Hue-yuck!

 Posted by at 10:33 PM  9 Responses »
Nov 062011
 

Hue Jackson essentially benched Darrius Heyward-Bey, the team’s most productive receiver, in favor freshly signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh and rookie Denarius Moore. Moore’s production has dipped since taking over punt return duties and was targeted on three of the six interceptions against the Chiefs and another one Sunday against the Broncos. Benching a guy just starting to get confidence is terrible mistake if he is to be part of the Raiders future. Al Davis wouldn’t have let this happen and by pulling this move Jackson is essentially urinating on whatever legacy Al Davis left behind.

Houshmandzadeh hasn’t played a down in months and he gets more action than your top receiver? Palmer is paid to throw the receivers on the roster. Houshmandzadeh was not a terrible sign, but it’s subtraction by addition if he plays more than your top receiver. The only valid reason to bench Heyward-Bey was for discipline reasons. By all accounts Heyward-Bey is a model teammate.

Jackson has no one to contest his authority and the rookie head coach is full of himself. He is accountable to no one on the moves he makes. He has more power than any coach in the league right now. Carson Palmer, Houshmandzadeh, and Aaron Curry moves are prime examples. Quickly out were Al Davis’ pet projects on defense Joe Porter and Bruce Davis Jr. Louis Murphy has been shoved aside and now Heyward-Bey. When does someone chew Hue Jackson out? Even a good CEO has to answer to the board of directors. Jackson will soon be answering to boos of the home crowd.

Kevin Boss. Not the boss lately. He’s not starting and hardly playing. Why would you throw all kinds of money at a tight end and then not use him when the team is trying to break in a new starting quarterback? It doesn’t make a lot of sense for Hue Jackson to turn to Brandon Myers over Kevin Boss, yet that’s what he is doing. Boss needs to be more involved going forward.

From too cute to too conservative. Jackson gets predictable the offensive series after a turnover. Never would he have given Jason Campbell the ability to audible as much as Palmer did on Sunday, so the excuse that he was easing Palmer into the offense rings hollow.  Run, run, incomplete pass, punt after the second interception. Carson Palmer made a few laser throws that saved the Raiders and Jackson’s play calling on more than one occasion. Why not go for it on fourth and one with the game on the line? Do you not have faith in your offensive line and Michael Bush? Hue punted and turned the ball over to his defense. The defense keeps letting him down.

That brings us to Chuck Bresnahan. Read option. The team swears they practiced to stop it all week. Bresnahan couldn’t get his players to execute his game plan or the plan to stop a college offensive scheme was terrible. Either issue reflects poorly on Bresnahan’s skill as a defensive coordinator. This wasn’t the Patriots offense. This was Tim Tebow. The Raiders continue to get exposed on defense against the run and pass. The Raiders couldn’t stop Tebow and let him get the edge on multiple occasions. The secondary seems lost in zone coverage and blown assignments resulted in two touchdown passes. The Broncos rushed for some ungodly amount of yards because the linebackers didn’t fill the right holes. It’s pathetic how many points the Raiders are allowing. The Raiders have the players to be way better than they have been on defense.

Mental penalties. Hue Jackson swears he is focusing on getting the penalty issue fixed, but it is getting ridiculous how many stupid penalties the Raiders are committing. The problem is particularly bad on defense. The message is not getting through. It’s a culture problem. Hue’s needs to hold players accountable, but his discipline is either non-existent, toothless or the players don’t have respect for him. It doesn’t really matter which problem, they are all cause of great concern. Hue himself is not being held accountable for two pathetic losses to division teams at home in front of sold out crowds and it’s about time someone tore into Hue Jackson.

Richard Seymour continues to be the biggest offender when it comes to mental penalties and yet remains a team captain. Jackson has allowed Seymour’s mentality to rub off on the rest of the team. While some if this is a good thing, the bad has also made itself known in terms on mental penalties. Hue’s mistake is allowing Seymour to remain a captain when he isn’t acting like one. At very least the Hue Jackson needs make an example of Seymour. Stripping him of his captain title wouldn’t be a bad idea if he doesn’t respond. We should probably already be to that point.

