What Will It Take For Al Davis to See the Signs?

It is official: the Raider Nation is the most dysfunctional team and fan base in the NFL.

Even with our lowly three wins we are worse off than the Browns, Redskins, Chiefs, Lions, Buccaneers and the Rams.

Despite the fact that all those teams have worse records than the Raiders they haven’t reached the point the Raiders have. Its so bad in Raider-Nation fans took it upon themselves to start and sign a petition against Al Davis called http://messagetoal.com/ .

They currently have a billboard (seen above) on I-880 less than a mile from the Oakland Alameda Coliseum, 30,000+ signatures and thousands in donations. The petition reads:

We kindly ask for Mr. Allen Davis to remove himself as general manager of the Oakland Raiders Organization.

We ask for a new General Manager to be hired with previous experience and success in the NFL.

We ask for a new, Super Bowl Caliber Head Coach/Director of Football Operations to be hired replacing Tom Cable. Suggestions include Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden; or any other coach with similar credentials.

We ask the Owner and new regime to give the new Coach substantial power in hiring Assistants, installing football philosophies and most roster decisions.

It is very apparent that change needs to happen in Oakland, and Al Davis is ultimately the only one who can bring such change to the Raiders. And its not just the fans who have been trying to get this across to Al.

The players have also made comments to try and get the message across:

Justin Fargas and much of the offensive line have made comments criticizing the offensive playcalling for not sticking to the run and/or giving up on it too early.

Sam Williams, the Raiders current starting strong-side linebacker, openly said that Tom Cable is a joke to half the locker room and everyone outside the Raiders organization.

Nnamdi Asomugha, the Raiders best defender (best player period), has been criticizing the defensive playcalling all year and recently went in-depth about how the defense is too simple.

Jeff Garcia, former Raider backup QB, commented that the Raiders were putting too much responsibility on Russell and that too many players were just there to collect checks.

It has all been said, but is Al Davis even listening and does he care?

So based on the players’ and fans’ comments, here are 10 things Al Davis needs to do to change the Raiders.

1. The first thing the Raiders need to do is listen to Rich Gannon who said, “The only thing left to do is to blow up the building and start over from scratch.”

Screw that continuity bullshit, time to start over.

2. Then Al Davis needs to hire a GM, or atleast a Co-GM to help him with decision making.

Al Davis has a definite eye for player talent; otherwise no way he could have picked up Trevor Scott and Chaz Schilens in the sixth and seventh rounds. But as of late, his eye for NFL coaches has been less than spectacular. Al Davis needs to find someone to help him bring quality coaches.

3. The offensive play-calling is horrible. Why? because the Raiders do not even have an offensive coordinator on the payroll.

This needs to be fixed and the Raiders must hire a qualified play-caller, rather than allow Tom Cable to hold two full time jobs (head coach and offensive coordinator), neither of which he is very good at.

4. Sorry Cable fans, but if the Sam Williams comment holds any water, Cable has to go. A head coach needs all his players behind him and if half the team already thinks he is a joke, then he is a lost cause. Tom Cable must go.

The Raiders need to find a head coach with former success at the NFL level. Unlike Tom Cable who is new to being a head coach at the NFL level and was a horrible college head coach.

5. Was Nnamdi calling out the defensive coaching staff or Al Davis who is known for meddling with the defense and his basic press-man-coverage with a four-man rush? Either way something needs to change here.

Either the Raiders need to find a coaching staff who will call a more diverse defense or the current staff needs to mix it up without interference from Al Davis.

6. Pick up a real nose tackle. Just because you play Gerrard Warren at nose tackle doesn’t mean he is a real nose tackle. In fact the Raiders haven’t had a real nose tackle since Ted Washington in 2005.

This glaring hole has been ignored by the Raiders for years. Now is the time to finally address the biggest weakness in the defense.

7. Find players who want to win. Jeff Garcia said we have too many players just collecting paychecks. And Gary Russell said the Raiders have more talent the the Super Bowl champion Steelers.

