Sunday Night Dud: Raiders Stagnant vs. Redskins

Welcome to an impromptu recap of last night's game where the Raiders didn't look their best in front of a nationwide audience. Derek Carr throws for 2 INTs as the Raiders get crushed by the Redskins 10-27 behind Kirk Cousins' 3 TD game.

Listening to a very melancholic Greg Papa on 95.7 The Game while at work is not always a good thing. This was a terrible game overall by the Raiders. The fact that they were down 0-21 against a very short-handed Redskins team spoke volumes that this team got punked around last night. It was like the Raiders of the last 14 years came back to life and took the souls of this team. Pathetic performance all-around. The other fact that this game was nationally televised, the verdict is in and America and the rest of the world are not convinced that this Raiders team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender after this shellacking. 

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There were not a lot of positives to point out of this game. There are highlights though. Cowser's two fumble recoveries that helped the Raiders get back into this game for a bit. Khalil Mack's 2nd sack this season. Jared Cook's TD to end the depressing shutout. But other than that, there was not a lot of major positives to point out of this game.

(-)

The entire offense. From top to bottom, the offense deserved a big fat negative after this game. As mentioned Derek Carr threw 2 INTs to start. The offensive line gave up 4 sacks. The receivers were a non-factor. The running game was a non-factor. I'm looking at the stats sheet right now on Yahoo Sports, the offense only managed 128 total yards compared to the Redskins' 472 total yards of offense. For a team that was leading in scoring, that performance was beyond pathetic. I looked at Carr's INTs in the highlights. The first one looked like a lame duck to Cooper. The ball hung in the air for a long time and the Redskins' secondary took advantage of it and made a play. The 2nd one was all Carr. Seth Roberts was almost double covered on that 2nd INT. That was a pretty bad decision on Carr's part. I don't know if it was the National Anthem protest, but the entire offense didn't play like a unit. Too much miscommunication between Carr and the Receivers and the O-line was inexplicably getting beat and not doing much to get the run game going.

Sean Smith. Vernon Davis is not the player he once was. Last night, he beat Sean Smith like a bush twice. I'm sorry, if you get burned by a past-his-prime Vernon Davis, that is embarrassing. When the Raiders got Smith last offseason, I had high hopes for him. I really did. I saw from a knowledgeable poster in Raider Nation forums that Smith only played 3 snaps last night. At this point, it is countdown to the end of the season when the Raiders can finally release without adding dead money to the salary cap.

David Amerson. Amerson continues to regress since he got that extension. I mean this game was the game where you show up your old team. And after this game, Amerson just proved the Redskins right in releasing him two seasons ago. The most noted lowlight in this game from Amerson was that he got absolutely "Moss'd" by Josh Doctson on the Redskins' third TD of the game.

MVP

James Cowser, 3 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries

Cowser was one of the lone bright spots this game. He kept the Raiders alive by recovering a pair of fumble recoveries both on Special Teams and Defense. In a game where nobody deserves MVP, I gotta thank Cowser for at least giving the Raiders a pulse in which they were pretty much dead throughout the game.



Conclusion

Well, the silver lining from this loss is that it's better to get punched in the mouth now while it's still early in the season. It also reminds the Raiders that they're still a young team. 2-0 to start, confidence is riding high. The team feels as if they're on top of the world, then they get hit by reality with the loss. The loss last night should serve a reminder for the Raiders to respect every team they face from here on out. There are no "gimmies" in the NFL. The Raiders will look to rebound next week in a very critical divisional game early in the season. Von Miller, the "No Fly Zone" unit of Talib and Harris, and the rest of the Broncos defense are always a tough test. The Broncos clearly took advantage of Carr's injury the last time the Raiders traveled to Denver. With Carr back, expect this to be another chess match because this team matches up well with the Broncos with all their pieces in place. I'll be back to provide another recap like this next week. But after Week 4, it'll be back to Open Thread and Full Recap posts. I'll see you guys later. 

