For whom the bell tolls.....

That ringing in your head is from Michael Bush running over you for his first of two touchdowns.

Or, it could be the bell on the playoff train ringing as it pulls out of Tampa Bay with the Bucaneers not on board. All I have to say to Tampa is that they got what their effort, or lack thereof, deserved. Four straight losses to end the season and miss the playoffs??!! Ouch. But keep your heads up, Bucs. Depending on how the Broncos do tonight, you may not be the only ones sitting at home in your "Catostrophic Collapse" recliners this offseason. (I'm sure Jeff Garcia isn't that bummed, though. He gets to spend the offseason at home with his wife.)

Let's bring this back where it belongs, though.....to The Silver and Black. To a team that won two games in a row to close out the season. To a team that looks to be improving and actually heading in the right direction.

The last two wins have had a lot of things in common that allowed the team to win. Protect the quarterback and you win. Stop the stupid penalties and you win. Use your great running backs to set up the pass and take the pressure of Russell and you win. Call plays so Russell can effectively manage the game through the air and you win. Convert on third down and you win.

A lot of credit has to go to the offensive line and the head coach the last few weeks. The offensive line was more than solid, protecting Russell, opening holes for Bush, McFadden and Fargas and not holding or false starting on seemingly every play. Cornell Green has been a huge part of that, replacing Kwame Harris. Tom Cable's play calling has been good the past two games, also. He put the players in situations where they could succeed and made sure the opposing defenses were guessing as to what the offense would do next. That helped Russell and the entire offense to be able to do what they did the past two games.

Rob Ryan's defense stepped up to support the offense and make plays when they had to against both Tampa Bay and Houston. Throw in our depth at running back and Russell's slow, steady improvement and we have two wins in a row to close out the 2008 season.

After the game finished up today, I did wonder to myself, "Where the hell did this team come from and where have they been all year?" They beat a very hot Houston team at home and a playoff contender on the road. Very encouraging. The young players were given their shot and they are showing promise and performing (especially Higgins and Schilens). Leads me to wonder if we need to keep the high priced free agents at the WR spot. That's one of the decisions that will need to be made in the offseason.

For now, the bell's rung on the 2008 season and we've ended up 5-11 and slowly improving. If you're a believer in momentum, let's hope we can carry these two big wins over to the draft, offseason and the 2009 season.

Struggling to find the words

For anyone that knows me, the fact that I'm sitting here typing this up and totally struggling to find anything to say about the team is shocking, in and of itself.

One thing I'm really struggling with is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde nature of the offense. 17 for 30 passing between two quarterbacks. Are you kidding? Passer ratings of 42 for Russell and 31.7 for Walter. Seriously? Only 8 total yards for McFadden (and that was a pass reception) and 54 total rushing yards. Really? 163 totaly yards on offense. Is this the same offense that hung 31 on Denver?

I can't honestly sit here and hang it all on the offense, though. Let's be honest. The defense was awful against the Chargers, also. Granted, they were on the field to damn much because the offense was only 2-12 on third down and 0-1 on fourth down. But, the last two weeks has been a microcosm of the past half decade for the Raiders. No consistency. Underachieving. Lack of focus. Lack of execution. Lack of offense. Lack of defense. Lack of anything positive, really.

I sit here and filp through the games on the Sunday Ticket and I shake my head. I see Matt Ryan, as a rookie, doing things that Jamarcus Russell wishes he could do. Steve Slaton has become a monster for Houston and he was taken two rounds after Darren McFadden. That shows me one of two things (possibly both):

- Oakland's scouting (aka Al Davis) is awful
- The team is currently so bad that anyone they bring in, no matter how talented, will never succeed

Atlanta's dysfunctionality over the past year or year and a half has rivaled that of Oakland (if not worse because it involved players violating federal law). The Michael Vick situation, Bobby Petrino, (my personal favorite) DeAngelo Hall, et. al. Yet, here they are this year. A few smart personnel decisions and they're fighting for the NFC South. Oakland's had rarely a trouble with any players, in terms of the law, in the past couple years (outside of Tommy Kelly's drinking and driving ordeal earlier this season), yet we can't find any consistency or win more than 5 games. I guess in the NFL, it flusters professionals more to play for a new coach than to have a teammate or teammates committing federal crimes. When, as a player, do you decide to just be a professional and come to work and put the junk aside in order to achieve the one goal you all have in common? WINNING. Guess we'll be going on 6 years, now, in order to get that answer.

