Greetings my fellow members of the Silver and Black Pride community! I am pleased to bring to all of you the 11th installment in the series, Talkin' With Tyvon, from Raiders starting strong safety Tyvon Branch.

This week's edition is a little longer as it covers some of the period during the bye-week when we only had one installment. Tyvon discusses the various topic both prior to and following the Chiefs game.

The Community is invited to pose some questions for Tyvon in the comments section and he will do his best to get as many of them answered as quickly as possible:

Hello Raider Fans...sorry I was unable to get in touch with you last week. It was a busy week, and we all had some time to rest up. I also had the opportunity to reconnect with some of my UCONN teammates and discuss the tragedy that occurred there. It makes you really value what we have. My thoughts and prayers are with Howard family. It definitely puts things into perspective.

Unfortunately we were unable to come away with a win yesterday, but the bye week allowed us to go over some much needed adjustments. I thought we had them this week, but we were unable to capitalize on some of their mistakes. That was one of the key points Coach Cable stressed. We have to take advantage of every opportunity. People always say good teams find ways to win. Well we need to start finding those ways. We felt great coming into the game, some things just did not go our way.

TB

 SABP: With a 2-7 record, it's very easy to get discouraged, but it is evident that you are playing with a lot of energy out there. What are the things that you are doing to keep yourself motivated under the circumstances of this season?

TB: Having the opportunity to play football for a living keeps me motivated. We put in an extensive amount of time, but it is great to be out there on Sunday's with the fans. You guys keep us going. Thank you for your support.

SABP: You were in the Chiefs game all the way and the defense held them to 16 points. Does the defense feel any add pressure thinking that they have to keep teams to 10 points or less to have a chance for win?

TB: Our goal is to always go for a shutout. Obviously this is a tough task, but we never feel pressure to keep them to a certain point level. We just go out and try to make plays. Putting pressure on your self can cause unnecessary mistakes, and that is something we do not need.

SABP: You have the surprising high-flying Bengals coming in with all of their offensive talent. What are your thoughts on how you will personally prepare for the challenges of that offense?

TB: They are going to be tough. Offensively I do not think they scored a TD this week, but their D looks great. We need to go out and shut down their running attack. That has been a surprise this year, but with Carson back there they are tough all around. Once I get a chance to watch more film this week, I will have a better idea of our gameplan.

(Editor's note: The following two questions were asked to Tyvon during the bye-week prior to the Chiefs game)

SABP: It has been reported that during the Raiders bye-week that the team practiced last Wednesday and Thursday and worked exclusively on correcting the various problems the team had during the first 8 games. How did that go and do you think the various problems were corrected?

TB: Practices went well. I know we have the talent out here. We continually give up some big plays and that hurts us. Minimizing those was a big focus. I think we did a relatively decent job against the Chiefs keeping the big plays to a minimum. We need to build on that.

SABP: The bye-week must have been good for everyone to get healthy, in fact Coach Cable believes that the returning injured players are going to make a big difference in the teams' play. Can you say if noticed a difference on the practice field with the returning injured players?

TB: I would say there was more confidence all week. The team realizes we need to be healthy, and getting some guys back will help. There was also a more upbeat feel to practice.

 

Thanks Tyvon for taking the time to answer all the questions and good luck against the Bengals.

For A Day in the Life pt. 1 click here.

When we left: Tom Cable was waiting for players to arrive for their Monday meetings.

Cable, trying to rub away the pickaxe-wielding gnomes in his head, is waiting for Russell while trying to think of a new way to reach him.

“Maybe I should invite him over for dinner like Al Pacino invited Steamin’ Willie Beamon in On Any Given Sunday. Wait, that’s not going to work. What am I going to do, microwave some Hot Pockets and have a sit down in the office? Maybe I could make him watch the movie; or, better yet—I should invite him over to my house. He and my wife can work some things out while I relax here.”

Cable reaches for the intercom, “Les, where’s JaSuckus? Please tell me that he at least bothered to show up...or, better yet, quit.”

“Oh yeah, apparently he was here before the morning crew started their 5 a.m. shift.”

