MOST GLORIOUS GLORY!!!!!!

OK, I’m back! It’s a great week in Raiderland. The Raiders defeated the hated Denver Broncos to win their second consecutive game in a row over a divisional rival. What 17-game losing streak?

I noticed a slowly increasing roar from the home crowd as Denver was setting up to punt during the second quarter. I knew that could only mean one thing. It gave me chills to see JaMarcus Russell run onto the field for the first time as a Raider. After the long draft evaluation process, mini-camp, a training camp holdout, and 12 and one quarter weeks of the NFL season; the FUTURE of the franchise finally got his first action.

He hit Jerry Porter with a laser on his first play from scrimmage. It’s difficult to even put the difference in velocity between Josh McCown and Russell into words. Have you ever tried to throw a ball with your left hand? That’s what McCown looks like out there. However, Russell may have the strongest arm in the history of the league. He finished 4 for 7 with 56 yards before being lifted (as planned). The mistakes Russell made were really rookie mistakes. He botched a handoff to LaMont Jordan and caused Ronald Curry to jump early because of a delayed cadence. Those things should be expected, but there was a lot to be excited about.

The win may have cost us Darren McFadden in next season’s draft, but Justin Fargas has come out of nowhere and been VERY effective. I have some interesting facts about him that are going to shock you. That’ll be the focus of my podcast which will be debuting this weekend (now that I finally figured it out).

The Raiders travel to Green Bay this week to take on the 10-2 Packers. I’m going to actually have a full review this week because there is a scenario that Oakland could still win their division! Wait until you hear what it is before you get too excited.

On a personal note, I’m on cloud nine right now because I completed a 15-page paper, 20 minute presentation, 15 minute presentation, and 6 hours of Old English work this week! That makes the rest of this semester a cake-walk! What does that mean anyway? I can’t imagine what a cake walk would actually look like. Anyway, come back for more later in the week.

Sean Taylor

By now, you’ve probably heard about the fatal shooting of Redskins’ safety, Sean Taylor. It’s obviously very tragic when someone dies in the prime of their life. Taylor was only 24, and he leaves behind his fiancé and an 18- month-old child.

Taylor was one of the premier safeties in the NFL and appeared headed towards a Hall of Fame-caliber career.

The angle I’d like to focus on is the coverage of this story by the mainstream media.

Taylor had a history of off the field trouble. He narrowly avoided the potential of over 40 years in prison after allegedly pulling a gun on a group of people a couple years back.

His trouble even spilt over onto the field. While nobody can debate his ability as a football player, his character was called into question when he spat in the face of Tampa Bay’s Michael Pittman during a playoff game. This gave a nationally televised crowd an opportunity to cast their own aspersions.

Friends and family claim that Taylor cleaned up his act when he became a father. I’m not here to say that those reports are erroneous, but it made the coverage of his passing an interesting topic to follow.

It’s certainly horrific if a random intruder broke into a house and shot a successful young man. However, doesn’t the perception of this crime change a bit if Taylor did something to bring this on?

It’s still terrible and wrong on the part of the killer, but it changes how we remember Sean Taylor. He didn’t deserve to die, but who knows what circumstance may have lead to that.
I don’t mean to speculate, but its human nature in this case. If you picked up the paper tomorrow morning and read that Brittany Spears was found dead, your first reaction might be that she had something to do with her own demise. At the same time, the possibility is open that it was a random event.

I could tell that ESPN had a difficult time figuring out how to handle this. They tried to walk that tight-rope between informing and speculating. I heard his past troubles mentioned, but not until a day or so into the coverage. Still, it was just that. It was “mentioned.” No speculation whatsoever took place (that I heard or saw at least).

I think it was handled well, but I’d like to hear what others have to say. So, if anyone is actually reading this, please take this opportunity to chime in.

Thank you, and hopefully the seriousness of this post won’t be needed again for a while.

What a Week

Wow. I have to start by apologizing for not posting a preview on the Chiefs game. It was a crazy week and by the time I remembered it was halfway through the second quarter on Sunday.

For the first time since this blog’s inception, the Raiders won! Sure, it may have cost them Darren McFadden in the draft, but it was nice to finally end that NFL record 17 game divisional loss record.

I have a lot I want to say this week and I’m even working out the kinks on adding a podcast to the site.

However, I’m feeling the 18 credit grind right now at school, so I won’t be able to get to it until later in the week.

Vikings Recap

The Raiders lost their 6th consecutive game and fell to 2-8.

Stuart Schweigert managed to have an entire season's worth of missed tackles and blown assignments in one game.

The offense looked better, but Duante Culpepper still held on to the ball too long.

Next week, the Raiders make their annual trip to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs. Culpepper will again start at QB.

The Chiefs will be without all-world tail back Larry Johnson. Their backup, Priest Holmes, decided to retire on Wednesday after he reinjured his neck in the second half of last week's contest against the Colts. This likely had a huge impact on the Raiders' strange handling of the LaMont Jordan situation. Jordan was inactive last week and all signs pointed to him being waived when Michael Bush was activated from the PUP list.

However, it seems as though the Raiders didn't want to deal with the possibility of facing Jordan this upcoming week! As a result, Bush will stay on the PUP list and won't play until next year. Jordan will most likely not be released until the offseason.

Raiders vs. Vikings

I'd like to thank my girlfriend for stopping by and posting comments today. The tone of this blog may lead some to believe that I have a sense of humor about the Raiders' failure. Poor Aly has to watch the games with me and she would probably vouch that my behavior during the games is anything but humorous.

Anyway, she had a very convenient opinion in her comment. She wants to know why the team doesn't give Andrew Walter a chance to play quarterback. As it turns out, he was named as the backup this week against the Vikings. I was a little surprised by this. However, I would certainly rather see Walter get a chance to play over Culpepper and McCown.

This is significant in terms of our chances of seeing JaMarcus Russell make his debut this week as well. Once again, the third string QB cannot enter the game until the 4th quarter without the starter and backup being ineligible to return. There were rumors that Russell may get into the game for a few drives, but this makes it unlikely. If the score is out of hand in the 4th quarter, he may see time, but that would probably be the only scenario where that was the case.

Both of these offenses are offensive again this week. Rookie superstar Adrian Peterson is for the Vikings meaning both teams will probably put goose eggs on the scoreboard until the game's waining minutes.

The Raiders may have a difficult time running the ball as Minnesota is ranked first in the league against the run. They are also last in the league against the pass, which would be great if we had a passing game. Oh well.

Who wins? Who cares. The Raiders are 2-7 and the Vikings are 3-6.

Quick Ramblings

It's late and I'm going to bed. Oregon just got knocked off by unranked Arizona. I have to say, Ryan Leaf's brother Brady, may be the worst quarterback I've ever seen at any level. He came in after Heisman hopeful Dennis Dixon was injured in the first quarter.

Dixon is my top ranked sleeper as of now for the 2008 NFL draft. He's got more talent than he gets credit for and I was impressed by the character he showed in his postgame interview tonight. When the experts release their draft value rankings at the end of the season, many will have him in the mid-round range. I think Dixon is worthy of a top 10 pick.

Oh yea and you may have heard Barry Bonds was indicted for perjury. Bonds will never play Major League Baseball again. Write it down.

Bears Review and Back to Culpepper

Well, the Raiders didn't score a touchdown again. They blew a 6-3 lead with 4 minutes left to eventually lose 17-6.

The defense was spectacular, even with the absence of both Nnamdi Asomugha and Fabian Washington. The one big mistake was a deep bomb on which Bears' receiver Berrard Berrian beat Chris Carr for a long touchdown. I can't post video from the NFL on this site, but if you head over to NFL.com, you can see that Warren Sapp was clearly being held on that play. It should have come back, but honestly, who cares at this point?

The one good thing that came from the offense was that there is no possible way to ever justify playing Josh McCown ever again.

LaMont Jordan didn't even see the field for a single play this week. He was standing on the sideline with sweatpants over his game pants. The writing is on the wall and Michael Bush should be activated next Wednesday.

Daunte Culpepper will start this upcoming week against the Vikings. I'll have more on that in my preview later this week.

Bears Preview

This game could end in a 0-0 tie. Both offenses are horrible.

