Here is one thing that would make Oakland owner Al Davis happy about his 2-7 team: The Raiders' vertical game worries Dolphins coach Tony Sparano.
Davis never really lost his American Football League heart and affection for AFL games featuring one-on-one battles over long passes, epitomized back then by Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica, San Diego Hall of Fame wide receiver Lance Alworth (whom Davis recruited to the AFL as a Chargers assistant) and Raiders Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown. So the Raiders value cornerbacks who can play bump-and-run and anyone who can go long.
"Their vertical pass game is very good, especially as they get this tight end [ Zach] Miller involved in it,"
Sparano said. "He's a guy that gets down the field vertically and makes some plays that way. He can run. Quite honestly, he might be the best tight end we've played against right now."
Miller, Oakland's leading receiver averages 14.5 yards a catch on his 25 catches, the second-highest average among AFC tight ends, and has a 63-yard touchdown catch. That is his only touchdown, however, one of only six touchdown passes thrown by the Raiders.
STARTING QB?
Although JaMarcus Russell and Andrew Walter were listed as having limited participation in Friday's practice for Oakland, apparently Russell will start at quarterback Sunday. Raiders interim coach Tom Cable said in his daily media session he wasn't sure about Walter's ability to play Sunday. Also, running back Darren McFadden is expected to play despite being listed as questionable because of a toe injury.
Cable also indicated he would split time at left tackle between Kwame Harris and Mario Henderson. Just off that side, the Raiders have given up seven sacks in the past three weeks to Baltimore's Terrell Suggs, Atlanta's John Abraham and Carolina's Julius Peppers. Now they undoubtedly will be shifting backs and tight ends over to the left side for help on Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, the NFL's sack leader.
Or maybe the Raiders won't, seeing as how they didn't give their tackles assistance often enough in those previous games.
"I pride myself on being one of those guys that you have to [plan] around anyway,"
Porter said Thursday in reference to the adjustments teams are making to deal with him. "I feel like if you don't, you just leave me one-on-one and it's my job to take advantage of that."
