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Two weeks ago headed into the game against Miami the Raiders were leading the AFC West and coming off three straight victories. Two weeks later the season is on the line. Thanks to Timothy Tebow in Denver and two horrible losses in a row, the Raiders are in must-win mode. Unfortunately for the Raiders the opponent this week needs a win just as badly. The Lions look and play like a playoff team. The Raiders haven't played like a playoff team in many weeks. What do the Raiders need to do to win? Let's take a look at the numbers. [table id=9 /] When the Raiders have the ball: The Lions are nearly as suspect against the run as the Raiders surrendering 5.1 yards per carry this season to the Raiders 5.2 and 5 yards less per game than the Raiders atrocious run defense. The Raiders will attempt to run on the Lions and keep Carson Palmer from hurting the Raiders with costly turnovers. The Lions secondary have proven themselves to be ball hawks and they will force Carson Palmer into a tu...

Surely in a blowout loss there were more duds than studs. I suppose a stud is relative to the play of the rest of the team when the score is 147-14. A few players did have nice days and the rest didn't. There were probably more duds than I can list, so the duds this week are the "Death Ro" of duds. STUDS Desmond Bryant He's earning himself more playing time each week. With the way Richard Seymour is playing and with John Henderson banged up he might just earn more time at defensive tackle as well as defensive end. Stefen Wisniewski Towards the end of the game the Raiders sat the Wiz kid down. I guess the coaching staff realized that he was the only solid offensive lineman and gave him a rest. He was very good pass blocking and did a solid job run blocking for Bush. He was particularly good at getting to the linebacker. Some may argue Wisniewski is better suited to play center, but until Stephon Heyer or Joseph Barksdale play well enough to slide Wisniewski over he...

Belated this week, but the show must go on! STUDS Marcel Reece Quite the weapon for the Raiders. Expect him to continue to have a big role for the final five games. Aaron Curry Best game as a professional. He's a good player when he the play is in front of him. A good trade for the Raiders with potential to be great. Rolando McClain The linebackers were a big reason for the Raiders success on Sunday. McClain had a good game stopping the run and in coverage. He was in a tough position when Caleb Hanie scrambled to his right as he had to choose between covering Forte or going after Hanie. It was a big pickup for the Bears, but if McClain leaves Forte open it could have been bigger. ***I should revoke this for his actions Wednesday night in Alabama.*** Kamerion Wimbley He did a bit of everything on Sunday. Still the best pure pass rusher on the team, he stepped up and stopped the run and he had an interception and return that would have been a touchdown if not for a horse-collar tackl...

The Raiders slogged through the second half again and it nearly came back to bite them. A better team may have been able to capitalize on the Raiders penalties, but the Vikings without Adrian Peterson were powerless to do so. The defense looked suspect again and the Raiders offensive line struggled more than they have all season. A few welcome surprises this week and the reappearance of duds from 2010. STUDS Jared Veldheer Veldheer handled Jared Allen on Sunday and held him without a sack for the first time this season. The Raiders finally found their franchise left tackle from Hillsdale College. If Veldheer can handle Julius Peppers this Sunday, he'll start getting national recognition and should get a decent amount of Pro Bowl consideration. Allen did get pressure on Palmer on back-to-back plays in the first half, but Veldheer adjusted and was pushing Allen well wide of Palmer for the rest of the day. On one occasion Veldheer flattened Allen on a run. A great performance from the...

The Raiders really took it to the Chargers on Thursday night and came away with a seven-point victory in San Diego. The Raiders played well and a few players really stood out in a good way and a couple in a bad way. Special mention to the Raider Nation's Southern California division for making the game an extra home game for the Raiders. STUDS Kamerion Wimbley An impressive performance by the Raiders franchise player. The Chargers backup tackle had no answer for Wimbley and the rest of the Raiders defensive line on Thursday. It's a big reason Phillip Rivers didn't look comfortable all night. The Raider Nation has been waiting for Wimbley's coming out party and they were blowing out birthday candle after that four sack performance. Stanford Routt If you wanted to be critical, he was unable to breakup the Vincent Brown touchdown grab. I saw was a heck of a catch and Stanford Routt clawing at the pass the whole way down. Just a superb play by the receiver to come down with...

