Happy Festivus from the Raiders!!?!?!

I made this picture in honor of Al Davis. I think it shows how he has been the center of the NFL this week and for much of the NFL's existence.

Now for those of you who haven't been paying attention, I will list what you have missed so far in this season of Festivus:

• Feats of Strength: John Herrera challenges Tim Kawakami to a fight. Tim, much like George backs down. John is declared the winner.
• The airing of grievances: Lane Kiffin and Rob Ryan kicked it off after the Bronco game, but two days ago Al Davis fought back. He came out with all of his grievances and had proof to back him up. Davis is clearly the winner.
• Festivus Miracles: Al Davis admitted he had made some mistakes. Whats the first step towards recovery? Admitting you have a problem, his is hiring the wrong men to run his team. Lane Kiffin turned out to be the much like Jerrys date. He looked good at points, but under the right light he was as ugly as ever. He turned out to be a two-faced manipulator and the person handing the reporters all of their inside information.
• The pole: Costanzas pole was an actual metal pole, the Raiders is Sebastian Janikowski. Kiffin trotted Janikowski out for a 76 yard field goal. Seriously he deserved to get fired for that alone. Let me clarify,it was not as good as a punt. Yes it worked out to be like a punt. But considering they have the most consistent punter in the NFL in Shane Lechler and the Chargers have one of the most dangerous kick returners, it was one of the most perplexing things I have ever seen. That includes the season of Shell. Kiffin loses yet again, and shows why he deserved to get canned this holiday season.
  

The biggest plus-side to this holiday season is a capable assistant will now be leading the Raiders. Tom Cable grew up a fan of the silver and black. He understands Al's place in history and how much he has meant to the game of football. He understands being a Raider is something special. He understands that Al Davis is the Raiders. All traits that Lane Kiffin never possessed. He has the ability to bring back "pride and poise" to the Raiders. He has his goal and the strength to see it through. I doubt the offensive scheme will change much, but the play-calling will. He also has an idea about what it takes to win, and is committed to seeing this team return to the past greatness. This is good for the team, and provided that he doesn't let the O-Line slip any because of his promotion, this should be good. Time will tell if Al Davis has picked the right man to run the ship.

Kiffin to be fired?

Nancy Gay of the San Fransisco Chronicle is reporting that Lane Kiffin is to be fired sometime this week. Despite leading the Raiders to a 23-8 victory over a division rival, on the road no less and at a stadium your not supposed to win in. Kiffin's fate is said to be sealed for his defiant tirade last Wednesday. When Kiffin told the media that the 41-14 Monday night meltdown against the Broncos happened in large part because defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and the team's owner conspire to exclude him from defensive decisions. The Raiders are 1-1 in a 17 week season and Al is ready to fire the head coach.

For Lane's take on his possible firing, check the video:



For the Raiders sake, I hope Nancy is wrong.

Contra Costa Time: Kiffin's way or the highway for Raiders?
San Fransisco Chronicle: Kiffin on his way out, despite victory

Raiders-Chiefs Recap

Less than a week after being trounced by the Broncos, the Oakland Raiders rebounded to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead 23-8. So what was the difference between Monday night and today? First off the obvious, the Raiders played the Chiefs. The Chiefs are clearly in rebuilding mode and are nowhere near the Broncos in talent at this time. The Chiefs also don't have the luxury of having an emerging franchise quarterback like Jay Cutler, in fact they have played a total of 4 quarterbacks in the first two games.

The Raiders running game dominated the Chiefs and set the tone for the entire game,the Raiders managed to grind out 300 yards on the ground with contributions coming from each of their backs. Leading the way was rookie running-back Darren McFadden, who rushed for 164 yards. Michael Bush added 90 and Justin Fargas had 43 before getting hurt. McFadden in particular was phenomenal, breaking a 50-yard run and later diving in for a touchdown to help put Oakland ahead 13-0. Bush also came on strong late in the game to help seal the game. Both McFadden and Bush scored their first NFL touchdowns. The Chiefs never had an answer for the trio of backs and the Red Sea was silenced.

The defense rebounded in a huge way and most of the credit for the defenses fine performance, should be directed towards the defensive line. The defensive front continually put pressure on the quarterback carousel of the Chiefs. The pressure on the quarterbacks led to two interceptions, six sacks, and a forced fumble. The defense also managed to shut them down on the ground, allowing only 55 yards to the Chiefs running game.

Sebastian Janikowski played possibly the best game of his career. He was perfect on three field goal attempts, including a franchise record 56-yarder. His play was key as Oakland’s offense moved the ball well but couldn’t punch it in early in the game. He also sent all six kickoffs into the end zone, only one of those were returned. The Raiders played an all-around good game. Jamarcus looked rough at times, but he didn't turn the ball over. Considering this is only his third start, there is not much more you could ask of him. The win moves Russell's record as a starter to 2-1.

To be honest games like this make me happy to be a Raiders fan. Especially considering the Raiders won more games in 2001-2002 (record of 21-11), then they have since 2003 (19-61 overall record not including 2008), it is hard for me to not get excited when they do manage to win a game. But the groin injury to Justin Fargas and the possibility of Lane Kiffin being fired make it difficult to enjoy their victory. Judging from what Lane said after the game, he is not ready to leave Oakland just yet.

“It means a lot. It just goes to show you that we can’t worry about things we can’t control. That’s the media and outside forces trying to tear us apart. I’m so proud of our guys, how they prepared and how focused they were. We kind of had the theme of assassins. We were going to come in here, get this thing and get on out."

I believe Lane has the ability bring the Raiders back, all he needs is time and a little support. That is not asking to much is it? So here's to hoping that Al Davis doesn't pull the trigger on Lane to early.

