SB Nation - Thomas Howard

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Oakland Raiders Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:30 -0000

by Kathy Willens - AP

After Mark Sanchez's meltdown last week, the Jets are going to try and run it a lot on the 28th ranked run defense. When they do throw it, though, somebody who has been quiet this year is going to need to step up. Jerricho Cotchery's status is up in the air. If he can't go, Braylon Edwards will have to deal all day with Nnamdi Asomugha. Aside from Darrelle Revis, there is no better corner in football. (Some might argue Asomugha is better than Revis, but you won't find any of those people residing on this site). There's a good chance the Raiders are going to be able to totally take Edwards away. Asomugha literally takes away half the field. Nobody ever throws the football near him.

That means Dustin Keller needs to step up and finally deliver a big game. Arguably no Jet has been more disappointing this season. He's got an edge in athleticism on Thomas Howard, Kirk Morrison, and Jon Alston, Oakland's linebackers (Alston may start for injured Ricky Brown).

David Clowney needs stretch the field. You can bet your life the Raiders are going to move safeties Tyvon Branch and Hiram Eugene down into the box and force a struggling rookie quarterback to beat them. He's fast enough to win one on one matchups with Chris Johnson if he can beat the physical corner's jams. It's time for him to pick up where he left off in Miami.

Also expect Leon Washington to play a major role in the passing game. Sanchez might be a bit gun shy after last week, and the coaching staff will probably want to give him safe calls, like getting the most explosive playmaker the ball in space.

Damien Woody's status is a concern. Oakland's defensive end rotation of Richard Seymour, Greg Ellis, Jay Richardson, and Trevor Scott have combined for 10 sacks this year. Is Woody healthy enough to play? Can he handle the rush? Can Robert Turner if Woody can't go? Can D'Brickashaw Ferguson handle Richard Seymour's finesse? The good news is the starting tackles for Oakland, Tommy Kelly and Gerard Warren, are easier to handle, which could allow the Jets to give Turner help. Lord knows the Jets don't want Sanchez pressured into bad decisions.

Shock the WORLD Oakland Raiders! Take Down the 4-0 New York Giants! Game Thread:

saint — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:30:15 -0000

This IS about stepping UP today!

I expect the Defense to score today!

In fact, if the Raiders are to win today, I expect THEM to DOMINATE the Meadowlands!

Thomas Howard is due for a touchdown, I mean, it's been FOUR games this year, and he hasn't SCORED YET!!! What gives? ;)

It is also time for TYVON to seperate someone from the ball and run it back for 6! We'll call it a KNOCK-Six instead of a Pick-Six! KNOCK as in Knock him Out, Pick His Pocket and TAKE IT HOME FOR SIX BABY!!! Then he can do the "Booty Slap Dance" in the end zone and NOT get flagged!!!

LET'S GO RAIDERS!!! LET"S GO BABY!!!!!

I want to hear DMX's growl right now as I SCCCRREEAAAMMMM...GETT'UM BOY!!!! GETTEM BOY!!!!!!!

RRRAAAIIDDEERRSS!!!!

It is Prime Time for Seymour!!! I want to see him squatting on the QB all game!!!

He will have so much attention paid to him that Greg Ellis will clean them after Tommy Kelly and Gerard Warren gut THEM!!!

GETTUM BOYZZZZ...GETTUM BOYZZZZZZ!!!!!

This team WILL take the momentum on DEFENSE!!! DEFENSE!!!!

Go ahead and wake the family up!!!

DEEEFFEENNNSSEE!!!!!!! DEEEFFFEENNNSSEEE!!!!!!!

How about a Huff PIck Six to go along with it?!?!?!?!?

My prediction:

Raiders Defense 23

Giants 10

;)

My Thoughts on What the Raiders Need to Do

KA1Z3R — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:41:14 -0000

It's no secret the Raiders are in a complete tailspin right now. Don't argue otherwise, after a great game against SD, the Raiders have given up over 140 yards rushing to the Chiefs and over 200 to the Broncos. Which shows Marshall's offseason plan of working on discipline has fallen apart and that it's not just discipline but the personnel. Basically what ever Raiders fan has been saying since 2003.

The passing game, I can't really say anything since Schilens is a big difference maker in the passing game because he's a comfort zone on the scale of Miller for Russell. But in all honesty, Russell should be comfortable with guys like Murphy and DHB after a whole offseason working with them.

Running game? Not enough of it and misuse of the backs' respective talents. Also, the lack of a passing game is ruining what should be a top-5 rushing attack.

Pass D, this falls on run D. When you're first and second instincts are to rush to the line to tackle a back, of course you're going to slip in coverage. In no way is this a personnel problem, other than that there should be some better nickel and dime corners, but I won't dwell on that.

So how do I think the Raiders can remedy their ailments, read on to find out.

Passing Game

Like I said, we'll wait to see how this looks when Russell gets Schilens back this week. Until then, this can still be worked on. All it comes down to is Russell, if he really cared about winning then he'd have taken time from his apparently busy day to work with the receivers after practice and on off-days.

After all, this is what successful QB's do. You think Rodgers magically got amazing with his receivers overnight? He had to work on it, he had to get his timing down.

Now let's stop right there, what exactly do people mean when they say timing? It simply means learning where the receiver will be at what point on every single play. Sticking with the Green Bay example, Jennings is clearly a faster receiver at this point than Driver. So he'll be farther in his route than Driver will be at, say, 5 seconds into the play. Learning the speed, agility, and acceleration abilities of your receivers is a big factor.

Another part of timing is knowing where to throw it to each receiver. Unless it's a curl or screen, you always throw the ball in front of where the receiver is, aka where he's going to be instead of where he is. However, you have to know how fast the receiver will be running to know how far ahead of them to throw. Throw it to far ahead and they won't catch up to it, throw it behind and they'll have to somehow stop and go back to it.

I've read plenty of articles about guys like Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, etc who's receivers have talked of how those QB's have pulled them and the other receivers aside to work on extra passing practice and to watch film on how each guy runs and moves.

If Russell wants to be successful, he has to be willing to work at it. His mechanics and footwork are problems, but timing to me is the one thing he should be good at by now.

If he isn't willing to work at it, then he clearly needs to be off this team. To anybody who says that's too harsh or I'm Russell bashing, I have to restrain myself from buying a plane ticket, going to where you live, and screaming in your face.

Plain and simple, if Russell isn't motivated enough to work on his craft, to work with receivers, and basically do some work for once, then bench him for the year and draft a QB next year. This is the plan I'd like. He's gotten much worse this year despite having much better receivers and pass protection. So it's not anybody at WR or on the O-Line (not even Green who is actually a great blocker this year) it's just Russell.

Cable (cough I mean Davis) clearly doesn't want to admit that Russell is quite plainly, a lazy pouty kid and therefore refuses to bench him. Gradkowski is actually motivated and has his mechanics figured out. Timing will come when he actually starts.

I've defended Russell for too long, but until he gets his act together, if he ever does, I'm hoping for Gradkowski to start and for this guy to be our first round pick next year:

via media.collegepublisher.com

Running Game

I'd like to see how the running game plays out when, which means if, the passing game gets put together. Till then, this facet of the offense can be worked on.

For one thing, don't just mix up your running backs, mix up your running plays. Instead of changing it every drive, change it with each couple plays. Then again, a couple plays is usually the extent of a Raiders drive.

What I mean though is, pound it up the middle, then go off tackle to the left side, try to pound it between the left guard and center, then go for a sweep to the right when the D is focused on that left side, maybe even misdirection it to the left on that sweep play. Just because you've dumbed the passing game down for Russell, doesn't mean he isn't capable of handing it off on a misdirection or throwing a pitch.

After all, Russell isn't this man:

via www.judiciaryreport.com

Just because you're unable to mix up the passing game, doesn't mean this should simplify the running game. If you watch the great running teams in this league like the Ravens or the Giants, they're constantly diversifying their running attacks. The O-Line is blocking very well and the backs can run very well. Just a simple matter of fixing up your playcalling.

