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PITTSBURGH -- After the Steelers' 25-17 victory Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger told Tom Brady that he thinks the Patriots' quarterback is the best.

Well, not today. Not for 60 minutes at Heinz Field. For the first time in his career, Roethlisberger outshined Brady in a head-to-head matchup. He did so by pulling a Brady on Brady.

Spreading out the New England defense, Roethlisberger lined up in the shotgun and zipped short passes all over the field. It was a masterful performance. It was a signature one.

The Steelers are the best team in the AFC not just because they've got the best record. It's because they have the hottest quarterback in the AFC.

With Brady getting an up-close look, Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns. Roethlisberger wouldn't say if this performance was more special because it came against an offense -- and quarterback -- that has set the standard for throwing the ball. His teammates know otherwise.

"Ben is one of the most competitive people I’ve ever been around," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. "Tom Brady is quote-unquote the best quarterback in the NFL. Any time you get a chance to go against the best, it’s a great opportunity for you. You relish those opportunities. He certainly did today and played great."

Everyone talked all week about Brady's dominance over the Steelers and his 6-1 record against the reigning AFC champions. So, what's the best way to stop Brady? With a better offense and quarterback.

Brady managed only 198 yards passing, and Roethlisberger deserved some credit in containing the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. Roethlisberger wasn't just the best offensive player at Heinz Field. He might have been the best defense.

Roethlisberger's efficient effort allowed the Steelers to convert eight of their first 10 third downs. That kept Brady on the sideline as Pittsburgh dominated time of possession (39:22 to 20:38). In fact, Roethlisberger threw as many passes (50) as the Patriots had plays.

The Steelers kept the ball by converting third downs of 11, 15 and 12 yards. Roethlisberger's only mistake was an underthrown pass over the middle on third-and-17 which led to an easy Patriots touchdown. He responded by leading a 10-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown.

In total, Pittsburgh's five scoring drives went for 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11 plays.

"It's been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and looking back on the past, how he's owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offense a little bit and the things they've been doing out there," Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. "I think they took that a little personal."

The Steelers faced an important stretch with back-to-back games against New England and Baltimore. In the big picture, the Steelers needed a win over the Ravens more than the Patriots because of division implications. But beating New England is of greater value to Roethlisberger.

When it comes to the quarterback debate this season, it's Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Some might even put Philip Rivers at No. 4. Roethlisberger will get pushed to the side even though he's got two rings because he often wins ugly.

If anything, Roethlisberger's performance against New England was the best way for him to state his case. The Steelers put the game in Roethlisberger's hands. Pittsburgh called for pass plays 73 percent of the time (57 of 78). When the Patriots put the game in Brady's hands, it led to Keisel stripping the ball and a safety with eight seconds left in the game.

"Does he put up the numbers that everyone wants to see that’s attractive and sexy? No," Steelers left tackle Max Starks said. "But when you look at it in the wins and loss columns, that’s the ultimate barometer that a quarterback is judged by. For us, we appreciate the heck out of him. It doesn’t really matter if other people don’t think he’s great or gets them enough fantasy points."

The win was Roethlisberger's 75th in 106 starts. He is the fourth-fastest quarterback to reach 75 victories in the Super Bowl era, following Roger Staubach (99 games), Brady (99) and Ken Stabler (105).

Roethlisberger won because he was able to adjust. He didn't have long-time target Hines Ward, who was out with an ankle injury. So, Roethlisberger leaned on Brown (nine catches for 67 yards) and Emmanuel Sanders (five catches for 70 yards).

The Patriots also took away the deep pass from the Steelers, probably because Roethlisberger had hit Mike Wallace for a pass over 40 yards in six consecutive games. He changed up his game by going over the middle to tight end Heath Miller (seven catches for 85 yards) and underneath to Wallace (seven catches for 70 yards).

How the Steelers attacked shouldn't have come as a surprise. Roethlisberger basically showed his hand during the week when he said you always want to "emulate" the No. 1 offense in the league.

The Steelers consistently spread out the Patriots' defense by emptying the backfield. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Roethlisberger threw both of his touchdowns out of empty-set formations and recorded nine plays that went for first downs, surpassing his previous mark of six.

"We came in with the game plan of throwing the ball," Roethlisberger said. "I felt like we did a good job of that."