The only difference between the Raiders and Steelers are the Steelers have players who would put their bodies on the line every play.

The Raiders need to cut everyone who is just here to collect checks and find more players like: Justin Fargas, Tyvon Branch, Trevor Scott, and Gary Russell.

8. Bring in a veteran QB to compete for the starting job. This season Garcia was brought in solely as a mentor and that didn’t work out too well. The Raiders need to bring in a capable QB who can compete for the starting job and truly wants it.

One who can mentor Russell from the field not the sideline. Viable QBs who are currently on a contract year include:Jason Campbell, David Carr, Daunte Culpepper, Tarvaris Jackson, Kyle Orton, Chad Pennington, and Troy Smith.

9. Fix the O-line. Mario Henderson and Robert Gallery are good. Samson Satele is…Ehh. And Cooper Carlisle Cornell Green are horrible. The right side of the line is a constant source of penalties (holding from Carlisle and false starts from Green) and QB pressure.

Something needs to be done to shore up the right side of the line: Either through free agency, a trade, the draft, or players already on the roster like Erik Pears, Langston Walker, or Khalif Barnes.

10. Bring in a veteran receiver to help mentor the receivers and teach them how to get open in the NFL and hold onto the ball. Sure our receivers are young fast and have tremendous potential but the flat out can’t catch.

Viable WRs on a contract year include: Steve Breaston, Isaac Bruce, Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, Brandon Marshall, Mushin Muhammad, and Terrell Owens.

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Is Raiders DT Tommy Kelly Earning His Paycheck? Or Stealing Al Davis’s Money?

Tommy Kelly has been a center of controversy ever since he signed a seven-year $50.5 million contract prior to the 2008 season. The Raiders had hopes of him replacing the over-hyped, over-paid and over the hill Warren Sapp.

At the time that was the largest contract ever given to a defensive tackle. Which has since then been surpassed by Albert Haynesworth’s seven-year $100 million deal including $41 million in guaranteed money.

Kelly has been the victim of finger pointing and blame as fans and critics often place him at the center of the Raiders’ struggles against the run.

Is Tommy Kelly just another over-paid walrus in the middle of the Raiders defense, like Warren Sapp and Terdel Sands were? Or are we as fans being too hard on him?

Take a look at the numbers and the answer will be more clear. Last year Kelly ranked sixth in tackles behind the likes of Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Vince Wilfork, Shaun Rogers and Demato Peko. He also ranked eighth in sacks and deflected two passes.

And this year, despite that Tommy Kelly seems to be the main concern of opposing offenses as they constantly throw double teams at him, he is leading all NFL DTs in tackles this year with 46, though he does only have one sack.

So if Tommy Kelly is so good then why do so many people point fingers at him and why is the run defense so bad?

The reason Kelly receives so much blame against the run game is simply because people don’t understand what his job is, or the difference between the two DT positions.

Tommy Kelly plays the three technique in this position he lines up on the outside shoulder of the weak-side guard. His job is to penetrate and shoot the B-gap. His job is to hold his gap and disrupt the backfield. Kelly is doing an excellent job at what his position asks.

Then there is the nose-tackle. They line up either in a zero- or one-technique, either head up or on the strong-side shoulder of the center. This is usually the biggest, strongest player on the defense. They are responsible for clogging the middle, holding the A-gap, and commanding double teams.

This is where the true problems lie. The Raiders do not have a true nose-tackle. Gerrard Warren, Desmond Bryant, Richard Seymour, and William Joseph have all taken snaps at nose-tackle this season. But they are all better suited to play the three-technique and in an ideal world they would be backing up Tommy Kelly and rotating in at the three-technique.

The Raiders don’t have a player big enough or strong enough to play the nose tackle position. Right now this is the biggest hole on the Raiders defense. And filling it would improve every position on the Raiders defense.

In order for the Raiders defense to truly be formidable they need to find Tommy Kelly a partner in crime in a true nose-tackle. This coming offseason there will be a few options via free agency, draft and trade. Here are some of those options: Vince Wilfork (FA), Tank Tyler (FA), Justin Bannan (FA), Casey Hampton (FA), Aubrayo Franklin (FA), Terrence Cody (draft), Dan Williams (draft), Shaun Rogers (trade).

