Week 13 Matchups: Risk/Reward

 Posted by at 8:00 AM  No Responses »
Dec 042011
 

Defensive Matchups

Stanford Routt vs. Brandon Marshall

Marshall can take over and when his mind is right he is one of the best wide receivers in the game. Routt has an interception in two consecutive games and may be starting to prove he is worth his contract. With Bresnahan mixing up things, don’t be surprised if Routt shadows Marshall as he did Vincent Jackson a few weeks ago.

Rolondo McClain vs. Reggie Bush

Bush is at his best when in space and McClain is at his worst in space. The Dolphins will try to get Bush in open space and build on his reception total currently at 35. McClain needs to be physical with Bush to take him out of his game. From his midweek arrest in Alabama, McClain has plenty to prove. ***If McClain sits, Blackstock will draw the matchup, but the key for him will be getting the defense lined up correctly***

Kamerion Wimbley vs. Jake Long

Long has been under-achieving this season and as a result the Miami Dolphins offensive line has given up 36 sacks, which ranks 28th in the league. The Raiders are 5th in the NFL with a team total of 30 sacks. If the Raiders defense is to dominate they need to consistently get to Matt Moore. The matchup of Wimbley against Long will set the tempo in the battle of the trenches.

X-Factor

Michael Huff

Huff has done a bit of everything this year. He’s showing off the versatility he showed at Texas and he also has two interceptions. Look for him to be all over field and making an impressive impact this Sunday.

Offensive Matchups

Marcel Reece vs. Yeremiah Bell

Since coming back from injury Reece has been the catalyst of the Raiders’ offense. If there are yards to be picked up, Hue Jackson finds a way to get Reece the ball. Bell is an outspoken, athletic member of the improved Miami D with a nose for the ball. Look for these two to bump heads on many occasions.

Michael Bush vs. Karlos Dansby

Last week, for the first time since his injury, the Raiders missed Darren McFadden’s running production. Bush was held to 69 rushing yards on 24 attempts. The Raiders offense relies on the running game to win games so Bush needs to get going early. Dansby is one of the league’s best inside linebackers and has led a defense that hasn’t given up a 100 yard rusher since Ben Tate put up 103 in week 2.

Carson Palmer vs. Vontae Davis

Palmer is a risk taker. Last week he had one interception, but could have easily had three. Davis has had great performances, but he has also been suspended. Davis is a risk taking corner looking to make plays for his team. There will be reward, but for who?

X-Factor

Chaz Shilens

A week after catching his first touchdown from Palmer, Chaz caught 4 passes for 58 yards. Those numbers might not sound too impressive, but up until last week his season high was 31 yards. With Ford and Moore still nursing injuries look for Chaz to be one of Palmer’s favorite targets on third downs and in the scoring zone.

Week 12 Matchups

 Posted by at 9:30 AM  No Responses »
Nov 272011
 

Defensive Matchups

Rolando McClain vs. Matt Forte

Before Cutler’s injury, Forte carried the Bears offense with nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage. 926 of those yards come on the ground. With continued success and Cutler’s injury, Forte can be an MVP candidate. McClain needs to show leadership and consistent playmaking ability to limit Forte’s production. Stopping Chicago’s offense starts with containing Forte.

Tommy Kelly vs. Roberto Garza

With Seymour’s injury, Kelly becomes the Raiders best defensive tackle. Garza, the Bears’ center, anchors the Bears offensive line. The winner of this matchup will go a long way in showing what team will control the tempo and what team will control the line of scrimmage.

Chuck Bresnahan vs. Caleb Hanie

With very limited tape of Hannie, Bresnahan is going to test the young quarterback. Watch for Hanie’s mobility to play a key part as Bresnahan mixes coverages and blitz packages.

X-Factor

Matt Giordano

Giordano is not great at tacking in the open field but he is great at reading young quarterback’s eyes and making game-changing interceptions.

Offensive Matchups

Michael Bush vs. Brian Urlacher

Urlacher is a perennial pro-bowler and a potential Hall of Famer, there are only a few linebackers that compare to him. Urlacher is the heart and soul of the Chicago Bears. Bush will need to fight through the linebackers to get the secondary.

Jared Veldheer vs. Julius Peppers

Peppers is a different kind of defensive end than Jared Allen. Peppers is more of a complete defensive end, he plays the run as well as he rushes the passer. With a performance like last week, Veldeer will get his hat thrown in to the Pro Bowl discussion.

Carson Palmer vs. Charles Tillman

Tillman isn’t great in coverage. There is a reason why he is the Bears leading tackler. With the Bears having a stout front seven, look for Palmer to pick on Tillman to loosen up the defense. On Sunday, Tillman will need to do more than create a fumble to have a good game.

X-Factor

Louis Murphy

With injuries to the wide receiver core, Murphy will likely receive more snaps than he has all season. Murphy will try to work out his frustration and should play with a chip on his shoulder. Look for Murphy to prove himself.

Week 12 Offensive Preview: Avoid Turnovers

 Posted by at 4:16 PM  No Responses »
Nov 252011
 

With Jay Cutler going down to injury the Chicago Bears will start Caleb Hanie on Sunday. Hanie has played well in short spurts, but will make his first career start on the road. I’m sure the record for quarterbacks in their first career starts on the road isn’t good. The focus shifts on what the Raiders can accomplish on offense versus an opportunistic Bears defense.

