JaMarcus Russell Hits Vegas In Style

Sung to the tune of John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Crumblin’ Down”

Some people ain’t got no damn shame
Sayin’ I’m in Vegas
Instead of with the team after the game
I can’t trust ’em
I can’t love em
like I do my Bentley

Tell me what else I can I do to earn your respect
a third-string QB is what you’ll get
My legacy will not be one of greatness
when you lifted me up, I was all about fakeness
Now you’re all seeing red
and want off with my head

I saw my picture in the paper
Read the news today, oh boy
And now you people
know the real me, the rumors are all true

When the walls
Come tumblin’ down
When the walls
Come crumblin’, crumblin’
When the walls
Come tumblin’, tumblin’
Down
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Most people say I’m lazy
That I’m unappreciative
And my opinion of myself can’t see the truth
Hey, at least I don’t need to look over my shoulder
To see what I’m after
Everybody’s got their problems
but not me
I’ve got money and you don’t

Don’t confuse your problems
With my issues
To me it’s perfectly clear
You can bend me
You can break me
But you better stand clear

When the walls
Come tumblin’ down
When the walls
Come crumblin’, crumblin’
When the walls
Come tumblin’, tumblin’
Crumblin’, tumblin’
Down

 

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Oakland Raiders Changed Receivers Coaches In ’09. Did It Help?

Following the 2008 season, James Loften was demoted from the Oakland Raiders receivers coaching position.  At the time, the media thought Loften was fired and it was theorized the reason for the termination was because he did not get the most out of the Oakland receivers.

It was a tough year for the Raiders, as usual in this day and age.  Though looking at things realistically, the Raiders had gone through two head coaches and three play callers (Lane Kiffin, Greg Knapp and Tom Cable).  Keeping a consistent passing game is a tough chore, no matter the talent level.  Loften could hardly be blamed.

If you recall, Loften had been previously interviewed for the Raiders head coaching position that ultimately went to Lane Kiffin.  This was not to satisfy the Rooney rule so minority candidates got a shot. Loften is fully qualified to be head coach of an NFL team.  His reputation has him painted as demanding and he works his players hard. 

Not only was Loften’s removal a surprise, no one was quite sure what to make of Loften’s presence still hanging around the Raiders facility in 2009.  In what capacity, we still don’t know. He is not listed on the team’s web site or media guide.

My guess is he is simply being allowed to serve out his contract in some administrative capacity.

At the beginning of the 2009 season the question was posed if Sanjay Lal was going to make a bigger impact as the Oakland Raiders receivers coach than Loften did.

Let’s look at the statistics for the receivers and tight ends.  We’ll leave the receiving stats for the running backs out of the mix for clarity’s sake.

2008

Zach Miller 56/778

Johnnie Lee Higgins  22/366

Chaz Schilens 15/226

Ashley Lelie 11/197

Javon Walker 15/196

Ronald Curry 19/181

Tony Stewart 11/91

 

2009

Zach Miller 66/805

Louis Murphy 34/521

Chaz Schilens 29/365

Johnnie Lee Higgins 19/263 

Darrius Heyward-Bey 9/124

Todd Watkins 8/90

Tony Stewart 10/78

 

Not a lot of difference with the exception of the emergence of rookie Louis Murphy and Schilens stepping it up, coming back from a foot injury to collect more yards in eight games than he did all of last season. New passing game coordinator Ted Tollner also played a significant role in designing plays.

As far as coaching the receivers, it is obvious where the strong points are (Miller, Schilens, Murphy), where the mid-range is (Higgins) and where the weak spot is (Heyward-Bey).

So a good question is, would Loften have made a difference in helping DHB grow as a professional receiver?  Maybe, but in all probability, what we are dealing with is a very raw talent in DHB.  He came into the league unprepared to deliver anything but sub-par numbers.

Even though to the rest of us, it seems clear DHB’s consistent playing time has amounted to very little growth as a professional receiver, Sanjay Lal would probably argue against that notion and insist DHB has made tremendous strides.

That would be the company line, but considering all DHB has to show for his efforts is nine total catches on the season, it is hard to make a case for his development.

The explanation that DHB “clears space” as the X receiver is ridiculous.

Bottom line is Lal doesn’t really have much leverage so he just does what the boss (Al Davis) expects.  That would be to nominate his first round draft pick to get the most playing time available regardless of where he truly is in terms of the pecking order of roster talent available.