Let's talk about the current players, and one in particular. I don't know how much faith Al has in Jamarcu Russell and what it would take for that to waiver, but I will tell you this.....Al better start working on a Plan B. Al says he can play and has total faith in him, but is he really watching the games or referring to the same Jamarcus Russell that we all are. I'm not saying Russell is a bust already and I'm not saying that there isn't time for him to turn things around. What I am saying is that Russell does appear to be on the fast track to Bustville. I'm guessing that Ryan Leaf and Akili Smith are preparing a rooom at the Underachievers Hotel and Russell may get a room based the "Overrated Special" promotional pricing. Someone needs to make him keenly aware that being lazy and relying solely on your physical skills doesn't work in the NFL. You have to study, prepare, learn the playbook every week, become acutely aware of what's done on offense and when that stuff is done and become the de facto leader of a team and entire franchise. Just showing up and hitting the field on Sunday to wildly chuck the ball around with your strong arm isn't going to cut it. This isn't NCAA football anymore.

I think it's about time that we start looking at draft prospects. It's obvious we need wide receivers, offensive tackles and, I'd venture to say, safety and a defensive end on the opposite side of Derrick Burgess. The receiver choice will probably be easy....Michael Crabtree. Javon Walker will be out. He has to be. The other positions, not so much. The next draft we go into is going to be very important for the team and franchise, as a whole. We do have a chance to get out of the rut we've been in, so Al and the staff better be ready to put the proper amount of time and work into getting it as right as they possibly can. If they screw it up again, this nonsense could go on for another 6 years.

The other thing that needs to get ironed out is the head coaching spot. It'd be nice to see the front office change a bit too....Maybe get with the 21st century and hire a general manager. Just a thought, but we all know how that discussion will end up. The best we, as fans, really have to look forward to is the future, so the organization better start preparing to get it right. Now that we've ruined our chances at the sub-par AFC West, let's start looking to win and preparing to do it by using common sense.

The return of The Assassin

After a brief hiatus, The Assassin's back on it.

It sounds and looks like the losing ways and circus that the Raiders call personnel and managerial decision making continued while I was out.

Unfortunately, that's now to be expected. Let's hope that the team can pull it together today, possibly do something on offense and get a win. That's probably a long shot, I know, you know, we all know.

Regardless, I'll be back on top of things this week.

Just Win Baby!

Ask and you shall receive (I guess)

Just a quick update on this dreary and cold Saturday morning.

It sounds like Jamarcus Russell has a bit of tendinitis in his knee and didn't participate in Friday's practice at all. What's this mean????? Walter could get the start on Sunday.

Let's get one thing straight now, though. I'm not glad Russell's dinged up and I don't wish injury upon anyone. I'm glad that Walter is finally at least getting a shot. Russell's not cutting it and Walter deserves at least the chance to show what he can do. That's all I want to see. If Walter fails, so be it. He at least deserves a shot to prove himself.

McFadden's still questionable for this weekend and likely won't see the field. He's still in a walking boot and they tried to fit him for new cleats to ease the pain and allow him to play, but turf toe is painful and tough to shake.

Mario Henderson and Kwame Harris will also be splitting time at left offensive tackle. I'm not fond of offensive lineman splitting time and rotating in and out. I think that ruins the consistency, communication and general group dynamic that the line builds up working with each other practice after practice, game after game. But, the fact remains that Kwame Harris has been a liability at left tackle. He constantly got beat and as a mechanism to put a stop to getting beat, he decided to constantly draw false start penalties. Mario Henderson will be raw, but I hope that he can bring some consistently good play to the position and help protect the quarterback. Harris needs to play well or he could quickly be the next high priced offseason signing out on the waiver wire.

A couple of other quick injury notes.....Gibril Wilson (groin) missed a second practice in three days and is questionable along with tight end Tony Stewart (knee). OLB Ricky Brown (groin) is doubtful, giving Sam Williams his first chance to start in a year.

Hall's out. Harbaugh's in? Kiffin was right.

Twenty four hours later and nothing too serious, as of 6:39 EDT. Who the heck knows what may happen in the next couple hours.

We do know this though.....DeAngelo Hall's out. Regardless of whether players agreed with it or not, I can tell you this. I agree with the move. Here's why:

Hall was beaten 40 times for 552 yards on 66 passes thrown his way, according to data compiled by STATS LLC. He gave up more yards than any defender this season and was tied for third worst in catches allowed.

