Web column posted on Raiders’ WR struggles
By Sports
Friday, October 10th, 2008 at 12:03 pm in Oakland Raiders.
Since Jerry is en route to New Orleans today and unable to post to this blog until later on, you can get your Raiders fix by checking out his Web exclusive column detailing the woes of Oakland’s passing attack.
Jon Becker
BANG-EB Online Sports Editor
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]
October 10th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
First
October 10th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Jerry thanks for everything you do. Keep up the good work.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
NICE am i 3rd
October 10th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Maybe with Cable we will see more of Javon and Chaz?
October 10th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
CINCO
October 10th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Copenhagan, I wouldn’t call it being sensitive. I’d call it being disappointed at a fellow Raider fan for cracking such a dumb joke. But carry on.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I think Al has already made the call to the Oakland City Council to let them know the team is moving in 2010 unless the city builds a football-only stadium next door to Raiders HQ — the former home of Allied Health Professionals.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Copenhagen, I don’t know if you were dropped on your head as a child, or what. But try and wrap your empty brain around this:
My views on Al Davis ARE THE NORM.
Go to any sports bar.
Any restaurant.
Heck, any church.
Just bring up Al Davis, and watch the laughs.
Then, go home wondering if they were all possessed by the MaddenRaider guy at InsideBayArea’s Raider blog, you f’n moron.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Allied Health Professionals are staying. They’re not the business that’s 20-64 since ‘02.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Allied Health Professionals know how to win in their industry. Oakland’s about winning. So therefore, they’re welcome. The Raiders? They’re on notice.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Nice Jer, Enjoy Naw lens
October 10th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I’m already at New Orleans. You hear that Cable guy? One mess up and I’m promoting Lofton on the spot.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
7. True dat.
Thats part of the reason he spent $100 million plus this off season.
wants the Raiders back in contention so cities will be interested if he wants to move again.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
**** AHP.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I say again, **** AHP. If they can bring home 3 Lombardi’s, then I might consider their blatant slander, biut for now, thanks for kicking us when we’re down.
Davis was not only justified, he was right to fire Lame.
Kiff’s a nut job.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Javon Walker better come to play.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
McDonald: Time for Raiders receivers to catch more than grief
By Jerry McDonald
Oakland Tribune
Article Launched: 10/10/2008 12:20:47 AM PDT
IT’S ALL WELL and good that Al Davis has mandated that the Raiders turn JaMarcus Russell loose.
Interim coach Tom Cable and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, careful not to trash their predecessor Lane Kiffin, have talked in code of being more balanced and aggressive.
When the Raiders visit the New Orleans Saints Sunday in the Superdome, it’s nothing but rhetoric unless Russell can find some reliability and consistency out of his wide receivers.
An organization which developed Fred Biletnikoff, Warren Wells and Tim Brown and coaxed the last years of greatness out of Jerry Rice can’t get out of its own way when split wide right or left.
Most of the attention has rightly been focused on Javon Walker, by virtue of his $11 million signing bonus, $1 million salary and a roster bonus due in March that will pay another $5 million.
He got the bucks, he takes the heat. Fair enough.
Yet Walker is only the highest-priced part of a five-man unit (sixth receiver Todd Watkins has yet to be active) which has been woefully unproductive.
Considering the Raiders’ prized possession is a 23-year-old quarterback with the most celebrated throwing arm in the NFL, it is a major problem.
A quarter of the way through the season, five Raiders wide receivers have combined for 19 receptions. That’s the same amount Frank Gore has in San Francisco with the 49ers and Owen Daniel, a tight end you’ve probably never heard of, has with the Houston Texans.
There are 28 individual wide receivers that have 19 or more receptions, including Terrell Owens, who has exactly 19 (for 331 yards) and isn’t happy about it.
Projected over 16 games, Ashley Lelie and Johnnie Lee Higgins would end the season with 20 receptions each, because those two men are the co-leaders among Raiders wideouts with five catches through four games.
