Raiders Bring Steelers and Fans to Tears

The Oakland Raiders went into the home of the Steelers as 14 point underdogs. After three quarters of what was a low scoring and close game with a score of 10-6 in the Steelers favor. Both teams went on a scoring binge with multiple lead changes coming in the fourth quarter.

After the Steelers took the lead and what they thought was the win with 1:50 left in the game. The Raiders went on an 88-yard drive and with 15 seconds left in the game the Raiders QB threw a pass to a wide open Louis Murphy for the Raiders win.

I have been tough on the Raiders team this year. As a fan I have called out their manhood and have gone off on them more than once. The above story is why. The Raiders have been able to not only play with, but beat some good teams this year with wins against Pittsburgh, Bengals, and Eagles only to decide to not show up for a game or two after each win.

As bad as I have been on the team, I will always be a Raider fan, win or lose. If the Raiders ever figure out that they can play with anyone should they all decide to show up they can become something.

It was great to see the look in the Steelers fans faces after the loss. I know the feeling but not today. It was great to see the wide receivers start to show how good they are as the young players started to step up.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders Are Soft

The Oakland Raiders could not beat a team in which every QB to face them over the past four or five games burned them in the passing game.

The Oakland Raiders WRs are a joke, causing a couple picks because they do not know how to catch. In the few times that they managed to hold onto the ball, the O Line with the penalties blew the drives.

The Raiders have three No. 1 picks in J-Russ, D-Mac and DHB that look like total busts. I am so tired of listening to Cable every week after being crushed talk about how close they are.

This team is not only not close but as sad as it is to say, the Oakland Raiders over the past seven years, that’s right seven years have played some of the worst football that I have ever witnessed.

They make me as a Fan physically ill to watch, as they have become the laughing stock of the NFL. I feel bad for my children that when walking through a Supermarket have to watch and listen to other shoppers rolling around on the floor in laughter as they see the Raiders shirt or cap on my kids.

I am an old time Raider Fan who is tired of the whole mess. Al Davis needs to contact Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen and do what ever it takes including giving Gruden a small stake in the team, to have them step in and bring this joke of a ball club into this century.

To all the fans still on board and telling me to get lost and walk, I say wake up and smell the stench. In seven years of having top picks and after going through a bunch of coaches, this team is still a laughing stock.

The day Davis cut Gruden will go down as one of his biggest blunders of all time, just for the stability factor alone and for the foundation of the team.

Maybe years ago it was 90 percent players and 10 percent coaching, but in today’s NFL, it has become a 60/40 split with all the substitutions and match ups.

I will always be a Raider Fan and it looks like I will just have to back off for awhile. If the players do not give two #####, who in the hell am I to have to live this crap for 16 games a year for what will be going on eight years next year.

What a sad, sad day for Raider Nation, a joke of a team with what looks to be no hope in sight. How far Mr. Davis has fallen is just stunning.

I use to believe that “Just Win Baby” crap. As stubborn as Mr. Davis is in making the changes that will really help this team win again, it makes me wonder if ego is more important to the man than his Raiders and winning.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders Take Football to New Lows

Over the Oakland Raiders’ last 100 games, there has been no NFL team in the history of the game to have played as badly and lost more games during a 100-game stretch.

I am writing this with 6:00 minutes left in the Raiders game against the Texans with the score at 29-6 Texans. The Raiders are getting better, though, scoring three whole more points on offense than they had the week earlier against Denver.

Jeff Garcia has stated what I have thought for a long time, Garcia stated that the Raiders do have some young players who want to win but have too many others that just want to show up and pick up a pay check.

The once-proud Oakland Raiders have become nothing more than a punchline and a laughing stock throughout the NFL. When you have fans that show more heart and courage than many of the players, it is a sad day in Raiderland.

I was a die-hard fan for many many years and have raised Raider fans who are now in their 30s and have (for the most part) watched nothing but very bad Raiders football during their life.

They had a few good years in the early 2000s, but let’s face it; prior to that, the Raiders were bad for many years and now, going into a seven-year run of playing some of the worst football ever played in the history of the NFL, I am done.

I will make a prediction that the Raiders walk out of Texas today with no more than the six points they now have on the scoreboard. The offense during a game gains as many yards as an average team scores in a half.

Let’s face it; the Oakland Raiders are the modern-day New Orleans Saints. At least the old Saints played well enough to have fans show up for the games wearing bags over their heads. These Raiders are so bad that fans do not even care to watch the games anymore.

