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OPPONENT PREVIEW - OAKLAND
Cowboys Should Handle Troubled Raiders
by Mike Rabun
There are some franchises within the NFL that have gotten themselves into a mess these days, but none more so than the Oakland Raiders.
And it is the Raiders who will be the first team to make a Thanksgiving Day visit to the new lair of the Dallas Cowboys.
The biggest newsmaker involving the Raiders, of course, has been the allegations that the team's head coach has a history of violent behavior toward women. That has brought calls from various groups that he should be suspended.
The other news has been that Oakland isn't very good and that the prospects for improvement are slim.
There are some fascinating numbers involving the Raiders, but here is the most fascinating of all. Over a five-game span, beginning on Sept. 27 and ending Oct. 25, the Raiders scored two touchdowns. TWO!
Through the opening half of the season, Oakland had crossed the goal line six times and had given up 22 touchdowns. The Raiders were averaging 9.8 points (somewhat amazingly, St. Louis was worse at 9.6) and were absolute last in yards gained.
Much of the blame has been placed at the feet of JaMarcus Russell, the first player chosen in the 2007 draft. Through their first eight games this season, he had thrown two touchdown passes and been intercepted nine times. Not to mention 25 sacks and five lost fumbles.
His passer rating of 48.3 is woeful. For the first time in his pro career, he was removed from a game during the Raiders' recent 38-0 loss to the New York Jets.
None of the Oakland yardage producers are household names. Justin Fargas has been around for seven seasons and has not started a game this year. But he leads the team in rushing.
Zach Miller, in his third campaign, has averaged 3.5 catches a game and is Oakland's top receiver. In other words, there is not enough Oakland offense to bring about the prospect of winning.
The Raiders' defense is better, but not by much. Oakland was ranked 27th in the league through eight games. Former Cowboy Greg Ellis shares the team lead with four sacks and would no doubt enjoy having a big game on Thanksgiving, but he has been slowed of late by a knee injury.
Oakland, a franchise that once upon a time advertised itself as the epitome of excellence, participated in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2002 season. Since then, through the first half of 2009, the Raiders have produced a 26-78 record. They have won no more than five games in any season since that Super Bowl trip.
Regardless of its shocking victory over Philadelphia, in which the Raiders converted only two-of-16 third-down attempts, Oakland is a team the Cowboys truly should dispose of with gusto. And then it would be on to the turkey.
In the first season of the AFL-NFL merger, 1970, Oakland played in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day and lost 28-14. That was the last time the Raiders have played on the holiday.
KEY MATCHUP
Raiders C Samson Satele vs. Cowboys NT Jay Ratliff
Satele is in just his third season, but he has gained a lot of experience. After the Dolphins selected him out of the University of Hawaii in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft, he became the first rookie in team history to start at center on opening day. He went on to start all 16 games and played every offensive snap in 15 of them. The native Hawaiian returned in 2008 to start every regular season game plus the Dolphins' AFC Wild Card game against Baltimore. When Miami signed free agent center Jake Grove, Satele was traded to Oakland for a sixth-round draft pick in 2009 and a swap of fourth-round picks, replacing the departed Grove. Ratliff has developed into one of the league's best nose tackles since being taken in the seventh round of the 2005 draft. His ability to put pressure on the quarterback up the middle can be very disruptive no matter who is behind center.
RAIDERS UPDATE
By Sam Iannuzzi
Rookie wide receiver Louis Murphy was the Raiders' fourth-round selection (No. 124 overall) in this year's draft. So far, the University of Florida product has outperformed the more heralded first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey. Murphy had 16 catches for 232 yards, second on the team after eight games, and a touchdown. Heyward-Bey, taken seventh overall, had just five receptions for 74 yards and no touchdowns during the same stretch.
Former Texas A&M star Shane Lechler continues to be one of the league's best punters. Through eight games this season, the four-time Pro Bowler was leading the league with a 52.3-yard per kick average with a net average of 44.9.
Oakland players are wearing a number 95 decal on their helmets in memory of linebacker Marquis Cooper. Cooper and three other men—NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith and former University of South Florida football players Nick Schuyler and Will Bleakley—went missing when their boat capsized off the coast of Clearwater, Fla. during a fishing trip in March. Schuyler was rescued nearly two days after the search began for the missing boat, but the others were never found and are presumed dead.
All of the original American Football League (AFL) teams, including the Raiders, are celebrating their 50th season. Oakland is the only original AFL franchise to have been in Super Bowls in each decade. The Raiders first-ever game was a preseason contest against the Dallas Texans, who eventually relocated to Kansas City and became the Chiefs.
