If such a place exists for Raider Nation, surely it was
discovered Sunday at the Coliseum, where the sun broke
through long enough to illuminate the low point in the
history of a once proud franchise.
The Atlanta Falcons, a 4-12 team a year ago just like their
opponent, beat the Raiders 24-0 and it wasn't that close.
Even allowing for better coaching, it was difficult to
comprehend the statistical and physical avalanche which
found the Raiders buried under their own listless play and
ineptitude.
This came after a 29-10 loss in Baltimore and a week of
practice that everyone involved insisted was crisp, intense
and professional.
"During the week, we look like a Super Bowl team," said
safety Gibril Wilson, a starter on last year's Super Bowl
champion New York Giants. "Then we come out on Sunday and
we're damn near the laughingstock of the league, and it's
ridiculous. I've never been in a situation where it's been
like this."
Left guard Robert Gallery, who has won 17 of 72 games since
being drafted in 2004, has seen a lot of losing, but never
anything like this.
"That was a disgrace," Gallery said.
Disgraceful enough that when they finally got their initial
first down, on a 13-yard run by Justin Fargas, 9:21
remained in the third quarter and Atlanta had already
racked up 23 first downs.
They got two more the rest of the game. Three first downs
is the fewest in Raiders history.
Disgraceful enough that one Falcons employee coming off the
field shook his fist and triumph and said, "We played more
quarters than they got first downs."
Disgraceful enough to be outgained 453-77, the lowest
offensive output by the Raiders since 1961, which pre-dated
Al Davis by two years.
It was the fewest yards in an NFL game since 2004, and made
the Tom Walsh attack in 2006 look as if it were directed by
Bill Walsh.
To steal a line from John McKay, whose son Rich is the
Falcons president, the Raiders couldn't block, so they made
up for it by not tackling.
After being told in no uncertain terms during a defensive
team meeting that the Falcons would run the ball until they
proved they could stop it, Atlanta had 57 carries for 252
yards, with Michael Turner carrying a career-high 31 times
for 139 yards.
By game's end, the Falcons were running simply to kill the
clock and the Raiders still couldn't stop it.
"When we get to the fourth quarter, it looks like the game
is over and there's about five or six minutes left, then
why should they be able to run the ball like they do every
single week?," cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. "That stuff
is inexcusable and it's unconscionable and it should never
happen. They're going to run the football. There's no
reason it should keep happening."
Holding the Falcons scoreless in the second half was no
consolation, because never has a game been so over after 30
minutes. The Raiders were booed off the field after being
outgained 309 to minus-2.
The second half was of no consequence. When the Raiders
tried to get creative, putting Ronald Curry in a shotgun
formation as a "Wildcat" quarterback, the snap was
sabotaged by a false start.
The duel between franchise quarterbacks Matt Ryan and
JaMarcus Russell produced a clear winner, as Ryan was
poised, agile, accurate and virtually error-free. He
completed 17 of 22 passes for 220 yards and touchdown
passes of 37 and 27 yards to Mike Jenkins.
Russell managed to scramble for 46 yards on two carries,
but finished 6 of 19 for 31 yards with four sacks.
"The best thing to do is go out to practice and continue to
grind," Russell said. "Hopefully things will get better. We
have a lot more ball to be played. On the other side of the
ball, big ups to that guy."
For those of you "stress the positive" fans, how about that
blocked punt by Isaiah Ekejiuba in the fourth quarter? It
was a nice diversion until that short-field drive ended
with Russell throwing a pass directly to Falcons safety
Erik Coleman in the end zone.
Even the horrific 2006 season opener, a 27-0 loss to the
San Diego Chargers in Art Shell's re-debut, paled by
comparison. That was a San Diego team which would finish
the season 14-2.
The Falcons are one of the NFL's most improved teams but
will be hard-pressed to make the playoffs.
The Raiders have been outscored 128-27 in four of their six
losses. Interim coach Tom Cable's team has been non-
competitive three out of four times since taking over for
Lane Kiffin.
Seeing Cable at the post-game press conference was like one
of those four-years later photos of the president. He had
dark circles under his eyes and did his best to keep the
criticism as collective as possible rather than criticizing
individuals.
"This was actually our best week of preparation," Cable
said. "So I'm very disappointed. Very disappointed."
The only way out, Cable said, is more of the same.
"We really have to stay the course," Cable said. ``You have
to continue to fight and compete on game day. But you have
to prepare during the week and hold each other accountable
and stay the course. That's what we'll do."
Of course, with the Raiders practicing against themselves,
it's hard to know what they're seeing and if they have any
idea how to make it better.
Asomugha said Cable has raised practice intensity
considerably, yet the Raiders are regressing. Wilson,
knocked over by Jerious Norwood on his first tackle
attempt, had no explanation.
"It's absolutely ridiculous how collectively we're
playing," Wilson said. "Everybody has to pick it up
including myself. It's a total embarrassment to this whole
Raider organization."
