Highs, Lows & Blows From Thursday’s Game

 Posted by at 1:58 PM  2 Responses »
Aug 122011
 

Everyone likes to win, but this is preseason. It’s the first preseason game of a year which features very little practice time beforehand.

It’s far too early to jump to conclusions about the season or any one player. It doesn’t mean that there is nothing to learn from the game.

Highs

1. The defensive line looks even more dominant than they did last year. Matt Shaughnessy looks poised for breakout year. They held up on the goal line.

2. The passing game looks ready to take the next step. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore and Kevin Boss all looked the part. Moore got snaps with the first team and made the most of them.

Heyward-Bey made a hands catch and then beat a defender deep only to have Jason Campbell under-throw him. Even Kyle Boller and Trent Edwards looked to be effectively orchestrating the passing offense. David Ausberry looks like he could become something special and a weapon in the receiving game.

3. The offensive line blocked reasonably well. A pleasant surprise. Sacks and pressure mostly came as a result of blitzes, something you aren’t really planning for in preseason games.

First team offensive line (left to right): Jared Veldheer, Daniel Loper, Samson Satele, Cooper Carisle, Khalif Barnes.

Second team: Stephon Heyer, Alex Parsons, Stefen Wisniewski, Roy Schuening, Joseph Barksdale

4. Depth players who looked good last night include Sterling Moore, who made a play, which echos what we have been hearing about him in camp. Chances are improving that he will make the roster. Tommie Hill was consistently getting a good push.

5. Jarvis Moss looks like he is in great shape. He’s motivated and he’s energetic on defense. He could become a key player this season if he continues to play with as much speed and strength as he did last night.

Lows

1. Depth in the secondary. After the starters left the game it got ugly. Walter McFadden looked the worst and was picked on repeatedly by the opposing quarterbacks. Jeremy Ware was not exposed in coverage, but could have made a play on the game-winning touchdown catch and run and didn’t. Stevie Brown didn’t even look good, missing the defender completely on an open-field tackle attempt.

Demarcus Van Dyke started strong by blanketing Larry Fitzgerald early. Fitzgerald still made a long reception over Van Dyke, but his coverage was good. He struggled with the backups. He was stiff-armed by Beanie Wells and was beat for a touchdown reception. He needs to bulk up and his speed will not benefit him if he isn’t within five yards. It looked worse than it was for Van Dyke, but he certainly has a steep learning curve.

2. An announced crowd under 30,000 means the Raiders will have a hard time selling out games. On any given week the Raiders will have to sell more individual game tickets than they have season ticket holders. The two for one offer starting August 15th will help, but it’s a steep hill to climb to avoid blackouts.

3. Not much depth at outside linebacker. Travis Goethel may end up sliding outside when the season moves closer, even though his best fit is in the middle. Goethel reminds me of Greg Biekert. Quentin Groves was playing with third and fourth string players and you almost couldn’t tell. Besides those three players there isn’t much depth. None of the backups stood out from the crowd. Raiders are rumored to still be interested in Lofa Tatupu. I’m not sure he can play outside, but he’s a quality option.

4. Mental errors killed the Raiders. Khalif Barnes had three false starts. That’s going to cost him snaps and could cost him his job. Trent Edwards had a delay of game penalty after a penalty. Reading Hue Jackson’s lips on the sideline: “You can’t do that! Come on!”

Blows

1. Hiram Eugene dislocated his hip. It’s a season ending injury. The same injury ended Bo Jackson’s career when the injury caused a subsequent conditions that resulted in loss of blood flow.

2. Chaz Schilens hurt his knee. Enough said.

3. Many Raiders players tweeted post game that the team had “a lot” of injuries. We’ll find out who had “nicks” when Hue Jackson talks to the press at 5 p.m.

Plenty of things to correct for Hue Jackson, sadly most of it will be on the back of Chuck Bresnahan. It only took one game for fans to lament his bend, don’t break defense.

 

Cardinal @ Raiders Preseason Preview: Makeshift Offensive Line On Display

 Posted by at 2:35 PM  No Responses »
Aug 112011
 

The Raiders host the Arizona Cardinals today at 7 p.m. at O.com Coliseum in Oakland. When the team takes the field for the first time in 2011, they will be led by Hue Jackson. It will be Jackson’s first game as the head coach.

Jackson will use the preseason as time to get the hang of his responsibilities as the head man.

As for the players, judging the preseason is complicated. Louis Rankin routinely makes preseason highlight reels, but he has hardly been able to stick on a roster in his career.