Former Cowboys No. 1 draft pick Greg Ellis, a 12-year veteran, is in his first season with Oakland after spending his entire career in Dallas. Ellis is back at his original position, defensive end, after playing linebacker the past three years. Ellis has been coming off the bench and was tied for the team lead with four sacks halfway through the season.
FOCUS ON RICHARD SEYMOUR
NFL teams rarely trade star players, especially on the brink of a new season. So, when the New England Patriots sent five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour to the Raiders for a first-round pick in the 2011 draft just eight days before the start of the 2009 schedule, it sent shock waves around the league.
Surprised the most was probably Seymour himself, who is 30 years old, has a history of nagging injuries and is in the final year of his contract. Since being taken by the Patriots with the sixth overall pick in the 2001 draft, Seymour has, however, established himself as one of the league's best defensive linemen. In addition to the five Pro Bowl appearances, he was voted All-Pro four times and was a member of three Super Bowl-winning teams.
With the return of quarterback Tom Brady and the nucleus of a team that went through the 2007 regular season undefeated, Seymour probably envisioned a shot at a fourth Super Bowl in New England. Instead, the trade meant he would spend the last year of his contract with a team that has floundered for several seasons behind a struggling quarterback and an unstable coaching staff.
Seymour's initial reaction to the trade was to ignore it. He did not comment publicly and avoided reporting to his new team right away. Reports surfaced that Seymour was unhappy and he was going to refuse to move. Then on Sept. 12, he reported to the Raiders, saying he was "blindsided" by the trade and needed time to settle some personal matters. After just two days of practice, Seymour was on the field for the Raiders opener against San Diego.
While Seymour's presence has helped, the Raiders still appear destined for another losing season with just two wins in their first eight games. Seymour, who is double-teamed on most passing downs, has managed four sacks, which was tied for the team lead. It's hard to imagine Seymour envisioned his upcoming free agency quite this way.
SERIES HISTORY
COWBOYS VS RAIDERS
The Raiders face Dallas on the road for just the fourth time in the nine-game history between the two teams ... The last time Oakland visited the Cowboys was Sept. 27, 1998 ... The Raiders actually own a three-game winning streak in the series, including their last matchup at Oakland, 19-13, in 2005 ... The teams played three times while the Raiders were based in Los Angeles (1983, '86 and '92) ... If the Cowboys had won the famous Ice Bowl game against Green Bay in 1967, they would have faced the Raiders in Super Bowl II. Green Bay won 23-17 then walloped the Raiders in the second Super Bowl, 33-14, in Miami.
Cowboys Should Handle Troubled Raiders
by Mike Rabun
There are some franchises within the NFL that have gotten themselves into a mess these days, but none more so than the Oakland Raiders.
And it is the Raiders who will be the first team to make a Thanksgiving Day visit to the new lair of the Dallas Cowboys.
The biggest newsmaker involving the Raiders, of course, has been the allegations that the team's head coach has a history of violent behavior toward women. That has brought calls from various groups that he should be suspended.
The other news has been that Oakland isn't very good and that the prospects for improvement are slim.
There are some fascinating numbers involving the Raiders, but here is the most fascinating of all. Over a five-game span, beginning on Sept. 27 and ending Oct. 25, the Raiders scored two touchdowns. TWO!
Through the opening half of the season, Oakland had crossed the goal line six times and had given up 22 touchdowns. The Raiders were averaging 9.8 points (somewhat amazingly, St. Louis was worse at 9.6) and were absolute last in yards gained.
Much of the blame has been placed at the feet of JaMarcus Russell, the first player chosen in the 2007 draft. Through their first eight games this season, he had thrown two touchdown passes and been intercepted nine times. Not to mention 25 sacks and five lost fumbles.
His passer rating of 48.3 is woeful. For the first time in his pro career, he was removed from a game during the Raiders' recent 38-0 loss to the New York Jets.
None of the Oakland yardage producers are household names. Justin Fargas has been around for seven seasons and has not started a game this year. But he leads the team in rushing.
Zach Miller, in his third campaign, has averaged 3.5 catches a game and is Oakland's top receiver. In other words, there is not enough Oakland offense to bring about the prospect of winning.
The Raiders' defense is better, but not by much. Oakland was ranked 27th in the league through eight games. Former Cowboy Greg Ellis shares the team lead with four sacks and would no doubt enjoy having a big game on Thanksgiving, but he has been slowed of late by a knee injury.
Oakland, a franchise that once upon a time advertised itself as the epitome of excellence, participated in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2002 season. Since then, through the first half of 2009, the Raiders have produced a 26-78 record. They have won no more than five games in any season since that Super Bowl trip.
Regardless of its shocking victory over Philadelphia, in which the Raiders converted only two-of-16 third-down attempts, Oakland is a team the Cowboys truly should dispose of with gusto. And then it would be on to the turkey.
