The Autumn Wind is a Raider - Oakland Raiders- Blog

So long Hue

2012-02-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

To say a lot has happened within Raider Nation since I last posted would be an understatement. The last time I blogged the Raiders lost to the Chargers failing to advance to the playoffs for yet another year. I sort of slipped into a football depression choosing not think about it and trying my best to avoid the playoffs to no avail.

Hue was canned moments after McKenzie was hired and just before the press conference introducing him.

I felt after the season that Hue should've got at least one more year given the circumstances this team faced in his rookie season. There were multiple injuries that crippled the offense (McFadden, Campbell, Ford, Moore) and the injuries on the defense were numerous which forced the Raiders to basically pull in guys off the street to start in the secondary.

Not to mention the mental aspect that came with losing Al. The team's owner/GM/boss. Add that to the fact that after Al passed everyone's favorite DC Bresnahan was left to his own devices with horrendous results.

All in all I thought 8-8 was good enough for Hue to keep his job given everything that had to be dealt with in one of the most bizarre seasons of recent memory.

That being said the more I sat back and thought about the situation as a whole the more I was fine with moving on and starting over again.

The team came out this season and looked like it was playoff bound then McFadden and Campbell go down in successive weeks. We make the big trade for Carson Palmer and then we suffer successive emberassing defeats at the hands of the KC and Denver and our playoff hopes looked to be dashed.

But then we come out blazing against SD and and go on a win streak once again looking like a team headed to the playoffs. But somewhere along the line it appeared Hue lost the team. The lackluster performances to close out the season say just as much.

I think Hue did a good job and he'll be a good HC somewhere someday but something had to have happened to this team in the locker room. Because in the final five weeks of the season this team looked totally flat and uninspired while fighting for it's playoff life.

So in other words. I liked Hue. I thought he was a good coach. But I am ready to move on.

A horror show ending.... But a new beginning

2012-01-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

After a promising start to the season where it appeared we were playoff bound for the first time in years it all came crashing down in the final five weeks.

And what a horrible five weeks it was. Two back to back blowout losses, a big meltdown at home with a two score lead and seven minutes to go, a fortunate squeaker against the Cheifs and an embarassing display at home against the Chargers in a game that could've clinched the west for us.

The season seemed to be derailed when first starting QB Campbell goes down in the first half against the Browns. And just a week later McFadden sprains his foot in the first quarter against the Chiefs. What followed was two straight embarrassing losses to division foes. But then Palmer showed signs of life and Bush appeared to be able to carry the heavy load on offense with consecutive wins at San Diego, at Minnesota, and then at home against Chicago.

Although all three wins were ugly and not impressive by any stretch it appeared the Raiders were on the fast track to the playoffs with San Diego collapsing, Kansas City free falling, and Denver being mediocre at best. But what followed that three game stretch just totally crushed any dreams of a division title. It was possibly the worst 5 weeks I've ever experienced as a Raider fan. Nothing more to be said than it was just a pathetic showing really and an embarrassing collapse.

But yesterday the Raiders interviewed Packers exec and former Raider Reggie McKenzie and this morning have reportedly hired him as the new GM. Reggie comes from a great system of drafting and developing players in contrast to a team who over the past decade or so relied heavily on trading for and acquiring free-agent veterans while filling gaps with rookies.

There's many questions to be asked. Will Reggie be hands on with the coach or let Hue make the decisions himself? Does he even keep Hue around or find a new hand picked head coach? And the QB situation. Does he let Campbell go? Or does he bring him back and have an open competition for the QB spot with Palmer?

There's many things to be done including making decisions on important upcoming free agents such as Bush and Branch. This will probably the most interesting off-season in decades. That's for sure.

Massacre on South Beach

2011-12-08T03:16:00.000-08:00

Not much to be said about last weeks game. Just pure utter destruction at the hands of the Dolphins. The Raiders were completely dominated in every facet of the game.

The offense was terrible. Bush couldn't get anything started and they only rushed for 46 on the ground. Palmer had one of his worst games as a Raider completing less than half his passes throwing a pick and his TD's and big completions coming when the game was already decided.

The receivers and TE's dropped some passes at critical moments. While the line failed to open up holes for Bush and protect Palmer. The team was also 2 of 11 on 3rd downs and that just isn't going to cut it.

The defense was torched by the run. Making Reggie Bush look like the perennial pro-bowler he was supposed to be coming out of USC. While Daniel Thomas had his absolute best day as a pro against our soft D. The defense couldn't get a stop on 3rd down to save it's life. And logic says if you can't stop a team on 3rd down while not being able to convert then you're definitely going to lose the game and the Raiders were destroyed.

There's not much to be said about this game other than it was a total disaster and it's apparent that all these injuries are starting to hurt this team.

Thank god for special teams.

2011-11-30T00:26:00.000-08:00

Well it wasn't the prettiest of games but it was a win. And there were three things Raider fans could be proud of at the end of the day.

One special teams was flawless Jano 6 for 6, Lechler was Lechler, and Hester didn't have a chance to be Hester. Two the defense was strong all day save for the last couple minutes of the game. Three and maybe the most important of all: Actual discipline and a limited amount of boneheaded penalties.

