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We're now done with our little tip toe through the tulips with the Ballers, it's time to get to the manure. This week's pile has a fiercely pungent aroma. It was enough to fertilize 56 points for the Chiefs on Sunday.
Busters
Jason Tarver, Nick Roach
The defensive coach and the quarterback of the defense share the top spot this week. The Raiders were just plain lost most of the day on defense. The screen pass gouged them as if the Chiefs introduced the concept to the world last Sunday. Jamaal Charles scored five touchdowns in the game and four of them came on screen passes.
The first play of the game was a 49-yard touchdown by Charles off of a screen pass. The second TD, Tarver called for a blitz on third and 19 and Charles had nothing but open field to go 39 yards for the score. The fifth touchdown of the day was a 16-yard screen to Charles. The sixth touchdown was a 71-yard bubble screen to Charles. The final touchdown was set up by an 11-yard screen pass to the six-yard line. The final touchdown drive began with a 10-yard screen. Two plays later Roach missed what should have been a sack to give up an 11-yard QB scramble. Then Roach was blocked up the field on the next play to give up a 17-yard touchdown run right up the gut. That was it, 56 points. Alex Smith also had a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Jamaal Charles had nearly 200 yards receiving (195) and added 20 yards rushing to go along with his five touchdowns. Need I say more?
Roach, the starting middle linebacker, playing 100% of the snaps, had a total of two tackles in the game.
Matt McGloin
McGloin was playing the role of Gunslinger in this thrill ride. Unfortunately, it resulted in his turning the ball over five times - four of which were interceptions.
His first interception came on the Raiders second drive and it was the worst kind - a pick six. Eric Berry read the pass and caught it in stride and he had an easy path to take it 45 yards for the touchdown to give the Chiefs the 21-3 lead in the first quarter.
The second quarter featured McGloin's second turnover. This time it was a bad snap that he tried to pick up only to have it slip away from him to give the Chiefs the ball at the Raiders' 11-yard line. They would score on three plays to take a 28-10 lead.
The following drive ended with yet another interception to Eric Berry. Tack on a roughing penalty by Mike Brisiel and the Chiefs were set up again inside the red zone. They would score again on a screen pass and again on one play to take the 35-10 lead.
Then came a stretch of scores orchestrated by McGloin to nearly make a valiant comeback. The Raiders got within four points at 31-35 but the Chiefs would rattle off two quick scores to pull away again. In his attempts to put more points on the board, he threw another bad interception and then had a ball tipped at the line that was intercepted as well. The Chiefs would capitalize on the second interception to add the final touchdown.
Phillip Adams
He got off to a horrible start in this game. He missed the tackle on Jamaal Charles on the first play of the game as he raced 49 yards for the touchdown. On the Chiefs next kick return, he missed the tackle and they took it for 25 yards to the 32-yard line. On the ensuing drive, he gave up a 7-yard catch on third and two. The drive kept alive, they finished it off with a touchdown. He would miss a tackle again on a five-yard run on the Chiefs fourth touchdown drive.
Brandian Ross
Ross is quite literally the worst strong safety in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. He has been for a few weeks now and is holding onto that spot pretty firmly. He was out of position on a 10-yard catch on the Chiefs final drive of the first half. He was out of position again on an 8-yard catch in the third quarter and the Chiefs scored their sixth TD two plays later. He was give up the touchdown catch on the next drive as well. On the final touchdown, he was completely destroyed on his tackle attempt on Knile Davis' 17-yard run to the end zone. And to think there were those who actually said the Raiders wouldn't miss Tyvon Branch this season. He is very much missed.
Kevin Burnett, Miles Burris
While with the coverage being so out of whack, it could be difficult to tell who was actually, technically in coverage on those four screen passes for touchdowns by Jamaal Charles. It was clearly Burnett's assignment on the first one but he was handled on the block. That play was set up by the 50-yard return on the opening kickoff which was made possible by Burris missing his gap.
With the corner blitz on the second screen touchdown, Burnett was supposed to cover the screen but he wasn't there. The next one was not a blitz but it was still Burnett's assignment and he was not there.
The final screen pass for a touchdown was a bubble screen to the outside and Burris was supposed to stop it. Not only did he not stop it, he didn't even slow Charles down as he went 71 yards for the score. Burris hurt his ankle on the play and his status is now uncertain. He had just recently returned from being on the PUP list most of the season following off-season knee surgery.
Stefen Wisniewski
The snapping issues have become a little too common of late. In this game, it cost the Raiders' dearly. McGloin lined up in a shotgun formation inside the 20-yard line and Wisniewski's snap was low and wide of him and he couldn't bring it in. The Chiefs pounced on it and took over at the Raiders' 11-yard line. They would score in three plays to take a 28-10 lead. That wasn't Wisniewski's only issues in this one. He also struggled in run blocking. Just to complete the trifecta, he was called for holding on the first play of the second half.
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