Post Game...

Just wince, baby
Oakland suffers first shutout loss since 1997

By Jason Jones


OAKLAND -- Art Shell had to save Aaron Brooks, so he benched him.

Brooks had been sacked seven times Monday night when Shell sat him in the fourth quarter and let backup Andrew Walter take his turn at being the San Diego Chargers' tackling dummy in the Raiders' 27-0 dud of an opener at McAfee Coliseum.

"He was taking a lot of hits out there," Shell said. "We have to learn to protect much better."

The Chargers finished with nine sacks in handing the Raiders their first shutout loss since a 30-0 setback in Kansas City on Dec. 7, 1997.

It also was only the Raiders' second shutout loss at home; Denver beat Oakland 17-0 on Oct. 4, 1981.

The Raiders have lost nine consecutive games to AFC West opponents after going winless in the division last season. San Diego has beaten the Raiders six successive times.

"They didn't do anything we didn't expect," Shell said. "No excuses. We just got outplayed. I guess I didn't do a good enough job to get them prepared."

Before an announced sellout crowd of 62,578, San Diego outgained Oakland 302-129 as its defense dominated.

In his Raiders debut, Brooks completed 6 of 14 passes for 68 yards.

"They played better than us," Brooks said. "Nothing I can say changes that."

Walter didn't look any better behind the Raiders' woeful blocking. He was 2 of 5 for 28 yards.

Robert Gallery was moved to left tackle after two seasons on the right side, but he didn't look any better as his struggles in pass protection during the exhibition season carried over to Monday.

Gallery also was called for a false start and holding. But he wasn't alone.

Rookie guard Paul McQuistan's holding call was declined because he still gave up a sack to Luis Castillo while holding him.

Langston Walker, Barry Sims and Jake Grove had their moments of being worked over by the Chargers, and Oakland's running backs struggled blocking San Diego's linebackers.

"I'm (ticked), disappointed and any other adjective you can think off," Sims said.

Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson continued to be the Raiders' nemesis. He gained 101 yards by halftime and finished with 131 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries.

Tomlinson has rushed for at least 100 yards in six of his 11 games against the Raiders. He also has gained at least 100 yards in his last five games in Oakland.

Defensively, Chargers Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman led the way with three sacks, including one in the first half in which he simply pushed Gallery out of his way to reach Brooks.

The Raiders' power running game was nonexistent, generating only 87 yards. LaMont Jordan had only 20 yards on 10 carries and one fumble.

"If we play against Baltimore (on Sunday) the way we played against the Chargers, we're in trouble," Jordan said.

Penalties again were a problem for Oakland, which committed seven, two at critical moments.

In the third quarter, Randy Moss caught a short pass that turned into a 20-yard gain to the Chargers' 40. As Moss went out of bounds, he flipped the ball underhanded to Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding. Moss was called for taunting, which moved the ball back to the Oakland 45. Three plays and one sack later, the Raiders punted.

Kaeding also was involved in a second-quarter penalty that thwarted the Raiders. He missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt, but Nnamdi Asomugha was called for running into the kicker. The five-yard penalty gave the Chargers a first down, because the kick came on fourth and two.

Four plays later, Kaeding connected on a 29-yard field goal that gave San Diego a 13-0 halftime lead.
 
PRIME-TIME FLOP
San Diego punishes Oakland in opener

David White

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Oops, the offensive linemen said one after the other.

Ouch, quarterback Aaron Brooks said soon after.

Boo, a sellout crowd at the Coliseum said throughout Monday night's season opener.

The long-trumpeted rebirth of the Raiders dissolved into a rehash of last season, one quarterback sack and ruinous drive at a time.

The final score was Chargers 27, Raiders 0, for those who didn't bother to endure the entirety of the second home shutout in Raiders' history. The last one came Oct. 4, 1981, when Raiders coach Art Shell was still playing.

"Monday night, home opener, division game ... the whole nation was watching," Raiders left guard Barry Sims said, before taking solace in the game's late-night kickoff. "Hopefully, it was a little too late for the people on the East Coast. Other than that, I'm disgusted with how we played."

Don't be so sure the West Coast audience stuck around for San Diego's two fourth-quarter touchdowns. The Chargers ruled. The Raiders weren't even close. Just wait until Sunday, when they face a Ravens defense that shut out Tampa Bay.

That gives the Raiders two days to practice before flying to Baltimore. They better do something about their offensive line, because nine sacks in a single night is no way to keep Brooks in one piece.

"We just got our tails whipped tonight," Brooks said.

Want to point fingers? You'll need both hands.

Left tackle Robert Gallery got trampled twice by outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, who also won a not-fair matchup with running back LaMont Jordan for a third sack.

Outside linebacker Shaun Phillips bagged 11/2 sacks against Sims, center Jake Grove and right tackle Langston Walker. Not to be excluded, rookie right guard Paul McQuistan gave up a sack of his own.

Brooks' well-being was so threatened by San Diego's 3-4 defense, Shell pulled him with 9:41 left in the game.

"He took too many hits," Shell said. "It wasn't good. ... When you get singled up, you've got to dig down and do your job of protection. We didn't get that done."

Wait, there's more.

"It was nothing we hadn't seen on film," Shell said. "That's the sad thing about it. They did exactly the things we thought they'd do."

As you can imagine, the porous line play gave the Raiders' offense no chance. It produced 129 yards of total offense -- 87 rushing, 42 passing. The Raiders would have had 96 passing yards, if not for all those sacks.

