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OAKLAND, California (Ticker) --
Kerry Collins
' first season with the
Oakland Raiders
is mirroring the one he spent with the
New Orleans Saints
.
Collins looks to put aside his struggles Sunday when the Raiders host the Saints in a matchup of reeling teams.
Signed in May to back up
Rich Gannon
, Collins was thrust into the starting role when Gannon suffered a broken vertebra in his neck on September 26. Gannon was expected to miss six weeks, but is now out for the season.
It has been a major struggle for Collins, who has lost his three starts since replacing Gannon. He has committed nine turnovers (seven interceptions and two fumbles) and been sacked nine times in the three starts.
In last week's 31-3 loss to the
Denver Broncos
, Collins went just 15-of-31 for 136 yards with an interception.
Collins' tenure with the Raiders is resembling the 1998 campaign he spent with the Saints, when he threw 15 interceptions and lost six fumbles in just 11 games.
The Raiders' struggles against the run continued as they allowed 254 yards rushing to the Broncos. They have allowed an average of 188.7 yards per game on the ground over the last three contests and rank 28th in the league, allowing 138.0 yards per contest.
Defense also has been a major issue for the Saints, who enter the contest ranked last in the league, surrendering an average of 414.2 yards per game. They are 31st against the run, giving up 151.2 yards per contest.
The Saints also saw their losing streak reach three games last week as they yielded a club-record 605 total yards in a 38-31 defeat to the
Minnesota Vikings
. New Orleans has allowed an average of 30.7 points during its skid.
Matchup to watch: Saints left end
Charles Grant
against rookie right tackle
Robert Gallery
.
Series: Oakland leads, 5-3-1.
Next week: New Orleans has its bye Oakland visits San Diego on October 31
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