What can you say? We played like the same team that tanked in the past previous years!!
I believed we were different, had improved with our passing, running Offense and run stopping Defense, etc., etc..
But I guess it was all a damn dream! I thought I saw a team that would CONTINUE to compete after that tough, combative Monday night opener.
Now, in the past couple of miserable weeks, all I can see is a kid lost, Receivers tripping over each other and a lack of aggression on the D-Line.
Of course, we all knew about the inaccuracy issues Russell has had…but for the rest of the team to pedal backwards as well?
That’s completely unacceptable! The team makes me want to throw a Darth Vader Helmet on the field!
(especially on an Offensive series!!!)

Darren McFadden…WTF?!?!? THREE fumbles? Are you f$@##ing kidding me? Sure, the organization heard of those kinds of problems in College, but this is the big time, son!!! When will you become the magnificent bad ass we all thought you were going to be???
Is it turf toe AGAIN?!?!

Defensive line, after looking in on Denver’s attempt to run in the past two games, there was no way I thought they would be THAT successful last Sunday. Buckhalter and Moreno combined for a total of 198 yards! Who are they?? EXACTLY! Sure D, I know the Offense leaves you on the field for way too long after they stink it up, but DAYUMMN!

Last, but not least, let me mention Mr. JaMarcus Russell.
I never booed.. I never bitched.. I never moaned and griped while you took the field. I believe that kind of stuff is counter productive. But now, after hearing from inside sources that you’re arrogant, have a bad work ethic and have been to known to party hard even while your team is in total disarray?
I just might be done believing in you.

Recent rumor mills are telling me that the kid still parties with Codeine at clubs.
It’s a common known fact that kids have been mixing Cough Syrup with Alcohol for years. On the street it’s called “Lean” (so potent it makes you lean over when high). It’s also a southern thing. As you can imagine, It gives you more of a loopy feeling than just ordinary liquor.
Withdrawal symptoms include: drug craving, runny nose, yawning, sweating, insomnia, weakness, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle spasms, chills, irritability and pain.
You think this might have anything to with our boy playing the way he does?
Let’s hope not.
I really hope I don’t have reliable sources…but after seeing pictures like this? They’re looking more credible by the second.
Don’t lean on me, sir.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WtdXDEP9fck/Shbut4sJD7I/AAAAAAAAAJc/dTNrSjgFzOA/s1600-h/JaMcLintock+RUSSELL.jpg

Summary:
Kyle Orton, Josh McDaniels and a newfound dominant defense have quieted all the talk of offseason disfunction in Denver with a 3-0 start.
Orton threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, the defense kept a second straight opponent out of the end zone and the Broncos overwhelmed the Oakland Raiders 23-3 Sunday.
“We’re happy with where we’re at, 3-0,” Orton said. “We’ve been improving every single week.”
The performance to start the season is a far cry from the offseason. McDaniels caused an immediate stir when he was hired to replace the fired Mike Shanahan as coach in Denver last offseason. He alienated Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler before trading him to Chicago for Orton, then suspended Marshall in the preseason.
But once the season started, things couldn’t have gone much better for the Broncos. They capitalized on a lucky bounce to win the opener at Cincinnati and followed that with convincing wins over Cleveland and Oakland (1-2).
“There’s no vindication because there’s nothing to be vindicated about,” McDaniels said.
The schedule gets considerably tougher starting next week against Dallas, but the Broncos have to be pleased with where they stand now.
Rookie Knowshon Moreno ran for 90 yards and a score and Correll Buckhalter added 108 yards on 14 carries for the Broncos. Matt Prater added three field goals as Denver won its AFC West opener for a 10th straight year.
Orton again played mistake-free football, going 13 for 23 for 157 yards. He has not thrown an interception in three games, quite a change from the flashier Cutler, who made more big plays last season but also more mistakes with 18 interceptions.
“I thought it was a clean game,” Orton said. “We got off to a good start, no turnovers again and we made plays in the passing game when we needed to. That’s kind of the formula we wanted to take into this week and we executed it.”
The Broncos have committed just one offensive turnover all season, and even that didn’t end up hurting them. Two plays after Buckhalter fumbled deep in Denver territory, Darren McFadden gave it right back to Denver with a fumble of his own.
That recovery by Brian Dawkins was just one of many big plays from coordinator Mike Nolan’s defense. The Broncos have allowed just 16 points all season, getting six sacks from Elvis Dumervil the past two weeks.
The Raiders offense looked inept for a second straight week and this time the defense couldn’t keep Oakland in the game long enough for JaMarcus Russell to steal one at the end, as he did last week in Kansas City.
The Raiders were held to 137 yards, their second straight week with less than 200 yards of offense. This is just the third time since the start of the 1993 season that Oakland has put together back-to-back games like that, with the other two coming in 2006.
“There’s some glaring problems that need to be fixed, in all phases of the game,” Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. “So I don’t think we have quite a read on who we are. And that’s concerning, because at this point you want to know what type of team you are.”
Russell threw two first-quarter interceptions and was the target of boos all afternoon from the frustrated Raiders fans who bothered to show up. The attendance was 45,602 and the game was blacked out locally.
Russell, who entered the game completing 35.2 percent of his passes, finished 12 for 21 for 61 yards, with only 1 passing yard in the second half.
“I know that the guys in my locker room are behind me,” Russell said. “When the fans get to that, it’s kind of where they seem like they’re fed up. But again, until you come out and play like I know we should and get back on track it will be a different story.”

