Bleacher Report - Articles by Sergio Serna

Battle of the Bay: A Look Into the Oakland Raider-San Francisco 49ers Rivalry

Sergio Serna — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:17:08 -0400

Twenty two miles separate McAfee Coliseum and Monster Park. The rivalry, however, is far greater than a mere 22 miles. Every summer, fans of the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers have a war; not for a win that matters in the record books or season total, but for dominance. Who owns the bragging rights in the Bay Area for the next year? Good or bad, this is the Bay Area's "Super Bowl."

These two teams have played a number of times when it has counted as well, 11 times to be exact. Their first meeting was in 1970, and the Oakland Raiders lead this all time list with six wins and five losses.

Sunday, Nov. 3, 2002 was the last time these two teams met when it counted, and the 49ers defeated the Raiders 23-20 in overtime. Jeff Garcia was still throwing to T.O. and Rich Gannon's favorite target was Jerry Rice.

So Oakland owns the all-time regular season record against the 49ers but how about the pre-season? Well, sorry 49ers fans but Oakland happens to own that too (but only by one game). Oakland leads 18-17 with the next installment to be played on Friday, Aug. 8, 2008 in Oakland. The last time these two teams met, San Francisco beat the Raiders 26-21 at Monster Park in San Francisco.

I guess the most logical question is why do these two franchises dislike one another so much? Neither share a division let alone a conference. So I asked so locals and this is what I found:

Brian C. of Milpitas, California and a 49ers fan said that "all that matters is the rings; the Niners have five and the Raiders have three."

Moises M. of San Jose and Raiders fan said, "49ers fans just live in the past. Yes, they have five Super Bowl championships but they did that in like 10 years so what have they done since? At least the Raiders have won division titles and been to the Super Bowl in the last 15 years."

Jeff W. of Fremont, California, also a Raider fan, said that "49ers fans don't respect us because we are blue collar workers. They think we are beneath them and therefore are just trash."

Phil R. of San Francisco and a 49ers fan said that "Raider fans are just thugs, gang members and pimps, and we are a much higher brand of fan; we don't consort with the likes of people like them. Raider fans make me sick."

But not all the messages from one team to another were hate filled.

Jeff V. of Milpitas, California said that although he is a Raider fan, he respects the history of the great players to come out of San Francisco and hopes that one day we have an all Bay Area Super Bowl.

Jarrett J. of Redwood City, California is a 49er fan but says he admires the great fans in Oakland and thinks that Raider fans are among the best fans in all of sports period. He too wishes for an all Bay Area Super Bowl but concedes that it most likely will never happen because the NFL would prevent such a thing from happening because like most Niners' fans, the NFL hates the Raiders.

So there it is, straight from the fans in the Bay Area. We all have our reasons for hating the other team and we all have high hopes for our teams this upcoming season, but the "war" is far from over and the next battle is right around the corner. Who will win this battle? We will find out Friday night.

How the Oakland Raiders Could Beat the Chargers and Patriots

Sergio Serna — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:08:21 -0400

With everyone writing off -- through personal bias or sheer ignorance -- the Oakland Raiders yet again, I am writing to say Raiders' fans dreams of success can be reality once again.

I could have chosen any of the 16 teams Oakland faces this season, but I chose to focus on the two toughest teams Oakland will face - the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots.

Since they are first up, I will use the Chargers as my first subject. First off, any football fan knows that momentum is a great tool for confidence. Oakland draws Denver and Kansas City in the first two weeks of the season with both KC and Denver still rebuilding their teams a little (not to mention the crowds in KC are no longer allowed to really cheer). This vastly improved Raider team can beat their divisional rivals.

As for Buffalo, well, they don't have much of a team to speak of apart running back Marshawn Lynch, so I have little doubt that Oakland can defeat them as well.

So that brings us to Week Four and the San Diego Chargers, which will be played in Oakland. Make no mistake: San Diego is no pushover. They are a very talented team with a sup-par head coach at the helm.

The Oakland Raiders know Norv Turner very well, as he was the head coach of their team just two seasons ago. With no notable wide receivers to speak of, the offense is left up to Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates.

Don't get me wrong, those are three very credible threats, and you can look as far as the record books to see how hard to beat this Chargers team is. However, that, of course, is the past - and what we are looking at is a possible future.

And if the Chargers can contain Tomlinson -- and no-one loves carving up Oakland quite like LaDainian Tomlinson - then maybe.

Again, going back to what history has taught us, all good or even great running backs usually hit that wall between 28-30 years of age. Tomlinson has just turned 29, and he had knee surgery in the offseason. Those two facts alone could spell "uh-oh" for the Chargers' offense.

By Week Four, that knee still may not be 100%, and I doubt if any of us will know if he is healthy.

And back to containment of the offense. Well, it sounds much simpler than it really is. If the Raiders use that greatly improved secondary to contain Gates and their two receivers, Craig Davis and Vincent Jackson, Oakland's linebackers can help contain LT, and that will keep them from scoring touchdowns.

The Chargers' defense is another story. Linebacker Shawne Merriman is one of the scariest men on a football field, and cornerback Quentin Jammer is still making plays. Jammer, however is also 29 this year. Isn't that the age where great players lose a step?

The 2008 Raiders are a very fast and young team. Can the now-aging Chargers really keep up with this young and powerful offense that Oakland possesses?

One more thing Chargers fans: It was an equally young, and far less talented, Raider team that almost beat you not once, but twice last season.

