I would just like to give a special shout out to all of my buddies on here. Now I only joined this blog a few weeks after the Super Bowl, but I've met my fair share of fans on here. Ranging from questionable fans like Bacon, to die-hards like Saint, to even Bronco fans like Zappa. I love chatting with the regulars, and miss those who seem to have just vanished. One who no longer shows up that I remember the most is OakFoSho. I remember our heated pre-draft arguments about McFadden and Dorsey. I remember arguing of offseason signings. He was the one I argued with the most, and yet the one I enjoyed chatting with the most.

Now back to the present. I'd like to say thank you to those who have been contributing, commenting, and just plain reading. Let's remember those who don't join in, but just read what we have to say. I'd like to thank those who lived through my near departure after the raiders opposition series, and those who have been faithful commentors and readers of my work. I'd also like to thank those who have contributed and given me something to read. After all, this is where I get most of my Raider news.

My special thanks goes out to:

Saint- for keeping this show running and being a constant source of info

Raider76- for being one of the more active people on here

punisher- for being an especially active blogger.

Bacon- for giving me someone to argue with

Zappa- for similar reasons as bacon

Laoren- for being a very sensible and unbiased person on here

RaiderPete- for similar reasons to Laoren

OaklandSMASH- for incredibly active, sensible, and being a good friend on here

To all the countless people I've met and chatted with on here- I apologize for not individually expressing my gratitude, but there's so many of you I couldn't get to all of you. But each of you I thank deeply

And my final shout out to my Raider brethren, stay faithful and hold your heads high with silver and black pride.

KA1Z3R- just a reader and contributor

Read this on Raiders.com

Oakland Raiders interim Head Coach Tom Cable addressed the media immediately following Thursday's practice session at the team's Alameda, Calif., facility as the Silver and Black head into the bye week and get ready to play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, October 12 at the Louisiana Superdome.

Coach Cable: Today was an awesome practice.

Q: What separated it from yesterday and normal practices?

A: Little better focus, a little more sharpness on both sides of the ball. I was out for special teams and they got a ton of work done. I didn’t realize they were getting that much work done. But as good as they are playing it didn’t surprise me. That was impressive, very impressive.

Q: How is it to have the extra week to get used to being in this position?

A: It’s good, I think it’s good for all of us. Whenever you go through something like that, it’s good to have a little time to take a deep breath. We talked to them about when you come back, come back with your mind right. Go away this weekend, enjoy your family and kids, that’s it. When we come back it’s a 12-week grind, so it’s good to have the extra week for the coaches and players.

Q: About passing, can we see more from JaMarcus Russell like last game?

A: What you’re going to see is balanced offense. That’s the key. Whether that means more passing or not I don’t know. You might see a series or two where it’s all pass or all run. I think we have to be more balanced. We do run the football, so there’s a lot of people in the box so you’ve got to take your shots.

Q: Is coaching what you always wanted to do, and can you tell us about your entry into it?

A: There’s two people: Dick Armstrong who was my high school coach, and Keith Gilbertson, Sr. Those two guys had the greatest influence on me wanting to be a teacher and a coach but I always wanted to do it. I grew up thinking that I wanted to do it. It’s always been my dream, always been my passion.

Q: How much passion do you have for the running game and working with the offensive line?

A: I do have great passion. I played that spot so I can really understand them and how much they go through, what they put their bodies through. You have to kind of oil them up and keep pushing them. I do understand that. Without question this is a tremendous passion for me. I always want to be a part of that.”

Q: How much did you work with Greg Knapp on calling plays and your relationship in Atlanta?

A: I think I’m very blessed to have him here because we went through a year together. In between series we’d talk about doing ‘this and this’ and give it to me in that order. He was great, and I look forward to that dynamic. It’s in tact, in place and we can really go after it together. I look forward to that.

Q: How itchy do you see him to be able to call plays. That is something he’s always done?

A: We talked about it the last couple of days and he is certainly excited about it.  The nice thing is he has called a lot of plays in a lot of big games. You know he’s been in San Francisco and in the playoffs, he’s been in Atlanta and they were in the playoffs, he went all the way to NFC Championship game so he’s called games when something was really, really big on the line and you know that is not like any other weekend in the NFL. You know. To have that experience there I think is going to be awesome.

