Was 2009 a Repeat Performance or a Variation of a “Bad” Theme?

On the last Monday of 2009, the Oakland Raiders find themselves with double-digit losses for the seventh year in a row.

Another difficult year for a Raider’s fan to have to deal with or should I say suffer through.

The 2009 draft was one that brought two athletes to the team as 1st (Darrius Heyward-Bey) & 2nd round (Mike Mitchell) picks, but it is unclear if or when these athletes can develop into productive football players.

The team’s draft produced a promising DE selected in the 3rd round (Matt Shaughnessy).

A promising WR selected in the 4th round (Louis Murphy).

A promising TE selected in the 6th round. Another promising DE/DT was signed as an undrafted free agent (Desmond Bryant).

Once again the Raiders look better drafting in reverse and this trend needs to stop.

A team’s 1st & 2nd round picks should be solid and make an immediate impact on the team. Whereas a team’s picks in rounds three through seven should build the team.

However, what should happen always boils down to whom Al Davis wants.

I have a lot of respect for Al Davis and for what he has been able to accomplish over the years.

I’m also in agreement with www.messagetoal.com and believe that it is time for him to give way to someone else running the football operations and have stated the same things for years.

Another year of surprisingly beating teams that the Raiders had no business beating and losing to teams that the silver and black should beat. A change was finally made at quarterback, but as much as I agreed with the decision it makes me wonder if things could have been different if the decision was made in week seven as opposed to week 11.

Going into 2010 it is clear to me that Oakland needs to change JaMarcus Russell’s position or cut him because they have their quarterback in Bruce Gradkowski.

Russell needs to out-work everyone, do a complete 180 degree turnaround, and come back looking like a completely different player for me to consider him a potential member of the 2010 53-man roster.

Another thought has me wondering how dramatically different the win-loss record would change if the Raiders could stop the run.

The team is allowing 150 rushing yards and 24 points per game for the seventh straight year. This has the silver and black ranked 29th in the league at stopping the run.

Is it a coincidence that six of the teams that rank in the top ten against the run use a 3-4 front as their base defense?

I know what several people will attempt to inform me that the Raiders don’t run a 3-4 defense nor have the personnel to effectively run the scheme.

However, what every Raider fan knows that it is time for a change.

Dramatic changes such as a new scheme on both sides of the ball, new personnel, better play calling and a completely different focus.

A switch back to the 3-4 defense, the same defense the Raiders used and while winning Super Bowl XVIII in 1983, will probably never happen.

However, switching to a multiple front defense one that uses a base 4-3 front, but depending on the opposition and down and distance switching out of the 4-3 front and into either a 3-4 versus the pass or a Bear 46 to finally stop the run.

This will also ensure that the silver and black defense won’t be so predictable.

Change is very slow for the Oakland Raiders, but the Raiders blitzed more as well as had more success with it in 2009 than in previous years. It might not be the massive changes I want to see, but it is a start.

Hopefully there is more change to come in 2010; I’m talking about change for the better.

Instead of discussing how great Janikowski’s 61-yard field goal was or how the officials did the Raiders again with some changes we could be discussing the best season the Raiders have had in a decade.

The ball is always in Al Davis’ court and it is up to him to do the right thing for the future of the franchise.

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Will the Lack of DT Depth Be the Oakland Raiders’ Achilles Heel in 2009?

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Halfway through the 2009 preseason for the Raiders and as fans we’ve seen some good things and some bad things but most disturbing is the fact that the team still can’t stop the run.

Reminiscent of a cold that you just can’t seem to shake, similar to having a sheet of flypaper stuck to your hand, the Oakland Raiders can’t dodge the fact that they’ve had great difficulty stopping the run for the past six years quickly going on seven.

Oakland has surrendered 150+ rushing yards per game, on average, for the better part of the last six years. To ask what is the problem or what has gone wrong are questions that are too obvious to ask.

The message to the new defensive coordinator couldn’t have been spelled out clearer: stop the run and get after the quarterback. It is way too early to say that they’ve failed because they haven’t. I applauded the selection of John Marshall and Dwaine Board as defensive line coach but these guys weren’t given the tools to succeed.

