Raiders cannot reward McClain for bad judgment.

Given the incident involving Oakland’s man in the middle, Rolando McClain, the franchise should be rethinking the future of their defense.

This is not to say now is the time to pull the plug on McClain all together. Quite the opposite in fact. Now is the time to see what this young man is truly made of.

Problem is the Raiders won’t have the benefit of learning that on Sundays. Instead Hue Jackson will have to see what type of character McClain has through the lens of the legal system.

Before getting too high on my horse, I’m willing to let this entire saga play out. Before we bury an immature millionaire we should first allow the legal due diligence to be completed. However it would be in Oakland’s best interest to shut McClain down for the rest of the season.

Actions such as these, no matter McClain’s direct or indirect involvement, cannot be rewarded. In order for McClain to mature into a true leader he must learn a harsh lesson. Professional football can provide plenty for those that are fortunate. Just ask Michael Vick about that. If you’ve got the game, then all can be forgiven. But it took Vick sitting in a federal jail cell to learn that lesson. McClain would be wise not to follow a similar route.

I’m not one of these types that believe once you make your money that you should turn your back on those that supported you from day one. For me, I feel that you owe it to your closest friends and family to remain active in their lives, no matter their private dealings. However, your role should be as a positive influence showing them the way instead of following them on their path.

McClain didn’t just make a mistake. Please don’t give him a pass on this. A mistake is something that happens on Sundays in the course of a football contest. This was a premeditated act that reveals a lot about McClain’s flawed logic.

The Raiders are a better team with McClain in the middle. The stats will reflect it even if he isn’t reminding anyone of Ray Lewis. What Rolando must realize is that he has a much bigger family relaying on him now. Those men that wear Silver and Black are his kin. He’s let them all down.

Make no mistake, if the organization were to tell McClain to stay home for the balance of the season it would greatly affect the team’s playoff hopes and could aid in jeopardizing the team’s goals. But it is the right action to take.
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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 assembled and how they should play the game. He wants the biggest, strongest and fastest athletes on the planet to play man-on-man defense and to throw the ball over the heads of the opposition on offense.

This is the gospel of Al. Go forth, play bump and run and get vertical.

Now, Davis might have his hand all in the personnel cookie jar but he certainly isn’t making decisions during the game.

Don’t believe me though. Just check Jason Campbell’s view of Bruce Gradkowski this Sunday as proof. Davis, who compared Campbell to Jim Plunkett, seems unlikely to have called for Campbell’s benching just six quarters into a three year deal.

Never mind the QB situation, the real controversy could be who's really calling the shots. (Photo: YardBarker.com)

No, that decision was made by Hue Jackson. Not the head coach Tom Cable but instead the offensive coordinator suggested benching the starting quarterback.

And what do you know? It worked.

Now, the real controversy has come to light: The struggle for control of the Raiders.
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This time around, it is the Philadelphia Eagles who have been given a bye week from the NFL schedule makers.

To the surprise of none, the Coliseum will not be sold out and once again the Black Hole has been blacked out.

Had the animal rights activists who plan to protest the arrival of Michael Vick from outside the Coliseum actually chosen to do so inside, then maybe Roger Goodell would have lifted the blackout. Somehow, I don’t think this was way the NFL had hoped to push ticket sales though. Vick has already refused an invitation to visit 10 dogs that were at one point under his care but now call the Bay Area home.

While Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook are the headliners, it is the breakout performance of Jeremy Maclin one week ago that has become the newest way to rub salt in the open wounds of Raider Nation.

A rare sighting: Heyward-Bey with a football.

Darrius Heyward-Bey has just three touches in 5 NFL games. Maclin, the third wide receiver selected in the ’09 draft, caught 2 TDs a week ago. In fact, last Sunday was a great day for the rookie receivers of the class of ’09 not named Darrius. Hakeem Nicks caught a TD against the Raiders, Percy Harvin netted 66-yards receiving and Maclin had a banner day with 142 yards on 6 catches. DHB took the goose egg…again.

In defense of Heyward-Bey, he’s playing on the worst offense in football. This unit is so bad that it is starting to make the 2006 Raiders look like an offensive juggernaut.

Greg Ellis has come to grips with where the Raiders stand in the NFL. He’s not alone. If anyone in the locker room has any pride left, then they’ll show up on Sunday with something to prove. Tom Cable has gone on the record saying that the Raiders need three wins in a row to restore the faith. Being that the Raiders have been outscored 96-16 over their last three games, it would seem that only a miracle from God could reverse the trend over the next three. Cable might have blind faith, but Randy Hanson thinks he’s just a liar and wants to prove it.

A ray of hope appeared to creep its way into the East Bay this week when Chaz Schilens returned to the practice field. Unfortunately for JaMarcus Russell, he’ll be without his security blanket once again as Schilens is unlikely to go given the stunning news of Javon Walker actually being activated for the game. If Walker has things his way, it will be the final time he puts on a Raider uniform.

The offensive line is still in shambles. The linbacking core is being held together by string and the special teams just hopes to get better.

There are no moral victories in the NFL, but the Raiders sure could use a morale booster for pro football’s most ridiculed franchise.

As for Heyward-Bey; he just needs to get going and in a hurry. At this rate, Michael Crabtree will be the next receiver picked in the first round to lap him in the race for contract justification. DHB is currently the NFL’s highest paid sprinter. For the sake of JaMarcus Russell’s future, he’d better become an underpaid pass catcher soon or else this has the makings of an epically awful season. 

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