Skinny
09-10-2007, 08:29 PM
Column by Jerry McDonald
09/10/2007
OAKLAND — Are you still in?
``I'm in,'' is the team slogan instituted by coach Lane Kiffin. It's on a banner draped from a canopy which the Raiders run past every day on their way to practice.
Josh McCown is still in, even if a good portion of the psuedo-sellout crowd at McAfee Coliseum wants him out.
He was Kiffin's not-so-secret selection to start, and it sounds as if McCown will be under center when the Raiders visit the Broncos in Denver in Week 2.
Kiffin said he didn't see anything compelling enough in a 36-21 loss to the Detroit Lions to consider switching to Daunte Culpepper, even as the Raiders went into the half trailing 10-0 and the home crowd was getting restless seeing Culpepper standing on the sideline in his baseball cap.
``I didn't, even though it sounded like everybody in the crowd wanted him with the chants of, `Daunte,' '' Kiffin said. ``Josh is our starter right now and we're very pleased with a number of things he did today, and we're going to stay with him for now.''
As Kiffin noted dryly, ``Fans have a right to their opinion. After the third touchdown in a row they weren't chanting for Daunte any more.''
True enough. McCown led the Raiders on three straight touchdown drives, something they never accomplished last season, for a 21-20 lead with 7:43 remaining. The crowd was into it, and McCown was temporarily forgiven. That was before a second interception and a sack-fumble helped put the game away for the Lions.
A couple of weeks after Culpepper arrived, Kiffin explained to reporters he didn't want the player who in Minnesota took unnecessary risks and put up big numbers which included killer turnovers. He was looking for a game manager, someone more efficient than bold.
In the loss to the Lions, McCown finished with numbers that mirrored some of Culpepper's best days in Minnesota. He completed 30 of 40 passes for 313 yards. He had two touchdown passes, but also had two interceptions and three fumbles -- losing one.
Kiffin and the Raiders chose to isolate the three possessions in which McCown completed 10 of 12 passes for 123 and two touchdowns as an example of what is possible in the future.
Those 16 minutes didn't include the Travis Fisher interception in which McCown, while slipping on the infield dirt, tried to force one in to Ronald Curry. The deflection and pickoff led to a 16-yard touchdown pass from Jon Kitna to Calvin Johnson.
Nor did it take into account a second-and-6 swing pass intended for Mike Williams that wound up in the hands of defensive end DeWayne White with the Raiders trailing 26-21 with 3:01 to play.
A short time later, Jason Hanson converted a 23-yard field goal for a 29-21 lead, which preceeded another McCown fumble when hit by White, leading to a 14-yard scoring run by Tatum Bell and put an exclamation point in a game that was already over.
Kiffin seemed to give McCown a pass on both interceptions, the first because it was a deflection and saying the second one was tipped.
McCown acknowledged he shouldn't have thrown the first pass without good footing. As for the second, McCown said he was hit while throwing, causing the ball to flutter instead of reaching Williams at his back shoulder.
Like Kiffin, McCown shrugged off the boos as part of a fan's bill of rights and welcomed the continued competition from Culpepper and, eventually, JaMarcus Russell.
Afterward, Kiffin for the first time explained his thinking in choosing McCown as the starter.
``The best way I can explain it is he just didn't have enough time to catch (Josh) with all the time that goes into it,'' Kiffin said. ``It wasn't anything Daunte didn't do, but in the end, Josh had managed us better as far as knowing the calls -- especially when we got to this week and the game plan being more complicated.''
Culpepper kept a low profile during Kiffin's attempt to flummox the Lions with his choice, and was gone from the locker room Sunday before McCown was done at the podium in the interview room.
He likely isn't going to say much anyway. Culpepper has said all the right things from the start, has gone out of his way to be a team player and bond with McCown and Andrew Walter, and he has been around long enough to know how it works.
As disappointed as Culpepper is that he is not the Raiders starter, by virtue of his status as the backup, he instantly becomes the fan favorite and is being paid $3.2 million to wait his turn.
McCown was far from the only culprit in losing to a team which had six road wins in the previous six years.
Lions' offensive coordinator Mike Martz devised a scheme which had receivers breaking into the clear all day against Oakland's supposedly leak-proof pass defense. Sebastian Janikowski failed on three admittedly long field goal attempts.
``I don't make those decisions. That's for coach Kiffin to answer,'' wide receiver Ronald Curry said regarding the choice of a quarterback. Whoever we put in there, I'm going to ride with. I thought Josh did a good job.''
Kiffin said he will make a quarterback switch is warranted, but sounded as if that time isn't here.
McCown, who said a game-ending index finger injury is no big deal, is still in.