Raiders Throttle Jets for 2-0 Start Since 2002

Welcome in Raider Nation to a impromptu recap of the Raiders' week 2 matchup vs. the New York Jets. And just by the score above alone, it feels damn good to be a Raider! The Raiders put the clamps on the Jets. They put up six touchdowns en route to a 20-45 victory at the "O" to go 2-0 since the Super Bowl season in 2002.

I said in my last post that the Raiders should be able to win against the more inferior Jets team by two or three touchdowns. And the Raiders did exactly that today. Keep in mind, I was at work today, but I did as best I could to try and keep track of the game. When I checked the score on my lunch break, Derek Carr just put the Raiders on the board for a two yard pass to Michael Crabtree for an early 0-7 lead. I did not check the game until two hours later. Luckily, I had a couple of Raider fans come into my store, especially one middle-aged guy sporting a Howie Long jersey. I asked him the score and he was generous to take out his phone and check Yahoo Sports or some other Sports app. NYJ 13 OAK 28 was the score late in the third. I was like "NICE!" On my last break, about an hour and a half later, I checked on my Yahoo Sports app to see that the score was NYJ 13 OAK 42 in the middle of 4th quarter. And my reaction was "Holy *bleep*!" In the stats section, I saw that Cordarrelle Patterson and Jalen Richard broke out big runs, Marshawn Lynch scored his first rushing TD as a Raider, and the Carr-to-Crabtree connection had the hat trick with 3 TDs. 

After my work, I sat down and looked at the full highlights. Based on observation, the game was a lot closer in the first half. The Raiders jumped out to a 14 point lead. But, the Jets creeped back into the game. David Amerson got beat on a Jermaine Kearse TD from Josh McCown. Catanzaro nailed a field goal to make it 10-14. The Jets had a muffed punt recovered by Johnny Holton. And without question, I'm sure that was the play that swung momentum completely in the Raiders' favor. After that Jets' fumble, the Raiders outscored the Jets 10-31 throughout the remainder of the game and that's how the final score got here, 20-45. Raiders improve to 2-0 while the Jets drop to 0-2.

*Before I get to the positives, negatives, and MVP, I will try and provide as much insight as I could through the stats courtesy of Yahoo Sports.*

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Rushing attack. Hands down, this was a well-rounded performance from the ground game. Jalen Richard, 6 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD. Cordarrelle Patterson, 3 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD. Marshawn Lynch 12 carries for 45 yards and 1 TD. DeAndre Washington with 20 yards on 6 carries. The big time highlights from this category were Patterson's 43 yard TD and Richard's 52 yard TD. As much as we can talk about Lynch's first TD as a Raider, Patterson and Richard made the Jets' run defense wondering "where'd they go?" On Patterson's run, the Jets were ready for the gadget play. They had two linebackers ready to shoot the gaps, but Osemele and Hudson with good pancake blocks upfront to give Patterson an opening and it's off to the races. Richard's run was a lot tougher. The Jets already closed out on him for a possible loss of yardage, but Richard just used his speed and shiftiness to elude them and he was off to the races. Those were big time run plays that ignited this rout.

Michael Crabtree, 6 receptions, 80 yards, 3 TDs. What has Crabtree proven these last two games? He still has one of the best hands in the league and is a very reliable target for Derek Carr and the Raiders' offense. Again, some bagged on him last season for a lot of drops. But, no broken finger this time and King Crab still makes play after play.

Derek Carr, 23 of 28 passes, 230 yards, 3 TDs. I can't diagnose Carr's play that much, but based on numbers, Carr had another efficient game and of course, the aforementioned TDs to Crabtree. This was another day in the office for Carr.

Gareon Conley, 3 tackles, 1 pass defensed. Here is the man of the hour. We've expected the debut of the Raiders' new first round pick and based on what I'm reading from SF Gate's article, Conley had a good debut for a relatively small sample size. Conley only allowed one pass thrown to him. We figured that since Conley was making his debut, McCown and the Jets' Receivers were going to pick on him. But, on his first defensive play, he was able to swipe a deep pass away from McCown to Kearse. I think Conley got beat initially and recovered quickly. After that, they didn't go to him. Guess he earned the Jets' respect after that play. Not bad for a rookie who missed all of preseason. Conley will get tested more against better receivers as the season progresses, but this game was a good confidence builder.

