http://www.yardbarker.com/rss/team/43 Recent articles about the Oakland Raiders en-us Running back Clinton Portis might sit out next week's road game against the Oakland Raiders because of lingering affects from a concussion. On Monday, Portis will travel to Pittsburgh to be examined again by concussion specialists at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Coach Jim Zorn said after practice today at Redskins Park. After the two-day evaluation, Portis is scheduled to return to Redskins Park on Wednesday. It seems highly unlikely that Portis, who as of this week still ... Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:03:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Portis_might_miss_Dec_13_game_at_Oakland/1681430 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Portis_might_miss_Dec_13_game_at_Oakland/1681430 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Portis_might_miss_Dec_13_game_at_Oakland/1681430 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/2/7/27df91365d4e62641d033e86484d8d0931275561/small/Clinton_Portis_runs_5162.jpg It seems like ages ago that Art Shell was patrolling the sidelines in the East Bay during his second tour of duty with the Oakland Raiders. Shell’s lone year on the comeback trail netted just two wins and a total of 168 points for an entire 16 game season. Those two wins came in succession with [...] Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:24:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/Raiders_need_to_play_likes_its_2006_to_beat_Steelers/1681059 http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/Raiders_need_to_play_likes_its_2006_to_beat_Steelers/1681059 This Sunday marks the third time in the past four seasons yinzer Bruce Gradkowski has returned home to Pittsburgh for a late season game at the helm of a garbage team. Steelers fans aren't complaining. Between his trip with the Bucs in 2006 and the Browns last year, the Gradkowski lead offenses have compiled a grand total of three points in two games.On Thanksgiving in Dallas, Gradkowski completed something like two of his first 11 passes. Don't get me wrong, Gradkowski will never be ... Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:30:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Glory_at_the_Bruce_Gradkowski_Triptych_of_Fail/1679875 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Glory_at_the_Bruce_Gradkowski_Triptych_of_Fail/1679875 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Glory_at_the_Bruce_Gradkowski_Triptych_of_Fail/1679875 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/8/c8c30c07c8b78d54868807da806857d74ba5bf1f/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f93076234.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D05784DBD7C7F400ACE8EAAB9D254D024CD60F1567B41D6551.jpg “My name is Michaelius Tomlinus Maximus, Commander of the Armies of Southwest Pennsylvania, General of the Steel Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Artemus Rooney. Father to a concussed quarterback, husband to a hot wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this season or the next.” Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is fired [...] Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:07:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Know_Thy_Enemy_Oakland_Raiders/1678438 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Know_Thy_Enemy_Oakland_Raiders/1678438 A number of Oakland Raiders fans have finally reached their breaking point with Al Davis and his desire to still run the ship in Oakland. They're still respectful enough to call him "Mr. Davis," but at the same time, they'd kindly ask him to get his wrinkled paws off the team.The folks behind MessageToAl.com purchased the above billboard, and they say that a newspaper ad is next on the agenda. If that doesn't work, I'd recommend purchasing some ad time during reruns ... Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:13:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_fans_take_their_anger_to_the_billboards/1673905 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_fans_take_their_anger_to_the_billboards/1673905 by Carlos Osorio - AP View full size photo » The awards keep coming in for CB Charles Woodson. He's already been named NFC defensive player of the week, and it's been reported by the Journal-Sentinel and the Press-Gazette, that he'll be named NFC defensive player of the month too.  Pro Football Talk reported that the Green Bay Packers wanted CB Mike McKenzie too, but he chose to sign... Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:00:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Cornerbacks_Charles_Woodson_and_Mike_McKenzie/1672791 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Cornerbacks_Charles_Woodson_and_Mike_McKenzie/1672791 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Cornerbacks_Charles_Woodson_and_Mike_McKenzie/1672791 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/7/1777574192d6951de0d64ab3da7a0eaac44588f2/small/New_Orleans_Saints_684b.jpg Earlier this year, the Oakland Raiders purchased a series of billboards in the Bay Area, featuring a variety of non-memorable memorable plays from past seasons of football.So it makes sense, we suppose, that Raiders fans have gone the billboard route,... Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:46:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_fans_buy_a_billboard/1671617 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_fans_buy_a_billboard/1671617 The honors keep rolling in for Packers cornerback Charles Woodson. Per an NFL source, he'll be named NFC defensive player of the month for November on Thursday.It's the second such honor this season for Woodson, who also took the award in September. He was named player of the week twice in November for his performances in wins over Dallas and Detroit.Tough to argue at this point Woodson isn't one of the front-runners -- if not the front-runner -- for NFL defensive player of the ye... Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:11:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Source_Woodson_is_player_of_the_month_again/1669236 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Source_Woodson_is_player_of_the_month_again/1669236 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Source_Woodson_is_player_of_the_month_again/1669236 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/5/758cc085848d16895460798b6695fd09deaea5fe/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f1379364.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d17A4AD9FDB9CF1935BBE657AC86A9648DA22F67A72806125.jpg No surprise here, but Packers cornerback Charles Woodson will be named NFC defensive player of the week tomorrow, an NFL source said.Woodson dominated the Packers' Thanksgiving victory at Detroit with two interceptions, a sack and a fumble.It's the second time that Woodson has won the award in the last month. He also was honored after the Packers' win over the Cowboys. He also was named NFC defensive player of the month for September.-- Rob Demovsky, rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.... Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:47:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Woodson_named_NFC_defensive_player_of_the_week_again/1662663 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Woodson_named_NFC_defensive_player_of_the_week_again/1662663 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Woodson_named_NFC_defensive_player_of_the_week_again/1662663 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/b/bb5845d1cba922002ca86eef07fb2ec13b38267a/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f1495818.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d17A4AD9FDB9CF1935BBE657AC86A9648ABD9A3FBDF1C0F2C.jpg All year long the Oakland Raiders have played bend but don’t break defense. On Thanksgiving Day they broke leading the way as the Silver and Black went down 24-7 to the Cowboys. The offense did little to help the cause. Tom Cable’s play calling didn’t even take his team across midfield in the first half. But this [...] Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:45:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/No_defense_for_Raiders_in_Dallas/1641949 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/No_defense_for_Raiders_in_Dallas/1641949 IRVING - Much was made of Greg Ellis' homecoming on Thursday, but Anthony Spencer stole the show. The Cowboys got rid of Ellis last June to allow Spencer to take over fulltime at strongside outside linebacker. Ellis started Thursday, but swelling in his left knee and lower leg kept him sidelined in the second half. If Ellis watched the rest of the game on TV in the locker room, he saw Spencer finish with eight tackles, his first two sacks of the season, three quarterback hits, two tack... Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:43:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Spencer_upstages_Ellis/1640206 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Spencer_upstages_Ellis/1640206 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Spencer_upstages_Ellis/1640206 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/e/dee180d9b12bb29a01e2c1510690d7f9d3873ad4/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f81980126.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d17A4AD9FDB9CF193B7AACB11502DBF335FD069DFCDB87102.jpg Now that most of your food has digested and the tryptophan has worn off it’s time to focus on getting gifts for the special people in your life. We’ve all made the mistake of giving somebody a present that they didn’t want or care about and dealt with this uncomfortable exchange: Them: Ah.. Thanks (With a [...] Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:11:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/The_Worst_Christmas_Gift_for_an_Oakland_Raiders_Fan/1638536 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/The_Worst_Christmas_Gift_for_an_Oakland_Raiders_Fan/1638536 When Tony Romo(notes) looked around his locker room after today's 24-7 win over the Raiders, he saw a lot of guys he could point to and say, "I am thankful for this guy, because he makes my job easier." If Bruce Gradkowski(notes) said that about anyone in his locker room, he was just being nice. The Raiders played hard this afternoon, and while it might be a stretch to say that they gave the Cowboys a game, they didn't embarrass themselves, either. The effort was there... Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:58:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_prove_that_some_should_be_more_thankful_for_than_others/1637629 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_prove_that_some_should_be_more_thankful_for_than_others/1637629 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_prove_that_some_should_be_more_thankful_for_than_others/1637629 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/c/cc36e815ac0bd25003489484e37fac334ae9d815/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f93326758.