If the defense doesn’t pick up one of these big men in the middle the defense will continue to struggle against the run and people will continue to blindly point fingers at Tommy Kelly.

 

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Are Thomas Howard’s Days in Oakland Numbered?

Thomas Howard is a clear fan favorite for the Oakland Raiders, and many consider him the Raiders second-best defender behind Nnamdi Asomugha.

But his future with the team has come into question. Though Howard has been stout in coverage, some would suggest he is riding the hype of his 2007 season when he had six interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns of 44 and 66 yards. But since then he has been rather quiet with one interception in the last 29 games.

Not only that but Howard has received criticism for his run support and inability to shed blockers.

Funny, fellow Raider linebacker Kirk Morrison has received the same criticism.

To make matters worse, the former “star” weak-side linebacker has been replaced by second-year player Trevor Scott. Scott had an impressive game with five tackles including two sacks and three tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

In the same game, Howard saw little playing time backing up starting strong-side linebacker Sam Williams.

Tom Cable has said that Trevor Scott will start again against Pittsburgh.

Scott’s skill-set is nearly opposite of Howard. With experience playing defensive end, he is stronger against the run and better able to shed blocks. His only downfall is his lack of experience in pass coverage.

All this can only mean one of two things for Howard. Either he is being replaced, or he has a position move in his future.

Howard is currently in a contract year, and if the Raiders don’t resign him, he will become a free agent. Being demoted as a starter may be a tell-tale sign that the Raiders have already made a decision on Howard. It is a clear possibility that he may not be wearing silver and black next year.

Raiders middle linebacker Morrison is also on a contract year, and the Raiders may have to make a decision between resigning one of the two.

If you had to make a decision between either signing Kirk Morrison or Thomas Howard, who would you pick?

The second possibility is a position change, likely to the strong side. Williams has received a lot of criticism from fans, mainly for being one of Al Davis’s scholarship players for his impressive measurables and combination of speed and size.

But next year, competition for the starting strong-side linebacker position will be stiff with both Ricky Brown and Jon Alston returning from injury. With that, Howard’s chances of returning to the silver and black are even more diminished.

Don’t be surprised if he is gone next year. His days in Oakland may be numbered.

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Why Charlie Frye Won’t See the Field In Oakland

There is clearly a production problem with the QB position in Oakland. First JaMarcus Russell completely bombed the first half of the season with a 51.6 completion rate and nine interceptions this season. 

He was then replaced by Bruce Gradkowski who gave us very similar results mis-firing just as badly with a 52.2 completion rate, three INTs, and three fumbles this season. Aside from the 0.6 percent completion rate improvement, Gradkowski’s performance is nearly identical to Russell’s. Gradkowski over-threw receives, mis-read defense, and was unable to recognize open receivers.

With results like that many are calling for the Raiders third QB Charlie Frye. And it isn’t completely un- warranted as Frye has the highest career completion rate of the three Raider QBs: Gradkowski 52.8,  Russell 51.6, and Frye 62.0. With Frye’s completion percentage exceeding the other two QBs by 10 percent it is a wonder why he hasn’t seen the field. Frye not only has the higher completion rate, but has more career yards than Gradkowski, and the most NFL experience.

The reason Frye hasn’t seen the field is because favorites are being played with the QBs in Oakland.

First off, Bruce Gradkowski. He was coached by Raiders QB coach Hackett while in Tampa, and Hackett was the one who pushed for the Raiders to bring in both Gradkowski and Jeff Garcia, Hacketts two former pupils. Because of there past in Tampa Bay it is clear that Hackett favors Gradkowski.

Then there is JaMarcus Russell. To fully understand this you have to go back to accusations made that Al Davis is racist. A Tim Brown quote was mis-understood where he basically said Al Davis doesn’t like black players from Notre Dame because they rely on their education or smarts rather than pure physical ability.