The Raiders have been bad against the run this season, but Cedric Benson may be the worst starting tail back in the league.

The team that turns the ball over most will lose.

The most important factor in this game from the Raiders' perspective is monitoring the situation with JaMarcus Russell. He'll be the 3rd string quarterback again this week making it extremly unlikely that he will play. Once the 3rd string QB is brought into a game, that team can't take him out unless he injured or it is the fourth quarter (McCown should have about 9 INTs by then). Obviously, this means that Russell's best chance of getting game action this week is the fourth quarter.

Want another score prediction this week? Bears win 2-0 and nobody cares.

NFL Midseason Report Card

AFC East

New England Patriots (9-0) Grade- A

The Patriots are playing at a remarkably high level. Tom Brady has already thrown 33 touchdowns while tossing only 4 interceptions! A lot of people don’t realize how astounding that is. To put it in perspective, Damon Huard has 28 career touchdown passes and he is in his eleventh pro season.

Randy Moss is motivated again. He’s already surpassed the number of touchdowns he scored in his two seasons in Oakland combined.

The Pats don’t have any glaring weaknesses and welcome, all-pro defensive tackle, Richard Seymour back into the lineup after he missed the first half of the year on the PUP list.

The division is already wrapped up, for all intensive purposes, and home field advantage looks like a strong possibility. The main priority is simply making sure that everyone remains healthy for their latest playoff run.

An undefeated season is not out of the question, but winning seven consecutive games in the NFL is never a given. Either way, it doesn’t matter as much as many would have you believe. This team’s real season starts in January.

The Patriots are a machine and the only reason they don’t get an A+ is because that grade doesn’t exist at CCSU.

Buffalo Bills (4-4) Grade- C+

The Bills aren’t that talented, but it’s hard to ignore how gritty they’ve played this season. The players didn’t quit on their coaching staff after starting 0-3. They rallied to three straight victories after that heartbreaking Monday night loss to the Cowboys.

Adrian Peterson is going to (literally) run away with the offensive rookie of the year award, but Marshawn Lynch has also established himself as a premier feature back. He’s on pace for 1,400 yards rushing behind a poor offensive line.

If the Bills want to sneak into the playoffs, they’ll need to settle on a starting quarterback. J.P Losman seems to be developing into a decent quarterback, but Trent Edwards has shown that he may be the team’s quarterback of the future. They’re both young, but this is Losman’s last chance to justify being worthy of the team’s first round pick in 2004.

Lee Evans is going to have to become a more consistent receiver. The 200 yard games are always nice, but he has far too many outings where he is a complete non-factor.

The defense has been hurt by the departure of cornerback Nate Clements during free agency.

The Bills have a chance to sneak into the playoffs, but you have to wonder how long a team that sports the league’s 29th ranked defense along with the 31st ranked offense is going to continue to win.

New York Jets (1-8) Grade- F

This isn’t how the Jets wanted to follow up their 2006 campaign. The Jets appeared to be on the right track under the guy that should have been last season’s coach of the year, Eric Mangini.

The reality of the situation is that the NFL’s scheduling format usually leads to at least one basement dwelling team reaching the playoffs the year after. Unfortunately, that team usually finds itself right back in the basement the following year. The Jets are finding this out the hard way.

Chad Pennington has taken the brunt of the blame. As a result, the Jets have decided the future is now and inserted Kellen Clemens into the lineup as the team’s starting quarterback. Clemens was a second round pick last season out of the University of Oregon. Teams that try to find their starting quarterback in the middle rounds of the draft usually end up drafting a quarterback in the first round a couple years down the road. It’s too early to tell, but this trend may hold true with the Jets.

Speaking of draft myths, it’s officially time to stop referring to offensive tackles as “the safest picks.” One of the Jets’ biggest problems has been the development of D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

The lone pleasant surprise has been the play of rookie linebacker, David Harris. Harris had 24 tackles in his team’s overtime loss to the Redskins. 24 tackles!

Sorry Jets fans. The only thing you have to look forward to is the possibility of landing Darren McFadden.

Miami Dolphins (0-8) Grade- F

The year started with so much enthusiasm. New head coach Cam Cameron was going to install the offense that helped the Chargers rise to prominence.

Halfway into the season, it’s obvious that Cameron should be the first head coach on the chopping block this upcoming offseason. The first hint of this disaster that has manifested was when he refused to name Ronnie Brown as the starting running back over Jesse Chatman in the preseason. Brown was eventually revealed as the starter, but it should have never even been in question.

The Trent Green experiment didn’t work either. Before he suffered a season ending head injury, he played less than spectacular. The team is grooming John Beck to be their next quarterback. He’s a 26-year-old rookie. So he should be ready to play by the time he’s 30? That logic doesn’t make much sense.

Injuries have plagued this team, but the team was bad before that. The run defense has been horrible. When Justin Fargas rushes for 179 yards in a half against your defense, it’s time to look toward next year. The problem there is that Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas aren’t getting any younger.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) Grade-A

The Steelers should be mentioned in the same breath as the Pats and Colts. This team is capable of beating both of those squads.

Ben Roethlisberger is looking like the run away favorite for comeback player of the year. The success in the steel city is no mystery. The coaching staff may be different, but the game plan has remained much the same: run, run, and then run again. It’s not sexy, but it wins games.

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau returned this season and has led the league’s top ranked defense. The Steelers have an amazing ability to scout and develop outside linebackers. James Harrison is the latest to emerge as a pro bowl presence on the outside.

Cleveland Browns (5-3) Grade-B +

See 2006 New York Jets. There is no way the Browns make up that game against Pittsburgh and win the North. Still, 5-3 is an impressive start.

Derek Anderson has been a pleasant surprise this year. The Browns will eventually lose him to free agency after the 2008 season, but Romeo Crennel is glad he’s around for now.

Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and Joe Thomas provide a solid nucleus of franchise players on offense. Brady Quinn may not make an impact for a while, but he has the potential to be a quality NFL starter.

The defense is still light years away from being anything close to good and that could hinder Cleveland for a while.

Baltimore Ravens (4-4) Grade- C

Same old Ravens, same old story. The defense is still good, but may not have another dominant season left.

The offense can run the ball, but still doesn’t have a good quarterback. Steve McNair had a wonderful career, but it’s over now. Kyle Boller can throw the ball through the uprights while kneeling at midfield. If only head coach Brian Billick could get him to stop doing that in games!

The best quarterback in franchise history was Trent Dilfer. That needs to change.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-6) Grade-F

The Bengals are a bigger disappointment than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3. How many of you played their defense against the Browns on your fantasy football teams?

This defense is bad. Linebacker Odell Thurman showed a ton of promise as a rookie, but his off-the-field antics have brought his career to a screeching halt.
The Bengals have to stop filling their roster with malcontents (or at least malcontents that can’t play defense). You have to feel bad for Carson Palmer, who is possibly the classiest player in the league. He battled back from a serious knee injury only to watch some of his teammates throw their careers out the window because they can’t behave.

The culture in Cincinnati needs to change.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts (7-1) Grade-A

The Colts vs. Patriots showdowns of the early 90’s brought a brand of football that was brutally difficult to watch (unless you like watching Dean Biasucci kick field goals). Oh how the times have changed.

Peyton Manning is the best player in the NFL. He may have lost the midseason battle with Brady, but this season’s story is far from over.

Joseph Addai has made a flawless transition into the feature back role.

It isn’t too often that a team loses both of its starting cornerbacks to free agency and is better off for it, but that is that case with this franchise. Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden have provided the Colts with their best defensive backfield in years.

Tennessee Titans (6-2) Grade-B+

The Titans have enjoyed success this season by playing old fashioned smash mouth football. Their defense ranks second in the entire NFL. Albert Haynesworth can be a dominating force in the middle when he isn’t stomping on someone’s face. The team is giving up a mere 66 yards a game on the ground.

Vince Young may be a tad overrated at this point of his career, but he is certainly a playmaker. LenDale White has been just good enough running the ball to provide an adequate offensive attack. Still, this is the unit that needs to improve if the Titans want a chance at making any noise in the playoffs.

Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3) Grade-C+

David Garrard is quietly having a good season. He missed time due to injury, but has a quarterback rating of 102.9 with no interceptions so far this year. Maurice Jones-Drew has built on his outstanding rookie season and continued his steady production on the ground.

Marcus Stroud was recently suspended and the team will have to fill the void he left up front until he returns. Grady Jackson should be a capable replacement.

Houston Texans (4-5) Grade-C-

Everyone was going crazy about how good this team was after a 2-0 start. Andre Johnson has been severely missed. He may be the most underrated player in the NFL. With that said, Matt Schaub may be the most overrated. What has he done to garner so much praise? Maybe it’s that he simply isn’t David Carr.

The Texans have been hit hard by the injury bug. Along with Johnson and Schaub the team has had to go without Ahman Green and Dunta Robinson for extended periods of time.

The defense is filled with bright young stars. Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye are two studs up front, while DeMeco Ryans is already one of the top five middle linebackers in the NFL.

AFC West

San Diego Chargers (4-4) Grade- C

The Chargers are in first, but they are far more talented than 4-4. The road to another division crown should be a cake-walk for San Diego, but the Norv effect is already being felt.

Norv Turner is not a good NFL head coach. He’s known as a good, decent, family man by many throughout the league. This is easy to see, since he always makes sure his team is home for the holidays. If the rest of the division wasn’t so bad, that would probably hold true again this year.

The loss of defensive end, Luis Castillo cannot be overlooked. Castillo is the best run-stuffing defensive end in the league and he may miss the rest of the season. That impact was felt against Minnesota as Adrian Peterson ran for a single game record 296 yards.

Kansas City Chiefs (4-4) Grade-B

How does this team already have four wins? It’s as puzzling as trying to decipher the meaning of Herm Edwards’ weekly post game ramblings. Larry Johnson has been mediocre with a terrible offensive line. Damon Huard is not a starting quarterback and Brodie Croyle wasn’t even productive in college.

Dwayne Bowe has been a bright spot on the offensive side of the ball. The rookie wide receiver looks like a young Terrell Owens. Bowe said that laser eye surgery drastically helped his ability to catch the ball while attending LSU. He added that he opened his eyes after the procedure, saw his girlfriend, and immediately broke up with her.

Jared Allen and the defense have helped the Chiefs win a few low-scoring affairs. Allen totaled 8.5 sacks in only six games. The Chiefs will use their franchise tag on him at season’s end to prevent his departure via free agency, but it’ll be a risky deal as Allen is one substance abuse test away from a year-long suspension from the NFL.

Denver Broncos (3-5) Grade-F

This team has been awful. The Broncos signed a boatload of free agents after the conclusion of last season. Their high expectations have literally been trampled due to an abysmal run defense.

Why did they trade Gerard Warren to the hated Raiders? That doesn’t make any sense at all. Jim Bates has done a terrible job with the defense.

Tailback, Travis Henry has played as advertised, but is on his way to a year-long suspension for a failed drug test.

Brandon Marshall is developing into a go-to receiver. He’s only in his second year and he’s already posted 45 receptions for 609 yards this season. The sky is the limit for Marshall, especially when Jevon Walker returns and takes some of the defensive attention away from him.

Oakland Raiders (2-6) Grade-D-

The Raiders have absolutely no offense at all. There is no one even close to being considered a playmaker on that entire unit. Many Raider fans are still under the illusion that Jerry Porter is going to develop into a star player. It’s time to wake up. He’s in his eighth season and he’s developed into a mediocre backup with a big mouth. The only factor that saves the Raiders from receiving an F is that prized rookies JaMarcus Russell and Michael Bush haven’t played a down yet.

The defense, with linebackers Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard, is solid except for the fact that free safety Stuart Schweigert can’t make a tackle to save his life. He takes bad angles which have led to a number of big gains.

It’ll take time, but Lane Kiffin is the right man for the job. At least he better be, or that Raider Mike guy this publication always refers to is going to have a stroke.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys (7-1) Grade-A

How bout them Cowboys? It’s taken a decade of mediocrity, but Tony Romo has Dallas back on the NFL map.

Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett has done a masterful job crafting the NFC’s top ranked attack. Garrett should be the most sought after coordinator to receive a head coaching position in the offseason.

T.O has been quiet off the field this season, but he’s made plenty of noise on it.

This team’s only glaring weakness is a lack of defensive backs that excel in coverage (although Anthony Henry has put together a nice year).

New York Giants (6-2) Grade-A

The Giants have surprised some people this season. The consensus was that Tom Coughlin was a lame duck coach this year and that the G-Men would make a big offer to Bill Cowher.

Instead, the team hasn’t been hurt at all by the retirement of Tiki Barber and has reeled of a big winning streak. Plaxico Burress is playing out of his mind and the defense has overachieved.

Defensive end Osi Umenyiora had 6 sacks in a game against the Eagles. 6 sacks is a good season!

The Giants could make a run at the Super Bowl in a wide open conference.

Washington Redskins (5-3) Grade-B-

The Skins are headed in the right direction. Jason Campbell has a strong arm and could develop into a star. His development would be aided if Santana Moss could turn the corner in the second half of the season.

Sean Taylor and LaRon Landry could develop into the best safety combo the division has ever seen.

Washington may surprise and go deep into the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) Grade-C-

Why does Donovan McNabb undergo so much scrutiny? Philly can be a tough city, but this guy has been the face of the franchise since he was drafted. He was even booed then because the fans wanted Ricky Williams instead. How’d that work out?

Brian Westbrook is elusive and underrated.

Trent Cole leads the NFL in sacks with 9.

The Eagles are still in a position where they can turn things around, but the NFC East is going to be a difficult division for them to accomplish that in.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers (7-1) Grade-A

Brett Favre has proved a lot of so called experts wrong. He’s on pace for close to 5,000 yards passing this season. Some of that is due to the team’s inability to run the ball, but it is impressive, none-the-less.

Donald Driver has put together another solid year and James Jones looks to be a valuable addition to Favre’s arsenal.

Defensively, the Packers are solid. Charles Woodson, Al Harris, and A.J Hawk lead a talented unit that is ranked 6th in the NFC.

Can you imagine Brett Favre winning another Super Bowl ten years after his last? Didn’t think so, but it would be the record for longest time between Super Bowl victories for a quarterback.

Detroit Lions (6-2) Grade-B+

Wow. The Lions may actually make the playoffs. The first game on Thanksgiving will be the most important game of the day for a change. Jon Kitna and his receivers have been good, but the return of running back Kevin Jones could really help the Detroit in the second half. Whether offensive coordinator Mike Martz will actually use him is another story.

The Lions have made a smooth conversion to a cover 2 defense. Shaun Rogers is their star player at defensive tackle. Rogers is as dominating as he is big. Did anyone see him stiff arm Broncos’ running back Selvin Young to the ground? For a second, it looked like Rogers was going to pick him up and eat him. This guy is a freakishly good player.

Minnesota Vikings (3-5) Grade- C

This team is halfway there. Usually that means that a team has a great offense and a terrible defense, or vise versa. However, the Vikings have an outstanding running game. You may have heard of Adrian Peterson. He leads the NFL in rushing. Their passing game leaves a lot to be desired. It ranks 30th.

Defensively, the Vikings are 2nd in the league against the run. The passing defense is ranked 31st.

Minnesota isn’t there yet. The best quarterback in the city is Joe Mauer. But, fans in the Midwest are beginning to see Peterson as some sort of football angel. Fly Adrian. Fly.

Chicago Bears (3-5) Grade-C-

Chicago is another team that has had to deal with a number of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. It’s nice to see that they’ve finally realized that Rex Grossman isn’t the answer at quarterback. Too bad they’re going through the same thing with another of their first round busts, Cedric Benson.

Benson isn’t a good running back. Just ask anyone that drafted him in fantasy football this year.

The Bears could get back into the playoff race, but they are really only a seven or eight win team. Oh wait, that’s good enough to get you a first round bye in the NFC.

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-4) Grade-B

Jeff Garcia is the key to this team’s success. He’s shown that his late season heroics in Philadelphia were no fluke. Garcia has posted a quarterback rating of 95.5.

The defense has been strong. Barret Ruud and Jermaine Phillips have become impact players.