Karl Joseph, 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble. If there's indication that Karl Joseph is healthy, look no further than the first two weeks of this season. Today, Kujo had a nice strip sack on McCown off a Safety blitz. Nice play from the 2nd-year Safety.

(-)

Penalties. I listened to Chris Townsend on 95.7 the game and the penalties were apparent again in this game. 9 penalties for 79 yards to be exact. Townsend made a point: anytime Jeff Triplett and his crew are officiating a Raiders game, for sure a lot ticky tacky penalties will be called against them. They were officiating this game today and of course, Raiders had more penalty yards than the Jets.

David Amerson. I noticed that he was beat twice by Jermaine Kearse in today's highlights. And Ronarks emphasized on Amerson's game today as well. He's really been inconsistent since Reggie gave him that extension after the 2015 season. He'll have some good games and some bad games. Today was considered bad game as he surrendered two of the Jets' TDs to the same man (Kearse). That's not good on Amerson's part. Hopefully, he has more incentive to play better next week on Sunday Night as he takes on the team who waived him two seasons ago in the Washington Redskins.

MVP

Michael Crabtree, 10 receptions, 80 yards, 3 TDs

I mean I gotta hand it to "Mr. Reliable Hands." King Crab has been nothing short of money for this receiving corps. King Crab = King Clutch.

Conclusion

Overall, this was what we expected from this game. The Raiders were suppose to dominate the Jets. They had all the talent. The Jets don't. And the Raiders have done a great job in exceeding those expectations. From late 2nd quarter to onwards, they put the clamps on the Jets and ran them out of the Coliseum. If you're a sports better, you gotta be happy. The Silver and Black came into this game as 13-14 points favorites. They sure did cover the spread. Next week the Raiders travel to Landover, Maryland next week to face the Redskins on Sunday Night Football. The Redskins are probably the most interesting team in the world. They start off the season slow, but when Kirk Cousins lights it up in a game, that's when Washington flips the switch. The Raiders should be wary of which Redskins team shows up. And on a side note, the Raiders will be reuniting on the field with two specific players on the Redskins. Obviously, one of them is Stacy McGee who signed with the Redskins in the offseason. The 2nd one? He was supposed to be the "chosen one" at quarterback until Reggie McKenzie shipped him to Seattle to make room for Carr in the 2nd round. And if you don't know who I'm talking about, then I'm sensing bandwagon. I'll be back with this type of recap next week. 

Addressing Jets-Raiders Week 2 Coverage

This is the dilemma of having a weekend job. The Raiders matchup vs. the Jets does not kick off until 1:05 PM Sunday afternoon. However, I'll still be on my shift and I don't clock out until 5:00 PM. By that time, the game is over. I could take the easy route and just provide a quick recap like I do during basketball season when the Lakers play. But, there's only 16 games in the NFL season. And unfortunately, I don't have DVR recording. So, here's what I'm going to do, I will still try to provide a thorough recap of the game. That means watch highlights and look at statistics. I'm going to add a 3rd option: finding out what happened in the game through the Raiders YouTube community. I'm gonna list some names here: rollercoasterfweak, Ronarks, Cameron better known as Raider Nation News, RAIDER John, Byron better known as Raiders_1995, and many other names. Let me clear the air here, I don't personally know them, they don't know me. But I've been following these guys for some time and some provide some great insights on how the game went, most of them banter or rant about a win or a loss. Also, some of them are entertaining when providing their recap. Personally if you guys ask me, I've been following 'Coaster's videos the longest. I may be wrong, but I think he's probably the longest tenured out of that bunch because he's been providing recaps for Raider games since the JaMarcus Russell days (shudders). And fun fact, I modeled the full recap format on this blog after 'Coaster's videos since he'd usually point out positives and negatives of the game.