Q: Do you see this team as being close to being a contender?

A: Yeah I do. I don’t have any question in my mind. First thing we have to do is learn how to win, then we have to learn how to handle winning. We compete hard, I think that’s obvious. That’s step one. Step two is learn how to win. We need to win in the fourth quarter. Once that happens we need to learn how to handle winning because it hasn’t happened for a while. You don’t just go out and win a few games and think everything’s all rosy because it can blow up on you. There’s still a process that you have to get through. Right now it’s about learning how to win games and finish games in the fourth quarter.

www.raiders.com

To me Cable seems like the real deal. I'm still loving this move.

Well Kiffin's been fired and new coach Tom Cable is in. And this was the perfect time for these moves, players now have two weeks to get used to Cable, and for Cable to get used to head coaching. The real test for Cable is to see what he does to improve some of Oakland's shortcomings.

-Russell and his receivers- While it's no secret that Oakland hasn't fielded a good pass offense since 2005, and that deficit will continue into this year at least. Russell needs to take some more risks and the receivers need to get open. Hopefully Troupe will play in New Orleans, freeing up Miller to make plays like he did against San Diego. Curry, who was supposed to be our possession receiver, has a case of stone hands. Walker, who was supposed to be our big play threat, looks good getting two to three catches on the first possession, but then seemingly disappears afterward. The only bright spot at WR is someone nobody expected to be anything more than a returner. However, Johnnie Lee Higgins is our second leading receiver (behind Miller) and has an 84-yard TD reception and some very good returns. Lelie has done an okay job, but nothing spectacular by any means. Meanwhile, McFadden and Bush have been great as receivers combining for 15 receptions for 143 receiving yards. If Lofton and Cable can get the receivers up to speed, expect better numbers than those from San Diego.

-Scoring Defense- It's ironic that Oakland is the 17th. ranked defense and 6th. in sacks, yet they're 23rd in points allowed. This is a culmination of Hall's inconsistent play, Ryan's 4th. quarter play calling, and the defense getting tuckered out. They need to work in 4th. quarter rotation and tell Hall to play close to his man. That's what we brought him in for. Because he was supposed to one of the best bump-and-run, in your face, man cover corners in the NFL. But instead, all he's done is give up a lot of passing yards throughout the season. I will admit he's been getting better as the year has gone on. He's had an interception in each of the last two weeks and he's had half a sack on the season. Edwards and Warren have been our most disruptive defensive linemen this year with Richardson and Burgess not far behind. Since Ryan started blitzing more often, this team has looked much better on defense. All we need is Hall to be more consistent and rotate out players when they're tired, especially in the 4th.

-Play calling- You'll notice I didn't mention the rushing offense, well it's ranked fifth and all it needs is to see more action than it did last week. No more passing on first down except for the end of half or game winning situations. I'd also like to see some change ups in the passing game. Checkdowns and the occasional big play is nice, but why not use some more play action. Teams respect our running game, so why not use pay action. Russell is more than capable of rolling out and throwing quick passes. You can argue that our O-Line isn't good enough for play action, not true. As long the opposing defense sees a running back going up the middle they'll forget the possibility of a pass play. If our receivers improve, work in longer pass plays or else teams will just use short zones and pick off passes. Stay mistake free, but don't be afraid to mix it up a bit.

That's all she wrote my friends, we actually i guess he since I'm a dude, but you get the point.

Cheers,

KA1Z3R

Whenever Kiffin happens to be fired, I'll actually be happy about it. He's not done much for us lately other than being responsible for two losses, getting bad publicity, and hurting morality.

Publicity- It's no secret that Lane has gotten us very bad publicity. He made the biggest mistake a Raider coach can do other than lose, he blamed Davis. He needs to learn that this is Al Davis's program and blaming him, or his best friend Rob Ryan for that matter, is like wearing a suit made of bloody sausages and jumping into shark-infested waters. I love how on the week of our triumph over KC all anybody could report was how bad Kiffin was stepping in it.  This publicity maddens me to no end and I'm sure it maddens Al.

