Friday 11/10-Raider News

[Stanny]

Jordan to let coaches coach
By Bill Soliday, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated:11/10/2006 02:40:19 AM PST


ALAMEDA — Running back LaMont Jordan has taken a vow of silence when it comes to being critical of the Raiders game plan which featured 44 passes and only 13 runs.
"In practice you do things and when you get in a game it can be different," Jordan said. "It's just one of those things. Around here it is going to be what it is going to be. I think the best thing for me to do is just keep my mouth shut and show up for work every day then go out and do my job on Sunday. What is called is what is called."

Jordan was back on the practice field Thursday after being held out Wednesday with a stiff back that has troubled him since early in the season. He said the back was considerably better, and he would be ready to play Sunday against Denver.

Jordan said he will play and is done calling for the game plan to include more running — even though even his coach, Art Shell, agreed in the aftermath of a 16-0 loss Monday, Oakland's second shutout loss of the year.

"I will just show up for work and take a military approach," he said. "You have no say, so you just go out and whatever play is called, you make sure you get your job done. Whatever happens, happens.

"It really doesn't matter what stats I have or how I feel or what I think. I'm a player, and we have coaches. My job is to go out there and do whatever they tell us to do."

HERNIATED: Left guard Barry Sims said his abdominal strain was not a sports hernia, as had been reported.

Sims had his 69-game streak of starts end last week and is not expected to be ready Sunday.
"The problem is, it feels fine walking around and when I'm not doing much, but as soon as I really fire the muscle up and if I was (to) block, it's just pain," he said. "I've never been stabbed, but it kind of feels that's what it would feel like.

"It's a lot like a hamstring where you've got to make sure it's ready to go. I'm hoping it's soon, because I don't like to sit around and not help out."

Shell has not been optimistic about the injury, saying such damage often takes weeks to heal. He said Corey Hulsey would again start at Sims' position this week.

EXTRA POINTS: Other than Sims, the only Raider who did not practice Thursday was linebacker Ike Ekejiyuba. ... Shell said RB Justin Fargas, who only got one carry Monday night in Seattle, could expect more playing time against Denver. ... Although a few tickets remain, the game is considered a sellout and will be televised. It marks the fifth straight home sellout for the Raiders, tying a club record since the team returned to Oakland.

 

[Stanny]

Walter's 'terms of endurement'

By Bill Soliday, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated:11/10/2006 02:40:16 AM PST


ALAMEDA — The story may be apocryphal, not even Jim Plunkett is sure. But it is worth telling anyway.
Supposedly, when he was a young player getting his body pounded into hamburger every week as quarterback of the New England Patriots, Plunkett was seated on the team bus headed for the airport when a large teammate sat in a nearby seat. As he leaned back, the seat broke with a loud crack.

It was a sound Plunkett was all too familiar with. He flinched and ducked, or so the story goes.

"We made fun of each other a lot, and that kind of stuff may or may not have been true," Plunkett said, uncertain of the story's veracity. "It could have been an exaggeration."

It is no exaggeration to say that the Raider alumnus can share a certain bond with the Raiders' current quarterback. Both got plenty of bruises. To this day, Plunkett's body reminds him of it.

But not even Plunkett ever was victim of as many sacks as Walter seems headed for in his rookie year.

Walter has been spilled 37 times at the halfway point of the season. At his current pace, he will be sacked 44 more times and — if he plays all remaining Raider games — would finish the year with 81.

That would break the current NFL record of 76 held by Houston Texans quarterback David Carr in his rookie year (2002). Asked how he managed to remain standing after all that, Carr explained to reporters "by the grace of God. Period."

Plunkett has tried to tell Walter to hang inthere. "I talked to him briefly to try to keep him from getting down too much," Plunkett said. "I tell him things will get better, even though it doesn't seem like it. That's my hope, anyway."

Walter said he has not sought out advice. He seems determined to be seen as totally self-reliant.

"I am a pretty self-assured individual," Walter said. "As a professional, you rely on yourself. You have to. You have to be confident ... and that is what I am. I don't need to go around asking for a pat on the back. If I get that, it's very nice, but I don't go seeking it."

Consequently, Walter says, his conversations with Plunkett have been less Walter-directed and more to quiz Plunkett on whether he should be in the Hall of Fame.

"I appreciate his opinions and advice," Walter said.

After his early beatings, Plunkett was given time for his soul and his body to recover in Oakland and won two Super Bowls after having once been labeled a bust.

Walter has been skewered for his play, too. He ranks last in the NFL in passing efficiency (51.1). The Raiders offense has scored just six touchdowns in more than 90 possessions thus far this year.

Some of it is Walter, some of it is his blocking, or lack of it. None of it is something Walter cares to dwell upon.

"There are a lot of problems," he said. "The people doing the assessing ... can make up their own minds. I certainly have my opinion, but it won't necessarily change theirs.

"The NFL is all about situation and timing. (Ben) Roethlisberger ... if he had the team last year he has this year, would he have won a Super Bowl? I don't know. Nobody knows. I know I can play. I don't care what anybody else thinks, but I know I can."

Some have expressed pity for Walter, a virtual rookie inasmuch as he did not play a down in 2005.

"I don't feel sorry for him so much," Plunkett said. "I want him to do better, and he will. I do feel bad for him. It's hard not to."

Walter concedes that the struggle sometimes gets to him. It showed Monday night in a 16-0 shutout loss at Seattle. In frustration, he let some of his teammates know how he felt.

