Leaping Larry Johnson gave the Oakland Raiders their fifth loss of the season with a 1-yard touchdown run in the final five seconds of the game. Up 23-20, the Raiders’ defense allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to drive 72-yards in 1:45 and score the game-winning touchdown. On the Chiefs previous drive the Raiders defense held them to a three-and-out.

After winning two-straight games before today, the Raiders were sitting pretty at the bottom of the AFC West. Now the team from Oakland has lost four games this season by 10 points or less and this was the second game that the Raiders lost on the final drive of the game.

So what gives?

Well, I happen to know that the Chiefs don’t have the best defense in the world, so how is it that Randy Moss only gets one reception the entire game? Kerry Collins threw Moss the ball eight times and Moss could only catch one of them. Granted that one catch was for a touchdown, but it was too little too late. I thought these guys practiced together. Maybe Moss and Collins need to go out and have some beers together. Or maybe head coach Norv Turner needs to put his thinking cap on this week and figure out what to do against the 6-2 Broncos that will coming into Oakland next Sunday after a bye this week.

What to do on a second and 25? If your last name is Turner, then you call a sweet running play and give it to full back Zack Crockett for a 1-yard gain. What to do on a third and 24? How about another sweet running play for the third-best running back on the team, Crockett, for another 1-yard gain. These are the types of decisions that make me question Turner’s intelligence and his sanity.

And when did the refs start wearing rubber bands on their hands? Are these guys now as wild as the Taliban? Do they carry .9s in their right hands and a 45 in the other hand? Note to NFL officials: game time is the time to officiate a professional game, not count your ends and stack chips.

Today I learned that old announcers using nicknames for rappers equals comedy. According to the game’s TV analyst, “fitty” cent will be seen this week on David Letterman. He said fitty not fifty. I think only members of G-Unit can call fifty that without getting shot. Sunday, Oct. 26

OAKLAND ?” It was destined to be a great game.

A win by the Raiders over the Chargers on Sunday would have closed the door on all types of speculation including the one that the team is no different than last season when they went 5-11. That speculation still exists in all its forms after the Raiders lost 28-14 in front of a mediocre crowd at the Coliseum in Oakland.

And while things could be worse, they can’t be for the Raiders who lost wide receiver Randy Moss in the first quarter after he went up to catch a pass from Kerry Collins and came down on all fours. It took Moss a couple of minutes before he stood up and was helped to the sideline. He came back later in the game for a couple of downs and left the game early because of his injury.

Many a frustrated Raiders fan would love the chance to give Collins a piece of their mind. This is my opportunity to let him know exactly how I feel because in my head all the Raiders read this blog. So here’s my open letter to Collins:

Dear Kerry,

Randy Moss is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Moss is not, however, Manute freakin’ Bol. If he does play next week against the Bills, then how about you wait until he’s actually open before throwing a Hail Mary in his direction.

You threw your first interception against the Chargers and I don’t forgive you. Moss was double maybe triple covered on that play. You deserved to be picked. Then, you injured Moss. Yeah, that’s right – I blame you entirely if Moss doesn’t make it back next week.

The man was double covered and you still decided to throw him a pass that no other wide receiver in the NFL would have even thought about going after since it would have been three feet over their heads. Since Moss knows his abilities he went for it and was bumped in mid-air.

How about you look a little to the right next time and throw it to the wide-open Jerry Porter instead.

Or hey is that Courtney Anderson over there?

Think before you throw.

Thanks forever,

Armando Botello II

OAKLAND ?” Go Raiders! Or, as they say in Oakland: “Que vivan los Raiders!”

The Raiders de Oakland handled business during the closing minutes of Sunday’s game against los Vaqueros de Dallas on the field finishing them off 19-13.

The Raiders also handled business on a more practical level celebrating el Mes de la Cultura Hispana by making the game between the Cowboys and the Raiders the Fourth Annual Raiders Hispanic Heritage Game. Tailgating fans were welcomed to the stadium by Mariachi Los Halcones. Included with the price of admission was a National Anthem performed by Jorge Santana, the brother of Carlos Santana, and a half-time performance by Mexico Danza, a California-based Mexican Folk Company. Fans took part in the event too, waving their Mexican flags alongside the American and Raider Nation flags in the parking lot. Some fans sported silver and black sombreros while others stuck to the usual pirate garb. The entire atmosphere at the Coliseum was soaked with cultural pride and awareness.

