It seems the NFL certainly is becoming a passing league.
Week 1 of the season featured five games in which each starting
quarterback passed for at least 300 yards.
Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell was not in that group.
Not even close.
By Jason Jones – McClatchy Newspapers
ALAMEDA, Calif. – It seems the NFL certainly is becoming a passing league.
Week 1 of the season featured five games in which each starting quarterback passed for at least 300 yards.
Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell was not in that group.
Not even close.
For Campbell and the Raiders, that’s no big deal.
Campbell wasn’t feeling down about throwing for a little more than 100 yards in the Raiders season opener. After all, the Raiders beat Denver.
So while his statistics (13 for 22, 105 yards, one touchdown, one rushing touchdown) might not have fantasy football owners clamoring over him, Campbell is completely fine with that.
“A lot of people base things off stats, but I don’t,” Campbell said. “Because there have been games I’ve thrown for 300-plus yards and four or five times in my career and we lost.”
Only two starting quarterbacks threw for fewer yards than Campbell in Week 1. One was Cincinnati rookie Andy Dalton (81 yards), who left the game with an injury. The other was Minnesota’s Donovan McNabb (39 yards).
Dalton and McNabb each attempted 15 passes.
Campbell, however, is fine with managing a game with timely passing and allowing his running backs and offensive line to control the game, as they did Monday night.
“I think any quarterback you say, ‘You want to throw for 300 or you rather throw for whatever you throw for and win the game?’ They’ll say I’d rather win at the end of the day,” Campbell said. “That’s pretty much the game that was called for on Monday night and that’s how we went.”
Campbell lamented missing Darrius Heyward-Bey on a long pass down the sidelines. But overall, he said the Broncos coverage schemes took away some of the Raiders options in the passing game.
And with Darren McFadden on his way to a 150-yard rushing game, there was no need to start throwing the ball on a wet field for the sake of throwing.
“Don’t do anything to mess the vibe up because guys were playing very physical,” Campbell said. “Guys were being violent out there, flying around, making plays. And there will be weeks where we have to lean on the pass. So it goes hand in hand.”
The win, not statistics, was most important for coach Hue Jackson. Even with some of the missed opportunities in the passing game, Jackson was pleased with Campbell.
Jackson remains committed to being a more efficient passer, but won’t go away from the game plan.
“The thing about quarterback play in the NFL is winning,” Jackson said. “Jason Campbell, right now, today, is 1-0 in his division. And that’s all what matters.
“Are there plays that we all wish we had back? It’s not just him. There are a lot of players that would tell you there are plays they wish they had back. At the end of the day, the thing we’re most excited about is winning the game in Denver.”
What would help Campbell and the passing game is if all of the Raiders receivers were available. Wide receivers Louis Murphy (groin) and Jacoby Ford (hamstring) missed practice Wednesday, but tight end Kevin Boss (knee) practiced after not playing Monday.
Boss hopes to play Sunday in Buffalo.
“Going to kind of take it day by day,” Boss said. “But right now I feel like I’ll be able to get out there and help contribute.”
Safeties Michael Huff (groin) and Mike Mitchell (knee) and defensive tackle Richard Seymour also did not practice.