We’re all still waiting for you, Jam..

The Broncos dominated the first half but only had a 13-3 lead to show for it. LaMont Jordan was stopped on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 to thwart their first drive and Denver had to settle for a field goal after driving inside the 5 late in the half.
The other 10 points were set up by interceptions thrown by Russell. He was picked off by Renaldo Hill following the goal-line stand when Darrius Heyward-Bey fell as his feet got caught up with a defender. That set up the 2-yard TD pass to Marshall. The second interception by Andre Goodwin set up a 48-yard field goal by Prater.

In other news, Rich Gannon broadcast the game for CBS after the Raiders tried to ban their former QB from pregame production meetings. Anyone even happen to hear Gannon striking back?
I thought not. Sorry Al, the people STILL side with the former MVP. I hope this somehow gets to ya, Rich.
This was the 100th all-time meeting between AFL rivals, including two playoff games. The Raiders hold a 56-42-2 edge. Thank you 70’s Raiders.

All we have to look forward to now is the illusive Chaz Schilens. You think he can make an immediate impact?
Will we ever see that week 1 team again?
How will Cable respond to the recent statements made by Randy Hanson and the Napa police?

May the force be with us…AGAIN.
Mucho Gracias, Nation.

Sometimes when you play well enough to win, you still lose..
Sometimes when you play awful enough to lose, you still win.
That’s all I really learned last Sunday as our Raiders battled hard for a victory we never really deserved.

It’s now apparent to me that JaMarcus Russell may not be the Quarterback all of us have envisioned him to be. The kid currently can’t throw an out to save his life, is consistently inaccurate, makes poor decisions in critical moments and never runs quickly enough to avoid a sack or gain a few yards..
Whew! There, I said it!!! It’s really hard for a former fan of the year to become negative sometimes. Sure, I hear the boos, the taunting and the cursing directed at Mr. JR weekly, but I’ve always have been the first fan to ask for others to believe in the guy and to also have patience. “Boos aren’t going to make him play better, Asses! He’ll prove it to you soon..you’ll see!” I scream. Bam, the kid bombs one to Murphy against SD for a TD. “I told you all!!! I told ya!!!”
Hell, after that pass? Not only did I think I WAS a former Jedi, but I also thought our worries were over..
Then we see THIS kind of game…ugh.

