Raiders Recap-- Week 13: Cowboys

A Thanksgiving Game with One Extra Turkey

The Seat Grows Hotter. (AP Photo, Bob Leverone)

The game started about as well as you could have hoped.

Terrance Willams fumbled the game's opening kickoff and the Raiders were able to scoop and score, establishing a 7-0 lead over the Dallas Cowboys in only twelve seconds. This year, the Raiders have made a habit of getting off to quick starts, but this opening sequence happened so abruptly that it surprised even those aware of the trend.

It seemed too good to be true, and it was.

The Raiders extended their lead to 21-7 with less than 2 minutes to go in the second quarter before surrendering yet another late touchdown drive that allowed Dallas to half their deficit heading into the break. The Cowboys would then go on to score 17 unanswered points on their way to victory.

Oakland's only second-half points came on a Janikowski FG-- a curious attempt on second down with less than a minute to go in the game, down ten.

(Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

In other words, it was hardly redeeming.

Still, the Raiders had many opportunities to win the game.

Oakland drove the ball deep into Dallas territory in the 4th quarter, and, down only 7 points, found themselves in the red zone with a chance to tie the game late. QB Matt McGloin could not complete the drive, and inexplicably threw a jump ball to the shortest guy on the field. Jacoby Ford had no chance, and the pass was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback.

"Their guy gets paid too. He made a good play," said McGloin on the pass. "It was an opportunity ball."

Debatable. An opportunity for an interception, perhaps, but definitely not what might be known as a "50-50" ball.

"I mean, if it was a touchdown, nobody would have thought anything about it," he shrugged.

These words make me cringe.

Somewhere, RG3 is applauding, for he too recently denied responsibility for throwing a terrible interception with the game on the line. Instead of standing up and using the magic words "me" or "I", Griffen accused his coaches of developing a simplistic game-plan that the Eagles were able to dissect with ease. This led to much criticism from commentators and even from his own teammates.

But when you are the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year with an NFC East banner sitting in your trophy case next to your Heisman, you might be able to get away with these type of shots. Meanwhile, McGloin has nothing comprable under his belt. The only other commonality he shares with RG3 is a winning percentage of .333 and a tenuous grasp on the position for the remainder of a doomed season.

Say what you want about Pryor and his mechanics, at least he knew when to take responsibility for his mistakes. Hell, he took responsibility for the entire team's mistakes.

So as the QB controversy continues in Oakland, fans are left to ask themselves: "Do we want a passer? Or a leader?"

Apparently, you just can't have both.

IF McGloin doesn't throw that interception, and the Raiders are able to punch it in, we are potentially looking at a different outcome to that game. IF Oakland's defense was able to stop Romo and the Cowboys just before the half, the momentum changes completely before the third quarter. IF the Raiders do not allow DeMarco Murray to scamper into the end zone, untouched, on three separate occasions, perhaps they settle for 3, 6, 9 instead of 7, 14, 21.

If... If... If...

Untouched. Thrice. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Unfortunately, the focus cannot be on what might have been. Instead, we must look at what HAS been, and speculate on what lies ahead for the 4-8 Oakland Raiders.

So, what HAS been?

At 4-8, the Raiders have competed in very game except 2, and in those oh-so-fleeting moments, have looked much better than anyone expected with a team of replacements and one-year contracts.

Credit is due to Dennis Allen for turning this team into something no one thought possible, if only for one of the two halves of each game. However, these flashes of potential have only increased the expectations that the fans have for their team, making each return to earth more painful than the last.

It wasn't until the kickoff against Tennessee that anyone realized how close the Raiders were to wildcard contention, and a win against the Titans would have allowed Oakland to control its own destiny. 60 minutes later, they were back at the bottom.

Flashes of Brilliance? Or Gaps in Idiocy?
(Elsa/Getty Images)

Say what you want, the talent to win games IS there. Reggie McKenzie has put good players in place, if only temporarily, and given Dennis Allen enough tools to compete this year. Their shortcomings, then, must fall at the feet of the head coach, and his inability to get his team to play when it needs to play.

