Make it Two!

Last Sunday's game was a paradigm changer for the Raiders.  Instead of finding a way to loose the game as they had done the previous two weeks against the Texans and the Cardinals, the Raiders found a way to win it.

It was close.

Campbell had taken the offense down for the big 7, and the lead.  He did what he needed to do with the drive.  Starting at their own 27 yard line and with 12:00 minutes remaining on the clock, Campbell lead the team in a 14 play, 73 yard scoring drive that took 8:21 off the clock.

Still, there was 3:33 left in the game when the Chargers took their first play from the line of scrimmage. 

It had been an amazing game.  The Raiders had come off the bench in the first quarter and just smashed the Chargers, taking a 12 point lead on back-to-back blocked punts with BOTH blocks resulting in points - 9 in all - on a safety and a touchdown.  Janikowski added three points in between the Charger possessions.  And when the Chargers marched down the field on their next drive, it looked like they would punch it in from the one yard line . . . FUMBLE!  And the Raiders get the ball back with only 2:38 left in the first quarter.

Throughout the game the lead changed hands five times.  And then at the end of the game, that 3:33 seemed like an awful long time.  The Raiders had given up a lot of yards, and it was far from a sure thing.  I'll bet a lot of people in that stadium and at home listening or watching the game were thinking the same thing I was . . . find a way to stop them.  You've GOT to stop them. In the back of your mind . . . Ohhh noooo.

And then . . .  the Chargers took the kickoff from 4 yards deep in their end-zone to their 28 yard line.  Not good.  A 14 yard scramble.  A 13 yard pass.  A couple of stops, some short gains, and then . . . Oh man!  A pass interference call on Chris Johnson, and the Chargers are at the Raiders 23.  Looks like they have found a way to loose another game.  Can't stop them.

Suddenly in this game, the Raiders discover the blitz - the pass rush - and they put pressure on Rivers.  A holding call on San Diego.  More pressure and an incomplete pass.  Then the fumble, and return for a touchdown. 

STILL, the Chargers had the ball with 58 seconds on the clock.  It hadn't taken much longer than that for them to threaten on their last drive.  A two point conversion would still put the game into overtime, and an uncertain outcome.

But it didn't happen.  The Raiders had found a way to win, and on that very last drive they had held.

Two and Three. 

Now the challenge is to win two in a row.  The 49ers are not that different from the Raiders this year.  At 0-5, they were blown out twice, but were within one score to win in the other three.

Cable and Jackson both expect to see a lot of pressure come from an aggressive 49er defense.  That's what I would do.  The Raiders have struggled with their pass protection all season, and especially on the left side.  The coaches have not fixed that problem.

Alex Smith can complete passes.  He has passed for an average of 246 yards per game, with only one game under 200 yards (188 against Atlanta), and he has thrown 6 touchdowns this season.  Interceptions and fumbles have been his achilles heel. 

We know what the Raiders have to do.  Defense has to stop the run.  They are capable of doing that.  I am still mostly concerned about the pass defense.  I've said it before - I would go at Stanford Routt all day.  Chris Johnson is another worry, as he is having perhaps his worst season as a Raider.  Both players are often way off the receiver, or are one to two steps off.  They will make a few plays, but on the whole, I believe they are our greatest weakness. 

And without a pass rush and more blitzing, we just give the quarterback and receivers too much time to get open. 

Offensively, the Raiders number one job has to be pass protection.  They can help the line by running the ball, which has been pretty effective. 

But put all the stats aside.  Put all the talk about rivalry, and what part of the game you need to shut down.  Put aside the need to cut down on penalties.

The Raiders need a win. 

It's been since the 2002 season that the Raiders have put two regular season wins together.  So none of that other stuff really matters.

Just . . . make it two!

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Photo Credits in order of appearance:

1. Photo by Paul Sheirich. Scoreboard Final Score.
2. Photo from The Oakland Raiders website. Photo by Tony Gonzales.  S Hiram Eugene celebrates his touchdown off of a blocked punt by Brandon Myers
3. Photo by Paul Sheirich.  Fans celebrate extra point - Raiders lead 35-27
4. Photo from The Oakland Raiders website.  Photo by Tony Gonzales.  The team comes together before kickoff.