Studs and Duds From Week 3

 Posted by at 3:38 PM  1 Response »
Sep 272011
 

The Raiders victory over the Jets has the coach and the team riding high. Even the national media is catching on as the Raiders are now making the top 10 in the mostly ridiculous power rankings.

Tom Brady comes to Oakland in week 4 so the Raiders don’t have much time to think about their early season victory. The Raiders need more studs on defense if they are to beat the Patriots.

Studs

Samson Satele

I sometimes have a hard time believing he is the same player as he was last season. I heard Satele was dealing with headaches and dizzy spells last season. I’m not sure how much this impacted his on-field performance and how much his production has to do with having Bob Wylie and Steve Wisniewski as offensive line coaches. It doesn’t matter now as Satele has done a great job this season. Early in Sunday’s game Sione Pouha got the best of him on one running play and Satele dominated at the point of attack from that point on.

 

Darren McFadden

I’m pretty sure he’ll be on the list every week. You already know his stats 171 yards, 2 touchdowns.

 

Hue Jackson & Chuck Bresnahan

The Raiders made the Jets defense look silly most of the afternoon. Bresnahan switched to zone coverage when youngsters were forced into action and it worked in the second half. Coaching staff pulled all the right strings and called all the right plays. Credit to them.

 

Jason Campbell

Took care of the football. No turnovers and didn’t force throws into the Jets secondary. Stepped up into the pocket and delivered a strike to Michael Bush down the left sideline that lead to the game sealing field goal.

 

Kevin Boss

First game in Silver and Black looked pretty good. Made a key catch on the Raiders opening touchdown drive and a key block that sprung McFadden for over 70 yards. He’ll make everyone forget about Zach Miller if he stays healthy.

 

Chimdi Chekwa

Coming out party for the rookie? He entered the game when Chris Johnson went out with an injury and had tight coverage on Plaxico Burress most of the day. If the Raiders secondary remains banged up the Raiders will need Chekwa and Joe Porter to play well and Demarcus Van Dyke to get healthy.

 

Duds

Special Teams

It didn’t really burn them on Sunday, but the coverage units did terrible covering kicks on Sunday. John Fassell is really missing Hiram Eugene. Rock Cartwright can’t cover kicks alone. Lechler had a rare off day and Jon Condo had a few sub par long snaps. Seabass kept the special teams from being a complete disaster, but even he missed one. Taiwan Jones and Denarius Moore didn’t stumble and fall down like Nick Miller, but hardly improved the return game. Big difference between a muff and a forced fumble.

 

Rolando McClain

He had a solid game, but he makes the duds list for his weak arm tackle on Tomlinson’s long reception. When he properly diagnosing runs he’s at his best. He’s been solid in coverage, but far too many missed tackles and bad angles.

 

Matt Giordano

Plays too tentatively. He always seemed to be watching players run by him. He’s a ticking time bomb in the secondary, but until the Raiders young cornerbacks relieve Michael Huff from cornerback duties Giordano will keep playing. 

Khalif Barnes

The weakest link on a much improved offensive line. It shouldn’t be long now because Joseph Barksdale is starting at right tackle. He’s already been promoted as evidenced by Stephon Heyer’s deactivation on Sunday. The only pressure on Campbell came from Barnes inability to handle the speed rush. He’ll continue to have a role as a sixth lineman in jumbo sets, but his starting job is very much in jeopardy.

 

Studs & Duds From Week 2

 Posted by at 8:00 AM  2 Responses »
Sep 212011
 

The pain of defeat had a nasty sting to it Sunday when the Raiders blew a big lead in the second half and were downed by the Bills in the final minute.

This game, unlike the first game, had many more standout performances. Unfortunately for the Raiders, some of the performances were horrible. Fortunately,  many are correctable. Luckily, the team now comes home for five out of the next six games where they were 5-3 a year ago. Thankfully, the Raiders found out important things about their team in the process.

Studs

Denarius Moore

Yes, the rookie can play. He proved it Sunday. It’s going to be hard for the Raiders to keep him off the field. Who’s playing time does he cut into? It would be logical for him to cut into Darrius Heyward-Bey’s time, but that won’t be the case. Most of the damage done by Moore was from the Z receiver position. Jacoby Ford plays this position. Certainly the Raiders will not rob from Ford to give to Moore.

