Raiders notes: QB Campbell finds new targets

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Depth-chart wise, Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell was without his top three wide receivers Sunday in Buffalo, what with Darrius Heyward-Bey (knee) Jacoby Ford (hamstring) and Louis Murphy (groin) all injured and inactive.But Campbell found a couple of new and reliable targets in the most bittersweet of manners in the Raiders' 38-35 loss to the Bills in rookie Denarius Moore and veteran Derek Hagan.

The ultra-acrobatic Moore, the fifth-round draft choice out of Tennessee who did not have a catch and was targeted only once last week in Denver, caught five passes for 146 yards, including the 50-yard touchdown with 3:41 to play that gave Oakland a 35-31 lead. Hagan had five receptions for 61 yards."It was an O.K. day for me," Moore said. "I came in, made plays when they called upon me. But overall, the thing is, we took an 'L' today."Hagan made his Raiders debut after being a somewhat surprising addition to the inactive list last week in Denver."It felt good to get out there and run around, make some plays and pick up where Jason and I left off in the preseason," Hagan said. "But we lost. If we won, I would be feeling a whole lot better. But this loss hurts."Campbell benefited from the two wideouts as well, throwing for 323 yards (his second-highest total as a Raider, behind the 324 yards he threw for at Jacksonville last season) on 23 of 33 passing with two touchdowns, an interception (on the Hail Mary to end the game) and a 108.5 passer rating.According to Silver and Black Illustrated, Campbell has a passer rating of 129.9 over his last seven games.Miller's struggles continue: Nick Miller had another tough day returning kicks. After struggling in the opener at Denver on punts, Miller replaced Jacoby Ford on kickoff duty. Miller averaged just 15.3 yards on four returns and slipped and fell inside the 5-yard line before scrambling to get to the 12-yard line on his final return.Miller was replaced as the returner by Rock Cartwright for the final kickoff, with 14 seconds to play but downed the ball in the end zone.Offensive explosion: The Bills set a franchise record with 34 first downs, and combined with the Raiders' 26 first downs, the 60 first downs were a Buffalo single-game combined mark.Also, per STATS LLC, the Bills became the first team to score touchdowns on all five of its second-half possessions since 1993.And the 35 points the Raiders allowed in the second half are a franchise record.Plus, the Raiders' 35 points scored is their most in a loss since they fell to Seattle, 43-37, in the 1988 season finale.Penalties surface again: The Raiders committed 15 penalties for 131 yards in their season opening win at Denver on Monday. And in building a 21-3 halftime lead Sunday in Buffalo, they were flagged just twice, for 10 yards. But they finished with eight for 85 costly yards.Passing of the torch?: For the first time in franchise history, Bills owner Ralph Wilson, 92, missed a Buffalo home opener, recovering from hips surgery. And fellow AFL pioneer Al Davis, 82, missed a game for what is believed to be only the third time since he's been with the team, an association that began in 1963.
HueJax interacts with fans: Raiders coach Hue Jackson got into a shouting match with some Bills fans as he walked off the field following the miscommunication that the replay official was again reviewing the final play of the game -- Da'Norris Searcy's interception on the Hail Mary, rather than a touchdown reception by Denarius Moore."That's just part of it," Jackson said. "I get a little emotional too, sometimes. But everything is good."No word, though, on if the fans feel the same.