“Really? That’s outstanding.”

“Well, it would be, except he is passed out in the cafeteria under his new fur jacket. The cleanup guy thought he was a wild animal and whacked him with his mop, but he didn’t even move. He kept poking him until JaMarcus threw his cell phone at him.”

“Ugh...did it hurt the guy?”

“You’re kidding, right? It missed him by a mile. It did go through the wall and left a two-foot hole, though. We got a crew trying to get him up now.”

“Commitment to excellence,” Cable says.

In the background he overhears Les’ TV: “Breaking news!” accompanied by various whizzing sound effects. “Chris Mortenson is live with new developments on Tom ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Cable.”

Cable shakes his head and thinks “Oh good, I was wondering what was taking them so long.”

“Les!” Cable shouts through the door, hoping to bypass the intercom and consequently the reports, “get me What’s-a-football-Bey instead!”

Les hits the intercom button. “You got it.”

In the half-second the button was pressed, Cable catches Mortenson saying “...more than assault...”

Les presses the button again. “On his way coach; he is at the other end of the building. He should be here in five.”

Mortenson was still going, “peacefully sleeping when Cable tried to sever her fingers...”

“At least they aren’t being unbiased,” Cable thinks to himself.

Ten seconds later, Les buzzes in. “Bey is here.”

Cable hears Mortenson in the background, “innocent housekeeper was assaulted...”

“That was quick,” Cable thinks, back to focusing on his job and not the TV. “He was a half-mile away.” Cable watches his door handle turn a half of a turn and reset, then do the whole thing over again. “Les! Let these guys in the door—this is just embarrassing.”

Les opens the door while Mortenson talks away, “...a deadly weapon.” Cable shakes his head.

“Sorry, coach,” Heyward-Bey says apologetically through a pant. “I can’t keep my grip on the handle. I have a hard time holding onto round things.”

“I’ve noticed, Darrius. Thanks for getting here so quick, though.”

“No problem, coach—I love to run.”

“I know you have been getting good grades, Darrius, and this game you actually got 22 yards, but that last drop you had—well—there is no way to put this gently: It really hurt us. I am afraid I just can’t give you more than a C this week.”

“Oh coach, not a C! My mom is going to kill me. I mean all the guys said they supported me and this can happen to rookies, and I know I need to catch those, but come on! You’ve seen my mom, coach.”

“I know, Darrius, but you can’t very well use your stats to support your play.” Cable says, regretting he ever came up with this grading system in order to protect his young receiver’s fragile psyche. “Look, let’s hope this was just a bad week for you. I want you to go out there and have a strong week of practice. Work on those fundamentals and remember the ball is your friend. Remember how we talked about it not being able to hurt you—that’s all in your head.”

“You’re sure there’s no teeth hidden in the ball, right?”

“I promise, Darrius—look for yourself.” Cable tosses the ball sitting on his desk to Heyward-Bey’s hands.

Picking it up off the floor, Heyward-Bey looks it up and down as he walks out of the office while repeating his mantra, “No teeth, Darrius. Nice ball, Darrius. The ball is our friend, Darrius.”

In the background, Mortenson is still talking: “The houskeeper is recovering from the attempted murder...”

“What?” At his wits' end, Cable had heard enough of that garbage. “Les!” Cable shouts through the door. “Just shout your answers. Is JaHangover on his way yet?”

Les presses the intercom and shouts, “He is up, but apparently he is on his way to Mr. Davis’ office!”

Cable heard Mortenson in the background: “Maria Lutz, Cable’s ex...”

“Les” Cable presses the intercom. “I am going to use the intercom, but from now on you just shout to me, without the intercom. OK?”

“Sure thing, boss,” Les says through the intercom.

Long enough for Cable to hear “assaulted her with deadly weapons...”

“Sorry, that was the last time,” Les pipes in through the intercom.

Mortenson finished his thought: “13 or 22 different times.”

“Get me McSissy, keep me updated on JaNoclue, and send Higgins, Murphy, and Schillens in. No, wait, I’ll talk to Schillens later. Tell him not to move unless he has to,” Cable says, realizing he didn't want the one receiver he trusted to re-injure his foot.

