Ten positives from Oakland’s 36-21 loss

By Anthony Carroll  |   Tuesday, September 11, 2007  |  Comments( 42 )

Oakland Raiders
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Believe it or not, behind the five fumbles, two interceptions and eight penalties on Sunday, the Oakland Raiders left the field with plenty of positives behind them.

If there's one glaring difference from last season, it's that.

After a 27-0 thumping to begin the '06 season, there were virtually no bright spots to fall back on heading into Week 2.

This year, however, things appear different.

Here are 10 silver linings from the Raiders' Week 1 loss against the Detroit Lions.

10. Stanford Routt: This may simply be a case of right place, right time; but, still, the third-year cornerback's acrobatic interception in the third quarter may signify better things to come. As shaky as the secondary looked, it's still one of the most athletic in the league. It's just a question of when -- not if -- it will all come together.

9. Three sacks against: Oakland's front five didn't look great, but, compared to last season, there's plenty to be optimistic about. A year ago, Art Shell's line surrendered nine sacks. Lane Kiffin's allowed just three on Sunday. That's not baby steps; it's a massive leap.

8. Justin Griffith: Every good run on Sunday came as a result of an equally good lead block, and Griffith was the reason for that. On top of that, the first-year Raider fullback got involved in the passing game, catching three throws for 21 yards, including a 7-yarder in the fourth quarter to give Oakland a 21-20 lead.

7. The linebackers: Oakland's linebacking corps of Thomas Howard, Kirk Morrison and Sam Williams had a strong overall game. Aside from sporadic difficulties in zone coverage, the three-headed cast was very tough against the run and had no trouble wrapping up the rusher on initial contact. In all, the starting trio recorded 18 tackles, one sack and one interception.

6. Warren Sapp: Sapp lost 49 pounds this offseason, and it shows. No. 99 was all over the field, pressuring quarterback Jon Kitna, wrapping up the running backs and sniffing out screens. The 300-pounder finished with just three tackles, but he was a constant nuisance to everyone on Detroit's offense.

5. 300-plus passing yards: How many times can you say the Raiders passed for over 300 yards in '06? Zero. Not once. On Sunday, while Josh McCown did struggle, he still managed to complete 30 passes for 313 yards, which shows the Raider 'O' is capable of moving the ball through the air.

4. Adjustments: Kiffin displayed he has the ability to make adjustments over the course of a game, something Shell & Co. had difficulty will all last season. Kiffin's team overcame a 17-point deficit in under 10 minutes. Twelve months ago, that would have been considered an impossible feat.

3. Ronald Curry: Curry looks as if he was never injured. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder hauled in 10 passes with confidence, good for 133 yards and a touchdown, including a 44-yard grab late in the third quarter. At this speed, the 28-year-old wideout will easily surpass 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his six-year career, and it doesn't appear as if he's ready to slow down in the near future.

2. LaMont Jordan: No. 34 looked like the Jordan of old. The 5-10, 230-pounder amassed 4.7 yards per carry, totaling 70 on 15 attempts, including a 12-yard touchdown to end the third quarter. He also totaled nine receptions for 89 yards, second to only Curry in both categories. If Jordan, 28, can stay healthy and keep at this pace, the return of the suspended Dominic Rhodes may not be an absolute necessity.

1. The Chiefs are worse.

Anthony Carroll, a senior writer for RealFootball365.com, can be contacted at acarroll@realfootball365.com.
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About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
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