line-up after sustaining a high ankle sprain in the preseason. Also joining the team, due to the loss of Sam Williams, will be LB Keith Adams, signed to a one year contract worth a reported $590,000. Adams played for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, and was with the Arizona Cardinals for two games this season before being released.

Box Score
<PRE>Attendance: 54,500 (65,600). Weather: 80 degrees, stormy. 1Q: 08:29 OAK - Ronald Curry 5 pass from Kerry Collins. 1Q: 08:29 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 2Q: 12:16 CIN - Shayne Graham 44 field goal. 2Q: 03:05 CIN - Shayne Graham 44 field goal. 3Q: 07:42 CIN - Rudi Johnson 1 run. 3Q: 07:42 CIN - Shayne Graham extra point. 4Q: 13:04 OAK - Doug Gabriel 79 pass from Kerry Collins. 4Q: 13:04 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 4Q: 05:10 CIN - Rudi Johnson 5 run. 4Q: 05:10 CIN - Rudi Johnson run for conversion failed. 4Q: 03:43 OAK - Ronald Curry 71 pass from Kerry Collins. 4Q: 03:43 OAK - Kerry Collins pass to LaMont Jordan for conversion 4Q: 02:35 OAK - DeLawrence Grant 38 fumble return. 4Q: 02:35 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. Game MVP: OAK 5 Kerry Collins Oakland 7 0 0 22 - 29 Cincinnati 0 6 7 6 - 19 Team Statistics OAK CIN First Downs 18 14 Total Rushes 29 23 Rushing Yards 111 67 Yards Per Carry 3.8 2.9 Pass Attempts 29 32 Completions 20 15 Passing Yards 324 193 Yards Per Attempt 11.1 6.0 Sacked 2 2 Yards Lost 10 10 Interceptions 1 2 Fumbles/Lost 2/1 1/1 Total Plays 60 57 Total Yards 425 250 Yards Per Play 7.0 4.3 3rd Down Plays 6/14 4/13 Avg. YTG on 3rd 8.3 7.4 4th Down Plays 0/0 1/1 Penalties 4 2 Penalty Yards 30 10 Avg. Drive Start OWN 27 OWN 33 Time Of Possession 32:04 27:56 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 26 109 4.1 24 0 22 Kuehler 2 4 2.0 2 0 5 Collins 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 29 20 324 11.1 79 3 1 2 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 84 Porter 7 89 12.7 7 16 0 83 Anderson 4 32 8.0 3 10 0 34 Jordan 3 18 6.0 6 8 0 81 Curry 3 87 29.0 50 71 2 85 Gabriel 2 91 45.5 72 79 1 44 Grier 1 7 7.0 0 7 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Jordan 1 2 2.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 27 Washington 3 68 22.6 0 25 Walker 1 18 18.0 0 85 Gabriel 1 17 17.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 6 212 35.3 50 1 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 0 1 0 3 3 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 55 Clark 9 4 0.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 6 2 0.0 0 0 0 91 Burgess 3 0 2.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 45 Robinson 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 58 Rainer 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 56 Davis 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 1 3 0.0 1 18 0 98 Hamilton 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 54 Williams 1 0 0.0 1 10 0 71 Rucker 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 84 Porter 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 59 Grant 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 76 Gallery 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 76 Gallery 0 0 0 0 4 0 68 Williams 0 0 0 0 0 1 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 1 1 67 Stone 0 0 0 0 3 0 59 Grant 0 0 1 1 0 0 84 Porter 1 0 0 0 0 0 34 Jordan 1 0 0 0 0 0 35 Williams 0 1 0 0 0 0 83 Anderson 0 0 1 0 0 0 Cincinnati Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 32 Johnson 19 47 2.4 7 2 26 Perry 3 15 5.0 9 0 9 Palmer 1 5 5.0 5 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 9 Palmer 32 15 193 6.0 38 0 2 2 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 85 Johnson 6 107 17.8 13 38 0 82 Kelly 4 24 6.0 5 15 0 84 Bradford 2 41 20.5 5 25 0 88 Wade 2 19 9.5 1 10 0 32 Johnson 1 2 2.0 3 2 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 22 Herring 1 -3 -3.0 0 29 Ratliff 1 16 16.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 36 Rhodes 4 106 26.5 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 19 Larson 6 286 47.6 59 3 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 17 Graham 2 2 44 1 1 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 56 Simmons 7 1 0.0 0 0 0 90 Smith 6 0 2.0 0 0 0 24 O'Neal 6 0 0.0 0 0 0 54 Thurman 5 3 0.0 0 0 0 59 Johnson 5 2 0.0 0 0 0 97 Thornton 4 3 0.0 0 0 0 22 Herring 3 3 0.0 0 0 0 94 Edwards 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 45 Azumah 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 29 Ratliff 2 0 0.0 1 0 0 71 Jasper 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 21 Townsend 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 85 Johnson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 36 Rhodes 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 87 Washington 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 26 Perry 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 58 Miller 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 39 Earl 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 99 Pollack 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 75 Yamada 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 65 Steinbach 0 0 0 0 1 1 74 Braham 0 0 0 0 0 1 22 Herring 0 0 1 0 0 0 56 Simmons 0 1 0 0 0 0 24 O'Neal 0 1 0 0 0 0 32 Johnson 1 0 0 0 0 0 76 Jones 0 0 0 0 1 0 69 Ghiaciuc 0 0 0 0 1 0 64 Duffy 0 0 0 0 1 0 67 Angel 0 0 0 0 1 0 </PRE>

Blade

11-30-2005, 11:32 PM

It was the first time I had been in the Mackey-Soft Tower before. Because I was with the team for their three game road trip, I took a flight after the Cincinnati game to Los Angeles, where the Mackey-Soft Tower was located. After checking in with John Mackey’s receptionist, I sat in a plush chair and scanned through an old issue of Sports Illustrated as I waited to be called in to Mack’s office. The issue was a few months old, and was the NFL Season Preview edition. I had read it previously and saw that we were expected to finish last in the division, so I didn’t re-read any of the previews.

After a few minutes, Mack’s receptionist told me to head in. As I walked to the door of his office, Mack was shaking hands with someone. He looked oddly familiar, but I couldn’t place him at the time.

“Thanks for stopping by Jarred,” Mack was saying. “The numbers look good, so I will talk to you again next month.”

The man nodded. “You bet, John. I will see you later.”

He walked by me and nodded slightly. Mack waved me in.

“Hey, Bear. That was just my accountant, Jarred Klusky. Status report, and all of that.”

The name seemed familiar to me as well, but I just could not remember where I had heard it, or seen this man before. “Have I met him before? He seems familiar.”

“Uh, you might have. Anyway, it is not important. C’mon in.” Mack led me into his office. It was quite a large office, with some beautiful furniture. He had more than a few football knick-knacks, including his helmet from his college days at Michigan State University, and a game ball from one of our Raider games last season.

“Nice digs,” I said as I sat down in a chair at a small conference table he had in his office.

“Thanks. They are not bad, though I am not here often. So, 2 and 2 so far. Not a fantastic start, but not a horrible one either.”

I opened the portfolio I had brought with me and pulled out some sheets. “Yah, not what I was hoping for. We should be at least 3 and 1, but I don’t know what the Hell happened in that game against Tennessee. Marlin made some strange calls that I was questioning along with the media.”

“You were pretty high on the guy when you signed him in the off-season, Bear.”

“I know, and I still think he is the right guy for this team right now. If anything, I hope that he learned something. I can understand his reasoning for not running the ball late in that game, but with the way Collins has looked so far, and the talent we have at running back, it wasn’t the decision I would have made. That said, he has done some good things for this team, as our defence is in the top half of the league in every team category, which was one of the reasons I hired him and our new DC Mel Porter.”

Mack leaned back in his chair. “Yes, our defence has looked better. But our offence has not looked overly good.”

I nodded. “Yah, our running game has not been as effective as last year so far, but we haven’t been running the ball as much as we did last year. Jordan is sixth in the league in yardage, but we need to get him the ball more. I will talk to Marlin about that. Our passing yards are still good, as we are third in the league even without Moss, but Collins has been having issues. He is eighteenth in the league in quarterback rating with a 75.8, and that is a concern. That said, he has looked better over the last few games.”

“So the trading of Moss isn’t killing us all that much?”

I sighed. “I can’t say that exactly. That may be one of the reasons Collins has struggled this year. Also, it is receiving by committee right now. Curry is leading the team, but he is no where close to the league leaders. Also, our rookie Distel is second on the team in receiving yards, and he has less than 200. Nice to see him doing alright, but that is not saying much for the starting receivers. Still, I would not want Moss back.”

Mack laughed. “We are in agreement there.”

“Defensively, Burgess is playing well, as he is tied for the league lead in sacks with five. However, I guess him and Andra Davis don’t like each other, and have had to be separated in practice at times. It seems that Burgess can get on the nerves of a few players, and we may have to watch that. As far as I am concerned, it is the same as the Moss thing. I don’t care how well you play, if you are not a part of the team in the locker room, we don’t need you. I will keep my eye on him, and see if it gets any better.”

Mack rolled his eyes. “There are always problems, aren’t there.”

“I guess. Another issue we have is that our leading player in interceptions is Sam Williams, who we just lost for at least a year, maybe two, maybe forever. We don’t know yet, but he is gone for this year. I signed Keith Adams, who should be a decent fill-in, but Sam was a big playmaker for us so far, and he is not going to be easy to replace. Also, we have a couple of players who are upset with their lack of playing time right now. Ted Washington and Barry Sims have been complaining that they are not getting enough time to justify their abilities. Both guys are getting big salaries, and they are definitely not starting material on this team any longer. I would like to cut them both, but the cap hit would be too much for us right now. As far as I am concerned, they are good depth players, and we have the cap room to keep them on the team. They are going to hate us by the end of the year, but I will want them elsewhere anyway.”

Mack sat up. “What is that going to do to our locker room, with them complaining louder and louder as the season goes on?”

I shook my head. “I have no idea, and we will have to keep an eye on the situation, but I just cannot see a way to have them start without a drop off in talent.”

“Alright. Keep and eye on it and work with Marlin to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand. Thoughts on how things are looking now?”

“Well, regardless of what I said before the season started about getting a high draft pick and screwing Oakland over with a bad team, I want to win. This team is ours now, and in Oakland or not this year, I want to win. I feel we can win, we just need things to come together. We are still very inconsistent, though, and I am not sure if that is a product of all of the changes or not. If so, I am hoping that the three game road trip brought the team together. The next few games should be very telling for us.”

Mack stood. “Sounds good. I am starting to get a short list of cities for us to move to, and it will be a lot easier if we can present a winning team to the prospective city. Do whatever you need to do, Bear. I want to have a Super Bowl ring in the first few years in the new city, so we need to make sure the pieces are in place.”

