One Player on Each Team Who Oakland Raiders Fans Hate to See

There are some players around the league that as Raider fans, we hate to see. Whether it be because they perennially give the Silver and Black fits or because they played a part in injuring one of our players, each team in the NFL has a player that Oakland Raider fans love to hate.

Let's take a look at the one player on each NFL team that Raider Nation hates to see line up against the Raiders on Sunday...

Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald

Let's face it, who doesn't hate to see Fitzgerald lining up against their team? Fitzgerald is one of the more imposing wide receivers in the league and he has done nothing but produce since he entered the NFL.

Until the Raiders make a concerted effort to shore up their secondary, Fitzgerald will continue to be a nightmare matchup for Oakland.

Atlanta Falcons: Tony Gonzalez

Gonzalez is one of those guys who can be classified as a "Raider Killer."

Throughout his hall-of-fame career, the former Chief tormented Oakland, amassing 1,473 yards against the Raiders, his highest total among all 32 NFL teams. 

Gonzalez was born in Torrance (just a short ride from the Raiders former stomping grounds, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum), and he played his college ball at California (just a short ride from the Raiders current stadium in Oakland).

The hometown sensation has haunted the Raiders for years, and though Gonzalez's career is coming to a close, Oakland will have to deal with him at least one more time when the Raiders meet the Falcons in the 2012 regular season it Atlanta.

Baltimore Ravens: Ray Lewis

Although Lewis has only played a handful of games against the Raiders, he certainly has made them count.

The future hall-of-famer is a perfect 5-0 against Oakland in his career. In those five games, he has 12 tackles, a sack and two interceptions.

Lewis is a guy that fans of every team hate to see whether it be for his run ins with the law, his smash mouth style of football or simply his overpowering ability to impact a game.

Seeing Lewis on the field is particularly hurtful for Raider fans, knowing that their team could have selected him in the 1996 NFL Draft but opted for drop-prone tight end Rickey Dudley instead.

Buffalo Bills: Shawne Merriman

Although injuries have limited Merriman's production over the last two seasons, that doesn't take away from the animosity Raider's fans have toward the former Chargers star.

Merriman was phenomenal during his six-year career in San Diego, but he seemed to rise to the occasion whenever he lined up against Oakland.

Merriman has only lost to the Raiders once while beating them six times. Additionally, the former pro-bowler has 14 tackles and 8.5 sacks against the Raiders in his career. These totals are higher against Oakland than any other team in the NFL.

The Raiders see Merriman less frequently now that he has left the division, but the bad blood between he and the Raiders still runs deep.

Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton

Simply put, Cam Newton is the best player on an up and coming Panthers team, and there's no doubt Raider fans would hate to see him line up opposite their team's defense.

Newton recently finished up a sensational rookie season in which he threw for over 4,000 yards and ran for over 700. He had a total of 35 touchdowns, 21 through the air and 14 on the ground.

Newton's ability to hurt you with both his arms and his legs could prove troublesome for a Raider defense that will experience a learning curve switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4.

This new scheme will get put to the test right away when Newton and the Panthers play host to the Raiders during the 2012 regular season.

Chicago Bears: Josh McCown

Raider fans look back late 2000s with disdain, as their team solidified itself as a perennial bottom-dweller in the AFC West.

2007, the year McCown played for Oakland, was a particularly bad year in which the Silver and Black finished a dismal 4-12.

McCown put up very poor numbers throwing the football, tallying 11 interceptions against 10 touchdowns in nine games. His 2-7 record as a starting quarterback was certainly nothing to write home about.

The blame for the horrendous 2007 season cannot be placed entirely on McCown, as fellow quarterbacks JaMarcus Russell and Daunte Culpepper struggled as well.

McCown's career by the Bay was brief, but he will forever live in Raiders infamy and fans won't soon let him hear the end of the shame he brought the program.

Cincinnati Bengals: Thomas Howard

It's never fun facing a former teammate, especially one who gave you a fair amount of good years like Howard did for the Raiders.

Howard is athletic as they come at the linebacker position, and he is blessed with elite speed for his size, but his skill set never seemed to fit in with the defensive scheme of the Raiders.

Howard remained stoic despite losing his starting job in 2010 to Quentin Groves. A class act through and through, Howard moved on to the Bengals in 2011 where he started 15 games for Marvin Lewis' squad.

The former second round pick out of UTEP showed great promise at the beginning of his Raiders career, kicking off his sophomore campaign with four interceptions in four weeks, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

It will surely be painful for Raider Nation to see Howard perform in a fashion similar to this against the Silver and Black, but that's exactly what could happen when the Raiders and Bengals square off in Cincinnati later this year.

Cleveland Browns: Scott Fujita

It's hard to find anything wrong with a guy like Fujita who is renowned for his charitable efforts. Heralded as one of the "good guys" of the NFL, Fujita is here not because of his character but for a play he made against the Raiders in 2011 that flipped Oakland's season upside down.