"But I never lost composure," Walter said. "At times, guys need to be got on. Other times you need to try to build them up. It was a mixture. I am not going to be dog-cursing guys in front of people just to look good or to try to save face publicly."

Plunkett saw it and approved.

That (his attitude) is good," he said. "Quarterbacks are usually a stubborn lot. We're going to make it happen. I think all quarterbacks feel that way ... or at least they should."

But when a quarterback is battered and beaten as much as Walter has been, the response from opposing defenses is similar to that of a shark sensing blood in the water. It becomes a feeding frenzy.

"One of the first things they say is 'Let's hit him early and hit him often,'" coach Art Shell said.

"We expect it," Walter said.

Defenses will continue feeding until they get burned. Making that happen is up to Walter, his blockers and receivers.

"I just think it is going to get better," Plunkett said. "If they run the ball better and stay in games, they can be a good football team. At least he has a good defense that keeps him in games. I just tell him to hang in there."

 

[Stanny]

Raiders' bed-breakfast guy needs retirement home

By LOWELL COHN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT



Raiders coach Art Shell needs to fire Tom Walsh, his offensive coordinator. He needs to drop the ax today. Not tomorrow. Not at the end of the season. Today makes sense.


Precedent exists for this necessary move. A few weeks ago, former Stanford football coach Dennis Green dumped his coordinator in Arizona. And Baltimore's Brian Billick fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, a personal friend.

The rule is: If you don't cut it, you're gone, pal. Walsh hasn't cut it. Good grief, he's awful. Much has been made of his background - that bed and breakfast he's run in Idaho the past 10 years instead of coaching. People (me included) have made jokes about it, like, "Tom, these scones aren't hot enough. Please pop them back in the toaster. And, while you're at it, can I have more of those strawberry preserves?"

But the Raiders offense is beyond a mere joke. It's an entire farce. You should have heard the Seattle Seahawks radio broadcasters Monday night, how contemptuous they were of the Raiders' attack, which is no attack at all. You should have heard their disdain for Walsh, who makes his quarterback wait so long for plays to develop that he might get the poor guy killed before the season ends.

Shell needs to fire Walsh today because the Raiders have the worst offense in the NFL. Shell needs to fire Walsh today because the offense has shown zero improvement. Everyone knew something was wrong in the very first game when the Chargers shut out the Raiders. Eight games into the season, Shell still has done nothing about his awful offensive coordinator. Shell owes something to the players - a reason to put on their uniforms. He owes them a shred of hope. With Walsh, they have no hope. With someone else, things might be different.

It must feel like hell to be a Raiders offensive player and to know nothing will work. It must feel like hell to start a game knowing it's almost impossible to score. It's amazing there hasn't been an insurrection on the team, although that will come.

Shell owes Walsh's firing to his players. And that's the problem. Shell is a loyal guy. He and Walsh are close friends and he feels a bond of allegiance to this anachronism of a coach he brought back to be his closest aide.

Shell is experiencing a classic conflict of loyalties. To whom is he more beholden, the players or the friend? He is throwing in his lot with Walsh. But he is dead wrong.

He owes his loyalty to the players, and his inability to see that is his downfall as a coach and his failure as a person. This faithfulness to Walsh is Shell's delusion. It is a sign of his misplaced pride and ego.

Make no mistake, Shell, who comports himself like a gentleman at all times, is a prisoner of his own pride. You should hear him after games, after those horrible zero-point losses.

His manner is so mild you think he is one great guy. But what he says isn't what a great guy says. He takes no responsibility for the insanity on the field. He always blames his players. Always.

He says the coaches work hard each week to instruct the players, but the players make the same mistakes week after week. He says he's stuck with the bunch of players he has.

It never once crosses his mind that a better coach - a good coach - could get his message across to these players. It never crosses his mind that he is the problem. And, of course, Walsh is the problem along with Shell.

So, as a sign of fidelity to his players, Shell needs to fire Walsh. It will show that he is trying to do something useful.

If Shell can't bring himself to pull the plug on Walsh, Al Davis should do it for him. Davis himself should fire Walsh. And then Davis should fire Shell for favoring a friend over the team, for being derelict in his duty to the entire organization.

Who would Davis hire midway through the season? Who cares? Certainly a few assistant coaches on the staff would be happy to give it a whirl. Or Davis could walk out to the street and approach the first two pedestrians he spots and ask them to please coach the Raiders for the rest of the season.

I guarantee they could do better than this poor dated duo of Frick and Frack.

 

[Crossbones]

Around here it is going to be what it is going to be. I think the best thing for me to do is just keep my mouth shut and show up for work every day then go out and do my job on Sunday. What is called is what is called."

This smacks of a locker room who has said "fuck it"...they are as frustrated as anybody but feel helpless. I hate seeing this as you see the total opposite from the defensive side of the ball.

And what? In the next article down that Stanny posted, no love anywhere for Tom Walsh? Where there's smoke there's fire.

 

[Freakshow]

Not that the mayor needs any more motivation to get his act together, but if this coming home game vs. the hated, hamster let bronkos isn't enough for him to make some adjustments I don't know what is. Everyone knows that Al Wilson, D.J. Williams, Ian Gold, Champ, and the rest of that vaunted defense are licking their chops right now. After one of the worst offensive starts to any season in NFL history he better quit drawing lines in the sand and come up with a real game plan. He's had plenty of time to get back in to the NFL swing of things now and to me, this game will define what Mr. Swan Valley is all about. Seriously - with what he's up against right now he had better strap it on.