No way am I saying that Davis is racist. What I am saying is he prefers black athletes who rely on their physical abilities over there brains.

Clearly JaMarcus Russell fits well into what Al Davis wants in his black athletes. Russell is one of, if not the, strongest armed QBs the NFL has seen. Also when Russell was drafted he was very athletic for his size, and fit perfectly in the Al Davis height-weight-speed mold.

Not only that, but Russell isn’t seen as the most mentally gifted QB in the league as many have questioned his intelligence.

A QB who made it through college purely on physical ability, and isn’t a big thinker. If the Tim Brown quote is true what else would Al Davis want in a QB.

Then there is Charlie Frye. Barring injury he likely won’t see any action this year simply because the other two QBs are favored. The only thing he has going for him is being Al Davis’s second favorite QB as Davis granted Frye an audience prior to signing him.

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Do the Oakland Raiders Have the Next Great Safety Tandem?

In the NFL great safeties are a luxury and teams with two great safeties are few and far between. Great safetie tandems are a QB’s worst nightmare…Well, maybe second worst behind the second coming of Lawrence Taylor.

Great safety play usually dictates dominant defensive play. Last year the three teams with the most productive safeties were Tennessee (11 INTs and 153 tackles), Baltimore (10 INTs 110 tackles) and Pittsburgh (8 INTs 160 tackles). All three boasted top defenses in 2008 and combined for a 36-12 record.

With names like Troy Palamalu, Ed Reed, and Michael Griffin the play of the safeties undoubtedly had something to do with these teams’ success.

Last year Raiders strong-safety Gibril Wilson led all safeties with 129 tackles and he now leads the Miami Dolphins in tackles. Many fans think that letting him go was a mistake. But don’t worry his replacement is doing just fine.

Currently the Raiders second year strong-safety Tyvon Branch is on pace to match Gibril Wilson’s 2008 total tackles. After only ten games Branch has 81 tackles under his belt this season, as well as two forced fumbles and a sack.

If the Raiders were to eventually develop a dominant safety tandem, Branch would be the center- piece. He had ridiculous combine numbers including the second fastest 40 time in the 2008 combine behind Tennessee’s Chris Johnson. Branch also has experience returning kicks as well as playing both safety positions and corner.

So who will be Tyvon Branch’s side-kick and partner in crime in the Raiders safety tandem? Right now it’s between hard-hitting rookie Michael Mitchell, fourth year player Michael Huff, while current starting FS Hiram Eugene would be the under-dog.

Right now Michael Huff who seems to be resurecting his career and shedding the title of “bust” is leading the pack. So far in ten games backing up Hiram Eugene he has 39 tackles and three INTs and nine passes defended. Though he is very solid in pass coverage his only downfall is his lack of tackling ability, hence why Eugene starts over him. If he can develop his tackling he has the potential to be great.

Next is controversial second round draft pick Michael Mitchell. So far this year he has been hampered by injuries and used sparingly making most of his tackles on special teams.

So far this year he has only been used in sure running situations and in the Raiders wolverine package, which is a nickel package that uses a third safety near the line of scrimmage. The rookie still has a few questions surrounding him before we can proclaim him as the next Jack Tatum. Like is he durable enough for the NFL and can he keep up in coverage.

Then there’s the Raiders starting free-safety Hiram Eugene. Though he doesn’t have Huffs flashy speed and skills or Mitchell’s hard-hitting when he is on the field he seems to get the job done. Though he is the most experienced of the bunch, in my opinion he has the least potential based on lack of pure physical ability. Also at 29, he is the oldest safety on the Raiders roster.

Which of these players, if any, has the potential to be part of the next great safety tandem on the Raiders. I would like to know what you think Raider Nation.

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JaMarcus Russell of the Oakland Raiders: An “Extremely Good” Quarterback

Yes that’s right, I said it. JaMarcus Russell is extremely good. Don’t believe me? Want proof? Well I could show you an overhead slide-show presentation…or you could just ask Chad Ochocinco .