With that in mind, I ventured over to Walker’s locker the other day to chat about how the coaches were talking about increasing the production in the passing game.
“What you’re saying is we ought to get the ball to the wide receivers a little more,” Walker said, reading my intentions a lot better than the Raiders passing offense reads defenses. “I don’t see why not. I know we’re ready. It’s time to utilize us.”
Given the results of the first four games, it’s fair to question whether the aggregate ability of Raiders wide receivers is enough to achieve the balance Cable and Knapp desire.
There is more dysfunction within the position group than there is within the organization.
Walker was a frequent target of Kiffin’s barbs, missed the opener with a hamstring strain and has been the target of six passes in three games, catching four for 52 yards. In each of the last two games, Walker caught the first two passes of the game, then disappeared.
Ronald Curry, the Raiders’ leading receiver for the last two years, has one catch in his last three games, two overall and has been targeted 13 times. He’s been credited with two drops by STATS, Inc., although that seems at least a drop shy.
Second-year man Johnnie Lee Higgins, who Kiffin said was to get an increased role a day or two before he was sent packing, caught an 84-yard touchdown pass against Buffalo and has been the intended receiver nine times. Rookie Chaz Schilens has been thrown to eight times, catching two.
Russell’s favorite target among the wideouts? It’s Lelie, who couldn’t make a rather motley crew of 49ers receivers and has been targeted 18 times.
“That surprises me a little bit, but I guess with Javon down I had to assume the role of the No. 1 receiver,” Lelie said. “But I can see us spreading it out now, and most of us are healthy and ready to go. We’re going to take our shots.”
If only it were that easy.
Whether it’s the inability of receivers to get open, timing, or the accuracy of Russell, the Raiders quarterback has had 20.2 percent of his incomplete passes attributed to “poor throws,” the highest figure in the league.
Drew Brees, his counterpart Sunday, has an 8.8 percent figure in the same category.
On the bright side, Russell has a 103.3 passer rating in sets with three wide receivers, and a 96.7 rating in the shotgun _ indicating he’s better in passing formations.
Walker isn’t sure how much that means.
“It depends on where the ball is going. If it’s going to Ron, it’s going to me, or Ashley Lelie, then OK, we’re working our wide receivers,” Walker said. “If they’re all checkdowns, then we’re not involved.”
Walker is either bubbling under the surface or simply not worried about it, because he talks of his lack of involvement without a touch of rancor.
“The anger used to be there, a while ago, but I’m willing to let it happen, let it grow,” Walker said. “I make the plays I can make. Beyond that, what more can I do?”
In the same vein, Walker doesn’t seem too upset over Kiffin’s criticisms one way or the other.
“It was the sign of a guy who didn’t know anything about me,” Walker said. “It was like all of a sudden I was in my first year in the league. I just laughed at it.”
Russell thinks the solution is spreading the ball around in the first quarter.
“Get to ‘em early. As early as we can,” Russell said. “Then you block downfield, get the running game going, then go at ‘em again _ try not to stay away from ‘em as long as we have been. Keep them in an easy flow as far as keeping them (in the game) at all times.”
Cable has gone over all the theories, talking about protection, timing, accuracy and the speed of pass routes.
“We don’t need to talk about, we just need to do it,” Cable said.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Personally I could care less where the Raiders play. I do not live in the Bay Area and never would. But I did visit the HQ this summer after flying into OAK for a family vacation at Yosemite. Got a nice pic of my daughter standing in front of the fountain. The team was at camp in Napa so HQ looked deserted…I guess I should have taken the opportunity to chuck a rock through the window of the Allied Health clowns next door…
News flash from 2012??? <~~! “Portland Raiders win Super Bowl!”
