49ERS 21, RAIDERS 20
Raiders' run-defense struggles as Niners' Coffee gains 129 yards
Michael Robinson of the 49ers gets a huge hole to run through, Saturday August 22, 2009. At left is Marvel Smith pushing away John Bowie.
Kent Porter / PDPublished: Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 3:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 10:16 p.m.
SAN FRANCISCO — Forget the inconsistent young uber-quarterback, the green-gilled wide receivers and the tempting rotation at running back.
If the Raiders don't learn to stop the run on defense, they are doomed to another long and deflating season.
Don't be fooled by the 7-3 lead the Raiders built at halftime at Candlestick Park on Saturday evening — a margin that could have been 14-3 if San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith weren't such a sure tackler. The story of the first game — which the 49ers won 21-20 when the Raiders' 2-point conversion attempt with 3:30 left fell incomplete — was the 129 yards for which 49ers backup Glen Coffee punctured the Raiders in the first half.
It wasn't a pure first-team defensive unit that suffered the indignation. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who is nursing a sore heel, left after two San Francisco possessions. Left defensive end Greg Ellis sat down for much of the second quarter, and Ricky Brown replaced Kirk Morrison at middle linebacker about midway through the first quarter (though those two are in competition for the starting job).
Other than that, though, these were the Raiders' starters getting pushed off the line of scrimmage or frozen in their tracks by Coffee, a third-round draft choice from Alabama.
Of course, this is nothing new. The Raiders ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing defense last year allowing 159.7 yards per game. They were 31st in 2007 (145.9), 25th in 2006 (134.0), 25th in 2005 (128.1), 22nd (125.8) in 2004 and 32nd (156.9). So yes, they've been bad at this for quite some time, and for the most part getting worse.
“Things definitely have to change,” linebacker Thomas Howard said. “I don't really want to go into everything I'm thinking, but things must change. Things must be cleaned up. It's not that the runs were difficult. You knew what was coming.”
Asked if this performance reminded him last year, Howard said: “It didn't remind me of last year, it reminded me of this year, and what the hell is going on. And we're gonna address it. Already spoke with the players.”
The Raiders did very little over the offseason to improve their personnel against the run. Instead, they hoped that hiring a new defensive coordinator who preaches discipline — John Marshall — would turn the tide.
Saturday, it looked like Oakland was swallowed by the tide.
Coffee warmed up with three carries for 25 yards on a drive that took the first quarter into the second. The next time the 49ers got the ball, with 8:45 left in the first half, they drove 76 yards to a field goal. And Coffee did the heavy lifting, with 56 yards on eight carries, including a 35-yard burst over left tackle that had strongside linebacker Jon Alston shoved aside and middle linebacker Brown chopped down.
On the first possession of the second half, Michael Robinson carried six straight times for 40 yards. It was the Raiders' second-teamers in the game by then, but it was another indication that Marshall has yet to instill the discipline everyone keeps talking about.
The other side of the ball looked much more promising for the Raiders. JaMarcus Russell seemed to have adequate time in the pocket, and he capitalized by completing 7 of 11 passes (to five different receivers) for 76 yards and a 24-yard pass to the wide-open Louis Murphy in the end zone. Jeff Garcia replaced Russell with 1:59 on the clock before halftime.
“It was a great call, a great throw by the quarterback, by JaMarcus,” Murphy said. “We made it happen. The cornerback kind of bit up on the coverage and JaMarcus saw me open, and he let it rip.”
Murphy's touchdown opened the scoring, and Joe Nedney got the 49ers on the board with a 21-yard field goal shortly before halftime. In the third quarter, rookie tight end Brandon Myers set up his own touchdown with a 36-yard reception from Bruce Gradkowski, who hit him for a 2-yard touchdown five plays later.
Myers wound up with four catches for 75 yards.
The fourth quarter belonged to the 49ers, though. They scored on Delanie Walker's 1-yard touchdown reception from Nate Davis (the duo hooked up for the 2-point conversion, too), on Alex Romero's 28-yard field goal and on Kory Sheets' 5-yard run. The Raiders turned over the ball three times (two interceptions, one fumble) in the final quarter.
Charlie Frye scored an acrobatic touchdown with 3:30 remaining, stretching the ball over the northeast pylon as he dove at the tail end of a scramble. Officials originally ruled him out of bounds at the 1-yard line, but Cable challenged and won.
“I actually called time out. I wanted to give the coach a little more time to look at it,” Frye said. “Because I thought I was in.”
But Frye's desperation pass to Will Franklin was batted down, preserving the Niners' victory.
You can reach Staff Writer Phil Barber at 521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com.
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