Defensive tackle is a position of need that has been neglected in the draft by Oakland for far too long. 2009 has started and this team needs two defensive tackles in the 2010 draft.

The last time the Raiders were stout up the middle against the run was 2002. I hate to have to call anyone out but we as Raider fans knew that this was a major area of need, that it had to be addressed and that the two best defensive tackles on the team were Tommy Kelly and Gerard Warren.

Tommy Kelly is a talented DT who gets double teamed on almost every play. I’m tired of seeing him getting up off of the ground and if he had some help in terms depth at the position this could change.

The blame has to be placed at the doorstep of Al Davis for consistently not addressing this position in the draft. As a Raiders fan I have also been a fan of Al Davis however there is no excuse for this happening.

The importance of the position has been overlooked, the idea of drawing a line in the sand and making a definitive stand on correcting this error has been put on the back burner for over a decade and it continues to be a major weakness.

When you talk of improving any team the first thing that needs to happen would be to improve the defense. Oakland has gone through another draft where the defensive tackle position wasn’t addressed, again, and it has been the Achilles heel for the Raiders as well as the reason for their demise.

The last five defensive tackles drafted by Oakland were Anttaj Hawthorne (2005), Junior Ioane (2000), Leon Bender (1998), Darrell Russell (1997), and Grady Jackson (1997). 

http://jllockerroom.blogspot.com/

NFL: Look to the Backups

NFL franchises are officially back to work, their training camps in full swing.  Adversity in the form of injuries has also affected teams as it has every year; several key players have gone down with significant injuries.

When it comes to injuries in the NFL, it is identical to riding a motorcycle.  It is a known fact that if you ride one, you will go down at some point in time, and hopefully you can recover from any injuries.  Coincidentally, when it comes to injuries in the NFL, it isn’t a matter of if it happens but a matter of when.

Let’s be honest: injuries suck, but they’re part of the game and a setback that has to be overcome. It is also an opportunity for the backup player to step up and prove he can be the guy. 

Can Joe Mays be the guy in Philadelphia? Can Corey Irvin, Nick Hayden or Marlon Favorite step up in Carolina? One thing is for certain: both clubs and us fans we’ll  find out right away.

Here are a couple of guys who have made it happen before. 

1. Kurt Warner stepped in for Trent Green in 1999
2. Tom Brady stepped in for Drew Bledsoe in 2001
3. Kerry Collins stepped in for Rich Gannon in 2003
4. James Harrison stepped in for Clark Haggans in 2005

If the entire organization (owner, front office, scouting department & coaching staff) is on the same page and has properly built their team, they’ll be prepared for this scenario.  This is accomplished by drafting well with a three  to five year vision in mind and clearly defined attainable goals.

In theory, a team’s first and second round draft picks should be integral pieces to the puzzle that have the potential to be longtime fixtures for a franchise.  A team should be drafting potential starters or players that can develop into starters in every round. However, a team is actually built in rounds three through seven.  Let’s not forget selecting undrafted free agents to develop.

It has been said more than once that the best laid plans can and will go awry.  Injuries have negatively affected the outcome of the season of several teams. It brings to mind the John Madden Football curse.  I know to some people this might sound just a tad out of context, but follow me if you will, and it will make sense.

It must be stated that this isn’t a knock on John Madden Football. I absolutely love the game and have been playing it for years. Going back over the last ten years, significant player injuries and being on the cover of the game have been synonymous. NFL players were featured on the cover of the game for the first time in 1999.

• 1999 Garrison Hearst—He had an outstanding regular season, finishing third in rushing yards.  However, he suffered a broken ankle in the Divisional Playoff game against the Falcons. The severe break caused Hearst to miss two full NFL seasons. The team went 8-8 and third place in the division.

• 2000 Barry Sanders—He is pictured over Madden’s left shoulder on the cover.  Sanders abruptly retired in July before the start of the ’99 season. The team went 8-8, third place in the division.

• 2001 Eddie George—George’s curse came in ’01 in the form of him failing to break 1,000 yards rushing and the Titans going 7-9 and missing the playoffs.

• 2002 Dante Culpepper—Culpepper missed four games due to injury, threw for 1,300 fewer yards and 19 fewer TD passes than in 2000. The Vikings went 5-11, their worst record since 1984.

