Another Missed Opportunity: Raiders’ Future Is Bleak Following Loss

It was back to business as usual for the Oakland Raiders.

A week after upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles, 13-9, the Raiders suffered their worst home loss in franchise history, falling to the New York Jets, 38-0.

When this season comes to an end, and Raider fans have a moment to reflect on what will be yet another disturbingly poor season. Week seven’s loss might be viewed as a missed opportunity.

If there ever was a time when the Raiders could have changed their fortunes and reinvigorated a despondent fan base, then this certainly was the time.

Not only were the Raiders coming off of a spirited win over a quality opponent, the team received some good news when it was announced that the Napa District Attorney’s office would not be filing criminal charges against head coach Tom Cable for his alleged assault against former assistant Randy Hanson.

In addition, defensive end Richard Seymour was audaciously bold during a radio interview with 1530 Homer in Cincinnati, stating, “You can mark it down. The Raiders will be in the playoffs.”

So with a possible win streak looming, a tiresome off-field distraction finally squashed, and a very publicized show of confidence, there was an unusual glimmer of hope in Oakland during the days leading up to Sunday’s matchup against the Jets.

But just as quickly as the Raiders built some positive momentum, they lost it all from the get go.

Jonathan Holland’s 13-yard return of the game’s opening kickoff was taken back ten yards after backup tight end Brandon Myers was flagged for a block in the back.

And then, in what must have felt like a Greek comedy or tragedy to the Raiders’ home crowd, the Raiders relinquished possession deep in their own territory.

On the first play from scrimmage at the Raiders’ 10-yard line, Jets linebacker Calvin Pace easily managed to get by tackle Khalif Barnes, leaving JaMarcus Russell as an open target.

Comedy? Tragedy? Probably a little bit of both, but whichever genre, the Raiders’ opening folly played out with a sack, a fumble, a turnover, and 1-yard touchdown run by Thomas Jones to give the Jets the early lead.

The Jets would go on to score five more times, twice more on Raiders turnovers, en route to a 38-0 victory that featured two 100-yard rushing performances from the Jets’ backfield of Jones (121) and backup Shonn Green (144 yards and two touchdowns on only 19 carries).

In stark contrast, against the Eagles in the week prior, the Raiders allowed only 67 total yards rushing and held the Eagles’ duo of Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy to only 50 and 13 yards, respectively.

So far in the season, the Raiders’ winning formula on defense has been predicated on two tried-and-true factors: stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback.

Against the Eagles, the Raiders got to Donovan McNabb six times, forcing a paltry 47.8 percent completion rate on his passes.

Against rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, the Raiders only managed one sack, and despite only making 15 pass attempts in the game, Sanchez completed nine of them (60 percent), averaging 9.5 yards per completion, and had no turnovers in the game.

And just to further illustrate how inept the Raiders were on defense, the leading tackler for the game was safety Tyvon Branch with seven.

And while the defense’s inconsistency is infuriating, the offense’s season-long struggles have been downright despicable.

Again, the Raiders had issues simply sustaining an offensive drive.

The longest offensive possession the Raiders held was a meaningless 12-play drive in the game’s waning minutes. The Raiders’ next two longest drives each resulted in turnovers.

In total, the Raiders only ran 52 offensive plays, 18 less than the Jets and held onto the ball for only 24:03.

In the past few weeks, quarterback JaMarcus Russell’s struggles have been a point of discussion for the NFL pundits and the dreaded “bust” label has been thrown around more frequently.

The reports have been somewhat conflicting.

During the offseason, it was reported that Russell had taken some steps in asserting himself as a team leader, best evidenced by his decision to fly his receivers, on his own expense, to his home in Alabama to get some one-on-one time with them.

In the preseason, Russell was not overly impressive, but played nearly error free and he appeared more confident on the field and in the sidelines.

However, since then, all the talk has been about Russell’s immaturity, poor work ethic, and lack of preparation and if Raiders fans are left not knowing what to to believe, Russell’s performance certainly speaks for itself.

Those who fiercely guard Russell’s latent potential are quick to spread the blame, citing the offensive line’s woeful pass protection and the receiving corps’ inability to consistently run their routes and catch the ball.

However, as true as those factors might be, the numbers tell a different story.

As poor as his protection has been, Russell has not been sacked as many times (18) as the likes of Aaron Rodgers (25) or Ben Roethlisberger (19). Yet Russell’s quarterback rating (47.6), completion percentage (46.3), passing yards per game (127.3), and yards per completion (5.6) are the lowest in the league among qualified starters.

The evidence against Russell is staggering and no matter the defense his most vehement supporters might serve up, none of it excuses Russell’s incredibly poor play in what is his third year in the NFL.

And in defending Russell so forcefully, it is almost as if his supports are trying to convince themselves more so than Russell’s detractors, that he is a capable starting quarterback that should not bear the brunt of the blame.

And it’s true. Russell should not have to take all the blame.

In a situation as perplexing and disheartening as the Raiders’ 2-5 season, there is plenty of blame to go around.

With nine games left in the season, the rest of the schedule does not play out so well for the Raiders. It’s conceivable that the Raiders might finish the season at 5-11, with wins coming against the lowly Chiefs, Redskins, and Browns.

Still, even a five-win season isn’t for certain with this current group of Raiders and if it isn’t clear by now, it looks as if Seymour’s prediction will be for not.

There will be no miraculous second half turn.

JaMarcus Russell will not suddenly flip the switch and lead his team back into contention.

At this point, what you would like to see as a Raider fan is your team to finish strong. There will be more losses than wins, but the Raiders are at rock bottom right now and if they want to salvage any ounce of dignity they have left, then they will finish strong and play out the season with tenacity and grit.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Another Missed Opportunity: Raiders’ Future Is Bleak Following Loss

It was back to business as usual for the Oakland Raiders.

A week after upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles, 13-9, the Raiders suffered their worst home loss in franchise history, falling to the New York Jets, 38-0.