The Raiders are not a "first half team". There is no such thing. Their ability to jump out to early leads continues to surprise me, and though they have benefitted from early turnovers, they still have made enough plays to dispel the notion that this is pure luck. I'd call it about 50-50. (Not sure how McGloin would evaluate it.)

And the Raiders are definitely, astoundingly, 100% NOT a "second half team". Check the box score.

In their past 6 losses, the Raiders have been outscored in the second half by a combined score of 96-23. Even in their wins, they have been beaten in the second half: San Diego put up 17 to Oakland's 3, while Pittsburgh put up 15 and shut out the Raiders in the third and fourth quarters. Add those into the equation and the ratio becomes 128 to 26-- a difference of over one-hundred points.

What is going on at halftime? Are the players switching jerseys with the opposing team? Are the opponents chugging bottles of MJ's "Secret Stuff"? On Thanksgiving, did the Raiders sit down for a tryptophan-laced meal in between the 2nd and 3rd quarters and return to the field sluggish and half-asleep?

It's much simpler than that. At halftime, coaches are doing what they are supposed to do: making adjustments.

And that is where Dennis Allen is proving woefully inadequate.

How else can you explain such a disturbing trend? The Raiders have blown halftime leads in their each of their last three losses. Eight times they have been outscored in the second half, and eight times they have ended up on the wrong side of the scorecard.

The team has a lot of problems, but perhaps the issue is much simpler.

Factor in Dennis Allen's abysmal 2-12 road record (2-16 if you include preseason) and you have a trend that is simply too hard to ignore. His record at home is not stellar, but his continual inability to prepare his team to compete on the road is a glaring mark on a resume in desperate need of some bright spots.

The Raiders have 4 games to go in their 2013 season (unless... never mind). They face the Jets next week before finishing out against the AFC West, aka the best division in the NFL. With the playoffs likely out of reach, the focus will shift from this year to next, and Reggie McKenzie will be watching his team very closely. Make no mistake, jobs and contracts will be won and lost over the next four weeks, including that of the head coach. A respectable finish will solidify some positions and may help save Dennis Allen's job.

A loss on the road to the train-wreck Jets will certainly not.

Misspelling aside, the point is clear.

Is Dennis Allen officially on the hot seat? Can he save his job? If so, what does he have to do to keep it? Comment below!

Raiders Recap-- Week 12: Titans

After another home loss to a beatable team, plenty of blame is left to pass around.

Janikowski is as dumbfounded as the rest of Raider Nation

What is going on with SeaBass?

That is the first question Oakland fans are left to ask after watching their team blow a late lead to the visiting Titans. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski missed two field goals on the day-- a 32- and a 48-yarder-- and the Raiders lost by 4 after allowing a late-TD pass with 10 seconds to go.

The loss is especially frustrating for a number of reasons. By the time the game started, most of the early games had ended, and the Raiders were well aware of the implications of the outcome of their game: the winner would move into 6th place-- via tiebreaker-- and seize the last remaining AFC playoff spot.

Tennessee knew it as well as Oakland did, and when the cards were down, one team simply wanted it more.

"That would have been a big, big loss for us in terms of what the rest of the season was going to look like," Titans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said. The second-stringer was starting in just his second game for Tennessee, but was able to deliver the victory on his 31st birthday.

Fitzpatrick found his team down by 3 with 80 yards to go and 6 minutes on the clock. "We knew this was a 'gotta-have-it' drive at the end of the game and the guys really stepped up," he said. He found WR Kendall Wright on a 3rd and goal from the 10 for the go-ahead score with only 10 seconds left in the ballgame.

The loss dropped the Raiders to a meager 3-3 at home, but was their third home-loss to a team with a losing record. Previously they lost by 10 to an 0-3 Washington team, and of course there was the blowout to the New Slim Shady and the 3-5 Eagles. The loss to the 4-6 Titans team continued the disturbing trend.

Oakland has also dropped away games to losing teams this season. However, for a team that has been abysmal on the road (2-11 under Coach Dennis Allen in his two seasons; Hue Jackson went 5-3) home games provide a much-needed opportunity to win. Thus far, the Raiders have failed to take advantage of it.

