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2016 Oakland Raiders thread (2 Viewers)

massraider said:
Smith has become one of my favorites, a bummer.  

Raiders need to get a LB in here soon.
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Agree, but loving what I am seeing this year from Irvin and James. Both playing above my expectations for sure. 

Too early to start eyeing FAs in 2017 like Von Miller, Dont'a Hightower,  DeMarcus Ware, Chandler Jones, maybe Melvin Ingram?

 
massraider said:
Smith has become one of my favorites, a bummer.  

Raiders need to get a LB in here soon.
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Yeah Smith seems like one of those "Lunch pail" types that does his job really well.  It will hurt to lose his in-line presence but I bet Oakland is thrilled they held onto Mycahel Rivera right about now.  Neither he nor Walford will make up for the loss in blocking ability but the depth is still pretty impressive and the offense may not lose much with two more accomplished receivers rotating at TE.

 
Stompin' Tom Connors said:
Agree, but loving what I am seeing this year from Irvin and James. Both playing above my expectations for sure. 

Too early to start eyeing FAs in 2017 like Von Miller, Dont'a Hightower,  DeMarcus Ware, Chandler Jones, maybe Melvin Ingram?
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Von Miller signed a long term deal in Denver.  Besides Reggie doesn't go after the bank breakers in free agency and I doubt Miller would have accepted the type of contract Reggie would offer.

Chandler Jones is more of an edge DE/OLB type and I don't think that is what the defense needs right now.  Ingram is more of an outside type too, how is he in pass coverage.

Hightower would be a dream signing IMO.

 
massraider said:
Jason Verrett out with ACL.

Chargers averaging one season ending injury per week.
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Hate cheering for injury but love seeing the hated Chargers reel, on the verge of a juicy matchup at home.

Pretty important 5 game stretch with three division rivals at home, and some beatable teams on the road in the Jags and Bucs. Getting a leg up on either the Chiefs or the Donks will be key -- it always is, but continuing strong momentum now would be huge in terms of ROS outlook.

Way to early to voice this, I know, but it's very possible for us to be 7-2 going into Houston late November, and 10-6 at end of season. Who'd'a'dreamt it?

 
What is going on with the defense?

Near the bottom of the league in most categories right now. I thought they would be improved this year.

 
Biabreakable said:
What is going on with the defense?

Near the bottom of the league in most categories right now. I thought they would be improved this year.
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No question the defense has been disappointing thus far, but they seem to be improving.

After 4 weeks:


WK


Pts


TotYds


RuYds


PassYds


Sacks


Int


1


34


507


88


419


1


0


2


35


528


139


389


1


1


3


10


393


181


212


1


2


4


27


412


130


282


2


1

Points allowed have gone down the last 2 weeks (they gave the Ravens a cheap, short yardage TD late in the game which skews the Raven's total). We also see passing yards trending down over the past two weeks. 

IMO the biggest issue has been the lack of a pass rush. They lost Mario in preseason, which really hurt the pass rush. I think when Mario returns, then ASmith's returns we will see a better version of the defense on the field.

 
Ninja Goro used to provide awesome gifs and commentary from the games on his blog, but now he writes for S&B Pride. Here's his latest...

Quick hits: Notes, analysis of Raiders week 4 win over Ravens




88




My quick thoughts on the week 4 win over Baltimore


by Goro Burroughs Oct 5, 2016, 8:00a





Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports


"When you're trying to build a program, you go through four stages: You lose big, you lose close, you win close, and finally you start winning big. And that, is how you build a program."- Bobby Bowden

In the four games, the Raiders are 3-1 with a point differential of +2 (W+1, L-7, W+7, W+1). It's too early to say for sure, but the team looks like it may be in Phase 3 of the Bowden Process.

Never underestimate the importance of playing a physical team. The Ravens are a very physical team and it was tremendous experience for the younger players.


Defense



Run D


  • 26 rush attempts, 130 yards, 5.0 avg, 2 TDs
  • Allowed 4 runs of 10+ yards (21, 18, 12, 10)
  • Had 12 runs of 2 yards or less
  • Few "tricky" runs with misdirection or strange line reads, unlike Atlanta and Tennessee.
  • The run defense is coming along and making improvements in some areas, but it's still a work in progress with many young players.
  • Lots of snaps on Defense and they looked tired near the end
  • Coverage was always going to take some time.
  • 3 new players in the secondary getting to know each other.
  • It's starting to happen and I'm a bit surprised it's coming together so quickly.
  • They are starting to play together and faster
  • I consider them ahead of schedule and that's a credit both to the players and the coaching

Mack made a big showing.


