Post by TheShadow on Oct 27, 2013 19:33:55 GMT -5
www.insidebayarea.com/
By Mark Purdy
MARKUP — It's difficult to begin a game any better than the Raiders did, with quarterback Terrelle Pryor running a perfect bootleg for 93 yards and a touchdown. The Raider coaches must have seen something on video that set off alarm bells about the Steelers' defensive alignment because after Pryor faked the handoff and rolled right, he was met by virtually no Steelers and almost glided to the end zone. It was the longest run from scrimmage in Raider history (besting Bo Jackson's 92-yard run against the Bengals in 1989). It was also the longest run by a NFL quarterback, ever. Take that, Frankie Albert and Otto Graham.
MARKDOWN — Pryor followed up his slam-bang opening moment with an intermittent performance that showed both his potential and his problems. He's improving week by week and is clearly working hard to do so. But his passing form was shaky in the second half and he still has issues whenever defenses force him to roll out left. On one series in the first half alone, he was forced out of the pocket to his left and badly underthrew a short pass to tight end Mychal Rivera--and two plays later, was also chased to his left and overthrew wideout Brice Butler so spectacularly, the ball landed in the arms of Steeler defender Troy Palamalu for an interception.
MARKUP — Raider special teams were the underrated "X" factor in Sunday's victory, in multiple ways. First, Rashad Jennings got his hand on a Steeler punt to deflect it and set up the Raider offense at the Pittsburgh 26-yard line for the team's second touchdown. Jennings additionally made a clutch "return" of the Steelers' onside kick with 1:27 remaining, holding onto the ball. The Raiders' field goal rush unit also must have been doing something right (even if it was just a voodoo curse) because Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham missed two field goals from inside 35 yards. On the other hand . . . the punt return unit allowed a 44-yard runback by Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown in the fourth quarter . . . and Raider returner Jacoby Ford had an ongoing series of misadventures as a punt returner. Ford bumbled and muffed his way through the game. Not acceptable.
MARKDOWN — And that's not even counting Ford's fumble in the fourth quarter when he inexcusably fumbled away the ball to the Steelers after a catch at the Raiders' 11-yard line. Pittsburgh linebacker Lawrence Timmons basically fell on top of Ford in a non-violent way but Ford coughed up the ball, anyway. The Steelers scored a touchdown three plays after recovering the ball. If this were high school, Raider coach Dennis Allen would require Ford to carry a football to every class and in the cafeteria all next week.
MARKUP — Allen is continuing to impress in his second year at the Raider helm. He had his team much more ready to play Sunday's game than Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did. Last season, Allen often didn't seem to have his hands on the steering wheel firmly enough. He's fully in charge now and gaining the players' confidence. In the NFL, players respect their head coach when he and his staff bring them the Xs and 0s that work. Allen and his coordinators are doing that. You could see that Sunday in small moments, when the defense seemed prepared for a particular play (such as Charles Woodson's rush-up-and-takedown tackle of Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell for a two-yard loss on an attempted misdirection screen pass).
MARKDOWN — Jason Tarver, the Raiders' defensive coordinator, flipped a bird to the game officials in the second half when they penalized an Oakland player for a high tackle — and then, after conversing, picked up the flag. The display of passion by Tarver, whose brains are not in question, was striking. But it only looked childish when the call was reversed. If he has any ambitions to be a head coach one day, he needs to moderate his sideline comportment. (And because Tarver has a Santa Clara University degree in biochemistry, he knows what "comportment" means.)
MARKUP — Mike Jenkins' fourth-quarter pickoff of Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was both a thing of beauty and a comic improvisation. Jenkins gained inside position on Steeler wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and gathered in the ball. Jenkins then hugged it to his chest as Sanders grabbed the ball and they rolled around together in a somersaulting battle that neither man wanted to end. Jenkins finally stood up in triumph with the ball after officials properly ruled it as an interception.
MARKDOWN — The inability to close out the Steelers in the fourth quarter was troubling, as Pittsburgh scored the game's final 15 points and made the game's final two minutes much more tense than necessary.
MARKUP — Still a victory is a victory. Sunday's result gave the Raiders a 3-4 record with winnable games upcoming in the next four weeks against the Eagles, Giants, Texans and Titans. If the Raiders win three of those four and are 6-5 for the season's final stretch, you can actually include them in a playoff discussion. Back in August, any Raider fan would have joyfully accepted that scenario.
MARKDOWN — A year ago after seven games, the Raiders also had a 3-4 record and seemed to be creating some momentum with a two-game winning streak in late October. They then proceeded to lose six straight games en route to their 4-12 final record. So don't get too excited just yet.
MARKUP — Having the great Art Shell light the Al Davis flame before the game was fine touch, showing no hard feelings for the ugly way his second tenure as Oakland's head coach ended.
MARKDOWN — Kanye West totally blew it, you know? He should have staged last week's wedding proposal to Kim Kardashian at O.co Coliseum during a Raiders game instead of in an empty and gloomy AT&T Park across the bay. Plus, the wedding pictures with The Violator and Shield-head would have been marvelous.
