Cable’s Last Stand

 Posted by at 8:02 AM  No Responses »
Jan 022011
 

The looming question headed into the off season is if Tom Cable will be retained as head coach. Cable’s contract expires January 18 unless owner Al Davis picks up a one-year, $2.5 million-dollar option.

That means Al Davis will have a couple weeks to evaluate his team and its performance this season. Davis convinces himself every year that his team is primed for a Super Bowl run. This is why there is a vast difference between 7-9 and 8-8 in the eyes of Davis.

At 7-9, the team had a losing record and wasn’t a real threat to challenge for the playoffs. At 8-8, you are close and just need to catch a break and win a couple close games to be in the playoffs. Going 8-8 also means 6-0 in the division and owning the division is a good springboard into the next season and something Cable can sell to Davis as reason to keep him around.

Players almost always say they want a coach to return when asked. It isn’t what players say, it is how they play. When players play hard and fight for a head coach, they really want him back. It shows what kind of character the players have and what kind of respect they have for the man that leads them.

With Hue Jackson likely to draw interest as a head coaching candidate around the league, Cable’s status is very much in limbo. Jackson is especially attractive since he would be a Rooney Rule candidate. Davis does not want to lose Jackson and that fear could drive a change as well.

Davis’ long-standing relationship with Jim Harbaugh isn’t likely to play a factor in a coaching change. It would be a departure for Davis to pay a coach what Harbaugh will command, and the only way Davis might be tempted would be if Harbaugh’s only serious offer is Denver.

Harbaugh will also want the ability to hire his coaches and control of the 53-man roster, something Davis has never and likely will never relinquish.

All the scenarios mean that Cable’s last stand as head coach could be today against Kansas City. Cable can emerge the victor and hold his head high knowing he coached his team to 8-8 and had a career coaching record of 10-11 in games without the handicap of JaMarcus Russell.

Cable started his last stand by smartly flying the team to Kansas City on Friday. He will benefit from a more controlled environment. It was New Year’s Eve and these are young men with money. Cable likely wanted to prevent any hard partying 34 hours prior to kickoff. Cable also continued the practice of moving up practices to replicate playing three hours earlier.

Sunday in Kansas City will be a test for the Raiders. The Chiefs are a playoff team and the Raiders narrowly defeated them at home. The Chiefs are 7-0 at home and Arrowhead is notoriously one of the toughest places to play on the road.

It isn’t often a game with such little significance has so much historic significance. Jamaal Charles is likely to become the first running back since Jim Brown to average over 6.0 yards per carry. The Raiders can become the first team to go 6-0 in their division and miss the playoffs.

When the Raiders and Chiefs get together their is no shortage of match-ups to watch. Watch them all, but most importantly, watch the ones below.

Jamaal Charles vs. John Henderson

Charles is key to the Chiefs offense. Stop Charles and the offense can never get into a rhythm. With Seymour a game-time decision again, it will be up to Tommy Kelly and Big John Henderson to keep Charles from gashing the Raiders.

Henderson is one of the best defensive tackles at stopping the run in the league and Charles is chasing history. If Henderson continues to be a force he will string Charles outside, where hopefully the Raiders ends and linebackers can make plays.

Dwayne Bowe vs. Nnamdi Asomugha

It isn’t that the Chiefs don’t have other threats through the air, it is that so few of them strike fear into a defense. Bowe has been particularly dangerous in the redzone and 15 of his 67 catches have been touchdowns.

The Raiders will counter with Nnamdi Asomugha. One of the best corners in the league by reputation. Cassell would be ill-advised to throw towards Asomugha, who is finally getting  healthy. Unless Charlie Weis wants to stick a hot knife into Todd Haley’s side during a meaningless game, don’t expect Asomugha to be challenged more than once or twice.

Jacoby Ford vs. Brandon Flowers

Ford got the best of Flowers in Oakland, snatching away a would-be interception late in the game to help the Raiders to victory. He had a season-high six receptions for 148 yards primarily against Flowers. Ford also returned a kick for a touchdown against Kansas City, one of his three on the season.

In many ways, Ford is exactly what the Chiefs hoped they drafted in Dexter McCluster. A versatile playmaker and deadly weapon in the return game.

McCluster still has time to turn things around and he is still can be a dangerous weapon, but Ford has proven that he can perform even when a team has game-planned for him.

Flowers wants payback and the Raiders might continue to test Flowers with Ford’s speed. One way or the other, there could be fireworks.

Darrius Heyward-Bey vs. The Bust Label

Tom Cable and Hue Jackson believe he is very close to a breakout. They consistently praise his blocking while talking up how much he is doing and how a big game is coming.

