In episode 6 of the Raiders Blog Podcast, Christopher Hansen (@chrishansenNFL) and Taylor Armosino (@tarmosino) discuss the contract restructuring of both Tyvon Branch and Mike Brisiel, how Dustin Colquitt’s new deal with the Chiefs impacts the Raiders chances of re-singing Shane Lechler and what developments in Atlanta and Carolina mean for the Raiders pursuit of a new stadium.
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The Bears come into Oakland minus their starting quarterback Jay Cutler. They will turn from Cutler to Caleb Hanie. It changes the game considerably from what the Raiders would have been facing with Jay Cutler under center. The Bears will not be able to turn to Cutler when the defense stacks the box against Matt Forte and the pressure will be on Hanie to make the defense pay for it.
Running
Matt Forte has more yards from scrimmage and more 20+ and 40+ yards runs than any running back in football. Forte is averaging 155.1 yards per game. Put this in perspective, Matt Forte generates over 47% of the Bears offensive yards. How does the worst run defense in football stop the best running back in football? The Raiders are allowing 5.2 yards per carry. Forte is averaging 5.0 yards per carry. It doesn’t take a mathematician to do this math Forte could run all over the Raiders if they don’t have a plan to stop him.
Forte is extremely elusive and defenders have missed tackles on him 38 times. Only Michael Turner has more, but Forte has also forced 11 missed tackles in the passing game. Raiders must maintain gap discipline and maintain their fundamentals when trying to bring down Forte.
The Raiders rush defense has been inconsistent and there is debate about just how much the run defense has improved from prior years. Raiders have allowed 38, 223, 100, 183, 70, 65, 139, 299, 75, 124 in games this season. If the Raiders hold the opposing team to less than 125 yards they are 6-0, but are 0-4 when allowing more than 125 yards on the ground.
Without consistency it is difficult to project how the Raiders will fare against a back of Forte’s caliber, but they have demonstrated the ability to stop the run at times this season. The defense is struggling for consistency and holding opponents under 125 in three consecutive weeks would be a step in the right direction. Stopping the run is a combination between attitude, gap discipline and tackling. The Raiders can’t afford to skirt by with only one of the three elements. Pressure is on the linebackers in this game. If Forte runs wild it will be a long afternoon.
Playing with a lead would limit Forte’s role in the game and the Raiders offense can really help out the defense by scoring early.
Passing
Again, the Raiders must worry about Matt Forte. He has 46 receptions for 465 yards coming through the passing game. Forte can be stopped in the passing game by ensuring coverage in the middle of the field. Only 9 of 46 Forte receptions have been to the outside for a total of just 96 yards. He’ll be Caleb Hanie’s security blanket and the Raiders need to know where he is at all times.
Johnnie Knox presents a different challenge. He’s a burner and deep threat for the Bears and averaging nearly 20 yards per reception. Play him physical at the line and make sure he doesn’t get behind you. The Raiders are never speed deficient and may opt to single cover and dare Hanie to throw deep.
Devin Hester is turning into a solid receiver and the Bears may try to get the ball into his hands. The Raiders defense needs to converge on Hester and limit his running lanes for a big play. Earl Bennett and Roy Williams are more station-to-station receivers and Hanie may look to them on third downs.
Raiders should dare Hanie to throw by stacking the box and using inside leverage to force Hanie to make more difficult throws.
Special Teams
The oft ignored third phase of the game takes center stage this Sunday as the Raiders get set to host Devin Hester and the Bears. Hester is one of he best return men in the league. If Shane Lechler and the Raiders elect to kick it in Hester’s direction the coverage teams will need to be ready. All signs indicate the return team is getting prepared for the worst, but don’t expect Lechler to take the risk this Sunday unless necessary.
By The Numbers
[table “6” not found /]Kickers are usually the guy you tease; the “weakling” on the team. When they make tackles, guys nudge each other and say “That was the kicker! Bet he’s happy.” Sure, everyone knows that the kicker is absolutely essential. At times the entire game rests on his shoulders. Even still, special teams is the “special” team on the field. This is absolutely not the case with the Raiders, and the entire NFL knows it.
Perusing the Raiders’ longest plays in history, current Raiders like Shane Lechler, Sebastian Janikowski and Jacoby Ford hold many of the records. Janikowski in fact holds just about every field goal record ranging from 55 to 63 yards. Lechler has the longest punt at 77 yards. Jacoby Ford holds 4/6 of the longest kickoff returns, after last week. All this to say, while many teams’ special teams are decent, none in the NFL compares overall to the Raiders. Some may have a key player or two, like Devin Hester, but the Raiders have special teams weapons at every turn.
Last week, Shane Lechler became the first punter since Hunter Smith in 2009 to throw for a touchdown. In the wake of Jason Campbell’s injury, and Boller’s implosion rusty arm, Lechler was a weapon no one saw coming. He not only threw for a touchdown, but threw in a 4th and punt situation. What team can defend against that? This isn’t your grandpa’s wildcat offense; what the Raiders have the weapons to create is an entirely new beast. They also have the creative, aggressive coach who can make it happen.
These are few teams who can legitimately say their special teams helped them win the game week after week. Sure, they contributed, but they weren’t an actual factor. The Raiders’ special team is a factor in each and every week. Let’s hope Janikowski’s hamstring injury is not too severe.