 

Special Teams

Besides estimating the Raiders season ticket base from the preseason attendance, you should be watching special teams closely.

The fringe roster players will not make the team if they can’t perform on special teams. When deciding on a the last receiver, linebacker, or safety to make the roster, the coaching staff is going to choose the guy that performed the best on special teams.

 

Offensive Line

The only position on the offensive line that appears cemented is Jared Veldheer at left tackle. The remaining four positions on the line remain open for the top performer.

Nothing is going to be decided this early, but it is now clear Stefen Wisniewski isn’t going to be handed a starting job just because his uncle is one of the coaches. Wisniewski will get first-team reps at center and left guard, but his reps at left guard are simply so he can be the primary backup at a position with very little depth. He’s being pushed, but he should ultimately win the starting center job over Samson Satele.

There are three players pushing for the starting job at right tackle, veteran Khalif Barnes, rookie Joseph Barksdale and acquisition Stephon Heyer. Hue Jackson wants a bully, expect the most physical player to end up being the starter at right tackle. Barnes has the edge, but Barksdale and Heyer could press him quickly.

 

Nickel and Dime

The Raiders don’t yet know who their nickel and dime corners will be.  There are four candidates for the spots. DeMarcus Van Dyke, Chimdi Chekwa, Jeremy Ware and Walter McFadden. Chekwa is out with an injury, leaving the light to shine on the other three. By nature of his draft position, the nickel job is Van Dyke’s if he can hold it. Ware and McFadden need to shine to make the coaches think twice.

 

Backers

Darryl Blackstock and Jerome Boyd are both backup outside linebackers. There is no depth behind starters Quentin Groves and Kamerion Wimbley. It’s very thin and the Raiders are hoping someones, anyone jumps out during the game.

Travis Goethel will get plenty of playing time behind Rolando McClain at middle linebacker. Don’t be surprised if he plays well. It’s very possible he will move to the weak side once the season starts. Groves has something to prove or Goethel will snatch his starting job away.

 

Boller or Edwards?

Considering the Raiders lack of overall talent, continuity, and depth of the offensive line there is a pretty good chance the backup quarterback will need to step in and play at some point this season.

Kyle Boller and Trent Edwards will duke it out in the battle of former starters. For Boller, he needs to make good decisions and protect the football. Edwards needs to work on his timidness in the pocket.

Hue Jackson and Al Saunders are as good as any at helping out their quarterbacks, but expect them to push these backups as hard as possible during the preseason. The time is now to find out which one can play should when they are needed.

 

Passing Attack

The passing game is the one area on offense the Raiders must improve. It’s a delicate balance of pass blocking, route running and ball spinning. The Raiders must improve in all these areas. Jason Campbell and his young receivers need to continue to build chemistry. The make-shift offensive line needs to keep Campbell off his back. Jury is out on if any of these areas are actually improved in 2011.

 

Rush Defense

This defense is known for its inability to stop the run. Last year it was the big play that killed them. Pay close attention to how the backup defensive lineman and linebackers do at filling gaps and tackling. Just one or two missed assignments on any given play can result in disaster.

Bruce Campbell Switching Back to Tackle

 Posted by at 1:21 PM  2 Responses »
Jul 222011
 

Bruce Campbell was recently on Jay Richardson’s Radio show and confirmed he would be moving back to tackle in 2011.

This is surprising considering the drafting of Joseph Barksdale and the pending release of Cooper Carlisle and begs the question if Mario Henderson and Langston Walker will be retained.

It will also be very interesting if Campbell and rookie Joseph Barksdale battle for the starting job at right tackle.

The other possibility is the Raiders are sticking Campbell behind Veldheer at left tackle and his opportunity for snaps will decrease even further.

It could also be a sign that the Raiders have targeted a guard in free agency and are shuffling the line around to accommodate him.

Hit the Reset Button on Player Expectations

 Posted by at 10:42 AM  No Responses »
Jul 202011
 

It’s natural for fans to get excited about football players . The fan DNA is encoded to cheer and root for athletes we could only dream of being.

It can be dangerous when fans get carried away and before we know it a rookie receiver becomes a savior.

It’s not negative to point out what players are having unrealistic expectations placed on them. This list isn’t to say the player is not good or to thrash on them. Rather it is like hitting the reset button because you have been playing Madden on rookie for too long.

The coaching staff is also having to work with a short training camp and no mini-camp. It wouldn’t be surprising to see many young players have their professional growth stunted by the abbreviated offseason.

So what players are overrated?