The offense struggled all game. And Palmer had a bad game but with two explosive weapons from the receiving corps out in Moore and Ford things should improve in that department so I'm not all too worried about that.

What was surprising was our inability to run the ball. It was clear that the Bears game planned to shutdown Bush and make the Raiders beat them in the air and they accomplished that. Bush averaged just a bit under 3 a carry and was held under 100 yards for the first time in a month.

The offensive line definitely didn't have their best game. Palmer was sacked a few times and they couldn't open many holes for Bush. They pretty much got pushed around by the Bears D-line all game. They have definitely got to get back to how they were playing before.

But at the end of the day Raiders scored the W and played a disciplined game penalty-wise. And as long as they keep racking up the wins then that's good enough for me.

A tale of two halves...... Again

2011-11-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

Raiders picked up a second straight win on the road in Minnesota. And for the second week in a row the Raiders almost blew a lead and failed to put away a game that should most definitely have been a laugher. Obviously this needs to change and quick.

The first half started slow. We had a three and out and let the Bears march down the field (With a referee escort of course but I'll get to that later) to Adrian Peterson untouched TD. But the D and the run game picked up the pace. A couple turnovers and scores later the Raiders were going into half time with a 24-7 lead.

With the beginning of the second half the game looked to be on it's way to being a complete rout but once again dumb penalties, mental lapses, and a few bad calls made this a game when it really should've never been one.

All the stupid penalties week after week is just killing me. I'll talk about the bad calls a little later on but we commit enough dumb penalties on our own to shoot ourselves in the foot. Nearly half of the Vikes first downs came out of Raider penalties. That is unacceptable no matter which way you look at it. In the past we've had great teams that could overcome all the penalties but this year we're just way too short handed due to injury to have that sort of margin for error. Basically these players need to clean it up or the best scenario I can see for us is a one and done playoff appearance.

Now about Hue's post game comments following the game: He definitely made some good points there were some terrible calls in the game and not only this game it's been going on for years.

The first one on Kelly was a joke. He was being blocked into the QB and had one hand free and brought down the QB without grabbing the face mask. Why that was a penalty I'll never know. Then that legal hit Curry put on that guy was deemed a personal foul hitting a "defenseless receiver" even though the guy turned around took a step and made a football move. And that face mask call on Branch was a joke. I've watched the replay numerous times and not once did Tyvon grab the guys face.

But when they flagged Bryant when he jumped on a Viking while he was being brought down that just took the cake for me. Especially when you take into account that Jared Allen did the exact same thing to Palmer early on with no flags thrown. If it was a personal foul then how was it not when the same happened to Carson? These refs are a complete joke and they never seem to hide their bias in any given game they officiate. That being said we committed more than enough dumb penalties on our own without any help from the officials.

The defense played well and won this game. Lito has been great coming in off the street to step in the starting role. He took great angles on balls and made things happen. I have a feeling when he knocks some of the rust off some of those tipped passes are going to turn into picks. And you gotta love those rushing stops he's made. The pass rush was strong bringing down Ponder 5 times and keeping the pressure all game. And my favorite whipping boy Giordano went out and had himself a game.

The offense was great in the first half, but slowed down as they got conservative in the second. Palmer has continued to improve going 17 of 23 with a TD to Schilens. Bush was consistent and was a dependable workhorse all game haveing another 100+ yard rushing game and pounding one across the goaline right through a Viking defender. The offense is still a work in progress but should be absolutely explosive when the weapons start coming back from the injured list.

Bottom line though the Raiders have got to address their penalty problem. I'm not talking about suing the league I'm talking about rectifying the ones they have control over and that's a whole lot. It's become the Raider way to have the league screw you but the last thing this team needs is to continue to screw themselves like they have. Until they address that problem they will not be a true contender for a championship. The talent is definitely there but the discipline needs to be enforced ASAP.

Much better.... But not there yet

2011-11-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

In a much improved showing across the board over the past few weeks the Raiders still showed their flaws. In a game that should have ended up being a blowout the Raiders made mistakes to keep the Chargers in the game. But the team seemed to get back on the path it was traveling following the unfortunate Campbell injury.

The biggest reason was our gameplan and return to the power running game. Michael Bush absolutely lit SD up and had a monster game on the ground and a big day receiving. I never understood why we got away from the run game which was our bread and butter all season. Sure we lost McFadden but the fact that we had a QB learning the offense and the best #2 back in the league in Bush we should've been pounding the ball the past few weeks. But it's over with we went back to playing towards our strengths and it payed dividends.

Carson Palmer continues to improve and he had a great day leading the offense. I felt he was impressive last week given that he's only been with the team a limited time but this week he was extremely good. Incredible when you take into account he's only been with the team for three weeks. He's really starting to show what he's going to be able to bring to this team for the next few years and I can't wait to see him next week.