Roethlisberger added, "We can be as good as we want to be. When we don't kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty dangerous."

Roethlisberger has been extremely dangerous recently. In his past four games, he has thrown 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. He has produced back-t0-back 300-yard passing games (361 and 365 yards) for the second time in his career.

You don't want to face the Steelers these days, and you definitely don't want to see Roethlisberger.

"Ben’s a bad dude," Wallace said. "People overlook him because how great our defense is. This guy is a baller. Sometimes the throws might not be there because that’s not our game all the time. But if we have to, we can throw the ball with the best of them."

NAPA, Calif. -- In his first year as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Hue Jackson wants his players to understand the history of the franchise and the importance of restoring the winning tradition.

So Jackson turned on the film. And he pressed the way-back machine.

Jackson had a film produced that featured interviews with several of the team’s all-time great players like Ken Stabler, Jim Plunkett and Jim Otto. Several other former Raider greats were featured including current coaches Steve Wisniewski, Rod Woodson and Greg Biekert.

Players spoke of what it meant to them to be a Raider. There were also plenty of highlights. To provide extra motivation, Jackson showed the team some highlights from the current players which he deemed were up to the standard of the Raiders of the 1970s and early 1980s.

“We’re chasing greatness,” Jackson said. “Not everyone is a Raider. I wanted them to see what it is and what it means to be a Raider. This is a special organization. There is history here and I want these guys to live up to being a Raider.”

Defensive lineman Richard Seymour said the message came through loud-and-clear.

“You could feel it,” Seymour said. “Just watching the film, showed the guys all the tradition of the this team. For me to see guys like Howe Long and Lyle Alzado, it was really inspiring.”

Jackson said it was especially powerful when film of Woodson, Wisniewski and Biekert were shown.

“Guys could look around and see those people in the room,” Jackson said. “Being a Raider is an opportunity. It’s a family.”

If the Jets advance to the Super Bowl, would Rex Ryan be the best coach in the NFL?


FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Peyton Manning in Lucas Oil Stadium, Tom Brady in Gillette Stadium and Ben Roethlisberger at Heinz Field.

That's the gauntlet New York Jets coach Rex Ryan must traverse.

And if he makes it through still alive and advances to the Super Bowl, then Bill Belichick, Lovie Smith, Todd Haley or anybody else who wins a 2010 Coach of the Year Award ought to ship it on over to One Jets Drive.

The sixth-seeded Jets can accomplish a rarity if they defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday for the AFC Championship. Wild-card teams have reached the Super Bowl before, but only one team ever has knocked off the first, second and third seeds to do it.

The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers were the first, but the quarterbacks they faced in those playoffs were Carson Palmer, Manning and Jake Plummer. Not exactly a Murderer's Row.

Manning, Brady and Roethlisberger have won six Super Bowls and played in eight. They have a combined 32-17 postseason record.

"That's a pretty strong task when you mention guys like that," said Tom Flores, who coached the first wild-card champions, the 1980 Oakland Raiders, in Super Bowl history. "They've been there before. They've experienced being in big games before and winning big games before.

"You're going against the best. There's no unknowns there."

In addition to the superstar opposing quarterbacks, the Jets are venturing into some of the most difficult venues in any sport.

Flores got past an impressive group of quarterbacks for his first Super Bowl (he won another two years later as a division champ): Ken Stabler, MVP Brian Sipe and future Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.

But that lineup isn't as tough as what the Jets are facing. Flores sees Sunday's game being less intimidating than their showdown against the Patriots.

"Their biggest hurdle was in New England," Flores said. "That was almost impossible to beat them there."

Unfortunately for Ryan, awards like coach of the year are based on regular-season results.

He led the Jets to a 11-5 record, but they faded down the homestretch. Their lopsided 45-3 loss to the Patriots in Week 13 followed the next week by an ugly home loss to the Miami Dolphins erased any chance of Ryan winning honors.

But if Ryan can navigate this rugged playoff stretch and make it to the Super Bowl, then we'll know who really deserves to be considered the best.

"Well, I can say this: It's not easy," Ryan said. "I don't know who's next. [Terry] Bradshaw?

"Clearly, we have a ton of work to do to pull this off. But we think we're the men for the job, and we're going to find out Sunday."

