The Oakland Raiders are an incredible organization and one of things I like most about the team is the long connection they have with many career Raiders. There are many players who only wore the Silver and Black during their NFL playing career.

On the other side, there are players who only spent a brief time in Oakland (or Los Angeles), during their NFL careers. Some of these are Hall of Famers, but whose contributions and achievements were mainly made with other teams. Although their time with the Raider Nation may have been brief, I think it’s important to recognize their contributions to the team’s success.

Here are five Hall of Famers who played for the Raiders, but whose contributions and achievements were mainly made with other teams:

Bob “Boomer” Brown

Boomer Brown finished his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders, playing from 1971-1973 and played in the Pro Bowl while a Raider. He started his NFL career in Philadelphia from 1964-1968, then moved on to Los Angeles to play for the Rams from 1969-1970. He was a big tackle, at 6′ 4″, 280 pounds and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Eric Dickerson

I think Dickerson will always be a Ram. He played for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1992 and had a bad year, compared to his greatness with the Rams. For the Raiders, he had 729 yards rushing and only two touchdowns. He played for the Rams from 1983-1987, for the Colts from 1987-1991, the Raiders in 1992 and ended his career in Atlanta in 1993.

James Lofton

Lofton had two good seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders but really put up some numbers while he was with the Green Bay Packers from 1978-1986. He played for the Raiders from 1987-1988 and also had some strong stats in Buffalo after leaving the team. In 1987, he had 41 receptions for 880 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Ron Mix

Ron Mix is a legendary Charger, but played his final 1971 season with the Oakland Raiders. He was key part of the early Chargers success, playing for the team from 1960-1969. His nickname, “The Intellectual Assasin” was due to his USC scholarship and eventual law degree. He was an offensive tackle who liked to follow the rules, he had only two holding penalties in 10 years.

Jerry Rice

To me, Jerry Rice is always a San Francisco 49er. He played for the Oakland Raiders from 2001-2004 and then for Seattle also in 2004, but his glory days were from 1985-2000 in San Francisco. He had some good stats with the Raiders, in 2001 he had 83 catches for 1,139 yards and 9 TDs and in 2002 he had 92 receptions for 1,211 yards and 7 TDs.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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As an Oakland Raiders fan, I have mixed feelings about the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I respect the institution, but have a lot of issues about how many great Oakland Raiders have yet to be “enshrined.” Raider legends like Jim Plunkett, Ken Stabler and Cliff Branch continue to be overlooked, while lesser players get in. Here’s a look at five Oakland Raiders greats who are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

Fred Biletnikoff

Fred Biletnikoff played for the Silver and Black from draft through retirement, clocking in 14 years. Biletnikoff caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and scored 76 touchdowns. At the time of his retirement, he led the league with the record of catching 40 or more passes in 10 consecutive seasons. He also had 70 receptions, 1,167 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in 10 post-season games for another NFL career-record. He was an All-AFL pick in 1969 and was an NFL All-Pro in 1972 and All-AFC in 1970, 1972 and 1973. He also played in two AFL All-Star games and four AFC-NFC Pro Bowl games, along with three AFL and five AFC championship games. As the MVP of Super Bowl XI, Biletnikoff helped the Raiders beat the Vikings 32-14. He also helped the team to an amazing 16-1 season in 1976, truly one of the Raiders’ greatest seasons ever.

George Blanda

Blanda played for the Raiders at the end of his career, after seven seasons with the Houston Oilers, who thought he was done. He proved everyone wrong and played nine great seasons with the Silver and Black as a back-up QB and kicker. His NFL career started way back in 1949 but Blanda really had a great season in 1970. Over a five-game stretch, Blanda helped the Raiders win four games and tied one more with either passing or kicking or both. He was the AFC Player of the Year in 1970, at age 43. Raiders’ owner Al Davis said of Blanda’s 1970 season: “George Blanda inspired a whole nation in 1970. I really believe he is the greatest clutch player in the history of this game.”

