Studs and Duds From Week 10

 Posted by at 2:15 PM  No Responses »
Nov 142011
 

The Raiders really took it to the Chargers on Thursday night and came away with a seven-point victory in San Diego. The Raiders played well and a few players really stood out in a good way and a couple in a bad way. Special mention to the Raider Nation’s Southern California division for making the game an extra home game for the Raiders.

STUDS

Kamerion Wimbley

An impressive performance by the Raiders franchise player. The Chargers backup tackle had no answer for Wimbley and the rest of the Raiders defensive line on Thursday. It’s a big reason Phillip Rivers didn’t look comfortable all night. The Raider Nation has been waiting for Wimbley’s coming out party and they were blowing out birthday candle after that four sack performance.

Stanford Routt

If you wanted to be critical, he was unable to breakup the Vincent Brown touchdown grab. I saw was a heck of a catch and Stanford Routt clawing at the pass the whole way down. Just a superb play by the receiver to come down with it. The Raiders didn’t something extremely unusual for them Thursday, they had Routt shadow Vincent Jackson. Routt responded by holding Jackson to just one catch.

Carson Palmer

Elite level play from a Raiders quarterback is something the Raider Nation hasn’t seen since Rich Gannon wore a Raiders uniform. Palmer is getting better by the week and he torched the Chargers. Palmer also bailed out Hue Jackson for a suspect play call late in the game by stepping up in the pocket and moving to his right to find Kevin Boss for the long completion on third and long. He’ll make Hue Jackson look pretty good if he keeps this going.

Denarius Moore

The spectacular catches are just part of why he has been so good. The kid is special and everyone knows it. Even a couple weeks worth of struggles with routes wasn’t enough for Hue Jackson or Carson Palmer to lose confidence in him. Palmer targeted him repeatedly and that should continue.

Michael Bush

Made a strong case for someone to pay the man in the offseason. Will it be the Raiders? He had seemingly a trillion yards on Thursday and broke a team record for yardage gained since the merger. Pretty darn good.

DUDS

Khalif Barnes

For as good as the offensive line has played, Barnes is beginning to show that he is the crack in the armor. The Raiders may not have a suitable replacement yet, but they really need to start considering a switch before Barnes gets Palmer hurt.

Aaron Curry

He’s perfectly fine or even good linebacker when the play is in front of him. This makes him particularly suited for the run game. The problem for Curry seems to be coverage. He repeatedly looks lost in coverage and Thursday was no exception. Opponents will continue to try to isolate Curry on a tight end or back in coverage until he does enough to merit the offense from going to an alternate option.

Darrius Heyward-Bey

He was on the field for every pass attempt and more snaps than any offensive player outside of Palmer. You would think Heyward-Bey would have been targeted by Palmer at least once. With Jacoby Ford’s status for week 10 in doubt, Heyward-Bey will get opportunities. Palmer and Heyward-Bey need to figure each other out. All those snaps and no targets is a disappointment after such a promising start.

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Seven Things From Thursday Night

 Posted by at 8:00 AM  No Responses »
Nov 142011
 

1. TAG! YOU’RE IT. – Michael Bush proved once again just how productive he can be as a starter in this league.  His 242 yards from scrimmage were the most by a Raider since the merger.  The Raiders need to use the franchise tag on him in the off-season, as its clear he is worth it.  It’s a steep price to pay for a backup runningback, but as this league continues to remind us, you cannot just rely on one.

2. PLAYING FAVORITES - Looks like Carson Palmer found his go-to guy in rookie wide out Denarius Moore.  Moore has come on strong the last two weeks and is finding his groove with Palmer.  Moore brought in 5 receptions for 123 yards and 2 TDs, including one of the best catches you’ll see all season.  The sky’s the limit for this kid, as he continues to wow the Raider Nation and develop a rapport with the Raiders new signal caller.

3. WIMBLEY IS BACK - Hue Jackson said Kamerion Wimbley would get his sacks in bunches, but who could predict he’d grab four against the Chargers, doubling his season total in 60 minutes of inspired football?  Wimbley took advantage of the injured Chargers offensive line with great pass rush moves.  Wimbley really focused on ripping the inside arm and dropping that inside shoulder on the edge, giving him a quicker more direct route to the quarterback.  We’ll see if we have to wait another eight games for this Wimbley to re-surface, or if this game was the catalyst to a big second half.

