2008 Oakland Raiders season

Infobox NFL season
team =Oakland Raiders
year =2008
record = 1-3
division_place = 3rd AFC West
coach =Tom Cable (interim)
general manager =Al Davis
stadium =Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
playoffs = TBD
pro bowlers = TBD
previous =2007
next =Current seasonThe 2008 Oakland Raiders season is the team's forty-ninth season. They will be looking to improve upon their 4-12 record from 2007. This will also be the first time in 4 seasons that the team does not play both contestants from the previous Super Bowl. In which case they play the New England Patriots, but not the New York Giants.

Gene Upshaw Tribute

The NFL will honor the memory of NFLPA leader and former Raiders guard Gene Upshaw, who died suddenly at age 63 on August 20th just three days after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For the entire season, all 32 teams will wear a patch on the left chest of the jerseys with the initials "GU" and his number 63, his jersey number with the Raiders. The Raiders, with whom Upshaw played his entire 15 year Hall of Fame career with, will also honor him in their season-opening game against the Denver Broncos with a video tribute and a replica of the uniform patch painted onto the field. The patch was also painted onto the field at Giants Stadium, when the New York Giants and Washington Redskins open the NFL season on September 4th. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3563858 NFL players to wear uniform patch this season in honor of Upshaw] ]

Pre-Season Schedule

All times are Pacific.
* week 1 (August 8 at 7:00 PM) vs San Francisco 49ers W 18 - 6
* week 2 (August 16 at 5:00 PM) at Tennessee Titans L 16-17
* week 3 (August 23 at 6:00 PM) vs Arizona Cardinals L 0-24
* week 4 (August 29 at 7:00 PM) at Seattle Seahawks L 16-23

Regular Season Schedule

All times are Pacific.

Regular Season Results

Week 1: vs. Denver Broncos

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Broncos
R1=7
R2=10
R3=10
R4=14
RT=41
Home=Raiders
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=14
HT=14"at McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, California"
* Game time: 10:15 PM EDT/7:15 PDT
* Game weather: 60°F (Partly Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 62,762
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic, Mike Ditka, & Suzy Kolber

The Raiders began their 2008 campaign at home against their AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos, in the second game of Monday Night Football's doubleheader. In the first quarter, Oakland trailed early as Broncos QB Jay Cutler completed a 26-yard TD pass to WR Eddie Royal. In the second quarter, the Raiders continued to trail as kicker Matt Prater got a 26-yard field goal, while FB Michael Pittman got a 3-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Oakland got even more black and blue as Cutler completed a 48-yard TD pass to WR Darrell Jackson, while Prater nailed a 43-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Raiders finally got on the board as QB JaMarcus Russell completed an 8-yard TD pass to WR Ashley Lelie. Denver ended its rout with RB Selvin Young's 5-yard TD run and Pittman's 1-yard TD run. Oakland would close the game with Russell's 4-yard TD pass to WR Ronald Curry.

With the dismal loss, the Raiders began their season at 0-1.

Week 2: at Kansas City Chiefs

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Raiders
R1=6
R2=0
R3=7
R4=10
RT=23
Home=Chiefs
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=8
HT=8"at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri"
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT/10:00 AM PDT
* Game weather: 61°F (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 74,480
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan & Rich Gannon

Hoping to rebound from their horrendous home loss to the Broncos, the Raiders flew to Arrowhead Stadium for a Week 2 AFC West showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first quarter, Oakland came out punching as kicker Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 56-yard and a 25-yard field goal. After a scoreless second quarter, rookie RB Darren McFadden picked up his first-ever career touchdown in the third quarter on a 19-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Raiders increased its lead with Janikowski getting a 40-yard field goal. The Chiefs would respond with their only score of the game as QB Tyler Thigpen completed a 2-yard TD pass to TE Tony Gonzalez (along with a two-point conversion pass to FB Mike Cox). Oakland would close out the game with rookie RB Michael Bush getting a 32-yard TD run.

With the win, the Raiders improved to 1-1.

Darren McFadden (21 carries for 164 yards and a touchdown) would become the first rookie Raider to run for 100 yards since Bo Jackson in 1987. Also, the Raiders' combined rushing attack would reach 300 yards for the first time since November 1987.

