Raiders notebook: Cable mulls options without injured Gallery

By Jerry McDonald
Oakland Tribune

While Robert Gallery underwent surgery to repair a broken left fibula that could keep him out four to six weeks, Raiders coach Tom Cable was considering his options the day after a 13-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

“It’s not as easy as just plugging in a new left guard or a new center,” Cable said Monday at his weekly news briefing. “You want to make sure it all jells together. If this was a week issue or something like that, maybe it’s pretty easy, but it’s not. I think you have to look at it as a month issue.”

Gallery has started 34 consecutive games at left guard after he struggled for three seasons as a tackle. He was regarded by Cable as the Raiders’ most consistent offensive lineman last season.

When Gallery left in the fourth quarter, the Raiders moved center Chris Morris to left guard and inserted Samson Satele at center.

Other options, according to Cable, include playing either Khalif Barnes or Erik Pears, both primarily offensive tackles, at left guard. Another option is Paul McQuistan, a three-year veteran inactive for the first two games this season.

In both of those scenarios, Morris, who won the starting center job from Satele in part because of his intelligence and ability to make calls along the offensive line, would remain in the middle.

“I know absolutely nothing,” Morris said in reference to potential lineup moves.

Cable said Gallery’s injury was similar to that of Barnes, who broke his ankle Aug. 5 and could be active as soon as this week.

Among the game balls awarded by Cable were to punter Shane Lechler and place-kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who the coach said “put this team on their back and carried us yesterday.”Lechler averaged 56.9 yards on seven punts with a long of 70 yards and a net of 45.9. His first two punts, of 66 and 70 yards, came after Oakland three-and-outs and backed the Chiefs up at the 16 and 21-yard lines.

“That punter of theirs, I don’t know how you punt the ball that far,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said.

Janikowski continued his mastery of Arrowhead Stadium, kicking field goals of 48 and 54 yards and recording touchbacks on all four of his kickoffs.

Janikowski is 23-for-26 at Arrowhead and has converted all 17 attempts since having one blocked in 2002, his third NFL season. He kicked field goals of 56 yards in 2008 and 54 yards in 2007 at Arrowhead, both games the Raiders won.

Other game balls were awarded to safety Michael Huff (two interceptions), cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, defensive end Greg Ellis (two sacks) and long snapper Jon Condo.

Wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins (sprained shoulder) could return this week and resume punt return duties, but Cable said it was unlikely wide receiver Chaz Schilens (broken metacarpal) would be back before next week. … Safety Hiram Eugene has a “lower leg strain” and is questionable this week. If Eugene is healthy, Cable said, he would continue to share snaps at free safety with Huff. … Cable said he wants the offense as a whole to get deeper into the playbook, film and details to upgrade the passing game. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell has completed 35.2 percent of his passes (19-for-54). No other NFL starting quarterback is below 50 percent.

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