4. GOING VERTICAL -  Carson Palmer completed 14 of 20 passes for 299 yards and 2 scores.  He did throw one interception, but that was due to a missed cut-block by Bush, leading to Palmer getting hit as he threw.  What was most impressive was that those 14 completions were for an average of 15 yards a pop.  Not only is the strength there, the 2006-2008 strength, but the accuracy throwing the ball down the field is there as well.  You know Al was watching that game up there with a big smile on his face, the old man loved the vertical passing game.  Looks like the Raiders finally have one.

5. THE SURE THING – When the Raiders predictably drafted Penn State offensive lineman Stefan Wisniewski, the pundits claimed that he would fit perfectly with the Raiders, as his uncle did.  But I don’t thing anyone thought he’d do it so quickly.  Wisniewski filled in for injured Samson Satele at center and had an excellent game.  Calling out blitzes, controlling the line, making adjustments.  He plays the position like a grizzled veteran, and the Silver and Black will have a leader on that line for years to come.

6. DEUCES – The Raiders continue to have success against opposing team’s top wide receiver.  They held Vincent Jackson to one catch for 22 yards (targeted 7 times).  The Raiders are 10th in the NFL in yards allowed to primary targets, but are 28th in yards allowed to the number two wide out.  The trend continued Thursday night as Charger rookie Vincent Brown had 5 catches for 97 yards, including an incredible touchdown grab in double coverage. Brown’s second long touchdown catch was overturned upon review.

7. DEFENSIVE REBOUND -  After getting torched by Tebow and the Broncos for 300 yards on the ground, the Raiders defense rebounded big time, allowing only 75 yards on Thursday night.  They still gave up an average of 5 yards a rush, but they prevented the big play.  They contained the ground game and routinely forced San Diego into tough third downs, which they were 5 of 16 converting on the night.  Rivers never got going, and was 23-47 on the night.  He missed a lot of easy throws and was out of sync with his receivers all evening.

Week 10 Preview: Short Week, Short Handed

 Posted by at 3:58 PM  6 Responses »
Nov 102011
 

Wow.  That was ugly.  The Raiders have played themselves into a corner after dropping two straight divisional games to less talented football teams.  After the “bully” had his nose broken on Sunday, the Raiders will have to heal quickly because one of the biggest games of the season comes on only three days rest.

The Raiders gave up 300 rushing yards to the Denver Broncos.  That’s not a typo.  A college-style option offense torched the Oakland defense en route to a 34-21 upset win on Sunday.  The Raiders were undisciplined in every aspect of the game.  They had 15 penalties for 130 yards.  Players didn’t stay true to their assignments, and were caught out of position, with Tim Tebow and Willis McGahee ripping them for huge gains.  Linebackers were leaving gaps uncovered, defensive ends got burned bending down the line and lost contain, and the punt coverage team took bad angles in pursuit.

Michael Bush had a nice game in the starting role, 19 carries for 96 yards and 33 yards receiving.  Jacoby Ford had a big game and Marcel Reece was welcomed back to the mix with a beautiful laser thrown by Carson Palmer, which Reece caught in traffic for a 40 yard score.  Carson threw 3 interceptions but actually had a decent game.  His arm strength looks to be there and made some really impressive throws.  His decision-making will have to improve, as well as his handle on the offense, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.

The Raiders face another rival Thursday night in San Diego.  We know about Phillip Rivers, we know about Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates, we know Norv Turner.  There shouldn’t be any surprises.  The Raiders are limping into this game.  No Darren McFadden, no Demarcus Van Dyke and no Chris Johnson.  Eight other starters are questionable with injuries.

The Raiders biggest challenge comes at a time when they are playing their worst football.  A win could spark a run, unifying the team and pushing them into the second half of the season with momentum.  A loss, would be their third in a row and threaten this team’s once promising 2011 campaign.

OFFENSE

We’ll see another 20-25 carries from Michael Bush with McFadden out.  Bush is a good runner, always gains positive yards, and enjoys the pressure of stepping into the starting role.  However, he doesn’t have big home-run hitting capability like McFadden.  Hue Jackson will have to work to keep the Raiders in manageable third down situations which require an effective ground game.

You can’t turn the ball over against this team.  It’s going to be hard enough to stop this offense without giving them extra possessions.  Carson Palmer needs to make smart decisions, spread the ball around, and not zero in on his targets.  He was telegraphing a lot of his passes last week and he needs to freeze the safety longer to open up routes for his receivers and find holes in the Charger zone.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

Carson Palmer vs. Eric Weddle

In six quarters of play, Palmer has 3 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Having a 1-2 touchdown interception ratio will not win many games. Weddle has 5 of San Diego’s 8 interceptions. If Palmer is to lead Oakland to its first victory in nearly a month, he needs to minimize his turnovers.

Micheal Bush vs. Donald Butler & Takeo Spikes

Bush is a high quality running back, who if given more opportunities could easily reach the 1,000 yard marker. Butler and Spikes anchor the Charger defense. They have combined for over 100 tackles this season. Compare that to McClain and Wimbley, who have combined total of 73.

X- FACTOR

Kevin Boss

Carson Palmer needs to find his talented tight end in this game.  The Chargers have only allowed one 100 yard receiver this year, but they have given up five touchdowns to tight ends in eight games.  Boss, who was really only used on special teams against Denver, does a wonderful job finding spots in the zone and can be a real asset in the redzone if Jackson gets him on the field.

 

DEFENSE

Ryan Matthews is healthy, and he’ll split carries with Mike Tolbert.  The Raiders have the talent on that side of the ball to be a stout defense against the run.  The problem has never been between the lines, but between the ears.  The Raiders need to play smart, disciplined, gap control defense. After studying the Denver game, Norv Turner will try to run the ball down Chuck Bresnahan’s esophagus to take pressure off Rivers.  If the Raiders are unable to stop the run, it could be a long afternoon for this unit.

Looks like Malcolm Flloyd will miss Sunday’s game.  The Raiders will start cornerback Lito Shepphard because of injuries to the secondary.  Oakland generally doesn’t match up cornerbacks with specific wide receivers, but if there was a time to do it, this is the game.  Routt needs to handle Vincent Jackson, who has had a relatively disappointing year until he exploded for 150 yards and 3 touchdowns Sunday against Green Bay.

The Raiders don’t really have a player to matchup with Antonio Gates.  Expect Mike Mitchell to draw some one-on-one coverage with Gates or the freshly signed Jerome Boyd.  The Raiders will try to blitz Rivers, but if they don’t get it to him, it’s going to make Rivers job far too easy.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

Kamerion Wimbley vs. Marcus McNeil

Wimbley is coming off his worse game of the season, as he missed an open sack on Tebow and lost outside containment on a number of runs. McNeil, is still San Diego’s franchise left tackle, but is not having his best year. Wimbley has been consistently applying pressure all season. To live up to his big contract, Wimbley needs to start turning pressures into sacks.

Aaron Curry vs. Mike Tolbert & Ryan Matthews

With McClain’s injury, Curry is now the Raiders defensive quarterback. Much of the 299 rushing yards yielded last week can be attributed to Curry’s poor play and leadership. San Diego’s running backs account for 1,387 total yards from scrimmage, with almost half those coming in the passing game.

X Factor

Chuck Bresnahan

The Raiders heavily criticized Defensive Coordinator is probably coaching for his job tomorrow night.  He knows his unit is banged up and doesn’t have the talent in the secondary to compete with Rivers’ weapons.  He is going to dial-up the blitz early and often.  He knows he needs to get Rivers on his back.  Defensive line stunts, corner blitzes, it’s all going to be in the game plan Thursday night.  Much of this team’s success will rely on stopping the run.  Chuck needs to make sure his guys are in the right position and are educated on the Chargers running game.  Bresnahan is familiar with the Chargers offense, so look for him to put his best players in positions to make big plays.

Predictions

Nick’s Pick

As much as I would like to think this is the game where the Raiders come together and put together an inspiring and motivational win to spark the rest of the season, I just don’t see it happening with the 22 guys they are marching out there.  Palmer will continue to improve, but Rivers will finally get back on track as the Chargers second half rise begins.

Raiders 23, Chargers 31,

Brandon’s Pick

After two embarrassing AFC West loses in Oakland, the spotlight is on Hue Jackson to find balance and right the ship. The Raiders woes will continue, and this time in primetime.

Raiders 17, Chargers 24