Tom Cable nearly shocks the world

He promised to restore the Raider Way and on Monday Night Tom Cable’s Raiders lived up to that guarantee. That is the team fought hard, played to the echo of the whistle and dominated the trenches. All staples of Raider football. Everything was ideal except the outcome.

In the end, the Raiders lost to the rival San Diego Chargers for the 12th straight time this time by the close score of 24-20.

It was a back and forth game that came down to the final two minutes to decide the outcome. JaMarcus Russell linked up with Louis Murphy on a 57-yard, fourth and long that seemed to be the kiss of death to the Charger curse of the last six years.

Philip Rivers and Darren Sproles managed to march 89-yards on a stout Raider defense that finally lost its legs in the fourth quarter.

When Sproles scored from five yards out with less than 20-seconds to play, the end was near and Raider Nation knew it would be yet another Charger win in Oakland.

Here is a little analysis of the season opener:

Best Player: Richard Seymour, 8 tackles and 2 sacks – He was an absolute beast. John Marshall gave the Charger offensive line fits by having Seymour play every position on the line. He promised to get a sack of River and he delivered by doubling his promised total. Amazing what a difference one man can make to an entire difference.

Best Moment: Russell’s 57-yard, 4th and 15 bomb to the rookie Murphy for his second first touchdown of his career. The play seemed like a watershed moment for the young Raiders, but in the end it was just setting the stage for the Chargers to mount a dramatic, game winning drive. More on Murphy’s first career touchdown later.

Biggest Surprise: The defense – I’m not sure what to say. After the way this unit looked in the preseason it seemed like they had a shot at being the worst defense in NFL history. Last night they looked like one of the better ones in the NFL this year. The line maintained their gaps in run defense while never giving Rivers a moment to breathe. The secondary was amazing with Tyvon Branch playing great in run support and Chris Johnson showing some flashes of being a lock down defender.

Biggest Disappointment: JaMarcus Russell, 12/30, 208 yards, 1TD, 2 INTs – Russell’s accuracy was horrible last night. He made a couple beautiful throws but for the most part he couldn’t hit Peyton Manning’s huge forehead if he was 10 feet in front of him. JaMarcus just needs to slow down and concentrate on his mechanics. When he gets his feet set and squares in, he throws daggers at light speed. Keeping the chains moving with a couple more completions could have been the difference last night.

Player Poised to Explode: Louis Murphy, 4 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD (2 unofficially) – Murphy is looking more and more like the steal of the draft. Of course, if you want to see one of the bigger disappointments of the draft thus far, simply look at #12 lined up opposite of Murphy.

Moment of Raider Karma: At the end of the first half, on important third down, JaMarcus Russell threw a bullet to Louis Murphy in the end zone. TOUCHDOWN! Not so fast…Amazingly the officiating crew over turned the ruling saying that Murphy did not maintain control of the ball even though he clearly had possession with both feet firmly in the end zone. The ball came loose only after he landed on the ground with one hand still cradling the ball. Shades of the Tuck Rule in week 1 is not a good sign.

Heyward-Bey Watch: The top pick looked awful in his NFL debut. He never caught a pass and had two drops while never getting involved in the offense. DHB is going to have to take a step back and not put so much pressure on himself. He’s got the skills, it is just a matter of letting it happen naturally instead of trying to force it.

Odds and Ends: Zach Miller had a great night (6 catches for 96 yards)…Michael Huff actually had an interception (just the second of his career) and a fumble recovery…The offensive line dominated the Chargers all night long. Mario Henderson is really looking like a franchise left tackle…Kirk Morrison showed no rust in coming back from his elbow injury…Louis Rankin didn’t impress as a kick returner. Nick Miller’s shin had better improve soon…Don’t look now but Tyvon Branch is really becoming a quality NFL safety…In his brief appearance, Bruce Gradkowski looked very confident and comfortable in the pocket. Everyone was worried about Jeff Garcia but it’s Gradkowski who could take Russell’s job.

Al Davis sees less of Seymour

It wasn’t shocking that the Raiders couldn’t stop the run in the preseason. In fact, it was expected since Terdell Sands, Gerard Warren, Ricky Brown and almost every other Raider who got ran over in 2008 was still on the roster to open 2009.

So, when the final roster cuts came down and Sands was shown the exit it wasn’t too big of a surprise. The disappointing DT was beaten out by a UFA from Harvard, Desmond Bryant. Thanks for nothing Terdell!

Equally disappointing Jeff Garcia was shown the front door by Tom Cable and Al Davis after he failed to push JaMarcus Russell for the starting job. In the end, Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye were the only QBs pushed by Garcia. Actually, they pushed each other while Garcia spent training camp watching from the sidelines.

So, just when it seemed like the Raider run defense was on its way to propping up the NFL again, Al Davis pulled a fast one on us all.

