Las Vegas Raiders Thread

Blackhorse Slim

I think we need a new defensive coach, if the D doesn't step up in the first few games. There is plenty of talent on the defense, but it's still not even close to working. It's only preseason, but worrying. Starting to wonder what the point was in hiring Pagano, unless Norton is close to being fired.
On the plus side, the offense should be even better than last year. Better rb group, Coop ready to step up a level, Crab still great, TEs who can catch a pass, and more options with Patterson maybe going in the slot. And Carr, of course!

heyjude

Just a couple of hours till the regular season starts with a very tough game against the Titans and its hard to know how the season will go.

Aldon Smith is still suspended(probably indefinitely now), the team cut Taiwan Jones and Austin Howard and lost Andre Holmes, Stacy McGee, Menelik Watson, Daren Bates, Brynden Trawick, DJ Hayden, Nate Allen, Latavius Murray, Mychal Rivera and Malcolm Smith to free agency. With the prospect of four compensatory picks in next years draft as a result. Marshall Newhouse was signed to replace Watson at RT and Jelani Jenkins was signed to replace Smith at OLB(but has already been placed on Injured Reserve, so won't be available till mid-season at the earliest). Janikowski has also been placed on IR with a back injury, meaning Tevecchio(? spelling) will be the kicker for the first few months at least.

Looking at the roster

QB- Derek Carr is the starter backup up by former Bill EJ Manuel and second year player Connor Cook - basically if Carr is injured the game is up.

FB - Jamize Olawele - great all rounder but injured in preseaon and out for week one, so Lee Smith may be used as lead blocker.

HB - Marshawn Lynch was signed out of retirement and will replace Latavius Murray, while Washington and Richard provide a change of pace and receiving threat.

TE - Mychal Rivera was replaced by Jared Cook, who was signed from Green Bay, Lee Smith is back from injury and Clive Walford completes a strong trio

OL - Pro-Bowlers Penn(back after a contract holdout), Osemele and Hudson return along with pro-bowl alternate Gabe Jackson with Newhouse probably taking the RT spot - The strongest unit on the team.

DL - Irvin and Mack return on the edges, but the DL struggled in the interior last season being bullied in the run game and showing little pass pressure, so they will be looking for rookies Vanderdoes(who was attracting double teams in preseason), Hester and a fit again Mario Edwards Jr to improve things, while also hoping for more from Justin Ellis at NT(going into a contract year) and second year players Jihad Ward and Darius Latham. Ward and fellow 2nd year player James Cowser will back up Irvin and Mack. But its all about Mack and whether the rest can provide enough support to set him loose.

LB- A disaster area, they didn't re-sign Malcolm Smith, brought in Jenkins to replace him and he's now on IR. They go into Week one with second year player Cory James and/or 5th round pick Marquel Lee expected to play in the middle, 2nd year player Tyrell Adams is also in the mix as is speedy rookie Nicholas Morrow(who may be expected to handle running backs and tight ends in the passing game, an area where the team was regularly torched last year), but if Irvin is a DE not a linebacker then the linebacking corp is comprised of two second year players and two rookies, all of whom were low round picks or undrafted free agent acquisitions. :eek: There has even been talk that Cornerback Sean Smith may be moved to linebacker to deal with tight ends!!!

DB - Last years' first round pick Karl Joseph is back fit and will fill one of the safety spots, the other will probably be Reggie Nelson, but he can expect pressure from 7th round pick Shalom Luani who has looked promising in pre-season. 2nd round pick Obi Melifonwu was expected to be tasked with picking up tight ends, but has been placed on injured reserve, meaning Keith McGill is the remaining safety which doesn't inspire confidence. The team recognised their weakness at cornerback and took Gareon Conley is the first round of the draft, he was expected to start by manning the slot, but he too has been injured and although back training now, probably won't see much action in the early games. Amerson will start at one corner, while Sean Smith has had a poor pre-season and may be replaced by the equally poor TJ Carrie, who will man the corner or slot in the early weeks. Overall this unit looks pretty shaky and they could do with a fierce pass rush to cover their limitations.

