Oakland Raiders | Tuppence Talks NFL

Raiders Fall to Chiefs 28-0

Filed under Oakland Raiders by on October 23, 2011 at 11:34 pm {no comments}

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 28-0 at O.co Coliseum in Oakland in 2011 NFL Regular Season Week 7 action. The Raiders were unable to overcome six interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Kyle Boller got the start at quarterback and was relieved at halftime by recent acquisition Carson Palmer at halftime.

The Raiders won the opening coin toss and elected to defer their choice until the start of the second half. The Chiefs elected to receive to start the game. CB Javier Arenas returned K Dave Rayner’s opening kickoff 29 yards to the Kansas City 23. The Raiders held the Chiefs to a three-and-out and got the ball at their own 48 after P Dustin Colquitt’s punt and WR Denarius Moore’s return.

A few plays later S Kendrick Lewis intercepted a Boller pass and returned the pick 59 yards for a touchdown. The play was reviewed by the officials as are all scoring plays in the NFL. The ruling was upheld, K Ryan Succop converted the extra point and the Chiefs led 7-0 with 12:35 left in the 1^st quarter.

RB Taiwan Jones fielded the ensuing kickoff in the end zone and took a knee for a touchback and the Raiders offense took the field at the 20. The Chiefs held the Raiders to a three and out and Arenas called for and made a fair catch of a P Shane Lechler’s 53-yard punt at the Kansas City 20.

After allowing one first down, the Raiders forced a Colquitt punt which was downed at the Raiders 2-yard line. After allowing a first down, the Chiefs got the ball back when CB Brandon Flowers intercepted a Boller pass at the Kansas City 39.

The Chiefs took advantage when FB Le’Ron McClain capped the 61-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Succop’s extra point was good and the Chiefs led 14-0 with 1:53 left in the first quarter.

Ford fielded the ensuing kickoff in the end zone and took a knee for a touchback and the Raiders offense took the field at the 20. The Raiders drove to the Chiefs 1 before facing 4^th and goal at the 1. The Chiefs stuffed RB Michael Bush and took over on downs at their own 1 with 11:32 left in the 2^nd quarter.

The Raiders held the Chiefs to a three and out and Colquitt came on to punt on 4^th and 7 at the Kansas City 4. Colquitt’s punt went out of bounds at the Oakland 49. The Raiders next drive was derailed by penalties and Lechler came on to punt. The 51-yard punt bounced at the goal line and went into the end zone for a touchback.

The Chiefs moved out near midfield before the Raiders forced a punt. Colquitt’s kick was downed at the Raiders 2. A penalty kept the drive alive, but Kansas City got the ball back when CB Brandon Carr intercepted a Boller pass and was tackled at the Kansas City 12. New Raiders safety Chinedum Ndukwe intercepted Cassel’s Hali Mary pass to end the first half and the Chiefs took a 14-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Succop’s opening kickoff went through the end zone for a touchback. After holding the Raiders to a three and out, the Chiefs padded their lead when Arenas took a direct snap out of the Wildcat formation and ran into the end zone from 8 yards out. The extra point was good, and the Chiefs took a 21-0 lead with 10:25 left in the 3^rd quarter.

The kickoff went through the end zone for a touchback and Carson Palmer entered the game at quarterback. He completed his first pass, an 18-yard gain to WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, and was roughed on the play for a 15-yard penalty that moved the Raiders into Chiefs territory. The drive fizzled and Lechler punted the ball back to the Chiefs. Kansas City took over at their own 10 after the punt rolled out of bounds.

The Raiders held the Chiefs to a three-and-out and Colquitt came on to punt. Moore returned the 43-yard kick 10 yards to the Chiefs 48. The Raiders went three and out and Lechler came on to punt. The punt was downed at the Kansas City 3. The Chiefs were driving when CB DeMarcus Van Dyke grabbed his first career interception to give the Raiders the ball at their own 23.

The Raiders were in the move until Palmer threw an interception that was returned 55 yards by Brandon Flowers for a touchdown. The extra point was good and the Chiefs led 28-0 with 14:20 left in the game.

