Monday Night Football Madness
By Charles Ybarra
Friday, July 10th, 2009 at 11:22 am in Oakland Raiders.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH. 2009
7:00pm
The stage will be set.. the lights will be on…the fans will be in a frenzy and the cameras will be rolling..
How will our 2009 Oakland Raiders respond against the San Diego Chargers in the season opener?
Recent history hasn’t been too kind to us against those notorious bastards.
Whether we’re up 15-3 in the 3rd Quarter like in the 4th week of the 2008 season, or getting our asses kicked throughout the entire game like in the 14th week of the season..
In any event, we have come up on the short end of the yard stick for quite a while now.
What has to change? What player has to be stopped?
The #1 answer; two capital letters that all Raider fans despise: LT.
The kid racked up a combined total of 45 carries for 197 yards for both games and has been known for sticking it to the Raiders even since he signed with the damn team.
I repeat, for the zillionth time, WE MUST STOP THE RUN!
Hell, what does our Defense really know about the word: “stop”? I’ll go again with “contain”. Mention that word after a game (Media) and I’ll say we are FINALLY progressing.
The same problem seems to be haunting us every damn year…the incorrect personal to slow down the opponents run.
The bad news is we have practically the same squad from 2008 (ranked #31st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed..YIKES!) .
Emperor Al seems to think that our team has improved with the added addition of our new Defensive Coordinator, John Marshall. He will be expected to give our secondary, D-line and Linebackers a fresh new outlook and approach to defensive philosophy, therefore improving the weak spots overall. I hope for all our sake, the old man’s right. (He’s probably not, but remember…we also have the Force with us!)
Philip Rivers tore it up in both meetings too. The first game he went 14/25 for 180 yards with 1 Td while in his second meeting, he completed 10/22 passes for 214 yards with 3 Touchdowns.
You think this year we can we put a helmet on that man’s hip?!??!
Hopefully, our new teammate, Greg Ellis can find #17 behind the line of scrimmage. The warrior had a total of 8 sacks last year while playing limited minutes with the Cowboys.
Oakland envisions the 33-year-old Ellis as the every down player he was earlier in his career.
“I think he can be,” Raiders coach Tom Cable said earlier last month. “You look at the film and he’s been doing that, albeit in a different position. This is a guy you would rely on to come in and compete to be a starter and all that. He’s got so much left in terms of where he’s at physically, in terms of his body, his production, so (it’s) just a positive for our team.”
Ellis played outside linebacker the last two seasons in Dallas’ 3-4 system, but he’s listed at defensive end on the Raiders’ roster. That is the position he played while with the Cowboys before being moved by former coach Bill Parcells at the end of the 2006 season.
Oakland already has a two-time Pro Bowl left defensive end in Derrick Burgess, but Burgess wasn’t at last month’s practices. He hasn’t attended any of the Raiders’ offseason workouts except for a brief appearance at a mandatory minicamp in May when he was sidelined due to an upset stomach.
Not to worry DB, my tummy aches after offseason sessions too.
Burgess has also been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, but the Raiders insist the signing of Ellis is not related to that situation.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with it at this point,” Cable said. “This [Ellis signing] was just let’s make our team better and here’s the next opportunity to do that.”
The NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2007 when he garnered his only Pro Bowl selection, Ellis had been at odds with the Cowboys for several years. He was finally released by the team on June 2 in a move Dallas owner Jerry Jones said was based more on performance than pay.
Ellis, who was scheduled to earn $5.6 million in salary and bonuses from the Cowboys in 2009, drew interest from several teams before agreeing to a three-year deal with Oakland.
“It came about pretty quick last week, and once it got in motion, I think this was the place he wanted to be,” Cable said. “What we’re doing defensively, it fits him. It makes our team better.”
Ellis has had at least 7.5 sacks in seven of his 11 NFL seasons and has started all but six of the 162 games he has played in during his career.
Hopefully, John Marshall and Greg Ellis can be enough. If not we’re going to have to pray for a great showing by at least TWO of the following: Chris Johnson, Darren McFadden, Kirk Morrison, Justin Fargas, JaMarcus Russell, JL Higgins, Chaz Schilens, DHB or Javon Walker.
Nnamdi Asomugha? Hell…we already KNOW that man’s going to get the job done!!!!
I hope you’re all having a great summer vacation!!!!
