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.”

Week 16 Preview: Silver Bells

 Posted by at 10:56 AM  No Responses »
Dec 242011
 

The Raiders simply must win their next two games to have a chance at the playoffs. The Chiefs are playing for the playoffs themselves and will need to win the last two games. This is a late December trip to Arrowhead with playoff implications despite struggles along the way for both teams.

Reeling after an explicable defensive meltdown last week at home versus the Detroit Lions, the Raiders will attempt to pick their season off the scrap heap Sunday in Kansas City. Temperatures will be win the mid 40s and mild, not what one would expect for a late season trip to Arrowhead stadium. The mild temperatures mean the Raiders will have dodged their cold-weather games this season. It didn’t make any difference in their blowout loss to the Packers two weeks ago and the Raiders are hoping to avoid any repeats.

The last time the Raiders faced the Chiefs, Todd Haley was the Head Coach and Matt Cassel was the Quarterback for the Chiefs. Fast forward 11 weeks and Romeo Crennel and Kyle Orton are leading the Chiefs final leg of the season with a slim opportunity to make the playoffs by winning their final two games.

Crennel, a coach with a deep history with Bill Parcells, would be a candidate for several open defensive coordinator positions if he doesn’t retain the top job in Kansas City. It is believed Crennel’s performance over the final two weeks will make a difference and he’ll have his team ready to go.

The Raiders last faced Orton in week one sacking him five times and limiting him to 52.2% completion percentage despite allowing him to pass for over 300 yards. Orton has only been sacked four times since week one in 141 attempts.

Rewind to week 7

Darren McFadden goes down with what seemed like a minor foot injury and is still recovering. Lack of his presence in the Raiders offense is significant reason why the offense has sputtered down the stretch. Kyle Boller is back on the bench and Carson Palmer has had more than a few days to prepare for the Chiefs. The Chiefs blew out the Raiders in Oakland.

When the Raiders have the ball:

Not to short change the Chiefs defense, but it is really a three-man wrecking crew. Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson and Brandon Flowers are all dangerous defenders at each level of the defense. In the passing game, the Raiders will avoid Brandon Flowers as much as possible and hope to keep Hali blocked long enough for Carson Palmer to get the ball to his other receivers. Johnson is excellent against the run and the Raiders offensive line will need to get to him in the running game to make sure he isn’t blowing up Michael Bush’s chance at big runs.

Jared Veldheer vs. Tamba Hali

Veldheer struggled with Hali in week 7. Hali was putting pressure on or hitting the Raiders quarterback on all of the Raiders six interceptions that day. Veldheer knows Hali and he will need to limit him and the bull rush move Hali had success with. The Raiders could try to roll a back to his side at risk of pressure coming up the middle. It’s a chess game the Raiders win if Veldheer can limit Hali.

Michael Bush and Offensive Line vs. Derrick Johnson

The offensive line can really help Bush versus the Chiefs linebacker. If the offensive line can seal off Johnson and Bush can get into the secondary he’ll have a big day. Bush hasn’t had a solid day running the ball since week 10 in San Diego. The good news is the Raiders had success running the ball against Kansas City in Oakland, but the interceptions put them in such a hole that the running game couldn’t be a focus. Johnson is a good run defending linebacker and the Raiders success on the ground depends on Bush slipping past Johnson and the Raiders getting a blocker on him.

Carson Palmer vs. Chiefs Secondary

Brandon Flowers is most dangerous, but the Chiefs secondary gobbled up all kinds of errant passes the last time these two teams played. Palmer, with a much better handle on the offense, needs to shred the Chiefs secondary. The Raiders will need to protect Palmer and if they can do that Palmer has the weapons to get payback. Expect the Raiders to setup the deep pass with the run and see if they can’t make a few big plays in the passing game. Expect Darrius Heyward-Bey to continue to be the possession receiver and the Raiders to run Denarius Moore deep.

Darrius Heyward-Bey vs. Brandon Carr

The Raiders best matchup is with Brandon Carr on the outside. The Raiders want to exploit the Chiefs safeties and getting them to roll help to one side will equal opportunities in the passing game to the other. If Carr plays soft Palmer will take the short gains all day long, but if Carr starts playing close to the line the Raiders will try and get one deep behind the corner and deep outs and crosses in front of the safties. DHB has been the Raiders most consistent, healthy, and productive receiver. Expect that to continue.

