[London Fletcher kicking the ball...again???]

Did anyone see or hear about this??  I was at a party and was not watching that closely.  Maybe something you could only see at the game?

 

I find it hard to believe he would do it after what happened in Week 1.

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I was at the game and didn't miss a play -- I didn't see any such hijinks fromn Fletcher.

[my observations from the 35-yard line]

Your avatar is idiotic....

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Tell me about it!

 

Oh -- I understand -- you mean the picture itself!

[my observations from the 35-yard line]

Baker is a rookie.  He has an excuse.  Wire doesn't.

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OK, maybe Baker has an excuse. But does Jerry Gray have an excuse for putting Baker on an island, only to bite on a Gannon pump-fake?

 

 

And I'm sorry, but I don't think Baker has an excuse for watching a perfect onside kick bounce over his not-fully-outstretched arms -- he coulda/woulda/shoulda caught the ball in mid-air and ran untouched for 6.

 

[my observations from the 35-yard line]

It was a glorious day for a football game in Oakland, except for that loud sucking sound eminating from our offense. Some observations:

 

- I saw a decent amount of positive interaction between Travis and Willis on the sidelines and during substitutions. Looks like the "rift" is much more a media creation than a reality.

 

- Coy Wire looked totally lost on a lot of plays, as usual -- poor tackling angles, uncertainty about his assignments. I decided to watch him on one play, and I saw him do a full 360 in the process of finding the ball carrier. Oy.

 

- Speaking of safeties... Rashad Baker, what on earth are you doing on our roster?

 

- That shot to the head that Bledsoe took was vicious -- he had already thrown the ball and was totally defenseless. A flag on that play would have had a significant effect on the game.

 

- The Oakland Coliseum wasn't as intimidating a place as it's made out to be... although I heard more screams of profanity there than any time since I saw Sam Kinison in concert at UB in the late 80s!

[(OT) Best vehicle for a family of 5.]

I didn't read through all the responses, so apologies in advance if this has already been posted... just wanted to encourage you to think about safety concerns with 3rd-row seats. Rear-end accident tests are not currently standard procedure in rating car safety, even though rear-end crashes are the most common. Organizations who have independently reviewed rear-end accident data have found that most vehicles with 3rd-row seats expose those passengers to extreme danger. This is especially true in minivans and station wagons, where there's only a foot or two of crumple-zone between the rear bumper and the 3rd row, but it's also a concern in SUVs.

 

If it was me, I'd buy a Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon -- all-wheel drive, zippy, great handling.

 

Good luck!

[(OT) Good news at last!!]

I'm glad your persistence paid off, Melissa! Congratulations, and thanks on behalf of our fellow humans for doing such meaningful, important work.

[OAKLAND here we come!!!]

I'll be there with a fellow Buffalo-to-BayArea transplant. No specific tailgating plans, because we probably won't get there much before kickoff... but I'm keeping my eye on this thread in case we get there earlier.

 

And, while I'll be cheering for the Bills, I won't be wearing any Bills gear for the sake of my health & safety. I've heard enough first-hand stories about the Coliseum to make me temper my outward displays of non-Raider loyalty!

[Looking Ahead]

I'll be at the game, too, Dawgg. In direct response to your question, yes, the Bills absolutely can beat the Raiders. Whether we will or not, though? I think the keys will be the play of our safeties and our O-Line.

[Saw The Bills Practice This Afternoon]

Hmmm.... after our special teams meltdown on Saturday, there was no attention paid to ST in practice?

 

 

I guess as Meatloaf (and Wade Phillips) would say, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. (phases of the game, that is)