ST - King returns as punter, as does Jon Condo as long snapper, but Janikowski didn't recover from a back injury(and has been replaced on IR), so the team signed another left footed kicker Tevecchio(?) and I expect him to keep his place for the season unless he proves to be a disaster, as Melifonwu and reserve OL Denver Kirkland are also on IR and I can't see the team wanting to use one of their two return from IR slots on a kicker, as a possible starting safety or a utility OL have more value, meaning that Janikowski may have plaved his last game for the Raiders as he is 40 and his contract is up at the end of the season. The team also added Cordarrelle Paterson to add some big play capability to their return game and even more down field speed at wide receiver.

I expect the Offence to possibly be even better than last season if Derek Carr stays fit, Marshawn Lynch is even close to his best(and they will probably try not to overuse him, to keep him fresh) and they avoid injuries to Osemele and Penn on the OL, but they will need to score big as going into the season, the defence looks very shaky and may conceed a lot of points. Raiders fans this season will see a lot of high scoring games as they try to overcome the possible weaknesses of their own defence, but I still see them winning 10-11 games and making the playoffs. The AFC West division games though will be fierce, hard fought and will play a huge role in whether 10-11 wins is possible. Week one against the powerful Titans offensive line, Marcus Mariota and tight end Delaney Walker will provide a strong hint as to whether preseason assumptions are correct. Def Coordinator Ken Norton will be under pressure from the start and if things don't improve he could be replaced by former Charger John Pagano who joined the coaching staff during the off-season.

Kev8360

good solid start to the season - defense played well against murray. offense is humming already.

really important to win next 2 games against jets and redskins - rest of the schedule looks nasty.

Prefab Sprouter

Great result, away from home against an up and coming team. Hopefully we will be as good going forward. Really impressed with the lack of penalties.

Blackhorse Slim

Offense looks great, major additions Lynch, Cook, Patterson all improve the team. Downing called a great game.
Defense still needs some work, but definitely not the disaster that was predicted. What a day for Giorgio Tevecchio, welcome to the Nation!

helimachoptor

Lynch was very impressive last night, he demolished Casey towards the end of the 4th.

Overall i think the difference was that Carr trusted his receivers 1v1 on the outside, the Titans were too cautious, they needed Davis on the field more. You guys shut down the run game pretty good

eire4

Blackhorse Slim wrote: »

Offense looks great, major additions Lynch, Cook, Patterson all improve the team. Downing called a great game.
Defense still needs some work, but definitely not the disaster that was predicted. What a day for Giorgio Tevecchio, welcome to the Nation!

It was an amazing debut for the kicker and with Janakowski out for at least the next month or so Tevecchio can nail down that starting spot if he keeps up that level of performance.

heyjude

Very promising start, the offence looked sharp and the defence played better than expected. Tevecchio had an impressive debut, as did Patterson as kick returner(its a pity that he didn't get more opportunities though). I think the Titans will improve as the season goes on, so this might look a very good result by seasons' end.

Home opener this week, hopefully the team doesn't under-estimate the Jets, but goes in and wins the game early on. It sounds as though Gareon Conley will make his debut this week and he may be needed as Sean Smith has a neck problem(no idea how serious). The Jets don't have the most potent passing offense, so it might be the ideal game for Conley to see his first action.

Kev8360

Good start by the Raiders last night but Jets were able to move the ball in the 2nd qtr.  The game was effectively killed off by the turnover on Jets special teams just before the half - great to see a TD for Beast Mode and a Hat trick for Crabtree (he is clutch in the End Zone).  
Still concerned the Defense didn't really get any pressure on McCown until later in the game but did make some key 3rd down stops early on.  Overall great to win the home opener and be 2-0 for first time in forever.

Prefab Sprouter

Another good result by us but its needed as the Chiefs and (surprisingly) Broncos seem to be firing on all cylinders. The Offense seem to be really clicking at the moment which is great to see. We'll face greater challenges than this Jets team who seem to be doing a great impression of the Raiders from about 2009-10. But you can only beat what appears in front of you and it was a job well done. Given all we have been through the last 15 years, I'm enjoying the results at the moment but the schedule has an awfully scary look about it. But on we go.......

golfball37

The lynch gamble looks a good one at this juncture. We have a great variety on offence now with a star qb to boot..
Other side of ball looks to be depending on big plays which is unsustainable long term but a couple of big wins will do them wonders. We're in the toughest division but I'm full of optimism about future.

heyjude

Very one sided final scoreline but the offence took a while to get going and finally put the game away. I thought that some of the officiating in the first half was laughable(the Bruce Irvin tackle flagged for unnecessary roughness being the main one) and the first half penalties helped keep the score down.