When this season comes to an end, and Raider fans have a moment to reflect on what will be yet another disturbingly poor season. Week seven’s loss might be viewed as a missed opportunity.

If there ever was a time when the Raiders could have changed their fortunes and reinvigorated a despondent fan base, then this certainly was the time.

Not only were the Raiders coming off of a spirited win over a quality opponent, the team received some good news when it was announced that the Napa District Attorney’s office would not be filing criminal charges against head coach Tom Cable for his alleged assault against former assistant Randy Hanson.

In addition, defensive end Richard Seymour was audaciously bold during a radio interview with 1530 Homer in Cincinnati, stating, “You can mark it down. The Raiders will be in the playoffs.”

So with a possible win streak looming, a tiresome off-field distraction finally squashed, and a very publicized show of confidence, there was an unusual glimmer of hope in Oakland during the days leading up to Sunday’s matchup against the Jets.

But just as quickly as the Raiders built some positive momentum, they lost it all from the get go.

Jonathan Holland’s 13-yard return of the game’s opening kickoff was taken back ten yards after backup tight end Brandon Myers was flagged for a block in the back.

And then, in what must have felt like a Greek comedy or tragedy to the Raiders’ home crowd, the Raiders relinquished possession deep in their own territory.

On the first play from scrimmage at the Raiders’ 10-yard line, Jets linebacker Calvin Pace easily managed to get by tackle Khalif Barnes, leaving JaMarcus Russell as an open target.

Comedy? Tragedy? Probably a little bit of both, but whichever genre, the Raiders’ opening folly played out with a sack, a fumble, a turnover, and 1-yard touchdown run by Thomas Jones to give the Jets the early lead.

The Jets would go on to score five more times, twice more on Raiders turnovers, en route to a 38-0 victory that featured two 100-yard rushing performances from the Jets’ backfield of Jones (121) and backup Shonn Green (144 yards and two touchdowns on only 19 carries).

In stark contrast, against the Eagles in the week prior, the Raiders allowed only 67 total yards rushing and held the Eagles’ duo of Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy to only 50 and 13 yards, respectively.

So far in the season, the Raiders’ winning formula on defense has been predicated on two tried-and-true factors: stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback.

Against the Eagles, the Raiders got to Donovan McNabb six times, forcing a paltry 47.8 percent completion rate on his passes.

Against rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, the Raiders only managed one sack, and despite only making 15 pass attempts in the game, Sanchez completed nine of them (60 percent), averaging 9.5 yards per completion, and had no turnovers in the game.

And just to further illustrate how inept the Raiders were on defense, the leading tackler for the game was safety Tyvon Branch with seven.

And while the defense’s inconsistency is infuriating, the offense’s season-long struggles have been downright despicable.

Again, the Raiders had issues simply sustaining an offensive drive.

The longest offensive possession the Raiders held was a meaningless 12-play drive in the game’s waning minutes. The Raiders’ next two longest drives each resulted in turnovers.

In total, the Raiders only ran 52 offensive plays, 18 less than the Jets and held onto the ball for only 24:03.

In the past few weeks, quarterback JaMarcus Russell’s struggles have been a point of discussion for the NFL pundits and the dreaded “bust” label has been thrown around more frequently.

The reports have been somewhat conflicting.

During the offseason, it was reported that Russell had taken some steps in asserting himself as a team leader, best evidenced by his decision to fly his receivers, on his own expense, to his home in Alabama to get some one-on-one time with them.

In the preseason, Russell was not overly impressive, but played nearly error free and he appeared more confident on the field and in the sidelines.

However, since then, all the talk has been about Russell’s immaturity, poor work ethic, and lack of preparation and if Raiders fans are left not knowing what to to believe, Russell’s performance certainly speaks for itself.

Those who fiercely guard Russell’s latent potential are quick to spread the blame, citing the offensive line’s woeful pass protection and the receiving corps’ inability to consistently run their routes and catch the ball.

However, as true as those factors might be, the numbers tell a different story.

As poor as his protection has been, Russell has not been sacked as many times (18) as the likes of Aaron Rodgers (25) or Ben Roethlisberger (19). Yet Russell’s quarterback rating (47.6), completion percentage (46.3), passing yards per game (127.3), and yards per completion (5.6) are the lowest in the league among qualified starters.

The evidence against Russell is staggering and no matter the defense his most vehement supporters might serve up, none of it excuses Russell’s incredibly poor play in what is his third year in the NFL.

And in defending Russell so forcefully, it is almost as if his supports are trying to convince themselves more so than Russell’s detractors, that he is a capable starting quarterback that should not bear the brunt of the blame.

And it’s true. Russell should not have to take all the blame.

In a situation as perplexing and disheartening as the Raiders’ 2-5 season, there is plenty of blame to go around.

With nine games left in the season, the rest of the schedule does not play out so well for the Raiders. It’s conceivable that the Raiders might finish the season at 5-11, with wins coming against the lowly Chiefs, Redskins, and Browns.

Still, even a five-win season isn’t for certain with this current group of Raiders and if it isn’t clear by now, it looks as if Seymour’s prediction will be for not.

There will be no miraculous second half turn.

JaMarcus Russell will not suddenly flip the switch and lead his team back into contention.

At this point, what you would like to see as a Raider fan is your team to finish strong. There will be more losses than wins, but the Raiders are at rock bottom right now and if they want to salvage any ounce of dignity they have left, then they will finish strong and play out the season with tenacity and grit.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

After Five Weeks, Raider Nation Hits an All-Time Low

It’s comforting to believe that when you’re down on your luck and you feel like you’ve reached rock bottom, that there’s nowhere to go but up. Against all odds, you try to maintain a positive outlook on your prospects, while still keeping a realistic perspective on things, and you fully embrace the notion that when your back is against the wall, you are not one to be reckoned with.

