Midseason Report Card

 Posted by at 3:40 PM  No Responses »
Nov 102011
 

The Raidersblog team gives their grades at the midway point of the season.

Quarterback

Chris Hansen: B
Brandon Dwonch: C – (Incomplete)
Nick Silverman: B-
Natalie Saar: C – (Boller D)
Bram Makonda: C+
Jeff Fagen: B
Overall GPA: 2.5

Jason Campbell played his game and did it well enough until he got injured. Carson Palmer, given ample time to learn the offense, tossed three touchdowns and had such command of the offense he was audibling at the line. The grade can be considered incomplete for now, but with significant room to grow.

Runningback/Fullback

Chris Hansen: A-
Brandon Dwonch: A-
Nick Silverman: B+
Natalie Saar: A
Bram Makonda: A-
Jeff Fagen: A
Overall GPA: 3.8

Darren McFadden held the league lead in rushing until his injury against Kansas City. Michael Bush is a great replacement back and can consistently put up 100-yard days. Marcel Reece injury really hurt the offense, but he’s as good as they come at the position. Richard Gordon and Manase Tonga have done a good job as blocking fullbacks. I’d like to see a bit more of Taiwan Jones, but that’s of minor concern with this group.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Chris Hansen: B-
Brandon Dwonch: B
Nick Silverman: B
Natalie Saar: B-
Bram Makonda: B
Jeff Fagen: C+
Overall GPA: 2.8

Emergence of Darrius Heyward-Bey, the emergence of Denarius Moore, the injury of Jacoby Ford and then re-emergence of Ford against the Broncos. Signing T.J. Houshmandzadeh to be a veteran. Schilens has stayed healthy. A lot of talent here, but the group hasn’t been consistent enough and Hue Jackson seems content to rotate them based on matchups. I’d like to see two of these guys develop to a point that they merit the majority of the playing time. The tight ends drag this down. Kevin Boss isn’t even getting on the field and you have to wonder if a Palmer-run offense needs one. Brandon Myers hasn’t done anything notable. What gives?

Offensive Line

Chris Hansen: A
Brandon Dwonch: A-
Nick Silverman: A
Natalie Saar: C
Bram Makonda: B+
Jeff Fagen: B+
Overall GPA: 3.3

It’s almost amazing how fast this unit has come together. There are a few signs of weakness lately, but overall this unit has been magnificent. This unit was able to run block in the past, but when it came to protecting the passer they didn’t get the job done. This season the offensive line has been able to pass protect in addition to run blocking. It’s a remarkable turnaround for being one of biggest questions this offseason. The unit has been playing at a high level and they get extra love for an unexpected jump.

Defensive Line

Chris Hansen: B
Brandon Dwonch: C-
Nick Silverman: C-
Natalie Saar: B
Bram Makonda: C+
Jeff Fagen: C-
Overall GPA: 2.3

Not nearly up to expectations when it comes to rushing the passer, but aside from the atrocity in Oakland last week they have done a solid job stopping the run. Considering the loss of Matt Shaughnessy for the season this unit has still played pretty well, particularly up the middle. There is certainly room for improvement, but don’t sleep on this group in the second half.

Linebackers

Chris Hansen: D+
Brandon Dwonch: D
Nick Silverman: C-
Natalie Saar: B-
Bram Makonda: C
Jeff Fagen: D
Overall GPA: 1.7

Flashes here and there from the group of linebackers. If Wimbley as a pass rusher is considered in this grade it would be higher. Groves was replaced by Curry. Curry and McClain show flashes, but haven’t gotten the job done consistently. Too many missed tackles, missed gaps, and poor coverage.

Secondary

Chris Hansen: C
Brandon Dwonch: C
Nick Silverman: C-
Natalie Saar: C+
Bram Makonda: C
Jeff Fagen: C-
Overall GPA: 2.0

The only consensus among the Raidersblog staff. The secondary is in transition and hasn’t been healthy. Stanford Routt and Tyvon Branch have been solid, but too many yards have been given up in the air. Michael Huff and Chris Johnson haven’t played up to expectations. There is potential for better play here, with young players ready to break into the lineup and players getting healthy.