Until the Raiders cut the punks, no matter who they may be, and start bringing in football players, nothing will change. With a loss today and the Raiders’ schedule, a 1-7 or 1-8 start is looking like a good bet.

What was it, one of the old coaches fired a few years ago who said about his team, I think is was he had the dumbest team in the NFL.

The Oakland Raiders have become nothing more than a big joke and have been nothing but a joke for seven years now.

I love quality football, and to sit and watch this garbage that the Raiders put on the field and try to pass off as football, I wish them well now and in the future but I will waste no more of my time and or money watching this bunch of players who have little pride and very little heart.

The Raiders do have a few great players that do not belong in the following statement, but the Oakland Raiders have far too many punks wearing the Silver and Black than they do real football players.

The poor few players they have that are the real deal, to have to take the field with the other heartless punks week in and week out, year in and year out must eat them alive.

No more Raiders win or lose until I die, start playing something other than Bush League football and maybe I will take the time to watch again, until than see ya later.

Punt, Punt, Punt, Fumble, Safety, Punt, Fumble.

Incomplete, dropped pass, run for a loss, incomplete, incomplete, pick.

3 points, 0 points, 6 points, 13 points, 3 points.

That is what Raiders football has become game in and game out, and I am done.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders Dominate San Diego Chargers, Need to Learn to Finish

The Oakland Raiders dominated the San Diego Chargers for most of the night on both sides of the ball but could not come away with the win.

The Raider defense looked as good as I can remember and were totally dominating the San Diego Chargers on both sides of the ball.

San Diego could not run and San Diego could not pass period. The Raiders man handled the Charger offense play after play and the Charger players were dropping like flies.

At the end of the first half of play the Raiders defense allowed the high powered Charger offense only 74 total yards in the first half of play.

Richard Seymour had two sacks in the first half of play and Greg Ellis had 1 sack on Rivers. The Chargers offensive line looked overmatched by the physical Raider defense.

The Raiders offense line in the first half was destroying the Chargers defensive line and the Raiders were running at will, rotating both Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. And this was before the Chargers lost two of their starting lineman.

This game should not have been close. The Raiders offense left a bunch of points out on the field with J Russ missing a wide open wide receiver down the sideline which would have been a easy touchdown.

Jamarcus Russell also missed some other passes to wide open receivers I bet he wishes he could take back. The fumble on a promising looking drive by Darren McFadden and a pick from Russell on another promising drive was also part of the Raiders undoing.

This game should not have even been close going into the fourth quarter and by letting the Chargers hang around way to long it cost the Raiders the game.

With Jamarcus Russell hitting rookie wide receiver Louis Murphy for a 57-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter looked to have done in the Chargers with the Raiders taking the lead.

With just a little over two minutes left, the defense that had dominated the Chargers offense for much of the night started to play soft. Dropping their linebackers to deep allowing Rivers and Sproles to kill them underneath.

My take on the game is that the Chargers are a veteran team and are about as good as they are going to get. Many in the media already have them playing in the 2009 Super Bowl.

The Oakland Raiders are a very young team and are just starting to find themselves and should only get better game in and game out. And it looks like they gave the Chargers a look at their identity which is a very physical football team on both sides of the ball.

As heartbreaking as this loss was for the Raiders they told the AFC West and the rest of the NFL you better come to play when playing this young Raider team.  Coach Cable looks to be making good on his promise of putting the Raider back into Raider Football. 

I will not tell you what I think about the Raider reviews the Raiders get like the Louis Murphy Touchdown taken down—tuck rule anyone?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Richard Seymour Speaks, Makes Fools Of Many in the Media

Richard Seymour, an Oakland Raiders Fan since his childhood, finally broke his silence about the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Oakland Raiders for a 2011 first-round draft pick.

Richard stated that the New England Pats blindsided him with the deal. When his old coach called him, Belicheck spoke only five words: “You have been traded to Oakland.”

What a way to treat a player that has meant so much to your organization through so many years. It was not New England trading Seymour, but the way they did it that was low down and let the world see just how “classy” this organization really is.

Richard Seymour made many in the media, who show their bias and what seems to be outright hatred of the Oakland Raiders and Al Davis, to be nothing more than a bunch of clowns who just made news up as they went. Some in the media even went as far as to call coach Cable an outright liar.

My earlier article on Bleacher Report was dead on about what was really going down with Richard Seymour during this trade.

Al Davis and the Raiders knew all along what would be coming out once Richard Seymour finished the business of taking care of his family and had a little time to shake off the sucker punch he had just received from his coach.

