SB Nation User Blog: Raybin

Week 2 Recap: Offense

Raybin — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:00:07 -0000

And I've never gotten used to it

I've just learned to turn it off

--Bob Dylan

No two ways to disguise this one, kids: this loss hurts. I had a lot more to write at first, but the more I think about the loss, the more depressed I get. So let's get right to the grades

QB: Another underwhelming week stats wise for JaMarcus. I continue to be impressed with his decision making abilities. Aside from his hesitation that led to the fumble today, it's hard to find a big, prototypical "rookie mistake." Really, just a very average performance. He's coming along fine. That ball he threw to Higgins was a bee-yoo-tee-ful laser beam. That gets him the "+" in C+.

RBs: Not a whole lot to say....which is half the problem. When a team built to run has a combined 98 yards on the ground, there's going to be trouble no matter what the score says. McFadden was a warrior, out there playing through the pain, though a 3 yard per rush average combined with his constant slipping and falling shows how much it was affecting him. Bush averaged 4 yards a carry....someone tell me again why he only had 14 carries? Let's call it a B-.

O-Line: They only yielded one sack and that was due to J-Russ hanging on to the ball way too long. McFadden's low YPC average is more a function of his injury than ineffective run blocking. Notice how we haven't been talking about Mario Henderson very much? That's as it should be. B.

WRs: Weak. Weak weak weak weak weak. Unbelievably bad. HORRIBLE. Non-existent. 2 catches for 18 yards for Javon Walker? That's not worth all that guaranteed money, my man. 1 catch for Lelie?!?!? ZERO for Curry?!?! Sure, some of it is Russell's fault due to inexperience, but you HAVE GOT TO HELP YOUR YOUNG QUARTERBACK. This means GETTING OPEN CONSISTENTLY so he's not forced to complete two thirds of his passes to the goddamn running backs and fullback.

Some of this is also play-calling though. How can this team expect to win and not get Zach Miller a single completion. GET HIM IN THE GAME, COACHING STAFF. (yeah I know he's a tight end, but it's easier to put him here)

Speaking of play calling, if I may digress for a minute....what kind of lame-ass conservative bullshit were we running out there today? What the hell happened to Lane Kiffin the gambler, the risk taker, the "damn-the-torpedoes-full-speed-ahead" play caller?

The bright spot: Johnnie Lee Higgins. He caught a bullet and ran like hell. Nice returns too.

Higgins gets the A. Everyone else? D-.

We'll move on to the other side of the ball tomorrow. Or, rather, later today... It's damn near 1 a.m. here on the East Coast. I'm out for now!

Week 1 Thoughts

Raybin — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:04:08 -0000

--J-Russ is going to be a fantastic quarterback in the NFL if he can ever be able to consistently drop back to pass without being forced to start running for his life after 4 nanoseconds have passed. He might be able to swat away a CB coming on a blitz, but a charging defensive end is quite another thing. The O-line might be able to runblock beautifully, but the Raiders won't win 5 games this year unless the pass protection shapes up soon. Like NOW.

--Way to earn that money, DeAngelo Hall. I certainly hope you're embarrassed this morning because I know I certainly am. Eddie Royal is clearly talented as hell, but you're supposed to be an elite shutdown corner. He turned you inside out all night long and you had no response except to get frustrated and take dumb penalties.

--Mike Ditka said it best: You've got to help out your young quarterback. That MUST start next week. Russell is not at the stage yet where he can steal a win or two all by himself. That involves making that extra effort to catch a ball that might be a little under or overthrown. I'm looking at YOU Ronald Curry.

--Darren McFadden is going to be fucking DYNAMITE. Let's all sit back and enjoy the show.

--Zach Miller is essential to any success the offense will have. Long may he be healthy.

--Chaz Schiliens may be one of the steals of the 2008 draft. Only two catches, yes, but good ones. Wouldn't surprise me to see him move up the depth chart as the season goes by.

--Gibril Wilson was a damn good pickup.