We had another injury blow to our offense with Ford going down in the first quarter but Denarius Moore seemed to pick up where he left off back in week 2 and 3. He had a huge day catching five for 123 with two scores. He seemed to completely dissappear after the New England game but he had a solid week last week and kicked open the door this week. He has tons of talent and he's one of the best rookie WR's in the league at the moment.

The defense was hit and miss. While they looked much better with McClain back even though he looked like he was still hurting and tentative out there they were dominant at moments and at times looked clueless. More of the same I guess from what we've been seeing from this defense all year. At one moment they're locking down guys, pushing around the o-line, and harassing the QB while other times they're blowing coverages, over committing, and committing stupid penalties at inopportune moments.

They got to Rivers six times with Wimbley having a big day with 4 sacks while the front four brought the pressure all game making him look extremely uncomfortable all game. The corners played well enough especially considering all the injuries. But again the penalties kepte SD in the game and the LB's and safeties were a weakness at times.

But I was glad to see us commit to the run like we have for most of the season with success. The run game is this teams biggest strength whether it's DMC with his explosiveness or Bush with his strength. For this team to win we are going to have to make the run game our priority because when we can run the ball we win the game. It's as simple as that. I'm happy with the win and happy we're sitting on top of the AFC West but we're going to have to learn how to put teams away when we have them on the ropes and to pick our spots with the penalties if we have any ambitions of going anywhere this year. That being said I'm looking forward to seeing this team improve the rest of the year.

Defenseless!

2011-11-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

Where to start on another embarrassing week of Raider football? This past game don't deserve to be graded so I'll just rant for a while. Just an absolutely embarrassing display against an inept Denver team with one of the if not the weakest QB in the league.

I'll start with the defense. They did alright against the hapless Denver offense in the first half and then got totally owned in the second half. They had absolutely no clue how to stop that college play Denver ran multiple times with a lot of success.

And the penalties. God the penalties. As a Raider fan I've come accustomed to tons of penalty yardage but I can't get used to the brainless penalties we commit year after year. Grabbing the face mask of a running back who's already stuffed, pushing a media darling QB on the sidelines etc. are just inexcusable and boneheaded. Not much to say but poor play, poor coaching, and completely pathetic discipline. Bill Callahan said it best "We are the dumbest team in America.".

Now the offense showed some signs of life. Palmer showed flashes of what he's going to be capable of bringing to this team. Bush was solid and had a good game. I had no problem with the play but I question the play calling.

I feel we got too pass happy. We had a 10 point lead and we should've been pounding the ball with Bush and controlling the clock which has been our bread and butter for the past couple years. I don't know why we're getting away from that now. Especially with a QB that's still learning the offense and getting acclimated to the players.

Just a horrible day for Raider nation. We've basically got blown out by team weak teams in our last two. The team especially the D should be hanging their hands in shame right now.

Campbell was an important part of the offense

2011-10-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

I read and follow many Raider blogs and have always been dumbfounded by the fact that a portion of the fan base couldn't embrace him as our guy no matter how solid his play was.

"He's just a game manager.", "Any QB could do his job.", "We'll never go anywhere with him as our QB." Just a couple of the statements I've seen posted numerous times around the blogosphere that always stood out to me.

I've even seen a few people with the silly idea in their heads that there wasn't much of a drop off between Campbell and Boller. I'm pretty sure that the select few with that misguided opinion have changed there minds about mid-way through the first quarter if not on the first series of last weeks abomination of an offensive showing.

What has always been clear to me and what should now be clear to the undecided portion of the "Raider Nation" is that Campbell no matter what his future with the team is was a big part of this franchise's turn-around from the humiliating years following our AFC championship season.

He's a smart QB who rarely makes dumb decisions. That may be the reason he wasn't accepted as our QB by some. Some people want a gunslinger type QB who throws down field and makes the occasional stupid decision. Personally I think a guy like Campbell fits this team rather than a Favre type QB. We have a very special back in DMC and I'd take the conservative QB over the gunslinger who both wins and loses games for us any week of the season.

He may not be a hall of famer, but he was as solid as they come. Sure he's not Tom Brady or Drew Brees but you'd think all of us in Raider Nation would respect a guy like JC when we had to sit through crap like Walter, Russell, and see JC get benched for a career back up like Gradkowski who went on to lose the few games he played and look sub-par. What this franchise needed was QB stability and like him or not you have to respect the fact that Campbell gave us that.

I can't help but feel for the guy as I realize he just may be the most unlucky guy in the NFL. He's a class act and has handled everything in Oakland as such and you hate to see a guy like that lose his job the way it seems he's going to lose it. But I can understand the move. Finishing the season with Kyle Boller leading the way is basically throwing in the towel and looking forward to next year. We had to make a move and Palmer was easily the best available guy.

Campbell is a solid QB, a class act, and I wish him the best wherever he may go. Except for when he plays against the silver and black.

Embarrassed: Week 7 grades

2011-10-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Amid all the drama and hype surrounding the QB situation the Raiders forgot there was a football game scheduled for Sunday. At least that's the way things appeared against the Chiefs. The Raiders were outhustled, outplayed, outcoached, and just flat out embarassed by a lowly Chief team.