When the Chiefs have the ball:

It starts with stopping the run and allowing the Raiders defensive line to get after Kyle Orton. Breaston and Bowe are very capable receivers and if given time Orton will find them open down the field against a week Raiders secondary. The Chiefs are using a running back by committee approach that is working. Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones, and Dexter McCluster are all getting snaps and present different challenges.

Rolando McClain vs. Chiefs Three-Headed Running Back

McCluster is a scat back type with a bunch of speed. McClain and the Raiders defense have to seal the edge and force McCluster to take his runs inside. Jones is a much more traditional back that the Raiders have had good success stopping in the past. He’s smart, but lacks the burst he once had. McClain needs only to fill the right running lanes to keep Jones from hurting the Raiders. Battle is the true weapon here. Battle is a little bit like Michael Bush, he’s big and fairly nimble for his size. He’s bruising because of his size and McClain will not be able to arm tackle Battle and have success. There is a lot of pressure on McClain as he must account for several different looks on offense.

Stanford Routt vs Dwayne Bowe

Routt need to put together one of his good games that is also penalty free. He’s capable and has a challenge with Bowe. Good news here is Bowe is good, but he is no Calvin Johnson.

Raiders DL vs. Chiefs OL

Things typically start in the trenches and that’s where the Raiders defense can do damage. The Chiefs are particular suspect on the right side of the line. Expect the Raiders to attack Barry Richardson and Jon Asamoah. Richard Seymour and Lamarr Houston should have a nice day and if Tommy Kelly and Kamerion Wimbley can get into the mix the Raiders should be able to put pressure on Orton and force him into mistakes.

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.

Week 13 Fantasy Outlook

 Posted by at 9:00 AM  No Responses »
Dec 022011
 

Quarterback

Carson Palmer is lighting up the field now, and helping to win football games. With the recent slew of quarterback injuries league-wide, you should seriously consider picking up Palmer. He’s back in the saddle and playing well, even in the Fantasy world. Last week he threw for 300+ yards, but had one interception. Depending on if you have a league that’s focused more on yards than points then play him, however, if you rely heavily on a QB’s ability to score, he may not be as beneficial. Last week he threw for no touchdowns, but his stats were great.

Again, play him if you’re looking for yardage, but do so while accounting for one or two interceptions.

Running Backs

Michael Bush is a must play this week. Darren McFadden in still out with no word on when he’ll return. Rookie Taiwan Jones also did not practice on Wednesday, which doesn’t bode well for his chances on Sunday. These factors taken into account, Bush is going to get a ton of carries. While he didn’t score last week, his yardage was key in setting the tone of the game. He’ll be a big factor this weekend.

Marcel Reece caught five passes for 92 yards in Week 12 and is a worthwhile name to keep on your radar. He is currently utilized as a dump-off outlet and is turning them into points. If you are in a deep-points-per-reception league, Reece may prove to be a productive player for you. Monitor his situation closely.

Wide Receivers

We got conflicting practice reports this week for Denarius Moore. Beat reporters saw him practicing on Wednesday, out on the field with helmet and pads, but according to Head Coach Hue Jackson, Moore did not participate. Moore missed last week’s game and is no doubt an explosive player, fully utilizing Palmer’s big arm. For fantasy purposes, owners are encouraged to do their homework leading up to game-time for Moore’s status. Peg him as a WR3 with upside this week, partly due to his injury and his boom-or-bust stat lines.

Jacoby Ford on the other hand was seen jogging, but did not practice as well. Ford commented to reporters that his timetable is well ahead of McFadden’s and is signaling a closer return. But that seems to not be in Week 13. Savvy fantasy players should scoop up Ford as a waiver-wire addition for the fantasy playoffs. The Raiders face Green Bay, Detroit and Kansas City in Weeks 14-16, all defenses that gives up yards. View him as a lottery ticket WR3 or flex option with high upside.