Special teams have saved the Raiders a few times, but not lately. Punt coverage has been terrible and Denarius Moore hasn’t a clue how to return a punt. Penalties finding their way into this unit as well. John Fassel isn’t getting the job done. How many years do we blame poor special teams on the players and not the coach?

Al Davis liked a football team that played with aggression, but does a face-mask penalty when the player is stacked up or a late push out-of-bounds or slamming a quarterback to the ground, or tossing a ball into the air or running into the punter help you win the game? Certainly not. That’s a recipe to Just Lose, Baby! and that’s just what Hue Jackson has done since Al Davis passed away.

The rookie coach may have made the right moves while playing GM, but he’s doing so at the detriment of learning how to coach a winning team. Fix the penalties Hue and get rid of the deadbeat coaches before Mark Davis and Amy Trask start thinking the problem is you.

A Tale of Two Seasons

 Posted by at 12:50 PM  No Responses »
Nov 052011
 

It’s been a NFL season full of abnormalities due to the lockout and the Raiders have been no exception. Many thought the Raiders would finally find their grove. The team finally had a guy they could call their franchise quarterback in Jason Campbell and they were full of young talent at just about every position. Hue Jackson, a fiery new coach, seemed to have the right formula for success. It started well enough, until week 5 when the wheels started to come off.

The Raiders lost their fearless leader Al Davis. While the Raiders were able to rally to beat the Texans that week, it was easy to tell that things were not the same in Oakland. Although often scrutinized for his managerial decisions, Al Davis ran things his way and answered to no one. Meaning when it came time to make decisions, they were made, and people moved on. Uncertainty was the word of the week when it came to how the Raiders would move forward. It didn’t take long to find out who was now making the calls. Hue Jackson quickly took the reigns and swung a trade for former first-round draft pick Aaron Curry to replace then starting weak-side linebacker Quentin Groves.

In the very next game against Cleveland, the Raiders took another big blow as starting QB Jason Campbell went down with a broken clavicle. The Raider faithful was in disbelief. A season that showed so much promise was quickly taking a turn for the worse. The Raiders managed to hold on and win that game on the strength of Janikowski’s leg and a fake field goal pass to Kevin Boss for a touchdown. The win was bitter sweet as Oakland, now 4-2, was left wondering who was going to finish the season at quarterback. Kyle Boller did very little in relief of Campbell against Cleveland and it was painfully obvious the coaching staff did not have faith in his abilities to run the offense.

Hue Jackson knew the season was hanging in the balance and, with his added decision-making power, began negotiations on a bigger than blockbuster trade that brough Caron Palmer to Oakland. Jackson called up his old buddy Mike Brown and persuaded him to hand over the key to a former Pro Bowl quarterback who was sitting out in protest of playing another season in Cincinnati. Palmer did not come cheap as the Raiders sent the Bengals a first round pick in 2012 and a conditional first round pick in 2013. With the acquisition came many questions. How much did Palmer have left? How quickly could he pick up the offense? Would he be able to gel with Oakland’s young receiving core? Would he be ready in time for the next game? Did the Raiders give up too much of the future in panic of having this season be lost?

The NFL season does not stop to allow a franchise to catch its breath. The Raiders had an important divisional game to get ready for against the Kansas City Chiefs. Having only a couple of days in Oakland before the next game, it was pretty clear that Kyle Boller had to make the start against the Chiefs. Adding to the list of problems for the Raiders, kicker Sebastian Janikowski injured his hamstring in practice and running back Darren McFadden sprained his foot on the opening drive and would not return. After an atrocious first half and opening series in the second half that saw Kyle Boller seemingly throwing more completions to Kansas City defensive backs than his own receivers, Hue had seen enough. In came Carson Palmer who knew all of 15 plays in his new offense and had essentially no time to get any type of timing down with his new wide receivers. The rest of the game concluded as you would expect. Palmer threw three interceptions and the Raiders offense was clearly in shambles. To say the offense wasn’t on the same page would insinuate that it appeared they were even reading the same book. From the looks of things, it wasn’t clear that was true. After a 28-0 loss, the bye week couldn’t get here soon enough.

