WR Jacoby Ford's catch set up the game-winning field goal in overtime during the Raiders 23-20 win over the Chiefs in Oakland in November 2010. Photo by Tony Gonzales.
ON THE SCOREBOARD FIRST: The Silver and Black opened its 24-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns on October 16 at O.co Coliseum in great fashion, scoring a touchdown on an 88-yard drive on the team's first offensive series. After forcing the Browns to punt on their first possession, the Raiders drove 88 yards on a 15-play scoring drive that culminated in a four-yard touchdown run by RB Darren McFadden. The drive took 9:17 off the clock and included three third down conversions.
DHB DELIVERS AGAIN: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey continued his outstanding play this season, hauling in six passes for 82 yards in the win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16 at O.co Coliseum. The total fell just short of his career high of seven receptions set the previous week at Houston and marked the fifth straight game this season in which he has recorded a catch. Heyward-Bey is averaging nearly 100 yards per contest (98.6) in the past three games.
FORD BRINGS BACK ANOTHER ONE: WR Jacoby Ford returned his fourth career kickoff for a touchdown in the win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16 at O.co Coliseum. The 101-yard return tied his personal career high and ranks as the third-longest kickoff return in Raiders history. Ford, who returned three kickoffs for touchdowns last season, is the Silver and Black's all-time leader in touchdowns (4) on kickoff returns.
PERFECT FAKE: P Shane Lechler completed his first career pass on a fake field goal in the win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16 at O.co Coliseum, finding TE Kevin Boss for a 35-yard touchdown in the third quarter. It marked the second straight week that the Raiders produced on special teams, following RB Rock Cartwright's 35-yard run for a first down on a fake punt at Houston on October 9.
610 THROUGH SIX: RB Darren McFadden has rushed for 610 yards through the first six games of the 2011 season, giving the fourth-year pro more rushing yards through six games than any other player in Raider history. He leads the NFL in rushing and is also second on the Raiders in receptions with 18.
IN THE RED ZONE: The Raiders rank fourth in the NFL in red zone efficiency with an almost-90 percent (88.9) touchdown percentage in the red zone so far this season.
GETTING TO THE QB: The Oakland Raiders have sacked opposing quarterbacks 16 times in just six games to tie for eighth in the NFL. The Silver and Black were among the league leaders in 2010 with 47 sacks.
NEAR-PERFECT PROTECTION: Through the six games of the 2011 NFL regular season, the Raider blockers allowed the fewest number of sacks in the NFL - seven. The Raiders did not allow a single sack during the October 2 game versus the New England Patriots at O.co Coliseum and during the September 18 contest versus the Bills at Buffalo. Opponents were credited with a single sack during the 2011 regular season opener against the Broncos in Denver on September 12 and on September 25 against the New York Jets at O.co Coliseum when QB Jason Campbell tripped over a teammate's foot while back up from center on a pass play.
NFL FIRSTS: Rookie TE David Ausberry and first-year FB Manase Tonga each recorded NFL firsts in the Silver and Black's win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16. Tonga recorded his first career carry in the first quarter, rushing for 12 yards during the Raiders' opening scoring drive. Ausberry recorded his first career reception for four yards on a pass from QB Jason Campbell on the same drive.
FINDERS KEEPERS: DT Tommy Kelly recovered a third quarter fumble in the Raiders win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16, setting up a field goal. It marked the first fumble recovery for Kelly since his rookie season, when he recovered a fumble in the season finale.
GIORDANO FIRST: S Matt Giordano recorded his first career sack in the Raiders' 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16. The seventh-year pro dropped QB Colt McCoy for a 10-yard loss to help halt a Cleveland drive. He is third on the team in tackles with 26 (18 solo). He recorded his first interception since 2007 during the Raiders 2011 regular season-opening win over the Broncos in Denver on September 12
BOSS ON THE SPOT: TE Kevin Boss' first touchdown as a Raider came on special teams, as the fifth-year pro caught a 35-yard scoring pass from P Shane Lechler on a fake field goal during the Raiders' 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16 at O.co Coliseum. It was the 19th career touchdown reception for Boss, who had a career high of six touchdowns in a season in 2008.
DVD PD: Rookie CB DeMarcus Van Dyke recorded his first two career passes defensed in the Raiders' 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16 at O.co Coliseum. Van Dyke, who made his second straight start, recorded a pair of tackles in the victory.
BRANCHING OUT: SS Tyvon Branch, the Raiders leading tackler in 2009 and 2010, is once again leading the Raiders defense in tackles. According to unofficial press box numbers, Branch has 47 total tackles with 32 solo stops.
FOURTH QUARTER FINISH: QB Jason Campbell has four touchdowns and a 104.1 passer rating in the fourth quarter this season.
SEYMOUR THE SACKER: DT Richard Seymour has five sacks so far this season and need another sack to surpass his 2010 total (5.5) in a season that he was named to his sixth Pro Bowl and first as a Raider.
IN A RUSH: The Raiders have rushed for an NFL-best 20 touchdown on the ground this year, with the latest coming on a 4-yard run by RB Darren McFadden during the Raiders' 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16 at O.co Coliseum.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: Eight different Raiders caught at least one pass during the Raiders' 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16 at O.co Coliseum. WR Darrius Heyward-Bey paced the group with six catches with a long of 21 while WR Jacoby Ford caught three passes, including a 27-yarder.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: RB Darren McFadden picked up in 2011 where he left off in 2010, when he led the entire NFL in most rushes of 20 yards or longer, ripping off 14 such runs while rushing for a career-high 1,157 yards in 2011. In 2010, McFadden also had four runs of 40 yards or longer and two of at least 50 yards. McFadden already has nine runs of 20 yards or longer through six games in the 2011 regular season, including a career-long 70 yarder.
