August 27, 2012

Some voices of interest



As I always love to do..... Bring the updates:


Carson Palmer






Terrell Pryor







Coach Allen







Lamar Houston







Richard Seymour






Oh yeah, by the way, we made some cuts to the team.  Linebacker Korey Bosworth, defensive ends Mason Brodine and Wayne Dorsey, safeties Aaron Henry and Chaz Powell, cornerback Terrail Lambert, wide receivers Thomas Mayo and DeAundre Muhammad, quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero and fullback Manase Tonga. Fullback Rashawn Jackson and offensive lineman Ed Wang. No big names on this list, but I am sure some of these guys may get looked at by other teams.



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August 26, 2012

Thats Better......



I have to admit, I was starting to second guess our team going into the Official Dress rehearsal, Game 3, against the Lions. But I have to say, I have seen the light and it speaks of a great season. Let me explain.

Defense, defense defense. What can I say? The Lions may suck at running back, but they are an NFL team and those players get paid to play, regardless of draft position.  65 rushing yards allowed people. Only 65. Against any team, that's good. But so you know it is not a fluke, we rank 3rd in the Pre-Season in Team Defense, 4th against the rush with 82 yards per game allowed, 3rd in Total yards allowed and 5th in pass yards allowed at 153 per game.

I mean this is the Lions. They are a team on the up and up with star players on their team in Stafford and Megatron. Yet Stafford only went 8/10 for 68 yards and Johnson only caught one ball for 7 yards. Not to mention that the Lions only had 14 first downs, 1 by rushing and 13 by passing.

I am putting my money down in Vegas. Mark my words people......... Top 5 Defense this year.

Some of the key players to watch:

Miles Burris - He runs sideline to sideline and looks like a 3 down backer. He has good strength and plays with a very low pad position which will show in his tackle numbers.

Lamar Houston - He is beginning to play more D-Tackle at times and looks like he is going to be a severe challenge for any Guard. He is in the backfield disrupting plays and forcing runners back into his help. If he can play consistent, he will have a career year. 8 sacks min.

Mike Mitchell- He has been playing later in the game in backup for Branch and Huff. I know, you think well that's lower on the totem pole so why worry about him? Well, he will be coming in to rest these guys out and he has been showing that he has slowed down in his pursuit on the ball and is making better decisions on his angles. I like what this staff has done for him thus far, if he can pull it together, he can be the next Jack Tatum. Come over the middle punk asses, I dare you!

Philip Wheeler- This guy has to be the Pre-Season Co-MVP along with Darren. He hustles to the ball, is a sure tackler and has been playing dominant football.

On Offense, I am going against the grain and popular opinion. I think Palmer had a great game. He was on time with most of his throws, made great decisions with the ball and moved the ball up and down the field. The two turnovers were the responsibility of the wide outs who have not played very consistent all pre-season.
He only went 17/26 for 187 yards. I think with a few more games under his belt, our scoring is going to go out of the roof.

Prior finally solidified his spot on the teams depth chart as the 3rd QB. He is quick, has finally shown his touch on the ball, but he is hanging on by the hair on his chinny, chin chin.

Players to watch for:

Rod Streater - Talk about someone fighting for a position. He may have just won himself the 3rd receiver spot. Ford continuously rides the pine with one injury or another, Denerius Moore can't seem to stay healthy either, so I see this guy as the starter on the opposing side of DHB. I think Palmer likes him and I see at least 65-75 catches and 600-700 yards for this guy. Consider him the TJ Houshmenzadeh to Chad Johnson combo Palmer used to throw to in Cincy.

Taiwan Jones - Mr. Freshlegs may be exactly what we have been looking for. He is in his sophomore season and in his first game back showed some flashes of brilliance. If he can pick up 600 yards in a back up role, I would be stoked.

DHB - I think you can finally remove the veil of question on this Al Davis choice. He is starting to pay dividends. Love the acrobatics on the deep ball reaching over the former Raider Justin Miller. He is showing that mentality that he is going to go after the ball, and it is something we have not seen since Tim Brown. 


Criner - He is the red zone answer. Bottom line!

Special Teams-

I will leave it at this, something needs to happen in the next few weeks to get this aspect of the team together. They have played like crap and someone needs to be accountable to staying in their gaps and making tackles. We can't put the defense in the situations they have had to play in. Always backed up to our end zone.  Its bullshit and needs to be fixed PRONTO!

