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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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Will it Be a Merry Christmas for the Raider Nation? Fan’s Look |
With the Oakland Raiders facing the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas Eve morning, a win by the Silver and Black would make it a much merrier Christmas for the Raider Nation. With the way things have gone this season, I wouldn’t place any bets, but I truly believe we’re going to see a victory for out team on Saturday. Please, Santa? We might have been naughty on occasion, but in general fans of the Raiders have been a good bunch this year, and it’s time we’re treated to a win for Christmas. I don’t think it’s too much to ask. Darrius Heyward-Bey The Raiders are slightly favored over the Chiefs by 2.5 points, not that it really makes a difference one way or another, but I believe Oakland is going to come out on fire Saturday and ready to win. They played well during three and a half quarters last Sunday against the Lions and if they can hang on for four this time, we’ll get our much deserved Christmas present. The Silver and Black have to be frustrated after losing their last three, and coming so close last time. They’re ticked off, and they should be. They had to play Kansas City just after Jason Campbell was taken down and quarterback Carson Palmer had just arrived. He was in no way ready, throwing three interceptions in the second half, and was partially responsible for the team’s 28-0 loss. Palmer has developed a rhythm now, and though he wasn’t at his best against the Dolphins or the Packers, he was much improved against Detroit, completing 32 of 40 pass attempts for 367 yards, and scoring a touchdown. And this time, no interceptions. That’s what we need this Saturday. Palmer at his best, another great day by receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, and a stellar job on defense especially, forcing the Chiefs’ to as many turnovers as possible. And, keep the penalties to a minimum guys. Yes, the Chiefs beat the Green Bay Packers, but as we all know, anything can happen in football, it does, and it did last Sunday. I don’t believe they have it in them to fight another tough battle which is what the Raiders will bring in week 15. Whether running back Darren McFadden or receiver Jacoby Ford will make a return in the second to last game of the season remains to be seen. Both players were running at practice on Tuesday, which is a good sign, but they still weren’t actually involved in practice. I’d give Ford a slightly better chance than McFadden for making an appearance in Kansas City. The Silver and Black will have to work with whatever they’ve got, and just win baby! 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: Top Five Highlights in the Oakland Raiders Vs Detroit Lions Battle: Fan’s Take A Fan’s Favorite Sports Memory of 2011: Raiders Beat Texans in Honor of Al Davis Oakland Raiders’ Punter Shane Lechler Named to All-Fundamentals Team: Fan Reaction Oakland Raiders’ Kicker Sebastian Janikowski Named Special Teams Player of the Week: Fan Reaction Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow. Posted in 1, Darren McFadden, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Detroit Lions, Jacoby Ford, Jason Campbell, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, raiders-news, Sebastian Janikowski, Shane Lechler | Comments Off
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Raiders injured trio making slow progress |
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)—Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden did some Just seeing McFadden doing something other than watching practice counted as “He was moving around so that’s a good thing,” Jackson said. “A couple The same goes for wide receiver Jacoby Ford, who has also progressed to With a short week, the Raiders would be hard-pressed to get either on the Even the regular season finale against San Diego might be a stretch because There has been speculation all along that McFadden’s injury might be worse McFadden didn’t have either as he jogged alongside Ford while the rest of Jackson continues to hold out hope that McFadden can play again this season “He just wasn’t ready for that kind of work,” Jackson said. “We have to The outlook is only slightly more optimistic for quarterback Jason Campbell. Campbell has been throwing passes up to 30 yards in his attempt to return “He’s getting closer but still, throwing and being ready to have guys Notes: Darrius Heyward-Bey has 775 yards in receptions, the most by a If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it. Posted in 1, Darren McFadden, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford, Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders, raiders-news | Comments Off
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Oakland Raiders appear unified in playoff push |
As the Raiders gathered for their final practice of the week, players whooped and hollered with the sound of a high school team preparing for its sectional championship. Is it false enthusiasm by players positioning themselves for roster spots heading into the offseason? Or, as coach Hue Jackson believes, the sign of a team pulling together because its preseason goal of an AFC West title remains in reach regardless of what transpired over the previous two weeks? The answer will be provided Sunday when the Raiders (7-6) host the Detroit Lions (8-5) at O.co Coliseum, with both teams needing to win to further their playoff hopes for another week. The Raiders head into their 14th game of the season not much healthier than they’ve been over the past several weeks, with the exception of Denarius Moore probably returning in some capacity at wide receiver and defensive tackle Richard Seymour having his name removed from the injury report after playing since Week 5 with a sore knee. In each of the last two road games, the Raiders trailed 34-0 before scoring en route to one-sided losses and looked like a team running on empty. Jackson, however described this week’s mood and energy as “awesome — probably different than it’s been the last four or five weeks.” Any speculation that the two-game losing streak serves as a warning that the players have tuned out the coach is waved off by Jackson. “I know this football team and I know where their head is,” Jackson said, “and they understand what we need to do, and we’ll come play, and we’ll play the way we’re supposed to play.” Defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan acknowledged errors in assignment in his unit, but not in effort. “If you go back and watch the tape, I didn’t see one guy quit. I didn’t see one guy loaf. I didn’t see anybody tap