The
Zone Blitz:
Raiders have had
rough week
12/7/2001
by
CK Rairden
Landmark columnist
The Raiders suffered through a bad week. First they lose
to the Arizona Cardinals at home dropping them to 8-3.
Then DT Darrell Russell is fingered for violating the
league’s substance abuse policy. FB Jon Ritchie gets
hurt and rumors surround HC Jon Gruden leaving for the
Notre Dame job.
Will they take their poor mood out on the Chiefs? Will
Russell play? Will Ritchie suit up? Will the Raiders pump
ex-Chief Jermaine Willimas for info?
Find out in the Zone Blitz.
—DT Darrell Russell, who tested positive for the
club drug Ecstasy, appealed his one-year drug suspension
to the NFL Thursday—no word on the result yet.
—-HC Jon Gruden has withdrawn his name from consideration
for the head-coaching job at Notre Dame.
—The Raiders are hurting— OG Mo Collins and
FB Jon Ritchie are likely out.
—Expect new Chiefs WR Eddie Kennison to see action
on the field with the Chiefs offense. This should come
as no surprise as the Chiefs will still field only four
WR’s.
—Remember game one? The Raiders won 27-24 on a late
FG. It set the tone for the season—the Raiders are
8-3. The Chiefs are 3-8.
—Also after game one many observers believed the
Chiefs had made a mistake with RB Priest Holmes and had
struck gold with QB Trent Green. My how times had changed.
—WR Snoop Minnis should start for the Chiefs Sunday,
barring any other setbacks.
—The Raiders defense hasn’t been able to stop
anything lately but the Chiefs have so few weapons expect
the Raiders to crowd the line of scrimmage and attempt
to stop the run.
—Raiders wideout Tim Brown will be returning punts
this weekend. Their old returner (David Dunn) was cut
after fumbling a punt in OT last weekend.
—The Raiders picked up departed Chiefs FB Jermaine
Williams after the Chiefs cut him on Tuesday.
—One thing this causes—the Chiefs will have
to use different audible verbage as Williams just gave
the Raiders defense a three-day crash course in the Chiefs'
offensive sets and adjustments and how they were called
at the line of scrimmage.
—The reason the Chiefs cut Williams—to sign
TE Billy Baber off of the practice squad. That gives the
Chiefs one FB on the roster and 5 TE’s.
—LB Lew Bush is hurt again and may miss Sunday’s
game.
This is an opportunity for the Chiefs to add to the Raiders
woes and put a dent in the Raiders' dream of home-field
advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Can the Chiefs
at least play the spoiler role?
Not likely. Raiders QB Rich Gannon has owned the Chiefs
since they blew him off after the ’98 season and
that continues here.
Raiders 44 Chiefs 33.
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