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Oakland Raiders notebook: Defense takes its hits after another poor showing |
A 38-26 loss on Sunday to the San Diego Chargers that knocked the Raiders out of the playoffs was in large part due to the kind of defensive failures that arose often in 2011 and probably will mean the demise of defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan’s job after one season. “I think Chuck knows how I feel,” Raiders coach Hue Jackson said while not commenting directly on Bresnahan’s status for next season. “I’m disappointed over there. I have been. It’s not like we haven’t had conversations. Chuck knows what I feel, and it’s not good enough.” Oakland ended the season allowing 433 points, the second most in franchise history (the Raiders gave up 442 in 1997), an average of 27.1 points per game. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers’ three touchdown passes brought the total to 31 against the Raiders this season, the most in club history. Oakland also gave up 2,158 yards on 430 carries, an average of 5.1 yards per attempt. Defensive collapses were conspicuous in Week 2, when Buffalo scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions in a come-from-behind win, against Denver, when the Raiders gave up 299 yards rushing and 38 points, and against Detroit on Dec. 18, with the Lions going 71 and 98 yards to win the game in the fourth quarter. “What I saw today is what I saw at different times this year,” Jackson said. “When you play defense in the NFL, you’ve got to hunt. You can’t give up 28, 29 points and expect to win games.” The Raiders gave up an average of 31.8 points in their last five games, during which they went 1-4 and went from in control of their own destiny to out of the playoffs. “I know some people are going to try to blame Chuck, some people are going to try and blame Hue, but at the end of the day, we’re the ones on the field,” free safety Michael Huff said. “Regardless of the defense that’s called, we’ve got to line up and play and execute.” Bresnahan was originally hired as defensive assistant in the offseason and eventually was elevated to coordinator. Jackson was turned down by the New York Jets when he requested to interview Jets secondary coach Dennis Thurman for the position because Thurman was under contract. It remains to be seen how the decision-making process will work and if the Raiders will hire a front-office executive with decision-making power. Jackson promised change. “I’m going to take a stronger hand in this whole team, this whole organization,” Jackson said. “There ain’t no way I’m going to feel like I feel today a year from now. I promise you that. Defensively, offensively and special teams, I ain’t feeling like this no more. This is a joke.” “That’s not why we lost today, but that is a problem on this football team,” Jackson said. “There’s some work that has to be done.” The Raiders went over the penalty-yardage mark in the first half on a personal foul by Matt Giordano, with Rock Cartwright getting a holding call on the second-half kickoff return to break the penalty record. Comment Below!. Posted in 1, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Kansas City Chiefs, Louis Murphy, Michael Huff, New York Jets, Philip Rivers, Pittsburgh Steelers, raiders-news, Rock Cartwright, San Diego Chargers, Sebastian Janikowski, Tommy Kelly | Comments Off
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Five Reasons the Oakland Raiders Will Defeat the San Diego Chargers: Fan’s Take |
As most of us know by now, the Oakland Raiders must win the game against the San Diego Chargers on New Year’s Day to have a chance at getting into the playoffs. That’s the most important part of the equation, and the only one the Silver and Black are focusing on. Kamerion Wimbley In order for the Raiders to win the AFC West, the Denver Broncos need to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs. If that doesn’t happen, and somehow Tebow has another miracle left under his helmet (unlikely), the Cincinnati Bengals will need to lose to the Baltimore Ravens, and the Ravens are favored in that matchup. They would also need either the Tennessee Titans to lose to the Houston Texans or the New York Jets to defeat the Miami Dolphins. Both the Titans and Dolphins are favored, but I’m going for the best case scenario, and that’s a Denver loss. The key ingredient to all of this, is an Oakland win over San Diego on Sunday, and there are at least five reasons I believe they will. Philip Rivers The Chargers’ quarterback, Philip Rivers, may be going to the Pro Bowl, but if he was judged on his 2011 performance, he’d be unlikely to head to Hawaii. Rivers has thrown 24 interceptions this year and in their last game against