We ended the same way we begun. We competed and then did not finish in the 4th Quarter to get the job done. Many of the die hards knew the score as soon as the 3rd Quarter began..
When Mr. Russell takes the field, you can be sure as Hell you’re going to hear more boos than you’ve ever heard in your entire life. Being the loyalist I am, I actually always feel sorry for the guy after he takes the field. Here is a kid that has battled all of his life to achieve playing in the NFL as an accomplished Starter..
and everyone shits on you as if they were Coliseum birds before you even throw a pass.
Then he throws a pick/fumbles and I realize I’m not analyzing or thinking of the entire picture of the kid. The following comments have followed Jam like a stinky cologne from inside of the organization from the past two years:
“Doesn’t work hard enough”
“Isn’t fast enough”
“Has weight issues”
“Doesn’t have a fast enough reaction to the speed of the game”
“Has the biggest damn ego anyone has ever seen since Randy Moss”
“Does not dedicate himself”
“Parties with Cough Syrup dropped in his drinks; loving the lean”

Etc. etc. It’s too easy kicking a lame Dog when he’s down..

At the same time, It is very difficult to ignore all of these negative facts stewing around in my plastic head peice.
Should we keep him? I’m glad you asked.. ONLY if the kid agrees to stay on next season for a lower price. There is no way Al should keep him if he doesn’t consider getting tagged at a “discount price”. The bottom line is you got paid, did not dedicate yourself, sucked balls and will continue to suck balls if you don’t change your way of thinking. I can’t see how anyone would not want to try to improve after such criticism was heard around the World. Maybe some in life are ok by accepting ongoing failure…
But we, as the critical, fanatical, forever complaining Raider Nation… do not. We’ll always want more, even when we’re winning..forever striving.

Coach Cable on his way out? I hope not. People have already emailed me their favorite Coaching suggestions. What we need here is a little bit of continuity! We need familiarity, positive progression and to be recognized as a team that is growing and moving forward rather than stepping in the wrong direction. Sure, he might of stuck with with Ja-bust-us a wee bit too long for all our tastes, but the fact is the team rallied and responded positively around the other starting QBs we have on our roster! The weapons are there…
Zack Miller, Nnamdi
Chaz Schilens, Trevor Scott
Louis Murphy, Captain Kirk (if resigned)
Mike Bush, Tyvon Brach
Gallery (if healthy), Seymour (if resigned)
Satele, Thomas Howard , Sea Bass, Shane, etc..

We just need to draft or sign better defensive run stoppers (Linemen OR Linebackers). The opponent has run all day on us for the past 7 years!!!! When will we try to fix this????? NOW, I SAY!!!!! NOWNOWNOW!!!!
This has to be followed by drafting or signing better Offensive Linemen. If Bruce or Frye start next year, you can bet your ass they will be put down and injured if the wall is not more stable. If you disagree, please realize both guys did not last the season by only playing in a few games each this year..
I suggest the Quarterback situation will be a battle again next year with Frye, Bruce and perhaps another free agent QB competing for the #1 spot. Again, if Jam comes at a discount price…Al will have no choice but to stick with him. Let it be known that old man Al does NOT want to be wrong. He stuck by his players from the beginning of time and already gave a billion of examples when Quarterbacks started slowly. By mentioning those facts this year, that gave me, the Sith Lord and other Fans more insight on how the Emperor thinks and will react..

Summary:
OAKLAND, Calif. — With one vicious stiff-arm, Willis McGahee pushed aside the last obstacle standing between the Baltimore Ravens and another playoff bid on his way to a career-best day.
McGahee ran for a career-high 167 yards and three touchdowns, pushing down Hiram Eugene on a 77-yarder, and the Ravens clinched an AFC wild-card berth by beating the Oakland Raiders 21-13 on Sunday.

