Raiders News

New father Gallery will give line boost
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November 6
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Raiders left guard Robert Gallery saw his first child born Monday. He hopes to the see the Raiders' offense come to life next, now that he's back from a broken leg. "You want to be out there with everybody and, hopefully, we can get things going," Gallery said after practice Thursday, just before the team takes a three-day break on its bye weekend. "I've got another half a season to do what I want to do." Of all the first-half injuries to the offense, Gallery's might have been the biggest hit in Week 2. The Raiders lost their best offensive lineman for six games, going 1-5 without the Pro Bowl candidate as the run game sunk to 25th in the NFL. It also weakened the Raiders up the middle by ..."
Remember Raiders fans, things can get worse
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November 6
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Ray Rotto
"It has been a big week for owners, which may be why Al Davis' particular agony seems to be such a local story. I mean, all he has is a coach with a bad record, a long contract and a disturbing history of bad temper. In Los Angeles, there's familial cannibalism. In Washington, there are suggestions of pure black-hearted evil. In Cleveland, there are extended meetings with men who enjoy dressing as dogs. In Memphis, there is a man defending his coach against the attacks of his most marketable star after one game. In sum, the meek may never inherit the earth, but these days the strong are watching it sift through their fingers. Yes, the Tom Cable quagmire is a fascinating tale, one with ..."
In a down economy, NFL viewership is up
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November 6
Washington Post
 
"When this NFL season began with some franchises struggling to sell tickets, there were concerns about the impact that the uncertain U.S. economy would have on the nation's most prosperous sport. While those concerns have turned out to be justified in a few NFL cities and unfounded in others, there has been an unforeseen development: The NFL's television ratings are soaring this season, and some analysts say it appears to be the result of consumers cutting back on other, more costly leisure activities in favor of watching pro football on TV. "I think there's only one answer and that is the NFL and television are actually getting the so-called 'benefit' of the recession," said Neal Pilson, ..."
NOW wants Raiders coach Tom Cable suspended
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November 6
Contra Costa Times
 
"The National Organization for Women is calling for coach Tom Cable's suspension while the Raiders and the NFL investigate allegations that Cable physically abused his first wife more than 20 years ago and abused a former girlfriend in January. NOW president Terry O'Neill sent the request to USA Today. "Tom Cable's history of violence against women raises a question: Why is he still the head coach of an NFL team?" O'Neill's statement said in part. "Mr. Cable admits having battered his first wife, and he stands accused of battering two other intimate partners as well ... "The Oakland Raiders, properly, say they are undergoing a 'serious evaluation' of these recent allegations. At the very ..."
Davis needs to hear out allegations
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November 5
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Gwen Knapp
"Sandy Cable and Marie Lutz said Wednesday they had not been contacted by either the NFL or the team, which has said it is evaluating the allegations, in conjunction with league headquarters. "I've been told they're going to talk to me," said Sandy Cable, the coach's first wife, who was married to him for six years in the 1980s. She was wary of talking to the media any further, but said she would welcome a chance to speak with Davis, as did Lutz, who said she had received no indication that either the team or league wanted to talk to her. It's not clear whether the owner plans to speak to the two women. Amy Trask, the team's chief executive, would say only that Davis would proceed in a ..."
Oakland Raiders' Al Davis, Tom Cable meet to discuss allegations
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November 5
Contra Costa Times
 
"Embattled Raiders coach Tom Cable said Wednesday that he and managing general partner Al Davis discussed the allegations made in an ESPN story about Cable having a history of physically abusing women. The meeting came on the heels of the Raiders' issuing a statement Monday afternoon saying a "serious evaluation" of the matter would be undertaken. "Al and I have spoken," Cable said. "What we talked about is between us, and we'll keep it that way." He also said he expects to be the Raiders coach for the second half of the season. However, he did not receive an assurance from Davis during their discussion. "We didn't even talk about that," Cable said. "We talked about, like you're supposed ..."
Oakland Raiders -- Weird is the new normal
Comment
November 5
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Monte Poole
"LIKE COAL miners and infantrymen, the Raiders are accustomed to carrying on regardless of conditions. They shrug or sigh or laugh cryptically, as if to say complaining is pointless. They rarely get agitated with chaos or the lack of information. They have come to understand that disorder and darkness come with the territory, come with being a Raider. Even at times like now, as the air thickens with uncertainty, players have to wait for the coaches, who have to wait for the owner, who moves at a pace of his own choosing. Put another way, a lot of folks at team headquarters are feeling a little bit of the relative isolation wide receiver Javon Walker has felt all season. The players ..."
Finding Raiders coaching candidates no easy task ... unless you get creative
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November 4
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Gary Peterson
"It is one OF pro football's most revered maxims, right up there with the "Who-Dey?" chant and "I love me some me": Why be a second-guesser if you can be a proactive smarty-pants? The Oakland Raiders will be looking for a new head coach soon. We know it. They know it. The Napa DA knows it, but he isn't comfortable taking it before a jury. Tom Cable has about exhausted his tenure - some might call it a sentence - with the team. He's coached 20 games; the previous four Raiders coaches lasted an average of 25. His record is a dismal 6-14 (though it bears noting his .300 winning percentage ranks fourth among the eight men who have coached the Raiders since their return to Oakland). Most ..."
Raiders will look into reports of Cable's violence
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November 3
Baltimore Sun
 
