Randy Moss becomes the forgotten man of the Raiders offense.
LaMont Jordan (photo, above) exceeds 1,000 rushing yards, but too frequently his production is limited because of a low number of rushing attempts.
Norv Turner, who built a reputation as an architect of potent offenses, can’t devise plays to get Moss the football or put the Raiders in the end zone on a consistent basis.
These are the lasting images of the Raiders’ 2005 season.
Not a pretty sight.
Three days after Oakland’s 4-12 season mercifully ends, Turner pays the price for consecutive losing seasons — he’s fired by team owner Al Davis.
With the addition of Moss (via trade) and Jordan (via free-agent signing), the Raiders expected to have one of the league’s top offenses. What evolves instead over 16 games is an offense that never develops a rhythm.
The Raiders average 18.1 points, and they exceed 21 points in only three games. Oakland ranks 10th in pass offense (223.9 yards per game), 29th in rushing offense (85.6 yards) and 21st in total offense (309.4 yards).
With their offense struggling to score, the Raiders can’t keep up with the opposition:
They finish their third straight losing season with six consecutive losses. They are winless in their division for the first time since 1962. In a late-season, four-game stretch, they are outscored 30-91.
At 4-12, the Raiders tie with four other teams for the third worst record in the NFL.
Biggest
Surprises
Biggest
Disappointments
Fast Facts
The Raiders are 0-6 against AFC West opposition for the
first time since coach-turned-owner Al Davis joined the
organization in 1963. The previous year, the Raiders
went 0-6 against American Football League Western
Division opposition en route to a 1-13 record.
By The Numbers:
3: Raiders’ consecutive losing seasons, equaling
a franchise record
(1960-1962).
Parting Shot
Don’t blame
disposed coach Norv Turner for the abysmal state of the
Raiders. That honor goes to team owner Al Davis.
Yes, Turner’s play-calling was predictable. Yes, his
players lacked focus (Oakland led the league in
penalties each of the past two seasons). And yes, the
Raiders were an underwhelming 1-11 against the AFC West
on his watch.
With the exception of Jon Gruden, Davis’ recent
head-coaching hires (Mike White, Joe Bugel, Bill
Callahan and Turner) were recycled coaches or,
in Callahan’s case, a coach who lacked the experience
and resolve to succeed as an NFL head coach.
Davis (right) reportedly told/ordered Turner to bench erratic quarterback Kerry Collins and start backup Marques
It was a sad testament to a once-proud franchise gone
sour.
Until Davis allows his head coach to formulate strategy, have significant input on shaping the 53-player
roster and assemble his own coaching staff, the Raiders will remain in chaos. A team doesn’t
go 13-35 by accident, which is the Raiders' record the
past three seasons. Davis’ fingerprints are all over
this corpse of silver and bleak.
The Last Words
"The expectations that everybody had for us coming into
this year and the expectations we had for ourselves, we
came nowhere close to meeting those expectations. Some
people might disagree with me, but we did underachieve
this year."
Raiders RB LaMont
Jordan
"This is a sad moment right now. I know I'm tired of losing. I ain't won but nine games in two years here. It's hard, and I'm not happy."
Raiders DE Bobby Hamilton
Defensive end
Derrick Burgess — Leads the league with a franchise
single-season record 16 sacks. The former Eagle had only
8.5 sacks in his previous four regular seasons.
S Stuart Schweigert — Contributes two of the team's league-low five interceptions and 72 solo tackles. In only his second NFL season, Schweigert shows he has the potential to become the leader of Oakland's young secondary.
DB Renaldo Hill —
The former Cardinal emerges as the team’s starting
strong safety, contributing 75 solo tackles and one
interception.
Kick returner
Chris Carr — The undrafted free agent from Boise State
ties for 14th in the league in kickoff returns (24.0
yards per return), but he struggles in punt returns (5.5
yards per return, 24th NFL).