 

Nnamdi Asomugha

He isn’t likely to be a Raider in 2011, but this might be the last opportunity to point out the fans that the Raiders will not be significantly worse in the secondary without Asomugha. Even the best corner in the league can be overrated.

If you have been following this blog for a while, you are prepared mentally to lose Asomugha in free agency. Don’t make it worse than it is. Asomugha is 30 and Al Davis is smart to turn to younger players. Asomugha is the type of player who will go on to be successful elsewhere, but likely not be worth the huge amount of money that will be committed to him.

It would be tough to make a case that Asomugha has been worth what the Raiders paid him the last few years. A corner just doesn’t impact the game enough one their own to earn money like a quarterback.

The fact that Asomugha was rarely tested didn’t magically make Raiders secondary amazing. Asomugha also only plays one side of the field. He’s not shadowing the oppositions top receiver. He’s great, probably the best, but even the best corner isn’t impacting the game enough to be worth $14 million per year.

 

Jacoby Ford

Ford was a lightning rod for the offense and he quickly became a fan favorite. He is blazing fast and almost single-handedly defeated the Chiefs at the coliseum last fall.

The risk here is that the fans and maybe even the organization are viewing him as a number one receiver. That’s a lofty expectation to be placed on a sophomore receiver. Ford is a more natural fit as a number two receiver.

He’s being pushed into the number one role largely because of the Raiders lack of top end talent. He’s good, he’s fast and he’s dynamic. He’s also got a lot to learn about route running and blocking.

That doesn’t mean Jacoby Ford will not be successful, but temper your expectations and enjoy a handful of electric plays Ford will inevitably make. You can be sure defensive coordinators will know where Ford is lined up and with an entire offseason to study they will be ready for him.

Hue Jackson and Al Saunders will need to create new ways to get Ford the ball. With a short training camp, that may be more difficult than you might expect.

 

Jared Veldheer

He’s firmly the Raiders left tackle. There is no denying Jared helped solidify the line last season with his versatility and generally solid play. He still made mistakes and had trouble with speed rushers around the edge. He’ll play without Robert Gallery to his right in 2011.

Don’t expect Veldheer to be Jonathan Ogden. If you watched Veldheer closely, you know he still has learning to do. You have to like how Veldheer competes. He’s such a gym rat he opened his own. If the Raiders are lucky Veldheer continues to improve over the next couple seasons into what is considered a franchise left tackle. Until then, expect growing pains.

He could have really benefitted from more time with the new offensive line coaches. A short training camp means less time to work on his footwork.

 

Marcel Reece

A relative unknown headed into the 2010 season, Reece became a versatile weapon for the Raiders offense. He’s an ex-receiver and really showed how dangerous he can be out of the backfield.

For as much as we all love Reece, he’s still got work to do on his blocking. Picking up the blitzing linebacker or helping out on defensive lineman can mean the difference between a sack and a big play.

He’s a fullback and although the NFL is going away from the fullback as lead blocker, it’s still nice to have one who can do it.

Offenses will start to focus more attention on Reece if the Raiders fail to develop another weapon on offense. It’s easy to love Reece, but he can still grow as a player.

 

The players on this list are among my favorites on the team. I want them to be successful, but success in the eyes of fans can often be unrealistic. Hit the reset button and  reevaluate what made these players a success in 2010 to avoid disappointment in 2011.

Needs Addressed On Day Two

 Posted by at 2:33 AM  No Responses »
Apr 302011
 

The Oakland Raiders tried to trade up for Colin Kaepernick, but were not successful.

Instead, the Raiders made the most natural pick they could and selected Steve Wisniewski’s nephew Stefen. Stefen will play center for the Raiders and become and instant fan favorite. His technique is sound and should be a starter for years.

The Raiders traded their 2012 second round pick for the Patriots third, pick 94 and fourth, pick 125.

The Raiders used their own third round pick to again draft the fastest player at the scouting combine in Demarcus Van Dyke. You might as well pencil in the fastest player at the combine every year. Al Davis loves his speed.

Van Dyke seems like a reach, but he’s got good physical tools and will be mentored by Rod Woodson. His teammate will be Stanford Routt, who was much like Van Dyke coming out of college.

Van Dyke is long and lean and Hue Jackson said he felt very comfortable with the pick.

With the pick acquired from the Patriots, the Raiders selected Joseph Barksdale a raw offensive tackle prospect. He’s got all the physical skills to be a starting caliber right tackle.

With this draft, the Raiders have drafted four out of five of next year’s probable starting offensive line.

LT Jared Veldheer

C Wisniewski

RG Bruce Campbell

RT Joseph Barkdale

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