• 2003 Marshall Faulk—Faulk played in the same number of games, but ran for 430 yards less and had four fewer TDs than in 2001,  which was his worst season since 1996. The Rams scored only 16 more points then their 1996 team that had Tony Banks at QB and Lawrence Phillips at RB.  The team went 7-9 and finished third in the division.

• 2004 Michael Vick—Vick missed the first 11 games of the season with a broken leg. Vick’s QB rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt were all down from 2002.  (This is clearly a statistic Vince Young wasn’t aware of when he stated in a September interview with Esquire magazine that playing QB was all about your legs.)  The team went 5-11 and took fourth place in the division.

• 2005 Ray Lewis—Lewis, for the most part, avoided the curse.  His numbers were slightly down from the previous year and he missed one game.  However, he didn’t record an interception in 2004, the first time in his career.

• 2006 Donovan McNabb—After Week 9, McNabb suffered a hernia and was lost for the season. McNabb threw for more interceptions; his yards per attempt and completion percentage were down from 2004.  The Eagles finished 6-10, in last place, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

• 2007 Shaun Alexander—Alexander missed six regular season games with a broken foot.  He finished the season with 896 yards and six TDs, his lowest numbers since his rookie season.  He had a 3.6 yards per carry average—his career average was 4.4 yards per carry.  The team went 10-6, went to the playoffs, and lost in the divisional round to the Packers.

• 2008 Vince Young—Vince Young threw for 2,546 yards, nine TDs and 17 interceptions.  He did complete 62 percent of his passes and Tennessee went 10-6, losing to the Chargers in the playoffs.

• 2009 Bret Favre—Favre passed for 3,472 yards, 22 TDs and 22 interceptions.  Favre and the Jets experienced a hot start, but faded late after Favre injured his throwing arm, and the season collapsed.  Brett threw six fewer TDs and seven more INTs than in 2007. The Jets finished 9-7 after an 8-3 start and missed the playoffs, losing to the Dolphins with their former QB at the helm.

The NFL is the epitome of the next man up.  Overcoming adversity and moving on is the name of the game.  A highly important factor in answering the obvious question—can the team trust the backup and rally around him?

Oakland Raiders: Don’t Sleep on Frantz Joseph

Who is Frantz Joseph?

On the surface you can consider Frantz Joseph as a priority undrafted free agent linebacker capable of playing all three linebacker positions that the Oakland Raiders signed to a two-year deal. You would be correct in that assumption but it doesn’t answer the question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNstliEo4Hs

You would also be correct if you saw this tackling machine as a hidden gem. You would imagine that with his body of work, the guy would be invited to the NFL Combine. But he was denied that privilege, and it just made him work harder.

A guy projected to be the first player player from Florida Atlantic University ever drafted, (some experts had him as high as a third or fourth round pick while others had him as a sixth round pick) Joseph was denied and went undrafted. It simply made him work harder.

Joseph is a strong inside presence, a tremendous competitor with great range and instincts. He is an excellent fit for the Raiders, a team seeking to improve their run defense by adding a tackling machine.

If he were drafted by an NFL club, it would’ve been great not only for Florida Atlantic University and their fans but also for the Sun Belt Conference.

Several times when it comes to the Raiders draft the focus is on measureables as opposed to production on the field. Some people seem to view undrafted players as merely guys that are being brought in as simply training camp bodies. I would beg to differ.

There is a long list of un-drafted players that have had success in the NFL.

That list would include names like Adewale Ogunleye, Brian Waters, Wes Welker, Priest Holmes, Bart Scott, Jim Leonhard, and Jeff Saturday, Gary Brackett, Willie Parker, Stephen Neal, Rob Bironas, Tony Romo, Antonio Gates, Kris Dielman, Jason Peters, Joshua Cribbs and 2008 Defensive player of the year James Harrison.

Upon further review when you look deeper into answering the question posed above you find a solid football player who in 2008 was the second ranked tackler in the nation recording 154 with all the tools to make an impact at the NFL level.

His journey to the NFL started as a kid in south Florida. Frantz Joseph played for David Martin at Fort Lauderdale high school football where he earned 4A All-County honors as a senior linebacker. He led the Flying L’s in tackles in 2002 & 2003.