Of all the reasons Brett Favre might cite for playing one more season, I think we've found the most interesting. Jason Vida of ESPN's Stats & Information points out that Favre certainly won't want to be known as the best quarterback in the history of the NFL to throw an interception on the final pass of his career.

As you might have heard, New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted Favre at the end of regulation in the NFC Championship Game, and the Vikings did not get a possession in overtime. If that turns out to be the last pass of Favre's career, he would immediately jump to the top of a well-researched list Vida recently sent my way.

So check it out as we continue to count down the minutes until the start of training camp:

10. Kordell Stewart (Dec. 28, 2003)

9. Jake Plummer (Dec. 31, 2006)

8. Scott Mitchell (Nov. 25, 2001)

7. Jim Harbaugh (Nov. 12, 2000)

6. Trent Green (Nov. 23, 2008)

5. Phil Simms (Jan. 15, 1994)

4. Drew Bledsoe (Oct. 23, 2006)

3. Ken Stabler (Oct. 21, 1984)

2. George Blanda (Dec. 21, 1975)

1. Sonny Jurgensen (Dec. 22, 1974)

Notable players: QB Ken Stabler, FB Mark van Eeghen, WR Fred Biletnikoff, WR Cliff Branch, TE Dave Casper, OT Art Shell, G Gene Upshaw, DL John Matuszak, DL Otis Sistrunk, LB Phil Villapiano, LB Ted Hendricks, CB Willie Brown, S George Atkinson, S Jack Tatum, P Ray Guy.

Analysis: This championship season was in the works for some time. Oakland owner Al Davis and coach John Madden put together a great team.

The Raiders didn’t have the titles that Miami, Dallas and Pittsburgh had, but they were a dominant team in the 1970s. If you were going to win the Super Bowl, you probably had to go through the madcap marauders of the East Bay.

Wild, free-spirited and wickedly clutch on the field, the Silver and Black was a special fabric of the NFL in the 1970s. They were always known for close calls, but in the end not having enough to be complete the championship journey.

That all changed in 1976. The Raiders had plenty. They were, by far, the class of the NFL and they have the hardware to prove it.

Led by a stunning group of players, this team had depth on offense and defense. Stabler was the engineer, as he seemingly rolled out of bed and led the Raiders to one last-minute win after another. He had great receivers in Biletnikoff, Branch and Casper. The offensive line was anchored by future Pro Football Hall of Famers Shell and Upshaw.

Defensively, the Raiders were nasty with first-year Raider Matuszak and Sistrunk up front, Hendricks in the middle and Brown and Tatum anchoring the unit.

It was enough for Oakland to nearly go unbeaten. After New England thrashed the Raiders in Week 4, Oakland didn’t lose another game. Oakland went 13-1 in the regular season (despite having a five-game trip spanning Weeks 2-6) and then won home playoff games against New England and Pittsburgh before toying with Minnesota in Super Bowl in XI.

It was a culmination of a great run in Oakland. In the end, this team will be remembered as one of the NFL’s great all-time teams.

Most impressive win: A 32-14 victory over Minnesota in Super Bowl XI. The Raiders showed their dominance on offense and defense by completely suffocating the Vikings. It was a fitting day to end a near-perfect season. No one in Oakland will forget the sight of a jubilant Madden being carried off the Rose Bowl field by his victorious Raiders. Davis surely never will.

Crazy start: The Raiders had some memorable battles with Pittsburgh. This special season started with a classic battle between the two 1970s powerhouses in Oakland.

The Steelers led 28-14 with five minutes to go. However, Oakland made a furious comeback to tie the score. Oakland then got the ball back and won it with a short field goal with 18 seconds remaining, sending the home crowd into a wild celebration.

Nothing like beating the hated Steelers on opening day. It set the tone for Oakland’s best season of all time.

Honorable mention:

1967: The Daryle Lamonica-led Raiders were 13-1 in the regular season before being worn down by Green Bay in Super Bowl II.

1980: The Raiders became the first wild-card team to win a Super Bowl. The 11-5 Raiders were led by coach Tom Flores and spunky, resurgent quarterback Jim Plunkett.

1983: The Raiders’ third Super Bowl champion was a dominant unit. Led by a great defense and young running back Marcus Allen (1,014 yards rushing, 11 TDs), this was a special team.