The Raiders took over after a short kickoff return, the Chiefs were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown, and a fumble recovery at their own 40. The Raiders drove into Chiefs territory, but safety John McGraw intercepted a tipped Palmer pass at the Chiefs 14.

The Chiefs were unable to take advantage and punted the ball back to the Raiders. Moore returned the 64-yard punt and a facemask penalty on the Chiefs moved the ball to the Raiders 33. A couple of plays later Travis Daniels intercepted a Palmer pass intended for WR Louis Murphy. A taunting penalty backed the Chiefs up to their 9.

The Chiefs went three and out and Colquitt came on to punt. A penalty wiped out Moore’s punt return and the Raiders offense took over at their own 33 with 5:39 left to play. After a three and out, Lechler came on to punt. The Chiefs drove to the Raiders 10 and Cassel took a knee on successive plays to run out the clock.

The Raiders fall to 4-3 on the season and after their bye week will host the Denver Broncos Sunday, November 6 at O.co Coliseum in Oakland in 2011 NFL Regular Season Week 9 action.

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Oakland Raiders : News

Bess Named Raiderette of the Week

Filed under Oakland Raiders by on October 23, 2011 at 5:33 pm {no comments}

The Oakland Raiders congratulate Bess on being selected “Raiderette of the Week,” sponsored by Bud Light. A high-energy rookie, Bess started out as a gymnast, but switched over to dance in the seventh grade. She also played flag football throughout middle school. During high school and college, she participated on dance teams and eventually danced and cheered for the San Jose Wolves, an indoor professional football team.

Currently, Bess is working towards her degree in English literature. As an avid reader and analytical person, pursuing a literature degree is a perfect fit. She hopes to eventually become a writer or an editor for a magazine column, as she loves to fix grammatical mistakes.

Her desire to transition to the Raiderettes was twofold. Spending much of her childhood in Danville, Bess grew up a Raiders fan, so it has been her dream to cheer for the Silver and Black. Additionally, the rookie has always seen the Raiderettes as important role models in the community and wanted to be a part of the impact they make on the Bay Area.Bess’ favorite moment as a Raiderette was visiting the troops on September 11 at their annual Toys for Tots event. “It is a moment that will resonate in the memory of my rookie season with the Oakland Raiderettes,” she said. “To share in the memory and celebration of those who give their lives and have fallen in the fight for this country’s continuing freedom reminds me how honored and proud I am to represent the Oakland Raiders and give back to the community that is so supportive of our organization.”

Oakland Raiders : News

Coach Jackson Friday

Filed under Oakland Raiders by on October 21, 2011 at 11:03 pm {no comments}

Q: [Sebastian] Janikowski is – well it looks like you’ve got some kickers working out?

Coach Jackson: I will always make sure I protect our football team.

Q: What do you think, you have a gut feeling either way?

Coach Jackson: I don’t have one yet, we’ll see as we continue to move forward. As I keep telling you guys my goal is to make sure I have enough players to play and healthy bodies and guys that can get the job done.

Q: Starting quarterback, Coach?

Coach Jackson: You didn’t ask me that. No you did not. What’s Friday mean?

Q: Why beat around the bush?

Coach Jackson: Because I can. You guys all want to know is somebody going to pay me or something. Are you kidding me?

Q: Considering how well he’s [Janikowski] kicking how big of a blow would that be?

Coach Jackson: That would be huge I mean he’s a huge part of our football team, I mean if he can’t go. Again, I’m not going to make any excuses if he can’t go he can’t go. We’ll get somebody that can. That’s the way it goes we’ll be fine.

Q: How many guys did you work out today?

Coach Jackson: I haven’t worked out anybody yet.

Q: How many guys you plan on working out?

Coach Jackson: How ever many is out there. Who’s ever out there I’m going to go over there in a minute when I leave you and go find out and find out who can kick so I’ll know for sure. If something comes up and we need a kicker we’ll have one.

