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Raiders not interested in rankings
Sapp not buying stats that carry dubious distinction for team
By Bill Soliday
MEDIANEWS
ALAMEDA - Denver coach Mike Shanahan is working hard to build up a bronco-sized fear of the Oakland Raiders. Accordingly, the stress lines in his face seemed to be cultivating deep furrows this week as he spoke breathlessly of that peerless Oakland defense.
"They are No. 2 in the NFL against the pass and they are in the top 10 defensively," Shanahan said. "The first thing you look at is rushing defense. They only give up 3.9 yards per rush, exactly the same thing we are giving up.
"And we think of ourselves as a pretty good team stopping the run."
Breathless stuff, but Oakland defensive tackle Warren Sapp, the main cog in the middle of the Raiders' defense and a man who should know, grunted when he heard the smorgasbord of applause Shanahan was dishing out.
"We give up 3.9 and I say we're not real good," Sapp said. "We haven't been a good run defense. We just haven't.
"It's perception vs. reality. You can make a stat say anything. Stats are for losers. That's one thing I learned from Kiff (Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin). You can make a stat say whatever you want it to say."
Case in point: while the Raiders are allowing 3.9 yards a carry, a figure that ranks in the middle of the NFL pack, a second glance reveals that the Raiders are No. 29 in the league in rushing yardage allowed (150.3 yards a game).
So which statistic would a person be best advised to consider accurate?
"I think the score," Sapp said.
Oh yes. There is that. While Denver's 3.9 has resulted in only one opposing touchdown in four games, the Raiders with their 3.9 average have yielded 12. Only one team in the league has been scored on more than the Raiders at 28.3 points.
Further evidence of the futility of the statistic: the Raiders are No. 10 in the league in yardage allowed but No. 31 in points yielded. Denver is No. 12 in yards but No. 2 in fewest points allowed.
How did that happen?
"They're a bend, don't break kind of a team," explained Raiders left guard Barry Sims.
"Maybe they are making teams have long drives," safety Stuart Schweigert said. "Maybe teams are starting on their own 15. With us, they're going short (distances), doing it the easy way."
Turnovers and special teams have contributed to that -- and the Raiders rank at the bottom in those departments. Still, the notion persists that the Raiders might be on the cusp of getting something accomplished after that 0-4 start.
"I'd say our defense has been pretty good," linebacker Sam Williams said. "We finally have our schemes working. Sometimes we haven't been dealt the best hands. The points (allowed) might be a little skewed because we haven't had good field position. But we seem to make a lot of stops when we need to."
It's another point Sapp wouldn't care to agree with, one that gets back to Job 1 -- stopping the run.
"It is all about putting people in a position where they abandon the run and we are not doing that," Sapp said. "The biggest thing is being where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there -- then being able to tackle."
The Raiders allowed 49er Frank Gore to run up well over 100 yards last weekend. A good chunk of his yardage came on second effort when he would take a hit a few yards past the line of scrimmage but keep going until he had an additional four or five yards. Raider tackling was horrible.
"We play that eight-man front every down," Sapp said. "It's not like we're in a seven-man front and you have to go from A to C. You have to read the back, be able to fill the cutback (lane) and read the block. Everybody has a gap. It's discipline and trust ... that I know you are going to be there, so I am going to be here."
Oakland beefed up its team speed this year but speed can kill the possessor as well as the target. Raiders have overrun gaps, sometimes losing complete track of them.
"Sometimes being too fast can hurt your defense," speedy rookie linebacker Thomas Howard said. "You can't run around and try to make every play. You try to get to the ball but you have to (ensure) your run fits. It's your part of the puzzle. If you over-pursue and open up a cutback lane, that hurts."
Coach Art Shell said all that speed works for good as well as bad.
"Sometimes because of their speed and quickness, they also are getting there and making the play," he said. "(They have) exuberance and fly to the ball, which is what we want them to do. But you have to fly in a coordinated way to get there. I learned a long time ago you have to be patient with young people. Eventually they get it."
It might be advisable to get it against Denver. Another bit of statistical data to ponder: the Broncos are the league's No. 4 rushing team.
"You don't win football games on paper," Schweigert said. "You look at it on paper and, yes, we're playing well and doing this and that but until we win a game, it doesn't mean anything."