Now, is that worthy of a 7 year, $70 million dollar contract? I wouldn't think so (and there's no way anyone with any common sense would either). No matter whether you're a fan of Hall or not, you can't argue with the abysmal nature of those numbers. Sometimes you just need to cut your losses when you're not getting any value out of your investments. It was clear that what the Raiders were paying him and what they were getting out of him on the field were not equal. At all. I was never a Hall fan (still think he's overrated) and didn't think that was a prudent pick up when it happened.

What kills the team is that we lost a second round draft pick in the 2008 draft and will lose a fifth round pick in the 2009 pick. That's what hurts the worst. That hurts the team's future and right now, that's about all we have left to look forward to, as fans. It's getting harder and harder to do that.

Wh0's next on the chopping block? Who knows. It could be Javon Walker. It should be Kwame Harris. And, all those high priced players probably should step it up on the field and start giving the team, Al Davis and the fans a little bit of return on their investment or they may be out.

Al's heart was in the right place when he sold a 20 percent share of the team, gave away money like it was going out of style and signed all those free agents. It's a shame that his head was not. He wanted to win and he threw money at the problem to try to improve the team and, frankly, that was probably one of the only ways to get guys to come there. He just didn't do it smartly, got himself into some salary cap trouble and now he's trying to get out from under some bad investments.

The worst part is that it looks like Kiffin was right in his evaluations of the team and what he wanted to do. He didn't want Hall and wanted to cut him after preseason. He didn't want Russell and now he may be right there too. So, one has to wonder, why did Al fire him and then just turn around and do what Kiffin wanted to do anyway? Was Al's ego and personal pride more valuable than an up and coming, young, intelligent head coach that looked to have the team headed in the right direction? I guess we all know the answer to that.

On a bit more positive note, it sounds like there are some rumors floating around that Al likes Jim Harbaugh as a possible fit for the head coaching position. That may not be a bad hire. A hard nose guy with great character that may be able to change the team and organizational culture without getting on Al's bad side. Coaching rumors are great to talk about, but we have bigger issues to deal with right now.

Don't let the above positivity go to your head though. The game this Sunday appears to be headed for a blackout in the Bay Area. That's one way fans can voice their disapproval of what's going on....don't go to the game. Maybe that's the kind of statement that's need to get the organization to listen and make real, smart, well thought out and valuable changes.

[Untitled]

First thing's first.......

Let's go back to Sunday, but I'm not even going to go over the stats. (If you want to relive those again or missed the game or numerous press rippings, you can take a look for yourself.) The team was, in one word, HORRIBLE.

Good. Now that's out of the way, let's start with the quarterback.

I'll admit I was advocating patience and waiting to see how JaMarcus Russell developed (you can see my first ever post for proof). I'll also admit that was before I saw him play as bad as he has the past couple games. There appeared to be some sort of light at the end of the tunnel for him in the first couple weeks of the season, but, now, I'm not so sure.

I'm also getting tired of the excuses and blaming his play on the holdout, receivers, O-line, etc. We all see that there are some soft spots. What I'm questioning is Russell's leadership (he is one of the offensive captains), confidence and ability to process the game and what's happening. I'll account for different personalities, but something has to change. He sits on the end of the bench after drives. His body language shows lack of confidence. He rarely is seen talking to the rest of his offensive teammates or trying to get them motivated. Personally, those things aren't leaders do.

People, pundits, whomever, talk about the greats having "it." Now, admittedly, I have no idea what the hell "it" even is, but I will say this.....You knew "it" when you watched Young, Montana, Stabler, Aikman, Kelly, Staubach and company. You know "it" when you watch Brady and Manning. You knew you didn't see "it" when you watched Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Heath Shuler, Tim Couch, Cade McNown, Todd Marinovich (AHEM!!!!!) and...you get what I'm trying to say. When I watch, I'm not seeing "it" from Russell. Now, that's not saying he will never get "it," but I'm skeptical now. The guy sure has all the physical skills that one could possibly have. But is the leadership and moxy there? Right now, I'd have to answer that with a, "No."

I'll liken it to a story I heard on sports talk radio one afternoon. The host was invited to an NFL event with some current players. Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers were both there. The host explained that Alex Smith was very timid, very reserved. His handshake wasn't strong and he spent most of the time off to the side talking to only one or two people at a time. Rodgers, on the other hand, had a firm handshake and drew people to him. He commanded respect and commanded the room. He had a personality of strength and leadership that people took to. Now we see how Rodgers' and Smith's careers have gone in opposite directions, even though Smith was the higher draft pick.

