Archive for September, 2010

Last Sunday the Oakland Raiders put the rest of the league on high alert as Nnamdi Asomugha was taken off the leash and allowed to shadow Larry Fitzgerald for most of the game. This coming Sunday Andre Johnson is slated to be the next in line to get an afternoon filled with frustration. However, the All-Pro receiver is going to be a game-time decision due to a high-ankle sprain. Maybe Johnson is getting cold feet after seeing how Nnamdi harassed Fitzgerald like Mel Gibson does Ukrainian pianists. Fitzgerald managed just one catch on Nnamdi and two catches overall during the [...]

For rookie safety Stevie Brown it’s been a wild ride just three weeks into his professional career. The 7th round pick has been on and off the active roster more often than Lindasy Lohan has been on and off the neighborhood watch list. Well, Brown is safely on the active roster for another week…for now at least. Today the Raiders signed linebacker Alex Joseph to the practice squad keeping Brown on active duty. Of course, Stevie shouldn’t get too comfortable. Last week he was a last minute addition to the gameday roster meaning there is always the chance he could [...]

Color me wrong. I always knew Darren McFadden had the game. Just over a year ago I was begging for Run-DMC to go Keyshawn and demand the damn ball! Problem was I saw McFadden as an all-purpose, multi-faceted weapon. I never thought he could handle the consistent workload as a runner alone. 73 carries and 345 yards into the season, McFadden is looking like a workhorse. Taking a page out of the Justin Fargas book on running, McFadden is hitting the hole with a reckless abandon, punishing would be tacklers with a lowered shoulder and a nonstop motor. While McFadden [...]

These are truly sad times for Raider Nation. Today, George Blanda passed away at the age of 83. The team released the following statement. We are deeply saddened by the passing of the great George Blanda. George was a brave Raider and a close personal friend of Raiders Owner Al Davis. When the Raiders Owner presented him for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981, Davis called Blanda the greatest clutch player the game of pro football has ever known. The Miracle of George Blanda in 1970 will live for eternity in the history of the Raiders [...]

Back in 1999, the Oakland Raiders missed the playoffs with a record of 8-8. Of those 8 losses, 4 were decided by three points or less. Something had to be done. So, with the 17th pick of 2000 NFL Draft, Al Davis pulled vintage Davis move. He drafted a kicker…in the first round. Not just any kicker, mind you. Sebastian Janikowski was the man tapped by Bobby Bowden to reverse the wide right trend that had haunted his Florida State Seminoles against their bitter rivals the University of Miami Hurricanes. The sports world laughed that a team would use a [...]

In two games played they’ve racked up double digits in penalties twice, can’t stop the run and have been blown out by 34-points on the road. Normally, these are the types of results you’d expect from the Oakland Raiders. In actuality, we’re talking about the 2010 Arizona Cardinals. For the Raiders to get their second win in a row – a first in nearly two years – they have but one mantra: Play the game the right way. Forget about the week long QB controversy. This issue of benching the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL in favor of Bruce Gradkowski [...]

The Raiders have a quarterback controversy. Not your typical, Kevin Kolb has a concussion but he is still the starter, no wait he isn’t, Mike Vick is the starter instead type of controversy, mind you. This is a controversy rooted in something more than simply who is playing QB. This is a controversy rooted more in who is calling the shots. The widespread belief – which is rooted in some fact – is that Al Davis makes every decision for the franchise. As we all know, Mr. Davis has a very strict belief in how a football team should be [...]

No official word as of yet from the Oakland Raiders and head coach Tom Cable but Jason La Canfora is reporting that Bruce Gradkowski will get the nod for the starting QB gig over Jason Campbell.   Clearly feeling the pressure to win, Cable has given Campbell all of six quarters as the starter. Playing behind a patchwork offensive line didn’t do Campbell any favors but seeing Gradkowski thrive behind that same band of blockers didn’t help Campbell’s cause either. Only two weeks into the season and already Campbell’s future in Oakland looks about as bright as gothic costume party. There [...]

It’s been a long strange trip for Stevie Brown. From 7th round pick to making the final cut only to discover he didn’t make the final cut to being placed on the practice squad then moved to the active roster and finally waived. Yesterday the Raiders waived both Brown and Jonathan Holland one day after terminating ties with Luke Lawton.  Brown’s odyssey might not be done just yet. Vittorio Tafur believes that Brown’s performance on special teams will merit his ultimate return to the practice squad if no other team claims the college linebacker turned NFL safety. Holland had been [...]

On Sunday, Tom Cable benched Jim Plunkett at halftime. At least that’s the way Al Davis sees it. Davis recently stated that he saw some Plunkett in Jason Campbell when comparing the 2010 version of the Silver and Black to the Super Bowl champions of 1980. One could imagine that Davis was happy to see a win but not as pleased with seeing his prized possession plastered to the sideline with a headset on instead of a helmet. Now the controversy begins.