2007 Raiders - Now its for real

The Kiffin review

Posted by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer on August 31st, 2007

Anything is possible, nothing is certain.

That seemed to be the prevailing message from coach Lane Kiffin Friday in a conference call with Bay Area reporters regarding the status of the 53-man roster the day after a 19-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Daunte Culpepper or Josh McCown?

Could be either one. Both did some things well, both could have been better. He thought Culpepper was a little slow in terms of tempo, while McCown "needs to clean up some things with his feet."

The starter could be as formed as early as Sunday, but Kiffin may opt to put the entire building on double secret probation and ensure it remains a secret until the Raiders host the Lions on Sept. 9.

Kiffin said has already had meetings with some players regarding their fate, but that nothing would be official until Saturday.

One thing Kiffin did say was that the Raiders would be willing to listen to offers for No. 3 quarterback Andrew Walter.

"By Andrew improving and playing very well in the preseason it has generated interest in him," Kiffin said.

He had no updates on top draft pick JaMarcus Russell, and said there were 10 different teams that at one point carried just two quarterbacks on the roster.

Some additional notes:

– LB Isiah Ekejiuba's ankle injury is "a cracked bone" which could be a four-week injury. It places Ekejiuba's spot on the 53-man roster in jeopardy.

– Justin Griffith will start at fullback because of his consistency, pass receiving ability and running skill, Kiffin said.

– Dominic Rhodes, leaving for a four-game suspension, got time in the first half because it was decided beforehand that Justin Fargas and Adimchinobe Echemandu would play only a quarter each.

– Could Gerard Warren stick? He was getting pushed around late against Seattle and Kiffin said it's clear he needs better conditioning, but also noted, "There is some exciting potential there."

– No word on a starting center between Jake Grove and Jeremy Newberry. Hey, why not keep the Lions in the dark about the entire first-team battery?

– Keeping Sebastian Janikowski and Shane Lechler under wraps against Seattle was another decision made weeks ago.

It's been essentially a free ride for the kickers, as Kiffin made it clear Tyler Fredrickson's presence was just to give the starters rest. When asked why kickers didn't get legitimate competition like position players, Kiffin said, "We did bring in a guy that does both and it was the best thing we could find . . . sometimes you can tell pretty early when a competition is over. These two guys really outkicked the competition."
 
Those stuffs on the short yardage runs and the safety last night had to have made Kiff's decision a little easier. I hope O'Neal sticks over Crockett. I think we'll regret it if we let O'Neal walk.

Sorry to hear about your boy HB. Methinks we'll look to the waiver wire for a vet LB. I think we're a little thin here with the loss of Kaz and now Ike.
 
Madturk said:
Those stuffs on the short yardage runs and the safety last night had to have made Kiff's decision a little easier.
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Yea, that we need to keep Crockett and oneal. Crockett is our only other power rb with Bush on his way to PUP/IR. So I would beso quick to dump him myself. Just cut fargas and move him to HB.
 
Raidermania12 said:
Yea, that we need to keep Crockett and oneal. Crockett is our only other power rb with Bush on his way to PUP/IR. So I would beso quick to dump him myself. Just cut fargas and move him to HB.
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I think HB mentioned it earlier....in a real game I don't think Kiff calls a stretch play, I think he hammers right up the gut with a QB sneak or with a two back power play. I truly believe this guy has been testing every scenerio through the course of a game which I have loved. I think when he wants too, Lamont can run with power...again, its if he wants too, which with Kiff at the helm I don't think he'll have a choice. He's mentioned numerous times, he wants us to run with power, not finnesse.
 
Madturk said:
Sorry to hear about your boy HB. Methinks we'll look to the waiver wire for a vet LB. I think we're a little thin here with the loss of Kaz and now Ike.
Click to expand...

Sucks for Ike, but I think it opens the door to keep Ricky Brown and also Chris Clemons as a swing LB/DE.... Both have played well enough to stick IMO... Probably the PUP list for Ike...