"The Raiders will undertake a "serious evaluation" of allegations that coach Tom Cable has a history of violent behavior toward women. The team released a statement in response to allegations made to ESPN by Cable's first wife, Sandy Cable, and former girlfriend, Marie Lutz, that the coach physically abused them at various times during their relationships. Cable acknowledged in a statement Sunday striking Sandy Cable with an open hand. Cable said the altercation happened more than 20 years ago and was the only time he's ever touched a woman inappropriately. He stood by that statement Monday, declining to answer any questions on the topic. The Raiders said they first learned of these ..."
Team plans to 'evaluate' Cable case
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November 3
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Raiders will undertake a "serious evaluation" of recent claims that head coach Tom Cable assaulted women during past relationships, the team announced Monday. Cable admitted to once slapping his first wife more than 20 years ago, when he was a college assistant, but denies he assaulted an ex-girlfriend in January. Both women made their allegations public in Sunday's episode of "Outside the Lines" on ESPN. The Raiders said that, in conjunction with the NFL offices, they will look into the allegations and take Cable's partial admission into consideration before deciding what their next step might be. "We wish to be clear that we do not in any way condone or accept actions such as those ..."
Raiders hitting an all-time low
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November 3
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Raiders quite possibly are setting up Tom Cable to walk the plank. That would fall into the category of zany Raiders' hijinks, like the kind in which coaches get fired by the light of an overhead projector and assistant coaches attack filing cabinets with their jaws. But we have entered a new territory: Creepyland. The Raiders released two statements Monday in the wake of an ESPN report in which two women accuse Cable of physical abuse. One statement declares that the Raiders will "undertake a serious evaluation of this matter." Ominously (for Cable), the statement immediately notes that the Raiders have dismissed employees in the past for "inappropriate conduct" and have kept the ..."
Former Raiders coach Kiffin vouches for Cable
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November 3
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Cam Inman
"LAST SEASON, Tuesday of the Raiders' bye week signaled the flamboyant end of Lane Kiffin's controversial coaching tenure. Arguably, Tom Cable deserves the same fate today. But Kiffin doesn't think so. "Any head coach deserves a certain amount of time to get things going and install what he wants to install. Tom has not had enough time," Kiffin said by phone Monday from his office as the University of Tennessee's coach. "I would think he definitely should have another season after this, at least." Really? Even after more assault allegations surfaced against Cable on Sunday, via ESPN's report pertaining to claims of two ex-wives and an ex-girlfriend? "If any of that was accurate, that ..."
Team to investigate allegations against Cable
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November 3
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Raiders said Monday they will conduct "a serious evaluation" of the allegations against coach Tom Cable and that they have fired previous employees for inappropriate conduct. An ESPN story Sunday outlined Cable's alleged physical abuse of women from past relationships. The team issued two statements less than two hours after Cable's weekly news conference. Said the first: "Over the last few days, we learned of the allegations made against coach Cable, and we are, of course, aware of his response thereto. In conjunction with the league office, we will undertake a serious evaluation of this matter. We wish to be clear that we do not in any way condone or accept actions such as those ..."
Jackson has rare receiving day against Oakland
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November 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Raiders coach Tom Cable said the secondary played "too soft" in pass coverage, allowing the Chargers to make big gains on 3rd-and-long situations. Worst of all, Jackson was left completely uncovered in the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Cable blamed it on a miscommunication during a blitz call. "It's real shocking," Raiders strong safety Tyvon Branch said. Trash talk: Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman got his first and second sacks of the season, doing the "Light's Out" dance for the first time since last season's knee surgery. Left tackle Mario Henderson gave up both but wasn't impressed by Merriman's "wiggle" moves. "I'm sick right now because it's not ..."
Deja vu, all over again for the Raiders
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November 2
Contra Costa Times
 