On defence, they were solid rather than spectacular and the Jets managed to run up some yardage when the result was beyond doubt. Not too worried that Mack isn't making too many headlines now, he usually starts every season slowly and builds momentum as the season progresses, I also noticed that he was only on the field for 79% of defensive plays(as opposed to every play in Week one), so they are trying to keep him fresh in the less competitive games.

I hope Jalen Richard, who picked up a knock near the end of yesterdays game, is fit to play next week.

Next weeks trip to Washington will be a greater challenge with stronger opposition and having to travel east, but at least as its the night game(8.30pm ET) which is easier body clock wise.

Prefab Sprouter

Its nice to be reviewing victories as opposed to finding excuses for losses!!!

Jolly Red Giant

Prefab Sprouter wrote: »

Another good result by us but its needed as the Chiefs and (surprisingly) Broncos seem to be firing on all cylinders.

It is only a 'surprise' to people who are not Broncos fans

The AFC West is by far the strongest division in the NFL - and even the Chargers are better than their record. It wouldn't surprise me if the SB winner came out of this division.

Prefab Sprouter

Jolly Red Giant wrote: »

It is only a 'surprise' to people who are not Broncos fans

Morning Jolly and apologies - didnt mean to come across as disrespectful. Guess I drank the Kool Aid the media were pushing about the Broncos supposed offensive woes, which of course we know now to be ridiculous.

Jolly Red Giant

Prefab Sprouter wrote: »

Morning Jolly and apologies - didnt mean to come across as disrespectful. Guess I drank the Kool Aid the media were pushing about the Broncos supposed offensive woes, which of course we know now to be ridiculous.

Didn't take your comments as disrespectful. The media have been going on about Denver's offensive woes all off-season. Anyone taking a close look at the Broncos would have seen a major step-up in Siemian (despite his limited abilities, he is smart and learns quickly - in contrast to Lynch who seems as thick as two planks), a major improvement in the OL with the addition of Leary, Bolles and Barbre and Paradis not playing hurt (Jackson is still a turnstyle but he is not as bad as Stephenson) which was always going to improve the running game and make things easier for Siemian, the back-up wide receivers, Fowler and Latimer, were improving, and Jamal Charles was brought in. Coupled with the change in scheme from McCoy and Musgrave that brought the TEs much more into the offence - it all added up. Anyone looking at this in any detail would have seen that an improvement was inevitable.

On top of that - the defence was always going to improve. Teams pounded the ball last season because of the no-fly-zone. This year Peko was added to block up the middle and Gotsis has made a major step up from last season, as have Simmons and Parks. Shelby Harris has been revelation after spending a couple of seasons bouncing around practice squads (it looks like things have clicked with him) and the Broncos pass-rush will be even more effective when Shane Ray returns from injury (unfortunately not in time for the Raiders). Denver proved against Dallas that they can now stop the run and the no-fly-zone is just as effective as the last couple of seasons. This defence could even be better than the SB winning season. The only weak link is Todd Davis at ILB - he can't cover.

Now I am going on a bit about Denver - but the reality is that there are three really good teams in the AFC West and the fourth is, in my opinion, a lot better than their stats (Bosa and Ingram are going to do some serious damage to teams this season and are probably the best DE tandem in the NFL). This will benefit all four teams as it will make each of them better and harder to beat. I am looking forward to a lot of really good divisional games in the AFCW - and I suspect they will be a lot better than some of the drivel that has passed for football in the first two weeks. The game in Mile High on Oct 1 will tell a lot about both the Broncos and the Raiders.

eire4

Jolly Red Giant wrote: »

Didn't take your comments as disrespectful. The media have been going on about Denver's offensive woes all off-season. Anyone taking a close look at the Broncos would have seen a major step-up in Siemian (despite his limited abilities, he is smart and learns quickly - in contrast to Lynch who seems as thick as two planks), a major improvement in the OL with the addition of Leary, Bolles and Barbre and Paradis not playing hurt (Jackson is still a turnstyle but he is not as bad as Stephenson) which was always going to improve the running game and make things easier for Siemian, the back-up wide receivers, Fowler and Latimer, were improving, and Jamal Charles was brought in. Coupled with the change in scheme from McCoy and Musgrave that brought the TEs much more into the offence - it all added up. Anyone looking at this in any detail would have seen that an improvement was inevitable.