the Raiders at home, Rivers was sacked six times. He’ll be going down quite a few times again this coming Sunday. Injured players returning The Raiders’ sophomore receiver, Jacoby Ford, should be back in the game. Ford has been known to make some big plays, and he’ll give Oakland’s offense a big boost. In addition, safety Michael Huff, has said he will be in this all-important game, after missing the last two with a hamstring injury. Head coach Hue Jackson commented that Huff’s return is very important and the veteran player is one of the better on the team. Jackson also said that the pieces are coming back together just like he knew they would, and I agree, it couldn’t happen at a better time. Raiders’ running game Oakland has the sixth ranked rushing attack in the NFL, and the Chargers run defense gives up 123.5 yards a game, ranked 20th in the league . Although star running back Darren McFadden is unlikely to return for the final game of the regular season, Michael Bush stole the show when the Raiders’ faced the Chargers on November 10. In that game, Bush had 30 carries for 157 yards and scored a touchdown. Charger injuries The Chargers strongest wide receiver, Vincent Jackson, hasn’t been at practice all week after suffering a groin injury. He’s unlikely to be in the game Sunday. Their running backs, Ryan Matthews and Michael Tolbert have missed practice this week and though they might both get on the field in Oakland, they won’t be at 100%. The Raiders want the win This is a must win for the Raiders, while it doesn’t matter near as much to the Chargers. Their season is over and done on January 1 either way. The players on the Silver and Black have the heart, and the will, to fight a tough battle and win. The O.co Coliseum is sold out again, making this the eighth sell out of eight games in Oakland this year. Jackson said, “My hat goes out to our fans for supporting us. What we have to do is give back to them as I’ve always said. And how we give back is by winning.” K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter or on Twitter @kcdermody. More from this contributor: Oakland Raiders Win, Denver Broncos Loss May Be in the Cards: Fan’s Look Oakland Raiders’ Jacoby Ford Back at Practice: Who Will Return to Face the Chargers? Fan’s Look Three Oakland Raiders Selected to the Pro Bowl: Fan reaction Oakland Raiders’ Janikowski Nominated for Never Say Never Moment: Fan’s Look Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. Posted in 1, Baltimore Ravens, Darren McFadden, Houston Texans, Jacoby Ford, Kamerion Wimbley, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Michael Huff, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philip Rivers, raiders-news, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans | Comments Off
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Oakland Raiders notebook: Darren McFadden expected to miss Chiefs game |
Running back Darren McFadden hasn’t given up hope of returning this season from a right midfoot sprain, though time is running out. Coach Hue Jackson on Thursday said “it doesn’t look great” for McFadden playing against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. Therefore, it’s likely that McFadden will miss his eighth straight game. The Raiders final regular-season game is against the San Diego Chargers on Jan. 1. An ESPN report Thursday, citing an unnamed league source, said McFadden met with Dr. Robert Anderson last week and underwent numerous tests in an attempt to gauge whether he can play again this season. Dr. Anderson reportedly told McFadden that his foot is not healed all the way, and McFadden’s biggest issue is managing the pain if he wants to play. Even if McFadden decides to play in the final game, it’s doubtful Jackson would sign off on the move unless the Raiders still are in playoff contention. They face the prospect of being eliminated Saturday. McFadden jogged and worked on lateral movements with a team trainer Tuesday, well away from the rest of his teammates. He wasn’t spotted at all the next two days. McFadden was unavailable for comment. He has not spoken with the media since he suffered his injury Oct., 23. Defensive tackle John Henderson (knee) and free safety Michael Huff (hamstring) are the only other players in question for the Chiefs game. Jackson said Huff and Henderson needed to practice if they wanted to play Saturday. Both missed the Lions game last Sunday. Pryor said he already knows the entire playbook, the protections and calls. The next step is putting that into action on the field. “I just can’t wait to start when everybody starts equal, so I can have a chance to get some reps and get some plays in,” Pryor said. “That’s all I’m looking forward to, just playing. I want to show the city what I