Q: Looking back on Sunday, you had two calls, one the fake field goal that worked for a touchdown and the fourth and one; might those have been influenced by [Sebastian] Janikowski maybe being hurt then?

Coach Jackson: No those calls had nothing to do with him being injured then by no stretch of imagination. Fourth and one was me and the fake was me. So no those had nothing to do with him being injured.

Q: Coach, what time is that Irish coffee tonight?

Coach Jackson: That normally happens around seven. That’s after a massage, then there’s Irish coffee and then there’s rest, relaxation with the mind and then all this stuff happens.

Q: Then after rest and relaxation there might be maybe realization?

Coach Jackson: Absolutely, but that’s later on tonight when none of you guys are around. Nobody’s bothering me; I get to sit there at my table and do what I do.

Q: Everybody got first team snaps like all three guys?

Coach Jackson: Absolutely.

Q: Carson [Palmer] didn’t talk to us yesterday, can you give us a sense of how he’s felt after these two practices?

Coach Jackson: Good, I think he feels really good. I think his body is good, I think he’s responding, I don’t see him sore or anything like that. His arms alive, his minds alive, he’s done a good job. Again, I can tell he’s been doing something because his body is not sore and he’s out there slinging the ball around and doing what he needs to do.

Q: Coach, so the quarterbacks get the information tonight or is that something you break to them tomorrow?

Coach Jackson: I got to think on that one too. Those guys know how I am. I’ll make the right decision for our football team as we draw closer to the game. Again, I’m not in a rush. I’m going to watch this tape, watch the practice tape, sit down, meet with my staff, talk to upper management, Amy Trask and Mark Davis, and then make the right decision.

Q: You said that Kyle Boller wasn’t getting 98 percent of the snaps; Jason [Campbell] was getting those. How’s he responding to the bigger work load?

Coach Jackson: He’s done a great job. He’s got quite a few snaps this week. I mean he’s ready to play, honestly, I think all three of those guys is ready to play. I wouldn’t be surprised whatever decision I make somebody is going to go in there and play well. They’ve done a great job in practice, but obviously somebody’s got to trot out there first and that’s what we’ll do when that time comes.

Q: How are his throws? How’s the velocity?

Coach Jackson: Carson’s? Oh my gosh, you’ve got to be kidding me. He’s throwing the ball like you wouldn’t believe. I mean trust me if he’s out here, I mean we wouldn’t of signed him if he couldn’t throw it. Seriously, I get surprised at those kind of questions because I would never put the guy on the team for draft picks like that if he couldn’t throw the ball. If he could not do or be what I think he has the potential to be. So I mean I get surprised at those questions.

Q: Coach, theoretically tonight at seven could you decide not to decide if you feel you want some more information tomorrow on Saturday?

Coach Jackson: Well it depends on how strong my Irish coffee is.

Q: What’s the biggest sort of getting use to the team aspect that’s difficult for a quarterback coming in?

Coach Jackson: Well I think it’s because you don’t know your teammates. This was Jason’s team and you have to earn a right to be a part of this group. They don’t just give you carte blanche and open the door you’ve got to earn the right. I think the players know that I’m not going to put anybody on this team that’s going to represent us the wrong way. So that gives him a little bit more carte blanche in the beginning but you still got to earn it. So these guys are just like anybody else; he has to earn the opportunity to be a part of this group and I think that’s what he’s doing each and every day by his enthusiasm, his want to, his knowledge, how he goes about conducting himself. I think all those things are good traits.

Q: I tried this yesterday and you gave me a look but you said that ‘somebody’s got to trot out there first;’ does that indicate there could be more than one quarterback playing on Sunday?

Coach Jackson: Never know. We have all kinds of stuff that we do here so it all depends on how good I’m feeling come Sunday but anybody could walk out there first and take the first snap. Trust me, we’ll have a quarterback that’s ready to play for this football team on Sunday.