  • Showed off variety of moves, Outside Dip, Inside Club, Inside Swim, and Tornado Spin.
  • and then this move to break thru a Tackle/Guard Double Team, like Hercules tearing down the pillars of a temple
  • First sack was on a brutal club. Want to call him "One Punch Mack" for that
  • Was causing havoc and getting holding calls all day.



Bruce Irvin was on Fire also.



The "Tinkerbell Syndrome"


  • In the book Peter Pan, author J.M. Barrie describes Tinkerbell as being so small that she can only experience one emotion at a time, thus she is either happy, sad, angry, or jealous, but there is never any combination or texture to how she feels or reacts.
  • Rookie and young players are like this. It is very difficult for them to keep everything in their heads and so they will often fail at a few aspects of their performance in favor of the "one thing" that they are focused on.
  • Vs TEN, Shilique was often flattened to the line of scrimmage and lost contain. This week, it appeared that he focused on making sure he kept contain (like in Top Gun when Maverick says, "I will NOT leave my wingman"), but in doing so, he was not able to fall inside to help. It's progress.
I'm calling big Reggie Nelson hits "Reggie-Cide" , which means "Kingslayer" :




Jihad improving noticeably


  • Still plays a bit high and can get moved
  • But he's starting to figure things out a bit
  • Showing more aggression and fight
  • Small things that will show up later
  • This is great experience for him
  • He's shooting his hands better and quicker



Good Denico / Bad Denico both showed up again.




  • He has some great quickness and slashing-type moves like when he used the swim to flush Flacco
  • But lost his gap a few times. On a key run play, the jumped the gap in the opposite direction of the run. Reminds me of the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles ("You're running the wrong way!")

DJ Hayden played well again




  • Not panicking as much as last year and getting his head turned around. This started to show up in pre-season, but it's nice to see in games that matter
  • On the Final play, DJ actually broke up the pass just before Reggie made the hit. Give DJ the credit for the Pass Breakup and Nelson credit for cleaning it up and keeping it that way.
  • Is a totally different player when the play is in front of him; his burst and attack are great
  • Challenging plays even when completed
  • Dances a lot. Love your dancing, DJ, but just wait until the ref signals Turnover first.

Cory James looked much improved from 1st to 2nd start


  • Noticeable improvement from last week.
  • 15 tackles and a forced fumble. And is always hustling around the ball.
  • BAL Center, Jeremy Zuttah was sometimes getting on top of him quite quickly and James was engulfed and could not escape
  • Generally seems to play bigger than 230 lbs. From his play, I'd guess 240+
  • More good than bad.
  • James-Love and Heeney-Hate are both a bit exaggerated at this point
  • Needle is definitely pointed Up for him.
  • He was reading and finding the ball quickly and aggressively ...
  • ... but also got out of position sometimes


Biggest (general) diff between James and Heeney :

  • James attacks what he sees
  • Heeney waits to make sure what he sees
  • IMO, it's easier to correct a mistake of action rather than a mistake of inaction.

Karl was playing very fast


  • Has very natural sense of the game
  • Plays team defense / field leverage
  • Hits big and wraps up.
  • Accelerates like a madman on the blitz
  • High speed mobility is impressive; ie., is not just a straight-line runner

 
 
The Final Play zoomed and slow :
 



Offense


  • 3 Times in the Redzone, 3 TDs. Take a rest, Seabass.
  • Baltimore D Line is very physical and powerful.

    Jernigan gave Gabe some trouble and the others were also tough inside
  • And those LBs were really running to the ball.
  • You don't see Gabe done like this very often :



  • Running game stats 19 rushes, 62 yards, 3.3 avg. looks better than it was. Outside of Washington's big 28 yard run, it was

    18 rushes, 34 yards, 1.9 avg
  • Last 7 rushes were for a total of 1 yard. (We miss you, Lee Smith)

[*]DeAndre Washington's big run and Lats' 3rd-and-1 failed run were both on the same Bunch Sprint G play.