» NFC Big Question: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

What's the worst call to have spoiled the result for an AFC East team?

In the past few weeks, Koman Coulibaly and Jim Joyce made two of the most infamous officiating blunders.

On a global stage, Coulibaly's no-goal gaffe might cost the U.S. soccer team a place in the knockout round of the World Cup. Joyce spoiled baseball history when he blew a call at first base on what should have completed a perfect game.

At least they're not alone in sports history. Plenty of other officials have made dubious calls that have changed the outcome of a big game.

The AFC East has seen its share. With help from my Facebook friends, I came up with a short list of controversial calls to consider.

We'll steer clear of the calls that helped an AFC East team win. So forget the Tuck Rule or Vinny Testaverde's phantom touchdown plunge. We're looking for heartbreak here.

With 52 seconds left in their 1976 playoff game, New England Patriots defensive lineman Ray Hamilton was called for a highly questionable roughing penalty on Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler. The Patriots were up by four points. The Raiders faced a third-and-18 from New England's 27-yard line. Stabler's pass was incomplete, but the flag gave the Raiders a first down, and they eventually punched into the end zone.

The Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins in the Snow Plow Game in 1982. On a winter wonderland of a field, Patriots coach Ron Meyer ordered a plow onto the field to clear kicker John Smith's placement for a 33-yard field goal with 4:45 to play. Officials didn't prevent it. Final score: Patriots 3, Dolphins 0.

In 1998, a questionable fourth-down conversion immediately followed by a wild penalty in the end zone as time expired infuriated the Buffalo Bills so much they didn't line up for the extra point in a vexing loss to the Patriots. A Hail Mary pass interference gave New England the ball on Buffalo's 1-yard line. Down by four points, Drew Bledsoe tossed to Ben Coates for the touchdown.

Bills fans bemoan the Music City Miracle, one of the most controversial plays in NFL history. The Tennessee Titans pulled off what I believe was a perfect lateral to eliminate the Bills from the 1999 playoffs. Despite a video review that seemed to have more interpretations than a Salvador Dali painting, the touchdown stood. The Bills haven't returned to the postseason.

Last year, a Sports Illustrated photo showed Dolphins receiver Ted Ginn stripped New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper shy of the goal line. The ball bounded out of the end zone for what should have been a Dolphins' touchback, but a review upheld Sharper's pick-six, a critical play in a dramatic Saints' victory. Had the Dolphins won, it might have helped them get into the playoffs.

There are so many others to choose from. Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Brock Huard quickly returned a phone message.

“I don’t get a chance to talk about left-handed quarterbacks much,” Huard said. "You don’t see it much. I go to a lot of youth football camps and the quarterbacks are almost always right-handed. It seems all the lefties are playing baseball. ... I’m interested to see Tim Tebow because we lefties are hard to come by.”

Huard, now a college football analyst for ESPN, is a member of a rare club. He was a southpaw gunslinger as a backup in Seattle and Indianapolis from 1999-2004. The NFL is a right-handed quarterback’s game. Only 12 left-handed quarterback have started more than 50 NFL games.

The only lefty currently slated to be a starter in 2010 is Arizona’s Matt Leinart and his status is far from solid. The only other left-handed quarterbacks currently in the NFL are backups Mark Brunell, Michael Vick, Chris Simms, Pat White and Tyler Palko.

Besides Brunell and Vick, the last truly successful left-handed quarterbacks were Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young and Boomer Esiason. Other successful left-handed quarterbacks throughout the years include Ken Stabler, Jim Zorn, Bobby Douglass and Frankie Albert.

Being left-handed is one of the reasons Tebow enters the NFL with such intense interest. The intrigue is not just whether the former Florida quarterback can prove he simply wasn’t a Saturday star with an awkward delivery. People are eager to see if Tebow can become the next lefty to succeed in the league.

“I have no doubt that he can,” said Houston quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp. "I know it can happen."

Knapp would know. He coached Young in San Francisco and Vick in Atlanta.

“I’ve seen it firsthand,” Knapp said. "Don’t tell me left-handed quarterbacks can’t make it in this league. I know it can be done.”