(larrybrownsports.com)

QB Matt McGloin, also in his second start, threw for 260 yards, a touchdown, and a pic, but was unable to convert on crucial possessions throughout the game. The Raiders were 3-10 on 3rd down, and though they punted only twice on the day, they saw many drives stall and were forced to settle for field goal attempts. For the first time in a long time, these attempts are no longer "gimmes", further magnifying the importance of 3rd down conversions and of putting the ball in the endzone.

McGloin did lead a touchdown drive on what would be team's only real possession of the fourth quarter (the other came with under 10 seconds to go). The rookie completed 4 of 4 passes for 74 of the drive's 75 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown strike to Marcel Reece, and put his team up 3 points with 6 minutes to go. But the defense was unable to get the stop to secure the game for Oakland.

For the fourth time this season, the Raiders defense failed to force a single turnover. Of late, the offense has been highly dependent on the defense to create scoring opportunities, and over a quarter of Oakland's total points have come off turnovers. However, the loss was less about an inability to intercept the surgical Peyton Manning Ryan Fitzpatrick and more about the inability to get stops when they were needed, by any means necessary.

Oakland's defense surrendered 10 of 18 3rd down conversions and allowed the Titans to convert all three attempts on the game's final drive. Tennessee was able to sustain three separate drives of over 6 minutes, and held the ball for a whopping 12:08 of the game's final 15 minutes, while Oakland's longest drive took 4:44 off the clock and resulted in a missed FG. And on the first drive of the third quarter, a critical opportunity to gain momentum and dictate the final half of football, the Raiders blew a coverage and surrendered a 54-yard TD pass.

Torched by a QB that was cut from the Bills (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

So at the end of the day, many fans were left fuming, and for good reason.

Despite the season's miscues, the Raiders found themselves in a position to take command of a wildcard spot, but it seems like the whispers of "playoffs" function only as a curse, and they fell from potentially 6th to 12th in the AFC with the loss.

The defense continues to be plagued by big plays and by an inability to get much-needed stops. Somehow they pulled it off last week in Houston, but I'm not convinced. If Andre Johnson did not stop on his route, and was in position to even contend for the game-winning catch with Usama Young, well, you tell me who you think comes down with that ball.

The once reliable kicker is suffering the worst stretch of his storied career, and has missed more FGs this year than the past 2 combined.

Lastly, an inability to extend drives, coupled with an over-reliance on the kicking game, is not a formula for success, especially when that kicking game becomes inexplicably erratic. You cannot beat good teams without scoring touchdowns.

But the most frustrating part is that, this season, they cannot beat the bad teams, either.

Raider Recap: Week 10-- Giants

Offensive Futility Continues

Another winnable game slips away (Al Bello/Getty Images)

It was first and goal from the one yard line.

For a second, it looked like the Oakland Raiders were going to compile a respectable scoring drive all on their own, with no help from defensive turnovers or big returns. They had taken the second-half kickoff and driven 79 yards in over seven minutes, and found themselves three feet from opening up a ten-point lead on the road.

Jennings was stuffed on first down, and on second they attempted a play action pass that fell incomplete. Moore was double covered, and Pryor's throw took him out of the end-zone anyway. A penalty backed them up on third down, and after Pryor threw another incompletion, they were forced to settle for a field goal. Essentially, they were three feet from four more points, and they could not force the ball over the plane.

Those four points ended up the difference in the game.

But it is almost better that they did not win yesterday. If they had won, we would be commending the Raiders for traveling across the country and snapping an 11-game losing streak on the East Coast. (It is now 12.) If they had won, we would be looking toward a promising stretch of season, during which our offensive line would continue to improve, boosted by the return of its missing starters, and our running game would finally get on track when McFadden's hamstring heals.

But they did not win, and instead of deluding ourselves about the future, we are left to discuss the fatal shortcomings of the 3-6 Raiders.