“I understand, Mack. I will make sure it happens.” I shook his hand and walked out of his office. Despite what I said, I knew we were a long way from a Super Bowl championship, and I had a lot of work to do.

Blade

11-30-2005, 11:33 PM

Hey all,

Once again, I would like to ask for some feedback. I have been a little slower in my updates lately, and I am worried that my write-ups are becoming a little stale...

Can anyone still reading this dynasty let me know what they would like me to change, keep the same, etc?

Thanks all!

Izulde

12-01-2005, 01:27 AM

I'd say to stick with your format. It's still quite fresh and extremely enjoyable to read :)

NoSkillz

12-01-2005, 01:42 AM

I love the format as is. But in the end, it comes down to what you're comfortable with...I know when you do a lot of creative stuff, it gets a bit labor intensive.

But when you're doing as great a job as you are, it's worth the effort. :)

Blade

12-03-2005, 02:37 PM

Raiders Dominate In Win Over Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore (2-3) 3 – Oakland (3-2) 34

Oakland, CA (Week 5, 2006) – Under fire for inconsistent play over the first quarter of the season, the Oakland Raiders were determined to come out and have a statement game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Raiders did that and more, beating the Ravens soundly for almost the entire length of the game.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Collins2006-5.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Back in Oakland after a three game road trip in which the Raiders went 1 and 2, the Oakland offence came out a little flat on the first series, but their defence came out strong from the start, as Baltimore QB Anthony Wright was sacked on the first play of their first series by LB Tyler Brayton. The Ravens went three and out, and the Raiders took over from there. QB Kerry Collins, off to a slow start this season, led the offence on a drive spanning 73 yards, which was capped off by a 9-yard touchdown pass to WR Jerry Porter. The touchdown was the first of three straight drives ending in Raider touchdowns, and saw the Raiders score four touchdowns on six straight drives (a field goal and an interception were the ends of the other drives).

One of the highlights of the Oakland touchdowns was the second touchdown scored by the Raiders in the game. On the second play of their third offensive series, Collins dropped back and found the rookie RB Erik Kuehler for a 54 yard touchdown, his first of his young career. Kuehler would end up with 76 yards receiving for the game, though he only had 19 yards rushing on 7 carries. Another career first during the game was DT Frankie Grzecki collecting his first sack in the fourth quarter.

“This was a good game for all of us today,” said Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin. “Everyone contributed. Kerry [Collins] had a good game, despite being under fire the last few weeks. The running game was good, and we got a lot of defensive pressure and turnovers. But the thing I enjoyed the most, and it has been exciting all year long, is the contributions that the first year players are making. We saw that today, as Erik [Kuehler] has shown himself to be a great receiver out of the backfield, Alvin [Grier] has been good in all aspects of the game, be it blocking, running, or receiving, and Frankie [Grzecki] got some good work in as well. Really, all our rookies have made good progress, and it is in games like this where it really shows.”

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Kuehler2006-5.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>RB Lamont Jordan was in control all game long when running the ball, ending the day with 132 yards on only 25 carries. Jordan had an easy time of it due to the great blocking of his offensive line, particularly G Ron Stone, C Adam Treu, and T Robert Gallery. Defensively, the Raiders had the Ravens’ number all game long, as they collected three sacks and three interceptions. S Stuart Schweigert had a strong game, collecting six tackles, 2 assists, and one of the interceptions.

The Baltimore Ravens didn’t have much to feel good about after the game ended, although undrafted rookie QB Michael O’Leary came on for some game action when the game seemed out of reach and did not look too bad, though he did throw an interception. He was able to move the ball with more effectiveness than Wright showed during his time in the game.

Because the game seemed to be out of reach when O’Leary was brought in, fans wondered by Raiders backup QB Kyle Boller, the Baltimore Ravens starter last season, was not brought in for some work. “It would have been nice to get Kyle some time,” said Coach Marlin. “However, it was more important for Kerry to continue to play out there. He has been working at getting into a rhythm, and with the way he was playing, it was better for us to leave Kerry in the game and get some more time to work himself into that rhythm. We will try and get Kyle some time later, but for now, we want to make sure that Kerry is comfortable.”

The Raiders hope to continue the strong play that they showed against the former Cleveland Browns as they head into next week and take on the new Cleveland Browns, before facing division rival Kansas City in week 7.

[COLOR=DimGray][SIZE=4][B]Box Score[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR]
<PRE>[SIZE=3]Attendance: 56,700 (62,500). Weather: 82 degrees, fair. 1Q: 08:15 OAK - Jerry Porter 9 pass from Kerry Collins. 1Q: 08:15 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 1Q: 05:50 OAK - Erik Kuehler 54 pass from Kerry Collins. 1Q: 05:50 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 1Q: 04:02 OAK - Ronald Curry 2 pass from Kerry Collins. 1Q: 04:02 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 2Q: 09:00 OAK - Herb Mallory 23 field goal. 2Q: 01:55 OAK - Alvin Grier 9 pass from Kerry Collins. 2Q: 01:55 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 2Q: 00:07 BAL - Matt Stover 28 field goal. 4Q: 01:55 OAK - Herb Mallory 38 field goal. Game MVP: OAK 5 Kerry Collins Baltimore 0 3 0 0 - 3 Oakland 21 10 0 3 - 34 Team Statistics BAL OAK First Downs 14 19 Total Rushes 27 34 Rushing Yards 101 149 Yards Per Carry 3.7 4.3 Pass Attempts 31 22 Completions 12 19 Passing Yards 144 195 Yards Per Attempt 4.6 8.8 Sacked 3 1 Yards Lost 15 7 Interceptions 3 1 Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/0 Total Plays 61 57 Total Yards 230 337 Yards Per Play 3.7 5.9 3rd Down Plays 5/15 5/11 Avg. YTG on 3rd 7.5 6.4 4th Down Plays 0/2 0/0 Penalties 6 4 Penalty Yards 40 35 Avg. Drive Start OWN 24 OWN 42 Time Of Possession 26:14 33:46 Baltimore Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 26 Bennett 22 73 3.3 12 0 12 Wright 3 12 4.0 8 0 46 Peterson 1 5 5.0 5 0 16 O'Leary 1 11 11.0 11 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 12 Wright 20 7 81 4.0 19 0 2 1 16 O'Leary 11 5 63 5.7 17 0 1 2 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 85 Mason 5 60 12.0 9 17 0 26 Bennett 2 24 12.0 26 19 0 86 Heap 2 18 9.0 10 12 0 89 Clayton 2 30 15.0 2 15 0 33 Green 1 12 12.0 13 12 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 20 Reed 4 90 22.5 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 14 Blanding 6 241 40.1 44 3 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 3 Stover 1 2 28 0 0 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 52 Lewis 7 6 0.0 0 0 0 21 McAlister 7 0 0.0 0 0 0 70 Darby 4 2 0.5 0 0 0 37 Chavous 4 2 0.0 0 0 0 99 Polley 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 35 Schneider 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 98 Powell 3 1 0.5 0 0 0 93 Edwards 2 3 0.0 0 0 0 20 Reed 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 71 Atkins 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 54 Kyle 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 96 Thomas 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 82 Stallworth 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 91 Payne 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 22 Rolle 1 0 0.0 1 13 0 55 Suggs 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 31 Congdon 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 85 Mason 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 95 Palepoi 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 81 Dudley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 88 Korinek 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 53 Newhart 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 45 Ingram 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 23 Kiel 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 51 Bailey 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 68 Middleton 0 0 0 0 2 2 75 Ogden 0 0 0 0 2 0 58 Mawae 0 0 0 0 0 1 62 Flynn 0 0 0 0 1 0 26 Bennett 0 0 1 0 0 0 86 Heap 0 0 0 0 1 0 74 Terry 0 0 0 0 1 0 35 Schneider 0 1 0 0 0 0 16 O'Leary 1 0 0 0 0 0 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 25 132 5.2 13 0 22 Kuehler 7 19 2.7 5 0 5 Collins 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0 44 Grier 1 0 0.0 0 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 22 19 195 8.8 54 4 1 1 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 84 Porter 5 43 8.6 6 11 1 44 Grier 4 22 5.5 11 9 1 34 Jordan 3 14 4.6 8 8 0 22 Kuehler 3 76 25.3 38 54 1 81 Curry 2 27 13.5 5 25 1 85 Gabriel 1 8 8.0 0 8 0 83 Anderson 1 5 5.0 4 5 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Jordan 2 35 17.5 0 85 Gabriel 1 2 2.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 4 144 36.0 44 1 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 2 2 38 4 4 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 30 Schweigert 6 2 0.0 1 30 0 56 Davis 5 5 0.0 0 0 0 55 Clark 5 2 0.0 0 0 0 57 Cooper 4 0 1.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 3 2 1.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 45 Robinson 3 0 0.0 1 19 0 97 Grzecki 2 0 1.0 0 0 0 90 Denney 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 24 Foley 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 1 2 0.0 1 0 0 84 Porter 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 91 Burgess 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 80 Distel 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 53 Adams 0 3 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 3 0 70 Badger 0 0 0 0 1 1 67 Stone 0 0 0 0 5 0 76 Gallery 0 0 0 0 2 0 34 Jordan 1 0 0 0 0 0 83 Anderson 0 0 1 0 0 0 57 Cooper 0 1 0 0 0 0 44 Grier 0 0 0 0 1 0 </PRE>[/SIZE]

Blade

12-18-2005, 09:43 PM

Another Solid Win For The Oakland Raiders in a Rain-Soaked Game

Oakland (4-2) 31 – Cleveland (2-3) 3

Cleveland, OH (Week 6, 2006) – The rain had started early in the day, and did not let up by the time the Cleveland Browns kicked off to the Oakland Raiders on a sloppy field. Fans were huddled under umbrellas and in raincoats as they watched their Browns lose a game dominated by the ground attack.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Treu2006-6.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Due to the weather conditions, the Raiders came out playing a conservative game, led by the run, with QB Kerry Collins throwing short and efficient passes to lessen the effects the rain and wind would have on the ball. Oakland was able to do so effectively, putting together a 13-play drive that ended with a four yard touchdown pass from Collins to WR Ronald Curry. The rain continued to be a factor as RB Rueben Droughns fumbled the ensuing kick off return, and allowed it to be recovered by Raiders LB Wali Rainer on the Browns’ 14-yard line. Four plays later, RB Erik Kuehler ran the ball for a one yard touchdown, giving the Raiders the fourteen point lead in the first quarter.

Cleveland was never really able to get into the game after that, forced to stick to the ground game as well, though the Browns’ QBs Charlie Frye and Kelvin Horton threw three interceptions between them when they did go to the air. While K Mike Vanderjagt was able to get some points on the board for the Browns with a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter, the Browns made mental mistakes at the wrong times to prevent any more points. Specifically, they were lined up for a 45-yard field goal after a 9-play drive to start the second half, but took a delay of game penalty, pushing the field goal try to a 50-yarder, which Vanderjagt missed.