"The Raiders ended the first half of their season Sunday in much the same manner as it started: with coach Tom Cable facing allegations of physical abuse, quarterback JaMarcus Russell struggling and the San Diego Chargers walking off the field with yet another victory against them. Once again, the Raiders played just well enough against the Chargers to feel as if they could have won the game. Once again, they exited the stadium with a loss, this time 24-16 at Qualcomm Stadium. "This is just one of those rivalry games that you always get up for and you know all the fans will be up for this game," Chargers tight end Antonio Gates said. "You just want to let everybody know that San Diego is ..."
Merriman's sacks don't bowl over Henderson
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November 2
Sacramento Bee
 
"Perhaps the only thing more annoying to the Raiders than losing 13 consecutive games to San Diego is Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman doing his "Lights Out" dance after every tackle. So forgive Raiders left tackle Mario Henderson for taking exception to Merriman, coming off a season-ending left knee injury in 2008, dancing on his figurative grave after both of his sacks of JaMarcus Russell on Sunday. "He didn't work for those sacks," said Henderson, who added he was sick. "JaMarcus was stepping up, and I just turned - that's a coverage sack. He didn't beat me around the edge or nothing like that. "It was nothing that he did, nothing at all. I'll play him 12 more games, and it'd be the ..."
LT cashes in on 'wildcat' strike
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November 2
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"It was his turn. Man, was it. After all, he'd already carried the ball roughly 2,700 times since hitting the National Football League, carried it for almost an even 12,000 yards. Over nine years, LaDainian Tomlinson had gotten his hands on the ball just about every other way there is. It was last year that he saw the so-called "wildcat" first-hand, and the Miami Dolphins brought it to San Diego with them this season, the direct snap to the running back. This being the NFL, too, no new idea goes unnoticed or unborrowed."
Raiders just a bit testy after latest loss in the valley
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November 2
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"As the Raiders saw it after Sunday's 24-16 loss to the Chargers, this was one game they entered Mission Valley expecting to win, but didn't. Chargers win, again. That's been the headline the last 13 times these old AFC West rivals have met. Only the Chargers' inept running game and a fumble by returner Darren Sproles in the third quarter allowed the game to stay mildly interesting to the end. "We're not into moral victories anymore," said Raiders running back Justin Fargas, who had a tough 59 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries."
Chargers still have big issues at goal line
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November 2
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"With vampires being the American rage these days, it's almost a pity Al Davis no longer can slip under the cover of darkness and go for the jugular. That's almost. Too many moments in the sun obviously have sapped the Raiders' dark knight and his NFL franchise of the strength it once had. Now it's the Chargers, once the Prince of Darkness' own, personal blood bank, who continually drive a stake through his heart. The Raiders have been awful for years -- their mystique, their greatness, a memory -- and San Diego is average at best. But it doesn't seem to matter. Average rules."
Sorry Seven didn't get parity invitations
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November 2
Buffalo News
 columnist Mark Gaughan
"The bottom is falling out of the NFL this season. Every year there is a handful of really bad teams at the bottom. This year, however, there aren't just two, three or four dregs in the NFL. There are seven. For the first time since 1970, there are two 0-7 teams and one 0-6 team. Only once in the last 40 years — in 1985 — had there been three 0-6 teams. The Sorry Seven right now comprises: St. Louis (0-7), Tampa Bay (0-7), Tennessee (0-6), Cleveland (1-6), Kansas City (1-6), Detroit (1-5) and Oakland (2-5). We'll have to see if any other teams spiral downward and join this group. The increasing number of blowouts is another sign of the bad getting worse. Last week six of 13 games were ..."
ESPN uncovers more assault allegations
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November 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Two women said Raiders coach Tom Cable assaulted them multiple times in previous relationships, and Cable conceded he once hit a woman more than 20 years ago. An ex-wife and ex-girlfriend made their abuse claims to ESPN's "Outside the Lines," which aired Sunday before the Raiders played the Chargers. The allegations come 10 days after the Napa district attorney's office decided not to charge Cable with assaulting assistant Randy Hanson, who told police that Cable broke his jaw in an August training-camp altercation. Sandy Cable said her first husband hit her in the jaw in 1988. She obtained a restraining order and filed for divorce, according to the ESPN report. Tom Cable issued a ..."
Women: Cable has violent history
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November 1
ESPN.com
 
