Culpepper, O-line look impressive for Raiders

By Mike Ash  |   Monday, August 20, 2007  |  Comments( 64 )

Oakland Raiders
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After Saturday's preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin indicated he wasn't sure which of the team's quarterbacks would start when the St. Louis Rams come to Oakland later this week. But considering the QB rotation that has been in effect, with Josh McCown starting the first game and Andrew Walter beginning the second, it seems logical to expect that Daunte Culpepper will get his opportunity with the first-team offense on Friday night.

The rotation isn't the only reason Culpepper deserves the nod, though. His performance on Saturday - completing 6 of 8 attempts for 75 yards and two touchdowns - may have vaulted him to the front of the pack in the battle to be the starting signal-caller once the regular season begins.

If not for his problem handling snaps from the center, Culpepper's lead over McCown and Walter might be even greater. Perhaps the most promising sign in his performance was the 13-yard scramble that displayed the mobility he was noted for during his glory days in Minnesota. On a third-and-7 play, Culpepper fled the pocket, put a move on a defender to freeze him in place, and slid down safely after picking up the first down.

"Mainly I want to get my timing down with the centers," Culpepper told reporters after the game, referring to his repeated fumbles. "I've got to get used to these centers and they've got to get used to me. We've just got to keep working, as simple as that."

When asked if he thought he'd start on Friday, he said, "I don't know. Whenever I'm called I'll be ready to play."

After spending the majority of the past two seasons on the sidelines, Culpepper deserves the opportunity to show what he can do behind what, at least so far, appears to be a much-improved Raiders offensive line. Walter, who was on the receiving end of over half of the line's 72 allowed sacks last season, wasn't brought down once on Saturday while playing behind the starters.

The O-line was also blowing open holes in the running game, allowing LaMont Jordan to amass 67 yards on only eight carries. Nearly half of those yards came on one carry, though, which didn't sit well with Kiffin.

"We've hit some runs, but we've got to be more consistent," the rookie head coach said. "Its `big little, big little' right now. We like those big runs, don't get me wrong, but there are too many zeros and ones and twos. They are doing better, but it still is preseason, and they've got a long way to go."

Privately, though, Kiffin must be happy in the improved play he's seeing from the line. And if Culpepper does indeed play with the first team Friday night in Oakland, Kiffin and the rest of the Raider Nation may get their first look at a starting offense that has the potential to completely erase the bad memories of last season.

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CommentsComments: 64  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Raider Glory		02:55 AM
08/20/2007
Good Article!! I expect to see "Pep" Culpepper as our starter against Detroit!! If he does'nt fumble those snaps early in the...
No.2
raidersensation		03:41 AM
08/20/2007
Hey Glory, I wish you would take a chill pill on the JaMarcus greediness. It has everything to do with his agent wanting to stand...
No.3
Criva		03:44 AM
08/20/2007
This was a great article, i hope to see Culpepper starting, aside form the bobbles he had on the sanp i thought he played really...
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