BrandonDwonch

Week 13 Matchups: Risk/Reward

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Dec 042011
 

Defensive Matchups

Stanford Routt vs. Brandon Marshall

Marshall can take over and when his mind is right he is one of the best wide receivers in the game. Routt has an interception in two consecutive games and may be starting to prove he is worth his contract. With Bresnahan mixing up things, don’t be surprised if Routt shadows Marshall as he did Vincent Jackson a few weeks ago.

Rolondo McClain vs. Reggie Bush

Bush is at his best when in space and McClain is at his worst in space. The Dolphins will try to get Bush in open space and build on his reception total currently at 35. McClain needs to be physical with Bush to take him out of his game. From his midweek arrest in Alabama, McClain has plenty to prove. ***If McClain sits, Blackstock will draw the matchup, but the key for him will be getting the defense lined up correctly***

Kamerion Wimbley vs. Jake Long

Long has been under-achieving this season and as a result the Miami Dolphins offensive line has given up 36 sacks, which ranks 28th in the league. The Raiders are 5th in the NFL with a team total of 30 sacks. If the Raiders defense is to dominate they need to consistently get to Matt Moore. The matchup of Wimbley against Long will set the tempo in the battle of the trenches.

X-Factor

Michael Huff

Huff has done a bit of everything this year. He’s showing off the versatility he showed at Texas and he also has two interceptions. Look for him to be all over field and making an impressive impact this Sunday.

Offensive Matchups

Marcel Reece vs. Yeremiah Bell

Since coming back from injury Reece has been the catalyst of the Raiders’ offense. If there are yards to be picked up, Hue Jackson finds a way to get Reece the ball. Bell is an outspoken, athletic member of the improved Miami D with a nose for the ball. Look for these two to bump heads on many occasions.

Michael Bush vs. Karlos Dansby

Last week, for the first time since his injury, the Raiders missed Darren McFadden’s running production. Bush was held to 69 rushing yards on 24 attempts. The Raiders offense relies on the running game to win games so Bush needs to get going early. Dansby is one of the league’s best inside linebackers and has led a defense that hasn’t given up a 100 yard rusher since Ben Tate put up 103 in week 2.

Carson Palmer vs. Vontae Davis

Palmer is a risk taker. Last week he had one interception, but could have easily had three. Davis has had great performances, but he has also been suspended. Davis is a risk taking corner looking to make plays for his team. There will be reward, but for who?

X-Factor

Chaz Shilens

A week after catching his first touchdown from Palmer, Chaz caught 4 passes for 58 yards. Those numbers might not sound too impressive, but up until last week his season high was 31 yards. With Ford and Moore still nursing injuries look for Chaz to be one of Palmer’s favorite targets on third downs and in the scoring zone.

Week 12 Matchups

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Nov 272011
 

Defensive Matchups

Rolando McClain vs. Matt Forte

Before Cutler’s injury, Forte carried the Bears offense with nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage. 926 of those yards come on the ground. With continued success and Cutler’s injury, Forte can be an MVP candidate. McClain needs to show leadership and consistent playmaking ability to limit Forte’s production. Stopping Chicago’s offense starts with containing Forte.

Tommy Kelly vs. Roberto Garza

With Seymour’s injury, Kelly becomes the Raiders best defensive tackle. Garza, the Bears’ center, anchors the Bears offensive line. The winner of this matchup will go a long way in showing what team will control the tempo and what team will control the line of scrimmage.

Chuck Bresnahan vs. Caleb Hanie

With very limited tape of Hannie, Bresnahan is going to test the young quarterback. Watch for Hanie’s mobility to play a key part as Bresnahan mixes coverages and blitz packages.

X-Factor

Matt Giordano

Giordano is not great at tacking in the open field but he is great at reading young quarterback’s eyes and making game-changing interceptions.

Offensive Matchups

Michael Bush vs. Brian Urlacher

Urlacher is a perennial pro-bowler and a potential Hall of Famer, there are only a few linebackers that compare to him. Urlacher is the heart and soul of the Chicago Bears. Bush will need to fight through the linebackers to get the secondary.

Jared Veldheer vs. Julius Peppers

Peppers is a different kind of defensive end than Jared Allen. Peppers is more of a complete defensive end, he plays the run as well as he rushes the passer. With a performance like last week, Veldeer will get his hat thrown in to the Pro Bowl discussion.

Carson Palmer vs. Charles Tillman

Tillman isn’t great in coverage. There is a reason why he is the Bears leading tackler. With the Bears having a stout front seven, look for Palmer to pick on Tillman to loosen up the defense. On Sunday, Tillman will need to do more than create a fumble to have a good game.

X-Factor

Louis Murphy

With injuries to the wide receiver core, Murphy will likely receive more snaps than he has all season. Murphy will try to work out his frustration and should play with a chip on his shoulder. Look for Murphy to prove himself.

Week 11 Defensive Preview: Focus is on the Linebackers

 Posted by at 4:20 PM  2 Responses »
Nov 182011
 

The 2011 Minnesota Viking Offense is very similar to the offense of the 2009 Oakland Raiders. Both of these offenses featured young developing quarterbacks and potentially game braking running backs. The Raiders won five games during the 2009 season. With the season more than halfway over Minnesota is 2-7, so finishing with a five-win season is a realistic goal for them. As a result, both of these offenses relayed on a strong running game to alleviate their ineptness in the passing game.