On Sunday morning, word spread that the Raiders had traded a first round pick in 2011 to the New England Patriots for the services of 5-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour.

This marks the third trade in 2009 with the Pats and the seventh over the last four years. There is plenty of Raider Karma to be found in there, but if you’re a true fan then there is no need for me to recap any of it. Randy Moss about sums it up. Two lackluster years in the East Bay translated into a late round draft choice and a 16-0 season in New England. That 16-0 season ended with a Super Bowl loss and justice was served. The Raider Karma is real, my friends.

Those brief moments of joyous celebration have quickly shifted into nervous anticipation now that Seymour has yet to report to Oakland to meet his new employer, one Al Davis.

Reports have surfaced that Seymour is not at all happy about being shipped off to a franchise that has won just 24 games in six years.

Time will reveal the truths, for now, Raider Nation can’t help but wonder when this will all come full circle.

Seymour wants a new contract, Al Davis wants a winner and Raider Nation just wants a little sanity.

Saints "embarrass" Raiders

I was always told that if you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all.

With that, the nicest thing I can say about the way the Oakland Raiders looked in their horrendous 45-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints is that the punt coverage was outstanding!

Other than that, there are no words I could possibly write to describe the most uninspired effort this side of Nicolas Cage’s career that would not make a room full of children tear up in shear horror.

What the Saints did to the Raiders and their pathetic defense was nothing short of watching a scrimmage where the first team took on the scout team. In this case, I’m not even sure that the Raiders would qualify as the scout team of a professional franchise.

There are few positives and even fewer talking points that don’t involve expletives and alcohol.

Tom Cable himself said he was “embarrassed”.

Here are is my analysis of this horrid mess.

Best Player: Ricky Schmitt, 6 punts, 46.8-yard average – Yeah, it was that bad of a game that the only player who stood out was the backup punter. Though it does pose an interesting question: Why exactly did Al Davis shell out all that money for Shane Lechler? I’m not saying to ditch Shane, or that he’s a waste of money. Just wondering why it would have been such a bad thing to let him walk with Schmitt on the roster.

Best Moment: When the game clock hit 0:00 in the 4th quarter.

Biggest Surprise: Just how horrible this run defense is. The Saints were missing their top two runners (Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas) yet still managed to run for 232 yards!

Biggest Disappointment: Take your pick – The 1 out of 10 on third down conversions the Raiders managed to eek out. The 31 first downs of the Saints to a total of 9 for the Raiders. The 40-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Devrey Henderson. All of the above and then some. The entire occasion was a disappointment.

Player Poised to Explode: Desmond Bryant – The UFA from Harvard is looking like a beast. He got a vicious sack on Brees and seems to be the only defensive tackle that has his motor running on every snap. Mark my words: He’ll be starting by season’s end.

Player Poised to Get Cut: Terdell Sands – He didn’t get into the game in a 38-point blowout. Why is he still on the roster? Sands must be the lone person who can finger Cable in the on-going police investigation in Napa. How else can you explain his presence in Silver and Black still?

Moment of Raider Karma: During the broadcast, Raider play-by-play announcer Greg Papa compared Drew Brees to Rich Gannon. Jim Plunkett quickly agreed with Papa. On the next play, Brees threw an incomplete pass. Perhaps his worst pass of the game. Let that be a lesson. Just because Brees is carving up a sorry defense doesn’t me he should be in the same breath as Gannon. The powers of Raider Karma have spoken.

Heyward-Bey Watch: He caught a 12-yard slant on the first play from scrimmage and was never involved again. Cable points out that the rookie is drawing double teams very often. Very true, but he and Russell still need to develop more of a chemistry if the top pick is going to be the opening day starter.

Odds and Ends: Louis Murphy put up some good numbers again (3 catches, 84 yards). He also committed some miserable rookie mistakes that involved ball security (or lack thereof)…Jeff Garcia looked better in his first taste of extended playing time including throwing a 43-yard TD to Jonathan Holland…Gary Russell appears to have secured a roster spot in a very crowded backfield…Zach Miller had his best game of the preseason including 5 grabs for 74-yards. He and Russell connected early before JaMarcus was sacked on a safety blitz causing a fumble…Hiram Eugene and Chris Johnson both got interceptions…Nnamdi Asomugha left the game in the first half after sustaining an injury to his wrist.

Napoleon Harris has unfinished business in Oakland

Those powerful winds of Raider Karma have blown once again.

On Monday afternoon, Napoleon Harris was returned to his first home in professional football as the Raiders signed the man they selected 23rd overall in the 2002 NFL draft.

Harris has been brought in to fill the void left by Kirk Morrison and his injured elbow.

Will Harris make the final 53-man roster?

Only time will tell if that is the case.

