Oakland Raiders Week 2: The Worm Turns, Crushing K.C.'s Offense

Comments and questions after the Raiders bounce back to scalp the Chiefs in their own wigwam.

Rob Ryan (a.k.a. soB) showed he might still know a thing or two when it comes to coaching NFL defenses. The coaches and players were well roasted after Monday night. They bounced back in fine fashion in Kansas City.

The Raider offense delivered on the promise of a dominating running game, chewing up 335 yards on 64 attempts for a healthy 5.5 yard per carry average. Darren McFadden held his coming-out party, gaining 164 yards on 21 carries with one TD and two fumbles (one lost). He also caught one pass for nine yards.

His touchdown was a thing of beauty: shifting the ball from one hand to the other and hooking it around the pylon while being forced out of bounds. Talent like that is not taught; you either have it or wish you did. Coughing the ball up twice was not as pleasing to the eye though.

Michael Bush carried the ball for the first time in a NFL game, 16 times for 90 yards and a TD that iced the game. He also fumbled the ball away once, but he learned his lesson and went with a two-handed death grip the next series.

It was a very good sign that beleaguered Coach Lane Kiffin went right back to Michael after the Raiders forced K.C. to punt following his fumble. The boost to Bush’s confidence should pay dividends as the season progresses.

A major setback suffered by the Silver and Black was the groin injury suffered by Justin Fargas. Given the talent behind Fargas, the Raiders were able to continue with their gameplan.

This type of injury can be particularly bad for a running back, so a close watch must be kept that he does not make it worse by trying to do too much too soon. 

No, not that kind of watch, you degenerates.

Raider kicker Sebastian Janikowski enjoyed an excellent day, kicking three field goals. The first was from 56 yards, which represents a career and Raider all-time best.

In addition to a brace of extra points, only one of six kickoffs were able to be returned, and that was brought back only to the 15 yard line after traveling six yards into the end zone.

Kicking like this brings the term “Stick and stay” off the golf course and forces the opposition to drive a long field to score.

Meanwhile, the colossus from Bristol has been pumping reports all day that Kiffin could be fired at any time. The quote attributed to team owner Al Davis is “He’s (Kiffin) not the guy I hired.” We can thank the San Jose Mercury News for this headline. Well done maggots, nothing better to do than dredge up quotes from last month?

Let the record also indicate Mr. Davis is not the guy who led the Raiders to Super Bowl victories in three decades anymore either. Other than the last two years under Jon Gruden, and that first season Bill Callahan operated with Gruden’s roster and playbook, the Raider experience after returning from Los Angeles has been ineffective at best, putrid at worst.

In no way should this denigrate the fantastic things Al Davis has done in football from the late '50s through the '80s, well worthy of his standing as a Hall of Famer. Save those three years though, we’ve suffered more than a couple of decades of decay.  

Does the Raider Nation not deserve the best Al Davis can provide? Surely not the impressive recreation of The Three Stooges of late, along with cloak-and-dagger dramas better set in the height of the cold war instead of the offices of the NFL franchise that promises Pride and Poise.

It is highly commendable that the Raider players could put all this week’s media effluent aside to go out and execute their gameplan. Execute it they did, with JaMarcus Russell having to attempt only 17 passes, completing six of them for 55 yards. He carried once for three yards and did not suffer a sack all game.

Russell also looked like a leader. Monday, JaMarcus seemed to be floating with the events as opposed to directing them. That is the single best thing to come out of the game, McFadden’s contributions not withstanding.

Another key contribution came from the Raiders' O-line, which featured the first NFL start of second-year man Mario Henderson. A third-round pick in 2007 from Florida State, Henderson has been the target of many critics' arrows. Some have said the only reason he is on the roster is due to the Raiders' lack of depth along the offensive line.

Henderson showed promise and has something positive to build upon. Given the injury to Kwame Harris, which kept him out of the game, Mario may very well be needed for quite some time.

How well Henderson plays when the Raiders are forced to pass more is an open question, as Mario has so far shown more aptitude towards the run-blocking aspect of his position.

DeAngelo Hall, who served as the principle goat of the last game, improved his play dramatically. Not to the point of being worthy for his acquisition cost, but improvement nonetheless. Quality of the competition was nowhere near the same, but Hall showed the pride and ability that seemed misplaced against Denver.

In addressing the turmoil, Hall was quoted, "Lane's going to be Lane, Rob's going to be Rob, and Al's going to be Al. At the end of the day, we don't have any control over what happens up there. We just come out and try to play ball."   

Fortunately, Hall and the Raiders did far more than try—holding the Chiefs to 190 total yards, collecting two interceptions, and bagging five sacks. Linebackers Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison each recorded sacks, which would require blitzing. What a refreshing concept.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs' QB situation is, shall we say, fluid. Three quarterbacks saw action for Kansas City. Combined, they completed 17 of 38 passes for 135 yards. The sole K.C. score was on a two-yard toss from Tyler Thigpen to Tony Gonzalez with 4:04 left in the game.

Starter Damon Huard, playing in place of the injured Brody Croyle, was forced out in the first quarter after suffering a sack and throwing a pass that was intercepted by Tyvon Branch, his first career pick. 

Later, the Chiefs' staff described Huard as suffering from "mild head trauma." Surely Chief Head Coach Herm Edwards can relate, after seeing his team begin 0-2 for the third-straight season and rack up its 11th consecutive loss.

Thigpen, in his second year out of Coastal Carolina, entered Sunday with two completions in six previous career attempts and an 18.7 rating. He finished the game with 151 yards with 14 completions on 33 attempts. 

Thigpen was also picked off by Kirk Morrison with just over three minutes left in the game. The interception led to Bush’s TD, which served as the final tomahawk to the Chiefs hopes for victory. 

The running game, which features Larry Johnson, suffered a major beat down, gaining only 55 yards on 19 carries for an average of 2.9 yards per carry. The translucent Johnson only rushed 12 times, netting 22 yards with the single longest gain being seven yards.

Linebacker Thomas Howard led the Raiders' defense with seven total tackles (five solo) a sack, a forced fumble, and he broke up two passes. His partner in crime—Morrison—pitched in with six tackles (five solo), and solo helpings from the sack bar, pick platter, and deflected pass dessert tray.

Derrick Burgess, also seeking redemption for Monday, contributed five tackles (four solo), a 10-yard sack, and a forced fumble. The wildly erratic tackle Gerard Warren was also on the plus side, recording five tackles (three solo) and mirrored Derrick’s sack numbers.

This game is the second win in a row over Kansas City after nine consecutive losses, dating back to 2002. The last time the Raiders won against the Chiefs in K.C. was in 2001, Gruden’s last season as the Raiders' head coach. It was also the last time Oakland swept the season series.

The Silver and Black are not as bad as they looked in the opener against Denver. Similarly, they are not as good as they looked in Kansas City. Next week features another trip, this time across the country to Buffalo, who are 2-0 after a victory against the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

The Bills will provide a good litmus test on both sides of the ball for this Raider team. Luckily, that test comes now instead of December when the snow in Buffalo can stack up to your wazoo.