--Where was the D-Line all night? Jay Cutler could've cooked himself dinner, went home and mowed his lawn, showered, then came back and thrown a pass last night before any pressure would have gotten into the backfield.

--I'm still with Kiffin. We'll know whether to blame him or Ryan as the weeks go by...if the defense improves and they still lose, it's Kiff. If the defense keeps bombing out, it's Ryan. I think Ryan is a good enough co-ordinator, but his defenses are so vanilla. Contrast that with a guy like Dick LeBeau in Pittsburgh who has so many crafty blitzes and multiple looks to keep the other QB guessing.

--The most frustrating thing about the Raiders is their tendency to shoot themselves in the foot at the worst possible times. Every team will make dumb mistakes. But the timing is the killer. Whether it was Curry dropping the pass on 3rd down to kill a promising drive or Fargas throwing the ball at Higgins on that reverse that had got the defense to bite in the opposite direction or any number of other things....they need to suck it up and not make mistakes when the chips are down.

Of course, the ref not calling blatant defensive holding to kill another promising drive doesn't help things either.

--I repeat: JaMarcus Russell will be great. Give him pass protection and some defensive support and the wins will come.

Let's hope we can all put this behind us and move on quick. There's a big test next week in Arrowhead. Can we stop Larry Johnson and Dwayne Bowe and keep Glenn Dorsey in check? If we can, this season is still very promising. If not...we're in a whole heap of trouble.

Keep the faith, Raider Nation! (The only true sports nation.)

Final Draft Thoughts

Raybin — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:36:46 -0000

Exciting, isn't it?

For the first time in a couple years, there's a lot of uncertainty about who the Raiders will take. Last year, everyone knew it'd be J-Russ. The year before, everyone knew it'd be Michael Huff. But now? Wow. An embarassment of riches.

The Raiders will take one of the following people:

Glenn Dorsey

Chris Long

Vernon Gholston

Sedrick Ellis

Darren McFadden

Holy crap.

Who wouldn't want to have that problem?

I'm gonna ponder and pontificate for a few minutes.

First, the easy part. If Glenn Dorsey slips to #4, you take him. Period. Not even McFadden. You take Dorsey, who is probably the best overall top 10 prospect. This strikes me as a no-brainer. Dorsey is unreal and as we all know from the fiasco that was last year's run defense, we need big help.

This of course all depends on the St. Louis Rams. If they take Chris Long, we've got Dorsey locked up. I've read some speculation Atlanta might take Dorsey, but that strikes me as unlikely. Did you see their offense last year? Joey Harrington? Byron Leftwich? Chris freaking Redman? Are you kidding me? They need Matt Ryan.

Okay, so let's assume the Rams snag Glenn Dorsey (and I suspect they will). What then? Our draft prospects open up wide.

Let's talk about Kiffin's trading down comments recently. Normally, I'm totally against any top 10 team trading out, barring the sweetest deal of the century. But in one case this year, I won't be against it. We all know the Jets will come calling because they desperately want to land Darren McFadden. If they start offering second and third round picks--which by the by we are desperately short on--then you drop. More picks, maybe a player or two and you're only moving back two spots! What's not to like?!

If this happens, the Jets will land Darren McFadden and the Chiefs will likely take Chris Long. We're down to Gholston and Ellis. Tough call.

Vernon Gholston was the only Buckeye other than James Laurainitis who didn't embarrass himself in the national title game back in January. He was all over the place. And--and this is by no means incidental--he made Jake Long look like a complete ass as he whipped him all over the field during Ohio State/Michigan. Gholston is a genuine beast.

But so is Ellis. I think Ellis is a more well rounded, complete player. He's absolutely dominating. And I think the middle of the line is a greater need than the end. I would pick Sedrick Ellis. There's a chance his might happen--USC isn't far away so he's a well known quantity and I believe our head coach may have been affiliated with USC at some point.

But I think the Raiders are going with Gholston at this juncture. He's a workout warrior, a crazy physical specimen, blazing speed, unlimited raw athletic power. In short, the kind of draft pick that Al Davis LOVES LOVES LOVES.