“It is mistakes like that which kill a team,” said Browns Head Coach Adam Allen. “Sure, it was only a 3-point field goal attempt, which after the outcome of the game doesn’t seem to matter, but at the time, just putting points up can help a team get some momentum, and who knows what could happen then. There is just no excuse for taking penalties like that one, which are caused by a lack of focus. If your head is not in the game, you shouldn’t be on the field, and I will address that with my players this week.”

While the Browns had a tough time against the Raiders, DE Orpheus Roye had a good game, collecting 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks, doing everything he could to give the Browns a chance. He also had 3 hurries on Collins, the only big pressure Collins faced all game. With the game involving mainly the run, Droughns led the Browns with 49 yards on 14 carries, though RB Lee Suggs played well with 38 yards on 6 carries. Conversely, the Raiders were led by RB Lamont Jordan, who had another strong game with 123 yards on 23 carries. The game was so run dominated due to the rain that the Raiders had more rushing yards than passing yards, while the Browns only had 9 more yards in the air than on the ground.

“This is the type of football I love to play,” said Jordan. “It is real smashmouth out there because of the field conditions. And the offensive line did a great job keeping guys out of the holes, so I could get three or four yards before having to face any defenders. I could play this way all year and be very happy to do so.”

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Anderson2006-6.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>Despite the score of the game, the Raiders still had problems taking penalties, as they were called for 72 yards of penalties on 9 calls. This is a problem they have had since last season, and does not seem to be getting better despite their record. “You never want to take a lot of penalties,” said T Robert Gallery. “It is just a gift to the other team. The coaches have talked about it a lot, but we are still having problems with it. I guess we just need to do our best to make the most of our opportunities, and hopefully the problem will go away.”

With the Raiders seemingly flying high, they get set to face their divisional rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs look to be an easy target for Oakland, as they have struggled this year and bring a record of one win and four losses. Despite that, Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin is preaching caution. “It is going to be very important for our players to focus this week. We are favoured going in to the game, and Kansas City looks like an easy target, but those are the games that can go south on you. If you think that you are going to have an easy time of it, you are going to get punched in the mouth when you least expect it. We are going to have to prepare for a tough match, as Oakland-Kansas City games often are. This one should be no different.”

Box Score
<PRE>Attendance: 71,400 (72,300). Weather: 44 degrees, rain. 1Q: 08:05 OAK - Ronald Curry 4 pass from Kerry Collins. 1Q: 08:05 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 1Q: 06:01 OAK - Erik Kuehler 1 run. 1Q: 06:01 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 2Q: 09:03 OAK - Courtney Anderson 6 pass from Kerry Collins. 2Q: 09:03 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 2Q: 05:31 CLE - Mike Vanderjagt 43 field goal. 3Q: 05:12 OAK - Courtney Anderson 9 pass from Kerry Collins. 3Q: 05:12 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 4Q: 07:48 OAK - Herb Mallory 48 field goal. Game MVP: OAK 5 Kerry Collins Oakland 14 7 7 3 - 31 Cleveland 0 3 0 0 - 3 Team Statistics OAK CLE First Downs 18 16 Total Rushes 37 24 Rushing Yards 139 132 Yards Per Carry 3.7 5.5 Pass Attempts 24 36 Completions 15 14 Passing Yards 132 141 Yards Per Attempt 5.5 3.9 Sacked 2 3 Yards Lost 7 19 Interceptions 0 3 Fumbles/Lost 0/0 2/1 Total Plays 63 63 Total Yards 264 254 Yards Per Play 4.1 4.0 3rd Down Plays 7/16 6/15 Avg. YTG on 3rd 9.5 9.1 4th Down Plays 0/0 0/0 Penalties 9 5 Penalty Yards 72 33 Avg. Drive Start OWN 46 OWN 18 Time Of Possession 33:00 27:00 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 23 123 5.3 43 0 22 Kuehler 8 8 1.0 2 1 5 Collins 2 2 1.0 4 0 84 Porter 2 4 2.0 2 0 81 Curry 1 -4 -4.0 -4 0 44 Grier 1 6 6.0 6 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 24 15 132 5.5 15 3 0 2 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 84 Porter 4 44 11.0 9 15 0 34 Jordan 3 27 9.0 1 13 0 81 Curry 3 21 7.0 1 9 1 83 Anderson 3 18 6.0 5 9 2 44 Grier 2 22 11.0 23 14 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Jordan 1 8 8.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 27 Washington 2 55 27.5 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 6 241 40.1 51 5 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 1 1 48 4 4 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 55 Clark 7 1 0.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 5 3 0.0 1 13 0 35 Williams 5 1 0.0 0 0 0 56 Davis 5 0 0.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 4 0 0.0 1 15 0 27 Washington 3 1 0.0 1 0 0 91 Burgess 2 1 1.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 2 0 1.0 0 0 0 90 Denney 2 2 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 97 Grzecki 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 98 Hamilton 1 0 1.0 0 0 0 53 Adams 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 57 Cooper 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 70 Badger 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 58 Rainer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 76 Gallery 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 89 Rackers 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 80 Distel 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 24 Foley 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 45 Robinson 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 76 Gallery 0 1 0 0 3 1 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 3 0 68 Williams 0 0 0 0 2 0 70 Badger 0 0 0 0 0 1 67 Stone 0 0 0 0 2 0 25 Walker 0 1 0 0 0 0 58 Rainer 0 0 1 0 0 0 83 Anderson 0 0 0 0 1 0 Cleveland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Droughns 14 49 3.5 10 0 44 Suggs 6 38 6.3 11 0 9 Frye 2 21 10.5 18 0 42 Smith 1 14 14.0 14 0 17 Edwards 1 10 10.0 10 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 9 Frye 33 14 141 4.2 34 0 2 3 11 Horton 3 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 82 Miller 4 27 6.7 7 16 0 81 Curtis 4 42 10.5 5 16 0 34 Droughns 2 4 2.0 2 2 0 83 Ward 2 43 21.5 0 34 0 17 Edwards 2 25 12.5 0 14 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 83 Ward 2 2 1.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 87 Farris 3 63 21.0 0 34 Droughns 2 35 17.5 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 3 Frost 5 190 38.0 45 0 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 19 Vanderjagt 1 3 43 0 0 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 99 Roye 10 0 1.5 0 0 0 25 Crocker 6 3 0.0 0 0 0 57 Shepherd 5 6 0.0 0 0 0 96 Lang 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 91 Kelley 3 1 0.5 0 0 0 98 Browning 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 97 McKinley 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 46 Samuel 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 51 Thompson 2 3 0.0 0 0 0 33 McCutcheon 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 24 Baxter 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 29 Jones 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 58 Taylor 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 90 Jackson 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 20 Walls 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 72 Steussie 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 82 Miller 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 43 Edwards 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 81 Curtis 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 83 Ward 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 31 Watkins 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 71 Myers 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 53 Drake 0 0 0 0 0 1 63 Mankins 0 0 0 0 0 1 72 Steussie 0 0 0 0 3 1 77 Rosenthal 0 0 0 0 3 0 83 Ward 1 0 1 0 0 0 34 Droughns 1 0 0 0 0 0 36 McIntyre 0 0 0 0 1 0 67 Aguirre 0 0 0 0 1 0 </PRE>

Blade

01-12-2006, 12:15 AM

Raiders Beat Struggling Chiefs Despite Last Minute Dramatics

Kansas City (1-5) 17 - Oakland (5-2) 20

Oakland, CA (Week 7, 2006) – The Raiders, on a roll as of late, were expected to have an easy time of one of their division rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs, not playing well so far this season, were determined to give Oakland a run for their money in Oakland’s own stadium, and made the game come down to its final seconds before the Raiders were able to secure the win.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Collins2006-7.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Turnovers marked the beginning of the game, as the Chiefs marched down to Oakland’s 11-yard line before QB Trent Green threw an interception to LB Tyler Brayton, ending the drive without any points. Kansas City continued to fight, however, as they came back with a 10-play, 72-yard drive on their next possession, ending with a strong 11-yard run by RB Priest Holmes for a touchdown. The Raiders’ offence looked flat for the first quarter, and the beginning of the second quarter, as QB Kerry Collins was unable to keep the chains moving, missing a number of key throws to his receivers.

Finally, in the second quarter, Collins got the Raiders on the board with a big pass to WR Ronald Curry for 58 yards and a touchdown, tying the game. Kansas City responded with a long drive that ground off almost seven minutes of game time, and regained the lead on a 34 yard field goal by K Rod Myers. Not wanting to be outdone, the Raiders also came back with a drive of their own to finish off the half, and went into the locker room with a tie game on a 34 yard field goal of their own, kicked by K Herb Mallory.

“We were in a bit of shock as the first half ended,” said Oakland RB Lamont Jordan. “Coach Marlin was not very happy with our performance in the first half and he let us have it. We were told all week to prepare for a tough game, because Kansas City was capable of giving us a tough time despite their record going in, but I am not sure how many of the guys bought into that. We were a little shell-shocked because it felt like we were just trying to keep pace with them, and that they were in control. It was important to come out for the second half and take control.”

The Raiders did just that, as they came out and put together a 15-play, 70-yard drive that ate 8:37 off the clock. Oakland brought the ball down to the Chief’s 3-yard line, but took a penalty that forced them to kick a 25-yard field goal to give the Raiders the lead. From there, the game settled into a grind in which both teams’ defences stepped up there play, forcing a number of punts, but also allowing more time to slip off the clock. With exactly two minutes left in the game, the Raiders padded their lead with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Collins to rookie WR Keith Distel.

“We thought it was over at that point,” said Collins. “We got back to the sidelines and started to congratulate each other on a win, and didn’t think much of it. It was a little too arrogant of us, because anything can happen in the NFL, and it almost did today.”

With time running out on the clock, Green led the Chiefs back down the field, looking to get a quick touchdown. After a big 35-yard pass to WR Justin Gage, Green found WR Ernest Wilford for that score, on an 8-yard touchdown pass, which left 0:37 left in the game. Kansas City promptly lined up for an onside kick, but Raiders TE Deon Rackers saved the day, corralling the ball and giving the Raiders possession and securing the win.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Davis2006-7.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>“I really hope that we learned something today,” said Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin. “When you take another team lightly, they can come back and surprise you. It happened today, but the good thing for us is we get to learn the lesson, and still walk away with the win. I don’t care what a team’s record is coming into a game. On any given day, any team can beat any other team, if things go their way. We have to take that lesson to heart, and play every game like it is the Super Bowl.”

Both teams had issues in the discipline department, as both teams had eleven penalties each, with the Chiefs giving up 98 yards, and the Raiders giving up 80 yards. This has been an issue for both teams all season long, and seemed to be compounded by the rivalry that both teams share. But in a game that was highlighted by a number of battles in the trenches, it was one of the Raiders’ off-season acquisitions leading the way defensively, as LB Andra Davis seemed to be everywhere, collecting 13 tackles and 2 assists for the game. Chiefs’ S Sammy Knight was their defensive leader, with 7 tackles, 1 assist, and 1 interception.