The Raiders just sat back and never said a word, all the while letting many in the media make fools of themselves day after day. Where do they find some of these people, do they advertise for them on the street corner?

Richard Seymour stated he never made any demands to the Raiders about not franchise-tagging him at the end of the year, or that he wanted a new contract before he would show up in Oakland.

They have been talking about a long-term contract, but by choice—not by threat.

The last big trade that Al Davis made with New England with a player coming our way involved Davis gaving up two No. 1 draft picks. That player now is in the Hall of Fame. His name is Mike Haynes, the best corner to ever play in the NFL.

Great move, Davis, and welcome to the Black Hole, Richard Seymour—it is always great to meet another Oakland Raiders Fan.

New England lost on this one as their D already had questions in the secondary and at the linebacker position. DEs/DTs like Richard Seymour do not grow on trees. How many Richard Seymours have been drafted in the first round during the past decade? Not many.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

New England Tells Richard Seymour: “It Is Payback Time.”

Richard Seymour is not mad at the Raiders; Richard Seymour is mad at New England, and here’s why…

When coach Cable said there was some issues that Seymour had to work out with New England, coach Cable was telling the truth.

Despite what all the media would like you to believe, New England did want Richard Seymour to sign an extension, and had been working with Seymour’s agent on an extension.

Richard Seymour was given the impression by his agent that talks were going well. And Richard was expecting a new deal to finish his time in the NFL with the team that had drafted him. A trade was the last thing that he saw coming.

What Richard Seymour did not know is that New England, after talks with Seymour’s agent over an extension, had decided that it was more than they wanted to pay.

New England also remembered the two times that Seymour had held out on them, forcing New England to cough up more money. At the time, Richard Seymour had stated on a TV show that it was “just business.”

New England worked out a trade with Oakland without ever giving Richard Seymour or his agent the slightest hint it was going to happen.

Richard Seymour was under the impression that the extension talks were going well with New England, an impression no doubt given to him by his agent.

The end result is that New England traded Seymour and said goodbye. It is, after all, just business.

Richard Seymour had been blindsided by his team and his coach, and he’s told coach Cable as much.

Richard Seymour wanted to take some time to talk to New England and his agent because he was under the impression, given to him from both New England and his agent, that he was getting an extension in New England.

That is what coach Cable was talking about when he stated that there were issues Richard Seymour had to take care of with New England.

Many in the media are coming up with all this speculation and know very little of what they are talking about.

For the Raiders’ part, once Richard Seymour gets over the shock of New England blindsiding him—in what was pure payback—he has to move on.

So yes, Richard Seymour is not happy with being traded, and the media can and will twist that anyway they like.

Facts are that, because of the way it was done, Richard was not going to be happy no matter where he was traded, period.

My guess is that he realized he was played by both New England and his agent and was initially upset. But now he has settled down, and his agent has been talking with the Raiders on a long-term deal.

Either way, it does not really matter for the Raiders. If he shows up and plays, they win. If he decides to stay and not come out and play, the Raiders just call back in their No. 1 pick.

So no matter the anti-Raider spin the media wants to put out there, it is New England that has the most to lose if Seymour decides not to play in Oakland, not the Raiders.

My guess is that he will be at the Thursday practice. He has had plenty of time to let New England and his agent know just how much he feels they have screwed him.

But I guess that was just the New England way of saying goodbye to one of their great players, with the explanation that “it is just business.”

But what a cold, cold business it is. I guess that is part of the reason it pays so well.

As for New England, you do not want to tick them off—team legend or not—because they never forget, and payback is a bitch.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Raiders Insist Disrespected Rookie Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey Will Catch On

Maryland’s offensive coordinator, James Franklin has the following to say to anyone who did not like the Oakland Raiders 2009 first round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey.

“Just wait, you”ll see. He’s still very raw, and probablly could have used one more year, but his potential is limitless,” Franklin said. “I think Al Davis understands that, sometimes in life, you’ve got to take an educated, calculated risk. You don’t get where you want to go all the time taking the safe bet. Sometimes you’ve got to put yourself out there.”

“I think they have a chance to look like genuises down the road.”

That has always been the Al Davis and Raider way, the NFL Hall of Fame is loaded with players that Al Davis has taken a calculated risk on. As Mr. Davis has stated, “I would rather be right than consistant.”

And History, not the media of today, that to compete with the internet has lowered their standards of reporting fact to an all time low. History will record that through Mr. Davis’s life he has been right much more than he has not, in regards to players.

When Mr. Davis does hit on a player, many become not just good players in the NFL, but they become some of the best to ever play a position. NFL Films “Top Ten Corner’s ever to play”, and so on is littered with players drafted by Mr. Davis.