(Read full post)

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Falling

Boldin

1. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals WR. The Pro Bowl wideout nearly overshadowed the Cardinals' victory Sunday by essentially calling out his head coach for not being "man enough" to tell him about his deactivation in person. On the field, Boldin is as manly as any wide receiver to play the game. In this instance, Boldin should have been man enough after the game to take his case directly to Ken Whisenhunt instead of reporters crowding around him in the locker room at Soldier Field. Don't get me wrong: I've got nothing against players popping off after games. It's good blog fodder. It's also bad form, particularly for a player with Boldin's credentials. The Cardinals had just improved to 4-0 on the road while taking a two-game lead in the NFC West. Their offense had just played its best game. That wasn't the time for an inactive player to hog the spotlight.

Smith

2. Alex Smith, 49ers QB. Let the record show that Smith played a good game against the Titans. That was the word from coach Mike Singletary, anyway. The bottom line, of course, is that the 49ers lost another game with Smith as their starter, and the other team caught three of Smith's passes. The 49ers have lost both of his starts this season and seven of his last nine. When they needed Smith to rally them in the fourth quarter Sunday, Smith locked onto receiver Josh Morgan without enough regard for safety Chris Hope, who picked off the pass. Smith needs a victory over the Bears on Thursday night for Singletary's words of support to resonate with fans.

Mora

3. Jim Mora, Seahawks coach. Seattle's performance in falling behind the Lions by 17 points at home suggested Mora's harsh words for the team failed to gain traction following a blowout defeat at Dallas a week earlier. That seems like a bad sign. Yes, Seattle is learning new systems on both sides of the ball. Yes, the team has dealt with significant injuries this season. That's life in the NFL. The Lions are also learning new systems. They are even breaking in a rookie quarterback (the Lions probably would have won that game if Daunte Culpepper had been the quarterback). The Seahawks were as healthy for this game as they've been all season. Falling behind 17-0 at home to the laughable Lions is simply inexcusable. Perhaps this is the week Seattle responds to Mora's challenges.

Rising

Warner

1. Kurt Warner, Cardinals QB. With five touchdown passes against the Bears, Warner passed Ken Stabler, Steve DeBerg, Joe Ferguson, Bobby Layne, Norm Snead and Ken Anderson on the all-time list. He needs two more to reach 200 touchdown passes for his NFL career. Warner's fifth and final scoring pass against the Bears killed any chances for a Chicago comeback. Whisenhunt had prematurely handed over the offense to Matt Leinart, whose interception helped fuel a Bears rally. The Cardinals were on their heels when Whisenhunt sent Warner back into the game. Warner immediately connected with Larry Fitzgerald for a 13-yard gain. A penalty for leg whipping against left tackle Mike Gandy negated the play, but Warner had nonetheless proved his head remained in the game.

Hawthorne

2. David Hawthorne, Seahawks LB. Lofa Tatupu's legacy as a middle linebacker remains secure in Seattle. He was a three-time Pro Bowl choice and the key addition to a defense that helped the Seahawks reach Super Bowl XL following the 2005 season. Hawthorne has somehow outperformed Tatupu when given chances this season. That's a tremendous credit to Hawthorne. With Tatupu on injured reserve, Hawthorne picked off two passes against the Lions. He had two sacks against Dallas the previous week. He had a 16-tackle game against the Bears earlier in the season. The Seahawks will need to find a place for Hawthorne beyond this season if he builds on what is already an impressive start to his career.

3. Cardinals tight ends. You know the Cardinals' offense is functioning at a high level when tight ends Anthony Becht and Ben Patrick are catching touchdown passes in the same game. The Arizona passing game goes through Fitzgerald and the other wide receivers, but the tight ends could get more chances as the Cardinals embrace two-tight end personnel groups. The Cardinals averaged 6.3 yards per rushing attempt against the Bears when playing with one back and two tight ends. Similar groupings could become more common in the longer-term future if Boldin talks his way out of Arizona -- particularly if the tight ends show they can catch the ball.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

Denver

Longtime assistant Rick Dennison gets his chance to be the man in Denver.

My take: The Broncos respect Dennison, the run game coordinator and offensive line coach under Mike Shanahan, enough to give him an interview to replace Shanahan. It would still be a surprise if Dennison emerged as the hire. Still, it wouldn't be a shock if Dennison, with long Colorado ties, sticks around the team in some form.

Kansas City

Carl Peterson was defiant in his final press conference in Kansas City.

