Game Grades: @ Miami Dolphins

Huge win for the Raiders, although I’ll try to temper my glee with the fact that the win did come against an 0-4 team. Great all around win, although tackling is still an issue. The defense has yet to put together a dominating game, but a win is a win. And with that, here are my grades for week 4:

Passing Game: B+
Do you credit a passing game with running touchdowns by the quarterback? If you do, then the Raiders get an A+ in the passing game, considering that QB Daunte Culpepper ran for three touchdowns and passed for two more. From a passing efficiency perspective, Culpepper didn’t exactly tear it up in the passing department. He only completed 5 of 12 passes for 75 yards, but since 2 of those 5 completions ended up in the end zone, it’s hard to argue with Culpepper’s impact on this game.

Running Game: A
Culpepper’s 3 TD’s aside, the Raiders torched the Dolphins defense with 299 rushing yards. Justin Fargas had a career high 179 yards on 22 carries, and that was after the Raiders feature back, Lamont Jordan, injured his back. Jordan had racked up 74 yards before having to leave, so there’s no telling what he would have done against the banged up Dolphins. Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin made it no secret that he was going to run the ball, and Miami still couldn’t stop Oakland’s ground game.

Pass Defense: B-
Oakland’s defense is still in need of a huge game, but this game was a start. Trent Green was only able to pass for 158 yards and touchdown, and the Raiders picked off two passes to stop two big Dolphin drives. Thomas Howard continued his hot streak by setting up the Raiders first touchdown with a pick on Miami’s opening drive deep in Dolphin territory. Stanford Routt kept the Dolphins from seizing control of the game’s momentum with a pick on the Raiders 2 yard line after Miami marched almost 90 yards for what would have been the tying score.

Run Defense: C-
The one area Oakland is most in need of help is the run defense. Ronnie Brown continued to expose Oakland by running for 134 yards. Brown capped a 51 yard drive with a 9 yard scamper through the Raiders defense. On the next Dolphins drive, Brown kicked things off with a 60 yard run, setup by shoddy tackling. The Raiders have two weeks to solve their run defense ills, before squaring off against Ladanian Tomlinson.

Special Teams: A-
For starters, Sebastian Janikowski did not miss a field goal. That accomplishment was made easier by the fact that the Raiders had no field goal attempts, but we’ll take any positive we can when it comes to Janikowski. The maligned Raiders kicker did have two touchbacks on kickoffs. The Raiders special teams unit also kept speedster Ted Ginn Jr. in check. Ginn had a 33 yard kickoff return, but that was it.

Coaching: A-
Was Lane Kiffin’s game plan setup to run the ball because he didn’t want to throw Culpepper to the wolves in his first start as a Raider, or because he knew the Dolphins run defense was comprised of moldy Swiss cheese? Regardless of the reason, the plan worked. Kiffin now gets to make the fun decision of deciding who his starting quarterback is. Culpepper’s enthusiasm alone gets our vote for a second start.

Intangibles: B+
This wasn’t a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts, but it was a huge step forward for the Raiders. A road win in the NFL isn’t something that comes easy, but the Raiders got the job done. If anything, this was almost a redemption game for several Raiders. Jerry Porter played a role in he offense and the much maligned offensive line looked like people movers out there. The real test comes in two weeks. The Chargers will have something to prove and Norv Turner will want some payback.

Officiating: C-
There were only two glaring calls that come to mind. The offensive pass interference call against Mike Williams in the 1st quarter was ridiculous. If a defender falls down, it’s not offensive pass interference. Williams was mauled midway through the 3rd quarter by Michael Lehan, but no Williams drew no flag.