In a desperate search for his aspirin, Cable looks up to see Les open the door. “Darren’s here, coach”

McFadden walks through the doorway. Les put his hand on McFadden’s back to show him in, which knocks McFadden to the ground.

“Christ, Les! You didn’t have to tackle me!” McFadden says, picking up the water bottle he dropped while falling.

Meanwhile, Cable can not help but hear the TV. “Let’s go to Chris Mortenson with some more breaking news...”

“At least,” Cable thinks with an exhale, “they have moved on to another story.”

“Darren, it was great to get you back into the flow last week. How are you feeling?”

“Not good, coach. I got hit like 10 times. The trainers said there was nothing wrong with me, but when I leave here I am going to have them check again.”

“Darren, I want you ready to go. I am thinking of putting in some more plays for you this week. Some things to get you into space...”

“Oh, I like space,” McFadden interrupts. “I don’t think I could get hit hard if everyone is weightless.”

“No, Darren—space on the football field. We need to take advantage of your quickness and your speed. Maybe some pitches, and I also want to line you up wide and run some bubble screens.”

“Oh...well, I’ll let you know what the trainers say, coach. I should be ready to go before the season’s over.”

“Darren, you can leave now.” Cable says, turning to stroke his picture of Justin Fargas for sanity.

“Good talk, coach. I am off to the whirlpool.” McFadden opens the door, thinking, “They need to turn down the water flow, though—it keeps knocking me over.”

While the door is open, Cable hears “after slapping her, she said Tom Cable asked her to wear a veil and told her to stay away from New York on 9/11.”

“What?” Cable thinks, trying to tune it out. “Les, how are we looking with player’s meetings?”

“Well,” Les says into the intercom, “JaMarcus just left Mr. Davis’ office and boss man wants you to call him. Murphy and Higgins are currently stuck shoulder to shoulder in a doorway. They entered the doorway at the same time from different halls and knocked each other over. They got up and did it again. They got up again and now they are just stuck.”

In the background: “she said Cable punched her...”

“Les, what did I say about the intercom?”

“Oh yeah. Sorry, boss,” Les says into the intercom, while Cable hears “...then grabbed his gun and sat on the grassy knoll.”

In a state of disbelief, Cable picks up the phone, and before he even finishishes dialing Davis’ extension, Davis answers. “Russell is benched. I want you to give him the Marcus Allen treatment, Flores. He is done!” Click.

“Wow, maybe my luck is turning,” Cable thinks. “I got a Flores and I get to bench JaMumbles.

Les opens the door. “JaMarcus is here.” Russell walks in.

“Aburighta maLesum mana. High five.” Russell mumbles. Les holds up his hand and Russell swings for a high five, missing, as Les walks out the door.

The door sways open long enough for Cable to hear “she said he slapped her for being Jewish and he and his friend Adolf we going to do something, because Jews were destroying...”

Cable—knocked back by the smell of booze and vomit that accompanied Russell—said, “Jesus, JaMarcus! You smell like a bar bathroom at the end of Mardis Gras.”

“Ahwellum I baslept herez and Iz dranktd a littlez too much and macouldn’t makes it homez.”

“JaMarcus, you need to enunciate. Focus. We have to talk.”

“Whatever, coach; I think it’s your ears, not my talking. Don’t you?” Russell says really slowly, thinking he sounded like an idiot yet made an excellent point. “We do need to talk, though, Cable guy.”

“Al said I was done,” Russell says, still speaking slowly and seeming a little perplexed. “I went up there demanding he get me a new cell phone, because the janitor made me break mine. Also, I need a new beanie since I puked in my good one and I don’t make enough to buy one on my own. He went off, saying, ‘You don’t come here and demand more money from me’ and ‘I am through, blah blah blah.’ He looks like the Emperor from Star Wars when he gets pissed. You want me to play, though, right? You saw it wasn’t big ol’ No. 2’s fault out there, right?”

