Sign up or login to track your favorite teams

Sign Up for Bleacher Report

As a registered user you can subscribe to your favorite teams, post comments, write your own articles, and much more.

You must register in order for that functionality to work!







Validating sign up form ...

Bleacher Report articles are written by fans like you

Do you want to cover your favorite sports, teams, and leagues?

Processing writing preferences ...

Great, , you're signed up!

i.e. Big 10, LeBron James, USC Football

Selected Tags:

Logging in ...

In the midst of starting the preseason 2-0, and just minutes away from big talk in the beginning of the season, it was third and goal, and the call was a fullback dive. O'Neal's number was called, but he now wishes it hadn't been...

That's Okay Oren O'Neal, It Was Only a Game-Winning TD

by greg pitsch (Columnist)

25

3,884 reads

Opinion

August 16, 2008


In the midst of starting the preseason 2-0, and just minutes away from big talk in the beginning of the season, it was third and goal, and the call was a fullback dive. O'Neal's number was called, but he now wishes it hadn't been.

The Oakland Raiders' defense held up strong and got the ball back to the offense to seal the game, or so they thought. After a 72-yard run by Adimchinobe, followed by a decent run up to the goal line, his number was called again—but twice he was stopped just short.
The next call baffled me, but it might have something to do with the fact that all the back-ups lack a good grasp of the offense to audible, or at least have someone go in motion.
Greg Knapp decided to run a fullback dive up the gut for the fourth running play in a row from just a half yard out. It could have been an amazing play call had it worked.
Oren took the hand-off and was doomed for failure. The Tennessee Titans had the box loaded. I thought for sure the Raiders would at least do a play action, or a quarterback bootleg into the endzone with "Tui." From what I saw, the Titans had nine in the box, and had just stopped two run plays just shy of the goal-line.

To finish reading this article, please visit:
Track this Article on My B/R
Flag This Article
Share This Article

25 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. M VH 10 months ago

    Too bad for Orne. he's developing into one of the best blocking FB's in the game.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • greg pitsch 10 months ago

      That is what I took out of it, is that I feel bad for the guy, I mean he did lose the game with that, but then again adimchinobe should have never looked back. And Higgins shouldn't have dropped it at the one.
      Other than the few mishaps, we were dominating the tempo of the game, and that is what we want to do... A "W" in the win column... not quite, but a big win mentally.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  2. EndZoner 10 months ago

    Double-oh Neal will shake this off. Next time he gets to bury a MLB next week all will be well with this world. He will watch the films and learn. I hope to see him in front of the 3 headed monster a lot in the next few years.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  3. JollyRoger 10 months ago

    It wasn't Knapp's call... it was Kiffin's. And Kiffin made the call because Oren had a bunch of family in the stands and he wanted to give him the chance to score.

    Kiffin never woulda made that call in a regular season game. But it's preseason and Kiffin is always looking for ways to build trust with his players.

    It sucks that it didn't work out... but Kiffin has taken responsibility for it.

    I feel for Oren for sure.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  4. Tomycar Car 10 months ago

    It happens.. one thing about Kiffin is his honestly brutal at times.. he was trying to win the game.. shit happens..people want to blame Ryan.. but forget to realize that Ryan has his hands tied .. if there was any puppet coach on this coaching staff its Ryan. its very well known that Davis is constantly meddling on the defensive side of the ball.. John Fox walked off the job because of it.. i also read a comment from a poster on another site that said.. "if the coaching staff was so impressed with Walter then how come they drafted Russell?" we all know who drafted Russell.. sure as hell wasnt the coaching staFF lol.. this game gave us alot of film.. alot to study..and elvaluate.. im sure that Higgins learns his leason, and Oneil see their mistakes and wont make that mistake again.. it really wasnt just Oneil who lost the game.. if Higgins didnt fumble. different game.. if Rankin didnt run out of bounds.. different game. if Adimchinobe didnt run out of bounds.. different game.. if Ryan would have called more blitz's on 4 consecutive 3rd and longs.. would have been a different game ( Remeber Ryan LOVES to blitz.. its a Ryan thing. he just isnt allowed to because of the man upstairs)

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Raider Ken 10 months ago

      That's complete BS Tomy. Ryan can do anything he fricken wants. He is a grown man. He can walk away same as John Fox, but he isn't. He would be out of a job for what? 5 minutes. Quit hatting on Davis it just makes you look like an Idiot!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Tomycar Car 10 months ago

      ignoring the facts is what makes people look like an idiot. its a KNOWN FACT that Davis is involved in the defense.. and its also a known fact Davis prefers Man to Man coverage and pressure from the front 4..