This is why James Loften was demoted.  He did the right thing to do in ’08, which was play the best talent he had available.  If he was receivers coach in ’09, my bet is he would recommend to the head coach that DHB not start.

If starting and playing DHB so much was really what Lal wanted, who knows.  We can fault him for being a company man to preserve his job. Ultimately, the decision to play him so much did not help our bad QB in Jamarcus Russell, nor did it help the team in the majority of cases.

No Oakland Raiders fan lacks an opinion on the weak performance of rookie DHB.  The fact is the Raiders really lacked depth at receiver in ’09, opting to start two rookies (DHB and Louis Murphy). Veteran speedster Jonnie Lee Higgins played intermittently and Javon Walker played so sparingly he had barely noticeable stats.  Journeyman Todd Watkins filled in admirably for the few random plays he was utilized.

Top threat, Chaz Schillens, took a while to get going after recovering from injury most of the season but came on strong to finish on a good note.  Training camp favorite Nick Miller was injured all season and never got to show what he can do.

Javon Walker, while not the talent he once was, would have at least given the team more options had he been allowed to play. The reason Walker was not allowed to play was because he upset Al’s applecart by getting off-season surgery without informing the team.

So Al’s version of punishment was to simply bench Walker.  His two-million in ’09 salary went unearned. 

Some punishment.

Rookie Louis Murphy, a bargain in the $300,000 range, was the most productive receiver on the team all season to compliment tight end Zach Miller.

Still, we have to ask if starting rookies over veterans at the receiver spots was a good strategy.  Typically, rookie receivers in the NFL need to ease into the role and benefit from mentorship.

From the looks of things, no mentorship emerged and of the two rookie receivers, only Murphy was able to handle the adjustment to the pro game.

With Walker a candidate not to stick for another season and Higgins not a fully bona fide threat to defenses at this point, the most obvious course of action would be to bring in some new blood to challenge for playing time in 2010.

It would not be surprising if Al drafted another receiver or two, brought in a few free agents to challenge in camp but come next season, we can expect DHB (2.4 million in ’09) to once again resume his starting role.  There is no way Al will give up on him after one lackluster season.

If Sanjay Lal is still the receivers coach we can expect his “yes sir” recommendation for starting DHB yet again.

 

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JaMarcus Russell and Al Davis Must Shoulder the Blame for a Lost Season

Maybe it was his mood but Tom Cable seemed to let his real thoughts concerning JaMarcus Russell be known in a recent press conference.

 

For the first time since the preseason, Cable indirectly stated Russell was light years from being a professional NFL quarterback.

 

There is no mistaking the inference, “we’d be here forever” when he was asked to elaborate on his feelings.

 

In the preseason, if you recall, Cable said Russell had a whole lot of areas to address in terms of his mental as well as physical preparation in order for him to be successful in the league. Because Russell failed so miserably to live up to his end of the bargain (with the exception of a token win in Denver) , the team suffered.  I think Cable is right when he responded to a question as to whether the Raiders were a playoff team this year without Russell. 

 

The answer is yes.

 

We’re not talking Super Bowl but an 8-8 or better record was certainly doable, considering how well the defense played on occasion.  There have been problems, no doubt about that, but as proven by beating the Broncos, Bengals, Eagles, and Steelers (all playoff teams or potential candidates), any game is there to be had provided the right leadership in the huddle is there to motivate and move the team forward.

 

We have to wonder at this point if Jeff Garcia could have been that leadership in the huddle.

 

Garcia was exactly what would have worked. 

 

Who’s to say how much he had left in the tank but even at 50% effectiveness he would have been an upgrade over Russell. However, Al’s investment in Russell meant he had to play and at least fall on his face before the evidence stared back to obvious failure. 

 

By then it was too late to salvage the season.  Bruce Gradkowski did great in a mop-up role, winning two games clearly on his own merits as a mobile QB and losing a third in Kansas City only because of the ineptitude of another first round Al Davis draft pick in Darrius Heyward-Bey.

 

Garcia saw the writing on the wall and left camp before the season started.  With his strong work ethic, he wanted no part of a slothful, out of shape JaMarcus Russell getting the benefit of the doubt as an unquestioned starter, simply by being overpaid.

 

Garcia and Tom Cable were right all along in regard to their analysis of Russell.

 

The guy who was completely wrong in his faith and analysis of Russell’s character as well as abilities as a pro was Al Davis.  That’s what killed this season.  Otherwise, it just might have been a playoff run.