And onto the New England Patriots...oh how the mighty may fall.

Last season they finished 18-1. We will see how well these Patriots fare in 2008.

Let's take another look back to 2007. NE was the No. 1-ranked offense and No. 4-ranked defense, but after almost the entire secondary in NE jumped ship to other teams or retirement in the offseason, how far will that No. 4 defense fall?

With a greatly improved running game in Oakland, can New England contain them? They could bring in the secondary closer, but that would only open up the passing game. Offense, however, won't beat the Patriots - the New York Giants proved that. It will be the defense that will beat the Patriots.

People often forget that Oakland was the No. 3-ranked defense back in 2006. Injuries led to the fall to No. 23 in 2007. In 2008, Oakland has a very scary secondary with Nnamdi Asomugha, and DeAngelo Hall at the cornerback positions, and Stanford Routt, Michael Huff, and Gibril Wilson rounding out a very fast and dangerous secondary.

That begs the question: Whom will Tom Brady throw the ball to? Well, NE could try running the ball, but they are not really known for their running game, and much like SD, there will be players waiting to deal with the Patriots' mediocre running back Laurence Moroney.

There you have it: my theory of how the Oakland Raiders could possibly beat two of the toughest teams in the NFL.

I know both Chargers fans and Patriots fans are going to go nuts over this, but just remember this: on any given Sunday, anything can happen.

The Three Headed Monster Of The Raider Nation

Sergio Serna — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:32:16 -0400

Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, and Darren McFadden: Also known as finesse, power and speed. It's really a case of teams having to pick their poison - who do you prepare for and can you ever fully prepare for them all at the same time? Anything is possible, but highly doubtful. NFL running backs have two primary jobs: eat the clock and score touchdowns. It is a strategy used by many teams like San Diego, Denver, and New England.

Oakland has risen to exciting levels by the drafting of Darren McFadden. Yes, I have heard the comments from so many, "why take another running back when you already have four?" Well yes Oakland did have four and technically still do (McFadden, Fargas, Bush, and Jordan. Dominic Rhodes was released the day after the NFL Draft).

As training camp draws near one of the other 31 teams will be in need of LaMont Jordan's talents and with any luck Jordan will be traded away then leaving behind the "three headed monster.

But like all good things, questions still arise; Can Fargas repeat the exciting season he had last year before getting injured? Has Bush's leg fully recovered and how will he perform come game time having not played a down of competitive football in almost two years? But the biggest question of all is if Darren McFadden will live up to all the hype, and is he as good as everyone thinks.

Those are all very good questions, but before I give my take on Fargas and Bush I must ask if had McFadden been drafted by the likes of the New England Patriots or the Dallas Cowboys, would anyone question how good he is or could be? I always seems like anyone who goes to Oakland immediately becomes sub-par or questioned.

It happened with Jerry Rice, Warren Sapp, Randy Moss, and countless others. So to answer the question on "Run-DMC"; his numbers speak volumes and he is he Heisman runner up two times, I am sure he will do just fine in Silver and Black

As for Fargas and Bush, in both the mini camps and OTC's they impressed the coaches but they both will see action on August 8, when they compete in the Raiders first preseason game against the San Francisco Forty Niners. Until that time it really is unknown just how good this trio of backs will do, but know this if they perform even half as good as predicted the Oakland running backs will be an exciting trio to watch and draft as fantasy football players.

Is the Commitment To Excellence Finally Back In Oakland?

Sergio Serna — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:42:56 -0400

Since 2002, when the Oakland Raiders were picked apart by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, never had such a winning franchise fell so completely off the map.

In the five seasons since the Super Bowl appearance, the Raiders have won less than 20 games.

Where is the blame to be placed? The coaches? The players? Al Davis? The NFL itself?

Honestly, the Raiders were old, plain and simple.

While that did work in the short-term, eventually everyone's body starts to deteriorate. Follow that up with lack of focus due to sub-par coaching, and spoiled star players.

The solution, first, the search for a head coach. Oakland had four coaches in five years. Follow that up with some risky but smart draft choices, and now excellence is finally back on the horizon.

It all started with the Raiders doing something that has worked very well in the past. When Lane Kiffin was hired after being co-offensive coordinator at USC, the young unknown head coach trend continued. Then the remaking continued when the Raiders changed their strategy by drafting a quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Things started to look positive.

However, after a long holdout with JaMarcus Russell not signing until after the first week of the season, it became apparent that 2007 would be yet another disappointing season.

Finally fed up with the state of the team he once built into "the winningest team in pro football," Al Davis opened his checkbook and splashed out some real money to improve his team.

Those moves brought in Gibril Wilson, Javon Walker, and Drew Carter. Mr. Davis even re-signed several key players to keep them in Oakland, paying out big money contracts to Tommy Kelly and Justin Fargas. Then a blockbuster trade brought in DeAngelo Hall, and finally in the 2008 Draft the Raiders brought in rookie Darren McFadden.

Adding these players to the current crop of talented young players, the Raiders already had, you have the building blocks for a possible playoff appearance in 2008 are in place.

While many will tell you that Oakland will still be bringing up the rear in 2008. It's those very people that have not looked at the schedule the Raiders have this season. With teams like Miami and Atlanta on the schedule, the Raiders have a real chance to go 10-6 this season, and that might just be enough for a wild card spot in the playoffs.

But as the old saying goes, "on any given Sunday," so keep and eye on Oakland this year as Raider Nation may just remind the NFL why they have a commitment to excellence.