Charges against Mcclain are dropped in Alabama
Misdemeanor assault charges against Raiders middle linebacker Rolando
McClain have been dropped. A judge in Alabama dismissed the case because the alleged victim has opted not to proceed, according to ESPN.
McClain had been sentenced to 180 days in jail. McClain allegedly threatened to kill a man and fired a gun next to his head in a fight in his hometown of Decatur, Ala., last November. McClain’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, had appealed the verdict and requested a jury trial.
Though McClain will not serve jail time, the league still may choose to suspend him. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Pro Football Talk that the situation will be reviewed under the personal-conduct policy despite the exoneration.
The 2010 Raiders firstround pick has struggled, but is third on the team in tackles and made several nice plays stopping the run Sunday. Rookie mistake: Why was Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, their No. 1 option, so wide open on a 1-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter? Rookie linebacker Miles Burris got lost on the playaction.
“Miles has got the tight end, and it was a rookie mistake,” head coach Dennis Allen said. “It’s something that
hopefully he’ll learn from.” Moore struggles: Denarius Moore had a tough day, not getting separation from defensive backs and then dropping some balls he got his hands on. He finished with one catch for 9 yards on the seven times he was targeted, and lost 5 yards on a reverse.
Worse, there were several times when he and Carson Palmer were not on the same page, with Moore cutting one way and the ball going the other way. That has been happening more and more the past few weeks.
“I need to look at the film and see what happens, and we need to sit down and talk about it,” Palmer said. “He’s our go-to guy. He’s our No. 1 receiver. … The guy had a bad hamstring injury all offseason, all training camp, there’s times it shows, and it’s my fault.
“He’s a second-year guy. We need to do a better job getting on the same page with him.” Briefly: Besides running back
Marcel Reece and right tackle Khalif Barnes, the other bright spot might have been receiver Juron Criner. The rookie from Arizona had three catches for 23 yards and a touchdown, a nice over-theshoulder catch from 3 yards out in garbage time. … The 135 points allowed by the Raiders in the past three games is the most in a three-game span for the franchise since allowing 141 in the first three games in 1961. … Drew Brees extended his NFL record by throwing a touchdown pass in his 53rd straight game. … The Raiders failed to score in the final two minutes of the first half for the first time this season. … Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden lit the torch honoring late Oakland owner Al Davis.