the shadow

http://www.pressdemocrat.com

By PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT


The NFL season must be approaching. Just cup your ear and listen for the
grunts, snaps and occasional ambulance siren.


With the Raiders' regular-season opener at Tennessee just eight days away,
the injury updates are coming fast and furious from the team's facilities in
Alameda. Five players emerged from the Dallas loss in various states of
disrepair: CB Nnamdi Asomugha, WRs Ronald Curry and Marcus Knight, S Keyon
Nash and T Chad Slaughter.


Asomugha had an MRI Friday on his right shoulder, which he reinjured while
breaking up a pass. Coach Bill Callahan did not yet have results of the test
but said the rookie corner had regained some range of motion. Curry has a
left hip flexor and will be evaluated daily. Knight sprained his left ankle,
and Slaughter sprained his left foot. Nash has a partial tear of his left
pectoral muscle and will miss at least two weeks.


In the meantime, some previously dinged players are trickling back to
action.


RB Charlie Garner, WR Jerry Porter, TE Doug Jolley, CB Phillip Buchanon, T
Langston Walker and DE Sam Williams all could practice this week, and
perhaps play against the Titans. P Shane Lechler also should be ready to go.


DUCK AND COVER


Among the many dreary plays in the Raiders' 52-13 loss, two of the most
disturbing were deep passes from Cowboys QB Quincy Carter to WRs Joey
Galloway and Terry Glenn. Galloway's was a 69-yard TD that gave Dallas a
17-0 lead; Glenn's set up the Cowboys' next TD.


Both plays seemed to expose some confusion in the Raiders' coverage scheme.
CB Charles Woodson let Galloway get deep when Carter broke the pocket, and
CB Terrance Shaw later let Glenn do the same. Both men appeared to be
expecting deep help from S Rod Woodson, who had come up to jump short
routes.


These are not players you'd expect to lose track of their assignments, but
Callahan wasn't overly worried about the implications.


"Anytime an opponent puts the ball deep over your secondary, there's always
vital concern," he said. "But watching the films this morning, I came away
more encouraged that there are basically some technique things we need to
clean up."


HANDS ACROSS IRVING


Like any red-blooded American coach, Callahan was perturbed by his team's 10
penalties on Thursday. He noted that the Raiders had significantly more
infractions on the road than at home last season, and said his staff has
been working with players to stay more disciplined in hostile environs.


Most galling against the Cowboys were the flags that signaled holding on no
less than four kickoff returns, including one each on the Raiders' first
three returns. Callahan referred to these as "hands" penalties, where a
blocker gets his hands outside the cylinder defined by the opponent's body.
They're easy to spot and frequently penalized.


"At times, if you're not in the right position or the right posture and
demeanor to take on that opponent coming down the field in his coverage, you
revert," Callahan said. "If you're not balanced up, if you're not in the
right position or the right alignment, what occurs is the natural tendency
to go back to what you do. And that's not trusting your technique, and just
letting your hands go where they may go."


The first three holding penalties negated good returns by Ronney Jenkins and
Justin Fargas.