The passing game was horrendous and along with Hue's gameplan and play-calling possibly the biggest reason for the defeat. You're not going to win many games while throwing 6 picks including 2 pick 6's. The QB's played horrible, and the receivers minus DHB played uninspired.

Pass Offense F

The run game did alright despite losing McFadden early in the 1st quarter. Bush ran for 99 on 17 carries but couldn't punch it in on 4 straight tries on the goal line. Taiwan Jones added 18 yards on 3 carries.

Rush Offense C

Matt Cassell was held to 160 yards and two picks. Van Dyke had the best game of his young career with a pick. Free agent pick up N'Dukwe added an INT of his own.

Pass Defense B+

The run defense gave up two TD's with Battle leading the way with 76 yards on 16 carries. KC picked up 139 on the ground averaging 3.6 yard per rush. Despite the two TD's the run defense played very well considering the Raider QB's kept the Raider D on the field for large periods of time.

Run Defense B-

Hue Jackson in my opinion had his worse day as the HC and play-caller. His decisions on the teams lone goal-line offensive stand was head scratching to say the least. Not to mention his decision to have Boller throw down the field from the get go. Nor his strange trick/QB sneak with Pryor call on 3rd and 1 which caused a penalty which then led to Boller's first pick 6. Hue's decision making left much to be desired.
Coaching F

Campbell out, Palmer in

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Alot has changed in Raider nation within a span of a couple days. Campbell went down on an season ending collar bone injury against the Browns and the Raiders make a trade for Palmer shortly after. I have mixed feelings about the situation. While I love the fact that we got a pro-bowl caliber QB in Palmer; I hate to see a class act like Campbell lose his job the way he did.

I'm stoked the potential that comes along with acquiring Carson but we gave up a lot for him. Banking a first rounder and a second rounder(which turns into another first rounder provided we win in the playoffs) is a huge investment in a guy who's basically coming out retirement.

If he can play the way he did a few seasons ago it'll be well worth it but it's still a high risk high reward situation. The good thing is we got the best RB in the league in McFadden which should take a lot of pressure off his shoulders not having to carry the team and throw the ball 50+ times a game. I'm confident in the guy because he has a whole lot of talent but I think we overpayed for the man and this move is a huge risk and investment on a guy who's expected to learn the offense on the fly this season.

But the potential's there. We know he has the talent to be one of the best QB's in the league cause he's done it before. Add that to the fact that he's never had a run game behind him like we have in Oakland and the guy could work wonders for the team and take us to the next level.

And although I'm glad to have a guy who has the tools to be one of the league's best I hate to see Campbell lose his place the way he has. Jason Campbell has shown he was a class act and he's been through a lot in little more than a year with the team and took it all in stride. He handled the ridiculous QB carousel situation with Gradkowski last year like a true professional. He never cried nor complained and when he was called on again he came in and worked his tail off for the team.

And as far as Campbell it's just something you hate to see. The guy seemed to be resurrecting his career along with raising the franchise from the depths of the "QB who shall not be named" era. He made big improvements over last year and finally for the first time in his career was in the same offensive system for a consecutive season. For it to end the way it appears to be ending just seems wrong. But at the end of the day this thing is a business and Campbell is just a casualty of that fact. He's a talented QB and if Palmer works out for us he can start for a number of teams.

So that's the way I feel about the situation. Probably the most mixed I've ever felt about anything related to football. Sad to see the run of bad luck a class act like Campbell has had to endure his entire career, excited at the prospect of what Palmer could bring to this team, but worried about how big this risky investment is. That being said I hope our risk pays dividends and the Raiders return to where they belong.

Bittersweet victory: Week 6 grades

2011-10-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

The first home game since the passing of Davis was bittersweet in more ways than one. A day celebrating the accomplishments and accolades of a legendary owner while mourning his death and picking up a Raider victory while losing the starting QB for the season.

The passing game was smooth and efficient on the first drive. Campbell looked to be on his way to a nice day until a fumble on the next drive and a season ending collarbone injury the following drive after that. He was 6/9 for 52 yds on most likely his last day as the Raiders QB. DHB is continuing to mature having another solid day catching 6 for 82 yards. And Ford caught three for 43 yds. Boller started off poor but picked it up a little as the game went on. But for the most part understandibly looked like he wasn't on the same page with the receiving corps and couldn't sustain a drive.

Pass Offense C-

McFadden had a solid day picking up 91 on the ground including a first quarter TD on 20 carries. Bush did well in his new role as closer converting on short yardage situations other than a big 4th and short in the 4th quarter. Tonga got a first down on his first career NFL carry but all in all it was an unspectacular although efficient and while controlling the clock.

Rush Offense C+

The run defense had another solid week in a row shutting down the Browns ground game and holding them to only 65 yards on 21 carries for an average of 3ypc. Outstanding in every aspect and it's very promising to see the run defense pick it up these past two weeks.

Run Defense A+

Colt McCoy was pressured and knocked around all game completing only 46 percent of his passes for 215 yards. Giordano had a good day recording a sack and having another big hit on McCoy. Houston also picked up a sack on the day. A pretty good day for the Pass D despite giving up two TD's.

