The fans will find out a lot about this Raiders team in the next six weeks, but the fans will know if the Raiders are contenders over the next three weeks.
At this point, the Raiders haven’t beaten an opponent with a record better than .500 outside the division. The Raiders are also woefully bad on the road, with just one giant victory in Denver.
If the Raiders are to go from pretenders to contenders things must change.
The game against Miami this Sunday at home might be the easiest non-division game remaining on the schedule, but Miami is far from a Powder Puff team. Miami is starting a familiar foe at quarterback, ex-Chief Tyler Thigpen.
Four of Miami’s five wins have come on the road. Miami defeated Buffalo, Minnesota, Green Bay, and Cincinnati. The Dolphins also defeated the Titans at home and it took a questionable call for the Steelers to defeat the Dolphins.
The Raiders travel to San Diego in week 13. A huge game with division implications. San Diego is going on their typical late season surge. Philip Rivers is marching towards history and Vincent Jackson is coming back.
Beating San Diego again would make the Raiders 4-0 in the division. This is important if the Raiders are to make the playoffs in a tight AFC West race.
In week 14 the Raiders take the long plane ride to Jacksonville. The Jaguars are 6-4 and playing good football lately. A road game against a team above .500. Two obstacles the Raiders must overcome to prove their status as a contender, instead of pretender.
If the Raiders are .500 heading to Jacksonville, this game has major playoff implications, maybe for both teams.
A record of 1-2 or worse over the next three games could put the Raiders season to bed. They would have to run the table to have a real shot at the playoffs. That means the Raiders must win two of the next three games. The Raiders know it. Win a couple more quick and there is a real shot at the postseason. Lose a couple more and the season starts to slip away.
The Raiders head home to face Denver in week 15. A division opponent they should beat. It doesn’t mean they will as division games can be wacky. If the Raiders successful win two of the next three a win against Denver at home would guarantee a .500 season with two games to go.
Indianapolis may struggle containing Darren McFadden in week 16, but you know Peyton Manning will find a way to make it close. The Colts are actually a favorable matchup for the Raiders, but with a month to go plenty can change. Manning and the Colts find themselves in a fight for the AFC South and that means no rest for the Indianapolis starters this season.
Arrowhead week 17, one of the toughest road venues in the NFL. The Chiefs, who still lead the division, could be trying to hold off the Chargers and Raiders. It could be a win and in game.
The Raiders have a lot to take care of before they can think about this showdown. Even if the Raiders prove it, this could still be a game that makes or breaks the season. I recall the Raiders sealing the AFC West during a monsoon in Oakland in 2002. The Chiefs will want to return the favor and January in Kansas City could mean crazy weather, but at very least frigid cold.
At this point, the Raiders haven’t beaten an opponent with a record better than .500 outside the division. The Raiders are also woefully bad on the road, with just one giant victory in Denver.
If the Raiders are to go from pretenders to contenders things must change.
The game against Miami this Sunday at home might be the easiest non-division game remaining on the schedule, but Miami is far from a Powder Puff team. Miami is starting a familiar foe at quarterback, ex-Chief Tyler Thigpen.
Four of Miami’s five wins have come on the road. Miami defeated Buffalo, Minnesota, Green Bay, and Cincinnati. The Dolphins also defeated the Titans at home and it took a questionable call for the Steelers to defeat the Dolphins.
The Raiders travel to San Diego in week 13. A huge game with division implications. San Diego is going on their typical late season surge. Philip Rivers is marching towards history and Vincent Jackson is coming back.
Beating San Diego again would make the Raiders 4-0 in the division. This is important if the Raiders are to make the playoffs in a tight AFC West race.
In week 14 the Raiders take the long plane ride to Jacksonville. The Jaguars are 6-4 and playing good football lately. A road game against a team above .500. Two obstacles the Raiders must overcome to prove their status as a contender, instead of pretender.
If the Raiders are .500 heading to Jacksonville, this game has major playoff implications, maybe for both teams.
A record of 1-2 or worse over the next three games could put the Raiders season to bed. They would have to run the table to have a real shot at the playoffs. That means the Raiders must win two of the next three games. The Raiders know it. Win a couple more quick and there is a real shot at the postseason. Lose a couple more and the season starts to slip away.
The Raiders head home to face Denver in week 15. A division opponent they should beat. It doesn’t mean they will as division games can be wacky. If the Raiders successful win two of the next three a win against Denver at home would guarantee a .500 season with two games to go.
Indianapolis may struggle containing Darren McFadden in week 16, but you know Peyton Manning will find a way to make it close. The Colts are actually a favorable matchup for the Raiders, but with a month to go plenty can change. Manning and the Colts find themselves in a fight for the AFC South and that means no rest for the Indianapolis starters this season.
Arrowhead week 17, one of the toughest road venues in the NFL. The Chiefs, who still lead the division, could be trying to hold off the Chargers and Raiders. It could be a win and in game.
The Raiders have a lot to take care of before they can think about this showdown. Even if the Raiders prove it, this could still be a game that makes or breaks the season. I recall the Raiders sealing the AFC West during a monsoon in Oakland in 2002. The Chiefs will want to return the favor and January in Kansas City could mean crazy weather, but at very least frigid cold.
