Rookies Add Things Up for Raiders : Offense: Robinson controls the ground and Jett makes big catches.
SAN DIEGO — After watching the Raiders control the ball for 41 minutes and gain 421 total yards in their 12-7 victory over San Diego Sunday, Charger linebacker Junior Seau shook his head in frustration.
“Their offensive coordinator (Tom Walsh) did a great job out there today,†Seau said. “I really got to hand it to him because he really mixed up their plays well with the pass and the run, and with play action.â€
The two players directly responsible for the Raiders’ offensive success were rookies Greg Robinson, who rushed for 89 yards in 21 carries, and James Jett, who caught seven passes for 138 yards.
On a day when the Raiders failed to score a touchdown and relied on four field goals by Jeff Jaeger, Robinson and Jett combined to give the Charger defense fits.
Robinson, who has gained 305 yards in his last 58 carries, helped the Raiders get off to a fast start with 62 yards in nine first-half carries.
He was the Raiders’ main weapon on the ground, as they dominated the first two quarters by keeping the ball nearly 22 minutes.
“I felt pretty good out there warming up,†said Robinson, who was drafted in the eighth round out of Northeast Louisiana. “I knew I was going to get the ball because going into the game, (the coaching staff) said that we going to run the ball.â€
San Diego was determined to stop the Raiders’ running game in the second half, but Robinson continued to run hard and helped the Raiders keep the ball away from the Chargers’ offense.
“You can see that Robinson is building up some confidence,†Seau said. “He ran well today and the blocking up front for him was great.â€
When asked what he is doing differently since the season began, Robinson simply credited NFL game experience.
“I’m being more patient out there when I run and the line is just doing a great job blocking,†said Robinson, who leads the team in rushing with 513 yards. “I always thought that I ran aggressively, but I guess I’m feeling more comfortable now.â€
While Robinson ripped through San Diego’s defense on the ground, Jett gave the Chargers’ secondary a taste of speed.
After dropping several passes in the Raiders’ 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week, Jett took advantage of single coverage by the Chargers to redeem himself.
“I wanted to come back and show people because of the dropped balls last week,†said Jett, a world-class sprinter from West Virginia. “I wanted to make some catches and erase any doubts people had about me.â€
Jett did not waste any time showing that he meant business Sunday. He made two third-down catches for 29 yards on the Raiders’ first drive.
“Right then, I knew that I was on a roll,†said Jett, who has 20 catches for 478 yards. “I was in a groove and when it’s like that, you feel like you can make any play you need to make.â€
Making things easier for Jett was rookie cornerback Darrien Gordon, who was playing in place of starter Sean Vanhorse, who suffered an ankle injury on the third play of the game.
Jett, who averages 24 yards per catch, burned the Stanford rookie on the Raiders’ third drive for a 51-yard pass play from Jeff Hostetler. That led to Jaeger’s second field goal.
“Jett’s doing a good job for us,†Hostetler said. “He’s got a lot of speed and he came up with a lot of good plays today.â€
Most of Jett’s plays were tough catches not normally associated with a speedy wide receiver.
“I’m just playing with more confidence now,†Jett said. “I feel more comfortable with my ability to make (defensive backs) turn this way and turn that way, and at making catches.â€
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