 

[Crossbones]

Not that the mayor needs any more motivation to get his act together, but if this coming home game vs. the hated, hamster let bronkos isn't enough for him to make some adjustments I don't know what is. Everyone knows that Al Wilson, D.J. Williams, Ian Gold, Champ, and the rest of that vaunted defense are licking their chops right now. After one of the worst offensive starts to any season in NFL history he better quit drawing lines in the sand and come up with a real game plan. He's had plenty of time to get back in to the NFL swing of things now and to me, this game will define what Mr. Swan Valley is all about. Seriously - with what he's up against right now he had better strap it on.

Great post Freakshow.

I think you nailed it. At this point of the season as an OC you have to have a good understaning of what's working and what's not and have a good feel for what your players do well (if anything). Time to step up. The leash around your neck is tightening. Question is does Art Shell have the balls to can this mofo mid season? Talk about a shot in the arm to the players. They know what's what and they're all collectively shaking their heads as witnessed by Jordan's comments.

 

[Seraph24]

i think art much like denny green woulda canned him awhile ago if he wasn't his buddy. bad business to let loyalty influence decisions that are obvious otherwise.

 

[Stanny]

Fine, but no suspension for Oakland's Brayton

Contrite defensive end to pay $25,000 for kneeing Seattle's Stevens
By PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT



ALAMEDA - Tyler Brayton's bank account will be a little depleted soon; it looks like the Raiders' active roster will not be.



See story below
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The NFL announced Wednesday that director of football operations Gene Washington has decided to fine Brayton $25,000 for kneeing Seattle tight end Jerramy Stevens in the groin with 1:47 left in the Raiders' 16-0 loss. Stevens will be fined $15,000 for provoking Brayton with a milder kick to the crotch, and for head-butting safety Stuart Schweigert earlier in the game. But neither Brayton nor Stevens will be suspended, meaning the Raiders should have their starting right defensive end for the Broncos game on Sunday.

Brayton seems genuinely embarrassed by the incident. He formally apologized to teammates Wednesday, and he stood before reporters and read from a statement he had written by hand, saying: "I feel like I let a lot of people down. I embarrassed myself, my family, the Raiders organization, the entire NFL. For that, I apologize. .. . My actions are inexcusable, provoked or unprovoked. I also apologize to Jerramy Stevens and the Seattle Seahawks."

To his credit, Brayton hasn't once blamed Stevens, or even described his actions - not immediately after the game, and not on Wednesday. Instead, he has confronted his own role in the now-infamous scene.

"Bigger man would have walked away, and I'm disappointed in myself for that," Brayton said. "But every time I look at the TV, I just cringe. That's not the type of player that I want to be."

Brayton admitted that his personal frustrations - the Raiders were in the process of falling to 2-6, and he has not been a standout for the defense this season - pushed him to the boiling point, and that Stevens added the final few degrees. Making matters worse, Brayton is from Pasco, in southern Washington, and had relatives in attendance.

"My grandparents were there," he said. "My grandpa's struggling to get around, so he only gets to come to one or two games every other year. ... If that's the last game they ever see me play, I don't want them to remember it as that."

If Brayton repeatedly declined to vent any spleen at Stevens, other Raiders were not so reluctant. Stevens' reputation as a troublemaker preceded him, and everyone here seemed ready to verify it.

"(Brayton) reacted like any of you would have reacted if you were out there in a situation with this punk," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "This dude has been a piece of (garbage) since he got in this league, and it's never going to change about him. ... You could see from (Seattle coach) Mike Holmgren's reaction. ... He never let him back in the game. When your own coach won't let you back in the game, he knows it, we know it: You're just a punk."

"He talk more than he do," inimitable defensive end Derrick Burgess said. "I don't know the guy personally, but anytime you talk more than you make plays, you don't last in this business."

Brayton is making $630,000 this year, which breaks down to a little more than $37,000 per game (including the bye week). So his $25,000 fine means he'll play about three quarters of football for free.

 

[Madturk]

i think art much like denny green woulda canned him awhile ago if he wasn't his buddy. bad business to let loyalty influence decisions that are obvious otherwise.

You nailed it, business is business and this allegiance might ultimately cost Shell his job too.

 

[Stanny]

Series History

The Raiders lead the all-time series with Denver, which dates back to 1960, by a 53-37-2 count. As mentioned, Denver is 18-5 against Oakland since the 1995 season, including a 13-3 home victory in Week 6, and a home-and-home sweep of their longtime division rival last season. The Broncos scored a 31-17 win at McAfee Coliseum in Week 10, and dealt Oakland a 22-3 setback at Invesco Field at Mile High in Week 16. The Raiders are 0-3 in home games against the Broncos since last beating them at home in 2002, and the only win in the series for the Silver and Black since 2002 came in the form of a 25-24 shocker in Denver in 2004.

In addition to the regular season series, the teams have split a pair of postseason matchups, with Denver winning the 1977 AFC Championship, 20-17, and the then-Los Angeles Raiders prevailing in a 1993 AFC First-Round Playoff, 42-24.

Shanahan is 18-5 against the team he coached in 1988 and part of the 1989 season, before being fired and replaced by current Oakland head man Art Shell, who had served as offensive line coach on Shanahan's staff. Shell was 11-1 against the Broncos during his first stint as head coach (1989-94), including the '93 playoff win, but is 0-1 head-to-head against Shanahan's Broncos.