Forgive me if I’m beginning to read like a self-help book, but for many Raider fans, this was the battle cry of sorts prior to the start of the 2009-2010 season.

It’s not so much that a lackluster preseason was considered a slight misstep or that the past six years have been ignored or forgotten, but considering the maturation of JaMarcus Russell during the offseason and the tumult of a newly shaped AFC West, it wasn’t far-fetched for Raider fans to ponder the most quintessential of underdog credo’s:

Why not us?

The answer in a nutshell?

The Raiders’ offense is inept, the defense is incapable and inconsistent, and the head coach is headline news for his supposed on-the-job street fighting exploits.

Now if that isn’t a formula for disaster, then the Raiders are certainly doing a tremendous job in rewriting the NFL’s book on futility.

Time are tough in Raider Nation. (What ever happened to reaching rock bottom and looking forward to the long climb up, or at the very least, just wallowing in the NFL’s dark abyss?)

No, just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, the Oakland Raiders have sunk to new and uncharted lows and have found brand new ways to disappoint one of the most loyal and passionate fan bases in all of sports.

And so, the Raiders trudge along in what is an unprecedented downturn in the organization’s once sterling history.

Fandom is a curious situation of time-bending proportions. All at once, Raider Nation embraces its past, begrudgingly accepts its present, and constantly sets its eyes towards the future.

Truth be told, it’s hard to predict when the Raiders will be able to right this ship. When dealing with an infamous owner such as Al Davis, whose staunch methodology is beyond any alteration or questioning, it’s unlikely that change will come easy.

Could it be that the Raiders’ only hope is to catch lightning in a bottle?

After all, the pieces are there. The strong-armed quarterback, the deep threat wide receiver, the explosive and dynamic backfield, the lockdown corner, and the stalwart linebacker. Add to that the offseason acquisition of two veteran defensive ends, and the Raiders have the elements, at least on paper, of a team poised to make some noise.

Yet even this, the methodical construction of a championship caliber team, has failed to equate in wins, or at the very least, in showing a legitimate dedication to the development of a winner.

The Raiders organization is mired in a quandary of unusual sorts.

Al Davis is Oakland Raider football. He has been the one constant in the franchise and his fingerprints are all over the Raiders’ three Super Bowl championships and their ascension to the upper echelon of hallmark NFL teams.

Unfortunately, his fingerprints are also found on this current Raider team.

There’s no real easy way to go about this situation. Davis knows how to win. He’s been at the top and he knows how to get there. The Raiders have suffered before and have always managed to reclaim their place among the NFL elite.

But this time around, it’s a little different. Perhaps it was in reaction to two consecutive Super Bowl misses (the Tuck Rule game and the debacle of 2003), but since 2003, Davis’ style in managing his team can best be described as hurried.

Too many quick-fix moves that brought in as many big names as they’ve pushed out have left this current group of Raiders with a significant leadership void.

It might have been too much to ask these young Raiders to finish in the top half of the division. Reality has set in and just as quickly, the high hopes and good vibes of the offseason have made their way out in dramatically disastrous fashion.

After five weeks, the Raiders are a disappointing 1-4 and face the daunting task of squaring off with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, and the San Diego Chargers in the coming weeks.

You might own some small glimmer of hope that the Raiders will undergo a dramatic change. That in the next three weeks, the Raiders morph into something special, and that by season’s end, all the major sports networks will be raving about how miraculous of a change the Raiders showcased starting in Week Six against the Eagles.

But then, the real world comes knocking on your door.

The Raiders are 1-4, and not the good sort of 1-4 where a severely over matched team puts up a good fight and falls short despite their most valiant efforts.

It’s the kind of 1-4 that makes you sick to your stomach on Monday, feel utterly depressed by Tuesday, angry on Wednesday, unreasonably hopeful from Thursday through Saturday, and all of this only to come crashing back down on Sunday.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The 10 Most Memorable Moments in the Raiders-Broncos Rivalry

The Oakland Raiders host the Denver Broncos in a Week 3 matchup that will not be without a good amount of contempt (to say the least).

By many fans’ standards, the rivalry between these two longtime AFC West foes is the greatest the league has to offer. More so than the Cowboys-Redskins, Packers-Vikings, or the Steelers-Browns, the hate between the Raiders and Broncos might only be matched by the Raiders’ rivalry with, well, everyone else.

The Broncos come in at a surprising 2-0. Surprising because of all the turmoil the franchise went through in the offseason: Mike Shanahan’s firing, Jay Cutler’s forced departure, and the Brandon Marshall saga.

The Raiders are coming in at 1-1 and are fresh off an ugly 13-10 win in Kansas City that was highlighted by JaMarcus Russell’s game-winning drive in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.

While both teams have been written off as bottom dwellers by the mainstream football pundits, the gravity of this weekend’s rivalry game is not long among its players.

In the past, regardless of how well either team was doing, the Raiders and Broncos have always provided memorable moments and hard fought games.

Currently, the Raiders hold the all-time series lead at 54-40-2, but the Broncos have dominated of late, winning 21 of the last 27 matchups.

Come Sunday, neither the Raiders nor the Broncos will be short on motivation as both organizations view this season as potential turning points in their fortunes. However, if the past is any indication of how these teams project, Sunday’s matchup will be the first of yet another series of highly contested games between these two bitter rivals.

Begin Slideshow

The 10 Most Memorable Games in the Storied Raiders-Chiefs Rivalry

Although both organizations have fallen on lean times in the past few seasons, the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs square off on Sunday as they look to rekindle what has been one of the NFL’s longest and most heated rivalries.

Since their days in the AFL, the two teams have always been division rivals and as such, have often met in some hotly contested matchups that have featured games with playoff and Super Bowl implications, memorable last minute drives, and a fair share of skirmishes.