Brooks completed 6 of 14 passes for 68 yards. He scrambled three times for 27 yards, which was more than Jordan could produce because the offensive line couldn't run block, either.

Jordan ran the ball 10 times. He gained 20 yards. Nearly half of those yards came in the game's first drive. It didn't take Shell long to abandon the effort.

A sold-out crowd of 62,578 didn't wait that long to hail boo droppings on the field.

Oakland's second drive of the game started with a Gallery false start and 4-yard loss by Jordan on a right sweep. On 2nd-and-19, the Raiders ran Jordan over right guard for 2 yards.

The crowd booed. The game wasn't even 12 minutes old.

On the next play, Brooks was forced out of the pocket and threw the ball out of bounds. More boos.

"We just didn't execute," Gallery said.

The same went for the defense in the first half.

With a first-year starter at quarterback, there was no question San Diego would stick handoffs to LaDainian Tomlinson left and right. They did, but it took the Raiders until the third quarter to make proper adjustments.

Tomlinson had touches on eight of the Chargers' first 10 plays, leading to Nate Kaeding's 47-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

One drive later, Tomlinson started with a 58-yard dash to the Raiders' 8, and finished with a 1-yard leap over the middle for a 10-0 San Diego lead.

Kaeding added a 29-yard field goal for a 13-0 halftime lead. Tomlinson had 14 carries for 100 yards, and that was with 7:12 left in the first half. He finished the game with 31 carries for 131 yards.

Like the Chargers' defense, their offense did nothing the Raiders weren't expecting.

"I'm very shocked," Shell said.

Attrition kicked in by the fourth quarter, the product of prolonged exposure to the Chargers' offense. Tight end Antonio Gates caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers with 9:56 left in the game. Rivers was 8-of-11 for 108 yards with no interceptions in his first NFL start.

Michael Turner capped the scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:34 left in the game.

The Raiders had their best chance to score in the game's final minute.

On 4th-and-goal from the Chargers' 10, backup quarterback Andrew Walter completed a pass to Randal Williams, but Williams stepped out of bounds at the Chargers' 3 after time expired.

"We just got outplayed," Brooks said. "It was uncalled for. It was the season opener, the Monday night stage was set ...

"We've got to look at the film and be very honest with ourselves."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rare home shutout
Last night's home shutout was the second in Raiders franchise history. The other was a 17-0 loss to Denver on Oct. 4, 1981.

They got it bad

The Raiders' home losses by 20 points or more since their return to Oakland in 1995.

Monday: 27-0, to San Diego

Oct. 17, 2004: 31-3, to Denver

Dec. 22, 2003: 41-7, to Green Bay
 
Shell era begins with lots of trouble

LOWELL COHN


OAKLAND - The Art Shell era began Monday night. It was a beginning drowned in boos from the Raiders fans who didn’t approve of what they saw. Even though it supposedly was a new era, it was like other recent eras — the Bill Callahan era and the Norv Turner era — which means it was wretched in the extreme.


Shell, a Hall of Fame player who in 10 lifetimes will not be a Hall of Fame coach, was supposed to restore Raider greatness.

Raider greatness is all about toughness, but the offensive linemen didn’t play tough. They played like marshmallows as they allowed their quarterback, poor Aaron Brooks, to get bounced up and down like a yo-yo in seven sacks. And wasn’t Brooks supposed to be a mobile quarterback? Shell’s problem may be his Raiders hat. It is at least three sizes too small and could be strangling his brain.

The blame, of course, does not stop with Shell or the offensive line. Let’s not be stingy about this when there’s so much blame to spread around.

The Raiders offense showed about as much imagination as a blank sheet of paper. It was either Brooks missing receivers or running back LaMont Jordan being hit and falling down. Haven’t we seen this movie before? Can’t we have something more fun?

Well, hold on. Maybe there is more fun to be had. Because, let’s face it the Raiders are a soap opera all by themselves. Before the ball was snapped, before the season even began they were having trouble with their two top receivers. Looked at a certain way, the Raiders are a great show. It’s too bad they’re not a great show on the field.

What was the off-field drama all about? Shell declared wide receiver Jerry Porter inactive for the game, mostly because he can’t stand him.

“I decided to go with the other four guys,” he said. Lots of people — even some of the players — think Porter is a jerk. Which doesn’t make him unique in football. But OK, no one likes a jerk, and people love to see a jerk get his. It’s just that Porter is the second-best receiver on the team and you’d figure the Raiders would play their best guys. Or am I being picky here? Look, the Raiders would not have won even with Porter, but he would have helped Brooks. He’s the only receiver they have who actually likes to go across the middle.

Randy Moss is definitely not that way. He wants to run free, but he is not the kind of guy who welcomes contact. It is hard to know exactly what Porter did to incur Shell’s wrath. It’s even hard to know if Shell is the one with the wrath in the first place. This whole thing seems like an Al Davis power play against a player.

But that’s not the point. The point is that, among other things, Porter had the temerity to say he doesn’t like the direction the Raiders are going in. So, Porter’s sin was to say out loud what every sane person is thinking. The Raiders’ direction is a joke.

It is no direction.

But, OK, Porter offended Shell/Davis and he’s a general jerk. So trade him. Don’t hurt yourselves by having him hanging around the sideline joking with his teammates and collecting a check for doing nothing. Don’t just get even with him. Get something for him.