So, if anyone's asking how long this is going to last? Luckily, my job is only going to jeopardize seasonal Raider coverage on this blog for just two weeks. If you ask "why's that?" That I can't disclose unless you guys PM (private message) me about it. But, I won't be out of action that long in providing open thread posts and full recap posts with my own insights on the game. So Jets-Raiders, Raiders-Redskins on Sunday Night, and Raiders-Broncos coverage are technically cancelled, but I'll find ways to find out what happened and provide some insights. This upcoming game against the Jets shouldn't be too difficult. Their front seven is still decent with Leonard Williams and Muhammad Wilkerson at the helm, but they are a huge mess on offense. They can't overlook this Jets team. The defense especially can not afford to make Josh McCown look like a Pro Bowl quarterback. This should a win by two or three touchdowns, blowout territory. As always, go Raiders!

Raiders Notch 3rd Consecutive Win in Nashville vs. Titans

Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders season opener vs. the Tennessee Titans where the Raiders beat the Titans 26-16. The Raiders continue to exert their dominance in Nashville and Carr edges out Mariota once again in what is a comeback game between these two young QBs.

Like I said in the 4th quarter reaction, this was a complete 180 over last season. The Raiders had to go for two to beat the Saints. But, today was just cruise control, especially down the stretch in the 4th. We have to remember, the last two Raiders-Titans matchups were decided by a touchdown or less and it came to the final possession. I was kinda uneasy heading into this game, but the way the defense played and how the offense was marching down the field ensured that this game did not come down to the final possession.

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Derek Carr, 22 of 32 passes, 262 yards, 2 TDs. Since it's now official, welcome back Derek Carr. I said in my preview, based on the preseason, Carr looked like he hasn't missed a beat and he has full reins on the offense. How it translated in the regular season, Carr made his return look effortless. He was sacked twice today. I'm sure we were holding our breaths when he was sacked two of those times. But, Carr managed to get back on top and come away clean and  lead the Raiders to their first win of the season. He's back baby! He's back.

Marshawn Lynch, 18 carries, 76 yards. Here's another guy who's back in the NFL. Sure, he did not get a welcome back TD, but Beast Mode has returned and is laying down defenders who get in his way. The Raiders brought him back to be that bruiser and the RB that'll get those yards in tough run situations. For a small sample size this game, it's safe to say that the Beast is back and is unleashed!

Michael Crabtree, 6 receptions, 83 yards. It's funny that we criticized Crabtree down the stretch for dropping a lot of balls. We tend to forget, he was playing with a broken finger. This is still the same Michael Crabtree who's more than capable of making the tough catches, the clutch catches. He reminded us of that today and that finger's 100% healthy.

Jared Cook, 5 receptions, 56 yards. When the Raiders get the Tight End involved, the offensive playbook stays open. Jared Cook gave the Silver and Black just that. I liked the way Downing got him involved early. He'll allow Coop and Crab to have their way and take the pressure off them. We saw a relatively small sample size today that Cook is going to be the Tight End that'll have this offense look unstoppable.

Giorgio Tavecchio, two 50+ yard FGs, 40+ yard FG, 20+ yard FG. We don't know when Sebastian Janikowski will see the field this season, but it seems that the Raiders will be alright at the Kicking position. There's definitely a lot of pressure on Tavecchio today. If he didn't make those field goals, it's gonna be all on him, especially if the Raiders lost this game. But how Tavecchio kicked today, let me put this out in honor of the late Stuart Scott, he was "as cool as the other side of the pillow."

Defense. This was our biggest worry heading into the season is if the defense will surrender a lot of yards/points. The way they didn't get off the field on third down this game exerted our concerns. I'm reacting like "oh no, here we go again." But after that hiccup, they held down the fort against a threatening, run-first Titans offense. From my observation, I liked the fact that the defense is shifting looks every time Mariota calls an audible. That's when you know that John Pagano is putting his blueprint on the D. If Ken Norton was running this solo like the last two years, they would've stood there like a statue and that would result in a lot of defensive breakdowns. But on defense, Mack shut DeMarco Murray down. Eddie Vanderdoes had a nice outing generating pressure up the middle.

