Week 9 Preview: Matchups To Watch

 Posted by at 8:00 AM  No Responses »
Nov 062011
 

Hue Jackson vs. Hue Jackson

This is the most important matchup of the game. Jackson made himself look foolish with the Raiders quarterback situation two weeks ago and Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer combined to throw six interceptions. Jackson will be walking a fine line this Sunday. He has to balance his aggressive tendencies, Carson Palmer’s effectiveness and game management. The play calling has to vary enough to keep the passing game respectable without putting Palmer in a position to fail. Jackson has to remember that the opposing team has one of the worst quarterbacks and will struggle to be productive. If the Raiders lose this game it is because Jackson failed.

Carson Palmer vs. Carson Palmer

Palmer will make his starting quarterback debut this Sunday vs. Denver. To lead the Raiders to victory this Sunday, Palmer has to be more of a game manager than anything else. Rather than making plays that lead his team to victory, Palmer has to avoid plays that give away the game. This is not the game for Palmer to prove to everybody how comfortable he is in the offense. It’s the game for him to relay on passing outlets, work play action and find out what works. A multiple interception game by Palmer could make this game closer than the Raiders are comfortable with.

Michael Bush vs. Denver’s Front Seven

Carrying the load last game Bush finished with 99 yards. With McFadden officially out for this game, this is another opportunity for Bush to showcase his talents and to show everybody why he deserves a big contract in the offseason. To do this, Bush has to get the tough rushing yards when Denver’s front seven is expecting the run. Bush will also be relied upon as a passing outlet and to pick up blitzes in the passing game. Denver boasts a mediocre rush defense but has not let a back get 100 yards since McFadden put up 150 in week one. Wesley Woodyard, Denver’s leading tackler, will be all over the place trying to ensure the trend continues. This is an opportunity for Bush to showcase himself for the big contract.

Jared Veldheer/ Kalif Barnes vs. Von Miller

There are reasons why Miller is a leading candidate for defensive rookie of the year. He is in the top 10 in the league with 6 sacks and is fourth on his team in total tackles. With Palmer making his first start, the Broncos will likely test how he directs the lines protection and handles varied pressure. Veldheer and Barnes have to make sure this rookie does not consistently get to Palmer. The real test will be on third and longs, where the Raiders choose to pass and Miller is set in pass rushing mode.

Kevin Boss/ Brandon Myers vs. Denver Defense

The Raider tight ends will be needed to run block and provide support against Denver’s outside pass rush. So far this season, the success of McFadden and the wide outs have overshadowed Boss’ lack of productivity in the passing game. As Palmer is adjusting Boss and Myers need to become more reliable passing options. Boss needs to make big plays when Denver loads the box to stop the run. Denver has allowed two tight end touchdowns over the past two weeks. Either Boss will make an impact and reach the end zone or he will disappear.The Raider need Boss to have a good game on Sunday.

Tim Tebow vs. Chuck Bresnahan

The Raiders linebackers are better blitzing than in coverage. Chuck Bresnanhan’s safeties are effective blitzers and Tebow can’t stay composed in the face of blitzes. Expect Bresnahan to blitz Tebow as his inability to stay composed is undermining any effort of his to become a legitimate NFL quarterback. For Tebow not to be too embarrassed this Sunday, he needs to establish his mobility as a weapon and count on various screen plays and check downs. With inadequate wide receivers and his quarterback skills, Tebow must rely on his legs to make plays. The Raiders D has to make sure they get sacks on Tebow and not let him escape their blitzes.

Knowshon Moreno & Willis McGahee vs. Richard Seymour & Aaron Curry

McGahee when healthy is showing that he still has fuel and could very well eclipse the 1,000 mark for the first
time since 2007. He has three 100-yard games this season but is coming off a broken hand. He will likely play and get the majority of the carries. Seymour sets the tone for the entire defense. When he plays with the right amount of aggression and discipline, the Raiders defense is one of the league’s best. McGahee and Moreno have combined for 20 catches and 2 touchdowns this season and pose a threat coming out of the backfield. As Tebow struggles finding targets downfield, expect him to look to these back. Curry has historically struggled in pass coverage, but so far with the Raiders, this has not been a problem. Look for McGahee and Moreno to test Curry in pass coverage.

