Fans like me of the Oakland Raiders now have a date and a place where the 2012 Raiders preseason will start. The Oakland Raiders will host the Cowboys in Oakland in a nationally televised game on August 13. The game will be the big national Monday night game and will be seen on ESPN, with a 5 p.m. PT kickoff. Things will start at home for the Raiders and the game will be in their O.co Coliseum. It’s the 28th time the Raiders and Cowboys have played in preseason action, with the Raiders leading the series 18-9. I think the Raiders – Cowboys games are always exciting and the two teams are probably the most loved and most hated in the NFL, which is which would depend on who you asked.

The Raiders announced their preseason schedule along with more details about their regular season opponents. I’m excited about things starting to move forward and more details about the Raiders’ 2012 schedule being announced. All this is only days after the the team convened for their first day of the Offseason Program.

Preseason Games

The Raiders will play against the Dallas Cowboys on August 13, then in Arizona against the Cardinals the next week. The Raiders will welcome Detroit to Oakland between August 23-26 with the last game against the Seahawks the next week. The times and the national TV outlets have yet to be announced. The preseason schedule seems pretty easy to me, with no great challenges. The regular season is a whole different story.

Regular Season Home Games

The 2012 NFL regular season starts with some Wednesday games on September 5, with September 9th as the first Sunday of the season. The Raiders will welcome the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Broncos, Steelers and Saints all qualified for the 2011 playoffs and will all be great games to watch.

Regular Season Away Games

Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals and the Miami Dolphins. Again, the Broncos, as well as the Ravens, Bengals and Falcons all had playoff positions in 2011.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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As the NFL Combine shows us the best, brightest and quickest future talent, it’s also time to look to the future of the Oakland Raiders and their 2012 away schedule. There aren’t too many surprises in the line-up, but there are two games that really excite me, against the Carolina Panthers and against the Atlanta Falcons. Both are teams the Raiders haven’t played in their own home stadiums since 2004.

Oakland Raiders in pre-game prayer
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Here’s a review of the 2012 away game schedule for the Oakland Raiders:

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are beating the Raiders in this series, 5-1, since their first meeting in 1996. The Ravens won the last game in Baltimore, 29-10 in 2008.

Miami Dolphins

The Raiders haven’t won in Miami since 2007, when they beat the Dolphins 35-17. The Raiders are leading this series 16-12-1, since the teams first played against each other in 1966.

Cincinnati Bengals

Given Carson Palmer’s history with the Bengals, this is sure to be a great game to watch. The Raiders are ahead in this series 18-8, since the teams first played in 1968. The Bengals came out on top the last time they played in Cincinnati, 27-10, in 2006.

Atlanta Falcons

The Raiders are ahead in this series as well, 7-5, the Falcons last won the game in Atlanta, 35-10, in 2004. The teams first played against each other in 1971.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers Raiders series is tied 2-2, with the Raiders coming out on top the last time they played in North Carolina, 27-24, in 2004. The teams first met in 1997.

Denver Broncos

The Raiders beat the Broncos at their last match up in Denver, 23-20 and have actually won four in a row there. We will have to see how Tim Tebow is doing that day, but after his late-season stumbles, I don’t think he will be the huge superstar everyone hyped him up to be.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Raiders are on a roll in Kansas City, having won five in a row. The teams first played in 1960 and the Raiders won 16-13 in OT at their last game there.

San Diego Chargers

The Raiders played the Chargers in San Diego only once, in 1980 during the playoffs, with the Raiders winning the AFC Championship by beating them. In 2011 the Silver and Black headed south and beat the Chargers 24-17. With my girlfriend being a Chargers fan, this is always a very tense day in our house.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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We almost did it. The Oakland Raiders went into their final game of the season with the chance to win and move on to the playoffs, for the first time since 2002. The Silver and Black came into the January 1st game against the San Diego Chargers with their own destiny in their hands. At home, no less. But they failed in their mission and lost the game 38-26 and also lost their hopes of post-season play. Their loss, along with the other wins and losses on the last day of the regular season (and the first day of the new year), clarified the NFL playoff picture as to who’s in and who’s out.

An NFL football.
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The Raiders’ loss was a boon to the Denver Broncos, who lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 7-3, but still won the division. The Broncos will now host Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs. With their loss, the Broncos created the opportunity for the Raiders to clinch the AFC West with their win, but the Raiders could not capitalize on the opportunity and the slot goes to Denver.

The NFL playoff picture includes returning and expected teams like the Green Bay Packers, the New England Patriots, the Baltimore Ravens, the New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons. I’m excited because there are also unexpected teams like the San Francisco 49ers, the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos and, for the very first time, the Houston Texans. The New York Giants will be there too, after an amazing game that saw them beat the Dallas Cowboys on the strong performance of QB Eli Manning.