Raidermania12 said:
Yea, that we need to keep Crockett and oneal. Crockett is our only other power rb with Bush on his way to PUP/IR. So I would beso quick to dump him myself. Just cut fargas and move him to HB.
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It's going to sting me, but I think Crock is gone...Griffith did well enough when played at tailback in Atlanta that we could run a power I with O'Neil leading Griffith in short yardage situations if necessary... The X factor with Crockett has always been his special teams play, but damn if O'Neil didn't look impressive running down and tackling guys himself...
 
Ike will probably get PUP until week 6 and then come back, which allows us to look at another bubble player for a few weeks and possibly sneak him onto the PS at that point.
 
I thought it was Zach. Man they look similar on the field.
 
Q&A with Head Coach Lane Kiffin
August 31, 2007
Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin spoke to the media via conference call Friday afternoon and discussed the team's 19-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field in Seattle in the 2007 Pre-Season finale, and numerous other topics.
Q: Have you made any of the roster moves you’re going to make or are you waiting until tomorrow?

Coach Kiffin: We’re going to wait. We’ve been going over the film and having guys come in and out, having conversations with players. We don’t want to do anything officially until tomorrow.

Q: What were your impressions on how Daunte [Culpepper] played?

Coach Kiffin: I thought Daunte threw the ball extremely accurate at times; there were some situations where we were slower out of the huddle but part of that is having different players in all the time. He did some things really well.

Q: And how about Josh [McCown]?

Coach Kiffin: Josh moved around well, got himself out of some trouble, we need to clean up some stuff. They both did well but both could have played better, it was not their best game.

Q: Have you been able to see enough of Gerard Warren to make an impression of him?

Coach Kiffin: Yeah. He has done some good things, like I said after last week’s game, he still has a ways to go. He’s behind these guys in conditioning because these guys understand our tempo and have been practicing with us for months through the off-season and in training camp. He missed that so he has catching up to do but there is some exciting potential there.

Q: Are you close to knowing your starters for fullback and center?

Coach Kiffin: Yes. Justin Griffith. will be our starting fullback and we are still evaluating the centers.

Q: You mentioned that players have tomorrow off, what about the coaches? When do you dive into the real game planning for Detroit?

Coach Kiffin: That’s been something I have been doing during preseason myself. I have focused more on watching Denver and Detroit’s pre-season games and our staff has had some time here and there to do it in the off-season. Our guys have already made the turn today, finished with the films from last night and already made the turn to Detroit.

Q: How happy have you been with Mike Williams.’ progress throughout camp?

Coach Kiffin: He’s done some good things but I am a little biased in my opinion because Mike can be a lot better than where he is at right now, so some other people around here are more excited about it because they don’t necessarily know what he could be. They are excited about his play right now, I continue to hold a higher standard to him that he can play better than he is and I guess I wouldn’t be satisfied until he gets to that level.

Q: Do you think he knows that? Does he have the same standard?

Coach Kiffin: He knows my standards for him and he is very familiar with me and understands that it does take a lot for me to be pleased, because I believe rarely do people ever maximize their potential so you want to keep striving for that.

Q: You’re approaching the first game, has the past six months gone pretty much as you expected or are there any unexpected surprises as a head coach?

Coach Kiffin: I wouldn’t say surprises really. I think that going back, I am really excited about the way we approached free agency and the draft and all the players we brought in to create competition. I don’t know for a fact, but if you research the roster moves we made since I got here, there isn’t another team close to making the same amount of moves that we made and I believe that has paid off for us, [with] people feeling the pressure and the competition and knowing that jobs weren’t safe around here and I feel like that has made us better.

Q: What about for you personally? Have you been able to find the balance between work and family, knowing the kind of hours head coaches put in?