The defense's improvement from Week 1 showed, as they limited Kansas City to 8 points, which is the lowest that Oakland ever allowed since December 28, 2002 (7 point from San Diego).

Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Raiders
R1=6
R2=3
R3=7
R4=7
RT=23
Home=Bills
H1=0
H2=7
H3=0
H4=17
HT=24"at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York"
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: 66°F (Partly Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 71,297
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers: (CBS): Don Criqui & Dan Fouts

Hoping to build off their divisional road win over the Chiefs, the Raiders flew to Ralph Wilson Stadium for a Week 3 duel with the Buffalo Bills. In the first quarter, Oakland got the early lead with kicker Sebastian Janikowski getting a 23-yard and a 35-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Bills responded with RB Marshawn Lynch getting a 14-yard TD run. The Raiders would end the half with Janikowski kicking a 32-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, the Raiders increased its lead with QB JaMarcus Russell getting a 1-yard TD run. However, in the fourth quarter, Buffalo started to rally as Lynch got a 3-yard TD run. Oakland would respond as Russell completed an 84-yard TD pass to WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, yet the Bills got near as QB Trent Edwards completed a 14-yard TD pass to WR Roscoe Parrish. Later, Buffalo completed its rally as kicker Rian Lindell nailed the game-winning 38-yard field goal.

With the heart-breaking loss, the Raiders fell to 1-2.

After the game, Chris Mortensen of ESPN and Jay Glazer of Fox Sports both erroneously reported that Lane Kiffin would be fired the following Monday; this turned out not to be the case, as Kiffin was coaching the team during Week 4.

Week 4: vs. San Diego Chargers

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Chargers
R1=0
R2=0
R3=3
R4=25
RT=28
Home=Raiders
H1=5
H2=10
H3=0
H4=3
HT=18"at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California"
* Game time: 4:05 PM EDT
* Game weather: 78°F (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 61,808
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers: (CBS): Jim Nantz & Phil Simms

Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Bills, the Raiders went home for a Week 4 AFC West duel with the San Diego Chargers. In the first quarter, Oakland struck first as kicker Sebastian Janikowski got a 22-yard goal, while Safety Gibril Wilson sacking Chargers QB Philip Rivers in his endzone for a safety. In the second quarter, the Raiders increased their lead with QB JaMarcus Russell completing a 63-yard TD pass to TE Zach Miller, along with Janikowski kicking a 28-yard field goal.

Just prior to halftime, Janikowski attempted to kick a 76 yard field goal, a full 13 yards longer than the NFL record and seven yards longer than the record at any level of gridiron football. Predictably, the kick fell well short, not even reaching the end zone (much less the goal posts), and the ball was picked up by Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

In the third quarter, the Chargers got on the board with kicker Nate Kaeding's 28-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, San Diego took the lead with Rivers' 9-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates and RB LaDainian Tomlinson's 13-yard TD run (along with a successfuel 2-point conversion pass from Rivers to RB Darren Sproles). Oakland tried to prevent another collapse as Janikowski got a 32-yard field goal. However, the Chargers sealed the win with Kaeding nailing a 47-yard field goal and Tomlinson getting a 41-yard TD run.

With the loss, the Raiders went into their bye week at 1-3.

The following Tuesday, Lane Kiffin was officially fired as head coach and was replaced by offensive line coach Tom Cable.

Week 6: at New Orleans Saints

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Raiders
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
RT=0
Home=Saints
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=0
HT=0"at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana"
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT/10:00 AM PDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance:
* Referee:
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan & Rich Gannon

Division standings

2008 NFL Draft Results

*1st Round(4)-Darren McFadden, running back, University of Arkansas
*4th round(100)-Tyvon Branch, cornerback, University of Connecticut
*4th round(125)-Arman Shields, wide receiver, University of Richmond
*6th round(169)-Trevor Scott, defensive end, University of Buffalo
*7th round(226)-Chaz Schilens, wide receiver, San Diego State University

sequence
prev=2007 Oakland Raiders season
next=Current season
list=2008 Oakland Raiders season