Eric Decker vs. DeMarcus Van Dyke

Decker is the bright spot in Denver’s largely inept passing attack. He has 30 catches, three more than DHB and is tied for fourth in the NFL with 5 touchdowns receptions. He has potential and his ability made Denver comfortable trading Brandon Lloyd. If Tebow has success connecting with any of Denver’s wide receivers it is Decker. The Raiders won’t shadow Decker. Expect, Tebow to try to connect with Decker when he is lined up against Van Dyke. Van Dyke is experiencing ups and down during his rookie year but is progressing. Look for Van Dyke to be tested often and for him to have his hands on the ball.

Prediction:

Expect a somewhat conservative Hue Jackson game plan, one that features Michael Bush and has a few wrinkles. The only good thing about Tebow’s performance will be his 50+ yard rushing effort. Oakland 20, Denver 13.

Studs and Duds From Week 7

 Posted by at 12:32 PM  No Responses »
Oct 252011
 

Studs

Michael Bush

While he was stone-walled at the goal line by Derrick Johnson three times he still managed to put up a very respectable game with 99 rushing yards on 17 carries. That’s a very healthy 5.8 yards per carry. He managed a respectable game despite little to no threat passing and an early two score deficit. He wasn’t amazing, but no one was on Sunday.

Darrius Heyward-Bey

He snarred another 5 balls for 89 yards and he’s the Raiders leading receiver and it isn’t close. Heyward-Bey is on pace for over 1100 yards receiving on 72 receptions. Over the past four games Heyward-Bey is averaging 96 yards and 6 receptions. If that trend continues he’ll finish the season with 82 receptions for nearly 1400 yards. It probably will not continue at the same level, but it is worth noting. Ten receivers finished the 2010 season with more than 1100 yards and only Brandon Lloyd finished 2010 with more than 1400 yards. The sample is still relatively small, but Heyward-Bey may have finally arrived. 

Aaron Curry

Flying around and consistently around the ball. He hasn’t looked as lost in coverage as he did in Seattle. The Raiders turned in another solid performance against the run and Curry was a big part of it. The Raiders have been playing a lot of big nickel and Curry isn’t a part of it, but what the Raiders have asked him to do he has done well. Let’s hope it continues as he gets more and more comfortable in the defense.

Demarcus Van Dyke

 He did allow a few receptions, but he was targeted a lot and had pretty solid coverage most of the game. Obviously he is a rookie so he is still learning things. He showed more willingness to tackle and use his body on Sunday. He’s thinly built, but he’ll get bigger and can’t shy away from contact. Rod Woodson and Kevin Ross have done a good job with the Raiders young corners. It wasn’t a great game for him, but it was a good game and worthy of recognition.

Honorable Mentions: Tyvon Branch, Stanford Routt, Lamarr Houston

 

Duds

Kyle Boller

It would be easy to write and entire post here about how poor Boller played. He locked onto receivers, he made bad decisions. There just isn’t a lot to say. If the Raiders have their way he wont start again and he shouldn’t.

Hue Jackson

Just for talking large and then letting his team put up a goose egg is enough for dud status this week for the Raiders leader. He’s wearing a lot of hats now and made a spectacle of the Raiders acquisition of Carson Palmer. Then there was a decision on who to start at quarterback and some shoddy playcalling. Hue did just about everything wrong last week, but those same moves are genius if the Raiders win. That’s just life as a coach that talks a big game. He’s only seven games into his head coaching career and will rebound from the loss and learn from some of his mistakes.

Denarius Moore

Four of the six interceptions were in the direction of Denarius Moore including one that bounced off his chest. Perhaps the quarterbacks placed a little too much confidence that Moore would “make a play” and it seems like there was a communication issue and a poorly run route among the interceptions. Boller has to make the right decisions, but Moore wasn’t helping on Sunday.