The other plot line on the team comes from Moss, who doesn’t have the usual football-player filter. He never talks in clichés. When he speaks, which isn’t often, he says things which are frighteningly honest. You may know he went on radio Saturday and said he’s “just not thrilled with the way things are going on around here.” And “It’s fishy around here.” This is not a huge endorsement for the whole Raiders program, and you have to agree with him. Honestly, things do seem fishy if by fishy he means stink to high heaven.

After the game, Shell said, “I didn’t do a good job of getting us ready to play.” No kidding. The Raiders sold out, but after that performance they’ll be lucky to sell out again. Things could not have been worse. They had to remove their starting quarterback and they got shut out on national television. That’s what you call a formula for disaster. That’s the beginning of your Art Shell era.
 
Outspoken Moss speaks out again
Oakland wide receiver gives another confounding interview

By PHIL BARBER



OAKLAND - Randy Moss must have gotten a charge out of ruffling feathers through his FOX Sports Radio spot Friday, because he went right back to the well. The outspoken wide receiver was a guest on ESPN's "Sunday Conversation," and he gave another confounding interview, alternately expressing dissatisfaction and downplaying any problems.


Here are some excerpts from the more recent broadcast.

On Art Shell's tough love: "I think that coach Art Shell just has a tight grasp on us, man, that, it's just we're walking on egg shells. It's funny, but, at the same time, as a grown man, it messes with your manhood a little bit. Knowing that you're a man, you're a certain age and this man is treating you like kids or a boy or whatnot."

On other players' attitudes toward Shell: "I'm just going on what is brought to my attention - 'Well, Moss, go up there and say this, go up there and say this, go say that.' And I feel that I'm not really the one that should say it, because I don't really have a problem with whatever's going on. ... It might be small things like food, or full pads, you know, small stuff like that. And that's why players bicker about stuff like that - 'We've been out for two days in pads, go tell him we don't need 'em on.' It's nothing big."

On how long he'll be in Oakland: "One thing I said last year when I came to Oakland, that their fan base is so out of this world that you have nothing else to do but love the Oakland Raiders. So if they would accept me, or whatnot, I wouldn't mind staying here and playing. But if things are not right, I gotta go elsewhere. I mean, I'm on my last couple legs."

WHERE'S PORTER?

The banishment of wide receiver Jerry Porter hit a new low Monday when he was deactivated for the Chargers game. Porter stood or sat on the sidelines in full Raiders gear - cap, T-shirt, sweat suit - and laughed and joked with teammates before the game. He had not missed a game since the final week of the 2003 season. Corey Hulsey, expected to start at center, was another surprise deactivation.



CALISTOGA'S FINEST

It must have been strange for the Raiders to see Dick Vermeil and not lose to him in the final seconds. Vermeil's Chiefs owned the Raiders over the last three seasons, but he was a neutral party this time, part of ESPN's broadcasting team.

"I feel a little uneasy now," Vermeil said before the game. "The last game I did was the national championship Rose Bowl, ASU vs. Ohio State on Jan. 1, 1997. ... I kind of believe it will all come back to me around the second quarter."

Vermeil and his wife, Carol, have moved from Kansas City to the home Dick built in Pennsylvania. The Calistoga native hasn't had a chance to spend much time in California yet, but plans a trip west to look after his Jean-Louis Vermeil wine label in a couple weeks. Meanwhile, he's scheduled to do two games for the NFL Network - including the Raiders-Chiefs game of Dec. 23 - plus the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Az., on Dec. 29.

Vermeil finally touched upon the most important subject in the universe - "Invincible," the movie in which he is portrayed by Greg Kinnear. The former coach spoke highly of the film, though he admitted the script took a few liberties. "Players aren't going home to Philadelphia bars during training camp," he said. "We kept 'em there until 11 o'clock in meetings."



EXTRA POINTS

Officials used a ceremonial coin for the pregame toss. It will be sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

The Raiders came out in a jumbo package for two plays in the first quarter. Rookie Kevin Boothe entered the game at right guard and Paul McQuistan moved to a tight end position outside right tackle Langston Walker.

Tight end Courtney Anderson dropped two passes in the first half. Anderson was blasted in the head by safety Marlon McCree just before the first drop, but quickly returned to the game.
 
The bottom 10

September 12th, 2006
By Jerry McDonald

The 10 most humiliating defeats since the Raiders returned from Los Angeles in 1995:

1) Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay 48, Raiders 21, Jan. 26, 2003 _ The Barret Robbins affair, five interceptions, Chucky dancing on the sidelines. There was no coming back from this one becuase it ended the season. The Raiders are 13-36 since that day in San Diego.

2) San Diego 27, Raiders 0, Sept. 11, 2006 _ A meltdown on every level kicks off the Art Shell era. And it comes against Marty Schottenheimer, no less. The Raiders today are a punch line. LaMont Jordan managed a thin smile afterward and noted, “There’s nowhere to go but up.'’ Hard to see that right now with Baltimore up next on the road.

3) Kansas City 30, Raiders 0, Dec. 7, 1997 _ Things were so bad under Joe Bugel that Chester McGlockton made way to the sidelines to lobby Schottenheimer for a spot on the 1998 Chiefs. Some guy named Gannon was 15-for-21 for 221 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas City. In the post-game locker room, Tim Brown threatens to take over the play-calling.