Jim Otto

Center Jim Otto really anchored the offensive line of the Raiders for the entire 15 years he played with the team. He played in 308 games, including six AFL title games, Super Bowl II and 12 All-Star games. He played for the Oakland Raiders from 1960-1974 and is a great member of the Raider Nation. He’s one of the original Oakland Raider players who started in 1960, the very first year the team was in existence.

John Madden

I really do think Madden is the greatest football coach ever, and is still the heart and soul of the Oakland Raiders. Madden actually started as a player, he was drafted in the 21st round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Eagles but injured himself in his rookie season and never played again. He coached for several college teams before joining the Raiders in 1967 as the linebackers coach. Madden finished with an overall record of 103 wins, 32 loses and 7 ties. Under his leadership, the team won seven Western Division titles, including the incredible five-in-a-row run from 1972-1976 and the win in Super Bowl XI in early 1977. In the 1976 and 1977 seasons, the Raiders won 17 games in a row, one short of the record at the time and they went 13-1 in 1976, one of the team’s greatest seasons ever.

Willie Brown

Inducted as part of the Class of 1984, cornerback Willie Brown came to the Raiders from the Denver Broncos in 1967 and played until 1978 with Oakland. He played in nine AFL/AFC title games and two Super Bowls. In Super Bowl XI he had an amazing 75-yard interception and touchdown to help clinch the game.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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In the 1970s, I don’t think it was much fun to be a quarterback, wide receiver or running back who had to face the two safeties of the Oakland Raiders. Jack Tatum and George Atkinson were two of the meanest, baddest and best defensive backs to ever play professional football.

An NFL football.
Wikimedia Commons

They helped create the football monster that was the 1970s Oakland Raider team. Unfortunately, both Tatum and Atkinson played so hard (though within the then-current NFL rules) I think they both helped create the Raiders’ current (undeserved) negative reputation as rule-breakers and thugs.

Tatum will always be remembered for the Darryl Stingley tackle, a 1978 play where New England wide receiver Stingley caught a pass, then was hit by Tatum, breaking his neck and paralyzing him in the process.

Atkinson had his own issues with extreme violence, knocking Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Lynn Swann out of the 1975 AFC Championship game with a concussion. The next year, Atkinson again knocked Swann out, this time with a forearm to the head. After the incident, Steelers coach Chuck Noll referred to Atkinson as “part of the criminal element in football.” I think these incidents were a good part of the genesis of the Raiders’ negative reputation.

Tatum wrote a book about his career in football called “The Call Me Assassin.” In the book he described a bounty program he had with Atkinson. If either of them was able to knock a player out of the game, a “limpoff” as they called it, they got one point. A “knockout” where the player had to be carted off the field and an injury timeout taken, was worth two points.

George Atkinson is still associated with the Oakland Raiders as an official “Raider Legend” and he does pre- and post-game radio broadcasts for the team. He holds several Raiders records: Atkinson is the number three punt returner, with 148 returns for 1,247 yards. He is the number seven kickoff returner, with 76, for 1,893 yards. He is also the number five career interception leader with 30, for 488 yards. George Atkinson played from 1968-1977 for the Oakland Raiders, then returned in 1979 for a final season with the Denver Broncos.

Understandably, Atkinson has no regrets about the violence he inflicted as a player and I agree with him that football is a violent sport. In a 2009 interview with the New York Times, Atkinson said: “when you take the aggressiveness out of the game, the game becomes a little boring. That’s what people come to see: tackling; good, hard hits.”

I think Atkinson should be more concerned about football violence, especially since he has two twin sons, one who is a running back for Notre Dame, the other a cornerback. George Atkinson III and Josh Atkinson are starting as freshman and both will probably end up playing in the NFL.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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The Oakland Raiders’ running back Michael Bush has done an exceptional job filling in for star running back Darren McFadden, who’s been out with a foot injury since he left in week seven in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Michael Bush, Raiders
Wikimedia Commons

It’s been Bush’s opportunity to shine as a starter, and he’s taking full advantage. This coming Sunday, Bush is being called on once again to steal the show against the San Diego Chargers, and he needs just 89 yards to surpass the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career.

Bush was signed by the Raiders as the first pick in the fourth round of the draft in 2007, but he’d been hobbled by a broken leg in college with the University of Louisville, and wasn’t able to get on the NFL field until 2008. In 2010, he rushed for 655 yards in 14 games and had eight touchdowns. Since filling in for McFadden this year, he’s got a total of 911 yards and seven touchdowns.

In Bush’s last game against San Diego, just after he came in for McFadden, he ran down the field 55 yards to set up a Raiders touchdown and by the end of the night, Bush was credited with a touchdown and 157 yards. In 2010, Bush played a significant part in the victory over the Chargers in the game at O.co Coliseum. In that match up, he had 26 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Bush is in a very good position in the NFL right now, and he could make it even better on New Year’s Day. He’s coming to the end of a one-year, $2.6 million contract. After this season he’s a free agent, and playing so impressively, he’ll have a lot of teams taking a good look at this great running back. There is nothing like being a part of the Silver and Black, however, and he says he likes the weather in Oakland, so we’ll see what happens at the end of the year. Much of his decision could be riding on Sunday’s game, and the team’s continuation into the playoffs.

There are so many things riding on the New Year’s Day game, it’s hard to think of anything else. Just believe. Just win baby!

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter, Twitter @kcdermody, or www.kcdermodywriter.com.

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Here we go. Just a day before the Oakland Raiders face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. I have a feeling this game should have a warning that reads, “People with heart problems should not ride.” This will more than likely be a high scoring game and come down to a battle between the quarterbacks, and the Raiders’ defense will need to force the Chiefs into turnovers in addition to holding their penalties to a minimum.

Carson Palmer on the field before Broncos Raiders game Nov 6 2011
K.C. Dermody

As always, we don’t have a crystal ball to look into and see just exactly what will happen, and anything can happen. But what we can do is compare the two quarterbacks, Carson Palmer and Kyle Orton to get an idea of the possibilities in the Christmas Eve game.

Their previous match up in Oakland should be thrown out the window. Palmer had just arrived into town, and probably shouldn’t have even entered the equation. Orton was playing for the Denver Broncos when Tebow Mania hit and he was booted out.

The Raiders have faced Orton with Denver many times, and in this match up the Chiefs new quarterback is just 1-3 against Oakland. He’s barely over 50% in pass completions. One concerning fact is that Orton has thrown seven interceptions to Palmer’s 13 in 2011; however, three of those came in the infamous game against the Chiefs when he clearly wasn’t ready. Palmer is credited with ten touchdowns this year, compared to Orton’s eight.

Orton clearly went into Green Bay last week and had one of the best performances of his career, completing slightly over 74% of his passes, and threw no interceptions. But there’s a reason Bronco fans were crying for Tebow. Orton contributed to Denver’s four out of five game losses at the start of the season, leaving them with a record of 1-4 at the end of week five.

The last time Palmer faced the Chiefs with the Bengals, he led his team to victory, scoring two touchdowns and completing 17-for-25 passes back on December 27, 2009.

For both quarterbacks, consistency is an issue. There is no question that Orton did a great job against the Packers, but will he have two good performances in a row? I don’t think so.

This is a must win for both teams, but it’s time for the Raiders to show up and play up to the potential we know they’ve got and give the Raider Nation a Christmas present we would most like to have.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)—Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden did some
light jogging Tuesday but it remains uncertain whether he’ll play again this
season after being sidelined with an ankle injury since mid-October.

Just seeing McFadden doing something other than watching practice counted as
a milestone for the injured runner. It also gave coach Hue Jackson something to
smile about after three straight losses.

“He was moving around so that’s a good thing,” Jackson said. “A couple
weeks ago he attempted to do the same thing, so he has tried. We just want to
make sure he’s totally where he needs to be before we put him out there.”

The same goes for wide receiver Jacoby Ford, who has also progressed to
jogging after sitting out the past month with his own foot injury.

With a short week, the Raiders would be hard-pressed to get either on the
field for Saturday’s game in Kansas City.

Even the regular season finale against San Diego might be a stretch because
neither has practiced in more than a month—two in McFadden’s case.

There has been speculation all along that McFadden’s injury might be worse
than the Raiders were letting on. He initially needed crutches to get around and
wore a protective walking boot while making occasional appearances at practice.

McFadden didn’t have either as he jogged alongside Ford while the rest of
their teammates practiced in preparation for the Chiefs.

Jackson continues to hold out hope that McFadden can play again this season
but not at the risk of aggravating his condition. He suffered a setback after
attempting to jog last month, so Jackson is taking a cautious approach.

“He just wasn’t ready for that kind of work,” Jackson said. “We have to
be very careful with that. We don’t want to do anything that’s going to
jeopardize his career or his opportunity to play.”

The outlook is only slightly more optimistic for quarterback Jason Campbell.

Campbell has been throwing passes up to 30 yards in his attempt to return
after undergoing surgery for a broken collarbone in mid-October. He has yet to
resume practicing, however, and his conditioning is also an issue.

“He’s getting closer but still, throwing and being ready to have guys
coming at you, the cardio and all that, that’s a different deal,” Jackson said.
“I know he’s working at it. I’m sure he’s not just whipping (the ball) like you
need to throw it just yet but he’s getting closer to that.”

Notes: Darrius Heyward-Bey has 775 yards in receptions, the most by a
Raiders wide receiver since Randy Moss had 1,005 in 2005. … Safety Michael
Huff (hamstring) did not practice. … Injured rookie RB Taiwan Jones
(hamstring) was limited in practice but it was still his most extensive work in
more than a month.

The Oakland Raiders’ veteran punter, Shane Lechler, has been in the headlines often for his outstanding efforts this season. I don’t think there would be much argument as to whether or not he’s the best at what he does in the NFL currently, but there has been some disagreement as to whether or not he is the best punter in the history of football.

Shane Lechler
Creative Commons/Commons Wikimedia

Just last week, the 35-year-old was selected to the USA Football All-Fundamentals Team. The team recognizes NFL players at each offensive and defensive position as well as four special teams positions, and felt Lechler was the best at exhibiting exemplary football techniques for youth players to emulate.

The question that’s been asked by many in the Raider Nation is, “Who is the best punter of all-time? Should that recognition be given to the former Oakland Raiders’ great, Ray Guy, or Lechler?”

Here is a look at both sides of the argument.

Lechler’s amazing 80-yard punt in the game against the Chicago Bears on November 27 went into the record books. The initial record of 77-yards was set five decades ago by Wayne Crow. Lechler tied that record in the Raiders’ 2011 opening game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field.

Lechler holds the record for the best average per punt in the NFL in his career at 47.3, which surpasses the legendary Sammy Baugh who played back in the 1940s and ’50s, and held the record at 45.1. Lechler’s 2011 season average is 51.5.

Oakland’s current punter is a six-time Pro Bowler, and he’s been named an All-Pro six times. In addition to his impressive stats, he is also the Raiders’ emergency quarterback, and in week six in the game against the Cleveland Browns, Lechler threw a 35-yard pass to tight end Kevin Boss for a touchdown.

Looking at Guy’s stats, his longest punt was 74-yards back in 1977, also kicked in Denver. He never missed a game in his 14 seasons with the Raiders and he was also the first pure punter ever taken in the first round of the draft.

Guy led the league in punting averages three times in his career and was All-Pro three times. When he retired in 1986, his career average was 42.4 yards. Guy had only three of his 1,049 punts blocked, and was the first player to ever hit Louisiana Superdome scoreboard.

Guy was certainly an exceptional punter, and one of the top all-time, but Jerrell Wilson, who played for 16 seasons in the ’60s and ’70s with the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots, ended his career with a 53 yard average. He had a season high average of 45.5 yards compared to Guy’s 45.4.

Guy is one of my favorite players of all time and he should, by all rights, be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but in this argument, I give the edge to Lechler.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett .

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Although the ending to the game between the Oakland Raiders and the Detroit Lions didn’t go the way that fans, and the team, would have liked, there were still quite a few highlights in the match up that made most of the afternoon fun and exciting.

Darrius Heyward-Bey
Wikimedia Commons

The chances for a post-season for the Silver and Black may have faded, but they aren’t completely out of it yet. Yes, a lot of improvement needs to be made, but true fans of the team know we’ll be there through it all. I’d rather be a fan of the Raiders whether they are winning or losing than of any other team in the NFL.

Darrius Heyward-Bey

Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey had the best game of his career, despite it being overshadowed by the loss. He had eight catches for 155 yards and a touchdown, and he really gave 100% on Sunday against the Lions. Even after taking a hit he wasn’t going down and battled it out for as many yards as he could.

In the second half the receiver made a couple of mistakes that may have cost the Raiders some points, but if he hadn’t had the impressive first half, they likely wouldn’t have scored as many as they did either. It’s easy to look back and say “what if,” but I believe Heyward-Bey was playing with a lot of heart yesterday.

Carson Palmer

After throwing a career high four interceptions in the team’s loss against the Green Bay Packers, Palmer didn’t throw any in the game against Detroit. He completed 32 of 40 pass attempts for 367 yards, and had a touchdown.

Shane Lechler

Arguably the best punter in the NFL, Shane Lechler, kicked another amazing punt on Sunday, coming through in the clutching and getting the ball all the way to the Detroit Lions’ 2-yard line. The veteran always gives his all in each and every game.

Aaron Curry

Aaron Curry recovered the football for the Raiders after Tommy Kelly stripped it from the Lions’ quarterback, Matthew Stafford. Curry took it into the endzone for a touchdown. It was probably my favorite play of the game.

Rolando McClain

Linebacker Rolando McClain was on yesterday. He led the team with nine tackles and sacked Stafford giving the Lions’ an eight yard loss.

The team has talent and certainly a lot of potential. This season has been much better than many of the last decade, and true Raider fans never give up.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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It’s hard to believe that the Oakland Raiders have been a part of the NFL for over 50 years now. With so many fans born long after the team came into existence, there are some memories that seem to fade away with time. Some of those are so historic they should never be forgotten, but even die hard fans of the Silver and Black may not be familiar with them all. Here is a look a few of those moments in time.

entrance to O.co Coliseum and the Oakland Raiders
K.C. Dermody

September 18, 1966

Do you remember this day? While it was just two days before my first birthday, September 18, 1966 marked the first Raiders’ game played at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, now known as O.co Coliseum. After four years of construction, the stadium came to life, and at the time there were 45,000 seats. Today there is a little over 63,000.

The Raiders were coached by John Rauch, and Tom Flores was the starting quarterback. On that day, that faced the Kansas City Chiefs, and were defeated by a score of 32-10. In the 45+ years since then, fans have been able to watch the Silver and Black capture the victory time and time again, with their first Super Bowl title coming a decade after their first game played at The Coliseum.

Former Raiders’ kicker Mike Mercer

Kicker Mike Mercer spent four seasons with the Oakland Raiders, but what memorable event was Mercer involved in? Most NFL fans would be surprised to know that this player was the first to kick a field goal in a Super Bowl.

This Pro-Bowler was in the NFL from 1961 through 1970, and set the record for single game punting with an average of 51.2 feet with the Oakland Raiders. In 1966, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Mercer kicked the very first field goal in Super Bowl 1.

Today, most people don’t know who he is, and at 76 years old, he spends one night a week working at an Oregon restaurant where die hard Raiders’ fan, Kimberly McDonald, found him. She felt it would be tragic if Mercer’s historic moment was forgotten, and I certainly feel the same.

Warren Wells

How often do you hear the name Warren Wells mentioned when talking about Oakland Raiders’ greats? It’s unfortunate, but he is not often talked about. Wells was a wide receiver for the Raiders from 1967 to 1970. In his last year, during a game against the New York Jets in early December at Shea Stadium, Wells became the hero in the Raiders’ victory.

With eight seconds left to go, it was Wells who came down with a tipped pass, and score the touchdown and tie the game for Oakland. George Blanda kicked the extra point for the win. Quarterback Daryle Lamonica stated the play as the most memorable in his career.

The next time you’re discussing the best of the best in regard to the Silver and Black, perhaps you can give a nod to both Wells and Mercer. They surely deserve it.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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Shane Lechler(notes), punter for the Oakland Raiders for the twelfth season this year, has been in the headlines this week for his amazing kick in the game against the Chicago Bears last Sunday, November 27. Here is a look at a five of the reasons he is the best in the history of the NFL.

Shane Lechler
Wikimedia Commons

80-yard punt

How many of you have watched the video of Lechler kicking the 80-yard punt over and over? On Sunday against Chicago, his amazing kick went into the record books. Not only are 80 yard punts rare, but they usually bounce and roll to get that far. Not Lechler’s.

Lechler tied the previous record of 77 yards in the opening game in Denver this season. It was Wayne Crow who initially set that record way back in 1961. That’s how rare these long kicks are.

Pro Bowler

Lechler is a six-time Pro Bowler, selected in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. He’s also been named an All-Pro six times.

Leader

With nearly 12 seasons under his belt, Lechler has become a veteran leader for the team. Head coach Hue Jackson is said to look to him for “words of wisdom.” Quarterback Carson Palmer(notes) said, “I think he’s definitely the best punter in the league, but as far as a teammate, a leader, a veteran, a professional, he does everything right. He says the right things. He doesn’t act like a kicker. I wouldn’t put him in that mold.”

Lechler isn’t afraid to speak his mind, and it’s obvious he only wants whats best for his team. He’s also honest about the difficulties they’ll face in Miami. He reminded his teammates that the last year the team went to the Super Bowl, they also lost to the Dolphins. He hopes to instill the importance of this game, and the fact that it will be a tough one, despite Miami’s 3-8 record.

Versatile

Lechler is an amazing team player. He is so versatile that he’s an emergency quarterback for the Raiders. In week six in the game against the Cleveland Browns Lechler tossed a 35-yard pass to tight end Kevin Boss(notes) for a touchdown. The Raiders defeated the Browns 24-17.

Best average punt

Lechler holds the record for the best average per punt in the NFL in his career at 47.3. Surpassing the legendary Sammy Baugh who held the record at 45.1 Baugh retired back in 1952. Lechler’s 2011 season average is 51.5.

Just five of the reasons, we should be grateful that Lechler has stuck with the Silver and Black through the good times, and the bad. He is another great player who truly exemplifies what is means to be a Raider.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

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In Week 12 of the NFL season, the Oakland Raiders beat the Chicago Bears, 25-20. Most of the reason for the Raiders success in the game went to kicker Sebastian Janikowski(notes), who kicked a team-record six field goals, and Shane Lechler(notes), who booted an 80-yard punt and finished the game with a 54.6 average and three punts inside the 20.

After the game, everyone raved about the Raiders’ special teams and quarterback Carson Palmer said, “There’s not many punter-kicker combinations in the league … there can’t be a better one.”

I don’t know if there is a better one but I would put the Dallas Cowboys’ kickers up against the Raiders any day.

Rookie kicker Dan Bailey(notes) has connected on 27-of-28 (96-percent) field goal attempts this season, has not missed a kick since Week 2, and has hit 26 in a row heading into Week 13 and Arizona. He is also a perfect 27-of-27 on PATs. He is as clutch as anyone in the league as well. He hit the game winning field goal in Washington after the Redskins kicker missed his and then hit a game winning field goal as time expired against Miami the next week.

Janikowski, on the other hand, has hit 22-of-24 (91-percent) field goals on the season while remaining perfect on PAT attempts with 26-of-26. Over his career, Janikowski has hit 79-percent of his field goal tries. While he has one of the strongest legs in the NFL, he has never been the most consistent of kickers in his career.

While Bailey is just getting started, he has a long way to go to get to Janikowski’s level of respect, but he is off to a good start. Besides, as for that Raiders’ record six field goals from Sunday, Bailey accomplished that in his third game in the NFL.

Lechler, on the other hand, is considered one of the best punters in the NFL. He ranks first in the league in average yards with 51.5 while pinning 17 kicks inside the 20. On the other hand, Mat McBriar(notes) averages only 46.2 yards a punt with 12 inside the 20. Yes, Lechler is the best in the NFL but is he that much better than McBriar?

Lechler has a 12 year career where he averaged 47.5 yards a punt with 291 pinned inside the 20. McBriar has only been going for eight years, with an average of 45.5 yards a punt and 166 pinned inside the 20.

I consider a kicker to be more important than the punter but I feel that McBriar is one of the best in the NFL, so at this time, I’d put Dallas up against Oakland when it comes to a solid special teams duo any day of the week. I’m very happy with Bailey and McBriar right now and wouldn’t trade either of them.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: CBSSports

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The Oakland Raiders have had many great players inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame over the team’s 50+ year history, but who are the greatest according to their fans? After taking an unscientific poll across the Raider Nation, here are the top five.

Oakland Raiders fan.
Broken Sphere/Wikimedia Commons

Al Davis

Perhaps the reason that Al Davis was the number one choice for the greatest Hall of Fame Raider, is his passing. I think his death caused many people, fans of the Silver and Black and NFL fans across the nation, to reflect on how much the Raiders’ iconic late owner truly did for the game.

Always a rebel, there were many who loved to hate the man, but once he had passed they began to wonder why. Davis saw his team win three Super Bowls. The same team he purchased nearly a half century ago when they were playing on a high school field. The man did so much for the sport, and for the Raiders, it would take a lengthy book to list it all. It’s no wonder that he was mentioned the most often as the greatest to ever wear the Silver and Black.

Howie Long

Defensive end, Howie Long, was mentioned almost as often as Davis. He played for the team during his entire 13 seasons in the NFL, from 1981 to 1993. Long was selected to eight Pro Bowls, helped the Raiders win Super Bowl XVIII, in addition to being credited with 84 sacks in his career. He had an additional 7.5 recorded before sacks became an official stat.

Not only is Long’s NFL record is outstanding, but he’s also a really likable guy.

John Madden

John Madden came in at a very close third to Howie, and a man close to the hearts of many. The great Raiders’ coach helped the Raiders win the first Super Bowl, and under his leadership the team never had a losing record. At the end of his NFL career, Madden had 112 wins, 39 losses and seven ties. My only wish is that we could duplicate him. He is definitely one of my all-time favorites.

Marcus Allen

Marcus Allen is one of the best running backs in NFL history, and also another one of my all-time favorite Raiders. He played for the Raiders for over a decade, from 1982-1992, and was the first player in history to reach over 10,000 rushing yards. He had a total of 12,243 by the time he retired.

Fred Biletnikoff

Fred Biletnikoff was the Raiders’ wide receiver for his entire 14 year NFL career between 1965-1978. He started with the team the year I was born, and for most of my childhood he was a part of the Silver and Black. They wouldn’t have been the same without him. By the time he retired, Biletnikoff had caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and was credited with 76 touchdowns.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody.

More from this contributor:

Oakland Raiders Defeat the Minnesota Vikings, 27-21: Fan Reaction

Passion Returns to Aaron Curry with Raiders as it Often Has in the Past: Fan’s Look

Three of the Greatest Oakland Raiders Who Haven’t Been Inducted into the Hall of Fame: Fan’s Take

Oakland Raiders Fan: Fans Against Violence Taking Back the Stands for All Sports

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