Archives for October 23, 2005

‘Defensive backs Charles Woodson and Derrick Gibson were knocked out of Oakland’s game against Buffalo in the first quarter Sunday with injuries.’

‘Moss was expected to miss the game because of injuries to his ribs, groin and pelvic area, but apparently the 1-4 Raiders want to see how much they can get out of their Pro-Bowl receiver.’

‘”A lot of guys are over-pursuing, trying to hit me hard, going for the knockout punch,” McGee said. “When they’re going for that, all I do is stop and cut back.”‘

‘”Teams that are successful playing, when the season’s over with, they’ve won a number of road games,” said Bills coach Mike Mularkey. “We’ve got to learn how to win on the road. We haven’t had success this year, but we did overcome it and win some games last year, a number in a row, and West Coast games, too. We’re going to approach it that same way.”‘

‘Bills 23, Raiders 17.’

‘”Obviously, you want to play,” Holcomb said, “and you want to play the whole year. But that’s not my call. As long as I go out on the field and perform, that’s all I worry about. You have to take it day by day, game by game. As long as we’re winning, I’m not going to sit here and ponder or worry about it.”‘

‘”He’s like the Energizer bunny,” center Trey Teague said. “He doesn’t ever get tired. He’s a big fanatic. He definitely teaches through repetition. Even when he speaks, he says everything twice or three or four times depending on how important he thinks it is.”‘

‘”Buffalo was like going home,” he said. “It was the biggest surprise to us. We came from an area that was supposed to be known for southern hospitality, but the people and everything around Buffalo made such an impression on us that it was more like home living in Buffalo than it was in Tennessee.”‘

‘Whereas Oakland’s Norv Turner may be beginning to feel the heat – he has lost 15 of 21 since taking over last year – the Bills’ second-year coach, Mike Mularkey, is the toast of Buffalo with his overall record of 12-10.’

‘Holcomb in hostile territory. He’s done this before, so it shouldn’t be that big of a deal as compared to J.P. Losman playing on the road. Still, Holcomb has to prove he can win away from Orchard Park and this is his first test.’

‘Mularkey didn’t waste his time putting a positive spin on a negative situation, when the Bills were 0-4. He didn’t have any history to call upon. The Bills had no one to rely upon but themselves.’

‘Defensively, look for the Raiders to get a handle on McGahee and then blitz Holcomb at every opportunity. This figures to be an ugly game, with both teams fighting for every yard and points at a premium.’

‘Don’t confuse Holcomb with the players in that elite group, but he at least gives the Bills a chance to compete in the AFC East, and his 429 yards passing for Cleveland against Pittsburgh in 2002 is the NFL record for a non-overtime playoff game.’

‘In ’05, his switch from struggling QB J.P. Losman to free-agent acquisition Kelly Holcomb has been the catalyst. His high-percentage, rhythm-passing game feeds off the running of McGahee. Buffalo, in fact, is 9-1 when McGahee rushes for 100 or more yards and he plays behind a solid offensive line that can pull well on draw plays or sweeps.’

Erratic Raiders feeling the heat (Oakland Tribune)

Jordan’s plea: Give the ball to Jordan (San Francisco Chronicle)

Mobility is fool’s gold (San Francisco Chronicle)

Raiders (1-4) vs. Bills (3-3) (San Francisco Chronicle)

Bills prove turnarounds do happen (Contra Costa Times)

Raiders Scouting Report (Contra Costa Times)

NFL franchises Bay Area busts (Contra Costa Times)

Tough times in land of Raiders (Sacramento Bee)

Raiders vs. Bills (Sacramento Bee)

Underachievers Again (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)