Raiders offensive
line — The unit surrenders 45 sacks, fourth most in the
AFC. Oakland averages 85.6 rushing yards (28th in the league), an
increase of fewer than five yards per game from the 80.9
yards it averaged in 2004.
Kicker Sebastian
Janikowski — Finishes last in field goal accuracy with a
career-low 66.7 percent (he makes 19 of 29 kicks).
Wide receiver
Randy Moss — The five-time Pro Bowler makes modest
contributions in his first season with the Raiders. His
60 catches for 1,005 yards are well below his seven-year
average (82 catches, 1,306 yards).
LaMont Jordan —
Doesn't have enough rushing attempts in some games to
maximize his potential as an everydown back. The former
Jets backup rushes for 1,025 yards (Oakland's first
1,000-yard rusher since 2000), but he has 20 or fewer
carries in eight of the 14 games he plays in. The
Raiders are 0-8 in those games.
Cornerback Charles
Woodson — Despite being paid a reported $10.537 million
salary as the team's exclusive franchise player, the
eight-year veteran has only one interception in six
games before sustaining a broken right fibula against
the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 23. The injury-prone Woodson
earned approximately $1.75 million per game for the six
games he played in.
The Raiders finish last in their division for the second
straight season and for only the fourth time in
franchise history. Oakland was last in the American
Football League's Western Division in 1961-62.
The Raiders lead the NFL in penalties for the third
straight season, even though they have no infractions
in one game (Week 13 against San Diego). They have 147
penalties in 2005, an increase of 13 infractions from
2003.
Oakland is second with 1132 penalty yards (Arizona is
first with 1185 penalty yards).
The Raiders lead the league in penalties for the 12th
time in club history. Only the Chicago Bears have a more
dubious record — leading the league 15 times in
penalties.
Kerry Collins' 3,759 passing yards in the 2005 season
ranks fifth in club history. Ken Stabler's 3,615 yards
in 1979 previously ranked No. 5 on the franchise list.
The top five
single-season passing performances in Raiders history
are: 4,689 yards by Rich Gannon in 2002; 3,917 by Jeff
George in 1997; 3,840 by Gannon in 1999; 3,828 by Gannon
in 2001, 3,759 by Kerry Collins in 2004;
Since 2002, the Raiders are
4-29 when scoring less than 21 points.
5: Raiders interceptions. It’s the fewest
interceptions by a team in a
non-strike year in league history.
7: Raiders starters lost to season-ending
injuries. The list includes cornerback Charles Woodson
(broken right fibula, 10 games)), safety Derrick Gibson
(dislocated left wrist, 10), guard Langston Walker
(abdominal bleeding, 10), defensive tackle Warren Sapp
(torn right rotator cuff, 6), center Jake Grove (right
knee cartilage, 5), tight end Courtney Anderson
(strained right knee, 2) and running back LaMont Jordan
(right turf toe, 2).
9-23: Norv Turner’s record as Raiders coach, the
worst two-year record
in
franchise history.
12: A league-high dropped passes by LaMont Jordan, according to STATS.
16: Sacks by Derrick Burgess, breaking Sean
Jones’ club record of 15.5
sacks
in 1986.
35: Raiders losses in 48 regular-season games
since the team played in Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of
the 2002 season.
Turner's 9-23 record as Raiders coach, the worst showing
in franchise history, isn't solely his fault.
When Turner (right) arrived after the 2003 season, the Raiders
already were in free-fall. His primary flaw was he
couldn’t erase the mess he inherited.
Tuiasosopo in Week 14 against the Jets. After Tuiasosopo was
dreadful during a 26-10 road loss to New York on Dec. 11, Turner
informed reporters that he expected Tuiasosopo to start
the next game. Hold that idea, because
Collins returned as starter a few days later. This was
vintage Davis, meddling with his coach and team.
Raiders RB LaMont Jordan (34) fights
for yards against Jets CB Justin Miller.
By The Associated Press Norv Turner & Al Davis
By The Associated Press