On October 16th, Fujita's Browns paid a visit to Oakland. The Raiders managed to escape with the win, but it came at the expense of their quarterback's health.

Late in the second quarter, Jason Campbell scrambled out of the pocket, fighting for extra yardage, when out of nowhere Fujita came in and brought him awkwardly to the ground.

The play resulted in a broken collarbone for Campbell, an injury that would cost him the rest of the season.

The hit by Fujita was in no way dirty, but if he had allowed teammate Chris Gocong to bring down Campbell instead of getting involved himself, the Raiders season may have turned out far differently.

One can only wonder.

Oakland will try to exact revenge on Fujita and the Browns later this year when Cleveland makes a return trip to the Bay Area.

Dallas Cowboys: DeMarcus Ware

There are few Raider ties on the current Cowboys roster, and with that being the case, we turn to the scariest, most imposing player Dallas has: DeMarcus Ware.

Ware has been nothing short of phenomenal since entering the league in 2005. The all-pro linebacker makes a living by wreaking havoc in the backfield.

In seven years in the NFL, Ware is half a sack shy of 100. He led the league in sacks in 2008 and 2010, racking up 20 and 15.5 sacks respectively.

Ware would create problems for a relatively young and inexperienced Raider offensive line. Thankfully for Oakland, the Cowboys play in the NFC and only play the Raiders once every four years in the regular season.

Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow

If a list like this was made for any team in the NFL, there's a good chance Tim Tebow would be the representative from the Broncos every time.

From a Raider fan's perspective, there's a lot to dislike about the Broncos quarterback.

First off, the attention he received in 2011 from media outlets nationwide was over the top to say the least. Secondly, it was Tebow who propelled Denver to an improbable playoff berth, essentially filling the spot the Raiders were vying for all season long.

The hate for Tebow runs deep in Oakland, and it will only continue to increase as the Bronco Raider rivalry becomes more and more competitive.

Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson

There's many games that Raider fans can look back on in 2011 and simply say to themselves, "That's one that got away."

The game against Detroit is a perfect example.

The Raiders were sitting at 7-6 entering the contest and a win would have put them in prime contention for a playoff spot with just two weeks to go.

But along came Calvin Johnson.

"Megatron" dominated the Raiders from start to finish to the tune of 214 yards and two touchdowns.

Like Fitzgerald who appeared earlier on this list, Johnson is a matchup nightmare for a depleted Oakland secondary.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to full advantage of this, hitting Johnson nine different times in the game.

The big blow came with just 39 seconds left: a six-yard touchdown strike to give the Lions a lead they would never relinquish.

Raider fans will be happy to know that there is no foreseeable rematch scheduled with Megatron Oakland will skip Detroit in 2012.

Green Bay Packers: Charles Woodson

One could make a case for Woodson being the best defensive player to don the Silver and Black in recent memory.

During his stellar eight-year career in Oakland, Woodson racked up 17 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and 396 tackles on his way to four pro bowls.

Believe it or not, the future hall-of-famer has shined even brighter during his career in Green Bay.

Despite playing two less years with the Packers than the Raiders, Woodson has totaled 20 more interceptions and 240 more tackles. For the record, he also has a Super Bowl ring, something he came close to but never accomplished in Oakland.

It's always difficult seeing one of your own perform brilliantly for another team, but it's particularly challenging in Woodson's case.

The former Heisman Trophy winner missed 10 regular season games in his final year in Oakland because of a broken leg. In six full years with the Packers, Woodson has started all but three regular season games.

Woodson will always have a special place in the hearts of Raider fans and for that reason, it's always tough playing against him when he's in another uniform.

Houston Texans: Arian Foster

Arian Foster is a player many teams would hate to see, but the Texans tailback has been difficult for the Raiders to contain during his three year NFL career.

In two matchups with Oakland, Foster gained 201 yards on just 39 carries (an average of 100.5/game) to go with eight receptions for 172 yards (86/game).

After seeing Foster each of the past two seasons, Raider fans will be happy to get a break from the all-pro tailback in 2012.

Indianapolis Colts: Adam Vinatieri

Vinatieri, then a member of the Patriots, drained a 23-yard field goal in overtime of the 2002 AFC Divisional Playoff game to vault his team into the AFC Championship and send the Raiders packing.

Earlier that same night, Vinatieri nailed a 45-yard, game-tying field goal to force the extra period.

If Vinatieri missed either of these kicks, it could have been the Raiders celebrating a 2002 Super Bowl triumph instead of the Patriots.

There will be more on the aforementioned playoff game between the Patriots and Raiders (also known as the "Tuck Rule Game") later in the slideshow...