Morality- This ties into publicity. With word of Kiffin's possible firing buzzing around the locker room, all the players' hopes of this finally no longer being a dysfunctional organization evaporated. They knew it was and will be only a matter of time till Kiffin bids "Adieu". It's hard to stay when a coach that was very well liked by the players is leaving. Some players would start to blame themselves or others for this. While others (mainly the defense) have actually elevated their play. I guess the morality issue works both ways.

Two losses- aka Kiffin's bum play calling. I love how in the SD game, rather then run the ball; which has been our strength the past two years, he decides to pass on first and second which leads to more passes on third down. We aren't the Colts or the Cowboys, we don't have the talent to be passing on every down. This is a run first team. And after a long defensive drive rather than give the D a break by running the clock a bit, Kiffin calls more pass plays. Passes don't keep the clock rolling, or in our case, get first downs. In Buffalo, all the D needed was some rest. But Kiffin decides to save timeouts that he would never use and not give the defense a break. In the past two games, the best until that's been on the field as been our defense. All that it needs is some time to get some rest and catch their breaths, instead Kiffin give them maybe a minute. That's not enough for the effort and intensity our defense brings.

I can't wait to hear that Kiffin's been fired. His play calling has been atrocious and is partly to blame for our losses. I took one thing from Pete Carrol's press conference after their loss to Oregon State, "There's no excuses. Oregon was more prepared and more motivated" Actually the Raiders wanted this far more and judging by the defense, was more prepared. Question is, was Kiffin?

The raiders just signed Ben Troupe and released John madsen. Troupe is a better blocker and a good receiver. With Troupe in, miller is freed up to make plays in the passing game. This one move improves our two weakest areas of offense. Troupe's blocking improves the O-Line, and Miller being liberated from blocking improves the receiving corps. Good move Al, in fact great move. now keep Kiffin and I'll be happy.

Welp, it's over. One of the most suspenseful games for me, and one of the most glorious. A storied rivalry etched in the history of the NCAA, Michigan and Notre Dame. The maize and blue, facing the gold and blue. Two teams trying to make a name for themselves after less than stellar seasons. The clash of the two winningest schools in college football history, and two of the most famous. The Fighting Irish and the Wolverines. Charlie Weis trying to save the university, and Rich Rodriguez trying to build a spread offense.


This game was slated to be a close one. Down to the wire all the way through. Michigan favored to win with Notre Dame being labeled "losers" after only one losing season. Only one of five losing seasons in school history. Michigan was very downplayed coming into this season just because of two losses last year to Oregon and Appalachin St. and a late season loss to Ohio State. But people forget how they beat Florida in their bowl game, a fairly good Florida team mind you. An SEC Florida team. But with a new system and a new coach that Michigan wasn't fit for, how would they fair this year?


The game was a turnover fest for Michigan that didn't get any better once rain kicked in late in the second quarter. So many fumbles (three on kick returns) is never a good thing. Especially when you're playing a much improved Notre Dame offense. After getting 8 sacks against the Fighting Irish last year, the Wolverines never sacked Clausen. So far, his jersey's stayed clean the entire season. The Golden-Clausen connection was very good, as was Notre Dame's defense. Even though it was very shaky against the run, it only gave up two touchdowns and a field goal. Though Weis suffered a Tom Brady injury (torn ACL and MCL, interesting that a coach gets injured), the atmosphere in South Bend was electric.

With a win today, the game against Michigan State isn't quite as daunting a task (especially since the Spartans only scored 17 points on Florida Atlantic). Notre Dame should go 8-4 if things keep going at this pace, while Michigan will be lucky to go 6-6.

You can blame whoever you want for our loss on monday, but names not mentioned are Drew Carter and Oren O'Neal. In reality, if these two had played on Monday, our offense would have been much better. Here's why:

Oren O'Neal- Oren was supposed to have an even better year than his great rookie campaign. With improved receiving ability and better rushing strength, there was talk of him beating out Griffith for the starting job. Instead, he takes an unfortunate turn down injury road. If he had been in on monday, this offense could have been far better. With Denver sending blitz after blitz (or just beating us with the front four) and extra blocker would have been nice. Don't get me wrong, Griffith can block okay, but O'Neal is practically another O-Lineman. With Russell under less pressure than usual, he could have hit Lelie or Curry. Not only that, runs by Fargas and McFadden could have gone even farther. O'Neal's blocking was greatly missed and would have really helped us.