"Two women, including his former wife and a recent girlfriend, say that Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable has a history of violent behavior toward women. In separate interviews with ESPN's "Outside the Lines", Sandy Cable and Marie Lutz say that Cable hit them during relationships dating back more than 20 years. Cable's alleged temper has been in the news since August, when Oakland assistant coach Randy Hanson accused Cable of breaking his jaw during an altercation in a coaches meeting. On Oct. 22, Napa County district attorney Gary Lieberstein said he would not pursue charges against Cable, citing inconsistencies in Hanson's story that were not corroborated by the three assistants in the ..."
Raiders QB shows signs that he's starting to get it
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November 1
Sacramento Bee
 
"Jay Richardson sees a confident guy. Charlie Frye is impressed by a seemingly renewed sense of dedication. Greg Ellis is reminded of (drum roll, please) … Tony Romo. Indeed, the mere sight of JaMarcus Russell elicits reactions as varied as the Raiders quarterback's passes, be they wobbly, off-the-mark ducks or pinpoint, through-the-numbers lasers. No wonder so many eyes were on Russell this week after the former No. 1 draft pick was pulled from a game for the first time in his football-playing life. This is what happens when Russell, thanks partly to his continued deflection of criticism but mostly because of his increasingly poor play, has become the most polarizing figure in Raider ..."
Should Cable send a message?
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November 1
Contra Costa Times
 
"MAYBE TOM CABLE is stubborn enough to truly believe success can be summoned through an approach generally recognized as a definition of insanity. Or maybe the Raiders coach is subtly, slyly mocking his boss, an absolute daredevil tactic for anyone who works for Al Davis. Or maybe Cable is simply out of ideas or options. Week after week, Cable walks out after games conceding that he is the master of an offense going nowhere, especially through the air. Yet week after week, game after game, Cable has rubber-stamped the same characters into the starting lineup. Is not one of the definitions of insanity doing the same thing repeatedly yet each time expecting a different result? Cable has ..."
Raiders notebook: Will Huff's return to starting lineup last?
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October 31
Contra Costa Times
 
"Fourth-year safety Michael Huff was in the starting lineup for the third time this season Sunday. But his start against the New York Jets carried some added significance, because it came on merit and not because of an injury to Hiram Eugene. Huff lost his starting spot to Eugene five games into last season but refused to let the demotion affect his approach each day. That caught the eye of coach Tom Cable, the man who benched Huff. Huff said he is excited to be back in the mix as more than an extra defensive back who plays only in certain passing situations. Just the same, he isn't taking anything for granted. "I've been through so much that I know that at any given time it can be taken ..."
Davis could learn a thing or two from the Boss
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October 31
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Cam Inman
"THE ICONIC OWNER sits above in a luxury suite, his health fleeting, his home crowd adoring him, his team playing for a world championship. This is supposed to be Al Davis. Instead, it is George Steinbrenner. Damn Yankees. Al should be madly jealous. While Steinbrenner's New York Yankees are playing for a world championship, Davis' Raiders are simply playing out their seventh straight disastrous season. As their sports' most renowned - and increasingly reclusive - owners, they've demanded championships and spared little expense chasing them. Their reputations were formed long ago, as owners who meddled as they saw fit en route to trophies and the desire for many more. Al and George. They ..."
Why bother passing? You can run all day
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October 31
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Raiders free safety Michael Huff got off to such a breakout start. He intercepted three passes in the first two games, and he wasn't even the starter. Now that Huff is starting, where is interception No. 4 hiding? That's easy. Teams run the ball so easily against the Raiders, there is no need for opposing offenses to add air supply to the defense's interception demand. "When they throw it 15 times, it's kind of hard to get picks," Huff said. "The main thing is us stopping the run and getting them in obvious situations to get the picks." Easier wished than done as the Raiders hit the midseason point Sunday at San Diego. In the last five games, opposing teams have offered an unbalanced diet ..."
Raiders' recent draft picks prove to be busts
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October 30
San Francisco Examiner
 columnist Glenn Dickey
"Nothing better illustrates the on-field problems of the Raiders than the less-than-dynamic-duo of quarterback JaMarcus Russell and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. It's not too early to declare that Russell is a bust. He has a strong arm, but sprays his passes. Worse, he has poor work habits - both physically and mentally - and either doesn't understand the problem or doesn't want to admit it. After last Sunday's debacle against the Jets, many individual players took blame for what happened. Not Russell. He said he didn't understand why he was taken out of the game. Everybody else did and coach Tom Cable explained it Monday: On the first play of the game, Russell had called the wrong ..."
Easy to run against the Raiders
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October 30
Contra Costa Times
 