First, it must be acknowledged that Terrelle Pryor is a terrible passer. Mechanics aside, the numbers say that the Raiders are ranked 31 of 32 in the NFL with only 187.6 passing yards per game. (Silver lining: the 49ers are ranked 32nd.) His best completions have been those where he has been able to escape a collapsing pocket, scramble to the outside and find a receiver downfield who has broken free from his defender-- and his route.

Can't fault him for trying (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Those are called broken plays.

They are not drawn up to be that way. This is not backyard football. But it seems that is where Pryor really excels. He truly is a freak athlete, and no one can blame him for not wanting to stand still as 300-pound D-linemen charge at him as fast as they can. And it would be unfair to blame him for scrambling when an amoebic offensive line fails to provide consistent pass protection. But if you took those improbable broken-play completions out of his season totals, you would surely believe me when I tell you he has been terrible from the pocket this year.

Next, play-calling has been questionable at times, but none more suspect than yesterday in the Meadowlands. Granted, every team has a game plan of what they would like to do. But in some situations, it is better to do what you know will work than try what you hope might do the trick. Example A: yesterday's best scoring opportunity.

The Raiders were on their best drive by far and had an opportunity to really steal the momentum by taking the ball over the plane to start the second half. The first-down run was stuffed, but with three remaining chances to gain one single yard, they abandoned the run for the rest of the drive.

Bear in mind, they had already been on the one-yard-line once in the game, and used their 6'4", 233 pound QB to sneak it in. Therefore they had a proven formula for success, but instead of sticking with it, they inexplicably tried a play-action pass on second down.

After the penalty backed them up, they had no choice but to pass on third (a draw was apparently out of the question) and the result has already been explained. They lost the game.

One the day, Pryor completed just 11 passes and had a completion rate of under 43%. Meanwhile, Rashad Jennings was averaging 4.4 yards-per-carry, and had already rushed for 28 yards on the drive. And when they found themselves one yard away with four chances to score, they threw two passes, committed two penalties, and settled on three points instead of seven.

Plays are called by coaches, and if coaching is an issue, then the buck stops with Dennis Allen. The Raiders have lost all three games against the NFC East (aka the weakest division in football) and the only team they have left to face is the one in first place, Dallas. They have dropped games to beatable teams (twice at home) and have shown an inability to make plays when they need to make plays. Expectations for them were low (or better, nonexistent) but still there is a common belief that they are not playing up to their potential as a football team.

Pained. Confused. On a short leash?
(Elsa/Getty Images)

If I scour my memory of the not-so distant past, I can remember a coach who was incapable in the same regard. He brought the attitude, he said all the right things, and yet when the team was on the verge of the playoffs, hosting a self-destructive San Diego team on the last game of the season in a win-and-you're-in situation, he lost. He lost the game, he lost his temper, and he lost his job after the season ended.

His name was Hue Jackson. He was fired by the GM he helped hire. And though Mackenzie hand-picked Dennis Allen two years ago, he has been quick to admit mistakes and cut ties with the failed experiments (see Flynn, Matt).

I'm not saying I want Dennis Allen fired. I'm not saying I want Greg Olson fired. I just want them to wake up! Because if they don't, then they just might be gone by the end of the year.

Consider yesterday's statistics:

Apart from the aforementioned drive (their longest of the day), the Raiders averaged 8.4 yards per-drive on the other 10 attempts. I'll state that again. Eight point four yards per drive is less than ten yards, also known as a first down, also known as the most fundamental baby-step that any offense can achieve. Two drives netted negative yards, and their second-longest drive of 21 yards resulted in a blocked punt that set up a New York touchdown.

Those drives lasted an average of 4.3 plays, and their second-longest drive from this standpoint was 7 plays for a net yardage of negative three. I'm not even sure how that is possible.

The breakdown for the day: eleven drives, one touchdown, two field goals, five punts, one interception (returned for a score), one blocked kick (to set up another score), and one fumble on the last drive of the day (down by four).

The offense went 2-12 on third-down conversions, and of the 20 points on the scoreboard, had only 3 to its credit. (The other 17 came off turnovers.)

If this trend disturbs you, then you haven't been paying attention. It has been happening all year long.