At the end of his second season, the time could be now for Heyward-Bey. While it is usually imperative to give a raw receiver three full seasons to mature, he hasn’t given the fans much to hope for. A big game this Sunday could go a long way into getting the monkey off his back. A little taste of success can also validate his work and propel his continued work this off season.

Chaz Schilens vs. His Body

If Schilens could ever stay healthy, he could be a good NFL receiver. Too bad his body has failed him time and time again. Since college Schilens has struggled to stay healthy.

If Schilens can get through this last game healthy he will enter the offseason healthy. Unless he injures himself on the bench press, like his body-double Bruce Gradkowski did during offseason workouts, he should enter camp healthy.

There are far too many “ifs” when it comes to Schilens, but he is cheap and because of that fact the Raiders are more than happy to hang onto him.

The question is if the Raiders will continue to wait on him or if they could bring in a veteran in the offseason.

Darren McFadden vs. The Toe

While McFadden’s turf toe injury is likely less severe than the previous version, the very fact that the injury has reoccured is cause for concern. McFadden hasn’t been very durable the past few seasons and an injury that comes and goes can really hurt his production.

Michael Bush is a free agent this off season and injuries like this to McFadden could be reason enough for Al Davis to pay Michael Bush to stay around.

McFadden is a game-time decision, but has a good chance to play.

Michael Mitchell vs. Tony Moeaki

Mitchell was a second-round pick at safety. Typically such a draft pick would be expected to be starting by the end of his second season.

While Mitchell has shown flashes of brilliance against Antonio Gates and others, he’s also proven to be a bit inconsistent in coverage. Mitchell is often called upon in nickel situations to cover the tight end. This could again be the case against Chiefs tight-end Tony Moeaki.

Moeaki has 46 receptions this season and had six against the Raiders in Oakland, a season high.

Mitchell is a useful weapon against teams like the Chiefs, because he can also come up in run support.

If Moeaki helps the Chiefs move the chains, it could be a long day for the Raiders defense. It will be up to Mitchell to keep that from happening.

Jared Veldheer vs. Tamba Hali

Dwight Freeney made Veldheer looks pretty poor last week. Freeney and Robert Mathis blew past the Raiders tackles and never really gave Campbell much of a chance against the Colts. The rookie was simply over-matched physically and mentally against the prolific pass rusher.

Hali was able to blow easily past Veldheer once in their first meeting, but Veldheer held his own against Hali for the most part and was a big reason Jason Campbell had time to pass late in the game.

Veldheer is likely to be given the reigns to the left tackle position going into next season. Veldheer has plenty of things to work on, but he is competitive and he is getting an opportunity to face some of the best pass rushers in the league to close out his rookie season. Playing against these types of players will help him in the long run.

Veldheer has always been a gym rat and his strength isn’t in question. He will need to fine tune his technique and try to improve his foot quickness if he is to stay at left tackle.

Rivers vs. Rookies & Routt

 Posted by at 6:03 PM  No Responses »
Nov 302010
 

Nnamdi Asomugha went down with a high ankle sprain injury against the Seahawks and when he returned last week against the Dolphins after three weeks of rest he clearly wasn’t himself.

Now it appears his ankle is worse than previously believed or got worse during the game on Sunday. Asomugha could miss more time.

Chris Johnson was also out with a groin injury and could also miss this week’s game in San Diego.

That leaves Stanford Routt and rookies Jeremy Ware and Walter McFadden as the only healthy cornerbacks.

Jeremy Ware drew poor reviews from the coaching staff in Pittsburgh and was inactive last week. Walter McFadden was active and had a rough day against Miami. Both will be relied upon against the second best passing team in football.

When the Raiders defeated the Chargers in Oakland, Philip Rivers threw for 431 yards and two touchdowns. He was unstoppable against the Raiders secondary, which included Asomugha and Johnson.

Michael Huff will likely see additional snaps at cornerback in practice this week and could see plenty of work at cornerback in nickel situations.

The Raiders would then bring in Stevie Brown at free safety or have Mike Mitchell come in to cover Antonio Gates with Branch sliding over to the deep safety position.

If Norv Turner is smart, which offensively he is one of the smartest, he will spread the Raiders out by using four and five receivers sets.

The dime package means one or both of Ware and McFadden would have to be in the game presenting favorable matchups for the Chargers dynamic passing game.

Ware and McFadden simply must step up this week for the Raiders to have a chance at stopping the Chargers passing game.

The pass rush from the front seven need to pressure Rivers to give the young secondary a chance. Communication must be better in the secondary to avoid huge mistakes, such as a corner believing he has over-the-top when he doesn’t.

It took a series of big plays for the Raiders to defeat the Chargers the first time at home. Now instead of the Chargers being banged up and the Raiders healthy at home, it is the reverse.