Again, I will not weep no matter what happens. How could you?

I may make myself a bit unpopular here, but so be it. I feel very strongly about this: If we stay at #4, I don't want to take Darren McFadden.

Think about it: Huggy Bear and Michael Bush. Not to mention Rhodes, who looked real good at the end of last year when he finally got a shot. McFadden is a demon in human form, but he's simply not who we need at this juncture. Our backfield is solid as steel. Our defensive line is not. Kalimba Edwards? Not gonna get it done.

That being said...if we do take McFadden...awesome. How can you be disappointed when your team snags a talent like that? I'll be a little puzzled by the pick, but by no means upset. If we DO take D -Mac, then I suspect Dominic Rhodes will be dealt away with Fabian Washington later in the draft to secure more mid-round picks. He'll be the odd man out.

Finally, Chris Long. Another legitimate monster and a great deal of sentimental value for Raider Nation. We'll only get a shot at him if we stay at #4 and the Rams take Glenn Dorsey, which is a very strong possibility. Will we take him? I can only shrug and say "We'll see" If Davis and Kiff are presented with Long, Ellis, Gholston and McFadden.....well, there's just no way to predict what will happen. But whatever does, it'll be a good result. Especially if wef can wheel and deal for a second round pick and get one of the great wide receivers who will still be hanging around at that point.

Okay, let's say you hold a gun to my head and say "Make a prediction." In that situation, I'd probably wet myself, and then say "Vernon Gholston."

Then I'd run away and probably change my mind a half dozen times before Goodell says, "With the fourth pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select...."

F@#k you, NBC

Raybin — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 01:41:23 -0000

Saint, I don't know if you have rules against profanity in diary titles, so go ahead and edit this if you don't like it. But I'm so pissed off right now.Update: I changed it just to be on the safe side. I'm calmer now

The event that actually got me steaming was an hour ago, but I find it still rankles. So I need to vent here.

Living here in Steeler Hell, I didn't get to watch the Raiders today. Hoping to catch some highlights of JaMarcus throwing, I tuned into NBC's post-game highlight show. What I saw left me shaking with rage.

You know the only two clips they showed? JaMarcus' interception and fumble.

So if I didn't make it clear in the title, let me reiterate: FUCK YOU NBC.

This was a rookie who missed training camp making his first NFL start after a DISASTROUS outing last week that would have sent most rookie QBs into a funk.

What did he do? Sucked it up like a man, put his bad performance out of his mind, and completed over two-thirds of his passes for over 200 yards. That's a pretty good day for any quarterback, let alone a rookie in his first start.

But what does the general public who didn't follow the game get? They get Keith Olbermann and Bob Costas chuckling at how bad JaMarcus is and insinuating what a bust he'll be and how dumb the Raiders are. And that's the impression they'll have of J-Russ. They didn't see his touchdown pass to Porter. They didn't see the skill or maturity with which he moved the ball in the drive that ended the second half or the drive that ended with Rhodes getting stuffed on 4th-and-1.

Nope. The only impression they're left with is that of another Raider misfire.

Fuck off, NBC. I have no idea why you seem to get such giggles in running down what was a fine performance BY A ROOKIE IN HIS FIRST START. And a rookie that everyone acknowledged from the start was going to need a good bit of seasoning before he came into his own, at that.

But rest assured: J-Russ and the silver and black are going to cram your smugness down your grinning fucking throats next year and FORCE YOU to sit up and take notice.

1st Round Mock Draft

Raybin — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 03:28:28 -0000

Keep in mind this is super early. No one's had a star-making turn in a bowl game or blown anyone away at the combine yet.

Undoubtedly there'll be many of you who think I'm a looney...but that's cool. I probably am way off base on many of these picks. These are just some preliminary thoughts

Miami Dolphins—Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU.