Oakland cannot rely on the defense to score points (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Against Pittsburgh, Pryor's 93-yard run was the only highlight on an otherwise forgettable performance. He completed 10 of 19 passes for just 88 yards (seven less than he gained on that opening run.) He also threw two interceptions.

A blocked punt put the Raiders up immediately over Washington, but after scoring twice in the first quarter, the Raiders were unable to move the ball for the remainder of the game. The possessions that followed included 3 turnovers, 6 punts, and a missed field goal. Their longest drive was 7 plays. Yes, Pryor missed that game and Flynn played so bad he was demoted and cut from the team the following week. But nothing changed when Pryor returned, either.

That week Oakland hosted San Diego, and again managed just one respectable drive on the day. 17 of their 27 points came off turnovers, including a fumble-return by Charles Woodson (probably the highlight of the year) and a muffed punt that put the Raiders immediately in Janikowski's range. San Diego had 5 turnovers in the loss. It's a shame the Raiders can't play them every week.

By and large, the Raiders offense has been abysmal for the duration of ten weeks now. Yes their line is banged up, and yes, their star RB is again hampered by injuries. But they still have competed in games, and found themselves in position to win at times. Their own inabilities have doomed them in their losses, and these fatal flaws become more apparent in each disappointing performance.

"I can only show you the door..."  (raiderstribune.com)

I said before, there were virtually no expectations for this team to start the season, but the guys in the locker room never hear that kind of chatter. They believe they have a chance to compete with anybody in the league, and at times, they have proven it. But, as Charles Woodson pointed out before the game on Sunday, if they don't get their act together soon, it may be too late.

"We’re running out of opportunities as a club to do the things we set out to do at the beginning of the season. Every loss takes us farther from our goal."


After losing 5 of the last 7 games, it may be time to re-evaluate what that goal actually is.

Special Report: Raiders' Mid-Season Review

This week the Faded Raider is proud to present a special feature:

The View from the Upper Deck

The Oakland Raiders' Mid-Season Report

Guest contributor THE CHEF gives us his take on the first half of the Raiders' 2013 season, as well as some of his projections for the remainder of this year and into the next. THE CHEF has been a season-ticket holder since 1996 and a diehard Raiders fan for life. This season (as usual) he has not missed a single snap of Oakland Raiders football, and was kind enough to share his thoughts on the progress of the team. 

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

After GM Reggie McKenzie gave up a 2014 5^th round draft pick and conditional pick in 2015 to Seattle for projected started Matt Flynn, that failed experiment ended with the fan anticipated career start of Terrelle Pryor. Battling through his first year, his footwork, mechanics and decision making has increased with each game. During the offseason, Pryor spend time with pitching guru Tom House to work on his throwing mechanics where Terrelle stated “I never really knew how to throw a football before”.  In addition to working in the offseason on his skill set, he has been the Raiders #1 student in the classroom as well.

"I don't have pressure... I just make plays" (USATSI)

During his 3 years as the QB for the Ohio State Buckeyes, he averaged a 60.9 completion percentage, QB rating of 144.6 and a touchdown to interception ratio of 47 to 26 with 17 total rushing touchdowns while averaging 5 yards per rush.

In 8 games as the QB of the Raiders, Pryor has a 61.1 completion percentage, QB rating of 72.5 and a touchdown to interception ratio of 5 to 9 with 1 rushing touchdown (7.7 yards per rush). Although the QB completion percentage so far is similar to his college days, his interceptions are higher than his TDs. Some of his INTs were from tipped passes while others were just errant or forced passes. While running mostly an option typed offense, Pryor has had little help from a running game and even less from an offensive line. I believe we haven’t seen the best of Pryor yet and once we get a healthy offensive line in place, we will finally see what Pryor really has to offer.

As for the backup QB position, undrafted Matt McGloin and 2013 4^th round pick Tyler Wilson are just that “backups” and at this point haven’t showed much more. I see the Raiders active in the free agent market next year to complete with Pryor for the starting position.