October 10th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3634080
To all the pundits.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Imagine JR doing the amazing! Throwing for 350 yards and 3 TD no pics. OAK 35 NO 14
October 10th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
LOL, they are adapting our language =)
October 10th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
# El Dirty Says:
October 10th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Imagine JR doing the amazing! Throwing for 350 yards and 3 TD no pics. OAK 35 NO 14
______________________________________________
give me a few hours and some beers, then I start imagine =) ooh sweet dreams =)
October 10th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Russell can’t lead Curry on any more passes. He has garbage hands syndrome. He should be the 3rd receiver/slot guy. only routes are curls so Russell can drill him in the chest. Higgins can start and use his speed to jet down the sidelines. He can beat most db’s in a foot race, especially the crappy injured ones for the Saints.
“What you’re saying is we ought to get the ball to the wide receivers a little more,” Walker said, reading my intentions a lot better than the Raiders passing offense reads defenses. “I don’t see why not. I know we’re ready. It’s time to utilize us.”
get ready for some Javon Raider fans!
October 10th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
El Dirty: it’s possible - i’m ready to see what the kid’s got
October 10th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
KoolKell..
Gahahhaha, LOL a brit tried last night to sell Iceland on eBay..
October 10th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Again Javon Walker, I expect for him to “dominate” the Saints secondary like a top receiver should. Attract those double teams, get separation. Get open! I am sure Russell would be more than happy to get you the ball down field. Oh, and be sure to run crisp routes!
$16 million dollar man?
October 10th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
LMN, that was some racist comments you made saying Americans idolize nazis.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
RaiderDogg..
first get your terms straight.. it can never be a racist comment, since I didn’t mention “Race”..
secondly.. get you vocabulary, I said fascination..
October 10th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Douche:
A vaginal bulb syringe. Note the lateral holes near the tip of the nozzle (about 1cm, or 1/2 inch thick).
This “fountain syringe” should only be used for douching, by replacing the attached enema nozzle with the vaginal nozzle (shown bottom left). The vaginal nozzle is longer, thicker, and has lateral holes.
A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself. The word comes from the French language, in which its principal meaning is a shower (it is thus a notorious false friend encountered by non-native speakers of English; the phrase for vaginal douching is douche vaginale, meaning vaginal shower).
The word can refer to the rinsing of any body cavity but usually applies to vaginal irrigation, rinsing of the vagina. A douche bag is a piece of equipment for douching: a bag for holding the water or fluid used in douching (the term douche bag can also be used as an insult). To avoid transferring intestinal bacteria into the vagina, the same bag must not be used for a vaginal douche and an enema.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
…and that’s how I feel about it.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
B-Raider..
thanks for the info =)LoL, I believe you use a douche too for keeping a turkey or other birds moist during cooking.. I might be wrong =)
October 10th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
i’m just tired of reading this blog bro. nobody ever says anything worth reading, but i keep on reading. i just want to win some games baby! enough douching our brain cavities about woulda shoulda coulda, al this kiffin that, get chad johnson, blow j. walker, russell should this, mcfadden coulda that.
f**k it bro, win some games Cable.
Love ya,
Go Raiders
October 10th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I will go ecstatic if we win on sunday.. I don’t know what I do with myself Monday morning =)
October 10th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
La Milicia Negra Says:
October 10th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
RaiderDogg..
first get your terms straight.. it can never be a racist comment, since I didn’t mention “Race”..
secondly.. get you vocabulary, I said fascination..
Get you vocabulary. That’s not correct spelling my boy. That doesn’t make sense in America. I see why you couldn’t survive here.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
i know exactly what i’d do with myself if we win on sunday… cross my arms and nod my head in expected victory. Our Raiders are so much better than 1-3.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Dogg..
fair enough, it went a bit fast - get youRRRR
October 10th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
La Milicia Negra Says:
October 10th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I will go ecstatic if we win on sunday.. I don’t know what I do with myself Monday morning
Go back to middle school. You are so DUMB. You can’t deliver a complete sentence! I’m, out.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Well Thanks -Dogg..
Have a nice day to you too..
October 10th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
After Sunday… Ryan and Cable = Douche bag.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Ha ha. I put Maloso Raider earlier. It’s early.
