Natalie Saar

Raiders Resolutions

 Posted by at 10:49 PM  1 Response »
Dec 292011
 

While the year is coming to a close, the Raiders’ season is very much still alive. With playoff hopes looming, there are few things the Raiders need to do both this current season and in the season to come. This means starting the new year off with a bang against the Division rival San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have become a formidable opponent in recent weeks, especially amidst the Raiders’ inconsistent play. So, these are some of the resolutions the Raiders need to make in the upcoming year:

No More Penalties
While they’ve been better about minimizing penalties recently, certainly better than they were at the beginning of the season, the Raiders still need some work on avoiding penalties altogether. Many people complain that their team is unfairly penalized, but the fact of the matter is that the
Raiders are like a team of Ndamukong Suh’s, meaning that the refs already have their eye on the guys. Just this season, the team has given up over 1,200 yards in penalties, which in inexcusable and needs to change in the near future (meaning now).

Be Positively Surprising
Hue Jackson has been surprising in terms of his play calling, but this has not always been a good thing. At times, his play calling has been shockingly awful and questionable. No one knows if he’ll remain the head coach next season, but until then, he’s got some games to play. In the new year, starting the first, Jackson needs to call those surprise plays that got him early wins, and not call running plays on 2nd and 25.

Break the Field Goal Record
Janikowski is right there in the record books with Jason Elam and Tom Dempsey for the longest field goal at 63 yards. The New Years Resolution for him is to break that record. He’s easily good enough, and has barely missed when trying to break it. C’mon Jano, you got this!

Stay Healthy
Along with penalties, the health of the Raiders has plagued them this year. In the coming year, they need to get McFadden healthy and keep him that way. Granted, there was a lockout this season so players have been getting hurt left and right, but there’s no excuse for the upcoming season. The training staff must do whatever it takes to keep these men healthy. The coaches are not exempt from this either. When your form is perfect, you run less risk of getting injured, but when you execute fundamentals sloppily, then trouble sets in.

Win The Super Bowl
An obvious, but crucial New Years resolution is to win the most important game of the year: the Super Bowl. They haven’t won since 1983 and haven’t been since 2002. This leaves tons of room for improvement in the winning department, because when it comes down to it, no other game matters unless you’re the Champion. They have to make a lot of adjustments and get healthy, but the Raiders have a shot at it both this season and next. Remember it is a “Commitment to Excellence.”

Raiders Resolutions

 Posted by at 10:49 PM  1 Response »
Dec 292011
 

While the year is coming to a close, the Raiders’ season is very much still alive. With playoff hopes looming, there are few things the Raiders need to do both this current season and in the season to come. This means starting the new year off with a bang against the Division rival San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have become a formidable opponent in recent weeks, especially amidst the Raiders’ inconsistent play. So, these are some of the resolutions the Raiders need to make in the upcoming year:

No More Penalties
While they’ve been better about minimizing penalties recently, certainly better than they were at the beginning of the season, the Raiders still need some work on avoiding penalties altogether. Many people complain that their team is unfairly penalized, but the fact of the matter is that the
Raiders are like a team of Ndamukong Suh’s, meaning that the refs already have their eye on the guys. Just this season, the team has given up over 1,200 yards in penalties, which in inexcusable and needs to change in the near future (meaning now).

Be Positively Surprising
Hue Jackson has been surprising in terms of his play calling, but this has not always been a good thing. At times, his play calling has been shockingly awful and questionable. No one knows if he’ll remain the head coach next season, but until then, he’s got some games to play. In the new year, starting the first, Jackson needs to call those surprise plays that got him early wins, and not call running plays on 2nd and 25.

Break the Field Goal Record
Janikowski is right there in the record books with Jason Elam and Tom Dempsey for the longest field goal at 63 yards. The New Years Resolution for him is to break that record. He’s easily good enough, and has barely missed when trying to break it. C’mon Jano, you got this!

Stay Healthy
Along with penalties, the health of the Raiders has plagued them this year. In the coming year, they need to get McFadden healthy and keep him that way. Granted, there was a lockout this season so players have been getting hurt left and right, but there’s no excuse for the upcoming season. The training staff must do whatever it takes to keep these men healthy. The coaches are not exempt from this either. When your form is perfect, you run less risk of getting injured, but when you execute fundamentals sloppily, then trouble sets in.

Win The Super Bowl
An obvious, but crucial New Years resolution is to win the most important game of the year: the Super Bowl. They haven’t won since 1983 and haven’t been since 2002. This leaves tons of room for improvement in the winning department, because when it comes down to it, no other game matters unless you’re the Champion. They have to make a lot of adjustments and get healthy, but the Raiders have a shot at it both this season and next. Remember it is a “Commitment to Excellence.”

Raiders Resolutions

 Posted by at 10:49 PM  1 Response »
Dec 292011
 

While the year is coming to a close, the Raiders’ season is very much still alive. With playoff hopes looming, there are few things the Raiders need to do both this current season and in the season to come. This means starting the new year off with a bang against the Division rival San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have become a formidable opponent in recent weeks, especially amidst the Raiders’ inconsistent play. So, these are some of the resolutions the Raiders need to make in the upcoming year:

No More Penalties
While they’ve been better about minimizing penalties recently, certainly better than they were at the beginning of the season, the Raiders still need some work on avoiding penalties altogether. Many people complain that their team is unfairly penalized, but the fact of the matter is that the
Raiders are like a team of Ndamukong Suh’s, meaning that the refs already have their eye on the guys. Just this season, the team has given up over 1,200 yards in penalties, which in inexcusable and needs to change in the near future (meaning now).