Jared Veldheer

At least one of the interceptions was the result of pressure from Tamba Hali. Hali bull rushed Veldheer and blew through him giving Boller less than two seconds to make his read. He was blown into the backfield numerous times and failed to get enough of a push at the goaline to open up things for Bush on the wildcat run that would have made it 14-7. He’s had a very good season, but he struggled with Hali.

Dishonorable mention: Carson Palmer, Samson Satele

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Week 7: Matchups To Watch

 Posted by at 7:01 AM  No Responses »
Oct 232011
 

Matchups

Hue Jackson vs. Romeo Crennel

Regardless of who the Raiders quarterback is Hue Jackson is in a difficult spot. This game will feature the Raiders passing game at its lowest point of the season. Expect Crennel’s defense to key in on the run and attempt to apply pressure on passing downs. Look for Kansas City’s cornerbacks to play bump and run in attempt to throw Oakland’s passing game off its timing. Crennel, who won three Super Bowls as defensive coordinator in New England, will try to force Hue Jackson to use the passing game.

Darren McFadden/Michael Bush vs. Kansas City Linebackers

The pressure is on DMC and Bush this week to carry the load. DMC and Bush will also be the quarterback safety valve in the passing game. Look for more plays that have Bush and DMC in the backfield together and don’t be surprised if Bush gets more touches overall. The Chiefs run a 3-4 defense and are anchored by inconsistent linebackers Jevon Belcher and Derrick Johnson. Tambi Hali has four out of the five Chief sacks this season. With the Chiefs eyeing the run and recalling how the Raiders have run over them last season, they are sure to be highly motivated. This is a match-up the Raiders running backs need to consistently win.

Raiders Quarterbacks vs. Chief’s Secondary

To succeed offensively, the Raiders quarterback does not need to throw for 300 yards. The Raiders quarterback needs to distribute the ball and not make mistakes. More than any other game this season, the Raiders quarterback needs to be clutch. Kansas City lost Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry early in the season to injury, but they still have cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr, who have three interceptions combined. Flowers and Carr play aggressive, but do have a have a tendency to get beat deep. If the Raiders offense is to be effective, look for the Raiders quarterback to take advantage of any soft coverage given to wide receivers and any coverage mistakes by the Chief safeties.

Raiders’ offensive line vs. Chiefs front 7

After having their worst game in Houston, the Raiders offensive line regained their form last week against the Browns. This week, the pressure will be on them to deliver in the running game. The Raiders offensive line faces a defensive front that is in the bottom third in the league in rushing yards allowed. The Chiefs are 31st in the NFL in sacks with only  five and Hali has four of them. The Chiefs will surely test the communication between the Raiders offensive line and the Raiders quarterback. Look for the offensive line to provide running lanes for the running backs against eight-man fronts and run blitzes.

Raiders Tight Ends vs. Chiefs Defense

The Raiders tight end’s need to make critical blocks against the Chiefs outside linebackers that seal the edge for the running game. The Chiefs run a 3-4, and the Raiders running game has had mixed results when facing 3-4 teams. The Raiders had a season high 234 rushing yards vs. the Jets and a season low 94 against the Texans. Not only will the Raiders tight ends be counted on in the run game, but also must play a vital part in the passing game. When the Raiders do pass they will rely on play action and short, safe throws. With Berry injured the Raider tight ends will work the Chiefs safeties. Outside of the fake field goal touchdown last week Kevin Boss has been a non-factor for the past two games. This is the time for Boss to make his presence felt in the passing game.

Matt Cassel vs. Chuck Bresnahan

The last two games the Raiders have held the opposing teams to an average of 68 rushing yards and the blitzes are coming from everywhere. Bresnahan has been able to get his defense to play with the right mixture of disciple while remaining aggressive. With Jamaal Charles’ injury, the Chiefs offense was forced to adapt. In both of the Chiefs victories, Cassel  passed for over 240 yards, in all three of losses, Cassel did not hit 200. For Cassel and the Chiefs to have success, Cassel needs to expose the Raiders when they play undisciplined. The Raiders aggressive defense may have problems covering the running back in the flat and tight ends when the Chiefs use play action. Look for Cassel to attempt a good handful of draws, screens and play action passes.