Todd Downing. I made a bold statement in my season preview that Downing is already a better OC than Bill Musgrave. He was impressive today in terms of game plan and calling plays. No conservative BS to try and get the offense going, just attack, attack, and attack. Not to mention, Downing was going up against the legendary DC, Dick Lebeau today and he won. That in itself is impressive. He'll be going up against another one next week in Todd Bowles when the Raiders face the Jets. By the way, somebody should make some memes with Todd Downing with his sunglasses and his poker face expression. CBS showed a couple of that. That is the look of a young and confident OC!

(-)

Amari Cooper. Coop had a decent finish today with 5 receptions for 62 yards and he had that strong TD to open up the game. But, today just left us grasping for more from the him. On the Raiders 2nd possession, the offense was riding a lot of momentum after Lynch's 4th down conversion. On all three downs, the Raiders looked for Coop and he had a chance to haul in at least one. He's going up against Adoree Jackson, a rookie, he should take advantage of that and he dropped the ball on three tries. Coop dropped a lot of balls today other than that one sequence and we're disappointed. I'm disappointed since I wanted the Raiders to draft this guy. This season is the season he breaks out, but he still showing some of those dropped ball deficiencies since he came into the league.

Bruce Irvin's penalties. He would've fit right in if this was a Raiders team pre-Khalil Mack, pre-Derek Carr, pre-Jack Del Rio. Irvin made a silly error on the offsides penalty, but he slammed down Delanie Walker, which was unnecessary. It would've worked if the leagues was still in the 1970s, but Bruce Irvin as a veteran and Super Bowl champion is better than that. There was one instance where he could've downed Walker. It was just a silly 15-yard penalty that luckily didn't cost the game.

MVP

Giorgio Tavecchio, two 50+ yard FGs, 40+ yard FG, 20+ yard FG

Sebastian Jani-WHO? Like I said, if Tavecchio didn't kick well, the scrutiny is gonna fall on him and we'd be calling for Sebass to heal up faster. But, it didn't go that way! The Raiders might've found their kicker in the future if Sebass calls it quits.


Conclusion

Overall, great opening win from the Raiders. They remain impressive on the road. They're gonna need a lot of W's considering this is a much more difficult schedule than last year. The Raiders are going need to take advantage of the favorable schedule in the first 7 weeks. But, they got it done today, now onto the next one. They play the Jets next week. I think this is an early trap-game. The Jets are projected to go 0-16 this season, but this is upset territory here. But, if the defense plays like they did today and the offense cleans up a lot things after this game, they are going to blow the Jets out of the Coliseum. Unfortunately, I won't be around to cover this game, but I'll find a way to get my "two cents." I'll go into more details in the coming days before Sunday. Stay tuned. I'll see you guys later.

Week 1: "Carr-Mariota III" - RAIDERS @ Tennessee Titans 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread of the Raiders-Titans Week 1 matchup. As usual, leave comments below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

OAK 26 TEN 16


No heart attack needed down the stretch thank goodness. For the Raiders, there are still a couple of wrinkles to fix up, I'd write this in the books as a decisive win. Defense stepped up in the end despite the jitters to start. The offense is as advertised, but a couple of things to clean up. And the Raiders found a kicker to replace Sebass in the long term. Great win today. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

OAK 16 TEN 13

Totally forgot it was the end of the 3rd quarter. Follow my last comment about the defense holding and the offense stepping up to score and that's my reaction for this quarter. Head straight to the 4th.

Week 1: "Carr-Mariota III" - RAIDERS @ Tennessee Titans 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Football is back! This is the first half open thread and discussion for the Raiders' Week 1 matchup vs. the Titans for the third consecutive time in Nashville. Leave some comments below to share your thoughts on the game. 