Jacksonville Jaguars

Similar to the Cowboys, there are very strong Raider ties on the Jaguars current roster. Oakland better familiarize itself fast with Jacksonville, because the two teams are set to do battle later this Fall.

The Raiders primary focus must be on Jags tailback Maurice Jones-Drew. Raiders should already be familiar with the three time All-pro running back, considering their team passed on him not once but twice in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Jones-Drew lacks ideal size for a running back but more than makes up for it with his speed and toughness.

The Raiders have struggled at times with the NFL's elite running backs and a good performance by Jones-Drew against Oakland this fall will only increase the nation's disdain for the Jags' tailback.

Kansas City Chiefs: Stanford Routt

Just weeks after being released by the Raiders, Routt agreed to terms with the division-rival Chiefs. Needless to say, the breakup between Routt and the Raiders wasn't exactly a clean one.

Oakland released Routt from a three-year deal worth $31.5 million, largely in part to his under performance in 2011.

The cornerback struggled mightily, allowing the second most touchdown passes in the league (eight) and committing the most penalties (17).

Routt is known for his man-to-man coverage abilities, and he did give the Raiders some good years, but don't think for a second that he won't be the target of some choice words when the Chiefs pay a visit to Oakland in 2012.

Miami Dolphins: Brandon Marshall

Raider fans were happy to see Marshall leave the division in 2010, but that doesn't take away from what the receiver accomplished against Oakland during his time in Denver.

Marshall is a modest 5-3 all-time against the Raiders, but he has caught 31 balls for 433 yards in those eight games.

That yardage total is his fourth highest tally against all teams in the league.

Marshall will try to continue to pose a threat to a weak Raider secondary when Oakland heads east to take on the Dolphins in Miami this fall.

Minnesota Vikings: Jared Allen

Adrian Peterson seems like the obvious choice here, but the all-Pro running back suffered an injury and, thus, was held in check in his only game career against the Raiders (6 rush, 26 yards).

Allen spent four years in Kansas City and during those four years, his Chiefs never lost to Oakland (4-0). Allen spent the better part of those four games tormenting the Raiders backfield, registering six sacks.

Thankfully, Allen has switched leagues so the Raiders will have to deal with him only once every four years rather than twice a year.

New England Patriots

Images of the fateful "Tuck Rule Game" still burn in the heads of Raiders fans everywhere. Tom Brady was the man who seemingly fumbled the football late in the fourth quarter of a 2002 divisional playoff game, but upon further review, it was determined the pass was incomplete.

Brady went on to guide the Patriots to a win and a Super Bowl. Raider Nation has never forgiven Brady for what transpired on that snowy night in New England and it likely never will.

New Orleans Saints: Darren Sproles

Sproles is an all-purpose type of player who for years gave the Raiders fits. Although it was his backfield mate in San Diego, LaDainian Tomlinson, that did the most damage, Sproles managed to make in impact as well.

Sproles' lifetime record against Oakland is 7-2. He has three career touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground.

His numbers are not nearly as impressive as LT's all-time stats against Oakland, but it's important to keep in mind that all of Sproles' stats were accumulated in a back-up role.

The Saints running back will get another chance to prove himself against the Raiders when New Orleans heads west this Fall.

New York Giants: Eli Manning

Of course, the hate Raider fans have for the younger Manning brother could be much worse if the two-time Super Bowl champ stayed with the team that drafted him, the San Diego Chargers, back in 2004.

Although Oakland doesn't see Manning nearly as much as they see the Chargers' gunslinger, Philip Rivers, Raider fans still hate to see Eli, due in large part to his success against the Raiders.

In two career games against Oakland, Eli is 2-0. He threw for 377 yards and three scores, but the most impressive stat is his passer rating, 126.7. That's Manning's highest rating against any other team in the league.

Thankfully the Raiders see him fairly infrequently, but whenever they do, Eli seems to make them pay.

New York Jets: LaDainian Tomlinson

Tomlinson embodies "Raider Killer" in every sense of the phrase. In his hay day, "LT" was virtually unstoppable, especially when he suited up against Oakland.

In 19 career games against the Raiders, Tomlinson is 14-5. In those games, he rushed for more yards (2,055), more touchdowns (22) and scored more times through the air (4) than he has against any other NFL team.

Tomlinson may be in the twilight of his career but the bitter memories of him running circles around a bewildered Raider defense still remain fresh in the hearts and minds of Raider Nation.

Philadelphia Eagles: Nnamdi Asomugha

Asomugha was a shutdown corner during his eight-year career as a Raider. At the end of the 2010 season, the pro-bowler used an odd clause in his contract to enter free agency and ultimately jump ship to the Eagles.

The Raiders haven't had the pleasure of facing their former teammate since his departure, but you can bet if these two teams ever meet, the fans won't hesitate to make Asomugha uncomfortable, despite what he did for Oakland earlier in his career.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Polamalu

Let's face it, which fan base likes seeing Polamalu line up opposite their team's offense? The Steelers safety has been in the league nine years and done nothing but produce.

