ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) Coach Bill Callahan is baffled by how bad
the Oakland Raiders have been in all facets of their game.
This is the defending AFC champions we're talking about, and
they've looked nothing like themselves so far this season.
The Raiders (2-3) lost 24-21 Sunday to the winless Chicago Bears
another ugly performance by the team that had the league's
top-rated offense last season and lost to Tampa Bay in the Super
Bowl.
Oakland relied on five field goals by Sebastian Janikowski
against the Bears.
``We're currently in the midst of inconsistency,'' Callahan said
Monday. ``It's a situation that shows up in every phase of our game
special teams, offense and on defense. We've got a lot things to
shore up, but we're focusing in on every aspect incrementally by
position, by unit and also overall our special teams play.''
The Raiders already barely squeaked by the lowly Cincinnati
Bengals in their home opener, taking advantage of a fortuitous pass
interference penalty in the second half in the 23-20 win. Oakland
lost 31-10 at Denver in a Monday night game, then needed overtime
to beat the winless San Diego Chargers a week before losing to
Chicago.
The Raiders started last year's Super Bowl season 4-0, then lost
four straight but recovered to win their third straight division
title and the AFC championship.
``Last year, we started off with so much success that the slump
we went through, we were waiting to get started,'' right tackle
Langston Walker said Monday. ``We haven't gotten our confidence up
yet.''
Quarterback Rich Gannon, the reigning NFL MVP, set a record for
completions last season when he connected on 21 straight passes
against Denver. This year, his numbers have been dismal.
He's completed only 54.1 percent of his passes, going 93-for-172
for 1,047 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions and
has a quarterback rating of 74.9. The Raiders have been outscored
131-108.
``To say it's just Rich Gannon, everybody's an extension of the
big play,'' Callahan said. ``Everybody's an extension of a
completion. Then, of course, you've got to give some credit to
what's going on the other side of the ball, too, because they do
have good players. So, is that frustrating? Yeah, it is.''
Callahan isn't busy planning extra meetings or film sessions
he knows his players are aware of what needs to be done.
``Let me say this, this group of players, they're a prideful
group of guys,'' Callahan said. ``They want to win, and they want
to win in the worst way. And they will do whatever they need to
do.''
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)