Friday 11/3-Raider News

[Stanny]

Morrison's a menacing middle man

By Bill Soliday, STAFF WRITER
Article Launched:11/03/2006 02:37:48 AM PST


ALAMEDA — On Sept. 2 when the Raiders released the linebacker who had been their leading tackler and spiritual guru for the previous two years, there were arched eyebrows up and down the East Bay.
How were they going to survive without the dynamic and popular player known as Hammerhead? Had their defense improved so much over the one that had ranked No. 27 the year before that they could afford a loss such as that of middle linebacker Danny Clark?

Turns out the answer was a firm yes.

Credit the pride of Bishop O'Dowd High, Kirk Morrison — Clark's running mate as a rookie and eventually his successor.

It was a move that was unexpected. Clark had been the defensive glue in the middle, playing virtually every play. Morrison had lined up on the outside, learning from Clark.

In the off-season, the Raiders decided Morrison's time had come and Clark's had gone.

"It was tough we had to let that guy go," Shell said. "Sometimes you have to move on, and Kirk was very receptive to the role. It's not like he hasn't played it before. He played it in college, so he was used to all the blocking combinations coming after him and all the changes he had to make as a play caller."

Morrison's play has been a revelation. He has 55 tackles and has either led or tied for the team lead in tackles in five of Oakland's seven games.

"He's getting better everytime," coach Art Shell said. "He's doing very well. Very well."

His tackle total against Pittsburgh was nine. He also had an interception and two other passes defended in the team's 20-13 win.
"That was the best game for the defense, period," Shell said. "And (Morrison) had his best game. He made a lot of tackles ... more than what he was credited for."

The crown jewel of his performance, though, was his improvisational interception off a shocked Ben Roethlisberger to start the fourth quarter.

Morrison was called on to blitz on a fourth-and-1 play at the Oakland 36. At the last second, he peeled off, suddenly appearing out of nowhere in Roethlisberger's passing lane.

When Roethlisberger directed a missile for Hines Ward it ended up in Morrison's hands. It was a remarkable catch — especially for a linebacker. Morrison was 5 yards distant from a quarterback trying to zing a 12-yard slant to a wide receiver.

"When I looked at it on film, it was like, 'Wow ... that was a pretty nice play,'" Morrison said. "But it happened so fast. In the game it seemed like the ball was in the air forever. It was like it all happened in slow motion."

It was the second interception of Morrison's pro career. For all the tackles he made, in Clark's two years as Oakland's middle linebacker, he never had an interception.

Good as it was, Morrison said that interception wasn't his best. That one came his senior year at San Diego State against Air Force. The situations were similar.

"It was fourth-and-goal," Morrison recalled. "We were holding onto a lead, something like 23-20. The (Air Force) quarterback threw, and I was running one way, the ball came, and I had to turn and catch it behind me. It ended the game. That's how memorable it was."

The arrival of Morrison to replace Clark was no haphazard decision. It was part of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's plan to turn the Raiders defense into one of the quickest in the league.

In addition to Morrison's speed in the middle, rookie Thomas Howard was brought in to play weakside linebacker, Morrison's old spot. Howard's tipped ball Sunday led to another interception, one of four Roethlisberger threw.

Combined with a fierce pass rush led by left end Derrick Burgess and a ball-hawking secondary that has picked off 10 passes, the result has been an improvement on defense from No.27 to No.8.

"They have good team speed on defense, and I mean really good," Seattle coach Mike Holmgren said. "They get (a) good rush, so the quarterback can't throw the ball exactly the way he wants to often times."

"Our D-line play has been great and that's what's helping us out a lot," Morrison said.

However, Morrison warned, the tactics that worked the past two weeks against Roethlisberger and Arizona's Matt Leinart, can't be expected to suffice against Seattle's mobile Seneca Wallace on Monday night. Improvisation will be dangerous.

"He'll test us in some ways that some teams haven't," Morrison said. "This a game where you have to make sure you stay in your lanes, stay in your gaps. They hurt us in the preseason game. It's proof of what the guy is capable of doing. I look for them to try to capitalize on what they did (then). This is the NFL and you can't hide."

Roethlisberger might argue that point.

