Saddle up leatherheads! It’s time for NFL Football, Silver and Black style.
After 8 months, the Oakland Raiders took the field against the San Francisco 49ers. It was their first preseason game. Yes I am aware that the game took place a week ago, but cut me some silver and black slack. I was in Israel.
With preseason, the score is less important than how the players looked. With Jamarcus Russell at quarterback and Darren McFadden at running back, this team should have a decent offense to match up with a solid defense.
The last few years have been tough, but the past is just that, dead and buried.
Welcome to NFL Preseason 2008, live from the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.
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The 49ers decided to start J.T. Sullivan over Alex Smith. The Raider defense forced the 49ers into a 3 and out situation.
The Raiders must have made Al Davis smile by going for the bomb on the first play. The pass was incomplete, but the 49ers had jumped offsides. More importantly, it was nice to see an aggressive start. It was not good to see the disorganized Raiders need to call a timeout before they ran their second play, but Justin Fargas then ran for 11 yards and a first down on the next play. The drive then quickly bogged down and the Raiders punted. Shane Lechler is already in midseason form from his very first punt, which went 57 yards.
The 49ers punted on their next drive, and the Raiders took over inside their 10 yard line. On 3rd and 7, Russell threw a quick slant pass to Johnny Lee Higgins for a 1st down. Darren McFadden then entered the game, and his first carry straight up the gut went for 4 yards. Another 4 yard carry by McFadden set up 3rd and 2. Fargas then picked up the first down after a 9 yard run. Despite the opening bomb, the Raiders seemed more interested in establishing the run. McFadden continued to run well with a pair of 5 yard runs. The drive bogged down after the Raiders crossed midfield, and the Raiders punted again.
Excellent punt coverage forced the 49ers to start at their own 8 yard line. As the first quarter ended in a scoreless tie, the 49ers had reached their own 45 yard line. J.T. O’Sullivan continued to throw well, as the 49ers reached the Raiders 35.
A poorly thrown ball was intercepted at the 2 yard line by Stanford Routt, but he made a preaseason mistake that should never occur in the regular season. He tried to run laterally, fumbled the ball, and was lucky that big Turdell Sands fell on it for the Raiders.
The theme for the Raiders this year might be “back to the past.” Given that this is clearly JaMarcus Russell’s team, Josh McCown and Dante Culpepper were shipped out of town. Replacing them were two quarterbacks released from the Raiders a year earlier, Andrew Walter and Marques Tuiasasopo.
Andrew Walter was hard to judge in the past. The offensive line was awful, and Walter took a beating. He just got killed. Now he was being asked to come in the game and start at his own 2 yard line. With Russell done for the night, it is fair to say that he did lead a couple decent drives, but there were no points to show for it.
Walter could not muster anything from his own goal, but even with the 49ers taking over and facing a 3rd and 1 just past midfield, a false start pushed them back. On the next play O’Sullivan fumbled, and the Raiders recovered at the San Francisco 45 yard line. They went straight back to the ground game, with McFadden picking up 6 yards. A 3 yard McFadden run set up 3rd and 1. The third running back Michael Bush picked up the first down. At running back, the team had depth.
McFadden was not flashy, but he kept picking up 4 and 5 yard gains. Michael Bush had another decent run for 7 yards, for another first down at the San Francisco 19 yard line. Andrew Walter was managing the game. Yet a couple short runs later set up 3rd and 8. A pass to Michael Bush was short, setting up 4th and 2 at the 12. With Sebastian Janikowski injured, the Raiders decided to go for it. This would not occur in the regular season. They didn’t make it, and 2 San Francisco turnovers were squandered.
J.T. O’Sullivan was done for the night, and Alex Smith came in. The 49ers went 3 and out.
Johnny Lee Higgins is a very talented return man. He had a 39 yard punt return in the first quarter that was nullified by a penalty. This time he had a 53 yard return for a touchdown, and there were no flags. If the Raiders try to count this as offense, it will be a long season. However, points are points, and the Raiders led 7-0 with 3:26 left in the half.
San Francisco started their next drive at their own 37. Despite struggling, Alex Smith threw a 25 yard completion on 3rd and 10. The Raider defense had been solid throughout the half, but this was a breakdown. With 1:50 left in the half, a personal foul on Turdell Sands had the 49ers at the Oakland 13 yard line. Yet on 3rd and 2 at the 5, a run was short. With 18 seconds left in the half, San Francisco called a timeout. On 4th and 1 at the 4, the 49ers kicked a field goal.
The first half was typical Raiders. An offense that could not score, a defense that kept them in the game, and good special teams. The Raiders led 7-3 at the half, and it was hard to tell if the Raiders were improved, since the 49ers are not a good measuring stick. The Raiders led in time of possession 18 minutes to 12 thanks to a strong running game.