The Raiders had two weeks to get things straight before division games against Denver and San Diego within a span of five days. Hue Jackson, still trying to adjust to all the turmoil, was not done making waves. He brought in T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a workout and eventually signed him to a veteran minimum deal much to the dismay of a lot of fans who did not understand the reason behind the signing. Houshmandzadeh played with Carson Palmer for six seasons, and has trained with him in the offseason for many years.  Veteran knowledge and timing with your quarterback are very undervalued in this league today.

Heading into the second half  the Raiders are essentially starting a whole new season. Not only are they tied for first in the AFC West with San Diego and Kansas City, but they are beginning the second half with a new starting quarterback, the backup running back, a new receiver, and the return of fullback Marcel Reece. Reece has been out of the lineup with an ankle injury since week two.

While many may expect Carson Palmer to take off as the Raiders new starting quarterback, you have to take a step back to realize what is actually unfolding in Oakland. How many times in NFL history has a starting quarterback gone down mid-season, only to have the team trade for quarterback that had been unemployed and pick up right where they left off? Fans should absolutely have faith in the Raiders new Palmer-led offense, but should also understand that patience will be essential. The Raiders face an up hill climb to winning the AFC West. That climb starts on Sunday when Denver comes to town. Nothing would begin to heal the wounds better than a thrashing of Tim Tebow and the Broncos in front of a sold out O.co Coliseum crowd.

Analysis: Houshmandzadeh Helps

 Posted by at 4:41 PM  No Responses »
Nov 022011
 

The Raiders signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh to veteran minimum contract on Tuesday. Houshmandzadeh is familiar with Hue Jackson and Carson Palmer from their days together in Cincinnati. Palmer also worked out with Houshmandzadeh during his “retirement.”

Aside from Houshmandzadeh’s familiarity with Jackson and Palmer, what does he bring to the table as a receiver? Houshmandzadeh is 34 and had a less than spectacular year in Baltimore in 2010. He has also been unemployed for the past eight weeks.

Is Houshmandzadeh purely to make Palmer comfortable or does Jackson actually believe he is good enough to crack the rotation at receiver?

Both. Jackson realizes how important the timing is between receiver and quarterback and went out and signed one that Palmer knows well. Houshmandzadeh runs certain routes really well, particularly from the slot. The Raiders are struggling to find consistency at the receiver position. Rookie Denarius Moore has slowed way down over the past few games and split time with Jacoby Ford. The Raiders have rotated Derek Hagan, Chaz Schilens and Louis Murphy into the mix as the slot without much success. Hagan now has to look for another job.

After reviewing the video of Houshmandzadeh in 2010, there is no football reason he was unemployed. He has a great feel for coverage of the linebacker and works the middle of the field well. Hue Jackson mentioned exactly this in his radio interview on Sirius radio. Houshmandzadeh will work his way back towards the quarterback and find soft spots in coverage when his quarterback is pressured and flushed from the pocket. His slant from the slot can set up a deep out to the sideline as the safety bites inside.

Hitch, comeback, quick screen and fly routes are not how best to utilize Houshmandzadeh. The Ravens tried and failed to use Houshmandzadeh as a split wide receiver and his sloppy comeback routes, such as the dropped pass against the Steelers in the playoffs last season, are unfortunately the norm for him.

Houshmandzadeh complained quietly about his usage in Seattle and Baltimore and a reputation may have kept him from signing on to any team. His familiarity with Palmer and Jackson makes him less likely to become a problem for the Raiders.

