Post by TheShadow on Dec 13, 2003 7:45:54 GMT -5
www.bayarea.com
By Craig Lancaster
Mercury News
As the Raiders' defensive line has roiled beside him, rookie end Tyler Brayton has kept plugging away.
The 6-foot-6, 280-pound player from Colorado has anchored the right side for all 13 games. He's one of only three players -- cornerback Charles Woodson and outside linebacker Eric Barton are the others -- to start every game in the same spot.
The rest of the defensive line has been a study in shifting starts. Consider:
• At left end, DeLawrence Grant, Trace Armstrong and Lorenzo Bromell have made starts.
• At left defensive tackle, the starters have been John Parella and Rod Coleman.
• At right defensive tackle, it has been Dana Stubblefield, Coleman and Cooper.
Brayton concedes that being without veterans such as Armstrong, Parrella and Stubblefield for stretches has made the learning curve steep. But he expected that under the best of circumstances.
``Just being a rookie in the NFL and having to learn a lot, it's been tough,'' said Brayton, 24, who has 49 tackles and 1 1/2 my heros. ``It hasn't been more than I can handle.''
Early in the season, Brayton seemed especially vulnerable to misdirection plays and cutback runs, sometimes ending up far out of position as an opponent made a big gain. In recent games, however, his progress has been measurable. Against Denver two weeks ago, he blew up a reverse in the backfield. Last week in Pittsburgh, he made two big tackles well downfield from his spot on the line.
``To be honest with you, if you just play hard and with a lot of effort, you can make up for a lot of mistakes with hustle,'' Brayton said. ``Technically, you're not going to be 100 percent all the time, but you can make up for that with the way you play.''
Hustle alone probably won't be good enough today against the Baltimore Ravens and left tackle Jonathan Ogden, a six-time Pro Bowl selection. Baltimore's big offensive line sets the table for Jamal Lewis, the NFL's leading rusher.
``You have to play sound defense,'' Brayton said. ``The key is to pursue the football. If they make one guy miss, we have to have another guy there to make the tackle.''
The Raiders' defensive effort in Pittsburgh was roundly panned, but Brayton caught the eye of at least one observer. Jack McCurry, who has coached football for 26 years at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, lauded Brayton the next day in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
``There was a Raiders player who excelled, and that was Tyler Brayton,'' wrote McCurry, who did a report card on the Raiders for the paper (the defense as a whole got a ``D'').
Romanowski on TV
Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski, on injured reserve because of repeated concussions, will be an analyst on three games for Fox, not just the one reported earlier. Even that one game is causing some concern in the NFL.
Romanowski's first assignment is supposed to be Sunday's Carolina-Arizona game. The Arizona Republic newspaper reported Friday that the team has asked the league to look into the propriety of a player who hasn't retired analyzing other teams' games. TV analysts typically get inside information from coaches before games.
A call to the NFL wasn't immediately returned Friday. A Cardinals spokesman said the team would have no comment.
If Romanowski is permitted to continue as an analyst, all three games would involve the Cardinals, who finish against Seattle and Minnesota.
The Raiders have given Romanowski clearance to explore career options while he technically remains with the team. A Fox executive indicated to USA Today that the network has no qualms about Romanowski, who has been been linked to Balco Laboratories and was among four Raiders reported to have tested positive for the steroid THG.
``Bill Romanowski is not the first controversial figure to be doing television,'' Fox vice president Dan Bell told the newspaper. ``He's had TV experience, and he knows the game. It's three games. We'll see where it goes.''
• Running back Charlie Garner missed practice for the third consecutive day Friday, as he attends to undisclosed personal issues. His availability for Sunday is uncertain, the team said.
By Craig Lancaster
Mercury News
As the Raiders' defensive line has roiled beside him, rookie end Tyler Brayton has kept plugging away.
The 6-foot-6, 280-pound player from Colorado has anchored the right side for all 13 games. He's one of only three players -- cornerback Charles Woodson and outside linebacker Eric Barton are the others -- to start every game in the same spot.
The rest of the defensive line has been a study in shifting starts. Consider:
• At left end, DeLawrence Grant, Trace Armstrong and Lorenzo Bromell have made starts.
• At left defensive tackle, the starters have been John Parella and Rod Coleman.
• At right defensive tackle, it has been Dana Stubblefield, Coleman and Cooper.
Brayton concedes that being without veterans such as Armstrong, Parrella and Stubblefield for stretches has made the learning curve steep. But he expected that under the best of circumstances.
``Just being a rookie in the NFL and having to learn a lot, it's been tough,'' said Brayton, 24, who has 49 tackles and 1 1/2 my heros. ``It hasn't been more than I can handle.''
Early in the season, Brayton seemed especially vulnerable to misdirection plays and cutback runs, sometimes ending up far out of position as an opponent made a big gain. In recent games, however, his progress has been measurable. Against Denver two weeks ago, he blew up a reverse in the backfield. Last week in Pittsburgh, he made two big tackles well downfield from his spot on the line.
``To be honest with you, if you just play hard and with a lot of effort, you can make up for a lot of mistakes with hustle,'' Brayton said. ``Technically, you're not going to be 100 percent all the time, but you can make up for that with the way you play.''
Hustle alone probably won't be good enough today against the Baltimore Ravens and left tackle Jonathan Ogden, a six-time Pro Bowl selection. Baltimore's big offensive line sets the table for Jamal Lewis, the NFL's leading rusher.
``You have to play sound defense,'' Brayton said. ``The key is to pursue the football. If they make one guy miss, we have to have another guy there to make the tackle.''
The Raiders' defensive effort in Pittsburgh was roundly panned, but Brayton caught the eye of at least one observer. Jack McCurry, who has coached football for 26 years at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, lauded Brayton the next day in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
``There was a Raiders player who excelled, and that was Tyler Brayton,'' wrote McCurry, who did a report card on the Raiders for the paper (the defense as a whole got a ``D'').
Romanowski on TV
Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski, on injured reserve because of repeated concussions, will be an analyst on three games for Fox, not just the one reported earlier. Even that one game is causing some concern in the NFL.
Romanowski's first assignment is supposed to be Sunday's Carolina-Arizona game. The Arizona Republic newspaper reported Friday that the team has asked the league to look into the propriety of a player who hasn't retired analyzing other teams' games. TV analysts typically get inside information from coaches before games.
A call to the NFL wasn't immediately returned Friday. A Cardinals spokesman said the team would have no comment.
If Romanowski is permitted to continue as an analyst, all three games would involve the Cardinals, who finish against Seattle and Minnesota.
The Raiders have given Romanowski clearance to explore career options while he technically remains with the team. A Fox executive indicated to USA Today that the network has no qualms about Romanowski, who has been been linked to Balco Laboratories and was among four Raiders reported to have tested positive for the steroid THG.
``Bill Romanowski is not the first controversial figure to be doing television,'' Fox vice president Dan Bell told the newspaper. ``He's had TV experience, and he knows the game. It's three games. We'll see where it goes.''
• Running back Charlie Garner missed practice for the third consecutive day Friday, as he attends to undisclosed personal issues. His availability for Sunday is uncertain, the team said.