Another amazing performance on that last Sunday of the regular season was turned in by Green Bay’s QB. And it was not starter Aaron Rodgers, who was resting in anticipation of the playoffs, it was backup QB Matt Flynn. Flynn broke Packers’ teams records going for 480 yards passing for six touchdowns.

The first of January gave three losses to the four AFC playoff teams. The Bengals, Texans and Broncos all lost, only the Steelers won their last game. The playoffs will start off with Cincinnati against Houston early on Saturday, January 7, followed by Detroit at New Orleans. Sunday will bring the Giants against Atlanta. And while all that is going on, Raiders fans like me will be looking towards the 2012 season.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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And Sunday makes eight. Eight sellouts out of eight home games for the Oakland Raiders. The team announced the January 1 game against the San Diego Chargers is sold out, which makes 2011 the first season the team has gone without a television blackout since they returned to Oakland from Los Angeles in 1995.

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While I think eight sellouts is great, and shows the support the team has from local fans, the issue of the stadium remains. The Raiders play in the Oakland Coliseum, now known as the O.co Coliseum after the stadium’s website sponsor, Overstock.com (which now also goes by o.co). Opened in 1966, the stadium is almost 50 years old and even the last renovation was seventeen years ago in 1995. The cash-strapped city of Oakland has been unable to build a new stadium and the team has been unwilling to share a stadium with the San Francisco 49ers. As the 49ers stadium project is moving forward, perhaps after the passing of Raiders’ longtime owner Al Davis, the new Raiders’ ownership (led by Davis’ son) will have a different view. I think the shared stadium makes sense for the Raiders if they want to stay in Northern California.

I still wonder if the team will move back to Los Angeles to play in one of the two competing stadium projects, both vying for a team. AEG, the company behind the proposed Farmers Field project in downtown Los Angeles has already confirmed the Raiders were one of the five teams they’ve already met with about the move to L.A.

While the team sold out all eight home games they didn’t win all eight, of the seven played as I write this article, the team is 3-4 at home, while doing much better on the road (5-3). Raiders coach Hue Jackson confirmed the power of Raider Nation and how he thinks the team needs the fans this week, a must-win for the Silver and Black. Commenting about the fans, Coach Jackson said: “They’ll bring the noise and the passion. I expect them to be as loud as they’ve ever been, and we need a true 12th man this week.”

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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I like Oakland Raiders’ head coach Hue Jackson. He tells it like it is and doesn’t waste words or pull any punches. He’s a humble guy who used to watch the Raiders play in the Los Angeles Coliseum when he worked there as a security guard in the 1980s.

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I think he has really built the Raider team into something great since taking the helm and is doing a admirable job at continuing the legacy of long-time owner Al Davis and his “Commitment to Excellence.” In Mr. Davis’ memory, I really do believe the team will make it to the Super Bowl. The on-field play is supported by the Raider Nation, the community of fans (including myself) around the world who support the Silver and Black.

Each Friday after the team practice, Coach Jackson speaks with the media and I think his interview is a great way to determine where the team is one day before the game. In this case the game is the must-win January 1 game against the San Diego Chargers to end the 2011 regular season and hopefully move into the playoffs. Here are some key highlights I took away from Coach Jackson’s Friday press conference on December 30:

Injuries are still an issue

Michael Huff and Jacoby Ford are still recovering but it looks like Coach Jackson will include them in the line-up. He doesn’t think Ford is quite back up to speed, but I think the Raiders need him in there returning kickoffs.

Chemistry is another issue

Not bad chemistry, but lack of it. I agree with the Coach’s assessment that the team just needs more time to really come together. They have great players but the late addition of Carson Palmer just takes some getting used to. I think the Raiders have shown great heart this season and will definitely have a strong 2012 season, regardless of their 2011 finish.

Still not watching the scoreboard

Coach Jackson makes it a policy to not look at the scoreboard during games and even though it’s a must win for the Raiders, he’ll concentrate on executing each play successfully and helping “this football team do everything it can to win.”

Palmer can play under pressure

In a must-win game like the San Diego game, I think it’s essential we have an experienced guy like Palmer in there. Coach Jackson agrees, saying “It’s very important. He’s not going to flinch. That’s what I love about him. We’ve had some things not go his way but one thing I know about him, he’s not sitting over there sulking about it, or worried about it, he’s on to the next play and that’s kind of the way I am.” I agree and think that’s the professional attitude that wins games and wins championships.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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With just two days before the Oakland Raiders determine their fate in the playoffs, it’s hard for many fans to think of anything else. New Year’s Eve bash, who cares? We just want New Year’s Day to arrive so that we can (hopefully) watch the Raiders defeat the San Diego Chargers and ultimately take the AFC West title when the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback, Kyle Orton, exacts his revenge on the Denver Broncos.