RUNNING BACKS

With the 4^th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected often hurt and developing bust Darren McFadden. In the last year of his 6-year, $60 million contact, Run DMC has never played an entire season. In the 64 total games he has played as a Raider (nearly 1 million per game}, he has only thirteen 100-yard games, 22 rushing TDs and 11 fumbles to go with a career average of 3.3 yards per rush. All of the Raider fans are still waiting for DMC to have that breakout game, but at this point we are just hoping he completes a game.

5th year pro Rashad Jennings has been solid as the backup running back and even more outstanding as a special teams player. Jennings, who spent his first 4 years as the backup back to Maurice Jones-Drew in Jacksonville, doesn’t have the breakaway speed of DMC but in 46 career games (mostly as a backup) he has 8 TDs with a 4.3 yards per rush average and only 3 fumbles. Jennings runs downhill and isn’t afraid of contact. Overall, Jennings is a better player with more upside.

Raider fans are beginning to envision a future without McFadden. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Jeremy Stewart, undrafted 2 years ago out of Stanford, plays hard and is a good special teams player who can come in when needed to take some reps.

On the IR is the Raiders 6^th round draft pick Latavius Murray out of Central Florida. Should the Raiders not re-sign DMC in the offseason, he will compete with Jennings for the starting RB position.

Marcel Reece, the matchup nightmare, is a special player who never seems to be involved as much as you would think. A wide receiver turned fullback, his skills are more utilized in the passing game and the occasion run than as a blocker.

Jamize Olawale, a true fullback, needs to be more involved especially in short yardage and goal line formations.

TIGHT ENDS

The tight end position for the Raiders has always been a position of greatness… Raymond Chester, Dave Casper and Todd Christensen to name a few. Years of players with potential including Rickie Dudley, Teyo Johnson and Jeremy Brigham all eventually disappointed. Finally Zach Miller, Doug Jolley and Brandon Myers came into their own just in time to jump ship. As for the current squad, the Raiders have 2 drafted rookies in Mychal Rivera and Nick Kasa as well as a 4 year undrafted player in Jeron Mastrud. Each have shown flashes at times but not enough to unseat David Ausberry after he returns from IR. This is another position where a free agent veteran could come to take this position and run with it. 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Like the TE position, names like Art Powell, Warren Wells, Fred Biletnikoff, Cliff Branch and Tim Brown have been associated with Raider greatness. Since the 2002 Super Bowl appearance, this has been another position whose shoes have been too big to fill.

Denarius Moore, now in his 3^rd year, has shown flashes of his rookie year (unlike his drop-filled sophomore slump last year). He has breakaway speed but needs to learn how to break away from defensive backs on a more consistent basis. He is the Raiders leading receiver with 4 TDs and 16 yards per catch average.

Denarius Moore has emerged as the #1 receiver. (Kyle Terada/US Presswire)

Rod Streater, the 2^nd year diamond in the rough, has been the Raiders most consistent receiver. In a season and a half, Streater has over 1000 yards and 4 touchdowns in just 67 receptions (14.9 average). He catches just about anything you throw at him and has size and speed to compliment.

Jacoby Ford gets on the field more as a special teams player and even then, it isn’t so special.

Brice Butler, the Raiders 7^th round draft pick out of San Diego State showed great promise during the preseason but has struggled since then. One great catch is overshadowed by more wide-open drops.

Juron Criner, last year’s training camp phenom, finally got on the field last game and made his presence known with many of Pryor’s passes sent his way, but consistency is not what he is known for…yet.

Andre Holmes, straight off a 4-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, has yet to make the field, now due to a hamstring issue. Time will tell what Holmes has to offer the team.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Now, introducing your starting offensive line for the 2013 Oakland Raiders:

At left tackle Jared Veldheer, left guard Khalif Barnes, center Stefen Wisniewski, right guard Mike Brisel and right tackle Menelik Watson. 