Drew Carter- I'm honestly amazed that Carter's name isn't in the discussion for reasons why we were blown out. Carter was one of the few players able to get any separation. He was also a rather reliable catcher. If carter was in there, his speed would have been nice for Russell to get a deep pass off to. Plus, with Carter bringing a speed threat, Denver wouldn't have doubled Miller as much. Carter is a bigger loss than people give him credit for. With as much speed, maybe even more, as Lelie and far better  hands, there's no telling how much better the passing offense could have been. Carter also had a chemistry with Russell, so there's no telling how lethal a combo they could have been.

So, we can point fingers at Ryan, Hall, and Harris, but in reality, they didn't have much of an offense that was capable of scoring. O'Neal and Carter were going to be surprise players this year, but instead, we're going to be wishing they never got injured through the entire season. The reasons detailed above will continue through the year and cost us some games. Raiders go 6-10.

This year the Raiders are being regarded as having the best corner tandem this side of Jammer/Cromartie. We also have the best nickel corner (in my opinion) in Stanford Routt. There's also names like Huff and Wilson playing safety. The Raiders should have the best pass defense this year.

1. Nnamdi Asomugha- Asomugha is absolutely amazing. Usually "shutdown" corners aren't as fast as most corners are, but Nnamdi definitely has some speed to him. But he also has the moves and intelligence to be the best shutdown corner I've ever seen for the Raiders since Woodson's early years. With Hall beside him, Nnamdi should see more passes his way. And as we all saw in camp on several occasions, he makes the interception anytime the ball comes way. However in preseason, Nnamdi wasn't on the field for more than a drive. So don't be discouraged by his 0 INT's in preseason. Nnamdi is a pro Bowl guy, but until he sees more than 30 passes, he'll never have the numbers to show it. Grade: A+

2. DeAngelo Hall- Hall is without a doubt, one of the fastest corners in the league. Hall can keep up with anybody, but he doesn't play tight enough. A lot of passes got by him in camp and in the preseason. Hall needs to tighten up a bit. But until then, he's a definite improvement over Washington. I like his attitude and passion on the field, even though some times it gets in the way of his judgement. Anytime Hall gets the ball in his hands, he can take it back for six using his speed and elusiveness. Kiffin has repeatedly mentioned Hall's tackling ability to be used to help against the run. I think Hall is one of the most complete corners out there and a major help to the team. Grade: A-

3. Stanford Routt- Not a common household name, Routt is nevertheless the real deal as the being probably the best nickel corner in the NFL. Routt brings a lot of speed to the table and the same ability as Hall to take one back for six if given the opportunity. Stanford will see several passes his way with QB's avoiding the starting corners by any means possible. Routt is without a doubt a real threat on this team. Grade: A+, keep in mind, that's A+ as a nickel

4. Chris Johnson- well at least it's not Michael Waddell. But Johnson, like every corner for Oakland, has good speed. He's also noticeably better than Waddell and plays tighter than Michael. I would still prefer we had a better dime corner, but Johnson isn't as bad as most think. Grade: C+

Free Safety:

1. Michael Huff- Huff is back in his natural position and playing the best I've ever seen him play. He's really having fun out there and playing with passion. He was close to several INT's in preseason (I think he got one, someone tell me if that's right). What I loved most about him in preseason, was on a play where Wilson was beat out and his man was open. Huff saw it and committed to the play, cutting all the way across the field and nearly intercepting the pass. Huff will see several passes his way, and with his coverage skills, means more than the one INT of last year. Huff is also a sure tackler and can help double a receiver effectively. Grade: B+