 

[Stanny]

BRONCOS OFFENSE VS. RAIDERS DEFENSE

The vaunted running game of the Broncos was in large part solved last week by the Steelers, who limited Denver running backs Mike Bell (305 rushing yards, 3 TD, 11 receptions) and Cedric Cobbs (9 yards) to a combined 37 yards on 20 carries, with neither reeling off a run longer than five yards on the day. The Broncos will get a boost this week if Tatum Bell (612 rushing yards, 2 TD, 13 receptions), who missed the Pittsburgh game with turf toe, is able to return. Bell is listed as questionable heading into Sunday's game. Thanks in large part to a 72-yard touchdown run credited to Javon Walker on a reverse last week, Denver was able to keep hold of the league's No. 3 spot in rushing offense (150.2 yards per game), behind only Atlanta and San Diego. The Raiders limited Bronco running backs to 85 yards on 24 carries (3.5 yards per carry) back in Week 6.

Oakland had major trouble stopping the Seattle run on Monday night, an unforeseen occurrence for a front seven that had played generally well of late. The Raiders allowed Seattle backs Maurice Morris and Mack Strong to combine for 158 yards on 36 ground carries. Looking to bounce back will be a stop unit led by middle linebacker Kirk Morrison (67 tackles, 2 INT), outside linebacker Thomas Howard (54 tackles), and defensive tackles Tommy Kelly (35 tackles, 2 sacks) and Warren Sapp (24 tackles, 4 sacks). Morrison and Howard combined for 20 tackles in the loss to the Seahawks, while Kelly and Sapp totaled 15 tackles and a sack from their interior spots. Following the poor performance on Monday, coordinator Rob Ryan's defense now ranks 27th in the league against the run (136.4 yards per game), and has faced more rushing attempts (273) than any other NFL team.

There had been speculation that if slow-starting Denver quarterback Jake Plummer (1385 passing yards, 8 TD, 7 INT) failed to pick up his performance during a key two-game stretch with the Colts and Steelers, that the team would award starting duties to rookie and No. 11 overall draft choice Jay Cutler. But Plummer quashed that talk by posting his two highest passer ratings of the season over the past two weeks, throwing for 401 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions over the two-game stretch. Walker (39 receptions, 5 TD) has emerged as Plummer's No. 1 target over that span, catching 10 balls for 174 yards and scoring four touchdowns in his past two games. Rod Smith (28 receptions, 2 TD) has continued to be a possession threat for Plummer, though the classy veteran is listed as questionable for this week with a separated shoulder. No non-running back other than Walker or Smith has more than six catches for the team this year. Plummer, who has been sacked just 11 times all season, threw for a season-low 102 yards against Oakland in Week 6.

The Raiders went into the Seattle game ranked first in the league against the pass, but ceded control of the top spot to Chicago after allowing Seneca Wallace to throw for 176. Oakland is now second in NFL passing defense (159.8 yards per game), but has also faced just 212 passing attempts, the fewest in the league. Cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha (24 tackles, 3 INT) and Chris Carr (6 tackles, 1 INT), both of whom had big interceptions for touchdowns against Pittsburgh in Week 8, will look to goad Plummer into some mistakes on Sunday. Eight of Oakland's 17 sacks on the year belong to end Derrick Burgess, who is seeking to defend his title as the NFL's sack-master. Burgess had one of the Raiders' three sacks of Wallace on Monday night.

RAIDERS OFFENSE VS. BRONCOS DEFENSE

Walter comes off one of the most miserable nights a quarterback could ever have, as the Arizona State product was sacked nine times in a game in which he somehow managed to complete 16-of-35 passes for 166 yards. The 44 sacks that Oakland QBs have absorbed this year have much to do with the team's ill- fitting vertical-based offense, which requires deep drops by quarterbacks who are usually swarmed under before they are able to look downfield. When he was able to set up and throw against Seattle, Walter completed six passes for 76 yards to No. 1 receiver Randy Moss (32 receptions, 3 TD), while Alvis Whitted (13 receptions) contributed three catches for 27 yards in the game. Jerry Porter has logged just one catch since returning from a two-game team suspension. Walter completed 13-of-26 passes for 189 yards and an interception against Denver in Week 6, and Moss contributed 86 receiving yards in the defeat.

The Broncos defense is not exactly known for forcing buckets full of miscues, but with more games like last week's six-turnover extravaganza against Pittsburgh, that reputation will surely change. Cornerbacks Champ Bailey (44 tackles, 5 INT) and Darrent Williams (50 tackles, 1 INT) along with little- known DB reserve Curome Cox (8 tackles, 1 INT) had a hand in all six turnovers: Bailey had two picks, Williams notched two fumble recoveries, and Cox had both an INT and a recovery. Williams is listed as questionable for this week with a shoulder injury. An improving Denver pass rush had four sacks of Ben Roethlisberger Sunday, including two from end Kenard Lang (20 tackles, 4 sacks). Rookie end Elvis Dumervil leads the Broncos with six sacks on the year, including one last week. Dumervil sacked Walter twice in Week 6.

Oakland's strength this season has been running the football, though the term "strength" should certainly be applied loosely. The Raiders are 18th in NFL rushing offense (105.1 yards per game), and are tied for last in the league with just two touchdowns on the ground. LaMont Jordan (398 rushing yards, 1 TD, 8 receptions) has been limited to 16 carries over the past two weeks combined amid back problems, but is expected to be in the lineup for an extended period on Sunday. Jordan rushed 23 times for 60 yards against Denver last month. Backup rusher Justin Fargas (283 rushing yards) is averaging 4.6 yards per carry, but was limited to just one attempt in Seattle on Monday night.