Napoleon was a rookie when he started at middle linebacker for the Raiders in that fateful Super Bowl loss to Chucky. Later, Harris would be traded to Minnesota as part of the deal that brought future Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss to Oakland.

Over the years, Harris bounced from Minnesota to Kansas City then back to Minnesota again before returning to the Raider family.

Perhaps he will just be in town for a cup of coffee. Maybe Napoleon will actually push Ricky Brown for the right to backup Morrison in the regular season.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

No doubt Napoleon is still haunted by the evening of January 26th, 2003, when he experienced the evil side of Raider Karma.

Making it back to the Super Bowl would be ideal, but just making the playoffs is much more realistic. Last season the Raiders exorcised the demon spirit of Chucky by knocking his Buccaneers out of playoff contention. All that remains is for Napoleon to help push this team out of the doldrums of football purgatory and back into the limelight of the glorious Raider past.

If that doesn’t happen, at least we can spend the rest of 2009 looking a different fabulous female of football with our newly released 2010 Raiderette Calendars.

Best of luck Napoleon, the forces of Raider Karma are behind you.

49ers run through the Raiders

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The Oakland Raiders can’t defend the run.

Frank Gore only tallied 7 of the 49ers’ 275 yards on the ground in the 21-20 victory over the Raiders. Rookie Glen Coffee gained 129 yards in the first half alone, the majority coming on a 13-play, 76-yard scoring drive in the second quarter. The Raider defense held the 9ers to a field goal, but the writing was on the wall.

Despite the carnage on the ground, the Raiders still entered the 4th quarter with a 14-3 lead only to see costly turnovers and horrendous run defense yield 18 points in the final frame, thus dropping the Raiders’ pre-season record to 1-1.

Here is some analysis on the game.

Best Raider player: Brandon Myers, 4 catches, 75 yards, 1 touchdown – The rookie tight end was supposed to be a blocker brought in to take some of the pressure off Zach Miller. Instead, he’s making a run at Miller’s job. Myers showed great hands including an outstanding grab over two 49er defenders on a bullet from Charlie Frye.

Best Moment: Charlie Frye is trying desperately to make the roster. He made this impressive 13-yard scramble and leap for the end zone in brining the Raiders within striking distance of the 49ers in the fourth quarter. Tom Cable had to challenge the on-field ruling which was overturned and 6 points were hung on the scoreboard.

Biggest Surprise: The front four, led by Greg Ellis, seemed to be in the face of Alex Smith every time he dropped back to pass. That pressure yielded an errant throw that created an interception for Ricky Brown.

Biggest Disappointment: The run defense – again. Get used to this Raider Nation, the ’09 edition of the Silver and Black could be the worst yet at stopping the run. The Raiders made rookie Glen Coffee look like Adrian Peterson playing against Skyline High in the first half on Saturday. If John Marshall doesn’t get things under control in a hurry then it is going to be yet another top 10 pick in 2010 for Al Davis.

Player Poised to Explode: Greg Ellis – The veteran defensive end has made everyone forget about #56 who whined his way out of Oakland to New England. Ellis is always somewhere near the quarterback on passing downs and is creating havoc for opposing tackles to block.

Player Poised to Get Cut: Nick Miller – The UFA wide receiver has made his share of big plays in practice, but his costly fumble on a fourth quarter punt return might have been the mistake that puts him on the bottom of the deck of receivers competing to make the roster. With Javon Walker due to return to active duty this week, Miller’s focus might be making the scout team instead.

Moment of Raider Karma: 49er cornerback Nate Clements did his share of trash talking in practice against the Raiders this week. In the first quarter, he was undressed by a nasty double move from Johnnie Lee Higgins that would have been a sure touchdown had Clements not grabbed a hold of Higgins’ jersey. Three plays later, on third and a mile, Clements blew his coverage and left Louis Murphy wide open in the end zone for a touchdown.

Heyward-Bey Watch: The rookie didn’t catch a single ball in his second NFL game despite playing the entire first half. JaMarcus Russell missed horribly on his first pass attempt of the game on a perfectly run side line route by DHB. It was the only time he was targeted by any Raider quarterback on Saturday afternoon.

Odds and Ends: Jeff Garcia finally saw action in 2009. He was moving the chains on a two-minute drill at the end of the first half in typical Garcia fashion before throwing an interception…Louis Murphy continues to impress. He had two more catches for 34 yards and a touchdown…The ground game that dominated the Cowboys one week ago was nowhere to be found on Saturday…Tom Cable made two horrible play calls: One was an end around to Murphy that went nowhere and the other was a poorly designed pass play on a failed two-point conversion in the 4th quarter…Kirk Morrison is out for at least two weeks with a shoulder injury…Desmond Bryant and Ryan Boschetti are making it all the more easier to cut Terdell Sands.