In the first season of the AFL-NFL merger, 1970, Oakland played in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day and lost 28-14. That was the last time the Raiders have played on the holiday.
KEY MATCHUP
Raiders C Samson Satele vs. Cowboys NT Jay Ratliff
Satele is in just his third season, but he has gained a lot of experience. After the Dolphins selected him out of the University of Hawaii in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft, he became the first rookie in team history to start at center on opening day. He went on to start all 16 games and played every offensive snap in 15 of them. The native Hawaiian returned in 2008 to start every regular season game plus the Dolphins' AFC Wild Card game against Baltimore. When Miami signed free agent center Jake Grove, Satele was traded to Oakland for a sixth-round draft pick in 2009 and a swap of fourth-round picks, replacing the departed Grove. Ratliff has developed into one of the league's best nose tackles since being taken in the seventh round of the 2005 draft. His ability to put pressure on the quarterback up the middle can be very disruptive no matter who is behind center.
RAIDERS UPDATE
By Sam Iannuzzi
Rookie wide receiver Louis Murphy was the Raiders' fourth-round selection (No. 124 overall) in this year's draft. So far, the University of Florida product has outperformed the more heralded first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey. Murphy had 16 catches for 232 yards, second on the team after eight games, and a touchdown. Heyward-Bey, taken seventh overall, had just five receptions for 74 yards and no touchdowns during the same stretch.
Former Texas A&M star Shane Lechler continues to be one of the league's best punters. Through eight games this season, the four-time Pro Bowler was leading the league with a 52.3-yard per kick average with a net average of 44.9.
Oakland players are wearing a number 95 decal on their helmets in memory of linebacker Marquis Cooper. Cooper and three other men—NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith and former University of South Florida football players Nick Schuyler and Will Bleakley—went missing when their boat capsized off the coast of Clearwater, Fla. during a fishing trip in March. Schuyler was rescued nearly two days after the search began for the missing boat, but the others were never found and are presumed dead.
All of the original American Football League (AFL) teams, including the Raiders, are celebrating their 50th season. Oakland is the only original AFL franchise to have been in Super Bowls in each decade. The Raiders first-ever game was a preseason contest against the Dallas Texans, who eventually relocated to Kansas City and became the Chiefs.
Former Cowboys No. 1 draft pick Greg Ellis, a 12-year veteran, is in his first season with Oakland after spending his entire career in Dallas. Ellis is back at his original position, defensive end, after playing linebacker the past three years. Ellis has been coming off the bench and was tied for the team lead with four sacks halfway through the season.
FOCUS ON RICHARD SEYMOUR
NFL teams rarely trade star players, especially on the brink of a new season. So, when the New England Patriots sent five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour to the Raiders for a first-round pick in the 2011 draft just eight days before the start of the 2009 schedule, it sent shock waves around the league.
Surprised the most was probably Seymour himself, who is 30 years old, has a history of nagging injuries and is in the final year of his contract. Since being taken by the Patriots with the sixth overall pick in the 2001 draft, Seymour has, however, established himself as one of the league's best defensive linemen. In addition to the five Pro Bowl appearances, he was voted All-Pro four times and was a member of three Super Bowl-winning teams.
With the return of quarterback Tom Brady and the nucleus of a team that went through the 2007 regular season undefeated, Seymour probably envisioned a shot at a fourth Super Bowl in New England. Instead, the trade meant he would spend the last year of his contract with a team that has floundered for several seasons behind a struggling quarterback and an unstable coaching staff.
Seymour's initial reaction to the trade was to ignore it. He did not comment publicly and avoided reporting to his new team right away. Reports surfaced that Seymour was unhappy and he was going to refuse to move. Then on Sept. 12, he reported to the Raiders, saying he was "blindsided" by the trade and needed time to settle some personal matters. After just two days of practice, Seymour was on the field for the Raiders opener against San Diego.
While Seymour's presence has helped, the Raiders still appear destined for another losing season with just two wins in their first eight games. Seymour, who is double-teamed on most passing downs, has managed four sacks, which was tied for the team lead. It's hard to imagine Seymour envisioned his upcoming free agency quite this way.
SERIES HISTORY
COWBOYS VS RAIDERS
The Raiders face Dallas on the road for just the fourth time in the nine-game history between the two teams ... The last time Oakland visited the Cowboys was Sept. 27, 1998 ... The Raiders actually own a three-game winning streak in the series, including their last matchup at Oakland, 19-13, in 2005 ... The teams played three times while the Raiders were based in Los Angeles (1983, '86 and '92) ... If the Cowboys had won the famous Ice Bowl game against Green Bay in 1967, they would have faced the Raiders in Super Bowl II. Green Bay won 23-17 then walloped the Raiders in the second Super Bowl, 33-14, in Miami.