Moore is cut into the playing time of the Raiders third receiver. Chaz Schilens is holding down the third receiver role, but things get more complicated when Louis Murphy is healthy. That pushes down Derek Hagan even further on the depth chart.

Jason Campbell

Probably one of the best games of his career. He was comfortable with the Raiders receivers even with Ford, Heyward-Bey and Murphy out with injuries. Campbell is proving that when given time he can deliver. He was far from perfect, but it was the passing game that kept the Raiders second half meltdown on defense from looking even worse. Even Darren McFadden looked human with a critical fumble. Jason Campbell made the Raiders offense go on Sunday to the tune of 25 points.

Darren McFadden

143 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. He was overshadowed by the rookie Moore and his critical fumble. It wasn’t a great day rushing for McFadden as he rushed for just 3.6 yards per carry, but he proved yet again to be a versatile weapon contributing a 10+ yards average per reception. If McFadden continues to put up 150 yards per week he’ll continue being listed with the Studs. He’s vitally important to the Raiders offense.

Stanford Routt

Recorded his first interception on a great read of Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bills mostly stayed away from him after that. He’s playing well and was the only guy on the field that could cover Stevie Johnson. Naturally the Bills lined Johnson up on Chris Johnson and Michael Huff. Routt was the only stud on defense in week two.

 

Duds

Rolando McClain

Missing tackles are not something you want to see from your middle linebacker. McClain lead the team in tackles and made a nice deflection on a seam route pass that would have been a touchdown. It wasn’t all bad, but McClain needs to get better quickly. Poor angles, incorrect reads and missed tackles aren’t going to be tolerated for long. He’s a sophomore and he’s still learning, but linebackers unlike receivers are typically coming into their own in their second season. McClain needs to show he is coming into his own and soon.

I incorrectly assigned the blame for the game-winning touchdown to Rolando McClain. I had assumed the Raiders were in zone coverage. This was incorrect, McClain’s responsibility was the running back. So while it was a bad game from McClain it wasn’t as bad as I initially believed.

Chris Johnson

In fact, the poor coverage on the last Bills touchdown was the responsibility of Chris Johnson. Johnson also couldn’t cover Stevie Johnson most of the day. He was repeatedly beat in the passing game. Normally Johnson’s risk-taking way serve him well and he’ll give up plays, but make a few as well. That wasn’t the case Sunday. The pressure from the loss of Nnamdi Asomugha was placed on Stanford Routt, but in reality it is Johnson who was taking over at cornerback for the all-pro. Johnson immediately took to Twitter to take responsibility for his place and vowed to get better. The Raiders need him, behind him is youth and inexperience.

Pass Rush

What happened? Five sacks to zero sacks. The Raiders have Kamerion Wimbley, Lamarr Houston, Richard Seymour, Matt Shaughnessy, and Tommy Kelly and none could break through the Bills offensive front and put pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick. As with many quarterbacks, Fitzpatrick can carve up a secondary with no rush. That’s just what happened Sunday in Buffalo. After obliterating the Broncos offensive line in week one the “vaunted” Raiders front four did nothing in week two. They should be hungry in week three and let’s hope they eat the offensive line and the quarterback and not a hot dog.

Nick Miller

Slip, slip, thud no way you should be a returner, bud.

 

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.

Hue’s Bullies Are Meek In Loss

 Posted by at 12:42 PM  1 Response »
Aug 212011
 

Hue Jackson has been beating a drum this offseason. He wants his team to bully opposing teams. It’s reminiscent of something Mike Singletary would say. Big talk from the coach doesn’t always translate to the team.

On Saturday at Candlestick, the Raiders were bullied. The offensive line couldn’t intimidate a 7-year-old girl. The reserves on the defensive line were pushed around like a grocery cart with a crazy wheel.

It was bad, but it is never as bad as it looks. Particularly when it is the reserves getting pushed around. Next week against a superior Saints team will be the best sampling of the Raiders progress under Jackson. Next week, the starters should play an entire half. Drew Brees will expose any weaknesses on the Raiders defense and Gregg Williams isn’t likely to make it easy for the Raiders defensive line.