[*]Derek Carr looks more in command of Musgrave's offense

  • Carr was a little excited/hyper/fast early in the game, but settled down quick

[*]Seth's TD rec was just beautiful. That chemistry between the rec and Derek keeps improving

[*]How important was John Harbaugh accepting the penalty to give the Raiders' offense another 3rd down try?

  • 3rd-and-16 and Amari gets 15 1/2 to set up that 4th-and-short.
  • The 4th-and-1 had 3 big bodies squeezing the A-gaps. Thanks for the offsides b/c I'm not sure DC could have sneaked it.

[*]Are we seeing a young team coming of age? Overcoming mistakes and winning close games can indicate a team turning the corner.

[*]What can we say about Michael Crabtree?

  • He's become the key clutch player and now he commands the respect of the entire team
  • Call him "Avid" because he's now an anti-diva.

    Now, instead of Crabtree having to say "Give me the damn ball", everyone else is saying, "Get Crab the ball!"

[*]Here's a close up of his Stutter-Go for the Game Winner :





Marquette is a stud


  • 2 early punts to the 8 and then to the 5 helped set field position.
  • Bombing punts all day. 415 total punt yards on 8 punts.
  • Punter Swag All Day Long

Team Building


I don't want to overstate these seemingly esoteric aspects, but this team feels like it realizes that it is building something special. There is a bonding and genuine investment in each other that seems apparent on the field. These players celebrate each other's successes so much.


 


Everyone knows that Sean Smith has struggled this season, that DJ has been criticized, that Reggie Nelson has been a bit disappointing so far, and that people were starting to whisper about Khalil Mack's lack of sacks. So when Sean Smith makes a big play, there's an almost palpable relief and excitement not just from Smith, but from everyone around him.

Players genuinely caring for each other is not something you can teach or force; it's a culture that you build. Part of Reggie McKenzie's approach has been to bring in character-players that help foster this Team First attitude and it's going to pay off.


* * *


1. Remember in 2014 when Derek Carr was injured and everyone just ignored him? In 2016, the blocking Tight End goes down and he's helped to the sideline by the starting RB and the starting QB.



2. Sean Smith makes a key pass breakup and the team rallies around him like it was a Game Winner.



3. DJ gives some love to Sean Smith after the interception of the 2 Point Conversion.



4. This sums up the QB / Coach relationship in Oakland
Click to expand...

 
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The DT rotation is worth talking about.  

First, there is some depth here, with McGee and Latham both getting serious PT.  

However, we are not seeing much of the Peanut Butter and Jelly.  

Ellis has been invisible, getting 17 snaps in 3/4 games.  

The team has decided, it seems to play a penetrating style, with guys like Ward and Autry getting a TON of work, and McGee and Latham mixing in.  Dan Williams playing 20 snaps a game.

Now, as long as people are disciplined, that's fine, and I have seen improvement from the defense.

But when we had Ellis and Dan last year, in the 2nd half of the year, people were having problems running up the gut.  

With the defense we have now, if the penetration doesn't stop the rush, the blockers get to the 2nd level, and Smith, and Cory can get blocked.  There is no banger at LB on the roster. 

With this style, we are going to see those big runs from time to time, I think it's just a natural thing to happen with this style.  I was trying to think why the big boys aren't getting much run, and I think the idea is to get negative plays whenever possible.  If a team gets 2 yards, 2 yards, on 3rd down the pass rush can be negated, by a short pass.  And short passes have KILLED us forever.  

But if we can get one negative play on 1st or 2nd down, 3rd and long is where we want to be.  I think we will see some drives against us all year where a team breaks off some runs on us, but if we can get enough negative plays on other drives, it'll pay off.  I think the idea is to allow the big run from time to time, but go for the big play/negative rushing play whenever possible.  

Totally agree the D looked tired in the 2nd half.  3 out of 4 on the east coast is tough.  3-1, baby.  

 
BTW, PFF was very down on Carr after his rookie year, and were very grudging in their praise last year.

Their top-rated QB this year?  I'll give you one guess.  

 
The secondary: Besides being stiff-armed by Steve Smith last week, Amerson has played lights out thus far. 

Still don't trust Sean Smith yet. 

DJ is finding his niche as the Nickle DB and has become a solid tackler. 

Looks like Nelson is starting to make his presence felt. And Joseph plays fast. They haven't had a SS like him since, I don't know, forever....

