0 A reading below 50 indicates contraction

Miller said, "They were paying extra attention to me, a little bit of bracket coverage, making sure a guy was trying to jam me or wall me, that kind of thing. They made sure that I wasn’t too involved."Why Because they know that it is crazy to start two rookie wide receivers Nobody has ever done it before. And who takes the blame when the passing game suffers The quarterback does.So what happens when Schilens comes back, and the defense pays extra attention to Zach MillerWhat will happen when Louis Murphy can be the third or fourth option in the passing game instead of the first or second What happens when the team worries about two impact players instead of one who is a tight endHow much is the injury of Chaz Schilens affecting the passing game I say he is the difference btween 35 percent and 60 percent completions. He knows how to re-direct his route to get in open spaces.He knows how to get into a position to fight for the ball JaMarcus Russell knows he can count on the big receiver. He knows if Miller is covered, then Schilens is another option...another element.Chaz Schilens will impact the passing game tremendously. Until his return, unfortunately Raider Nation, you will have to suffer the growing pains of a developing passing game, instead of a passing game that can have an impact on a game.The good news is that while the passing game struggles, the running game and the defense should keep us in a good position. JaMarcus has lead two consecutive touchdown drives with less than three minutes left in both of the first two games.The last time a Raiders quarterback led a touchdown drive with less than three minutes to play was Kerry Collins in 2005.

The raiders lost the game on a last second Larry Johnson touchdown run.Before the last two games this year, it has been done that one time in the last 128 games. Take a minute to swallow that pill, and then tell me if you still think JaMarcus is a bust. . NEW YORK (Reuters) - Business activity in the Midwest contracted in January and at a more severe rate than expected, a report showed on Friday. U.S. EconomyConsumer confidence rose to a four-month high in January but improved less than economists had expected and remained weak overall, a survey showed on Friday.KEY POINTS:CHICAGO PMI: The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago business barometer fell to 33.3 from 35.1 in December, a new low for the current downturn Economists had forecast the index at 34.0 A reading below 50 indicates contraction. The employment component of the index fell to 34.8 from 39.2 in December.

Prices paid rose to 39.8 from 32.7 and new orders slipped to 30.7 from 31.5.UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SURVEY: The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said its final index reading of confidence for January rose to 61.2 from December's 60.1. The final January reading is down slightly from the preliminary result earlier in the month of 61.9 and overall it remains in depressed territory, reflecting the deepening year-old recession in the world's largest economy. Their 63 forecasts ranged from 59.0 to 65.0.COMMENTS:MARK ZANDI, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MOODY'S ECONOMY.COM, WEST CHESTER,PENNSYLVANIA:CHICAGO PMI: "It's consistent with the view that the downturn is intensifying in the current quarter. Manufacturers took on too much inventory in Q4 and they are cutting production in Q1."REUTERS/UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CONSUMER INDEX: "The consumers are panicked and confidence is shattered. Consumers may be less worried in January than December, perhaps because of lower gasoline prices and a more stable stock market."Consumers will be very depressed through the spring...Q1 consumer spending will be down as much in Q1 as Q4.

It's certainly not a meaningful change."The Chicago purchasing managers' survey presented the same picture of manufacturing decline that has been in place for months Nothing is budging there. There's no suggestion of a national improvement."BRIAN DOLAN, CHIEF CURRENCY STRATEGIST, FOREX.COM, BEDMINSTER,NEW JERSEY:"The Chicago PMI report was weak in the detail. This points to a very weak handoff for Q1 and dovetails with the poor momentum indicated by the earlier released Q4 GDP report. It looks negative overall for risk trades which should equate to lower euro and yen crosses near-term."VASSILI SEREBRIAKOV, SENIOR CURRENCY STRATEGIST, WELLS FARGO,NEW YORK:"Chicago PMI is a bit weaker than expected but I don't think it will have lasting major impact on the market.