Q: With Rolando [McClain], he hasn’t practiced this week kind of the same as last week. I remember when Charles Woodson was here, they’d rest him if he had a bad foot and let him play. I know you’ve always been oversensitive with injuries. Is that the case with Rolando where it’s not a setback you’re just letting him rest for the week so he can play on Sunday?

Coach Jackson: Well, it’s a little bit of both. I think he’s not as well as he was a week ago and so I want to make sure we’re very cautious with him. Sometimes, like you said, there’s a little bit more rest to it too, so I think it’s a combination of both. But still I want to make sure we’re putting healthy football players out there. If he’s not healthy enough to go, then we won’t let him go.

Q: You got [Richard] Gordon back, do you expect him to play? Does he go in starting at full back or is [Manase] Tonga?

Coach Jackson: Tonga’s earned that right. Tonga will stay as he is and Gordon will be back and again we’ll find something for him to do. Obviously he can go back there and play fullback too but Tonga has definitely earned the right to be that starter per say right this second.

Q: Any more concern about [Richard] Seymour on the list?

Coach Jackson: No I think Richard will be fine. I mean I think those lists are what they are. That’s what the league has us do and I respect that. We have to make sure we put out that information, but I think Richard will be fine and ready to go.

Q: Have the doctors given you a time frame on Jason [Campbell] on whether he’ll be able to come back this year?

Coach Jackson: No, they haven’t. A lot of people say six, a lot of people say eight but again it has a lot to do with the player. Again, that’s his throwing arm; it’s not like it’s his left arm, it’s his throwing arm. I think there’s a lot that goes into that as a player but we’ll find out and we’ll know more. I mean he’s three days removed from surgery. We’ll have a better idea a week from now and even two weeks from now exactly where he is and how he’s feeling.

Q: Chris Johnson – post-bye at some point you hope?

Coach Jackson: Oh yes, I hope so. I think we’ll get him back. I feel comfortable that he’ll be back out here playing at some point and time.

Q: What concerns you most about Kansas City?

Coach Jackson: They’re a good football team. They’re another team in our division. It’s a division rival and I think you throw everything else out the window. They’re good defensively, they’ve got a good young quarterback. Obviously, they lost their runner, their really good runner, but they’re a team that can run the ball. They know how and Dwayne Bowe is a nightmare so we got our work cut out for us.

Q: Is it difficult for the offense at all to prepare for a game without knowing who the starting quarterback is?

Coach Jackson: No, because I know who the starting quarterback is.

Q: So if I was to play fantasy football and pick up Carson Palmer…

Coach Jackson: That’d be your choice.

Q: How much say does Carson [Palmer] have in this?

Coach Jackson: I’m the head coach. I think he would tell you that it’s not his say, it’s my say. I don’t say that being cocky or anything like that, but when it comes to this team I’m going to make those decisions about who’s playing and who’s not playing. Again, a player can’t tell me what’s best for the football team. I’m going to tell the player what’s best for the football team.

Oakland Raiders : News

Bresnahan Media Session

Filed under Oakland Raiders by on October 21, 2011 at 10:34 pm {no comments}

Q: How much does it impact you that you did not have your starting middle linebacker out there in practice during the week as these guys set things up and call some plays?

Chuck Bresnahan: It makes a difference. You know, the guys get used to that throughout training camp. We didn’t have an offseason, but through training camp and through the first series of games, they’re used to having one guy out there running the show so there’s a difference. It gets a little monotonous about hearing about the next man up philosophy, but that’s really what it is especially on our side of the ball, so you have to be ready to have the next guy step up. So we have to prepare as if he’s not going to be there and whoever shows up shows up and we’re ready to go to work. It’s a little bit of a distraction early on but you can’t let it be nothing but a bump in the road. You can’t let it be a distraction when game time comes.

Q: You have a background with [Darryl] Blackstock, he is apparently your next man up if Rolando [McClain] can’t go; what can you tell us about him like what you like about him and what he’s good for?

