Not quite perfect / First preseason loss will keep Raiders busy
Published 4:00 am, Friday, September 1, 2006
2006-09-01 04:00:00 PDT Seattle -- Last-call exhibition games don't matter. The starters hardly play. Blah, blah, blah.
Amid the irrelevancy of it all, the Raiders picked up on a valuable lesson just in time for the regular season to start.
A 4-0 record in exhibition games doesn't strike fear into any opponent. Not against the defending NFC champions Thursday, and certainly not Sept. 11 against the visiting San Diego Chargers.
For those players who missed the point in a 30-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field, they'll be sure to hear all about it when the team gathers Saturday for a movie and scolding.
"It wasn't pretty, no excuses, we got beat," said Raiders coach Art Shell, who was not amused by the team's only loss in five exhibition games. "We didn't play tonight, so I take responsibility."
The way Shell sees it, the Raiders were feeling a little too good about their unbeaten record.
The Seahawks only encouraged Oakland's swagger in the first minutes of the game. Seattle went three plays and a punt. Chris Carr took the kick, ditched three defenders and skipped free for a 72-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.
"We got off the bus and they were waiting for us," Shell said. "In the National Football League, you can't assume you can take a uniform, throw it out on the field and win easily in this league.
"Score a touchdown, think it's going to be easy the rest of the way. It doesn't work that way."
Seattle scored the next 30 points. Oakland responded with nine straight punts and 104 yards of total offense.
It was that bad, with uninspired on top.
"It could be a good thing because we realize that it's not a cakewalk," said backup quarterback Andrew Walter, who was 3-of-8 for 26 yards. "We can't just show up. You can turn anything into a positive."
The Seahawks exposed certain truths the Raiders must deal with if they are to enjoy post-preseason success.
The right side of the offensive line has to shore up. After all these years, the penalties have got to stop. And, they better hope Aaron Brooks has 16 accident-free weeks, because the backups have not been very reassuring.
Start with the offensive line, because they will determine how much mileage the offense gets per play.
The Raiders went without injured starters Barry Sims at left guard and Jake Grove at center a second straight game, but their real problems were with the healthy players on the right side of the ball.
On Oakland's first drive, Langston Walker, new to the right tackle position, got bulldozed back by Rocky Bernard. Aaron Brooks, mobile as he may be, had no chance to escape a 10-yard sack that turned a 3rd-and-10 into a punt formation.
Starting running back LaMont Jordan tried to get through the right side on his two carries of the game. He got no yards.
The Raiders want to be a power-running team. They can't run to the left side alone, lest they become predictable. Defenses tend to stack the right side with their best tackle and pass rusher, so this can become an issue.
"We have a confident team but we have to make sure we execute our plays and our game plan," Jordan said.
On to the penalties, a tired talking point after all these years. Go to Seattle's second drive, right after Carr's score.
Linebacker Thomas Howard gave up a first down with an illegal use of hands. On a 3rd-and-3 at the Raiders 28, Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck went long to Nate Burleson. Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha swooped in for a 17-yard pass interference at the Oakland 5.
Next play, Shaun Alexander swept right, then cut wide left for a 5-yard touchdown run against an overpursuing defense.
Fast forward to late in the second quarter, when cornerback Stanford Routt got dinged for pass interference at the Oakland 12. Seneca Wallace and D.J. Hackett hooked up on the next play for a 12-yard touchdown and 20-7 halftime lead.
None of this was enough to undo four weeks of team progress, but it was just enough to put Shell in a sour mood.
"We can't let this hang our heads," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "They got us. Chalk it up and let's go play ball now."