One of the big keys to this game will be the play of the Raiders secondary. After the Chargers rolled them up the first time and after an embarrassing showing last week at home, they should be hungry.

Bye Bye Bust Label: Draft Picks Shining For The Raiders

 Posted by at 6:13 PM  No Responses »
Oct 292010
 

People line up to declare the next Al Davis draft selection a bust because the Raiders are well known for draft blunders. These people point to a lack of football instincts in the players Al Davis drafts. They say things like, “He’s just a track star, he’s not a football player.”

Let me know if you can figure out what a saying like that means. It sounds good but means nothing. Can a track star not be good at football also? You don’t hear people say, “He’s a wrestler, he’s not a football player.”

Those same people turn around and say, “Speed kills.” What? So now speed is good in the NFL player? Yes, there is much more to being a good player than speed, but much of it depends on how smart the player is, how much they can learn and if they are dedicated. Are these traits not also desirable in a track star? Why does running track have to be a negative stereotype?

Some guys have more smarts, have learned more or have been more dedicated to football when they enter the NFL. This is the reason why some players will have instant success, but can be limited by their physical gifts Others take time to grow, but end up being better players. Good examples include Nnamdi Asomugha and Vernon Davis.

The buzzards were circling around Darren McFadden coming into 2010 and seven weeks later he is averaging more yards per game from scrimmage than any player in the NFL. Any person who watched a little bit of Darren McFadden tape saw a football player more than they saw a track star. Even though I don’t think McFadden ran track. So the focus shifts to someone else now that McFadden has fought off the buzzards with a sharp stick.

Once upon a time Nnamdi Asomugha was a bust. I even suggested the Raiders move him to safety right before his breakout season. It remains one of my worst calls. Everyone was quick to jump on Mike Mitchell, the super reach of the 2009 draft is making the Raiders look pretty good right now. If he keeps improving, Mitchell could make the Raiders look very good and restore some of the respect Al Davis has lost the last seven seasons.

Next up, Darrius Heyward-Bey. Track star? Check. Production? Not much. Years in the league? Two. Al Davis? Drafted him. Bust? People have been saying it since he was a rookie.

Heyward-Bey has a chance this Sunday to have a breakout game against a soft Seahawks secondary ranked 29th in the league while giving up an average of 261.3 yards per game.

With Chaz Schilens and Louis Murphy out, Heyward-Bey is now the best option at receiver. That’s scary. He badly needs a breakout to fend off the vultures and the Raiders badly need a receiver to come through for them in a big game. The biggest game of the season to this point is Sunday. The Raiders are 3-4, looking for credibility, a .500 record and back-to-back victories before squaring off against the rival Chiefs, who happen to be in first place.

For the Smurfs, Jacoby Ford and Nick Miller, this is their first crack at receiver in the NFL. Basically, they are both rookies, even though Miller was on the roster last season.

Ford played second-fiddle to CJ Spiller at Clemson, but was the alternate offensive weapon. Ford may be making a bigger impact on the Raiders than Spiller is on the Bills, drafted three full rounds apart. Ford will start this week for the injured Murphy. He’s shown his speed can be deadly and that he can score if given space and few people will be talking bust for this ex-track star, since he was drafted in the fourth round.

Jared Veldheer, drafted in the third round has seized the starting left tackle position. If he plays anything like he did last week, Veldheer will lock the position down for good. How often can a team say they are starting a rookie third-round draft pick at left tackle and feel good about it? Not often.

Has anyone even suggested Rolando McClain will not be a good player? Smart, dedicated, learned a lot from Nick Saban before coming into the league. He’s a physical specimen. Now that he is getting comfortable he’s starting to make more plays. The Raiders and Raider Nation are very excited about the centerpiece of the defense.

Texas has really churned out some nice defensive players in the past few years and Lamarr Houston is next in line. He’s been disruptive at times and learning from Richard Seymour should help the 305-pound defensive end. He’s never going to be a sack extraordinaire, but like Seymour he can still have a significant impact on the game. He’s already a fine player.

Jeremy Ware and Bruce Campbell are seeing limited snaps and the Raiders are hopeful about their futures. Walter McFadden and Stevie Brown have varied rolls, but Brown is making an impact on special teams.

It’s far too early to make definitive statements, but it doesn’t seem like the Raiders have anything approaching a draft bust with their 2010 draft selections seven games into the season. With a little luck they will be able to say the same about the 2009 draft class.

Stevie Brown To Practice Squad

 Posted by at 7:33 PM  1 Response »
Sep 052010
 

Stevie Brown has been signed to the Raiders practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times.

Wilson also notes that there was quite a bit of interest in Brown and that his stint on the practice squad could be short lived.