Chuck Bresnahan: Well, I think he’s got instincts. He’s played linebacker. I had him in the United Football League so I’ve seen him play I know what he capable of doing. He’s done a great job at working with the coaches, Greg Biekert and Ricky Hunley, have done a great job at preparing him. He’s worked preparing himself like a starter every week because you never know in this league when your time is going to come. I mean you just saw it happen with our quarterback. So guys have to prepare themselves each and every week and he’s done a great job at getting himself to a point where if he has to play we have total confidence in him.

Q: There’s been a lot of discussion about you guys blitzing more the last couple of games, what would you attribute that to?

Chuck Bresnahan: I have to say whoever it is that put all that stuff in thank you because you did my self scout for next week during the bye week already so I don’t have to do it. Seriously, we look at that every week and with a team that has a new coordinator, a team that didn’t have an offseason, you try to keep it simple early on. We still have the same number of pressures in the early games, but once you start to get a feel and once you get past some of the injury factors that we had early on, that in a way mentally limited me to what I wanted to call. We want to be an aggressive defense; we want to set the tempo. Some of the comments about with the passing of Coach Davis that now we’re free to do more things and all that, that’s not really the case. If you back to when I was here before, we mixed the zone pressures, the man pressures, the zone coverage, the man coverage, and it gives you an opportunity in my mind and our staff’s mind to create turnovers. Because you now don’t always have your cover people playing with their backs to the ball. You now have vision on the quarterback and you can make some things happen and if you can keep the disguise element whether you’re rushing four or bringing five or however it may be, that adds to your package. So we’re growing and I think you’re going to continue to see a good balance of pressure and coverage.

Q: Part of it just getting a feel for personality of the team as it goes along too?

Chuck Bresnahan: No question about that, no question. Hue’s a big believer; Coach Davis always said it; ‘You take your playmakers and you put them in playmaking positions,’ and you got to be patient with them. It may not happen the first time, but stay consistent and keep that in mind and that’s what we try to do on offense and we certainly try to do it on defense as well.

Q: You mentioned that the injuries played a big part. Do you think the injuries in the secondary affected how much pressure you wanted to put on the quarterback, so they wouldn’t have to stay with their receiver as long?

Chuck Bresnahan: It’s not so much who got injured, it’s where you have to make the adjustments. Moving somebody from a corner to nickel who’d been practicing outside primarily all of a sudden he’s in at the nickel. We now went from practicing dime all week with the six DBs on the field to going to nickel where you have the linebacker on the field so that limits some of the things you can do with coverage and you don’t ever want to use that as an excuse. I probably got overly cautious, but at the same time I’m always going to try to keep somewhat of a mix of pressure and coverage in because if you just sit back and let the offense dictate to you what’s going to happen in the game, it’s going to be a long day. We’ve already experienced that in the second half of the Buffalo game and really the New England game.

Q: The new piece to the puzzle [Chinedum] Ndukwe, he looks like another big, fast kind of guy that can do blitzing and that kind of thing too; is that his personality also?

Chuck Bresnahan: Yes, Chinedum is a physical player. When he hits you in the middle of the field you know it and he can make some impact hits. I think he’s got thirty-one starts in his four years in Cincinnati and he’s been a very productive player. So he’s a very good addition to the ball club.

Q: You expect him to play right away?

Chuck Bresnahan: Oh he’ll contribute. To what level on defense and special teams it’s still yet to be seen as the week goes on and the game goes on, but he’s a guy that can step in and not miss a beat.

Q: What did Desmond Bryant show you that had you move him from defensive tackle to defensive end?

Chuck Bresnahan: Well, it’s just the versatility we have within our defensive line. You’ve also seen Lamarr Houston go from defensive end to defensive tackle in the sub package. So we’re trying to take advantage and give the offensive line a different look as far as the type of people they’re going up against. But Des is an athletic, strong, competitive player that gives you the ability to have some flexibility that way and he’s really done a great job since we’ve moved him out there. First week he had to get a little bit of the rust off but he’s done a great job.

Q: On the secondary you have three or four safeties out there on those packages; what about it do you like having the versatility with guys like [Mike] Mitchell, [Michael] Huff and [Matt] Giordano?

