Tag: Oakland Raiders (Page 32 of 33)

      Lane Kiffin rumors not a distraction, Raiders shutdown Chiefs

      September 14, 2008 /

      Oakland RaidersOn Sunday morning, Lane Kiffin’s job was in jeopardy. By Sunday afternoon, Kiffin’s job may still be in jeopardy, but at least he guided his team to their first win of the season as the Oakland Raiders topped the Kansas City Chiefs 23-8.

      Rookie Darren McFadden had a breakout game, rushing for 164 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Thanks to McFadden’s performance, QB JaMarcus Russell didn’t have to do much as he attempted only 17 passes. He finished 6 of 17 for only 55 yards.

      Defensively, Oakland game planned to stop Larry Johnson and that’s exactly what they did. Johnson finished with only 22 yards on 12 carries as the Chiefs struggled to move the ball all game. In a strange situation, Damon Huard (who only attmpeted four passes) was replaced by reserve wide receiver Marques Hagans. Later in the game, Tyler Thigpen took over under center for KC, and wound up throwing a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter.

      It’ll be interesting to see how the Kiffin situation pans out. Rumor has it that even if Oakland won Sunday, Kiffin will be fired on Monday. Hmm…

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Raiders’ head coach Lane Kiffin on the cusp of being fired?

      September 14, 2008 /

      Al Davis is up to his own tricks again. According to a report from ESPN.com, Oakland Raiders’ head coach Lane Kiffin is once again on the cusp of being fired.

      In late January, ESPN Senior NFL Analyst Chris Mortensen reported that Raiders owner Al Davis had drawn up a resignation letter for Kiffin a week into the year and asked the coach to quit.

      Now, Davis is preparing to fire Kiffin as soon as Monday, regardless of how the visiting Raiders perform Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Mercury News has reported, citing several front-office sources.

      “You have to look at the history. History is what it is, that he doesn’t keep people very long,” Kiffin said Wednesday of Davis, two days after the Raiders lost their season opener 41-14 to the Denver Broncos in Oakland.

      “He’s not the guy I hired,” Davis said in mid-August, according to the report in the Bay Area newspaper.

      Speculation about Kiffin’s status began in early January after reports surfaced following the season that he wanted to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. The Raiders dismissed those reports and announced that Ryan was staying on as coordinator.

      Kiffin was reportedly upset that he didn’t have control of his coaching staff, leading Davis to ask for his resignation. If Kiffin were to resign, he would not be paid for the remaining two years of his contract.

      “We don’t have a general manager; everything goes through the owner,” Kiffin said Wednesday. “That sets up a difficult situation at times. Knowing who the owner is, you know from Day 1 there’s no job security.”

      Why anyone would want that job is beyond me. Davis would be doing Kiffin a solid by firing him so that the young coach can catch on somewhere else or go back to the college ranks. Davis wants a “yes man” to take orders and do whatever is asked. Kiffin must have played that role while being interviewed for the Raiders’ job, but obviously once he was hired he wanted to (gasp!) run the team the way he wanted. Given this situation and their performance in Week 1, the Raiders are nowhere near being competitive again.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Want to buy an NFL team? It’ll cost you $1 billion

      September 11, 2008 /

      According to Forbes, the average NFL team is worth $1 billion.

      The 2008 average valuation for the 32 NFL teams was $1.04 billion, up 8.7 percent from last year’s $957 million due to the sport’s popularity and cash-generating new stadiums, said Forbes magazine, which releases its rankings annually. Ten years ago when Forbes first valued NFL teams, the average franchise was worth $288 million.

      The NFL is the most popular U.S. sports league with strong television ratings and annual league revenue topping $7 billion. While TV ratings have slipped over the last decade, NFL games still boast the strongest ratings among sports leagues.

      Several teams benefited from new stadiums — either completed or under construction — that include more cash- generating luxury boxes. Those included the Indianapolis Colts, which jumped 13 spots to No. 8, with a value of $1.076 billion, Forbes said. The Colts are playing this season in a new stadium.

      The top three teams in the Forbes list were the same as last year: the Dallas Cowboys ($1.612 billion), the Washington Redskins ($1.538 billion) and the New England Patriots ($1.324 billion). The Redskins have the highest estimated revenue and operating income at $327 million and $58.1 million, respectively.