Denver ranks sixth in NFL rushing defense (91.2 yards per game) as Week 10 begins, and nearly got to the midway point of the season without allowing a single touchdown on the ground. Willie Parker's three-yard TD run in the third quarter of last week's game marked the first, and to date only, time the Broncos have had a rushing TD scored against them in 2006. The linebacking corps of Al Wilson (58 tackles) in the middle and D.J. Williams (44 tackles) and Ian Gold (50 tackles) on the outside has been solid all season. Wilson had nine tackles, all of the solo variety, last week. Gold is questionable for Sunday's game with a hamstring problem. Looking to set the LBs up for success are tackles Gerard Warren (18 tackles, 0.5 sacks) and Michael Myers (27 tackles, 2 sacks), who combined for two tackles and half-a-sack last week.

 

[Stanny]

NFL Preview - Denver (6-2) at Oakland (2-6)

By Tony Moss, Sports Network
Last Updated 10:04 am PST Friday, November 10, 2006

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Denver Broncos wide receiver Javon Walker, left, pulls in a 15-yard touchdown pass as Jason David (42) arrives too late to make a play in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Denver, on Oct. 29, 2006.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski


Clearly, the Oakland Raiders have some problems.
The Raiders are 2-6 heading into Sunday afternoon's test against AFC West rival Denver at McAfee Coliseum, and progress for the once-proud franchise, particularly on the offensive side of the football, has been non-existent. The Silver and Black are last in the league in total offense (227.9 yards per game), scoring offense (11.5 points per game), passing offense (122.8 yards per game), sacks allowed (44), completion percentage (46.2) and touchdown passes (4), and are tied for the league-low in rushing touchdowns (2). Their starting quarterback, second-year-pro Andrew Walter, has a 51.1 passer rating, which ranks 34th out of 34 NFL signal-callers. Oakland comes off a 16-0 loss at the hands of the Seahawks on Monday night, the fourth time this year that Art Shell's team has been held to six points or fewer.

This week, the Raiders' problems wear orange, navy blue, and white.


Denver, at 6-2 and fresh off a 31-20 in Pittsburgh, has risen to co-leadership of the top spot in the AFC West based primarily on its defensive play. The Broncos lead the league in scoring defense (12.2 points per game) and touchdowns allowed (7), and have held five of their opponents to seven points or less this season.
The Broncos have owned the Raiders for the better part of the past decade, going 18-5 against them since 1995, with head coach Mike Shanahan always content to beat up on the franchise that fired him four games into the 1989 season. Denver already owns a win against Oakland this season (13-3 in Week 6), a victory that extended the Raiders' losing streak against AFC West opponents to 10 games. Oakland is 2-18 in the division since 2003, and the Broncos, who have outscored their longtime rival by a composite score of 93-28 in their last three trips to McAfee, are expecting that record to be 2-19 very soon.

Can the Raiders shock the masses and give Denver problems of its own on Sunday afternoon? In the topsy-turvy NFL, it would be unwise to rule out such an occurrence.

 

[Seraph24]

You nailed it, business is business and this allegiance might ultimately cost Shell his job too.

well everybody has a guy on the team out of loyalty who gets extra chances. but no one is loyal enough to keep a guy when you stink it up this bad. thats too much.

 

[Stanny]

Nowhere to run

Posted by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer on November 9th, 2006
Based on their recent history against the AFC West, maybe the Raiders were simply getting a head start on abandoning the run.

Much was made, and deservedly so, about Oakland running the ball only 13 times in a 16-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

So here come three straight games within the division and opponents where Oakland usually gives up the run as a viable option shortly after the national anthem.

Nowhere are Oakland’s deficiencies with regard to the run more apparent than within the division. They have three opponents which happen to be among the NFL’s best running teams, and they are one of the worst.

On Dec. 28, 2002, when the Raiders were putting the finishing touches on a third consecutive division title, they ran the ball 60 times for 280 yards in a Coliseum rainstorm to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 24-0.

It was an aberration of sorts, with the weather forcing Oakland out of the pass-first mode which allowed Rich Gannon to set an NFL record for pass completions (418) in a season. Charlie Garner rushed for 135 yards on 29 carries.

In the 20 division games since, the Raiders haven’t had a runner break 100 yards. Not coincidentally, their record is 2-18 in those games. Meanwhile, AFC West runners have broken 100 yards 10 times against the Raiders, including four times by San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson.

In those 20 games, the Broncos, Chiefs and Chargers have rushed 742 times for 3,212 yards and 30 touchdowns, an average of 160.6 yards per game. The Raiders have countered with 398 attempts, 1,494 yards and 10 touchdowns, an average of 74.7 yards per game.

Division opponents hammer the Raiders with 37.1 rushing attempts per game. The Raiders average 19.9.

Against Denver, Oakland’s opponent Sunday at McAfee Coliseum, the Raiders haven’t scored a rushing touchdown in 25 quarters, dating back to a Zack Crockett plunge on Sept. 22, 2003.

The Broncos got one on Tatum Bell’s 2-yard run in the first quarter in a 13-3 win over the Raiders less than a month ago.

The Raiders keep talking about running the ball but seldom achieve it. And when they play within the division, games in which they desperately need to fight for control of the ball and the line of scrimmage, they are epic failures.