I'm getting tired of the excuses people are making for Russell. If he is as great as people think he is, he'll pick himself and the rest of the team up by the chin strap and make the best out of a bad situation, work hard to improve himself and the team and learn and soak up what it takes to play the game and run the offense.

With Russell, I also question the mental aspect of the game. Can he process the defense? Can he maintain and remember and entire playbook for the week, plus hot routes, plus audibles, etc.? Based on what I heard from people that were close to the team when I was out in Oakland, the playbook is drastically limited for him. That can't happen. That's makes the offense predictable and too easy to defend because teams know what's coming or just plain don't care because we can't execute a pass play.

Let's not forget the standings in the AFC West, either. Currently they are as follows:

Denver 4-4
San Diego 3-5
Oakland 2-6
Kansas City 1-7

What's that have to do with anything, you ask? Chew on this.....The Raiders beat the Ravens and the Falcons (two very beatable teams, mind you) and we're tied for the division lead! I guess the best part is, even at 2-6 we're not out of it. We just have to stop losing!

Something needs to change on offense and change fast. We can still win the division! This whole, "we prepare like a Super Bowl team during the week" junk is getting old. To me, that means we have a team full of practice players. Let's see Michael Bush get on the field more. Here's some blasphemy coming your way, so get your delicate eyes ready.......let's see Andrew Walter get a shot! GASP! That's right, I said it. What's it going to hurt? Are we going to lose a game? Trent Dilfer and some others on ESPN will say it's not the fans' choice how teams use their players and develop them. I disagree. We're the ones that buy the tickets, pay the parking, buy the merchandise, buy the concessions, buy the Sunday Ticket to watch the team when we live in Ohio. If we want a change, our concerns should at least be heard.

I couldn't even think of a title for this, hence the lazy '[Untitled].' I know that what's going on with the Raiders is frustrating and so puzzling, it's like nothing I've ever seen as a fan. Is it the owner, the coaching staff, the players, the quarterback, injuries? We can clearly see that the quarterback is not good, right now. Let's hope that's temporary and let's hope the coaching staff gets things together and management can bring some cultural stability and get the team back on track.

I'll be getting all over DeAngelo Hall being released (I'm kind of bummed I can't rip his play now) and whatever else may come between Wednesday night and Thursday night in tomorrow night's post. It is the Oakland Raiders, after all, so stay tuned. It'll probably be very interesting.

Uncertainty = Failure (almost always)

If Russell is going to carry the Raiders and be the franchise quarterback they need, he better get his mind right and man up. His mannerisms and body language are that of a defeated boy.

We all know that there's not much around you, JaMarcus, but please, please, man up and take this team on your shoulders. That's what the greats do.

At what point, do we as fans, begin to call for Aaron Walter????

(Nevermind the fact that they should've drafted Calvin Johnson in the first round and Trent Edwards in the second round two years ago.)

More Russell and Hall bashing to follow tomorrow.

Please, also, allow me to apologize to my loyal readers for the lack of posts during the past week. As much as I get paid to do this and as much money as I make doing it, I still have another job that gets in the way sometimes.

Can we just hit the snooze button?

It happens to everyone. That damn loud shriek, ringing, buzzing, radio. Seriously. Please, just five more minutes. Five more minutes of ecstacy, jubilation. Pretty please?

No such luck. Time to wake up, get back to work.

That was the feeling and thinking this week. Big win Sunday. New day and week on Monday. The Jets have left Oakland and the Raiders will be getting on a plane for Baltimore later this week. Tom Cable knew this and knew there was lots to be done.

First, the issue of penalties. Time to put a stop to that. It was good to hear Cable take responsibility for the penalty problem and address it. I realize players get jacked up and the raucous crowd helps that, but we need to maintain focus. Wade Phillips, earlier this season, said something to the affect that wins and losses aren't measure by penalties. True. But let's just put this out there now.....penalties can cost you games though. Just look at the game on Sunday. A penalty cost us a touchdown pass from JaMarcus Russell to Zach Miller. We wouldn't have even needed overtime to win that game, had it not been for Javon Walker not lining up on the line of scrimmage. Lack of focus. Simple as that. The penalties are ridiculous, to use the words of Cable. We are the Raiders. We should play hard and hit hard. We should not be proverbially shooting ourselves in the foot. That is not playing hard, that is not aggression. That is lack of discipline and lack of focus.