Q2

OAK 13 TEN 10

Looks like we're not gonna miss Janikowski after Giorgio Tavecchio made that 52 yard field goal to end the half. Not bad for a guy who bounced around the league multiple times. Now, that the first half has ended, let's look at the two most vital sides of football. As I said in the first quarter, the offense is as good as advertised. They can drive down the field at ease and score at will. Marshawn Lynch and Jared Cook are making their presence felt. While we know what Lynch is capable of, Cook has kept the offensive playbook open. He's taking off the pressure of Coop and Crab and allowing them to eat. Crab had a couple of brilliant grabs. Coop had that strong TD to open game, he could've had a 2nd one if he grabbed one of the balls on the Raiders' 2nd drive. There's a couple of hiccups like that goal line drive on the 2nd possession and the O-line giving up 2 sacks on Carr. Interchanging Marshall Newhouse and Vadal Alexander at Right Tackle was a bad decision. Other than that, the offense is good as advertised. On the defensive end, we saw the 3rd down deficiencies on Tennessee's first drive. They had a couple of good stops on the first two downs, then they just gave up chunks on third down. They got better as the game went on, but how long the defense will hold on this bend-but-don't-break scheme is the question. Todd Downing's biggest question mark as an OC is if he can make in-game adjustments. The scoring has to pick up since Norton's defense will be bending all game long. The 2nd half open thread will open up shortly.

Q1

OAK 7 TEN 7

Well, that was not a good way to end the quarter with Amari Cooper having three chances to get into the end zone. But, the offense is as good as advertised, threatening to score on every possession. Now, how about the other side of the ball? Typical poor showing. They did well on the first two downs, but once third down hits, they fold like a chair. They could not get off the field if they can't make a stop on third down. Offense got stopped, likely settle for three. Defense has to put up a very good showing next drive.

Raiders 2017 Regular Season Preview - Super Bowl Contender-Worthy?

Raiders football is coming. Welcome, Raider Nation to the regular season preview post for the Raiders' 2017 campaign provided by yours' truly. As usual, I provide some storylines to look out for, the schedule breakdown, and give my overall thoughts on how the season will go.

2017 Raiders Offense - "The Greatest Show on Dirt"?

Unequivocally, this will be the strongest unit and the identity of this team. Last year, before Derek Carr got hurt, the offense proved that they can drive down the field and score regardless of what situation the Raiders were in, whether they leading or trailing. Most of the comeback wins last year, the offense orchestrated them, especially behind Derek Carr's arm. Before the injury, Carr was on pace for a 4,000+ yards passing and another 30+ passing TDs season. With the additions of Jared Cook, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Marshawn Lynch this offseason, this unit just got a lot stronger. The offense should easily be top 10 because they have 95% of the total package in making a very potent offense. What do the Raiders have currently before the additions? They have the 2nd best O-line in football. Donald Penn, Kelechi Osemele, and Rodney Hudson all the made the Pro Bowl. Gabe Jackson is seriously underrated and worth the $65 million contract extension he signed prior to training camp. They have two 1,000-yards receiving Wideouts in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree; the first tandem to accomplish a feat since Tim Brown and Jerry Rice. Now, the Raiders have a mismatch Tight End in Cook. Patterson is a deadly Kick Returner, but he has deep threat potential, which should benefit Cooper big time and allow him to be a movable "chess piece" and a matchup nightmare. And, they brought Beast Mode out of retirement. Despite the age concerns, Marshawn Lynch is an automatic upgrade over Latavius Murray. We saw in preseason that he could still find the holes and take on defenders after contact. Speaking of preseason, the first string offense has shown that they can drive down the field and be a scoring threat at will. Derek Carr looked like he hasn't missed a beat and even though it's preseason, Todd Downing is already a better play-caller than Bill Musgrave. Why? Because Downing is better utilizing the Tight Ends. I don't know if Musgrave had a grudge against Tight Ends. On every passing down, it is 3-Wide, pass to either Coop, Crab, or Seth and if they're covered well check down to Murray or Olawale. That's what made the offense semi-predictable. But, with the personnel they have now combined with Downing's ability to shake things up in the playbook and Carr having free reins to change plays, this offense should keep opposing defenses on its heels and keep them guessing. I liked the offense based on what I saw from the first string offense this preseason. This unit should have no problem obliterating opposing defenses.

