See Ya!
It has been reported here and here that our favorite prima donna WR, Joey Porter, has been suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.You were given a head's up on what would happen here long before this story played out to the logical conclusion.
Here is proof from a recent article that sports writers still don't know your name is "Jerry" (read the caption under the photo, Joey).
We have seen Porter smiling on the sidelines as the Raiders implode for the last four games. Now we will not see him at all for the next four, unless he wins an appeal of the suspension. Before your knee-jerk reaction kicks in and you think to yourself, "Oh, Jerry will get this thrown out..." remember, Shell's last job was NFL Senior VP in charge of football operations. My guess is Art knows the rules and has already talked to his linemate, Gene Upshaw, about the details of suspending Porter long ago.
I am glad to see Art Shell and Al Davis sticking to their guns on this one. It's time to do some housekeeping. Time to say what you mean and mean what you say. Keep 'em on the field practicing for as long as it takes to get things right!
Time to audition some new receivers with playing time, namely one Johnny Morant.
Which begs the question, "What in the blasted blue Beelzebub is Alvis Whitted doing starting for this team?"
Which also begs the question, "If Randy Moss is going to continue to give a half-hearted effort at best and whine about the coaching staff, why not give his starting spot to Ronald Curry?"
The Raiders are dead last in the NFL in passing. It's broke, so fix it. Heck, just try something different, even if it doesn't work.
This team is in full on rebuilding mode. Let's just go all in and find out what cards are in our hand for the future.
If I were coach for a day (and we're all glad I'm not), I'd tell 'em auditions are open for every single spot in the starting line up.
Then I'd start the young guns over the old geezers like the two aforementioned WRs, Terdell Sands over Warren Sapp at NT, Justin Fargas over LaMont Jordan at RB, etc. Whomever plays with the most heart and effort gets the playing time. Send a message that effort is not an optional part of the job description.
It is time to find out who wants to play... and who is just collecting a paycheck.
posted by Stick'em at 1:34 PM
10 Comments:
Speaking of auditioning the young players and giving them a chance to develop, I will have my eye on the RT position on Sunday night.
I will be a happy camper if we see rookie McNasty line up next to rookie Kevin Boothe. Langston Walker has bad footwork, gets penalized too much, but most importantly, he doesn't play with the pre-requisite nasty streak.
Stick'em,
You have exactly hit the nail with your take, and your solutions/changes are the only ones that make any sense at this point in the season.
I wish you could post this take everywhere for all to see.
I wish you could send it to Raiders headquarters.
I wish you could tape it to Art Shell's clipboard.
I wish you could shout it from the mountain top.
And, yes, if things keep going like the're going...
I wish you could be head coach for a day.
There's no more time to waste. Let's get back to WINNING.
CJ: I like McQ's personality and potential as much as you do, but I saw Art Shell chew him out in Baltimore too... he's currently in the doghouse, methinks.
If Art can send a message to a rookie like McQ by starting Boothe at RG, can’t he send a message to the veterans too (even the ones who are presumably Al Davis favorites)?
I agree Langston Walker often plays as soft as the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man. Chad Slaughter does not. How about trying Slaughter at RT? Chad has slow feet, but this is not as important a factor at RT as it is at LT where Slaughter currently resides on the depth chart...
OO: I would never claim to know more than a professional football coach and I am not in the locker room either. All we see is on the field performance.
But my spiritual radar works pretty well and this team has no idea what it means to play Raider football. Art knows. Al knows. The players do not.
Moss and Sapp presumably won't be around or will be non-factors by the time the Raiders return to greatness, so why not start looking at the future now and letting all the players know (by their on field playing time) that their time in the lineup is directly proportional to the amount of effort they give?
Is that the Tinman we hear singing now, "If I only had a hearrttt..."
The Raiders need to take this situation and use it as fuel to burn down the Doncos and their Mile High Dungpile!!!
As I mentioned on RT's blog, when all the facts come out about the JP suspension, there will be no doubt that Shell/Davis were 100% right to suspend him.
McNasty is a better fit as a RT than a guard. In a rebuilding season that has been forced upon us, it is imperative to get our young players as much experience as possible.
Well... how did that one work out?
Slaughter can't count and Walker’s noggin is soft. Why not McQ or get Lincoln Kennedy on the speed dial?