Speaking of those backs, let's talk about how to properly use McFadden and Bush since it makes Cable cry to actually have to think.

via assets.espn.go.com

McFadden is a speed guy, and though he should definitely be developed to be able to do so, he's not a guy you should be using to pound it up the middle every play. We'll get to that runner in a minute.

Use McFadden's speed to execute plays you couldn't execute with Bush. Hand it off to him in the shotgun; the defense will be spread out and McFadden has the speed to get out of the backfield before the defense gets there. Run stretch plays with him. You have athletic O-Linemen who can move to wherever the run is going to create a path for Mcfadden to blast it outside and turn the corner. Same goes for sweep plays, especially since O'Neal is your lead blocker.

The only time I'd use Mcfadden to go up the middle is if you have three or four WR's on the field to spread the defense out and leave room in the middle for Mcfadden to burst through. Actually, if you've been running all these stretches and pitches, the defense should already be spread out to watch the sides, thus allowing you to keep a lead blocker for the middle runs.

Mcfadden needs to work on tough running and holding onto the ball, but he's a hard working guy so I'm not worried about that.

via imgs.sfgate.com

First of all, you should actually run this guy. More so than McFadden. Bush is a much tougher runner, can pound it up the middle like Cable likes to do, and he's actually pretty fast.

And like I said, he can pound it up the middle. If Cable is so in love with running up the middle, at least use the guy who's 245 pounds and stronger than most linebackers not named Ray Lewis. Plus he can do a lot of the off-tackle running I mentioned earlier. Give him some chances on those runs in between the guard and tackle because Bush is capable of getting out of the backfield decently quickly. Bush can easily find the holes, fire through them, and keep pushing forward.

In a league where it's all about the fight for every inch, you should the put the guy in who fight for every foot.

An interesting theory I've come up with when looking over a lot of film of teams running the ball, I came about something rather interesting. The Giants run Brandon Jacobs from the shotgun frequently.

Why are we not doing this with Bush? He's a tough runner much like Jacobs, and he's actually quite a bit faster. If Jacobs can get out of the shotgun backfield before the defense gets there, what's stopping Bush from doing it even better?

Play to the strengths of your backs, and experiment with stuff like Bush from the shotgun or McFadden in short-yardage when it's during a reasonable point in the game.

Running Defense

I love defense, I love it so much that people have told me that I would be a great defensive coordinator, and this is at age 14 close to 15. And if there's one thing I focus on more than anything else, it's the run defense.

Kinda makes you wonder why I root for a team that does so horribly at what I love most.

And though I probably could be a good D-coordinator, even I couldn't make this team a top-20 run defense in the state it's in.

Two reasons why:

Personnel
Lack of an offense to offer a break for the defense

But we're here to focus on #1 more than #2. Kirk Morrison is not a good middle linebacker by any means. He's not strong enough, he doesn't fill the gaps well enough, he doesn't see the field well enough. Put him outside where he only has to watch half the field and where is speed is better suited for outside runs, after all it work for Oakland's very own Thomas Howard. aka the only linebacker I'd keep at his current role on this team if I coached it.

Kelly and Warren have definitely gotten better thanks to Ellis and Seymour, but neither is the nose tackle this team sorely lacks. Look at Minnesota, 3-0 and they have two of the best nose tackles in the league starting.

Brown, I honestly don't know why he's not more successful. He's fast, the same size as Morrison (actually a little heavier I believe), so it must be the same problem Morrison has. He doesn't fill gaps and doesn't do a good job seeing the field.

Ellis and Seymour are perfectly fine, as are the safeties and corners. Especially since Asomugha and Chris Johnson who are two of the finest tacklers at the cornerback position that I've seen all year.

So what to do? Get a nose tackle, hopefully via the draft, and change Warren to a pass rush specialist. Why not Kelly? Kelly's actually been pretty okay for me. He's better than Warren's been and I wouldn't risk taking him off the field if the defense decides to pull a fast one and throw the ball.

Now what exactly do I mean by nose tackle?

Take a good long look at the following pictures:

via blogs.suntimes.com

via i123.photobucket.com

via i.cdn.turner.com

What you just saw are three of the finest examples of nose tackles in the league, Pat Williams of the Vikings, Casey Hampton of the Steelers, and Haloti Ngata of the Ravens. What stands out other than that these guys are incredibly great players?

They're big yes. But if you look at the size of the shoulders, arms, thighs, and though none of the pictures shows it, the legs, you have to be a muscle man. It's not as simple as getting a 350 pound guy, you need a DT who is strong and capable of throwing the athletic freaks that are the guards and centers of the NFL, to the ground. Nose tackles are guys that can clog the holes, and move O-Linemen so that other holes disappear.

Another thing, and this is Cable's most tired excuse, pad level. He's said it a thousand times, but it's true. You have to be low. DT's have to be low enough that when the ball is snapped they can get under the pads of the O-Linemen and make it harder for them to not only block you, but to push forward. It's easier to push when you're bent down, than it is to be standing upright.

How low are we talking? Take it away my man Ngata.

via masnsports.com

Though admittedly, even he could get a lower if he used a four-point stance. But for DT's that like to get some extra burst on the snap, that's the perfect stance.

In regards to the linebackers, Morrison must be moved to the outside after this season or do some serious bulking up and work on his ability to scan the field and react accordingly. But if the latter doesn't happen, it's time to draft a middle linebacker. if the latter happens but the former doesn't, draft a better outside linebacker than Brown. if you have that much trouble reading and reacting to only half the field then you're not going to get better any time soon.

The proper middle linebacker has to be big (about 250 or 240 if the linebacker can react and tackle quickly), have the strength of a defensive end in a 3-4 (meaning a 265 to 275 pound man), and be able to play the middle zone. Morrison fits the last part of that perfectly and is great in man coverage, but his reaction skills and strength are the issue. So what's the ideal middle linebacker look like?

via www.everyjoe.com

via i.cdn.turner.com

via www.getsportsinfo.com

EJ Henderson of the Vikings, James Farrior of the Steelers, and Antonio Pierce of the Giants. All are guys who can get through the holes on the O-Line to make the tackles, won't get held up for very long; if at all; by fullbacks, and are fast enough to play the middle zone and even play some man. Notice here, big shoulders, well built abdominals, and bulky legs.

All I can suggest for the linebackers is simply wait till next year and hope you can draft someone like Brandon Spikes or a guy that fits the mold of these three players.

So in all reality, the run defense is so broken this year, that it can't really be fixed until next year.

Pass Defense

Really, there's nothing wrong here. The run defense just makes these guys so hesitant to move away from the line of scrimmage that it makes them slow to react to the pass. The pass defense will return to its proper top-10 position once the run defense can stop giving up nearly 200 yards to the likes of Correl Buckhalter.

Now then, I beg and plead to you, the readers of this post, to ask Tyvon Branch to read this article, print out two or three copies, and give one to each of Tom Cable, Al Davis, and JaMarcus Russell. I can guarantee that all of these will translate to success, because it's worked for teams like Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Giants, Jets, etc. Plain and simple, these things work and have worked for just about every team in the league.

If these things don't happen, at least we'll be assured a chance at Brandon Spikes or Colt McCoy. At this point, I feel confident in saying that 3-13 is an incredibly likely record for this year.

Final Note: I ask that anybody that reads and agrees with this rec's this post. The more recs that it gets, maybe the more Tyvon Branch will see how mad we fans are and be more convinced to print this for Cable and Davis.

Wishful thinking I know, but at this point, wishing is all I can do for this team.

Notable Chiefs/Raiders Connections

Chris Thorman — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:39:14 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

I want you...to go get me McDonalds. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Browse more photos »

I really can't believe it's Thursday already this week. Maybe Raider week flies by? I need to remember that for November 15th when the Kansas City Chiefs play the Raiders again. Isn't it odd that we play the Raiders twice before we play the Broncos once?