Be Positively Surprising
Hue Jackson has been surprising in terms of his play calling, but this has not always been a good thing. At times, his play calling has been shockingly awful and questionable. No one knows if he’ll remain the head coach next season, but until then, he’s got some games to play. In the new year, starting the first, Jackson needs to call those surprise plays that got him early wins, and not call running plays on 2nd and 25.

Break the Field Goal Record
Janikowski is right there in the record books with Jason Elam and Tom Dempsey for the longest field goal at 63 yards. The New Years Resolution for him is to break that record. He’s easily good enough, and has barely missed when trying to break it. C’mon Jano, you got this!

Stay Healthy
Along with penalties, the health of the Raiders has plagued them this year. In the coming year, they need to get McFadden healthy and keep him that way. Granted, there was a lockout this season so players have been getting hurt left and right, but there’s no excuse for the upcoming season. The training staff must do whatever it takes to keep these men healthy. The coaches are not exempt from this either. When your form is perfect, you run less risk of getting injured, but when you execute fundamentals sloppily, then trouble sets in.

Win The Super Bowl
An obvious, but crucial New Years resolution is to win the most important game of the year: the Super Bowl. They haven’t won since 1983 and haven’t been since 2002. This leaves tons of room for improvement in the winning department, because when it comes down to it, no other game matters unless you’re the Champion. They have to make a lot of adjustments and get healthy, but the Raiders have a shot at it both this season and next. Remember it is a “Commitment to Excellence.”

Raiders Resolutions

 Posted by at 10:49 PM  1 Response »
Dec 292011
 

While the year is coming to a close, the Raiders’ season is very much still alive. With playoff hopes looming, there are few things the Raiders need to do both this current season and in the season to come. This means starting the new year off with a bang against the Division rival San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have become a formidable opponent in recent weeks, especially amidst the Raiders’ inconsistent play. So, these are some of the resolutions the Raiders need to make in the upcoming year:

No More Penalties
While they’ve been better about minimizing penalties recently, certainly better than they were at the beginning of the season, the Raiders still need some work on avoiding penalties altogether. Many people complain that their team is unfairly penalized, but the fact of the matter is that the
Raiders are like a team of Ndamukong Suh’s, meaning that the refs already have their eye on the guys. Just this season, the team has given up over 1,200 yards in penalties, which in inexcusable and needs to change in the near future (meaning now).

Be Positively Surprising
Hue Jackson has been surprising in terms of his play calling, but this has not always been a good thing. At times, his play calling has been shockingly awful and questionable. No one knows if he’ll remain the head coach next season, but until then, he’s got some games to play. In the new year, starting the first, Jackson needs to call those surprise plays that got him early wins, and not call running plays on 2nd and 25.

Break the Field Goal Record
Janikowski is right there in the record books with Jason Elam and Tom Dempsey for the longest field goal at 63 yards. The New Years Resolution for him is to break that record. He’s easily good enough, and has barely missed when trying to break it. C’mon Jano, you got this!

Stay Healthy
Along with penalties, the health of the Raiders has plagued them this year. In the coming year, they need to get McFadden healthy and keep him that way. Granted, there was a lockout this season so players have been getting hurt left and right, but there’s no excuse for the upcoming season. The training staff must do whatever it takes to keep these men healthy. The coaches are not exempt from this either. When your form is perfect, you run less risk of getting injured, but when you execute fundamentals sloppily, then trouble sets in.

Win The Super Bowl
An obvious, but crucial New Years resolution is to win the most important game of the year: the Super Bowl. They haven’t won since 1983 and haven’t been since 2002. This leaves tons of room for improvement in the winning department, because when it comes down to it, no other game matters unless you’re the Champion. They have to make a lot of adjustments and get healthy, but the Raiders have a shot at it both this season and next. Remember it is a “Commitment to Excellence.”

What’s Going On In The Training Room?

 Posted by at 10:32 AM  1 Response »
Dec 112011
 

Anyone who is a Raiders fan or works writing about football is beyond frustrated with the Raiders organization right now. Not because of the way they’re playing, which is bipolar to say the least, experiencing glimpses of an untouchable championship team, then flashes of a scrappy high school squad. The frustration comes from within, with regard to injuries. Call it self-serving, but many people need to know what to expect on Sunday, and with these obscure, clearly false injury reports, fans are getting restless.

A key component to the Silver and Black’s mystique is an air of secrecy. Up until the time of his death, the team and family never let on how truly sick Mr. Davis was. This would take attention away from the team on the field, which no one inside the walls of the facility in Alameda wanted. This same tactic is being employed with the Raiders current injured players.

Darren McFadden has been out for weeks with a foot injury that they’ve played down from the beginning. He’s still not practicing and no one has any idea when he’s coming back. Recently, Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford went down too, both with what was made to sound like minor injuries and promises that they would be back soon. Taiwan Jones is also out and no one knows when the rookie might help out Michael Bush carry the load.

This week the Raiders are going up against the undefeated champion Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. If the Raiders are playing up to the very best of their ability, they have a good chance of beating the Packers. Have extra drinks on tap for celebration. However, if they play like they did last week have extra drinks on tap to make you forget. There’s always a chance that the injured players can come back, but the patience of Raiders fans is waning.

A little honestly never hurt anyone (not a lot, just a little) and everyone wants to know what’s really going on inside that training room. How much longer will McFadden have “DNP” next to his name on the injury report? At this rate, should we expect to see Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford and Taiwan Jones again this year?

The Raiders spinning injury information, trying to calm the fan base is not working anymore. The fans are starting to expect that anyone on the injury report after the game Sunday will not play for the rest of the year because no one is letting the fans know what’s really going on inside the training room.

Hold tight Raiders fans and focus on the players who are on the field. Carson Palmer is getting better as he falls in sync with this team. T.J. Houshmandzadeh finally caught his first touchdown pass as a Raider last week and Michael Bush is keeping the ground game going single-handedly.

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