“Actually, JaMarcus, you are not making the strides I hoped: You are not putting in the extra time, you don’t seem to care, and your accuracy and decision-making is getting worse. You are so hungover now that I think your breath is getting me drunk. Now if you change...”

“Whatever,” Russell interrupts, “it’s all about the Benjamins. I am going to da club. Did I enunciate that well enough?” Russell slowly walks out the door, thinking he's storming. He then tries to slam the door for effect but missed and then leaves, realizing he didn’t care enough to do anything else.

In the background, Cable hears “she told me that Cable slapped her while saying he was going to tell the authorities where to find Jesus.”

Cable, finally able to block it all out, sits back in his chair, and, for the first time all day, lets loose a big smile.

“Les, things are looking up, my friend! Get Gradkowski in here.”

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

What's a screen pass? That's a dumb name for a pass! I'll never call one of those!!! Let's throw another one deep to Darius!!! (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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Once again the Oakland Raider Red Zone perfomance was anaemic, to say the least.

After starting the game with THE DRIVE we had been waiting for all year, a 60 yard burst by Michael Bush (Who, inexpli-CABLE-y, only saw the pigskin 15 more times), then a short burst by Fargas and the team was up 7-0.

Unfortunately, that would be the ONLY time that the offense led the team to the Red Zone.

Despite beginning drives from the Kansas City 37 and Oakland's 37 43 and 49, the team would only manage 3 more points.

For a team that has Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas and averaged 6.1 yards a carry, there is NO excuse for throwing the ball 32 times to receivers who can't catch (Miller only had one catch) from QB's with terrible completion percentages.

One trip to the Red Zone and 10 total points for the game against Kansas City!?!?!

Cable needs to delegate the play calling immediately.

The Defense is doing entirely too much for this clown to be costing us games. That's right Tom, you are a clown of a play caller. Truly. I know you may want to punch me for saying this, but, just look at the facts man, you are a TERRIBLE play caller. Period.

As my old boss used to say, "Fix it".

This post was brought to you by Comcast Red Zone

Any resemblance to reality of the below events is purely coincidental.

Monday, 5 a.m., at the Cable household—an alarm goes off...

“Just wake up, baby! Just wake up, baby!” screams the alarm—louder and louder each time. Carol Cable, tired from a long night sleeping next to a restless mate, reaches her hand over and stumbles for the alarm.

In the meantime, after a night of cold sweat and night-terror-filled sleep, Tom Cable grunts and swings his arm to hit the snooze button on an alarm he wishes he had never set.

Tom misses the snooze but does hit his wife’s fumbling hand.

“Ow! My hand! Tom, you hit me! I can’t believe you hit me!” Carol screams in shock.

“Carol, I am so sorry! I was just trying to hit the snooze. Are you OK?” Tom replies, groggy and in shock.

“What do you care? I should have listened to those other women! It’s not my fault your team sucks and you can’t coach!”

“That’s not fair, Carol. Are you in pain? I didn’t mean to hit you; I just wanted to turn this alarm off,” says Tom, still fumbling with the alarm clock.

“I don’t want your excuses. My hand is...” Carol's voice could no longer be heard over the increasing volume of the command, “Just wake up, baby! Just wake up, baby!”

“Carol, I am sorry, but I can’t hear...” says Tom, still trying to silence the alarm. “What is wrong with this devil machine?” Tired and frustrated, Tom rips the alarm out of the wall.

“Just wake up, baby!” The clock runs on batteries too.

By this time, Carol is already throwing his clothes out of the closet. “I can't...you are insa...not going to take this...” Tom can only make out what she is saying in the quick silences between the sentences of the alarm clock.

“Carol, I can’t...damn alarm.” Tom was trying, to no avail, to find the batteries. “You don’t have to do this!” Tom shouts in an attempt to be heard over the alarm. “I love you and I would never want to hurt you. I just wanted to get this alarm to shut up.” At wits end, Tom throws the alarm.

And a mighty throw it is. The alarm sails toward the door, just as the Cable’s housekeeper opens it to see what the commotion was. The alarm bounces off her forehead, sending the alarm and the housekeeper to the ground.

"Oh, Christ," Cable moans.