Well, we can only dream about what the starting line was supposed to look like. But with an injury in training camp to Veldheer, Barnes was moved to left tackle where he hasn’t played since 2006 as a member of the Jacksonville Jags. A few games in, Wiz got hurt and back-up center Andre Gurode took over just to get injured himself, so over to center moved Brisel. Down goes Lucas Nix, who started at left guard in place of the misplaced Barnes, and off of the free agent pile the Raiders snagged Tony Pashos and Matt McCants. The O line from the beginning is a shell of what we have hoped for and was even worse in the second half of the KC game in week 6. As goes the line, the QB and RB play goes as well. Even with a mobile QB in Pryor, without a solid line, he is running for his life instead of running for a first down.

By halftime against KC, each lineman was in a different position from
the one he started at in the preseason.
(Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW

The offense has played well enough to earn better than the 3-5 record the Raiders hold at the halfway point. Once the line gets together, there is no limit for the potential they will have in scoring from all aspects of the field in both running and passing game. The receivers are finally starting to settle down and catch the ball, Pryor is beginning to understand his progressions better and the running game can stand on its own as long as the play calling isn’t always “get the ball and run straight into the backs of your own linemen.” Some more creativity with screens, swing passes and pitches to the running backs will open up more lanes for the offense to run through, especially those who need space to operate in.

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE

Lamaar Houston (exposay.com)

Lamarr Houston is having his breakout year. We have seen flashes since he was taken in the 2^nd round of the 2010 draft where he started at left defensive tackle. Now on the right side, he has 4 sacks through 8 games already, which is 1 short of his rookie season total. Opposing teams have to scheme against him due to his true force on the defensive side of the ball. He is the best player the Raiders have on the line and the only player remaining defensive starter from last year. The Raiders will sign him to a long term contract in the offseason (if not before) which should keep him in Oakland for years to come.

Vance Walker has been a great addition to the Raider D line. Just in his 5^th season, Vance has 2 sacks already and has been crucial in clogging up the middle for opposing running backs.

Pat Simms, an offseason acquisition from the Bengals, is a true nose tackle playing defensive tackle in a 4-3. Simms alternates with Stacy McGee the Raiders 6^th round pick from Oklahoma. The switching of the guards gives a breather to Simms while giving needed playing time for the rookie. Both have been solid.

Rounding out the D line is Jason Hunter. This 7 year veteran has played with Green Bay, Detroit and also played under Coach Dennis Allen in Denver. Allen knows what he can bring as a veteran and a leader of the D line. His numbers are on par with his season averages and he is another bright spot for the D line.

LINEBACKERS

Gone are the days of #55 roaming the middle of the Raiders defense, often out of place and missing tackles. Nick Roach, the understudy of Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs in Chicago, has his sights on becoming the starting middle linebacker for the Raiders for years to come. So far, he has earned that spot.

At the strong side, Sio Moore, the Raiders 3^rd round pick from this year’s draft out of Connecticut, has shown he belongs in the starting lineup. An instant crowd favorite, he prowls the defense and the Black Hole looking for his prey.

Sio Moore has found a home in Oakland (AP)

On the other side, the Wile-E Veteran Kevin Burnett shows life at every play. Together this band of 3 along with Kevin’s brother Kaelin and Kaluka Maiava seem to be more in place to make a play than out.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Woodson is Back in Black (and Silver)
(Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

As opposed to last year’s revolving door of backup cornerbacks, the Raiders seem to have finally found a foundation on which to build. With 1^st round pick DJ Hayden having his ups and downs and learning the position in the NFL, Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter have been solid. Porter especially has been the bright spot in what has been of late a lack of playmakers defending from the nickel position.

The safety play for the most part has been good with Usama Young and Brandan Ross rounding out both safety positions. But the return of Charles Woodson has been the brightest spot. Although he plays a different position then the shutdown corner the Raiders drafted him to be in 1998, his leadership, run-stopping ability and ball hawking qualities keep him as the quarterback of the defense. Tyvon Branch, the only other returning starter from from last year who was injured during the second game of the season, is on track to return for the Turkey Day Bowl against the Cowboys, if all goes well. Although the other safeties have played decent, Tyvon brings another level of nasty that Raider defensive backs are known for.