If offensive coordinator Tom Walsh is not under direct orders to run the ball early and often against the Broncos _ regardless of the result _ the problem is with coach Art Shell as much as the offensive coordinator.

Based on the way the Raiders are playing offense right now, persistent running would help alleviate sacks, and even if they gained little ground, a punting and field position game could give them a chance with a solid defensive effort.

I asked Shell Thursday afternoon about the possibility of using a run-oriented, conservative game plan in which the Raiders relied on punter Shane Lechler and the strength of their defense, and he didn’t rule it out.

“I’m going to do everything we can to win,'’ Shell said. “That’s a scenario, yes.'’

It seemed pretty clear from talking to LaMont Jordan earlier in the day that second-guessing of the play-calling with regard to run frequency was expressly forbidden by order of the coach.

Not that Jordan couldn’t help but let the truth seep through.

“Around here it is going to be what it is going to be,'’ Jordan said. “I think the best thing for me to do is keep my mouth shut and show up for work every day and do my job on Sunday. What is called is called. You just hope we are put in the best position to be successful.'’

But shouldn’t the fact that the Raiders are playing better defense this year mean more running attempts on offense?

“Yeah, you would expect it,'’ conceded Jordan. “But like I said, it’s not something that talking about is going to change. We have eight more weeks. Just show up for work every day and make sure I maintain some consistency in my pass protection.'’

(“Maintain some consistency in my pass protection'’ _ gee, wonder what he means by that).

Left tackle Robert Gallery, center Jake Grove and guard Corey Hulsey, all quizzed about the play-selection and lack of running Wednesday, offered variations on the “we’ll do what we’re called upon to do'’ theme.

Each one accepted responsibility for the Raiders’ ghastly sack total of 44. But while no one came out and said it, there’s a sense that the linemen also feel they’ve been hung out to dry by an offense which doesn’t allow them enough opportunties to run block and too often has their quarterack setting up with slow-developing pass plays.

When asked if it wouldn’t help matters if they got to run block on 50 percent of the plays, Hulsey said, “It would, but we’re the players. If coach Walsh calls it, we’ve got to block it. If they call 80 pass plays we’ve got to block 80 pass plays. There’s nothing we can do about it.'’

 

[Stanny]

Thursday’s news and notes:

– Jordan, nursing a lower back strain which may need maintenence throughout the year, practiced at full strength.

– LG Barry Sims said his abdominal strain is not a “sports hernia,'’ a condition which required surgery in the case of both Jerry Porter and Andrew Walter. Shell called it that once, but then referred all questions to trainer Rod Martin. Martin, of course, does not talk to the press.

Sims said there was considerable pain. He described it as like being stabbed with a knife, adding that he’d never been stabbed before.

“It feels fine walking around, and when I’m not doing much, but as soon as I really fire the muscle up, if I was to block up at somebody, it’s just pain,'’ Sims said. “It’s a lot like a hamstring, where you’ve got to make sure it’s ready to go. I’m hoping that’s soon because I don’t like to sit around and not help out.'’

– Shell said SS Michael Huff is showing no sign of the slight concussion which forced him to be removed from the Seattle game.

– Although a limited number of tickets remain, the Raiders declared Sunday’s game a sellout for television purposes. It is the Raiders’ fifth straight regular season game on local television, which was last accomplished in 2002 when they sold out the final five games of the regular season.

 

[Seraph24]

very good preview info Stanny. We play better at home and only lost by 10 in Dungver. I really think this is a game we win against an offense we can now control. man if Norv Turner had enough balls to play andrew walter, we woulda been better off with him and hackett this year. yikes...

but long term i feel we'll be better off. of course getting better off hurts like fuck.

 

[Stanny]

November 9, 2006
OAKLAND, Calif. — Denver’s defense carried the team early this season, getting off to a record-breaking start. It allowed the Broncos to win despite an offense that at times appeared unable — and at others unwilling — to move the ball downfield.
With a defense that became the first since 1934 to allow only one touchdown in the first five games, the offense was asked to do little more than control the clock and not turn over the ball.

Never was that more evident than the first time the Broncos played the Raiders. Jake Plummer completed only six passes in the final three quarters of a 13-3 win.

When the teams meet again Sunday in Oakland, Denver (6-2) might not be able to rely as heavily on its defense. Seven players are listed as questionable on this week’s injury report and the team also lost safety Sam Brandon to a season-ending knee injury last week against Pittsburgh.

Good thing the offense is starting to click.

After failing to score more than 20 points in any of its first six games, the Broncos broke through the past two weeks with back-to-back 31-point performances.

"We all wanted to get this turned around before it got too bad," receiver Javon Walker said. "Now, we’re not even looking back. Whatever defenses give us, we’ll take. This is the NFL, so you’re not going to go out and dominate each game. We just try to take what they give us and try to capitalize."

Ask the Raiders (2-6) what the difference has been the past two weeks for Denver, and they all point to Walker. After tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in last year’s opener for Green Bay, Walker was acquired by the Broncos in a draft-day trade.

He took time to find his stride and establish a rhythm with Plummer. But Walker is back to his dangerous self, scoring four touchdowns the past two weeks, including a 72-yard run in last week’s 31-20 win at Pittsburgh.

Walker’s resurgence will make it harder for Oakland to focus on Rod Smith, whose 100 catches and 1,303 yards receiving are the most for any Raiders’ opponent ever.

"Javon Walker — he’s special," Oakland coach Art Shell said. "He’s a special guy. He’s making a lot of big plays for them. He’s an added weapon, to add to Rod Smith, who’s been outstanding for many years. But now you got Javon Walker, it makes them doubly tough."