Thomas Jones/Jackie Battle vs. Raiders Defensive Line

With youth and size on his side, expect Jackie Battle to shoulder the running load and Thomas Jones to get a few carries as well. Against the Colts, Battle had a breakout game running for 119 yards on 19 carries, but the Colts line isn’t built like the one in Oakland. The Raiders defensive line is the unquestionable strength of the team. Since an undisciplined day vs. New England, the defensive line has been dominant. Matt Shaughnessy is officially out for the rest of the year. Expect Desmond Bryant, Jarvis Moss and Trevor Scott to step up. Look for the Raiders defensive line to command the line of scrimmage once again. The Raiders should continue to prevent the Chiefs from getting their first rushing touchdown of the season.

Dwayne Bowe vs. DeMarcus Van Dyke

Dwayne Bowe is by far the Chiefs most explosive and most consistent offensive weapon. Out of the Chiefs five games, he has been the game’s leading receiver in four of them. Bowe has accounted for half of Kansas City’s touchdowns and nearly half of the receiving yards. The Chiefs do not have a rushing touchdown because they rely on Bowe in the red zone. With Chris Johnson still not healthy and Stanford Routt being largely avoided, look for Cassel to take advantage when Bowe is matched up against Van Dyke. Bowe to be against Van Dyke in the red zone. It’s the rookie’s first true test.

Oakland’s Special teams vs. Steve Hoffman

Oakland’s special teams  is probably one of the league’s best. In the past two games the Raiders have had a kickoff return for touchdown, a fake punt run for 35 yards and a fake field goal for a touchdown. The Raiders will miss Janikowski’s presence,but Steve Hoffman, the Chiefs special teams coach, has had to get his unit ready for anything.

Prediction: With this game being a transition game for Raiders because of the quarterback situation. Expect an old-fashioned AFC West intense, hardnosed, and close game. Raiders 17, Chiefs 13

Studs and Duds From Week 6

 Posted by at 7:30 AM  No Responses »
Oct 192011
 

The Raiders dominated the Browns yet only squeezed out the victory. What players stood out on Sunday and which went unnoticed in the victory?

Studs

Jacoby Ford – A 101-yard kick return gets you into studs about 99 times out of 100. He broke another long return and almost busted out on an offensive play. Ford isn’t getting the snaps he is used to getting, but that could change this week.

Kamerion Wimbley – Sure his sack numbers aren’t adding up just yet, but he spent the afternoon in Colt McCoy’s face. He’s drawing a ton of attention and that is freeing up the defensive tackles to wreak havoc up the middle.

Richard Seymour – Double teams are no match for Mr. Seymour. The man sure loved to push around the Browns interior lineman and was drawing holds and double teams just about every play. Superior game by the Raiders defensive captain.

Michael Huff – No one was better than Huff in coverage on Sunday. He played mostly cornerback and Matt Giordano gets an honorable mention for holding it down and having a darn good day at free safety.

Honorable Mentions

Demarcus Van Dyke (might have made the studs list if he was willing and able to make a tackle) & Darrius Heyward-Bey (Pats self on back)

Duds

Rolando McClain – I realize by putting McClain here I put myself at risk of “hating” on McClain or people thinking I have some unnatural bias against McClain. In fact, I thought McClain had a very good game when I watched the game live, but after watching the game again I realized McClain’s game was average. Better than he has been and he did make a few impact plays so maybe McClain is coming on. He missed two tackles and made six. That 1:3 ratio needs to improve. Unfortunately average puts you on the duds list if you are both the middle linebacker, a first-round pick and there aren’t many options for duds that week. That’s this week.

Jerome Boyd – One snap. One touchdown. Released. After leaving the field only for the ghost of Al Davis to save the Raiders the week prior in Houston, Boyd only played one defensive snap and promptly allowed a touchdown. He allowed 12 receptions for 236 yards and two touchdowns while only being thrown at 16 times on the season according to profootballfocus.com stats. That’s a staggering 156.3 QB rating against. Just not good enough when the Raiders have plenty of safeties.