Offensively, the game belonged to Kerry Collins, as he went 22 for 36 with 311 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Ronald Curry helped Collins out as he continued to show some big-play potential, collecting 104 yards receiving on 4 receptions. Lamont Jordan was also very valuable, with 114 total yards.

The Raiders now look ahead to next week, where they will be playing a tough Pittsburgh Steelers team, currently 4-2 this season.

Box Score
<PRE>Attendance: 56,200 (62,500). Weather: 49 degrees, fair. 1Q: 03:04 KCY - Priest Holmes 11 run. 1Q: 03:04 KCY - Rod Myers extra point. 2Q: 08:36 OAK - Ronald Curry 58 pass from Kerry Collins. 2Q: 08:36 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 2Q: 01:45 KCY - Rod Myers 34 field goal. 2Q: 00:09 OAK - Herb Mallory 34 field goal. 3Q: 06:23 OAK - Herb Mallory 25 field goal. 4Q: 01:51 OAK - Keith Distel 12 pass from Kerry Collins. 4Q: 01:51 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 4Q: 00:32 KCY - Ernest Wilford 8 pass from Trent Green. 4Q: 00:32 KCY - Rod Myers extra point. Game MVP: OAK 5 Kerry Collins Kansas City 7 3 0 7 - 17 Oakland 0 10 3 7 - 20 Team Statistics KCY OAK First Downs 17 20 Total Rushes 30 25 Rushing Yards 125 83 Yards Per Carry 4.1 3.3 Pass Attempts 34 36 Completions 18 22 Passing Yards 220 311 Yards Per Attempt 6.4 8.6 Sacked 1 0 Yards Lost 6 0 Interceptions 1 1 Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/0 Total Plays 65 61 Total Yards 339 394 Yards Per Play 5.2 6.4 3rd Down Plays 7/16 7/13 Avg. YTG on 3rd 9.3 6.4 4th Down Plays 1/1 0/0 Penalties 11 11 Penalty Yards 98 80 Avg. Drive Start OWN 27 OWN 29 Time Of Possession 32:01 27:59 Kansas City Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 31 Holmes 23 87 3.7 14 1 10 Green 4 28 7.0 18 0 46 Glenn 3 10 3.3 7 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 10 Green 34 18 220 6.4 35 1 1 1 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 31 Holmes 5 41 8.2 7 13 0 82 Gage 5 74 14.8 7 35 0 87 Wilford 4 56 14.0 0 26 1 84 Boston 2 19 9.5 1 12 0 27 Finn 1 3 3.0 6 3 0 86 Morgan 1 27 27.0 0 27 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 20 Moore 1 13 13.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 20 Moore 4 93 23.2 0 45 Jansen 1 16 16.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 2 Colquitt 6 233 38.8 55 2 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 13 Myers 1 1 34 2 2 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 29 Knight 7 1 0.0 1 25 0 55 Morris 6 2 0.0 0 0 0 99 Bell 6 1 0.0 0 0 0 41 Burgess 6 0 0.0 0 0 0 79 Adams 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 25 Wesley 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 56 Johnson 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 45 Jansen 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 34 Brown 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 81 Lee 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 94 Siavii 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 82 Gage 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 76 McCray 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 74 Bailey 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 21 Woods 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 32 Adams 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 97 Fisk 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 64 Andruzzi 0 0 0 0 2 1 77 Roaf 0 0 0 0 2 0 27 Finn 0 0 0 0 2 0 99 Bell 0 1 0 0 0 0 20 Moore 1 0 0 0 0 0 76 McCray 0 0 1 0 0 0 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 17 70 4.1 9 0 22 Kuehler 6 17 2.8 7 0 5 Collins 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0 29 Brown 1 -3 -3.0 -3 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 36 22 311 8.6 58 2 1 0 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 34 Jordan 6 44 7.3 6 11 0 84 Porter 4 69 17.2 13 23 0 81 Curry 4 104 26.0 42 58 1 85 Gabriel 2 47 23.5 0 34 0 80 Distel 2 17 8.5 5 12 1 29 Brown 1 3 3.0 1 3 0 22 Kuehler 1 4 4.0 1 4 0 44 Grier 1 12 12.0 0 12 0 89 Rackers 1 11 11.0 0 11 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Jordan 1 7 7.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 85 Gabriel 1 18 18.0 0 27 Washington 1 22 22.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 5 209 41.8 48 1 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 2 2 34 2 2 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 56 Davis 13 2 0.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 6 2 0.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 6 1 0.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 4 1 1.0 0 0 0 55 Clark 4 2 0.0 0 0 0 91 Burgess 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 53 Adams 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 2 0 0.0 1 18 0 45 Robinson 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 62 Treu 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 58 Rainer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 84 Porter 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 81 Curry 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 90 Denney 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 57 Cooper 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 49 Foschi 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 24 Foley 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 67 Stone 0 0 0 0 3 0 76 Gallery 0 0 0 0 3 0 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 1 0 58 Rainer 0 1 0 0 0 0 34 Jordan 1 0 0 0 0 0 81 Curry 0 0 1 0 0 0 </PRE>

Blade

01-12-2006, 12:15 AM

Sorry all...got lazy over the Christmas holidays...I am hoping to get this going fully again!

Blade

01-12-2006, 10:53 PM

Oakland Defence Takes Advantage of Rookie Quarterback in Win over Steelers

Pittsburgh (4-3) 13 - Oakland (6-2) 27

Oakland, CA (Week 8, 2006) – Things had started off so well for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A 4-2 team coming into the game against the Raiders, the Steelers came out strong as their defence forced two punts by Oakland on their first two possessions of the game. On the Steelers second possession, QB Ben Roethlisberger took the ball from the Steelers’ own 3-yard line, and proceeded to pick the Oakland defence apart. However, as the first quarter wound down, the Steelers were dealt a terrible blow. Near the tail end of the drive, which would go for 93 yards and burn off seven and a half minutes from the clock, Roethlisberger collapsed as he completed a 12-yard pass to TE Heath Miller. Blitzing on the play were Raiders’ cornerbacks Denard Walker and Quinn Foley. Both hit Roethlisberger as he released the ball, forcing the Steelers’ starting quarterback out of the game with a strained calf muscle.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Deloach2006-8.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Due to the injury, the Steelers were forced to bring in their current back-up quarterback, Wade Bronson, signed as an undrafted rookie in the off-season. Bronson, getting his first action in the NFL of his career, was able to continue the drive, mainly with the help of the Steelers’ running game, to allow them to open the scoring with a 21-yard field goal by K Jeff Reed. The Raiders, seeing the potential of a momentum shift, rode the legs of RB Lamont Jordan, as the Raiders ran the ball on seven straight plays. Jordan collected 59 yards on the drive, setting up a 12-yard touchdown pass from QB Kerry Collins to RB Erik Kuehler.

With Oakland now leading, Raiders’ fans were ecstatic as the unproven rookie Bronson stepped back onto the field to try and take the game back for the Steelers. The Raiders’ defence, expecting Pittsburgh to rely mainly on the run, were shocked as Bronson led the Steelers down the field on a drive spanning 80 yards, with 8 completions by Bronson, including a 2-yard toss to RB Duce Staley for a touchdown and to regain the Steelers’ lead. The Raiders’ Special Teams stepped up on the ensuing kickoff, though, as CB Fabian Washington returned the kickoff 40 yards, giving the Raiders good field position, allowing a short drive on which the Raiders tied the game thanks to a 40-yard field goal by K Herb Mallory.

Pittsburgh came out for the second half with a lot of confidence due to Bronson’s first half performance, but things would only go downhill from there as Bronson’s inexperience began to show. On the second play of the second half, Bronson was hit by a blitzing LB Marquis Cooper, who collected the sack and forced the ball out of Bronson’s hands. Cooper also picked up the fumble and ran it to the Steelers’ 10-yard line. The Pittsburgh defence did all they could to stop the Raiders, forcing them to settle for a 20-yard field goal, but that allowed Oakland to once again regain the lead.

Bronson came back out for the Steelers and looked to get his confidence, and the team’s, back for good. He threw for four straight completions, totalling 45 yards, before disaster struck again. Raiders’ Defensive Coordinator Mel Porter, seeing that Bronson had too much time in the pocket, again sent a blitz. This time it was LB Tyler Brayton who found his way to the rookie quarterback, and again Bronson fumbled the ball as he was being sacked. DT Jerry DeLoach scooped the ball up and ran it to the Steelers’ 32-yard line for the Raiders’ offence to take over from. Six plays later, and Collins found the end-zone, throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to rookie TE Deon Rackers.

The Steelers came out with a different philosophy on the next drive, as Steelers’ Head Coach Ricardo Mussatti relieved some pressure off Bronson by re-establishing the ground game, as the Steelers mixed up the run and the pass and put together a 12-play drive that ate 6:08 out of the third quarter, and shortened the lead with a 30-yard field goal. The Pittsburgh defence also stepped up there game as they were able to hold Oakland’s offence off on the next series, forcing a punt and keeping the Steelers in the game.

The Steelers’ momentum was short-lived, however, as Bronson promptly threw an interception to S Stuart Schweigert, which Schweigert returned to the Pittsburgh 15-yard line. This time it took the Raiders only four plays to pick up the touchdown, on a 2-yard pass from Collins to WR Jerry Porter. With two minutes left in the game, the Raiders’ sealed the victory as they forced Bronson to throw another interception, this one to S Damien Robinson, with LB Andra Davis and Quinn Foley blitzing.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Robinson2006-8.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>“Bronson did a good job when he first came in,” said Raiders’ Defensive Coordinator Mel Porter. “We were not pressuring him a whole lot, so he was having time to make his reads and his arm is good enough when he can set up. We decided that we needed to get after him and see if he could make the quick decisions, and that was when he started to turn the ball over. We just overloaded him, sending a number of blitzers at once, from all over the field.”

Because of the turnovers, the Raiders did not need to generate a lot of offence, as evidenced by Kerry Collins’ final statistics for the game, going 14 for 22 with 107 yards, but throwing three touchdowns. RB Lamont Jordan was the workhorse for the Raiders, picking up 136 yards rushing, as well as 23 yards receiving. The Oakland Offensive Line had a fantastic night, as they did not give up a sack during the game, and were credited with thirteen ‘key run blocks’. Defensively, the entire Oakland unit contributed, as three different players collected sacks (including the two forced fumbles), and three more players collected interceptions.

The Raiders, now winners of five straight, head into a pivotal rematch against the San Diego Chargers, who are currently second in the division with a 5-2 record. The Chargers won their first match-up over the Raiders, 24-6. A win for the Chargers would give them the lead in the division, as well as the tie-breakers over the Raiders.

