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This Sunday the Raiders travel to Minnesota and face the Vikings. This game will feature two of the top five rushing teams in the league. While the Vikings run All Day (Adrian Peterson), their passing game is anemic. While defending the run is the Vikings' strength, stopping the pass is their weakness. The Raiders' offense leads the NFL with 56 plays over 20 yards and 11 plays over 40 yards, but the Raiders' defense have given up more 20+ yard runs than any team. Regardless of the numbers, the Raiders will take advantage of Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. Even though Minnesota has a stout defensive line, their offense remains unbalanced and largely ineffective. This will allow the Raiders to wear down the Vikings' defensive line and make big plays. For good reason, the Raiders are favored to win this game, and barring another systemic defensive catastrophe, they will. Taking a look at the other AFC West teams, we see Denver upsetting the Jets, San Diego tra...

Until Denver and their spread option read came and put up nearly 300 rushing yards on them, including two 100-yard rushers, the Raiders allowed only Fred Jackson to post a 100-yard rushing game. Four days after the Denver game, the Raiders held an offense that averages over 100 rushing yards a game to 68. So what happened two weeks ago against Denver? Did the Raiders defensive ends play undisciplined? Yes. Were the linebackers often late in filling lanes and did they often fill the wrong ones repeatedly? Yes. Did the entire front seven of the defense get manhandled by Denver’s offensive line? Yes. Is there anything else that led to the Raiders' defensive collapse two weeks ago? Yes: the absence of Rolando McClain. McClain has only missed one game, that being of course Denver at home. In that game, Curry had the green dot on the defense and the Raiders run defense was atrocious. Regardless of the Raiders having a dominant defensive line, the middle linebacker is the undisputed quart...

Both Tim Tebow and Carson Palmer are coming off performances they would love to forget.  After orchestrating a heroic comeback against Miami, Tebow fell flat at home against Detroit, while Carson’s last outing resulted in 3 interceptions in one half of football. For Palmer, the Raiders bye was anything but an “off week" as he spent some of the mandatory off days gaining chemistry with receivers Jacoby Ford and Darius Heyward-Bey. “There’s no comparison to last week…I’m comfortable with the entire playbook.  I’m comfortable with the guys,” Palmer said. The Raiders added to Palmer’s familiarity by signing veteran free agent wide receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh.  Houshmandzadeh will help out in the slot. He’s a big body that’s not afraid of contact and can go over the middle.  Palmer and Houshmandzadeh played together in Cincinnati and worked out together last summer.  Palmer will look for his safety blanket primarily on third downs. Perhaps the definition of “Tebowing” should be changed...

In the six quarters following Jason Campbell’s injury the Raiders offense has a grand total of 277 passing yards, 6 interceptions and 0 touchdowns. The Raiders have scored 10 points in those quarters, 6 from a perfectly executed fake field goal. With extra work being put in by Carson Palmer and the wide receivers during the bye week, hopefully the Raiders offense has hit its lowest point and is on its way back up. Last game vs. Kansas City was a debacle and downright embarrassing. The Raiders were shutout in a game they were expected to win. Not only did Kansas City end the Raiders domination of the AFC West, but the victory has supplied the Chiefs with enough momentum to make another run in the AFC West. It's three way tie for first place. The AFC West is officially up for grabs. In the coming weeks, Oakland, Kansas City and San Diego all face Green Bay and Chicago. San Diego and Oakland face Detroit. Kansas City will host the Steelers and travel to New England and New York to see...