He amassed 73 tackles in five games during the 2002 season. He followed that up with 96 tackles in seven games. He also found the time to force seven fumbles and acquire two interceptions as Ft. Lauderdale’s captain in 2003. He earned the team MVP honors, also won the All-American student-athlete award.

He attended Boston College in 2004 but did not play at all during his freshman year. He transferred in 2005 to be closer to his mother who was having health issues, but he practiced with the team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNstliEo4Hs

Two years removed from the game, Joseph came back with a vengeance. He was moved into the starting lineup and made an immediate impact. After 11 games, he finished the year with 61 tackles, which was third on the team. Joseph’s most productive game that year came against Lafayette when he recorded a team-high 14 tackles.

He became known for his hard hits and sure tackling he earned the team’s “Bone” award, an honor earned following each victory for the hardest hit. The season-ending honor is named The Ramon Rickards Memorial Bone Award for the squad’s inaugural defensive end that was killed in a motorcycle accident in June 2006.

In 2007, he was one of just two Sun Belt Conference players listed on the Butkus Watch List. He has played hurt on more than one occasion as he did against OSU. He put up double digit tackles in victories over Minnesota, a team-high 14 tackles, 12 against North Texas.

He posted double-digit tackle totals in seven games, and his lowest tackle total was seven. Plus, while playing division one football, he completed a double major in business and management as well as working odd jobs to help support his mother.

Frantz Joseph had a solid game in Florida Atlantic University’s win in the Motor City Bowl posting 13 tackles. He followed that effort with a great game in the Texas vs. The Nation game, where he was named the MVP after making plays all over the field.

He is a high character guy that understands the importance of preparation and is a guy that will do whatever it takes to win. More importantly, he is a hard working guy with great leadership skills that has a nasty attitude and plays the game the way it is supposed to be played.

He has a desire to bring back the missing ingredients of physicality and intimidation back to the silver and black defense. They’ve been missing from this team for too long. Everything I’ve seen and read about Frantz Joseph tells me that this is a guy deserving of a shot and is a guy that you can’t sleep on.

Oakland Raiders 2009 Training Camp: What Battles to Watch

There will be several positional battles in the Oakland worth watching. It is way too early to start making predictions as to what will happen without attaching the phrase “until proven otherwise” to it.

It appears that the Raiders will have a nice mix of youth and veterans and almost every spot. The first mini-camp of the year gave us all a glimpse of the new players. The main thing it did was give the coaching staff a chance to play with their new toys.

You can’t come away from it with any definitive answers, it is premature to do so but with that being said some people did. Look forward to one of the most competitive training camps you’ve seen as the team works toward respectability. Coach Tom Cable is prepared to right the ship and lead the team in the right direction.

Here are some of the highly anticipated training camp battles to look forward to:

LT Mario Henderson vs. Kalif Barnes

Mario Henderson played well in the opportunities that he had last year. In my opinion he should’ve started the remainder of the season after the week 2 game in Kansas City. He had a prominent role in all of the Raiders five wins last season. He earned the right to be the starter of the left side.

Barnes was brought in to challenge him, he will have the opportunity to compete for the starting job but it is Henderson’s job and it will be up to him to remain the starter or lose it to Barnes. There is also a good chance that the loser starts on the right side.

RT Cornell Green vs. Erik Pears, Kalif Barnes and James Marten

Cornell Green was the starter on the right side last season but did not play well and didn’t cause anyone to forget about Lincoln Kennedy. He was the starter on the right side in the team’s recent mini-camp but it isn’t a mystery to say that the Raiders really want someone to take that position from him. You’ll see a tremendous amount of competition at the position Kalif Barnes, Erik Pears and James Marten.

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey vs. Johnnie Lee Higgins, Louis Murphy, Todd Watkins, Sammie Parker, Arman Shields

Al Davis wanted more targets with Raider speed for JaMarcus Russell to throw to. Al has his track team and a talented group of young receivers. The team has a total of 11 receivers on the roster right now. Obviously several won’t make the roster but more than likely five or six will the number of receivers carried on the roster.