 

[Stanny]

League picks Burgess' pocket

By Bill Soliday, STAFF WRITER
Article Launched:11/03/2006 02:42:01 AM PST


ALAMEDA — The National Football League picked Derrick Burgess' pocket Thursday. The loose change went to Tommy Kelly.
Burgess, the Raiders' left end, had been credited with a half a sack along with Kelly on a third-down play. Burgess knocked Ben Roethlisberger off balance, and when he went down Kelly covered him.

After reviewing film of the play, NFL statisticians determined that Kelly deserved the entire sack. That left Burgess with 7 sacks instead of 71/2 for the year, dropping him from fourth among league leaders to sixth.

Burgess didn't seem to mind.

"The only stat I worry about is the win-loss," he said. "I like to see that W. Long as we get the W, it really doesn't matter."

Burgess led the NFL in sacks last year with a club-record 16. After recording just two in his first five games, he has five in his last three.

"Sacks come in bunches," he said. "It's work, timing and luck. Sometimes you get an easy sack (where) nobody blocks you. We don't get many of them. I hope it's contagious all the way down the line."

The Raiders have 14 sacks, on pace for 32 for the season. Last year they had 36.

STREAK IN JEOPARDY: Left guard Barry Sims has started 68 consecutive games. Number 69 might not happen.

Coach Art Shell described Sims' status as "very questionable" for Monday's game in Seattle. The Utah product was held out of practice Thursday with an abdominal strain Shell said appeared to be a sports hernia.

"I don't know, so don't quote me," he said. "All I know is I remember Ted Hendricks having an abdominal muscle (strain) and that thing took a long time. Hopefully (Sims' strain) is not as bad."
Corey Hulsey and Paul McQuistan have been working at left guard in Sims' stead. Shell said no decision had been reached on which of the two would face Seattle.

"We'll pick one and go to work," he said. "The other guy has to be ready."

 

[Stanny]

Special Teams

SPECIAL IMPROVEMENT: The Raiders special teams honor board tells a tale of how much improvement has been made in that area.

The team has posted 12 goals ranging from the team winning to net punting average and field position following kickoffs. Last week the Raiders reached those goals in nine of the 12 categories. The previous week they hit eight.

By contrast, in back-to-back games against Cleveland and San Francisco earlier this year, they achieved just one goal in each game.

They lost both those games and were victorious in the last two in which they hit 17 of 24 targets.

 

[Stanny]

Raiders tight ends new to block

By Jason Jones - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:27 am PST Friday, November 3, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C6

Print | E-Mail | Comments (0)

ALAMEDA-John Madsen used to be the big guy, a privilege that goes to 6-foot-5, 220-pound wide receivers in college. Now that he's 15 pounds heavier, he has to start acting like an offensive lineman.

The Raiders' offensive line has taken a lot of criticism, much of it deserved considering their quarterbacks have been sacked an NFL-high 35 times through seven games.

But there's blame to go around. The tight ends and running backs also have blocking duties, and they find themselves trying to perfect their technique along with the offensive line.

It can be particularly tough for Madsen, Randal Williams or James Adkisson -- tight ends who used to be wide receivers.

In practice, running backs work on blitz pick-up against linebackers; it is part of their job. But wide receivers, although they do run block, mostly concentrate on patterns. So pass blocking is entirely foreign to them -- and difficult for those making the conversion.

Raiders offensive line coaches Irv Eatman and Jackie Slater tutor the tight ends in the art of blocking.

"They're constantly giving pointers on what we should do, being smaller," Madsen said. "Techniques, things we might be able to do well and using quickness to our advantage."

Raiders coach Art Shell said it is important to relate pass blocking to something tight ends do in a game.

"Pass set is a lot like punt protection, where you have to kick out of there like a tackle," Shell said. "So some of those guys have been on special teams. So you relate it to, when you're blocking in pass protection, just think about punt protection. So they start kicking out, doing it, getting their hands up."

 

[Stanny]

Podcast on Raiders chances for third-straight win



The Raiders made it two in a row behind at a defense that shut down the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, so the Silver and Black look for more of the same this week against the injury riddled Seattle Seahawks, The Chronicle's NFL writer Nancy Gay reports in this week's Raiders podcast.

Nancy and Sports Editor Glenn Schwarz also discuss why the Raiders are still last in the league in offense and how Randy Moss is no longer living up to his once-Hall of Fame potential.