got and help the team as much as I can.” Pryor arrived late in training camp after he was selected in the supplemental draft. He spent about a week on the field before a five-game suspension for rules violations committed at Ohio State kicked in. In retrospect, Pryor said, spending the year learning from veteran quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Jason Campbell and Kyle Boller worked out well. “It’s a good thing, in a way, that I had to sit down and I was forced to do what I had to do,” Pryor said. That way, he added, “I could sit back and let the picture paint itself and see what’s going on.” Palmer and Pryor are the only Raiders quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Pryor is expected to get a shot at being the primary backup next season. The Raiders can’t clinch a playoff berth Saturday. However, they could be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose, the Denver Broncos beat the Buffalo Bills and either the New York Jets or Cincinnati Bengals win. Thanks for reading! . Posted in 1, Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford, Jason Campbell, John Henderson, Kansas City Chiefs, Kyle Boller, Michael Huff, New York Jets, raiders-news, San Diego Chargers | Comments Off
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NFL Playoff Picture: Raiders Chasing Broncos And Jets For Postseason Berth |
Read More: San Diego Chargers, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions The Oakland Raiders are preparing to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday for their Week 15 matchup, but you can be certain that the team is very aware they are involved in a heated battle for a postseason berth. You can see the full playoff picture over at ESPN, but the surest route to the playoffs for Oakland remains the same: overtake the surging Denver Broncos in order to capture the AFC West and the automatic berth that comes with division title. The first half of the season made it seem as though the AFC West would be Oakland’s for the taking, but the reality of the 2011 NFL season has been much starker. Should the Raiders be unable to gain ground on the Broncos, however, they would be trying to finish the season with a better record than the New york Jets (currently 8-5), the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals. The latter two teams have the same 7-6 record as the Raiders, but hold tiebreaker advantages over Oakland due to win percentage in conference games. The Raiders will of course help their own cause immensely by winning the final three games of their season. They face tough competition in the Lions this week and the Chargers in Week 17, but defeating those two teams and the Kansas City Chiefs next week is well within the capability of the Raiders. In the meantime they — and Raider Nation — will be hoping for losses from the Broncos, Jets, Bengals and Titans. The playoff picture is far from hopeless at the moment, but the Raiders will need to keep winning in order to keep all hope from slipping away. For all news and information regarding the Oakland Raiders, please visit Silver and Black Pride. Comment Below!. Posted in 1, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, raiders-news, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans | Comments Off
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Week 14 NFL Picks: Oakland Raiders Face Nearly Impossible Task Against Green Bay Packers |
By David Fucillo – Editor
Two sets of predictions against the spread for Week 14 of the NFL season. Your best bet might be to bet the opposite. Check out SB Nation NFL for full week 12 coverage. Follow , and Like SB Nation Bay Area on Facebook. Dec 9, 2011 – Week 14 of the 2011 NFL season is at hand and both the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers face big games. The Raiders travel to Green Bay to face the undefeated Packers. Oakland is tied with Denver for first in the AFC West in what is quickly becoming a dog fight heading into the final quarter of the season. The Raiders are battling through an assortment of injuries and are just looking to hang around and keep their hopes alive. The 49ers head down to Glendale to face the Arizona Cardinals in a game they need to have to maintain their lead in the race for the number two seed and accompanying bye in the NFC. The Cardinals are on a bit of a roll, having won four of their last five games. Their only loss was to the 49ers, but they were also playing without starting QB Kevin Kolb. He returns this weekend and it should make for an intriguing game. As always, the Thursday pick was made in advance of the game. David - PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-14) over Cleveland Browns: Although this is a rivalry game, leaving the