One factor that will help the Broncos’ banged-up defense this week is that they’re facing the NFL’s worst offense. Oakland has allowed a league-high 44 sacks, failed to score an offensive touchdown in five of eight games and been unable to find any offensive identity under coordinator Tom Walsh.

After vowing to establish the run this season, Oakland carried only 13 times — including one kneel-down at the end of the first half — in last week’s 16-0 loss to Seattle. That generated criticism from the players.

"I thought we were beginning to establish an attitude in that area, helping us win games," running back Justin Fargas said. "I feel like we may have strayed away from that, for whatever reasons. It was really a surprise."

Oakland did run 30 times against Denver last time, for 85 yards. They could have more success this week when some untested players could be put in key roles.

Curome Cox, who had an interception and fumble recovery against the Steelers, will likely take over Brandon’s role in the nickel package. Nate Webster, inactive all season, could play if linebackers Ian Gold (hamstring) and Al Wilson (concussion) are sidelined.

"I hope everybody in this room realizes the opportunity they have in front of them," cornerback Champ Bailey said. "They’ve got a lot to do, a lot on their plate, and they still have to play special teams. They just have to pick up the slack, and hopefully we’ll get these guys back sooner than later."

If not for a defense that has scored one-third of Oakland’s touchdowns, the Raiders could be winless. Their two victories came in back-to-back games at home late last month, beating Arizona despite committing five turnovers, and getting two defensive scores to knock off Pittsburgh on a day the offense gained only 98 yards.

The Raiders allowed nine sacks at Seattle, and it’s gotten to the point defensive players know they need to do more than stop the opponent from scoring in order to win.

"There is a sense of feeling that way, where if we don’t score, we don’t have that big turnover, or big play, then our chance of winning goes down," safety Stuart Schweigert said. "We put it on ourselves to win the game for our team."

That’s how it was for Denver earlier this season. But Plummer and the offense knew it would just be a matter of time until the Broncos clicked.

They couldn’t have picked a better time.

"We don’t pay any attention to it," Plummer said. "We’re just playing ball. It happens. With this offense (and) the guys we have, you’re not going to go through a season struggling and not putting up points."

 

[Stanny]

Broncos defense could use offense's help

Updated: Nov.9, 2006, 10:14 pm ESTOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Denver's defense carried the team early this season, getting off to a record-breaking start. It allowed the Broncos to win despite an offense that at times appeared unable -- and at others unwilling -- to move the ball downfield.

With a defense that became the first since 1934 to allow only one touchdown in the first five games, the offense was asked to do little more than control the clock and not turn over the ball.

Never was that more evident than the first time the Broncos played the Raiders. Jake Plummer completed only six passes in the final three quarters of a 13-3 win.

When the teams meet again Sunday in Oakland, Denver (6-2) might not be able to rely as heavily on its defense. Seven players are listed as questionable on this week's injury report and the team also lost safety Sam Brandon to a season-ending knee injury last week against Pittsburgh.

Good thing the offense is starting to click.

After failing to score more than 20 points in any of its first six games, the Broncos broke through the past two weeks with back-to-back 31-point performances.

"We all wanted to get this turned around before it got too bad,'' receiver Javon Walker said. "Now, we're not even looking back. Whatever defenses give us, we'll take. This is the NFL, so you're not going to go out and dominate each game. We just try to take what they give us and try to capitalize.''

Ask the Raiders (2-6) what the difference has been the past two weeks for Denver, and they all point to Walker. After tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in last year's opener for Green Bay, Walker was acquired by the Broncos in a draft-day trade.

He took time to find his stride and establish a rhythm with Plummer. But Walker is back to his dangerous self, scoring four touchdowns the past two weeks, including a 72-yard run in last week's 31-20 win at Pittsburgh.

Walker's resurgence will make it harder for Oakland to focus on Rod Smith, whose 100 catches and 1,303 yards receiving are the most for any Raiders' opponent ever.

"Javon Walker - he's special,'' Oakland coach Art Shell said. "He's a special guy. He's making a lot of big plays for them. He's an added weapon, to add to Rod Smith, who's been outstanding for many years. But now you got Javon Walker, it makes them doubly tough.''

One factor that will help the Broncos' banged-up defense this week is that they're facing the NFL's worst offense. Oakland has allowed a league-high 44 sacks, failed to score an offensive touchdown in five of eight games and been unable to find any offensive identity under coordinator Tom Walsh.

After vowing to establish the run this season, Oakland carried only 13 times - including one kneel-down at the end of the first half - in last week's 16-0 loss to Seattle. That generated criticism from the players.

"I thought we were beginning to establish an attitude in that area, helping us win games,'' running back Justin Fargas said. "I feel like we may have strayed away from that, for whatever reasons. It was really a surprise.''

Oakland did run 30 times against Denver last time, for 85 yards. They could have more success this week when some untested players could be put in key roles.

Curome Cox, who had an interception and fumble recovery against the Steelers, will likely take over Brandon's role in the nickel package. Nate Webster, inactive all season, could play if linebackers Ian Gold (hamstring) and Al Wilson (concussion) are sidelined.

"I hope everybody in this room realizes the opportunity they have in front of them,'' cornerback Champ Bailey said. "They've got a lot to do, a lot on their plate, and they still have to play special teams. They just have to pick up the slack, and hopefully we'll get these guys back sooner than later.''

