Marques Tuiasosopo

It doesn't necessarily mean a team is giving up on the season when the backup quarterback gets promoted because of an ineffective starter. If Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable elects to bench JaMarcus Russell in favor of Bruce Gradkowski, all is not lost for the Silver and Black.  

It doesn't necessarily mean a team is giving up on the season when the backup quarterback gets promoted because of an ineffective starter. If Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable elects to bench JaMarcus Russell in favor of Bruce Gradkowski... all is not lost for the Silver and Black.from NewsChannel 8  

Football fans attending the University of Washington and Seattle Seahawks games this weekend will have the opportunity to help victims of the recent tsunami in Samoa and American Samoa. Former UW quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo and his family are ...  

(Sports Network) - In a country that feeds off other people's dirty laundry, the Oakland Raiders have been a lightning rod for train-wreck headlines. The media vultures were out in full swing this weekend, with ESPN's "Outside the Lines" program ...  

File this under "the glass is half-empty." Facing an Oakland Raiders (2-6) team that could not get any semblance of pass defense against San Diego's aerial attack, the Chargers (4-3) chose to run 30 times in 55 plays. When the Raiders had the ball, the Bolts faced a team they knew would run at them (as their QB boasts a rating of 47.2), and yet they allowed nearly 100 yards on the ground and eight rushing first downs. Going into halftime with...  

KMTR.com It doesn’t necessarily mean a team is giving up on the season when the backup quarterback gets promoted because of an ineffective starter. If Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable elects to bench JaMarcus Russell in favor of Bruce Gradkowski, all is not lost for the Silver and Black. Read more.  

Raiders Radar Bruce Gradkowski, got any plans for the next, oh, 10 years or so? Gradkowski forever entered Raiders lore on Sunday with a masterful fourth-quarter performance that rallied Oakland to a stunning 27-24 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers in a game that hearkened back to the teams’ Sunday wars of the 1970s. Read more.  

SFGate Lose one, and the Raiders have a franchise-record seventh straight losing season. Lose three of five, and they are the only NFL team to ever lose 11-plus games in seven consecutive years. One loss erases all mathematical hope for a playoff berth, and they’re… Read more.  

SFGate Raiders (3-8) at Steelers (6-5) 10 a.m.; Channel: 5 Channel: 13 Channel: 46 ; 560, 1370 SPOTLIGHT ON Raiders KR Gary Russell vs. Steelers kickoff coverage team: No team is worse when returning kickoffs than the Raiders, the only team to average less than a… Read more.  

SFGate Debbie Gradkowski is an apron-wearing coordinator. Her game plan is clear: Stuff the Raiders good before they try to stuff the Steelers bad in Pittsburgh on Sunday. “It’s not just me, I’ve got everybody helping,” she said in team-effort coachspeak. She has… Read more.  

SFGate: Raiders Silver and Black Blog Raiders rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey is a late addition to the injury report Friday with an unspecified foot injury, the team announced this evening. No word on how DHB hurt his foot but he is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh. Raiders coach Tom Cable did not mention the [...]  

Examiner In a game that is destined to be an instant classic, the Raiders and Steelers exchanged the lead five times. For the first time this season, the Raiders scored three touchdowns in a game. They did it in the fourth quarter. Bruce Gradkowski had the fi… Read more.  

The Oakland Tribune PITTSBURGH — Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski had two forgettable games against the Pittsburgh Steelers during his first three NFL seasons. On Sunday, the Pittsburgh native turned in a game he and the Raiders won’t forget for a long time. Read more.  

SFGate: Raiders Silver and Black Blog Wow. Lots to digest from Sunday’s 27-24 victory over the Steelers. Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski may have a future yet. Same goes for coach Tom Cable. JaMarcus Russell looks so expendable. Same goes for Darrius Heyward-Bey. When they win, we cover 10 things liked most, obvious highlights aside… Read more.  