4. Seattle 44, Raiders 10, Dec. 17, 1995. The mother of all tank jobs in the face of adversity. Raiders go belly-up when quarterback Jeff Hostetler re-injures his shoulder. The fifth of six consecutive losses which took a team that appeared playoff bound and transformed it into an embarrassing .500.

5, Kansas City 28, Raiders 27, Sept. 8, 1997: Blew a 27-14 lead and lost the game on Elvis Grbac’s 32-yard strike to Andre Rison as time expired. A disconsolate Bugel closed the locker room after the game so he and his team could mourn in silence. He later compared the defeat to the death of his mother.

6. Denver 22, Raiders 8, Nov. 30, 2003: Bill Callahan utters the imfamous words, “We have to be the dumbest team in America'’ after the Raiders self-destruct against the Broncos.

7. Detroit 23, Raiders 13, Nov. 2, 2003: Marques Tuiasosopo’s debut as a starter is cut short with a knee injury. Raiders are pushed around by one of the worst teams in football. Phillip Buchanon is burned on a circle route for a deep touchdown by lumbering fullback Cory Schlesinger. For comic relief, Frank Middleton gets in a memorable personal foul for belly-flopping on a Lions defender.

8. New York Jets 26, Raiders 10, Dec. 11, 2005 _ The game that essentially sealed the fate of coach Norv Turner. Raiders are roughed up by a decimated Jets team quarterbacked by Brooks Bollinger. Tuiasosopo gets a chance to start, turns it over four times, and loses his job to Kerry Collins two days later.

9. Green Bay 41, Raiders 7, Dec. 22, 2003 _ Oakland defense allows Brett Favre to throw jump balls for touchdowns, offering no resistance on a Monday night in which the Packers quarterback plays following the death of his father. A nice story for Favre, a hideous effort by the Raiders.

10. Kansas City 28, Raiders 8, Sept. 6, 1998 _ In Jon Gruden’s head coaching debut at Arrowhead Stadium, the Raiders committed 15 penalties, fumbled five times and quarterback Jeff George absorbed 10 sacks, taking a physical beating far worse than Brooks endured against San Diego Monday night. Derrick Thomas, who had six sacks, had an easier time with Pat Harlow than Shawne Merriman did with Robert Gallery.

Want a silver lining? The Raiders beat the New York Giants the next week and even climbed to 6-2 before injuries and a lack of depth caused a collapse. Oakland finished 8-8.

Right now, .500 never sounded so good.
 
Scene of a disaster

September 11th, 2006

OAKLAND _ Not much to be gleaned from the loser’s locker room Monday night other than the obvious admission fromthe Oakland Raiders that they had their behinds kicked up and down the field by a far superior team.

It was Chargers 27, Raiders 0, and it was every bit that one-sided.

No one was offering any excuses, which is a good thing because there weren’t any to be found.

The Raiders promised to run the ball and they couldn’t, gaining 87 yards on 20 carries. Even that total was somewhat artificial, with Aaron Brooks scrambling three times for 27 yards and Justin Fargas gaining 35 in five attempts when the game was out of reach.

The Raiders promised to strike deep and they couldn’t, with Randy Moss averaging 11.8 yards on four receptions and Brooks connecting on no gain longer than 21 yards.

The pass protection was abysmal, with the the Raiders giving up nine sacks.

Yet at least part of that blame goes to Brooks for holding the ball too long, and to Oakland’s scheme, which doesn’t seem to allow for short- and medium-range passes.

Defensively, the Raiders were atrocious against the run in the first half as San Diego ran to a 13-0 lead. Things got better for awhile in the third quarter, but that was at least partially due to San Diego’s decision to run the ball up the gut and protect first-year quarterback Philip Rivers with the Chargers stuck in poor field position.

Rivers threw sparingly but effectively, completing 8 of 11 for 108 yards and displaying excellent touch on his most important passes. He was not sacked.

Coach Art Shell wanted to see the film before getting into too much detail.

Better him than the rest of us.

_ Jerry McDonald
 
O-Bays: NFL trio post zeroes

September 12, 2006


NEW YORK (AP) _ The three shutouts on the NFL's opening weekend marked the first time in 15 years that three teams went scoreless in a single weekend.

Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 27-0, Chicago beat Green Bay 26-0 and San Diego capped the opening weekend with a 27-0 blanking of Oakland on Monday night.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that marked the first time that had happened since Sept. 15, 1991, the third week of that season.

The Raiders beat the Colts 16-0; Philadelphia beat Dallas 24-0; and the Redskins beat the Cardinals 34-0 that year. The Raiders, then in Los Angeles, were coached by Art Shell, who returned this year to coach the team after being fired in 1994.
 
I feel bad for Art Shell.

But on the other hand, he's the one who hired that piece of crap Walsh. Actually I blame Al Davis for that hire. He should have refused to let Art do that. WTF, he's done that with every other coach in Raiders history. Mike Martz was there for the taking. We blew it.
 
The Shell review

September 12th, 2006
By Jerry McDonald

Citing missed assignments and a mysterious lack of urgency for a game they’d waited five months to play, Raiders coach Art Shell addressed the play of his offensive line at his weekly press conference Tuesday in the aftermath of a 27-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers.

“We didn’t meet the challenge that was there,'’ Shell said. “We didn’t understand that, for whatever reason, it’s not just a game. It’s bigger than that. You have to come out prepared to play _ the intensity of it, the speed, the tempo. It’s so much highe rthan it is in the pre-season and during practice. And our guys didn’t understand that, for whatever reason.