Lots of needs everywhere for this team (there’s the understatement of the year) but defense is first and foremost. Miami has a young offensive unit that can come along and learn next year. But the defense is awful—they give up nearly 28 points a game. This is where Dorsey fits in. You know why the Steelers defense is so good? Casey Hampton is a big badass who clogs the middle and lets the linebackers free to fly all over the place. Same goes for the legendary Ravens defense of 2000. It all started with Siragusa. Dorsey can provide that dominating presence in the center that will let Joey Porter rush the passer like he was brought in to do, not hang back to try and stop the runs a sadly decrepit D-line lets through.

New England Patriots—Keith Rivers, LB, USC

I may be the only person on earth who doesn’t have the Patriots (an undefeated team picking second in the draft...thanks, 49ers) taking Darren McFadden here. I may change my mind in the future...indeed, how does a team pass up a talent like McFadden if they have a shot at him? Still, he’d be wasted on the pass happy Pats and I suspect they know it. What’s starting to hurt them, however, is their vulnerability over the middle. The softness comes mainly from their aging linebacking corps. Vrabel is still a beast, but he’s starting to age. Bruschi and especially Seau are about done. As the proprietor of Mocking the Draft has said, Rivers is a Seau clone with blinding speed and a fierce intensity. Put him back there with a healthy Colvin and a guy like Vrabel to learn from and he’ll have a legitimate shot at being Defensive Rookie of the Year next season. I could also see them trading out of this spot too. New England does clever and unpredictable things on draft day. Should be an interesting pick.

New York Jets—Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

Yeah, I know they went out and gave Thomas Jones a lot of money. Fat lot of good it’s done them. McFadden falling to #3 is a gift and the Jets are going to take it. Not much else to say...this one is a no-brainer.

St. Louis Rams—Jake Long, OT, Michigan

Another outright gift of a guy who could be a legitimate #1 pick falling because of need and circumstance. Jake Long will be the new Orlando Pace in St. Louis. Few higher compliments can be paid an OT. He’ll live up to the billing. Bet the farm on it.

Atlanta Falcons—Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

Last week I would have told you Bobby Petrino was going to bring in his young prodigy Brohm he worked so well with in Louisville to turn the Falcons around. Funny how life works out like that. Petrino screwed the Falcons so badly, they wouldn’t take Brohm out of sheer spite. But they shouldn’t anyway...Ryan is the best QB in this draft class and it’s the Falcons biggest need. Put two and two together and in his case you get 5. The pick number. Get it? Ahem.

Oakland Raiders—Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC

Full disclosure: Cut me and I bleed silver and black. Thus it’s probably naïve fanboy optimism that has me putting the Raiders outside the top 5. But I’ll hope for the best and put them at #6 for now. Everyone knows the Raiders’ greatest needs—someone to help stop the run. When you give up 150 yards to a third stringer running behind an aging O-Line (Hello Kolby Smith and Kansas City!) you have severe problems in the center. With Dorsey gone, Ellis is the best choice. He can be a solid anchor for 10 or 12 years. Warren Sapp is probably done after next year, but what a mentor for Ellis! There’s an outside chance the Raiders take Malcolm Kelly here, but I’m certainly hoping Al Davis’ eyes are open to the sheer godawfulness of his defensive line.

Kansas City Chiefs—Chris Long, DE, Virginia

Another guy who could be a top 3 pick falls from circumstance. Certainly the Chiefs have many needs, especially on the O-Line. But this is a really good offensive line class coming out and there should still be some great picks left early in the second round for the Chiefs to snag. Pair Chris Long with Jared Allen though and my god do you have a dual threat. Also, Allen may be gone this offseason and you’ll need a beastly pass rusher to replace him. Either way, that points to Chris Long.

Prediction: If the Chiefs decide their greatest need is on the O-Line, look for them to try and trade to up to #2 and take Jake Long.

Baltimore Ravens--Andre Woodson, Kentucky

The sun is setting on Steve McNair and Kyle Boller is, well....Kyle Boller. Woodson seems like he'd be a better fit in Baltimore than Brohm.. He's great at inspiring and leading and his game management is superb. Plus, he's simply a better quarterback than Brian Brohm.

