QB: Russell looked great against SD. Well, not great, but the potential keeps getting fulfilled, bit by bit, week by week. He through a perfect ball to Zach Miller and was on target with a lot of passes, putting the ball only in places his guys could get it. His one fluke INT was again because he held on to the ball too long, but its happening less and less. Also, if we're investing this much in a QB, how about we invest in a LT better than Kwame Harris to protect his blindside?
RB: McFadden and Bush both performed decently enough to move the ball, but nothing spectacular. McFadden wasnt doing well at all, so he wasnt given much burn, and Bush just isn't going to break one loose. Because our run game was very average to sub average, JaMarcus wound up throwing the ball 37 times. On a side note, considering we were ahead in the game most of the time, how do we run 45 pass plays and only 21 run plays? Shouldnt we have been running the clock down?
FB: Griffith rocks.
WR: Very, very small signs of life from Javon Walker. Ronald Curry has proven that he is not a starting caliber WR. JLH looks to be our best receiver simply because he can actually get open.. Chaz Schilens should get more involved soon as well, he's just too big a target. Ashley Lelie is only good for streaks... and we never throw them.
TE: Zach Miller had his best game of the season, hauling in a great TD pass from Russell... Miller also outran a lot of Charger defenders on his way to the endzone. Gone are the days of the plodding Jolley catches or shaky hands, blocking, and route running of Courtney Anderson.
O-Line: Poor. The Chargers got all kinds of pressure on JaMarcus, and they put the breaks on the speed running game. They did break a few holes for Bush, but overall, they were getting beaten on the run and pass, especially as the game wore on. Which is weird, since the defense was on the field most of the 2nd half and the offense was resting.
D-Line: They did a great job, again, up until the 4th. They were stuffing LT, getting pressure on Rivers, and in general winning the battle. But unlike the O-line, I actually believe this unit got tired. Giving up 25 pts in the 4th though is unacceptable.
LB: Pretty good game from the LB core, I'll admit I didnt really focus on them at all. I almost assume they'll have a good game now, which is a great feeling. I think that Brown kid is growing into his role now as well, he appears to take better routes to the ball... would still prefer an upgrade but he seems to be able to hold his own.
DB: Same story as the rest, just got tired. They were doing excellent, with Hall and CJ getting picks, and Rivers not completing many passes at all. Eventually though, the D-line didnt get pressure on the QB, the DBs couldnt keep running themselves ragged, and it all fell apart.
Special teams: Janikowski is in the running for tool of the year for actually going out and trying that 76 yard field goal. That was an embarassment. As usual, all good here. JLH reminds me, a lot, of a prime Az-Zahir Hakim...
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So I saved this last little editorial because of all the BS that has been going around. Lately in the papers all you see is Kiffin's side, and the usual ragging on Al. There's actual sides to this crap... it's unfathomable.
Lane Kiffin is a world class douchebag. He accepts this job from Al Davis, the George Steinbrenner minus the winning of the NFL, and proceeds to whine about every move they made. He acts as if somehow, he was duped into believing he was going to have personnel control, and staff control, and everything else not afforded to any single coach Al has brought in.
He knew the writing was on the wall when Al didn't let him fire Ryan. Kiffin decided then and there that he would just try and get out the situation with all the money. That was his goal.
He didn't give a crap about the fans, about the team, about anything. He used this season to get his money, talking crap about the media, essentially trying to divide the offensive and defensive sides of the ball into his side vs. Ryan's side. That's the HEAD COACH.
So
you Lane Kiffin. You might be able to sucker the 5 min a day SportsCenter watchers who are too dumb to equate anything besides "Al Davis=bad", but the real Raider fans know you never gave a about anyone except yourself, and your money, and you didn't care if you damaged the franchise that gave you your big break from coaching obscurity so long as you got your petty revenge on a guy that was already reviled by 99% of football fans. Congratulations, you pompous ass.I bet if Al Davis read that, he would have loved it... but this is Al Davis' fault just as much as Kiffin's. Here we have a stubborn old man who refused to believe this coach was actually doing well and rewarding him. Instead, he wanted the credit. He continued to make all the signings himself, and relinquishing any of that control is just unfathomable to him. Its arguable whether or not Kiffin earned the right to gain any personnel clout... but the fact remains that Al basically gave him a roster that Kiffin did not believe in.
Al Davis set Kiffin up to fail. He just waited and waited until he could find a reason to keep his money. 2 million dollars over 5 years is Kiffin's salary, by the way.
Al Davis let a lame duck HC, someone who he knew hated him, didnt care about the franchise, and wanted to be fired, start the season as our head coach because he didn't want to give the guy 1.6m for firing him. That's what our season cost to Al. 1.6m.
So
you too Al Davis. the both of you. Your petty, 12 year old girl bitch fighting has left the Raiders a joke once again, this time at the ridiculously low and childish price of wasting a season. So who's side to join? Join the fans side. The side that keeps getting repeatedly screwed by everyone who touches the Raiders. We keep pouring money into this franchise and its "Committment to Excellence", and what do we see? An 80 year old man fighting with a 33 year old man as if they were kids talking crap to each other on the internet.
Everyone do your part - hug a Raider fan. Or buy us a beer, something. Cincinnati and St. Louis fans are exempt.