Second, it's time to use the positive team dynamic that came from last Sunday's game. No chaos, no dysfuntion. Just one team pulling together for the win. The offense managed the game better, the defense did not get frustrated with the offense, coaches collaborated on play calling and adjustements. That's how real teams face adversity and overcome it. Has the time finally come where we are seeing a true team? Not coaches being mad at coaches, defense being mad at the offense, the owner (woops....I mean managing general partner) not being mad at the head coach? That's not the Raiders' way, is it? Jay Richardson put it pretty well, "In previous times, if we had been in this situation, guys would have been pointing fingers, or saying why did this happen, what's going on, or here we go again. But no one had that attitude this time. Everyone was together. I think it's the first time since I've been here that I've seen the whole team have the same feel about something like that."

I think that is something we could all agree with. However, while Richardson hit the nail on the head, when one of the defensive captains speaks up and says something very similar, we know we need to listen. Nnamdi Asomugha said, “We believe now, whereas before, we would get in the fourth quarter and it would kind of fall apart on us. I think we needed this to spark our success.”

The third piece to this trifecta of hope that was three different Raiders players was what Justin Fargas had to say. “I wanted to be part of the Raider team that turns this thing around and gets things going in the right direction."

What? Really? Are these the same Raiders? They are, and I'm glad. This is what it's a about, this is what wins games. This is how you turn around seasons and franshises. This is how we start to improve. Players want to play with and for each other. Coaches want to coach with and for each other. Players and coaches want to be with the organization and they want to win.

I must ask though, is there a "Cable Factor?" I don't know what to call it, but it seems that even the players and coaches that were most embattled with and under Kiffin, seem to be buying into Cable and enjoying having him as the head coach. Even if they're not enjoying Cable as the head coach, at least they're not bickering in the media and airing the team's dirty laundry in public. It seems the coaching staff's focus has returned to coaching and improving the team. It's nice to see the media talking about what the Raiders do on the field rather than off. I hope that the team takes that and runs with it.

When the new stories began on Monday, they were about how the Raiders still had lots of work. I didn't want anything to take away the joy of the win, but the stories were true. I would've been totally happy with sitting back and enjoying the win from this past Sunday. All happy, fat and content all the way to Baltimore. But that's not how teams win and one win isn't what we fans shoudl be settling for. So, when the euphoria from this past Sunday was about to wear off and I didn't want it to, I fought it for a second. But, then I thought, it's time to move on and win in Baltimore and beat Atlanta at home and so on and so forth. This is a wake up call the Raiders and their fans haven't had in a while. Not the kind when your alarm goes off early Monday morning and you have to go to work. The kind where you are happy to wake up because you know that you have something to look forward to.......WINS.

57 yards of killer instinct

What do 14 penalties for 85 yards, 17 for 30 passing, 19 first downs to the Jets' 23, 4 for 17 on third down, 3 for 4 on field goal attempts and a +3 turnover margin over all have in common? Nothing, really. Let's be honest, that list of stats is mixed with the good, bad and mediocre (and if you saw the Raiders' defense on the first Jets' possession, you'd have to add ugly in there too).

Frankly, none of that matters, though, as of last night. The Raiders won. That's what mattered as of last night and today. Was it pretty? Nope. But it was a win. A win that we, the fans, and the team needed. Personally, I couldn't stop smiling for 20 minutes after CBS' coverage went off the air. It was a great feeling. Liberating. The 800 pound gorilla is off the back of the Raider Nation, if only for a few hours or days.

I was encouraged by what I saw, for three quarters on offense and almost 5 quarters on defense. Russell looked a bit more comfortable and in tune with his receivers through the third quarter. Javon Walker even made an appearance. The defense did a good job getting pressure on Favre and shutting down the passing game. The Jets did put up 242 total rushing yards, but we didn't let them beat us with both the run and pass. I can't even say anything bad about DeAngelo Hall's coverage and effort. The secondary allowed the front line to get in Favre's face and get pressure on him to disrupt the Jets' passing game. A lot of credit has to go to Trevor Scott. With Burgess out, he came up with two big sacks; one of which came on a key third down in overtime. His youth also helped out the d-line which was gassed from being on the field for long stretches again. Between Walker, Russell's serviceable three quarters, Scott and Janikowski setting another Raider record, the unexpected performances yesterday were very much a pleasant surprise.