      According to Forbes, the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers are worth the least. With how big a fan base is in Oakland, it’s surprising that the Raiders are down that far. Interesting article, though.

      NFL

      Raiders far from being competitive

      September 9, 2008 /

      JaMarcus RussellAfter adding quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft and explosive running back Darren McFadden in the first round this past April, many pundits were high on the Raiders entering the season. It also helped that the team re-signed DL Tommy Kelly and added Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall and S Gibril Wilson.

      But after Oakland was smacked 41-14 by division rival Denver on Monday night, it’s painfully obviously the Raiders are still a year or two away from competing.

      Russell (17 of 26, 180 yards, 2 TDs) was under constant pressure and although his final numbers looked good, the Broncos never allowed him to get into a rhythm. McFadden chipped in with 46 yards on nine carries, but the Raiders fell behind so quickly that it was hard to stick with the run.

      Perhaps the most staggering thing from the game was how bad Oakland’s defense looked. The front seven couldn’t generate any pass rush and Denver quarterback Jay Cutler completely picked apart the Raiders’ secondary, which was supposed to be a strength. Hall was absolutely abused by rookie receiver Eddie Royal, who amassed nine receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown. At one point Mike Dikta (who was in the announcers’ booth) said, “Hall wants no part of Eddie Royal,” and Da Coach was right. The Raiders gave up multiple draft picks in the offseason to acquire Hall and pair him with Pro Bowler Nnamdi Asomugha, but all the team got from him Monday night was multiple personal foul penalties and crap coverage.

      While the Raiders still look a ways awhile, Cutler and the Broncos were outstanding. The defense was relentless, Royal and Cutler were outstanding and the running game was once again effective. Denver will get a great test next weekend when they host division rival San Diego. (A pissed off San Diego, that is.)

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Raiders secondary stacked with talent

      August 30, 2008 /

      In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I take a look at how the Oakland Raiders have built one of the better defensive backfields in the NFL.

      DeAngelo HallHe takes too many chances going for interceptions, is cocky and can sometimes be viewed as a selfish player.

      He’s also one of the few shutdown cornerbacks in the NFL. He’s DeAngelo Hall, one of the Oakland Raiders’ newest additions in their secondary.

      The Raiders acquired Hall from the Atlanta Falcons this offseason for multiple draft picks and immediately signed him to a seven-year, $66.28 million contract. While he’ll occasionally get burnt trying to jump a route for an interception, Hall has been one of the best defensive playmakers in the league. He’s also coming off his best season as a pro, hauling in five interceptions and amassing 63 tackles for the Falcons in 2007.

      Playing opposite of Hall in Oakland’s secondary is the incredibly underrated Nnamdi Asomugha. Even though his interception total dropped from eight picks in 2006 to just one last year, stats don’t tell the whole story. Opposing teams often stayed away from Asomugha’s side, fearing his playmaking ability. But teams won’t be able to do that this year with the equally dangerous Hall on the other side.

      The Raiders also signed Gibril Wilson this offseason, a talented safety who helped the New York Giants win a Super Bowl last year. Like Hall, Wilson is arguably coming off his best season as a pro, recording 92 tackles and four interceptions. Joining him at safety will be Michael Huff, the former top 10 pick who has come into his own despite having to play multiple positions in his first two seasons.

      Nnamdi AsomughaEven though there are some concerns about Hall having to play with a cast after breaking bones in one of his hands in preseason, Oakland has built one of the better defensive backfields in the league. It’s amazing to think that Hall will see plenty of action this season playing opposite from Asomugha, because Hall is incredibly skilled in coverage himself. And with Wilson now in the mix, Huff can concentrate on playing just one position and further developing his game.

      The Raiders will rely on their secondary to set the tone for them on defense this year, but the front seven must get pressure on the quarterback. No secondary can be expected to hold up in coverage for long periods of time, so it’ll be up to Derrick Burgess, Gerard Warren and Tommy Kelly to get a good push off the line. Still, it’ll be fun to watch Oakland defend the pass this year with so many talented players in the secondary.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