The Raiders could decide to promote Brown themselves, but they would have to move someone off the 53 man roster.

Clearing Up Mike Mitchell vs Stevie Brown

 Posted by at 3:03 AM  No Responses »
Sep 052010
 

Stevie Brown is indeed the Raiders final cut to get down to 53 players.

A small controversy may have been stirred up by a South Florida radio host named Andy Slater. According to his bio, he once worked as the tech who chopped up game film for the Raiders.

Salter claims the coaching staff didn’t want Mike Mitchell and insinuated it was due to an off-the-field problem. He goes on to say that only Al Davis could step in and save Mitchell. This apparently happened as Slater later claimed that Stevie Brown would be cut instead.

While he ended up being correct about Brown, there are more than a few people skeptical about his claims about Mike Mitchell. Mitchell performed well in limited action last season.

Releasing a seventh round draft selection isn’t usually a big deal and Brown being cut at the last minute could simply have been the Raiders trying to sneak Brown for the practice squad.

In NFL circles releasing the cut list at the very last possible moment is common. The thinking is that it makes it easier to sneak players on the practice squad as teams sift through a massive list.

This could be what the  Raiders attempted to do with Brown. This also explains the Raiders lack of PR in regards to announcing his release. He even talked to the media about making the team at practice this morning.

Slater also claims Groves will get the nod over Trevor Scott at outside linebacker. Presumably, Scott will move back to defensive end.

Only time will tell how accurate Slater is, but I’ve included his tweets (@AndySlater) over the past 24 hours in regards to the Raiders for you to decide for yourself.

@Truthspeaker22 - I live Stevie Brown. Maybe he’ll be back. Season doesn’t start till next Sunday!

I do not have any more info other than what I’ve already said. Time to enjoy the rest of the weekend! It’s Miami and almost 10:30p! #raiders

Hopefully with all of the new Raiders followers, we’ll be able to talk some more Oakland football on-air.. about the GAME not roster spots!

@allblacklouie they don’t believe he’s that good… and also other factors… trade is possible, but prob. unlikely from AD now.

@allblacklouie Brown has to clear waivers. Can’t say it enough how much everyone in org. wants Mitchell gone. AD final say.

#Raiders Starting LBs will be Wimbley, McClain, Groves

Brown gone. RT @allblacklouie Hey @AndySlater If we don’t keep 5 safeties, it will be Hiram Eugene who’s cut not Brown or Mitchell

Cutting Stevie Brown wasn’t a decision many in the organization are happy with. Seems like AD didn’t want the bad PR cutting Mitchell

The Raiders have officially cut Stevie Brown. He is the final cut. Mike Mitchell stays.

#Raiders Team is calling around checking for interest in Mike Mitchell before 6:00pm ET for a late rd. pick.

#Raiders Coaches are trying their best to have Stevie Brown make team and not Mitchell… We’ll find out what Al Davis decided shortly.

@Kenzel_D I hear ya… Coaches want Brown, not Mitchell. Let’s see if it sticks after practice.

#Raiders LB Travis Goethel has made the active roster. DT Desmond Bryant has made the active roster.

@HBsDamagedEgo Believe what you will.. Both Mitchell and Brown are on field at practice. One is going home.

Raiders Depsite reports, the Raiders are not keeping 5 safeties. As I stated prior, one will be cut after practice. Mitchell or Brown

#Raiders If the Mike Mitchell cut happens, Stevie Brown will make the team. If AD keeps Mitchell, Brown goes.

@GdaRAIDER408 then don’t pay attention. If you’ve been following me for two years on Raiders news, I let my track record speak for itself.

If Raiders release Mitchell, it’s obviously bad PR. 2nd rounder from ’09, very questionable in first place. What will Al do…..

Let me be clear, for those tweeting me on Mitchell/Raiders, coaches do NOT want him. Addition by subtraction. Still no announcement

If Al does overturn the decision to cut Mike Mitchell, it was SOLELY be b/c it doesn’t look good. Bad PR. Raiders coaches don’t want him.

Al Davis is going to have the final word on Mike Mitchell. Right now he is cut… Will Al overturn it? Find out shortly. #raiders

Oakland Raiders cuts should be coming shortly… Last minute decision making with a few players going on right now #nfl

@knightTEK From what I know, yes, Mitchell is gone. Doubt Al Davis will step in and change it in this case.

More Oakland Raiders news: They are looking into trading ’06 1st Rd Pick Michael Huff on Saturday

I’m being told that the Oakland Raiders will indeed cut their 2009 2nd round pick DB Mike Mitchell Saturday morning. #nfl

Hearing the Raiders may cut DB Mike Mitchell

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