Season-in-review team reports — AFC
West
As published in print Feb. 6, 2002
2001 record: 10-6 |
| Overview |
| It was a season of controversy for the Silver & Black, and
speculation of all kinds followed the Raiders right through to the end. The Raiders were
in prime position to take control of home-field advantage in the playoffs, but a
late-season slide after staking claim to the AFC West title prevented them from doing so.
Not helping the team’s focus were a number of distractions, including DT Darrell
Russell’s two suspensions, PK Sebastian Janikowski’s off-the-field headlines and
foot infection, rumors about head coach Jon Gruden’s job security and possible
interest in other jobs, and instances of bickering in the locker room. Through it all,
Gruden was able to get big years out of a number of aging veterans and make it to the
second round of the playoffs, where a controversial call helped the Patriots bounce the
Raiders. |
| Turning point |
| If Terrell Davis and the Broncos opened the door in terms of exploiting
the Raiders’ porous run defense in Week Eight, Shaun Alexander and the Seahawks
kicked it in a week later. Alexander ran around, through and past the Raiders for 266
yards in Seattle’s 34-27 win. The Seahawks tallied 319 total yards on the ground.
Prior to Week Eight, the Raiders had surrendered a modest 87.5 rushing yards per game.
Despite a late-season improvement, they gave up an average of 146.3 rushing yards per game
over the last 10 weeks of the regular season. |
| Offensive MVP |
| QB Rich Gannon again showed he was a natural fit for the Raiders’
offensive system. His running ability was not on display as much as it was in 2000, but
his pinpoint passing was. Gannon’s 27-9 TD-interception ratio was phenomenal, and his
passer rating and completion percentage were second only to Kurt Warner in the entire NFL.
Charlie Garner also deserves consideration for the new dimension he brought to
Oakland’s backfield and the load he carried offensively. |
| Defensive MVP |
| Mammoth DT Grady Jackson gets the call over CB Charles Woodson for his
consistency despite the constant double-teams he faced. Jackson, playing with an injured
shoulder for much of the season, was effective even without the help of Russell, who
missed large chunks of the season with suspensions. Jackson made a habit of disrupting the
opponent’s offensive backfield and is the team’s top free-agent priority. |
| Biggest surprise |
| The fact Johnnie Harris played as well as he did after taking over for
Marquez Pope in Week 13 was a welcome relief for the coaching staff. While Derrick Gibson
eventually will be looked to at strong safety, Harris’ emergence alleviated one of
the team’s offseason concerns with his all-around play. |
| Biggest disappointment |
| By far it was Russell, who missed the first four games for a violation of
the league’s substance-abuse policy and then was suspended again for the final two
games for another offense, which carries a yearlong ban from the league. In between, he
was playing as well as he had in three years. But now his future in Oakland is very much
in doubt, especially after a February arrest on charges of drugging and raping a woman. |
| Rookie recap |
| Not a whole lot happened in regard to the Raiders’ rookie class.
First-rounder Derrick Gibson played a nickel role in the secondary, but QB Marques
Tuiasosopo and DE DeLawrence Grant barely saw the field. DL Chris Cooper appears to be a
nice prospect and served as a sixth-round surprise with his late-season play. |
| Free-agent/trade review |
| Overall, it was a good year for Oakland’s newcomers, with the
exception of veteran DE Trace Armstrong, who was lost for the year with a torn Achilles
tendon in the preseason. The contributions of former 49ers Jerry Rice and Garner were
absolutely huge for the Raiders’ offense. TE Roland Williams failed to put up the
numbers the Raiders had been hoping for, but he was an effective addition for the
fourth-round pick they gave up to get him. |
| Team leaders |
Rushing — Charlie Garner, 839 yards on 211 carries, 4.0 avg., 1 TD.
Passing — Rich Gannon, 361-549 attempts for 3,828 yards, 27 TDs, 9 interceptions,
95.5 rating.
Receiving — Tim Brown, 91 receptions for 1,165 yards, 12.8 avg., 9 TDs.
Scoring — Sebastian Janikowski, 111 points on 42 PATs and 23 FGs.
Kickoff returns — Terry Kirby, 46 for 1,066 yards, 23.2 avg., 1 TD.
Punt returns — David Dunn, 19 for 169 yards, 8.9 avg., 0 TDs.
Punting — Shane Lechler, 73 for 46.2 avg., 35.6 net, 12 TB, 23 inside 20, 1 blk.,
65L.
Interceptions — Tory James, 5 for 72 yards, 14.4 avg., 0 TDs.
Sacks — Regan Upshaw, 7. |
| Results |
Pointspread Shown Refers to Oakland.
| Date |
Opponent |
Spread |
Score |
| Sept. 9 |
At Kansas City |
(-3) |
27-24 |
| Sept. 23 |
At Miami |
(+1) |
15-18 |
| Sept. 30 |
Seattle |
(-10) |
38-14 |
| Oct. 7 |
Dallas |
(-17) |
28-21 |
| Oct. 14 |
At Indianapolis |
(+3.5) |
23-18 |
| Oct. 21 |
BYE |
|
|
| Oct. 28 |
At Philadelphia |
(+1.5) |
20-10 |
| Nov. 5 |
Denver |
(-6) |
38-28 |
| Nov. 11 |
At Seattle |
(-6) |
27-34 |
| Nov. 18 |
San Diego |
(-8) |
34-24 |
| Nov. 25 |
At New York Giants |
(-2.5) |
28-10 |
| Dec. 2 |
Arizona |
(-12) |
31-34* |
| Dec. 9 |
Kansas City |
(-9) |
28-26 |
| Dec. 15 |
At San Diego |
(-3.5) |
13-6 |
| Dec. 22 |
Tennessee |
(-5.5) |
10-13 |
| Dec. 30 |
At Denver |
(+1) |
17-23 |
| Jan. 6 |
New York Jets |
(-3.5) |
22-24 |
| Postseason |
|
|
|
| Jan. 12 |
New York Jets |
(-6) |
38-24 |
| Jan. 19 |
At New England |
(+3) |
13-16* |
* Overtime |
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