Box Score
<PRE>Attendance: 56,700 (62,500). Weather: 76 degrees, fair. 2Q: 13:27 PIT - Jeff Reed 21 field goal. 2Q: 09:10 OAK - Erik Kuehler 12 pass from Kerry Collins. 2Q: 09:10 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 2Q: 02:21 PIT - Duce Staley 2 pass from Wade Bronson. 2Q: 02:21 PIT - Jeff Reed extra point. 2Q: 00:19 OAK - Herb Mallory 40 field goal. 3Q: 12:35 OAK - Herb Mallory 20 field goal. 3Q: 06:45 OAK - Deon Rackers 3 pass from Kerry Collins. 3Q: 06:45 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 3Q: 00:37 PIT - Jeff Reed 30 field goal. 4Q: 10:10 OAK - Jerry Porter 2 pass from Kerry Collins. 4Q: 10:10 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. Game MVP: OAK 34 LaMont Jordan Pittsburgh 0 10 3 0 - 13 Oakland 0 10 10 7 - 27 Team Statistics PIT OAK First Downs 19 20 Total Rushes 20 39 Rushing Yards 55 159 Yards Per Carry 2.7 4.0 Pass Attempts 42 22 Completions 27 14 Passing Yards 260 107 Yards Per Attempt 6.1 4.8 Sacked 3 0 Yards Lost 19 0 Interceptions 2 0 Fumbles/Lost 2/2 0/0 Total Plays 65 61 Total Yards 296 266 Yards Per Play 4.5 4.3 3rd Down Plays 5/12 6/13 Avg. YTG on 3rd 5.6 5.5 4th Down Plays 1/1 0/0 Penalties 5 6 Penalty Yards 47 38 Avg. Drive Start OWN 23 OWN 43 Time Of Possession 28:24 31:36 Pittsburgh Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 22 Staley 13 40 3.0 7 0 25 Bettis 6 14 2.3 5 0 4 Bronson 1 1 1.0 1 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 4 Bronson 32 19 179 5.5 22 1 2 3 7 Roethlisberger 9 7 74 8.2 24 0 0 0 1 Margraff 1 1 7 7.0 7 0 0 0 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 22 Staley 7 63 9.0 16 24 1 83 Miller 7 84 12.0 21 22 0 82 Hakim 6 52 8.6 3 19 0 86 Ward 3 23 7.6 4 9 0 35 Kreider 3 23 7.6 15 13 0 25 Bettis 1 15 15.0 15 15 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 81 Hall 2 15 7.5 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 81 Hall 3 75 25.0 0 21 Colclough 1 21 21.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 1 Margraff 3 133 44.3 50 1 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 3 Reed 2 2 30 1 1 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 51 Farrior 12 1 0.0 0 0 0 73 Kampman 5 2 0.0 0 0 0 55 Porter 4 2 0.0 0 0 0 21 Colclough 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 75 Beam 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 98 Hampton 3 3 0.0 0 0 0 91 Smith 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 52 Nece 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 43 Polamalu 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 24 Taylor 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 23 Carter 2 3 0.0 0 0 0 81 Hall 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 29 Spahr 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 25 Bettis 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 64 Hartings 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 66 Faneca 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 65 Spikes 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 35 Kreider 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 83 Miller 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 4 Bronson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 30 Doss 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 40 Hanson 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 4 Bronson 2 0 0 0 0 0 79 Essex 0 0 0 0 0 1 65 Spikes 0 0 0 0 2 1 66 Faneca 0 0 0 0 0 1 77 Smith 0 0 0 0 1 0 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 30 136 4.5 23 0 22 Kuehler 4 9 2.2 4 0 5 Collins 3 0 0.0 2 0 81 Curry 1 7 7.0 7 0 44 Grier 1 7 7.0 7 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 22 14 107 4.8 16 3 0 0 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 22 Kuehler 4 40 10.0 14 13 1 34 Jordan 3 23 7.6 6 14 0 84 Porter 2 18 9.0 3 16 1 83 Anderson 2 15 7.5 6 8 0 85 Gabriel 1 5 5.0 4 5 0 44 Grier 1 3 3.0 0 3 0 89 Rackers 1 3 3.0 2 3 1 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Jordan 3 10 3.3 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 85 Gabriel 1 23 23.0 0 27 Washington 1 40 40.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 5 229 45.8 55 3 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 2 2 40 3 3 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 55 Clark 8 3 0.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 6 2 0.0 1 8 0 53 Adams 6 1 0.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 5 2 0.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 3 1 1.0 0 0 0 57 Cooper 3 0 1.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 24 Foley 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 56 Davis 2 2 0.0 0 0 0 85 Gabriel 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 90 Denney 1 0 1.0 0 0 0 45 Robinson 1 0 0.0 1 21 0 91 Burgess 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 70 Badger 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 44 Grier 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 59 Grant 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 67 Stone 0 0 0 0 5 0 76 Gallery 0 0 0 0 4 0 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 2 0 57 Cooper 0 1 1 0 0 0 70 Badger 0 0 0 0 1 0 95 DeLoach 0 0 1 0 0 0 68 Williams 0 0 0 0 1 0 51 Brayton 0 1 0 0 0 0 83 Anderson 0 0 0 0 1 0 89 Rackers 0 0 0 0 1 0 </PRE>

Blade

01-12-2006, 10:54 PM

I was flying pretty high these days, with our team winning five straight games and in the lead for the division. There have been nothing but questions and doubts about me, John Mackey, and all the moves we have made, but so far, we had done better than expected, and this season just seemed to be getting better.

I was still smiling when Mack walked into my office. I stood up to meet him.

“Hey Mack, take a seat.”

Mack shook my hand and sat down. “Doing well so far, Bear. This is good. We are making this team a more valuable commodity, and selling another city on the idea of bringing our team there is going to be a lot easier.”

I sat down as well. “Great news. We are definitely playing well, and it seems to me that a lot of that has to do with our defence this season. Our offence is still doing well, but they are not as explosive as they were last year. Our defence, though, has improved a lot since last season, and it is the combination of the two sides that have made for the success we have seen. I was looking at the stats and we are in the top half in the league for rushing and passing yards allowed.”

“That is good to hear, Bear. Defence was a big priority for us in the off-season, so it is good to see that your moves are having an effect.”

“Yah, they seem to be, though we still need some work, and to bring on some new pieces, but that can wait until next year. Anyway, I think the biggest reason for our success so far is out turnover margin. We are leading the league in defensive turnovers with 18, and our margin is tops in the league at +10. The defence is creating opportunities for the offence, and more than we could have hoped for.”

“Excellent. Who are our top players so far? I assume that Collins and Jordan are probably two of the best.”

I shrugged. “Well, Collins has improved from the start of the season, as he is now sixth in the league in quarterback rating. He is tied for second in touchdown passes, though he is seventh in yards passing. Jordan is having another solid year in rushing yards, as he is currently fourth in the league. However, he has only have one rushing touchdown all year, and as a team, we have only two. I hope that will change a bit in the second half.”

Mack nodded. “Yes, that hopefully will change, for we need to take advantage of our run game. We have a good backfield, and our offensive line is pretty good too.”

“Yep. In fact, Robert Gallery is having a very fine season, and if he can keep it up, I would not be surprised if he made the first or second All-Pro team. Really, the rest of the offensive line has stepped it up as well, though we are going to have to address some of the age issues we have with the line in the draft next year. But, it is good they are doing well, both in the run game, and the pass game. Speaking of the pass game, our receivers this year are not going to come close to leading the league in yards, but Ronald Curry is tied for third in the league in receiving touchdowns, so that is nice.”

“Receivers by committee?” Mack asked.

“Seems like it, but it seemed to be working, and is better in that opposing defences cannot just key in on one receiver. Defensively, Derrick Burgess is tied for seventh in the league in sacks, though he hasn’t patched up any of his issues with Andra Davis. It hasn’t gotten out of hand yet, but it will bear more watching. Oh, and Stuart Schweigert is having a pretty good season, as he is tied for second in the league in interceptions. In short, we are doing very well, though we are still one of the most penalized teams in the league.”

Mack sat back. “Well, we kind of expected that based on last year, and we knew that Brent Marlin wasn’t any more of a disciplinarian than Jorge Shank was. At least we are playing well despite that. How is the Ted Washington situation coming along?”

I grimaced. “Not as well as I had hoped. I shopped him around earlier in the season, and no one was interested in him based on his current salary and the fact that he is likely to retire any time now. He is still angry that he is not a starter on this team, and he seems to be getting more and more angry as weeks go on. This is not going to go away unless we make him our starting nose tackle, and there is no way we will be doing that unless Jerry DeLoach goes down with an injury. We are going to have to weather this storm, and hope that he either retires at the end of the year, or we will release him with less of a cap hit.”

“Alright. Well, let’s hope we can keep things going. I see that four of our last eight games are divisional match-ups, so we need to have a strong second half.”

“We should, Mack. If we can have a strong game this week against San Diego, we will be heading into our bye week with some good momentum. We can get the team healed up and focused for the stretch run.”

“Sounds good, Bear. Good job.”

“Thanks.”

As Mack left my office, I found that the smile on my face we getting wider. I felt, at that moment, that only good things were to come.

Izulde

01-13-2006, 03:48 AM

Beautiful job you're doing, but I do have one suggestion.

It appears I was right when I said that Grier was your best draft pick and he appears to be running well in limited carries.

Why not give him more carries and more of a chance to see what he can do running the ball for you? I think he'll do even better with the increased workload and give defenses more to worry about in your running game besides the three-headed halfback hydra you have.

Blade

01-13-2006, 09:59 AM

I will give that a shot...I have already played the next game, so I am too late to do it then, but we will see what happens in the stretch run...

Thanks for the support, Izulde!

Blade

01-15-2006, 07:44 PM

Rushing Attack, Defence Let Raiders Down in Loss to Chargers

Oakland (6-3) 23 - San Diego (6-2) 33

San Diego, CA (Week 9, 2005) – During the Raiders’ five-game winning streak, they had come to rely upon a strong running game for ball control, as well as improved defensive play by the entire unit. During a key divisional match-up against the San Diego Chargers, both aspects of the game fell apart for Oakland.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Peterson2006-9.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Raiders’ QB Kerry Collins came out firing, as he connected on a 36-yard pass to WR Jerry Porter on the first play from scrimmage in the game. The play was called back due to an offensive holding penalty, something which has plagued Oakland all season. Collins didn’t seem to mind, however, as he pulled out another big play, hitting Porter again, this time for 73 yards and a touchdown on the very next play. Things were looking good for the Raiders already, but that was to be short-lived as San Diego gained 67 yards on their first offensive series, mainly on QB A.J. Feeley’s arm, and cut the lead with a 26-yard field goal by K Nate Kaeding.

