Game 11: Raiders 27, Big Dead 23

Grant Napear, Jim Plunkett and George Atkinson make up the Oakland broadcast team. This is my favorite preseason crew because they're so mistake-prone.

Oakland's is easily the loudest home crowd I've heard so far. Cards open 3-and-out as Edge comes up just short on a 3rd-down screen pass. Napear identifies Arizona punter Scott Player as Neal Rackers.

Josh McCown starts at QB for the Raiders and starts with three brutal, laughable incomplete passes.

3-and-out for the Cardinals again. Raiders pressured Leinart into an incompletion without bringing any extra rushers. Leinart was expecting Bryant Johnson to head upfield. Edge finding no room to run so far, just like last pre- and regular season. Plunkett pronounces his name "Edgar-in". Plunkett pronounces no one's name right; I bet he pronounces his own last name Plun-KETT.

McCown completes a couple of passes, but a fine play by Eric Green forces Ronald Curry out of bounds short of the first down. Raiders down the punt inside the 5.

I guess James is already done; Marcel Shipp's in at TB. Or as Plunkett says, Mar-shel. Cards make it to the Oakland 40 before Leinart's pressured into a 3rd-down dumpoff that the Raiders were all over. Shipp found some room to run this drive, but Leinart nearly had a couple of passes picked off, and his throws have tended to be high.

As the first quarter ends, the Raiders have driven inside the Arizona 20. Dominic Rhodes has done a little damage on the ground, McCown has hit Jerry Porter and Mike Freaking Williams, and the Big Dead have done their traditional share of help with stupid penalties; unnecessary roughness on Darnell Dockett and offsides on Bertran Berry on a 3rd-and-6. Rhodes finishes the 10-play, 80-yard, 7-minute drive with a 1-yard TD plunge. 7-0 Raiders.

Kurt Warner in as Arizona's QB. Not too long before he hits Bryant Johnson for a 58-yard TD that looked a lot like Walter Young's in the Steelers-Packers game. Terrible diving tackle attempt by the DB, former Ram kick returner non-extraordinaire Chris Johnson, and the deep back Hiram Eugene took a bad angle. Game tied at 7.

Andrew Walter at QB now for the Raiders. Raiders go 3-and-out with just a couple of short completions. Bill Leavy's officiating crew is allowing a lot of contact downfield.

Warner is already out of the game in favor of Shane Boyd. Yeah, I don't think Kurt's job is in any trouble. Boyd's first pass is right to Eugene and returned for a 31-yard TD. 14-7 Raiders.

3-and-out for Arizona. Boyd hangs TE Troy Bienemann (whose name I'm disappointed Plunkett didn't pronounce "Beenie Man") out to dry and BJ Ward drops the boom on him. Oakland makes a long return on the punt for the second time tonight.

Raiders put together another good, long scoring drive to run out the first half. They convert four third downs, including a leaping grab by Zach Miller on 3rd-and-10. Justin Fargas is the workhorse in the Arizona end with 5 carries, and Walter hits Mike Williams on the fade route for a TD from the 3.
21-7, Raiders.

Wow, I spoke too soon. Boyd's two completions and scramble in the last 0:22 look innocuous enough, but Rackers hits a 59-yard BOMB out of the infield dirt to make it a 21-10 game at halftime. Rackers was off a little last season, but that is a hell of a statement for him right out of the gate.

3-and-out for the Raiders as Chris Cooper completely overruns Mario Henderson to get to Walter for the sack. Making a bad situation worse, Tyler Frederickson's punt is a total shank, going maybe 30 yards.

Capitalizing on the shortened field, Boyd hits 4-of-5 passes and makes a nice cutback on a QB draw for a 8-yard TD to bring Arizona within 21-17.

Well, how 'bout the start of the Daunte Culpepper era in Oakland? The noted fumbler blows the snap on his very first play, and Alan Branch recovers the loose ball for Arizona. Golden scoring opportunity inside the Raider 20, but the Big Dead settle for just a FG. Replay challenge saves Boyd from giving up another INT return TD, but he still gets sacked by Jay Richardson on 3rd down to force another Rackers FG. Good comeback by Arizona - they've made it almost all the way back, trailing just 21-20.

He hasn't been in camp long, but Culpepper looks awful so far. He nearly fumbles it away again after Chris Cooper's 2nd sack, and his third down pass stinks to salt away a 3-and-out.

Helped by a roughing the passer penalty and a JJ Arrington run, the Cardinals get another Rackers FG to take the lead. A Ben Patrick drop and a couple of good pressures by the Raiders keep it from being more. Arizona leading now, 23-21.

After a touchback, the Raiders cross midfield on the strength of a bunch of carries by Joe Echemandu. A holding penalty right before the start of the 4th quarter sets them back. They go for it on 4th-and-6 at the Arizona 39 instead of letting Janikowski try a 56-yarder. Culpepper's bomb for Chris McFoy is too long by a step, and the Cardinals take over on downs.

3-and-out for Arizona with Boyd throwing a long incompletion on 3rd-and-4.

Culpepper uncorks a perfect 50-yard bomb to Johnnie Lee Higgins. 3 Echemandu runs bring the Raiders in for a closer FG attempt. Janikowski hits the 27-yarder to put Oakland back in the lead, 24-23.

Arizona gets to midfield before breaking down with a false start by Levi Brown, who seemed to have a good game otherwise, and Boyd getting sacked for -11 by Isaiah Ekejiuba, who came in on a dog.

Oakland gets another long punt return and sets up at midfield. They cash the excellent field position into a 48-yard Frederickson FG. 27-23, Oakland.

Arizona's night ends not with a bang but with a whimper. Boyd goes underthrow, sack, incomplete wounded duck near-pick, underthrow to send everyone home.

Echemandu grinds out the clock and the Raiders win 27-23.

The Raiders deserve credit for being able to string together some long drives. This was an offense that couldn't get out of its own way last season. Culpepper should take over as starting QB before too long. Echemandu looked good at RB but I doubt he'll crest above 4th on their depth chart.

DE Chris Cooper was the best of the Big Dead tonight as far as I'm concerned: 6 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble. Except for saying that Rackers looks like he could be exceptional again, there isn't a lot to go on for them. Cooper was the only player with a sack; against Oakland, that's not good. If Leinart were a pitcher, you'd say he lacked command. Edge did nothing. Their run blocking looks improved; then again, they lost Oliver Ross for the season in this game, and having to shuffle the offensive line never helps an offense. As an interested opposing fan, I'd like to see more of their starters.

11 down, 54 to go. Up next: Falcons @ Jets.