Anyway, from our trusty media guide for this weekend's game, we have some notable current Kansas City Chief/Oakland Raider connections for you.

Chiefs S Jarrad Page is a native of Oakland, CA and prepped at San
Leandro High School in San Leandro, CA.
Oakland QBs coach Paul Hackett served ﬁve seasons as offensive
coordinator with Kansas City (’93-97).
Raiders player personnel man Keith Rowen served as tight ends
coach with Kansas City (’99-04).
Raiders CB Chris Johnson spent time with Kansas City in 2006.
Oakland LB Thomas Howard is the son of former Chiefs LB
Thomas Howard (’87-88).
Kansas City QB Matt Guiterrez is a native of Concord, CA and
prepped at DeLaSalle High School.
Chiefs T Ryan O'Callaghan played collegiately at California.
Raiders strength and conditioning coach Brad Roll served in a
similar capacity at the University of Kansas (’87-88).
Kansas City football operations asst. Tom Caracciolo is the brother
of Oakland football operations man Pete Caracciolo.
KC Executive Director of Player Development Lamonte Winston
played and coached at San Francisco State and is in the school’s HOF

And for more conversation this morning, I've put some of the teams' previous connections after the jump. Warning: Some of these hurt.

Chiefs/Raiders Historical Connections

Quarterback Rich Gannon, whom was the Chiefs' starting quarterback in the late 1990s signed with the Raiders for the 1999 season and two years later was named NFL MVP.
Wide receiver Andre Rison played for the Chiefs before getting cut prior to the 2000 NFL season. He signed with Oakland later that year.
Running back Marcus Allen played for the Raiders in Los Angeles and led the Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XVIII. Allen signed with the Chiefs for the 1993 season after a feud with Raider Managing General Partner Al Davis became public. Allen later reportedly asked to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Chiefs, even though unlike the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame doesn't induct players on a certain team.
Former Chiefs head coach and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham spent four years with the Los Angeles Raiders (1991-1994) as the team's defensive coordinator. He joined the Chiefs in 1995.
Cornerback Albert Lewis and running back Harvey Williams started their careers in Kansas City but were both traded to the Raiders in 1994.

Grading the Raiders: Week 1

KA1Z3R — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:31:25 -0000

After a heart breaking loss against SD on Monday, a lot has been learned of what kind of team the raiders will be this year. And I must say, the future looks bright. In a game that put as at 8th. in the league in rushing, 8th. in total offense, and 19th in total defense and a truly amazing 12th. in rushing yards allowed with only 77, a lot of players played truly outstanding football.

After the jump, I'll grade aspects of the team and players themselves. And I'll even give out a couple awards.

Raiders rushing offense: As previously stated, the Raiders are currently the 8th. best rushing offense in the league, even with the Raiders straying from the run in the second half. Interestingly, there was a nearly dead even split in carries between Bush and Mcfadden. It really gave our rushing attack a personality. 17 carries and 68 yards for McFadden, 12 carries, 55 yards and 1 touchdown for Bush. Even Higgins went for 19 yards on a perfectly executed reverse.

The key thing though, the Chargers were the 11th. ranked rush D last year and still have nearly all the same personnel and even got Burnett and Merriman, even when this team put 8 in the box the Raiders would run and get good yardage. I think it's safe to say that this team, with a physical run blocking O-Line and two dynamic running backs, is a top-5 rushing attack, if would only run the ball more. Mcfadden should have 20 touches, even Bush should have. The pass game was stagnant and even though it was starting to stall in the second half, the run game was still getting positive yardage consistently. Something that rarely happened with Fargas starting.

Grade: A+

Raiders passing offense: This pass offense, instead of picking up where it left off last year, has went back to playing like it did around the time of last year's Jets game. It picked up first downs in the first half, got a couple big plays every now and then, but wasn't consistent. Consistency starts with Russell who seems to think that he'll be sacked any second, though the O-Line was blocking very well for a pass rush as highly touted as the Chargers'.

Russell needs to slow down, get his feet set right, and make nice and calm throws. However, 5 targets to Higgins for no receptions is pretty ghastly on his part. San Diego's secondary is healthy this year unlike it was last year and is good, but those receivers need to get better separation. Luckily, they'll be able to work on that with teams like Denver and KC, who weren't exactly stunning keeping receivers from separating.

How insanely awesome is Zach Miller? 6 receptions for 96 yards and no drops that I can recall. Even in a game where the passing game struggled quite a bit, Miller nearly pulls off a 100 yard game. This not only speaks of his receiving skills, but the O-Line's blocking. I barely ever recall Miller staying in to block very often. The line kept Russell's jersey clean except for 1 sack by Nwagbuo.

Murphy's great rookie debut and Miller's ever impressive play keeps the passing game from being a total failure.

Grade: B-

Raiders rushing D: What can be said of the run D other than that it was phenomenal. And against the highly touted Tomlinson-Sproles tandem. 12th. best in the league against what was supposedly one of the better ground attacks in the league. Reason why, inspired play by a young D which was just out there having fun.

Seymour and Scott's high levels of enthusiasm, Branch's intensity and ability to burst right up to the line, Howard's speed finally being put to use properly, there was just so much right with this group. Marshall's talk of working on proper gap management and being in the right place is really paying dividends. The Raiders played extremely physical football and were flat out violent in the run game.

Grade: A+

Raiders pass D: Other than the last couple drives in the fourth and that one TD pass to Gates for a TD, I was very impressed by the pass D. Jackson and Chambers especially were shut down for the most part, thouh Nnamdi gave up a TD. Don't worry though, Nnamdi is still the best. But when you go and play your heart out for 3 minutes or so and then only get about two minutes worth of rest, you can't really be expected to keep playing at the same level all game long.

Chris Johnson, though he had a couple miscues against Naanee, I think is going to be a good corner this year. He made some good plays and held up very well in coverage. And even Huff was impressive. Good tackling, a fumble recovery, and an interception. Huff basically played the best game of his career. Might we see him make a couple starts at FS if this continues?

Pass rush was phenomenal, and with only a four man rush. Though that four man rush was the equivalent of a six man rush. Seymour, Kelly, Warren, Ellis, Scott, Shauguhnessy, Bryant, they all did tremendous in both run situations and pass downs. If they can keep playing like this, games against Pittsburgh, Washington, and Houston just got a whole lot easier.

Grade: A-

Special Teams: Not much to say here other than our return game needs some more umph to it, and we're going to have to pray every time we kick the ball off.

Grade: C

Overall team grade: B+

Player Awards:

Offensive standout player: Mario Henderson. Though we expected him to play good ball this year, 0 sacks given up and barely gave up any pressure against people like Phillips, Merriman, and even Castillo on occasion. This was game that would rest on his and Gallery's shoulders. Gallery was impressive as well, but Henderson was absolutely dominating. He's as good as it gets at left tackle.

Defensive standout player: Tyvon Branch. I could've easily picked Huff, Seymour, Ellis, or Chris Johnson, but Branch made me feel a whole lot better about the safety position this year. Great in coverage against arguably one of the best tight ends in the league, very solid tackling both in the secondary and even at the line of scrimmage. Branch is the strong safety we've been craving for a long time. Faster and more dynamic than what Gibril Wilson was in the running game, and better in coverage than Huff ever was. If he can continue this throughout the course of the year, he can expect more of these awards to come his way.

Most disappointing player: Kirk Morrison. I could have said Russell, or Green, or Heyward-Bey. But really they met my low expectations. Morrison however was not showing up at all. Only two tackles for a middle linebacker, the guy who's supposed to be all over the field on defense? i know his elbow is still injured, but that doesn't stop him from moving around to get in guy's ways. He wasn't playing at full speed, and for a defense that was so electric, he seemed fairly lax. I'm going to pin it as an off-night and look for more from him next week.