My take: This is just another example that it was time for Peterson to move on. After 20 years in Kansas City, it was clear both the Chiefs and Peterson need to go in a new direction. Peterson had his good times in Kansas City but this switch is the best for everyone involved.

Oakland

The Raiders will not have any new hall of famers this year.

My take: Ray Guy, Lester Hayes and Ken Stabler were among the 25 semifinalists but when the final list of 17 candidates was announced Tuesday, none had advanced. The Raiders are well represented in Canton but these players are having difficulty making the final step. It is particularly interesting that Stabler can't get enough steam for induction.

San Diego

Darren Sproles is coming out of his media-shy shell.

My take: The diminutive Sproles may be explosive on the field but he is shy and reserved off it. I found him to be a very nice person in my limited dealings with him, but he seems uncomfortable in the spotlight. But he better get used to it because if he continues to play so well, the spotlight will shine even brighter than it has.

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 17 finalists for enshrinement in 2009. The vote will be Jan. 31. Two players who spent a significant part of their careers in the AFC West are among the finalists while four players from the division didn't make the final cut.

Here are the finalists:

Shannon Sharpe, tight end: 1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Broncos; 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens

Will he get in? He is considered one of the best players ever to play his position but because there is a logjam at other positions and tight end is not considered a glamor position by many voters, Sharpe may have to wait a year or two.

Derrick Thomas, linebacker: 1989-99 Kansas City Chiefs

Will he get in? It says here he gets in either in 2009 or 2010.

Here is a list of semifinalists who spent most of their careers in the AFC West but did not make the cut to the finalists list:

• Terrell Davis, running back: 1995-2001 Denver Broncos
• Ray Guy, punter: 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
• Lester Hayes, cornerback: 1977-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
• Ken Stabler, quarterback: 1970-79 Oakland Raiders; 1980-1981 Houston Oilers; 1982-1984 New Orleans Saints

Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

	Kyle Terada/US Presswire
	Oakland coach Tom Cable celebrates during the Raiders' 16-13 overtime win over the New York Jets Sunday.

OAKLAND -- Tom Cable is assimilating well to Raiders football.

To succeed in Oakland, or to at least to be accepted here, you must embrace the past. You must enter Al Davis' world. Cable has done that and, for the next week, at least, the 1970s are alive.

In town for a team memorial for the late Gene Upshaw, former Oakland greats Ken Stabler and Raymond Chester came to the team's hotel Saturday night to try to fire up the 2008 version, a team that looks nothing like the 1970s Raiders.

At 1-4 and coming off a 34-3 loss in New Orleans to kick off the Cable era, the Raiders were in need of much more than a pep talk from the former stars. It appears to have helped.

And after a 16-13 overtime win over Brett Favre and the New York Jets, it was all about the past for the Raiders.

"The great ones took out time for us, that's a big thing," Oakland defensive tackle Gerard Warren said. "We got some good players on this team, but those are Super Bowl winners. We listened. They got us wanting to win for the organization. It was a good thing. There's a lot of history here."

There's even some revisionist history. Apparently, as far as Cable is concerned, the first six weeks of the NFL season never happened. On about 10 different occasions, the Raiders' interim coach -- the offensive line coach who replaced the fired Lane Kiffin on Sept. 30 -- announced to the world that the Raiders are 1-0.

"We're 1-0 and we're going to enjoy it," Cable said.

For the record the "1-0" Raiders are in third place in the AFC West. And, don't tell Cable, but for some odd reason, the official NFL standings have the Raiders' record at 2-4. Apparently, Cable's message is that his team must take it one game at a time.

You know what? It's exactly what the Raiders, who play at Baltimore next Sunday, need.

They need some love. Cable is there to give it to them. He gave out a couple of game balls after the win. He said he was going to give out a few more Monday.

He praised the play of quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who was largely ineffective until late in overtime. He called receiver Javon Walker "marvelous" after a game in which he caught five passes.

He admitted he nearly screwed up when he iced Jets kicker Jay Feely, giving Feely a second chance to send the game to overtime with a 52-yard field goal.

Cable, an intriguing combination of big and cuddly and intimidating and forceful, also panned himself a few times. He's a players' coach. And perhaps more important, he's a Raiders historian.

Here are a few more observations from Sunday's game:

(Read full post)