“And we talked about it, preached it to ‘em all week long. ‘’

Sorry, the only player on the offensive line who could conceivably get a pass in this regard is right guard Paul McQuistan. He has never played in an NFL regular-season game before.

As for the rest, left guard Barry Sims has started in two AFC championship games and a Super Bowl. Robert Gallery and Jake Grove are in their third seasons. Langston Walker has started before.

And we’re to believe they suddenly didn’t understand the first game of the season, against a division rival on Monday night, would undergo an increase in tempo and intensity?

A few other items which will be covered in Wednesday’s editions of ANG Newspapers:

– Shell said he had no knowledge of wide receiver Jerry Porter laughing on the sidelines as Raiders quarterbacks were taking a beating.

“I haven’t heard anybody in our organization say anything about that, any teammate or anything,'’ Shell said. “If that did happen that’s a big disappointment from my standpoint. That would be disappointing, and that’s something, if he did that, something he has to deal with, with his teammates as well as other people.'’

One fan already fired off a question to our Q&A section about the possibility fo suspending Porter for conduct deterimental to the team.

Here’s the problem with that scenario: it is impossible to read Porter’s mind (insert your own joke here).

Seriously, Porter was clearly laughing and joking at one point near the bench in full view of his teammates at an inappropriate time. But unless he was cheering outright for the opposition, and there is hard evidence to that effect, good luck getting any suspension effort off the ground with the player’s union.

– Quarterback Aaron Brooks has a sore knee and is getting a precautionary MRI. Shell did not sound overly concerned.

– Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha has a sprained foot that could be a concern for the Baltimore game. Tyrone Poole is the next corner listed on the depth chart on Asomugha’s side, although Stanford Routt is also a possibility and probably would be in the game on the outside on passing downs with Poole as the slot corner.

– Shell has talked with Randy Moss about his recent interviews regarding the state of the team and is fine with them, believing they were taken out of context.

– Shell said he felt bad for the fans.

“Our fans were ready to roll,'’ Shell said. “I wanted them to have something to cheer for. But we’ll get that. It’s a long year. We have 15 games left.'’

Without being specific, Shell promised tweaks to the Raiders offense but sounded as if there will be no major changes.
 
We were in third and long most of the game, Brooks was dropping back about 37 steps, and Gallery was left alone to deal with Merrimen....that doesn't help at all.
 
Raiders regroup after season-opening shutout loss to San Diego

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - Art Shell was brought back to the Oakland Raiders to return the team to its level of the old days.

Only those days weren't supposed to be 1961, the only time the Raiders were blanked in a season opener before Monday night's 27-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers.

"I thought it was embarrassing the way we played," Shell said Tuesday. "We had all those fans out there rooting for us, and we didn't play good football."

A new coach, new quarterback and new attitude were supposed to restore Oakland's pride, but after one week it looks like the same old Raiders who won just 13 games the past three seasons, leading to coaches Bill Callahan and Norv Turner getting fired.

LaDainian Tomlinson ran through the defense with ease, as usual, the Raiders were unable to pressure San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers in his first start, and worst of all, the offensive line looked lost on the field against Shawne Merriman and the Chargers.

It added up to Oakland's first shutout since a 30-0 loss to Kansas City on Dec. 7, 1997, second shutout ever at home (along with a 17-0 loss to Denver in 1981), and first in an opener since a 55-0 loss to Houston in 1961. That game came two years before Al Davis even joined the franchise, and in a bad omen was followed by a 44-0 loss the next week at San Diego.

"As bad as we played tonight, there really is no way but up," running back LaMont Jordan said after the game. "I'm not concerned with what the outsiders think. Once we do go out there and play well, those outsiders they're going to be supporting us. What I can say is, it's the first game of the season."

The biggest problem was the offensive line. With four players starting in different spots than they played last season, including rookie Paul McQuistan at right guard, the line looked overmatched.

The influence of Hall of Fame linemen Shell and assistant Jackie Slater was supposed to help young blockers like Robert Gallery flourish. But Gallery struggled as much in the opener at his natural position of left tackle as he did last year on the right side.

Aaron Brooks was under pressure all night and half of his six completions came on quick passes to Randy Moss after one-step drops.

"We didn't give our quarterback a chance last night," Shell said. "If you got breakdowns up and down the line of scrimmage, then you got problems. We have to go back and see what we can do schemewise to make sure we take care of some of those things as we move forward."

The Raiders allowed nine sacks in all, one more than the number of completions Brooks and backup Andrew Walter threw, and had only 67 total yards until a game-ending drive against mostly backups raised the total to 129.

That's a shocking number for a team with Moss, Jordan and Brooks on offense.

"We have talent here, but the talent has to play," Shell said. "You can't talk about it, you have to go on the field and do it and we didn't do it last night."

To make matters worse, the Raiders now have a short week before flying cross-country to face Baltimore's dominating defense. Ray Lewis and the Ravens are coming off a 27-0 victory of their own against Tampa Bay.

"I hope we pick our speed and our intensity up," Jordan said. "Because if we play against Baltimore the way we play against the Chargers, it's not going to be pretty."

Shell talked about changing some schemes, keeping an extra blocker or two in on pass plays and other minor adjustments to fix those problems.

