Raiders Take Step Toward Building Bully In Opener
ALAMEDA (CBS / AP) -- Hue Jackson talked about building the Oakland Raiders into a bully ever since he got the head coaching job nearly eight months ago.
With 190 yards rushing behind a bruising offensive line, five sacks and a defensive front that held Denver to 38 yards rushing, consider it mission accomplished in a 23-20 win that gave the Raiders their first season-opening victory since their 2002 AFC championship season.
"If somebody tells me we can do that every game, as far as rushing the ball and getting a lot of sacks, I am going to tell you we are going to win a lot of games," Jackson said. "I promise you that."
Jackson managed to do what his four predecessors could not by starting the season with a win. But many of the issues that have plagued the Raiders in a run of eight straight non-winning seasons still were apparent, most notably 15 penalties for 131 yards that nearly cost Oakland the game.
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The Raiders, who led the league with 148 penalties a year ago, started out this season in similar fashion despite promises from Jackson in the preseason that he would solve what has been a perpetual problem.
The penalties ran the gamut from those that were from a lack of focus—five false starts and two lining up in the neutral zone— to overaggressiveness with two unnecessary roughness and one roughing the passer penalties. There were also three holding penalties—one on offense, one on defense and one on special teams -- an illegal contact and a defensive pass interference call.
So there's not one easy solution for a problem that has plagued the Raiders for almost their entire existence.
"I'm not here to tell you it's going to stop next week or the week after, but I want you to know and I want our fans to know that we're working at it," Jackson said. "I'm not just going to just sweep it under the carpet and say, 'OK, it is what it is,' because we won the game. I don't think that's right. There's 15 -- too many penalties for this football team, and it starts with me, down through our coaches to our players. We have to get this corrected and we will."
While the Raiders also allowed a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown, managed just 99 net yards passing and completed only one pass more than 10 yards downfield, the opener was mostly a success because of the play of the two lines and the running backs.
Darren McFadden ran for 150 yards on 22 carries, with three runs going for at least 20 yards, as the Raiders once again controlled the game on the ground with help from a formation with six offensive linemen on occasion.
Then, with Oakland protecting a three-point lead in the final four minutes, Michael Bush had runs of 10 and 12 yards for a pair of first downs that helped run out the clock. Bush had five carries for 4 yards before that drive.
"I just felt very comfortable at that time that Bush knew exactly where I needed him to stick that ball, and he did," Jackson said. "What a sensational ending of the game for him."
The Raiders were even better on the defensive line led by Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, Lamarr Houston and Matt Shaughnessy. The starting line combined for four of the five sacks and contributed to four holding calls on Denver. They also gave Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee no room to run.
"That's a pretty good statement on opening day," Jackson said.
Despite the win in his head coaching debut, it didn't solve all
his problems—especially with a short week before the team has to go back across the country for an early game Sunday at Buffalo.
"I haven't slept. The meal was horrible, I've been watching Buffalo so I don't feel good right now because they beat the team that they played really badly," Jackson said. "Right now I've got some issues and I have to address them and it will take me probably until Sunday to feel good again."
Notes: WR Jacoby Ford left the game with a hamstring injury and S Michael Huff left with an injured groin. Jackson said he would watch those injuries during the week. ... After practicing at night for the opener, Jackson will switch to an early morning routine to prepare for a 10 a.m. PDT start Sunday against the Bills. ... Jackson had no updates on the status of TE Kevin Boss and S Mike Mitchell, who missed the opener with knee injuries.
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