Oakland managed to work their way downfield on their next possession, though RB Lamont Jordan had problems finding room to run the ball. Despite that, K Herb Mallory was able to attempt a 46-yard field goal, but Chargers’ DE Bennie Wilson got a hand in the way and blocked the kick, bringing the Raiders’ drive to an end without any points. Following the change of possession, Feeley and RB LaDainian Tomlinson continued the Chargers’ momentum and proceeded to pick the Raiders’ defence apart at will, as they put together another 67-yard drive, this time taking the lead on a Feeley touchdown pass to WR Eddie Kennison from 8 yards out.

After a three-and-out by Oakland, San Diego again worked the ball down field, converting on a fourth and one play around mid-field, which led to Feeley finding Kennison again, this time for a 24-yard touchdown pass, and a ten point lead. Collins continued to struggle with the Chargers’ defence, as he threw an interception to LB Julian Peterson on the next series, which San Diego took advantage of with a 42-yard field goal by Kaeding. With 2:32 left in the half, the Oakland offence managed to get going again, faking a punt at one point which P Shane Lechler completed a pass for the first down to LB Marquis Cooper, which allowed the Raiders to cut into the Chargers’ lead with a 23 yard field goal as the half wound down.

San Diego came out for the second half, determined to finish the Raiders off, and they made strides to do so by putting together a 12-play, 80-yard drive which was capped off by a one yard touchdown run by Tomlinson. After another three-and-out by Oakland, the Chargers continued to drive stakes into the hearts of the Raiders as they extended their lead to twenty thanks to a 44-yard field goal by Kaeding.

Oakland, desperate to get some points on the board, continued to push too hard as Collins began to move around in the back-field, looking to make something happen, and instead was sacked by Peterson. Collins fumbled the ball, and the Chargers recovered it, allowing them to extend their lead even further with a 34-yard field goal. Now down by 23 with just under a quarter to go, the Raiders were determined to get back into the game. Mainly hanging on the arm of Collins, the Raiders were able to go 80 yards down field, chipping away at the Chargers’ lead with an 8-yard touchdown run by Jordan, though the Raiders were not able to convert for two points. The Oakland defence was also able to hold, forcing San Diego to punt for the first time all game, although not before the Chargers were able to grind almost six minutes off of the game clock.

With just over three minutes left in the game, and down by seventeen points, the Raiders brought in back-up quarterback Kyle Boller. Despite the deficit, Boller came out firing, as he connected on two passes before hitting Porter for a 54-yard touchdown pass. Unfortunately for the Raiders, the pass was called back on an ineligible receiver downfield penalty. Boller continued to work, however, and managed to officially find the end-zone as he hooked up with WR Ronald Curry for a 5-yard touchdown pass. That was it for the Raiders, though, as they kicked an onside kick which went out of bounds, allowing the Chargers to take possession and end the game.

While the Raiders were able to put up big numbers with the passing game, collecting 383 yards in the air, they were unable to establish any balance in the running game, formerly a strength of the team. Oakland was only able to pick up 39 yards on the ground, with 24 of them coming from Jordan. Defensively, the Raiders surrendered 154 yards rushing, which allowed the Chargers to control the ball at will.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Lechler2006-9.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>“We simply were not able to do the things that we need to do well in order to win games,” said Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin. “Over the past five games, we have been able to keep control of the ball with the run, and our has played very well. Today, though, we were not able to find any running room out there, and our defence could not get themselves off the field very often, and looked very worn out. It also didn’t help that they had a monster out there today in [Julian] Peterson. He had, what, nine tackles, a sack, a pick, and a forced fumble?”

Despite the loss, Oakland did get a strong performance out of their top receiver, Jerry Porter, who had eight receptions for 190 yards and a touchdown. LB Danny Clark also had a strong game with 9 tackles, 1 assist, and 1 sack. Kyle Boller also looked strong in his brief time on the field, as he went 6 for 8, with 62 yards and a touchdown.

Oakland has a bye next week, where they will look to rest up and then prepare for another divisional match-up, this time against the Denver Broncos in week 11.

[COLOR=DimGray][SIZE=4][B]Box Score[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR]
<PRE>[SIZE=3]Attendance: 58,200 (71,600). Weather: 52 degrees, rain. 1Q: 14:22 OAK - Jerry Porter 73 pass from Kerry Collins. 1Q: 14:22 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 1Q: 07:48 SDO - Nate Kaeding 26 field goal. 2Q: 13:17 SDO - Eddie Kennison 8 pass from A.J. Feeley. 2Q: 13:17 SDO - Nate Kaeding extra point. 2Q: 05:48 SDO - Eddie Kennison 24 pass from A.J. Feeley. 2Q: 05:48 SDO - Nate Kaeding extra point. 2Q: 03:02 SDO - Nate Kaeding 42 field goal. 2Q: 00:17 OAK - Herb Mallory 23 field goal. 3Q: 09:00 SDO - LaDainian Tomlinson 1 run. 3Q: 09:00 SDO - Nate Kaeding extra point. 3Q: 04:42 SDO - Nate Kaeding 44 field goal. 4Q: 14:53 SDO - Nate Kaeding 34 field goal. 4Q: 09:27 OAK - LaMont Jordan 8 run. 4Q: 09:27 OAK - LaMont Jordan run for conversion failed. 4Q: 00:58 OAK - Ronald Curry 5 pass from Kyle Boller. 4Q: 00:58 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. Game MVP: SDO 3 A.J. Feeley Oakland 7 3 0 13 - 23 San Diego 3 17 10 3 - 33 Team Statistics OAK SDO First Downs 20 25 Total Rushes 15 40 Rushing Yards 39 154 Yards Per Carry 2.6 3.8 Pass Attempts 35 30 Completions 24 22 Passing Yards 383 244 Yards Per Attempt 10.9 8.1 Sacked 2 3 Yards Lost 11 21 Interceptions 1 0 Fumbles/Lost 1/1 0/0 Total Plays 52 73 Total Yards 411 377 Yards Per Play 7.9 5.1 3rd Down Plays 4/9 7/14 Avg. YTG on 3rd 6.1 6.2 4th Down Plays 1/1 1/2 Penalties 4 4 Penalty Yards 25 20 Avg. Drive Start OWN 22 OWN 41 Time Of Possession 20:53 39:07 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 10 24 2.4 8 1 22 Kuehler 5 15 3.0 6 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 26 17 314 12.0 73 1 1 2 7 Boller 8 6 62 7.7 23 1 0 0 9 Lechler 1 1 7 7.0 7 0 0 0 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 84 Porter 8 190 23.7 66 73 1 34 Jordan 4 14 3.5 11 4 0 81 Curry 4 47 11.7 5 18 1 85 Gabriel 2 32 16.0 3 23 0 80 Distel 2 23 11.5 0 15 0 83 Anderson 1 50 50.0 0 50 0 57 Cooper 1 7 7.0 0 7 0 44 Grier 1 12 12.0 2 12 0 89 Rackers 1 8 8.0 0 8 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 85 Gabriel 3 63 21.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 2 85 42.5 50 0 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 1 2 23 2 2 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 55 Clark 9 1 1.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 8 0 0.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 6 1 0.0 0 0 0 53 Adams 5 0 0.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 4 1 1.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 4 4 0.0 0 0 0 91 Burgess 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 24 Foley 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 98 Hamilton 3 0 1.0 0 0 0 56 Davis 3 3 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 90 Denney 2 4 0.0 0 0 0 57 Cooper 2 3 0.0 0 0 0 45 Robinson 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 58 Rainer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 81 Curry 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 65 Sims 0 0 0 0 0 2 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 Collins 1 0 0 0 0 0 70 Badger 0 0 0 0 1 0 San Diego Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 21 Tomlinson 23 87 3.7 15 1 25 Wells 14 69 4.9 20 0 3 Feeley 2 -3 -1.5 -1 0 43 Sproles 1 1 1.0 1 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 3 Feeley 30 22 244 8.1 24 2 0 3 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 88 Gardner 5 58 11.6 9 17 0 84 Kennison 4 57 14.2 8 24 2 89 Parker 4 66 16.5 5 18 0 83 Jackson 4 33 8.2 11 10 0 21 Tomlinson 3 16 5.3 17 7 0 44 Goings 1 7 7.0 2 7 0 25 Wells 1 7 7.0 0 7 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 43 Sproles 1 -4 -4.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 43 Sproles 3 80 26.6 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 5 Fitzgerald 1 29 29.0 29 0 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 10 Kaeding 4 4 44 3 3 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 95 Peterson 9 0 1.0 1 36 0 59 Edwards 7 2 0.0 0 0 0 27 Jue 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 37 Allen 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 99 Olshansky 2 2 0.0 0 0 0 36 Schulters 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 76 Williams 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 79 Robertson 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 41 Fenimore 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 23 Jammer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 90 Wilson 1 0 1.0 0 0 0 22 Davis 1 2 0.0 0 0 0 54 Reese 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 45 Burke 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 47 Mitchell 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 81 Lee 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 60 St. Clair 0 0 0 0 4 2 69 Peko 0 0 0 0 1 1 62 Bourgeois 0 0 0 0 2 0 68 Alston 0 0 0 0 2 0 67 Willig 0 0 0 0 1 0 56 Wiegmann 0 0 0 0 1 0 72 Naeole 0 0 0 0 1 0 95 Peterson 0 1 0 0 0 0 44 Goings 0 0 0 0 1 0 34 Pinnock 0 0 0 0 1 0 93 Castillo 0 0 1 0 0 0 </PRE>[/SIZE]

Blade

01-19-2006, 08:39 AM

Oakland Looks Sluggish After Bye Week But Comes To Life Late

Denver (5-5) 27 – Oakland (7-3) 34

Oakland, CA (Week 11, 2006) – After a poor performance in Week 9 against San Diego, the Oakland Raiders used their bye week in Week 10 to rest up and get focused for the stretch run. They hoped to come out for their game against the Denver Broncos with some quick success, but instead looked to be unorganized and disinterested. After getting down 27-0, they got back into the game to get an improbable win.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Burgess2006-11.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>The Broncos took advantage of the Raiders early, as they ran a punt fake on their opening drive in which P Todd Sauerbrun successfully passed the ball to TE Stephen Alexander for a first down. This extended their drive and led to a 30-yard touchdown pass from QB Jake Plummer to WR Rod Smith. On the ensuing kick-off, WR Doug Gabriel fumbled the kick and it was recovered by Denver FB Omar Easy, giving the Broncos the ball on the Oakland 13 yard line. This led to a 26 yard field goal by K Jason Elam, giving Denver a 10-0 lead only six minutes into the game.

The Raiders were able to get their offence going on their next possession, working the ball downfield for a 47 yard drive, but K Herb Mallory missed a 47 yard field goal by kicking the ball short. Denver continued to take advantage of Oakland’s mistakes by making a quick drive for another touchdown, this time on a 34-yard pass from Plummer to WR Joe Jurevicius. Oakland followed up the Broncos’ TD by going three and out, so Denver continued to take advantage by stringing together a seven-play drive which was capped off with a 46 yard field goal, extending the Broncos’ lead to 20-0. The teams traded turns with the ball after that, with both being unable to generate any more points, and the game went to half-time with the same score.