"To a man, Raiders players and coaches say their inability to stop the run isn't because of poor talent, coaching or a lack of effort. They blame it on execution. "Just keep your butt in that chair and everything will be fine," said coach Tom Cable, referring to defenders not straying from the area for which they're responsible. "It's up to each man to do that, and we didn't do a very good job of it." Cable was speaking mostly about the 316 yards rushing the New York Jets amassed on Sunday in a 38-0 shellacking of the Raiders at the Coliseum. Cable could have been speaking about the first seven games in general. The Raiders have allowed an average of 169.7 yards rushing and a league-high ..."
Russell sees reason for benching
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October 30
Contra Costa Times
 
"The passage of time, a meeting with coach Tom Cable and watching the video of Sunday's game apparently were enough to change quarterback JaMarcus Russell's stance about his level of responsibility in a 38-0 loss to the Jets. On Thursday, Russell said: "There were mistakes out there. Everybody saw that. Good or bad, take that in stride and learn from it." Russell said after Sunday's game that he was pleased with his reads and decision-making in a game in which he had two passes intercepted, lost a fumble and was replaced midway through the second quarter. He has been quick in the past to point out reasons why things didn't go well and slow to accept responsibility. Cable said he is ..."
If Raiders' Russell has the fire, he needs to show it
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October 30
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Gary Peterson
"Picture this: A would-be franchise quarterback being yanked from a game gone horribly awry in front of the home fans. Now picture that guy directing a volcanic fury at his head coach. Actually, you don't have to picture that last part. You can visit YouTube at your convenience and watch then-49ers quarterback Steve Younga tirade on then-49ers coach George Seifert in 1994. "I basically broke," Young recalled in an NFL Films documentary about the '94 season. "(I) started saying things. If I were him, I would have turned around and fought me." It happened during a 40-8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers played 14 more games that season, winning 13 - the 13th being the Super Bowl. ..."
Russell buckles down in wake of Jets debacle
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October 30
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell got his first wakeup call of the week Sunday afternoon. He was benched in the second quarter of a 38-0 loss to the Jets. Russell got his second wakeup call of the week sometime before sunup Wednesday. With no outside prodding, he got to work at 6:30 a.m., earlier than ever before and 90 minutes before the first meeting. And yes, Raiders coach Tom Cable noticed. "I've seen a little more attention to some things, which is good," Cable said Thursday. "He's in here early, he's working at it. He wants to find a way to get better and bounce back." Indeed, Russell seems to now understand the error of his three-turnover ways Sunday. He admitted Thursday there ..."
Raiders teammates back Russell
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October 29
Contra Costa Times
 
"JaMarcus Russell's Raiders teammates remain steadfast in their belief that he is just going through a rough stretch and that he remains the best option at quarterback for a team that has lacked a proven one since Rich Gannon retired after the 2004 season. "He's fine," defensive end Jay Richardson said Wednesday. "He's a confident guy. He's understanding work ethic and what it takes to be a No. 1 quarterback. He's getting there. We all have confidence in him and confidence in our scheme and what we're doing. We'll be fine." Left offensive tackle Mario Henderson said his confidence in Russell is as high now as it was at the start of the season and that how well a quarterback plays goes hand ..."
Robert Gallery returns to Raiders' practice
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October 29
Contra Costa Times
 
"Left guard Robert Gallery on Wednesday practiced for the first time since he broke a bone in his right leg Sept. 20 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Gallery was limited in his participation, but it's a start for a player considered the linchpin of Oakland's offensive line. Erik Pears replaced Gallery initially, but an injury to right tackle Cornell Green compelled coach Tom Cable to move Pears to Green's spot, starting center Chris Morris to left guard and Samson Satele from the bench to center. The Raiders have used a makeshift line the past five games and have anticipated Gallery's return for some time. "We'll just try to build up from that," Cable said of Gallery's limited return. "We'll ..."
Darren McFadden will miss his fourth straight game Sunday
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October 29
Contra Costa Times
 