Back to what Darrius Heyward-Bey’s coach had to say.

On the subject of DHB’s production and his 13 career TD’s Franklin stated, that had more to do with Maryland’s pro-style offense than Darrius Heyward Bey’s ability.

DHB was double teamed by a corner and a safety all season long and their Quarterback did not have the arm strength to hook up with the vertical threat DHB.

Franklin stated that over the next few years Darrius Heyward Bey has a chance to be special in the NFL.

Watching the way the Crabtree mess is playing out with the Niners I do believe Al Davis got this one right. With the threat by Crabtree to sit out the complete 2009 season and re-enter the draft in 2010. Shows he is not only slow on the field but he is also not the sharpest tool in the shed.

The Raiders Chad Shilens is the Oakland Raiders Crabtree and has already proven that he can play in the NFL. He is just a taller, faster and bigger version of Crabtree and I think will turn out to be better than Crabtree.

One of the problems with the Raiders WR’s over the past few years was nobody respected their speed. DHB at practice ran a deep route drawing double coverage opening up a huge whole in the middle of the field.

Murphy which just might be the steal of the 2009 draft at WR caught a pass for a huge gain. All because of DHB clearing out the field and that is why the Raiders drafted this young speedster.

Nnamdi has stated that lining up against Darrius Heyward-Bey and looking into his eyes that the kid looks at you and you feel he is telling you he is going to run right by you and can run by anyone.  Nnamdi also stated that corners will be afraid to press DHB much and that he is the type of WR that will put fear into DB’s around the league.

I believe that the future is going to show that the Raiders drafted the number one WR in the 2009 draft and the sky is the limit for this young, smart, hard working and level headed talent.

What is so great about the whole DHB talk is that many so called draft experts and media people went all in. There is no pulling back to try and cover their rear.

Time will tell on DHB and someone is going to look very foolish down the road, many of which work for ESPN.

Raiders Offensive Left Tackle Mario Henderson a Star in the Making

Mario Henderson, the 24-year-old offensive left tackle of the Oakland Raiders, attended school at Florida State. Mario was used early at Florida State as a TE and a RT, was a redshirt junior, starting only two games his junior year at the left tackle position.

It was not until Mario’s senior year at Florida State he would start 13 games at left tackle. This was one of the major reasons teams in the NFL did not have Mario high on the Draft Boards. The young left tackle did not have enough work in College.

Al Davis along with one of the best player personnel men in the NFL, the Raiders Jon Kingdon saw something in Mario Hederson that could not be taught. At 6’7″, 310 lbs this big man had something Al Davis and the Raiders have always put a premium on, size and athletisism.

Mario was smart, had good feet and flexibility, size and posessed a terrific upside with a few years of development. The Raiders saw that Mario was quick to get his hands into a defender. He adjusted in pass protection and controlled opponents at the point.

Always keeping his feet moving and blocked with leverage, he showed the ability to slide laterally and was very quick out of his stance to help him with fast pass rushers. Mario had all the tools to become a very good left tackle.

Al Davis traded the Raiders’ 2007 seventh round pick and the next year’s third round pick to New England for the Patriots’ 2007 third round pick, the 91st pick in the draft.

This did not make much sense for New England per the value chart used in the NFL, and in my opinion the Raiders came out on top on this one. The pick received from New England was used to draft Mario Henderson.

It has not been easy for Mario, with coach Kiffin all over him in 2008 over his play at practice. But Mario used all the crap being put on him as motivation to make himself better. Mario is a film nut and has all the games he plays in on DVD and carries them with him to review his play and make himself better.

Mario started five games for the Raiders at left tackle late last year and showed that he is starting to reach his potential. Going up against some of the best pass rushers in the NFL during those five games. You did not hear their names all game long with Mario not giving up a sack.  

In this, Mario’s third year with the Raiders, all indications from camp are that Mario Henderson will be the Raiders left tackle in 2009. If Mario starts this year at left tackle it will be a very important year for him and the Raiders.

I believe that this will be Mario’s break out year as he settles in at a position that has been a problem for the Raiders for a few years now.

In today’s microwave, have to have it now, and cookie cutter world, Al Davis still operates his team as the pure football man that he has always been. Finding and identifying talent others may not see or might miss is his forte. He also gives that talent the time to develop to its full potential.

Many will laugh over the above statement as bad as the Raiders have been the last few years. But make no mistake about it, this Raiders team is loaded with a bunch of young talent. And they all have the size and speed that the Raiders are always looking for.

