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Al Davis has has likened the 2010 Oakland Raiders team to the one which won the Superbowl in 1980 with Jim Plunkett leading the way.
Praise indeed.
It has to be said, for a 5-11 team the Raiders have a lot of sports writers (even ESPN!) singing their praises and predicting a Silver & Black revival.
But what can we realistically predict for the 2010 season?
Given the moves and acquisitions in the roster (not to mention some addition by subtraction), I think there are a number of conclusions we can come to with some degree of probability.
Here are my top seven, both good and and bad.
Review for Retention and Revitalization of the Oakland Raiders
Al Davis made a presentation at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in 2006. The win-loss record for the Oakland Raiders in that same year was four wins and 12 losses.
How do you think Davis feels now, having been given one of the highest honors in professional football (he was enshrined in 1992), yet his team had the worst win-loss record in a seven-year period? We look back, using hindsight.
Here is the data to remind you “how stuck on low achievement” this may have seemed to a lot of people:
Year Wins Losses
2009 5 11
2008 5 11
2007 4 12
2006 2 14
2005 4 12
2004 5 11
2003 4 12
I know of a professional educator who received all types of accolades in 1984. He was placed in a high school where the students did not seem to care much about pursuing excellence. He told the students, “A teacher is only as great as his students. If you are failing, then I am failing.”
The need to improve
This example points out the need for the Oakland Raiders to improve. They have got to do better in order to re-gain the integrity of the franchise. As there should be a correlation between an outstanding educator and outstanding students, so there also ought to be a strong connection between good coaching and good performance on the playing field.
There should be a very strong correlation between a good coach and a good team. If the Oakland Raiders are stuck on a win-loss record that cannot rise above five wins per season, then, as a joke, we could say, “It seems the team is stuck on low achievement.”
That is not acceptable. Here are the facts.
From 2003 to present, the Oakland Raiders have a bi-modal distribution in the win-loss category. There were three seasons with 5-11 in the win-loss category. There were three seasons with 4-12 in that same category.
Well, in a few more days, some choices will be made. If nothing more, we anticipate more than five wins per season. The pattern that keeps the Oakland Raiders stuck between only four or five wins per season has to stop in 2010.
We want to win in 2010! The Oakland Raiders must make a re-commitment to excellence.
What is the message in this bi-modal mess the Raiders have been wallowing in for seven years?
It is the message folks learn from the story about the donkey who fell in a well. The donkey was so deep down in the well, that the owner decided to bury him down there.
The owner kept dumping dirt or dung on the donkey. The donkey would shake it off and stand on the dung. Finally, so much dung was beneath the donkey that he stood tall enough to get out of the well.
Well, let’s get out of this well ’cause a whole lot of dung is being dumped on the Oakland Raiders and the Raider Nation.
And, we are ready to get out of this dung. A winning percentage ranging from 12.5 percent to at most 31.25 percent is not acceptable. The efficiency level (or winning percentage) should shift up to near 70 percent or 11 wins in 2010.
What is the message in the bi-modal mess? Get fired up and prepare to pass the test. Get more victories!
Go Raiders!
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From an average fan’s perspective, the Oakland Raiders victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night was hardly anything good. Your average fan would say, “They looked good on defense but didn’t do anything on offense until late in the game.”
However, those with a little more insight to Raider football saw a little more than that.
How much can you see in a preseason game where the starters barely played?
That depends on what it is you are looking for.
I saw the blue print to a return to Raider football.
What?
They didn’t look like world beaters out there on Thursday night.
Being a world beater isn’t what Raider football is. If that were the case, the Raiders only played Raider football three times in 50 years.
Raider football is a means to an end, not the end.
You need the means in order to get to that end anyway.
First, you need an identity.
What type of team are we going to be?
Then you need the blue print of how it’s going to be put together.
There are as many ways to build a Super Bowl winner and the Raiders have done it the same way in each of their three Super Bowl wins.
They had a smash-mouth defense that included defensive lineman that harassed quarterbacks. They had linebackers that hit anything that moved. Then there was the physical secondary, that included bump and run coverage.
On offense, it remains smash-mouth football with the power-running game. The running game is set off with a vertical passing attack that includes shots down the field on go routes.
Tight ends and running backs were always featured in the passing game as well.
Al Davis once said, “It’s about pressure football, not percentage football. We wanna be feared out there.”
I saw the identity of Raider football on display Thursday night.
The five sacks in the first half tell you that the Raider defensive line took control. The coverage sacks the Raiders had tell you what the secondary was up to.
Rolando McClain, Trevor Scott, and Kamerion Wimbley were around the ball a lot and physical. It was all according to the blue print that led Al Davis to bring who he has brought into Raider Nation.
McClain and Co.were brought in to help the Raiders stop the run. Lamarr Houston was brought in to do that along with helping Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, and Matt Shaughnessy harass quarterbacks.