By Mark Purdy
MARKUP — It's difficult to begin a game any better than the Raiders did, with quarterback Terrelle Pryor running a perfect bootleg for 93 yards and a touchdown. The Raider coaches must have seen something on video that set off alarm bells about the Steelers' defensive alignment because after Pryor faked the handoff and rolled right, he was met by virtually no Steelers and almost glided to the end zone. It was the longest run from scrimmage in Raider history (besting Bo Jackson's 92-yard run against the Bengals in 1989). It was also the longest run by a NFL quarterback, ever. Take that, Frankie Albert and Otto Graham.
MARKDOWN — Pryor followed up his slam-bang opening moment with an intermittent performance that showed both his potential and his problems. He's improving week by week and is clearly working hard to do so. But his passing form was shaky in the second half and he still has issues whenever defenses force him to roll out left. On one series in the first half alone, he was forced out of the pocket to his left and badly underthrew a short pass to tight end Mychal Rivera--and two plays later, was also chased to his left and overthrew wideout Brice Butler so spectacularly, the ball landed in the arms of Steeler defender Troy Palamalu for an interception.
MARKUP — Raider special teams were the underrated "X" factor in Sunday's victory, in multiple ways. First, Rashad Jennings got his hand on a Steeler punt to deflect it and set up the Raider offense at the Pittsburgh 26-yard line for the team's second touchdown. Jennings additionally made a clutch "return" of the Steelers' onside kick with 1:27 remaining, holding onto the ball. The Raiders' field goal rush unit also must have been doing something right (even if it was just a voodoo curse) because Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham missed two field goals from inside 35 yards. On the other hand . . . the punt return unit allowed a 44-yard runback by Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown in the fourth quarter . . . and Raider returner Jacoby Ford had an ongoing series of misadventures as a punt returner. Ford bumbled and muffed his way through the game. Not acceptable.
MARKDOWN — And that's not even counting Ford's fumble in the fourth quarter when he inexcusably fumbled away the ball to the Steelers after a catch at the Raiders' 11-yard line. Pittsburgh linebacker Lawrence Timmons basically fell on top of Ford in a non-violent way but Ford coughed up the ball, anyway. The Steelers scored a touchdown three plays after recovering the ball. If this were high school, Raider coach Dennis Allen would require Ford to carry a football to every class and in the cafeteria all next week.
MARKUP — Allen is continuing to impress in his second year at the Raider helm. He had his team much more ready to play Sunday's game than Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did. Last season, Allen often didn't seem to have his hands on the steering wheel firmly enough. He's fully in charge now and gaining the players' confidence. In the NFL, players respect their head coach when he and his staff bring them the Xs and 0s that work. Allen and his coordinators are doing that. You could see that Sunday in small moments, when the defense seemed prepared for a particular play (such as Charles Woodson's rush-up-and-takedown tackle of Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell for a two-yard loss on an attempted misdirection screen pass).
MARKDOWN — Jason Tarver, the Raiders' defensive coordinator, flipped a bird to the game officials in the second half when they penalized an Oakland player for a high tackle — and then, after conversing, picked up the flag. The display of passion by Tarver, whose brains are not in question, was striking. But it only looked childish when the call was reversed. If he has any ambitions to be a head coach one day, he needs to moderate his sideline comportment. (And because Tarver has a Santa Clara University degree in biochemistry, he knows what "comportment" means.)
MARKUP — Mike Jenkins' fourth-quarter pickoff of Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was both a thing of beauty and a comic improvisation. Jenkins gained inside position on Steeler wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and gathered in the ball. Jenkins then hugged it to his chest as Sanders grabbed the ball and they rolled around together in a somersaulting battle that neither man wanted to end. Jenkins finally stood up in triumph with the ball after officials properly ruled it as an interception.
MARKDOWN — The inability to close out the Steelers in the fourth quarter was troubling, as Pittsburgh scored the game's final 15 points and made the game's final two minutes much more tense than necessary.
MARKUP — Still a victory is a victory. Sunday's result gave the Raiders a 3-4 record with winnable games upcoming in the next four weeks against the Eagles, Giants, Texans and Titans. If the Raiders win three of those four and are 6-5 for the season's final stretch, you can actually include them in a playoff discussion. Back in August, any Raider fan would have joyfully accepted that scenario.
MARKDOWN — A year ago after seven games, the Raiders also had a 3-4 record and seemed to be creating some momentum with a two-game winning streak in late October. They then proceeded to lose six straight games en route to their 4-12 final record. So don't get too excited just yet.
MARKUP — Having the great Art Shell light the Al Davis flame before the game was fine touch, showing no hard feelings for the ugly way his second tenure as Oakland's head coach ended.
MARKDOWN — Kanye West totally blew it, you know? He should have staged last week's wedding proposal to Kim Kardashian at O.co Coliseum during a Raiders game instead of in an empty and gloomy AT&T Park across the bay. Plus, the wedding pictures with The Violator and Shield-head would have been marvelous.