Team Report 09.18.2006...

[Angry Pope]

Team Report


September 17, 2006

Steve Corkran

The Raiders have high hopes for CB Stanford Routt. He is the team's nickel back for now, but they like Routt's sprinter's speed, his recovery speed and his ability to match up against bigger receivers.

FALLING: All five offensive linemen struggle picking up blitzes and holding their blocks long enough for the quarterbacks to get off anything other than short passes -- if they can get off throws at all. The Raiders have allowed 15 sacks and haven't been able to take advantage of their best weapon -- WR Randy Moss. There isn't much the Raiders can do about the line problem because they don't have better options on the bench.

PROBLEM SPOT: LT Robert Gallery needs to improve his footwork and the use of his hands. The team wants him to deliver the initial blow to defenders to knock them off balance and get the upper hand. He lets defenders dictate the action too often and gets pushed around. Gallery (calf) was out Sunday but could return after the team's Week 3 bye.

 

[Angry Pope]

The notebook

September 18th, 2006
Jerry McDonald

Art Shell is taking notes. He said so at his weekly press briefing Monday. When asked about Raiders running backs not being involved in the passing game, Shell said he made note of it.

“That’s one of the things I wrote down,'’ Shell said. “We need to get the ball to our backs out of the backfield. We need to do that. We need to put more pressure on the defense by doing that.'’

A few things that ought to be in Shell’s notebook:

— Find a receiving back.

News flash _ despite the 70 catches last season, Jordan is not an exceptional receiver. He’ll catch the dumpoffs and little else. His 10 drops last season were more than any receiver in the NFL, according to STATS, Inc. And he wasn’t handling tough chances.

Remember Charlie Garner and Terry Kirby? Heck, remember Rod Smart? Look closely at the unemployed. If any of them can circle out of the backfield and make a catch in stride, sign one.

— Break out the 2002 tape of Rich Gannon leading the Raiders against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.

The tempo was blistering. Make the Raiders offense watch closely, then try and duplicate the time that team took to get in and out of a huddle and up to the line of scrimmage. Tom Walsh ought to be timing it and then going out to practice with a stopwatch around his neck.

— Listen to the locker room.

The most team-oriented guy Shell has just called for him to resolve his differences with Jerry Porter. Of course Porter is not the difference, but if he’s going to be around, figure out a way to get him on the field. Otherwise, dump him. The cap rises every year. Accept the $6.45 million hit in 2007 and move on.

— Push the envelope on special teams.

Look how well the Raiders held up defensively against Baltimore on a short field. Try a surprise onsides kick. Let Shane Lechler show off that throwing arm. Snap one to the up back. Al Davis hates this stuff, so it had better work.

But if ever a team needed a spark, this is it.

— Have it leak that Robert Gallery is moving to guard.

What a great idea. The rumor surfaces Gallery is moving to guard, then it can be categorically denied. It gets Gallery’s attention without ever having to question his performance.

— Ease off on Randy Moss.

To listen to Moss on his appearances on Fox Sports Radio, you’d think the guy was going through Marine Corps boot camp each week. Let practice squad sprinter Leo Bookman run some of those deep routes in practice to keep Moss fresh. Maybe he’ll even chase after a ball that appears out of his reach on Sundays.

— Check Warren Sapp’s diet.

Whatever Sapp was eating the week leading into the Ravens game, have him eat it continuously for the next 15 weeks.

— Make no radical changes on the offensive line.

These guys had it rough against San Diego and Baltimore. If healthy _ and that’s a big if considering the health of Gallery and Barry Sims _ let them see what they can do against Cleveland and San Francisco.

Maybe they’ll dominate the Raiders, just as San Diego and Baltimore did. But odds are they’d at least have some success. In terms of brutal, physical front sevens, the Raiders have put the worst behind them.

— Show some emotion on the sidelines.

Oops. That one didn’t work. Shell could be seen getting into his offensive line at one point against Baltimore, and it did nothing to stem the tide of Ravens rushing unimpeded at Andrew Walter.

Another news flash _ it’s not working for Jon Gruden lately, either. When Gruden was winning, it had nothing to do with his funny faces, it was about having his team prepared. Same goes for Shell and his blank stare.

– Make sure Aaron Brooks misses at least one game due to injury.

Let’s see what Walter’s got. This way, there isn’t that whole Collins-to-Tui-to-Collins mess that was so embarassing for Norv Turner. If Walter doesn’t seize the job, the company line is it was never his anyway.