Well, fans of the Silver and Black...
...Did you think you'd be playing for first place, in the FIRST WEEK?
Check it out.
Kansas City gets taken down by New England. Not many people doubted it, simply because New England was high powered. However, New England has to be in shock after their breadwinner, Tom Brady, goes down hurt.
The latest is that he's done for 2008, but the team is running silent. The other side of the news has them bringing in Chris Simms for a tryout. Stay tuned.
Part two: The Chargers lost at home. Yes, that's not a typo. The Carolina Panthers, minus Steve Smith, both kept the Chargers off the board, but also mounted a last-second comeback to win the game. Ok, two seconds.
- B/R Ticket Guide
So now we go into Monday night—Oakland vs. Denver—and the winner has a one-game lead on a division, with 3 0-1 teams.
If this doesn't light a fire under the Raiders...Maybe Davis could offer bonuses for winning against Shanahan. Money talks, right?
Ok, some primary things for going into tomorrow night.
Ball control will be key. Nothing hurts worse than hurting yourself on dumb plays, like falling back in the pocket and fumbling the ball away. Or going for a pass, turning the wrong way, and then throwing a pick. If no one's open, and trouble comes, throw it away...Russell, we know you have the arm.
McFadden, your job is simple: punch holes, hang onto the ball, and make for daylight.
Curry, Walker, Lelie, get possessed by the spirit of Tim Brown and the hands of Fred Biletnikoff.
And Janik, pretend you're George Blanda. Not the QB, the kicker.
If all goes well, Shane Lechtler won't have to imitate Ray Guy.
Oakland, it's in your hands. Make the game tomorrow so loud...
...They'll be able to hear it across the bay!
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2 months ago
Chris Simms.....what a groin punch that is...
from 2 months ago
Weeeell, you could try Duante Culpepper, talk him out of retirement....
from 2 months ago
Now you're just being mean... :)
2 months ago
The ball is hardly in the Raiders' court, although technically it sort of is because it is week one. Bro, the Raiders are a 7-9 team at the very best. you cant honestly anticipate that you will more than double your win total last year. I can agree that the competition for the AFC West is wide open, but the Chiefs are awful and the Raiders have not had a .500 record for how many years? I compare this years Raiders team to last years Vikings, with a worse offense, but a pretty close comparison in the running game.
The Oakland defense is tough, but hasn't it been tough for the last 2 seasons? Walker is hurt, and Carter is done for the year, as well as O'Neal. Your offensive line is pretty bad, and that does not bode well for your QB in his first year as a starter. Both teams are better, and it will be a great game to watch. I just think you are overlooking the Broncos a little bit. Nay, a lotta bit.
from 2 months ago
Well, Sayre, actually you can look at a few things.
First of all, through the first 12 games last year, there was a lot of close calls. Take the first Raiders-Denver game. One timeout(or ref call), and the Raiders finish 5-11, and denver slips back to 6-10.
Denver loses that last game, to the vikings. Now, the Broncos and the Raiders are tied.
Oakland gets a good call for once, against the Colts....we win, and the Raiders are 6-10.
How about that dropped ball by Mike Williams? 7-9.
Oakland, this last year was in a lot of games. What was hard to work with, was in 2006, was we had great defense, so-so run stoppage, but poor offense. Hence, the last two years, we spent our picks on one QB, and one RB that are both slated to be playmakers.
Doubters aside, it'll be fun to see it all run, in a meaningful game.
I know a lot of Bronco fans want to already circle this game as easy. I don't think it will be.
This is going to be an old-school grudge match. Expect players to go down injured. The rookies, for denver, will think it's like a regular game....but this will be equal to a high ranking bowl game, with this intensity.
And personally....I'm still betting on the Raiders to win.
2 months ago
Yeah it has been reported that Brady is going to be out for the season.
Actually Culpepper wouldnt be a bad pick. New England's defense didnt put up much of a fight against the Chiefs who could have sent the game into overtime if it hadnt been for Bowe. Fall of dynasty maybe?
Cant wait for the game tommorrow! It's going to be great!