I’ll use a wait and see approach with this statement but I don’t think that Javon Walker will be on the active roster. He appears to be ready to go on I.R. Look for a talented young group of wide outs that will be able to make plays all over the field. You’ll see a few of the other receiver’s factor into the return game.

SLB Ricky Brown vs. Frantz Joseph, David Nixon

This position and the DT position are the two most neglected positions on the team and have been for a while. The team has started Robert Thomas, Ricky Brown and Sam Williams at the position. Robert Thomas is no longer on the team, Ricky Brown has returned from injury and Sam Williams was re-signed.
The team needs to have a lot of competition at the position between Ricky Brown, Frantz Joseph and David Nixon. The team should come out of training camp two or three deep at the position.

MLB Kirk Morrison vs. Frantz Joseph

Kirk Morrison has the starter in the middle for a few years now. He has been the team’s leading tackler for years. However, too many of his tackles have been after the runner has gained substantial yardage. This isn’t a knock on him or his play nor is it a demotion and speaks more of the problems the team has had at the DT position.

Frantz Joseph is a talented player and if he can show in training camp that he can play in the middle it would be better for the team to move Kirk Morrison to the SLB position. He played the SLB when he came to the Raiders. One of the reasons he was drafted was his versatility and showing he can play all three linebacker positions. This would allow the team to have three solid young linebackers on the field at the same time.

Frantz Joseph is a very versatile 6’2” 243 lb. linebacker that can play all three of the positions. He has what is known as natural violence which is trademark for a solid linebacker, he has takes on blocks very well and shows a lot a desire, effort, instincts and playmaking ability he has the ability to change the culture of a defense.

LDE Jay Richardson vs. Derrick Gray, Matt Shaughnessy, Stryker Sulak and Desmond Bryant

The team added depth at the position selecting three players at the position in the draft and one as an un-drafted free agent. All of the players mentioned won’t make the roster but this group will have brought healthy competition to the position.

Jay Richardson is in his third year but hasn’t seized the position. Derrick Gray was an un-drafted player that came off of the practice squad last year. It appears that players were brought in to compete with and will have the opportunity to beat out Jay Richardson. Expect the team to come out of training camp two or three players deep at the position while the remainder will have a chance to make the team on special teams.

RDE Derrick Burgess vs. Trevor Scott, Greyson Gunheim, Slade Norris

Derrick Burgess is the starter and he is in a contract year so I fully expect him to have a good year but it all depends on him remaining healthy and injury free. Perhaps the team can use him more on passing downs as oppose to running plays to keep him healthy.

Trevor Scott had a great first year and made an impact as a sixth round draft choice with five sacks. Greyson Gunheim came off of the practice squad to contribute and show the coaching staff what he could do. The unknown factor right now is Slade Norris he played both Defensive End and Linebacker in college right now he is being penciled in as a developmental pass rusher. Expect the team to come out of training camp three or four deep at the position.

 

TE Zack Miller vs. Tony Stewart, Darrel Strong, Branden Myers, Chris O’Neill and John Paul Foschi

Zack Miller is the unquestioned starter the reason this position is put down as a position that will have a training camp battle is due to the fact that Zack Miller is recovering from sports hernia surgery. He is scheduled to be ready for training camp but it also appears that the Raiders will run more two tight-end sets which will help improve the running game and provide more pass protection while allowing Zack Miller to be more involved in the passing game.

Brandon Myers was drafted for his size & blocking ability. Chris O’Neill is a talented player that is an excellent receiver and a decent blocker. The Raiders brought back veteran John Paul Foschi who was with the team from 2004-2006, he played fullback, tight end and on special teams. He is an excellent blocker and a good receiver over the middle and on the seam routes.

The article isn’t going to predict the Raiders regular season record either. The goal of this article is to point out a few of the training camp battles that will go down in Oakland, Ca.

I want to be realistic and with that concept in mind first things first I want to see the Oakland Raiders play better, be more consistent, show improvement and be far more competitive. These are all attainable goals for the team.

Al Davis wanted his track team at the wide receiver position and he has it. As a matter of fact the team’s got the height, weight, speed combination that they’re at every position with the exception of the offensive line & defensive tackle position where you need more power than speed.