Cheers!!!
-DR
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July 10th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Nice blog! Sep 14 will be here fast. Good point about trying to “contain” LT; he won’t be “stopped” but if they can contain him, that’s a victory in my book. With the 1st 3 games vs AFC West teams, the Raiders need to at least win their 1st two home games! Greg Ellis was a good signing & he can only improve this defense. I just hope DHB doesn’t get blown away by Crabtree across the Bay. I’m hoping for a RETURN TO GLORY, but I ain’t picking any Raiders on my fantasy team just yet…
July 16th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
On the bright side, I do look forward to a fantasy win whenever I have LT or Philip Rivers or the Chargers D playing against the Raiders.
July 17th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Steve, screw your fantasy win. -DR
July 20th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Can i already put the Raiders 0-1…At least you have a good quality back-up with Garcia, i’m thinking he’ll play in the 2nd half of the Chargers game.
July 21st, 2009 at 9:21 am
Eh, you are entitled to your opinion, Rob..
but I honestly think we could win this one.
Of course..I also believe we can win ANY game considering the drama and uncertainty of the NFL.
Garcia in the 2nd half? Jam would have to stink it up reaaaaaal bad for that to happen, sir.
May the foce be with us….
July 30th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Is there anyone that can give me an objective view about training camp. I lived in San Jose for years and now live in Los Angeles. The Bay Area coverage is disgusting. It lacks journalistic style and objectivity. Clearly, these journalists find the Raiders current state of affairs to be funny. I get more detailed and positive coverage from Los Angeles writers.
July 30th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
ive been a Raider fan since “The Sea of Hands” play by Clarence Davis but i just dont care anymore….I think Al Davis has gone senile…getting rid of Gruden was the last straw…
August 4th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Hi Tiffany,
J-Mac. is as objective as they come. He admits he used to be a fan, but reporting now takes the “fan” out of him. ( http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ )
Jeff, Al’s recent team put Gruden out of a job..
August 6th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
I’m not a fan of Al either and grew up loving him. The worst thing we could of done is let Bruce Allen go. You are only as good as your general manager. I will forever love my Raiders, that’s just the way it is.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Yeah, I think the AL love spilts 50/50..
For me, I take pride in the fact he’s only 1 of a few men that has won 3 Super Bowls. I guess that just doesn’t mean anything to anyone anymore.
I agree.. B. Allen was a great GM. We need someone else to connect to the players like that..I wish Al would hire Tim Brown..the old man is not getting any younger..
August 25th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
All,
I have been a Raider Fan since my first game as a kindergardner in ‘75. I have seen the great ones come and go (and lived thru many sad years). You are right, our team is missing something…Pride, Resolution, and Determination. We need someone to lead this team, be it Al, Cable, or whomever. We need someone to bring us back to the days when Romanowski delivered punishing hits that sent RBs to the hospital, Howie Long drove QBs into the ground, and big Ted Hendricks made offensive lines cower.
The talent “may” be there. What remains to be seen is if the leadership is there. Show some Pride! We are Raiders forever! This team needs to dig deep. Watch some YouTube of Jack Tatum for inspiration, people!
September 4th, 2009 at 6:38 am
we have been utter trash this preseason, and allthough i do not think that preseason is a indicator of are comming season ,what worrys me is that the same old problems that hold us back when “it counts” have been aparent in the warm up games .we still have a fat qb who has the instinct of a brick a defence that plays flag football when it has to tackle and a staff that year in year out fails to put our players in situations where they can best use the talent they have.we do need to show more pride i agree but some fundemental football would be a great help.
September 6th, 2009 at 2:46 am
I have been a Raider fan since 1955. this team is going to the Bowl.
Raiders 45 Chargers 7
September 6th, 2009 at 2:47 am
I also have one testicle
September 6th, 2009 at 2:51 am
Great Raider site with lots of dedicated Raider fans.
http://www.chimpout.com/
September 14th, 2009 at 7:39 am
You guys in the faider Nation Keep dreaming
The Chargers are going to Kick that faider ass up and down your field.
Maybe you guys score 3 field goals HAHAHAHAHA!!
Our defense will be the best in the NFL this Year!
the faiders will go 1-15 maybe you will beat detroit if you guys play them , I’m not sure, but who cares.HAHAHAHA tonights score
Chargers 41 Faiders 9
Charger Joe