The game did highlight some areas of great concern, but there were bright spots early.

 

Studs

Darrius Heyward-Bey – Could he finally be a useful weapon? If he keep catching the ball and getting open like he did Saturday he will have an impact for the first time in his career.

Denarius Moore – Things turn to gold when Moore is around the ball. He has been too good for the Raiders not to keep him in the mix, even if he isn’t announced as a starter.

Kevin Boss – If he stays healthy Raider Nation may forget about Zach Miller. The only issue is that he strained his knee during the game. It’s not a major injury, but the Raiders would like to keep him out of the trainer’s room.

Michael Bush – Aside from one missed blitz pickup, he played well. Bush was picking up extra yards despite an offensive line that was getting very little push. He picked up the blitz well when he got a second chance.

Lamarr Houston – Houston held the edge very well and the 49ers were not picking up big chunks on the ground when Houston was in the game.

Matt Shaughnessey – Did a great job selling his rush and dropping into coverage on a zone blitz. He was rewarded with an interception. He’s definitely a player to watch this season.

 

Duds

Daniel Loper – Gone is Robert Gallery and Loper is the starter at left guard. If you couldn’t figure out why Stefen Wisniewski was getting snaps at left guard we figured it out on Saturday night. Loper was terrible against Ricky Jean Francois. Jean Francois isn’t even a starter and Loper couldn’t block him. I don’t think Loper won as single battle all night. He was bullied by a backup.

Jarvis Moss – He should have a role as a pass rush specialist, but he was consistently losing his contain on the outside. Not only did he lose his contain, but the offensive line was able to manipulate him out of running lanes. Not swag.

Trent Edwards/Kyle Boller – The backup offensive lines fared a little better, but Boller and Edwards were inaccurate at best. Too many bad decisions from the backups.

Reserve DL – Jamie Cumbie, Tommie Hill and Mason Brodine might as well have been a blocking sled.

 

The Sophomore Scene

Walter McFadden – He was beat by Braylon Edwards on a long pass, but it was good coverage. A great throw and great catch. That’s about all we saw of McFadden on the night. Rebound for him.

Bruce Campbell – Plays way too high. His natural strength helps him from looking terrible, but he loses the point of attack battle far too often. Inconsistent at best. Cooper Carlisle doesn’t have much to worry about at the moment.

Jeremy Ware – Aside from one blitz we didn’t see much of Ware in coverage. The 49ers second team was content to run and throw short passes to the flat.

Travis Goethel – The defensive line in front of him was getting thrown around making his performance difficult to evaluate. He’s shown enough in practice and during games that he’s likely to get a shot at outside linebacker once camp breaks.

Rolando McClain – Struggled to get off blocks at times and was slow to read a run near the goal line. Not much to worry about with McClain. He doesn’t make the same mistake twice very often, but does need to keep defenders away from his body.

Jared Veldheer – Allowed a sack. It was pure speed rush and the linebacker went very wide. Veldheer was able to keep him deep, but the linebacker made it around him with excellent bend. Jason Campbell’s first read was not open and he didn’t read it fast enough to avoid the sack.

 

Rookie Report

Demarcus Van Dyke – Played with the starters. On the only play he could be evaluated his footwork and technique was all over the map. He got turned around and allowed an easy reception. Too early to make much of Van Dyke and you can’t put much stock into a single isolated play. He’ll take his lumps as all rookies do.

Stefen Wisniewski – Played consistently as the backup center. Not overly impressive, but didn’t make any glaring mistakes. Samson Satele may have been the most impressive starting offensive lineman which could mean Wisniewski remains a reserve. Snap reaction would be that Wisniewski’s best chance to start could be at left guard.

Chimdi Chekwa – Tight coverage and came up to support the run. It was his first game back and he should continue to get expanded opportunities. Looked solid.

Richard Gordon – For being a blocking specialist he sure did get handled on a couple blocks. He’s probably a safe player to stash on the practice squad.

David Ausberry – Not much action for Ausberry. This happens quite a bit when the team knows what they think of a player. Time to hide him from the film.

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