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Everyone Is Having Fun Except Al Davis

So let’s see…

Norv Turner’s stock is surging and due a contract extension in San Diego, regardless if they win a super bowl or not. The fact is they are a solid team with or without LT.

Jon Gruden is doing well in the booth and can have his pick of new coaching jobs if he chooses that path.

Browns Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan beat his former team doing nothing innovative in the process.

Linebackers coach Don Martindale who almost beat out Tom Cable for the head coaching job in Oakland, is now with the Broncos, a potential playoff team and division rival.

Even Lane Kiffin has overcome the odds. despite his many mistakes at the onset of his reign at UT, has now won over many skeptics and has his team in a bowl game.

Who knows what Art Shell is up to.

And Al Davis is nowhere to be seen in his team’s final road game of the season.

When Al Davis misses a game, you know there has to be good reason. It could very well be his health is fragile, no reason to endure travel in such cold weather. Though, Al skipped last year’s finale in Tampa Bay too. Meaning, maybe the lack of playoff possibilities diminishes the game’s importance. Still, it is unlike him to simply not be there to take in every morsel of his team’s activity.

What is odd is that his wife and son would attend the game. Those are two people that have nothing whatsoever to do with football operations. Hard to believe they would seriously care a wink about a game in frozen Cleveland. Even harder to believe is that they would be there for appearances sake. Who are you kidding Al? Just hand over the reins to Mark already if that’s the message. At least he will have the good sense to hire knowledgeable football people to right the ship you refuse to do.

That’s the last piece of the puzzle. That’s the key to making all of this bad dream known as the downward spiral of the franchise go away. It may take more than one season but guaranteed, if knowledgeable football people had authority to make personnel decisions and Al Davis was eliminated entirely from the equation, the franchise would rebound.

As it stands, we have had another washout season with a handful of feel good moments but mostly disappointment and frustration. We are tired of bad head coaching hires or coaches who lack authority.

We are tired of poor personnel decisions in general. It’s not enough to have an All-Pro punter and a sometimes accurate placekicker. Who really cares if so many other problems go unaddressed. Sure, a few good pickups like Greg Ellis and Richard Seymour are noteworthy but you can see the bottom line is not enough wins. Not enough has been done.

So your plan is not working Al. How long will you let this go on? Will your icy death grip be the final stand? That would be a shame.

And we know this latest loss in Cleveland puts you in a deeper hole. It’s hard to cut Cable loose and bring in another new staff. Too many coaching changes in too short a time.

The players are tired of the coaching changes every season but they don’t matter either. The whole roster will overhaul within a few seasons anyway. We have to wonder if it really matters if Cable stays or goes.

So what are you going to do Al? Other than wait for Baltimore to come into town with a notion of taking the final regular season win so their playoff spot is secure.

Maybe you’ll shake John Harbaugh’s hand and tell him say hello to the kids. That’s about all that’s left for the ’09 season.

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Rob Ryan: Different City, but Still Singing the Same Tune

One thing we can always count on is Rob Ryan being a “shoot from the hip” type of guy.  He will say what he thinks and in his own way, is sort of convincing.

In the media conference call as prelude to the Raiders game at Cleveland this Sunday, Ryan was asked if an Al Davis-approved defensive scheme was part of the conditions he worked under during his tenure as Raiders Defensive Coordinator. 

It’s not like it’s the first time the question has come up.  In five seasons with the Raiders, there have been more than a few bad defensive performances where he was bombarded with similar questions.

At the least, we expected some sort of changes and adjustments to show Ryan was stepping up and fixing what needed to be fixed.

It never happened.  Not only did we see the exact same defensive schemes and defensive lapses, it got to the point where the Raiders defense was considered the worst joke in the NFL. 

Game announcers were of course clued in and even they knew what the problems were.  Yet, Ryan stuck to his story.  He’s the guy responsible, not Al Davis.

That’s loyalty for you. 

The brotherhood of secrecy is the way Raiders HQ works.  Even when people leave the organization, they usually keep a tight seal on trade secrets.  So what is obvious to everyone on the outside is rarely confirmed.

How then, do we explain a handful of very good defensive performances by the Raiders defense this season under first-year coordinator John Marshall? 

We can’t pin it all on more blitzing or the improved play of Michael Huff in the nickel package or shifting Thomas Howard to strong-side linebacker and inserting Trevor Scott as weak side LB.