2. Hiram Eugene- Eugene is an exact copy of Stu. But I like Eugene better for some reason. He seems to play with more purpose than what Stu did. He's fast, yet can't tackle to save his life. He seems slightly improved in the category over Stu. And unlike Stu, he actually has a job. Grade: C

Strong Safety:

1. Gibril Wilson- I like Wilson. He's a leader with Super Bowl experience. He's one of the best tacklers at safety this side of Polamalu or Sanders. But don't underestimate his coverage skills either. Wilson looks like the second coming of Jack Tatum, loving up the big hit. If he sees the chance to flatten somebody, he doesn't let it go to waste. Wilson automatically makes the defense better without ever having done anything, just by moving Huff to FS and bringing experience and leadership. Huff and Wilson are communicating very well on the field and it looks like this will be our best free agent signing. Grade: A

2. Tyvon Branch- Even with a broken hand, Branch isn't that bad. Branch is a big hitter (and he's learning form one of the best in Wilson) and has a lot of speed. All this with the previously mentioned broken hand. Once he's back to 100% he'll be even more of a force. Grade: C+

Grade: A+

Special Teams:

Kicker:

Sebastian Janikowski- Sea Bass has a heck of a leg. On his Sports Science TV debut, he was brought in simply because he has the strongest leg in the NFL. Measuring his kick strength, he averages 53.1 yards on every kick. That's amazing. But he lacks accuracy. If he actually felt like working on his accuracy, he could be the best kicker in the league. Grade: B+

Punter:

Shane Lechler- The team's lone Pro Bowler, you all know what to expect from him. Consistent leg strength and accuracy. One of the best punters in Oakland history (I think Ray Guy is still better) and the best punter in the NFL, he'll continue to have good seasons, no matter how little we want him on the field. Grade: A+

Kick returner:

Tyvon Branch- If he isn't starting, please tell me so i can fix this. From what little we've seen of branch, he looks to have a good future as our kick returner. With a good combination of size, strength, speed, and moves, we may have a kick return for a touchdown sooner than one might think. Give him a year or two, and he'll a very consistent kick returner. Grade: B

Punt return:

Johnnie Lee higgins- Higgins is better than he was last year and should have this position all year. Higgins has good speed and moves. But he needs to work on arm mechanics for holding the ball. Fumbling in preseason hopefully won't transfer over to the regular season. If he can avoid the mistakes of the titans game, Higgins could evolve into a good punt return man. Grade: B-

Grade: B+

The Raiders LB's were a strong unit last year with the exception of Robert Thomas. Morrison and Howard are a great group of pass defenders out to make a name as run stoppers. It'll be interesting to see if Ricky Brown will solidify this unit.

Weak Side Linebacker:

1. Thomas Howard- Howard is the faster in my opinion, and the better pass specialist. Howard is fast enough to run step for step with McFadden (major accomplishment) meaning he should be able to cover anyone he has to. Howard saw some time blitzing in the preseason and doing a good job of it. Howard is a dominant LB who needs to use his speed to add a little something extra when hitting a RB. If Howard can develop more ability to play the run, he'll become a pro Bowl player. He may not have to though, with QB's trying to avoid the corners, more passes will be thrown to the safeties and LB's meaning more than the already impressive 6 INT's last season. Grade: A-

2. Jon Alston- see Isiah Ekejiuba

Middle Linebacker:

1. Kirk Morrison- Aw the middle linebacker, the general of the defensive front. And with new helmet communications systems, the position is even more evolved. With Morrison calling the shots, we have one of the best linebackers at one of the most important defensive positions. Morrison is, in my opinion, the stronger and more physical of the Law Firm. From what I've seen of Kirk, he plays the run well and is a good tackler. There is room for improvement, but after this year he'll be Pro Bowl caliber. In the passing game, Morrison is a savvy, opportunistic guy. He takes advantage of bad throws and makes teams pay for it. Morrison also saw some blitzes and I think this speedy linebacker corps will blitz well. Morrison has underrated strength and does everything right. Very solid linebacker. Grade: A

2. Isiah Ekejiuba- As a special teams man, Ekejiuba is a crucial player. As a linebacker, well not so much. Ekejiuba is nowhere near the backup I'd like, but since Morrison is never injured, I don't think there's much need for concern. Grade: C- as a backup. A as a special teams man