Division rivalries are always special, and the Raiders-Chiefs rivalry is no different. Part of the reason why this rivalry is so special is because of the notoriety of each team’s fanbase: the Raider Nation owns an infamous reputation as owning the league’s most hostile fans while the always exuberant Red Sea in Kansas City makes it tough for any opposing team that travels to Arrowhead Stadium.

The 2009-2010 version of the rivalry might not come with as much fanfare, but fans in Oakland and Kansas City are certainly aware of the history and hate that go along with a Raiders-Chiefs matchup.

Both teams are coming into Sunday’s game following Week One losses, and while youth and inexperience are abound on both sides, the gravity of the game isn’t lost on any of the youngsters.

The Raiders are coming off a painful 24-20 loss to the San Diego Chargers that came on a heroic final drive by Philip Rivers, Darren Sproles and company. Despite the loss, the Raiders were in control for most of the game and are coming into Sunday’s matchup with confidence to spare.

The Chiefs, on the other hand, are happy to play in front of their home crowd following a 38-24 beating at the hands of the Ravens in Baltimore. Playing without newly acquired quarterback Matt Cassel, the Chiefs only managed 188 yards of total offense against the vaunted Ravens defense, and based on midweek reports, Cassel’s debut as a Chief for Sunday is questionable at best.

In preparation for Sunday’s heated affair, it’s only fitting that we turn back the clock, scavenge through the archives, and highlight the top ten games and moments in Raiders-Chiefs history.

There’s no bias with this top ten list. Both teams are represented well with their own great moments, and that just goes to show you how highly contested these matchups have been. Although each team can lay claim to dominating a certain decade, many of these gridiron battles haven’t come without incident, or at the very least, its fair share of memorable in-game antics or post game quotes.

For our first moment, we go all the way back to the first time these two teams met, back in…

Begin Slideshow

Raiders-Chargers: Oakland Impresses in Debut, but Lets San Diego Slip Away

The Raiders displayed an intensity and moxie in their season-opening game against the San Diego Chargers on Monday night that has been unseen in Oakland in recent years.

The running game was dominant in the first half, as the Raiders’ offensive line imposed its will on the Chargers’ defensive front.

JaMarcus Russell, who couldn’t hit a receiver for much of the game, came back from a brief stint on the sidelines after hyper-extending his knee to lead the offense to a late scoring drive capped off by a huge 4th-and-15, 57-yard touchdown strike to rookie wide receiver Louis Murphy.

The defensive front provided adequate pressure despite rushing only four defenders for most of the game, the secondary had a number of pass break-ups despite being tested in exclusive man-to-man coverage, and the coaching staff’s play calling showed that they’ve got enormous confidence in their young team.

But despite all of that, the Raiders fell yet again in a season opener, 24-20.

For 57 minutes and 37 seconds, the Raiders were the aggressors.

For 57 minutes and 37 seconds, the Raiders had the game won.

For 57 minutes and 37 seconds, it looked like the Raiders would begin the season with a victory and avoid the same fate of the Buffalo Bills, who in their bid to upset the New England Patriots in the preceding Monday night game, faltered in the waning minutes.

But for all of their effort in the first 57 minutes and 37 seconds, the Raiders folded under pressure and looked more like the team of the past six seasons in the last two minutes and 23 seconds.

It’s a painfully amusing reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in the NFL. With one heroic last drive led by Philip Rivers and Darren Sproles, the Chargers showed why they are the team to beat in the AFC West, driving 89 yards on nine plays to lead their team to victory and shatter the early hopes of Raider Nation.

Give the Chargers credit: These are the types of games that teams of their caliber must win. Despite being outplayed for most of the game, the Chargers kept it close and gave themselves a shot to win.

It’s the type of performance the young Raiders can learn a lesson from and take with them into the next week. Veteran teams can stave off impending doom by making timely plays in dramatic fashion.

Young teams like the Raiders learn these lessons in time. And like what happened on Monday night, the NFL’s school of hard knocks is often a painful education in the necessity to play from start to finish.

Of the last nine plays on the Chargers’ game-winning drive, five were completed in the middle of the field for an average of 11.8 yards.

As Raiders rookie head coach Tom Cable expressed in Tuesday’s media conference, “It’s almost like we got into prevent mode rather than just continuing to play defense.”

What is it that they say about prevent defenses? Prevent defenses don’t prevent anything but winning.

The Raiders stopped being aggressive when it mattered most and let a win slip away. The play-calling was certainly questionable given the circumstances: a three-point lead with less than 2:30 to play and a defense on the field that had shut down the Chargers’ potent offense for much of the game.

So why defensive coordinator John Marshall opted to drop his linebackers in prevent is beyond logical convention. ESPN highlighted the open middle zone on a 2nd-and-10 pass play to Sproles that went for nine yards. The secondary did its part in covering the outside and deep zones, but the entire middle of the field was left open for Rivers to play pitch-and-catch with his receivers.

Cable went on to say that his staff had definitely learned something from that last drive, commenting, “If we learned anything as coaches, there’s a better mix (of defensive play-calling) than being one-dimensional.”

For many Raider fans, the postgame conversations and debates might best be summarized as “would’ve, should’ve, could’ve.”

The Raiders would’ve, should’ve, and could’ve won had it not been for the officials taking back Murphy’s second quarter touchdown catch. On the play, Russell threw a high strike to Murphy, who came down with the ball, but officials ruled he didn’t have possession when he fell to the ground.

A questionable call that might have some cynical Raider fans thinking this was a way officials were trying to make it up to the Chargers for last year’s Ed Hochuli debacle and another example of the league sticking it to its most dysfunctional organization.

Regardless, “would’ve, should’ve, could’ve” doesn’t equate to 1-0, and when it comes down to it, the Raiders had the lead late in the game, but couldn’t seal the deal in the final two minutes and 23 seconds.

As encouraging as the Raiders played, Monday night’s loss was a stinging reminder of how much further this team has to go in returning to championship form. Any team can compete for 58 minutes (just ask the Bills).

