BlitzChick

At half time, looking at the scoreboard, I was left shaking my head seeing the despised Kansas City Chiefs leading my beloved Oakland Raiders 14-0, in our house. At the end of the game, seeing their score doubled with still a big goose egg for us? I was asking myself "How did this happen?"

I watched Michael Bush not get in the end zone taking a direct snap. We could have had replacement kicker Dave Rayner go for the field goal, but I guess Coach Jackson wanted the 7 points. He didn't get them.


I was witness to QB Kyle Boller AND Carson Palmer throw not just 1, not 2 but 3 interceptions. Each. Not an NFL record I wanted to set.

I knew it was bad when Boller was 1 for 3 for a few yards, and 2 interceptions.

I just found the lack of offfense so disturbing.

Darren McFadden getting hurt did not help. I saw him come out of the locker room with his right ankle taped so much it added 2inches to the diameter of his ankle.

I was less than enthusiatic when I saw Carson Palmer tossing the ball around coming back from half - wearing his hat. Kyle Boller was wearing his helmet. I was reminded by the end of the game that hindsight is 20-20. And that Palmer had only a few days with the team.

After the defense gave up the 3rd touch down of the afternoon, along with giving the Chiefs 30 yards in 2
personal foul penalties, I was left shaking my head. Again. Or was it still?

I wanted the team I had the last 2 weeks. I had no idea who this team was.

I know Kyle Boller had issues, but I still, for some reason, expected a pro football quarterback. Not a single interception was a great defensive play. All of them were just poor decisions or bad throws, or both. I have to wonder how different the game may have been if Terrell Pryor had not been called for a false start when he took the direct snap. That was a first down play. Instead, Boller threw a pick 6. I do have to give credit where credit is due. Boller did try to knock Kendrick Lewis out of bounds, and came danged close to to succeeding. he gave himself up on a couple of runs, doing his best to get some first downs.

Carson Palmer had 3 [icks of his own. Denarius Moore seemed to fall on a come back route of some kind. He tipped another ball thrown slightly behind him. The third just seemed to be a timing route gone awry. But Carson was with us for just a few day.

My stomach sank when Ford fumbled the kick off after the score on Palmer's pick. Thank goodness Mike Mitchell recovered it.

But the damage was done. Three interceptions led to 21 points.

Jared Veldheer had one of his worst games, getting tagged for a few flags that put the already sad offense in a hole.

Some players seemd to be giving their all. Some not so much.

Darrius Heyward-Bey had decent numbers in this "game". Yeah, I have that in quotes because this was hardly that. Denarius Moore watched two passes intended for him get picked off. The one where he fell, which I mentioned earlier, and then the second one where , though behind him, Moore got his hands on the ball and tipped it up. Palmer's third interception was intended for Louis Murphy. It could have been bad timing, or the fact that Palmer had so little time with the team. Or it could be that we had no heart this game. Michael Bush, even with the inability to hit the end zone never quit. Taiwan Jones was doing what he could.

Lewis Murphy had his chances, but his best chance was when he took a shoulder to the back while the ball was in the air that was neither incidental contact or unintentional. The ball was slightly deep, but it did cause him to be off balance, and I think there should have been a flag.

But it was those 6 turnovers hurt us. Difficult to win a game when ya' give the ball to your opponent 6 times.

Yet I can't blame this one just on the offense.

The defense had its share of issues too. At least 4 personal foul penalties. Bad tackling. Missed tackles. The lack of blitzing and preparing for the quick slant. Missed opportunities at making a play on the ball. Mis-timing a jump. The lack of heart.

Yet one guy never seemed to give up, and kept looking to make a play - DeMarcus Van Dyke. The much maligned rookie played his heart out today. He was picked on by Cassel, but held his own. Yeah, he over ran the direct snap to Javier Arenas and gave up the touch down. But he is a rookie.

I feel bad for Stanford Routt who was used a balance post for a reception. I always thought that was offensive pass interference. Guess I was wrong.

Rolando McClain hopped off the field. Again. Yet he came back in to do what he could.

Realistically I can't be too upset with the defense, they only allowed 2 scores. They were put in tenuous positions. They allowed less yards than what we had. Matt Cassell had a poor 38.3 quarterback rating.

Special teams did not have a spark, either.

Denarius Moore, a week after doing his best impression of Johnnie Lee Higgins and having more returns for minus yards, at least went forward when given the opportunity. But Dustin Colquitt had a career game today. Not just yards but placing those punts. Balls that seemed to be touchbacks were downed inside the 3 yard line.

Jacoby Ford did not fair any better on his returns as most of the time Ryan Succop just was kicking away from him.

Derek Hagan watched a ball bounce in the Chiefs favor rather than down the ball inside the 10 yard line.

It was a game that saw both teams with double digit penalties.

I think after all the emotion the last couple of weeks over a couple of last minute wins, took a toll on the team.

Between injuries and emotions they hit a wall. HARD.

I do not know if they will come out of it,but at least we have the bye week for them to attempt it, and a home game to boot.

Much will depend on Coach Jackson who rightfully took responsibility for the loss, too. He was responsible for the decisions. We were out coached. But I hope he is wrong about one thing. He said that "this team" will be back.

I don't want THIS team, the one that lost to the Chiefs back. I want the team that beat the Jets back. I want the team that beat Denver on Monday night football back. I would love to have the team that the Browns back. I would take the team beat the Texans back, happily. Heck, I would take the team that hung with the Bills. But the THIS team? They were not a team in any facet of the game, nor did they play like one. I want a team with heart and spirit, not the one that obviously had some kind of let down, and melted down on national television.

In all honesty, I do think we are better than what we showed this game. Breaks went to the opposing team today, and we shot ourselves in the foot. Perfect storm for them. It will be a different story when we go to KC....

As ever ,

Win , lose or TIE, RAIDERS til I DIE!

BlitzChick