Chuck Bresnahan: With you know Matt, I think if you ask any of the players, Matt’s really the guy that sets the tempo mentally in the back. He’s like a coach on the field, he knows everybody’s position, he knows tendencies, he knows all that type of stuff. Mike and Tyvon both know that stuff, but they’re the guys that you want to take advantage of athletically that can cover, that can blitz, they can do all that type of stuff. When you got three of them and you can show some disguise and bring one or the other or all three, those are the things that you kind of lick your chops as a defensive coordinator when you get that type of talent back there and the versatility.

Q: Matt’s been a cover two guy for a lot of his career. What did you see that let you know that he could…

Chuck Bresnahan: Matt is way more athletic then you guys would ever believe. He goes through our DB drills and he does stuff as well as some our corners in the footwork drills and all that. So he’s not just a cover two safety, and I know because you get tagged with a team that you played with and that’s how you’re looked at, but no, he can play in the middle. You saw that in the Denver game when he ended up picking that ball up at the end of the half. He’s a blitzer; he’s shown that in the Denver game as well as this last week. He’s got good timing, he’s a smart football player so he brings a third guy that can really give us some versatility in the deep end.

Oakland Raiders : News

Raiders vs. Chiefs Game Preview

Filed under Oakland Raiders by on October 21, 2011 at 6:04 pm {no comments}

It’s Chiefs Week in Oakland as the Raiders host their AFC West rival from Kansas City at O.co Coliseum this Sunday in Week 7 action. Last season, the Silver and Black swept the division, beating the Chiefs twice, 23-20 in overtime at home and 31-10 at Arrowhead Stadium. Despite that accomplishment, last year’s 2-0 record versus the Chiefs doesn’t mean a thing to the current 2011 squad.

“Records don’t mean anything in this game,” said Head Coach Hue Jackson. “This is one of the division teams and they’re good. We need to go play well, but records don’t mean anything in these games; you’ve got line up and play. The team that plays the hardest the longest and makes the fewest mistakes, you know that’s the old cliché, that’s the team that’s going to win.”

The Raiders hope to string together three wins in a row as they continue to push for the AFC West title and a trip to the playoffs. “It’s huge,” said DE Jarvis Moss. “When you’ve got a division rival like Kansas City, you get to play them twice a year. They’re huge – you’ve got to win these to stack up wins in that division. You’re trying to get that first-round home game in the playoffs. So, the division is huge. The rivalry, the tradition with it; it’s just great to be in the Black and Silver of it.”

“It’s always great to play in a good rivalry game,” said RB Darren McFadden. “Playing against another divisional team, you know it’s going to be a rivalry. So, we want to go out there and push hard. Just go out there and make a statement for ourselves.”

LB Aaron Curry is playing in his first Raiders-Chiefs rivalry game. “I’m excited just to hear the guys that have been in that rivalry and hear them talk about it,” said Curry. “It’s the type of game you look forward to.”

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, who is experiencing his fifth Chiefs Week, understands the significance of this game to the team and to Raider Nation. “It’s tons of fun,” said Heyward-Bey. “It’s a division game, so everybody is going to pick their game up a little bit more because these games mean a lot to get to the playoffs. They’re a good team, they won our division last year and they are the defending it. So, we’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to compete hard.”

Many of the players, whether experiencing the rivalry before or not, are looking at this game the same way they look at every match up. “I’m looking forward to it for the fact that they’re the next on our schedule,” said LB Darryl Blackstock. “As a team and as a teammate, I can speak for the whole – we’ve got a job to do, which is to beat the Chiefs. We take it one game at a time and they’re the next team on the schedule, so our preparation is going to be impeccable. It has to be impeccable and it has to be precise. We’ve got to put all the chips into the same bowl. We’ve got to put it together now this week, especially before the bye. This would be good for the football team and this organization to go out there and get a win.”

The Raiders, on offense and defense, want to take the field at O.co Coliseum and execute their assignments in order to get the ‘W.’ “I’m just looking forward to going in and doing my job, what I’m asked to do and just go 100 percent on defense, on special teams, and do whatever I have to do to get this big win this week,” said DB Ron Parker.