Hue Jackson vs. Hue Jackson This is the most important matchup of the game. Jackson made himself look foolish with the Raiders quarterback situation two weeks ago and Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer combined to throw six interceptions. Jackson will be walking a fine line this Sunday. He has to balance his aggressive tendencies, Carson Palmer’s effectiveness and game management. The play calling has to vary enough to keep the passing game respectable without putting Palmer in a position to fail. Jackson has to remember that the opposing team has one of the worst quarterbacks and will struggle to be productive. If the Raiders lose this game it is because Jackson failed. Carson Palmer vs. Carson Palmer Palmer will make his starting quarterback debut this Sunday vs. Denver. To lead the Raiders to victory this Sunday, Palmer has to be more of a game manager than anything else. Rather than making plays that lead his team to victory, Palmer has to avoid plays that give away the game. This is no...

This a little late this week as it took an extra night to watch the game for the second time. Studs Darrius Heyward-Bey  He made a great hands catch and already has nine receptions for 164 yards in three games which surpasses his entire rookie season. Kevin Boss 4 catches for 78 yards. He's proving to be every bit the weapon Miller was in the passing game and he blocks well also. The Offensive Line Without singling out a single player, these guys have been the surprise of the season. Campbell has all day to throw and they are opening holes for the backs as well. Jared Veldheer, Stefen Wisniewski, Samson Satele, Cooper Carlisle, and even Khalif Barnes. Sprinkle in a little Joe Barksdale. No stars here, this group is getting it done together.   Duds Richard Seymour Penalties, penalties, penalties. Complain if you want, but the penalties can't happen. Giving free yards to Tom Brady is a recipe for disaster. To cap it off, Seymour didn't have a very good day putting pressure on...

The Raiders kicked the Broncos tail last season, but every season is different. The Broncos have a new head coach and return Elvis Dumervil. The Broncos also added a dynamic rookie in Von Miller in April's draft. The Broncos are a different team with different challenges. The Raiders are very similar team, with very familiar challenges and maybe a few new ones.   Raiders Offense vs. Broncos Defense The Raiders were able to run on the Broncos last season and will attempt to do the same again. The Broncos go from a 3-4 to a 4-3, but the Broncos didn't drastically alter the front seven. Dumervill and Miller are the primary difference and they are mostly pass rushers. Much has been made of the Raiders new and improved passing game and the Broncos secondary will make plays when provided ample pass rush. The Raiders will need to play run effectively to use play action. An early lead will help the offense and keep the Broncos pass rush from pinning their ears back to get Jason Campbel...

It was 2009 the last time the Raiders played the Saints in the preseason. The New Orleans Saints were still the "Aints" and the Raiders were a team headed into the Tom Cable era without a true identity. That game-also in Oakland and the third preseason game-was a 45-7 shellacking at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl Champion Saints. The Raiders would win five games, none by more than four points. Preseason is usually a time to evaluate individual performances over team performance, but the first half of the third preseason game is the closest we will get to predicting how a team might play during the regular season. The coaches scheme a bit and the starters play at least a full half. Let's take a look at third preseason games over the past few years. 2007 first-half score Rams 3 @ Raiders 17. Rams would finish 3-13. The Raiders would finish 4-12 If it had been any other team besides the Rams, would the Raiders have even won? Both teams were terrible in 2007 and the fac...

The Raiders host the Arizona Cardinals today at 7 p.m. at O.com Coliseum in Oakland. When the team takes the field for the first time in 2011, they will be led by Hue Jackson. It will be Jackson's first game as the head coach. Jackson will use the preseason as time to get the hang of his responsibilities as the head man. As for the players, judging the preseason is complicated. Louis Rankin routinely makes preseason highlight reels, but he has hardly been able to stick on a roster in his career.   Special Teams Besides estimating the Raiders season ticket base from the preseason attendance, you should be watching special teams closely. The fringe roster players will not make the team if they can't perform on special teams. When deciding on a the last receiver, linebacker, or safety to make the roster, the coaching staff is going to choose the guy that performed the best on special teams.   Offensive Line The only position on the offensive line that appears cemented is Jared Ve...