On top of that - the defence was always going to improve. Teams pounded the ball last season because of the no-fly-zone. This year Peko was added to block up the middle and Gotsis has made a major step up from last season, as have Simmons and Parks. Shelby Harris has been revelation after spending a couple of seasons bouncing around practice squads (it looks like things have clicked with him) and the Broncos pass-rush will be even more effective when Shane Ray returns from injury (unfortunately not in time for the Raiders). Denver proved against Dallas that they can now stop the run and the no-fly-zone is just as effective as the last couple of seasons. This defence could even be better than the SB winning season. The only weak link is Todd Davis at ILB - he can't cover.

Now I am going on a bit about Denver - but the reality is that there are three really good teams in the AFC West and the fourth is, in my opinion, a lot better than their stats (Bosa and Ingram are going to do some serious damage to teams this season and are probably the best DE tandem in the NFL). This will benefit all four teams as it will make each of them better and harder to beat. I am looking forward to a lot of really good divisional games in the AFCW - and I suspect they will be a lot better than some of the drivel that has passed for football in the first two weeks. The game in Mile High on Oct 1 will tell a lot about both the Broncos and the Raiders.

You could make a very strong argument that the AFC West is the strongest division in the NFL right now.

golfball37

Offence is toothless this year. Coopers confidence looks shot. Defences have figured out beast mode after two games also. If it wasn't for Mack we'd have been embarrassed in mile high this evening.
Let's hope Carrs injury isn't serious or the season could be over

heyjude

Last week's performance was such an outlier that I hoped it was a once off blip and that the emotion of the pregame had affected them, but yesterday wasn't much better.

The display was sloppy from start to finish:

Whether through design or play changes by Carr, I couldn't work out how it made sense to throw the ball short of the line of scrimmage to a player in coverage, when you need 10-15yds, but it happened several times.

The QBs weren't watching the game clock, got the team up to the line too late and suffered a delay of game penalty in the 3rdQ and had to burn a TO in the 4th. Surely if the QB can't manage the clock Del Rio or Dowling should have done something.

Cook failed to snag 2 catchable passes that would have been a touchdown on the same 4thQ drive

Cooper looked a pale shadow of his usual self, he was on the field for all but one of the teams' offensive plays, was targeted 8/9 times yet only managed 2 catches for 8yds and now leads the league for drops.

The offensive line is awful, being unable to create holes for the running game nor provide adequate protection for Carr/Manuel.

Lynch, whether its due to the o-line problems or his limited number of carries, has produced little in two games now. It might just be that he needs 15-20 carries to get into a rythmn.

So the bad news was the team is 2-2, the good news is that they have played 3 of those games on the road and now face 3 consecutive home games. The initial feedback is hopefully accurate and Carr isn't too badly injured and won't miss playing time. The team need Carr and Crabtree back urgently and maybe Dowling needs to freshen up the gameplan, as the Redskins and Broncos seem to bottle up the passing game. They need to figure out what is wrong with Cooper and sit him if he's not right, as he's not helping at the moment. I'd be real tempted to give Olawale a few more carries especially in short yardage situations and maybe split Lynch out so he can get the ball in space. The D while thin at corner hasn't played too badly in comparison.

The naysayers are already claiming at 2-2 that the season is over and I know that the AFC West is a tough division, but Denver have played 3 home games so far and face a stretch later in the season with 7 of 10 games on the road. The Patriots and Cowboys are also 2-2 and nobody is saying they are finished, so if we can get Carr and Cooper fit and firing, if Downing can come up with a Plan B and Plan C, then this can turn around quick. But we must beat the Ravens next week.

Prefab Sprouter

heyjude wrote: »

Last week's performance was such an outlier that I hoped it was a once off blip and that the emotion of the pregame had affected them, but yesterday wasn't much better.

The display was sloppy from start to finish:

Whether through design or play changes by Carr, I couldn't work out how it made sense to throw the ball short of the line of scrimmage to a player in coverage, when you need 10-15yds, but it happened several times.