Listen/Download Audio | 10:10 min : 8.59 MB

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=11&entry_id=10490

 

[Stanny]

Who’ll block Burgess?

Ailing Locklear or backup Ashworth in line

DARRIN BEENE; The News Tribune
Published: November 3rd, 2006 01:00 AM




Stopping Oakland Raiders defensive end Derrick Burgess is difficult enough. The Seattle Seahawks might have to do it with a tackle who has a bad ankle or a backup.
Starter Sean Locklear missed practice again Thursday and was downgraded to questionable for Monday night’s game. Tom Ashworth got the majority of snaps with the first team and might draw the unenviable task of tangling with Burgess.

Burgess is tied for fifth in the NFL with seven sacks and led the league with 16 in 2005. He’s coming off a big game last week when he recorded 21/2 sacks in the Raiders’ 20-13 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“It’s very clear on film how good he is, so we’re not going to take any chances,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren told reporters. “I’m going to know where he is all the time, let me just put it that way.”

The Seahawks wouldn’t have to face the Burgess issue had they decided to sign him before last season. Burgess, who was a free agent, visited Seattle and talked with then-defensive coach Ray Rhodes. Concerns about Burgess’ health eventually caused the Seahawks to look elsewhere.

Until last year, Burgess had not been on the field enough to show his pass-rushing skills. He played in 12 games for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 after playing in one game the previous two seasons because of a torn Achilles’ tendon and a foot injury.

“They had a few questions about my health and things like that. They didn’t feel like they wanted to take a chance with me,” Burgess said.

“It was one of those things. Everything happens for a reason. ... There are no hard feelings at all. It’s a business.”

One of the ways the Seahawks can keep Burgess from doing his business in their backfield is to involve tight end Jerramy Stevens in their protection schemes, like they did Sunday at Kansas City.

“That young man can really play. When you play against a guy who can really pressure you the way he does, if you don’t help over there you’re asking for it,” Holmgren said.

Tuiasosopo update

Former University of Washington quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo, drafted by the Raiders with a second-round pick in 2001, remains in a backup role.

The Raiders, last in the NFL in passing with 123 yards per game, began the year with Aaron Brooks starting but turned to Andrew Walter when Brooks hurt his shoulder in the second game.

Tuiasosopo has thrown 13 passes this season, playing in two games in relief of Walter. Tuiasosopo has played in just 11 games (two starts) in his six seasons with the Raiders.

“He’s the consummate team player,” coach Art Shell said. “He goes out there and runs the scout team for the team.

“The guys just love him, and when he’s asked to come in and play the game, he’s come in and he’s done very good taking care of the game.”

Extra points

The Seahawks added two players to the injury report: defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and guard Chris Spencer. Bernard (right toe) practiced and is listed as probable. Spencer (left knee) was banged up at the end of Wednesday’s session and did not practice Thursday. He’s listed as questionable. ... Also missing practice were receiver Darrell Jackson (knee), defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs (knee) and linebacker D.D. Lewis (toe), while receiver Bobby Engram (thyroid) continues to work with the scout team. ... Left guard Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack continues to work with the first team, although he did take a few snaps at right tackle Thursday. ... The NFL has awarded a sack to Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson for a fourth-quarter tackle of Seattle’s Seneca Wallace. The Seahawks have given up 23 sacks.

 

[Stanny]

Seahawks, Raiders reveling in rivalry

By José Miguel Romero

Seattle Times staff reporter







Few know this rivalry like Art Shell.

Shell was there in the beginning, as a Raiders tackle, when the Seahawks joined the AFC West in 1977. For 18 years he battled the Seahawks, as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

And now, in his second tour as the Raiders' coach, he'll be on the sideline Monday night when Oakland plays the Seahawks at Qwest Field.

Shell, 12 years after the end of his first run with the Raiders, is back, hoping to restore the tradition of winning football that produced catch phrases like "Commitment to Excellence," "Pride and Poise," and "Just win, baby."

The Seahawks and Raiders are in different conferences now, and haven't played since 2002. But Shell knows all about the bitter history of the series.