Coach Kiffin: I feel that you have to have that balance and keep that in mind. It’s also not about the time, necessarily the time you spend with your family or the time you spend working, it’s the quality of time you spend. How efficient do you work and the quality of time you spend at home, I don’t think it has to be measured in exact hours it is much more of production. That’s the same thing we talk about our players, same reason we practice with the tempo we do and the schedule is set up the way it is. We want them to be productive with the time they spend on the field and in the classroom.
 
Raiders try to put 2006 behind them

Posted: August 31, 2007

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Lane Kiffin proclaimed at the start of offseason workouts that the Oakland Raiders were done talking about the disastrous 2006 season.

The players have followed the lead of their new coach, hoping to put the lopsided losses, late-night talk show jokes, and feuds between players and coaches in the past.


This is a time for optimism around the NFL, when most players believe their team has a chance to contend and no one has lost a game that counts.

That's especially true for the Raiders, who have gone from being one of the league's winningest franchises to the one with the worst record in the NFL over the last four seasons. The man counted on to change their fortunes is the 32-year-old Kiffin, the youngest man to coach an NFL game in more than four decades.

"There was nothing fun about what we were doing last year. Nothing," running back LaMont Jordan said. "But Kiffin has definitely put back the fun in Raiders football. And I'm looking forward to see how this thing comes together."

Kiffin, the son of longtime NFL assistant Monte Kiffin, has never been a head coach at any level and has only one year of NFL experience. But he has already won over many of the Raiders who grew tired of the losing ways under Art Shell and Norv Turner.

Kiffin has been given more freedom than some past Raiders coaches, bringing in 15 new assistants, changing practice schedules and locker room layout. He also proclaimed the days of "scholarship" players -- those who kept their jobs by being popular with the front office instead of being productive on the field -- are over.

Kiffin jettisoned experienced players even before training camp started in a sign the team was being run in a different fashion.

"I believe that's paid off for us," he said. "It's paid off in people feeling the pressure of competition, knowing that jobs aren't safe around here. I think that's made us better."

The veterans who are still around have bought into Kiffin's plan, including a handful who are older than their head coach.

"I like how we work. I like how we come to work. I like how we go out on the field. I like everything about the vibe," said defensive tackle Warren Sapp, 34. "I like that he changed the locker room and it looks different. I like that he walked in the room and said, 'Everybody switch seats.' I like all the stuff he's doing. Does that correlate into a championship season? I don't know."

The last coach to have control like this in Oakland was Jon Gruden, another young, energetic offense-minded coach. Gruden helped build the team that won the AFC championship in 2002 and is the only coach to have a winning record with the Raiders since the team returned from Los Angeles in 1995.

Kiffin has much less experience than Gruden did when he took over the Raiders as a 34-year-old in 1998. He has spent only one year as an NFL assistant -- as Jacksonville's defensive quality control coach in 2000 -- and spent the past six seasons as an assistant at Southern California.

With Pro Bowler Derrick Burgess, shutdown cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, Sapp and the other eight starters returning from a defense that ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed last season, Kiffin knows the biggest key on offense is reducing the 46 turnovers committed in '06.

Who will be running that offense remains an unknown. With No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell unsigned in a contract dispute, the Raiders brought in former Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper on July 31 to challenge Josh McCown and Andrew Walter.

Kiffin said he has not chosen his starter between Culpepper and McCown and could keep it a secret until right before the season opener against Detroit.

Culpepper has shown that his surgically repaired right knee is healthy and threw four touchdown passes with only one interception in the preseason as he tries to put last year's disappointment in Miami behind him.

After throwing 39 touchdown passes in 2004 in Minnesota, Culpepper battled injuries the past two years and had just eight TD passes and 18 turnovers. That led to his release by Miami in July and his late signing with the Raiders.

"I'm a guy that can adapt to any situation," Culpepper said. "I'm glad to be in a situation like this."

The success of the quarterback will depend mostly on the play of the offensive line. The Raiders hope last year's struggles -- 72 sacks, 3.9 yards per carry -- were more about poor coaching than bad players.