Norton's Last Chance

The performance of the Raider defense since Ken Norton, Jr. was hired back in the 2015 offseason has been met with mixed to negative reception. In 2015, KNJ got a pass, given it was his first season calling plays and the defense stepped up down the stretch. Last year, the defense was supposed to be top notch with the additions of Bruce Irvin, Sean Smith, and Reggie Nelson. We were wrong. This defense got worse than expected, surrendering record-breaking yards and points last season. The only redeeming qualities they had was that they were 2nd in takeaways last season and Khalil Mack won Defensive Player of the Year. After last season's underwhelming performance by the defense, we expected Ken Norton, Jr. to be fired. There's a lot of evidence stacked against him: he's too overcommitted to replicate the Seahawks defense (Raiders do not have a fast, powerful D-Line, linebackers with insane close out speed, nor the Legion of Boom). He's forcing the Raider corners who are more suited to man to play zone. He's putting players in the wrong position (you're asking for a death wish if you put Sean Smith up against Brandin Cooks with no Safety help). He's not moving Mack around like a chess piece to exploit mismatches at the LOS. He does not blitz. And the one that really grinds our gears, his playcalling on 3rd and long situations do not account for the Tight End over the middle. We tend to point out it's the players who are making the mistakes, but the Defensive Coordinator has to share some blame too. How Norton still has the DC job is a miracle. But, he's on a really short leash with John Pagano on the coaching staff. Even though this is preseason, I have not been impressed with the defense in Norton's 3rd year. Jared Goff managed to pick the first team apart. The 2nd and 3rd team giving up last minute touchdowns, even though it is the 2nd and 3rd string, is not a good harbinger of things to come. I've read some articles and discussion on Raider forums that there's some clash of defensive philosophies between Pagano and Norton. Apparently, when the defense was showing blitz during preseason, that was Pagano calling the shots and there are footage of Norton on the sidelines who didn't seem too happy about the fact that the Raiders were showing blitz. If Norton wants to ensure he has a future on this coaching staff, he has to show us that he's willing to tweak the system to fit the personnel he has on the field. He's not in Seattle anymore! Let this sink in: Jason Tarver did more on defense with less talent than Ken Norton did with better talent. And if the defense continues to have a poor outing under Norton's watch this season, we won't be surprised if John Pagano takes over the defense sooner rather than later this season.

Proving that Last Year was no Fluke/Schedule Breakdown

Last season, the Raiders went 12-4, their first winning season in ages. They had a favorable schedule that got them there and a lot of the close they had tilted in their favor. Because of that, some might argue that last season was a fluke season. This season's presents a much tougher challenge for this young Raiders squad than last season. At the same time, it is a barometer to measure if the Raiders are primed for a shot at the Super Bowl. The Mexico City game against the defending champion Patriots is a barometer game. Sunday Night game in December against the Cowboys is a barometer game. But, there's something else that's a must if the Raiders want to get to that Super Bowl hurdle, let alone win the AFC West: they have to prove that they can beat the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs pulled a stunner last night in Foxborough. Kareem Hunt filled in quite well for the injured Spencer Ware and Alex Smith is looking to sling the ball more in a contract year. If the Raiders got at least one game against the Chiefs last year, they would've gotten the AFC West. But since 2014, they've pretty much got Derek Carr and the Raiders' number. I do not see the Raiders pulling off a sweep against them, but it is imperative that they get the W on the Week 7 game in the Coliseum on Thursday Night. The Chiefs are the team that stands in the way between the Raiders and a Super Bowl trip, followed by the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys. It is also imperative, that the Raiders start fast in the first six weeks. The Titans (though they got a little better), the Jets, the Redskins, Broncos, Ravens, and Chargers are all beatable teams and the Raiders have to take advantage of that as the schedule gets tougher after those opponents.