Speed does you no good in the middle. Speaking of the middle the Raiders didn’t draft any defensive tackles which I didn’t agree with but it wasn’t my decision to make. This means that the team will count on the current players at the position and these guys have to get the job done or this will be the main need area in the 2010 draft.

New Defensive Coordinator John Marshall will not talk to the media but word has gotten out through Head Coach Tom Cable that the team will address their issues against the run with scheme and technique as well as that the team wants to be more aggressive on defense.

That could mean several things, however, try this on for size the Raiders playing multiple fronts. The Raiders are focusing alot on fundamentals, making sure players are in the right position. They’re also adding a lot of pressure packages but focusing on the fundamentals, teaching them and coaching them is a welcome sign.

Keeping the 4-3 as their base defensive look but also showing a 3-4 look. I know some might scoff when that statement is read but a good way to mask the issues at DT is playing with less of them.

To be successful in the 3-4 you need a NT who is big enough to demand a double-team block as well as one willing to sacrifice himself and his body for the good of the team. I don’t feel that the team has that right now but the hope is that Terdell Sands can be a stop gap toward say a Terrance Cody next year.

The next step would be having the necessary linebackers to pull it off. This is all speculation but imagine this if you will: LDE Desmond Bryant, NT Terdell Sands, RDE Tommy Kelly, LOLB Thomas Howard, LILB Kirk Morrison, RILB Frantz Joseph, ROLB David Nixon, LCB Nnamdi Asomugha, RCB Chris Johnson, FS Hiram Eugene, and SS Mike Mitchell.

Reminiscing About the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders

As I reminisce about my favorite Raiders team of all time several thoughts come to mind, how satisfying 1976 was, providing equal vindication was the 1980 team but I have to talk about 1983.

Taking you back to a time prior to free agency in the NFL; this didn’t start until 1992 known as “Plan A Free Agency” which remains in the league today. Actually the first form of free agency was known as “Plan B Free Agency” which was the norm from 1989-1992.

The Raiders franchise that started in 1960 in Oakland had moved 343 miles south to Los Angeles in 1982. The team had won two super bowls prior to coming to Los Angeles so the expectations were high. The Raiders second year in Los Angeles started with a successful draft.

The 1983 NFL draft was one of the leagues best ever, when you factor in the performance of the players drafted. This is the draft that is widely thought of as the draft that produced the QB bonanza of Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and John Elway.

However the fact that 15 of the 28 prospects selected in the first round participated in at least one Pro Bowl makes a definitive statement in my opinion. The draft was 12 rounds in those days and the Raiders got a lot of production out of several their selections that year.

First Round pick Center Don Mosebar played 173 games, Second Round pick Nose Tackle Bill Pickel played 174 games, Defensive End Greg Townsend played 190 games, Wide Receiver Mervyn Fernandez played in 86 games and Wide Receiver Dokie Williams played in 74 games.

When you consider that the players selected in 1983 were in addition to the second year players selected in 1982 Running Back Marcus Allen, Linebacker Jack Squirek, Free Safety Vann McElroy. This provided the Raiders an excellent mix of veterans and youth.

That mix produced a team that put up 20 points or better every game of the year. In fact, the Los Angeles Raiders scored 442 points (27.6 points per game) third in the league and allowed 338 points (21.1 points per game) 13th in the league.

One of the more intriguing games of that year was a wide open high scoring week five game against the Washington Redskins, the Raiders came into the game undefeated. A game won by the Redskins 37-35, in which the Raiders rushed for 105 yards and Jim Plunkett passed for 372 yards and four touchdowns.

Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann passed for 417 yards and three touchdowns and Running Back John Riggins rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown.

An impressive game seeing the Redskins score 17 points in the final six minutes of the game, but an interesting note about the game was the fact that future Hall of Fame player Marcus Allen didn’t play in that game.

Even in defeat the Raiders knew that they could play with and beat the Redskins and to a man still wanted a piece of the Washington Redskins as well as another shot to prove their point. That chance would come in the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

After posting a 12-4 regular season record, winning the AFC Western Division in the process, the Raiders earned a playoff appearance. In the post-season the Los Angeles Raiders outscored the opposition 68-21 by beating the Steelers and the Seahawks.

