The Oakland Raiders played their first preseason game Thursday night, and the first score was made by Sebastian Janikowski. When things get tough, Janikowski always steps up and delivers those field goals. Some players need to get warmed up to perform on the playing field. Janikowski always seems to be ready to kick the football to get the fans to jump with joy. The loss in the first game of the preseason can be forgiven because most of the young players need to get phased into the game plan. They need to adjust to the new players and dynamics. In ...
This offseason hasn't been a particularly good one for free agent linebackers.Just ask Kirk Morrison and Lofa Tatupu, two relatively good linebackers who have yet to find homes. Some of the teams who could be in the mix for a linebacker include the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants and possibly even the Philadelphia Eagles. So for the teams looking for a linebacker, which guy is the better option?For argument's sake let's assume that money isn't an issue and that teams are strictly worried about talent.Last season both men had the worst seasons of their career, and while ...
Last year Darren McFadden make the jump from bust candidate to NFL superstar. While Darrius Heyward-Bey won’t make nearly the transition into superstardom, can he at least do his part to shed the bust label? Part of DHB’s problem was the fact that he was drafted earlier than most NFL Draft pundits thought he would go. Suddenly he was full of unnecessary pressure of being the seventh overall pick. Even though Michael Crabtree has yet to live up to his promise either, that hasn’t stopped the criticism. Looking at the numbers, it would be easy to lave Heyward-Bey a bust. After ...
The Oakland Raiders lost a close game to the Arizona Cardinals for the second straight year. I sure am glad that 2011's was just a preseason game where players needed to get a look to see who's going and staying. Beyond that, there are certain youngsters on this Raider team and the coaching staff needs to see where they are. Then of course, you have the position battles that look to be heating up on this young, talented team. But today, I'm going to stick to the things I was looking for going into the game from my last article. ...
Man, it's one thing to know that your team's season is about to begin—it's entirely different to sit down and watch them, in uniform, take the field for the first time with new faces and names all over the field. I have to admit, I was a bit giddy watching the Oakland Raiders against the Arizona Cardinals tonight. And the team did not disappoint.Of course, as any seasoned fan knows, you can only take so much from a preseason game. Especially when it's the first one (especially after a shortened offseason). That said, when you know what you're looking for, ...
NAPA, Calif.—It’s still August, and the start of the 2011 NFL season still seems very far in the distance. But expectations are rising for the Oakland Raiders.They finished 2010 with an 8-8 record, and already it’s forgotten. New head coach Hue Jackson has interjected a high-volume dose of energy into camp. Practices are fast-paced and loud. There’s plenty of hitting, though not all out. The veterans have commented that Jackson’s camp is faster, longer and more fun than that of last year under Tom Cable, now the line coach in Seattle.There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic. This is ...
There is a necessary evil that is rearing its ugly head at NFL camps across the nation. The mere mention of it has bullies smiling and peons scrambling for a hiding place. I am referring to hazing and, for once, the Oakland Raiders are on the right side of a fine line. There is no way of knowing when hazing began in professional sports. I am sure there is some anecdote that includes Tris Speaker making a new outfielder carry his luggage to his room. If not, I just invented one. Regardless of its inception, hazing is a part of sports just like gruff ...
It looks like Lofa Tatupu is getting closer to finding his home for the 2011 season.According to The NFL Network's Jason LaConfora on August 5, the Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins all have some interest in the former Seattle Seahawks linebacker.According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tatupu visited the Raiders on August 1.If a deal happens between Tatupu and the Raiders, they will have landed one of the last biggest free agents out there—a guy who can be a major addition to their linebacking corps. Begin Slideshow
It’s very difficult to comprehend the A’s organization. I’ve tried for the better part of the last 10 years, and I still don’t have a clue. The question of what to do with Rich Harden is another challenging one. He’s already been traded once this year, and although it fell through, Harden’s future with the A’s is still very unclear. Rich Harden was drafted by the A’s way back in 2000 and made his major league debut in 2003. Since then, Harden has been an injury magnet. He’s spent time on the disabled list in every season since 2005 including ...
A year after finishing 8-8 and sweeping the AFC West, the Oakland Raiders fired their head coach, Tom Cable, and promoted offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to the position. Jackson will help provide a sense of continuity for the franchise, but there are still plenty of questions for the Raiders to answer as they approach the 2011 preseason. However, that is the case for nearly all 32 NFL teams. Offseasons typically create as many questions as they answer, and it's hard to project the answers to those until any football is played. Insert preseason games, which serve as the early proving grounds for players ...