Mario Henderson has all the tools he needs to become a very good left tackle. And I believe that Mario is going to be a fixture on the Raider line for years to come.

J Russ and Mario came into the NFL together and have been developing together as players. People tend to forget that this is a very young Oakland Raiders team with J Russ only 23-years old. This team is loaded with lots of young talent at many positions. 

I love the games but watching this young team being put together. Watching the players grow and develop into the positions and become a team is exciting for me to watch.

In my profile I list I am a huge Raider fan, and many will say that I am drinking the kool aid. But this young Raider team as being built is going to do some damage in the NFL in years to come. 

It took awhile for the Raiders to develop Nnamdi and look at the type player he has become. Mario Henderson has everything he needs to become the same type quality player for the Raiders and 2009 is going to be Mario Henderson’s coming out party.

Many laughed when I wrote my article (prior to the 2009 Draft) on the Raiders needing to Draft Michael Mitchell at safety. Many laughed when I had Nnamdi’s back early on as he was developed and people questioned the draft pick.

Down the road as Mario Henderson reaches his Pro Bowl potential at left tackle for the Raiders. Just like the Michael Mitchell scoop, remember you read about it here first. The main media writes on the Raiders just to right. They focus on anything and everything negative and never see the cream before it’s time.

They are and have been doing this with Russell, Henderson and now DHB and Mike Mitchell. They are as blind men, not knowing when the sun will shine but they can give you the time once it comes up. With me, I will try and put you on to a new potential Raider star before they become stars.

Will I be right about Mario?, we will find out in short order as the young man is coming into his own. And with regards to my article on why the Raiders needed to draft Michael Mitchell that I wrote the day prior to the draft?

You are all about to see the why over the next few years as Mike Mitchell as well as Mario Henderson help to put the Raider back into Oakland Raiders football. 

Darrius Heyward-Bey: Welcome to the Black Hole

DHB bypassed scholarships from Boston College, Alabama, Virgina, Pittsburgh, and Michigan State to enroll at Maryland in 2005.

The 6’2″ 210 lb wide receiver was red shirted his freshman year in 2006, and started 10 of 13 games, earning freshman All American Honors.

DHB set a school freshman season record with 45 catches for 694 yards with a 15.4 YPC average.  DHB was also the fastest player in school history, clocking a 4.23 at 40 yards in 2006.

However, there were troubles at the quarterback position and the school was unable to find a second wide receiver to help take some of the pressure off of DHB.  Because of this, DHB was constantly having to fight his way through double coverage.

DHB again lead the team his sophomore year with 51 catches for 768 yards and a 15.4 YPC average.  With the trouble at quarterback, DHB was used more as a runner out of the backfield and recorded 25 carries for 314 yards on the ground.

DHB was also used on reverses, and during his junior year he carried the ball 13 times out of the backfield for 202 yards and a gaudy 13.5 yards per attempt, averaging 14.23 yards every time he touched the ball.

The young man has a very high work ethic and his team and winning come before any personal goals to try and pad his stats.  He accepted his team’s offense for what it was and did whatever was asked of him in the role they had for him.

Maryland rarely ever threw the ball down the field to take full advantage of this young man’s talents, and it makes you wonder what type of numbers this young man would have had coming out of college.

Had he played on a high powered offense in college and had a No. 2 wide receiver to play alongside him, one can only imagine the gaudy stats this young and very talented wide receiver could have put up.

Chris Stuber at Scouts.com had this to say pre-draft about this young man’s potential coming out of college and into the draft:

“Heyward-Bey is an explosive playmaker who can change the momentum of a game on any play. He gets a quick release off the line, runs good routes, flashes reliable hands and is elusive in the open field. He gets separation on the outside and tracks down deep throws with ease. He’s doesn’t shy away from going over the middle and making tough receptions in traffic.”

As for all the folks out there that have already added a “cannot miss” title to any of the wide receivers coming out in this year’s draft, history does not bare out your assertions per the very good article regarding top 10 first round wide receivers written by Matt Bowen at NationalFootball Post, which can be read here.

The one thing I learned from reading Matt Bowens’ article is what type of wide receiver is most likely to bust and why coming out of college into the NFL.

It also describes what a wide receiver needs to succeed in the NFL. My money is on DHB; his talents and skills transfer over to the NFL level better than a Crabtree, and that includes his team first attitude and top work ethic.

Only time will tell, but I know he should become one of J Russ’s best friends on the field.

Welcome to the Black Hole and the Oakland Raiders DHB, welcome.

 

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010