Damn Jam, it’s not like the Lord of the Sith wants you to fail, I just want you to improve, son!! But after witnessing a year and 2 games worth of starts, a harsh percentage, poor overthrows, miscues, etc….
Eh, it’s still early. Maybe I’ll hold my final Judgment until a later time. We still need to see what he can do with his number one weapon on the field; Chaz Schilens (who may or may not be available this weekend). Now that Russell has an improved line, a solid backfield and trust worthy TE’s? There should be no one to stop him this time…
Unless… it’s himself, of course.

Summary:
Missing high, low and everywhere in-between, the overall No. 1 draft choice of 2007 completed only 7 of 24 passes for 109 yards. But Russell came into focus when he had to, engineering a 69-yard scoring march in the final 2 minutes for a wildly improbable 13-10 victory over mistake-prone Kansas City.
The Chiefs out-gained the Raiders (1-1) 409-166, while Russell became just the second quarterback since the start of the 1997 season to try 20 or more passes and complete less than 30 percent of them but still win.
And it’s the first time in the Raiders’ 50-year history they’ve emerged with a victory after giving up more than 400 yards and gaining fewer than 200 themselves. May the force be with us!
“I felt really good. The ball was just coming out different for me,” Russell said. “Other than that, I felt good.”
Riiiiiiiiiight.
Russell’s teammates knew it was a fight from start to finish.
From the first quarter all the way to the fourth quarter it was a struggle for us, until the last 2 or 3 minutes left in the game,” said Darren McFadden, whose 5-yard touchdown run around left end with 1:07 left made the difference.
“It’s probably one of the strangest wins. But a win is a win.”
Cassel, making his long-awaited Kansas City debut after being out a month with a knee injury, had given the Chiefs (0-2) the lead with a 29-yard touchdown strike to Dwayne Bowe with 2:38 to go. Cassel wound up throwing for 241 yards.
Oakland’s victory may not have seemed so improbable to coach Todd Haley.
“When you have nine penalties, two turnovers and a couple other lapses, you’re not going to win most of the time,” he said. “We didn’t get the result we wanted. We’re going to have a smart team here. Nine penalties and a couple of those things don’t reflect a smart team. We’re going to get back to work because we’re going to have a smart team here.”
But Tom Cable agreed it was about as strange as they come.
“It’s as poor as I think you can play offensively and still find a way at the end there to win a football game,” said the Oakland coach.
While Cassel clearly outplayed his Oakland counterpart, he did make one mistake that Russell did not. Russell avoided interceptions while two of Cassel’s passes wound up in the arms of Oakland defensive back Michael Huff.
“We had things that happened throughout the day that we hurt ourselves with, whether it was offense or defense or special teams,” Cassel said. “The Raiders did a good job and made the plays when it counted. Therefore, they’re going home with the victory.”
Russell hit Louis Murphy for 19 yards and connected with Todd Watkins for 28 on the nine-play touchdown drive. McFadden took a pitch and sped untouched around the right side of the Chiefs defense.
“I knew that we left plays out there on or previous drives before, so we had to come up with something,” Russell said.
Cassel, who missed the opener with a left knee injury, hit a key third-down pass in the nine-play, 72-yard drive that gave the Chiefs their only lead of the second half.
The Chiefs crowded the line of scrimmage and dared Russell to beat them with his arm, and until the final drive Russell seemed bent on making the strategy work. At the end of the third, he had 35 yards passing and the Raiders had only 77 yards of offense to 313 for the Chiefs.
But a host of Chiefs mistakes, including nine penalties for 70 yards and atrocious clock management — and Sebastian Janikowski’s two field goals — provided a 6-3 Oakland lead.
Also key to Oakland’s winning drive was a roughing call on Wallace Gilberry, who fell onto Russell while he was on the ground.
“When we had the personal foul penalty we kind of were in a position to put them in a bit of a difficult position, and we let them off the hook,” Haley said. “They made plays at the end.”
Brandon Flowers, the Chiefs’ No. 1 cornerback, returned after being out almost a month with a shoulder injury. But he was also guilty of one of the many mistakes by Kansas City when late in the first half he let an interception sail right through his hands.
With nothing but open field in front of him, Flowers would probably have waltzed into the end zone.
“Every loss hurts. This loss kills you,” he said.