"Monday Night Football" | Oakland Raiders @ Seattle Seahawks, Qwest Field, 5:30 p.m., ESPN/Ch. 11 A few of the games were blowouts. Two came in the playoffs. Many have been close — 25 of the 51 games have been decided by a touchdown or less.

Shell remembers the Seattle fans.

"There was always a lot of noise up there [in the Kingdome]," Shell said. "The fans up there were great. I always thought they supported their football team. And anytime we came to town, they seemed like they tried to make a lot of noise. But it was all in fun."

Well, maybe not all fun.

Jim Zorn, now the Seahawks' quarterbacks coach, was also there at the beginning, as the Seahawks' first quarterback. His recollections include the intensity of the series, seeing "Raiderbusters" T-shirts in the stands, throwing deep against that nemesis of a cornerback, Lester Hayes.

"Just getting in a real war every time we went out," Zorn said. "It was fun, except we weren't smiling. It was a hard-fought game to the end every single time we lined up on the field against each other."

Sure, there were rivalries with the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. But the Raiders were always the team to beat for the Seahawks.

"Absolutely," Zorn said. "It was the hardest because they were so good. They played man coverage just like they're playing now, and they kind of had it going. And yet we had a tendency to play them tough and hard. It could have gone either way every time we lined up."

The Kingdome was deafening. The Oakland Coliseum, and later the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, were full of snarling, costumed and painted diehards who made the stands as adventurous as the action on the field.

Joe Theismann, the former NFL quarterback who will help call the Monday night game, has been with ESPN on its Sunday night and now Monday night broadcasts since 1988. He has seen plenty of Seahawks-Raiders games and has some interesting memories.

"It was a team of characters with Oakland, and Seattle was a team looking to get respect," Theismann said of the matchups in the '90s.

In 2001, Theismann was at Husky Stadium in what he called its "refrigerator of a press box" watching Shaun Alexander's coming-out party on a Sunday night against the Raiders. Alexander, then in his second season, rushed for 266 yards and scored three touchdowns.

"That's the one I remember most," Theismann said. "They're still the Raiders and people still want to beat them."

Rewind to the Jack Patera era in Seattle, 1976 to 1982, and the Seahawks were doing whatever they could to win in the early stages of the franchise.

"Every time we played Seattle up there during the early times, we never knew what Jack Patera was going to do," Shell said. "There was always something on the board ... They had some great players there that we respected."

Those who were never a part of the heyday of the rivalry as players watched closely as fans. Two grew up in the Puget Sound area and now play for the Seahawks, defensive end Bryce Fisher and tight end Jerramy Stevens.

Both grew up as Raiders fans in the late 1980s, recalling the rushing exploits of running back Bo Jackson.

"They were going to knock each others' heads off every time," Fisher said of the old AFC West games. "Howie Long [former Raiders defensive lineman] could do no wrong in my eyes as a little guy."

Stevens owned a Jackson jersey — though he's a full-blown Seahawk now.

"It was always Bo-Jack," Stevens said. "Really the only guys from the Seahawks that I was aware of were Zorn and [Steve] Largent. There was [Brian] Bosworth, but only when he was getting run over."

The realignment of teams and divisions in the NFL in 2002 ended the AFC West rivalries for the Seahawks. The Seahawks opened the 2002 regular season against Oakland, but haven't played them since.

In 2006, the Raiders have the NFL's best pass defense. They have allowed 35 points and two touchdowns the past three games, though they are just 2-5 on the season.

"It was a great rivalry for years and years before I got here [1999]," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "And now life goes on. We don't see them that much. We play in the preseason, perhaps, because we're close geographically. But it's a very, very important football game for us this week."


José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com

 

[Stanny]

Ignoring the wall

Posted by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer on November 2nd, 2006
Thomas Howard believes there may be a wall out there, but only if he stops to look for it.

“If you start looking for the wall, and thinking how much longer the season has to go, that’s when you hit the wall,'’ Howard said Thursday. “That’s why I don’t look any farther than what’s right in front of me.'’

Howard, a weak side linebacker, is one of three rookie starters on the Raiders, along with top pick Michael Huff (strong safety) and sixth-round selection Kevin Boothe (right guard).

While all admit to their rookie mistakes, most of them haven’t been visible to the naked eye. The trio have combined for just two penalties _ a pass interference by Huff against Cleveland and an unsportsman like conduct by Howard for a throat slash gesture against Arizona.