The last game against the Sea Chickens will be a fight for those last few players that will make the 2nd and 3rd stringers and the practice squad. See you Friday. Check back for updates and post game video.




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August 20, 2012

Pre-Season Game 2...... Cards Vs. Raiders



Wonder what just happened? Don't. Want to know why? Its pre-season and you can only learn so much with players who put in 80% effort because they do not want to get injured and those who have secured a starting role on the team and do not feel the need to go the extra mile in games that don't matter.

I do not put much weight on these games, and my thought is that neither should you. But, for s*its and giggles, I think I should touch on what I saw and give my two cents.

Offense-

Carson Palmer Quarterback Carson Palmer #3 of the Oakland Raiders throws a pass during the NFL preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on August 17, 2012 in Glendale, Arizona.Better, but still not where it needs to be. I saw a lot of the vintage Texans offense on display.  A few bootlegs, some misdirection and even cut backs. Inconsistencies reside at the Wide Receiver level and Offensive line, but for the most part the team was able to move the ball with some level of purpose.


Carson was able to avoid some pressure and get the ball on the hands of his wideout's, but as I mentioned, there are a lot of inconsistencies there. DHB dropped a sure touchdown in the end zone and a few other balls that should have been caught.














 Mike Goodson has his debut and subsequently failed miserably. 2 fumbles lost by him alone and looking like he had absolutely no ball control skills. Scary to think this cat could be our back up to McFadden. Not really a chance I think we should take if this keeps up.

Streater looked good at Receiver. 7 for 43 yards and could potentially be our starter opposite DHB should Ford and Moore be out for substantial time. No different than last year, early injuries derailing our hopes of having a great tandem running the sidelines.








Defense-

Quarterback Kevin Kolb #4 of the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL preseason game against the Oakland Raiders at the University of Phoenix Stadium on August 17, 2012 in Glendale, Arizona.
"That boy is scared" was something you could read from the lips of Tommy Kelly after the sack on Kevin Kolb in the end zone for a safety. That was for the most part the way the game went. The defense (1st team) stood their ground and just about put Kolb on his ass every other play. Aside from poor starting field position, thanks to our special teams and offensiv
e fumbles, the defense held their own forcing 4 turnovers, 3 by way of fumbles and 4 sacks.










Special Teams-
Sucked a big one and this could get bad. A blocked punt, huge return and some other missed responsibilities could spell disaster should this not get taken care of quickly.















What does it all mean? Work, work and more work...........Post game Vids coming soon.

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August 14, 2012

Post Game Videos - Cowboys Vs. Raiders




Mike Mitchell






Coach Allen




Carson Palmer





 Terrell Pryor





Matt Leinart


Post Game Recap.... Preseason Cowboys Vs. Raiders




Great to be back. First and foremost. It was a long offseason and I finished the long list of Sunday honey-do's......

So I went back and watched the tape after it was all said and done last night and I have some particular topics I would love to touch on.

Offense-

  1. Mc Fadden is what he is. A Beast! I know we only showed a few things we would be doing (Vanilla Offense), but I was not really paying attention to the play calling
    or scheme. I watched the intangibles. Mc Fadden displayed the burst of speed through the hole, the patience to allow his gaps to open and the ability to break tackles. Overall if this guy stays healthy, we could have the NFL's leading rusher in our backfield.
  2. Palmer is still learning the offense. There were a few pass attempts that I think he held the ball for too long as he went through his progressions, but overall, he got first downs and had to deal with an atrocious performance of Jacoby Ford.
  3. I'm not going to harp on it too much but Jacoby Ford was a drive killer last night. I think he just had a bad game. He broke his route in the deep interception play, he got alligator arms on two plays, one slant that could have been a nice gain and gotten us beyond the 50 in our second possession and again on an in route that would have given us a first down in our last First Team possession. He also muffed a punt and didn't display the confidence of yester year. I hope this is just because it is the preseason and not because he is getting soft on us.
  4. Terrell Pryor is not ready for the NFL. He looked like a deer in the headlights last night. We made some first downs, but his balls were thrown like a QB who was trying to make sure he didn't make any mistakes, rather then the Terrell Pryor I remember at Ohio State with the cannon arm. I would be surprised if he made the team. If so, he needs to be in the Wild Cat formation or as a tight end.
Defense