I called up my dad (a lifelong Raiders fan, as well) right after the game finished up and we started talking. I was much more optimistic than he was, but he did bring up a valid point. It should've never gotten to overtime, but when we had the ball in the fourth quarter, Knapp and Cable went conservative with the play calling. Run, run, run, punt. Run, run, incompletion, punt. You get the picture. Where is the killer instinct that all great teams possess? That attitude where you step out on the field on offense and know you're just going to stomp on the other team's proverbial neck and delivery that crushing, clock draining drive and touchdown?

Cable talked about it in his first couple press conferences, but we didn't see it yesterday. They looked like a team scared they were going to lose. Russell became inaccurate, the play calling went very conservative and it appeared that the team was unsure of itself. When Russell was cut loose on the short to intermediate throws, he looked sure of himself, confident and in rhythm. It looked like the "Run, run, run, punt" play calling/mentality (Has anyone else seen how well that style of offense and play calling has worked for Herm Edwards? I hope you can detect the sarcasm.) triggered a voice in Russell's head that said, "Oh, no. They're running. They're running again. They're running a third time and now we're punting. It must mean that I can't screw up and cost us this game." The good news is, he didn't screw it up and it gave Janikowski a chance to do what he's paid to do and we got a needed win.

Hopefully, the win yesterday will give us something to build on. Maybe it will show the team they can win and they should go out on the field and believe they can win and beat anybody on any given Sunday. No matter what the deficit or circumstances, step out on the field with poise and the belief that no one's going to beat us and we're going to score on every possession from the beginning of the game until the final whistle blows. That's the mentality that the Silver and Black has always been about and always should be about.

The circumstances of the past five years would cause any team to lose sight of it's tradition and the mentality that it was built on and used to succeed over the years. No killer instinct in Oakland? No problem....yet. It looks to be coming. Until that time, maybe the only true killer instinct we can conjure up is when Janikowski needs to knock one through from 50 yards out. I'll take that killer instinct, as long as it's for a win.

Trade you one seventh rounder for another

In a little bit of breaking news since yesterday, Chaz Schilens will actually get the start tomorrow, starting in place of Ronald Curry. Schilens was the Raiders final pick, in the seventh round, of this past April's draft. They took Curry with their seventh round draft pick, seven years ago.

Cable also said that receivers will be left in for longer stretches and there won't be as much shuffling them in and out. This will hopefully get some consistency at the receiver spot, let Russell become familiar with who's doing what in the passing game and give our passing game (that ranks last in the NFL) a bit of a jump start.

Updates:

- Derrick Burgess is more than likely going to be ruled out for Sunday (triceps)
- Ben Troupe will be ruled out for Sunday (toe)

Sideline to sideline range

Michael Huff's sideline to sideline range may have been ok, but how about how he does on the other side of the white chalk? I'm just curious because that's where Michael Huff will be starting the game out on Sunday. The five game run with him as the Raiders' free safety has come to an end, for the time being. Hiram Eugene will start in his place.

It's about time some new blood got injected into the secondary. The way DeAngelo Hall has been covering this year, it won't hurt to have someone lively back there. Someone not afraid to lay the wood to someone. Someone that can help over the top of DeAngelo and still help out in the run game and tackle well in the open field.

In all honesty, regardless of the position, what's it hurt to shake things up a bit? What do we have to lose? Another game? We're not exactly battling for the league's best record, so let's put some guys on the hot seat, let's make people put forth the effort and earn their spots.

It also sounds like things will get shaken up at the wide receiver spot. Chaz Schilens is going to see the field more. It sounds like Javon Walker and Ronald Curry will still get the start, but Schilens will see significantly more playing time. Hopefully, this will inject some life in the passing game. Now, if Russell is throwing balls 10 rows deep into The Black Hole, it won't matter. But, again, what's it going to hurt?

At least the staff is trying things. They can see that the best we can do is run the ball 50 times a game and just stop the run on defense. Something has to give in the passing game and in the secondary. Let's hope these moves can help things along.

A few notes for Sunday:

- The game is sold out, so it will be on local TV in Oakland (for all you Bay Area members of Raider Nation)
- Derrick Burgess did not practice again with the triceps injury. He's listed as questionable for Sunday.
- Darren McFadden's toe is healing and the pain is subsiding. Hopefully his cutting ability will return and this should translate into more carries this Sunday.
- Ben Troupe did not practice with a foot injury (Guess we'll be waiting another week to see how that acquisition will pay off.)