Polamalu has only one career start against Oakland, but he made it count, registering six tackles and an interception that he returned 38 yards.

The all-Pro safety will have a chance to try his luck against Oakland again when the Steelers travel across the country to take on the Raiders this fall.

San Diego Chargers: Antonio Gates

Just to put things in perspective, there's only one team that Gates has over 1,000 yards against in his illustrious career: the Raiders.

There are only two teams against which Gates has registered double-digit touchdown totals. One is the Chiefs, the other is, of course the Raiders.

And lastly, there's only one team in the entire NFL that Gates has beaten over 10 times. Any guesses as to who it might be?

Yeah, it's the Raiders. Gates has beaten them 13 times, five more wins than he has against any other team.

Gates may enter the hall-of-fame because of his ball-catching prowess, but he will always be remembered in the minds of Raider Fans as a "Raider Killer."

San Francisco 49ers: Vernon Davis

In 2006 when Vernon Davis was drafted, the 49ers owned the sixth pick over the Raiders by virtue of a coin flip. At the time of the draft, there was constant chatter about Oakland being seriously interested in Davis.

The tight end out of Maryland was a prototypical workout warrior, the type of athlete that the late, great Al Davis had been enamored with for years. Additionally, the Raiders tight end corp at the time was in need of a major overhaul as the (not so) fearsome twosome of Courtney Anderson and Zeron Flemister weren't cutting it.

Had the Raiders won the coin flip against their cross-Bay rivals, it's very possible Davis would be donning the Silver and Black as we speak.

Instead, the Niners snagged him at the six spot leaving the Raiders to select Michael Huff at seven, who even today has yet to fully develop into the safety many expected him to be coming out of Texas.

Perhaps based on jealousy alone, Vernon Davis is the choice for the player who Raider fans hate to see most on the 49ers.

Seattle Seahawks: Robert Gallery

Gallery is one of a few ex-Raiders on the Seahawks roster (Mike Williams and Zach Miller are the others).

The big offensive lineman was drafted by the Raiders to fill the pivotal left tackle spot. After that three-year experiment failed miserably, the Raiders coaches opted to move him to the interior in 2007.

A switch to the guard position breathed new life into the former first-round pick. Gallery rejuvenated his career and gave the Raiders a few solid years along the line.

Despite this, some Raider fans will never forgive him for disappointing so heavily upon his arrival in Oakland. The Raiders selected Gallery second overall, choosing him over the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers.

St. Louis Rams: Steven Jackson

Jackson has been arguably the Rams best player of the course of his eight-year career in St. Louis. The veteran always seems to bring his A-game against the Raiders, too.

In two career outings, the three-time Pro-Bowler has tallied 202 yards on the ground and two scores. He also added another 50 yards through the air.

Jackson's career is winding down and because he plays in another league, the Raiders may not see him before he calls it a career, but it doesn't take away from what he's already accomplished against Oakland.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ronde Barber

Barber is the only remaining player on the Bucs roster who was also on the team when Tampa Bay defeated Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII.

It's not that Barber made all that much of an impact in the game itself, but he will not be in good graces with Raider Nation simply for his affiliation with the 2003 Buccaneers.

The Raiders and Bucs will match up in 2012 for just the second time since the Super Bowl nine years ago. You can bet Barber will be the target of a fair amount of trash talk when Tampa Bay heads to the Bay Area this fall.

Tennessee Titans: Chris Johnson

In his only career game against the Raiders, Johnson torched Oakland's run defense on his way to a 142-yard performance. Johnson also found the endzone twice and played a major role in the Titans 38-13 win over the Raiders on the opening weekend of the 2010 season.

Johnson took a step back in 2011, registering his worst year of his short career with just over 1,000 rushing yards.

Still, the three time pro-bowl tailback is still as dangerous as ever. His skill set posed major problems for the Raiders in 2010, and should these teams meet again in the near future, he will be public enemy No. 1 among the Raider Nation.

Washington Redskins: DeAngelo Hall

Hall came to Oakland with the expectation that he would be the ideal shutdown compliment to Nnamdi Asomugha.

The price tag for Hall wasn't cheap as a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick were shipped to Atlanta in exchange for the two-time pro bowler.

Once he arrived in Oakland, Hall inked a 7-year, $70 million contract, $24.5 million of which was guaranteed. For all that value you have to assume he was worth it, right?

Wrong.

Hall was a complete bust for the Raiders, playing only eight games in the Silver and Black before being released. Hall didn't suit the Raiders man-to-man style of defense, and he was repeatedly beat when forced to cover his man one on one.

Hall's career in Oakland is one of the more disappointing ones in recent memory, and he will forever live in infamy in Raider Nation.