Cincinnati Bengals--Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State

Who would have thought a Marvin Lewis coached team would put together a good, solid offensive unit and such a lackluster defensive group? Cincinnati's defense lacks purpose, direction, identity....everything, really. They seem just aimless. This unit is going to take a while to rebuild, and Gholston is as solid and steady a keystone as you'll find.

Carolina Panthers--Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville

Poor Chicago Bears. They're just going to miss out on the three best QBs in the draft, which potentially means another year of Rex. But Carolina needs Brohm even more than Chicago. Testaverde is a grandfather, Matt Moore is not the guy and Delhomme is getting older and injury prone. They need a future, and that future points to Brohm.

Chicago Bears--Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

Well, if another year of Rex it must be, then they're going to have to support him with a run game. Cedric Benson's last chance was this year and he was decidedly underwhelming before going down with an injury. All signs point to him being done in Chicago. That means Chicago needs a back and that means Mendenhall.

Philadelphia Eagles--Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma

With McNabb about to be shown the door in Philadelphia and the Kevin Kolb Era set to begin, he's going to need someone to throw to. The Eagles' options at wideout are decidedly vanilla. They're going to need a playmaker for Kolb to throw to and Malcolm Kelly defines the term.

Washington Redskins--Calais Campbell, DE, Miami

Pretty simple here--the Redskins are aging up front on defense and Campbell is just the young monster they need.

Detroit Lions--Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh

The Lions' self-destruction has been painful to watch. Jon Kitna is a decent quarterback, but not the guy to singlehandedly win the game. Why has he needed to do so? No running game. Why? Well, Kevin Jones is a decent back....but he's got no one to block for him. Otah can take care of that problem.

Denver Broncos--James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State

Denver is going to need a lot of rebuilding and it needs to start on defense. Laurinaitis can anchor that defense for years to come.

Houston Texans--Johnathan Stewart, RB, Oregon

Ahman Green was a good idea, but turned out to be made of glass. Ron Dayne....good to spell your top guy for a play or two, but not the one you want carrying your team. Joe Echemandu isn't good enough to carry a team. They need a franchise runner and Stewart can be that.

Arizona Cardinals--Dan Connor, LB, Penn State

Edgerrin is getting old, but I don't know if you can justify taking any of the other running backs in this draft quite this high. However, a boost in the linebacking corps in Arizona would help shore up a mediocre defense and Connor is decidedly one of the better options available at this point.

New Orleans Saints--Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona

Well, the Saints have all kinds of troubles on defense, but that secondary is just embarrassing. Antoine Cason can come in and make an immediate impact next year.

Buffalo Bills--Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri

He's the best tight end in the draft and would be an awesome weapon for Trent Edwards and a great extra blocker for Marshawn Lynch. With Rucker on the offense and if that defense can stay healthy next year, look for Buffalo to make some serious noise in the playoffs.

Tennessee Titans--Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

The Titans really screwed the pooch last year by not getting Vince Young any real new weapons on offense. The fact that they'll just miss the playoffs this year shows it. They'll remedy that this time by taking Sweed, the best receiver on the board with Kelly gone.

Minnesota Vikings--Early Doucet, WR, LSU

Well it looks like Tarvaris Jackson finally woke up and joined the NFL. He needs someone other than Sidney Rice to throw to, though. Say hello to Early Doucet, Twin Cities!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers--DeSean Jackson, WR, California

I debated whether or not to put this in here, given Jackson's uncertain intentions so far. If Jackson doesn't declare, you can safely slot Mario Manningham in here. Either way, the Bucs need a downfield threat and Jackson fits that fill perfectly. He's the kind of player Jon Gruden will fall in love with if he has a good combine. Consider Malcolm Jenkins or Aqib Talib a possibility too. Ronde Barber ain't no spring chicken.

Dallas Cowboys--Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State

Thanks to Cleveland and their (as it happened) unnecessary trading up to draft Brady Quinn, the Cowboys--a team with very few holes--get two first rounders. Getting a player of Jenkins' caliber here is an absolute steal and would help shore up the weakest part of Big D's "D".