The return of Mr. Raider and all things good

Given all that has gone on with the Raiders in the past 6 years, as a fan, when you talk to other football fans across the country, in your own town or with your friends it's almost like you're in a political discussion having to defend the reasons why you support a certain candidate. I can't even begin to tell you how hysterically I laugh in my head when Bengals fans begin to start static about how bad the Raiders are and how much of a mess it is. It's usually a discussion that comes to a screeching halt when I utter the question, "How many Super Bowl trophies are hanging out in the Bengals' trophy case?"

Wonder where I'm taking this yet? Sure you do. There has been a dark cloud hovering over Alameda, The Coliseum, basically anywhere the team has been the past 6 years. However, two things (three articles) I've picked up on in the past 24 hours have reassured me (as they should us all) why I'm a Raiders fan and will never waiver in that.

When it comes to anything Silver and Black, I think we would all agree, that when Tim Brown speaks, we should and will listen. With all the talk from Warren Sapp and all the criticism of the Raiders organization lately, it's been easy to pile on and rip the team and the organization. The criticism from Sapp is much less rational and founded than the criticism that Tim Brown had on ESPN when interviewed about the situation in Oakland. Tim Brown has a right to talk, has a right to offer constructive criticism and did it in a very pragmatic way. But here's what we should all love about Tim Brown: he just didn't talk a lot (ahem, Warren), he's backing it up. In an interview on KHTK 1140 AM in Sacramento, Brown said he'd embrace the opportunity to comeback and help the Raiders as an employee. He's putting his money where his mouth is. He's sick of seeing the the organization he owes so much flounder around.

"I don't think it should be a GM type of position," Brown said. "I think it should be a consultant role. At this point I don't think I have anything to lose. ... I can't take it anymore. Every time you turn on the TV and the Raiders are mentioned there's a punch line behind it."

He also defended the organization from the harsh criticism Rich Gannon leveled on Sirius radio a few weeks ago.

"Gannon knows he came there with that 'I hate the Raiders' type mentality," Brown said. "He came in with that and showed that to all the players. And Gannon wasn't a very well liked player his whole time with the raiders. In fact he was downright hated. For a guy like Rich to say something just isn't fair to the organization."

This is a true Raider. This is why he's one of my top 3 Raiders of all time (nevermind that he was a Notre Dame boy, too). This is why he was a class act as a player and is as a person. Brown knows what needs to be done to win and he would know how to work with Davis to get it done. Having the 2nd best receiver in NFL history possibly back in the organization (not as a GM, but working side by side with Al), seems to me to be one of the best pieces of news to come out of Oakland in a while. Let's hope Al sees the potential in this move, as much as we all should.

In the same vein, Zack Crockett has also come out and defended the team and organization. This just shows that things aren't as bad as they may appear or as bad as some make things out to be. Yes, the team needs to get better, that's not even a question. But, contrary to popular belief, there is support for the team and organization out there. We as Raider Nation should know that (especially since we're the ones shelling out all the cash that keeps this organization running). Loyal Raiders players know that. Unfortunately, the only way to change public perception and opinion is by winning on the field.

While the media seems to want to focus on D'Angelo Hall's lack of effort in the face of his ridiculous salary, lack of coverage or talking in our secondary, it's our other cornerback, Nnamdi Asomugha that should be getting attention - not just on defensive game film, but for the great things he does for the community off the field. His work with the East Oakland Youth Development Center speak volumes about what kind of person he is. Reading about the work he has done with teenage kids in the Oakland area shows the kind of character he has and the leadership ability he possesses beyond football. This is a player we need to keep around. He has the ability to shut down our opponent's top receiver and get kids interested in education and their future. His family officially supports Orphans and Widows In Need (OWIN), which provides medical support and food to widows and orphans in Nigeria that have been victimized by poverty or abuse. Hopefully, Al Davis sees the value that Asomugha brings to the Raiders and we can get him signed to a long term deal.

(Editor's Note: Please take the time to check out the California Police Youth Charities. We know a good portion of the folks involved with this group and have seen first hand what they do for kids in the Oakland area. Great people with a great mission. Please feel free to donate as you can. We have seen this program in action and how great it is for the kids and youth groups they work with.)

You are who you are.....

We're a team that still has a three headed monster at running back. We're a team still without a receiving threat, now that the trade deadline has come and gone. We're a team still questioning how to move the ball on offense after our passing experiment proved to be a failure. We're a team with a coach that is more optimistic than a 17 year old male on prom night. After his first week and another dismantling, maybe that optimism is what we need (among other things).