But when the game is on the line and situations call for players to step up, it’s the truly great players and teams (Peyton Manning in Indianapolis and Tom Brady in New England) that are able to pull through and define themselves as winners.

Russell and Oakland might have a ways to go, but considering the tumult of the past six seasons, Monday night’s debut was an encouraging sign of a renewed and invigorated Raiders squad.

Russell was inconsistent, but showed toughness in coming back from an injury (albeit minor) and was unfazed when facing a critical 4th-and-15 situation.

Darren McFadden was his shifty self, but displayed impressive power en route to 68 yards on 17 carries.

Michael Bush played well in a backup role (12 carries for 55 yards), Murphy was impressive in his NFL debut, and Zach Miller showed why he should be considered one of the NFL’s top tight ends.

Although the defense let down when it mattered most, for 57 minutes and 37 seconds, they played an inspired brand of football.

For the first time since 2002, the Raiders were praised more than ridiculed on a nationally televised broadcast. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and current ESPN analyst Steve Young said of the Raiders’ pass defense, “I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am with the Raiders’ coverage.”

Fellow personality Mike Golic remarked, “Oakland is dominating this game. They’re playing inspired.”

Pretty high praise for a team that lost the game.

But the one thing these Raiders can’t afford to do is let up. Coach Cable was happy with how his team played, but made it known that no matter how good the Raiders looked in defeat, any result other than a win isn’t going to cut it.

The Raiders face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week Two and have a chance to show the nation that their debut performance wasn’t a fluke. Hopefully, this time around, the team will come to play from start to finish.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Optimism Abound in Oakland With the Start of the New Season

The 2009 NFL season kicks off tonight in Pittsburgh as the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers host the Tennessee Titans.

NFL fans across the country are breathing a collective sigh of relief as their constant, ever-growing lust for meaningful football is only a few hours from being satiated.

Baseball, which lost its title as “America’s Pastime” long ago, does an admirable job in holding over football fans through the summer. College football has its loyal diehards, but despite the pageantry and tradition that go along with it, it still doesn’t equate to a Tim McGraw-Black Eyed Peas pregame concert.

And as for the preseason? Well, four games of little or no consequence are just a tease, and football fans are not ones to be baited.

The 2009 NFL season is finally upon us, and like kids on Christmas morning, we are all in eager anticipation for what it has in store for us.

For Raider fans though, the wait is just a little bit longer. Perhaps we were the ones who sideswiped our little brothers on our way to the Christmas tree, and as a punishment, our parents made us wait until after everyone else had opened their presents to finally get to ours.

And after we are forced to endure the Patriots taking it to the Bills in the first game on Monday night, it will finally be our time to rip open that Silver and Black gift wrap and bask in all the glory that is Raider Football.

Suffice to say, the past six seasons have been lumps of coal, and while no one is expecting this year’s version of the Raiders to set the world ablaze, the prospects for the 2009-2010 season are improved and filled with legitimate promise.

For one, JaMarcus Russell, the 6’6″, 260 lbs. mountain of a quarterback, whose shoulders and back carry the heavy expectations of a starved Raider Nation, is beginning to look a lot like the quarterback Al Davis envisioned when he drafted him first overall in 2007.

Russell made huge strides in the offseason, both on the field and off of it. During the preseason, Russell displayed a calm and controlled poise and was highly efficient in his play (25 of 38 passing for a 66% completion rate and an 11-yard average on completions).

Off the field, Russell did well for himself by keeping quiet and staying out of the headlines. In this day and age, no news can be good news, and in what is a pivotal year in his development, it is encouraging to see that Russell was not fuel for the sports netizens, and instead, did and said all the right things.

What’s more, Russell has assumed a more prominent leadership role on the team, going so far as to fly his receivers to his home in Alabama just to work on their timing, and he did this all on his own expense.

Darren McFadden, the centerpiece of the Raiders’ three-headed rushing attack, is finally healthy, after having suffered through some bad turf toe in his rookie season. Nobody doubts McFadden’s awesome talent, but last season was a letdown because his play was so limited.

Although the Raiders feature the fast and determined Justin Fargas and the powerful Michael Bush, McFadden is the one true dynamic game breaker the team features in their backfield.

In the preseason, fans caught an early glimpse of what a healthy Darren McFadden is capable of as he regularly broke off huge runs and displayed an explosive playmaking ability that has been unseen in the Oakland backfield for some time.

Make no mistake of what a healthy and revitalized McFadden is capable of. Nobody will mistake the Raiders’ offensive line for the Titans’ or the Patriots’, but a running back with the skill of a Darren McFadden will certainly make the big uglies up front look a lot better on paper.

The receiving corps, one of the glaring weak spots of last season, looks to be improved and full of unlimited potential. In only two seasons, tight end Zach Miller has established himself as one of the league’s better tight ends, providing good blocking and excelling in the passing game. Again, Miller will likely be Russell’s favorite target, and rightfully so. Miller led all Raiders in receiving last season and those numbers look to increase with the improved play of Russell.

The arrival of rookie wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was met with much criticism as he was taken ahead of the more heralded Michael Crabtree. Now, Crabtree has yet to sign with the 49ers, and Heyward-Bey is set to start Monday night’s opener against the San Diego Chargers.

Heyward-Bey’s preseason play was met with mixed reviews. Slowed by a hamstring injury, Heyward-Bey showed only flashes of his game-breaking speed, but as Raider fans saw in the very first pass attempt of the preseason against Dallas, the very threat of Heyward-Bey’s speed is enough for defensive secondaries to think twice about consistently playing in the box.

The one receiver Raider Nation expects to be a consistent presence is second-year man Chaz Schilens.

A former seventh-round draft pick out of San Diego State, Schilens was a pleasant surprise last season, and he was able to carry those good vibes on into the offseason. During spring camp, Schilens was one of the most consistent performers on the team, and his play earned him high praise from the staff.