The Raider secondary already was what it is with the best cover-corner in the game. Chris Johnson looks like he will rebound from getting picked on last year.
Tyvon Branch is a physical strong safety looking for his first Pro Bowl. Michael Huff is a talented free safety that broke through last year and looks to break out this year.
On offense, Michael Bush started the game running the ball with authority. Michael Bennett then took over the running duties and was effective doing so.
The deep ball was another part of Raider football that was in the mix Thursday night. Both Jason Campbell and Kyle Boller had a few near misses to Louis Murphy and Nick Miller.
But they all missed!
What does that matter?
First off, those were some very near misses. An average fan just thinks of it as a miss but those in the Raider war room see those near misses as plays they will eventually connect on with more practice.
The play where Louis Murphy had his man beat and Jason Campbell led him just out of bounds was especially big. It was a hairline miss that establishes that Murphy is a deep threat that the Raiders will take their shots with.
The Raiders saw a lot of eight and nine in the box last year so they sent a message to the NFL with those deep balls. Of course they won’t take that many shots in such a small amount of time when the season starts but it shows what they plan to do.
Notice how the Raider’s near misses down the field led to an effective running game. The Oakland Raider identity is to make those two ingredients go hand and hand this year.
Al Davis has philosophical continuity in the offense with Hue Jackson as his Offensive Coordinator. He brings a vertical offense from Baltimore, with 20-yard outs, digs, and comebacks.
Jackson obviously doesn’t have a problem taking shots down the field with go routes either. Therefore, he won’t have to worry about the red phone that Warren Sapp spoke of ringing.
Campbell is the big-armed quarterback they need to chuck it down the field. Should he miss time, the Raiders have another cannon-armed quarterback in Kyle Boller, so there will be no change in strategy.
Chaz Schilenz, Murphy, and Darrius Heward-Bey are in Raider Nation to lead the fleet of fast receivers. Yamon Figures, Nick Miller and Todd Watkins give the Raiders depth in the deep threat category.
Zach Miller is a rising star of a tight end and figures to break out this year. The Raiders usually have one of those to use in the vertical game to check down to.
Darren McFadden will also be an option in the passing game as many Raider backs before him have been. His speed and hands give the Raiders many options of how to use him in the passing game.
If running all day is what they want to do, McFadden will have Bush to share the load with. Micheal Bennett will be on stand by if more help is needed.
The offensive line is really the only unit that has questions attached to it. Center and right guard looked to be the real questions on that offensive line.
Jared Veldheer looked very good at center as did Bruce Campbell at guard. If they could play that well against starters, the offensive line in suddenly much better.
Mario Henderson is the make or break piece to that offensive line. The vertical offense the Raiders run will need Henderson to hold his block a little longer for the receivers to break open.
Raider Nation hopes he can return to his 2008 form.
The only prediction I have for the Raiders is better than last year. How much better depends on how well and how soon all the new parts come together.
One thing is for sure.
The Raiders have their blue print and identity in place.
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We all know what happened during Lebron’s one hour special called “The Decision”, yet what is it that got him to go to Miami? It was the other superstar he once played with during the Olympics telling him that they just needed a couple more pieces and they all could get some Championship rings. Dwyane Wade was behind the scenes making phone calls and trying to create a championship team overnight.
So what does this have to do with football? Richard Seymour could become this type of guy for the Raiders in the next offseason. A bevy of Patriots players will be in free agency next year, and who’s to say Seymour couldn’t convince them to join him in Oakland to turn this team around.
Seymour is a consummate professional, so there is no doubt in my mind he would be willing to make the calls and recruit for the Raiders, yet the major question is who would be on the other line?
I believe that he would call up the guys he tried to beat in practice every day, two guys who are on the other side of the line. Those players are Logan Mankins and Matt Light, two great offensive linemen who the Patriots seem fine with letting go.
Raider fans realize the offensive line is one of the most unstable components on the team, and I’m sure Al Davis and the Raiders realize that as well. Yet, if the Raiders were to get these two players then the line would be tremendously improved and could lead to a resurgence in the offense firepower the team formerly had.
Mankins has recently stated that he wishes to be traded and that the Patriots have lost him for good, so obviously he is not going back to the Patriots. Al Davis, despite the media hating it, loves to pay players who perform well. Mankins could realize this and realize that the Raiders are turning their team around and either demand to be traded to the team or wait until the offseason to be swooned by teams. Either way, if Mankins was on the team the offensive line talent would improve dramatically.
Matt Light is an older player, yet still has what it takes to be a great left tackle in this league. The Patriots probably won’t re-sign him mostly due to the fact that Tom Brady is up for a new contract in the same offseason. Brady will take the majority of the money and Light will take his walking papers. If Light were on the Raiders he would not only protect Campbell’s blindside, but also teach Bruce Campbell and Veldheer how to become great offensive linemen.
