In much of the misfortune for the 2009 Oakland Raiders, there’s one thing the fans and the organization can be proud of.

The Raiders have four semi-finalists for enshrinement in the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Mr. Raider himself, Tim Brown, leads the pack of Raiders and should be a first-ballot pick.

Along with Brown, the other semi-finalists are Cliff Branch, Ray Guy and Lester Hayes.

Brown spent 16 years with the Raiders and finished with career stats of 100 touchdowns, 14,934 receiving yards (ranked third all-time) and 1,094 receptions.

He is also a part of the 1990 All-Decade team.

There is no doubt that Brown made a sudden impact his rookie year and never stopped there. He remained consistent and established himself as a serious threat whether it was on a punt return or a post route up the middle.

It might not be very easy for the Cliff Branch to get that first ballot bid.

Branch is going to up against Andre Reed, Chris Carter, Jerry Rice and Brown.

Branch was the epitome of what Raider football was all about and was exactly what owner Al Davis wanted in an offense. He was the deep threat.

In 1976, Branch averaged 24.2 yards per catch. He had 46 receptions for 1,111 yards.

Branch spent his entire 14-year career with the Raiders where he won three Super Bowl rings with them.

Another player who was a key member of those three championships was not so explosive, but nonetheless effective.

Punter Guy was selected to seven pro bowls and was a six-time First-team All-Pro selection. He was also named to the NFL’s 75^th Anniversary Team.

Let’s not forget about Hayes. He’s not in the semi-finals because of his infamous stickum.

However Hayes will be making the Hall of Fame because he was a shutdown corner. He revolutionized the bump and run coverage technique and deserves the first-ballot.

14 turnovers and 9 games later, the Oakland Raiders will finally bench quarterback JaMarcus Russell this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bruce Gradkowski, who came in to relieve Russell’s horrid performances the last couple games, will replace Russell.

What else can one say about Russell’s season? This day was going to come, the only issue was actually when.

Who knows how Gradkowski will do but it can’t be worse than what Russell has done.

Gradkowski does not have the arm Russell does but by the looks of his short playing-time this season, he looks like a quarterback with a brain.

He looks like he’s aware of what’s going on around him and works in the pocket very comfortably.

Sure, Russell had the cannon arm but it’s not like he used it well.

Look for the Raiders to play the short passing game a lot more this weekend with Gradkowski under center.

And while we’re on the topic of first-round busts, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is turning out to be a big one.

The guy is not catching anything. Last week, versus the Chiefs, he dropped a ball that would have set up a first-and-goal on the Chiefs’ two and he also had one bounce of his chest in the closing seconds of the game that resulted in an interception.

He has not been effective in the offense at all. If anything, the rookie right next to him, Louis Murphy, looks to be putting more effort out on the field.

Hey, but he’s fast, and that’s all the Raiders want.

There was one good thing the Oakland Raiders did in their 38-0 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday.

They finally let the $68 million dollar man, quarterback JaMarcus Russell, take a seat on the bench; the same seat that has been waiting for him for the past 5 weeks.

The only thing Russell achieved in Sunday’s horrific performance was giving the Raider organization its most lopsided loss in its 50-year history.

Raiders began their first three drives with turnovers including one lost fumble by Russell and two interceptions. Two of the three turnovers gave the New York Jets great field position on the Oakland four.

What’s even more embarrassing for the Raider Nation to endure are the comments said by both head coach Tom Cable and Russell.

According to the Associated Press, Cable said that Russell did not give the team the best chance to win.

Really? My seven-year-old brother knows that.

But then Cable goes on to say that Russell will continue to be the starter and sees no issue there.

No issue? It‘s Week 7 and Russell has committed 13 turnovers and he’s only completed under half of his passes. How is that not an issue?

Because of Russell’s careless attitude with the ball, he puts the defense in a bad position and makes a really good defense in Oakland look terrible.

I think there is a bigger issue than those comments, believe it or not.  Russell said he was actually shocked he was taken out and felt fine.

Sure he was 6 for 11 for 61 yards, but there was one more thing he forgot, he turned the ball over three times. I can’t wait to see the day where a team has success when it has a turnover ratio of -10.

Backup Bruce Gradkowski came in but by then it was too late for any kind of comeback. It was 24-0 by halftime and Gradkowski did not do much either.

