MVN: Most Valuable Network

Johnnie Lee Higgins has been one of the players that had been considered an "Al Davis guy" meaning that he had speed, but limited football skills. As recently as this offseason, it seemed like he was on the bubble when it was time for the Raiders to announce their final roster cuts. Many in the Raider Nation groaned when it was announced that he had not been one of the cuts, but a funny thing has happened this season, Higgins has been pretty good.

In the first game of the preseason, Higgins returned a punt for a touchdown. He followed that up with a horrid game that included a fumbled punt return that became the Tennessee Titans first touchdown. It seemed like he was playing his way out the door at that point:

Rather than take his opportunity, grab it with both hands and make a run, he has been the very definition of inconsistent. In the two weeks of preseason thus far, he has been both the hero and the goat. He looked on his way to the penthouse after week one against the San Francisco 49ers, but against the Titans in week two he took his alleged 4.2 speed and ran straight to the outhouse. In fact, he went from looking like a lock to make the team to looking like a cut day casualty in the space of one week.

For the 2008 regular season Higgins is averaging 26.8 yards per kickoff return and 8.5 yards per punt return. Neither of those numbers are going to have him mistaken for Devin Hester any time soon, but the key is that he has yet to make any of the bone-head mistakes that have plagued his career thus far.

As a wide receiver, his numbers are pedestrian, but they lead the Oakland Raiders' wide receiving corps. He is tied with Ashley Lelie for the top spot in catches with five, and he is second on the team behind Zach Miller with 119 yards. He locked himself a place in the 2008 Raider highlight reel with an 85 yard catch and run for a touchdown in the loss to the Buffalo Bills.

With the overall receiving corps underachieving, look for Higgins to play an increased role. This will be his chance to continue to prove the doubters wrong, and show that he can be the deep threat playmaker the Raiders were expecting when they drafted him out of UTEP.