Oakland Raiders

Ellis tells his teammates to change their behavior
Comment
August 30
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"Ellis tells his teammates to change their behavior They played as if they were hung over. And really, after being subjected to 3 hours and 17 minutes of what could only be described as "morning after" play by the Raiders' defense in a 45-7 loss to New Orleans, I had a headache, too. Not even popping a few Advil and washing them down with a bowl of menudo could help the defense on this day. (Surely I was hallucinating when 300-plus-pound tackle Tommy Kelly dropped into pass coverage.) But maybe Greg Ellis' not-so-subliminal message to his young teammates could serve as some hair o' the dog. "Guys, you can't stay out all night," the 12th-year defensive end said to reporters, though surely ..."
Raiders' coach in loss: 'This is embarrassing'
Comment
August 30
San Francisco Chronicle

"The Raiders made progress Saturday, just not the sort they want. They didn't explain it as "just an exhibition game." They didn't remind anyone this "doesn't count in the standings." And, they sure didn't pin it on the refs or a few fluke plays. No, the Raiders wore their 45-7 loss to the Saints for exactly what it was: a crying shame - exhibition game or not. "This is embarrassing to me," Raiders coach Tom Cable said after overseeing the third-worst exhibition loss in franchise history. The defense didn't stop giving up points until the Saints led 45-0. The offense didn't start scoring until 6:06 was left. "I've never felt so lousy after a game, period," tight end Zach Miller said."
Raiders starting back gets 1 carry, for 1 yard
Comment
August 30
San Francisco Chronicle

"Running back Michael Bush got a chance to make his case for the starting job Saturday. As previous starters Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden already learned, there was little time to say much. Bush had one carry for 1 yard, and two catches for 8 yards, as the starting running back in Saturday's 45-7 loss to the Saints at the Coliseum. In Game 1, Fargas got one carry for 2 yards in his start. In Game 2, McFadden started with four carries for 5 yards. So much for starting being a reward. "Everyone knows what's going on," Bush said, and he's not talking about a conspiracy theory. The Raiders are a run-first offense. Only, they've worked all preseason to develop the passing game when JaMarcus ..."
Raiders Bush ready to audition for starting RB job
Comment
August 29
Sacramento Bee

"Michael Bush smiled. The "Smash" part of the Raiders' three-headed Smash, Dash (Justin Fargas) and Flash (Darren McFadden) running attack had been reminded by reporters that it was his week to start in the backfield. Against the New Orleans Saints at home. In that all-important third exhibition game today. To show he deserves the bulk of the workload. "Yeah, it's nice to get out there and get to work for something," Bush said. "Like I say, it's preseason, and we're all trying to be on the same page, as far as getting a feel with the O-line and stuff like that, and getting the run game back to where it was last year." So there's no additional pressure knowing it's your turn, after Fargas ..."
Raiders defense will find out where it rests
Comment
August 29
Oakland Tribune

"Tom Cable's first game as an NFL coach came against the New Orleans Saints in a 34-3 loss Oct. 12. Today, he gets a chance to see just how far he has come as a coach and in getting his team to play at a higher level. The Saints, who play at Oakland Coliseum today, present a challenge with one of the game's most-prolific passing attacks. Now they have added a potent rushing attack, as well. "Everybody has their issue they're trying to fix," Cable said of the Saints working on their running game. "Obviously, we've been working on the passing game. They're trying to add balance. So it does bode well for us because we need that." No team passed as effectively as the Saints last season. They ..."
Newest Raiders player knows what it's like to be homeless
Comment
August 29
Oakland Tribune

"For someone who was once homeless, new Oakland Raider Mike Hawkins is hardly concerned that he's bounced around to three different NFL teams this summer.Hawkins, a 26-year-old defensive back whose 4.3 speed no doubt convinced Al Davis and the Raiders to pick him up off waivers this week, is 10 years removed from the darkest moments of his life. Hawkins was the son of a drug-addicted mother and an abusive father who no longer wanted him around. So, a destitute Hawkins decided his only option was to live by himself in his hometown of Dallas.He told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the only meals he ate were at a nearby McDonald's, where he also used the bathroom sink to bathe. He was a ..."
Surprised safety gets Raiders starting job
Comment
August 29
San Francisco Chronicle

"Raiders safety Tyvon Branch didn't start a single game as a rookie last year. His season ended with shoulder surgery in November. His team then selected another safety in the second round of April's draft. As far as Branch was concerned, he was as good as one and done in these parts. "When they drafted Mike Mitchell, I kind of thought they were going to put him in front of me," Branch said. Imagine his surprise when the Raiders handed him the strong safety job at the first minicamp in May. No ladders to climb, no starters to unseat, no competition to wage and no arguments to settle. Branch did nothing in training camp to change anyone's mind on that. Though he has no idea why they were so ..."
The Raiders' three-headed running attack
Comment
August 28
San Francisco Chronicle