The QBs weren't watching the game clock, got the team up to the line too late and suffered a delay of game penalty in the 3rdQ and had to burn a TO in the 4th. Surely if the QB can't manage the clock Del Rio or Dowling should have done something.

Cook failed to snag 2 catchable passes that would have been a touchdown on the same 4thQ drive

Cooper looked a pale shadow of his usual self, he was on the field for all but one of the teams' offensive plays, was targeted 8/9 times yet only managed 2 catches for 8yds and now leads the league for drops.

The offensive line is awful, being unable to create holes for the running game nor provide adequate protection for Carr/Manuel.

Lynch, whether its due to the o-line problems or his limited number of carries, has produced little in two games now. It might just be that he needs 15-20 carries to get into a rythmn.

So the bad news was the team is 2-2, the good news is that they have played 3 of those games on the road and now face 3 consecutive home games. The initial feedback is hopefully accurate and Carr isn't too badly injured and won't miss playing time. The team need Carr and Crabtree back urgently and maybe Dowling needs to freshen up the gameplan, as the Redskins and Broncos seem to bottle up the passing game. They need to figure out what is wrong with Cooper and sit him if he's not right, as he's not helping at the moment. I'd be real tempted to give Olawale a few more carries especially in short yardage situations and maybe split Lynch out so he can get the ball in space. The D while thin at corner hasn't played too badly in comparison.

The naysayers are already claiming at 2-2 that the season is over and I know that the AFC West is a tough division, but Denver have played 3 home games so far and face a stretch later in the season with 7 of 10 games on the road. The Patriots and Cowboys are also 2-2 and nobody is saying they are finished, so if we can get Carr and Cooper fit and firing, if Downing can come up with a Plan B and Plan C, then this can turn around quick. But we must beat the Ravens next week.

Excellent post. News just in that Carr is expected to miss between 2 and 6 weeks. I really really hope Manuel can step up because our season depends on it.

eire4

Prefab Sprouter wrote: »

Excellent post. News just in that Carr is expected to miss between 2 and 6 weeks. I really really hope Manuel can step up because our season depends on it.

I thought it was interesting how wide a spread that number was 2-6 weeks. If it is 6 weeks you can probably stick a fork in it for the Raiders season. If it is only 2 then the next 2 games being at home are still winnable and if Carr returns after that and is really fit then there is still hope of a turnaround.

golfball37

After watching Baltimore at Wembley this start is doubly shocking

Kev8360

Tough loss and it doesnt get any easier with the chiefs coming up next week.

hopefully Carr can make it back and the o line can protect him!

Prefab Sprouter

So, Los Angeles at home this week. And possibly Carr back. We absolutely need a win tonight, but not only that we need to show that we can win Well. The O-line needs to step up and give the offensive playmakers a chance. Amari Cooper needs to go to Lester Hayes and get some "stickum" off him..... I'm hopeful this week but the optimism that began the season is looking more and more distant....

heyjude

I see that the game this weekend is under slight threat due to poor air quality in Oakland due to the forest fires in Northern California. The Raiders had to shorten/adjust their training times/duration during the week, when conditions got too bad. It seems very late to move the game but alternative venues that have been mentioned include the 49ers stadium at Santa Clara and even the LA Colliseum but I read that the San Diego mayor has offered to stage the game in San Diego, where the Raiders always managed to get more fans than the Chargers anyway. Another possibility was switching the fixtures so the Chargers get home advantage this weekend and the Raiders play SD in Oakland later in the season.

Wherever its played I'm dreading what Philip Rivers and his receivers are going to do to the Raiders secondary, 400yds+ wouldn't surprise. Rookies Conley and Melifonwu, who were expected to upgrade the secondary are injured, (Conley with a nagging foot/shin problem and Melifonwu on IR), Amerson has suffered a couple of concussions and has a shoulder injury, Sean Smith can't handle speedsters and the defensive scheme seems to play to his weaknesses by asking him to do what he isn't capable of, while Reggie Nelson has lost another step and seems to be late helping his corners and unlike last season, has no interceptions. Last year the team led the league in defensive turnovers, going into week six this year, they haven't had a single interception so far and just 2 fumble recoveries. OLB Cory James will be missing this week too, which may force them to consider moving Bruce Irvin. I think they need to give rookie safety Shalom Luani a chance, he looked a ballhawk in preseason and while very inexperienced, he is very atheltic and always seems to be around the ball.

