2010 FRONT OFFICE BOWL
CONTRACT EXTENSIONS
I need to do these before the big game...
TE Kenny Malfara--gets two additional years.
SS Winston Giangrave--Had PC Pct over 20 for the first time this year, and gets a nice contract as a reward. It'll cost us an average of $2.5M in 2011 and 2012.
SE Aaron Zaiser--Had a serious injury, but I'd rather risk the $2M per year in cap cost to avoid having him hit the open market. I sign him.
FB Darnell Keys--Has been a critical part of our offense for four seasons now. He gets two more years.
LT Pete Wayne--I believe in keeping the left tackle around if he performs well. He gets four more years at an average of $6M per year.
SE Sammie Farrell--Breakout player, ratings-wise. The former undrafted FA gets the extension.
LDT Dixon Mahoney--Another undrafted free agent who has contributed tremendously. He gets three additional years.
FL Brenden Schafer--Clutch performing guy with high big-play receiving numbers gets a $4M-per year extension.
Oakland (14-4) vs. Atlanta (14-4)
OAKLAND OVERVIEW
Oakland is THE marquee team of the NFL right now. They've been to the playoffs in all 7 seasons of the league, winning their division 6 times. They've been to the Super Bowl twice, and are defending champs after a convincing 31-13 win last year. They humbled New England 31-3 last week in the AFC Championship. Their marquee player is QB Grady Cusano. He has a lifetime 94.9 QB rating in seven seasons (all with Oakland). However, Cusano has missed most of the year with Plantar Fascitis. He is listed as Questionable for this week. Hmmmmm... With the #1 QB being hurt most of the year, the Raiders led the NFL in rushing attempts, with 514.Their defense has been most impressive this year: 3rd against the rush, 2nd in scoring, and 1st against 3rd down conversions. In Cusano's absence, Dustin Banks has been the most impressive starter, throwing for a 100.5 QB rating in 6 starts. Andrew Grayson has started 7 games, and has an 89.5 QB rating. RB Mickey Gaylor carried for 1,119 yards with a 3.62 ypc on the year, and five different receivers caught 40+ passes, with no one catching over 58.
TUCKER INJURY REPORT
TE Malfara managed to re-injure his calf last week, and will miss this one along with RDE Ray Antel, who suffered a serious injury last week: ruptured achilles tendon.
GAME REPORT
On our first drive, we went backwards, thanks to an offensive holding penalty on the game's first play, followed by a false start 2 plays later. We punted away to Oakland, who took over on their 42. We got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to give them a first downin our territory, but a Josh Pierre sack followed by a Kris Colon INT (Is that guy clutch, or what?) gave us the football right around midfield. Two play later, Tamm found Farrell for a 47-yard TD, and we led 7-0 with 3 and a half minutes gone. The rest of the first quarter was a battle of defense and field position. Oakland broke through for a FG late in the quarter to make it 7-3.
We answered midway through the second quarter with another field goal to make it 10-3, and kicked another late to make it 13-3. Most of the quarter was spent punting back and forth.
The third quarter was a lot like the second, except that no one score. It was defense/field position/punt battle. The quarter ended with Oakland on their own 39, first and 10.
On the very first play of the fourth quarter, lightning struck. Dustin Banks completed a 61-yard TD pass, and just like that it was 13-10 with nearly a quarter to play. After three straight 3-and-out possessions, 2 by us and one by them, Oakland took over with 10:32 to play with good field position on our 46. They got one first down on a 16-yard completion, then hit the game-tying 42-yard FG with 8:28 to play. From their, each offense got only one more first down, and regulation ended with neither team moving past their own 40-yard-line the rest of the way.
In overtime, we won the toss and elected to receive. Typical to the way this game was going, we immediately lost 9 yards on 2 sacks, and had to punt from deep in our own territory. Oakland took over on their own 45, moved the ball 33 yards in 9 plays, and hit the game-winning 39-yard field goal to win their second straight title.
All in all, I can't complain. We went MUCH farther than I would have ever expected us to go. Hardy Tamm, a former 1(15) pick who had been discarded onto the scrap heap with only 2 career starts before this year, proved that he can be a winner.