There is better play at strong safety with Tyvon Branch as well, but these are all too easy explanations.  Every season, the team has an opportunity to get better through coaching and preparation, building up depth through free agency and the draft. 

The truth is, Ryan has had to deal with the personnel he is given by Davis just like Marshall has. 

Yet, Marshall has done better than Ryan in just a single season as opposed to Ryan’s five.

This is not to say Marshall is the amazing answer for the Raiders defense.  It just means Ryan is as much the company man as it can get, and he rarely, if ever, made any radical decisions to improve areas of the game planning he was mainly responsible for.

He just explains it away as, “Al’s the owner of the team. This is the defense he wants.”

Granted, the Browns are not loaded with quality personnel on defense for any new coordinator to make a big splash. 

So in his new role, there have been few clues to be able to tell he can actually find solutions instead of following a script (though beating Pittsburgh has to rank as a highlight). 

Even his boss, head coach Eric Mangini, points to Ryan’s jovial personality, deflecting the real issues at hand.

It does seem Ryan’s personality is the reason why he latches on to defensive coordinator positions.  He’s loyal and he sticks to what he knows best, which seems to be at least factored in to why Al hired him. 

Though unless Cleveland wins out the remaining two games, this could be his last free pass.  Too many losses hang on his resume and there is not enough clear achievement as a difference-maker.

To that he says, ”I don’t give a crap. I’m doing my best, and if it’s not good enough, I’ll coach somewhere else where it will be.”

Maybe it’s because of his regular-guy appeal that he is still likable by many of the Raider Nation.  Even though he frustrated Raiders fans for five years with his refusal to change and the many horrifyingly bad defensive games followed up by weak excuses.

I still remember the 2008 opening night blowout to Denver in front of a national TV audience when the Jay Cutler-to-Eddie Royal connection carved up DeAngelo Hall all night.  Afterward, Ryan pinned the reason on Royal being a “special talent.”

I haven’t checked, but has Royal had a comparable game since?  That was his rookie year, too, and his very first NFL game.

The point here is Ryan took the blame in most cases but never solved the problem.

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Raiders-Browns Should Be Another Close Finish

The Cleveland Browns have struggled for most of this NFL season but have won two games in a row. 

Like the Oakland Raiders, the Browns have beaten the Steelers and the Chiefs. 

For both Cleveland and Oakland, beating Pittsburgh is a very rare occurrence.  The Browns have to be riding high after putting away the lowly Chiefs last weekend. 

It does not seem to be a coincidence the Raiders are confident as well coming off a last-minute victory against the Broncos.

So the timing couldn’t be better for these teams to meet.  Each has everything still to play for as far as consistency and finishing out the season in good form.

The Browns and Raiders generally play an evenly matched contest.  Interestingly, weather usually plays a big factor with their games as well. 

In Oakland a few years ago, Charlie Frye capped a win for the Browns in a rainstorm in sloppy field conditions.  This year, Frye will likely be starting for the Raiders in freezing field conditions in Cleveland.

Can the Oakland run defense play well for a second straight week?  They have not strung together solid defensive performances in a row all season.  When the run defense is playing well, they give their offense a chance to win. 

So the Raiders defense will need to keep up the pace against the Browns, who are expected to lean on their run game.

Cleveland’s Derek Anderson has to be considered one of the worst passing QBs in the NFL.  He has been largely unimpressive since he somehow earned a multi-million dollar contract a few years back. 

It seems The Browns and Raiders have that in common as well, each with an overpaid, under-producing quarterback on their roster.

Even if the run game is successful for either side, the passing game can’t be ruled out, regardless of weather.  You just have to figure both teams will go for broke at this point no matter who their quarterback is. 

Both head coaches are fighting to keep their respective jobs and will likely air out the playbook.  Even the conservative Eric Mangini is likely to do what he has to do to keep the momentum going for his team.

Can we expect another Red Right 88 finale?  It could very well end up that way.  Browns-Raiders is usually tight. 

Personnel-wise, these teams match up evenly.  The edge may go to Cleveland since they have an explosive return specialist in Joshua Cribbs. The Raiders have shown next to nothing from their kick return game this season.

Despite a big win last week over Denver, a convincing loss to Cleveland will likely seal the fate of Tom Cable.  You are only as good as your last game, so expect Cable to try everything possible to free up his skill players and post some points.  

I would expect to see McFadden run some deep routes and Bush to get the inside handoffs after Fargas gets his obligatory carries, probably in the first few series as he usually does.