out,” Bresnahan said. Bresnahan said Wednesday defensive players were shown tape of consecutive wins over San Diego, Minnesota and Chicago, games where the Raiders had 10 take-aways and 15 sacks. The Miami and Green Bay games provided little in the way of game-changing plays. “Well, now you’ve got to get through the doldrums,” Bresnahan said. “You’ve got to overcome that. That’s the challenge on this unit right now, to step back up and let’s go.” Seymour guarded against reading too much into the losses relating to future games, given the week-to-week nature of the NFL. Quarterback Carson Palmer agreed and has discussed wiping the slate clean with younger players. “It’s our job, as veterans, to illustrate to guys and explain where we are,” Palmer said. “Getting to the playoffs is so different than college where you’ve got to lump ‘em all together and try to be undefeated to have a chance to win the title.” The Raiders’ best chance of getting their own crowd involved rests with a good start, something that has eluded them the past two games. In 12 possessions in the first halves against Miami and Green Bay, the Raiders punted eight times, Palmer threw three interceptions and the Raiders turned it over once on downs on a failed fourth-down pass attempt out of punt formation. The only drive that made it into the red zone resulted in Palmer throwing an interception in the end zone against the Packers. Oakland was outscored 44-0 in the two first halves. The Raiders struggled to run the ball in those games early and were forced to abandon it because of the score. “Getting off to a quick start definitely gives you confidence coming right into the game,” Palmer said. “It changes the psyche of the opposing scheme. If you march down the field and score as opposed to a three-and-out, it definitely sets the tone for the game. We need to start fast. We need to score points in the first quarter.” The Lions, having not been in the postseason since 1999, presumably have as much urgency or more than the Raiders. “There’s a buzz around here,” Lions quarterback Matt Stafford said by conference call. “We’re excited about it. Our fans are excited about it. We understand we have three big games left and starting with this one in Oakland is going to be a tough one and one we need to try and do our best to get.” Johnson’s sister, Jennifer Johnson, was shot and killed, allegedly by her estranged boyfriend, on Dec. 6 in Fort Worth, Texas. Johnson’s mother, Della, was also wounded in the shooting. Johnson left the team to attend the funeral of his sister, then returned for the Green Bay game. At that time, Johnson told Jackson he was not yet prepared to play football. Thanks for visiting our blog =). |
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Less Than 24 Hours to Game Time: Oakland Raiders’ Updates & Keys to a Win Against the Lions, Fan Take |
With less than 24 hours ago, are you ready for the Oakland Raiders to battle it out with the Detroit Lions on Sunday, December 18? We all (fans in the Raider Nation, that is) hope the team is ready to put up a tough fight and capture the victory in this must win game with just three left to go in the regular season. Stanford Routt After losing control of the AFC West to the rival Denver Broncos, we really need the win, and it would also be nice if the Broncos were to get soundly stomped by the New England Patriots, who I rarely root for either except in situations like the one we’re currently in. Tebow, who? The Raiders also need to win their final two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers. There was some unfortunate news in regard to cornerback Chris Johnson in that he will not return this season. He was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list, after facing a horrific personal tragedy in his family with the shooting of his mother and murder of his sister back home in Texas. I’m sure his heart was not in the game, and understandably so, he needs this time with his family. Fortunately, his mother Della is expected to survive. Despite that sad event, things have been looking for up the Raiders this week and their chances for victory look much better than they did after the game against the Green Bay Packers, when many of us felt the season was basically over. As discussed earlier, receiver Denarius Moore should be back in the game and make a positive impact, and could even be the spark that gets the team fired up again. There are several keys to a win for the Raiders Sunday, and one of those is going to be the penalty factor. Oakland leads the NFL in penalties, and yes, it’s not a surprise, they also probably lead in unfair penalties in my opinion, but it is what it is. They have 130 on the season for 1,116 yards, putting them on a record setting pace. The Lions are ranked fourth in the NFL for penalties with 105 and third for yardage with 894, so they aren’t doing a good job at keeping the flags down either. This game could be one big flag festival, but in some games, as in Oakland’s victories against the Chargers and Bears they did a fairly good job at keeping them to a minimum. We need that team to arrive on Sunday. The defense will have to be at their best, and Stanford Routt will be assigned with the task of stopping Lions’ receiver Calvin Johnson who hasn’t been up to his usual high standards of late. He’s just scored one touchdown in the last three games, but he’s still no slacker. I believe Routt will come out ahead in this one. The Raiders’ right guard, Cooper Carlisle has the difficult job of going against defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, one of the dirtiest players in the league. But Suh, coming off a two-game suspension, has just three sacks this season, and is one of the most penalized players. Getting into his head and forcing him to make bad decisions could also be key to a Raiders’ victory. We’ll have to wait and see what happens, we don’t have much longer and I don’t have a crystal ball. This game could really go either way, but the Silver and Black can get the win if they really want it. 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. More from this contributor: An AFC West Division Win is Still a Possibility for the Oakland Raiders: Fan’s Take Oakland Raiders Fall to the Packers & Slip in the AFC West: Fan Reaction Oakland Raiders’ Punter Shane Lechler Named to All-Fundamentals Team: Fan Reaction Oakland Raiders’ Kicker Sebastian Janikowski Named Special Teams Player of the Week: Fan Reaction Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. What are your opinions. Posted in 1, Cooper Carlisle, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, raiders-news, San Diego Chargers, Sebastian Janikowski, Shane Lechler | Comments Off
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