Kerry Collins Benched in Oakland

[Perfection]

Raiders bench Collins, Tuiasosopo to start

[/b]

Associated Press

12/7/2005 9:17:49 PM

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - Marques Tuiasosopo will start at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, who benched regular Kerry Collins.

With no postseason to play for, the Raiders (4-8) are casting an eye toward the future. Oakland coach Norv Turner gave Tuiasosopo the nod Wednesday and announced that he will start Sunday on the road against the New York Jets.

"It means a lot," said Tuiasosopo, whose lone NFL start came in 2003. "I am excited to get out and play and, with the rest of these guys in the locker room, find a way to win a ballgame this week. "That's what I am most excited about."

Tuiasosopo, a 2001 second-round pick, has played in just eight NFL games.

Turner hinted earlier in the week a change might be made. Collins has the third-most passing yards in the league this season but has generated just four wins for the Raiders, who were eliminated from playoff contention with last week's loss to San Diego.

Collins played well early in the season but has struggled the last month. After throwing just one interception in Oakland's first six games, Collins has been picked off seven times in four weeks.

Despite several off-season moves, including the acquisitions of wide receiver Randy Moss and running back LaMont Jordan, the Raiders have been a disappointment on offence this year. Oakland will miss the playoffs for the third straight season after playing in the 2002 Super Bowl.

Collins, signed as a free agent before last season, has taken the brunt of criticism for the Raiders' poor record. In each of Oakland's previous three home games the quarterback was booed heavily by fans, who repeatedly chanted for Turner to put Tuiasosopo in the lineup.

"I'm not happy about it," said Collins, who will be Oakland's No. 2 quarterback against the Jets. "I feel like this is my team.

"I feel like I give us the best chance to win Sunday . . . Having said that, I respect what Norv decided to do and I'll help Tui any way I can."

Tuiasosopo's only NFL start was two years ago against the Detroit Lions. He filled in for injured Rich Gannon, but that outing lasted less than a half because Tuiasosopo sustained a season-ending knee injury.

Turner said Wednesday this move was made to spark Oakland's struggling offence and to get an extended look at Tuiasosopo.

"Kerry hasn't performed as well as I'd like," Turner said. "There's things he knows he can do better, things I know he can do better.

"We need to see Tui play. Where we are right now in terms of the things we're doing best on offence and where we're struggling, I think Tui can help us there with his movement."

Tuiasosopo has one year remaining on the contract he originally signed as a rookie and is eligible for free agency in 2007. Collins is earning the veteran's minimum salary this season but will be due nearly $12.9 million US in base pay, roster bonus and incentives next season if he remains in Oakland.

"I am going to just go out and play and hopefully my play will do all the talking," Tuiasosopo said. "I am not worried about the future now.

"I am worried about this weekend and getting ready and helping this team by having the best chance of winning."

[eS El Duque]

long ass name

[Don Jacob]

well the raiders better do something in the off season to get back in shape for next year, my homie at work was saying "the raiders are the best sorry team".....fuck that we need to be the BEST team again we got the best WR, a superbowl QB, and fucking magilla the gorilla for a running back, and HAD one of the best CB's , oh yeah and warren Sapp.....we should be ontop of this shit

[africas seed]

Moss is injured and thats the main reason y the offense licks and y im not dominating in my fantasy league.
i have also noticed that jerry porter is underachieving. warren sapp is past his prime and one CB aint gonna do it for an entire defense(look at the vikings wit antoine winfield and the jets wit ty law)

[TeeRaySix9Teen]

fucked up...i had him on my fantasy football squad lol. he hasnt had a great year....but for fantasy football he's been pretty good. i dont mind them benching him tho...we need a more mobil quarterback back there. especially with an offense that likes to go deep...you need a QB that can avoid pressure a bit more. Too bad, cus he's a good deepball passer, but he just isnt winning. Not to mention, the offense should be explosive...and its not. Im real curious what we do in the off season, and the draft. I dunno if id rather them try to get a young QB in the draft that could end up being a franchise type guy...or, go defense. We need linebackers terribly.

[Trauma-san]

Let me tell you a little bit about Kerry Collins.

Kerry Collins was drafted by the Panthers their inagural season.  I live in Charlotte so I was here that whole time and everything.  I also worked for a limo company at the time, so I worked indirectly with a lot of famous people in Charlotte, including the Panthers.  It wasn't like I was there or anything, I just was around all the drivers, and talked to people that were there on the phone, etc.  So when all this was going down, I was hearing about it.

Anyways, my stepbrother was in town around this time, too... and he met a girl at a bar.  Pretty hot chick, and I was driving them around one day because he didn't bring his car to town.  This girl (who I had gone to school with but never knew her) was Kerry Collin's girlfriend when he was drafted.  She said she can remember them calling the bank and things and checking his balance every few hours and how excited they were when the million dollar advance or whatever deposited in.  When he went to training camp, he came back a COMPLETE ASSHOLE totally different guy, and of course they broke up.

While kerry was a panther, he had a HUGE drinking problem.  He had a house in Piper Glen right down the street from Ric Flair's house, and right down the street from my manager's house.  This is a whole neighborhood of Mansions.  We would pick people up to go to the airport, and drive by Kerry's house on the way out of the neighborhood... it was NOT UNCOMMON to see Kerry PASSED OUT in his own Front Yard. 

This guy has always been a loser, and always will be a loser. 

[Wild_Elmo]

They're gonna cut Collins, he's set to make something like 13 million next year? Meanwhile, if they cut him they only have to pay him 1 mil. These last games are to test Tui, to see if he will be our guy. They have the option at the end of they year, if they want to renew his contract. I personally think Andrew Walters should be our QB.

[NiCc_FrUm_ThA_nO]

Tui will b doing the same thing as Collins

[TeeRaySix9Teen]

Tui will b doing the same thing as Collins

who knows though? he's been sittin on the outside for years now. Why not give him a shot and see if he can do somethin. What we're doin now obviously isnt workin. Rich Gannon was a backup in KC before he got a shot, Tom Brady was a backup. No one expected those guys to be as good as they were when they were sittin on the bench.

[NiCc_FrUm_ThA_nO]

Tui will b doing the same thing as Collins

who knows though? he's been sittin on the outside for years now. Why not give him a shot and see if he can do somethin. What we're doin now obviously isnt workin. Rich Gannon was a backup in KC before he got a shot, Tom Brady was a backup. No one expected those guys to be as good as they were when they were sittin on the bench.

I've seen him play alot, if he does end up doing good then he proved me wrong, if he doesnt at least we have Walters. Walters will do good.