On the first play of the second half, a fake handoff and rollout led to a 19 yard completion for Walter to the Oakland 44. Andrew Walter threw short passes, and Michael Bush took over the running game. From the Oakland 32, after a 5 yard penalty, Walter completed a screen pass to Michael Bush that went for 23 yards. From the 14 yard line, with the crowd expecting more runs, a throw into double coverage was luckily not intercepted. On 4th and 1 from the 5, Michael Bush appeared stopped, but made a couple gorgeous cuts, and was in for a touchdown and a 13-3 Raiders lead. The 49ers were offsides on the extra point, so the Raiders decided to go for a 2 point conversion from the 1 yard line. This would not happen in the regular season, but it was good practice. Walter completed the pass for a 15-3 lead to cap a 13 play, 75 yard drive that ate up 8:14 off the clock. That is what wins football games.
San Francisco took over from their own 32. Alex Smith completed a pass, but the receiver had the ball stripped. The Raiders recovered the fumble. The 3rd turnover had Oakland at the San Francisco 44. Back to back penalties set up 3rd and 20, at which point a surprise running play picked up 14 yards. On 4th and 6 from the 41, the Raiders went for it again. Again, this was preseason. A short pass led to a turnover on downs.
Sean Hill came in for Alex Smith. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 36, a swing pass was just out of reach. The 49ers decided to go for it. On the last play of the 3rd quarter, Hill was intercepted near the goal line. Again, there was some dangerous running, but it was brought back to the 18. It was the 4th turnover of the day.
Marques Tuiasasopo came in. 4th string running back Louis Rankin took a handoff and ran 72 yards. Rankin was brought down by a horse collar tackle that was not called. From the 10, Rankin bulled to the 5. Rankin got it again, and was brought down at the 2. Rankin was brought down inches from the goal line. On 4th and goal from inches away, the Raiders suffered a false start.
Yes, this was preseason, but this is what causes Raider fans to bang their heads in frustration. Forget the score. The field goal was a defeat for the Raiders, even though they led 18-3.
On the next San Francisco drive, they failed to convert a 3rd and 1 from the Oakland 48 yard line. Unfortunately, on 4th and 1, the Raiders jumped offsides. The Raiders never make it easy. An end around went for 19 yards on the next play. Yes, these were backups, but the last 5 years have seen so many dumb mental mistakes that must be addressed before the regular season if the Raiders have any hope of improving this year. Hill drove the 49ers to the Raiders 13 yard line. A sure touchdown pass by Hill was dropped.
This was shaping up to be a typical Raider game, but to their credit, the defense came up with an 8 yard sack back to the 21. For some reason the 49ers decided to kick a field goal, cutting the gap to 18-6 with 8 minutes remaining.
On the next drive, the Raiders decided to go for it with 6 minutes remaining on 4th and 6 from their own 49. If ever this was an example of preseason experimenting for situations that would not occur come September, this was it. The pass was incomplete, turning it over on downs. The 49ers reached the Oakland 31 yard line, but turned it over on downs with 3:19 to play.
Tuiasasopo handed off to a running back named Echemandu. He played well during the preseason a year earlier. Despite being cut from a team loaded at running back, he was brought back to try again. The team is so deep at the position that he again might not make the team. He merits playing somewhere. On 3rd and 8, Tuiasasopo faked to Echemandu, and rolled out on a naked bootleg that went for 32 yards.
The 49ers took over with 1 minute left. The game ended with Hill being sacked.
The Raiders have plenty to improve on. Coach Lane Kiffin needs to figure out how to cut down on the penalties. The offense bogging down at the one foot line is not acceptable.
Nevertheless, there were some positives. The 49ers did not score a touchdown. However, the Raiders only scored one on offense, the other being on the punt return. The defense gave up some big gains, but was solid overall.
Most improved is the Oakland running game. Also, the offensive line held up, and the penalties were not against them.
The 49ers might be dreadful, but the Raiders have a ray of hope. Time as always will tell.
18-6 Raiders.
eric
I still think the Raiders made the usual Al Davis mistake of signing big names at top spots while ignoring fundamentals. A great team starts at the offensive line. Though the Raiders offensive line looks good on paper (the rushing and passing stats aren’t that bad) when it comes to key plays, like third down conversions, the Raiders are average at best, making only about one third of them last year. Without penalties, the Raiders first down percentage would be amongst the worst in the league. It’s all well and fine to average 5 yards or so per play, but unless you can convert third downs and make first downs in general, you can’t attain a winning season.
On special teams, another squad ignored by Al Davis, the Raiders seem to have nothing improved. On defense, I see no great leap forward. If the Raiders can’t get more sacks, or at least a little more pressure, QBs are going to be throwing over their heads all year. I won’t even get into interceptions and the secondary here. I love crazy ol’ Big Al (but I love Pete Rozelle a helluva lot more), but God I wish he’d get with the times.
On the other hand, there’s a good mix of vets and youth on the lines, and I like that. If they can click, the weapons Al has added to the team could be quite prolific.
I wish the Raiders a great season – except on 10/19 and as long as they don’t meet the Jets in the post-season!
JMJ