Role Model: Thomas Howard. He set the tone for the defense on Monday. Howard was all over the field and had a monster game with 7 tackles, 2 assists, and a pass defense. He was jazzed up and you could just feel his positive energy being spread throughout the defense. He was jumping around, smiling, celebrating with teammates; if anybody came away from that game happy it had to be him. I really hope to see much of the same from him next week.

Rookie of the Game award: Matt Shaughnessy. Two times he flushed Rivers from the pocket, two times he forced bad passes, and he wasn't too shabby against the run either. I know you all expected this to go to Louis Murphy, but Shaughnessy to me was just going to be a backup guy who wouldn't even be part of the rotation. Now, I want him to see the field frequently. Great pass rush, especially for the #4 DE, and unlike previous Raider D-Line rotations, was not a pushover against the run. He actually filled his gaps rather well. Maybe instead of Richardson and Scott as the DE's of the future, we might see Shaughnessy and Scott.

MVP: Richard Seymour. Only here two days and he gets two sacks, plays the run very well, was always forcing pressure non-stop, and really played like a leader on the defense. Imagine how he'll play when he really gets to know the team and gets fully immersed in the scheme and playbook. I expect to be putting his name by the MVP award a lot this year.

Well that wraps things up here. Look for another edition of Grading the Raiders next week after the KC game.

Weekly Raider Issue #5

KA1Z3R — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:25:03 -0000

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Hello Raiders faithful and welcome to the 5th. issue pf the Weekly Raider. As always, there's plenty of great stuff in here to read. We're only a couple weeks away from training camp so you'll not only get your weekly raider and featured fan, but plenty of my thoughts going into training camp. Hope you enjoy!

-Weekly Raider: #53 Thomas Howard WLB-

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Not too along ago, The Weekly Raider featured the other member the Law Firm, Kirk Morrison. This week, we put the dynamic Thomas Howard under the microscope. And no, i'm not talking about the Duke of Norfolk.

Drafted in 06, Howard would have a fairly good rookie showing with 84 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and 2 passes defended. The Raiders love speed as everyone knows, but this speed prospect showed early on that he was one of, if not the, fastest linebackers in the NFL. Able to shoot through the line to make stops or chase down guys from behind. And that's just in the running game. Howard could cover anything form speed backs, to tight ends, to even receivers. Tell him to cover it, and he'll do so very well.

In 07, we'd see Howard jump from speedy linebacker, to feared pass defender. 11 passes defended and a linebacker leading 6 interceptions. 2 of which he would take back for TD's. His legs proved hm well with interceptions as he would have a linebacker leading 172 interception return yards. Just like Morrison, Howard too would have a streak of three weeks in a row with an interception. That's not even mentioning his 78 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and 1 sack. I was incredibly shocked not to see Howard get a bid to the Pro Bowl.

However, also like Morrison, Howard would slump in 08. With 80 tackles and only 2.5 for loss and only 1 interception. However his pass defense number would still be good with 5 passes defended. Howard was still a force in the passing game to be sure, but it seems that like Nnamdi, he too was avoided. With teams able to throw on the safeties, Hall, and even CJ in the early going, there was no need to risk a pick-six by throwing to #53.

But, I have high hopes for Howard this year. Though the safety spot is still very iffy this year, Chris Johnson has become a dangerous cornerback, so some attention may be taken away for the Law Firm of Howard and Morrison (I'm still waiting for the cop show). It also appears that Alston may be getting the SLB spot, which would add yet another force in the pass defense to the linebackers. Howard still needs to work on his run stopping and I look forward to see if he'll get to use that speed to blitz this year. Which I fail to see why he wouldn't.

My expectations for Howard, continue to expect tackle numbers in the 80's, but I see at least 6 for loss this year. Though I don't think he'll have another 6 interception season, I believe 4 interceptions seems about right for him and I think you'll see one turn into a pick-six. I look forward to see what Howard will bring to the table this year as arguably our best playmaker on defense.

-Random Thoughts: Training Camp Preview-

Training camp is almost here and I couldn't be any more excited. Look for a lot of competition this year. Whether it be a minor competition of third string QB, or one as major as the starting running back or starting strongside linebacker. To me there's a only a few guaranteed starting spots.

QB: Jamarcus Russell
TE: Zach Miller
LG: Robert Gallery
RG: Cooper Carlisle
DT: Tommy Kelly
WLB: Thomas Howard
MLB: Kirk Morrison
CB's: Asomugha and Johnson
P/K: Seabass and Shane

Everything else is wide-open. Who knows how well O'Neal will play coming back this year (if he even does, whih he should), will Alston keep playing at his OTA level, who going to start at what offensive tackle spots, and many more questions. The top three things I'm going to be watching in training camp: the backup tight end battle, the starting strongside linebacker battle, and the battle for the starting safeties. The reason that the wide receiver competition wasn't on my list is because I know that two of four people will start this year. Any combination of Schilens, Higgins, Walker, and Murphy.

Wait? The rookie Louis Murphy? Indeed. Cable has credited him as the best rookie among the entire group. And I don't blame him. The same speed as DHB, better hands from what I've read, and most importantly, no major hammy issues. If DHB wants a shot to even be our #3 receiver, he has to get his hamstrings to stop giving him troubles. Only then can he get his hands to the level of Murphy's. I'm hoping he went to Russell's passing camp, because he has a lot of work to do.

My predicted roster/depth chart by the end of training camp ( / are used to separate first, second, and third string) :

QB: Russell/Garcia/Gradkowski

RB: Fargas/McFadden/Bush

FB: Neal/O'Neal

TE: Miller/Myers

WR's: Schilens/Higgins/Murphy/Walker/DHB/possibly Watkins

LT: Henderson/Pears

LG: Gallery/Morris

C: Satele/Wade/Morris

RG: Carlisle/McQuistan/M. Johnson

RT: Barnes/Green/M. Johnson

DE's (I'm not good with right and left): Ellis/Richardson/Scott/Burgess or Gunheim

WLB: Howard/Ekejiuba

MLB: Morrison/Brown/Condo

SLB: Alston/Brown/Williams

CB's: Asomugha/C. Johnson/Routt/Miller

FS: Branch/Eugene

SS: Huff/Mitchell (yes I think Huff will see a chance to start early on)

K: Jano

P: Lechler

PR: Higgins

KR: Miller

So what are your thoughts on training camp?

-Featured Fan: Rayder K-

Random image:

via www.mic.no

Author's Note: For those who don't know, this is the Norwegian Melodic Black Metal band Dimmu Borgir. Dimmu Borgir is Norwegian for Dark Fortress or Dark City. They're one of my favorite bands.

Recent Draft History: Oakland Raiders

Jeremy Bolander — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:00:11 -0000

2008 Draft:

1 (4) Darren McFadden, RB STARTER

No one doubts his talent, but better backs have faltered with fewer problems. McFadden spent he season never quite getting on track with various injuries, including the dreaded turftoe, which is the bane of speedsters everywhere. He will likely benefit from the new coaching regime in Oakland, and is a huge part of helping QB Russell develop.

4 (100) Tyvon Branch, CB STARTER

Multiple injuries put the kid on reserve, but in his short time starting, he made Michael Huff expendable. A key component going forward.

4 (125) Arman Shields, WR Backup

After missing most of offseason practices with a bum knee, he was finally IRed and missed the entire season. He'll get a chance to prove himself all over again in 09.

6 (169) Trevor Scott, DE Backup

As a rotational starter this late pick showed the kind of workethic that could elevate him to a star. WIth 5 sacks in only limited reps he looks to be a key piece moving forward, but his slight frame and lower weight than ideal for the position may cap his ceiling at exceptional backup, or roleplayer.

7 (226) Chaz Schilens, WR Backup

Another solid late round pick, injuries hampered him, but whne he was given opportunities, this big WR managed to make Russell's life a lot easier. A big third down target, Schilens could have a possession role for the rest of his career and thrive.

2007 Draft:

1 (1) JaMarcus Russel, QB STARTER

While his development may not be going at ludicrous speed, lost in all of that he is still the youngest QB in the league, who was drafted on upside. With his arm, he has the ability to get out of any predicament, but he still needs to get the nuances of NFL QBing under his belt. Development, development, development is the word with Russell. he can't be asked to dumb his game down with dink and dunk Flacco-style playcalling, or he will never see his full potential. The Raiders knew they would have some growing pains with this QB, and more important than laboring over every little flaw in his game, is the addressing of the offensive line to give him the opportunity to continue to grow.

2 (38) Zach Miller, TE STARTER

By far the most potent and consistent weapon on the offense, Miller will only get better as the team upgrades around him. Tough, no-nonsense, and a willing and capable blocker make Miller one fo the top finds for Oakland in this draft.

3 (68) Quentin Moses, DE Backup/Miami

Moses made no impact for Oakland, and was shipped out before the 2008 season. In Miami he has been injured and deactivated.

3 (91) Mario Henderson, OT STARTER

Henderson has been a huge part of Russell's development, and looks to continue to be so. With his ability to shift to RT, it will give the Raider's plenty of options in the draft.

3 (99) Johnnie Lee higgins, WR STARTER

One of the few Raiders WRs who isn't mired in personal problems, Higgins is their most legitimate threat at the position. He is better served in the #2 role however, so the Raiders will be hoping someone else steps up and allows Higgins to slip back into a less central role.

4 (100) Michael Bush, RB Backup

After failing to be activated in his rookie year, his development was even further delayed under oustered coach, Kiffin. When he can get into a game, he tends to have a dramatic effect, and his bruising style should be jsut what the 2009 Raiders are looking for. He has the potential to be a "breakout" player, just from being used consistently and correctly.

4 (110) John Bowie, CB Backup

After playing the role of weekly inactive his first season, his second season was over before it started with a trip to IR. Bowie will be retained for depth reason, but should be jettisonned once the team clears the high water mark in this rebuilding phase.

5 (138) Jay Richardson, DE Backup

Richardson has stepped in adequately the last two years in the event o fiinjury, and has a good, teamfirst attitude. he will likely serve a depth role for a while with Oakland, and has just enough potential to not be written off in the future as a player who could deliver some impact.

5 (165) Eric Frampton, S backup/Vikings

After failing to turn heads in Oakland, the Vikings poached Frampton and struggled to get him on teh field, deactivating him initally for depth reasons,a nd eventually for injury reasons. his future looks pretty uncertain.

6 (175) Oren O'neal, FB Backup

After an inconsistent rookie year, injuries reared again in 2008 and cost him the whole season. His rehab has been reported as going well, and he expects to be ready for 2009.

7 Jonathan Holland, WR Backup

After being waived with an injury settlement as a rookie, Holland was brought back to the practice squad in 08, and eventually promoted to teh active roster. He will be in the mix for reliable receiver depth in the 09 training camp.

2006 Draft:

1 (7) Michael Huff, S STARTER

Though the team was expected to let Huff go, the loss of Wilson in FA forced their hand. This highly touted prospect is essentially down to his last chance. If he fails to improve by leaps and bounds in his fourth year, there is no chance he even makes it through the whole season.

2 (38) Thomas Howard, LB STARTER

Howard has developed into a young stud, and has prompted comparisons to all time greats at the position. He is definitely an anchor that the team can rely on, and is a devestating force in the middle. 2008 seemed to expose some flaws in his coverage, but he will probably rebound from that in 09, along with the rest of the defense.

3 (69) Paul McQuistan, G backup

With Jake Grove leaving in free agency, the interior of the line should see some shifting to go along witht eh shifting on the ends. McQuistan is one of the bigger more powerful guards, but he will have a tough battle with icumbent Cooper Carlisle, who has done a good job and held his own.

4 (101) Darnell Bing, LB Backup/Detroit

After failing at LB in oakland, the 49ers picked him up and tried hima t safety, followed by an experiment witht he Jets, and finally an inactive roster spot on the Lions.

7 (214) Chris Morris, C Backup

Morris has amounted to little more than safe depth at the center position. As a value at #3, it is unlikely that the Raiders will part with him anytime soon, especially with the loss of a free agent C.

7 (255) Larry McMahan, WR Out of NFL

McMahan disappeared sometime during the 2006 training camp,a nd was never seen nor heard froma again...

Should Texans Fans Watch The Combine?

Jake — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:42:35 -0000

Its mid February and the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine is almost upon us. As I have stated before, I personally am not a huge fan of the Combine because I believe too much emphasis is placed on the drills that the players perform. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t know how fast a guy is and the league should stop testing them in the 40 yard dash; that would be absolutely silly. I just think that the Combine was something that started off as another good tool for general managers to add with all the other steps they took to evaluate and eventually decide if a player was right for them or not, but somewhere along the way it went from a measuring stick to the end-all/be-all of player evaluation.

I’m not alone with my opinion of the Combine. Even Mike Mayock, who is employed as a draft analyst by NFL Network and therefore by the league itself, has criticized the Combine occasionally. He makes good points too, citing the difference between what he calls “functional playing speed and manufactured speed.” The only player that is going to run perfectly straight for 40 yards in a game is a WR, and even he isn’t going to do it from a three point stance.

Proponents of the Combine will be quick to tell you that the myriad drills simulate and test the physical talents you need to play in the NFL no matter what the position, and that the Combine is a venue where athletes from smaller schools can be sized up against players from larger programs while all in the same setting. The problems I have with these arguments are 1) many of the athletes choose not to participate in the other drills (in fact the majority only do the 40 yard dash and the bench press), and 2) the athletes all compete but they do so in athleticism tests, not at football.

For all my whining about the Combine, there is one thing I can’t refute--I will spend a lot of time watching and reading coverage of the event. What can I say? I love the NFL, and the only things happening in the league in mid to late February happen in Indianapolis. Interesting stories always come from putting that many front office personnel in one place during free agency, and draft speculation abounds, which helps me through my withdrawals from football, which are really bad right now (I tried watching basketball the other night and just felt cheap).

The biggest reason, however, that I will be paying close attention is not listed above. While it may not interest you to learn how I feel about the player tests, it will certainly be in your best interest to know how Gary Kubiak and Rick Smith feel about them. Unfortunately, we don’t regularly swap phone calls and I’m not exactly on their e-mail distribution lists. So in the absence of asking them, I took a look at how their draft decisions might have been influenced by the Combine since they took over in 2006, and I think you might be surprised at what I found.

Let me set the record straight by saying that there is no way of knowing that a good or bad Combine performance directly led to Smithiak taking or passing on particular players. They obviously looked at intangibles such as if they fit or respective schemes; Alex Gibbs’ zone blocking system, Kyle Shannahan’s vertical passing attack, or the lack of scheme in the case of Richard Smith’s Defense (sorry, still bitter). Also, some people around the league will roll the dice on a draftee with “personality problems”, but Kubiak and Smith placed a high priority on detecting if a player is right for our locker room, which I’m proud to say seems like a deal-breaker for whether or not they would add someone to the roster.

Draft analysts have identified another trend with the Texans besides looking for players with good character that fit their schemes. In May of every year, most of the articles about the Texans center on the fact that we “reached” for our draft selections. The most notorious of the "reaches" was in the first Texans draft in which Kubiak participated. Every so-called expert slighted us for taking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush, and comparisons were immediately made to passing on Michael Jordan. While Super Mario’s play since then has vindicated that pick, the criticism for other drafts has been the same. While I have confidence that Kubiak and Smith know what they’re doing, I’ve often wondered why we continually take players before they’re “supposed” to be picked. With the Combine coming up now, I decided to try and discern if the famous scouting event might be part of the reason.

Author’s Note: I have to admit that my brother Tyler (a.k.a. Prussian) also inspired me to take a closer look at the Combine. The research for this post was extremely difficult. Thanks Ty.

The way I went about analyzing how the Combine affected their decisions was definitely not what you might call exact, but I feel it gives insight nonetheless. I looked specifically at the players that the Texans drafted in the first four rounds in 2006, 2007 and 2008 (I used only the first four rounds because I believe any player you select in rounds 5-7 is an educated guess and therefore the “reach” theory doesn’t apply). First I took note of where they were projected to be drafted and where we actually took them. With the “reaching” trend in mind, I then researched their combine performances, and tried to determine if the way they tested could have influenced our early selection of that player. Lastly, I tried to compare the player we selected with other players at the position that were still available who were projected before or near our draftee in an effort to see if the respective combine performances were drastically different. I realize that this process is limited because it assumes that Kubiak and Smith were drafting for a specific position, but the idea of analyzing every position of need instead of the position we took makes my head hurt. Call me lazy.

2006 Draft:

Mario Williams – DE – NC State. Obviously everyone thought that Mario Williams was a reach. In fact, as long as we’re being honest, I wasn’t thrilled either. I didn’t think it was terrible overall, I just didn’t understand why they didn’t trade down if they knew they weren’t going to take Reggie Bush or Vince Young. Later, after I found out that there were pretty much no deals on the table, I was ok with it. Mario, as you would expect, had a great Combine. Comparing Mario to any other DEs would be unnecessary because it was pretty much unanimous that he was going to be the first defensive player taken. It seems apparent that the mixture of need on defense and not being sure about Young and Bush as franchised players led to this decision, not the Combine.

DeMeco Ryans – LB – Alabama. DeMeco was projected to be a first round selection, which he missed by one pick after being selected 33rd overall. DeMeco had a good Combine, but was pretty comparable with both Thomas Howard and Roger McIntosh. Howard’s 4.42 was much faster than both Ryans’ and McIntosh’s 40 times, while the results of everything else were very similar. If the Texans were just using the combine, they would have missed out on the 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year. Many reports cite DeMeco’s uncommon intelligence and character as the reason he was chosen before the other two candidates.

Charles Spencer – OG – Pittsburgh. Spencer was taken slightly early with the first pick of the third round, as he was supposed to be selected either later in the round or the beginning of the fourth. Both Max Jean-Giles and Jason Spitz were projected as higher values, but at the Combine Spencer showed that he was bigger, stronger and faster, which was enough for the Texans to look past fluctuating weight and motor issues and pick him before the other two candidates. Score one for the Combine.

Eric Winston – OT – Miami. Winston actually slipped, as he was supposed to be selected in the second round, possibly even late in the first. He was clearly the better athlete among Paul McQuistan, Rashad Butler (yes I know Butler plays for us now) and pretty much every other OT still left. Questions as to whether Winston had the footwork to play LT was the primary reason he slid so far; coincidentally, these questions arose after scouts observed poor testing at the Combine, which obviously didn’t faze the Texans that much.

Owen Daniels – TE – Wisconsin. OD was selected in the very beggining of the fourth round, which was a round earlier than he was projected. Daniels had a decent Combine but nothing that was earth-shattering. The Texans likely saw something in him that sparked their interest outside of his 4.65 40 time so they decided to take him early. Then again, the alternatives were Garrett Mills and Jason Pociask. I’ve never heard of them either.

2007 Draft:

Amobi Okoye – DT – Loiusville. Amobi may or may not have been considered a reach depending on where you looked for pre-draft projections. Some people had him slated as a mid to late first round pick, while others thought he belonged in the early first round range, which is where we consequently selected him with the 10th overall pick. Okoye ran a 5.06 40 and had 29 bench press reps, which were fairly comparable numbers to both Alan Branch and Justin Harrell. Harrell, who was projected as a late first round pick, ran a 5.10 and had 24 reps. Branch, who was projected as a mid first round pick, ran a 5.04 and had 33 reps, which was technically better than Okoye’s. In the end, Okoye’s age (19) and his lights-out performance at the Senior Bowl is probably what led to the Texans taking him before all other DT prospects.

Jacoby Jones – WR – Lane. Jones was definitely considered a reach when we selected him with the 9th pick in the third round, as he was not slated to be picked until somewhere between the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth rounds. At the Combine, Jones ran a 4.53, which was ok for a 6’2” receiver who weighs 205. Yamon Figurs, Jason Hill and Paul Williams all had better Combine numbers. Also, Figurs was the only receiver smaller than Jacoby, while Hill and Williams were just about the same size but ran faster at the Combine. I’m not saying they were right, but it doesn’t seem like Smithiak selected Jones based off just his Combine performance.

Fred Bennett – CB – South Carolina. Bennett could be considered a reach because he was taken in the fourth while he was projected in the fifth, but this is misleading. The 2007 draft had an amazing run on CBs that I don’t think anyone could have seen coming. By the time the Texans selected Bennett with the 7th pick in the fourth round, there were only a couple of CBs with better Combine performances, but none had Bennett’s mix of athleticism (4.55) and size (6’1”, 196). It seems like Smithiak realized they waited too long to take a CB and they picked the best available.

2008 Draft:

Duane Brown – OT – Virginia Tech. Brown was considered by most, if not all, to be a reach when we selected him 26th overall after our trade down with Baltimore. He was slated to be taken around the middle of the third round, and many speculated that his impressive performance at the Combine enticed the Texans to be impatient. His 5.08 40 time was the fastest of all lineman, and he was one of the few to participate in the vertical, shuttle and cone drills, which showed confidence in his athletic ability. When I was trying to find players to compare him to, however, I found something startling; there were none. Brown was the sixth OT taken, and between him and the third round (when he was supposed to be taken) there were only three OL selected--two guards and one center. Obviously the Texans needed a OT and they saw that they were getting scarce so they took Brown. The fact that he knew how to block in a zone blocking system and he had a great combine was a plus, but they were smart to take him when they did since OT was a priority.

Antwaun Molden – CB – Eastern Kentucky. This wasn’t a reach in the classical sense because he was taken with the 16th pick in the third round, which fulfilled his mid third round projection, but there were two CBs still available, Justin King and Tyvon Branch, who were projected for the second round. While King’s 4.37 time and Branch’s 4.33 time were both faster than Molden’s 4.44 time, Antwaun put on a show at the Combine by adding 23 reps and a 37.5 inch vertical to his 40, which was far better than both King and Branch. This is probably a clear-cut case of the Combine causing the Texans to draft someone before they were “supposed” to be taken. Side note: I didn’t realize that Molden was such an impressive athlete. Hopefully he can translate that athleticism to success on the field next year.

Steve Slaton – RB – West Virginia. With the 26th pick of the third round, the Texans took Slaton slightly earlier than his early to mid fourth round projection. After his phenomenal sophomore season at WVU, Slaton was talked about as a potential first round pick in the 2008 draft. His production diminished his junior year, which worried scouts, and ironically, he was compared to Reggie Bush (see comments above about taking Mario instead of Bush) as a RB that could not run between the tackles and would be injury-prone due to his size. His 4.44 time was one of the better runs, which was to be expected of a smaller RB who was only 5’9”, but his 33.5 inch vertical was better than all but one, showing how good of an athlete Slaton is. This performance was slightly better than Tashard Choice, who was the only other back on the board who fit the mold of speed back, which I believe the Texans were specifically targeting. Maybe the Combine gave him a slight edge, but I would tend to believe that it was more because of his starting experience that the Texans ended up selecting Slaton. Whatever it was, I’m ok with it.

Xavier Adibi – LB – Virginia Tech. Adibi was actually taken after he was supposed to be, which is a rarity when it comes to the Texans’ drafts. Adibi’s 4.69 time was comparable with Bryan Kehl ,who was still on the board, but was slower than Stanford Keglar. Also, both Kehl and Keglar tested in the bench press, vertical, shuttle, and cone dirlls, all of which Adibi did not. Even though Adibi was impressive, he was obviously not taken for his Combine performance.

Overall, I’m actually surprised by what I found when researching for this article. I expected that the Texans’ commonly documented tendency of taking players earlier than most think they should was directly associated with stellar Combine performances, but for the most part that wasn’t the case. As for the “reaching” theory, I would much rather Kubiak and Smith be proactive, i.e., “We know this guy will be great and he might not be there next round” than reactive, i.e., “Well, everyone thinks this guy is going to be good and I guess we got lucky that he fell to us.”

We commonly praise the Texans for their ability to find talent in the later rounds, as we should. I guess I should not be surprised to see that they are not relying just on the Combine to simply plug in “the most talented player”, but rather using it as a tool that is combined with scouting diligence to determine overall intelligence, character and talent of prospective Texans. Having said all this, I’m sure they still scrutinize the Combine heavily. And so will I.

Bills/Raiders: Four Key Matchups

Brian Galliford — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:53:53 -0000

Buffalo Bills (2-0) vs Oakland Raiders (1-1)
Four key matchups and who wins them

The Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders are set to square off in a Week 3 NFL matchup in just about two days' time. In anticipation of the matchup, SB Nation's Bills and Raiders bloggers - Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings and Saint of Silver and Black Pride, respectively - have gotten together for a little cage match debate surrounding four of the game's key personnel matchups.

Which blogger - and by extension, which community - is right? Take a gander, gather your thoughts, and let's duke it out in a Bills/Raiders blogger cage match.

MATCHUP ONE: Bills PR Roscoe Parrish vs. Raiders punt coverage
Brian Galliford: I'm not worried about the coverage men that the Raiders boast - Parrish can beat anyone one-on-one, especially on punt returns. Shane Lechler, however, provides a formidable challenge because he's got a huge leg. The key to neutralizing Parrish is kicking it high and making him fair catch it; otherwise, you'd better hope the ball goes out of bounds. Lechler has the leg to force Parrish to fair catch the ball on Sunday. Still, it's going to take a solid effort by both Lechler and the coverage unit to contain the NFL's best punt returner. Advantage: Buffalo

Saint: The Raiders' special teams take great pride in having stopped THE BEST punt returner in the NFL - Devin Hester - last season, and I am sure that they have a pretty good game plan for your man Roscoe Parrish. Shane Lechler has, unfortunately, been our MVP for the last 5 years because he can put the ball where he wants it, when he wants to and is probably the best distance punter in the NFL. Look for his kicks to be high in the air and don't expect MUCH from Roscoe "Pico" Parrish this week. You may want to start thinking of other ways to score. Advantage: Oakland

MATCHUP TWO: Raiders RBs Darren McFadden/Michael Bush vs. Bills run defense
Brian Galliford: No offense to Raiders fans, but I'm not scared of this duo. Don't get me wrong - they're both incredibly talented backs, and neither of them has a ton of mileage, so they're going to be formidable for a long time as long as they stay together. But the Bills are returning from a trip to Jacksonville, where they absolutely shut down the duo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. On the road. In blistering heat. I don't think that Oakland's offensive line will be able to open up holes big enough, consistently enough for Oakland's two excellent backs. Still, these guys are going to be a big challenge for our defense. I think we're up to it. Advantage: Buffalo

Saint: Hah, there you go again. The Bills' run D has to be as overrated as they come, at least so far. Last season the Buffalo run D was Raider-esque. Though not quite as swiss cheesy as Oakland's, it was TERRIBLE, and Oakland's run offense was 6th in the NFL without Bush OR McFadden. By the end of Sunday's game you will know what 200+ yards rushing tastes like. This O-Line may not be able to pass protect, but they can run the ball down anyone's throat. Advantage: Oakland

MATCHUP THREE: Bills WR Lee Evans vs. Raiders pass defense
Brian Galliford: I like Oakland's secondary. The back seven is clearly the strength of the Raiders defense, as y'all boast a lot of talented individuals back there. When the Raiders are fortunate enough to match up Nnamdi Asomugha on Evans, you guys will be fine. But Turk Schonert, Buffalo's new offensive coordinator, has done very well finding ways to get Evans matched up against lesser players. Evans is averaging 22.4 yards per reception this year, and most of his catches have come when Schonert has drawn up a favorable matchup. When Asomugha draws a lesser Bills receiver, however, watch out. Advantage: Push

Saint: DeAngelo Hall put the "D" back in his first name last week as he blanketed the Chiefs receivers. I know that it was the Chiefs, but the entire defense dominated and our DBs could have easily had 5-6 picks. Of course we will need to get pressure on the QB or Lee Evans could break loose, but, Nnamdi, Howard, Morrison, Huff, Routt, Hall and Wilson is one heckuva nickel package. I expect these guys to punch Evans in the mouth and then dominate him. IF he does match up with Hall and burn him a couple of times then he will be blanketed by Nnamdi all day. Advantage: Oakland

MATCHUP FOUR: Raiders pass rush vs. Bills offensive line
Brian Galliford: To be honest, I'm not at all impressed with Oakland's defensive line. I like Derrick Burgess, but I think he'll be faced with a bit of the problem that Aaron Schobel faced in Buffalo for the past two years - he doesn't have anyone to help him. Buffalo's offensive line does an outstanding job pass protecting, and the team has two running backs that have been superb picking up the blitz. It helps that Trent Edwards is very adept at getting the ball out quickly. Bold prediction: Oakland doesn't register a sack on Sunday. Advantage: Buffalo

Saint: I am looking for the Raiders to stunt up the middle this week and let the edge rushers, Burgess and Kalimba Edwards, rush the corners. We have seen how well Langston Walker pass protects and I expect at least one false start and a hold and maybe even two sacks allowed just on him alone. I am kidding (a bit) about Langston, and to be honest, I don't know which game plan will show up. If Oakland blitzes (like they did against KC) and mixes up their packages then they will get to Edwards. If they go "vanilla" (like they did against DEN) then Brian may be correct. Advantage: Push

***

OK, Bills and Raiders fans. Respect is the name of the game, but trash talk is a must. Who's right? Who's just a "homer"? Time for you to sound off on these matchups and the game in general.

Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders - The Edge

John Bena — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:34:03 -0000

For a look at the game from the Raiders view, check out SilverandBlackPride

2007 OFFENSE

Category	Broncos	Raiders
Points Scored	20.0 (21st)	17.7 (23rd)
Passing	224.0 (13th)	164.4 (31st)
Rushing	122.3 (9th)	130.4 (6th)
Total Offense (yards)	346.3 (11th)	294.8 (25th)

2007 DEFENSE

Category	Broncos	Raiders
Points Scored	25.6 (28th)	24.9 (26th)
Passing	193.4 (7th)	195.8 (8th)
Rushing	142.6 (30th)	145.9 (31st)
Total Defense (yards)	336.0 (19th)	341.6 (22nd)

Welcome to a Week 1 edition of The Edge, MileHighReport's in-depth look at this week's Broncos game. Each week I'll take a look at the rosters and give my thoughts on which team had the advantage in each area. I'll then give my official prediction. As always, I look forward to your feedback.

Enough talk, it's Broncos/Raiders. Who has "The Edge"?

	Quarterback Perhaps the biggest difference between the two teams is right at the top, quarterback. Jay Cutler looks primed to have a great season after a pre-season in which the 3rd year signal caller was often dominant. Cutler led the Broncos to scores in 6/10 pre-season possessions and looks like he will take that next step up the ladder of quarterbacks in the AFC. The one thing Cutler hasn't done in his short career is play well against the Raiders, throwing just 1 TD while tossing 4 interceptions. Turnovers are the one thing that can keep the Raiders around, so Cutler will have to protect the football. The Raiders, on the other hand, are handing the reigns to JaMarcus Russell, who is essentially a rookie. He missed all of training camp last year and started one game. He hasn't looked good at any point and there will be pressure on him tonight to make something happen. I like Cutler in this matchup, both from a physical talent level, and a mental level. Russell will make some mistakes, it is up to the Broncos to take advantage.
	Running Back This pick may surprise some of you. The Broncos have always had a solid running game and the Raiders have simply been awful for half a decade. A look at the numbers, however, show the Raiders are the better running team, and the addition of Darren McFadden could make them even stronger. The Raiders were 6th in the NFL last season in rushing yards per game, and with Russell learning on the job the Raiders are going to lean heavily on their 3-headed monster of Justin Fargas, Michael Bush and McFadden. Don't sleep on Bush, either. He is a 1st round talent that slid due to an injury. The Raiders actually did the right thing by giving Bush all of 2007 to get healthy. As for the Broncos, questions abound on the ground. Can Selvin Young be "the man"? Can Andre Hall be the tough runner the Broncos need, especially in the Red Zone? The Raiders were awful against the run last year, and nothing takes a crowd out of the game like a dominant running game that takes the air out of the ball. At this point in the season, the Raiders have more talent in their backfield, but the Broncos do a better job getting it done.
	Receiver Without Brandon Marshall, the Broncos receiving corp is merely average, but even so the Raiders receiving corp is just plain bad. Javon Walker is still questionable for the game, though all indications are he will play, but lets be honest, Walker is a headcase. The Raiders may be forced to play the recently signed Ashley Lelie as well and we know all too well what he brings, or doesn't bring more like it. Ronald Curry is a nice #3, but he isn't a consistent threat, and again, a receiver is only as good as the guy throwing them the ball, and with a bunch of "me first" guys in the huddle life is going to be tough for JaMarcus Russell. The Broncos, even without Marshall, have Cutler throwing the ball, and while there isn't any "star factor" at receiver the Broncos do have guys that can get it done. Look for the two vets, Brandon Stokley and Darrell Jackson, to get involved early. I felt the Broncos did a great job of protecting them during the pre-season from any unnecessary wear and tear. Eddie Royal gets his first shot as well, but my expectations are reserved for rookie wide receivers. Any production we get from Royal tonight will be a bonus. The Broncos are going into the game with only 4 receivers, so the running game is going to be the focus, but I still like the Broncos group as a whole over a bunch of individuals in Oakland
	Offensive Line The Broncos, even without Center Tom Nalen, have the advantage. Having allowed only 1 sack this pre-season, the offensive line, though young, has proven to be talented and once again should provide Jay Cutler time to throw, and Broncos running backs lanes to run. The regular season is a different beast, however, and the biggest concern with youth, in my opinion, are penalties. On the road, in a hostile environment, procedure and holding penalties can be drive killers. If Ryan Harris, Ryan Clady and Chris Kuper can avoid those types of mistakes, the Broncos will be ok. As for the Raiders, issues abound along the O-Line. Robert Gallery has become a full-fledged bust, and the Raiders brought in Kwame Harris from San Francisco and he has looked bad. The Raiders also start two Broncos cast offs - Cornell Green and Cooper Carlisle -- advantage Broncos.
	Defensive Line Neither team was good against the run last year, and both have a one-dimensional pass rush - Derrick Burgess for the Raiders, Elvis Dumervil for the Broncos. After that, there are questions marks. I do like the addition of DeWayne Robertson to the Broncos d-line, though I can't give the Broncos the edge without seeing 60 minutes of how the Broncos are going to use him. Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder must also play better than what we saw during the preseason. For the Raiders, Gerard Warren played well in spells last season, especially against the Broncos, and Tommy Kelly was rewarded with a big contract, and the pressure that goes with it. Tonight's game may well be won or lost by which one of these units steps up and makes plays.
	Linebacker The Broncos biggest advantage may be at linebacker, where D.J. Williams, Nate Webster and Boss Bailey are primed to begin what is hoped to be a solid season. Williams, fresh of signing his new deal, is ready to dominate, back on the Weakside where he belongs. Webster plays with a lot of emotion, which serves him well, but he'll need to keep it in check and make sure he maintains his discipline, especially against the Raiders running game. Boss Bailey should improve the run defense as well, and has the size and strength to get physical with Raiders' linemen and tight ends. The Raiders don't have alot of depth at linebacker, but that doesn't mean they aren't talented. Ricky Brown takes over on the strong side, and Kirk Morrison is underrated in the middle. Thomas Howard is on of the best in the AFC, and his 6 interceptions/ 2TDs last year prove that Jay Cutler will need to know where #53 is at all times.
	Secondary Both teams have strong secondaries, but I give the slight edge to the Broncos. Starting with Oakland, Nnamdi Asomugha has developed into a solid cover-corner heading into his 6th season. Teams learned in 2006, when Asomugha picked off 8 passes, to be leary of throwing the football his way, as evidenced by the 1 interception in 2008. On the other side, DeAngelo Hall comes in, and while there is no doubting his talent, Hall's attitude and knack for trying for the big play have been a detriment to his career. The Broncos will likely attack Hall early and often looking to get into Halls head. He is prone to get called for penalties and will bite on play-action/pump fakes. At safety, Free Safety Michael Huff moves over to his more natural position with the acquisition of former Giant Gibril Wilson. I have questions about both, especially Wilson, who benefited from an incredible Giants pass-rush last season. For the Broncos, it starts with Champ Bailey who is still the best in the game. I would doubt the Raiders will take many chances on Champ's side making his impact greater than that of the Asomugha or Hall. Dre Bly is on the other side, and while I am concerned with Bly matching up against any of the Raiders' receivers, he does have a nose for the football and isn't afraid of taking a chance. The Broncos are alot stronger at safety, with Marlon McCree and Marquand Manual, and as a unit plays alot better against the pass and run than the Raiders unit.
	Special Teams I hate to say it, but the Raiders do have a significant advantage on Special Teams. Shane Lechler is one of the best in the NFL, both in terms of sheer power and touch, pinning teams deep with angled punts. Sebastian Janikowski is what he is, but I would much rather have a guy with the powerful leg than not. The Raiders will also have an interesting return game with McFadden and Hall. For the Broncos, there are just too many questions marks. Matt Prater and Brett Kern are, for all intents and purposes, starting their first regular season game, and the Broncos return game will take a bit because Eddie Royal is needed in the pass game. Special Team can be a great equalizer, and the Broncos have had their issues in return coverage in the past. They'll have to be careful not to allow the Raiders control field position through the kicking and return game.

FINAL PREDICTION: Denver Broncos 24 - Oakland Raiders 13.
One thing about tonight's game that is getting very little attention is field conditions. With the A's still playing something that resembles baseball, the infield dirt comes into play. That could become a factor should either team need to kick a field goal off of it and it can also play into footing. Trying to cover receivers who know where they are going in dirt could become problematic. Weather doesn't look to be a factor(see below), so it should just be dirt, but something worth keeping your eyes on.

As for the game itself, this is a quarterback League. Ask the patriots. In games where the teams appear to be pretty even, like this one, I'll take the better quarterback, and Jay Cutler is a much better quarterback, despite what Raiders fans will try and tell you. Cutler is 100% healthy and he knows this offense. JaMarcus Russell is still trying to learn and hasn't looked good at all during the pre-season. Add to that a patchwork receiving corp and the Raiders offense is going to have to lean heavily on a talented running game. There is no way the Broncos will let the Raiders beat them on the ground. Look for the Broncos to sell-out to stop the run, forcing the game into Russell's hands. That will lead to mistakes and turnover opportunities. The Broncos, like the Raiders, will run the ball early and often as well, but the difference is Cutler can and will make plays when he needs to. Broncos get off to a huge start and finish the night in sole possession of first place in the AFC West.

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GO BRONCOS!

TONIGHT'S WEATHER --