Sebastian Janikowski
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In light of that fact, I thought it was time we looked at some of the significant moments and facts in the history between the Chargers and the Raiders.

The Raiders lead the series record over the Chargers, 58-44-2. Oakland has won their three most recent battles, but had lost the previous 13. Could they be on their way to a longer winning streak?

In their last match up on November 10, the Raiders defeated the Chargers by a score of 24-17. Several players had stand out performances on that Thursday evening, including the rookie receiver Denarius Moore. Moore somehow held on to a long pass by quarterback Carson Palmer for a 46-yard catch, and it was just one of five catches and two touchdowns by the end of the game. Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley was on fire, and had four of six sacks on the San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers.

Running back Michael Bush ran down the field 55 yards to set up a Raiders touchdown and by the end of the game he’d been credited with a touchdown and had a total of 30 carries for 157 yards. Bush needs just 89 rushing yards this Sunday to surpass 1,000 for the first time in his career.

On October 10, 2010, the Chargers met the Raiders at home, and Oakland went on to defeat the team by a score of 35-27. In that match up, Bush had 26 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown. The second time they met up last season was in December at Qualcomm Stadium. Running back Darren McFadden had 19 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown and Bush had 23 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Jacoby Ford scored a touchdown as well, and by the end of the game, the Raiders defeated the Chargers by a score of 28-13.

Punter Shane Lechler, arguably one of the best in the history of the NFL, remarked about the upcoming game, “I think everybody in the locker room wants to win and wants to win now. My situation is hopefully to get to see this thing go full circle. I had it great when I first got here with the AFC championship game my rookie year and then the snow game up in New England and then the Super Bowl, and then not much after that. To see it come all the way back full circle, last year 8-8, just to see it go full circle would be good.”

I agree. Sebastian Janikowski is in the same situation as Lechler, with both players starting in 2000. Finally getting into the postseason after all this time would be a welcome change, and very well deserved.

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, Twitter @kcdermody, or www.kcdermodywriter.com.

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Practice has begun for the Oakland Raiders this Wednesday morning, December 28, and several players who’ve been out with injury are back in full participation, according to Steve Corkran Raiders blogger for Contra Costa Times/Bay Area News Group . The most exciting news of the day has to be that sophomore receiver Jacoby Ford is one of those players.

Jacoby Ford, Oakland Raiders
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The big question still on everyone’s mind may be running back Darren McFadden, but the unfortunate news there is that he sat out at practice, and as predicted he is unlikely to return for the New Year’s Day game against the San Diego Chargers. I believe we could see him on the field if the Silver and Black continue on to the playoffs, but both McFadden and his physicians will have to determine if it’s worth risking his future in the NFL.

A return by Ford would definitely be a positive factor in the must-win game against San Diego. He was said to be running routes and catching passes this morning, and that’s certainly a very good sign. He’s been a big help to the team and has contributed to more than a few of their victories since becoming a part of the Silver and Black as a rookie in 2010.

In week six against the Cleveland Browns he made a dazzling 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, showing off his lightening speed and tied the record for the third longest kickoff return in the team’s history. Ford was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his exceptional performance, and in addition to the kickoff return, he had an incredibly fast 27-yard run and a total of three passes on 43 yards, making his job look easy.

In 2010, you might remember it was Ford who was a big part of the Raiders’ win against Kansas City with two miracle catches in the final minutes of the game.

Free safety Michael Huff told us on Monday that he would definitely be in the game this Sunday after missing the previous two. He was in full participation at practice this morning as well, and it looks like he will be fulfilling his promise.

Running backs Michael Bush and Taiwan Jones were also in full participation, and Corkran tweeted, ” No sign of Big John Henderson at practice. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him placed on injured reserve this week.”

But the news is mostly good, and as we get closer to 2012 all I can think about is, what will happen on New Year’s Day? Focusing on the positive, I’ll keep picturing a Raiders win and a Broncos loss, and hope that picture becomes the reality by Sunday evening. What a great way to kick off the New Year.

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.

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The Oakland Raiders’ defensive tackle, Richard Seymour, was not only recognized for his outstanding efforts by being selected for the Pro Bowl yesterday, he was also honored for his exceptional performance on the field in Kansas City in the Raiders victory over the Chiefs on Christmas Eve.

Richard Seymour
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Seymour has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after being responsible for two blocked field goal attempts, the second block forced the game into overtime and prevented the Chiefs from capturing the victory and kept the Raiders playoff hopes alive.

Seymour remarked “I give my teammates and my coaches a lot of credit, they put me in the right position to make plays. I couldn’t be the player that I am without Tommy Kelly and the guys beside me.”

Defensive tackle Kelly is a Pro Bowl alternate and commented on Seymour’s great plays after the Chiefs’ game, “Make a play, make a play, that’s all, and Big Rich [Richard Seymour] made a play.”