"News, notes and quotes from Wednesday's open locker room and post-practice press briefing from coach Tom Cable: – The only two players players coming off long-term injuries that have a chance to play against San Diego, according to Cable, are left guard Robert Gallery (broken fibula) and wide receiver Chaz Schilens (foot). Gallery practiced in warmups and drills and got in a few reps. Schilens is still "real sore" and didn't practice at all. It's conceivable both could be back after the bye. – Running back Darren McFadden has been a ghost since his minor knee surgery. He hasn't been seen in the locker room during media availaibility since being injured nor has he been on the field during ..."
Russell clear on why he got hook
Comment
October 27
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Tom Cable explained in great detail why he sat Russell after three first-half turnovers. First, Cable told Russell after video review. Then, he told reporters in his Monday news conference. "I think in talking today with him, he's pretty clear on what went on," Cable said. "If I know JaMarcus, he'll learn from this and he'll grow and play like he's supposed to and capable of Sunday." Cable's mind remains set on Russell as the starter at San Diego on Sunday, and presumably beyond. Asked if Russell gives the Raiders the best chance to win, Cable said, "Absolutely." So, why did Cable bench him, after being dead-set against such a move in previous games? It all started on the first snap of the ..."
Coach, quarterback clear air
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October 27
Contra Costa Times
 
"If JaMarcus Russell seemed puzzled about his benching in favor of Bruce Gradkowski on Sunday, he understands better the thinking of coach Tom Cable a day later. "I think talking to him today, he's pretty clear on what went on," Cable said at his weekly media briefing Monday. Gradkowski replaced Russell with 5:51 left in the first half and the Raiders trailing 21-0 and played the rest of the game in a 38-0 loss to the New York Jets. Two Russell turnovers on a sack-plus-fumble and an interception thrown blindly under pressure set up two Jets drives at the Raiders' 4-yard line. Both resulted in touchdowns. Russell, who has completed only 46.3 percent of his passes (74-for-160) later threw an ..."
Quarterback deficiencies leave 49ers, Raiders in no man's land
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October 27
Oakland Tribune
 columnist Cam Inman
"ALEX SMITH VERSION 2.0 represents the Bay Area's best quarterback hope, and that's more scary than soothing, more of a trick than a treat. No knock on Smith, who's attempting a Plunkett-arian rebirth, but the 49ers and Raiders are in quarterback trouble once again. Each franchise's fall from grace is traced to instability and ineffectiveness at quarterback. That ground remains as liquefied as ever. So they're desperately squeezing every last ounce of potential from their one-time top overall draft picks: Smith (No. 1 in 2005) with the 49ers and JaMarcus Russell (No. 1 in 2007) with the Raiders. Smith, on the rebound from rock bottom, officially reclaimed his starting job Monday. Russell ..."
Nothing but zeroes in Raiders' record 38-0 loss
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October 26
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"With that final two-play sequence, the Raiders locked in the most lopsided home loss in 50 years of franchise history, 38-0 to the visiting Jets on Sunday. "The score doesn't show it, but the offense did some good things out there," Heyward-Bey said. The score did show a record 38-point loss. The Raiders have lost by 34 points several times, the last time 41-7 to the Packers on Dec. 22, 2003, after Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre's father died. Here's what else the scoreboard showed: zero points for the fourth home game in four years. They were shut out at home one time in the 46 years before that."
Raiders own up to blame in shutout defeat
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October 26
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"They weren't blaming others. They wanted to blame themselves for all that went horribly awry at the Coliseum. "Obviously we didn't do enough of a job during the week conveying the message of what we need to do to win," defensive end Richard Seymour said. "As one of the leaders on the team, I definitely take the responsibility." The only player who refused to play along was the one player who got benched, and that's franchise quarterback JaMarcus Russell. "I don't think it's me personally, I really don't," Russell said. "It's a bad combination of one guy doesn't do something right one time. Personally, I don't think so. "Do you?" Coach Tom Cable finally did. He sat Russell with 5:45 left in ..."
Catch this: Heyward-Bey makes a small impact
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October 26
Contra Costa Times
 