"You can do some things. You can't do a whole lot, because you can't cover it all up," Shell said. "But there's some things that can be done that we have to go to work on to make sure we take care of it."

The other big question for the Raiders is about the status of wideout Jerry Porter. Last year's leading receiver on the team was inactive without an injury as his standing on the team spirals downward following his trade demand in the offseason.

Porter has fallen behind Alvis Whitted, Ronald Curry and Johnnie Morant on the depth chart, three receivers who have fewer career catches than Porter's 76 catches last season.

Porter, who clashed with Shell in the offseason, was joking around on the sideline during the game and told ESPN he wasn't even watching the performance.
 
Horrid start, now Ravens on road
Baltimore humiliated Bucs almost as bad as Chargers did Raiders

By Bill Soliday


ALAMEDA — The Oakland Raiders awoke to the grim fact that what was supposed to have been a celebration on their behalf Monday night had turned into a wake.
But they also awoke to what could be even worse news.

Short week. Cross-country plane flight. Game against the Baltimore Ravens, 27-0 shutout victors on the road over the Tampa Bay Bucs.

That score certainly sounds familiar — as do the statistics. Tampa Bay gained 142 yards against Baltimore. The Raiders gained 129 yards against San Diego. The two teams rank Nos.31-32 in the NFL in offense.

If the Raiders thought the Chargers were a tough nut to crack, wait until they get a peek at the Ravens' films today.

"We're going into a hornets' nest," coach Art Shell said. "We have a lot to do in a hurry against a team that's pretty doggone good."

"I don't know if you peopleknow this or not, but ... we're about to go and play one of the best defenses in the NFL the past couple of years," running back LaMont Jordan said. "If we don't come prepared to play ... we're going to be in for a long, long day. If we don't match their speed, match their intensity, it's going to be ugly out there ... real ugly."

It was ugly enough Monday night. Nobody had an answer as to why.

"We didn't play well, period," Shell said. "If you want to be honest, we didn't meet the challenge that was there. We didn't understand that ... it's not just a game. It's bigger than that.

"You have to come out prepared to play. The intensity of it, the speed, the tempo ... it's so much higher than it is in the preseason and during practice. And our guys didn't understand that, for whatever reason. We talked about it, preached it to them all week long."

"We just did not play well," Jordan said. "As bad as we played, there really is no way but up. If we play against Baltimore the way we played against the Chargers, it's not going to be pretty."

"Coming in we felt we knew their system well
and could defend our home field," left guard Barry Sims said. "But you have to execute, and we didn't do any executing besides shooting ourselves."

"We were prepared," Jordan said. "Those guys didn't do anything we didn't expect them to do. We just didn't show up to play football. I'll chalk it up as a wake-up call.

"We're better than this. We didn't play like a team that is well-coached, and I think we're a well-coached team."

Other than a stout second-half effort by the defense, the coach couldn't find much to praise. He declined to be specific on who played badly. Instead, he said he had a hard time finding anything good — particularly in the first half.

"In the first half, nobody played well," he said.

While Shell acknowledged disappointment with the first game of his Oakland coaching career, he had something else on his mind.

"I was disappointed for our fans and for our team," he said. "Our fans were ready to roll. Our fans were excited about our football team. I wanted them to have something to cheer for."

He also made a vow.

"We'll get that (something to cheer for)," he said. "It's a long year. We have 15 games left. It would have been nice to win, but it didn't happen. So we have to move forward.

"We have talent here, but the talent has to play. You can't talk about it. You have to go on the field and do it. We didn't do it (Monday) night. We didn't give our quarterback a chance."

Quarterback Aaron Brooks came out of the game with a knee bruise. A precautionary MRI was ordered Tuesday.

What appeared at to be the most serious was cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha's sprained foot. Linebacker Sam Williams sprained an ankle, but trainers believe he will not miss any action.
 
Raiders trounced in the trenches


Brooks runs for his life

Posted Sep 13, 2006

The questions coming into the Raiders season surrounded the usual suspects. What would the quarterback play be like? Would the offensive line rebound from a down year? Would the defense begin turning it around? One thing is for sure – the line was decimated.

Have the Oakland Raiders set themselves up to fail by putting too much faith in an offensive line that is not up to the task?
That's the way it looked in a 27-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers to open the season on Monday Night Football.

Raiders guard Barry Sims summed up what the Chargers did to his team: "They came in here and pushed us around." Oakland's plan since training camp was to get back to basics. A revamped offensive line would provide the push for a power running game and wall off pass rushers for vertical, play-action passing from quarterback Aaron Brooks.

The Chargers laid waste to that plan of attack, choking off the run and then chasing Brooks to the bench in favor of Andrew Walter because coach Art Shell thought his quarterback had taken enough of a beating for one night.

Running back LaMont Jordan had just 20 yards on 10 carries and had a long gain of 4 yards. Oakland's 87-yard rushing total was deceiving because Justin Fargas gained 35 yards late in the game when the Chargers were safely in charge.

Brooks and Andrew Walter were sacked nine times, with Shawne Merriman getting three of them and using left tackle Robert Gallery as a swinging gate to the quarterback.

The day after the defeat, Shell was still at a loss to explain how his line allowed itself to be dominated.

"We didn't meet the challenge that was there," Shell said. "We didn't understand for whatever reason it's not just a game. It's bigger than that. You have to come out prepared for the speed, the tempo. It's much higher than it is during pre-season and practice. And our guys didn't understand that, for whatever reason. And we talked bout it, preached it to them all week long."