Pshhh, doesn’t this sort of banter sound familiar?

FYI The horrible Broncos are currently in first place in the AFC West. It’s time to take them down a notch..
DOMINATE THE RIGHT WAY THIS TIME!!!!!
-DR

Ps If anyone would like a picture, please visit me at the “Raiders Fan Convention”
hosted by Ricky’s sports bar in San Leandro; Saturday, September 26th !

The hours of the event are from 11am-4pm. We are going to have Prize giveaways every half hour and are planning to have me and other “Super Fans” doing the drawings and presenting the prizes.

The “Super Fan Roundtable” will go from 1pm-2pm where “us supers” will be available for questions, stories, photo ops and Raider fan charm…
Uh, do we really have charm? Find out Saturday!!!

Happy Hump day Nation!,

Fact: You have to improve before you win. Fans, before you get too down in the week, remind yourselves we are now looking at a better team.
It was one thing to say it and mean it during the off season and pre-season, but to actually see it on the field in front of you in regular season????
That is something entirely different.
Sure, we lost and should of won..
Sure, Murphy caught that Touchdown with two feet set before he started falling down to supposedly drop..
Sure, we made mistakes…especially in the 4th Quarter..
But our team has improved!!! After seeing the Offense Line protect properly, the Defense shut down San Diego’s rushing and seeing the entire Offense grow a bit, I’m SOLD! Hell, we’ll get another shot at those bastards anyways on November 11th. Mark it down and improve every week that leads up to that date..
it’s the only way.
In my humble opinion, that game told the World we’re going into a new direction…we only have to work on finishing.

Summary:
Rivers answered a pair of go-ahead scores by Oakland by leading two touchdown drives, capped by Darren Sproles’ 5-yard run with 18 seconds left that gave the Chargers their 12th straight in this one-sided rivalry, 24-20 Monday night.
This might have been the toughest one of the bunch. JaMarcus Russell had given Oakland a 20-17 lead with a 57-yard touchdown pass to rookie Louis Murphy with 2:34 left. But despite having two backup linemen in the game, Rivers calmly led the Chargers down the field for the winning score.
“One thing I know is no team in this league can practice two-minute situations as much as we do,” Rivers said. “It’s a little different executing it on Murphy Canyon Road as it is in Oakland. … I said: ‘Well, we’ve done this a million times, let’s go score. All we need is three.’ I was talking to myself, too.”

I’m guessing he’s thinking “Lord, I hope Seymour or Ellis don’t get me again..”

Rivers was six for seven for 79 yards on the winning drive before Sproles silenced the crowd with his run up the middle. This marked the Raiders’ 11th straight loss in prime time and perhaps the most painful, considering how close they came.
They took a 13-10 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 35-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski before Rivers drove the Chargers down and gave them the lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson. Then Russell’s fourth-down pass to Murphy looked as if it would provide an emphatic end to a pair of losing streaks. Instead, it was just a footnote to Oakland’s league-worst 73rd loss since the start of the 2003 season.
The Chargers offense looked overmatched for much of the night against newly acquired Richard Seymour and the Raiders defense. Injuries to center Nick Hardwick and guard Louis Vasquez in the third quarter made moving the ball even tougher for San Diego and the frustration led Rivers to commit a personal foul that thwarted one drive.
But the two last drives were the reason why the Chargers gave Rivers a six-year contract extension worth $93 million, with $38 million guaranteed, last month. He finished 24 for 36 for 252 yards, playing his best when it counted most.
“People talk about quarterbacks that handle pressure, that respond and lead their teams from behind,” Chargers coach Norv Turner said. “He’s done it continuously and he’s done it in some real difficult situations like tonight. It’s great to get the win here.”

F$$# you, Norv. I don’t care if peeps still compliment you, you’re STILL terrible.