SFGate Mom cooked before the game. Dad bawled after the game. In between, Debbie and Bruce Gradkowski watched Junior crown himself homecoming king. Bruce Gradkowski, the Raiders’ quarterback, snaked, scrambled and heaved an entire franchise to its hallmark victory… Read more.  

SacBee PITTSBURGH – Still have doubts that Bruce Gradkowski lacks leadership skills? You shouldn’t, not after this exchange between the quarterback and left tackle Mario Henderson during the Raiders’ winning drive against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Read more.  

SacBee GENE J. PUSKAR Associated Press Steelers safety Tyrone Carter (23) is beaten in the end zone by Raiders receiver Chaz Schilens for a fourth-quarter touchdown during Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh. PITTSBURGH – The Super Bowl champion Steelers are losing their confidence as fast as they’re losing leads and losing games. Read more.  

ESPN.com PITTSBURGH — Louis Murphy caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Bruce Gradkowski with nine seconds remaining, his second score in the final 5 1/2 minutes, and the Oakland Raiders scored three late touchdowns to stun Pittsburgh 27-24 on Sunday and deal the Steelers their fourth consecutive loss. Read more.  

ESPN.com - AFC West - Blog There is no doubt about it: Oakland made the right call, in the short term at least, by making Bruce Gradkowski the starting quarterback, and demoting former No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell. Gradkowski has given the Raiders new life. Read more.  

SFGate Offense RATING: (WILD APPLAUSE) The passing game made this is a high-scoring affair, and when’s the last time that happened? Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski threw for 308 yards, improvising and scrambling to make plays happen. His receivers didn’t have their… Read more.  

Examiner Through the first half of the season, the Raiders offense seemed to be headed for an all new standard of ineptitude. However, a funny thing happened once JaMarcus Russell was put on the bench. The Raiders offense started coming together and scoring po… Read more.  

SFGate Raiders safety Hiram Eugene wanted to relive history with an end zone-to-end zone interception return in the second quarter. Instead, he settled for the safe side after a score-thwarting pick, making sure he didn’t blow momentum in Sunday’s 27-24 victory… Read more.  

SFGate: Raiders Silver and Black Blog Raiders rookie receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is on the inactive list for today’s game at Pittsburgh, the result of an unspecified foot injury the team disclosed late Friday night. DHB has started all 11 games and has nine catches for 124 yards and one touchdown to show for it — by [...]  

Realfootball365.com It seems like it’s been forever since an Oakland quarterback passed for 300 yards in a game. But, Raider QB Bruce Gradkowski did just that yesterday in an amazing see-saw battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, ultimately snatching victory from the reigning Superbowl Champions with only nine seconds left on the clock to catapult the Raiders [...]  

SacBee Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward, left, trots back to his bench as Oakland Raiders’ Hiram Eugene (31) celebrates with teammate Stanford Routt (26) after intercepting a pass intended for Ward in the end zone during the second quarter of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. Louis Murphy caught an 11-yard [...]  

Thoughts from the Dark Side [picapp] The Oakland Raiders exploded for their biggest output from the passing game since November of 2007 as Bruce Gradkowski threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns, as the Raiders were able to win a game after a wild fourth quarter. This Raider-Steeler battle ended up being a battle worthy of the halcyon [...]  

SFGate Darrius Heyward-Who? The No. 7 overall draft pick missed a game for the first time in his NFL career with a foot injury, allowing Louis Murphy to remind everyone he’s the best rookie on the Raiders - even if he now starts every game on the bench. Murphy… Read more.  

NBC Sports - Pro Football Talk QB Bruce Gradkowski threw three touchdowns in the final 8:21 to lead the Raiders to a surprising 27-24 victory over the Steelers. Louis Murphy caught two of those touchdowns and had 128 yards, the first 100-yard game by a Raiders receiver… Read more.  