The Raiders had little in the way of explanation except the obvious.

"We got our asses kicked," left guard Barry Sims said. "In the second half, I don't know if we even gained any yards."

Only a late flurry of yardage got the Raiders to 129 yards of total offense _ their lowest output in the last three seasons in which they have compiled a 13-36 record.

Shell declined to single out a particular culprit along the line, although Gallery was the most conspicuous figure. He had a false start early in the game and never could get a handle on Merriman, who admittedly is one of the NFL's best pass rushers.

"All we can do is work on our mistakes and go from here," Gallery said. "We knew they were fast. It was just little things here and there. Little technique things, little scheme things. I'm sure we're going to be the worst line in the world tomorrow."

Oakland's problem was not all the work of the offensive line. It's insistence on a passing attack featuring five- and seven-step drops essentially put Chargers pass rushers in starting blocks. There was little in the way of short and intermediate passing routes or screen passes to take off some of the pressure.

A surprise start by center Jake Grove, out since Aug. 22 with a shoulder injury and who was listed as doubtful all week, did little to stem the tide.

"I thought we were ready to play. It kind of got away from us," Grove said. "We've got 15 more of these."
 
Take it for what it is worth...

Unhappy Porter finds himself in limbo


Adam Schefter


(Sept. 12, 2006) -- Oakland's Randy Moss was supposed to be the Raiders' headache, but instead, wide receiver Jerry Porter has turned into the migraine.

The Raiders deactivated Porter before the Monday night game against San Diego, but the wide receiver would have preferred to have been a no show.

League sources said Porter actually called Buffalo safety Troy Vincent, the president of the NFL Players Association, and asked if he were required to show up for the game.

Vincent informed Porter, yes, he had to be there. To his dismay, Porter was.

How much longer Porter remains in Oakland is another story. The Raiders would like to deal Porter, but the problem is teams are not interested in him.

Even the receiver-needy Patriots were not interested in dealing for Porter earlier this summer; they made that clear from the outset.

Instead, they wanted wide receiver Doug Gabriel, and landed him for a fifth-round pick.


Jerry Porter might not be seen in an NFL uniform for several weeks.
During the offseason, the Denver Broncos made an inquiry about Porter, but quickly shied away when they learned the price for Porter would be two first-round picks.

Now the Raiders will be lucky to get much of anything in return for Porter, who led the Raiders last season with 76 receptions. Teams know that Raiders coach Art Shell kicked Porter out of his office during an offseason meeting between the two. They know that Porter has been openly insubordinate to the Raiders. And as long as the Raiders continue deactivating him -- and indications are they will -- Porter's behavior is not going to improve.

Asked about Porter's deactivation, Shell told reporters: "We had five receivers, and I decided we would go with the other four. That's it."

Only that's not it. Shell has hammered home the point that no player will defy his orders. But Porter is acting as if he is going to continue testing them.
 
******From 1998*****


Rude welcome for Gruden

Chiefs, Derrick Thomas roll over Raiders 28-8


KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) -- Derrick Thomas called his shot.

Kansas City's defensive end/linebacker, approaching his own NFL record for sacks in a game, signaled that he was about to tackle Jeff George for a safety in the waning minutes of Kansas City's 28-8 victory over Oakland on Sunday night.

"And then the sonofagun actually got that safety," said admiring teammate James Hasty. "Outstanding."

On a night when the Chiefs ran up a 17-0 lead before the Raiders ran off a successful play, Thomas was dominant. The 10-year veteran had six sacks, one shy of his league record, and tacked on the final two points when he tackled George in the end zone with 1:58 left, just like he predicted.

"It's just a tradition with the people down there in that [east] end zone," said Thomas, trying to play down the called shot. "Any time that ball's inside the 10-yard line, they signal safety, we signal safety and then we go all out."

The Raiders, who gave 35-year-old Jon Gruden a painful debut as head coach, were on the 8-yard line when Thomas raised his hands in the safety signal.

Altogether the Chiefs had 10 sacks of George, who came up to Thomas at one point and said, "Do you have to come so fast every time?"

"I ignored him," Thomas said.

Most of the time, Thomas beat Par Harlow, the Raiders' 6-foot-6, 295-pound left tackle.

"I got nothing to say," said Harlow. "You saw the game. I got nothing to say."

But victory could be costly for the Chiefs, because of an injury to quarterback Elvis Grbac.

The second-year starter, who missed six games last year with a broken collarbone, was hurt on the last play of the first half. The Chiefs said after the game that X-rays were negative, but Grbac has a shoulder sprain.

Great start: Donnell Bennett (left) carried the ball 24 times for 115 yards and scored a touchdown AP
The Chiefs' offense was sharp as well, scoring on its first possession.

Then they recovered Desmond Howard's muff on the ensuing kickoff and added a second TD 17 seconds later on Grbac's 30-yard pass to Andre Rison, who beat Charles Woodson, last year's Heisman Trophy winner.

When George fumbled on the Raiders' first play from scrimmage, Wayne Simmons recovered and the Chiefs set up Pete Stoyanovich's 28-yard field goal. In the game's first 8:30, the Raiders had the ball only 30 seconds.

"[Thomas] is a great player," said Gruden, the youngest head coach in the NFL. "If they get you in long yardage and they get a lead on you, this is an outstanding defensive football team. And we played into their hands."