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/football/nfl/oakland_raiders/15748715.htm
Sapp not buying stats that carry dubious distinction for team
By Bill Soliday
MEDIANEWS
ALAMEDA - Denver coach Mike Shanahan is working hard to build up a bronco-sized fear of the Oakland Raiders. Accordingly, the stress lines in his face seemed to be cultivating deep furrows this week as he spoke breathlessly of that peerless Oakland defense.
"They are No. 2 in the NFL against the pass and they are in the top 10 defensively," Shanahan said. "The first thing you look at is rushing defense. They only give up 3.9 yards per rush, exactly the same thing we are giving up.
"And we think of ourselves as a pretty good team stopping the run."
Breathless stuff, but Oakland defensive tackle Warren Sapp, the main cog in the middle of the Raiders' defense and a man who should know, grunted when he heard the smorgasbord of applause Shanahan was dishing out.
"We give up 3.9 and I say we're not real good," Sapp said. "We haven't been a good run defense. We just haven't.
"It's perception vs. reality. You can make a stat say anything. Stats are for losers. That's one thing I learned from Kiff (Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin). You can make a stat say whatever you want it to say."
Case in point: while the Raiders are allowing 3.9 yards a carry, a figure that ranks in the middle of the NFL pack, a second glance reveals that the Raiders are No. 29 in the league in rushing yardage allowed (150.3 yards a game).
So which statistic would a person be best advised to consider accurate?
"I think the score," Sapp said.
Oh yes. There is that. While Denver's 3.9 has resulted in only one opposing touchdown in four games, the Raiders with their 3.9 average have yielded 12. Only one team in the league has been scored on more than the Raiders at 28.3 points.
Further evidence of the futility of the statistic: the Raiders are No. 10 in the league in yardage allowed but No. 31 in points yielded. Denver is No. 12 in yards but No. 2 in fewest points allowed.
How did that happen?
"They're a bend, don't break kind of a team," explained Raiders left guard Barry Sims.
"Maybe they are making teams have long drives," safety Stuart Schweigert said. "Maybe teams are starting on their own 15. With us, they're going short (distances), doing it the easy way."
Turnovers and special teams have contributed to that -- and the Raiders rank at the bottom in those departments. Still, the notion persists that the Raiders might be on the cusp of getting something accomplished after that 0-4 start.
"I'd say our defense has been pretty good," linebacker Sam Williams said. "We finally have our schemes working. Sometimes we haven't been dealt the best hands. The points (allowed) might be a little skewed because we haven't had good field position. But we seem to make a lot of stops when we need to."
It's another point Sapp wouldn't care to agree with, one that gets back to Job 1 -- stopping the run.
"It is all about putting people in a position where they abandon the run and we are not doing that," Sapp said. "The biggest thing is being where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there -- then being able to tackle."
The Raiders allowed 49er Frank Gore to run up well over 100 yards last weekend. A good chunk of his yardage came on second effort when he would take a hit a few yards past the line of scrimmage but keep going until he had an additional four or five yards. Raider tackling was horrible.
"We play that eight-man front every down," Sapp said. "It's not like we're in a seven-man front and you have to go from A to C. You have to read the back, be able to fill the cutback (lane) and read the block. Everybody has a gap. It's discipline and trust ... that I know you are going to be there, so I am going to be here."
Oakland beefed up its team speed this year but speed can kill the possessor as well as the target. Raiders have overrun gaps, sometimes losing complete track of them.
"Sometimes being too fast can hurt your defense," speedy rookie linebacker Thomas Howard said. "You can't run around and try to make every play. You try to get to the ball but you have to (ensure) your run fits. It's your part of the puzzle. If you over-pursue and open up a cutback lane, that hurts."
Coach Art Shell said all that speed works for good as well as bad.
"Sometimes because of their speed and quickness, they also are getting there and making the play," he said. "(They have) exuberance and fly to the ball, which is what we want them to do. But you have to fly in a coordinated way to get there. I learned a long time ago you have to be patient with young people. Eventually they get it."
It might be advisable to get it against Denver. Another bit of statistical data to ponder: the Broncos are the league's No. 4 rushing team.
"You don't win football games on paper," Schweigert said. "You look at it on paper and, yes, we're playing well and doing this and that but until we win a game, it doesn't mean anything."
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/football/nfl/oakland_raiders/15748715.htm