But for now, lets celebrate this one Raider Nation.

Broncos-Raiders Recap

First off I wanna say last night was tough for me to watch, I felt sick watching the Broncos and Eddie Royal punish the Raider defense for 41 points. Shanahan was out for blood and his team came ready to deliver it. If I had to describe it; I would say it was like watching video of yourself in a car accident where the other driver reacts by punching you in the face, and the video was in a continuous loop for 2 plus hours.

Cutler was on point from start to finish throwing for 299 yards, 2 touchdowns, on 16-24 passing. Eddie Royal routinely found the holes in the defense burning them time and time again for 9 catches, 146 yards, and a touchdown. They used their zone blocking extremely well, finding gaping holes for whatever running back they had on the field. Using all three running-backs they tallied 140 yards combined with none of the backs carrying the ball more than 10 times. Their defense made it hard for the Raiders offensive line, giving Jamarcus Russell no time to find the open man. The Broncos won the game easily 41-14. Most of that can be attributed to three things: (1)They are a young team, (2)Eddie Royal owned Dante Hall last night. Embarrassing him over and over again pushing Dante to two personal foul penalties.(3) The defensive line could not maintain a decent pass rush, giving Cutler all the time in the world to find receivers.

Oakland killed themselves with penalties and dumb mistakes. Oakland committed five personal fouls, botched a reverse for a 15-yard loss, committed 10 total penalties, and they were dominated on both sides of the ball. Yet as hard as it was to watch, it is not time to hit the panic button. The running game was effective, Fargas and McFadden combined for 150 yards on the ground with a 4.8 average. Jamarcus did what was expected of him by making plays and minimizing mistakes. He finished the game with 180 yards, 2 td's, 111.1 QB rating, and a 65.4 % rate. However the one thing that stood out to me the most was how the offense did not give up, they kept giving their all no matter what the score was and it eventually led to their two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. That is something that could not have been said of the Post Gruden/Pre Kiffin Raiders. There is a lot to be negative about, but this is a season of maturation and change. The team will have its bumps and bruises, but in due time the team will be crashing into other teams and punching them in the face.

Broncos- Raiders

Where: McAfee Coliseum; Oakland, CA
Kickoff: 10:15 pm
TV: ESPN
Weather Report: Clear, 70 degrees
Line: Broncos by 3
Bronco Notes: Brandon Marshall will miss the game for violating the NFL conduct policy, rookie Eddie Royal will start in his place. None of the Broncos current offensive line were starters last season. This will be the first regular season game Jay Cutler plays in since being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Mike Shanahan is 20-6 against the Raiders, who he coached from 1988-89.
Raider Notes: Jamarcus Russell will be starting in only his second game. Darren McFadden makes his NFL debut, and will split carries with Justin Fargas. Former Bronco Ashley Lelie signed with the Raiders this week and is expected to play tonight, while Javon Walker may miss the game due to a sore hamstring. The Raiders won the last time these two teams matched up, 34-20.

Here are 5 reasons the Raiders will beat the Denver Donkeys:

Disclaimer: This is not cockiness, this a Raider fan trying to be optimistic after 5 seasons in the division dungeon.

1. As previously noted, Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall is suspended for the opening game. The starters will be Darrell Jackson, the veteran who the 49ers didn't even want, and Eddie Royal, a speedy rookie. But the Raiders have one of (if not) the best corner combo in the league with Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall. With those two, the Raiders should be able to keep the Denver receivers under control.
2. The Raiders should have swept the Broncos last year. Only Shanahan’s time out prevented an Oakland win in Denver when Seabass clanked one off the upright. And both those games were played with Josh McCown at QB.
3. Darren McFadden. He changes everything about an offense, including how teams will defend the Raiders. He will create mismatches even when it is someone else getting the ball.
4. Zach Miller is going to be open often. Bronco safety Marquand Manuel is regarded as a big hitter with issues in coverage. Thats perfect for a big tight-end with speed who seems to easily find the open areas on the field. Plus he is already Jamarcus' favorite target and tonight he will act as his security blanket.
5. Jason Elam is playing for the Falcons. Everytime he stepped up to a big kick, Elam seemed to be able to pull the hearts out of the Raiders chests and stomp on them. I don't think Matt Prater is quite there yet.

With the first pick in the 2009 NFL draft

The Oakland Raiders select.. With the news coming out today that Javon Walker was found unconscious in the streets of Las Vegas, expected to be a victim of a robbery, you can count on those words being read. Al Davis has said Javon Walker is the key to the Raiders upcoming season. Walker is said to be hospitalized in fair condition, with a fractured orbital bone. The same injury TE Marcus Williams career was cut short for after being attacked in practice by Romanowski. The robbery may have stemmed from an earlier report of Javon Walker buying 15 bottles of Dom Perignon at Tryst night club, solely for the reason of spraying said bottles. Here is the photographic evidence from spyonvegas.com


This odd news comes just a couple months after the Raiders signed him to a six-year, $55 million contract that includes more than $16 million in guarantees and pays him roughly $27 million over the first three years of the deal.

With the severity of the injury still not known, this could be crushing to the teams hopes for the 2008 season. All our prayers are with Javon and his family and hopefully from this, someone will learn a lesson. If your rich, famous, and like to spray champagne all over clubs don't walk home alone (and why would someone like him walk home alone, makes you wonder if his entourage set him up or did the beating themselves).


In other NFL related news:
Chris "Captain Chaos" Cooley inteviewed Jason Campbell on his blog.

Larry Fitzgerald spoke up for all of us when he told Brian Westbrook " you ruined my fantasy football team "

GOO Raiders

Today while I was searching youtube for funny videos I derailed and decided to search for Oakland Raiders videos. This is the gem that I found.