"THE INCREDIBLE STINKING, SHRINKING, SINKING, NON-THINKING MIAMI DOLPHINS, DEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY "NO REAL LEADERSHIP AT DA TOP" (steve ross), NO REAL HEART, NO REAL COURAGE, NO REAL BALLS, NO REAL GUTTS, NO REAL TEAM UNITY, NO REAL VISION, NO REAL COACHING, NO REAL RUNNING GAME, NO REAL PASSING GAME, NO REAL GAME PLANNING, "NO REAL TALENT", NOBODY REALLY REALLY SHOWS UP TO FUC'N PLAY, " WE CANT WIN AT HOME" BECAUSE WE HAVE "NO FUC'N REAL DESIRE 2 PLAY & WIN", NOW WE CANT EVEN SCORE A FUCN FIELD GOAL & DEY HAVE NO CLUE AS 2 HOW R WHY"...
ReplyDelete"WE" DA DOLPHINS FANS DESERVE da best n da finest steaks n all da superb side trimmin's n YOUR house presented 2 us on da football playin' field BECAUSE WE R PAYING 4 DA BEST...but definitely with-out it bein' served 2 us on top of a stinkin' garbage can lid"... ("mr. steve ross & your idiots")...jeff just sits n da corner of his office all day wit his thump UP his u kno wat,his policy n statement is dat he has a hands off approach, hes not gonna touch nuttin'..."a real guttless coward rite")...
"WE WON DA DIVISION ONLY THREE YEARS AGO.....NOW.
"WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE WEN EACH YEAR N EACH WEEK N EACH GAME IT GETTS WORSE N WORSE"...2 EXTREMELY WORSER WE BELIEVE...(there is such a word as worser...da dolphins staff will prove it...IT'S CALLED MUCH WORSER)...
"DA HEAD @SS OF DA WHOLE @SS OF DEM @SS HOLES - DAT FORMULA HAS NEVA WORKED...
DA HIGHEST DEFINITION OF EMBARRASSING, PATHETIC, & DESPICABLE IS (STEVE ROSS OWNER OF DA MIAMI DOLPHINS) N HIS GUTTLESS N CLUELESS WONDER BOYS (JEFF IRELAND & MIKE DEE = "AA++" N EMBARRASSING)-(COACH SPARANO = "AA++" PATHETIC PERFORMANCE)-(STEVE ROSS = "AAA+++" N "YOU R DESPICABLE" 4 keepin all of dem idiots) "WE" BEING DA MANY "LOYAL FANS" OF DA MIAMI DOLPHINS, "WE" WANT DA OWNER N HIS GUTTLESS N CLUELESS WONDER BOYS (WE R WONDERING WAT R DEM IDIOTS DOING OURSELVES) JEFF IRELND, MIKE DEE, N ALL OF HIS SUPA LOUSY AT BEST DOLPHINS GAME PLANNING COACHES 2 PUT THEIR (HD) "HIGHEST DEFINITION" ON EXACTLY WAT WAS DAT GARBAGE DAT WAS PRESENTED 2 DA MIAMI DOLPHINS "SPORTS COMMUNITY" N DA MANY, MANY "REAL LOYAL MIAMI DOLPHINS FANS" BY DAT "EXTREMELY AWFUL N MISERABLE PERFORMANCE AT HOME ONCE AGAIN N AGAIN" (IMPERSONATING A PROFESSIONAL NFL FOOTBALL TEAM -- DEY REALLY STINK) -- CONVINCED YET -- ONCE AGAIN..."NOBODY SHOWED UP 2 FUCN' PLAY" N ("WE GOTT NUTTIN' -- O")
TOTALLY UN-ACCEPTABLE
"WE ABSOLUTELY DESERVE A MUCH, MUCH BETTA PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT PRESENTED 2 US DEN DAT AWFUL, MISERABLE, STINK'N GARBAGE DAT STUNK DA PLACE UP N ALL OVA DA FOOTBALL PLAY'N FIELD"...
p.s..."WE" R PAY'N DA BEST PRICES 4 DA BEST TICKETS N 4 DA MOST EXPENSIVE N LUXURIOUS HOTEL SUITES N DA CHOICIEST STEAK DINNER AT DA FINEST OF ESTABLISHMENTS -- "N WE R SHELLING OUT REDICULOUSLY HUGE BUCKS EVEN AT SUNLIFE STADIUM"...BUTT ("STEVE ROSS") N HIS STAFF IS HAVE'N "DA GAME" PRESENTED 2 US "ON TOP OF A GARBAGE CAN LID" AT SUNLIFE STADIUM FIELD OF PLAY BY (DEM "IN-EPT N AWFULLY PATHETIC MIAMI DOLPHINS DATS ON FULL LIFE SUPPORT RITE NOW N WHY R DEY CLAIMING ALL OF DEM WASHED-UP PLAYERS OFF OF DA SCRAP PILE...MR. STEVE ROSS HERE IS A REAL A CLUE -- "DALLAS & MINNESOTA").........javinbur@gmail.com (just bring me a huge bag of "CHEESE PUFFS"...CUUM ON MAN -- and leave dat damn trash can lid on dat awfully, despicable stink'n trash can ok)...