Bittersweet victory: Week 6 grades

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

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

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

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

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

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

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-