Although Schilens will be out until Week Two with a broken foot, the team fully expects the 6’4″ wideout to reclaim his starting role once he returns to full health. Schilens might not be the same dynamic athlete as a Heyward-Bey or Johnnie Lee Higgins, but he is the team’s best pure receiver, and he should be a favorite target of Russell’s once he returns.

For all the optimism on offense, the defense is still a glaring concern. Outside of corner back Nnamdi Asomugha and linebackers Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard, there aren’t many sure things on the defense.

True, veteran Greg Ellis was a nice addition and the play of youngsters like Desmond Bryant, Jon Alston and Ricky Brown were very encouraging. However, the Raiders’ defense, as a unit, left more questions than they answered during the preseason.

Run defense remains a serious issue as evidenced by the defense’s disastrous performance against the Saints in the third game of the preseason. Like last year, the Raiders’ defense hasn’t shown that it can stop the run, control a drive, or do something as simple and fundamental as making consistent tackles.

While there are many positives to take from this team, the one thing that can potentially derail a promising season is the run defense. Unfortunately, the preseason has come and gone, and defensive coordinator John Marshall is left with less than a week to prepare for the Chargers’ duo of LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles.

Obviously, the unit is still a work in progress, and if the Raiders hope to eclipse last year’s five win total, defense has to be the major point of emphasis in the staff’s preparation and team practice.

Expectations are high, as they always are in Oakland, but the reality of the past six seasons has shaped Raider Nation’s optimism into a carefully-guarded one. There are still so many questions that have yet to be answered, and it seems the preseason only prompted more to be asked.

It remains to be seen how good this team can be, but the first three games of the season will prove to be the most pivotal in shaping the 2009-2010 Oakland Raiders. The Raiders face each of their AFC West foes, and the first three games will go a long way in determining how the Raiders will fare the rest of the way.

In a weak AFC West, the Raiders have their best chance to finish in the top half of the division for the first since 2002, and lay the groundwork for the next few years. No one is expecting the Raiders to win the division, but for such a young team that is still growing, a second place finish with more wins than they’ve had in six seasons would go a long way in developing a winner in Oakland.

The 2009-2010 season might be the most important one in Oakland in a long while. Here’s to a successful campaign and a re-commitment to excellence. Just win, baby!

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders’ Letdown Is Cause for Concern

Look on the bright side, Raider Nation. Preseason records are rarely ever a good indication of a team’s future success.

Last year, the Lions went undefeated in the preseason, so you can only imagine how the Detroit faithful felt being blindsided by the worst season in NFL history.

Still, the dejected look on Tommy Kelly’s face as he walked back to the sidelines following the point after to make it 31-0 said it all.

The Raiders, a team with such vast potential, who came into the pre-season with good vibes and some nice momentum, have had their proverbial bubble burst.

This isn’t to say though that the season is lost before it has even begun. Hope springs eternal in Oakland and the Raiders have a lot to look forward to in the 2009-2010 campaign.

Given JaMarcus Russell’s improved play this offseason and a weakly perceived AFC West, it’s more than reasonable to believe that the Raiders will finish in the top half of their division.

However, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, this Silver and Black optimism. As former two-time Super Bowl winning Raiders head coach and current analyst Tom Flores expressed, Saturday afternoon’s 45-7 drubbing at the hands of the New Orleans Saints was a flat-out embarrassment.

It’s hard to point out any particular negatives in a game like this, but given their ineptitudes that began last week against the 49ers, the defense bats leadoff in what is a lineup of problematic issues and misgivings.

After allowing 275 yards rushing to the lowly San Francisco 49ers, head coach Tom Cable and defensive coordinator John Marshall made run defense a clear point of emphasis in training camp this week.

But given the 536 yards of total offense the Saints put up on Saturday, it’s safe to assume the Raiders’ defense has, instead, regressed.

Drew Brees was nearly perfect in only three offensive drives, throwing for 179 yards and three touchdowns on 14-for-17 passing.

A three-time Pro Bowl quarterback he might be, but the Raiders’ defense made Brees out to be the physical manifestation of Touchdown Jesus.

While giving credit to where it is due (great execution and perfect game planning on the Saints’ part), the Raiders were just plain awful.

First and foremost, as it was a problem last week (and last year), the Raiders’ poor tackling and inability to bring down ball carriers with initial contact are proving to be drive-savers for opposing offenses.

From first and goal of the Saints’ opening touchdown drive, fullback Heath Evans ran his way into the end zone nearly untouched.

Mind you, it was on first and goal, and Evans was met by only one Raider defender, Trevor Scott, who failed to bring him down with initial contact.

Again, in the following scoring drive, on second-and-6, Brees connected with Lance Moore on a quick slant that should have gone for only four yards, but instead, went for eight and a first down.

On that play, Moore was quickly met by Raiders cornerback Chris Johnson, but Johnson’s inability to firmly wrap up Moore led to the yards after the catch.

Poor fundamentals were a major reason why Marshall was brought in as defensive coordinator. Marshall is noted as a tough, no-nonsense disciplinarian, much like Cable, who places a high priority on solid fundamentals.

However, despite a rudimentary approach in the first week of training camp, the Raiders have failed to improve in this department.

To avoid a repeat performance, it has become gravely obvious that an emphasis on fundamentals should be a primary focus of the staff’s throughout the regular season.

The Saints benefited from a quick strike offense that provided plenty of options for Brees. Any defense would be hard pressed to stop such an attack, but you would at least like to see the Raiders to put up a better fight.

The word from camp has been that the players have been spirited and have competed well, but that attitude has failed to translate onto the field.

In any sport, the elite teams will have offenses that will misfire more times than not, but great defenses are a constant. If the Raiders intend to make the jump back into national relevance, as many around the organization believe they can, the defense must adopt a completely new mindset.

Great defense is part skill and good game planning, but it is driven to success by a sedulous approach and an aggressive attitude.

