Lewis To Take It Easy on Raiders

Or so they hope.

Jamal Lewis set the NFL single-game rushing mark this week in 2003, after coming out and predicting that he would do so against the Bengals. Lewis rushed for 295 yards in the game, not including a 60-yard gain that was nullified for a penalty.

Lewis should be applauded for not predicting that he will again set the NFL single-game rushing mark against the Raiders this week because it could happen. Even with a hip injury. There are those Raiders fans who believed that the defense looked good on defense last week.

Those people are dopes.

The only way the Raiders defense would look good would be if they were playing, well, their own offense. The Raiders were pathetic against the run. Everybody knew the Chargers were going to try to run the ball to protect quarterback Philip Rivers making his first start. So how did the Raiders respond? By allowing LaDainian Tomlinson to rush for more than 100 yards in his first five attempts.

Or at least it seemed that way.

The Raiders only looked good on defense when Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer sat on the ball in the beginning of the third quarter. The Raiders will not have that luxury this week. Ravens quarterback Steve McNair is not Rivers and Brian Billick isn't really known to show restraint. Things could get ugly for the Raiders this week. The Raiders might have a chance though, if Ray Lewis is hosting a Super Bowl party tonight or something.