He too lost a fumble and failed to convert a fourth and goal in the closing minutes of the game.

Richard Seymour also woke up and realized the real situation he is in.

Seymour said the Raiders could not have beaten a high school team in Oakland on Sunday after saying after just under a week ago, they would make the playoffs.  He finally woke up and realized one win does not guarantee any chance of playoffs.

Defensive lineman Richard Seymour had a couple of bold statements after the big upset win the Oakland Raiders achieved over the Philadelphia Eagles.  One was toward New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce and the other on playoffs.

After dominating the Raiders in week 5, Pierce said that the lopsided game felt like a scrimmage.  Seymour had a few words for Pierce when the Saints dropped 48 on the G-Men’s defense this past week.

Even if the Raiders are arguably the worse team in the NFL, Seymour showed pride and fired back.

Besides, Pierce’s comment was a cheap shot and there was no need for it.  He kicked the Raiders when they were already down.

According the Associated Press, Seymour said, “(Giants) got what they deserved this week.  I’m not sure how many points the Saints scored on them, but if I’m not mistaken, it was half a hundred points. So, I think he got enough to chew on himself with that.”

It gets better.

Seymour also stated that the Raiders will make playoffs this season in a Cincinnati radio interview.

I’m not sure if it was the six sacks the Raiders’ defense had on Donavan McNabb, the stunning win over the Philadelphia Eagles or if he’s just smoking the good stuff that made him say that.

Maybe it was the classic line the Raider Nation came up with when Al Davis made decisions that boggled everyone’s mind and seemed to work (e.g. signings of Bo Jackson, Tom Flores, and Bill Romanowski):  “(Raiders) know something we don’t know.”

Either way, the idea of playoffs for the Raiders won’t be as hard to swallow if, and only if, they win the next two games against the visiting Jets and Chargers at San Diego.

It’s possible.  With the improvement of the Raiders’ pressure to the quarterback and Mark Sanchez’ pummeled confidence after his 5-interception performance, Raiders can make it two in a row.

Getting a victory in San Diego seems like a long shot, especially how well the Chargers have played against the Raiders the past few years.  A win against San Diego would put them at .500 entering a bye week.

Until then, playoff talks should be avoided.

Can anybody really blame Seymour, though?  The guy is a pro-bowler and a champion.  This is exactly what he brings that is as valuable as his skill on the field.

He’s been at the top before and now as a veteran, he can show all the first-round draft picks what it feels like to win.

Two head coaches in three years later, JaMarcus Russell is still playing like he is a rookie.

And it’s not entirely his fault.

Russell has been forced to learn a new playbook every year and just when you think he’s getting the hang of things, another head coach gets the ax.

Russell has seen two different playbooks in his short professional career, watch his former coach humiliate the owner after being fired and watch his current head coach punch and break his assistant coach’s jaw.

This might explain his lackluster play.

He’s shown flashes of greatness throughout the season but has also shown his inexperience when throwing into double, sometimes triple coverage and his sloppy two-minute drills.

The offense currently obtains one of the most talented and young offenses in the league.  It’s more than just Russell’s fault. The Raiders need a coaching staff.

Russell is a winner, he proved it in college.  He’d be great with leaders and coaches like the ones the Steelers, Patriots and even the Jets.  Instead, he is in Oakland with more interceptions than touchdowns and one of the lowest passer ratings, if not the lowest, in the NFL.

It’s a little unfair to put all this criticism on Russell but he is the quarterback.

But what about the development of Darren McFadden and rookie receivers Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bay?  These guys could and should be superstars in the future but only with a better coaching staff than what the Raiders see right now.

But Russell hasn’t helped his case either.  Many in the Raiders organization have questioned his passion and dedication to the sport.  There were many speculations of Russell’s commitment after watching him skip or be tardy in meetings and fail to spend time watching film and learning the opponent.

The Raider Nation is dying to see Russell out.

But it doesn’t matter.

Any young quarterback looking at a new coaching staff every year will fail.  That’s probably why Davis won’t take him out.  Yes, Al Davis.

Let’s be honest, the last time Raiders had the closest thing to a head coach was Jon Gruden.

We really don’t want to take a trip down memory lane on to what the final product was after that.

Raiders know Russell has the potential to be one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, and can’t afford him to be on the bench, literally.  With a six-year, $68 million contract, Raiders need him on the field.