Gutierrez: Raiders' finale has different vibe

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Sept. 2, 2011GUTIERREZ ARCHIVE
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Paul Gutierrez
CSNCalifornia.comALAMEDA -- Traditionally, the final exhibition game is a time for starters to rest.But this locked-out NFL offseason was anything but traditional. Throw in the fact that the Raiders have had an uneven, at best, preseason and you get the sense their first-stringers might actually see some meaningful snaps tonight in Seattle."There might be some merit to playing guys a little bit more in the last game," an agitated rookie coach Hue Jackson acknowledged this week.Beyond that?"(It's) another dress rehearsal," he added. "I like to play to win and I haven't won yet. It's pissing me off. That might be why I'm pissed. But other than that, I think it's another opportunity for us to get ready for the season. I think our players understand that. At least, they (should) know that, and that's what we need to do."
The Raiders are 0-3 against Arizona, the 49ers and New Orleans and are searching for some momentum heading into the season opener at Denver on Monday Night Football Sept. 12.Plus, they are trying to integrate several injured starters, such as tight end Kevin Boss (knee), running back Darren McFadden (eye orbital), receiver Jacoby Ford (hand), defensive tackle Richard Seymour (hamstring) and cornerback Chris Johnson (undisclosed). Few, if any, are elected to play, though."We know this is an important game," Ford said. "Even thought it is preseason, it's still important to us. We want to go out there and make a statement and show who we can be on offense and definitely show who we can be on defense and special teams. Just go out there and make a statement."So we're probably going to look at it as a statement game."Then there are these tasty little nuggets -- former Raiders coach Tom Cable is the Seahawks assistant head coachoffensive line while tight end Zach Miller and left guard Robert Gallery joined Cable in the Emerald City this summer.Jackson said he had not spoken to Cable since Cable was not retained and Jackson was promoted by Al Davis but said they would surely talk if their paths crossed.Plus, quarterback Terrelle Pryor should see action before his five-game suspension begins Saturday."We're still in the process of teaching this young man how to do it," Jackson said. "He's done a good job; he's very attentive. He's done everything we've asked him to do."Plus, tonight's final practice game of the NFL calendar has other story lines when it comes to guys on the bubble, trying to make one last impression on Jackson, his staff and Davis when it comes to selecting a roster of 53 players."It can change," Jackson said. "A lot of stuff can happen in that last preseason game, things that are very unfortunate. Somebody could get nicked."When it's all said and done, the guys that are here after this preseason game are the guys we think can help this organization win a championship. That's all that we're after."

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