Pass Defense B-

Special teams carried the team for the second week in a row. Ford scored on an electrifying 101 yard kickoff return and had a solid 37 yard return on his other try. Jano put a 48 yard FG through the uprights, while Lechler put two punts inside the 20. Shane also a TD pass to Boss on a bold fake FG call. The return coverage was solid with the only real blemish was Cribbs 31 yard punt return.

Special Teams A

Hue Jackson did a pretty good job considering losing Campbell in the first quarter. He did make a head scratcher of a call in the 4th though going for it on 4th down instead of kicking a FG which would've put the Browns behind by three scores. Bres called a great game on D dialing up blitzes, keeping Colt McCoy on his back most of the game, and shutting down the Browns rushing game.
Coaching C+

Game balls

Offense Darren McFadden
Defense Rolando McClain
Special Teams Shane Lechler and Jacoby Ford

Raiders win one for Al: Week 5 Grades

2011-10-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

On an emotional weekend the Raiders and Texans went down to the wire. It wasn't great, it wasn't pretty but the Raiders won in the end which is all that matters.

Campbell started off bad, and the O-Line extremely leaky. But both picked up their play on the last drive of the 2nd quarter and kept up the pace. JC finished up 15-35 for 190 with 2 TD's and a pick. DHB had a big day with 7 receptions for 99 yards, with a huge play shedding a tackle and taking it in for the score making it a game again. Fords caught 3 and Schilens 2 including one for a score.

Passing Offense C-

McFadden was contained most of the game, with most of his big runs being called back via penalty. He picked up 51 on 16 touches. Bush picked up 9 on 4 carries. The O-Line struggled all game opening up holes and when they did they were penalized.

Rushing Offense D

Schaub passed for 450 while Foster and Dressen had huge days catching the ball. The corners played well but once again the LB's left much to be desired in coverage. That being said the D-Line stepped up putting pressure on Schaub and sacking him three times (including Seymour with 2) while Michael Huff had a game winning pick in the endzone as the final whistle blew.

Pass Defense C-

Arian Foster was shutdown. Picking up only 68 yards on 22 carries and outside of his 20 yard run did absolutely nothing on the ground. The run defense really stepped up this week and the D-Line was a huge part of it. Very impressive and I hope they can keep it up and play like that for the rest of the season as it's been a huge weakness up until last game.
Run Defense A

The special teams was flawless and was the difference in the game. Jano was special converting 3 50+ yard FG's. Shane punted 7 times average almost 50 yards a punt while the kickoff and punt coverage was surprisingly solid. And that fake punt in the 4th was huge.
Special Teams A+

Hue Jackson made adjustments when Houston shutdown the O in the beginning. And I loved the aggressive fake punt call in the 4th quarter, while the defensive gameplan by Bres was surprisingly impressive.
Coaching B

Game Balls
First and foremost Al Davis.
On offense DHB gets the nod.
On defense Richard Seymour.
Special teams no doubt goes to Jano.

The ultimate Raider passes on

2011-10-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

A sad day for the Raider nation. Legend, Maverick, Rebel, the ultimate Raider Al Davis passed away today. A great loss for football and for the silver and black. There is no Raiders without Mr. Davis. He created the brand, the mystique, and the persona of this franchise that is recognized across the globe. Without him the Raiders wouldn't be what they are.

He was a great evaluator of talent, drafting greats like Stabler, Woodson, Brown, Shell, Upshaw the list is endless. He could also see talent in veterans who were perceived to be on the downside of their careers or completely done altogether. His vision and knack for player evaluation made the Raiders a perennial contender and world champions three times. Building teams that hit harder, were bigger, stronger, and faster than the rest of the league.

He was a trailblazer of diversity. Giving opportunities to candidates who deserved a chance regardless of their race, color, creed, or gender. He hired the first Latino head coach who then went on to be the first minority head coach to lead a team to a superbowl championship. And under Davis the Raiders were also the first team to hire an African-American head coach, and a female CEO.

Davis was loyal to those he was close to and was intimidating to those who got on his bad side, creating the controversial persona that followed him the rest of his career. He was a players owner who guys loved to play and win for and the games greatest innovator. Al Davis was the most important man in the history of professional football along with his fierce rival commissioner Rozelle.

The sport lost one of it's greatest minds, characters, and villains today, and Coach Al Davis will be forever missed. The sport and the Raiders will never be the same again. But rest assured if there is a heaven up there Big Al will be looking down every Sunday watching over one of the greatest loves of his life. His Raiders.

D shredded: Week 4 grades

2011-10-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Raider defense seems to get worse and worse every week. For the 3rd week in a row the defense was absolutely destroyed up the middle. The offense moved the ball well but couldn't find the endzone.

