Raiders lay down gauntlet to Cribbs
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 1:48 pm in Oakland Raiders.
Raiders punter Shane Lechler watched film of Cleveland’s Josh Cribbs and made the following assessment:
“I’m pretty sure he’s the best we’ve faced _ ever _ in my 10 years here.”
The last time Cribbs faced the Raiders, he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown with the Browns trailing 16-0, with Cleveland climbing back into the game and losing 26-24 when Tommy Kelly blocked a field goal in the final seconds.
Two more came last week against the Chiefs, with returns of 100 and 103 yards for touchdowns contributing to a 41-34 win.
Cribbs, in his fifth year out of Kent State, has eight kickoff returns for touchowns plus a pair of scores on punts. He’s averaging 27.8 yards per kickoff return this season and 13.3 yards on punts with one touchdown. In his spare time, he lines up as a wide receiver, wildcat quarterback and plays on coverage units.
Lechler, however, has no plans to avoid Cribbs. Mindful of how the Raiders shut down an equally hot returner in Week 10 of the 2007 season in Chicago’s Devin Hester, he’ll kick it deep and trust his teammates to cover.
Hester finished his day in Oakland with six punt returns for 14 yards and a pair of kickoff returns for 34, the bright spot in a 17-6 loss to the Bears.
So the Raiders have no plans to back down and kick for the sideline.
“We’re going to do exactly what we did to Hester, what we did to Dante Hall four years ago when he was at Kansas City,” Lechler said. “ When you do that, it goes to show that you don’t trust your guys. I’m willing to put my guys up against anybody. I like my guys. My punt team is outstanding, they play their butt off every Sunday.”
Said Isaiah Ekejiuba: “Shane is not a directional punter. He’s going to let the ball go, and we’re going to go down and cover the way we need to cover.”
And this from Sam Williams: “On special teams, we’re not afraid of any challenge, we don’t back down, we kick to anybody, we have the best kicker in the league and we feel like we have one of the best cover teams in the league.”
Cribbs, talking to Bay Area writers by conference call, was happy to hear the news.
“If that’s true, then they’ve got egos and we’ve got to prove it to them like we’ve got to prove it to everybody else,” Cribbs said.
Cribbs patterned his game after former Redskins return specialist Brian Mitchell, who finished his career with an NFL record 13 special teams touchdowns. Lechler said Cribbs is the most fearless punt return specialist in the game, noting an absurdly low total of three fair catches.
“I love it when (the other team) is in my face because that means once I get past the first window, the first couple of guys, then I’m out in the open,” Cribbs said. “You know, get past that first wave, chances are really high for me to take it to the end zone.”
In terms of style, Cribbs, 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, is nothing like Hester (5-foot-11, 190) and more like Mitchell, who was 5-11, 221. He’s bigger than Hester, not as fast, but more physical and excels in bad weather.
“He’s doing now is what Devin Hester did a couple years ago, but in a very different way,” Ekejiuba said. “He has great vision. He sees where the holes are, it’s like he guesses where the holes are and he hits them before they even form. That’s what makes him so good.
“He gets to places where a lot of returners can’t do, and he breaks a lot of tackles.”
More to come . . .
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Al Davis does not care if his quarterback is protected. It’s the lowest priority for him. As long as his QB can get enough deep throws off to score points, then he’s protected enough. A QB had better have some size in this system. The only small QB to play well with the Raiders in recent memory is Rich Gannon, and that’s because Gruden had a system with quicker passes, and kept the O line disciplined and in shape..
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Cribbs will probably take 2 to the house this week. If not 3. He’s playing the Raiders. And, as Deion Sanders said, his name is “crib”.
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Mike Mitchell will get him.
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I hate to admit that I agree with you MR, but I got Charlie bowing out early as well.
He was a little too glass Joe for me on the sidelines last week. He sat down and didn’t move or blink for an hour.
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:14 pm
mofo got LIT-UP
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I also thought Frye was a little quick to bail out of the pocket and roll out to his right. He completed the one pass to Murphy, but it mostly didn’t work.
I like Frye to start so we don’t get blown out from the beginning like we can with Russell fumbling and such, but Russell, in all seriousness, probably gives us a better chance to score at the end of games.
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I dont expect to mush passing….this time of year in Cleavland is RUFF lol
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
mush lol
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
ruff lol
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
dog pound =)
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:28 pm
we got this…
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:30 pm
where U B
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:32 pm
As long as it isn’t real windy, they should still be able to throw 20 passes or so.
Speaking of windy, anyone see the Vegas Bowl highlights from the BYU-Oregon State? Crazy stuff.
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:32 pm
right here
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
well D’OH switch over
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:36 pm
gray goose to brown squirrel….come in brown squirrel
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:42 pm
as Deion Sanders said, his name is “crib”
***
Cribbs nickname from Deion is “pay the man”
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
new post Barack worshippers!
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:52 pm
What did I miss…just got back from watching Avatar!!
Good movie if you guys have a chance!!
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
[...] [...]
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:17 pm
[...] Read more. [...]
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:39 pm
[...] McD: Raiders lay down gauntlet to Cribbs Raiders lay down gauntlet to Cribbs – Inside the Oakland Raiders – A look inside the world of the hi… __________________ RaideroftheSith aka [...]
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:37 pm
JERRY, IS IT TRUE THAT TOMMY KELLY IS GETTING FINED BY THE NFL UNIFORM POLICE FOR HAVING HIS PANTS OUT OF PLACE DURING THE GAME IN DENVER?
ALSO, CONFIRM OR DENY THE RUMOR THAT KELLY IS NOW ENDORSED AND IS AN OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN FOR “MOON PIES”. OWENS HAD THE SAME SORT OF THING HAPPEN WITH “SHARPIE” MARKERS…
December 24th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I don’t worry about Cribbs as much as I worry about having to watch JaBust and DHB try to play the game of football. These guys need to go! DHB done for the season, good rid-dens!!! If only DHB could ride the pine for the next 3 seasons so his guaranteed money is done. Message to Raider front office, get football players not track guys!!!
December 24th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
To the comment regarding the O line with Gannon. It was one of the best O lines in football at the time. You had a Pro Bowl Tackle, Pro Bowl Center and a Pro Bowl Guard. Gannon could have baked a cake much of the time and had all day to throw much of the time.
April 24th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
divorce attorney fort lauderdale florida, divorce attorney plantation florida…
[...]Raiders lay down gauntlet to Cribbs – Inside the Oakland Raiders – A look inside the world of the highly classified Oakland Raiders from the writers of Bay Area News Group[...]…