Inside The Oakland Raiders News, notes and observations: – Jeff Reed misses 53-yard field goal attempt to open fourth quarter. No way Steelers attempt that kick (Reed’s career long is 50) if they had any respect at all for Oakland offense. Read more.  

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The cry came from an unidentifiable voice among the Oakland Raiders’ running backs, likely Justin Fargas: “Let’s get out of this hell-hole.” You can bet the Raiders paid attention to Mike Tomlin’s highlight quote in the aftermath of the overtime loss to Baltimore about unleashing a version of Hades in the next game, against Oakland. The [...]  

Inside The Oakland Raiders Great story relayed by left tackle Mario Henderson in talking with reporters after the game. On the Raiders final drive, Henderson looked up at the big screen to see how he had carried out his assignment on the previous play. Read more.  

Thoughts from the Dark Side Ho..lee…expletive. What a game. I mean, how the…what the…where the? Whatever happened at Heinz Field on Sunday, it was unexpected. I don’t know anyone who was expecting the Steelers to drop their fourth straight or that the Raiders would be the team to do it. But what started out as a [...]  

Inside The Oakland Raiders The following press release was received today announcing the posting of a billboard today on I-880 from a fan group asking Al Davis to remove himself as general manager: Erie, PA – – An international “grass roots” fan effort over the internet, headquartered over 2000 miles away from Oakland, has led to [...]  

Raiders Blog and Q&A If it’s true that a picture speaks a thousand words, this grassroots organization got its point across with significantly fewer syllables. The Web Site messagetoal.com erected its long-promised billboard on the side of the 880 freeway near High Street in Alameda today, basically urging Al Davis to stand by his year-old, [...]  

Raiders Radar Charlie Weis, white courtesy phone. They ran the man out of Notre Dame, and perhaps rightfully so, but there’s no questioning his credentials as an offensive coordinator or the fact that Weis could get the Raiders’ offense back in gear in no time. Tom Brady, Brady Quinn, Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate have all produced and [...]  

Inside The Oakland Raiders Defensive end Greg Ellis, who joined his teammates at practice at the conclusion of warmups and drills Friday, did not participate and was listed as “doubtful,” meaning he probably won’t play against the Pittsburgh Steelers. “(Ellis) made some improvement but has slowed down. So we’ll see,” coach Tom Cable said. Read more.  

Realfootball365.com In the 1970s, the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers had an AFC rivalry that was the mirror of the modern day Colts-Patriots battles. Some of the fiercest games of that era were played by and between these two teams, including a massive string of AFC Championship games. From 1970 to 1981 only … Read more.  

SFGate The Raiders’ defensive struggles aren’t all that complicated to figure out. If anything, Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said, they aren’t complicated enough. “We’re a team that chooses to be who we are regardless of who we’re playing against and… Read more.  

Thoughts from the Dark Side Several Raider players this season have made solid cases for the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately on a losing team, it can be difficult to get the kind of recognition they deserve. This is the main reason that Nnamdi Asomugha wasn’t named to the Pro Bowl until two seasons after he first deserved [...]  

Inside The Oakland Raiders It’s not as if the Raiders are giving away all their defensive secrets on a billboard for all to see, but it’s close. That’s the way cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha described his team’s defensive philosophy Wednesday and the ability of opponents to attack it. Read more.  

SFGate: Raiders Silver and Black Blog Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha held court in the locker room in a rare Wednesday appearance. Needless to say, he isn’t all that thrilled with the way things are going, and worries that the worse may be ahead. “There’s a concern of how we feel as a team, how the guys are, if [...]  

SFGate The Raiders have an elephant in the living room, and though not pink, he won’t be easily ignored. His name is Trevor Scott, and he is now playing the hybrid Elephant position made famous by George Seifert’s 49ers in the late 1980s through the ’90s. He’ll… Read more.  

Inside The Oakland Raiders The following press release was received today announcing the posting of a billboard today on I-880 from a fan group asking Al Davis to remove himself as general manager: Erie, PA – – An international “grass roots” fan effort over the internet, headquartered over 2000 miles away from Oakland, has led to [...]  