Raider Nation is not so sure.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_6847478
09/10/2007
OAKLAND — Are you still in?
``I'm in,'' is the team slogan instituted by coach Lane Kiffin. It's on a banner draped from a canopy which the Raiders run past every day on their way to practice.
Josh McCown is still in, even if a good portion of the psuedo-sellout crowd at McAfee Coliseum wants him out.
He was Kiffin's not-so-secret selection to start, and it sounds as if McCown will be under center when the Raiders visit the Broncos in Denver in Week 2.
Kiffin said he didn't see anything compelling enough in a 36-21 loss to the Detroit Lions to consider switching to Daunte Culpepper, even as the Raiders went into the half trailing 10-0 and the home crowd was getting restless seeing Culpepper standing on the sideline in his baseball cap.
``I didn't, even though it sounded like everybody in the crowd wanted him with the chants of, `Daunte,' '' Kiffin said. ``Josh is our starter right now and we're very pleased with a number of things he did today, and we're going to stay with him for now.''
As Kiffin noted dryly, ``Fans have a right to their opinion. After the third touchdown in a row they weren't chanting for Daunte any more.''
True enough. McCown led the Raiders on three straight touchdown drives, something they never accomplished last season, for a 21-20 lead with 7:43 remaining. The crowd was into it, and McCown was temporarily forgiven. That was before a second interception and a sack-fumble helped put the game away for the Lions.
A couple of weeks after Culpepper arrived, Kiffin explained to reporters he didn't want the player who in Minnesota took unnecessary risks and put up big numbers which included killer turnovers. He was looking for a game manager, someone more efficient than bold.
In the loss to the Lions, McCown finished with numbers that mirrored some of Culpepper's best days in Minnesota. He completed 30 of 40 passes for 313 yards. He had two touchdown passes, but also had two interceptions and three fumbles -- losing one.
Kiffin and the Raiders chose to isolate the three possessions in which McCown completed 10 of 12 passes for 123 and two touchdowns as an example of what is possible in the future.
Those 16 minutes didn't include the Travis Fisher interception in which McCown, while slipping on the infield dirt, tried to force one in to Ronald Curry. The deflection and pickoff led to a 16-yard touchdown pass from Jon Kitna to Calvin Johnson.
Nor did it take into account a second-and-6 swing pass intended for Mike Williams that wound up in the hands of defensive end DeWayne White with the Raiders trailing 26-21 with 3:01 to play.
A short time later, Jason Hanson converted a 23-yard field goal for a 29-21 lead, which preceeded another McCown fumble when hit by White, leading to a 14-yard scoring run by Tatum Bell and put an exclamation point in a game that was already over.
Kiffin seemed to give McCown a pass on both interceptions, the first because it was a deflection and saying the second one was tipped.
McCown acknowledged he shouldn't have thrown the first pass without good footing. As for the second, McCown said he was hit while throwing, causing the ball to flutter instead of reaching Williams at his back shoulder.
Like Kiffin, McCown shrugged off the boos as part of a fan's bill of rights and welcomed the continued competition from Culpepper and, eventually, JaMarcus Russell.
Afterward, Kiffin for the first time explained his thinking in choosing McCown as the starter.
``The best way I can explain it is he just didn't have enough time to catch (Josh) with all the time that goes into it,'' Kiffin said. ``It wasn't anything Daunte didn't do, but in the end, Josh had managed us better as far as knowing the calls -- especially when we got to this week and the game plan being more complicated.''
Culpepper kept a low profile during Kiffin's attempt to flummox the Lions with his choice, and was gone from the locker room Sunday before McCown was done at the podium in the interview room.
He likely isn't going to say much anyway. Culpepper has said all the right things from the start, has gone out of his way to be a team player and bond with McCown and Andrew Walter, and he has been around long enough to know how it works.
As disappointed as Culpepper is that he is not the Raiders starter, by virtue of his status as the backup, he instantly becomes the fan favorite and is being paid $3.2 million to wait his turn.
McCown was far from the only culprit in losing to a team which had six road wins in the previous six years.
Lions' offensive coordinator Mike Martz devised a scheme which had receivers breaking into the clear all day against Oakland's supposedly leak-proof pass defense. Sebastian Janikowski failed on three admittedly long field goal attempts.
``I don't make those decisions. That's for coach Kiffin to answer,'' wide receiver Ronald Curry said regarding the choice of a quarterback. Whoever we put in there, I'm going to ride with. I thought Josh did a good job.''
Kiffin said he will make a quarterback switch is warranted, but sounded as if that time isn't here.
McCown, who said a game-ending index finger injury is no big deal, is still in.
Raider Nation is not so sure.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_6847478