Anyhow, yeh, Allied Health Professionals…it’s definitely their fault we’re losing. Al’s doing everything he can, and I mean everything, to build a winning team.
Al payed Bill Parcells a top salary to be GM here. He also let Parcells choose his own coach. So, as you can see, Al is exhausting all efforts to make the Raiders a winning team again. He’s doing everything he can. EEEEEverything. Yet these Allied Health Professionals want to kick him while he’s down. It’s not fair.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Take the points.
The Raiders are a LOCK.
Just Cover Baby.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Good lunch… Raider Dogg dont let it eat you. We knew it could have gone 2 ways improve immediatly or improve slowly. We are doing the latter but we are still improving. Wait and see sunday what we have.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
??????=Raiders
October 10th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Just thought of a name change for the Oakland Raiders
Call it the Davis Raiders
October 10th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
i see a lot of changes w/o Kiffin in the picture. i don’t see conservative gameplans. I think we’ll either do a whole lot better or a whole lot worse.
If Cable/Knapp put some points on the board and Ryan is aggressive in the 4th it’ll really be amazing
If our defense gets more than 2 sacks w/o Burgess and w/o the blitz it’ll be a miracle (and still probably a loss)
October 10th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
You know Walker is hard up for money when he decides to leave a first place team (Denver)to play on the next to the last place team (Raiders)He must have lost his brain that day.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I’d like to see an extra lineman as an eligible receiver, have him in there to help block instead of Miller. Miller is our most valuable set of hands and needs to get more opportunities. Can Tony Stewart or John Madsen block? Might try some 2 TE sets with one of them staying in to block and Miller the primary target.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I agree with RaiderRockstar last comment
It will be a real miracle if the team can make it on to the field without any problems.
Sorry just had to snick that one in.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
vincent - Walker got canned
his contract wasn’t up or anything. and there were reportedly 10 other teams interested in him when he signed with Oakland. (probably none of them offered even half of what Oak did)
October 10th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Gee Whiz!!!
Big Al is not all that bright is he.
I think he still has all that hate for the Raiders but still plays for them but doesn’t really perform as he should. Just the money thats all he wants and he found a sucker in Al.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
post 33 LMN,The sun will shine so brightly monday when we win.I’ve,we’ve all waited sooo long,content on the FACT that we are moving UP and jellin,hella jellin!!!
October 10th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
after the win sorry
October 10th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Caribou Barbie, if Al informed the Oakland City Council that he would be moving in 2010 if they didn’t build a new stadium next to Raiders headquarters it would be a story indeed seeing that Raiders Head Quarters and the land you’re referring to are actually located in the City of Alameda.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Walker did not leave Denver, he was released as Shanarat though he would need microfracture surgery to repair his knee.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
There will be NO new stadium in Oakland with this economy. If AD wants a new stadium, his only hope is for a private developer. Like the guy who built the Staples Center and wants to build a new Stadium east of L.A. with his own money. If AD settles for a remodeled Coliseam, that is the only chance he stays. They also have to kick in all the revenue streams to compete in the NFL.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I’m a dork choosing the right QB, so I ask for some help, who would you start..
Jason Campbell vs STL (my choice at the moment)
Matt Schaub vs MIA
Jeff Garcia vs CAR
Most games my starting qb got 0-5 points and my reserve above 20.. dammit =)
October 10th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
New season starts Sunday.. hoping for 1 & 0 to start the Tom Cable regime.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
How many sports blogs give you such a wide range of conversational topics as this? You get deep, insightful commentary on the Raiders, political commentary, way more information on feminine hygiene than I ever wanted to hear, lessons on grammer, and foreign perspective on America and our way of life.
This is truly an international Raider Nation.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Hey MHRs long time no-post.Yup best NATION EVER!!!
October 10th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
exLA..
yeah, Emirates stadium comes to mind, it couldn’t get funding either, its in London.. it cost £430MM including a bunch of infrastructure.. they received a £100MM check for the naming rights, due for 15 years - by Emirates Airlines..