Realfootball365.com Under the control of Al Davis, the Raiders have captured three Superbowl victories, five AFC Conference Championships and landed twenty men in the NFL Hall of Fame, including Davis himself. On the flipside, Davis has also engineered one of the worst losing streaks in professional sports history, completing a record setting six straight seasons [...]  

Examiner Injuries have exposed the lack of depth the Raiders have at the linebacker position. Against the Cowboys, the Raiders started defensive end Trevor Scott as a linebacker. They have also added two from the practice squad to take the place of the injure… Read more.  

SFGate Sometimes there is no graceful or dignified way out of a pickle, as I was saying just this morning to my valet-parking attendant, Eldrick. I’m sure the Oakland Raiders would concur, because they’re in the middle of their own lose-lose situation, starring… Read more.  

SFGate Never mind perfect. The Raiders will be better if passing-game practice just makes mediocre at this point. After taking a three-day weekend, the forward pass portion of the Raiders squad stayed late after practice, throwing and catching under the watchful eye… Read more.  

Raiders Blog and Q&A Trevor Scott, who had played nothing but defensive end since coming to the Raiders as a sixth-round draft choice out of Buffalo last year, seemingly has a little “Mad Stork” in him. That is, Scott can play standing up on the end, ala Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks, and has now, apparently, [...]  

Thoughts from the Dark Side With the Raiders celebrating their 50th anniversary, it is only fitting that they matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers as part of the ongoing celebration. With the Raiders well documented struggles of late, it is easy to forget that once upon a time, this was the marquee matchup. When these two teams [...]  

Inside The Oakland Raiders Darrius Heyward-Bey remains the most publicized “reach” in the NFL draft, gaining at least some small measure of vindication by scoring his first touchdown in a 24-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. As much heat as the Raiders took for taking Heyward-Bey at No. 7 overall, the fact is most draft [...]  

NBC Sports - Pro Football Talk Several of you have forwarded to us throughout the day this image from the Raiders’ November 22 game against the Bengals.Most insist that the item tucked inside the waistband of Russell’s pants is a pack of Skittles.We think it’s not… Read more.  

Realfootball365.com Oakland Raider head coach Tom Cable is obviously not the answer. His inability to achieve consistent excellence from any portion of his team is proof enough of that. And, with coaches like Mike Smith and Mike Tomlin coming into franchises as first year head coaches and having success recently, there’s proof that it can be [...]  

The Oakland Tribune IT WAS QUITE a sight watching the Raiders’ comeback victory Sunday on Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field.Yes, on Heinz Field, literally. Sports writers typically aren’t allowed on NFL fields until the final two minutes of regulation. Read more.  

Raiders-Steelers games once were long-awaited, once were special and, at times, once were otherworldly. The Steelers had to win two of them before claiming their first two Super Bowls. John Madden had to win one of them before lifting his one and only Super Bowl trophy as a head coach. During the 1970s, the rivalry was the NFL's best and most combative, creating bad feelings, momentous games,...  

Disgruntled Oakland Raiders fans are making a high-profile plea for owner Al Davis to step down as the team's general manager. A billboard was posted on the freeway near the Oakland Coliseum this week, saying "MR. DAVIS, DO THE RIGHT THING, PLEASE HIRE A GM." The group the put up the billboard says it has gathered 21,000 signatures for a petition asking Davis to step down as general...  

All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha believes the problems with the Oakland Raiders defense are simple -- as in the defense is too simple. The Raiders have traditionally been a team that predominantly plays man-to-man defense, with a single high safety, a four-man rush and little blitzing. Everyone knows just what the Raiders like to do defensively, including the opposition, and that's where...  

PITTSBURGH - The Super Bowl champion Steelers are losing their confidence as fast as they're losing leads and losing games. The Oakland Raiders? Suddenly, they're winning like they did in the old days, with remarkable comebacks and surprise finishes.  