Kicking, Punting & Special Teams Coverage

Chris Hansen: B-
Brandon Dwonch: C+
Nick Silverman: B
Natalie Saar: A
Bram Makonda: C+
Jeff Fagen:  B
Overall GPA: 2.8

Sebastian Janikowski is one of the best. So is Shane Lechler. Too bad the coverage units really drag down the grade here.

Kick Return/Punt Return

Chris Hansen: C+
Brandon Dwonch: C+
Nick Silverman: B-
Natalie Saar: B
Bram Makonda: B
Jeff Fagen: C
Overall GPA: 2.5

Aside from one Jacoby Ford return touchdown the return game hasn’t done a lot to help the Raiders. Punt returns have been terrible all season. Huge room for improvement.

Bush’s Payday Looms

 Posted by at 12:00 PM  No Responses »
Sep 162011
 

Last Monday night the Raiders secured the current longest win streak inside a division and ended the embarrassing 11-game losing streak in prime time games. After the Oakland Raiders week one victory on MNF one thing is certain: The Raiders are a run orientated team, both offensively and defensively.

As Richard Seymour said, “If you can’t stop the run, you aren’t going to be successful in this league.” The Raiders goal offensively is to pound the rock, then work play action to hopefully open up the offense. Defensively the Raiders will rely on their front four to control the line of scrimmage and mix in the occasional zone or blitz.

Last Monday night, the Raiders executed their game plan with perfection by rushing for 190 yards and giving up a league low 38. What was most impressive regarding the running attack was the four-minute drill to close out the game. It was not giving the Broncos the ball back that guaranteed victory. It was the Raiders ability to run successfully even though the opposing defense knew exactly what they were going to do. It was the first downs in those critical minutes that secured the win.

The credit goes to the offensive line and Michael Bush. Bush, with his powerful yet nimble running style, provided quality runs when they were needed the most. It was Bush’s ability put the nail in the coffin that makes the Raiders running attack one of the best in the league.

If you forgot or did not know, Bush sat out his rookie year recovering from broken leg, thus missing out of gaining a year of playing service. While other 2007 members of the Raiders draft class like Zach Miller hit free agency and got paid, he had to wait. This is Bush’s contract year. The Raiders know their success on offensive lies with the continual success of the rushing attack. They also know Taiwan Jones is at best a possible Darren Sproles and not another head to add to the two-headed dragon that imposes its will and finishes opponents off.

With every successful four-minute drill Bush completes this year the amount of guaranteed money in next contract soars. If the Raiders are to climb out of mediocrity and return to excellence, this is one member of the 2007 draft class the Raiders cannot afford to lose.

Studs & Duds From Monday Night

 Posted by at 9:10 PM  2 Responses »
Sep 152011
 

Who played well on Monday? Maybe a few are obvious, maybe a few weren’t obvious. It’s always a little more difficult to determine a dud, expecially if the player didn’t make any glaring or obvious mistakes.

 

Studs

Darren McFadden - 150 yards. That should be enough to tell you everything you need to know about McFadden’s night. The Raiders rode on McFadden’s back to victory.

Matt Giordano - The interception was just icing on a very good game from Giordano. He was solid in coverage and a willing tackler and his excellent play enabled the Raiders to use Michael Huff as the nickel corner. Who Stevie Brown? Giordano didn’t even make the initial 53-man roster.

Quentin Groves - He forced a fumble and held his own in coverage making minimal mistakes. He did his job in the run game. For all the abuse Groves has taken for being the weakest linebacker he played like the best one on Monday night.

Kamerion Wimbley – He had his way with the rookie right tackle for the Broncos. He didn’t register any of the five sacks the Raiders recorded, but it was Wimbley who was applying consistent pressure on Kyle Orton. Wimbley also made several excellent run stops. He was the best defensive player on the field for most of the night.