Conclusion

As I said in my last headline, the Raiders are going to have to prove that last season is no fluke. They will be in a lot of games as long as the offense drives down the field and score. As long as Derek Carr is upright, the offense will do those two objectives. It comes down if the defense can hold its own since they'll be going up against more of the elite teams in the NFL. I don't see this team replicating the 12-4 season last year. But, they're still primed for a decent finish and a possible division title. I'd go along the lines of an 11-5 or 10-6 season and winning the AFC West. But, then again, the challenge is to get at least one game against the Chiefs and sweep the Chargers and Broncos to make that AFC West dream a reality. The big question is are the Raiders Super Bowl contenders? As long as the offense is playing at a high level and the defense is at the middle of the pack, then Super Bowl aspirations are not out of the question. I'm sure Raider Nation has come to a consensus that the defense is more to be concerned about than the offense. This should be a very interesting season. Go Raiders! #ReturntoGreatness

*Raiders-Titans Week 1, Open Thread and Full Recap Posts available at 10 AM West Coast Time*

TrueRaiderLaker Productions #10! - 2017 Raiders Hype Video

In 2015, I made my first hype video titled "New Generation". Last year, I made another one titled "Welcome to the Show". This year, I live up to my own personal promise to complete my Raiders hype video trilogy..."by any means!" And with TrueRaiderLaker Productions installment #10, I give you my latest hype video "From the Ashes"!

Description

When I developed early concepts about my third hype video, I immediately thought back into the last few weeks of the regular season. And they were an emotional roller coaster. On Week 15, against the Chargers, the Raiders clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2002. We were all happy. Then Week 16, Derek Carr gets hurt. Week 17, the Raiders fumble away the AFC West crown to the Kansas City Chiefs. And finally on Wild Card weekend, the Texans put the final nail in the coffin to the Raiders' dream season of 2016. I thought to myself, I couldn't make a "hype hype" video with the way last season ended. If I'm making a third video, based on how the season ended, this hype video needed to be darker and more serious compared to my last two videos, but at the same time, it needed to be uplifting. Derek Carr is back. The Raiders made some serious upgrades, especially on offense. They're primed to get back up and go after that elusive 4th Super Bowl title. I think this video also highlights the maturation process of my editing since I made the "New Generation" hype video two years ago and the "Welcome to the Show" video last year. There already was a precedent set for me to make a theatrical-style video. That would be my Khalil Mack "Untamable Beast" highlight video. Unfortunately, my theatrical-style videos are at the wrong side of history as they get less views compared to my other work. I'm willing to go all-in that this hype video will get me over that hump.

Another thing I want to address is the question I'm sure everybody's asking me "Why the delay?" Yes, I'd usually release Raiders hype videos just before the first game of the preseason. This video in particular is released a few days before the start of Week 1 and a few hours before the Chiefs and Patriots kickoff opening night! I'm going to be completely honest, if you're an ambitious video editor like I am, you'd try new video editing techniques or start an entirely different series of videos. Basically, shaking up the creative direction a bit. That's what I've been doing the last few weeks/months. I worked on a couple of videos that are completely not associated with TrueRaiderLaker Productions. I sent those videos into music video competitions at a couple of pop culture conventions hosted here in Cali. Just recently, I found out that one of those videos finished 2nd place and I felt ecstatic about that. So, just to let everyone know, I'm calling the shots on a entirely different series of video projects. But, as I mentioned when I managed to squeeze a Lonzo Ball hype video in between, TrueRaiderLaker Productions is here to stay. Don't be alarmed. I'm adding new weapons to the "MechG2994 arsenal" in terms of video projects.

Thumbnail

This is the official thumbnail of the hype video featuring: Marshawn Lynch, Head Coach Jack Del Rio, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Bruce Irvin, Khalil Mack, and Derek Carr.

*2017 Regular Season Preview Post to follow! Stay tuned!*