According to Ochocinco, Russell is the last person we should be blaming for the Raiders’ offensive struggles.

“Man, JaMarcus is extremely good,” Ochocinco said in a conference call Monday morning. “You have to remember a quarterback can only be as good as his supporting cast. Case closed. Always will be.”

“You take a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning; you take them out of their supporting casts, you take them out of the elements they’re in now, and you put them in JaMarcus’ situation; do you think it would be that much better? I’m just asking. Realistically.”

But really, what is a QB to do? His receivers suck, most of his o-line can’t block, Tom Cable is terrible at calling an offense and there isn’t even an offensive coordinator on the coaching staff.

His receivers can’t catch, run the right routes, or get open. Do you disagree? When two receivers run into each other at full speed it can only mean one of two things: Either they are running the wrong routes, or the guy calling the plays has a sick sense of humor.

The o-line sucks, aside from Henderson and Gallery. Too bad an o-line consists of five players not two. Satele is often over-powered by bigger line-men, Carlisel can’t make a block without holding and Green can’t remember the snap count. Russell has no time and has been sacked in less than 2.5 seconds on many occasions.

Then there’s the coaching, which is horrible. It’s the coach’s job to properly prepare the team for its next opponent. There has only been one game which I would say we were prepared for offensively: week one against the Chargers.

Then there’s the play-calling. If the Raiders’ offensive play selection doesn’t leave you scratching your head asking, “WHY?”, you must not be watching the same games I am. The Raiders seem to come out passing nearly every game. Then when they have success on the ground they stop running. Funny thing is the run game is the Raiders’ strength but you wouldn’t know it from the play-calling.

Bottom line is, Russell is not as bad as he’s made out to be. If you put new rims on a piece of shit car, guess what? You’re still driving a piece of shit car. Whoever the Raiders put at QB will have the same results as Russell.

If you want proof, look at Gradkowski: 44.2 QB rating, no TDs, 2 INTs, a lost fumble and nothing to brag about aside from an 11.3 yard per carry average.

Russell is hands down better than Gradkowski, and better than Frye, if and until it is proven otherwise.

Here are some more quotes by Ochocinco regarding the Raiders:

“I don’t know man, I don’t know. Dude, watching the Raiders on defense that front line is awesome, the corners are awesome. I can’t for the life of me understand how they are not winning. I don’t get it. Because what I see on film, the record does not show. Because they look a lot better than their record shows so I’m not understanding what’s going on.”

“I will never play for the Bengals again, and you can take that to the bank”

“Oh, man, I’m just coming to give the Black Hole the best show they’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if they’ve really had much to look forward to this year but, man, we’re coming to town. It will for damned sure be a circus.”

By the way, don’t forget to vote JaMarcus Russell into the Pro-Bowl: http://vote4jamarcus.com/.

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Raiders Bench Russell and Prove Coaching Is the Problem

It finally happened, what many Raider fans have been calling for for weeks. The Raiders benched JaMarcus Russell for Bruce Gradkowski. But it wouldn’t make a bit of a difference. As Gradkowski’s play resulted in: Four three-and-outs, one fumble, a failed fourth-and-goal attempt, three near interceptions, zero points, and a tired defense.

I don’t blame Gradkowski for his performance, nor do I blame Russell for his. I blame the offensive coaching staff, and playcalling.

When Gradkowski came in his first drive was a three-and-out, but he wasn’t helped at all by the play-calling as Tom Cable called five pass plays in a row, none of which resulted in a completion.

With the run game appearing to be the strength of the team, why go away from it? In his first five carries Justin Fargas had 62 yards. Yet despite his early success on the ground, and the fact that the Jets were missing their all-pro run stuffing Nose-tackle, the Raiders gave up on Justin Fargas who finished the game with only eight carries.

Including two QB rushes, the Raiders totaled less than 20 rushing attempts as the Jets Top-Two rushers each had more carries than the whole Raider team.

Even with the early deficit you cannot give up on the run. The running game was the only thing the Raiders had going for them, their only chance to score and sticking with the run also would have at least helped keep the score respectable.

