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Raiders brace for second straight rookie QB

Nov 2, 2008 - 2:03 PM ATLANTA (4-3) AT OAKLAND (2-5), 4:15 pm EST

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- JaMarcus Russell hopes to have better luck when he squares off against a rookie quarterback for the second straight week.

Russell and the Oakland Raiders return home to host the Atlanta Falcons and rookie Matt Ryan on Sunday.

The Raiders are trying to rebound from a 29-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last weekend. Rookie Joe Flacco threw a 70-yard scoring pass, rushed for a touchdown and caught a 43-yard pass as Baltimore bolted to a 19-0 halftime lead.

Oakland managed just 10 first downs and 234 total yards against the Ravens' tenacious defense. Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in 2007, finished 15-of-33 for 228 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

"In the first half, we got our tails whipped at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball," Raiders interim coach Tom Cable said. "We struggled with our run blocking and protection. Far too much damage in the first half to recover."

Oakland's running game was non-existent, with Justin Fargas managing just 24 yards on 12 carries. Rookie Darren McFadden sat out the game with a turf toe injury.

The Falcons, behind Ryan, have been one of the surprise teams in the league.

Despite last weekend's 27-14 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta already has matched its victory total from last season.

Ryan, who was selected third overall in April's draft, threw for 277 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Roddy White but also had two interceptions against the Eagles. The rookie has seven TD passes and five picks this season.

White has emerged as one of the elite receivers in the league. He posted his third consecutive 100-yard game against Philadelphia and has four TD receptions in the last three games.

The Falcons need to get their running game untracked. Michael Turner had three 100-yard efforts in the first five games but has been limited to 54 and 58 yards in his last two contests.

One potential issue for Atlanta is the status of defensive tackle Grady Jackson, who reportedly has tested positive for a diuretic drug on the NFL's list of banned substances.