Establishing an effective ground game is going to be a key to Tampa’s success in the second half.

Carolina Panthers (4-4) Grade-C

Vinny Testaverde is old. He’s 120. Still, he feels that he is young enough to sport a do-rag on the sideline. Bad call Vinny. And bad call on Carolina’s part for not keeping him there. Then again, the other options at quarterback are Matt Moore, David Carr, and Brett Basanez. This season is doomed.

Steve Smith is being blanketed by two, three, and sometimes even four defenders on a regular basis. As a result, he’s managed only 33 yards in his last two games.

Managing four wins under these conditions is an accomplishment, but getting another five or six in order to qualify for the playoffs is going to be tough. There is always next year. Especially if you happen do be Vinny Testaverde.

New Orleans Saints (4-4) Grade-C

The Saints had a nightmarish start to the regular season. This can be attributed to the team’s poor defensive play and the play-calling of Sean Payton. Payton has some of the most talented personnel in the league, but he refuses to call a normal play. He runs a bunch of four receiver sets on 3rd and 1 and mixes a bunch of reverses and trick plays into the game plan.

Eric Mangini should have won the coach of the year award last season, but Payton swooped in and Hamburgled it away from him like it was a Big Mac.

The Saints will be fine in the second half of the season if they just run a more realistic offense. Drew Brees is a great quarterback and he won’t have any more of those dreadful outings that he had to start the season.

New Orleans needs to find a way to get the ball into the hands of Reggie Bush. Bush has been known to jump fifty feet in the air, spin, and nunchuck defenders on his way down. Seriously, he’s good, and the Saints will win the NFC South.

Atlanta Falcons (2-6) Grade-Incomplete

The Falcons had the unfortunate circumstance of dealing with the whole Michael Vick ordeal. The offensive system was tailored to Vicks’ strengths and so his unexpected departure left the organization in a state of flux.

Because of this, it is difficult to say that the team has not lived up to any kind of expectations. There really were none.

Bobby Petrino may be wishing that he was still at Louisville. The one positive in this whole mess is that he may be reunited with Brian Brohm.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks (4-4) Grade-C

The Seahawks are still the same team they were when they lost to the Steelers in Super Bowl XL. The one difference could be significant enough to damage any hope of a return trip to the big game.

Shaun Alexander really looks like he is on his last legs. He hasn’t been good since his record breaking campaign in 2005. It happens all the time. It happened to Eddie George, Jamaal Anderson, Natrone Means, and whole bunch of other good backs. The list goes on and on.

This is going to be difficult for Seattle to overcome. Alexander has to get going in the second half.

Arizona Cardinals (3-5) Grade-C-

Every year there is preseason talk about how Arizona is going to finally turn the corner. Every year the Cardinals are who we thought they were.

New head coach Ken Whisenhunt has Sean Peyton syndrome. He lined wide receiver Anquan Boldin up at quarterback and had him throw the ball on a crucial missed two point conversion at the end of the Cardinals’ loss to Washington earlier this year.

That doesn’t make any sense and it isn’t how games are won in the NFL. After spending so much time with the Steelers, Whisenhunt should know that.

San Francisco 49ers (2-6) Grade-F

This once proud franchise is in a lot of trouble. The defense can’t stop anybody and the offensive line can’t block anybody.

Former first overall pick, Alex Smith has regressed this season and completed less than fifty percent of his passes. It doesn’t help that he’s had a different offensive coordinator in each of his three pro seasons.

At least they’ll be picking in the top five of the draft again. Oh wait; they traded that pick to the Patriots. The rest of the NFL would like to say a big collective (and sarcastic) thanks to San Fran for that one. The niners better hope that Joe Staley develops into one heck of an offensive tackle.

St. Louis Rams (0-8) Grade-F

This one isn’t difficult. The Rams go as Steven Jackson goes. Steven Jackson got hurt in the third game of the season. He’s back now, but 0-8 means that the Rams are already done this year.

It could be time to draft Jake Long as an heir apparent to the great Orlando Pace.

The Russell Watch is On

It was difficult watching the Raiders lose by the score of 24-17. It wasn't really as close as the score indicates.

Justin Fargas did, indeed start at running back as I suggested he would. He played well. The problem is that nobody else did. Josh McCown is clearly not capable of starting in this league. He made plays with his feet that Culpepper would not have. However, he appeared to be simnply lofting the ball up for grabs at times. McCown finished with 3 interceptions, but 2 more were overturned and another was dropped.

The fans were calling for JaMarcus Russell before halftime. This season is clearly lost, so I agree that Russell should be thrown into the fire. The second half of the season will basically serve as an extended preseason for next year. If head coach Lane Kiffin doesn't feel Russell is ready to step in and play an entire game then he should at least consider playing him for a few drives a game.

Josh McCown has already been named next week's starter against the Bears, but another subpar outing could lead to the begining of the Russell era in Oakland.

The Raiders defense played well except for a few missed tackles by the defensive line. Unfortunately, we've all learned that when the defensive line misses tackles, Stuart Schweigert follows with missed tackles of his own. Sunday was no exception.

It's really nothing short of pathetic to lose to a Texans team that was playing without it's starting quarterback, running back, best cornerback, and best overall player (Andre Johnson).

The highlight of the game was Sebastion Janikowski's attempt at breaking the NFL record for longest field goal. He attempted a 64 yarder (63 is the record by Jason Elam) that bounced off the upright. The kick had plenty of distance, but veered right. During Lane Kiffin's weekly press conference the coach said that he would consider using Seabass on field goal attempts up to 70 yards!

Texans @ Oakland

Hi everyone. Today, I get to be the only person in the United States that is going to watch the Raiders game. They play at 4, which is the same time as the Patriots vs the Colts. Oh well. It'll be my service to humanity. The Raiders really should win this week. They're back home, and Texans' starting QB, Matt Schaub is out with an injury.

Defensively, the Raiders catch a break today. Sage Rosenfels will start for Houston, and that bodes well for Oakland. On top of that, the Texans will be without their best offensive weapon, Andre Johnson. Johnson, one of the league's most underrated players, has been out with an ankle injury since week 2. Oakland doesn't have to worry as much about the ground game this week either. After facing an all-pro list of running backs over the last four weeks, the Raiders go up against a makeshift lineup of backs. Former Raider, Joe Echemandu makes his return to the coloseum and may start. The team may also use Ron Dayne and a banged up Ahman Green. It'll be interesting to see how Jay Richardson performs today as he takes on the full-time role of starter in Tommie Kelly's absence. Richardson started at the other end position while Burgess was out earlier in the season.

Lane Kiffin has made the move back to Josh McCown on the offensive side of the ball. I don't have a problem with that. In fact, I don't know if I could have taken another week of watching Culpepper drop the ball seventeen times. I'm going to have my eye on Johnnie Lee Higgins, who should get most of the work in slot due to the release of Mike Williams. It will also be interesting to see how Kiffin divides the carries amongst his running backs. As far as everyone knows, LaMont Jordan should get most of the carries, but if you've read my blog recently, you should'nt be surprised when he doesn't. The Raiders should have an easier time executing their game plan this week although the Texans have a decent defense with a solid core of young players. DE Mario Williams, DT Amobi Okoye, and MLB DeMeco Ryans are three of the games brightest young stars. Barry Sims will have his hands full with Williams.

The last couple of weeks, I've predicted the Raiders to win low scoring games. Instead, they've lost low scoring games. This week, I'm going with the Raiders to win by the score of 24-10. Enjoy the Pats and Colts.

Jordan to be Waived?

You are reading that correctly. I have reason to believe that LaMont Jordan will be waived by the Oakland Raiders sometime next week. Michael Bush is back in practice and it appears as though he will be activated to the 53-man roster. Jordan, currently 13th in the NFL in rushing, has been slowed by a back injury in recent weeks. The organization may believe that his back troubles will linger through the rest of his career. In any event, do not expect to see much of him on Sunday.

Titans Review and BIG NEWS?

Another Sunday, another blown lead. It's apparent that I can sit here and talk about how the Raiders are improving all I want, but until they learn to close out games, they aren't going to make any progress.

