The best Raiders receiver during Friday night's exhibition loss to the Tennessee Titans was Chaz Schilens. That a seventh-round draft choice battling just to make the team stood out among the group proves the Raiders receivers have a long way to go before the passing game is consistent.
One person Raiders coach Lane Kiffin isn't blaming is quarterback JaMarcus Russell. "There was nothing to point at him as far as him not doing things right," Kiffin said of Russell's play Friday.
"Either things weren't there or a guy wasn't making a play for him. I thought he played really well."
The Raiders' top three wide receivers, Javon Walker, Ronald Curry and Drew Carter, combined for three catches for 19 yards in the first half – all by Curry.
Russell definitely has a rapport with tight end Zach Miller, but the passing attack needs the other receivers to have an impact.
"It's a very big concern because we do want to do a number of things with JaMarcus in our passing game," Kiffin said. "And the more they make plays, it builds confidence in him and all of us."
The first egregious error by a receiver was Walker's drop on a third-and-two slant pattern on the Raiders' first drive that would have given them a first down.
Walker hasn't done anything in two exhibition appearances to resemble a player worthy of the $11 million bonus he received as part of a six-year, $55 million contract this offseason.
"For him to not go out there and make those plays, it's discouraging," Kiffin said.
"He was paid an awful lot of money, paid like one of the top-five receivers in the NFL, so we need him to make those plays."
Kiffin said there wasn't enough evidence to decide if Curry or Carter would start opposite Walker.
No. 4 receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins drew the coach's ire for running the wrong route on a third down in the second quarter.
"That's something Johnnie did last year a lot in practices and why we weren't able to trust him to play in games," Kiffin said.
At least Schilens (three catches, 45 yards) showed up. "He played the best of all our receivers, including the front-line guys," Kiffin said. "It was good to see because he did not play well in our first game on offense or special teams."
There are a few Raider receivers who know that feeling.
Read Jason Jones' Raiders blog at www.sacbee.com/blogs.
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