If there's a team in the NFL that should be able to find late round gems at LB in the draft, it's the Raiders. They are GM'd and coached by retired LBs, they should know what to look for. Hopefully James is that guy because Heeney wasn't cutting it. I think they can do better than Malcolm Smith too. And they need a thumper. 

D-line... Lots of youth getting a lot of playing time. Ward and Latham have seen a lot of snaps. They miss Edwards bad. I think we finally saw Mack come alive, he was being held on virtually every pass play. Irvin is doing what I expected. He has flashes of brilliance and has been solid. 

Overall, let's face it, the defense has been a bit of a disappointment early. But to be fair, the secondary was completely overhauled and it takes time to gel. And they've shown improvement. The Raiders don't have an easy schedule, they've faced some of the league's hottest QBs already! We all know about Brees, Flacco and Mariota's potential, but I don't think anyone knew in week 2 how great Matt Ryan would be playing. He torched a Raiders D who is still trying to find itself. Come to find out Ryan is torching everyone! Next up is Rivers too, who loves to attack the soft underbelly of the Raiders D over the years, another strong test. Overall, starting the season 3-1  is awesome. We've seen some shakey, to downright awful defense but I see signs of improvement. I'd give them a D grade through the first four, maybe a C- just because they sealed the win last week. 

The offense:

In Carr we trust fellas! This is the kid who's going to lead us back to glory. He's going to be our QB, face of the franchise and leader for the next 10-15 years. And I personally wouldn't trade him for any young QB in the league. He will have his bad games, everyone does but we finally got our franchise QB that is priority #1 in today's NFL. 

The O-line has become the strength and foundation of the team. Just how Reggie planned it. Carr has been relatively untouched so far and the running game has been pretty good. 

Speaking of RBs, obviously the Raiders weren't expecting a guy like Richard to make the team back in April when they drafted Washington. Now they have the problem of trying to get these two the ball. The backfield seems crowded with Lat, Washington and Richard. But it's a nice problem to have. We haven't seen RBs like these two rookies since Kaufman and Charlie Garner. Now the trick is how to split up the workload. It's hard to get in a groove only getting 5-10 carries. I think it boils down to using Murray and Odawale as the pounders and Washington and Richard are the explosive home run guys. 

What can you say about the WRs? Crabs has been Carr's guy in the clutch. Cooper has all the skills in the world but I think he's still learning how to be a professional. For all his talent, he can be a non-factor at times. I love Seth Roberts. He's one of those guys nobody talks about but the little guy always seems to score a TD on a weekly basis.

Loosing Lee Smith at TE will hurt and it looked like the team was about to give up on Rivera. Now it's the Clive Walford show at TE. If he can stay healthy he's a nice weapon for Carr to have. 

Overall the offense has come up big when it has to. Carr has character and leadership and is a huge reason the team is 3-1. The red zone efficiency is the best in the league. The only knock I can come up with, is too many 3 and outs. When they need to grind time off the clock they can't seem to do it. But when they need (or have to) score, they go no huddle and drive right down the field. They need to find a way to sustain drives and drain the clock at the same time. 

And how is it that the Raiders always have a great punter? 

It's great to be 3-1. But they need to win division games. San Diego should be a tough division win at home. They need to carry that momentum from the road back to the coliseum. 

 
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I hope Murray is not injured enough to miss this week but there is a silver lining.  Murray has his flaws but he has been a good Raider.  We are going to get a chance to get an extended look at our two new explosive rookies. 

 
massraider said:
BTW, PFF was very down on Carr after his rookie year, and were very grudging in their praise last year.

Their top-rated QB this year?  I'll give you one guess.  
Click to expand...
PFF graders are completely off this year. They are grading Vikings offensive players higher than they are defensive stars. It really makes no sense.

 
Call me crazy but I think the Raiders have a chance this weekend. 

(Raiders thread back to Page 1 ;)  )

 
There is always something a little off with Amari.  Should have been a TD.  He is extremely careless with his footwork on the sideline.  Lack of concentration really holding him back.

 
ICON211 said:
There is always something a little off with Amari.  Should have been a TD.  He is extremely careless with his footwork on the sideline.  Lack of concentration really holding him back.
Click to expand...
I swear he is Jeckle and Hyde before the ball is in his hands he can all over the place. Soon as he has it though he is a machine

 
Raiders leading a charmed life, but a W is a W. The defense has a long way to go. I see very little evidence of a pass rush, and the staff  seems to prefer having the QB stand in the pocket and pick the defense apart, which Rivers did pretty well. At minimum the defense is an impact pass rusher away from reaching it's potential.