Darrius Heyward-Bey is reportedly pain-free after his scary injury against the Vikings. He’s only playable in the deepest of leagues and possible points-per-reception leagues. The Raiders WR situation is in flux and one that is worth monitoring.

Tight Ends

Kevin Boss was a name on plenty of fantasy owners’ minds entering Week 12. But he was held to just one catch for eight yards in the game vs. the Bears. The targets that we assumed would go to tight ends actually went to Reece, the fullback. Look elsewhere for production.

Kicker

Sebastian Janikowski was named as one of the AFC players of the week. The Raiders big leg kicker connected on six field goals in Week 12 and is 22 of 24 overall on the season. If someone in your league dropped him because of injury, scoop him up for the stretch playoff run. Janikowski did not practice Wednesday but Coach Jackson expects him to play vs. Miami.

Defense/Special Teams

The Raiders took advantage of the mistake-prone Caleb Hanie in Week 12 with three interceptions and allowed 20 points in the game. In Week 13, the advice for fantasy is to reserve caution. The Raiders are squaring off against a rejuvenated Miami offense with weapons all over the field. The Raiders should win, but the possible lack of turnovers in this game may not make this unit a solid play in fantasy. Strong defensive plays in Week 13 include: New England vs. Indianapolis, Denver vs. Minnesota, Atlanta vs. Houston and San Diego vs. Jacksonville.

 

 

Week 11 Offensive Preview: All About The Fatties

 Posted by at 3:00 PM  1 Response »
Nov 182011
 

The Raiders success on offense this Sunday in Minnesota relies on the massive shoulders of the offensive line.  The big boys up front dominated the Chargers defensive line last Thursday night, providing big holes for Michael Bush and a solid pocket for Carson Palmer.  But it’s a horse of a different color waiting for them in Minnesota: a big purple horse wearing number 69.

 

Match-ups To Watch

LT Jared Veldheer vs.  DE Jared Allen

Jared Allen leads the Vikings front seven.  He is a tenacious, relentless pass rusher, and leads the NFL with 13.5 sacks.  His motor never stops, he has a wide range of pass rush moves and has embarrassed even the league’s best tackles.  He can electrify the loud raucous crowd in Minnesota with one play, and it’ll be up to 6’8” left tackle Jared Veldheer to slow him down.  Don’t expect him to shoulder the burden alone, Hue Jackson will have tight ends Kevin Boss or Brandon Myers stay in and pass block on some plays, and he may also chip Allen with a back.  The other way to slow Allen down is to attack him directly in the run game.

RB Michael Bush vs. Vikings’ Front Seven

The Raiders will go with Michael Bush again this week, and he should be running behind that left side right at Jared Allen.  Defensive tackle Kyle Williams is a load up front, so expect him to draw a lot of double teams from Cooper Carlisle and Samson Satele. The Vikings are excellent against the run, allowing only 93 yards a game, so it’ll be strength versus strength on Sunday.  However, this is the first time this year Vikings unit has faced a rushing team in the top seven.

QB Carson Palmer vs. Vikings’ Secondary

Carson Palmer torched the Chargers secondary with the deep ball.  The Vikings are 30th in the NFL against the pass, and will be without veteran CB Antoine Winfield.  Minnesota used a lot of 2-deep zone against GB on Monday Night, and expect to see some of that early to try to neutralize the Raiders speed.  Palmer needs to be patient, go through his reads and has to be okay with hitting some of the underneath routes.  If he gets enough time, he should be able to pick apart this Vikings defense, even without Jacoby Ford and Darren McFadden.

 

X-FACTOR

Darrius Heyward-Bey

With Jacoby Ford out Sunday Heyward-Bey will need to step up.  He has only one catch since Carson Palmer became the starting quarterback.  Heyward-Bey will be matched up against Vikings corner Cedric Griffin, a favorable match-up even with the poor production the last two games.  Look for a big bounce back game from Heyward-Bey on Sunday.

 

PREDICTION

Raiders 30, Vikings 20

I think the Raiders defense slows down Adrian Peterson and the offensive line keeps Carson Palmer’s jersey clean enough to attack that Vikings secondary.


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