New York Giants--Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn

Osi Umenyiora is a beast, but Michael Strahan is about done. Fortunately, the Giants can draft a guy in Groves who has the potential to develop into another Strahan. In any case, Umenyiora and Groves coming off the ends will be a lethal combo for opposing offensive linemen.

Pittsburgh Steelers--Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas

I love to watch this guy play and watching the Steelers' secondary getting torched by New England and Jacksonville on consecutive weeks shows the sore need for his presence. Talib can develop into a true shutdown corner.

San Diego Chargers--Kenny Phillips, S, Miami

Chargers could use a bigtime safety to complement Antonio Cromartie. Phillips fits that bill nicely.

Seattle Seahawks--Frank Okam, DT, Texas

Put this 6'5, 320 pound monster on the line with Patrick Kerney, Rocky Bernard and Darryl Tapp and stand back in awe at the sheer terror of Seattle's front four.

Jacksonville Jaguars--Vince Hall, LB, Virginia Tech

The Jags are a great team, but they have a somewhat lackluster linebacking corps. Hall can fix that in a hurry. He has great north/south and east/west movement, he tackles like a maniac and he's super aggressive and nasty. In other words, a perfect fit for Jack Del Rio's defense.

Green Bay Packers--Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida

Most people will say this is too high, but I just love this kid's ability. I think he's only started to develop. Green Bay will do like they did with Justin Harrell last year--take a guy who's already pretty damn good, but has oodles of untapped potential and bring him along to grow up in their system. He'll be a force in this league someday sooner rather than later.

San Francisco 49ers--Sam Baker, OT, USC

So it's safe to say the 49ers offense sucks yes? Yes it does. It all starts with protection and Alex Smith and Trent Dilfer have had none. Frank Gore is awesome, but he can't run if the holes aren't there. This all points to the best O-Lineman available and that means Sam Baker will leave his heart in San Francisco.

Dallas Cowboys--Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi

Total cop-out here as I simply couldn't decide who or what the Cowboys will use this pick on, so I decided to copy Matt Miller's. Sue me. (actually, please don't)

New England Patriots--Forfeited

The less said about this, the better.

Oakland Raiders News 11-29-07: Absolutely Ridiculous!

Raybin — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:20:30 -0000

ESPN's John Clayton is reporting:

JaMarcus Russell has been getting more practice snaps recently, but is expected to remain Oakland's No. 3 quarterback this week.
It appears Josh McCown will back up starter Daunte Culpepper once again. ESPN's John Clayton doesn't believe Russell will get any playing time before the final two or three weeks of the season, and that could come in relief.

Unbelievable.

I want to like Lane Kiffin. I guess I even do. But his decisions are hurting the team.

Not activating Michael Bush out of spite to Denver and Kansas City?

Not playing the future of the franchise since this is a lost season anyway?

For this Raider fan at least, frustration is now augmented by fury. Like all of Raider Nation, I was overjoyed by last Sunday's win. We got that monkey off our backs. Finally.

Now is the time to start looking forward to the future. That means Michael Bush. That means JaMarcus Russell.

Daunte's playing great, but it's time for him to sit. He won't be here next year. Russell will be. Same goes for Jordan and Rhodes at running back. They are the past. Bush is the future.

It's nothing short of insane. The argument about whether to sit a rookie QB or play him is useless. For every Carson Palmer who sat his rookie year and did well in his second season, there's a Peyton Manning who was thrown into the fire as a rookie and did well in his second year.

It's absolutely sickening. What real good would LaMont Jordan have been to Denver or Kansas City anyway? He's half-crippled at the moment. He would have likely been a backup like he is now. The decision to sit Bush and play Jordan is inexplicable and indefensible.

And here's a question: If you don't want K.C. or Denver snagging Jordan or Rhodes, why not cut Andrew Walter to make room for Bush? That way you can spite your division rivals and let what will hopefully be an exciting young talent show his stuff.

Another excellent reason for activating Bush: if he's going to be a bust, it's better to know now so we can draft Darren McFadden in April. As it stands now, drafting McFadden would be useless.

