FanHouse Richard Seymour

After the Giants rolled Oakland 44-7 in Week 5, New York linebacker Antonio Pierce spoke rather candidly about the easy victory, saying that the game felt like a "scrimmage" and that "there was no vibe of trying or effort from the Raiders at all from a defensive standpoint."

Not surprisingly, Pierce's comments didn't sit well with the Raiders -- particularly Oakland defensive end Richard Seymour, who enjoyed a little schadenfreude after New Orleans pummeled the Giants in Week 6.

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around pointing skyward, while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Studs

Tom Brady, QB New England (29 of 34, 380 yards, 6 TDs) -- People were questioning his knee this season. He seemed jittery in the pocket, made throws he didn't used to make, and wasn't leading the Patriots like he had during those three Super Bowl years and undefeated regular season in 2008.

Oakland Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour has been fined $7,500 for pulling the hair of Denver Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady on Sunday, a cheap shot that Seymour proudly described afterward as "no mistake."

The 2009 Patriots look nothing like the Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli creations that dominated the league for most of this decade. Tom Brady's reconstructed knee has something to do with that, but the complete lack of a defense hasn't helped much, either. Especially in the second half.

"This was a problem against the Bills and an insurmountable one against the Jets, who rang up 197 yards and 13 points in the second half to 57 yards and a field goal in the first. Worse, the first two quarterbacks they've faced, Trent Edwards and rookie Mark Sanchez, finished with passer ratings of 114.1 and 101.1. It is unlikely the last game either plays this season will be the Pro Bowl."

That was Ron Borges, who has made a living panning Belichick and the organization, even as they reeled off three Super Bowls in four years. But he actually makes a good point here (hey, it happens). Of course, no Borges column would be complete without getting in a few shots, and this time he targets Randy Moss.

After missing Kansas City's season opening loss in Baltimore with an MCL injury suffered in the preseason, Matt Cassel is expected to make his Chiefs debut on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, according to Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network.

Cassel was the big offseason addition in Kansas City, coming over in a trade that sent a second-round draft pick to the New England after the Patriots designated the 27-year-old signal-caller as their franchise player. The Chiefs then signed him to a long-term contract extension in July reportedly worth over $60 million.

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As we have done since the FanHouse began, I'll be taking a look every week at some aspect of line play. You can read more features in the series here. Check back every Thursday for a new Between The Lines.

When the Redskins signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to the largest free agent deal in NFL history, the contract came with a lot of expectations. One game into his Redskins' career, there are already columns asking, is that all there is?

Haynesworth had four tackles against the Giants. He had no quarterback hurries and no sacks as the Redskins lost 23-17.

Richard Seymour's twisted, tortured road to Oakland appeared to smooth on Saturday when the former New England Patriots defensive end said he is making his way to the Raiders' Alameda training headquarters.

"I'll be the one on top of the quarterback," Seymour told the Boston Herald, indicating he plans to play in the Raiders' season opener Monday night againt the San Diego Chargers at the Oakland Coliseum.

The whole will he play/won't he play situation with Richard Seymour's trade to -- and current absence from -- the Raiders took an odd turn on Thursday night.

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area posted an article on its Web site reporting that Greg Papa, the Raiders' play-by-play man, had said on his radio show that Oakland had issued Seymour a five-day letter to report. What that means, essentially, is that if Seymour -- whom the Raiders acquired from New England for a 2011 first-round pick -- didn't show within five days of receiving the letter, Oakland would be able to place him on a reserve list for the duration of the season.

One problem: Papa never said that.

Three days after the trade that sent him from New England to Oakland for a 2011 first-round draft pick, Richard Seymour still hasn't reported to his new team. Several people with knowledge of the situation have told FanHouse that Seymour is upset because the trade blindsided him, and that he'd been hoping to sign a contract extension with New England. Seymour is due to make $3.7 million this year and can become a free agent when it's over -- and there's been some speculation in recent days that he could sit out the season if he doesn't want to play in Oakland.

But according to one NFL source, Seymour can't sit out the year and expect to be a free agent next spring. If he never reports to the Raiders, his contract is frozen, meaning he'd still be expected to play one year for the Raiders (or whichever team controls his rights at that point if the Raiders trade them in the meantime) before hitting the market.

It's a murky situation that still could end up in the hands of the NFL commissioner, because right now, the two teams involved seem to disagree on how official and final the deal is.

For the Oakland Raiders, "Commitment to Excellence" has taken on a whole new meaning in recent years. The organization has won 24 times in six seasons, and owner Al Davis is solely responsible for the current predicament.

The latest move -- sending the Patriots a 2011 first-round pick for Richard Seymour -- virtually guarantees that the ineptitude will continue. And if you're wondering how Davis, who shipped Randy Moss to New England for a fourth-rounder in 2007, manages to sustain the haplessness, the Raiders trade chart cheat sheet might hold some clues.

A glimpse into the madness after the jump.