When the Raiders had eight false starts against Denver in a hostile road environment, Boothe didn’t have any of them.

“They’re smart kids, they pick things up real quick and they don’t repeat mistakes,'’ coach Art Shell said.

You have to go back to 1998 to find a year in which three drafted rookies became established starters before midseason for the Raiders.

That year, cornerback Charles Woodson, the fourth pick in the draft, was an immediate starter. Mo Collins, the No. 23 choice in the first round, became the left tackle for the first time on Oct. 11 when Pat Harlow went out with a back injury. Jon Ritchie, a fourth-round pick from Stanford, was the starter as a block-and-catch fullback.

Huff, the seventh pick overall, has had a promising start at a difficult position. He hasn’t been dominant, but that’s not unusual for the position. He has played some excellent pass defense against tight ends such as Antonio Gates and Todd Heap, and of late has become more of a force in the box as a tackler.

Although not blessed with protype size, of say, Derrick Gibson, Huff has shown the ability to knife inside and make tackles without necessarily lowering the boom. A best-case scenario will find him becoming a safety in the Rod Woodson mold (once he moved from cornerback to safety) _ a playmaker if not an enforcer.

Huff said he doesn’t feel any different now than he did when the season started. Like Charles Woodson, he has carried himself like a veteran since the day he arrived. Unlike Charles Woodson, the Raiders hope, Huff will continue to study and apply himself rather than depend on his natural ability.

While Huff sat out the preseason finale against Seattle with an ankle sprain, Howard and Boothe had their eyes opened this week when they got a chance to look at film of their Aug. 31 performance against the Seahawks.

“It makes me smile to see how far I’ve come,'’ Howard said. “I can tell by the way my body is moving that I’m a lot more comfortable now than I was then. Just by looking at it I can remember how I felt playing in that game.'’

Howard, the 38th pick overall, is the fourth leading tackler among rookies with 46 stops, trailing DeMeco Ryans of Houston (63), Ernie Sims of Detroit (46) and A.J. Hawk of Green Bay (52).

It was Howard’s deflection on a Ben Roethlisberger pass that led to Nnamdi Asomugha’s interception and 24-yard return for a touchdown.

While Howard, like Huff, was essentially installed as a starter from the day he arrived, Boothe might be the NFL’s biggest longshot surprise.

When the Raiders finalized their 53-man roster, yours truly ranked him as the 53rd most valuable player on his team, incorrectly assuming the best place for an Ivy Leaguer from Cornell would be on the practice squad for a year of seasoning and development.

A portion of Boothe’s scouting report on NFL.com read as follows: “He is ideal to spend a season or two on the practice squad to try and develop his ability, but the reality is that there’s doubt he will ever develop into anything more than a backup offensive lineman who struggles to be anything more than the ninth or 10th lineman on a team.'’

Paul McQuistan, a third-round pick from Weber State, was moved from tackle to right guard at the last volunatry minicamp and held the starting position all the way through Week 2 of the regular season.

It hardly seemed fair when McQuistan, struggling against two of the NFL’s better defenses in San Diego and Baltimore, ended up losing his job to Boothe, who then got to line up against Cleveland and San Francisco.

But Boothe has seized the job and looks as if he doesn’t intend to give it back. McQuistan, meanwhile, was taking snaps at left guard this week and could end up with some playing time in Seattle if Barry Sims can’t go because of abdominal strain.

Boothe, like Howard noticed a big difference in his level of play from Aug. 31 until now.

“It’s crazy how much you can progress in a couple of months,'’ Boothe said.

 

[Stanny]

Streak Over?

Barry Sims streak of consecutive starts appears in jeopardy at 68. The Raiders left guard missed practice Thursday and Shell said he was “very questionable.'’ Privately, the Raiders are concerned this could be a lingering “sports hernia'’ injury which could mean a long-term absence.

Sims was last inactive Oct. 20, 2002 in San Diego.

 

[Stanny]

Raiders would love to be enduring Seahawks' "healing process"

By GREGG BELL


SEATTLE - Mike Holmgren loves offense.