The outstanding playoff run led to a Super Bowl match-up against the Washington Redskins on January 22, 1984 at Tampa Stadium. The Redskins were winners of Super Bowl XVII.

The Redskins were favored to win the game by three. Due to their stellar play all season, a 14-2 record, setting a NFL record scoring 541 points (later broken by the 1998 Vikings & 2007 Patriots) and the fact that the Redskins had the top rated defense. Washington defense allowed the fewest yards against the run.

Not to mention Joe Theismann was the league MVP, the second rated passer in the league that year. He had WR’s Art Monk & Charlie Brown at his disposal in concert with RB John Riggins and the always dangerous, Multi-talented Joe Washington.

Former NFL player Bronco Nagurski performed the coin toss, Barry Manilow sang the National Anthem and fittingly Pat Summerall & John Madden were in the Broadcast booth for CBS Sports. A total of 72,920 fans were at the game with millions more watching on television.

What we all witnessed was a Raiders blowout, seeing as the Redskins came in as the favorites and left after a humiliating defeat it become known as ‘Black Sunday’ in reference to one of the Raiders colors.

History buffs will associate the name ‘Black Sunday’ with the 1977 novel written by Thomas Harris and the film with the same name in 1977. The win gave the city of Los Angeles its first NFL championship since the Rams victory in 1951.

The starting lineup for the Raiders:

Offense Defense

QB Jim Plunkett LDE Howie Long
RB Marcus Allen NT Reggie Kinlaw
FB Kenny King RDE Lyle Alzado
WR Malcolm Barnwell LOLB Ted Hendricks
WR Cliff Branch LILB Matt Millen
TE Todd Christiansen RILB Bob Nelson
LT Bruce E. Davis ROLB Rod Martin
LG Charley Hannah LCB Lester Hayes
C Dave Dalby RCB Ted Watts
RG Mickey Marvin SS Mike Davis
RT Henry Lawrence FS Vann McElroy

For those who don’t know the Raiders played a 3-4 defensive front and not the four-man line that the team has played for years.

The Raiders took an early one touchdown lead off of a Jeff Hayes punt that was blocked by Derrick Jensen deep in Redskins territory and never looked back.

Early in the second quarter Jim Plunkett connected with Cliff Branch on a 50-yard pass to advance the ball to the Redskins 15-yard line. Two plays later; Jim Plunkett found Branch again for a 14-point lead. The Redskins put together a 73 yard drive but it stalled in Raiders territory and Washington had to settle for a 27-yard field goal.

The score was 14-3 and the Raiders drive stalled leading to a punt, Ray Guy did the honors and pinned the Redskins at their own 12-yard line with .12 seconds left in the half. Linebacker coach Charlie Sumner made a last second substitution and sent in LB Jack Squirek for Matt Millen.

The Redskins called the play that the Raiders were ready for and waiting on “Rocket Screen”, but Jack Squirek read the play intercepted Theismann’s pass and returned it for a touchdown to make the score 21-3 at halftime.

Going back to week five, the Redskins ran the same play to Joe Washington and it resulted in a 67-yard gain. The Redskins put together a nine-play 70 yard drive capped off by a John Riggins TD but Mark Moseley’s extra point attempt was blocked by reserve Tight End Don Hasselbeck making the score 21-9.

On the next drive Redskins CB Darrell Green was called for a 38-yard pass interference penalty while defending WR Malcolm Barnwell, setting up Marcus Allen’s 5-yard TD run. The next Raider drive Marcus Allen broke free on a 74-yard run the made the statement that this game was officially over.

You know about all the stars of the game but what isn’t mentioned enough are the unsung hero’s like Punter Ray Guy (who should’ve been inducted into the Hall of Fame years ago), Linebacker Jack Squirek, Special Teams player Derrick Jensen to name a few.

When I think of my favorite Raiders teams, several thoughts come to mind but I can’t forget the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders.

Photo Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

Oakland Raiders are on the Right Path, Forget what you’ve heard

The Raiders are putting together a competitive nucleus. Following free agency and the draft, the Oakland Raiders still had holes to fill on the roster at defensive tackle, linebacker and fullback.