DEFENSIVE OVERVIEW

The Raider defense, ranked 28^th last year and allowing 27.7 points per game, has moved up to 19^th this year at 24.9 but remains at 18^th for yards per game with 354.5 last year and 357.2 this year. Although the yardage is almost identical the past 2 years, they have lowered the points per game by a field goal. Of the 2 statistics, the points can be misleading as the Raiders opposing offenses have enjoyed a short field due to turnovers. Overall, the defense, with 10 new starters and 1 sole remaining starter moving from left end to right end, has played well enough to keep them in all the games except the Denver game and the all-around failure against the Eagles. Additionally, the Raider defense already has 23 sacks in 8 games while only managing 25 in all of 2012.

SPECIAL TEAMS AND COACHING

SPECIAL TEAMS

Why do they call them “special teams” when most of the time, the Raiders have nothing special to talk about in this category?

The kick return teams have been dismal to say the least. Coach Allen has tried multiple players at the punt and kickoff returner position with no one coming forward to take the reins. During punt returns Jacoby Ford is always out of position when “attempting” to field the ball and then either fumbles, fair catches inside the 10 yard line or lets the ball drop at the 20 only to watch it roll to the 2 and be downed by the other team. Bottom Line: Jacoby has speed but not the skills to make the initial catch. Taiwan Jones, who is one of the NFLs best gunners on punts and kickoffs, has speed but not the right decision making when running back kickoffs. Dare I say that the last time we had a legitimate punt and kick off returner was Desmond Howard? I dare!

Mr. Automatic from 50 yards and under is not the label I would give Sebastian Janikowski for this year. Call it the holder, call it missing Shane Lechler, call it getting older…Seabass just needs to get back to doing what he does best. Even his kickoffs, which are seldom returned due to being kicked out of the end zone, are occasionally seen bouncing up the field instead of in flight. I do not want to give up on him, I just want him go back to being Mr. Automatic.

Laces Out! (goldengatesports.com)

Marquette King, who is attempting to replace all-pro punter Shane Lechler, has done an admirable job. It is difficult in any sport and any position to replace a true legend. Everyone expects you to be just like the other guy and with no drop-off. Although he is no Shane, I applaud what he has done this year, especially the tackle he made on DeSean Jackson last game. Now back to practicing holding the ball for field goals…

Jacoby has struggled this season.
(Image of Sport)

SPECIAL TEAMS OVERVIEW

Marquette, keep doing what you are doing… Seabass, kick it like you know you can and Coach Allen, find someone, ANYONE, who can make the right decision when fielding punts and kickoffs and run FORWARD.

COACHES

Coach Allen inherited a team of misfits 2 years ago with a salary cap well over the limits and only a few players making most of the money on the team. After purging the excessive money players and guys who didn’t want to be there, Coach Allen and Reggie got together to “start” the rebuild process. In a WIN NOW league, it is a difficult task especially when they are calling for your head after every rough game. Starting this year, you can see the plan starting to unfold with the veteran players leading on both sides of the ball coupled with guys who want to play. Next year, the Raiders will be under the salary cap by millions and the positive aspects of the Oakland Raider team and coaches will lure the high profile team players over to the dark side.

Allen has shown patience, but still pushes his team to improve each day
(raiders.com)

The realistic idea of this year, although the coach and GM will tell you playoffs, is to show you are going in the right direction and establish some team chemistry while putting up a positive record. By bringing in Coach Greg Olson to lead the offense, the team has shown promises at times with the banged up O line and lack of a true running game. Coach Jason Tarver is building a smart and hard hitting defense which has shown major improvements over last year less 2 games. Special Teams coach Bobby April has tightened up this area of the team considering he doesn’t really have a true punt or kick returner in his stable. Lastly, what Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line coach Tony Sparano has done should be commended. It is difficult enough to get players to play well, but it is another to have that same line change not only weekly but in certain instances within each game. The coaches are coaching and the players are playing yet it will take some time before we will see the benefits of their harvest. Lastly, the team only has 40 penalties in 8 games which is about 10 less of where they were last year. Having been the most penalized team in the NFL for years running, this is a stat that only good coaching can alleviate. 

Reggie has a plan. (csnbayarea.com)