Houshmandzadeh can work his way into the rotation behind Darrius Heyward-Bey, Ford and Moore. Moore has struggled with consistency and the Raiders may pull back on him a little going forward and turn to Ford and the other receivers to play flanker. Moore looked dreadful against the Chiefs and the coaching staff watched extra film of their players over the bye week. Perhaps it is best for Moore to feature him only in certain formations and let him focus more on punt returns.

Hagan has special teams ability and Schilens doesn’t, but Schilens is the far better player when healthy. Louis Murphy was also shopped prior to the trade deadline indicating that maybe the team soured on him.

The Raiders will need the receivers and Palmer to carry the offensive load with Darren McFadden still on crutches nine days after spraining his foot. Houshmandzadeh can help.

Studs and Duds From the Bye Week

 Posted by at 3:59 PM  No Responses »
Nov 012011
 

Who said there wouldn’t be studs and duds because of the bye week?

Studs

Phillip Rivers

Thanks for dropping the ball. The Chiefs are the luckiest 4-3 team in the league right now and the Chargers now have the most difficult second half schedule. A Chiefs win put the Raiders in the driver’s seat in the AFC west despite not playing a game. Thanks Mr. Rivers!

Raiders Receivers

Giving up your vacation to work isn’t a choice a lot of people would make. Most of the Raiders receivers stayed to get their timing down with Carson Palmer. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford and Louis Murphy were together at dinner on one of the off days indicating they stayed behind. It’s possible other receivers stayed also. Studs of the bye week.

John Fox/John Elway

Thanks for sticking with Tim Tebow for one more week. Poor guy might not make it out of Oakland uninjured.

 

Duds

Hue Jackson

Stop it. If you wanted to bring in T.J. Houshmandzadeh since the beginning of the season and he was any good he would have been brought in for a workout earlier. Just admit that Carson Palmer feels comfortable with Houshmadnzadeh and sometimes you bring in a guy to help your new quarterback. Then go on to explain he is now healthy and still a good player. Sometimes Mr. Jackson, you don’t need to play games. The fans still like you Mr. Jackson, but don’t win and the BS starts tasting bitter.

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Bye-Bye Bye Week

 Posted by at 10:56 AM  No Responses »
Oct 312011
 

The Raiders are coming fresh off the bye week and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Raiders are nursing a host of injuries and spent extra week getting Carson Palmer ready and advance scouting for the Chargers next Thursday. The coaching staff also spent time evaluating their own team so don’t be surprised if there are a few changes in the starting lineup come Sunday.

Several Raiders receivers stayed in Alameda during the bye week to work with Palmer on timing and routes. Palmer has extensive homework to do getting to know the Raiders playbook and the game plan for the Broncos. The Raiders coaching staff also took a look at T.J. Houshmandzadeh and he will have a physical Tuesday. Housh is very familiar with Palmer and Hue Jackson, so it comes as little surprise the Raiders would take a look at him. One of Derek Hagan or Chaz Schilens would probably be out if the Raiders brought in the veteran receiver.

Everyone is hoping Darren McFadden’s foot sprain was minor and that he will be healthy enough to play this Sunday. The prelimary indications on the severity of the foot injury targeted today’s practice as an important indicator. Both the team and the fans are hoping the Raiders best offensive player is back for an important showdown with Tim Tebow’s Broncos.

The Raiders will find out today if a few days work with the receivers was enough to get Carson Palmer comfortable. The rest of the season hinges on Palmer’s play. The Raiders were fringe playoff caliber team with Jason Campbell leading the way. Palmer needs to be better considering how much the Raiders gave the Bengals to acquire him.

The Raiders face the Broncos Sunday in a division game at home versus Tim Tebow and the two-win  Broncos. Division games are always an adventure, but the Raiders can’t afford a letdown versus this caliber of team. The Broncos traded away Brandon Lloyd and Tim Tebow is the unquestioned starter. The season isn’t getting any younger and the Raiders can’t afford to drop to 4-4 headed into San Diego on a short week.