"The Raiders ended their 31-day training camp at the Napa Valley Marriott, site of the fiercest running back competition no one bothered to notice. Blame the inattention on Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush for being anything but fierce toward each other. McFadden hangs with Bush, who chills with Fargas, who mentors McFadden, and so on. "They have a good time with it because they are so close," Raiders coach Tom Cable said. "They all want to be the guy but they push each other and pull for each other in their own way.""
Heyward-Bey's catch excites Cable
Comment
August 27
San Francisco Chronicle

"Rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey ran right as he reached back to his left, all the while starting to fall down on a pass route over the middle. This is the exact sort of play that spelled incomplete pass all of training camp, particularly for a wide receiver who struggled enough to make the easy catches, never mind the spectacular. Not this time. Heyward-Bey came down with a tumbling catch in traffic, much to the delight of his teammates and coaches during practice Wednesday in Napa. "He had a great day of catching the ball," coach Tom Cable said. "Right after he caught it, I said to him, 'Your mistake is you showed me you can do that and, so now, the expectation goes up. That's who you are. ..."
Police: Cable will be questioned
Comment
August 26
ESPN.com

"The Napa, Calif., police department plans to question Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable about his alleged role in a skirmish that left assistant coach Randy Hanson with a broken bone in his face. A department spokesperson said Wednesday that Cable would be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation in the near future, but a date was not specified. The department has been contacted by NFL security and said it is cooperating with the league, the spokesperson said. Hanson was hospitalized following the Aug. 5 attack that he told police was initiated by a member of the Raiders coaching staff at the team's training camp hotel in Napa. According to reports, Cable attacked Hanson during a ..."
Raiders backup could make an impact
Comment
August 26
Contra Costa Times
columnist Gary Peterson
"Quarterback news is being made all over the NFL these days. In San Francisco, where Shaun Hill has been named the starter. In Philadelphia, where Michael Vick is getting acquainted. In San Diego, where Philip Rivers signed a six-year, $92 million extension. In Minnesota, where the calliope and dancing elephants can mean only one thing: Brett Favre is back in the league. Meanwhile, the Raiders are relatively drama-free at the position. JaMarcus Russell is the unquestioned starter. Jeff Garcia, who came to the team hoping to insinuate himself into a competition for the starting job, is discovering he never really had a shot. If you want breaking news, try the Napa cops, because there's ..."
New Raiders assistant is living the dream
Comment
August 25
Contra Costa Times

"Sanjay Lal says working for the Raiders is his dream job. He maintains that view even though some might regard his situation - replacing Pro Football Hall of Famer James Lofton and inheriting the NFL's least-productive receiving corps - a nightmare. Far from it, Lal said. "You have your dreams," Lal said during the early days of his first training camp coaching the Raiders wide receivers, "and this comes true and you look back and say, 'How did I get here?' "If I could've written it, I wouldn't have been able to write it or believe it. But it happened, and I'm not going to let go." Lal's dream sprouted soon after his collegiate career as a wide receiver at Washington ended. By 1996, he had ..."
New linebacker long ago gathered the Moss
Comment
August 25
Contra Costa Times

"The Raiders signed middle linebacker Napoleon Harris on Monday in response to projected starter Kirk Morrison sustaining a dislocated left elbow Saturday night against the 49ers. Harris was the second of Oakland's two first-round selections in the 2002 NFL draft, and he started 13 games for a team that played in the Super Bowl his rookie season. Harris, 30, played for the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs the past four seasons, including two stints with the Vikings. He gained almost as much notoriety in Raiders lore as being part of the package the team used in a trade with the Vikings for wide receiver Randy Moss in 2005. The Raiders sent Harris to the Vikings, along with first- ..."
Saints to use Bush against the Raiders
Comment
August 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune

"After sitting out Saturday night's 38-14 exhibition victory at Houston with a strained calf muscle, Saints running back Reggie Bush said he is ready to play in Saturday's preseason game at Oakland. Although he sat out Monday's practice, Bush said he is healthy and expects to get a heavy dose of playing time. "It's just precautionary, taking it slow, building back to the season," Bush said of missing the game against the Texans. "I'm sure I'll play quite a bit this game. I know I'm looking forward to it." Bush strained a calf muscle in his right leg during post-practice conditioning drills Thursday morning in Houston, but he said the calf is fine. Bush suffered the injury while running ..."
JaMarcus Russell's weighty issue: Must 'deliver the goods'
Comment
August 24
Green Bay Press Gazette

"The weight. Always with the weight.Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell grins and shakes his head before his visitor even finishes a question after a recent training camp practice. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2007, Russell is painfully aware of - and amused by - near-constant chatter about his weight. Even at 6-6, a player - a QB, mind you - who more than once has visited the 300-Pound Club never will be mistaken for being slim and sleek. To which Russell says, "So what?" He's listed at 260 pounds on the preseason roster. He says he currently is about 270-275, and plans to shave about five more to reach his "playing weight." But Russell will be dealing with a much more ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Contra Costa Times