Russell nearly had overcome a rough night with that one pass to Murphy. Russell was 12 for 30 for 208 yards and two interceptions, including one on a desperation heave following Sproles’ TD.
Oakland got a big boost from Seymour, who arrived from New England two days ago and didn’t even go through a full practice with his new team. He sacked Rivers twice in the first half and helped Oakland keep longtime nemesis LaDainian Tomlinson in check.
Tomlinson, who averaged 119 yards rushing per game against Oakland coming into the game, managed only 55 on 13 carries. But Sproles helped out with two long kickoff returns, five catches for 43 yards and the winning touchdown.
The Raiders dominated the play in the first half, outgaining the Chargers 217-74, but were still tied at 10 because of two turnovers, and a replay review that went against Oakland.
With the offensive line creating big holes, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush ran the ball down the field on the opening drive before Russell threw an interception from the San Diego 25 to Quentin Jammer.
The Raiders finished the job on the second drive, getting a 30-yard pass from Russell to Zach Miller to set up Bush’s 4-yard run. McFadden fumbled on the next drive, setting up Tomlinson’s 1-yard run to tie it, his 20th career rushing touchdown against Oakland.
Oakland was on the wrong end of a replay review at the end of the half, when an apparent 19-yard touchdown pass to Murphy was overturned because the ball came loose as he hit the ground. Oakland settled for a 37-yard field goal by Janikowski with 40 seconds left.
“By definition in our rule book, he’s going to the ground and has to maintain possession of the ball throughout the entire act of the catch,” referee Carl Cheffers told a pool reporter. “And in this case, he lost possession and the ball hit the ground. Therefore, it’s incomplete.”

Yeah, I know..Bullshit.

Sproles returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yards, setting up Nate Kaeding’s 47-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
BTW: Tomlinson’s lost fumble in the first quarter was his first since Oct. 22, 2006, against Kansas City. … Former first-round pick Michael Huff had an INT and a fumble recovery, matching his total from his first three seasons.

Let’s take out all our anger on the Chiefs, Gentlemen. Hear my words..
We will see a better day!!!
-DR

What it do, Nation!??! !!!Good to be back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JYEH! Welcome Seymour! I hope u were worth the trouble, sir!

I have to mention, the 2009 50th anniversary Oakland Raiders don’t look great so far, do they? Sure, there were only Pre-season games witnessed, but Raider fans wish the team showed more promise in the past few weeks.
Eh, maybe they’re saving it for the Chargers, right?? DAMN RIGHT!!!!
BTW: Anyone ever notice the “San Diego Super Charger” song would make a great theme song for a movie musical about prison sex?

Indeed, the past couple of months has been full of expectations, new prospects, ideas and hope.
The good news is:
Receivers are finally catching the ball, Jam and Bey have improved dramatically, McFadden can’t wait to be the work Horse, Quarterbacks will still stay from Nnamdi and Greg Ellis looks on target for at least 11 sacks…
we even get to sport new “Legacy” Jerseys with Ice Cube on Monday night!!

I should be more excited, but I can’t help to think about the last time it all blew up in all of our faces the last time we faced San Diego in our opener.
Sure, there were different faces, different philosophies, different coaches , etc. etc…
but you never know when we can be blindsided yet again if we don’t take this team seriously.. (see below).

Thoughts that currently come to the Dark Lord of the Sith’s mind today..
1) How can we contain/stop “The Choker” Shawn Merriman without using a Court of law?
2) How can we contain LT in the current state of our running stopping D?
3) How can we not let Phillip Rivers beat us again?
(Notice I mention the word “We” a lot. Hush, no one knows I’m the 54th man..)

