Studs and Duds From Week 11

 Posted by at 2:56 PM  1 Response »
Nov 222011
 

The Raiders slogged through the second half again and it nearly came back to bite them. A better team may have been able to capitalize on the Raiders penalties, but the Vikings without Adrian Peterson were powerless to do so. The defense looked suspect again and the Raiders offensive line struggled more than they have all season. A few welcome surprises this week and the reappearance of duds from 2010.

STUDS

Jared Veldheer

Veldheer handled Jared Allen on Sunday and held him without a sack for the first time this season. The Raiders finally found their franchise left tackle from Hillsdale College. If Veldheer can handle Julius Peppers this Sunday, he’ll start getting national recognition and should get a decent amount of Pro Bowl consideration. Allen did get pressure on Palmer on back-to-back plays in the first half, but Veldheer adjusted and was pushing Allen well wide of Palmer for the rest of the day. On one occasion Veldheer flattened Allen on a run. A great performance from the Raiders left tackle and the Raiders need him to equal it next Sunday.

Kevin Boss

Hue Jackson finally got his tight end involved in the offense and the Bossman didn’t disappoint. On more than one occasion Boss helped the Raiders convert on third down. It was nice to see Boss getting into the groove of things and getting involved, he’ll continue to be a good third down outlet for Carson Palmer and Jackson should utilize him in that capacity when needed.

Darrius Heyward-Bey

He sustained a blow to the back of the head and the severity of the injury is still unclear, but it appears that Heyward-Bey avoided the worst and may be able to return to action in a few weeks. It’s a good thing too, because Heyward-Bey’ has been producing when given the opportunity. Palmer is starting to look his way and a 34-yard strike was nullified by a Veldheer hold in the first half.

Stanford Routt

He’s much like Nnamdi Asomugha was, he’s consistently good in coverage and will occasionally have lapses trying to make a tackle, but a corner’s main responsiblity in the Raiders offense is to cover and he did that an elite level on Sunday. Capping the performance with interception in the endzone when it appeared the Vikings were getting back into the game.

Desmond Bryant

He’s the starting end opposite Lamarr Houston now and his performances have gotten him more and more playing time ahead of Jarvis Moss and Trevor Scott. He had two sacks on Sunday and looked dominant at times. He should win the job full-time at end as he has been equally good against the run and pass. It sure helps alleviate the loss of Matt Shaughnessy when you have a player as versatile and good as Desmond Bryant on the team.

Honorable Mentions

Tommy Kelly, Matt Giordano, Tyvon Branch

DUDS

Rolando McClain

Oh Rolando…how I wish you were anything approaching a good middle linebacker. The Raiders really hit the 2010 draft out of the park…minus the very first pick. Bad angles, bad tackling, can’t get off blocks. He’s decent in coverage, but for every good play he has a lapse. He made a good play to knock down a pass late in the game, but he should have been able to intercept it if he hadn’t been there a step late.

Michael Huff

Matt Giordano is getting more time at free safety and Huff is getting more time at cornerback at the expense of Demarcus Van Dyke. Perhaps the Raiders should re-think this alignment. Huff might be playing injured, but he wasn’t able to tackle anyone and was lucky Percy Harvin’s touchdown run was nullified by a Vikings penalty. Terrible game for Huff.

Khalif Barnes

He’s obviously the weak link on the Raiders resurgent offensive line. If the Raiders had a good alternative they would probably bench Barnes, but Bruce Campbell appears stuck at the bottom of the depth chart and Stephon Heyer and Joseph Barksdale are getting their snaps at guard due to the injury of center Samson Satele.

Cooper Carlisle

The Raiders offensive line struggled on Sunday and Carlisle was no exception. The Raiders couldn’t run to the right without the lineman getting blown into the backfield and stuffing Michael Bush. Carlisle and Barnes are probably rated 21 and 22 among Raiders starters and they both get dud status this week.

Dishonerable Mentions

Stephon Heyer, Samson Satele, Aaron Curry, Officiating.

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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.


Asomugha Gets Tagged

 Posted by at 11:03 PM  No Responses »
Feb 202008
 

Adam S. reports it is the exclusive version. What this means if his salary will be based on the 2008 Top 5 CB instead of the 2007 numbers. If Dante Hall gets a new deal or Asante Samuel signs a huge contract Asomugha’s guranteed salary could be $10 mllion.

I have a feeling Asomugha will get a long-term deal before the season. He is about as low-risk as you can get and has proven his worth to our team. Unlike the Jared Allen and Carl Peterson fiasco going on in KC, where Allen is a high risk due to his drinking problem and the relationship between the two is strained, Asomugha is the model citizen and hometown hero. To our knowledge he hasn’t had any problems with management.

We all knew it was coming. The exclusive part is no suprise either, because this shows Asomugha our commitment to keep him and should help with our contract negotiations. Unlike Woodson, Asomugha will get his deal done, because he has proven in all areas he is deserving, and also because I believe he wants to stay.