He revels in designing plays and meticulously schooling his quarterbacks. He takes pride in developing intricate, renowned playbooks that are larger than his family photo album. And that's big _ the Holmgrens have four daughters and four granddaughters.

So when the coach who has spent the last 36 years doing little more than glancing at his teams' defenses ripped into the Seahawks' tacklers and pass defenders following the third loss in four games last week, nothing more had to be said.

"I already said my piece to the players and the coaches," Holmgren said with a deadpan expression and head tilting down. "Now, the healing process begins."

The Raiders wouldn't mind being so wounded heading into their game Monday night in Seattle.

Sure, the Seahawks are 4-3 and not even a shadow of their defending NFC champion selves. Since beating woeful Arizona (1-7) last month, Seattle's defense has allowed the Giants, Bears, Rams, Vikings and Chiefs an average of 380 yards and 32 points per game. Even journeyman backup quarterback Damon Huard lit up the Seahawks for his first 300-yard passing game of his 10-year career.

But Seattle remains tied with St. Louis atop the sickly NFC West. And the Seahawks at least have the comfort of knowing it will get back injured league MVP Shaun Alexander and Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in the next few weeks, to help ease the obviously crushing burden on the defense.

"Yeah, we have a chip on our shoulder," Pro Bowl middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu said.

The Raiders have a boulder. Even with a two-game winning streak, they are 2-5. They have the worst offense in the league. They are 4-26 on the road and 15-40 overall since appearing in the 2003 Super Bowl. It's the worst stretch of Raiders football since owner Al Davis arrived to be Oakland's coach and general manager.

"We're seven games into this thing and we have some issues," quarterback Andrew Walter said.

Yet Oakland has won twice _ somehow.

The Raiders had five turnovers, but managed to underwhelm the Cardinals, mostly because they are still the Cardinals. Then the Raiders had 98 total yards of offense last week, with Walter providing 17 yards passing. But they got two interception returns for touchdowns to beat Pittsburgh.

Derrick Burgess _ 7 1/2 sacks in seven games _ leads a recently swarming defense that is valiantly trying to hide the offense's myriad flaws.

"We still have a long road ahead of us," Walter said.

He will start his sixth consecutive game Monday even though Aaron Brooks came back to practice this week from a strained pectoral muscle. And he will be throwing behind the same porous line that made Brooks' Oakland debut in the season opener a nine-sack debacle and a 27-0 loss to San Diego.

The Raiders have allowed 35 sacks this season, the most in the NFL, nine more than Miami.

Even though quarterback Rich Gannon winning the NFL MVP for a record-setting offense four years ago now seems like a hallucination, Seattle is worried about Oakland's passing game for one, tall reason: Randy Moss.

You remember him. The former Minnesota Vikings menace who used to make opposing coaches sleepless trying to figure out ways to keep him from beating them. The formerly elite receiver whom the Raiders have managed to make mostly irrelevant during his one-plus seasons in Oakland.

Moss had 90 touchdowns in 109 regular-season games with Minnesota, nearly one a game. He has 11 scores in 23 occasionally pouty Raiders games, half his Vikings scoring rate. Part of it has been sore legs. A larger part of it has been playing with this quarterbacking ensemble: Kerry Collins, Marques Tuiasosopo, Brooks and Walter.

Last week, Moss dropped two passes against Pittsburgh on a sunny Oakland afternoon.

"I kidded him on the sideline last week during the game. I said 'Was that a sun ball when you dropped that?' Raiders coach Art Shell said. "He goes, 'No, no, coach, I just blew it. That won't happen again.'"

Holmgren hopes the Moss that he knows _ and the Seahawks' defense he's come to know this uneven season _ won't appear again Monday night.

Seattle has allowed 16 pass plays of 30 yards or more this season. Last week, Marcus Trufant and Ken Hamlin became the latest defensive backs to find themselves out of position and pointing to each other while Kansas City's Eddie Kennison roamed free for a 51-yard catch. That set up the Chiefs' winning touchdown.

"We're a smart team," Tatupu said. "I don't understand why it's happening."

It is a recipe for Moss to return to the national spotlight.

"He scares the heck out of me," Holmgren said.

Holmgren still remembers the Moss who lit up Holmgren's Green Bay Packers for 190 yards receiving and two touchdowns on a Monday night in 1998, Moss' rookie season.