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Raiders Do Damage to Donkeys’ Playoff Hopes

Who is the worst QB in the NFL?

 

Before this past Sunday JaMarcus Russell was everyone’s immediate first choice.

 

Then the Denver Broncos had the indignity of being beaten by Jamarcus in the final seconds. By default, this makes him less bad than most people thought he was. Even if it was one moment of heroism, sometimes that’s all it takes—at least until he plays again and has another chance to face plant or be a hero.

 

Donkey fans can’t be pleased with this turn of events. This game was supposed to be a springboard into the playoffs for Denver.

 

Instead, it breathed new life into the walrus-sized, overpaid, airheaded JaMarcus—the man who does nothing well except throw a football great distances with great velocity. Even if most of the time his throws are uncatchable for one reason or another.

 

In fact, we might have to admit that Russell’s stock rose higher on Sunday than say…Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton combined.

 

Hard to believe that Cutler is a washout in Chicago after such solid play in Denver in previous seasons. 

 

As for the Donkeys, at least Orton carries himself as a pro. As a team, after such a good start to the season, to become woeful, even more woeful than the Raiders…well, that just has to be a kick in the pants to Broncos fans far and wide.

 

Let’s be fair. The Raiders are wildly inconsistent from week to week. The Broncos beat themselves with untimely penalties, an inability to finish drives with TDs, and a run defense that disappeared in the clutch.

 

Maybe the Broncos felt they could sleepwalk through another blowout win as they accomplished earlier in the season at Oakland.

 

All JaMeatloaf had to do was trot on the field in the fourth quarter, pick himself up off the turf after a few bad series, then sling a dart to negate the playoff hopes of the Donkeys.  In the process, he just might have salvaged the $9 million he’s contractually due next season from Uncle Al.

 

A last-minute win in Denver almost assuredly saved Tom Cable’s job. That is unless the Raiders can’t pull it together in Cleveland next week or get blown out in the home finale against a surging Baltimore team.

 

 

 

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Trevor Scott The Sackmaster

Ever since the guy was drafted in the sixth round in 2008, Trevor Scott has been making his mark with the Oakland Raiders.

 

He is both a fan favorite and valued by whatever coaching staff happens to be in place.

 

Scott used to play tight end in college at the University of Buffalo but switched to defensive end as a junior, where his game flourished.

 

As a pro, he’s been a menace to QBs as a situational pass rusher coming off the edge as a defensive end. His run support has been an asset as well.

 

With the addition of Richard Seymour and Greg Ellis as defensive ends in 2009, Scott was transitioned to linebacker towards midseason, where he supplanted Thomas Howard on the weak side.

 

Scott can always be shuffled back to DE if need be, though he struggles against the better offensive tackles. Even at 6’5″, over 250 lbs., Scott does not have the physical power to overcome the beefier tackles barring a path to a QB.

 

Scott excels where has space to maneuver and zero in on QBs, ball carriers, and receivers. He is very quick and tenacious, assets which make him very effective as a linebacker. Though he has been critiqued as prone to over-pursue on occasion, his instincts getting to the ball are pretty solid.

 

Howard is of much better service on the strong side where his speed is so effective. The strong side has been terrible without Ricky Brown and Jon Alston available. Third stringer Sam Williams has been horrible as a replacement (as he always is whenever he plays linebacker—hopefully this will be the last season Williams is on the roster).

 

Even without being a starter until recently, Scott leads the team in sacks with six heading into week 15. His goal before the season was to reach double-digit sacks. With three games left, he just might do it.

 

The Raiders need more defenders like Trevor Scott with good closing speed, the ability to make sure tackles, and the flexibility to switch positions as needs arise.

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Jawgate Ends With a Win for Al Davis

To just about everyone’s surprise, Randy Hanson went back to work for the Oakland Raiders—but not as an secondary coach.  He is assigned to the personnel department.

 

What this could mean is he works on player evaluations or some random paper pushing.  We don’t know exactly what his role is but the fact that he is back as an employee tells us Al Davis makes good on his original offer to Hanson.

 

This, despite Hanson allegedly hanging up on Al in a phone conversation.

 

This, despite Hanson initially refusing to cooperate with Napa police after suffering a broken jaw, and going back to the cops and spilling his side of the story with an attorney in tow.

 

This, after Hanson turns up the heat by going to the press, and maintaining the threat of a civil suit against Head Coach Tom Cable.