The Titans overcame a 9-3 deficit to win by the score of 13-9. The following is my review of the game, but there is something brewing in Raiderland. I’m not at liberty to say what it is at this time, but some surprising news could be breaking soon.


The Offense was Offensive

It isn’t fun watching a team that is completely inept when they have possession of the ball. The defense played tremendously, and Stu didn’t even have any major lapses this week. The one big play the Titans had was a long run for a score by rookie Chris Henry. Tommie Kelly had been replaced at right end by Jay Richardson because of his injury and the Titans did a good job of exposing the 5th round pick. I can’t put that much blame on Richardson. I think he’ll develop into a fine run stopper, but he’s still inexperienced.


The offense was terrible…AGAIN! The entire unit is filled with mediocre players. Culpepper threw two more picks and added four fumbles! He drops the ball when nobody is even near him! The offensive line did a great job of showing how bad they are (I see Barry Sims jumping before the snap in my sleep now). I don’t fault the running game because the line provided absolutely no support. The Raiders must find a way to draft a left tackle in next year’s draft.

That is really the story…of the game…of the year…of the past couple of years. The defense is of a championship caliber, but the offense has scored 10 and 9 points in the last two weeks respectively.

These are the players on the offense that should be kept: QB JaMarcus Russell, Andrew Walter, Josh McCown; RB Michael Bush, LaMont Jordan, Justin Griffith, Oren O’neill; WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Ronald Curry; TE Zach Miller, John Madsen; T Mario Henderson; G Robert Gallery, Cooper Carlisle, Paul McQuistan; C Jake Grove.

That means the following players need to be purged from the roster by next season: QB Daunte Culpepper; RB Dominic Rhodes, Justin Fargas; WR Jerry Porter, Tim Dwight; TE Tony Stewart; T Barry Sims, Cornell Green; C Jeremy Newberry.

The 2008 NFL Draft is going to be filled with top notch offensive tackles and that is great news for Oakland. Hopefully the Raiders can get a win this week back home against Houston.

BMW Drives Home

"Big" Mike Williams (self proclaimed BMW) was sent packing today after his crucial drop led to ANOTHER Raiders loss this past Sunday. Thanks Mike, I have one less player to complain about every week now. This project DID NOT work out. Josh McCown is now the only remaining player left from the draft day trade with the Lions. Speaking of McCown, will he start Sunday?

Hopefully this means we'll see more of Johnnie Lee Higgins in 3 WR sets.

The Raiders signed WR Tim Dwight to take BMW's roster spot.

When Tommie Kelly went down clutching his knee on Sunday, I turned to my brother and said, "Thats a torn ACL." He was placed on injured reserve today with exactly that. Hmm. Maybe I should become a doctor...Dr. Raider Mike. Actually, that just sounds like a bad porno name.

Anyway, the LAST thing this team needed was a season ending injury to it's best run stopping defensive end. I'll have more info on his roster replacement when a decision is made.

I'll also be back to recount the offensive nightmare from last weekend.

Raiders @ Titans

I’m going to make this short and to the point because I’m watching the World Series right now. The Raiders visit Tennessee this week to take on the Titans.

My dream of getting to see Kerry Collins start against us isn’t going to come true as Vince Young is back from injury this week. The Raiders’ defense will have their hands full with him and running back, LenDale White. Gerard Warren is still injured and Stuart Schweigert is still healthy so the Raiders could have a hard time here. They need to rush the passer effectively, or Young is going to kill them.

Offensively, the Raiders are going to find it difficult establishing the run. The Titans rank first in the NFL in rushing defense. They are spearheaded by defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. The way to beat Tennessee’s defense is by passing the ball. Culpepper NEEDS to have a good game and the receivers have to start getting open.

That may seem oversimplified, but it’s really not. The Titans are going to be a tough team to beat, but Oakland will have a chance to show that they have the fortitude needed to win a game when their season is basically hanging in the balance. I think the Raiders will pull it out 17-16, but it’s going to take everything they’ve got.

Fantasy Football Impact

If you have LaMont Jordan, you may want to consider benching him this week. I see another sub-par performance from this week against this defense. Also, don’t get carried away with Titans kicker, Rob Bironas. He set the NFL record for field goals in a game last week with 8. All that means is that he probably won’t kick another one for 3 weeks.

Play Young and White. I see both of them racking up the rushing yards against Oakland.

Change of Pace

I have a quick post today and it isn’t football related.

I have a friend that used to go to school with me at CCSU. His name was Chris Barone and he’s the drummer for a band named The Smyrk. These guys have always been good, but lately, they’ve started to gain some notoriety as well. They recorded their last album with the bass player from Incubus.

Now, they are in a contest on MTV. The Dew Circuit Breakout is something that the network has been doing for the past few years. Unsigned bands are eligible. Literally, I could have submitted a CD of myself playing the triangle or xylophone (and I should have). But anyway, thousands of bands entered and MTV’s talent judges voted The Smyrk into the top 12!!!

Now it’s up to the fans. The next cut down is to 6. The winner gets industry help from the network. That’s pretty big. Past winners include Yellowcard, Hawthorne Heights, Hellogoodbye, and Taking Back Sunday.

You can check these guys out and vote for them if you like them. There is no limit to the number of votes you can cast either.

These guys deserve anything good that comes their way. They are a great band and are really down to earth people too.

I’ll be back tomorrow with my Raiders vs. Titans preview.

Chiefs Review

Q: How can you tell the extent of my pain after each Oakland Raiders' loss?

A: When I don’t put a review up until THURSDAY!!! I was so utterly disgusted that I couldn’t even post the score.

The Raiders lost, at home, by the score of 12-10 last Sunday. This marks the team’s 17th consecutive loss against the AFC’s western division. That is horrible. Every divisional loss is now extending the NFL record for consecutive defeats.

The Good…

The defense played as advertised. They were very good as an overall unit and Warren Sapp finally recorded his first sack of the season. Terdell Sands played his best game of the year. The usual suspects all did their jobs and Nnamdi Asomugha played better than many people realize, despite a couple of rare miscues. Stanford Routt has looked VERY good since his insertion into the starting lineup. He had his 3rd interception of the season on a beautiful catch where Dwayne Bowe should have been flagged for pass interference.
Offensively, Zach Miller played like a veteran. He continued the strong blocking we’ve seen from him all year long, and made some big plays in the passing game as well.

The Bad…

The entire offense, with the exception of Zach Miller, was very bad. Daunte Culpepper made some nice throws, but wasn’t great overall. He threw a costly pick in the waning moments. Oakland was 20 yards out of field goal range, at the time. The offensive line is BAD. I’ve seen a lot of homers praise this group. They’re wrong. Sorry. Barry Sims and Cornell Green are backups. Mario Henderson could be a good option to replace Green, once he is deemed ready, but the team absolutely needs to draft a stud left tackle (yes I am officially conceding that it is not Robert Gallery). The guards have been alright, but Jeremy Newberry is another problem at center. I don’t know why any of you would have been watching this game last week, but if you were, you got the chance to see Newberry snap the ball to Culpepper as if he were lined up under center. Unfortunately, he was in the shotgun. There really isn’t an excuse for that. Jake Grove should be starting at center. He isn’t great either, but at least he doesn’t snap the ball to nothingness. For the first time, I actually have a problem with Lane Kiffin’s play calling. The Chiefs were bringing nine or ten guys up to stop the run on every play! I mean, it was ridiculous. The Raiders are going to have to be able to pass the ball effectively in situations like that. I realize Kiffin wanted to establish the running game. I’m all for that, but with that much pressure, you need to be able to air it out.

The Ugly…

STUUUUUUUUU. Oh man. Stu whiffs more than Phillies’ first baseman, Ryan Howard. I mean, he missed Larry Johnson all together, which led to one of the only huge plays the defense surrendered. Can we get just one good game this season out of Schweigert?

Oh well. The only good that came out of this past weekend of football is that my fantasy football team, The Pog Slammers, improved to a league best 6-1.

The Raiders are @ the Titans this week in a game that they absolutely must win. I’ll be back with a full preview.

Chiefs Preview

The Chiefs offense is similar, in structure, to the team the Raiders saw last week. Of course, the emphasis is on in structure. Just like the Chargers, the Chiefs can boast that they have a big-play tight end (Tony Gonzalez) and one of the game’s premier running backs (Larry Johnson).