Seymour has spent much of the 2011 season playing through a painful knee injury, and would likely have a lot more than the six sacks and 27 tackles on the season if it wasn’t for the injury. Fortunately for the Raider Nation he appears to have recovered just in time. In his 11-year NFL career he has 479 tackles and 54.5 sacks.

The impressive defensive tackle was a big help in the opening game of the season at Denver as well. He sacked the Broncos’ former quarterback Kyle Orton twice, helping his team to a 23-20 victory.

Seymour was traded to Oakland by the New England Patriots in 2009, and in his very first game for the Silver and Black he had two sacks on San Diego Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers. Something tells me he’ll have at least one more on Rivers this coming weekend.

Earlier this year Seymour became the highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL after signing a $30 million two-year contract extension in February. He’s another player that the team’s late owner, Al Davis, considered a priority on the team and he’s definitely earned his keep. Let’s hope for the Raiders sake he has another stand out performance on New Year’s Day. Just believe!

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.

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The Oakland Raiders’ rookie receiver, Denarius Moore, has been nominated for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for the third time this season. The moment Moore signed on with the Raiders, he’s been exceptional. Head coach Hue Jackson called the receiver not only the most impressive rookie at training camp, but one of the most impressive of all the players.

Denarius Moore
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At training camp, the rookie made an acrobatic catch in the end zone when his teammates rushed up to congratulate him. Moore commented that “It was overwhelming for a rookie to make a play like that and then get supported by the whole team.”

The receiver made his NFL debut in preseason during the game against the Arizona Cardinals. In that match up h e had three catches and 37-yards, and in his limited time on the field against the 49ers in the next game, he made two great catches look like it was just another casual day at the office.

Moore went on to earn his first Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award in just the second week of the regular season in the game against the Buffalo Bills. In that battle, the receiver hauled in five passes for 146 yards and scored a touchdown.

Moore’s second Rookie of the Week honor came in the game against the San Diego Chargers in week ten. In that game he caught five passes for 123 yards and scored two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 24-17 victory. The following week against the Minnesota Vikings, Moore went down with a foot injury and he was sorely missed in the following three games, especially in the Raiders’ losses to the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers.

The moment Moore was back on the field in the game against the Lions he made a great catch, and in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had a major impact. In week 16, Moore caught four passes for 94 yards and scored a touchdown. In the second quarter he made an incredible 61-yard touchdown catch to put the Raiders up 10-6 over the Chiefs.

Moore certainly deserves the recognition. And all this from a fifth-round draft pick? He’s definitely the NFL deal of the season. What are you waiting for? Vote for Moore for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for his stand out performance in helping the Silver and Black defeat Kansas City and keep their playoff hopes alive.

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.

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After the December 24 match-up, on paper, the Kansas City Chiefs had a slightly better game than the Oakland Raiders. But the only stat that matters is the final score, and the Raiders emerged victorious, winning the game 16-13 and keeping their playoff hopes alive. The Raiders left the game 8-7-0, the Chiefs fell to 6-9-0. The Raiders have one more regular season game against the San Diego Chargers, at home, on January 1, 2012.

Surface of an American football ball.
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I think the Raiders have been playing strong football, but they’ve had some issues when facing really strong teams like the Green Bay Packers. I think they can beat the Chargers (who are already eliminated from the playoffs) and continue to Super Bowl XLVI. The Chiefs game was close, tied at the end of regulation. It was Raiders’ kicker Sebastian Janikowski who again came through in the clutch to kick the game-winning field goal.

Passing

The Chiefs led the Raiders in total yards with 435, compared to 308 for the Raiders. Raiders’ QB Carson Palmer was 16 for 26, a 61.5% completion percentage for a total of 237 yards. Chiefs’ QB Kyle Orton went 21 for 36, a 58% completion percentage for 300 yards. Each had one TD and two interceptions.

Rushing

The Raiders were held to just 71 yards rushing from Marcel Reece and Michael Bush. The Chiefs dominated them with only 135 yards, from Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones, Dexter McCluster, Le’Ron McClain and Kyle Orton too.

Kickers

Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski hit three field goals for 28, 31 and 36 yards. Chiefs’ kicker Ryan Succop had a 23 and a 20-yarder. It was Janikowski’s field goal in overtime that clinched the game for the Raiders.

Penalties and time of possession

These were more stats where the teams were almost equal. The Raiders had the ball for 29:34, the Chiefs had it for 32:39. The Raiders had 15 penalties for 92 yards and the Chiefs had 11 penalties for 88 yards.

Conclusion

A win is a win, no matter what the score. The team struggled against the Chiefs and the stats show the problems the Raiders have been having. You can’t expect to win games with two interceptions and only 71 yards in rushing.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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