Cooper Carlisle – The best of the Raiders offensive lineman. He’s making the transition from zone blocking to drive blocking quite nicely. When the Raiders needed tough yards they ran behind Carlisle. He didn’t have any penalties and allowed just about zero in the way of pressure on Jason Campbell.

Richard Seymour – Another dominating performance by the Raiders defensive captain. The defensive line has really followed Seymour’s lead. He had two sacks and two pressures.

Honorable Mentions: Darrius Heyward-Bey, Lamarr Houston, Tyvon Branch, Marcel Reece, Darryl Blackstock, Sebastian Janikowski

 

Duds

Stephon Heyer – Rough night for the player who was pushing Khalif Barnes for the starting right tackle job. Back-to-back false start penalties and he had trouble pass blocking. He came in for Barnes, but it didn’t last long as Barnes got twice as many snaps. Heyer should rebound from this dreadful performance and Barnes isn’t doing anything that will prevent the Raiders from giving him another chance.

Jacoby Ford – He hurt his hamstring in the second half, but he fumbled early and didn’t have the kind of impact everyone was expecting. It was a bit of a letdown and his status is very much in question for Sunday’s game in Buffalo. Ford should be fine going forward, but he was a dud Monday night in Denver.

Rolando McClain – He missed a couple tackles and was beat repeatedly in pass coverage. He took some heat in the offseason, but appeared to be playing very well this preseason. He had just one tackle Monday night. Pass coverage is not his strongest suit and he was forced into pass coverage plenty. It was a disappointing 2011 debut for the Raiders middle linebacker, but a batted pass in coverage gives hope for continued improvement. It should be noted also McClain led a defense that played extremely well, but it doesn’t outshine his poor performance.

Raiders’ Brash Attitude Propelled Win Over the Broncos

 Posted by at 1:41 PM  2 Responses »
Sep 152011
 

During the night telecast of the Monday night opening double-header between two bitter AFC West rivals, something ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer said caught not only my attention, but I’m sure a lot of other residents of Raider Nation as well.

Dilfer assumed that of the Raiders’ penalty-filled night, scuffles and aggressive nature meant that the team lacked discipline. Granted the 15 penalties for 131 yards were deserved, I argued that it was exactly what this team needed.

Many forget that there was actually no NFL preseason this year. For Dilfer to assume that a clean-fought game was to be expected in week one was ludicrous.

While there was no overwhelming evidence of penalties in the other week one games, the talk of the NFL after one week centered around ballooned passing yards. Tom Brady passed for over 500 yards and Chad Henne, the other quarterback in the game passed for over 400 yards (Chad Henne everybody! Who saw that coming?). This further explains that not only are the players still adjusting to the shortened off-season, but the coaches are still making the correct adjustments needed to become successful this season.

In Dilfer’s defense, he stated that the Raiders are a talented bunch and that after addressing these correctable behaviors, the team will be well on their way to a division crown and deep into the playoffs. But what if this behavior is inherently born out of the mystique that we have come to know as the Raiders? Can you take the bite out of the dog? That’s like telling Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant to pass the ball with time winding down in the game.

Brashness defines the Raiders not only as a team, but as an organization as well.

I argue that it was this same brashness that the Raiders played with against the Broncos that propelled them to win the game. It’s the same confidence and self-assurance that enabled Sebastian Janikowski tie the record for the longest field goal in league history.. It’s the same swagger that Shane Lechler displayed when he pinned the Broncos deep into their territory (Raiders have the best special teams in the league, no question). And it’s the same punishing attitude that Darren McFadden displayed at the end of his runs Monday night. On this night, the Raiders weren’t intimated by the Broncos heavy hitters of Brian Dawkins, Von Miller, Elvis Dumervil and whoever else got in the way. Attitude is more than just the pregame actions and chest bumps, its born out of purpose and this team bled that sense of purpose, as evident from the head coach on down.