Campbell looked good most of the game found open recievers and moved the ball well with the Pats zeroing in on McFadden. He only made two mistakes but those mistakes were very costly. Especially a pick thrown in the endzone on first and goal in the first half. That play changed the entire game as it was back and forth until that point.
Quaterback C-

McFadden had a big 40 yarder in the first half but ended up having an average day with the New England D focused on him. Bush punched one in and converted some short yardage plays.
Backfield C+

Boss and DHB had big days. Boss looks like he can be a huge weapon this year in the redzone with his big frame and sure hands. DHB made some great catches but has yet to show that he's willing to fight for the ball the way Moore and Hagan have. Hagan had 4 catches and Moore 3 including a TD late.
Receivers and TE's B

The defense was totally owned again. The front four were contained getting to Brady on only one occasion. Seymour was uncharacteristically undisciplined committing two personal fouls.
Defensive Line D-

The Linebackers were horrible for the 3rd consecutive week. Nothing to be said other than they are soft against the run and the pass.
LB's F

The safeties were shredded again, and along with the LB's have been the teams biggest weakness. Can't stop the run and horrible in coverage.
Safeties F

The corners were decent. Brady didn't have a record setting day through the air again like usual. Mostly because they found that they could completely run over the D more than anything. But Routt was solid and Chekwa played OK. The only headscratcher was why was Porter on Welker all game but that has more to do with coaching than the players.
CB's C

Hue called a decent game but should have been more agressive with the way the defense was playing. This team isn't going to beat a team like the Pats kicking fieldgoals. The defense was horrible and by now you have to question Bresnahan's ability. The defense has been in a freefall since last year but does it have more to do with a cupcake schedule compared to this year or did Marshall make that much of a difference. A fair question to ask.

Coaching D

Jackson's Bullies rough up the Jets: Week 3 grades

2011-09-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Raiders continued their display of explosive offense on Sunday against one of the leagues most dominating defenses. Running the Jets out of town before they could place their orders for a hot dog.

Campbell was intelligent and efficient all game. He managed the game flawlessly and made throws when he had to. He completed 66% of his passes in spite of Myers and Cartwright dropping easy passes that would've kept their respective drives alive on 3rd down. And the pass downfield to Bush on a broken play was a thing of beauty and a huge play which led to the team taking a 10 point lead late in the 4th. Campbell did exactly what was asked of him and he's looking like a pretty damn good QB so far in this young season.

QB B

The backfield was brilliant. 234 yards and 4 TD's on the ground against a formidable Jets D is about as good as it gets. McFadden led the way with 171 yards on 19 carries averaging 9yds per carry. Including an explosive 70 yarder which brought the team right back into the game. Bush punched one in and made a very important 28 yard reception just getting tripped up before he could take it to the house. Rookie Taiwan Jones even saw some action with a nice 8yd run down the sideline. All in all it was a great performance from the backfield even with Reece getting sidelined early.

Backfield A+

The offensive line has been solid all season and were fantastic against the Jets. Opening up holes for McFadden's big plays and doing a brilliant job of protecting Campbell all game. There was only one sack in the contest and that was when McFadden's feet got tangled up with Campbell's while putting on a block. Satele leveled Jets DB Leonhard on Moore's explosive reverse TD run and little Wiz put on a text book block on a leaping Bart Scott to allow Bush to punch one in untouched. All around great mistake free game from the line.

O-Line A

The receivers and TE's did their job when asked to. And laid down key blocks on running plays. Moore and Hagan did a good job of drawing PI's and holding calls on Cromartie which moved the chains downfield. Boss made his first reception as a Raider taking the ball down to the goal line on the games first drive. While Moore had another excellent day with 4 catches and a huge TD on a reverse. Schilens also caught 4 and Hagan made a big reception late in the game to move the chains.

Receivers B

The D-Line was solid and really stepped up the pressure in the second half. Making Sanchez eat Coliseum dirt rather than a hot dog this time around. Jarvis Moss had an outstanding day recording 2 sacks and tipping a Sanchez pass. Seymour and Kelly also joined the Sanchez sack party. They also did well stopping the inside runs.

D-Line B

The Linebackers had another shaky day. Wimbley had a sack and he and McClain broke up a couple passes but thats about as positive as this write up will get. LT torched the Raider D on pass plays numerous times and McClain missed him for an easy tackle that turned into a 70 yard passing play all the way to the Raider goaline in the 1st quarter. The LB's are going to have to step it up BIG time this year if we're thinking postseason.

Linebackers D

The DB's were hit and miss. Chekwa and a solid day breaking up passes and making two nice tackles. Routt did well in coverage when he wasn't hitting receivers in the face giving up an automatic first down. The CB's did well enough and I'm impressed with Chekwa. If Routt can clean up the bonehead penalties he seems to commit from time to time then he can really be a valuable corner for us.
Corner Backs C+

The safties were below average. Branch did OK and had a nice pick to kill a Jets scoring drive. But Giordano after having a solid game against the Broncos looked out of his depth against another AFC East team. He missed too many tackles and got fooled far too many times. I hope he can step it up until Mike Mitch and Huff return. Boyd was brought in and made a nice play on a ball, but overall the safety play left much to be desired.
Safties C-

Jano was 2 of 3 including a 54 yarder to tie the game before halftime and 49 yarder to make it a two score game with less than 3 minutes left in the 4th. Lechler had a bad day for him. He had one good punt inside the 10 but averaged only 39.8 per punt. The punt and kick coverage was awful as usual.
Special Teams C

Hue Jackson called a brilliant game on offense. He had the Jets on their toes all game and got the ball into the hands of the teams playmakers which resulted in some huge plays and yardage. I'm loving the plays he's been dialing up the past two weeks. The offense looked great in Buffalo and it was explosive today against an elite defense.
Coaching A

Offense does part but defense blows it: Week 2 grades

2011-09-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Great offensive display last week. Horrendous defensive showing. All adds up to the heartbreak which took place in Buffalo.

