Janikowski Kicks Six Field Goals in Oakland Win

Our veteran players fought and we fought hard,--Head Coach Hue Jackson

By Barbara Mason 11/28/11

Raiderdrive.com

The Chicago Bears came into Oakland riding on a five game winning streak.  Unfortunately for Chicago, their starting quarterback Jay Cutler was not on the field after having thumb surgery this past week that put him most likely out of the rest of the regular season.  Second string quarterback Caleb Hanie would step into his shoes having minimal experience during his four years in the NFL.  

Oakland Raiders Head Coach Hue Jackson expressed the respect he had for the young quarterback and  in no way looked at winning this game as a given.  There is no such thing in the NFL.  As they say; on any given Sunday!  The Raiders have done their homework when it comes to young Hanie and the defense would be ready for the mobile athlete.

It was a tough first quarter for the Bears with Hanie throwing two picks, the first intercepted by

Stanford Routt, and the second one by Michael Huff.  A litany of incomplete passes began to mount for Chicago with Hanie completing only 3 for 25 yards.  Only one of those interceptions turned up any points for the Raiders however.   The score after one quarter was 6-0 Oakland off 40 and 47 yard field goals by Sebastian Janikowski.

Despite those two picks Hanie was persistent and he finally found a target in the person of Johnny Knox for a 29 yard strike into the end zone to take the lead 7-6.  The Oakland Raiders inability to capitalize on Chicago’s mistakes had come back to bite them.  With under three minutes left in the half, the Raiders had to settle once again for a field goal, a 42 yard kick to take back the lead 9-7. 

The Bears were not finished in the half returning the ensuing kickoff for 56 yards putting them into field goal range with 2:00 minutes left.  Hanie’s third pick came with 35 seconds left on the clock, with Oakland’s Kamerion Wimbley returning the ball for 73 yards.  A penalty came at the end of that run putting the Raiders first and goal.  The quarter ended with a 19 yard Janikowski kick and Oakland had taken a 12-7 lead although squandering another touchdown opportunity.

The third quarter turned in two more field goals, a 37 yard and a 44 yard.  It was Sebastian Janikowski that kept the Oakland Raiders in this game and going into the fourth quarter the Silver and Black led by the score of 18-10.

The fourth quarter highlight featured an 80 yard punt, a franchise record, by the incomparable Shane Lechler.  Chicago was able to drive downfield and with 7:17 left in the game kicked a 53 yard field goal to pull within 5 points, 18-15.  On the next drive, with the ball at midfield, 3^rd and 5, the Oakland offense had to show up.  And show up they did when quarterback Carson Palmer threw a 48 yard bomb down to the Bear 3 yard line.   That drive culminated with a 3 yard run into the end zone by Michael Bush for the Raiders first touchdown of the game and a 25-13 lead.  

The Bears were not going to make it easy on Oakland when Hanie threw an 81 yard pass from deep in their own territory to inside the Raider ten.  Seconds later Hanie threw into the end zone, and Oakland’s lead was cut to 25-20.   The Raiders recovered the ensuing onside kick and with 2:07 left in the game Oakland would try to ice this game.  Unable to convert Oakland had to kick the ball.  With 1:01 left in the game Chicago would have one last chance to win this game.  Oakland was able to hold on as their defense held on winning their third in a row and breaking Chicago’s five-game winning streak.

It wasn’t pretty but as Hue Jackson put it, a win is a win.   He reflected on something that the late Al Davis had once said to him.  “Winning in this league isn’t easy and it isn’t always going to be pretty but as long as a team plays as hard as they can you’ll have a chance to win.”  He was very proud of his team and the effort they put out in the game.  “Our veteran players fought and we fought hard,” he said in reference to Sebastian Janikowski (he kicked a franchise record 6 field goals) and Shane Lechler who kicked a franchise record 80 yard punt.  “At the end of the day we are 7 and 4,” he said.   The team did make a couple of breakthroughs; winning at home, scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter and minimal penalties.  These improvements did bring a smile to Jackson’s face.  While he did not dismiss the absence of Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore and Darren McFadden due to injury, he refused to use that as any sort of excuse.  “You never heard us complain about our situation and we’re not going to.”

Both the offense and the defense faced major challenges.  The Raiders had to deal with the likes of Brian Urlacher, Julius Pepper, Marion Barber, Matt Forte and super star Devon Hester; a tall order which they met head-on.

Quarterback Carson Palmer gave a lot of credit to the stingy Bear defense who forced 6 attempted field goals rather than give up touchdowns.  “It obviously changes the game when they lose their starting quarterback but that is a good group, Lance Briggs is as good as it gets and Urlacher is Urlacher.  Julius Peppers is a huge issue for every team he plays.  You’ve got to be happy with field goals when you get points on the board,” he said.

The Oakland Raiders will now head out on the road for a couple of tough games against the Miami Dolphins followed by the undefeated GreenBay Packers.