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Oct. 6, 2006
The Sports Xchange
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 4:05 ET
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS, Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker
SERIES: 11th meeting. Raiders lead the series 6-4, but the 49ers won the last meeting 23-20 in overtime as quarterback Jeff Garcia threw for 282 yards and Terrell Owens torched Charles Woodson for 12 receptions and 191 yards in Woodson's first game back after a broken shoulder. The last game in San Francisco also went to overtime, with the Raiders prevailing 34-28 on Rich Gannon's 31-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown.
2006 RANKINGS: Raiders: offense 32nd (15th rush, 32nd pass); defense 9th (28th rush, 3rd pass). 49ers: offense 13th (12th rush, 14th pass); defense 24th (21st rush, 24th pass)
KEYS TO THE GAME: The 49ers have found a workhorse in RB Frank Gore, but the second-year player has also fumbled in every game this season. That has contributed to the team's slow starts -- San Francisco has been outscored 45-10 in the first quarter and 82-20 in the first half this season. WR Antonio Bryant is the team's biggest weapon, and QB Alex Smith has to find a way to get him involved early on. However, defenses have been able to focus on slowing him down with few other dangerous threats at Smith's disposal, especially with rookie TE Vernon Davis injured. The Raiders' passing game has far bigger issues with QB Andrew Walter struggling while playing behind a shaky offensive line. The Raiders like to use RB LaMont Jordan to set up the vertical passing game, but look for Walter to rely more on the short passing game this week to avoid the turnovers the Raiders simply can't afford at this point.
FAST FACTS: Raiders: Walter is being sacked once for every 5.6 pass plays called. ... WR Randy Moss has scored a touchdown in 47.4 percent of his games with the team after scoring in 76.5 percent with Minnesota. 49ers: Smith has more passing yards (906) than he had during his entire rookie season (875). ... Gore is second in the NFL with 460 yards from scrimmage.
PREDICTION: 49ers 17-14
PERSONNEL NEWS
Raiders:
--CB Stanford Routt will start at right cornerback in place of Nnamdi Asomugha. Routt will relinquish some of his snaps as a gunner on kick coverage.
--G Kevin Boothe, a sixth-round draft pick from Cornell, earned praise from coach Art Shell for his first start against Cleveland. He will start again against the 49ers.
--QB Andrew Walter has a quarterback rating of 29.2, lower than that of WR Ronald Curry, who threw incomplete on his only pass and has a rating of 39.6.
--LB Isaiah Ekijuiba, a special teams standout, said it is a tossup as to whether he will be ready to play against San Francisco due to a shoulder injury.
--RB Justin Fargas, who has 90 yards on nine carries, has not had more than five carries in a game since carrying six times for 38 yards against Kansas City on Dec. 25, 2004.
49ers:
--RB Frank Gore, who has fumbled in four consecutive games to begin the season, said he is eager to return to action against the Raiders and end his streak. "I've made mistakes and now I just got to put it behind me and play ball and get back to being myself, you know?" Gore said. Gore has 331 yards and three touchdowns on 75 carries. He also leads the team with 16 receptions for 129 yards.
--LG Larry Allen remains doubtful for Sunday's game against the Raiders with a left knee sprain. Allen has not played since the first drive of the season opener. He probably will not be available for this week's game, but could return Oct. 15 against the Chargers.
--FS Mike Adams, who has started all four games, ranks second on the team with 27 tackles. He recently turned down a 49ers offer at a contract extension. Adams is scheduled to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
--LB T.J. Slaughter saw his most extensive playing time in the 49ers' big nickel package. Slaughter has five tackles this season on defense, all of which came in the 41-0 loss to the Chiefs. Slaughter also has a team-leading five tackles on special teams.
--TE Delanie Walker is expected to see his first action of the season Sunday against the Raiders. Walker is an exciting performer with the ball in his hand. He could see some action on special teams, as well as on offense as a backup to starter Eric Johnson.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Raiders:
Ronald Curry could be forgiven for casting an admiring glance at the opposing offense when Raiders visit San Francisco on Sunday.
It was under then-Raiders head coach Norv Turner in 2004 that Curry blossomed as a slot receiver, catching 50 passes for 679 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games before being lost for the season with a torn left Achilles tendon.
Turner was so impressed with Curry at training camp he hastened the departure of the Raiders' all-time leading receiver, Tim Brown, informing him he might be inactive in selected games.
Curry tore his Achilles tendon a second time last season and is gradually getting more playing time this year. He is again becoming a third-down threat in Oakland's anemic offense, with four of his six receptions and 65 of his 79 yards on third down.
But while Turner often employed three-receiver sets, current offensive coordinator Tom Walsh is more fond of formations with two wide receivers and two tight ends. That has often left Curry on the sidelines, watching Alvis Whitted start alongside Randy Moss while Jerry Porter continues to be inactive because of a dispute with coach Art Shell.
"We hang our hat more on an athletic tight end such as Randal (Williams) and Courtney (Anderson)," Curry said. "With Norv there was more (three-receiver sets). It was automatic on third down, and on some other downs as well. Now, you just don't know."
Curry hopes if he can continue to produce with limited opportunities, the Raiders may rethink which formations they use in a given game.
"I guess the more I show them I'm back and capable of doing the things I did before, maybe they'll put me in games a little more," Curry said.
Shell respects Curry's desire, but he is thinking of the long term as well as the short term.
"Ronald is getting better each week. We've still got to monitor him, make sure he doesn't do too much, because he hasn't done a whole lot of work in the last couple of years, so his muscles are going to be a little more strained than some of the other guys'. So we've got to be careful. He's coming along, and I like what we're doing with him."
49ers:
Niners offensive coordinator Norv Turner spent the previous two seasons as head coach of the Raiders, compiling a 9-23 record before he was fired.
On Sunday, Turner will be in the press box calling plays against his former team, which still features many of the players he coached the past two years.
"I'm sure it's probably a little more special for him," 49ers quarterback Alex Smith said. "I'm sure he's got a little extra (motivation). He was there and knows all those guys. When you move on, you like to think you're moving for the better. I'm sure he wants to go out there and win."
But Turner said he is not taking this game personally because it's just a fact of life in the NFL. Anyone who latches on somewhere after getting fired is going to be facing that team again at some point.
"It's an important game for our team," Turner said. "I learned a long time ago, whether it's my relationship with (former Rams coach) John Robinson and knowing the game or other people I've been around, you got to take the personal stuff out of it. Just do your job and players go play the game."
The 49ers offense is already vastly improved under Turner from a year ago, when the club ranked last in the league with an average of 224.2 yards per game. The 49ers are currently 13th in the league, averaging 327.5 yards. However, San Francisco is coming off a 41-0 loss to Kansas City.
"I know where this team is, the youth of the offensive team, and I see an upside with (running back) Frank Gore and with Alex and our young lineman," Turner said. "And I think there are guys who are going to be really good players for a long time."
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Not as lean
Not as mean
but still a Marine!
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10-07-2006, 05:00 AM
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