Bee staff writer Jason Jones is at Raiders headquarters in Alameda as the team prepares for the upcoming season. Read his blogs throughout the day at www.sacbee.com/raidersblog. Following are excerpts from Tuesday:
Raiders coach Lane Kiffin didn't really want to mention it.
The subject made JaMarcus Russell knock on wood.
Through two exhibition appearances, Russell hasn't "come close" to a turnover, Kiffin said.
Russell said he has been made aware of ball security for a long time, and Raiders coaches have emphasized that when he is on the move.
"The thing coach told me in high school was, the best play is the next play, when you still have the ball," Russell said. " … As far as being on the run, just try not to make any dumb decisions, just have the ball for the next play, keep the chains moving, and get some positive yards."
The Raiders are going to do their best to keep it simple for Russell, similar to how Pittsburgh handled Ben Roethlisberger.
They want to rely on the running game and defense, and avoid forcing the young quarterback to win games by himself.
It's not always the most exciting football to watch, but it's a good way not to put too much pressure on Russell.
So far, Russell understands his role and is happy with it.
• Kiffin said the last doctor to examine X-rays of cornerback DeAngelo Hall's right hand found no break.
Still, Hall is practicing with a cast covering the index and middle fingers of the hand.
And it's clearly bothering him. Hall tried to intercept a pass from Marques Tuiasosopo, but the ball bounced off his hand, which he shook before leaving the field.
Hall said during a television interview he had torn tendons. Could be ligaments. Who knows?
"There's nothing telling us that there's going to be surgery," Kiffin said. "Everything tells us that he's going to be OK for the opener. The problem is he's got to wear that cast throughout all these practices and probably will still have to have it on this week. It's hard to tackle. It's hard to be a corner with a cast on, but it's the situation that it is, and we'll make the best of it."
• Wide receiver Javon Walker could have made an easy catch but dropped the ball. Then he dropped his head and walked to the sideline for 10 punishment push-ups.
Earlier, Walker made a nice play on a pass behind him.
• Robert Thomas took snaps with the first-team defense at outside linebacker. After the Tennessee game, Kiffin said that job was Ricky Brown's to lose. Brown took snaps with the first team and was also the backup middle linebacker
