57 YARDS TIMES TWO:K Sebastian Janikowski booted his second 57-yard field goal of the preseason against New Orleans on August 28. Janikowski kicked a 57-yarder in the preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals through the north uprights at the O.co Coliseum and repeated the feat two weeks later through the south uprights. Janikowski set an NFL overtime record with a 57-yard field goal against the New York Jets on October 19, 2008 and kicked a career-long 61-yard field goal at Cleveland on December 27, 2009. He kicked a 59-yard field goal against Indianapolis last season.
HAGAN CLAIMS A HUNDRED:WR Derek Hagan turned in a 100-yard receiving performance for the Raiders against the New Orleans Saints on August 28. Hagan caught a game-high six passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, while averaging 20.2 yards per reception. The six-year NFL veteran hauled in two passes on Oakland's opening drive, including a 35-yard touchdown strike from QB Jason Campbell.
TAIWAN DEBUTS:Rookie RB Taiwan Jones made his first appearance in a Raider uniform against New Orleans on August 28 and rushed for a game-high 81 yards and a touchdown. The Antioch, Calif.-native carried the ball 13 times, averaging 6.2 yards per carry, and scored a touchdown on a 22-yard run in the third quarter. Jones also had two receptions for 18 yards and returned a kickoff for 17 yards. Jones joined the Raiders as a fourth round pick out of Eastern Washington in the 2011 NFL Draft.
CAMPBELL ON POINT:QB Jason Campbell posted a sharp performance against New Orleans on August 28, as the veteran completed 12 of 17 pass attempts for 150 yards and a touchdown, while registering a 92.8 quarterback rating. Campbell led the Silver and Black on a touchdown drive on the team's first offensive possession, taking the Raiders 91 yards on 11 plays in a sequence that culminated in a 35-yard touchdown pass to WR Derek Hagan. Campbell, QB Kyle Boller and QB Trent Edwards combined to post a 90.2 quarterback rating for the game.
HEYER HIGHLIGHT:T Stephon Heyer recorded a rare reception of a batted pass against the New Orleans Saints on August 28. On a third-and-seven play from the Oakland 43-yard line, QB Jason Campbell's pass was batted at the line and snagged by Heyer, who advanced the reception 14 yards for a first down. The play sustained a drive that would culminate in K Sebastian Janikowski's 57-yard field goal.
11 DIFFERENT RECEIVERS:Raider quarterbacks connected with 11 different pass receivers against New Orleans on August 28. WR Derek Hagan led all receivers with six catches, while WRs Denarius Moore and Nick Miller pitched in with three catches apiece. RBs Michael Bennett, Michael Bush and Taiwan Jones each added two catches on the evening. T Stephon Heyer, WR Eddie McGee, TE Brandon Myers, RB Louis Rankin and FB Marcel Reece rounded out the Raiders with receptions against the Saints.
GROUND GAINS:The Raiders averaged 5.3 yards per rushing attempt against the New Orleans Saints on August 28, totaling 127 yards on 24 carries. RB Taiwan Jones led the team with 81 yards rushing on 13 carries (6.2), while RB Michael Bush rushed for 32 yards on five attempts (6.4). The Silver and Black ranked second in the NFL in rushing in 2010 and set a franchise record with an average of 4.9 yards per rushing attempt on the season.
LECHLER PINS 'EM BACK:P Shane Lechler punted four times against the New Orleans Saints on August 28, averaging 48 yards per punt and placing two of them inside the opponents' 20-yard line. His longest effort on the evening was a 64-yard punt in the fourth quarter.
TYVON TACKLES 'EM:SS Tyvon Branch led the team with seven tackles, including five solo stops, against the New Orleans Saints on August 28. Branch has led the team in tackles in each of the past two seasons, totaling 104 total tackles in 2010 and leading all NFL defensive backs with 124 tackles during the 2009 season. It was the first time in the 2011 preseason that Branch has paced the team in tackle.
BRYANT AND HOUSTON COMBINE:DT Desmond Bryant and DE Lamarr Houston combined on a sack against the New Orleans Saints on August 28. The Raiders tied for the second in the NFL with 47 sacks as a team in 2010.