"When he's healthy, over the years, he's one of those special receivers that you just didn't think you could handle," Holmgren said. "He's really good."

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

The Raiders have a boulder. Even with a two-game winning streak, they are 2-5. They have the worst offense in the league. They are 4-26 on the road and 15-40 overall since appearing in the 2003 Super Bowl. It's the worst stretch of Raiders football since owner Al Davis arrived to be Oakland's coach and general manager.

 

[Stanny]

Nine nuggets

1. I cannot wait for the epic game this Sunday night between the undefeated Colts and the 6-1 Patriots in New England.

And don't just take my word for it.

Here's John Madden, doing the game on Sunday Night Football on NBC, with me on Sirius NFL Radio this week.

"If you were to watch on Sunday and watch Peyton Manning against the Broncos, what he did with three touchdowns, a come-from-behind effort on the road against that defense, and then you watch Tom Brady's clinic on Monday, what he did against the Vikings, you just cannot wait for these two guys to go against each other."

Madden can't wait for the chess match between Bill Belichick and the Colts quarterback.

"I've been watching Peyton Manning all these years. There's no one thing that stops Manning. You can't say drop eight or man ‘em or blitz ‘em or zone dog ‘em. If he sees something and figures it out, he is eventually going to get you."

And according to Madden, don't be so sure the Patriots suddenly become a run-first team.

"When you play the Colts, you darn near have to get in the mentality you are going to be in a shootout. Sure, you can run against them. One part of you is saying run. The other part is saying you have to match them with touchdowns. Even if you have good defense, like Denver last week, you have to be ready to score 40 points to win. I think it be easy to say last week they passed the ball because Minnesota was poor against the pass. It would be easy to say this week run against the Colts. I don't think that's necessarily true. If the Patriots are going to win, you have to put the ball in Tom Brady's hands and Brady has to have a big game."

2. Jamal Lewis is back.

And just in time for the huge game this weekend in Baltimore when the 5-2 Ravens host the 4-3 Bengals.


Going off previous history, Jamal Lewis could have a big day against the Bengals. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)

Historically, Lewis owns Cincinnati. The running back has rushed for 100 yards in eight of the nine games he has played against the Bengals defense.

Meanwhile the Ravens defense comes in to this one off of a fantastic game against the Saints. Baltimore picked off Drew Brees four times and pressured him throughout, sacking the QB twice and bottling up the Saints running attack. It won't be easy for Rudi Johnson to get started in this one, but to take the pressure off of Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, and T.J. Houshmanzadeh, the Bengals must stick with the running attack, something they didn't do last week. Chad Johnson has historically played well against Ed Reed and the outstanding Ravens defense, totaling six touchdowns and 772 receiving yards in his last eight games against Baltimore.

The big key is how Cincy's offensive line holds up against Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, and the Ravens.

3. Someone sticks up for Big Ben.

Verron Haynes is a jovial, upbeat guy. So it went noted when his voice got stern and animated just a bit when pressed on the performance of Ben Roethlisberger.

The Steelers running back told us, "I just watched the film. You have to trust me. This is not on Ben. This is NOT on Ben. We aren't blocking. We aren't holding onto the ball. I had a huge turnover in a big spot this year. We aren't getting open. We aren't playing up to our abilities on offense, defense, or special teams. Ben's fine. He's my roommate. He is not suffering from any side effects from the concussion."

This week, the 2-5 Steelers host the 5-2 Broncos, fresh off their disappointing loss to Indy.

But according to fullback Kyle Johnson, the last thing Denver will do is pay attention to the Steelers record.

Johnson said, "They are the defending champs. They are talented. They are playing at home. They are well coached. They beat us last year in the playoffs. And you know they are angry. And I keep going back to the Kansas City game. I keep thinking what Pittsburgh did at home to the Chiefs. This team can play."

Match-up wise, it is a great one for the Denver defense against the spiraling Pittsburgh offense, that has struggled minimizing turnovers and penalties all year.

4. I cannot believe that Mark Brunell is still the starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins.

And for Joe Gibbs to know how a quarterback change can lift the play of an entire team, he needs to look no further than across the field this weekend in Washington at Bill Parcells, Tony Romo, and the Dallas Cowboys. It should be Jason Campbell time in Washington.