Fortunately for the Raiders, that is where the Chargers-Chiefs comparison ends. Tony Gonzalez is still capable of sprinkling in a great game here and there, but he’s nowhere close to the player he once was. Still, Michael Huff will have to show that he can shut the big man down. Putting back-to-back solid games together vs. Gates and Gonzalez would be a huge step in his development.

Larry Johnson is one of the top five backs in the game. However, he’ll be hurt by a depleted offensive line. The days of Will Shields and Willie Roaf are over in Kansas City (FINALLY!!!).

Damon Huard will start for the Chiefs at quarterback. He’s held off Brodie Croyle to this point, but it’s only a matter of time before the reins are handed over to the former Alabama signal caller.

Q: How do you know your team won’t be going to the playoffs?

A: When you can say: Damon Huard will start for the Chiefs at quarterback.

Q: How do you know your team is doomed for multiple seasons?

A: When your management and coaching staff agree that Brodie Croyle is your quarterback of the future. He couldn’t even move the ball in college. How was he a third round draft pick?

OK. So that’s another question. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer to that one.

The one player on the Chiefs offense that I really can’t say enough good things about is wide receiver, Dwayne Bowe. Bowe was the team’s first round selection this year and he reminds me of Terrell Owens. The guy is big and talented. He had laser eye surgery while at LSU, and said that it’s helped his football career immensely. He added that he woke up from the surgery, saw his girlfriend, and broke up with her. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s pretty damn funny.

ESPN reported that former fantasy football stud, Priest Holmes, has been activated from the PUP list and will play this week. His roster spot was opened because the Chiefs traded Michael Bennett to Tampa Bay earlier this week. I don’t expect Holmes to be much of a factor this week, or ever again.

Overall, this is a manageable offense and the Raiders should be able to handle it. If Larry Johnson enjoys the same success that LT did, then the Raiders are in trouble. I expect Oakland to play eight guys in the box to assure that doesn’t happen. If the Chiefs are forced to throw the ball, it’s going to be a fun game for the Raider Nation.

The Raiders need to keep things simple on the other side of the ball. They need to run the ball down their opponent’s throats. I expect that to happen this week. The Chiefs' defense is ranked 10th in the NFL, but I don’t see them as the 10th best.

Jared Allen is a tremendous pass rusher and has already tallied 6 sacks this season. 1-on-1, he’d have a field day against Barry Sims, but Lane Kiffin is smarter than that. This means you’ll see a lot of help from Zach Miller. The backs will be there to chip him as well. On top of that, it’s difficult to sack the quarterback when the team is running the ball every play. This week will be a return to just that. If you have LaMont Jordan on your fantasy team, make sure he’s in your lineup this week.

I like the Raiders this week. I’m going to say that they win 20-17.

Bush vs. Gore

No, this isn’t Presidential commentary. After all, I want people to actually read this! This week is important for NFL general managers. Tuesday marked the trade deadline, and now decisions have to be made on players that started the season on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list.

The Raiders need to make this determination for a potential superstar.

For those of you that don’t know, the PUP list is designed to give organizations more time to decide what to do with players hurt in training camp. They can be placed on the list and do not count against the roster until the conclusion of week 6. At that time, the team has 3 weeks to decide whether the player should be activated, or placed on injured reserve (ending their season).


In what was probably the most controversial article written for the CCSU Recorder (or not), I discussed a group of “sleepers” that were available in last year’s NFL Draft. One, stood out over the rest. Michael Bush, a running back from Louisville, broke his leg in the first game of his senior season. He missed the remainder of the season and wasn’t recovered in time to work out for pro teams. This series of events led to his stock plummeting from possibly the top available back in the draft, to a mid-rounder.

The article discusses Frank Gore’s perseverance over multiple severe knee injuries. He tallied more than 2,100 yards for the 49ers last season and has become one of the best players at his position. Bush has the same potential.

As much as I want to see him play, I think the smart choice might be to put him on IR. The Raiders already have Jordan, Rhodes, and Fargas. If they hang on to Fargas until the end of the season, there’s a chance they can get a late round compensatory pick for him in the 2009 draft (after he leaves as a free agent). The backfield is just too crowded right now and Bush wouldn’t really have a chance to make an impact. I think they give his knee time to further recover and then let him compete for the starting job next year.

Chargers Review

OK. Now that I've calmed down, I can finally review last week's loss. My preview of the game really ended up being accurate. Rather than complain about Schweigert and his inability to take a proper angle against the run, I’m going to concentrate on something new. Just as I predicted; we couldn’t run the ball, and we couldn’t stop LT.

New Developments

Culpepper- Boy did he ever look bad. If you read the box score, you’ll see that he threw 2 picks and couldn’t hang onto the ball (when he was supposed to). The box score does him justice, in this case. I found myself screaming, “Daunte, throw the ball! Throw the ball! Daunte throw the damn ball away,” for a solid three hours. After a horrible first half showing by the entire team, it looked as though the Raiders would enter halftime tied at 14. The score was 14-7 Chargers, but the Raiders had 1st and goal inside the 1. They had one timeout left and about 20 seconds. Coach Kiffin called a pass play. Good call. You get the touchdown and if nobody is open, you throw it through the uprights to stop the clock. I know this. For the record, I’ve never played a down as a QB in the NFL. Daunte danced around in the pocket and took a sack. I wanted to puke. So there goes the timeout. Now its second down and you have to pass because there is no way to stop the clock. Culpepper danced around, got sacked, and fumbled the ball away. At that moment, something occurred to me. Let’s start with the facts. Daunte Culpepper obviously came to Oakland this year in order to audition for other teams and a big contract at the end of the season. He must know he won’t be Oakland’s starting quarterback next season because JaMarcus Russell’s huge contract basically guarantees that he’ll be on the field next year and the team would once again land in salary cap hell if they gave Culpepper a big contract (even if it were only for one year i.e. the franchise tag). In that moment where the ball popped out of his hand, I started to think that Daunte may not have the team’s best interests in mind. He may have been more concerned with making an ESPN highlight reel instead of playing it safe. It’s unfair to judge him based on this one game, but it is definitely something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

Fabian Washington and Michael Huff- These guys were pleasant surprises. Both have been disappointing and neither has shown that they were worthy of first round selections. Huff did an admirable job covering the league’s premier tight end, Antonio Gates. He was beat on one play where he almost jumped in front of the ball for a pick-6, but it’s difficult to criticize the guy for taking a chance like that. Washington has responded to his benching thus far, and really did a nice job in coverage. San Diego’s receivers were nearly invisible in this game.

The bottom line is that it’s difficult to win when you allow 206 yards rushing. If we look at the big picture, a loss @ San Diego isn’t the end of the world. The Raiders just need to soundly beat Kansas City this week. I’ll get into that game more, later this week.

Other Notes

S Jarrod Cooper was, indeed, signed and should be in uniform this Sunday.

The NFL trade deadline passed without a deal made by the Raiders. I was happy to see that Andrew Walter wasn’t traded.

The Raiders set the modern day record for consecutive losses to divisional opponents on Sunday with their 16th straight defeat.

OUCH

28-14...Chargers win. I'll have a full breakdown this week, but my game preview will tell the story.

Ward Cut

I just got word that S BJ Ward has been released. This is a little surprising. First off, its 3 days before gameday and the only backup safety on the roster is Hiram Eugene. I guess the coaching staff didn’t like the fact that Ronnie Brown trampled him on his way to the endzone. Still, I liked Ward in training camp and it appeared that he was starting to push Stuart Schweigert for playing time. He must have fallen out of favor in a hurry. Former Raider, Jarrod Cooper is being worked out. Cooper was released shortly before the preseason began because of a four game steroid-related suspension. When you look at it that way, it could have been the team’s plan all along, to bring him back after 4 games.

Signing Cooper would make sense. The special teams unit is playing devastatingly bad when it comes to kick and punt coverage. Cooper is listed as a safety, but is really best utilized strictly on special teams.

The problem is that the team needs a better backup safety (that can actually play safety).

Former New England Patriot, Tebucky Jones worked out with the team last week, but it seems as though the Raiders decided to pass on him. Jones, a native of Connecticut, takes credit for coining the phrase, “Hard-Hittin New Britain.”