Campbell had one of his best games as a Raider. 300+ yards and 3 total TD's. He was efficient and made plays when we needed him to. In the second half when the Bills began to stop our run game Campbell stepped up and led the offense to two go ahead 4th quarter drives. Very impressive and I hope he keeps it up.

QB A

Denarius Moore was awesome in his debut and Hagan gave a solid performance. I think Campbell may have found two more receivers to go along with Ford as receivers he trusts enough to throw the ball downfield. Moore made two outstanding catches including a go ahead TD catch in traffic late in the 4th.

Receivers A

The O-Line gave Campbell time in the pocket and did OK blocking for the run game.

O-Line B

McFadden did well in the first half but struggled on the ground in the 2nd. He ended the game with 171 total yards and 2 TD's. One on the ground and one through the air. Bush punched one in in the first half and Reece made a couple nice receptions.

Backfield B

The defense was collectively horrible I won't even bother breaking it down.

Defense F

Hue Jackson called a great game on offense. But it seemed like no matter what Bresnahan tried from Zone, to man, to blitzing nothing worked obviously in the 2nd half. Don't know how much of the blame should be placed on him based on the piss poor execution by the D in the form of blown coverages, tons of missed tackles, a couple dropped picks and some bone headed penalties. But the coach should always shoulder some of the blame.

Coaching C-

The definition of ugly: Week 1 Grades

2011-09-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

Too many stupid penalties. Being a Raider fan my entire life I've had to deal with penalties for years and have come to be able to live with some of them. But what I can't stand is false starts on 3rd and short or personal fouls when the opponents offense is on their way off the field. It's just plain stupidity and inexcusable.

The offense other than McFadden and DHB was sub-par. We should've put the Broncos away before half time but couldn't put the ball in the endzone.

Campbell was tentative and played not to lose. Which I can live with because he's better than anything we've had since we lost Gannon. As long as he can make throws when he needs to and keeps us in a position where our backs can keep us ahead we'll be fine. But we'll need another QB if we want to be a serious contender.
QB C-

The run game won the game for us. McFadden showed he's as good a RB as their in the league. And Bush although starting off slow came up with some big rushes when it mattered to put the game away. Reece made some nice plays and a couple surprising blocks.
Backfield A

WR play other than DHB was nonexistent. Ford looks like his broken hand is still bothering him fumbling and bobbling a McFadden pitch. We saw none of Moore (save for the negated end-around) or Schilens.
WR's D-

The O-Line other than the penalties impressed me. They gave Campbell sufficient protection and opened up holes for the run game most of the time. But again a few costly penalties downgraded their rating imo.
O-Line C+

The defense played ok besides the mental lapses which led to penalties.

Safety play was good. It looks like Giordano may turn out to be an upgrade over Brown.
Safeties B

The D-Line did well against the run. The pass rush although pathetic in the first half picked up in the second half and when it mattered in the 4th.
D-Line B-

Routt and CJ were adequate. Didn't get burned and weren't beaten too often. Were victims on a couple BS PI calls in my opinion.
CB's C

LB's played ok. Other than the blown coverage on the first play of the game Groves was surprisingly decent. McClain and Wimbley did what was asked of them.
LB's C+

Jano was perfect and was good from 63 tying the NFL record. And Lechler was great as usual.

Specialists A+

The special teams gave up a punt return that put Denver right back into the game and were generally sub-par.

Special teams D-

Hue was ok. He out-thought himself a couple times especially with that head scratching wildcat call on 2nd and 1 in the 1st qtr. Or the three consecutive pass calls after making it to the Broncos 6. But I'll think he'll be fine with some more experience and could stick around longer than any HC we've had since Gruden.
Coaching C

Did enough to win but should've done much better against an opponent like Denver who was basically handing us this game. But still a better season opener than we've had in recent memory.
Overall C-

What the?!?!.......

2011-03-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Al Davis went on an off season spending spree. So what else is new? Richard Seymour's contract was extended two years for $30 million $22.5 of it guaranteed. In my mind that signing is worth it. Seymour is an impact player and

He also re-signed Henderson for $4 million or $8 million over two years (depending on the source) which is a bit pricey either way for a player who's oft-injured, but I can live with it. If Big John can stay healthy it could turn out to be a good signing.

The moves that got me were the contract given to Routt and franchising Wimbley. I have no problem with bringing them back because Routt is a serviceable CB and Wimbley's a great pass rusher but too much was given to them.