Short Answers:
1) We MUST give Mario or Cornell backup blocking with our Tight Ends. Sure, he’s bound to leak through the middle as well..but hopefully, all of our Running Backs are preparing for this kind of situation. We don’t need a 5 second block (anyone see last night’s Steelers game?) just about 2 or possibly 3…
2) If we can’t improve in stopping Running backs from treading all over us, then we’re headed for high tide waves swallowing our Defense the entire year! Sure, our starters weren’t in the majority of the past couple of pres season games, but c’mon!!! If I’m Cable, I’m leaving their asses out there until they get it right! Sure, Richard Seymour can help our team considerably, bu it’s going to take a collective effort to get the job done right. I’m tired of seeing the backs running around our D like the Bulls in the streets of Barcelona..
Please, D ..MAKE IT STOP!
3) Well, the good news is D-Hall is no longer a part of the team. Thank the Force. I can still see Denver Offense tearing us to shreds last year. Chris Johnson should be a major contributor in trying to stop the Chargers passing attack. If you throw in little pressure (probably coming from Ellis AND Seymour) we might have a better chance at beating this team.

Realistically, on paper? The Raiders should lose this game. The point spread is -9 1/2, the NFL Analysts still talk shit and the entire World thinks we’re going to lose this game.
“So why do you continue supporting this team?” a friend asks.
“I want to be here when they turn this damn thing around..and when it does? I swear I might hit someone in the face out of pure enthusiasm. If you have read what I’ve read, saw what I’ve seen and know that ANY team has a chance at winning against an 8-8 team? You might feel a wee bit more dedicated too, ass”.

Here’s the post game wrap of the last time we faced the Chargers in an opener…

In his first NFL start Monday night, Rivers didn’t do much more than hand the ball off and watch his defense dominate. He didn’t have to: Tomlinson carried 31 times for 131 yards and one touchdown and the Chargers handed Oakland its second home shutout in a 27-0 victory over the Raiders on Monday night.
“It was exciting,” Rivers said. “I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. … I’ve said before, I don’t care if I have to hand it off 50 times or throw it 50 times, as long as we win.”
With much of the focus on Rivers as he replaces Drew Brees, Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer put the game in the hands of Tomlinson and his defense, spoiling Art Shell’s first game back as Raiders coach.
“I was shocked,” Shell said. “We didn’t play well, as you could tell. We didn’t have the intensity level that the San Diego Chargers did. I didn’t get us prepared for this game.”
San Diego beat the Raiders for the sixth straight time and shut them out for the first time in their last 90 regular-season meetings. When the Chargers won 44-0 in 1961, Al Davis was still an assistant with San Diego .
Tomlinson showed little sign of rust after sitting out the entire preseason, topping 100 yards rushing in the second quarter. He has 837 yards rushing in his last six meetings with Oakland .
“When you have a young quarterback, you run the football a lot,” Tomlinson said. “You don’t ever want to put a young quarterback in a situation to make a turnover unless you have to. We played conservative and our defense was playing well so we had to ride our defense.”
Rivers, who spent his first two seasons as a backup, went 8-for-11 for 108 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates in the fourth quarter that made it 20-0.
The Chargers ran the ball on 48 of 59 plays, and Rivers threw only two passes to wide receivers.
“That was dictated by the score,” Schottenheimer said. “If I had Dan Marino, I would have done the same thing. Everything he was asked to do, he did in a winning fashion.”
The Chargers’ win capped an opening weekend in the NFL in which 11 games were won by visiting teams, the most on opening weekend since 1983, when 12 teams did it. The Raiders joined Green Bay and Tampa Bay as home teams who failed to score in their openers as they had no answer for Merriman and the Chargers defense.
Merriman, last year’s top defensive rookie, had three of San Diego ’s nine sacks and the Chargers held the Raiders to 129 yards in Brooks’ first game as quarterback. Brooks, who went 6-for-14 for 68 yards, was replaced in the fourth quarter by Andrew Walter.
“It was just a tough outing. They played better than us,” Brooks said. “We’re going to get better.”

So here we are WITHOUT Art Shell, Schottenheimer, Brooks, a bed n’ breakfast Offense and more weapons this time around with an improved O-line, D-line (uh, in theory) a better QB, quality Running backs and Tights, etc. etc.
Tell me, are we truly better?

We’ll see come Monday, kids. LET’S GET IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May the force be with us. See you all on Monday night. Take it away, Cube..
Happy Birthday, Panvadee!!