The Raiders have been besieged with criticism after drafting WR Darrius Heyward-Bey in the first round and then Safety Michael Mitchell in the second round. Both are talented players and the criticism is more of where the players were drafted than the actual players.

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey will unfortunately be the most scrutinized player from the 2009 draft not named Matthew Stafford. Heyward-Bey and Michael Crabtree will be compared to each other their entire careers.

The decision was made to provide QB JaMarcus Russell with more weapons to open up the passing game, which is needed, but stopping the run in my opinion is just as big a need. The Raiders have a lot of speed and young talent at WR, and a total of 11 players at the position. Several of them will not make the opening day roster. A serious question at the position has to be will Javon Walker?

Don’t be surprised if someone in the Bay Area just happens to chart both Darrius Heyward-Bey and Michael Crabtree’s receptions, yards per catch, yards gained after the catch, total yardage, touchdowns, and dropped passes side by side.

Seeing as he was the first wide receiver drafted and selected in the top 10 to be a number one or go to wide receiver, he will have to put up consecutive 80-catch seasons or better to avoid people glossing him with the bust label. I don’t feel that it is right or fair, but seeing it happen will not surprise me.

He is a talented player that provides QB JaMarcus Russell a deep threat that fits the Raiders scheme and possesses all the tools to be a playmaker in silver and black.

The Raiders made a huge pickup in signing veteran fullback Lorenzo Neal; his blend of experience and toughness will make him a leader on this young team as well as vastly improve the Raiders running game. He has blocked for a total of 11 1,000-yard running backs in his career.

Check out the clips for reference, but disregard the bolts shown.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-preseason/09000d5d8013fba4/The-importance-of-Lorenzo-Neal

 

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http://www.nfl.com/players/lorenzoneal/profile?id=NEA237924

 

Several people in the media have taken their shots at Al Davis and the Raiders for the draft as opposed to taking a wait-and-see approach before dooming the drafted players to failure. The fact of the matter is that the draft is in the rearview mirror at this time.

So after the draft, the Raiders signed a group of undrafted free agents to fill the above mentioned needs on the roster in LB Frantz Joseph, DL Desmond Bryant, S Jerome Boyd, LB David Nixon, G Jon Compas, WR Nick Miller, WR Shawn Bayes, and TE Chris O’Neill.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNstliEo4Hs    LB Frantz Joseph

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-IEZJdPEAM  SS Jerome Boyd

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRhZCByOJYw  OLB David Nixon

The only exception was the defensive tackle position, although Desmond Bryant has played both positions on the D-line. This position has been neglected by the Raiders for far too long. To be specific, the Raiders have drafted a total of five defensive tackles in the last 10 years, and none of them are still on the roster.

Coincidently, at a need position, the Raiders have had the top defensive tackle prospect in the draft fall to them for the second year in a row, and Al Davis declined to fill the need—in any round. This means that the Raiders are content with the four defensive tackles currently on the roster.

Head Coach Tom Cable stated the team has good defensive tackles, and at issue is that they haven’t played like it. The statement made could be debatable, based upon past performance, but the need to stop the run isn’t. The Raiders brought back Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren, William Joseph, and Terdell Sands.

The Raiders are content with the players at the position and these five veteran players are being counted on to get the job done. Terdell Sands reportedly appears to be a lot lighter than last year. My biggest concern on the team is the defensive tackle rotation. If the defensive tackles hold up, the defense has a chance to improve. We’ll have to use a wait-and-see approach on the matter.

The Raiders did add one defensive tackle via free agency, Ryan Boschetti, a little-used undrafted free agent out of UCLA, formerly with the Washington Redskins. He is a tenacious player with size and talent that will not be outworked by anyone.

The Raiders have ranked at or near the bottom of the league at stopping the run for the last six years. This trend has to stop and it appears to be a top goal for the coaches on the defensive side of the ball.

The intriguing news for Raiders fans is it’s been rumored that new defensive coordinator John Marshall, through scheme and technique, will address their issues stopping the run and play a more aggressive approach.

This could mean several things, but just to know that the team has decided to stop playing with a conservative approach and plans to dictate to the opponent how the game will be played as opposed to the opposite happening.

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