The linemen complained last year about being confused. With assistant Tom Cable's cut-blocking scheme in place, the Raiders hope consistency will lead to better results.

"There's a ton of talent between all of us," said center Jeremy Newberry, a former Pro Bowler brought in during the offseason. "There's as much talent as I've been around, ever. Some of the ways they did stuff was probably not real efficient. A lot of that's changing now. We'll have a pretty good line this year."

But even with the optimism, there is still the reality that Oakland has won only 15 games the past four seasons. That hasn't dampened the enthusiasm of their demanding owner.

"I feel that we're an underdog right now," Al Davis said. "Every one of you have got me believing we're an underdog. I did feel and I have always felt this: that we can overcome anything."
 
Stanny said:
I think HB mentioned it earlier....in a real game I don't think Kiff calls a stretch play, I think he hammers right up the gut with a QB sneak or with a two back power play. I truly believe this guy has been testing every scenerio through the course of a game which I have loved. I think when he wants too, Lamont can run with power...again, its if he wants too, which with Kiff at the helm I don't think he'll have a choice. He's mentioned numerous times, he wants us to run with power, not finnesse.
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Got to hand it to Kiffin. He didn't give a shit about what was the right protocol in the preseason games. I think we went for it on 4th down about 12 times in the last two games. Why not? Got to get some looks on what we might do a few times during the season. A lot of stuff didn't work on fourth down and the coaching staff got to see things and can adjust accordingly. I wanted to kill somebody when they ran that stretch/draw out of the end zone. Dummies. :nono:
 
Just bought tickets for the Detroit Game in the Black Hole! Section 103. Bring on Detroit! Can't believe I got them for $115 for the pair, but the guy pretty much listed them poorly on ebay. I missed a game last year
Who else is going?
 
Raiders counting on big performance from rookie TE Miller
By JOSH DUBOW AP Sports Writer
Article Last Updated: 09/02/2007 04:16:03 PM PDT

ALAMEDA, Calif.—When the Oakland Raiders open the season next week against Detroit, only one of their first three draft picks will even be in uniform.

With top pick JaMarcus Russell still holding out and third-rounder Quentin Moses getting cut, tight end Zach Miller is the only one of the top three on the roster.

Miller, a second-round pick, is in line to start the season opener Sunday against Detroit after showing good progress during training camps and the preseason.

"I'm definitely a ton more comfortable than when I arrived," he said. "I'm comfortable with the guys on the team, with the offense. I'm not swimming anymore like I was. I'm pretty good on all the plays and the game plans and stuff. As far as information overload, I feel good. When I first arrived, I was struggling to learn the plays. I wasn't sure what I was doing. I'm much better now."

The tight ends are expected to play a bigger role in coach Lane Kiffin's offense than they did in the past for the Raiders. Oakland hasn't had a tight end catch more than 50 passes in a season since Ethan Horton had 53 in 1991.

But with Kiffin emphasizing quicker passes, the tight ends and running backs should be a bigger part of the offense this season.

"It's part of the offense that Coach Kiffin likes," Miller said. "I'm glad for that. It gives us some good opportunities to get involved in the passing game. It's good to be used like that on offense. I really like what we're doing on
offense so far."

Randal Williams' 28 catches last season led the team's tight ends, but he was released over the summer along with the second-leading receiver at the position, Courtney Anderson. The leading returning tight end is second-year player John Madsen, an undrafted free agent who played receiver in college before making the switch in the pros.

Madsen had 11 catches as a rookie when he did well in the passing game but struggled as a blocker. Kiffin has been pleased with his progress during training camp and Madsen should get plenty of opportunities during the season—especially in obvious passing situations.

"I'm way more comfortable this year," he said. "The learning curve was a lot steeper last year having never played the position for a guy like me. It seems to be coming together a lot better for me. I understand the position a lot better. I never played a down at tight end until I got here. Obviously, the route running and stuff has been there for me. I'm just trying to do everything well."