      Saying im hating on Davis because i tell the truth is what just made you look like an IDIOT.. everything i said is absolute fact.. Davis DOESNT like to blitz.. and when Ryan blitzes to much.. Davis is up his ass FACT.. anyone who has been a fan longer then 2000 knows that..

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Raider Ken 10 months ago

      If it is true that Davis is up his azz then why didn't Ryan leave this offseason? Everyone knows that he had a job offer from the Jets just waiting for him. Nobody in the circles of the NFL would have blamed him for just leaving. But he stayed, Why? I don't know nor do I pretend to. It doesn't sound like Davis is too far up there though! Point is he is calling the shots on Sunday and he chooses to call them. Blaming Davis for the way Ryan calls the games on Sunday is being blind to the fact that Ryan can tell the Raiders to go to hell anytime he wants and there will be a job for him 5 minutes later.

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Tomycar Car 10 months ago

      ever heard of a thing called a contract? Ryan is under one.. this is his last year.. if you dont know that Davis is very hands on then you havent been a Raiders fan very long.. because Davis has called the shots since 1963 when he came here ... those are facts.. you can deny them all you want. but the fact remains.. Davis has always had his hand in the defense ALWAYS..

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • FRANK YRAY 10 months ago

      that's rumor not fact and you or anyone else on this page is not there and doesn't know so stop the talking head thing and stick to facks like hyrum euegene is playing 15-20 yards off his man in man to man because he sucks and is a idiot safety not a corner and sanchez and waddell would have their pick slips too if I owned the team what a joke those 3 jokers are!

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • greg pitsch 10 months ago

      Ryan is getting the credit for playing the system Al Wants, plus we wouldn't want to blitz all the time, because we have the best pass defending linebacking corps in the NFL

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  5. Dapostman dapostman 10 months ago

    this is a bettr team, Haynesworth was quoted:
    ""This team right here is a lot better than the Rams," Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth said. "We practiced against the Rams those two days and knew what we were going to do against them. This team (Raiders) is a lot better and they have improved a lot."

    i am very incouraged with our latest results.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  6. Ken Wise 10 months ago

    Hey Raider, your the one who looks like an idiot. Anyone who sides with Davis is living in the past. Davis was the BEST, but he's lost it. Do I hate him...Hell no! But I sue don't want his input anymore. He meddles and brings in and keeps players that harm the chemistry of the team. And not only that he keeps them on the field...Javon Walker shouldn't even make the team and he was given the #1 receiver slot! The Raiders won't hit their full potential until Al is gone. If they win it's inspite of Davis, not because of him.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

    • Raider Ken 10 months ago

      I'm not siding with Davis. I just wanted to point out that Ryan is a grown man. He makes his own decisions on Sunday. If he wanted to blitz nothing would stop him on Sunday from calling it. If he thought his hands were tied he would have left inspite of Al telling him to stay this offseason. At the end of the season he himself said "i'll be out of a job for what 5 minutes".

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

    • Tomycar Car 10 months ago

      it still doesnt change the fact that Davis doesnt like Blitzing.. this is a fact.. any DC who did was out of a job.. ask john Fox.. ask Bresnahan.. ask WIllie Shaw.. they will all tell you the same exact thing.. Davis is VERY Hands on when it comes to the defense.. this is a fact.. sure Ryan can do what he wants.. but then he will find himself out of a job.. perhaps in this case thats no big deal.. but then we get stuck with another schlub.. but if you think that DC's dont get shit from Davis.. your awefully Nieve

      Edit Comment Cancel

      Reply
      Great Comment (
      0
      )

  7. FRANK YRAY 10 months ago

    then why blitz 2 frst plays and much of the first half? God the gossip of the brods is thick!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  8. Bo Schembechler Jackson 10 months ago

    Tomy,

    I agree that Davis has a lot of say in what the D schemes are, but no way in hell does Davis decide whether his DC can blitz on occasion in the second preseason game. You really think Davis called down to the sideline in MID AUGUST?!? Thats a bit of a stretch for even the most cynical fan to claim. Ryan could have called more blitzes if he chose, and hopefully would have if it were a real game.