For the Vikings to be successful they have to get Adrian Peterson going. Peterson has earned the right to be regarded as the best running back in the NFL. The Raiders defense has contain him and remain disciplined. To be successful, the Vikings must take advantage when the Raiders defense plays undisciplined or gets too aggressive. Look for Christian Ponder to try to expose the Raiders’ linebackers in pass coverage and take try to connect with Percy Harvin when he is lined up against Demarcas Van Dyke or Lito Shepperd. The pressure is on the Raiders front seven to play with enough aggression to keep Peterson in check and simultaneously maintain gap discipline. The result of the game will hinge on the leadership and play of Richard Seymour and Rolando McClain.

Match-ups

Adrian Peterson vs. Rolando McClain

The Raiders have an inconsistent rush defense, that performs well in wins and abysmal in losses. As the quarterback of the defense, it is easy to criticize McClain, but he does deserve some praise. With Minnesota having an inept passing game, the pressure will be on McClain to lead the troops and to keep Peterson from taking over the game.

Aaron Curry vs. Christian Ponder

The Raiders play a lot of nickel, so Curry is on the field in less than ideal situations. Even though Curry is getting better in passing situations, he still remains a liability in coverage. If Ponder is to make Minnesota’s passing game respectable, a great place to start would be throwing to the target closest to Curry.

Kamerion Wimbley vs. Charlie Johnson

Wimbley has been getting after the opposing quarterback all season and finally cashed in with four sacks last week. Johnson and the Vikings offensive line have given up 25 sacks, contrast that with the Raiders giving up 11 sacks. It doesn’t help having a developing rookie as quarterback. If the Vikings are to convert third downs and sustain drives they will need good protection and that starts with containing Wimbley.

X-Factor

Richard Seymour

The Raiders defense could easily dominate the game. If they do, it is because they consistently stuffed the run and put Ponder in long down and distance situations. If the Raiders defense dominates the line of scrimmage it is because their defensive line, led by , is getting consistent penetration. Barring a systemic defense collapse the Raiders should win this game. If a collapse occurs, it is because their defensive captain, Seymour, played undisciplined and received multiple penalties.

Prediction

Raiders 20, Vikings 13

The Raiders defense will not fall apart, but the game will stay close. Hue Jackson will use the pass to set up the run as Palmer picks apart Minnesota’s injured and helpless secondary.

The Raiders’ Open Road

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Nov 182011
 

This Sunday the Raiders travel to Minnesota and face the Vikings. This game will feature two of the top five rushing teams in the league. While the Vikings run All Day (Adrian Peterson), their passing game is anemic. While defending the run is the Vikings’ strength, stopping the pass is their weakness. The Raiders’ offense leads the NFL with 56 plays over 20 yards and 11 plays over 40 yards, but the Raiders’ defense have given up more 20+ yard runs than any team.

Regardless of the numbers, the Raiders will take advantage of Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. Even though Minnesota has a stout defensive line, their offense remains unbalanced and largely ineffective. This will allow the Raiders to wear down the Vikings’ defensive line and make big plays. For good reason, the Raiders are favored to win this game, and barring another systemic defensive catastrophe, they will.

Taking a look at the other AFC West teams, we see Denver upsetting the Jets, San Diego traveling to Chicago, and Kansas City going to New England. Even though Denver won, San Diego and Kansas City are underdogs by at least three points. This weekend, the Raiders are expected to win, and their remaining divisional foes are expected to lose. If all goes as expected, at the conclusion of this week’s games the Raiders will have a one-game lead over Denver and a two-game lead over the other divisional teams. After this weekend, the Raiders will have six games left, the last two of which are divisional games.

With a victory this Sunday, the Raiders will gain momentum to make a serious run during the home stretch of the season. With games against Green Bay, Chicago, and Detroit looming, the Raiders have a chance to stake their claim in being an elite NFL team.

This weekend, the Raiders will take an important step in being a premier football team. They will become a team who controls their destiny and will take a serious step toward making the playoffs for the first time since 2002. So, Raider Nation: the Raiders are in the driver’s seat and the road is open. Cheers!

Praising McClain

 Posted by at 8:00 AM  No Responses »
Nov 152011
 

Until Denver and their spread option read came and put up nearly 300 rushing yards on them, including two 100-yard rushers, the Raiders allowed only Fred Jackson to post a 100-yard rushing game. Four days after the Denver game, the Raiders held an offense that averages over 100 rushing yards a game to 68. So what happened two weeks ago against Denver?

Did the Raiders defensive ends play undisciplined? Yes. Were the linebackers often late in filling lanes and did they often fill the wrong ones repeatedly? Yes. Did the entire front seven of the defense get manhandled by Denver’s offensive line? Yes. Is there anything else that led to the Raiders’ defensive collapse two weeks ago? Yes: the absence of Rolando McClain.

McClain has only missed one game, that being of course Denver at home. In that game, Curry had the green dot on the defense and the Raiders run defense was atrocious. Regardless of the Raiders having a dominant defensive line, the middle linebacker is the undisputed quarterback and leader of the defense. It is McClain’s job to get everybody aligned and on the same page. When McClain was out, the Raiders couldn’t stop the option read because they were not on the same page and kept on making the same mistakes.

Starting the season, the Raiders linebackers weren’t the strength or the weakness of the defense. As games went, there grew a linebacker problem and a move was made. Now, with no real depth, the Raiders linebacking corps consists of McClain, Curry and Wimbley. With the Raiders rarely running their base 4-3 defense and Wimbley doing the most damage in a three-point stand, McClain and Curry form the core of this unit. It was apparent in the Denver game that Curry is currently unable to lead like McClain.

McClain is not perfect. He often reacts slowly, plays too high, misses tackles, gets sealed off easily, and gets exposed in open space, but he has something that no other Raider linebacker has. He is far from being a dominant linebacker who makes his physical presence known every game, but he sure is missed when he doesn’t play. McClain hasn’t come close to exceeding expectations, but, by making his presence missed, when he doesn’t play, he has met them.

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