T Langston Walker (70), G Cooper Carlisle (66), rookie C/T Jared Veldheer (68), G Robert Gallery (76) and T Mario Henderson (75), along with C Samson Satele and T Khalif Barnes (not pictured) propelled the Raiders to 328 yards on the ground in the 59-14 win at Denver. Photo by Tony Gonzales.
The Oakland Raiders - anchored behind the powerful protection of their offensive line - scored a franchise best 59 points and picked up 508 yards of total offense Sunday afternoon in a 59-14 victory over the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field in Denver. The Raiders offensive line now joins this year's list of contenders for the 2nd annual Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award, presented by Prilosec OTC. The award honors the NFL's best offensive line and will be presented during the week of Super Bowl XLV which will be played on February 6, 2011 in North Texas.
The Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award *recognizes the fundamental role offensive linemen play in their teams' success by providing consistent and reliable protection day in and day out, just as Prilosec OTC provides 24-hour heartburn protection when used as directed. For more information on the *Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award presented by Prilosec OTC, visit http://www.maddenprotectorsaward.com/. * *
The Raiders offensive line proved to be dominating Sunday, helping the offense score on five of their first six drives. Oakland scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the second half and picked up 29 first downs in the game, including 18 on the ground. Providing the powerful protection up front for the Raiders Sunday were tackles JARED VELDHEER (Hillsdale) and LANGSTON WALKER (California), guards COOPER CARLISLE (Florida) and ROBERT GALLERY (Iowa) and center SAMSON SATELE (Hawaii). JIM MICHALCZIK is in his second season as the Raiders' offensive line coach.
Oakland's offensive line did the majority of their damage blocking for a powerful running game that averaged more than 6 yards per carry, while picking up 328 total rushing yards. McFadden, who missed the Raiders' two previous games with an injury, finished the game with 196 yards of total offense. Oakland's offense now ranks 3rd in the league in average rushing yards per contest (158.4) and 5th in average points per contest (25.6).
Running back DARREN McFADDEN (Arkansas) led the 508-yard offensive explosion with 165 yards rushing, 31 yards receiving and a career-best four touchdowns. Quarterback JASON CAMPBELL (Auburn) contributed 204 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions as the Raiders offense erupted for 38 points in the first 22 minutes of the game. Oakland scored a franchise best 24 first quarter points, including touchdowns just eight seconds apart. The victory was the Raiders' third straight in Denver.
"The Raiders offensive line played as dominant a game Sunday as any Oakland offensive line I have seen in some time," said Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach JOHN MADDEN. "You could tell from the very first series the line was playing physical and opening up lots of room for McFadden. As the game progressed, you could see their confidence grow in both run blocking and pass protection."