  1. I was not surprised at our performance. As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, the Defense needed to establish dominance and that they did. I was surprised that Seymour was not on the field, but that's ok. He has nothing else to prove in the preseason. That line though. Tremendous. We held Tony Romo  to 3 for 6 and 30 yards and 1 sack with one narrowly being missed by Lamar Houston.. It was refreshing to get it done on the line.
  2. D-Backs need more work. Bartell allowed a long pass completion and on a few zone plays, the tight end came out into the flat and was able to convert for first downs. Still preseason, but its the little things that count. Get off the field on 3rd downs!
One last stat......... only 5 penalties for 37 yards compared to 12 for 97 on the Cowboys. I would say that is a victory in itself!


Overall, not bad for the first game.  Still much to do and only a few weeks to work the bugs out, but I think with discipline and a good work ethic, this team can be a playoff contender.

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August 13, 2012

A New Era.......... The Autumn Wind


RAAAAAAAAAAAIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RAAAAAAAAAAAIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can hear it now. Deep in the Black Hole, the sound resonates through my head gear, vibrates my chest and stings my eardrums. It lingers like a good vintage wine for hours after. The call of Victory!

Back in February, I thought time stood still. Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes to hours and hours to days. It was like a bad case of separation anxiety. The team went their way and the fan base was left with so many questions and no answers.

Well, the waiting is over. The 2013 season is upon us and a new desire and hunger for the pinnacle of achievement hangs in the balance. Its time for answers. But those answers come at some expense that we knew was inevitable. The Autumn Wind blew across the surface of our bow. Change was upon us. 

It all started with the hiring of Reggie McKenzie. It was obvious from the start in his introduction with Mark Davis that it was going to be his direction. A new Era of Raiders football. With the subsequent hiring of Dennis Allen, a defensive minded coach and the first since John Madden, the Raiders began to remove themselves from the Al Davis era and tonight into the Reggie McKenzie era of 21st Century NFL Football.

I know that its hard to place expectations on the team this early, but its the typical routine we go through as fans. Win the Super Bowl. My fears are that we may have taken 2 steps back to make the leap after this year. All of that can change with a great showing tonight against the Cowboys. Which Raiders team will show up? The New or the Old?

Keys to tell........................

Offense
  1. Small steps. We were pretty good last year and with a full off season under Carson Palmer's belt, I am hooping that the players can get going together on the common path.I am looking for a touch down on our opening possession. No 3 and out.
  2. Maturation of our Wide Receivers. I hope that they can continue on the path they have been going, Yards after the catch. With the west coast offense now being implemented, I can almost assure you that there will be more 5-10 yard routes and more inclusion of the tight end to move the ball and focus more on the first down rather then the home run ball.
  3. Stability at Running back. We need to stay healthy and build a good running game. We are going back to the Zone Blocking Scheme and establishment of our dominance will start today on the offensive line and backfield. 
  4. 65%-35% mix Run/Pass. Although Carson Palmer is a proven vet, I think he should only be called on when it comes to putting the final dagger through out opponents heart. We have to be balanced at first to get our opponent off guard and then run them into the ground.
Defense
  1. D-Line dominance. We need to establish ourselves as a run stuffing defensive team. We have some new vets in the backfield with returning rookies, but it all starts with the D-Line protecting us from the runs. In addition to this, they have to make quick pursuits to the QB. Nothing new here.
  2. Line backer pursuit. Has to be there. These guys need to be all over the ball and filling their gaps. The hardest part to this is to be patient and trust the guys in front of you to do their jobs. Ray Lewis is not who he is because he alone is great. He has a trust for the down 4 that allows him to be patient and flow with the play and attack the ball.
  3. Minimize penalties. Our biggest offender, Stanford Routt, is gone. Thank the Lord. He stunk it up last year with 17 penalties alone. This group needs to play disciplined football and get off the field on 3rd down. No exceptions. 



It should be interesting to usher in this new era of thinking. I am excited to see the growth of Dennis Allen from his days in Denver into something we have needed for a long time. A leader of the team. Only time will tell and tonight our journey begins.


Its good to be back Nation. Good to be back!

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