by Rick Drummond , Profootballfocus.com It’s best to refer to this group as a work in progress. Unfortunately for the Raiders, it has been in that state for several seasons now. In obvious need of an improvement over their 2009 output, the Raider O-line had to be overhauled. Recognizing that, the Raiders began the multi-season process by letting Cornell Green walk in free agency, selecting two linemen in the draft, and hiring a play-caller which freed Tom Cable to spend more time assisting with the line. Four of 2009’s five regular starters returned for 2010 with Green’s former spot at right tackle being the only immediate opening. Langston Walker won that job in camp and held it all season. Khalif Barnes, who was also in the running for the vacated right tackle spot, settled in as the utility player, spending the majority of his time checking into the game as an extra lineman / tight end. Of the four returning starters, only Robert Gallery at left guard was viewed as a fixture, leavin...

No one runs the ball better than the Raiders, except the Chiefs. Remember that line from week nine? In week 14, it could be rephrased. No one runs the ball better than the Raiders, except the Chiefs and Jaguars. The Raiders and Jaguars are surprisingly in the thick of the playoff run. Both teams are largely reliant on the running game to generate offensive production. The two ground games will battle at EverBank Field today, looking to make a statement about their playoffs chances. Maurice Jones-Drew is rolling and the Raiders front seven must do what it takes to keep him contained. On offense, the Raiders must get their own ground game going as the entire offense flows from a healthy running game, The run game aspect of this match up has been publicized, but how hard is it to stop Jones-Drew and how hard is it to run on the Jaguars? During Jones-Drew's streak, five 100-yard games, he's faced the Cowboys, Texans, Browns, Giants and Titans. Team Run Defense vs, Jones...

Studs Richard Seymour (+8/-1) His hamstring didn't seem to bother his play. He was applying pressure consistently and was a force stopping the run. The Raiders are paying Seymour elite money this season and can't be disappointed with his play. Seymour and Henderson have both missed a game this season and have really stepped up in each others absence against the run. Seymour missed practice Wednesday, but if he can stay healthy he will have a chance to make this list weekly. Marcel Reece (+8/-0) It isn't often a fullback will make a list of studs, but Reece had an amazing game last Sunday in Phoenix. He did an excellent job picking up blitzes and finding players to block in the run game. He became a receiver on multiple occasions and looked more like a running back catching the ball and running with it. He has come a long way and deserves some recognition for his efforts. Rolando McClain (+7/-1) McPain has game. He still learning things in coverage, but is beginning to tr...

ESPN is at it again. People who work for ESPN can't do anything on Twitter. They can tell you they are going to the bathroom or waking up in the morning, but anything sports related will have to go through ESPN approval process. Basically, all the ESPN peoples twitter feeds are nothing more than either A) Boring or B) tools of the empire. Twelve NFL teams also ban Twitter among players and beat writers during camp. For most teams with open training camp, that means the fans can better use Twitter to communicate things than can the beat writer. The beat writer would have to sacrifice his access to players and coaches to tweet. Now fans will tweet incorrect information that the beat writer would otherwise would have cleared up before tweeting it. Such as why a player sat out a practice, etc. Thankfully, our beat writers have kept the tweets rolling in from the "private" training camp in Napa. I won't be too hard on these guys, but there seems to be a disproportionate am...

Not long after I touted the old gimpy guy Orlando Pace, the Raiders quickly moved to strike a deal with young healthy guy Khalif Barnes. He has signed a one year deal. Khalif brings a level of unknown. He was a huge underachiever in Jacksonville. My Jags fan friend called him a turnstile. He certainly isn't the man I'd trust with the LT spot so it will be interesting to see if he wins the job. It appears that Cable and Davis are going to give him that chance. I have severe reservations about Barnes at LT. I would be comfortable with Barnes on the right ride. Barnes also brings off the field baggage and hopefully he can clean up, but that is far from a guarantee. A one year deal is ideal. Barnes is playing for much more money next offseason when he will be just 27. He needs to prove his worth to the team and in the NFL both on and off the field. Here is the quote from John Clayton's article. "I think this is a great opportunity and place for me to start fresh," Bar...