As for Russell....even if he doesn't start, the idea that he has to sit as emergency #3 behind goddamn fucking Josh McClown in OUTRAGEOUS. I'm sorry, Kiffin, did you see the sorry excuse for quarterbacking McClown honored us with earlier this year? You think if Daunte would go down, he could do any better than Russell?

Even leaving that aside, Russell as #3 can't step in and out for a few series to gradually gain some seasoning. It's harder to put him in in the event of a blowout (whichever way it goes).

It makes me seriously question Lane Kiffin's judgment. And it worries me. Despite all the goofy bullshit earlier in the year, I thought he was the guy to lead the team forward.

But now I seriously wonder. The final test will be the next draft. Drafting JaMarcus with the #1 pick was the obvious move. But this year's draft will be the first one where the choice won't be so clear. Do you take a playmaking receiver? A D-lineman to strengthen the swiss cheese brigade we have now? An O-Lineman to make sure JaMarcus doesn't get killed next year? (Speaking of O-lineman and bad personnel decisions....why the hell isn't Mario Henderson starting right now?)

If Kiffin makes a dumbass pick, I'll know for sure he'll be just another in a succession of mediocre coaches destroying a once great franchise.

But even leaving that aside...these personnel decisions are wrong, hurtful to the team, unfair to the fans (their money is paying these potentially awesome young talents) and display a total short sightedness and unwillingness to think about the future.

Season at a Crossroads

Raybin — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:28:06 -0000

This season isn't salvagable. There's no way this team is going to reel off 6 straight wins.

5-11 would be a victory at this point. We can conceiveably beat Kansas City and Denver. We can even beat San Diego, despite what happened earlier this season.

I dare not even contemplate what will happen when we play Green Bay, Indianapolis and Jacksonville.

What I mean by a crossroads is this: are they going to pack it in and go through the motions or are they going to hold their head up high and gut it out for 60 minutes every game?

I read an article today that quoted Warren Sapp as condeming the defense as undisciplined. He's absolutely right. It also said though that his shoulders were slumped and he looked defeated.

When someone as fiery as Warren Sapp is defeated, you know there are serious problems.

He and the rest of the defense have to make a choice. Are they going to take this embarrassment as a stimulus to step up? Or are they going to keep playing with downcast eyes?

It's up to them and to Kiffin. Otherwise there won't be one win more this season.

I do hope though that last game was the final nail in Schweigert's coffin, so far as his future with Oakland goes. He missed a tackle on two of Chester Taylor's touchdowns.

Rob Ryan's scholarship also is in precarious danger of being revoked. If they keep playing like this, he'll be the first one let go.

Curry and Porter were at last impressive. Zach Miller showed what he can do if he's actually allowed to go out and try and catch the ball and not stay in to help an inept O-Line. He had some clutch catches on that last desperate drive.

Speaking of desperate, Daunte was quoted as saying both he and the team are desperate for a win. There are two principal reactions to desperation: determination or panic.

Which will it be, Kiff & Company?

This is where we find out if there really has been a change in attitude or just another round of the Same Old Raiders.

Halftime Thoughts - Now with end of game thoughts

Raybin — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:39:20 -0000

This is fucking insanity.

Daunte playing good. 9/16, 174 yards, 1 TD. Hard to ask for more than that. 120 of those come from Ronald Curry who has torched the Vikes secondary.

That's about the extent of the good...

1 catch for 11 yards from Jerry Porter? C'mon. Step the fuck up or get the fuck off the field.

12 carries, 24 yards for Huggy Bear. Guess the Vikes meant it when they said the Raiders weren't running today.

This defense is a fucking embarrassment. A goddamn pathetic embarrassment. If not for Tarvaris Jackson's ingrained ineptitudes--one fumble, one INT--this game would be a blowout. 12/15 for 114 yards? When has he done that? We're making him look like a probowler.

And don't get me started on the run defense. Letting a career backup like Chester Taylor rip off 7 yards at a time, plus one big 40 yarder.

Can you imagine if Adrian Peterson were playing? He'd have 150 or 200 yards already.