“It was embarrassing to come out and have a half like that,” said Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin. “We are playing a divisional opponent, we are coming off a bye week, and we are coming off a bad loss. There is no way we should have come out as flat as we did today. We had a conversation about that at half-time in the locker room. Well, actually, I did all the talking and they did all the listening. I basically told the players that if we are going to have a shot at winning at all for the rest of the year, we needed to step up as a team.”

As the second half got under way, the speech by Marlin did not seem to have any affect on the Raiders as they went three and out again, giving the ball to Denver. The Oakland defence looked to be playing a bit better as they forced the Broncos to punt, but an offside penalty on the punt gave Denver the ball back. They made the Raiders pay for their mistake as Plummer found RB Tatum Bell for a 1-yard touchdown pass, putting the Broncos up 27-0. Oakland looked to have completely buried themselves on the next drive as QB Kerry Collins threw an interception to the former Raider CB Renaldo Hill.

“Coach [Marlin] just exploded on the sidelines,” said Raiders LB Danny Clark. “He said that we needed to step up now, or we might as well get off the field. The guys knew that something had to be done, so we tried to get some momentum back.”

The Oakland defence did just that, as they were able to force Denver to a three and out. Sauerbrun did not get a good punt off, and the Raiders took control on the Denver 34 yard line. On the first play of the series for the Oakland offence, Collins found WR Jerry Porter for a 32 yard pass, then got on the board with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Collins to WR Ronald Curry. The Raiders continued to take the momentum as they forced another Broncos punt early in the fourth quarter. Collins, again, wasted very little time as he hooked up with RB Lamont Jordan for a 70 yard touchdown pass, although Mallory missed the extra point.

The Broncos’ struggles continued on their next series, as Plummer threw an interception to rookie CB Quinn Foley, giving the Raiders’ possession on their 48-yard line. Once again, only three plays later, Collins hooked up with Porter for a 35-yard touchdown pass, and Oakland found themselves down by only seven points with 9:54 left in the game. Denver, desperate to get control of the game again, found it slipping further away as Danny Clark forced Rod Smith to fumble the ball, allowing LB Keith Adams to scoop it up and give Oakland control on the Denver 30-yard line.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Kuehler2006-11.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>Oakland took four plays on the ensuing series to tie the game at 27 with a 3-yard touchdown run by Lamont Jordan. The heart seemed to go out of the Broncos as Oakland held them to another three and out on the next drive, then put together their best offensive drive of the game, going 84 yard on 11 plays and taking the lead on a 16-yard touchdown run by rookie RB Erik Kuehler, leaving Denver 1:34 to respond. Raiders DE Derrick Burgess finished the Broncos off, though, as he collected his third sack of the game, then hurried Plummer into an incompletion to force the ball back to the Raiders on downs. Oakland killed off the rest of the clock, securing the comeback victory.

“It was amazing to see what this team was able to do,” said Marlin. “34 unanswered points, 27 of them coming in the fourth quarter, just unbelievable. Everyone stepped up to do this, too. Kerry [Collins] had a rough first half, but took control of the game in the second half. Derrick [Burgess] was just a force out there. And our rookies stepped up with some key plays, specifically Quinn’s [Foley] interception and Erik’s [Kuehler] touchdown run. We came out today looking very bad, but we were able to get it done in the end, and that is all that matters. That said, my heart may not take it if we come out this poorly again.”

Oakland now looks to take on the Seattle Seahawks next week, and they look to do so with a good half of football to build upon.

[COLOR=DimGray][SIZE=4][B]Box Score[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR]
<PRE>[SIZE=3]Attendance: 56,700 (62,500). Weather: 75 degrees, fair. 1Q: 10:44 DEN - Rod Smith 30 pass from Jake Plummer. 1Q: 10:44 DEN - Jason Elam extra point. 1Q: 08:56 DEN - Jason Elam 26 field goal. 1Q: 03:20 DEN - Joe Jurevicius 34 pass from Jake Plummer. 1Q: 03:20 DEN - Jason Elam extra point. 2Q: 12:19 DEN - Jason Elam 46 field goal. 3Q: 06:54 DEN - Tatum Bell 1 pass from Jake Plummer. 3Q: 06:54 DEN - Jason Elam extra point. 3Q: 02:46 OAK - Ronald Curry 2 pass from Kerry Collins. 3Q: 02:46 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 4Q: 13:04 OAK - LaMont Jordan 70 pass from Kerry Collins. 4Q: 13:04 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point failed. 4Q: 09:45 OAK - Jerry Porter 35 pass from Kerry Collins. 4Q: 09:45 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 4Q: 07:41 OAK - LaMont Jordan 3 run. 4Q: 07:41 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 4Q: 01:26 OAK - Erik Kuehler 16 run. 4Q: 01:26 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. Game MVP: OAK 91 Derrick Burgess Denver 17 3 7 0 - 27 Oakland 0 0 7 27 - 34 Team Statistics DEN OAK First Downs 19 21 Total Rushes 36 27 Rushing Yards 164 164 Yards Per Carry 4.5 6.0 Pass Attempts 34 24 Completions 20 12 Passing Yards 215 248 Yards Per Attempt 6.3 10.3 Sacked 3 3 Yards Lost 20 16 Interceptions 1 2 Fumbles/Lost 1/1 1/1 Total Plays 73 54 Total Yards 359 396 Yards Per Play 4.9 7.3 3rd Down Plays 7/17 5/10 Avg. YTG on 3rd 6.1 8.3 4th Down Plays 1/2 0/0 Penalties 6 5 Penalty Yards 55 35 Avg. Drive Start OWN 33 OWN 36 Time Of Possession 34:37 25:23 Denver Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 26 Bell 33 149 4.5 17 0 16 Plummer 2 13 6.5 9 0 86 Jurevicius 1 2 2.0 2 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 16 Plummer 33 19 211 6.3 34 3 1 3 10 Sauerbrun 1 1 4 4.0 4 0 0 0 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 26 Bell 5 22 4.4 11 9 1 22 Fleming 4 31 7.7 11 11 0 80 Smith 3 48 16.0 3 30 1 82 Alexander 3 31 10.3 2 17 0 89 Northcutt 3 24 8.0 2 10 0 86 Jurevicius 2 59 29.5 5 34 1 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 27 Williams 3 82 27.3 0 87 Finneran 2 42 21.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 10 Sauerbrun 5 185 37.0 42 3 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 1 Elam 2 3 46 3 3 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 56 Wilson 7 2 0.0 0 0 0 52 Gold 4 2 1.0 0 0 0 55 Williams 4 3 0.5 0 0 0 47 Lynch 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 76 Kalu 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 21 Hill 3 0 0.0 1 0 0 79 Warren 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 23 Staigvil 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 93 Pryce 2 0 1.5 0 0 0 24 Bailey 2 0 0.0 1 19 0 86 Jurevicius 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 36 Hanson 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 87 Finneran 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 89 Northcutt 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 72 Foster 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 29 Holt 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 27 Williams 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 83 Davies 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 50 Hamilton 0 0 0 0 1 2 65 Coleman 0 0 0 0 3 1 66 Nalen 0 0 0 0 3 0 72 Foster 0 0 0 0 3 0 78 Lepsis 0 0 0 0 2 0 80 Smith 1 0 0 0 0 0 45 Easy 0 0 1 0 0 0 29 Holt 0 1 0 0 0 0 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 18 96 5.3 16 1 22 Kuehler 5 32 6.4 16 1 5 Collins 4 36 9.0 17 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 24 12 248 10.3 70 3 2 3 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 84 Porter 6 132 22.0 19 35 1 34 Jordan 2 79 39.5 41 70 1 81 Curry 2 18 9.0 0 16 1 44 Grier 1 12 12.0 14 12 0 80 Distel 1 7 7.0 0 7 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Jordan 2 11 5.5 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 27 Washington 4 86 21.5 0 85 Gabriel 2 53 26.5 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 3 119 39.6 45 1 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 0 1 0 4 5 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 55 Clark 10 1 0.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 8 1 0.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 6 4 0.0 0 0 0 91 Burgess 5 1 3.0 0 0 0 56 Davis 4 2 0.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 51 Brayton 3 5 0.0 0 0 0 53 Adams 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 57 Cooper 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 2 3 0.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 2 2 0.0 0 0 0 84 Porter 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 24 Foley 1 1 0.0 1 5 0 98 Hamilton 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 90 Denney 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 45 Robinson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 59 Grant 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 29 Brown 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 49 Foschi 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 89 Rackers 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 34 Jordan 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 76 Gallery 0 0 0 0 3 1 68 Williams 0 0 0 0 0 2 70 Badger 0 0 0 0 4 0 67 Stone 0 0 0 0 1 0 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 1 0 55 Clark 0 1 0 0 0 0 53 Adams 0 0 1 0 0 0 85 Gabriel 1 0 0 0 0 0 </PRE>[/SIZE]

Blade

01-23-2006, 11:45 PM

Clark Signed to New Contract, Raiders Win in Overtime Over Seahawks

Seattle (5-6) 17 - Oakland (8-3) 23

Oakland, CA (Week 12, 2006) – Prior to the Oakland game against the Seahawks, the Raiders announced that they had resigned LB Danny Clark, who was set to become a free agent at the end of the season, to a new 3 year contract worth a reported $10.74 million dollars. So far this season, Clark leads the Raiders in tackles.

“It was a pretty easy decision to make,” said Raiders GM Barrett Blade. “We had the cap space, and Clark has been our defensive leader for the past few years. We wanted to show him that we appreciate what he does for this team, and that we would like to see him continue to do it for this organization in the future.”

Clark seemed to be very happy to remain with the Raiders. “There is always a lot of questions when you are in your last year of a contract. Where are you going to be next year? Are you going to have to move? Does your current team have any interest in keeping you around? The Raiders stepped up and made me the offer, so there was no way that I was going to turn them down. I love it here, and I see no reason to want to leave.”

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Denney2006-12.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>The Raiders then set their sights on the Seattle Seahawks, a week after coming off a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Denver Broncos. They were hoping to come out with more of an effort this week, but again looked unfocused early on, as a respectable 9-play drive ended with a missed 38 yard field goal attempt by K Herb Mallory. The teams traded punts for a few series, until Oakland got into penalty trouble, then got a poor punt from P Shane Lechler which allowed Seattle to take possession of the ball on the Oakland 35-yard line. The Raiders’ defence stepped up their play, however, as LB Tyler Brayton got to QB Doug Pederson for a sack, forcing Seattle to punt again.