They desperately need the run game to dominate to keep Rivers off the field or this could be over real quick. Then next Thursday they face the division topping Chiefs possibly coming off a 4 game losing streak :eek:

golfball37

Terrible again. Offence was problem tonight. Apart from last drive Rivers was kept quiet, he fed Gordon with short stuff mostly.
Looking like no post season which is very disappointing after where we were last year.

heyjude

Don't know what the chances of a team starting 2-4 reaching the playoffs are, but they must be slim. They said last week that the chances of a team starting 2-3 making the playoffs are 21%, as opposed to 49% for a team starting 3-2.:(

Going into the season, the question was whether the offence could score enough to overcome the weaknesses of the defence, with plenty of high scoring games in prospect, but right now the defence are doing enough to win games, as a playoff contender should be able to score 18pts in a home game against LA.

The coaches seemed scared to let Carr take any hits, so they served up a gameplan madeup almost entirely of runs between the tackles and short passes. When the Chargers realised that the Raiders wouldn't go deep, they moved their whole defence closer to the line, which also made it easier to defend the run.

Its hard to imagine, but having gone into the season with most fans looking for Ken Norton to be replaced, most fans now hold a similarly negative view of Todd Dowling, who looks a long way from the upcoming prospect much sought after by other teams.

The short week doesn't leave much opportunity to dwell on things(or change the offensive scheme too much), but facing the Chiefs on Thursday should at least fire up some passion. I'd hate to think the season is already over after just 6 games(even if the odds are slim), but they are probably going to need to win 8 of their last 10 games and so cannot afford to lose at home to KC.

Has any team ever gone through an entire season without forcing a single interception ? Its been 6 games now and its time to give rookie Shalom Luani a go at safety. If your offence is struggling, nothing gives a boost like great field position gained through a turnover, Reggie Nelson isn't delivering, so why not give the rookie a chance ? I see the Raiders have just signed former 49ers LB Navarro Bowman to a one year deal, so that may help solidify the middle linebacker spot.

eire4

heyjude wrote: »

Don't know what the chances of a team starting 2-4 reaching the playoffs are, but they must be slim. They said last week that the chances of a team starting 2-3 making the playoffs are 21%, as opposed to 49% for a team starting 3-2.:(

Going into the season, the question was whether the offence could score enough to overcome the weaknesses of the defence, with plenty of high scoring games in prospect, but right now the defence are doing enough to win games, as a playoff contender should be able to score 18pts in a home game against LA.

The coaches seemed scared to let Carr take any hits, so they served up a gameplan madeup almost entirely of runs between the tackles and short passes. When the Chargers realised that the Raiders wouldn't go deep, they moved their whole defence closer to the line, which also made it easier to defend the run.

Its hard to imagine, but having gone into the season with most fans looking for Ken Norton to be replaced, most fans now hold a similarly negative view of Todd Dowling, who looks a long way from the upcoming prospect much sought after by other teams.

The short week doesn't leave much opportunity to dwell on things(or change the offensive scheme too much), but facing the Chiefs on Thursday should at least fire up some passion. I'd hate to think the season is already over after just 6 games(even if the odds are slim), but they are probably going to need to win 8 of their last 10 games and so cannot afford to lose at home to KC.

Has any team ever gone through an entire season without forcing a single interception ? Its been 6 games now and its time to give rookie Shalom Luani a go at safety. If your offence is struggling, nothing gives a boost like great field position gained through a turnover, Reggie Nelson isn't delivering, so why not give the rookie a chance ? I see the Raiders have just signed former 49ers LB Navarro Bowman to a one year deal, so that may help solidify the middle linebacker spot.

Whether the season is over already at 2-4 time will tell but for sure it is stick a fork in it time if the Raiders lose to the Chiefs on Thursday. Even before Carr's injury it has been quite stunning how mediocre the offense has been this season.

Prefab Sprouter

Well it wasnt pretty and a lot of luck needed but we got the win.

SexBobomb

The three C's Carr, Cooper and Cook were on fire and needed to be the Chiefs are a huge contender this year. Defence got smoked again but lets enjoy the win

"Im only here so I can get fined" - Lynch :rolleyes: