Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden is making a strong case for being the most improved player in the league this year. His 999 all purpose yards and six touchdowns have NFL insiders mentioning his name with regards to the 2010 NFL Most Valuable Player award. He's certainly been the most valuable contributor to the Raiders' offense this season. And here's the real kicker, McFadden missed two games and most of the preseason with nagging hamstring injuries. So much for those who thought McFadden should be traded while he still had some value earlier this offseason. That would've been a dumb move.

But head coach Tom Cable never wavered from his thinking that the only thing holding this kid back was the injury bug. According to Cable trading McFadden was never even considered by the team.

Looking back now you could say the injuries were due to McFadden not being old enough for his body to live up to the rigorous expectations of a 16 game football schedule. And if you had asked Raider's coaching staff, earlier this year, which runner was going to start at halfback for them for a majority of the games, I'm quite confident they would've said it was probably going to be Michael Bush. But this kid from Arkansas who couldn't even be expected to hang on to the ball when he received handoffs before is now far exceeding any expectation there may have been for him coming into this year.

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For seven long years, fans of the Oakland Raiders hung their heads in shame watching the sham that Mr. Allen Davis was calling a football team in the Oakland Coliseum. In fact, it was so bad that some probably were not even watching, choosing instead to enter the solitude of bag on the head syndrome. But for the first time in a long time, the Raiders are a team that you can go watch and have a good time.

Three in a row, four out of five, and the like are not things that are supposed to be associated with the Oakland Raiders nowadays. Al Davis is crazy, the Raiders need a G.M., and the Patriots are getting a great first round pick next year; isn't that how this story line is supposed to go?

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Somebody said earlier this year, on some other blog network's "comments" section, that the team that wins the AFC West this year will be the first 6-10 team to ever make the playoffs. At first, I giggled at the thought, surely the team would have to win more games then that. However over the last two weeks, the AFC West teams are a combined 1-7, with the only victory coming from the Raiders over the Chargers...a game one AFC West team HAD to win.

Next week one of the AFC West teams will HAVE to win also as the Raiders head to Denver to take on the Broncos. This week, the Kansas City Chiefs blew a late lead against the Houston Texans, the San Diego Chargers lost to the St. Louis Rams---they are now 0-4 on the road, the Broncos shot themselves in the foot against the New York Jets, and the Raiders showed us why the Washington Redskins were willing to trade a former first-round pick to the Raiders for a fourth round pick in a draft that is a year-and-a-half away.

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I got a lot to say so listen.

This time there will be no long intro, so that's a plus in your favor reader. I'm going to get straight to bussiness on this one.

Raiders need to figure out whose playing

I'm not talking about McFadden or Groves, but Robert Gallery might get involved here really soon. Last season the Raiders kept Nick Miller on the roster for 15 weeks before placing him on IR. At that point what is the point. Is Travis Goethel really worth a roster spot? How long is this wait going to be. If he can't go, put him on IR...it's not complicated. He's a rookie, he could certainly use a year to just learn.

Chaz Schilens missed the first eight weeks of the season last year. He had a minor arthroscopic surgery this year, supposed to be out 3-4 weeks. It's been six and a half weeks now and he still isn't practicing. Why was he not at least placed on the PUP list?

The Raiders are wasting roster spots and it's not new, they did it for Nick Miller for almost an entire season last year. There's no miracles in healing---so figure out what you've got and use it, otherwise throw it on the IR list. Schilens could probably use a year to recover anyways and I want to see what this Nick Miller kid has as a wide receiver, not just on special teams. Put him in coach, he's ready to play!

Win Streak

Both Raiders' tackle, Langston Walker, and Chargers Linebacker, Kevin Burnett, said this 13 game win streak by the Chargers means nothing...BS!

It means everything...everyting?...Ya EV-ER-Y-Thang!

If I ever get beat 13 straight times by somebody, I really don't care at that point, I'll cheat if that's what it takes to win. Ever lost 13 straight games to anybody at anything? This streak means everything this week, I don't care if it's a new season, new decade, new century, new freakin' teams.

This game is the season for the Raiders. They need to play every down, every snap, every freaking seat they take on the bench seriously. They need to play like they will never put on a uniform ever again, they need to play that way for four full quarters, and they need to end this streak...the atrocity. They need to get their heads back on straight, and come away with the W or else it will be a very looooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng season.

Marty

See, now there is a reason nobody hires you; Cursing at everybody and whatnot. But how do the Chargers have a 14-2 season and then fire their head coach...I'm sorry Marty, it was foul what they did to you and if anybody in the world should be wearing Raiders' gear on Sunday it is you.

Say what you want about when you were a coach forever and a day ago, but don't you be attacking these Raiders. They have got fight in them. They led three potential game winning drives against Arizona in week 3 at Arizona only to have the kicker miss kicks. They had an opportunity to tie the game against Houston late in the game and really, who knows what happens if Louis Murphy is 100 percent and makes that 4th down catch. We might be talking about a come from behind win instead of a 1-3 record.

So sit on your sack Marty and tell it to STFU. Acting as if Raiders fans and players liked you before or something...just shut up, seriously. This teams' problem is not that they quit, it's that they keep beating themselves. That is a problem that they won't have come December.

Crybabies

Ya, you know who you are and you need to go and cry to Marty because nobody wants to hear that crap. This team needs encouragement, not sarcasm and dribble-drool-snot from their own fans. They are young, very young. There are going to be a ton of mistake until A) they build some chemistry, and B) They gain some NFL experience.

Why can't you just be satisfied with the progress the team has made instead of ridiculing them for the mistakes they have yet to correct. Blah, blah, blah Kansas City...I said shut up!

I read a commnet the other day (maybe even today) that said something of this effect, "The question is whether it will be the run defense from last week, or the run defense that they can be, bottling up RB’s and not giving up the big play. Which one shows up will be a key factor in the game."

I'm not going to ridicule the comment, or call the guy who made it a crybaby, because I agree with it--- It's true. The trouble is, when was the last time you were able to question that? When was the last time it was actually plausible for a Raiders defense to "bottle up the runner"?

Hamstrings

WTF...STRETCH!

The Oakland Raiders may not have made any big splashes with their cut list from Saturday afternoon, but I must say that for me, personally, I was a bit confused by some of their choices. Certainly, I could narrow my list down to just a handful of guys who I thought should be kept or released. One thing that definitely catches my attention is the recently documented drama with the safeties.

The Raiders kept almost every 2010 rookie on their 53-man roster with one exception, 7^th round pick Stevie Brown. I thought that Brown played so well that it was finally time to say goodbye to a consistent but never outstanding player named Hiram Eugene. Evidently there are reports that the Raiders wanted to keep free safeties Brown, Eugene, and Michael Huff while parting ways with both back-up strong safeties Mike Mitchell and Jerome Boyd.

To this point it still makes no sense to me why you would want to have three so-so free safeties and only one strong safety. So I'm just going to throw that whole theory right out the window now as if it never happened. Nevertheless, I still think Stevie Brown as a rookie is greater than Hiram Eugene as a veteran to be the back-up to Huff. But the fact of the matter is that it doesn't really matter what I think as long as Brown is eligible for the practice squad.

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It's another Over/Under for Oakland. Wide Receiver Chaz Schilens is hurt. Running back Michael Bush is probably going to miss at least the opening game of the year. With these two out, Oakland's offense becomes suspect. Louis Murphy has been dropping the ball a lot this offseason and he has missed some time. Wide Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey has looked much better and probably produced his most spectacular catch on Thursday night against the Seattle Seahwaks when he went up high over the man in coverage and snatched the ball out of the air and tip-toed both feet inside of the out-of-bounds line.

Still what can the Raiders rely on in their passing offesne aside from TE Zach Miller?

What are the odds that the Raiders go after T.J. Houshmandzadeh?

A guy that Hue Jackson is credited for helping to develop. A guy whose play once out-shined the glimmery teammate from Cincinnati Chad Johnson. A guy who made the mistake of going to Seatltle, where receivers end up taking their career to it's funeral ever since Jerry Rice cursed them with that trend.

I want an over-under on T.J. re-uniting with Hue Jackson and adding another weapon to Jason Campbell's arsenal.

Alright, yesterday we discussed the possibilities for Chris Johnson against the Raiders defense. Here are the results of the poll:

Poll

Chris Johnson will have...

Today, let's flip the script. I want to know what you think Darren McFadden and Michael Bush will do against the Titans defense.

Last year, the (un)dynamic duo combined for 946 yards on the ground. That's less than half of what Chris Johnson had by himself. They totaled four rushing touchdowns, that's only a quarter of what Johnson did. They combined for 38 catches, 11 less than Johnson, and had no receiving touchdowns, which is not surprising because the Raiders only threw a handful altogether.

However, now that Justin Fargas is a memory for the Raiders offense, McFadden and Bush will see more field time than they have in the past. Word on the street is that they are pushing each other hard every day in camp and head coach Tom Cable likes what he is seeing from both of them. There's no doubt they have the talent to be a top ten combination in the league this year and could be near the very top with the like of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams in Carolina and Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas in New Orleans.

What do you think Nation, will the Raiders tailbacks have a break out year this year, or will sloppy offensive line play or the lack of a viable passing attack continue to hold the Raiders runners back?

Let's hear it, S&B Pride, what's your projection for week one against Tennessee?

Follow me on Twitter: Raidersblogger

Email me your Raiders questions @ bret@tfdssports.com

We all know Chris Johnson was monstrous for the Tennessee Titans offense last season.  This guy broke off huge gainers all year last year, averaged 5.6 yards per carry, caught 50 passes and hit the endzone 16 times. He also ended the season with a streak of 11 straight 100 yard games despite the fact that teams were trying (unsuccessfully) to key on him.

The new and improved Oakland Raiders defense has the daunting task of stopping the Titans rusher on opening day September 12^th. You know Johnson is going to want to get off to a fast start against a sloppy rushing defense. So what is the over/under for Johnson on opening day?

The general consensus in the forums is around 100-120 yards with one to two touchdowns. This is a fair number, being that he is supposed to be the best halfback in the league.

However, if the Raiders decide to stack the line of scrimmage with defenders and force the Titans to throw the ball, the number could potentially be much lower than that. If Johnson is breaking off big gainer with the Raiders keeping 8 and sometimes nine players in the box, then we will know right from week one that it's going to be a long year.

So let's hear it, S&B Pride, what's your projection?

Follow me on Twitter: Raidersblogger

Email me your Raiders questions @ bret@tfdssports.com

Rolando McClain is the real deal. The last player the Oakland Raiders got from Alabama was a flop, but this guy is for real. McClain told his agent to get him in to the first training camp no matter what. Only three other first round rookies had inked deals when McClain signed his contract.

McClain comes in as the first string middle linebacker for the Raiders. He is a man of his word. About a month ago, he said that his contract would not be an issue. As he said, it was not an issue. As I said, it is very similar to the 7^th overall pick from last year, Darrius Heyward-Bey's. Heyward-Bey got $500,000 more in guaranteed and $2 million less in maximum value.

McClain recently sat down to chat with Greg Papa, the Raider's radio play-by-play announcer. McClain sat down with his defensive playbook as an extension of his right arm. He told Papa of how Nick Saban taught him to see the game in a different way. Of how Saban stretched his mind to places where he didn't know he was capable of going. He told Papa that Saban taught him how to slow the game down in his mind and see it how others cannot.

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During my weekend downtime, something occurred to me regarding the Oakland Raiders. It seems like for the longest time, the Raiders and the NFL have been head-butting each other in a power struggle. I know they had a little run of success during the Gruden/Gannon era, but other than that stretch, the team has found very little success. Some say the NFL holds a grudge against the Raiders for all the courtroom maneuvering done by Al Davis over the years. Some say that every team has to overcome the bad official calls and injury bug. I think both sides are probably right to an extent.

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Despite constant out lash from the fans of other teams in the AFC West, the Raider Nation is still loud and proud. Regardless of the reports from "journalists" (I call some of them Jokesters) like Cam Inman, and Monte "fool, stool, tool" Poole, as well as countless ESPN Psycho"anal"ysts and Warren Sapp, Raider Nation Stands united in the face of adversity. You can take the Raiders fan base out of the pride, but you'll never take the pride out of Raider Nation.

The Nation will fight for their team as hard as the fans of any other team in professional sports. Despite seven straight seasons of 11 or more losses, Raider Nation is still as strong as ever. No matter who says what about the team, the central hub of Raider Nation still contends that every year will be the year the Raiders turn it around and rise from the ashes.

But how much is too much? When does it become time to say enough is enough...it's just never going to happen? Seriously, this franchise is a train wreck, right?

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One thing that has been missing for some time in Oakland is a strong sense of competition. That's not to say that competition has not been present in Oakland over the past few years, but it was nowhere near the level it is at this season. In the past, you may have seen a competition like the battle for the starting QB position in 2007 between Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown, or the competition for middle linebacker in 2009 between Ricky Brown and Kirk Morrison. But never recently have there been so many positions up for grabs in the Oakland Raiders camp as there is this season. Let's take a look at some position that will be up for grabs.

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A two-year letter winner in college at Louisville after transferring from Blinn Junior College (Brenham, Texas), Chris Johnson played in 13 games in his senior year, and started seven of his last eight contests. With 44 total tackles (32 solo), one tackle for loss and seven passes defended, he was not particularly impressive. However, he also stood out on a special teams unit that ranked among the nation's best that year. He was also honorable mention (enter Cris Carter: "honorable mention, HONERABLE MENTION!") junior college All-America choice following his sophomore season at Blinn JC where he had seven interceptions and a pair of blocked field goals in 2000.

It's been a long road for the Raiders starting cornerback. Drafted late in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers coming off of a knee surgery, "The doctor told me that I would probably never play because the position that I play would be too much on my knee, and here it is my seventh season in the NFL being a starter for the Oakland Raiders. It's just a true testimony and a true blessing to me that I have lasted this long," Johnson said recently. "I want to play five or six more years, so to have a ten plus year career going into this league is a blessing alone. Numbers don't mean anything, it's about what work you put in; how long you put in the work to stay in the league. They always tell me, ‘N.F.L. stands for not for long', but I have a lot to improve so I know I can get better over the next couple of years while I finish my career up." 

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I have these feelings burning inside of me and they are not really organized. There is not enough material to post an article about each one individually, but they are definitely topics of conversation that I believe will ake people think a little bit. I'm not gonna lie, some are bizzarre, so only proceed if you are brave.

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Not so long ago, I received an email from a gentleman who has been buzzing around the Silver and Black Pride website lately. He calls himself Mallard Davis, and I don't know his entire real name, however, I do know that his first name is Bob. Now, Bob asked me to talk about the early stages of the Oakland Raiders...before they were the Raiders, and how they came to be the Raiders. He said he would like me to do this "for some of the young bucks who were born after the Raiders last won a Super Bowl."

Now, the Raiders last Super Bowl win was in 1983, and I was born in 1982, so I had just turned a year old at that point in my life. He may or may not have known this, but Bob was about to make me embark on a historical journey to uncover documents that may have been lost to many fans (although they are easily accessed on the internet) over the 50 year history of the NFL's greatest franchise.

It's interesting, because Bob said in the email that "anyone can Wiki this stuff," but I'm not sure that anyone ever does. Bob is quickly making a name for himself as the history buff on Silver and Black Pride, asking people questions during my last live chat like, "What Raider D Lineman graduated from ‘The University of Mars'?" as well as, "What player broke Namath's jaw in a 1967 game?"

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It's been a week chalk full of optimism for this revamped Raiders team. National press is taking notice of the improvements made by this team during the 2010 offseason. And there is news happening everywhere. Open this page, read all the Raiders updates, and Let's Chat, Raider Nation. Anyone can Ask questions, and anyone can answer. Let's have a great talk!

Oh, and one more thing, if you vote on the poll, you have to add a comment!

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Welcome to my live chat. Here's how it works, just post a question in the comments section and I'll answer it. The page will automatically refresh, so please give me a second to answer the questions.  Here are a few things you may or may not know before we get started. And I got a question for you guys too: Which team do you dislike most in the Raiders' division, and which team outside of it?

RB Chris Johnson's holdout could be just what the new and "improved" Raiders run defense needs for the first week of the 2010 season. According to several different sources, neither side is budging. The Titans expect Johnson to "be a professional" and honor his contract, and Johnson understands the average career-span of a running back in the NFL and he wants more money right now. This holdout could certainly last through training camp, and possibly into the season. Keep your fingers crossed. 

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Just post your question or comment in the comments section and I'll respond live starting at 8 pm est. and 5 pm pst

Chaz Schilens is 6'4", 225 lbs and runs a 4.38 40 yard dash with a 43" vertical jump. He has tremendous potential and made a name for himself at the end of the 2008 season for Raider Nation catching two TD's in the last two games. He became a starter in Week 9 of 2008, opposite of Javon Walker, but injuries hampered him until late in the season.  This guy has all the intangibles to be a dominant force in the Raiders passing game. I expect him to be that hard-to-stop player, and catch at least 70 passes, 8-10 TD's, and at least 900 receiving yards if he can stay healthy in 2010.

Chaz Schilens may be the next Marques Colston. A seventh-round draft pick with great size, good hands, and Raider speed out of a low profile college; Schilens played his college ball at San Diego State, Colston played at Hofstra.

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I've just been rummaging through some websites here for a little while and I've come across some things that make me scratch my head. The Oakland Raiders have had some of the best offseason work this year that they've done in ages, and yet there is still talk of who else could help this team win.

One story involved Terrell Owens, the other involves Shawne Merriman.

Now, it's important to remember that I'm not the GM of the Raiders; and I am not in contact with the organization or any members of the coaching staff. That being said, I highly, highly doubt there is any talk what-so-ever of bringing in either one of these players.

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As JaJoking and JaLaughter fill the air around Oakland, it is JaImportant not to forget the Legacy of JaBroni Russell. After all, if he is not the biggest (No pun intended) bust in NFL history, he certainly is the biggest (literally) bust in Raiders history.

The purpose of this article is to address an issue that other Raiders writers like Cam Inman will not discuss. Cam held a "Live Chat" as soon as Russell was released on Jerry McDonald's Ibabuzz.com page. During the chat, Cam discussed almost all of the JaMarcus Russell issues on the fans minds. He even told one guy what to do with his #2 Jersey, "Why do you fools buy jerseys with active players' names on them? If you are going to spend money, do it on someone who has proven his worth. Or just go trade it in for a Tebow one."

Yeah...go trade it for a Donkey's jersey. That's going to happen. Inman hit a lot of topics, but there's one issue Inman would not touch on. One questioner asked him, "What were your favorite JaMarcus insults or nicknames? I like JaPrecious."

Inman replied, "I have never heard of a player with more nicknames (enhanced by the power of Internet message boards). All nicknames were very degrading, so I won't mention them. Plus, his name was a unique blend of two men special to his family, so mocking the "Ja" aspect also seems crude."

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You know the name, you know the face, and I'm sure a few of you have seen him up close and personal. Quarterbacks know his name and they don't want to throw the ball in his direction anymore. During the final four games of 2007, Oakland Raiders all star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha faced Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, David Garrard, and Phillip Rivers --- he was thrown at just four times. That was two seasons ago, yes, but this past season he improved his game enough to earn Associated Press All-Pro honors for the third consecutive time and earn his second straight starting Pro Bowl appearance (third overall appearance).

Mike Shanahan, the former Donkeys head Coach, said before a game between the Raiders and the Broncos in 2008, "I've never met him but I'm going to shake his hand after the game because I keep on looking for him but I never get a chance to talk to him. He's one of my favorite players, even though he is with the Raiders. That shows you how much I like him."

Many others, around the league, call him the best cornerback in the league. QB's and coach's around the league are learning that he is a true shut down corner who you'd be lucky to obtain a completion against, and it certainly wouldn't happen twice in a row. So now the question posed by those who have nothing better to do with their time than to compare one player to another (like me) is: Who is better, Nnamdi Asomugha or Darrelle Revis?

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