“We’re in the same position as last year where we had to win the last couple of games,” McGahee said. “Once we get in there, we know we can do damage, and now we’re in there.”
It really must be a blessing to always compete at a high level…or at least most of the time.
The Ravens (9-7) went into the regular season finale knowing a win would put them in the playoffs and a loss would send them home for an early winter. Just like last season when they beat Jacksonville in the final game to make the postseason, the Ravens came through against the Raiders.
Baltimore will open the playoffs next weekend at New England. The Ravens are 0-5 all-time against the Patriots, including a 27-21 loss at New England on Nov. 4.
Somehow, I wish both teams could lose the battle.
“In my 14 years, I’ve never had a pretty road to the playoffs,” linebacker Ray Lewis said. “It’s always been a grind, but there’s no better thing than having that grind and getting to advance. I like where we’re positioned right now, and I like all the adversity we’ve gone through. I just like seeing this team fight.”
Retire already Ray Ray..I’m tired of seeing your damn face.
The Raiders (5-11) provided a stiff challenge for much of the game but were unable to pull it out in the end behind former starter JaMarcus Russell.
Dannell Ellerbe intercepted a pass from Russell late in the third quarter to set up McGahee’s third touchdown that made it 21-13. Ellerbe then recovered a fumble by Russell at the Ravens 23 with 9:42 to go to end a possible scoring threat by Oakland.
After a three-and-out for the Raiders, McGahee iced the game with a 36-yard run on third-and-4 from his 15 to cap his first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
“Willis took over the game the way he ran,” coach John Harbaugh said. “I think our offensive line deserves a lot of credit. Obviously there were holes, but this guy was running north and south. He was powerful, he was explosive, and I think he’s worked really hard all season to have this kind of game.
The Ravens have clinched a second consecutive playoff berth and the sixth playoff berth in franchise history.

Notes:

The Ravens are now 6-1 all-time against the Raiders including playoff games, winning the last three matchups. I’m not sure if we have a worse record with any other NFL team..

The Ravens scored 391 points this season, which ties a franchise record set in 2003.

The Raiders (5-11) finished a seventh consecutive season with 11 or more losses. Can everyone go to Church this off season?
The loss gave the Raiders seven straight seasons with at least 11 defeats, the worst run in NFL history. May the Force be with us too..
Cable made some progress in his 28 games as Raiders coach but his inability to develop Russell into a legitimate NFL starter may ultimately doom him. He said he’s confident he’ll be back next season but has received no reassurances from owner Al Davis.
“I’m disappointed because we didn’t win,” Cable said. “I thought we were going to. And yet I feel excited about what’s coming back. But there’s got to be some things added and tweaked and fixed.”
Russell was benched midway through this season and came on in relief in three of the final seven games, including in the second half Sunday after Charlie Frye left with an injured ankle and back.
Russell led a comeback in Denver two weeks ago and appeared poised to do so again after directing the Raiders to a field goal that cut Baltimore’s lead to 14-13 late in the third quarter. But his two turnovers brought out the boo birds in Oakland and provided a fitting end to a disappointing third season for the former No. 1 overall pick. Russell committed 17 turnovers while throwing only three touchdown passes all season.
“You can’t turn the ball over when you’re playing a team as good as the Ravens,” Russell said.
YA THINK?!??!?!?! (fingers are up)
The Ravens struck first when McGahee scored on a 2-yard run to cap Baltimore’s second drive. It was McGahee’s touchdown in the second quarter that was truly highlight-reel material. Hiram will be thinking about that play for a while…
He took a handoff at the 23 and burst through the line. With Eugene in position to make a tackle near midfield, McGahee stiff-armed him to the ground and took it in the rest of the way for a 14-3 lead.
“I wasn’t expecting it to work that way,” McGahee said. “I was shocked just like everyone else was shocked. I knew I was gonna stiff arm, but I didn’t know he was going to fall backward. There’s no going back, though; you got to keep going forward.”
Frye responded by leading the Raiders on a 79-yard drive capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Zach Miller in the final minute of the half. Billy Cundiff missed a 37-yard field goal attempt wide right on the final play of the half, keeping Baltimore’s lead at 14-10.
Baltimore RB Ray Rice joined Jamal Lewis as the only Ravens with 2,000 yards from scrimmage in a season. He finished with 2,041. … The seven points for Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski gave him 1,000 for his career. … Oakland P Shane Lechler set a single-season record with a 43.9-yard net punting average. His 51.1-yard gross average fell just shy of Sammy Baugh’s mark of 51.4 yards set in 1940. There always next year, Pro Bowler!!
That’s it for this season, Nation! I’ll still be checking in weekly when any other big news comes in from our Reporters, Players and Team Office in the future. It has been a pleasure to give my opinion on all of our cheers and jeers that have come from the entire season.
Thanks for reading ya’ll!!! Raider Nation for life! Blogging from the Dark Side shall return!!!!!
-DR