In Saturday’s performance, the Raiders were neither in both regards, and instead, seemed unprepared and conveyed a lackadaisical attitude.

The general feeling about the third game of the preseason is that it is the best measure of a team’s future success and provides a good barometer of where a team stands.

After all, the projected team starters usually play opposing starters for at least the first half, and teams prepare for their third preseason game as they would a regular season game.

Raider Nation certainly doesn’t hope Saturday’s offensive showing is any indicator of what is to come.

Given the strides JaMarcus Russell has made and how well the offense has performed, for the most part, in its first two pre-season games, Saturday wasn’t so much a foretelling as it was a momentary, albeit disastrous, letdown.

Against the Saints, Russell was pressured more than he was in the first two games, and that was made evident from the first drive when the Saints’ pass rush batted the ball out of Russell’s hand as he was rearing back to throw, resulting in a fumble.

Still, despite the added pressure, Russell played well (12 for 18 for 153 yards) and has made great strides this preseason in being asserted as the definite starter.

Russell’s good performance was lost, however, because the Raiders failed to develop any sort of consistency in their offensive drives.

Public enemies number one and two for the Raiders’ offense was untimely turnovers and penalties. By their first possession of the second quarter, the Raiders had run only six plays on offense.

Offensive drives were either cut short by turnovers or stalled by penalties that usually came with big plays.

For example, on that first possession of the second quarter, the Raiders got a big 22-yard run from Darren McFadden taken back on a holding call.

In the second half, on what was an absolutely beautiful ball delivered by Russell, Louis Murphy made the reception, turned up field for a nice gain, but promptly coughed up the ball for his second fumble.

The Raiders can be an offensive force given the usual formula of good protection and disciplined play, but Russell and company were hard pressed to do much given their inability to control the ball.

There are some who swear by a team’s time of possession, while others argue its irrelevance in a big play-driven offense, but wherever Cable stands on the issue, he certainly won’t be keen to the fact that the Saints held on to the ball almost 20 minutes more than the Raiders (39:27 to 20:33).

Penalties and turnovers never come at a good time, but this seemed especially true on Saturday. When it comes down to it, these problems, like those on defense, find their source in poor discipline and fundamentals.

Fortunately, there are still two more weeks to improve. Two more weeks to refocus back to the first week of the preseason, when fundamentals and technique constituted the daily grind.

Saturday was a serious letdown, but it is yet the pre-season. For all the poor tackling, biting on play fakes, breakdowns in pass protection, and turnovers the Raiders accounted for, 45-7 doesn’t stand in any relevant record book or count towards the Lombardi Trophy.

Losing by 38 and falling to a preseason record of 1-2 might not look pretty, but if a 4-0 preseason leading to an 0-16 regular season means anything, Raider Nation has reason to believe two weeks is enough time to refocus efforts to a successful 2009 season.

Raiders Run Defense Leaves a Familiar Stench

There was something about Saturday night’s loss to the 49ers that was awfully familiar.

It’s the sort of awful familiarity that makes it hard to wholly accept whatever good vibrations were established in the previous pre-season game, and it’s the same sort that sends tremors of discontent down even the most optimistic fan’s backside.

The scoreboard never matters in a pre-season game, but so often the statistics do.

The Raiders’ run defense allowed 275 yards rushing on only 47 carries (5.9 average per rush), echoing the same troubling issues of last season.

Rookie running back Glen Coffee amassed 129 yards rushing while averaging 8.0 yards per carry, converted quarterback Michael Robinson ran for 97 yards on only 14 carries, and even undrafted rookie Kory Sheets had 51 yards on only 12 carries.

And it isn’t as if the 49ers were innovative in their run blocking or utilized some scheme that was unfamiliar to the Raiders. In fact, all the 49ers did was pound the ball up the gut over, and over, and over, and…the Raiders had no answer.

In observing the defense’s performance in each of the first two pre-season games, the glaring issue seems to be fundamental tackling. That is, wrapping up and stopping the ball carrier on first contact.

There were several instances in Saturday night’s game when Raider defenders met opposing running backs at or around the line of scrimmage, but could not take them down with the first or second hit.

In fact, the only thing that could stop or slow down the 49ers’ rushing attack was a missed field goal in the third quarter, or whenever Alex Smith or Shaun Hill dropped back to pass (rookie Nate Davis was impressive in his pre-season debut).

What’s so disconcerting about the Raiders’ poor tackling is that it was a huge problem last season, and it’s been a point of emphasis this off-season.

Head coach Tom Cable stressed fundamentals in the first week of practice, and part of the reason why new defensive coordinator John Marshall was brought along is because of his emphasis on solid, fundamental play.

There were a few bright flashes on defense, especially in the department of pressuring the quarterback, but it was all too inconsistent.

Offensively, the Raiders let down a bit from the first pre-season game, but overall, it was still a good performance.

JaMarcus Russell didn’t look sharp in his first offensive drive, but after settling down a bit, he managed to reclaim the same poise and quick decision-making he owned in the first pre-season game. Russell completed seven of his 11 pass attempts, finishing with 76 yards and one touchdown.

Russell’s touchdown pass is worth noting simply for the ball he threw to rookie receiver Louis Murphy.

With good protection in the pocket, Russell found a wide-open Murphy in the right of the end zone and delivered a beautifully thrown ball that can be best described as a laser beam of a pass.

Playing for the injured Chaz Schilens, Murphy was impressive, finishing with two catches for 34 yards and a touchdown.

In observing his play in the first two pre-season games, Murphy looks like he will be a key contributor this season, displaying nice route running skills and good speed.

Another youngster who impressed was rookie tight end Brandon Myers, who looked like a virtual clone of Zach Miller. Myers had four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, but he was equally impressive as a blocker.

Oakland Raiders Taking Care of Business in All the Right Places

It was encouraging for all the right reasons.