Fargas is still a potato chip and Jordan fumbled. Lee should never carry the ball under any circumstances.
Champ Bailey runs better pass routes than Randy Moss does, while Curry and Morant never took the field.
Sapp handled the cut blocks well and at least Terdell Sands got in a good power slam. Definitely worth the 15 yards, IMO.
At one point I used to make a lot of "See how I love to clean filthy catboxes!" jokes about Terdell Sands' moniker...
No more. These days it has become obvious Sands is one of the few players on this team who plays with heart every week.
Sands - and especially Derrick Burgess - strike me as Darkside players. Now if only they would let them loose from the shackles of having to play the vanilla bend-but-don't-break style. I can smell the pillaging now...
Buddy Ryan must want to slap the taste out of his son's mouth when he sees this prevent "D" cr@pola trotted out in the first quarter.
Here's a note from Buddy, "Ya ever notice the Raiders are LAST in the NFL in sacks, Rob? Ever notice other teams in the AFC West don't even bother to pass most of the time on ya? You are playing the opposite of the 46 I taught ya'll! C'aint remember... are you the dumb one or the fat one, Rob?"
Stick'em: I have been very proud of our Defense. I like the character of this unit who play hard for 35:00+ minutes a game. Having said that, I totally agree with you about the D being shackled. Here are some stats that shows a lack of aggression and killer instinct:
(1) Sacks: 5 games (32)
(2) Turnovers created: 5 (32)
(3) 3rd Down conversion: 43.7% (26)
(4) Rush Defense: 149.0 (30)
(5) Scoring: 25.2 (27)
Stats (1) and (2) go hand in hand are show a lack of aggression, blitzing, taking chances, and dictating tempo
Stat (3) shows that the team is unable to make a play to get off the field. Is there any logical reason that Ryan doesn't blitz more on 3rd down or 2nd and long situations?
What I'm really hoping is that come Sunday, Ryan says "F it. We are 0-5. I going to turn the dogs of war loose. Hey Huff, Howard. Get ready to light up the QB because I'm calling your numbers on a bunch of wild ass blitzs. Go get Leinart and put him on his F'n back men!"
Stat (4) shows that other teams are running it right down our throat. This can be partly attibuted to teams playing with the lead against us. Is it just me or does it seem that the Raiders LBs need to start the play a step or 2 towards the line? Why isn't Ryan putting Huff inside the box more often?
Stat (5) shows that our red zone D is pathetic.
The Raiders did not look so bad against Denver. Sure, the QB was, until four weeks ago, drawing pictures on cereal boxes and humming to himself. But look on the bright side.
Every week we get to see Randy Moss pull some new stunt that is funny. How about Moss hanging in the Denver end zone air waiting, waiting for Walter's pass? How about the junior college pass route against Bailey? How about the fourth-down miscommunication between Walter and Moss? How about Moss "talking" to Walter on the sidelines? This guy cracks me up, and it is only a matter of time before he has a complete meltdown. I might have to buy his jersey before he goes bonkers.
I notice nobody talks about the LBs. Why is that? Don't they play on the field?
There are so many things wrong with this team that all one can do is root for a 'W' against the Cardinals. And laugh at their shortcomings, which are many.
I predict a win against both Arizona and Pittsburgh.
Tenacious Pussycat
Dear Mr. Goodkat ~
I'll go with you on the Amazing Karnac for once, though your prediction history doesn't exactly fill me with the urge to visit a bookie. Speaking of bookies, check out Slevin when you get the chance...
"The Raiders will win tomorrow vs. the House of Cards."
This is the prediction. Mr. Goodkat (Craig) and Mr. Badog (yours truly) have put it on the line.
Will the Raiders?
Panty ~
The Turn-Around will occur because even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.
Panty:
Not only did we call the game right, the players we singled out - Burgess and Sands - played lights out Raider football!
Burgess ate that RT Ross' lunch on every play. Leinart, being left handed, never saw Burgess coming from his blindside most of the night... But ya know he heard the footsteps from the way he was spraying the ball all over the field!
Sands not only got an INT on the tip from Burgess, it also looked to me like he was the one responsible for the safety. They officially gave Huff the safety, but methinks it was Sands who deserved the credit.
Welcome to the darkside, Burgess and Sands! Now Ryan knows what an aggressive defense looks like and how it can win the game for ya despite all the turnovers on "O".
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