Dilfer and other analysts will tell you that the Raiders need to correct their attitude, but we, Raider fans know that they won because of this attitude. It was a tough and sloppy game, from both sides, but attitude won outright that night. And attitude will continue to carry this team in 2011.

Raiders Bloody Broncos, Win 23-20 Despite Penalties

 Posted by at 11:17 AM  No Responses »
Sep 132011
 

More penalty yards than passing yards. Hue Jackson will be satisfied with the win, but not his team’s lack of mental discipline.

If not for the penalties and a punt return touchdown by the Broncos the score would have been much more lopsided. On the other hand, Orton’s late fumble gave away the Broncos chance at a lead.

Raider Nation has seen this game before. Dominate the game and figure out a way to lose. On Monday night the Raiders figured out a way to win. Perhaps the Raiders were lucky the Broncos were so inept on offense and couldn’t stop Darren McFadden. They will not be so lucky against better teams.

Broken was a streak that had the Raiders at 0-1 to start the season for eight years. Now, for the first time since 2002 the Raiders are 1-0. I think the fans and team would tell you it feels good to be perfect for a change.

Sebastian Janikowski tied the record for longest field goal. A nice highlight and it ended up being the difference in the game.

Let’s revisit the key matchups:

Khalif Barnes vs. Von Miller

Von Miller made his impact forcing a Jacoby Ford fumble, but Barnes, Heyer and Veldheer handled Miller’s pass rush. He didn’t have Dumervil for a large chunk of the game and the Raiders were able give Miller extra attention.

Jacoby Ford vs. Champ Bailey

Bailey limited Ford prior to Ford exiting with a hamstring injury. The injury could be a big one for the Raiders. After the first scripted plays to Ford, he disappeared. Bailey really had his impact and it stalled the Raiders passing game.

Darrius Heyward-Bey vs. Andre Goodman

Who is this guy named Heyward-Bey? Four catches including a pivotal third down catch late in the game. Also on a Raiders play action pass from their own one-yard line Heyward-Bey hauled in a tough catch on a bomb from Jason Campbell out-of-bounds. Had Jason Campbell been able to lead Heyward-Bey it may have been a very long reception and possibly even a 99-yard touchdown. It’s the kind of game everyone has been waiting for from Heyward-Bey. Heyward-Bey is now on pace for 64 receptions and 704 yards. If he keeps this up he’ll make this prediction look good.

Jason Campbell vs. Jason Campbell

A bit of a mixed review of Campbell. He played smart football. He was confident. He completed 59% of his passes. He didn’t appear to tip his pass plays and he was getting plenty of time from his offensive line. He was checking down when the Raiders needed him to push the ball. He’ll need to play a little better when the Raiders run game isn’t churning to put points on the board.

Kyle Orton vs. Rolando McClain

Perhaps better described as Kyle Orton vs. Kyle Orton. McClain didn’t rack up the tackles, but the Broncos didn’t run and couldn’t run. McClain looks good and the Raiders front seven dominated the line of scrimmage. Orton didn’t really have much of chance and before long was imagining pressure.

Chris Johnson vs. Brandon Lloyd

Lloyd hauled in six passes for 89 yards. Chris Johnson was in coverage on most of them. Considering the Broncos were passing most of the game, Chris Johnson held his own against one of the better receivers he will face. The warts in the secondary were easily covered up by the Raiders pass rush on Monday.

Ryan Clady vs. Matt Shaughnessy

Shaughnessy dominated Clady all night. Clady had no answer for Shaughnessy and was routinely holding and was caught leaning and off-balance. If Clady is as good as some scouts say he is than Shaughnessy is dangerously good.

Lamarr Houston/Kamerion Wimbley vs Orlando Franklin

I almost…almost felt bad for Franklin. He was called for at least two holding penalties. Franklin couldn’t stop Wimbley from flying around the edge and was physically dominated by Houston. The Raiders tandem made the rookie look bad.

An extensive review and studs and duds from Monday’s game to come Wednesday (normally Tuesdays).

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