door open for a close one, I just don’t see it. The Browns are way too inconsistent and the Steelers aren’t going to be messing around with this one. James – PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-14) over Cleveland Browns: Remember early in the season when everyone was swearing up and down that the Steelers were old and no longer relevant? Yeah, not so much anymore. This is a strong team with a good offense and a good defense. Browns do not stand a chance. David – GREEN BAY PACKERS (-12.5) over Oakland Raiders: I’d be tempted if the Raiders were 100% healthy. Without McFadden, Ford, Moore and Jones? It would take a small miracle. James – Oakland Raiders (+12.5) over GREEN BAY PACKERS: I cannot and will not pick against the Raiders. David – CINCINNATI BENGALS (-1.5) over Houston Texans: The Bengals are scuffling a bit, but I think their defense can contain Arian Foster just enough to force T.J. Yates into a position where he has to try and win this thing. And I don’t think he can do that. The Bengals are sneaky solid. James – Houston Texans (+1.5) over CINCINNATI BENGALS: Really tough game to call. While the Texans are on their third string quarterback, it does not look to have slowed them down a whole lot. They still have a very good defense and one of the best running games. Meanwhile, the Bengals are struggling right now and I cannot see them putting up many points against this Houston defense. David - DETROIT LIONS (Even) over Minnesota Vikings: Joe Webb is not the answer. James – DETROIT LIONS (Even) over Minnesota Vikings: This is just a matter of two mismatched teams. I know the Lions are struggling right now, but the Vikings are just not a good team. I do not see them going to Detroit and doing anything but floundering. David – TENNESSEE TITANS (+3.5) over New Orleans Saints: The Saints are playing some great football right now, but when they go on the road, things are a little more up in the air. The Saints could roll in and handle their business, but I’ve just got a gut feeling about this one. James – New Orleans Saints (-3.5) over TENNESSEE TITANS: The Saints could have the most potent offense in the NFL right now. That is no knock on the Packers offense, but the Saints are just something else and are playing very well right now. I don’t understand why this line is so close, I’d put the Saints as two score favorites. David - MIAMI DOLPHINS (-2.5) over Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles are on the way down, the Dolphins are kind of on the way up in a weird sort of way. Philly is so wildly inconsistent that I really don’t know what to expect out of them week to week. James – MIAMI DOLPHINS (-2.5) over Philadelphia Eagles: The battle of two 4-8 teams. One, the Eagles, is massively underperforming despite a blockbuster roster. The other, is massively overperforming despite an underwhelming quarterback and running back combo. The fact of the matter is, Miami is playing like a solidified unit while the Eagles are playing like they are a pick up team. David - Kansas City Chiefs (+10.5) over NEW YORK JETS: I made a change here. Was originally going to go with the Chiefs, but something about that line intrigues me with the Chiefs. I’m sure they’ll now get blown out (sorry, KC fans), but it’s just a gut feeling. James – NEW YORK JETS (-10.5) over Kansas City Chiefs: Another example of one team just simply being much better than the other. Though the Jets have not had a stellar season, they are playing much better as of late. And with a playoff spot on the line, I expect them to turn it up late in the season and win games like this one big. David - New England Patriots (-9.5) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS: The Patriots can be questionable on the road, but the Redskins have Rex Grossman maning the helm. Sorry, Washington. James – New England Patriots (-9.5) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS: Is much discussion really needed on this one?If the line was bigger then maybe I’d have to think about it for a bit. But come on, this will not be anywhere near a close game. David - CAROLINA PANTHERS (+2.5) over Atlanta Falcons: I’m a Cam Newton believer. I think most folks are, but I think they are going to start pairing some wins together before Cam goes postal with all the losing. If this was in Atlanta I’d be questioning it, but I think they can swing the upset at home. James – CAROLINA PANTHERS (+2.5) over Atlanta Falcons: The Panthers are starting to play better. They have back to back wins for the first time this year. Oh, and Cam Newton is an absolute BEAST. Meanwhile, the Falcons could not pull off a win over the Texans and TJ Yates. David - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Even) over JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: I was a little bit tempted by the Jaguars, but then I remembered they just aren’t any good. Blaine Gabbert showed some things at times against the Chargers, but struggled enough to leave me questioning them this season. James – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Even) over JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: The Jags are just a bad team. The Bucs are a massively underperforming team. While their records are very similar, the quality of the teams is not. The Bucs will look like the team most people thought they were this season and get a win on the road in an empty Jaguars stadium. David - Indianapolis Colts (+17.5) over BALTIMORE RAVENS: The Ravens win this, but they have a nasty habit of playing down to lesser competition from time to time. I think we see it once again. James – Indianapolis Colts (+17.5) over BALTIMORE RAVENS: Do not worry, this is not a typo, nor have I completely lost my mind. The Colts have played a lot of close games this season, and have only been blown out by 17 or more points four times. Meanwhile, the Ravens have a nasty habit of playing down to their competition (see: Seattle). Ravens will win, and win easily, but it will be closer to 10-14 points. David - Chicago Bears (+3.5) over DENVER BRONCOS: I’m breaking the most important rule: Do not bet against Tim Tebow. Well, my gut has me thinking something crazy happens and the Broncos actually lose. I’m not sure why I think this, but I just have a hunch. James – DENVER BRONCOS (-3.5) over Chicago Bears: No Jay Cutler. No Matt Forte. Good god, is Tebow going to do it again? I think he is and let me tell you, I am pretty bitter about it. David - San Francisco 49ers (-3.5) over ARIZONA CARDINALS: The 49ers clinched the NFC West last week and face the Pittsburgh Steelers next week on Monday Night Football. This is a chance for a let-down as the Arizona Cardinals roll out Kevin Kolb in his second start since coming back from a foot injury. Crazy things sometimes happen when these two teams meet in Glendale, but I think the 49ers can handle their business. James – San Francisco 49ers (-3.5) over ARIZONA CARDINALS: Jim Harbaugh is far too good of a coach to allow the Niners to have the same kind of let down against the Cards as the Cowboys did last week. Arizona does not stand a chance in this game. The Niners will have their sights on a number two seed in the NFC and will not allow a team like the Cards to derail them from that goal. David - SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-7.5) over Buffalo Bills: Don’t bet against the Chargers in December. James - SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-7.5) over Buffalo Bills: The Chargers are looking like they have finally hit their stride late in the season. Probably not enough for a playoff berth, but enough to put down the struggling and injured Bills at home. David – DALLAS COWBOYS (-3) over New York Giants: NFC East rivalry games can be incredibly crazy, but I think the Cowboys pull out this home game. They are getting Miles Austin back and while they were stunned by Arizona, I think they bounce back strong. James - New York Giants (+3) over DALLAS COWBOYS: My pick here comes down to the intangibles. I believe that the Giants want the win more than the Cowboys do. I also have more faith in the Giants in late game situations than I do in the Cowboys. Both are coming off of tough losses, but one was a close loss to the league’s best team while the other was a close loss to a very bad team. David - SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (even) over St. Louis Rams: I think the NFC picked this game just to show off how popular the NFL really is. That can be the only reason for it. The Rams are falling apart and the Seahawks are starting to play some decent football. I’ll go with the Seahawks. James - SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (even) over St. Louis Rams: Wait a second. I must have read wrong. This is not the Monday Night Football game, right? There is no way the NFL would schedule a game like this so late in the season, on the biggest prime time game of the week. Sorry, Im not even going to explain my pick, Im just going to complain about this being the MNF game. TERRIBLE! DAVID FUCILLO JAMES ARCELLANA Read More: week 14 nfl picks, 2011 nfl picks, 49ers picks, raiders picks Follow , and Like SB Nation Bay Area on Facebook. Do you like this story?
Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. Posted in 1, Arian Foster, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, raiders-news, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, Tim Tebow, Washington Redskins | Comments Off
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