In fact, the entire NFL took part in a massive blitz on Latino consumers (both in America and abroad) today and all it took was a simple little decal placed on the back of the helmet of every player in the league. “Futbol americano” it read. And who can blame the league for caring so much? If today’s game between the 49ers and the Cardinals in Mexico City (attended by some 103,467) is any indication, it’s clear that futbol americano is beloved below the border.

As for the game in Oakland, it also attracted large numbers of people and was sold-out. The Raiders performed under-par, but still managed to eek out a victory.

Another beautiful catch by Randy Moss highlighted the day four minutes into the game. The pass from Kerry Collins was on target and was caught perfectly by Moss for 73 yards resulting in a Raider field goal four plays later. Sebastian Janikowksi made up for last week’s performance by going 4-for-4 on field goals scoring the Raiders’ first three points in the game five minutes into the first quarter.

LaMont Jordan got the only Raiders touchdown of the day five minutes later with a two-yard run putting the Raiders up 10-0. Jordan finished the game with 26 rushes for 126 yards and four receptions for 22-yards making up for his 16 rushes for 19 yards and no receptions in Philadelphia last week. The Cowboys didn’t put any points on the board until late in the second quarter when Jose Cortez nailed a 39-yard field goal giving no reason for any teammates to harass him.

The only points scored in the third quarter came off Janikowski and Cortez field goals. Janikowksi proved himself in the fourth quarter with a 49-yarder to put the Raiders up 16-6 with 10:29 left in the game. A minute and a half later Drew Bledsoe threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton. Helping Crayton score his touchdown was a missed tackle by Charles Woodson. Woodson decided to play half-assed for one play and gets smoked by the fourth-string wide receiver on the Cowboys – unbelievable.

Janikowski scored the final points of the game with a 43-yard field goal making the score 19-13 with 4:29 left to play.

Dallas had the opportunity to score on their final drive of the game, but was held in check by a relentless Oakland defense.

Next week the Raiders have an open date making for another winning weekend. No chance to lose equals good times for this blogger.

Sunday, Sept. 27

Ailing Philadelphia Eagles kicker David Akers handed the Oakland Raiders their closest loss of the season 23-20 in the final 10 seconds of the fourth-quarter with a 23-yard field goal. After he kicked the field goal he had just enough time to watch it go through the poles before he crumpled down on all fours and began weeping. His gesture might have been symbolic for how I’m going to feel after every Raiders game this year.

So I don’t mean to toot my horn, but it was in this very blog that I mentioned Sebastian Janikowski’s need to focus his energies on his job. I believe my exact words (exact because I just cut and pasted) were that “(Janikowski) is going to be desperately needed next week against the Eagles. Surely the man will have to step up.”

So what does he do?

Choke like he has never choked before.

The man already has more missed field goals this season than last season’s total. He was the one person on last year’s team that could actually be counted on. I understand teams win games and individuals are only a part of the team, but yesterday’s loss is the sole responsibility of Janikowski. If Akers can kick the winning field goal on a torn hamstring, then why is Janikowski missing kicks from 37 yards out in perfect health?

If this situation isn’t remedied by next week’s home game against the Cowboys, Al Davis might want to look at the possibility of signing soon-to-be-released Dallas kicker Jose Cortez.

On second thought, Janikowski wouldn’t let himself get punked by a fellow teammate.

The loss hurts especially since it makes the Raiders the paragon of 0-3 teams.

After running back Lamont Jordan scored the first touchdown of the game for the Raiders in the first three minutes off an 8-yard pass from Kerry Collins, things were looking good for the Raiders; they had already surpassed San Francisco’s point total from last week’s game against Philadelphia.

Not only that, but the four penalties that were called during the Eagles kickoff and the Raiders opening drive were all on Philadelphia. Imagine that.

The highlight of the game, for me at least, came when defensive tackle Warren Sapp intercepted a Donovan McNabb pass and ran for three yards. It was Sapp’s first interception in a Raider uniform ?” his last one was with Tampa Bay in 2002 ?” and the first time since 1995, Sapp’s rookie season, that he gained yardage after an interception. Sapp was destined to have an interception during yesterday’s game because in an earlier Eagles drive Sapp had missed a chance to intercept the ball when it slipped right through his hands.

I agree with fellow State Hornet writer Matt Vevoda when I say that Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens is built like a tank. Oakland cornerback Charles Woodson rocked Owens’ world after Owens caught a 13-yard pass from McNabb to get the Eagles into the red zone. After being speared by Woodson, Owens simply got up and brushed his shoulders off. Woodson must’ve inspired Sapp because the very next play he was running with an intercepted pass for that 3-yard gain.

In fact, the Oakland defense was inspirational throughout the game holding McNabb to only two touchdowns after throwing five in Week two.

The star of Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Stadium, on the Raiders side at least, was the 6-foot-7 tight end out of San Jose State, Courtney Anderson. Anderson had five receptions for 100 yards, more than any Oakland wide receiver including Randy Moss. It’s a sad day when the star for the day is somebody with no touchdowns and one fumble, but Anderson is doing his job and has shown great focus while at the same time being under the radar.

The Raiders are skating on really thin ice right now and what interests me about the fact the Raiders are 0-3 is that NFL commentators have already dismissed their season.

So while there is no chance for the Raiders to recover from their shortcomings, the 0-3 Green Bay Packers, on the other hand, are still in it. Collins hasn’t thrown a single interception this season and Packers QB Brett Favre was picked three times yesterday. This just goes to show the unspoken truth in the NFL; the Raiders will always be the black sheep of the league. Oh, and Brett Favre can do no wrong. Ever.

The Raiders return to the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday against the Cowboys and I will be there live in the flesh.

Hopefully I’m not on all fours after the game.

Sunday, Sept. 18

Here come your Oakland Raiders.

And there they went.

Unable to successfully quench every spiked shoulder pad-wearing fan’s super high expectations, the Raiders stumbled in Sunday’s game against AFC West rival Kansas City.

I have to admit though; my expectations were never really that high.

Yes, we added Randy Moss.

No, we don’t have a quarterback capable of performing well every week of the season. Kerry Collins is, and always has been, a so-so quarterback. Consistently inconsistent some might say. All of the credit for Moss’ first two touchdowns as a Raider, one last week against the Patriots and the one on Sunday night, goes to Moss because they came from Collins’ passes that no other wide receiver in the NFL ?” outside of Terrell Owens ?” could have caught.

Not to rip on the man that I will be yelling at for the remainder of the season, but the guy is definitely not Daunte Culpepper, although Culpepper’s been looking a lot more like Collins lately.

Hey, at least Collins didn’t throw any interceptions.

I don’t think I’m putting anybody up on game when I say that this was a Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders game in Oakland, but I have to let it be known that the game today was exactly that; a Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders match-up in the Black Hole, where every home game is an opportunity for local bankers and male nurses to get out their skull masks and gorilla suits. For a better perspective on home-field advantage, go to the next Raiders home game and sport the opposing teams’ jersey.

The only high hopes I had going into Sunday were for Chris Carr. Of course my hopes vanished after Carr muffed the first punt a minute into the game, in effect giving Kansas City their first seven points through a Priest Holmes dive.

Oakland’s next drive resulted in a dandy Collins fumble. The game was turning out more typical than usual. Lamont Jordan’s second quarter touchdown gave Oakland its first points on the board. With Moss in double, sometime triple, coverage head coach Norv Turner has to come up with more ways to utilize Jordan. He finished the game with 15 carries for 59 yards and one touchdown.

After Chiefs’ running back Larry Johnson, who earlier this week turned himself in on assault charges and was charged with aggravated assault in 2003, scored Kansas City’s second touchdown, the refs got into the game.

How ironic that earlier in the day I was enjoying when the Denver Broncos got a touchdown nullified because of a penalty. The Raiders matched and then topped the Broncos with their two touchdowns nullified by penalties, both in the second quarter. Pass interference on Randy Moss – are you outside your mind? The man went up to catch a ball and gets called for pushing off what’s his name. It was a completely bogus call. The ref didn’t even throw the flag until after Moss had already landed in the end zone and began his celebration.

Being that I’ve been a Raider fan since I could speak, I’m used to this kind of thing. Eight minutes later and the refs are calling back a 56-yard touchdown run by Jordan because of offensive holding on Langston Walker. Only to the team owned by Al Davis does this happen to.

Less than thirty seconds after Oakland was robbed of a second touchdown, the refs correctly nullified Dante Hall’s 83 yard touchdown return because of an illegal block. Maybe the refs were watching the right game after all.

Oakland finished with seven penalties for 84 yards, almost half of what they were penalized for in week one.

The third quarter brought a familiar sight from last week’s game when Sebastian Janikowski went wide left on a 50-yard field goal. Kicking field goals is what this man does and he’s not doing it. I have a feeling he’s going to be desperately needed next week against the Eagles. Surely the man will have to step up.

And then there was Moss. In that instant before Moss caught his second touchdown of the season, I could see the light. No, not really, but what I did see was the best wide receiver in the NFL jumping through the air (reminiscent of Michael Jordan’s glorious foul-line dunk) and making an impossible catch look like a simple task. It would seem that Collins might want to throw a lot more passes Moss’ way. That didn’t happen Sunday.

The game was destined to go down to the wire as Charles Woodson kept the Raiders in the game after he recovered a Sammy Parker fumble, setting up the offense in Oakland territory.

At that point Oakland was down by six and there were five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Coach Turner’s offense had the weight of the game on its shoulders. Nine plays and no pass attempts to Moss later the Chiefs have the ball and the game in their hands. With the game on the line and Moss going deep Turner revealed a major flaw in his offense and that is its inability to get the ball to its main man Moss.

Collins wasn’t even looking in Moss’ direction. Three passes went to Jordan during the final drive ?” two of which were incomplete. If Collins has to depend on the running back to catch the ball, then Turner just has to get back to the drawing board and come up with some big-time plays for his big-time player.

In times like these, although thoroughly embittered, I find relief in the simple utterance, “At least I’m not a Niners fan.”

Friday, Sept. 9

Give it up to the Oakland Raiders for taking away some positives from a football game against the defending world champions. This game made me feel the same way I felt on last Saturday during halftime of the Cal-Sac State game — that is, optimistic about the rest of the season. Being the scatterbrain that I am, the only way I’m writing this blog is if I can organize my thoughts. Here goes the good, the bad, and the ugly –

The Good

Although I heard the opening drive on the radio, my excitement was equivalent to that of a phlagleblaster winning a trip to New Zealand when I heard the first “TOUCHDOWN RRRRAIDERS” call three minutes into the game, a 2-yard pass to Courtney Anderson. From beginning to end, the Raiders were in the game and the main reason is Randy Moss. There’s nothing like seeing a 73-yard bomb from Kerry Collins to Moss so early in the season. That was the highlight reel for the rest of the year; a reminder to any team that dares to leave Moss on single coverage and Collins time to throw. Why would the Pat’s even try to go single coverage on him? I’m just going to make it official right now: Randy Moss is the new Mr. Raider. Forget Tim Brown and his decade and a half in the Silver and Black; it’s Moss’ turn to do what he does. I’m talking about going deep and scoring touchdowns.

I love LaMont Jordan.

Of course another exciting development in Raiders’ football is the sudden emergence of special teams. A blocked extra point by Langston Walker, an offensive tackle out of California known for his skills at blocking kicks, and a blocked punt by Randal Williams – talk about being hungry. How about the rookie out of Boise State Chris Carr? The guy averaged 25.2 yards on six kickoff returns. Forget Doug Gabriel, Carr looked like Dante Hall against the world champions. The only thing that worries me at this point on special teams is Sebastian Janikowski. Not only did he miss a 43-yard field goal attempt (a given the last few seasons), but he kicked an onside kick out of bounds for crying out loud. Maybe he still has a hangover from the off-season.

The Bad

Although the Raiders offense is definitely not as good as Raider Nation had hoped, it looked way better than last season. The Raiders only turned the ball over one time.

Did Jerry Porter really think he could skip preseason and step right into a regular season match-up against the world champions? On almost every play Moss was either double or triple covered and Porter didn’t make it to the end zone once.

It’s too early in the season to judge Collins’ passing decisions so I won’t question the countless throws to the cameramen on the sidelines.

The Ugly

The basics. It’s the same thing every year and I’m not here to complain, but penalties kill the Raiders every season. It must be the entire Raider mentality that drives these guys to commit so many asinine fouls. Thursday they were flagged 16 times for 149 yards. The Carolina Panthers gave up fewer yards on penalties the entire preseason (146). Will the so-called ‘Commitment to Excellence’ ever be on display during a regular season game?

That’s going to wrap up this week’s blog because it’s late and I’m not used to Thursday night football. One last thing though, Jimmy Kimmel is right about fantasy football and if you think I’m wrong then go ask your Grandpa.