Routt was given a huge 3 year $31.5 million contract. In my opinion he's an averge CB and in no way deserves to be getting what the top corners in the league get. He's not a playmaker, and he gets beat too much.

Wimbley on the other hand was franchised and stands to get paid $10 to $12 million next year. Great pass rusher but average in every other aspect of the OLB game. He improved defending against the run but he's not worth what Al is going to pay him.

I have no problem bringing Routt and Wimbley back. Losing either one of them may have hurt the team in the long run. But at best they're worth maybe half of what they're going to be paid.

Raiders bring back Woodson

2011-02-15T06:28:00.000-08:00

Football legend Rod Woodson is returning to Oakland. He'll be a defensive backs coach mostly working with the corners.

“It’s an honor to be back with the Raiders and be able to talk to Raider players about true football, I’m looking forward to working with the organization and the challenges of the 2011 season.” He said.

One of my favorite Raiders even though he was only with the team for two seasons. Rod was the type of defensive back the Raiders were famous for, a play maker that could crack you. It's been a while since the Raiders had anything like that and it'd be great if he can instill that into the young DB's on the team.

I'm really liking the coaching staff that's being put together this offseason. And if Rod's half as good at coaching as he was on the field then this is a great hire.

Wiz back in black.

2011-01-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

Steve Wisniewski is back with the silver and black. He was added to Jackson's staff today(Thursday) as asst. offensive line coach.

A true Raider legend and one of the greatest guards in the history of the sport. An eight time pro-bowler named to the all decade team of the 90's. He certainly has a lot he can teach the young Raiders offensive line. It'll be great to see him work with young guys like Veldheer and Campbell.

"I'm back to my first love, the Oakland Raiders and working with the offensive line, I’m a Raider for life. I can help in technique, help in mindset and attitude and really push these young men to develop and to be the heartbeat of the team." Wisniewski said via the Raiders website. Adding "I’m thrilled to be working in the building again for the Silver and Black and helping to shape the future of the offensive line. " He replaces Chris Morgan, who was informed by Jackson last week that he won't be back next season.

DW

My end of the year Raider awards.

2011-01-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

Offensive MVP: Darren McFadden - No brainer here. The most explosive and productive offensive player on the team. Finally living up to the hype putting up 1500 all purpose yards and 10 TD's in 13 games. Led the league in 20+ yard runs becoming the playmaker everyone thought he'd be when he was taken 4th overall in the draft.

Runner-up: Zach Miller

Defensive MVP: Nnamdi Asomougha and Richard Seymour - I couldn't separate the two. Neither put up huge numbers but both provided leadership and had a major impact when they were on the field. Nnamdi locked down his side of the field as usual, while Seymour made some big stops and drew double teams creating openings for Tommy Kelly.

Runner-up: Tommy Kelly

Rookie of the year: Jared Veldheer - He had a shaky start when it was decided he'd be the starting center on opening day even though he last played the position in highschool. But he bounced back and finished the year as a dependable starting LT. And as a 3rd round pick he's looking like an absolute steal.

Runner-ups: Jacoby Ford and Rolando McClain

Comeback player of the year: Tommy Kelly - A lot was made of his big contract and his lack of production over the last couple years. But Kelly came into training camp in the best shape of his life ready to play. And this season he didn't disappoint doubling his average sack total for the prior 6 years and play better against the run than he has since 06.

DW

Tim Brown Highlights

2011-01-21T12:09:00.001-08:00

Great vid of Mr. Raider Touchdown Timmy Brown.

The Jackson era begins.

2011-01-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

On Jan 18th a new chapter of the Oakland Raider saga began. Al Davis chose to cancel his cable subscription and go in a different direction. Naming Hue Jackson the 17th coach in franchise history.

Credited for turning around an offense that was at best abysmal in 2009. Jackson helped the team improve to 10th in total offense and 6th in points during the 2010 season.

The offensive production was there and Jackson has paid his dues in the league but the question asked by some is "Can he be a headcoach?". In my opinion he's shown he can lead men. And although his playcalling abilities were shaky towards the beginning of the season; He seemed to find some rhythm and mixed it up well when he got acclimated to the team and their strengths.

This was the best option in my opinion even if Harbaugh was considered a candidate. If you're gonna let Cable go then this is the direction you need to go. He was offensive playcaller and the players got to know him. As smooth a transition as you can get given the circumstances.

Along with the continuity he brings I like his fire and attitude. Watching the press conference I couldn't remember feeling that impressed or excited about a new coach since watching Gruden being introduced as head coach back in 98. He mentioned Jon as someone who shaped him into the coach he is today.

Hue also seems to share the characteristic of getting the best out of players.
Tom Cable was great at rallying the locker room and getting the players to play hard every Sunday, but that was virtually his only strength. The fact that Hue is a better tactician and a true X's and O's type of guy makes this an upgrade and a great move in my opinion.

So here's to Hue building that "bully" and putting us back atop the AFC West where we belong.

DW

The Autumn Wind is a Raider

2011-01-20T18:00:00.000-08:00