"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
'Wrangle' is not a sign of disaster
Comment
August 24
Sacramento Bee
columnist Paul Gutierrez
"The apocalypse is near, the haters sing with glee. Raider Nation continues to crumble from within, they mockingly chant. This whole Tom Cable-Randy Hanson Wrangle in Wine Country is a mammoth distraction, they recite with ear-to-ear grins. It will retard the growth of a promising young team. Fairly reasonable claims, right? Except it isn't that big of a disruption, and it won't stunt said development. In fact, Cable's potential legal woes are working just the opposite. And you need not have been at the team's Napa training camp facility this week to hear players greet the coach with "Cable, bumaye." Keep in mind, this is not Mike Ditka vs. Buddy Ryan for the heart and soul of the 1985 ..."
Morrison injury a speed bump
Comment
August 24
Oakland Tribune

"Middle linebacker Kirk Morrison's dislocated left elbow isn't serious enough to force him to miss the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against San Diego, and he might even be back in time for Oakland's exhibition finale Sept. 3 at Seattle. That's the word coming from Raiders coach Tom Cable on Sunday after the follow-up evaluation confirmed the initial one made soon after Morrison sustained his injury Saturday against the 49ers. Morrison no doubt was thrilled to hear the news that his injury wasn't worse. He also should be pleased to hear that this mini setback won't cost him a shot at keeping his starting spot. "I would say Kirk was still ahead," Cable said of where Morrison stood against ..."
Russell keeps starting job
Comment
August 24
San Francisco Chronicle

"Call it the quarterback competition that never was, because JaMarcus Russell vs. Jeff Garcia is over before it ever got started. Raiders coach Tom Cable said as much Sunday when asked if Russell would start the season opener against the Chargers on Sept. 14. Cable said, "At this point, he's the quarterback of the Oakland Raiders," and there was nothing stunning about the bulletin. Garcia missed the first half of training camp with a calf strain. He didn't have a chance to push Russell. "Unfortunately, Jeff hasn't had much work," Cable said. "I feel like (Russell) has improved. It would have been nice to have someone really pushing him." Instead, all the push Garcia had in his 39-year-old ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times

"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times

"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Rookie runs all over Raiders
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times

"When 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes met Glen Coffee, he told the rookie how much he disliked him. "Why?" Coffee said, stunned. "Because you used to run all over Auburn,'' Spikes replied. Suffice to say, Spikes is glad to have Coffee on his side now. The third-round pick out of Alabama rampaged through the Raiders' defense for 129 yards in a little more than one quarter of action during the 49ers' 21-20 exhibition victory Saturday at Candlestick Park. Running back Frank Gore played only a series before enjoying Coffee's spectacular 16-carry show. "He's doing a great job,'' Gore said of his understudy. "Running strong. Finding the holes. Glen's going to be a great player." Coffee was the ..."
Raiders decide Russell doesn't need two-minute drill work
Comment
August 23
Contra Costa Times

"When the story of the 2009 Raiders is put to bed, the last 1:59 of the first half of a 21-20 preseason loss to the 49ers Saturday night at Candlestick Park will not even merit a footnote.The Raiders failed to score, with Jeff Garcia throwing a pass slightly behind Johnnie Lee Higgins that went off his hands and was intercepted by the 49ers' Allen Rossum at the 9-yard line.Until the turnover, it was vintage Garcia, finding Michael Bush for nine yards over the middle, scrambling for nine yards on the next play, finding Louis Murphy for 10 more to the 38-yard line.On second-and-10, Bush ran for 10 yard and Garcia went to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 48 seconds ..."
Murphy shows that Raiders' passing attack may be in good hands
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune

"Coach Tom Cable's decision to start two rookies at wide receiver Saturday night against the 49ers had as much to do with injuries to his projected starters for the regular season as anything. A second-quarter touchdown reception by Louis Murphy showed that the Raiders just might have the means offensively to do more than rely upon their running game this season, even though they lost the game 21-20. Murphy blew past former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements on a third-and-21 play, settled into the right corner of the end zone and secured the ball on a pass from JaMarcus Russell. "Those guys just keep getting better and better," Cable said of his rookies. "It's exciting to see where we're ..."
Raiders' Brown states case with interception
Comment
August 23
Oakland Tribune

"Kirk Morrison started at middle linebacker for the Raiders on Saturday night against the 49ers, but it was Ricky Brown who made the biggest impact between the two players who are competing for the starting spot. Brown hauled in a pass that hit off the hands of 49ers wide receiver Josh Morgan and rambled 46 yards to the 49ers 7-yard line. The competition caught everyone by surprise, even Morrison. But coach Tom Cable insists it's quite serious, even though Morrison led the Raiders in tackles and finished fifth in the league last season. Brown's huge play didn't lead to any Raider points - they failed to score as back-to-back passes on third and fourth down sailed wide of the mark. But he no ..."