Archives for September 18, 2008

‘”I feel like it (his time at Stanford) prepared me just to face a lot of pressure packages in the NFL,” Edwards said Wednesday in a conference call with Bay Area reporters. “I’m now able to use that to my advantage and recognize when I need to get the ball out and know where my (secondary) receivers are.”‘

Raiders: Commitment to extraneous events (Oakland Tribune)

Kiffin is counseled by Carroll (Oakland Tribune)

Stanford prepared Buffalo’s Edwards (San Francisco Chronicle)

Raiders’ runners need a bounce (San Francisco Chronicle)

Will Raiders, Davis learn from their mistakes? (San Jose Mercury News)

After DUI, lineman Kelly accepts responsibility (Sacramento Bee)

Davis determined to undermine his own coach (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

Raiders’ Kelly takes responsibility for arrest (AP)

Meet the new Raider boss, same as the old boss (AP)

Inside slant (The Sports Xchange)

Strategy and personnel (The Sports Xchange)

Notes, quotes (The Sports Xchange)

NFL Day at the Movies (Raiders.com)

Brown Speaks with 5th Graders (Raiders.com)

Raiders Team Up with AEF (Raiders.com)

‘Running back Fred Jackson, signed as a rookie free agent in 2006 to Buffalo’s practice squad, has pushed his way onto the field as a feared receiving threat and explosive complement to starter Marshawn Lynch.’

‘Said Youboty on Wednesday: “I don’t think it is specifically everything I did in this offseason. I think it’s just being here, my third year. You know some guys can make the transition to the NFL faster than others and you know being here three years and being comfortable here in the system, and it’s just sinking in and making plays.”‘

‘After spending the entire offseason and training camp telling reporters how 6-6 rookie wide receiver James Hardy was going to be a special weapon in the red zone, Trent Edwards sounded relieved to finally have thrown him a touchdown pass that counted. Hardy’s coffin-corner, tip-toe, seven-yard reception in Jacksonville was a nice piece of execution. “What makes it nicer is that you guys ask me all of these questions about James, and it’s like, ‘When are we going to see this happen? Why did we draft this kid?’ And that’s what is encouraging, that a young rookie makes a big-time play like that. That helps me, that helps James, that helps this organization, and that makes the guys that drafted him in April look a lot better, too.”‘

‘Even with Mathis’ initial reaction forward, a great throw from Edwards, and a phenomenal catch, the pass was still only a few blades of grass away from being incomplete. That’s how tough it is to score in the red zone — and it shows just what kind of difference a few inches can make.’

‘”We’re a lot closer. We have closed the gap,” said Evans, who’s entering the final year of his contract. “Hopefully, we can get it done sooner than later. But I’m not really worried.”‘

‘A win in Week 3 might be. The Bills haven’t won their first three games since a 4-0 start in 1992, en route to the third of four straight trips to the Super Bowl during the Jim Kelly-Thurman Thomas era.’