The Raiders victory over the Jets has the coach and the team riding high. Even the national media is catching on as the Raiders are now making the top 10 in the mostly ridiculous power rankings.
Tom Brady comes to Oakland in week 4 so the Raiders don’t have much time to think about their early season victory. The Raiders need more studs on defense if they are to beat the Patriots.
Studs
Samson Satele
I sometimes have a hard time believing he is the same player as he was last season. I heard Satele was dealing with headaches and dizzy spells last season. I’m not sure how much this impacted his on-field performance and how much his production has to do with having Bob Wylie and Steve Wisniewski as offensive line coaches. It doesn’t matter now as Satele has done a great job this season. Early in Sunday’s game Sione Pouha got the best of him on one running play and Satele dominated at the point of attack from that point on.
Darren McFadden
I’m pretty sure he’ll be on the list every week. You already know his stats 171 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Hue Jackson & Chuck Bresnahan
The Raiders made the Jets defense look silly most of the afternoon. Bresnahan switched to zone coverage when youngsters were forced into action and it worked in the second half. Coaching staff pulled all the right strings and called all the right plays. Credit to them.
Jason Campbell
Took care of the football. No turnovers and didn’t force throws into the Jets secondary. Stepped up into the pocket and delivered a strike to Michael Bush down the left sideline that lead to the game sealing field goal.
Kevin Boss
First game in Silver and Black looked pretty good. Made a key catch on the Raiders opening touchdown drive and a key block that sprung McFadden for over 70 yards. He’ll make everyone forget about Zach Miller if he stays healthy.
Chimdi Chekwa
Coming out party for the rookie? He entered the game when Chris Johnson went out with an injury and had tight coverage on Plaxico Burress most of the day. If the Raiders secondary remains banged up the Raiders will need Chekwa and Joe Porter to play well and Demarcus Van Dyke to get healthy.
Duds
Special Teams
It didn’t really burn them on Sunday, but the coverage units did terrible covering kicks on Sunday. John Fassell is really missing Hiram Eugene. Rock Cartwright can’t cover kicks alone. Lechler had a rare off day and Jon Condo had a few sub par long snaps. Seabass kept the special teams from being a complete disaster, but even he missed one. Taiwan Jones and Denarius Moore didn’t stumble and fall down like Nick Miller, but hardly improved the return game. Big difference between a muff and a forced fumble.
Rolando McClain
He had a solid game, but he makes the duds list for his weak arm tackle on Tomlinson’s long reception. When he properly diagnosing runs he’s at his best. He’s been solid in coverage, but far too many missed tackles and bad angles.
Matt Giordano
Plays too tentatively. He always seemed to be watching players run by him. He’s a ticking time bomb in the secondary, but until the Raiders young cornerbacks relieve Michael Huff from cornerback duties Giordano will keep playing.
Khalif Barnes
The weakest link on a much improved offensive line. It shouldn’t be long now because Joseph Barksdale is starting at right tackle. He’s already been promoted as evidenced by Stephon Heyer’s deactivation on Sunday. The only pressure on Campbell came from Barnes inability to handle the speed rush. He’ll continue to have a role as a sixth lineman in jumbo sets, but his starting job is very much in jeopardy.
During the night telecast of the Monday night opening double-header between two bitter AFC West rivals, something ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer said caught not only my attention, but I’m sure a lot of other residents of Raider Nation as well.
Dilfer assumed that of the Raiders’ penalty-filled night, scuffles and aggressive nature meant that the team lacked discipline. Granted the 15 penalties for 131 yards were deserved, I argued that it was exactly what this team needed.
Many forget that there was actually no NFL preseason this year. For Dilfer to assume that a clean-fought game was to be expected in week one was ludicrous.
While there was no overwhelming evidence of penalties in the other week one games, the talk of the NFL after one week centered around ballooned passing yards. Tom Brady passed for over 500 yards and Chad Henne, the other quarterback in the game passed for over 400 yards (Chad Henne everybody! Who saw that coming?). This further explains that not only are the players still adjusting to the shortened off-season, but the coaches are still making the correct adjustments needed to become successful this season.
In Dilfer’s defense, he stated that the Raiders are a talented bunch and that after addressing these correctable behaviors, the team will be well on their way to a division crown and deep into the playoffs. But what if this behavior is inherently born out of the mystique that we have come to know as the Raiders? Can you take the bite out of the dog? That’s like telling Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant to pass the ball with time winding down in the game.
Brashness defines the Raiders not only as a team, but as an organization as well.
I argue that it was this same brashness that the Raiders played with against the Broncos that propelled them to win the game. It’s the same confidence and self-assurance that enabled Sebastian Janikowski tie the record for the longest field goal in league history.. It’s the same swagger that Shane Lechler displayed when he pinned the Broncos deep into their territory (Raiders have the best special teams in the league, no question). And it’s the same punishing attitude that Darren McFadden displayed at the end of his runs Monday night. On this night, the Raiders weren’t intimated by the Broncos heavy hitters of Brian Dawkins, Von Miller, Elvis Dumervil and whoever else got in the way. Attitude is more than just the pregame actions and chest bumps, its born out of purpose and this team bled that sense of purpose, as evident from the head coach on down.
Dilfer and other analysts will tell you that the Raiders need to correct their attitude, but we, Raider fans know that they won because of this attitude. It was a tough and sloppy game, from both sides, but attitude won outright that night. And attitude will continue to carry this team in 2011.