The Chiefs had three of their sacks on the Raiders' first series of the fourth quarter, and recovered five Raiders fumbles. The 10 sacks were one short of the Chiefs' record.

Howard muffed a punt early in the second quarter and Reggie Tongue recovered. A few minutes later Stoyanovich, who had a poor exhibition season, kicked a 19-yarder for a 20-0 lead and broke Nick Lowery's team record of 21 straight field goals.

Oakland's first touchdown came with 21 seconds left in the third quarter. Thomas sacked George and forced a fumble, and 335-pound tackle Lincoln Kennedy picked up the ball and rambled 27 yards to the 10. George left the game at that point with an apparent injury to his arm, but returned later.

Twice during the drive, the Raiders failed on fourth down, but the Chiefs were called for penalties. Harvey Williams scored on a 2-yard run, then backup quarterback Donald Hollas threw for a 2-point conversion that made it 23-8.

Donnell Bennett, who rushed 24 times for 115 yards, scored from the 1 on the Chiefs' first drive. Tony Richardson forced Howard's muff on the ensuing kickoff and Joe Horn recovered on the 30. Rison, who sat out the second half after apparently aggravating a hamstring injury, beat Woodson on the next play.

On the Raiders' first play, George hit Napoleon Kaufman in the hip with the ball and it squirted free.

Rich Gannon, 5-1 in relief of Grbac last year, helped set up field goals of 48 and 33 yards by Stoyanovich. Notes: The Chiefs, already missing defensive ends Chester McGlockton and John Browning and wide receiver Derrick Alexander, lost Pro Bowl left guard Dave Szott to an arm injury early in the second quarter. The Chiefs said the injury was not believed serious. ... The Raiders got off to a bad start when they came running out of the tunnel before a group of Navy parachutists had all landed on the field in pregame festivities. Security men had to shoo the Raiders back into the East end zone. ... A few minutes after breaking Lowery's record with 22 straight field goals, Stoyanovich missed from 47 yards and broke his own string. ... Thomas moved ahead of Clyde Simmons for 11th on the all-time sack list with 112.5. ... It was win No. 300 for the Chiefs... During Marty Schottenheimer's 10 seasons as Chiefs' coach, the Raiders have had five head coaches and not one in that span ever won in Kansas City.
 
1998 Season Review


The Raiders established a seed of promise during their 1998 season. First-year coach Jon Gruden developed a positive attitude, discipline and camaraderie. Gone was the finger-pointing of the previous three years. Gone was the sideline chaos from unsuccessful coaching regimes of Joe Bugel and Mike White. Instead, Gruden's Raiders showed resiliency and fortitude despite mounting injuries. Their 8-8 record was a four-win improvement from the abyss of 1997. Here's a capsule anaylsis:

Top 5 Highlights


The Raiders vault from last to fifth in NFL total defense, surrendering an average of 284.4 yards. It's a dramatic improvement from 1997, when Oakland was 30th in yards allowed (382.2). If the league gave a Coordinator Of The Year award, Oakland defensive guru Willie Shaw would be a landslide winner.

Rookie cornerback Charles Woodson contributes five interceptions, including a 46-yard return for a touchdown against Arizona's Wunderkind Jake "The Snake" Plummer. The 1997 Heisman Trophy winner from Michigan was third on the Raiders with 64 tackles and had 21 passes defended. During the first half of the season, opposing offenses shied away from Woodson and tried to complete passes against right cornerback Eric Allen, a six-time selection to the Pro Bowl. After Allen was lost for the season because of a knee injury in mid-November, teams challenged Woodson more often with only a modicum of success. Allen and Woodson shared the team lead with five interceptions. "Charles has been as good of corner as I've seen all year in the AFC," Oakland coach Jon Gruden said. Woodson is a superior athlete, confident and demanding. The cornerback chided some teammates for lackluster effort following a loss to Washington on Nov. 29. "I play hard and I play to make things happen," he said. "I live for interceptions." Woodson, 22, was chosen 1998 Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year on Jan. 4. "This is a great honor for Charles," Gruden said. "We look forward to him having a great career with the Raiders." Woodson said: "I give myself a B-minus. I played pretty good, but I didn't do a lot of the little things I could have done, as far as watching more film, doing a lot more studying. I pretty much played off of athletic ability."

An ESPN-TV audience watches the Raiders dismantle the Seahawks 31-18 in the Kingdome on Nov 1. Backup quarterback Donald Hollas throws touchdown passes to Tim Brown and Rickey Dudley while Oakland forces five turnovers, including a 74-yard interception return for a touchcown by safety Albert Lewis.

Third-string quarterback Wade Wilson rallies the Raiders to a 7-6 victory over San Diego at Network Associates Coliseum on Oct. 11. Oakland seems destined for a third-stright home loss to San Diego until Wilson's dramatic 65-yard touchdown pass to James Jett with 1:28 remaining. Wilson, who replaced a struggling Donald Hollas early in the fourth quarter, throws incomplete on his first six attempts before connecting for the game-winner.

Greg Davis kicks a 38-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining as the Raiders edge Seattle 20-17 at Network Assoicates Coliseum on Nov. 15. Desmond Howard scores on a 63-yard punt return, his first return for a touchdown since coming to Oakland in 1997. The Raiders improve to 7-3, their best start since going 8-2 in 1995.
 
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