True, it goes without saying that this was only the first preseason game, but when you’re watching an exhibition affair, you look for certain things out of your team that give you some sort of indication that things are headed in the right direction.

First, the bad.

There were too many silly penalties (14 for 107 yards), and if there’s anything you don’t want your team to do, it’s beat themselves on the field.

Also, the defense was soft at times, especially in zone coverage, and proper tackling seemed to be an issue on certain drives.

But c’mon—it’s only the first preseason game. These are the type of disciplinary miscues you’d expect from any team trying to work itself back into shape, and judging by the way head coach Tom Cable is running things in camp, there’s legitimate enough reason to believe the Raiders will be a more efficient and fundamentally sound team than they’ve been in recent memory come Sept. 14.

Now, on to the good.

There’s a lot of it to take from this game. JaMarcus Russell didn’t exactly set the world ablaze in his one quarter of play, but he did most everything he could do to appease his critics.

Without trying to get too ahead of ourselves, in only two offensive drives, Russell displayed a confident poise that makes you believe that this is the year he lives up to everyone’s lofty expectations. They say a player makes the biggest jump in his development between his first and second year, and this is essentially Russell’s second year as the full-time starter.

Where Russell excelled the most was in his quick decision-making. There were few times, if any, Russell held onto the ball longer than he should have.

Most of the time, Russell delivered the ball as soon as he came out of his drop and found an open receiver on six out of nine pass attempts.

Chaz Schilens was the recipient on four of those six completions, but it was the one completion that went for negative yards that might have been the most impressive.

On second and goal at the Cowboys’ 12-yard line, Russell completed a pass to veteran fullback Lorenzo Neal that went for a two-yard loss. It’s a negative play in the box score, but what was impressive about the completion was the poise in which Russell handled the situation.

Against a good pass rush, Russell stood tall, scanned the field, and checked down all his receivers. When he saw nothing available, Russell made the pass that made the most sense and was the safest: his fullback swinging out right.

Trust me, it’s hard to even write anything positive about a play that lost two yards, but it’s impressive, nonetheless, to see a young and maturing JaMarcus Russell have the presence of mind to make a quick decision that doesn’t involve him throwing a rocket into tight coverage that, in the past, might have been picked off.

Instead, Russell found the safer play that might have lost two yards, but on any other day could have been a positive gain.

Schilens’ performance was as expected for Raider fans, but perhaps no one outside of Oakland has paid any heed to the second-year man out of San Diego State.

Schilens finished with five catches for 52 yards; perhaps it was his relative anonymity that led to him being open so often, but whatever it was, Schilens made the Cowboys’ secondary pay.

What is so impressive about Schilens is that he is the anti-superstar wide receiver. He isn’t flashy and doesn’t make the headlines, but he just gets the job done.

Last year, Raider fans saw Schilens’ play increase week by week, and that’s thanks in large part to his consistent fundamentals.

An example of this was the 2nd-and-8 play on the Raiders’ touchdown drive to start the second. Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski’s pass was poorly thrown and low, but Schilens managed to get to the ball, caught it, and fell without contact, and had the presence of mind to get up and run on what became a nine-yard reception to set the Raiders up with a 1st-and-goal at the six-yard line.

With the way last season ended and the preseason has begun, it’s quite evident that Schilens is quickly becoming Russell’s favorite target, and if things go as planned, the national media might start talking about Schilens the same way they did another former seventh round wide receiver, Marques Colston.

Darren McFadden had some nice runs (including a monster 45-yarder), Michael Bush gained 18 yards on only two carries, and even the fourth and fifth guys, Louis Rankin and Gary Russell, contributed a touchdown apiece.

But it wasn’t so much the running that was most impressive; it was their blocking ability that proved to be the highlight of the backfield’s night.

On Russell’s huge 18-yard run on the second offensive drive of the first quarter, it was McFadden who made the play happen. Against a heavy blitz, Russell’s best option was to tuck it up the middle and run.

However, the play would probably have gone for only a minimal gain had it not been for McFadden’s timely block against a blitzing Cowboy linebacker.

In the second quarter, on 2nd-and-5 at their own 25-yard line, Gradkowski threw an incomplete pass down the middle.

However, as noted in the Raiders broadcast by play-by-play man Greg Papa, what made such an insignificant play so special was Bush’s quick pickup of the blitz, buying some more time for his quarterback to deliver the ball safely.

Picking up blitzes and blocking might not makes the headlines, but it’s the little things that count, and it’s encouraging to see the two young and talented Raider running backs taking care of business.

Of course, as it is the preseason, it’s the time when the coaches get to evaluate their young talent in live game situations.

Louis Murphy got some extended playing time in the second half and played very well, grabbing two passes for 44 yards. Murphy looks like he can develop into a very good fourth wide receiver, playing inside and running the all-too-important routes underneath the coverage.

The one play involving Murphy, however, that fans will most likely remember will probably be the 3rd-and-5 pass from Gradkowski that Murphy dropped. On the play, Murphy ran a crossing route to the left and jumped, falling, to his left to catch the ball.

However, right there was a Cowboy defensive back, who promptly nailed Murphy before he could gain possession.

We’ll give him a pass on that one.

Ricky Brown and Slade Norris, the two young linebackers, were impressive in the time they got, displaying great closing speed. Brown, in particular, had the best tackle of the night, coming in on a blitz and sacking Cowboys backup quarterback Jon Kitna for a 10-yard loss.

Perhaps I’m practicing some journalistic alchemy here, writing about the positives in negative completions and virtual non-plays.

But it’s only the first preseason game.

There’s very little to draw from such a showing, especially when observing what’s on the surface. You can’t take much from a preseason final score of 31-10, but that’s why, like backfield blocking, it’s the little things that count.

The game was encouraging in all the right places. It might only be the first game of the preseason, but it’s a good bit of evidence that shows Cable and staff are taking care of business in camp.

Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010