If not for a defense that has scored one-third of Oakland's touchdowns, the Raiders could be winless. Their two victories came in back-to-back games at home late last month, beating Arizona despite committing five turnovers, and getting two defensive scores to knock off Pittsburgh on a day the offense gained only 98 yards.

The Raiders allowed nine sacks at Seattle, and it's gotten to the point defensive players know they need to do more than stop the opponent from scoring in order to win.

"There is a sense of feeling that way, where if we don't score, we don't have that big turnover, or big play, then our chance of winning goes down,'' safety Stuart Schweigert said. "We put it on ourselves to win the game for our team.''

That's how it was for Denver earlier this season. But Plummer and the offense knew it would just be a matter of time until the Broncos clicked.

They couldn't have picked a better time.

"We don't pay any attention to it,'' Plummer said. "We're just playing ball. It happens. With this offense (and) the guys we have, you're not going to go through a season struggling and not putting up points.''

 

[Stanny]

Broncos savor their road trips

Since opening loss, three straight wins bolster confidence
Marc Piscotty © News

November 10, 2006
ENGLEWOOD - Mini hotel bath soaps, scratchy towels and limited satellite-television channels are road-trip staples.
And so far for the Broncos, success has been a constant, too.

It didn't start that way. The Sept. 10 opener in St. Louis that featured five turnovers was the team's worst showing in any game this season.

But since that disastrous start, the Broncos have won three in a row away from home, including double-figure decisions in the harsh environments of New England, Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

It's only the fourth time under coach Mike Shanahan the franchise has at least three wins in the first half of its road schedule.

The latest road conquest Sunday against the Steelers came after the Broncos had suffered a demoralizing home loss against the Indianapolis Colts the previous week.

"We've got a good core of veterans that understands what it takes to bounce back from tough losses. And being in hostile environments, we don't let that get to us," cornerback Champ Bailey said. "Fans yelling at you. Teams being overhyped at the beginning of the game. We just wash that right off."

The Broncos (6-2) have been installed as nine-point favorites for Sunday's visit to the Oakland Raiders (2-6) at McAfee Coliseum, where the Broncos have won eight of 11 since the Raiders returned to Oakland in 1995.

The Broncos also are one of only seven teams this season that have at least three victories away from home.

Only the Patriots (4-0) and Indianapolis Colts (4-0) have done better.

The New York Giants, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens have matched the Broncos' first-half output.

"You have to embrace going on the road. I remember teams, good teams, too, where you just knew going on the road, if you didn't play well . . . ," safety John Lynch said, trailing off to signal signs of trouble. "But with this team, it's never been a problem. So you feel comfortable and confident."

Still looming for the Broncos are trips to San Diego and Kansas City, who together have combined for seven home wins in eight tries. Even Oakland has flourished on its home turf, with both of its wins coming there.

The regular-season road schedule wraps up with Arizona on Dec. 17. The Cardinals have struggled no matter the locale, going 1-3 at their new stadium.

"When I first got to the NFL in Cleveland, a lot of the old guys used to have a saying: win all your home games and half your away games and you're on your way," defensive tackle Gerard Warren said. "So is that a great road team if you win half your games? No, but it puts it in perspective. We've just got to continue to fight."

Warren said it will take focus to sustain the Broncos' road success.

The three Broncos teams that have started as fast under Shanahan - in 1997, 1998 and 2002 - combined to go 4-8 down the stretch in away games. The Broncos were 5-3 on the road last season. Three teams in franchise history have won six times outside Colorado, in 1977, 1984 and 1998.

"I actually get up a lot more going on the road than at home, to be honest with you," Warren said. "Because I know there's going to be 53 people in the stadium with me on one accord, thinking the same thing I'm thinking. And it builds the pressure up. Because you go into somebody's backyard and you want to pick yourself a fight, you better have yourself prepared, because you're coming to their house."

Warren's defensive teammates have demonstrated their readiness in the season's first half by allowing 52 points in four road games, with no more than 20 in any game. Only the Bears (39), Patriots (43) and Ravens (49) have given up fewer points.

"A lot of the success has been turnovers," Lynch said.

The Broncos got a season-high six takeaways in their 31-20 win against the Steelers and had three in their Oct. 22 trip to Cleveland.

Fast starts also have helped. The Broncos jumped to leads of 10-0, 10-0 and 14-0 in the three road victories.

Shanahan stresses to his players the only real disadvantage road teams face is the crowd noise and its ability to disrupt offenses. But those quick starts have lessened the crowd element.

"We've got personalities that just don't panic," kicker Jason Elam said. "Jake (Plummer) doesn't panic. Bad things happen, he's just going to keep going out there doing what he does. And the John Lynches, and Al Wilsons and Rod Smiths, there's no panic about them. You just go out there and play as hard as you can for 60 minutes and see what happens at the end of the 60. And usually it ends up pretty good."

 

[RNorris]

Great post Freakshow.

I think you nailed it. At this point of the season as an OC you have to have a good understaning of what's working and what's not and have a good feel for what your players do well (if anything). Time to step up. The leash around your neck is tightening. Question is does Art Shell have the balls to can this mofo mid season? Talk about a shot in the arm to the players. They know what's what and they're all collectively shaking their heads as witnessed by Jordan's comments.

I agree with you totally. The locker room morale is what I have been worrying about and from Lamont's comments, it looks like the time for the frustration and implosion has come.

This could get away from Shell really fast if he doesn't do something. His stance with Brayton was a nice gesture and all but he needs to do what is best for the players and not his buddy OC.