The third tight end is Tony Stewart, a seventh-year player who has served as a tutor to the young tight ends and is the best blocker of the three. But Kiffin has been impressed with Miller's all-around play.

"I think he is a very good blocker," Kiffin said. "We're excited about what he's done in preseason and what he can do in the regular season for us."

Kiffin spoke for the first time since making roster cuts Saturday. The biggest surprise on that lost was Moses, who was the first pick of the third round and impressed the coaches early in training camp.

Moses, who was beaten out by fifth-rounder Jay Richardson and veteran Chris Clemmons, was immediately picked up by Arizona.

"There were some hard ones where it wasn't that a guy wasn't doing everything that we asked," Kiffin said. "We wish great luck to Quentin and I think he'll be a good player in this league. But at the end of looking at all of it we had other people that could help us more."
 
"There were some hard ones where it wasn't that a guy wasn't doing everything that we asked," Kiffin said. "We wish great luck to Quentin and I think he'll be a good player in this league. But at the end of looking at all of it we had other people that could help us more."
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So how many people buy that Clemons outplayed Moses?
 
After the cuts and including PUP, Suspended and Practice Squad:
Avg age 26.34 yrs
Avg NFL exp. 4.25 yrs

Young and somewhat experienced. I like it. Especially in 2008 - 2011.

Oh and I totally buy that Clemons outwoprked/played Moses. He's an NFL vet who was out of the gold-lined-streets of the NFL for a year and had a greater motivation/engine/grasp/football IQ/ ability than a rookie.
Yes.
Absolutely
 
Last edited:
Raidermania12 said:
So how many people buy that Clemons outplayed Moses?
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Don't get me wrong, I was a big fan of Moses, and thought he should stick over Clemons, but Clemons did outplay the guy.

He played well enough to be our nickel rush DE, and was definitely showing some jump off the ball.

I would say Clemons easily outplayed the rookie.
 
Was listening to the "YouTube clip" in 007's sig...

It hit me...JaDummy sounds just like Muhammad Ali. Maybe throw in a little Shaq Daddy too. :righton:
 
I had Clemons making the team... He was awfully quick off the ball and looks to be Burgess's primary backup and I don't recall him lining anywhere but on the left side... I liked Moses, but I thought he looked MUCH better coming from the right end spot than he did when they were trying him on the left side there for awhile...

If there was a conspiracy driven reason that Moses was bounced, we'll never know exactly why unless someone tells us (probably Sapp), but it's pretty apparent that Ryan values size and the ability to play the run from our RE's... Maybe we were less than impressed with Moses from our rush LE spot and determined that we didn't need to go three deep at the stack RE spot, especially with Brayton able to swing there if needed... Maybe the plan was to keep the best 4 DE's all along and Moses was as it seems, outplayed by Clemons at rush end and outplayed by Richardson at base end and ended up in 5th place... who the fug knows...

I've said a few times that I thought only Burgess was quicker off the ball than Clemons... Clemons is only 25... Maybe Keith Millard sees skills and an attitude there he can develop, the same way he's done with unheralded guys like Bertrand Berry and Reggie Heyward... We also shouldn't sleep on Tollefson because I got the impression Ryan really likes him...

Maybe we should have paid more attention when Kiff proclaimed early on that draft status and the name on the back of your jersey wasn't going to buy you love... Maybe we should be more excited that guys like Clemons and Richardson came out of nowhere and played their way onto the team ahead of guys like Huntley and Moses... Would anyone seriously give a shit about cutting him if Richardson was the 3rd round pick and Moses the 5th?...


Bring on the Lions already...
 
Raidermania12 said:
One Believes Clemons outplayed him, anyone else?
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He did outplay Moses, but not to the point that Moses became expendable. Something is definitely up, and the "accidental waiver"...sadly...seems the most likely.
 
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