Though it is not yet clear whether, or not Tom Cable can be a head coach in the NFL, it is clear that he has no business calling plays. The Raiders are desperately in need of an offensive coordinator, and may even need to revamp the offensive coaching staff as a whole.

You can’t blame Russell, or Gradkowski for dropped passes and the constant pressure they saw from the Jets defense. But you can blame the coaches for lack of discipline on the o-line, from the receivers, and even at the QB position.

The coaches are responsible for making sure the line can pick up a blitz, the receivers can catch, and the QBs can read a defense.

Based on Gradkowski’s performance he reads defenses just as bad as JaMarcus Russell. He failed to recognize open receivers, nearly threw three interceptions, and didn’t even seem to be looking down field. Aside from a pass to his tight-end all off his completions were either check-downs, or quick slants to Murphy against a prevent defense.

You can’t blame both Russell and Gradkowski for their inabilities to get the job done with the ball in their hands. You have to blame the coaching staff. Isn’t it Paul Hacketts job to make sure his QBs can read defenses, find open receivers, and make accurate throws.

By giving up on the run and passing on first downs you not only take away your biggest threat in the running game. But if the pass is incomplete it limits what you can do on second down to passing again. That results in increased pass rush by a defense who is ready for the pass, which leads to more struggles through the air.

Establishing the running run game can only help the pass game, quiting on a run game that is working will only hurt the passing game. For this I blame Tom Cable and the play-calling.

How do you expect the QBs to make completions when the receivers can’t catch or get open. For this I blame the receivers coach and Al Davis for not bringing in a veteran receiver.

Bottom line is the Raiders biggest hole is in the offensive coaching staff

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Richard Seymour: “Mark My Words The Raiders Will Be In The Playoffs”

“You can mark it down, the Raiders will be in the playoffs in 2009.”

Those are some bold words from a bold man. Especially considering the Raiders are currently standing at 2-4, a half game out of second place in the division.

Words like that are usually only used by blindly faithful homers and when talking about the Raiders distant past. But when they come from a player, namely one who is supposed to be unhappy about being in Oakland, they mean a lot.

But this isn’t the first time Richard Seymour has made a prediction:”I will be the guy on top of the QB.”

And sure enough in the following game Phillip Rivers was flat on his back looking up at Richard Seymour numerous times, including two sacks and multiple knock-downs.

I’m not claiming Seymour is the next Mrs. Cleo, as he is only one for one in his predictions. But it does make you think.

How unhappy could Seymour really be in Oakland if he is making playoff predictions? And realistically what are the Raiders chances at the playoffs?

In reality I don’t see the Raiders wining the division as the Broncos have been strong out of the gate and currently hold a four game lead.

Barring a huge mid-season team collapse that would put last years mid-season team collapse to shame, there is no way the Broncos don’t win the division. Expecting another collapse by Denver will likely only give false hope to this year’s team.  The 2009 Broncos are completely different than their predecessors as there are less than a dozen relevant returners from last years team.

So the Raiders would have to settle for a wild-card spot. As it stands right now  the wild-card would go to 4-2 Pittsburgh and the 3-3 NYJ Jets. But a lot can change in the next ten weeks especially considering the Raiders play the Jets, who happen to be  on a three game slide, this Sunday.

Bottom line is it is too early to count out any team this early in the season. Well maybe you can count the Browns, but that is a different story.

Is Richard Seymour able to see into the future or has he just been drinking too much Raider kool-aid. Well we will see soon enough.

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Justin Fargas: Heart Of Raiders Offense.

Yes, I said it Justin Fargas is the heart and soul of the Raiders offense. He leads by example with determination and intensity.

What was it that helped the Raiders offense to there 1st 300 plus yard game since playing the Chargers in the Monday Night opener? It wasn’t some young talented player who just joined the Raiders or anything new at all. It is something that the Raiders have had for years. The relentless running style of Justin Fargas.

During the off-season alot of fans debated whether we should start Darren Mcadden or Michael Bush.

What about Justin Fargas?