    Point is, the Raiders D has shown this year they will be a lot more unpredictable. Perhaps Kiffin, Ryan and Davis came to an understanding.

    As for the series to which you refer, I can only hope Ryan was being a good coach and evaluating whether his defense could stop the Titans without using a risky blitz call. And so doing, learned that when it counts he needs to BRING THE HEAT!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  9. Tomycar Car 10 months ago

    oh i dunno.. plenty of people have been on record saying that phone rings an aweful lot on the sidelines.. and its only from one man.. it isnt just one player saying it.. ALOT of players are saying it.

    Ryan comes from a great Pedigree.. look at his brother in Balti.. Blitz's quite often. Ryan would love to blitz more.. we have the speed.. sure we blitz on accasion.. but i have been a fan for over 30 years.. the Raiders have always relied on the front 4.. and threw in a blitz here and there.. i also agree that we cant blitz all the time.. but we sure as hell need to on 3rd and 20 LOL..we got the best secondary in the league.. the best cover corners out there.. send the house.. thats how i see it

    Unfortunatly.. over these 30 years.. Davis has had a huge hand in what goes on with the team.. and being a Defensive Minded coach/owner whatever.. he does force his hand when it comes to the defense.. why Ryan sticks around.. who knows.. Maybe Davis told him he will be the next coach when Kiffin leaves after this season.. only a guess

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  10. Tomycar Car 10 months ago

    oh i dunno.. plenty of people have been on record saying that phone rings an aweful lot on the sidelines.. and its only from one man.. it isnt just one player saying it.. ALOT of players are saying it.

    Ryan comes from a great Pedigree.. look at his brother in Balti.. Blitz's quite often. Ryan would love to blitz more.. we have the speed.. sure we blitz on accasion.. but i have been a fan for over 30 years.. the Raiders have always relied on the front 4.. and threw in a blitz here and there.. i also agree that we cant blitz all the time.. but we sure as hell need to on 3rd and 20 LOL..we got the best secondary in the league.. the best cover corners out there.. send the house.. thats how i see it

    Unfortunatly.. over these 30 years.. Davis has had a huge hand in what goes on with the team.. and being a Defensive Minded coach/owner whatever.. he does force his hand when it comes to the defense.. why Ryan sticks around.. who knows.. Maybe Davis told him he will be the next coach when Kiffin leaves after this season.. only a guess

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  11. Kevin Hart 10 months ago

    I would say that the Walker drop on the first possession and of course Higgins fumble at the goal line were worse than that fumble. All in all though. The team played well for the second time in as many games.

    RB's should have ran stayed in bounds anyways.

    But if it was a run despite the 9 man front, why wouldn't Bush run it?

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  12. Castor Troy 10 months ago

    Instead of saying " a lot of people say the phone rings" and "all the DC's out there will tell you" why don't you give us links to sites that quote these DC's?

    If anybody is to take any word you say, you should probably have some proof to back up your claims. Otherwise it is just bullsh#@ coming out of your mouth.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  13. Tomycar Car 10 months ago

    Castor.. because quite simply.. its common knowledge.. Google works wonders..

    and if im wrong.. isnt it just as much your responsibility to prove me wrong? i dont know how long you have been a fan.. but i have been since 77 and its always been that way. its been that way since 1963 when AL Davis came over from San DIego..

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  14. Tomycar Car 10 months ago

    http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807E6D91239F93AA35752C1A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

Leave a Comment

  • You must register to post a comment.

    • Want to write for Bleacher Report

    We are a community of fans who write about sports. And we're growing.

    Learn More and Sign Up »

    Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Getty Images.
    Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited.