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Giants' Antonio Pierce: Playing Raiders Felt Like a 'Scrimmage'

Giants RaidersWeek 5's Raiders-Giants game may go down as the biggest mismatch of the entire NFL season. New York led 28-0 without breaking a sweat and cruised to a 44-7 victory against an absolutely pitiful Oakland squad.

And if it looked easy for the Giants -- well, that's because it was. Linebacker Antonio Pierce told Fox Sports' Alex Marvez that last Sunday's game felt like a "scrimmage".

"I do not like knocking teams. But right now, they're struggling. We're playing that game the other day and, honestly, it felt like a scrimmage, like a practice," Pierce said. "It felt like we were going against our offense [in a controlled setting] as far as the tempo."

Darrius Heyward-Bey Can't Catch, but At Least He's Fast



The Oakland Raiders shocked everyone this off-season when they made Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey the seventh-overall pick in the NFL draft, and gave him a contract guaranteeing him at least $23.5 million. If you're still not sure why Raiders owner Al Davis fell in love with Heyward-Bey, the explanation is contained in the above video.

Crabtree Fumbles in Madden Debut

Coverage of Michael Crabtree's deal with the 49ers has largely ignored an important and interested demographic: gamers. Fear not, Madden fans. Happy Crabtree will be added in the latest online update. Just don't expect him to hold onto the ball.

Crabtree gets an 82 rating, making him San Fran's top receiver. But given the newest Niners' online debut, it appears his avatar needs to shake off some rust.

Video after the jump.

Why I Should Be Named Raiders Head Coach by JaMarcus Russell


What follows is a fabricated* letter from JaMarcus Russell to Al Davis. Clay Travis, armed with a hacksaw and a flip cam, altered a peephole to obtain its contents.


Dear Al,

You told me to call you Al when you drafted me back in 2007. You said I could call you Al because you used to be a black panther. I think you said, "I feel you, baby." Then you felt my shoulder. Now I'm offering you a shoulder to lean your head on. I want you to sleep well at night, Al. I want you to do away with all your worries and climb aboard a train to Super Bowl Village. I want you to name me head coach of the Oakland Raiders. I'm ready, I'm prepared. I'm agog at the potential of the Oakland Raiders.

I can be your Pete Rose. Only without the gambling or the baseballs or the baseball bats. Really though, baseballs are just like footballs, only smaller and whiter. Also, not ovals. I'm a lot like Pete Rose too, only fatter, blacker and not prone to hustle. To be honest, I don't even like to run at all. I prefer to stand still and watch men break on me. I'm like Hemingway's Frederic Henry if Hemingway was not capable of subject-verb agreement. Quarterback-coach, it has a nice ring to it, right?

I've decided to itemize the reasons I should be coach. By the end of this letter you'll see that our philosophies, our offensive goals, my proven track record of success, the fact that you are already paying me a lot of money, myriads of reasons militate my hire.


Heyward-Bey Shut Out in Debut

Darrius Heyward-BeyWhen the Raiders took Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh pick in the 2009 draft, it shook everything up. The Maryland product was considered a late first-round pick by most draft experts, but his excellent speed (a 4.3-second 40-yard dash) is just what Al Davis dreams of.

Heyward-Bey was supposed to slip further in the draft because of questionable hands. The optimistic view is that Heyward-Bey has the size and speed to be an elite receiver if he can just learn to catch better. The pessimistic view is that most receivers don't develop better hands in the NFL.

NFL Draft Picks' Contract Statuses

Offensive tackle Andre Smith became the 31st 2009 first-round draft pick to sign, coming to terms with Cincinnati. Find all the signed picks' contract details below:

Andre Smith Signs, Leaving Michael Crabtree as Only Absent 1st-Round Pick

Andre SmithThe number of unsigned 2009 first-round draft picks dwindled from two to one on Sunday, as offensive tackle Andre Smith finally agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The No. 6 overall pick missed all of Cincinnati's training camp and the Bengals' first three preseason games. Smith is basically locked into a starting tackle spot once he gets up to speed -- his challenge now will be accelerating that process with the regular season two weeks away.

Smith's signing also means that Michael Crabtree's San Francisco mess is the lone top pick not under contract yet.

More Bad News For Raiders: Chaz Schilens Goes Down

Chaz SchilensAs the Oakland Raiders try to move forward from Punch-Gate and put together their first winning season since Jerry Rice was their leading receiver, they have already received some more bad news. Chaz Schilens, who was definitely shaping up as their best receiver, has suffered a relatively serious injury.

According to FanHouse's Nancy Gay (via e-mail), who is in Raiders camp today, Schilens has a fractured 5th metatarsal bone in his left foot. He currently has a boot on it. There is no word yet on if he'll require surgery.

Fantasy Football Cut-N-Go: Wave Goodbye to Crabtree's Draft Value

Michael CrabtreeCut-N-Go is Fantasy Football FanHouse's daily gathering of links from around the web, covering the goings-on in NFL Training Camp which have an impact on fantasy value.

At our 12-team mock draft the other night, I took an 11th-round flier on 49ers receiver Josh Morgan, one round after someone rolled with Michael Crabtree. Guess which one likely won't be the top target when San Francisco opens the season on Sept. 13? If you guessed the 10th overall draft pick, I have a rude awakening for you.

Fantasy Football Cut-N-Go: Devin Hester's Stock Rising

Devin HesterCut-N-Go is Fantasy Football FanHouse's daily gathering of links from around the web, covering the goings-on in NFL Training Camp which have an impact on fantasy value.

Obviously, with training camp comes a certain level of optimism surrounding every team. At Bears camp, the entire offense has been a veritable hype machine, due mostly to the acquisition of pro bowl quarterback Jay Cutler.

Devin Hester is getting rave reviews from every source who has seen camp as well. Most recently, Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune penned an entire column gushing about the progress of Hester as a receiver and the prospects of him becoming a legitimate star receiver. And he hasn't always been a Hester-at-wideout fan.

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