If Seymour could recruit these players to come to Oakland the offense would see a miraculous turnaround. Jason Campbell and his strong arm would have more time to find our speedy wide receivers streaking up the field and our running backs would have bigger holes to sprint through. The talent level on the line would be no question, the only question I have is would there be any offensive line with better beards then Gallery, Light, and Mankins?
Let me know what you think Raider Nation! Comments are always appreciated!
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When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant with the 24th pick this past April, sitting in my living room all I could think is “Wow, they got one hell of a player at that spot in the draft.”
Bryant’s been the subject of plenty of media attention this offseason, from his early contract signing when he appeared hold-out prone, to his refusal to carry pads as a rookie punishment.
Also, who could forget the question posed by Dolphins’ general manager Jeff Ireland during a pre-draft team interview: “Is your mother a prostitute?”
However, his best press has been due to his outstanding ability on the field, and his cool demeanor off of it. Could he have snapped at reporters when asked about the prostitute question? Surely. I know I may have.
And his work ethic and dedication to being the best wide receiver on the Dallas Cowboys has been just as consistent as his off-field handling of the press.
That’s a tall order, considering he’s playing with Miles Austin, Jason Witten (the best receiving tight end in the NFL), and former no. 1 receiver, Roy Williams, along with solid receiver Patrick Crayton.
He’s shown the ability to quickly pick up the playbook, and his development into the true No. 1 receiver he projects as shouldn’t be too long.
Meanwhile in the NFC, there’s another young stud wideout in San Francisco, and that man is Michael Crabtree.
He’s done great for the 49ers, although they started their relationship a little rocky. Crabtree wanted top five money, even though he was drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. You don’t just come into the NFL demanding you get paid differently than your slot in the draft dictates.
Eventually, the ‘Niners and Crabtree found a middle point and got him on the field, but it took until November 25th for him to get his first start in a game.
Crabtree’s numbers in 11 games last season were pretty decent considering his lengthy holdout: 48 receptions, 625 yards and two touchdowns.
Crabtree versus Bryant should be interesting to see over the next 10 years. Here’s an early breakdown:
Speed
Crabtree has the speed advantage over Bryant, and uses that against slower DBs to get downfield and open for a catch. Bryant’s lack of elite speed is made up for though.
What he lacks in speed, Bryant possesses elite level acceleration to get to his top speed, and his power off the line of scrimmage will be intimidating corners for the next 10 years. I’d like to see a in-his-prime Al Harris play bump-n’-run coverage on the line against Bryant. He wouldn’t need to use speed to make his move, he’d be physical enough to push Harris back and cut up the field to get open for a big play.
In total, Bryant’s speed may not be that of a Crabtree or a Desean Jackson, but his “just enough” speed, coupled with his 5 yard contact skills makes him deadly off the line.
Physicality
Now this is rather difficult to determine, but I’ll lay out how I value “physicality”: the receiver is able to break the bump-and-run style of coverage off of the line of scrimmage, as well as their ability to get past linebackers and safeties over the middle while making the catch and completing their route.
In this category, I’ll split it 50/50. Crabtree’s the better route runner, but Bryant is more of a physical receiver using his 6’2″, 225-pound frame to his advantage mowing down corners and fighting off safety coverages as he goes up for the catch.
However, where Crabtree excels and is better than Bryant, is route running. Be it a wheel route, or a go route, or an in, you can safely bet that Crabtree will be where you need him when you plant on your five-step drop.
At times at Oklahoma State, Bryant wasn’t the most consistent route runner on the field.
Like I pointed out though, it’s pretty much tomatoe/tomato here. If you prefer a route runner, Crabtree’s your man. If your team is looking for a dominating, truly physical presence in the middle of the field, Bryant’s your selection here.
Route Running
I won’t break it down here, as I pretty much laid that out in the previous section. In recap, Crabtree’s a better route runner.
Field Awareness
To quote Al Davis, “You can’t teach speed!!”
However, with that speed, it’s nice to have a decent football IQ to go with it.
Crabtree and Bryant are pretty equal in this regard. Both have done well in picking up their playbooks (although Crabtree now has an extra year under his belt). However, Crabtree’s routes are more crisp, and he’s less likely to get lost on “Revis Island,” for example.
I’d be inclined to give Crabtree the edge, but as Bryant develops over the years, he should narrow the gap and become an elite receiver just the same.
All Around
Now, I’m not one to pick a side when setting the table for a debate on B/R, but my long-term money is on Bryant.
Your speed will eventually fail as you grow older in the eyes of the NFL, but your strength can be maintained well into your mid-30s. Bryant is less polished right now, but he’s like a classic muscle car.
You can’t help but tune him up and have a machine-like receiver in your garage, or, offense.
Now, B/R readers, I leave it to you: Who’s your pick?
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