“...ake...p...baby...!” in pieces, the alarm sputters and quiets down to a stop.

The housekeeper is silent.

“Oh my God! Tom, you are a raging beast!” Carol shouts as she checks the housekeeper’s pulse. Luckily, there is indeed a pulse to check. “Don’t move—I am calling the cops!”

The cops and the ambulance arrive at the same time. After the housekeeper regains consciousness, she tells the police she had opened the door and—bam!—she was struck by the flying, shouting head of Al Davis.

Putting together pieces of stories, the police feel it is all a misunderstanding and let Tom go. Mrs. Cable assures all those in shouting distance that this was not the last they would hear of this matter—to which everyone within shouting distance thought "No duh."

“Well, just another day in paradise...off to the office,” Tom says, grabbing enough things to stay there for a while.

Due to the commotion, Cable is about an hour later than usual. Cable’s secretary Les, a former lineman (he didn’t want to have to worry about accusations of assault on his secretary) greets him. “Hey Tom. Wow, you OK? You look a little out of sorts. Is that a suitcase...? Boss man has already called four times wondering where you were. Good news is the fourth time he actually got your name right. Anyway, he asked you to call him.”

“Can’t wait. I am guessing I got a "Shell" and "Bugel." What was the third name?”

“Kiffin,” Cable’s secretary mumbles, as he did not want to have to tell him that.

“Ugh, this is not good at all,” Cable replies while rubbing his throbbing head and thinking, "I can’t get fired today. I need to sleep here a while."

“What’s with the suitcase?” Les wonders out loud.

“Turn on ESPN—I am sure they’ll let you know,” Cable says, entering his office.

Cable sits down in his commander’s seat and starts polishing his head coach nameplate, thinking this could be the last time it was accurate. After gaining the courage, he dials the boss man.

The phone does not even ring before Al Davis picks up: “Damn it, Shell, this better be you!”

"That’s good," Cable thinks. "At least he didn’t greet me with Kiffin." Cable knew not to correct him on the name. “Al, I am sorry I was late. I had a rough morning, but I am here and ready to work and turn this thing around. We were close yesterday. I thought we had it...”

“Close!” Davis interrupts. “Close is all you are going to get with coaching like that. You need to be more aggressive. Get the ball downfield. Let Heyward run and Russell throw. I want Heyward and Russell on the field every offensive snap. Every other play needs to be a deep throw.”

“Al,” Cable replies, knowing he needed to make his case, as this game plan was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. “I had to pull Russell. He is not seeing the whole field. He is not making the right reads, and his accuracy has just been terrible. He just doesn’t seem to understand that he needs to put in the work during the week to grasp the game plan...And Heyward can’t catch swine flu.”

“You're the coach. Fix it.” Davis says, growing tired of the excuses and thinking he should just fire this Mike White guy once and for all. But, of course, he knows to wait until he's sure he can do it with out having to pay him. “Why should Russell pay attention to your game plans? They obviously aren’t working. He hasn’t gotten any better this year. I gave you the next Elway and you are turning him into Ryan Leaf.”

“Look,” Davis continues, “I gave you the fastest receiver in the draft—throw it deep to him. If he weren’t so worried about running the sissy patterns that fill your so-called offense, he wouldn’t be tipping balls to the defense.”

“But—” Cable had so many things he wanted to say, but before he can say them, he is interrupted.

“Russell and Heyward play—and if they don’t start improving you can kiss this dream job good-bye. I am not going to continue to look bad because you can’t coach Hall of Fame talent,” Davis says before hanging up with a clang.

“Make you look bad?” Cable thinks, making a scrunched Al Davis face and mouthing words while swaying his head back and forth. “I had more talent at Idaho. If I didn’t need a place to sleep, I’d quit. I can’t coach these guys...”

Cable takes a deep breath, relieved he still had a job. “This kind of negative thinking is not going to help.” Cable presses the intercom button to his secretary. “Les, get me JaDumba—” Cable stops and tells himself “positive thoughts” before continuing, “I mean Russell.”