Although there is excitement for every game, AFC West match ups have a little added passion and intensity. “Just the energy, man,” said S Tyvon Branch. “Everybody’s riled up; those guys are fired up, we’re fired up, it’s always a competitive game.”

Kansas City was plagued by injuries to some of their top players at the beginning of the season (RB Jamaal Charles and S Eric Berry), but the team has turned things around and won their last two games. “They’re playing hard which they always have, they have really good players, and they have an attitude about what they’re doing,” said Coach Jackson. “I mean Dwayne Bowe on offense, obviously you go from whether it’s Tamba Hali on defense to [Derrick] Johnson on defense to the two corners they have [Brandon] Flowers and [Brandon] Carr. They’re a good football team. I think the guys are just now starting to get their legs underneath them and play like they can. This is a good football team that’s coming in here, but again it’s Chiefs Week. It’s the Raiders and the Chiefs; it doesn’t get any better than that so we’re looking forward to it.”

The Raiders number one defensive goal is to stop the run. “Last year, they were the number one rushing team in the whole league so they run the ball well,” said Moss. “They start off running and that’s our defensive goal to stop the run.”

The Chiefs are currently ranked in the top 10 in rushing offense. “Well, on defense you always have to stop the run first,” said Parker. “Our plan is to go in there and stop the run.”

In order to slow down the Kansas City offense, the Raiders have focused on their preparation. “They have the ability to have explosive plays,” said Blackstock. “They have great playmakers over there, they have a wonderful system, great coach. They have a great program and style of players that can help them win. Like I said, our preparation has to be on point in order to come out with a win and be successful this week because they are going to try to beat us and hit us in the mouth. So, we’re going to have to return the favor.”

The Chiefs defense has also stepped up over the last few weeks, so the Raiders offensive weapons know they need to be ready to go. “Guys are going to step in and be ready to play, so we have to just go out there, be prepared and just be ready to play our game,” said McFadden.

Heyward-Bey, the Raiders leading receiver through Week 6 with 22 catches for 345 yards, knows the challenge of playing against the Chiefs. “They run to the ball, they play hard. For any defense, that’s big,” said Heyward-Bey. “They’ve got great players on their team. I mean they’ve got a bunch of first-round picks, top 10 picks. So, they’ve got guys with a lot of talent so we’ve got to be ready for a lot of things.”

Coach Jackson has been emphasizing to his team how well the Chiefs defense has been playing over the last couple of weeks. “I’m new to it [the rivalry] but from what Coach is saying, the defensive backs are playing the best they are playing at right now,” said WR Denarius Moore. “The defensive line – they’ve got a strong defensive line; the linebackers are pretty good. They like to get to the ball, their defense is speedy, the secondary. It’s just something that the wide receivers are going to have to make sure we get our blocks when we’re running the ball and run our routes real crisp so they won’t be right there.”

Offensive coordinator Al Saunders, who has also coached for the Chiefs, knows the history of the rivalry between the two talented teams. Since 2003, 13 of the 16 match ups have been decided by seven points or less. “I think it’s one of the real true great rivalries in football and certainly in the AFC,” said Coach Saunders. “For so many years, Kansas City and the Raiders were the top echelon teams. San Diego has had their turn and I think Denver has had their turn. It’s been a great division for a lot of years. But, I worked 10 years with Marty Schottenheimer there and he made it quite a rivalry between Kansas City and the Raiders. Then, Dick Vermeil followed up with the same thought process because we always felt like, to win the division, you had to beat the Raiders from a physical standpoint. Now being on the other side, it’s kind of interesting because we’re trying to turn the tables now and be more physical than the teams we play. So, it’s kind of fun.”

The Raiders will take the field Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PT against Kansas City in the Silver and Black’s first AFC West game at home of the 2011 season. Catch the game on CBS 5, follow along on Raiders.com, the Raiders official Facebook page, and Twitter.

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