5. Can anybody stop anybody in Chiefs-Rams?

In theory, there are bad match-ups for the defenses on both sides when the Chiefs battle the Rams in St. Louis this Sunday in the battle of Missouri.

I am not exactly sure how the St. Louis defense can possibly stop Larry Johnson, coming off of his monster day of 155 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Will Witherspoon has had a strong season, but the Rams will need major help from their linemen.

But on the other side, quarterback Marc Bulger and receiver Torry Holt are somehow flying under the radar as two of the best at their respective positions. Holt still runs the best routes in the NFL, and has totaled a whopping seven touchdowns this year. Meanwhile Bulger has thrown just one pick against 12 touchdowns, and has thrown for 1,946 yards. In talking to Bulger late last week, he credits the balance in Scott Linehan's offense, and the chemistry and harmony that finally exists in the St. Louis locker room and front office. And Bulger also stresses just how sturdy the play of his offensive line has been this season.

6. The Raiders defense has been stellar the last few weeks, resulting in back-to-back wins for Oakland.

Defensive back Chris Carr had one of the four picks of Roethlisberger last week, taking his to the house on a 100-yard return. In talking to Carr this week, he says the keys to this defense are Kirk Morrison and Derrick Burgess.

Carr said, "I've never been around a player who loves to play as much as Kirk. His instincts are incredible. And I wish we had more wins. Derrick Burgess would get his due as one of the elite defenders in the game."

The defensive back adds that the athleticism of first-year players Michael Huff and Thomas Howard, which has really aided this team.

Seattle's offense, sans Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander once again, might have trouble with this Raiders defense this Monday night.
7. Will there be a Giant letdown?

Giants linebacker Reggie Torbor tells me that there is no shot that New York takes Houston lightly. And there is no chance they look past the Texans to a showdown against the Bears in Week 10.

Torbor said, "Trust me; we learned our lesson against Minnesota last year, losing at home. There will be no trap game with this team. And Houston has good players. The Texans beat the Jaguars. The Jaguars beat the Eagles. You have to respect everyone."

David Carr gets the start for Houston at quarterback the week after he was yanked in favor of Sage Rosenfels, who lit up the Titans in the second half of the Houston loss. Texans coach Gary Kubiak instantly named Carr the starter on Monday in preparation for the game against the Giants. But there were those in Houston disappointed that Carr sulked a bit after getting pulled. I am a Carr believer. I think he has played pretty well this year. But this is the first time he has faced real adversity as a Texan, with his coach pointing the finger squarely at him, something Dom Capers would never, ever do. This is a huge game for David Carr.

8. Who starts for Jacksonville?

Jack Del Rio says he won't name a starting quarterback for the Jaguars game against the Titans until Sunday. The coach also states that if Byron Leftwich is healthy, he plays.

Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck, having another Pro Bowl season under the radar in Tennessee, says he believes that David Garrard is most likely to play and that's who he is spending most of his time prepping for.

9. Before the Bears hired Lovie Smith, Chicago went after Nick Saban.

But the former LSU coach opted to stay in school, before ultimately leaving to run the Dolphins.

Saban's Miami squad has one win this year. Smith's Bears are the best team in the NFL.

And if you listen closely in the background, and you hear that cash register sound, that's Lovie earning more money towards a contract extension in the off-season.

This will be another dominating day for the Bears in Chicago.

Fantasy advice from the guy who drafted Boo Williams

Week 9 Stud — Marc Bulger
Week 9 Dud — Wali Lundy
Week 9 Sandman Special — Brad Johnson

So get this. With SportsNet New York anchor Steve Overmeyer talking smack that his two-win squad was going to beat my first-place team, and he was beyond cocky all week, rightly loving his match-up with Rex Grossman against the 49ers.

Oh the power of Owen Daniels.

In the greatest pickup in the history of fantasy football, I plucked the Texans tight end off of the waiver wire, loving the match-up against the Tennessee secondary. The rookie has the game of his life, gets me 19 fantasy points, and I win by three to improve my mark to 7-1.

That's just beautiful.

So it's 7-1 in the SNY league, 4-4 in the Syracuse Alumni league after blowing out Albany, NY NBC Sports Anchor Andrew Catalon.