Realizing he was going to need to talk to more people than Russell, he presses the intercom button again. “Then get Dropsward-Bey and McFumbles, 'cause they are next.” Cable just decides to go with the nicknames; he can start his positive thinking in a minute.

...Stay tuned for A Day in the Life: Part Deux...

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

"Hey Mo!" (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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On a day when the Oakland Raiders were begining to show the signs of their earlier heritage, the thing that stood out the most was a wide receiver, drafted number 7 over-all, who was selected over numerous more talented AND proven guys by an old man who has lost his mind.

There have been signs all around us, but, when Heyward-Bey let that last pass bounce off of his chest and into the Chief's arms it became clear to me that Al Davis', losing his mind, has really cost this team too much this time.

Instead of keeping the second rounder last year, it was shipped off to Atlanta for 'Angelo Hall. The one who left the "D" somewhere between Atlanta and Oakland.

Wouldn't you just know that DeSean Jackson was available when that pick was made and the Falcons ended up getting a bookend O-Lineman, Sam Baker.

What did the Raiders get? 8 Million dollars of NOTHING but Burnt Toast that smelled like the "Scrip Club" while the Falcons and Eagles have "Landed", pardon the pun, Huge pieces to their franchises.

Then, this season the Raiders drafted the laughing stock rookie wide-out of All-Time, and that was before he'd even attempted to catch a pass in the OTA's...He's gotten worse.

I mean, before the season started, you still had hope that MAYBE the Old Man had outfoxed the entire League by finding the next Cliff Branch and Jack Tatum. Perhaps the old man had one more one finger salute for the "Liars" and was two fisting the "Professional Liars"!

Now, all we see is a franchise being run into the ground with the same gusto with which it became a symbol of the NFL.

When you get the chance to draft the Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Macklin or Percy Harvin's of the World, you do not take a project with hands of stone. You just don't. THEN, when you realize he can't catch, at the very least, you let a veteran, like ummm, I don't know...Javon Walker maybe!?!?...step in until the kid calms down a bit.

That is unless you just really DON'T see it. And at this point, I don't think that Mr. Davis does see reality any more. I bet, after hearing him speak, that he is still wondering WHY Cliff Branch missed that last pass.

I have often wrote, "Today is the DAY", before Raider games, and for me, yesterday was the day that I lost faith in AL's ability to run things. I'd questioned it, and have been in doubt about it for a while. Now I KNOW, it is time to get someone in here to run things. It has to be someone that Al trusts and it has to be soon, otherwise his great legacy will be forever tarnished.

Yesterday was a day of reckoning for you Mr. Davis. You have either lost your touch or have lost touch with reality. You choose.

Well it seems more and more that Gradkowski might be starting next week. Russell got benched again and Gradkowski came in and led us on what would have been a game-winning 2:00 minute drill if only DHB didn't create an interception on a pass he should have caught in the red zone.

 If Gradkowski is starting, you know Cable wouldn't be doing it unless..........Davis might be wanting him to? If Al didn't want Grad starting, you bet that he'd make sure it didn't happen. Could Al finally be seeing that Russell isn't the future of this team? It's clear from the post-game interview with Gradkowski that he already is a better leader and is definitely a better QB.

 So what of QB options after this season? Next year is uncapped after all so Russell can be cut without cap ramifications leaving Davis plenty of dollars to throw at a newer shinier QB. I've done a post on this before yes, but let's take a look at some other QB choices.

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For the 99th time, the two bitter rivals squared off. [via image3.examiner.com]

Completing the season series were the Raiders and the Chiefs from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Oakland had won the earlier meeting at Arrowhead Stadium, but this time around, it was Kansas City emerging as the victor. It was the seventh straight time the Chiefs had beaten the Raiders in Oakland and the 52nd overall time that it had happened in now what has been the 99th meeting. Blacked out locally, I was forced to watch this game on a stream. Let's see how this one transpired.

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Chiefs up 13 - 10 at the half. The Raiders are going to wear out Lechler's leg before this one is over, unless they find a way to create some offense. If they can continue to keep this close, Jano can win this from about anywhere!!

Lets GO R-A-I-D-E-R-S!!!!!