tophatal’s blog

Far be it for me to say but  I think  that we  can all agree that  the  Oakland Raiders  have  had  a mediocre season thus far.  And  last night’s horrendous loss to  the San Diego Chargers  34-7 certainly gives credence  as to  how far the  team has fallen.   With the upheaval that has taken place  within the franchise again with them having to fire another coach  in  Laine Kiffin. Only  to replace him with  Tom Cable  tells you  all you need to  know  what has been  going on  and will continue  to go  on within  the franchise.  And  until own principal  owner Al Davis relinquishes the  reins to someone  with  more media savvy  and player personnel knowledge when  it  comes  to the  franchise.  Then the  fans of the Raiders as well  as the  rest  of the NFL will have  to  put up with a great  deal of diatribe on and  off the  field for the  foreseeable future.

 

 

 

Raiders’ running back Darren McFadden evades the attempted tackle of the Chargers’  Stephen Cooper in the fourth quarter of the  game played last night. The  Chargers would go on to defeat  the  Raiders convincingly 34-7. picture appears courtesy of ap/Lenny Ignelzi ………….

 

 

For the league and in particular  the AFC West where  it can be best  described as a  shifting  magma of  ineptitude. So pitiful  has been the  division that the only  thing that  staves off criticism of  the entrants therein. Is that the teams in  the NFC West other than the  Arizona Cardinals are playing a  whole  lot worse.

 

 

 

Riaders’ quarterback  JeMarcus Russell(2)  tries  to get off a pass  as he’s being pressured by the Chargers’ Shaun Phillips (95) in a game played between  the two teams  in San Diego, California. picture appears courtesy of ap/Denis Poroy ………………..

 

 

As to the fortunes of the  Raiders’(3-10) opponents  last  night. The San Diego Chargers(5-8) they’re faring only  slightly  better than their divisional counterparts. And  to  say  that they  might  be the most disappointing  team in the NFL this season would be an  immense understatement. They were believed to be  a playoff contender  and  most likely  the  AFC representative  in the Superbowl. But with the loss of  Shawn Merriman to injury.  And the fact  that Pro Bowl running back LaDanian Tomlinson has had an indifferent season as well as lingering  injuries and quite  possibly some self  doubt.  It hasn’t  gone well  for coach  Norv Turner’s  team despite the ladership  on the field of  quarterback Phillip Rivers.  There’ll have to be divine intervention  if the Chargers are  to make the  playoffs. And at this juncture  that is unlikely to  happen at all.

 

 

 

Dareen Sproles of the San Diego Chargers flips  the  ball  having  scored a  touchdown  on  an 18 yd reception tossed  by quarterback  Phillip Rivers. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Lenny Ignelzi …………..

 

 

 

Last night’s game  however  gives  the Chargers something  to look  forward to if  they’re able  feed off this victory.  With a playoff spot seemingly  oput of  the  reckoning , all they’re now playing for pride and slef respect. They ran roughshod over the  Raiders’ defense and  manhandled  their offense  with  such meticulous  efficiency.  That it reminded  everyone as to how  good  this  team can  be , albeit  that they were playing against  Oakland.  Who more  often than  not nowadays mounts  a challenge  to an  NFL  team  as about  as frequently as Halley’s Comet  makes  an  appearance.

 

 

 

Vincent Jackson of  the  Chargers  catches a 59 reception for a touchdown as fans  react  to the score. picture appears courtesy of ap/Denis Poroy …………………..

 

 

The NFL world has prognosed and  diagnosed the  woes  of the  Raiders. And we  all know  what ails the team. It has been  their  inability to play with  any  semblance  of  consistency and the added fact that  despite the  alleged talents of  quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Of whom  it can be  said he’s still  quite a ways  away from  being the finished  product that’s desired  in an NFL quarterback. He’s meant  to be  the  face of the franchise along with running back Darren McFadden.  But  it  appears that it’s McFadden who’ll have to be the workhorse  as well  as  the  on the field leader of  the  franchise.  For if  nothing else Russell’s  attributes as a player  and leader  are coming  into question. A lot  has been  placed upon  his  large frame  and  thus  far he’s been  unable to  meet and  live up  to those expectations.  And unfortunately  when his  backup  Andrew Walter is unable to fare any  better.  It shows  us all  how dire the  situation  is  for this team  offensively.

 

 

 

Andrew Walter of  the  Raiders is about to be tackled by the Chargers’ Shaun Phillips  for  loss of  yardage in the  game played  against their  divisional rivals. picture appears courtesy of ap/ Lenny Ignlezi  …………

 

 

But it’s also on  the other side of the ball where  the  team has  also  been  woefully  inept. And opponents  of the Raiders have been  able to feast  upon  a defense  that’s as  porous as  a wet sponge.  Not only  are they  susceptible  to giving  up large chucks of yardage  in  the passing  game  but  defensively when it comes to  stopping   the  run they’re as equally adept at making their opponents  look  like world  beaters. As can be borne out  by  the  team’s  statistics.  

 

 

 

Linebacker Derrick Burgess (56) cernter stands on the sidelines  along  with teammates William Joseph(96) and Gerard Warren(61) as  the  clock winds down during  the game. picture appears courtesy of getty images/Harry How  ………………..

 

 

And if the Raiders’ record of 3-10 isn’t reflective  of them  being a bad  team. Then even their most loyal and  devoted  fans  who  keep on returning  each year  in the silver and  black  have got to be disappointed with the frequency with which they’re  able  to maintain  this unsurpassed  legacy of  mediocrity for the franchise. There  was a time  when  watching  and  supporting  the  Oakland  Raiders was meant to be fun.  And  no  doubt  for many  of their most trusting  and loyal  fans  it probably  still is.  But  one now can’t help but wonder  if quite possibly  a number of  them  are  now becoming  neurotic  and  psychotic  by  what  is  being  displayed by a team  that they’d  come to love. As  voiciferous as they  are  there’ve got be times  where a vast  number  of  them  have  got to question whether  or  not  it’s still viable  to continue  supporting the  the team. Consider this  they’ve not posted a winning regular season record in five years and are  about  to embark  on another  this  year,  making it a sixth consecutive  season of double digit losses.   That if nothing  else  tells  how  far this  team  has fallen  from grace since their last Superbowl appearance in 2003 which  ended in a lopsided 48-21  loss  to  the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

 

 

 

 

Raiders’ quarterback JeMarcus Russell is  taken  from the  field on  a motorized cart having suffered an injury during the  game played  against  the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Ca,. picture appears courtesy of  getty images/ Harry How ……………………

 

 

Though I’m not shuddering to  think that  the  Raiders will continue  with this sheer ineptitude as to  play and their  off  the  field  predicament. It doesn’t  augur  well for  the fans of  the  game let  alone  the  franchise.  By yesterday’s evidence alone  in the humiliating  loss  to the San Diego the  road less traveled  by  the Raiders  has  been one  filled with  potholes  and  various  other  obstacles  some  of  their  own  making  and others which  aren’t.  But  it  doesn’t  get away  from the  fact  that  when  they  look  bad it continues  to tarnish  the legacy of  a once  proud  franchise.  And  that’s something  that  they’re now having to learn to live with.

 

 

 

tophatal …………………………