So with a great sponsor, most likely a middle eastern or Chinese then it seems plausible, I think thats how its going to happen, if its going to happen..
October 10th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
whats up NATION?
Did I miss anything?
FREE DIRTY!
October 10th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
MVR..
True! as I say the NATION is the only global nation!
October 10th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
LMN
If I was you I’d start Jason Campbell..
I have to choose between starting
McNabb vs 9ers
or
Cun tler vs jag’s
October 10th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
McNabb!
October 10th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Sup 408
October 10th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Man do you guys think only brees&an whats his name can beat US
October 10th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
not much 4eva My boss and I were having a shots (patron) contest @ lunch.. I won 8 shots and 3 beers.. We left his car In the parking lot mines @ work and my lil brother rescued us..
October 10th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Man do you guys think only brees can stop us
October 10th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
As a Raiders fan, with a 1 and 3 record, you look for as many positives as you can find.
If a soothsayer had come to me back in August and said that Russell would have a 4 to 1 TD to int ratio after the first four games I would have penciled us in at 4 - 0 going into the bye week. We will see what happens when Knapp opens up the kimono.
If the same soothsayer had said that we would have three running backs in the top twenty-five in the AFC by the bye week, I would have said “Oh yeah baby”. For all of you that said we should trade Fargas for depth at some other position, uhh no?!?
If this same soothsayer (pretty good soothsayer as soothsayers go) had told me that our two most dominate D-linemen going into the bye would be Sands and Warren, I would have asked what he was smoking and who he bought it from.
Can’t wait until 4:00 PM EST to celebrate the beginning of a new Raider era!
October 10th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW 408!!! make sure you tell youre boss he a sissy
October 10th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
oh and GOD bless your little bro!!! 408
October 10th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
his b!tch as$ is passed out on my couch right now!!! LOL I’m gonna sneek out side and smoke this blunt! BRB
October 10th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
You da MAN 408!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 10th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
hey 408 put shaving creame or dogsh:t or something in his hand
October 10th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
LMN,
I am curious as to how you became a Raider fan. I apologize if you have covered this before but am only able to hit the blog a couple times per week.
As for the negative comments in regard to your grammer, I will wager that you speak English far better than all of us posters will ever speak Danish.
October 10th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
New Post!
October 10th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
4eva Na hes fighting with his ol lady.. plus hes a square
October 10th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Watch in 2010 Raider comeback to LA this time for GOOD
October 10th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Our QB needs extra protection; how about an extra tightend instead of a fullback. Let the QB go deep–down field.
October 12th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I’VE SEEN ENOUGH OF JAVON WALKER…….CAN WE PLEASE PLAY THE ROOKIES AND HIGGINS AT WR…….SCHILENS IS THE FUTURE, WALKER IS DONE…….GIVE ME CURRY AS A POSSESSION WR, AND HIGGINS, SCHILENS AS SPEED……
October 12th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
RAIDERS DON’T HAVE THAT JAVON WALKER……..REMEMBER WHEN TIM BROWN, AND JERRY RICE COULD NO LONGER GET SEPARATION FROM DEFENSIVE BACKS ? WELL, JAVON WALKER IS DONE.
October 13th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Well we can’t throw if the O-line doesn’t block. Cornell Green and Kwame Harris are not playing well on the edges right now. We should use alot more max protection to keep Jarmarcus from getting sacked cuz he’s fumbling too much from hits he doesn’t see! Please use more max protection cuz we could run & pass out of this formation. Jarmarcus will get hurt if we keep playing this way. We must protect our investment and the best way is with another O-lineman in the game for extra protection!
October 14th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I am going to Sue Big Al for Cause…..beCAUSE he is an IDIOT!!! I think every disgruntled season ticket holder should take Al Davis to Small Claims Court and Sue him for the ticket costs for the remaining home games. Then, maybe then, he would get his act together and hire a GM and a Modern Era coach.