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D012AB715C2CC516DBC66CB0398B8071F361670757C23FA60F.jpg The Oakland Raiders have already proven they can beat the Dallas Cowboys in 2009. Back in August, these two teams tangled in a preseason tussle with the Silver and Black dancing off to the beat of a 31-10 victory. The Big Gradkowski was kind enough to share his thoughts with JBB on that victory. That was then, [...] Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:19:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_have_the_blueprint_to_beat_Cowboys/1631038 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_have_the_blueprint_to_beat_Cowboys/1631038 IRVING - Greg Ellis notched 20½ sacks for the Dallas Cowboys the last two seasons. So why will he line up at defensive end Thursday in the Oakland Raiders' 4-3 alignment instead of outside linebacker in the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme? Dallas saved $4.15 million in salary cap space when they cut Ellis in the offseason, but he suggested this week in a conference call that the decision mainly boiled down to coach Wade Phillips wanting to go with his guy. That would be third-year player Antho... Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:51:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Ellis_says_his_departure_from_Dallas_stems_from_Phillips_apos_decision/1630134 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Ellis_says_his_departure_from_Dallas_stems_from_Phillips_apos_decision/1630134 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Ellis_says_his_departure_from_Dallas_stems_from_Phillips_apos_decision/1630134 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/0/7/074f3af17b59e2138579cee60819bc7031e58478/small/a4.jpg Nnamdi Asomugha is keeping some rare company these days. He’s already known as the best shutdown corner in the NFL. A defensive force so dominant that he did the impossible and kept Chad Ochocinco’s mouth shut for an entire Sunday afternoon. After receiving a mega contact this offseason, Nnamdi also joined the upper 5% of the [...] Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:04:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Nnamdi_Asomugha_named_to_Dream_Team_for_Public_Service/1620941 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Nnamdi_Asomugha_named_to_Dream_Team_for_Public_Service/1620941 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Nnamdi_Asomugha_named_to_Dream_Team_for_Public_Service/1620941 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/1/b16b9b9d7bdaab357a9614b9c1e6acc05f98a9bf/small/Oakland_Raiders_Training_52b6.jpg Do the 11 quarterbacks taken during 2007 NFL Draft, headlined by first rounders JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, comprise the worst single position from any draft class ever? The evidence is pretty damning. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:03:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/The_QBs_of_the_2007_NFL_Draft_The_Worst_Single_Position_of_Any_NFL_Draft_Class_Ever/1602950 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/The_QBs_of_the_2007_NFL_Draft_The_Worst_Single_Position_of_Any_NFL_Draft_Class_Ever/1602950 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/The_QBs_of_the_2007_NFL_Draft_The_Worst_Single_Position_of_Any_NFL_Draft_Class_Ever/1602950 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/5/3/5337506f7308c565b3b8e36c1033b293e164de66/small/Picture_2.png So, this is what it’s come down to. The number one overall selection in the 2007 NFL draft has been benched in favor of 194th overall selection in the 2006 draft. How Bruce Gradkowski’s career QB rating of 58.6 has become favored over JaMarcus Russell’s 65.5 is a quandary that now reflects the sad state of [...] Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:50:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/The_Miseducation_of_JaMarcus_Russell/1597214 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/The_Miseducation_of_JaMarcus_Russell/1597214 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/The_Miseducation_of_JaMarcus_Russell/1597214 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/2/1/2114fd6e0efabe171e249c4e41908912a9f35fa2/small/93075753.jpg The Oakland Raiders are benching former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell, handing the starting job to Bruce Gradkowski. Coach Tom Cable said after practice Wednesday that Gradkowski will get the nod Sunday against Cincinnati. Cable says the plan is for Gradkowski to start the rest of the season. Cable has pulled Russell for ineffectiveness in two of the past three games. This will be just the second start for Gradkowski since 2006. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:11:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_bench_Russell_likely_for_rest_of_3909/1590609 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_bench_Russell_likely_for_rest_of_3909/1590609 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_bench_Russell_likely_for_rest_of_3909/1590609 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/6/0/605444fa38ea66add770e62c8e3de2c0a7de8b0e/small/Picture_1.png