The Oakland Raiders on Sunday honored the man who in all aspects created them.  Al Davis was remembered at the Oakland/Alameda County Coliseum by up to 30 former players and organization members.  At half time they gathered around the shield at mid field and watched as John Madden light an everlasting flame.  As it has always been with Davis, there was only one other thing that he cared about, winning.

With the emotions heavy, the Raiders were handling the Cleveland Browns rather routinely through halftime, but leading only 14-7.  That's when they suffered another possible tragedy, the loss of their quarterback Jason Campbell.  Preliminary reports are saying that Campbell broke his right collar bone, and with surgery may be able to come back within 6-8 weeks.  Kyle Boller came in as the backup, and probably starter going forward, as the only other QB on the roster is fresh from the supplemental draft and subsequent 5 game suspension, Terrell Pryor. 

Boller was competent at best, but did the thing that any backup must do in order to help his team win.  He didn't turn the ball over.  He ended up 8-14 for 100 yards, no touchdown, no picks.  What did win this game were the Raider special teams.  Jacoby Ford added to his Raiders all time record with another 101 yard kickoff return for a touchdown.  Then Shane Lechler, after 12 years of lobbying, finally got the chance to throw a pass in the NFL.  He was a star quarterback in Texas in high school, taking his team to the state quarter finals, but hasn't had a chance to exhibit his skills at this level. 

The Raiders coaching staff is very aggressive, and they continued to demonstrate that on Sunday, and it almost cost them at the end.  John Fassel the special teams coached called for the fake kick several times yesterday, then finally when Sebastian Janikowski was lining up for a 52 yard field goal, the Browns defense gave them the chance.  As soon as they lined up both Lechler, and intended target on the play Kevin Boss knew the play was on, and it would work.  Boss ran out to the right flat and was all alone, and then Lechler showed his pinpoint accuracy and delivered a strike that Boss took unmolested into the end zone.

The Raiders had a 14 point lead with around 5 minutes to go when on 4th and  1 from inside the Browns 5 yard line, coach Hue Jackson decided to pound the middle with bulldozer Michael Bush.  Instead of kicking a chip shot field goal for an insurmountable 17 point lead, and Bush didn't make it.  Cleveland took over on offense, and then they proceeded to go 90 plush yards for the TD.  Then were able to get the ensuing onside kick recovery, but that's where the Oakland defense hunkered down, and harassed Colt McCoy into three straight incompletions, sealing the victory.