And finally: Fuck you, Lane Kiffin.

You get the ball back with less than a minute left...and you run. Then an incomplete pass. Then you GO FOR ANOTHER RUN PLAY?! WITH TWO TIMEOUTS?!

You need to stop this conservative bullshit. You're bold at all the wrong times and conservative at all the wrongs times.

And stop being such a stubborn jackass. It's hurting the team. You ruined our season by sticking by McClown. Now you practically ruined this game by sticking with the run for a quarter and a half when it clearly wasn't working and Daunte was mostly on his game. A man can admit when he's wrong. Remember that.

Thanks to Daunte, SeaBass and Tarvaris Jackson for it being a tie at halftime. Everyone else should refund their game checks to Al Davis.

I gotta jet. Probably be back with post-game thoughts.

UPDATE:

I had a lot to say, but I don't feel like saying any of it.

Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic.

This is as bad as last year. There's now no difference. Everyone except Daunte and Kirk Morrison is playing with no fire or zeal or passion. Why is it that no coach can seem to make them play like they give a damn? Or with the slightest bit of discipline? What ghost haunts this team that no man seems to be able to exorcise it?

Fire Rob Ryan. Now.

Daunte, you deserve a better team.

So do the fans. I just don't know when we'll ever get one.

December 2nd - Circle it

Raybin — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:06:14 -0000

Mark your calendars. During the ESPN pregame show, Chris Mortensen reported that sources inside the Raiders organization say they're looking at the home game against Denver as the big JaMarcus Russell unveiling party.

It's not inconceivable though that we'll wait that long to see them. Mortensen also said that there's a package of 10 or so plays that JaMarcus has mastered. My guess (and this is totally me guessing) is that he's probably familiar with, if not absolute master of, about that many more. So we're looking at 20 or perhaps even two dozen plays he can reasonably execute.

In any case, back to what I do know because I heard it said--it's possible that, even though Andrew Walter is the official second string backup today--JaMarcus could be put out there with those plays "if the game circumstances warrant it." (Not an exact quote but real close)

Translation: If we're either blowing out a team or getting blown out, we'll put in Russell.

In any case, just keeping y'all updated.

Dammit all to hell!

Raybin — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 18:36:58 -0000

Not good:

On Friday, Kiffin told the Oakland Tribune that Andrew Walter will be the team's number two quarterback behind Daunte Culpepper on Sunday.
Two weeks ago, top pick Jamrcus Russell passed Walter on the depth chart at QB.
It was thought that Russell would see some action for the first time, but apparently he is not learning Oakland's system fast enough.

No one doubted that missing camp and pre-season hurt Russell a lot, but I'd hoped he'd be at least ready to step in and take a few snaps during a game at this point.

This likely deep-sixes him starting at Denver on 12/2. It's pretty much down to starting him against San Diego during the last game of the year. I can't believe, despite this, that he doesn't start at least one game this season.

In any case, this is a major disappointment. Russell's been coming in on days off, as well as arriving early/staying late during scheduled practices. He was a good student in school--was named an All American student/athlete or some such thing, so he's clearly very smart.

So it's not a lack of work ethic or brains that's impedeing him. If he's behind where he should be at this point, even despite all that valuable learning time missed, something must be up.

This is what drives me nuts about Kiff. He makes these seemingly inexplicable personnel moves--sticking with McClown, refusing to play Rhodes, keeping JaMarcus as third string despite the fact that he actually thought about playing him against the Texans (which you would think indicated he was almost ready to go).

There have to be good reasons for these...but he won't share them with the fanbase. I know a coach can't go shooting his mouth off about everything, but it seems to me he should throw us a bone about these things in some form.

There's no more frustrated fanbase in the league right now than Raider Nation. I think we're ready to give Kiff the benefit of the doubt and trust him...but he should try and relieve some of that frustration by trying to explain some of these things that are driving us nuts.

At this point, his actions basically say "Shut up and trust me."

Forgive me if, at 2-7, I'm skeptical about giving that trust 100 percent.