In order to make room for the return of Dominic Rhodes, the Raiders released preseason standout, Adimchinobe Echemandu. Echemandu, the cousin of CB Nnamdi Asomugha, was signed by the Houston Texans on Tuesday. I liked Echemandu, but there is simply no need to have him around with so many other options at running back.

Raiders at San Diego Preview

It’s nice to finally have a game to preview. The Raiders are back this week after a bye week that frankly couldn’t have come at a better time. The team is on the road this week where they will be visiting San Diego (or Raider South, as it was known before the Chargers started winning).

Key to Victory

Yikes. There is a lot to be enthusiastic about as far as the direction that the Raiders are headed, but this is going to be a tough game. I sat down before the season and penciled in 7 to 10 games that I thought the Raiders could win. This was NOT one of them.

The strength of the San Diego offense is their running game. LaDainian Tomlinson has been slumping so far, but he gives the Raiders (and their fans) fits just about every time he plays against us. Our run defense absolutely MUST step up and contain Tomlinson and Michael Turner.

Stu Schweighert and Mike Huff… That means you guys are the key in this one. That leaves me with an unsettling feeling, but these guys have to turn their potential into on-the-field production. If they don’t start taking better angles, then you could expect some BIG gains out of the San Diego ground game. The tandem will also be responsible for stopping the league’s most dynamic tight end, Antonio Gates. In case you were wondering, none of this bodes well for the Raiders.

Offensively, Oakland needs to establish a running game of its own. The Raiders aren’t yet good enough to be able to win consistently without running the ball effectively. Unfortunately, San Diego has a great front seven that ate up the run for the better part of last year. DE Luis Castillo is probably better than any other end in the league when it comes to stopping the run. LB Shawne Merriman is a fierce pass rusher and is arguably the best defensive player in football. It’ll be interested to see who controls the line of scrimmage here, as it will be strength against strength.

LaMont Jordan returned to practice this week, and should be able to go on Sunday. I have no doubt; however, that Dominic Rhodes and Justin Fargas will get their fair share of carries to lighten the load on Jordan’s injured back. There’s a lot of intrigue here. How healthy is Jordan? How will Rhodes play in his first game since last year’s Super Bowl? Can Justin Fargas follow up his HUGE game against the Dolphins with another strong performance? These are all interesting storylines to keep an eye on this week. Even if you aren’t a Raider fan, the distribution of carries could be very important to your fantasy team. After this week, the Michael Bush factor comes into play. But, that’s another post for another day.

The Bottom Line

I don’t like the Raiders’ chances in this one. There are too many factors to overcome. If the game was in Oakland, I’d give them a slightly better chance, but the Chargers are a much better team on paper.
The one thing that could swing this in Oakland’s favor is the Norv-O-Factor. As all Raider fans know, Turner has the uncanny ability to run even the greatest of teams into the ground. The guy isn’t a good head coach. I feel bad saying this because he’s regarded as an incredibly nice guy throughout the league. Of course, I already knew he was a devout family-man, because he ALWAYS makes sure that his team is home for the holidays. OK, so I stopped feeling bad for him at least 20 Kerry Collins interceptions ago...heh. I can’t understand how he keeps getting jobs. But he does. And, maybe now it’s the Raiders’ turn to actually benefit from it.

Even with the odds stacked against them, the Raiders have a chance to make a statement this weekend (and not one of those, “Hey look how many games we can lose,” statements that we’ve become used to over the past 4 years).



Also…
Be sure to check out Jerry McDonald’s breakdown of LT’s success against the Raiders.

Week 5 NFL Standings

All By Themselves!!!

It's just gone final in Denver. The Broncos have lost to the Chargers. That, along with the Chiefs' earlier loss means that the Oakland Raiders sit atop the AFC's western division!!!

Morrison Finally Recognized

I've just learned that Raider linebacker Kirk Morrison has been named AFC defensive player of the month for September. It's nice to see that his stellar play is finally being noticed on a national level!!!

Raider Mike's State of the Defense

How good are the Raiders defensively?

You can ask 10 different fans and get 10 different opinions. The team had the 3rd ranked defense in the entire NFL last season, despite a 2-14 record. They ranked first overall against the pass.

Still, it’s becoming increasingly evident with each passing week, that part of the reason for their success was the fact that opponents were simply running the clock out on them because they had built insurmountable leads.

Still, I think there’s a lot of talent in this group.

DE- Derrick Burgess is easily the best Raider at this position. He’s totaled more sacks than anyone in the NFL over the past two years (27). The battle for the right end spot was wide open in camp. In the end, Tommie Kelly, who has been at DT for the past couple of seasons, was moved back to end and has filled the role nicely. Burgess was predictably double-teamed for the better part of the first two games, but missed the last two with a nagging calf injury. Kelly’s been tremendous over the past two contests. He played the game of his career against Cleveland, which was capped by his game-winning blocked field goal. Jay Richardson has been pressed into starting duty in Burgess’ absence, but his primary role is to spell him in obvious run situations. Richardson, the rookie 5th rounder out of Ohio State, has really impressed me thus far. He made a play last Sunday where he ran Ronnie Brown down from behind. I was a little surprised by the speed he showed. Chris Clemons made the roster because of his versatility. He could play linebacker or rush the QB from a down position. The problem is that he does neither well, and has been invisible since week 1. Tyler Brayton rounds out the position and plays both inside and outside on running downs. The former first rounder hasn’t lived up to expectations and many fans wanted to see him cut this year. I’m one of the few that’s happy to see him back because I feel he’s an underrated run stuffer. The Raiders are OK at DE, but they need to find another situational pass rusher to compliment Burgess. I still can’t figure out why they cut Quenton Moses in training camp. He was a rookie that could have stayed inactive every week. Instead, Lane Kiffin decided they could spare the 65th pick in the draft!! I’m not quite over that mistake just yet, but someone else to fit that role needs to be obtained before I’d call this unit anything more than average.

DT- Have you seen Warren Sapp??? He lost 50 pounds in the off-season to improve his quickness. While he’s noticeably faster, some worry that he lost too much weight to maintain his all-pro level of play. He hasn’t recorded a sack yet, but I’m giving the big guy (errr…the little guy?) more than four games before I write him off. I have a great deal of admiration for the guy. He didn’t quit on the team when they were losing like other high profile players did (who could I be referring too?). Terdell Sands started the season with a brand new contract that at least paid him to be the starter. His task is to simply occupy space in the middle of the line with his massive 6-7 335 frame. He showed signs of developing into a master of this trade last season, but has disappointed to the point where he has, at least temporarily, lost his starting position. The player starting in his place has been the real surprise of this defense. Gerard Warren was traded here 2 weeks before the season started by the team who I shall not speak of. I mean plain and simple, the Raiders do not make trades with them. Plus Warren was their best run stopper over the past two years. My immediate reaction was, “Uh oh. Something must be wrong with him.” Instead, Warren has played very well and even has 3 sacks!!! One of them (against that former team of his) resulted in a safety. I like our defensive tackles at the moment, but Sapp is getting old and Sands needs to be more consistent.

LB-Write it down. The Raiders are set at middle and weak side linebacker for the next 6 or 7 years. Kirk Morrison is the best linebacker the Raiders have had since I started following them in 1992. He’s my favorite player on the team, and one of the best unknown players in the league. This guy is going to become a household name and it’ll be sooner than you think. He’s a tremendous tackler and is better in coverage than our safeties (sad, but true). His 3 interceptions are tied for the most amongst linebackers in the NFL. One of the players he’s tied with is his teammate, Thomas Howard. In only his second season, Howard is already showing that he has rare talent. Sapp told reporters that he’s the fastest linebacker he’s ever played with. That’s saying a lot, considering the fact that he played with Derrick Brooks in Tampa Bay. Strong side linebacker, Sam Williams is a quiet, but steady player. He’s good against the run and makes all of the plays he’s “supposed to.” He doesn’t do anything flashy, but I rarely see him taking bad angles and making mistakes when he’s out there. The team’s only REAL backup linebacker is Robert Thomas. He can fill in at any of the three positions and is solid, yet unspectacular. Ricky Brown, Isaiah Ekujuba and Jon Condo are listed as linebackers, but are really only special teams players.