Oakland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is inactive for the Raiders' game against the Steelers. He was replaced by Louis Murphy on Sunday. The Steelers were without defensive end Travis Kirschke and safety Troy Polamalu, who sat out his third consecutive game with a left knee injury and could miss Thursday night's game against Cleveland.  

SFGate As it turns out, quarterback Bruce Gradkowski took firm command of the Raiders’ offense - and maybe cemented his grip on the starting job and JaMarcus Russell’s spot on the bench - even before he fired Sunday’s game-winning touchdown pass to Louis Murphy…. Read more.  

NFL.com ALAMEDA, Calif. — When Bruce Gradkowski saw a couple of offensive linemen looking at a replay on the scoreboard when the Oakland Raiders were trying to get up to the line during a 2-minute drill he let them know how just he felt. Read more.  

San Jose Mercury News Great win for the Raiders on Sunday. Another big matchup on tap no later than Tuesday.You won’t find it on the schedule, but it could be as vital to the Raiders’ revival as their come-from-behind win at Pittsburgh. Read more.  

The Oakland Tribune Oakland’s 109 rushing yards are a key in team’s win over Pittsburgh Steelers PITTSBURGH — Through 11 games, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense was the toughest to run against in the NFL. The Raiders paid no attention. Read more.  

Inside The Oakland Raiders Ben Roethlisberger knew the question about his last game against the Raiders was coming and he was ready. “Yeah, I played a great game. I remember,” Roethlisberger said before bursting into laughter. Read more.  

SacBee The Raiders had just put the finishing touches on their first come-from-behind victory of the season, Sept. 20 at Kansas City, and usually tight-lipped defensive tackle Tommy Kelly was making like Nostradamus. Read more.  

San Jose Mercury News PITTSBURGH-THIS WASN’T AN answer to the Immaculate Reception. No, these Raiders still tout a dismal 4-8 record after Sunday’s 27-24 upset of their longtime rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Read more.  

csnbayarea.com SAN FRANCISCO, CA- Raiders Postgame Live’s Bill Romanowski dishes out high marks for the Raiders after their comeback win over the defending champion Steelers at Heinz Field in week 13. See video.  

Inside The Oakland Raiders Excellent overview by beat writer Steve Corkran in today’s Bay Area News Group papers on how the Raiders may deal with the poor performance of quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Read more.  

ESPN.com FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets safety James Ihedigbo and linebacker Marques Murrell were each fined $5,000 by the NFL for their roles in a scuffle with Buffalo’s Derek Fine. Read more.  

In a country that feeds off other people's dirty laundry... the Oakland Raiders have been a lightning rod for train-wreck headlines.from NewsChannel 8  

KTXL.com ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Bruce Gradkowski is heading home and the Oakland Raiders quarterback wouldn’t mind if he and his teammates were greeted with a blanket of snow. Read more.  

ESPN.com - AFC West - Blog Oakland Raiders fans are a passionate, creative bunch. They stand by their team and want their Raiders to win as much as any set of fans in sports. Read more.  

The Oakland Tribune Ice Cube was finishing his upcoming salute to the departed Raiders for ESPN as part of the cable network’s “30 for 30,” a slate of documentaries. Read more.  

The Oakland Tribune Passing offense — Bruce Gradkowski passed for 308 yards and three touchdowns — all in the fourth quarter — in guiding the Raiders to the upset. Read more.  

NFL.com ALAMEDA, Calif. — All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha believes the problems with the Oakland Raiders’ defense are simple — as in the defense is too simple. Read more.  

The Oakland Tribune Pittsburgh native Bruce Gradkowski drove the Raiders 88 yards in less than two minutes for a game-deciding touchdown with 9 seconds left. Read more.  

Steelers.com The following are some of the interesting matchups to watch when the Steelers host the Oakland Raiders at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Heinz Field: Read more.  

