Raiders vs. Jaguars In-Game Notes

I'm covering the OAK/JAX game at 1:00 today for Rotoworld, so I hope to see plenty of JaMarcus Russell. I'm also covering two 4:00 games -- ATL/ARI and MIA/NE.

Oakland has lost 10+ games for five straight seasons going back to their Super Bowl team.

Perennial all-pro DT Marcus Stroud is out for the season, but every time I watch the Jags, Paul Spicer is making plays behind the line of scrimmage. Where did this season come from with Spicer?

Fred Taylor to the house for 62 yards on the 2nd play from scrimmage. If you're not going to send me to the pro-bowl, take that...

On that run, Fred Taylor ties Jimmy Smith for the most TDs in Jacksonville franchise history, and he passes Ricky Watters for 17th on the all-time rushing list.

Fred Taylor says this is the best Jacksonville team he's been on in his 10-year career.

I knew I should have started Kevin Curtis against the Saints. That game is going to be a shootout.

And in punter news, Shane Lechler has a chance to average 50 yards per punt this season. That's Rohn Stark-ian.

Fred Taylor is just gashing defenses. I don't know if anybody is running as well as he is the past 4-5 weeks.

Pocket Hercules, Maurice Jones-Drew, catches a 10-yard Garrard pass and takes it 43 yards down the field. Two plays later, MJD powers in from 14 yards out. Even with limited touches, he's good for a TD every game.

JaMarcus Russell's first play is a play-action fake and an absolute laser...overthrown. No doubt he has arm strength to spare. Nice roll out 3rd down conversion to Zach Miller off the bootleg. Another play-action, nothing open downfield, and Russell ends up dumping off from his back foot. A lot of playfakes, and though Russell is poised in the pocket, he has a bad habit of throwing off his back foot when nothing is open downfield. Timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty on the first play back from a timeout. WTF? That's terrible. 3rd and 13 pass play, Russell off his back foot throws a pick to Reggie Nelson who fumbles back to the Raiders. Third down timing pattern overthrown in the end zone, Raiders are going to have to settle for a FG.

Garrard on the bad end of a couple of drops from Marcedes Lewis and Matt Jones. He should probably concentrate on just feeding Jones-Drew.

Jags' 2nd round LB Justin Durant out of Hampton, filling in for the injured Mike Peterson, just made a great play to tackle Dominic Rhodes in the backfield on a 3rd down draw play.

Scott Stark takes a gadget punt return down to the two yard line. Playfake to MJD and then a short pass to a wide open Greg Jones in the end zone.

Russell with a pump fake, and then throws a ball into double coverage. That ball had no chance to do anything except get intercepted or batted down.

Garrard follows with a bullet to Reggie Williams down to the 6-yard line. Great call by OC Dirk Coetter to go for the jugular. Garrard takes it in himself from two yards out.

Jags now with nine straight games of at least 24 points.

Lane Kiffin looks like somebody dropped him off on the sidelines on "National Bring Your Kid to Work Day."

Russell, being chased out of bounds, throws off his back foot across his body and is tackled hard. He fell on his right arm, but it looks like maybe the wind was just knocked out of him. McCown comes in for a play; Russell jogs off and looks fine.

Fourth and four from the Jags 20, and the Raiders eschew the field goal. Whoops. Jags ball.

MJD does three things as well as any RB in football: short yardage conversion, screen pass, and draw play. He's a hell of a football player.

One thing is going well for the Raiders defense: Jags' tackle Tony Pashos is having an awfully hard time with Raiders' defensive end Derrick Burgess. Uh-oh. The Raiders defense is melting down out there. Sapp draws a penalty for trash talking the ref, only to be followed up by another personal foul from Derrick Burgess for running his mouth. Here come the ejections. Sapp is gone (I don't see him skipping off the field), but not before another penalty. That's three straight personal fouls before a play was even called, and there's absolutely no self-control out there from the Raiders' defenders. The Jags went from a 50-yard field goal attempt to first and goal from the two. And how about that -- first play, Garrard aiming for Marcedes Lewis, throws it right into Kirk Morrison's hands for Garrard's 3rd interception of the season.

JaMarcus Russell is back in the game to start the 2nd half. After beginning the game 2 for 2, Russell misfired on his next seven passes including two interceptions.

Announcers note that Dominic Rhodes was very impressed with Russell. He called him a smart QB and said he would be a man among boys with a full training camp under his belt. High praise from a veteran teammate.

Fred Taylor with his 5th straight game over 100 yards, and if you're getting annoyed by the all the Fred Taylor pro-bowl snub talk, please try to understand that he's been unquestionably the best RB in the AFC not named Tomlinson this season. With Willie Parker's recent injury, justice should be served in the pro-bowl.

Garrard with a long lob to Matt Jones near the end zone, and Jones simply reaches over the defender to pluck the ball out of the air for a TD. How is he not a better player?

Well I haven't heard Paul Spicer's name mentioned today, but Bobby McCray and Justin Durant are giving Russell a tough time.

Quinn Gray into the game for David Garrard in a blowout.

JaMarcus Russell picked again throwing off his back foot. He needs a lot of help on his footwork.

Quinn Gray with the garbage time TD to Reggie Williams, his 9th of the season which breaks the Jimmy Smith's single-season franchise record.

Quinn Gray with another garbage time TD, this one to back-up tight end Angulo to set the Jags franchise mark for total points in a game at 49. If this was the Patriots, the whining about running up the score would be endless.

It's garbage time and he does have four turnovers, but JaMarcus Russell is having a nice drive by getting his feet set this time around. He should have had his first NFL TD but Justin Griffith dropped a ball right on his hands. Oh well, he comes back and hits Zach Miller for the 2-yarder and his first TD.

Please let this game be over.