2 months ago
A picture says a thousand words, please see my photo. Don't forget Donko fan we added Hall and Wilson. Cutler should have a fun day passing!
from 2 months ago
I'm looking at Wilson playing up, blocking Selvin Young, or for good measure, bouncing him on his back when he tries to break through the middle. One of those Kodak, Hello moments.
2 months ago
Like your article and it's attitude RCA. LOVE the photo - that is one great wp.
I'm so fired up I can't even sleep, with strains of Autumn Wind blowing through my mind.
2 months ago
J.C. Autumn Wind indeed. Can't wait to see our run defense vs the broncos run defense. This game will be brutal in the trenches. MacAfee stadium will be out of control.
2 months ago
Top Ten Reasons:
1. They’re due. At some point, the Raiders will face a team which plays worse than they do in Week 1. Plus, you’ve got to figure an ex-Bronco or two (Javon Walker, Ashley Lelie, Gerard Warren, Cooper Carlisle) can give the Raiders an edge.
2. They’re better at quarterback. Yes, JaMarcus Russell will make mistakes. But don’t compare Russell to other No. 1 draft picks or quarterbacks on other teams. Compare him instead to Aaron Brooks, the 2006 Andrew Walter, Josh McCown and Daunte Culpepper.
How do you like him now?
Take a look at how Atlanta’s Matt Ryan and Baltimore’s Joe Flacco did in their debuts Sunday. With the proper run support, there is no reason Russell can’t do something similar.
3. Justin Fargas is all shiny and new, having not yet subjected his body to the weekly demolition derby. He’s the most game-ready player on the offense according to Lane Kiffin and he is just waiting to drop 100-plus on the Broncos after gashing them for 146 last season in Oakland.
4. Mike Shanahan bristled during a conference call when I asked him about the Broncos getting away from being a running team because of Jay Cutler’s emergence as a passer.
“You may write about it more when we’re throwing the ball well but we’re still going to run the football and we’re running it well,” Shanahan said.
But the fact is they weren’t up to par last year, gaining under 2,000 yards (1,957) for the first time in since 2001 and finishing ninth in rushing, a year after finishing eighth. The biggest reason for Denver’s dominance over Oakland since 1995 is their running game _ and now the Raiders run it better.
5. Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall is suspended for the opening game. He is the most dangerous receiver on either team, the game-breaking target Cutler needs the most.
The starters will be Darrell Jackson, the drop-prone veteran who even the 49ers wouldn’ t have as their own, and Eddie Royal, a dangerous rookie. Nnamdi Asomugha, DeAngelo Hall and Stanford Routt should be able to keep the Denver receivers under control.
Note: Prevoiusly called Eddie Royal “Darrell.” Darrell Royal is the former coach at Texas.
6. The Raiders should have swept the Broncos last year. Only Shanahan’s time out prevented an Oakland win in Denver when Sebastian Janikowski boinked one off the upright.
This gets back to reason No. 2, but Josh McCown, playing with a bad ankle, had one of the worst days a quarterback could possibly have yet the Broncos were lucky to win. All McCown had to do was properly manage the rematch _ which he did _ and Denver wound up kneeling on the ball to end a 34-20 loss.
Out-coaching Shanahan head-to-head is probably the only reason Kiffin escaped the Bugel-Shell fate of one-and-done.
7. The Broncos don’t have the defensive personnel to dominate the Raiders offensive line. No Albert Haynesworth and not a Williams (Pat, Mike, Jamal) in sight. It’s true the Raiders tackles have some pass blocking issues, but in a true zone blocking system, the key linemen are the center and two guards _ and Robert Gallery, Jake Grove and Carlisle should take care of business.
8. Zach Miller should be open _ and Russell will find him. Denver strong safety Marquand Manuel is regarded as a hitter with problems in coverage _ perfect for a tight end who seems wise beyond his years in finding open areas and a quarterback in Russell who already sees him as a secruity blanket.
9. The Darren McFadden factor. He changes everything about a a formerly plodding offense _ including how teams will defend the Raiders. He will create mismatches _ even when it is someone else getting the ball.
10. Jason Elam is in Atlanta. Maybe the scariest Bronco over the years where the Raiders are concerned because it seemed he never missed dating back to the old Mile High Stadium and when the Raiders were at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
It’s not going to have that “automatic” feeling when Matt Prater lines up for the big kick.
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