Oakland’s offence seemed to come to life at that point, as they were led by QB Kerry Collins on a 13-play drive that spanned 80 yards and was capped off with a 3-yard touchdown run by RB Lamont Jordan. On Seattle’s next possession, they were held to a fourth and one on their own 40-yard line and decided to gamble, but good coverage by the Raider defensive unit forced an incomplete pass and gave them the ball. Unfortunately for Oakland, their offence cooled off and were forced to a three and out. With two minutes remaining in the first half, the Seahawk offence got on track as Pederson found WR Peerless Price for a 42-yard touchdown pass, one play after Pederson took a 9-yard sack by DE Derrick Burgess. Both teams went into the half tied at 7.

The Seahawks came out for the second half looking to continue the momentum they had gained as the first half came to a close, and they were able to do just that with a drive taking them 74 yards. The drive gave them the lead on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Pederson to RB Shaun Alexander. Seattle continued to press, holding Oakland to another three and out, then pressured the Raiders again by attempting a 34 yard field goal by K Doug Brien. The kick went wide, but Oakland took an offside penalty which allowed Brien to try again, this time from 29 yards, and he made it count. Collins, seeing the game slipping away, carried the Raiders’ offence on his arm and cut the lead as he found WR Jerry Porter for a 14-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.

The game wound down to four and a half minutes with neither team putting up any points, when Oakland finally started to string together a drive. Oakland brought the ball to the Seattle 10-yard line as the game got to the two minute warning, then penalties forced the Raiders back. A false start on third down led to a Mallory 24 yard field goal to tie the game, rather than a possible game-winning touchdown. Seattle did not have enough time to get any points, and the game went into overtime.

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Jordan2006-12.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=LEFT>Seattle won the coin toss, but the Raider defence came out hard, led by another Burgess sack and forcing a Seattle punt. The Seahawk defence also got into the act, swarming the Oakland offence, causing a Raider punt. This time it was LB Marquis Cooper who sacked Pederson, giving the Raiders the ball again, and Collins wasted no time getting to work. Oakland marched down the field on a 10-play drive, finally winning the game with a 3-yard touchdown run by Jordan.

“We won, which is the main thing,” said Raiders Head Coach Brent Marlin. “All that matters at the end of the regular season is how many wins you have, not how you got them. However, we have started out very slowly the past few games, and that is something we need to work on. If we continue to keep the other team in the game, we are going to get killed, sooner or later. But, it is a win, and we will be happy with that for the time being.”

The Raiders were very happy after the victory, but one player seemed to be upset during the game while on the Oakland sidelines. DT Ted Washington, who has only seen action in two games this season, was seen standing alone often during the game, and was seen having an argument with Raiders’ Defensive Coordinator Mel Porter during one occasion. When asked about the incident after the game, Washington only said, “I don’t want to talk about it right now. The reasons will come out in due time.”

Oakland will now prepare to face the 3-8 Buffalo Bills next week.

Box Score
<PRE>Attendance: 57,300 (62,500). Weather: 48 degrees, fair. 2Q: 09:55 OAK - LaMont Jordan 3 run. 2Q: 09:55 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 2Q: 00:49 SEA - Peerless Price 42 pass from Doug Pederson. 2Q: 00:49 SEA - Doug Brien extra point. 3Q: 06:48 SEA - Shaun Alexander 3 pass from Doug Pederson. 3Q: 06:48 SEA - Doug Brien extra point. 3Q: 00:49 SEA - Doug Brien 29 field goal. 4Q: 10:20 OAK - Jerry Porter 14 pass from Kerry Collins. 4Q: 10:20 OAK - Herb Mallory extra point. 4Q: 01:31 OAK - Herb Mallory 24 field goal. OT: 04:27 OAK - LaMont Jordan 3 run. Game MVP: OAK 5 Kerry Collins Seattle 0 7 10 0 0 - 17 Oakland 0 7 0 10 6 - 23 Team Statistics SEA OAK First Downs 14 28 Total Rushes 22 40 Rushing Yards 112 155 Yards Per Carry 5.0 3.8 Pass Attempts 33 43 Completions 16 24 Passing Yards 178 277 Yards Per Attempt 5.3 6.4 Sacked 8 1 Yards Lost 52 6 Interceptions 0 0 Fumbles/Lost 2/0 0/0 Total Plays 63 84 Total Yards 238 426 Yards Per Play 3.7 5.0 3rd Down Plays 4/15 8/19 Avg. YTG on 3rd 8.2 7.2 4th Down Plays 0/1 0/0 Penalties 5 10 Penalty Yards 26 60 Avg. Drive Start OWN 30 OWN 28 Time Of Possession 31:50 38:44 Seattle Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 37 Alexander 16 90 5.6 12 0 44 Dishman 3 14 4.6 6 0 2 Pederson 2 6 3.0 4 0 43 Weaver 1 2 2.0 2 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 2 Pederson 33 16 178 5.3 42 2 0 8 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 37 Alexander 7 50 7.1 26 17 1 85 Price 2 48 24.0 17 42 1 82 Jackson 2 28 14.0 5 17 0 80 Jackson 2 35 17.5 9 23 0 81 Aiken 2 12 6.0 0 7 0 86 Stevens 1 5 5.0 1 5 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Ingley 1 7 7.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 80 Jackson 4 92 23.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 13 Gordon 9 400 44.4 69 1 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 18 Brien 1 1 29 2 2 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 20 Little 9 6 0.0 0 0 0 50 Tatupu 8 2 0.0 0 0 0 26 Hamlin 7 3 0.0 0 0 0 94 Fisher 6 1 1.0 0 0 0 31 Herndon 6 3 0.0 0 0 0 56 Hill 6 1 0.0 0 0 0 96 Wistrom 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 23 Trufant 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 79 Buckner 3 2 0.0 0 0 0 55 Sharper 3 1 0.0 0 0 0 21 Dyson 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 29 Ware 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 70 Nelson 2 1 0.0 0 0 0 90 Tubbs 1 4 0.0 0 0 0 93 Harvey 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 25 Smith 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 82 Jackson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 73 Hunter 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 59 Spencer 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 97 Stoltman 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 60 Bjorlin 0 0 0 0 0 1 59 Spencer 0 0 0 0 2 1 73 Hunter 0 0 0 0 2 1 71 Jones 0 0 0 0 2 1 62 Gray 0 0 0 0 3 4 74 Forney 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 Pederson 1 0 0 0 0 0 80 Jackson 1 0 0 0 0 0 57 Pierce 0 0 1 0 0 0 Oakland Individual Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD 34 Jordan 29 110 3.7 11 2 22 Kuehler 8 33 4.1 10 0 5 Collins 2 7 3.5 7 0 44 Grier 1 5 5.0 5 0 Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd 5 Collins 43 24 277 6.4 28 1 0 1 Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD 84 Porter 5 82 16.4 14 28 1 81 Curry 5 53 10.6 9 17 0 85 Gabriel 5 69 13.8 18 26 0 34 Jordan 2 14 7.0 0 8 0 22 Kuehler 2 9 4.5 6 5 0 44 Grier 2 12 6.0 0 8 0 80 Distel 2 21 10.5 3 12 0 83 Anderson 1 17 17.0 1 17 0 Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD 34 Jordan 2 5 2.5 0 85 Gabriel 1 3 3.0 0 Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD 27 Washington 2 44 22.0 0 85 Gabriel 1 22 22.0 0 Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20 9 Lechler 8 288 36.0 57 3 Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att 2 Mallory 1 2 24 2 2 Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD 51 Brayton 7 2 1.0 0 0 0 30 Schweigert 5 2 0.0 0 0 0 56 Davis 5 1 0.0 0 0 0 91 Burgess 4 0 2.0 0 0 0 95 DeLoach 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 55 Clark 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 53 Adams 3 0 1.0 0 0 0 27 Washington 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 90 Denney 2 0 2.0 0 0 0 57 Cooper 2 0 1.0 0 0 0 58 Rainer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 21 Asomugha 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 98 Hamilton 1 1 1.0 0 0 0 35 Williams 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 25 Walker 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 76 Gallery 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 49 Foschi 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 89 Rackers 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 24 Foley 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd 65 Sims 0 0 0 0 1 1 62 Treu 0 0 0 0 4 0 67 Stone 0 0 0 0 2 0 70 Badger 0 0 0 0 2 0 76 Gallery 0 0 0 0 2 0 79 Carswell 0 0 0 0 1 0 58 Rainer 0 1 0 0 0 0 83 Anderson 0 0 0 0 1 0 64 Grove 0 0 0 0 1 0 57 Cooper 0 1 0 0 0 0 </PRE>

Blade

02-12-2006, 10:31 PM

Ted Washington Speaks Out Against Treatment By Oakland Raiders

Oakland, CA (Week 13, 2006) – At an interview with a local Oakland television station, DT Ted Washington shed light on his sideline altercation with Raiders’ Defensive Coordinator Mel Porter during last week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, and spoke about his frustration and anger with the Oakland Raiders organization.

“It is complete garbage,” said Washington, during the interview. “They have treated me like [expletive deleted] this entire season. I have seen only limited action in two games this season, and other than that, I sit on the bench. That is why I got into it with Porter last week. I am here to play, and they just want me to sit on the bench and rot.”

<IMG SRC="http://members.shaw.ca/affl/images/Dynasty/Washington2006-12.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Currently in his sixteenth season in the NFL, Washington has not made a tackle or a sack this season. Last season, he collected 27 tackles, 8 assists, 4 hurries, and 1 sack for the Raiders. He lost his job as the starting nose tackle when the Raiders brought in Jerry DeLoach from the Houston Texans, and drafted Frankie Grzecki during the off-season. As the Raiders’ starting nose tackle, DeLoach has 37 tackles, 18 assists, 3 sacks, 2 blocks, and 9 hurries so far this season.

“All I want to do is play. I think I have earned that right with the way my career has gone. But all I can do is sit on the bench, they just don’t want me in the line-up. And I am not the only one who has been treated this way since the new ownership took over. Warren [Sapp] had to sit a lot last year, then got released in the off-season. It is just not right.”

When asked about Washington’s comments, Raiders’ GM Barrett Blade seemed disappointed. “Ted has had a great career in the NFL, and we were very excited to have him here to help mentor our younger linemen. He was a great run stuffer, and it would have been fantastic if he could help out Jerry and Frankie. It is really too bad that we couldn’t work this out privately, and that he had to get the media involved. I am not sure where we go from here, but for right now, he is under contract and we are focused on finishing off the season with a good run, and have our sights set on the Super Bowl. I hope that everyone on this team can get on board with that, but if not, we will have to see what we can do.”

Washington is currently under contract to the Raiders until the end of the 2008 season, though many expected him to retire before then. He is making $3.5 million this season. When questioned about his future, Washington was unsure. “I have been in this league a long time, and I know I am almost done. That is why I want to finish things off doing what I love to do, and that is to play football. I still have a lot to give, and all I want is a chance to do it. If they aren’t going to let me do it here, then let me go do it elsewhere.”

A first round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1991 draft, Washington has been named to three pro bowls during his career (1998, 1999, 2001), and has played for the 49ers, Broncos, Bills, Bears, Patriots, and the Raiders.