Samson Satele – Tough way to get on the duds list. Satele was bothered with an injury and still played 70 snaps. He wasn’t himself on the afternoon and now has had two games in a row that he hasn’t looked as good as he did for the first four games. Chalk this one up to the injury and the bye week coming up after this week could be a welcome sign for the Raiders center.

Dishonorable Mentions

Michael Bush, Trevor Scott, Jarvis Moss – Step up your game fellas.

[table “1” not found /]

Week 6 Preview: Browns @ Raiders

 Posted by at 12:12 AM  1 Response »
Oct 162011
 

On Offense

With all the discussion about last week’s emotional win in Houston it is easy to forget that statistically, last week was the Raiders worse offensive game. Last week, the Raiders finished with 278 offensive yards marking the first time since week 1 the team did not reach 300 yards. The Raiders offense were out-gaineed by nearly 200 yards, by far the largest amount so far this season. The most the Raiders had been out-gained this season was by 56 in Week 3 when Mark Sanchez and the Jets were playing catch-up and attempted 44 passes.

To improve this week, it starts up front with the big hogs. The Raiders offensive line last gave up 3 sacks in week 5 after only allowing two total in the other four games this season. The Browns have 11 sacks in four games and a pass rush that could pose problems to the Raiders offensive line. Darren McFadden totaled only 51 rushing yards in week 5 and 75 in week 4. The opposition has done a good job shrinking the running lanes the past two weeks. Regardless of the defensive front or scheme the Raiders offensive line needs to find a way to get McFadden cleanly to the second level and beyond.

The Browns will likely load the box and make Jason Campbell prove he can be consistently accurate. In order to help open up the running lanes, Jason Campbell must make the Browns secondary respect the pass. Campbell can do this by connecting with tight end Kevin Boss and other receivers on intermediate passing routes. Campbell will be facing a defense that is giving up less than 200 passing yards a game so look for McFadden to break out his mini funk with 125 yards or more this week and look for Kevin Boss to make an impact in the red zone.

 

On Defense

The Browns are led by Colt McCoy and running back Peyton Hillis, but Hillis has been maligned and McCoy has shouldered the offensive burden impressively. In four games, McCoy has passed for 984 yards and 6 touchdowns. More would be talked about McCoy’s campaign if it was not for Hillis’ off the field problems. Given that Hillis’ agent did not advise him to sit out this game; the Raiders should expect a healthy dosage of him. His physical running style will go along with a well-distributed passing game which will feature team leading receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and tight end Benjamin Watson. This Sunday, Cleveland rookie Greg Little will get his first career start at wide receiver.

So far this season, the Browns offense has not been impressive. Victories in the NFL cannot be taken for granted and opponents cannot be underestimated, but the Browns’ victories came over Indianapolis and Miami. Cal product Alex Mack is the Browns starting center and is recovering from an appendectomy. This is a golden opportunity for the Raiders defensive line to flex their muscle and dominate once again. After one practice Aaron Curry will get the start, look for him to be around the ball on running downs and off the field in passing situations. Look for multiple sacks from the defensive line and an interception or two in the secondary.

 

Matchups

Darren McFadden vs. D’Qwell Johnson

D’Qwell Johnson has been plagued with injuries during his career but he is now staying healthy and is having the best season of his career. He has registered double digits in tackles in three out if the Browns four games this season. Johnson also leads all middle linebackers in sacks and was voted AFC defensive player of the month in September. For the Raiders to have a big game, McFadden needs to have early success. After two unusually subpar games, McFadden needs to get back on track. The key will be how many times McFadden gets past the first wave of Cleveland defenders.

Raiders’ Offensive line vs. Browns’ front 7

In all aspects the Raiders offensive line had their worst game last week and it showed. They gave up 3 sacks and the Raiders only gained 94 rushing yards. The Browns are coming off a bye but they will be without pass rushing Marcus Bernard. The Browns front 7 has a good combination of size, experience and speed. They are led on the line by 300 pounder Ahtyba Rubin and in the linebacker corps by D’Qwell Johnson. The Browns have had early contributions from massive rookie lineman Phil Taylor and his defensive end peer Jabaal Sheard. This matchup will set the Raiders offensive tempo for much of the game.