Maybe that'll get him to focus on the overall team now, since he admittedly wasn't all that involved with the defensive gameplan and didn't focus much on the offense in practice. Something tells me the gameplan will be one more geared towards the running game than throwing the ball 35 times. Now, that's just a hunch, but I do know this: Bush and McFadden need to see the field more at the beginning of the game. They do leave a bit to be desired in blitz pick up, but we have to keep the change of pace and Russell has shown that 35 passes a game is too much. That needs to be cut to 25 attempts a game, 30 max.

The pass rush needs to be better, but it appears Derrick Burgess does have a strained triceps. Trevor Scott will probably have to fill in. That would definitely leave our already weak pass rush in worse shape. The defense will definitely need the offense to help them out this weekend and allow them to get off the field, especially if Burgess can't go.

We'll see if these things are addressed this week. Updates on injuries and DeAngelo Hall's search for his work ethic and desire to come tomorrow.

Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light.

For we Raiders fans, I think Milton summed it up pretty well. However, there are two things we need to keep in mind:

1.) There is some kind of light that the team and organization can get to
2.) At least we're not the Cincinnati Bengals

Let's be honest, after this circus, things probably can't get much worse, could they? After Sunday you do have to wonder.

13-35 passing. 6-16 on third down. 226 yards of total offense. 85 net yards rushing, with no back over 35 yards for the game. No sacks on defense until 3:26 left in the fourth quarter. 34 unanswered points.

By any estimation, that's miserable. Not a great start to Tom Cable's interim tenure (recent history would tell you that every Raiders coach is pretty much "interim") as head coach of the Raiders. I don't think there's a person that follows NFL football that would argue that. How could there be a light at the end of this tunnel?

Think (and hope) Troy Aikman. That's right. Troy Aikman. He went 0-11 as a starter in 1989 after coming out of UCLA as the number one overall pick in the 1989 draft. The rest is pretty much history and a Hall of Fame career. Can Russell be that type of QB? Can McFadden be our Emmitt Smith? Can any transformation happen as fast as it did from the 1989 to the 1990 Cowboys? It can. The questions we really need to ask are, can Russell fix the accuracy, can we get some real wide receivers and will Al Davis allow for just 10 minutes of consistency within the franchise for the future to begin to take shape?

Russell's going to be a work in progress, we all know that. Unfortunately, today's world of professional sports is not conducive with having patience. There's just too much at stake ($$$$$$$$). His baptism by fire started on Sunday. Knapp's first spin with the play sheet was of mixed results. There were definitely more pass plays and less running plays. McFadden saw the field less. Our offense was predictable, Russell and the receivers were out of synch and we couldn't convert a third down. Yet, I wasn't discouraged. We all can see the passing offense is predictable and Russell leaves a bit to be desired in picking up the offense, reading defenses and seeing the field. But let's remember, Dan Marino wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and that turned out ok. He just has to learn (and, hopefully, learn quickly). The physical skills are there. You could see them again on Sunday.

Now, I have to beg the question.....can we get some real receivers, please, Al? You're talking about Fargas and Bush being on the trading block to clear some cap room, you'd better be in the market for a receiver or some early round draft picks in the 2009 NFL draft to pick up a receiver (or to clear cap room to keep Asmougha). Javon Walker is not going to cut it, especially given where his head is and has been. The young guys (Higgins and Schillens) look ok, but we need a play maker, someone for Russell to be confident in and comfortable with. Lelie is not the answer. Higgins is yet unproven.

Now on to a word that has not been in the Oakland Raiders vocabulary for the past 6 years. Consistency. Please, Al. For the sake of all that's Silver and Black. For the love of The Ghost to the Post. Give the team and organization some consistency. Let Russell learn a system that will be in place for longer than 20 games. Cable has a great attitude and has a very good no-nonsense approach, but everyone can see he's not the longterm solution. Whatever's decided and whenever that may be (paging Jim Fassel), give it time to work. Russell needs time, McFadden needs time, the coaching staff needs time, the organization needs time. Not a decade. Just a couple years. At age 79, we know that time is at a premium, but the Raiders will endure long after Al. They will endure because of what Al has done for the organization. The past 6 years are working to undo all that, but I don't think it can or will happen. Al's son was in his suite with him at the Superdome on Sunday, so who knows what that may spell for the future, but with some consistency, we will win again.

It's just a question of how soon and how easy it will be to get to the light.


(Editors Note: I just wanted to give a quick shot out to Metsradamus and his brother for the inspiration for this. Be sure to pay Metsradamus' blog a visit to see a world class blog from a guy that shows what it means to be a true fan.)