CB- If you don’t know who Nnamdi Asomugha is yet, you should. When the team lost Charles Woodson to free agency, the concern was that the Raiders lacked a true #1 cornerback. Asomugha stepped up last year and had 8 picks. I’ll guarantee he has less this year. And, that isn’t a bad thing. Opposing quarterbacks have learned not to throw the ball at him. He’s shut down the competition’s #1 receiver every game so far this season. Chad Johnson, of the Cincinnati Bengals, said that he’d never seen a guy that big, run so fast. The concern is at the other corner position. Fabian Washington has been disappointing this season and has been demoted to nickel back. Stanford Routt, who admittedly feels more comfortable playing outside, is now getting his chance to do so. He hasn’t been as noticeably bad as Washington and has two interceptions. I’m not giving up on Washington yet, but wow has he looked terrible this year. Chris Carr gets limited playing time in the defensive backfield, but has showed hints of potential. John Bowie was the taken this year as the team’s “famous” 4th round pick acquired from the New England Patriots in the Randy Moss deal. Bowie is a developmental prospect, but hey….at worst he’s the answer to a trivia question. The team also has speedster Chris Johnson. I’m ok with him playing on the special teams unit, but defensively, he is the worst player I’ve ever seen. If he ever steps onto the field with the defense, I’ll cry. I didn’t think it was possible for a player with his speed to get burnt so badly. Altogether, the Raiders corners have room for improvement, but are still very solid. They would definitely win a track meet against any other team’s defensive backs.

S- Last…and…well…least. Michael Huff was the seventh player picked in a VERY strong draft last year. He has the potential to develop into one of the best safeties in the league. Unfortunately, he hasn’t put it together yet. He hasn’t been the playmaker he was thought to be. All the tools are there. I mean this guy is an athlete. He was solid in week 3 against the Browns, but has otherwise been unspectacular. His coverage skills have left something to be desired, but the real concern is his inability to take the right angles against the run. That is the single biggest problem on this defense. Huff, along with teammate Stuart Schweigert takes bad angles and turn five yard runs into 50 yard gains by opposing running backs. The front seven is doing their job, but there are always going to be instances where the back gets past them. It becomes the responsibility of the safeties to limit the damage. Schweigert has hit a brick wall in his development, but cannot hit like a brick wall. I’ve become used to seeing him dragged all over the field. I miss Eric Turner and Ronnie Lott. The team NEEDS a big hitting, run stuffing, KO, safety like each of them used to be. They thought they got that in the off-season with the signing of Donovan Darius. As it turned out, the team figured out that they didn’t need Darius; they needed the player that Darius was five years ago. BJ Ward and Hiram Eugene are the backup safeties. Eugene isn’t that good and if it weren’t for a HUGE missed tackle against the Lions earlier this year, the Raiders would probably be 3-1. Ward is intriguing, but didn’t help his cause by getting trampled by Ronnie Brown in the same way Wile E. Coyote was run over by the Road Runner.


As a whole, I think that the defense has been solid in the last two games. They’ll get Derrick Burgess back for their next game at San Diego. If this defense wants to match last year’s defensive ranking, then they’ll need to get better run defense out of their safeties. I’d like to see Rob Ryan be a little more creative with his defensive play calling. It’s difficult to blitz when you have two linebackers that are so good in coverage, but Ryan has become a bit too predictable. They will certainly be tested against the Chargers.


Elsewhere- It isn’t Raider-related, but it is October so here’s my World Series prediction. I like the Angels in 6 over the Diamondbacks.

Goodnight!

October 1st

October 1st

Hello everyone!! Welcome to the first installment of my Oakland Raiders blog. In the following weeks, I’m going to discuss everything imaginable in Raider land.

Yesterday’s victory over the Miami Dolphins is causing a ton of excitement. It marks the most important victory that this club has had since defeating the Tennessee Titans in the 2002 AFC Championship game. The losing aura around the team finally seems be evaporating under new head coach, Lane Kiffin.

So let’s dive right in and take a look at the game:

Oakland Raiders 35 Miami Dolphins 17

· Daunte Culpepper- There is no question that Culpepper was the most intriguing story going into the game. After being cast aside in Miami, in favor of Trent Green, Culpepper set out to prove that his former team made a mistake. More importantly, he needed to show the rest of the league that he could still play after tearing his ACL, MCL, and PCL in the 2005 season. I have to admit, I was excited to see how he’d perform in his first start with the Raiders. Culpepper ended the day 5-12 passing for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns. He added 28 yards on the ground and 3 more touchdowns!!!
The Homers Say: Daunte should be resigned to a multi-year deal and should be the starting quarterback of the Oakland Raiders, despite the acquisition of #1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell.
The Critics Say: The Miami Dolphins are not a formidable opponent and Culpepper will crumble against better teams. Plus, he was an unimpressive 5-12 throwing.
Raider Mike Says: The great thing is that we won. I thought Culpepper played GREAT. He had a couple of completions taken away from him on drops. It’s too early to worry about his completion percentage because he’s completed over 60 percent of his passes every season of his career (including his abysmal season with the Fins last year). The one thing that cannot be understated is HE DID NOT TURN THE BALL OVER AT ALL. I realize he won’t have 5 touchdowns every week, but taking care of the ball is the true key to being a successful quarterback in the NFL. Will he be that good for the rest of the year? I don’t know. Nobody does. And to be honest, it doesn’t matter right now. He’s earned a start against San Diego when the team comes back from its bye week and he can be further evaluated then. However, resigning him to a multi-year contract is out of the question. I’ll further examine that later in the week.

· Huggy Bear to the Rescue: The Raiders’ ground game has been surprising, to say the least. LaMont Jordan is finally playing up to the massive contract he was signed to. In fact, his 424 rushing yards are second only to Travis Henry of the team I shall not speak of on this season’s NFL leader board. To say the least, it was scary seeing him on the back of a cart driving into the locker room seconds before the half. But, backup, Justin Fargas came in and rushed for 179 yards in the second half!!! Fargas, the son of the actor that played Huggy Bear in the 1970’s show Starsky and Hutch, has never EVER come close to that kind of individual performance before. The team finished with 299 yards rushing, which is the highest total since Bo Jackson helped the Raiders to 357 in 1987!!!
The Homers Say: The Raiders have the best running game in the league!!!
The Critics Say: NOTHING!!! 299 yards on the ground goes a long way towards silencing the critics!!!
Raider Mike Says: Wow, our offensive line is doing a great job of run blocking this year. LaMont Jordan over performing is one thing, but when Justin Fargas has 100 yards in one quarter, something is up. New line coach, Tom Cable, has come in and done a spectacular job of installing his zone blocking scheme. Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle have been spectacular at guard. Both Jake Grove and Jeremy Newberry have also done a nice job at center. The tackle positions will need to be addressed in the off-season, but left tackle, Barry Sims, did a great job containing Jason Taylor on Sunday (last time he faced him he was burned for 3 sacks). I’m beginning to see that any running back would be successful with the blocking they are receiving up front. Make no mistake about it; Justin Fargas is not a good running back. For those of you fantasy football players that are watching Jordan’s injury situation, listen carefully. DO NOT pick up Justin Fargas. If LJ isn’t ready in time to face the Chargers, the guy you want is Dominic Rhodes. Rhodes will be returning from his 4-game suspension and would most likely be the featured back in Jordan’s absence.

· D-FENCE- The defense had its second solid game in a row. Ronnie Brown had a nice game running the ball, but the unit, as a whole, shut the Dolphins’ passing attack down for the most part. Thomas Howard recorded his 3rd interception of the year while Stanford Routt got number 2. Gerard Warren and Tommie Kelly continued to play with excellence. They each recorded a sack. I could post an entire entry on my thoughts on the defense….and, in fact, I will. So this is all I’ll say about them for now. Check back…


Be sure to check out NFL writer Jerry McDonald’s blog. He does a great job over at Insidethebayare.com.

NFL.com puts all of the video highlights of every game up…So, if you’re interested, check out the highlights to yesterday’s win.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at mluchene@yahoo.com.