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Bruce Gradkowski is heading home and the Oakland Raiders quarterback wouldn't mind if he and his teammates were greeted with a blanket of snow.  

FOX Sports Strong safety Troy Polamalu (knee) didn’t practice Thursday, and he is not expected to play Sunday against the visiting Oakland Raiders. Read more.  

csnbayarea.com ALAMEDA, CA- Head Coach Tom Cable addressed the media a day after his Raiders stunned the Steelers 27-24 at Heinz Field in week 13. See video.  

csnbayarea.com SAN FRANCISCO, CA- Tony Bruno is more love than hate after the Raiders knocked off the defending champs at Heinz Field in week 13. See video.  

Inside The Oakland Raiders The amazing thing is Jared Staszewski never saw the Raiders win a Super Bowl. Never saw Ken Stabler play quarterback. Read more.  

Inside The Oakland Raiders News, notes and observations from the Raiders’ 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday at Heinz Field: Read more.  

DARYNKAGAN.COM Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha is helping a homeless teen find a college. CNN’s Thelma Gutierrez reports. See video.  

Inside The Oakland Raiders News, notes and quotes from the Raiders open locker room and Tom Cable’s post-walkthrough press briefing: Read more.  

NFL.com 04:12 – Raiders QB Bruce Gradkowski throws for 308 yards and three TDs in a 27-24 road victory over the Steelers. See video.  

Shane Lechler leads the fan voting for AFC punters for the 2010 Pro Bowl. Vote for your fav Raiders-http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot  

RT @Adam_Schefter: If Bruce Gradkowski had quarterbacked the Raiders all season, Oakland would be competing for a playoff spot.  

The Oakland Tribune Managing general partner’s insistence on total control leading to rebellion by the faithful. Read more.  

Inside The Oakland Raiders Part of Bruce Gradkowski wished he could have remained behind to join the festivities. Read more.  

NFL.com 00:43 – Raiders WR Louis Murphy makes a great grab for 23-yards in the fourth quarter vs. the Steelers. See video.  

NFL.com Vote for Bruce Gradkowski of the Oakland Raiders for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors. Read more.  

A number of Oakland Raiders fans have finally reached their breaking point with Al Davis and his desire to still...  

Tony Romo has a sore back. He had it before the 24-7 win against the Oakland Raiders on Thanksgiving and he had...  

NFL.com 01:16 – Raiders WR Louis Murphy scores on an 11-yard pass from Bruce Gradkowski for the win. See video.  

NFL.com 03:20 – The Oakland Raiders steal a win vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field 27-24. See video.  

NFL.com Vote now for Louis Murphy of the Oakland Raiders for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors . Read more.  

Inside The Oakland Raiders The top five Raiders victories since the wheels came off in 2003: Read more.  

NFL.com 05:48 – Highlights with radio calls of the Raiders 27-24 victory over the Steelers. See video.  

The Oakland Raiders are trying to sell a 10 percent stake in the team, FoxSports' Jay Glazer reports.  

ProFootballWeekly.com Maybe the Raiders are more set at quarterback than anyone realized. Read more.  

NFL.com 00:36 – Raiders WR Chaz Schilens scores on a 17-yard grab vs. the Steelers. See video.  

The Oakland Tribune Oakland faces tough decisions regarding former No. 1 draft pick Read more.  

The Oakland Tribune Frustrations mount as the losing continues season after season Read more.  

San Jose Mercury News Pittsburgh native has game of life, beats hometown Steelers Read more.  

What we are talking about today: At Dallas recap, Raiders News, At Pittsburgh preview  

The Oakland Tribune Team has given up 54 plays of 20 yards or more this season Read more.  

RT @RaidersBlog: Cyber Monday at The Raider Image. Save 25% using coupon code”NOV30″  

The Oakland Tribune Team’s second-round pick has had an injury-marred year Read more.