Rushing

Fortunately for the Raiders, the Bears weakness has been against the running game. The Bears rush defense has allowed 4.9 yards per carry to opposing running backs, but only 6 rushing touchdowns. Raiders will want to run the ball in the middle of the field and attempt to pass in the redzone for opportunities to score. Expect Michael Bush to have a big day on the ground, but don’t expect too many touchdowns as the Bears clamp down against the run in the redzone. The Raiders offensive lineman must get to the second level in the running game and put clean blocks on Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher to spring Michael Bush into the secondary.

The Bears linebackers struggle with speed backs as evidenced by Jahvid Best’s 163-yard rushing performance in week five.  If Taiwan Jones is healthy enough to play he should get more carries to spell Bush and could finally break off a long run, but the Bears will be looking to force turnovers and Jones needs to focus on ball security or the Raiders will again give Bush 30 carries. Marcel Reece received more carries than normal last week, expect him to be more active in the passing game this week leaving the rushing duties to Bush and Jones. The Bears corners can tackle and the Raiders receivers will need to block and keep them from getting involved in run support.

Passing

The Bears primary weapon against the pass in defensive end Julius Peppers. The Raiders counter with Jared Veldheer to keep Peppers away from Carson Palmer. The Bears corners are physical and play short zones close to the line of scrimmage leaving the safeties to help deep. Carson Palmer will need to thread passes between the zones and be mindful of linebackers bailing into coverage. If Darrius Heyward-Bey is able to play, this game suites his abilities. Intermediate outs and slants can decimate the Bears defense if the backs can keep the linebackers sucked close to the line of scrimmage. The backs need to read Briggs and Urlacher bailing into zone and become check-down options for Palmer.

The struggle will be in the redzone as gaps in the zone are more condensed. The Raiders should attack the center of the field with a tight end and the perimeter of the field with Marcel Reece and force the Bears defense to cover the maximum amount of space.

Overall

The Bears are a good example of a bend, don’t break defense. The Bears will allow yardage, but force turnovers or the opponents to settle for field goals. It is very important for the Raiders to take care of the football this week. The Bears zone defense is good at creating confusion in the passing game and the Bears defense loves force fumbles when the ball-carrier gets careless. The Raiders run game should carry them once again, but don’t count out the passing game in the redzone.

By The Numbers

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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.


Raiders’ Week 11 Fantasy Outlook

 Posted by at 2:21 PM  1 Response »
Nov 182011
 

Quarterback

Carson Palmer is a name that is generating a lot of buzz this week, partly because of his solid stat line in Week 10 (299 yards, 2 TD passes, 1 INT). It also has to do with the fact that a lot of quarterbacks are injured in fantasy land (Matt Schaub, Matt Cassel, Michael Vick). Facing off against a depleted Vikings secondary this week, Palmer is a recommended start this week. The Vikings placed cornerback Antoine Winfield in injured reserve and will be counting on Benny Sapp. Unfortunately for Sapp, he will most likely going up against one of the hottest receivers in the NFL in Denarius Moore. With a plethora of options in the passing game, fantasy owners should be able to count on Palmer against a weak Vikings’ secondary this week.

Running Backs

Michael Bush has been a force in the running game, scoring double-digit fantasy games in three straight games. While Darren McFadden has been seen out of his protective walking boot, he has been ruled out for week 11. Fantasy owners can look forward to a full load of work for Bush. Clearly, Bush is running with authority and is making a case to be a full-time starter for the Silver and Black next year or elsewhere. Take advantage of his production while you can. Taiwan Jones is the change-of-pace back, but it’s very hard to trust him. He has shown spurts of breakaway ability, but his chances are limited. Additionally, Jones is struggling in pass-protection, making him an even riskier play as the coaches might want to employ Bush on all three downs.

Wide Receivers

Denarius Moore lit it up last week vs. the Chargers to the tune of 5 receptions for 123 yards and two TDs.  Moore is the best fantasy option when it comes to the Raiders’ wide receiving corps in terms of being the safest option as well as the one possessing the most upside. Consider him a WR2 play this week with the upside of a WR1. Held without a catch for the past two games, Darrius Heyward-Bey is a droppable candidate this late into the season. Sure he may be able to turn things around, but it’s a risky proposition. Acquire depth elsewhere as you make the push towards fantasy playoffs. The same can be said about Jacoby Ford who is battling an injury.

Tight Ends

Kevin Boss showed signs of life last week catching two passes for 32 yards. He could develop into a nice option for CP3, but fantasy players should take a wait and see approach when it comes to Boss and the other Raiders’ tight ends. The Raiders just haven’t used the tight end as a weapon in the passing game.

Kicker

Fantasy owners who own Sebastian Janikowski have been frustrated as of late due to his injury. According to Contra Costa Times, Janikowski did not practice Thursday and Hue Jackson called him 97.2% healthy. Roll the dice with Janikowski or look into the availability of Rob Bironas of the Titans. When his team is playing well and Chris Johnson is running well  it gives him both the opportunity for PATs and field goals.

Defense/Special Teams

Don’t be tempted to play the Raiders’ defense or special teams this week even if they are facing the Vikings. The Vikings have played their opponents tough (disregard their last game vs. Packers game as it was a blowout). The Raiders’ defensive unit has been tough to rely on, giving fantasy owners negative points in three games this year. Also, the loss of Ford in the return game makes them a risky start as the Vikings have an emerging offense led by the poise of Christian Ponder and the dangerous Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin.

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