Strong Side Linebacker:

1. Ricky Brown- A name no one expected to see appear as the starter, Brown really stepped up his game. Probably seeing how players like Fred Wakefield and Chris Morris get so much liking from the coaches, he decided to contest for the starting job instead of just play special teams. Seeing him in the preseason, I like this move. Brown has the speed of Morrison and Howard, and he plays the pass well. I look forward to seein what he can do in a regular season game. Grade: B

2. Sam Williams- I'm happy Williams is still on roster. Williams has a a lot of potential and will be contesting Brown for the starting job and is a worth competitor. Williams is full of speed and explosiveness. He can be a real blitzing force.I'm glad the team is giving him a second chance, but at this point I doubt he'll be a starter again. Grade: C+

Overall grade: A-

The Raiders D-Line was far from a strength last year. With a major drop in sack production it's part in leading to a 31st run D left a LOT of room for improvement.

Defensive Tackle:

1. Tommy Kelly- Kelly's move from DE to DT looks to pay dividends early on. In preseason he was equally a run stopper, and was able to collapse the pocket. Kelly's contract may seem controversial, but he's looking more and more like he's worth it. There are however problems with endurance, he and Sands, both had some stamina problems. But right now, Kelly looks to become the next Tommie Harris. Grade: B+

2. Gerrard Warren- I was very surprised to check the depth chart and see Warren as the starter, but pleasantly surprised. Warren, in my opinion, is the better of Sands and Warren. Warren is a solid pass rusher and plays the run well enough. Warren does have some character issues. As you saw last year, he played spectacular football against his former teams, the Browns and Broncos. In the other games, he was practically invisible. If Warren works out that issue, he could be a very good DT. But until then, I look forward to him playing good ball against the Broncos. Grade: B-

3. Terdell Sands- Sands has shown definite signs of improvement in the offseason, but is it enough? Getting his knee drained and watching him on the sideline huffing and puffing isn't very convincing to worried fan. Kiffin and Davis both want to see him excel and gave him every opportunity to get the starting job. The team was ecstatic when he passed his physical and the team is really giving him a lot of encouragement. If anything, Sands is a sign that the Raiders aren't a bunch of players who only care about making their own stats look good, but a true team. Now to actual Sands. I have seen him play the run better than he did last year and he looks as good against the pass as you would expect from a DT like him. He won't have a season like he did in 06 until he works on his conditioning and strength. Grade: C

Defensive End:

1. Derrick Burgess- Burgess didn't have the numbers last year that he did in his two monster years of 06 and 07, but for being injured and constantly doubled, he wasn't too bad. He's going to stay in on run plays this year because he has some ability to play the run. On third down, there'll be less pressure with Edwards on the other side. Both Burgess and Edwards have to be respected on third down, doubling one can lead to the other getting a sack. Burgess is still a Pro bowl caliber end as long as he isn't injured. Grade: A

2. Jay Richardson- Richardson was a force against the run last year. I'll be honest, i thought he may be a one year deal, but seeing him in camp and preseason reassured me that he'll be just as good, and even better this year. Jay worked very hard to develop a pass rush and I think he has one. While he's certainly not Pro bowl or a Clemons type guy, he'll improve on his one sack count of last year. Look for him to continue to produce against the run and end up with at least 2 sacks this year. Grade: B-

3. Kalimba Edwards- Edwards is a real force on the outside. I thought he wouldn't do very well, but when you play in Detroit your numbers aren't very convincing. With someone else on the outside taking off pressure, he'll be able to get free and get some sacks. Edwards doesn't play the run very well, but that's not what he's meant to do. Using his finesse on the edge, he can get free better than most think. Grade: C+

4. Trevor Scott- I was really thinking he'd be put on the practice squad, but instead Spires was cut and Scott was still on the active roster. Scott showed some signs of promise in camp and preseason. He needs to bulk up to the size of a defensive end, as he's very undersized and a tad weaker than needed. But give up some years and we might have something. Grade: C-

Overall Grade: B-. Give this unit some time and they could develop into something great.