Jason Campbell vs. Browns’ Secondary

Campbell did barely enough to lead his team to victory last week. The Browns’ defense will likely come out loading the box, begging Campbell to make accurate throws. Campbell needs to make the Browns’ respect the pass. For McFadden to have success, Campbell needs to distribute the ball well, take advantage of open receivers and make accurate passes. The Browns secondary has an impressive mixture of experience and youth with 2nd year safety T.J Ward leading the way. Pass defense is a team effort but so far the Browns’ secondary is holding teams under 200 passing yards a game. Joe Haden, the Browns’ stud corner back is coming off a knee injury and will likely be a game time decision, his presence could be missed.

Kevin Boss vs. Browns’ coverage

Three out of the four games the Browns have played a tight end has caught a touchdown. Two out of those three games, the tight end was the leading receiver for the other team. Kevin Boss started the season injured and has been outshined by the Raiders wide receivers to this point. Boss has yet to reach the end zone so look for Boss to have his coming out party this Sunday against a defense that struggles defending the tight end.

Colt McCoy vs Chuch Bresnahan

Colt McCoy deserves his own light. With Hillis’ shenanigans, McCoy really has really stepped up and led this team. After a record-setting collegiate career, McCoy probably still has a chip on his shoulder after falling into the third round. Watch for McCoy to distribute the ball well and work short routes that test the Raiders open field tackling. Last week, Bresnahan used blitzes to take his linebackers out of coverage and it worked. Look for Bresnahan to dial-up the blitz again. Bresnahan will probably use a mixture of blitz packages including safety and zone blitzes to put added pressure on the Browns’ young quarterback.

Peyton Hillis vs. Raiders Defensive Line

When the Raiders defensive line plays inspired and they lead the team to victory. Tommy Kelly, Richard Seymour and Lamarr Houston all had great games last week. If the defensive line was not busy holding Arian Foster to 68 yards rushing, they were getting after Schaub and deflecting passes. When the defensive line plays like this, they are nearly unstoppable. Peyton Hillis so far has been a disappointment this year. His play has taken back seat to his contract and him being sick. Look for Hillis to come out motivated after the bye week.

Greg Little vs. DeMarcus Van Dyke

Greg Little is making his first career start at wide receiver and has been an early season favorite of Colt McCoy’s. Little, who’s getting the start over Cribbs, has caught a respectful 14 balls for 131 yards this season. Even though he has a low average he has caught more balls in four games than any Raiders receiver has in five, outside Hayward-Bey. DVD had a great first start for the Raiders only giving up one catch. If DVD gets the start, expect Little on his side and for him to get consistently challenged.

Benjamin Watson/Evan Moore vs. Raiders Linebackers/Safeties

The best friend for any young quarterback is a reliable tight end. Watson has been McCoy’s favorite target, leading the team in receptions with 16. Moore has 7 catches in four games and is currently tied with Watson in touchdown catches with 2. Even though last week the Raiders defense was stout again the run, they had some blown coverages that resulted in touchdowns. The Texans tight ends finished with 12 catches for 201 yards last week. The Raiders linebackers did not play the pass well. They often respond late and were suckered by play action. The Raiders safeties have had communication problems as well as problems tackling. The Raiders need to clamp down on these tight ends or Watson and Moore will have a party of their own.

Aaron Curry vs Aaron Curry

Just after a couple of being traded Aaron Curry is making his first in the silver and black. Curry will be asked to play weak side linebacker, a position that he has never played. Curry will see runs his way and be responsible for cut backs on runs to the strong side. Curry will be tested early and often by the Browns. It would make sense for the Raiders to take Curry out on obvious passing downs. The key will be how he plays against play action and other pass plays. Curry get one chance to make a good first impression on his new team and to the Raider Nation and this is it.

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