 

What it all boils down to is Al showing himself to be a master of persuasion by letting things simmer down a little and then solving the issue.

 

Not only has Al appealed to Hanson’s good sense and loyalty as a Raider, he has stonewalled NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell from taking any decisive action against his head coach.

 

Let’s be clear on this point: Al could care less about Tom Cable as a person in this instance.  If the incident was severe enough, Cable just would have just been jettisoned to protect the integrity of the franchise.

 

It almost reached that stage.

 

The scenario was getting worse with allegations of domestic abuse against Cable.  Ugly accusations mysteriously appeared from Cable’s past.

 

Goodell was undoubtedly ruffled by this.  Protecting the integrity of the league is highest on his list of concerns.  In the mix is Al Davis with his highest priority of protecting the good name of the Oakland Raiders franchise.

 

I can guarantee you the conversation between Davis and Goodell ended with Al saying, “Let me handle this”

 

He brought Hanson in for a chat, appealed to his pride, possibly even boosted his salary (just my speculation) and resolved the issue.

 

Gone is the possibility of additional mud slinging towards the Raiders by way of the target on Cable’s back.

 

Don’t expect this to mean Cable’s job is still safe heading into the off-season.  It just means Al was successful in putting Jawgate to rest.

 

While Al is a flop at making top draft picks the last few seasons, hand it to him for being the master of his domain.

 

Well done Al, you still have it when it comes to the power of negotiation.

 

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Jamarcus Russell Will Never Be A Quality NFL QB

In beating the Steelers on Sunday, the Raiders needed great play from their QB.

 

You have all the odds stacked against you. 

 

You are on the road in a hostile environment. 

 

You have legacy of tough losses against a fierce one-time rival. 

 

You have had a questionable offense, minimal touchdowns, never getting untracked and it is week 12 of the season. 

 

You are facing a very good Pittsburgh defense.

 

Then you have the officiating who always find ways to help the Raiders choke in big games—or any game really.

 

To overcome all this, Bruce Gradkowski needed to dig deep with the game on the line in the 4th quarter.  He had just completed a 23-yard pass to Louis Murphy, taking the ball to the Pittsburgh 17-yard line with 27 seconds left. The Raiders hurried up to the line of scrimmage and let the clock expire for a delay-of-game penalty.

 

This was a key moment and one not every quarterback would have recognized.

 

Gradkowski had this to say on the matter:

 

“I kind of thought the ref didn’t restart the play clock,” Gradkowski said. “Because I was surprised when I got to the line, it was already at three seconds. So it was just kind of a miscommunication, and then we just kind of had to take it as it came. I wasn’t gonna waste a timeout on that. Just move us back five yards and go again.”

 

Now I ask you Raider Nation.  Let’s just presume that Gradkowski had to come out and Jamarcus Meatloaf was in the game at this particular juncture.

 

Does Meatloaf have the smarts to figure this situation out?

 

Seriously, does he?

 

Not a chance. 

 

Meatloaf is DUMB. 

 

That’s why he sucks.  That’s why he makes bad reads and bad decisions as well as bad plays.  That’s the clue that makes his choice as a top draft pick to be one of the worst decisions in NFL draft history.  That’s why Al Davis is a fool for claiming Jamarcus is going to be great (which he said directly in his Lane Kiffin firing conference).  That’s why every Al backer and apologist is just as dumb as Meatloaf is.

 

Let’s continue with the play at hand.  This is the game on the line.  It is where winners are made.

 

The delay of game penalty took the Raiders back to the 22-yard line. Steelers defensive back Ryan Mundy was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the next snap, and two plays after that Gradkowski hit Murphy with the game-winning 11-yard touchdown pass.

 

Now, they got a little help from a Steelers secondary that was not playing well that day and they also got a little help from the refs who called a penalty in favor of the Raiders.

 

They finally had a window of opportunity and Gradkowski, the unheralded backup making mega millions LESS than Jamarcus Meatloaf, pulled the trigger and achieved greatness, if only for one game in his hometown in front of his family and friends.

 

That win is what Raiders lore is all about. 

 

Clutch wins take great players to achieve and there is no way Jamarcus would have the ability to navigate that specific situation.  He would have blown the momentum by not allowing the delay of game penalty to occur or maybe call a time out, killing the moment.  Or of course he would have just muffed the play somehow because that’s what he does best—three and outs.

 

There’s your proof. Now eat your Meatloaf.

 

 

 

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