After Sundays performance against the Eagles all I have to say is: Darren who? Michael who?

Right now I want Justin Fargas. Not only has Fargas earned the right to carry the load by being the only Raider runner with a 1000+ yard season and two “Commitment to Excellence Awards.” But he has just shown us why he still deserves to carry the load with his recent performance and determination.

What better way to establish dominance and inspire an offense than by watching defenders slow to get up or hobbling to the sideline after being involved in a Justin Fargas collision.

Fargas doesn’t even need the ball to punish defenders as apparent by the brutal block he put on Victor Abiamiri in a blitz pickup. Victor didn’t return to the game and the block allowed Russell to get the ball to Gary Russell for a first down.

Prior to that Fargas’s brutal running style resulted in Asante Samuel leaving the game after attempting to tackle Fargas on an 11 yard swing pass.

Not only did Fargas show his worth with hard running but he quieted his critics not only running inside but succeeding outside as well. When the o-line can seal the edge for Fargas to get outside expect a long day and plenty of aspirin for apposing DBs.

Justin Fargas is the Raiders best running back. Who cares if he isn’t the biggest or the fastest he is the best because his effort and determination are un-matched.

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The Oakland Raiders Overcome Adversity With Diversity

In the victory over the Eagles the Raiders mixed it up a lot on both offense and defense. Especially on defense, so much to the point that I almost didn’t recognize them.

Let’s take a look at how the Raiders showed diversity in the gameplan starting with the defense.

Usually watching the Raiders defense is pretty predictable: 90 percent of the game will be man to man, there will be a four man rush, and Nnamdi will shut down the receiver on the left side of the field.

But that is nothing like the defense we saw from the Raiders against the Eagles. For one, Nnamdi was taken out early with an injury after being poked in the eye and missed the whole second half.

Normally the Raiders blitz less than any other team in the NFL. Sunday, the Raider defense resembled the Eagles blitz happy scheme.

The Raiders only run man defense? Yeah right. That was the most zone coverage I’ve seen from the Raiders since, well, the preseason.

You think they only run a four man front with a four man rush? Well think again. On passing downs they showed three man and even two man fronts.

Also we got a good look at the wolverine package: a nickel formation where a third safety comes in near the line of scrimmage.

And yes they blitzed out of the wolverine. Michael Huff came free forcing an errant pass by McNabb which resulted in a big 3rd down incompletion.

On a few occasions the Raiders even dropped defensive tackles into coverage.

How did this help the Raider win? It obviously confused Donavon McNabb as apparent by his sub 50 percent completion rate. As well as bringing a lot of pressure, as apparent by the six sacks, by four different defenders and tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

The added pressure from the diverse scheme the Raiders implemented even made Stanford Routt a legitimate defender in Nnamdi’s absence.

But the defense wasn’t the only one who showed diversity. Though the play of the offense didn’t quite match up to the defense they did mix it up quite a bit.

For example the Raiders and JaMarcus Russell were able to spread the ball around very well, as JaMarcus targeted seven different receivers for completions. This included new off-season acquisition Gary Russell who had five receptions for 55 yards, including a late first down allowing the Raiders to milk the final two minutes of the game by taking knees.

Also the Raiders rushing attack featured four ball carriers for around 120 yards. Including a heavy dose of hard running by Justin Fargas who was able to succeed both inside and outside the tackles.

The Raiders balanced attack and success on the ground was able to set up the play-action which undoubtedly was a key to the Raiders success.

The Raiders also showed a lot of different looks on offense. They showed us two tight-end sets, with and without a FB. As well as multiple receiver sets where Russell was able to do well both behind center and in shot-gun. We even saw an empty backfield.

The Raiders also called plays to get the receivers, who have struggled thus far, more involved in the game. Including a reverse and a few bubble screens.

I would like to see the Raiders continue this and mix it up even more on offense. Maybe throw in the wildcat, an HB pass or even a flea-flicker.

The victory over the Eagles was definitely a big step for JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders. Lets hope they continue to move in the right direction.

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