"Darrius Heyward-Bey doubled his number of receptions Sunday but missed an opportunity for his first touchdown. Heyward-Bey, who entered the game with two receptions for 36 yards, caught two passes for 28 yards, one of them a 24-yard gain in the first quarter. Bruce Gradkowski drove the Raiders from their own 18-yard line to the Jets' 2-yard line with 2:30 left as the Raiders attempted to avert a shutout, then threw a fade to Heyward-Bey with Dwight Lowery in coverage. "I've got to make that play," Heyward-Bey said. "I argued the call, but at the end of the day, the ball's in the air, I've got to come down with it." Said coach Tom Cable: "This may have been a better game for him in terms of ..."
For Raiders, a new low
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October 26
Contra Costa Times
 
"The final score was 38-0, but the hard truth about the Raiders in the face of the worst home loss in franchise history is that the referee could have stopped the contest with 4:20 left in the first quarter Sunday. At that point, the New York Jets had scored touchdowns on two 4-yard drives, and the Raiders, in their current state, were helpless to do anything about it. Defensive end Richard Seymour, who delivered a lighthearted guarantee of a playoff berth with a former teammate during a radio interview during the week, stopped just short of assuring a quick deficit is impossible for the Raiders to overcome. "Playing from behind isn't our strong suit," Seymour said. "We started the game in ..."
Russell takes Raiders down path of destruction
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October 26
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Monte Poole
"ONE MORE week, one more chance. And not because he's earned it. Having lost the faith of a significant portion of the Raiders fan base, as well as a few teammates and coaches, JaMarcus Russell needed only 24 minutes Sunday to fumble his previously firm status as starting quarterback. A little more than nine minutes into the second quarter of a 38-0 thumping by the New York Jets, played before a sparse congregation at the Oakland Coliseum, Raiders coach Tom Cable relieved Russell of the job he has held since December 2007. Understand, there was enough embarrassment to mortify everyone drawing a Raiders paycheck, from owner/general manager Al Davis and the coaching staff, to the players and ..."
Sanchez caught dogging it
Comment
October 26
Sacramento Bee
 
"Despite what Bob Griese might think, Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was not off having a taco during the fourth quarter; he was having a hot dog, with mustard, on the sideline. And while his Raiders counterpart, JaMarcus Russell, refuses to fully accept responsibility for his oft-poor play, Sanchez apologized for "hot-dogging" it late in the Jets' 38-0 win over the Raiders. "Toward the end of the game, I probably should've eaten one of those (energy) bars or something," said a contrite Sanchez. "Somebody offered (a hot dog) and I grabbed it … tried to be discreet about it. "That won't happen again." Griese, the Hall of Fame quarterback now working as an analyst for ESPN, said during ..."
Russell still refusing to take blame
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October 26
Sacramento Bee
 columnist Paul Gutierrez
"For the first time in his football life, JaMarcus Russell was being told he wasn't good enough. That his mere presence on the field was essentially hurting his team. That he was being benched midway through the second quarter in Sunday's 38-0 loss to the New York Jets. Was he angry? Did he throw a fit on the sideline? Did he plead his case? What, exactly, was his reaction? "Really," answered a weary Tom Cable, who delivered the news to Russell, "there was no reaction. No reaction." Wait, what? Russell, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 draft, was told after five series and a 14-point deficit that journeyman Bruce Gradkowski gave the Raiders a better chance to beat the New York Jets and ..."
Former Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan gets revenge with Jets
Comment
October 26
New York Daily News
 
"The head coach is supposed to get the Gatorade shower, but Rex Ryan did the pouring after yesterday's 38-0 victory over the Raiders. Ryan dumped a bucket on offensive line coach Bill Callahan, the former Raiders coach who was fired in 2003 - one year after leading the Silver and Black to the Super Bowl. Callahan was the unsung hero of the win as the Jets rushed for 316yards. "He won't say it, but this game was really important to him," Ryan said. Fans behind the Jets' bench heckled Callahan throughout the game, according to players. "I know he really wanted to stick it to the Raiders," RT Damien Woody said. "I'm sure he'll cherish this for a long time.""
New York Jets bounce back, crush Oakland Raiders
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October 26
New York Daily News
 
"Thomas Jones' voice shook with emotion. He had just rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown in a historic ground assault yesterday by the Jets, 38-0 winners over the Raiders, but he was down and distracted. His mind was elsewhere - at a local hospital, where Leon Washington was having emergency surgery. "The team is devastated; I know I'm devastated," Jones said quietly after the Jets snapped a three-game losing streak with the most lopsided shutout victory in franchise history. "Honestly, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it." Washington fractured his right fibula on his first carry, one of those sickening plays that live forever in the minds of football players. His lower leg ..."