 
32 Counter Pass said:
Raiders leading a charmed life, but a W is a W. The defense has a long way to go. I see very little evidence of a pass rush, and the staff  seems to prefer having the QB stand in the pocket and pick the defense apart, which Rivers did pretty well. At minimum the defense is an impact pass rusher away from reaching it's potential.
Click to expand...
Agree on the charmed comment. This team is getting by on maintaining the lead into the 4th, but are not doing so by ratcheting down on D or putting more points on the game to pull away for keeps. 4-1 is fantastic, and I'll celebrate the win, but as good as the team is putting themselves into position to win, they aren't doing it themselves. Too much reliance on turnovers and missed execution on the other side of the ball -- we need to put these games away ourselves.

 
Lucky win. Should have, and could have been, a blow out but a W is a W.

JDR needs to figure out why Oak isn't crushing opponents like San Diego and Tennessee and fix it.

 
To me, they are shooting themselves in the foot, and like Del Rio said in the presser, giving away presents on defense.

When forced to play heads up vs the Raiders, the Charges were a lesser team. But they rarely were heads up, because of dumb Raiders mental mistakes.

And those mistakes included Carr, Crabtree, Nelson, and others you didn't expect.  

 
great teams arent just good ...they are lucky as well...the ball seems to bounce the great teams way many times and that can be  the difference...loved the turnovers we got as well...il take this win every day and twice on sundays

 
I can only survive so many heart attacks in one year. The offense needs to sustain drives in the 4th quarter to help their inept defense stay off the field. 

 
Am I the only that just knew the Raiders were going let the Chargers back in the game when they went up by 10?

Defense really regressed today.

 
Garrett said:
Enjoy this.
Click to expand...
Quite a few have been around since Gannon broke his neck, or even when Jackson landed awkwardly in Cincinnati, or long before that.

The Raiders are 4-1 with one of the youngest rosters in the NFL and arguably the best young QB in the NFL.

It's OK to have a really big party right now and exhale.

 
BustedKnuckles said:
great teams arent just good ...they are lucky as well...the ball seems to bounce the great teams way many times and that can be  the difference...loved the turnovers we got as well...il take this win every day and twice on sundays
Click to expand...


Garrett said:
Quite a few have been around since Gannon broke his neck, or even when Jackson landed awkwardly in Cincinnati, or long before that.

The Raiders are 4-1 with one of the youngest rosters in the NFL and arguably the best young QB in the NFL.

It's OK to have a really big party right now and exhale.
Click to expand...
Agreed, It hasn't been pretty but we have found a way to win each week, years gone by it was always the opposite. There will always be things to work on improving but as i see it, we have played some explosive offences and on the road and won 80% of the time. What will be interesting is to see how we stack up defensively against the rest of the division who's recent offensive output has been resembling poop.

Another win, pick it apart, but remember to enjoy it too
:suds:  

 
32 Counter Pass said:
Am I the only that just knew the Raiders were going let the Chargers back in the game when they went up by 10?

Defense really regressed today.
Click to expand...
Not sure how you can say they regressed when they haven't really progressed to anything.  This is our 2016 defense.  We haven't stopped anybody all year and there's little reason to think we will now.  I said after week 1 to buckle up and enjoy this ride because it was going to be a fun, wild one.  Until we figure out how to pressure the QB (I didn't see the game yesterday, presumably we still can't?) we can't cover for the deficiencies especially at LB.  I'm just thrilled with Carr and our offense being able to pull them out.  It'll catch up to us eventually but hey this is fun stuff to watch, and we're winning.  It's a lot more fun to accept this is who we are and surrender to the euphoria, because it's been 15 long cold years since I've been able to.

 
I agree. I used the term regress because they did do a good job in the Titans game.  Now that I look closer at the stats I see that the Titans punted 6X; Ravens had to punt 2X, while the Chargers had to punt 1X.  :wall:

We are who we are, and I should enjoy it while it lasts. 

 
As much as all the high hype and expectations of the preseason worried me coming into the season, now what's starting to worry me is all the references to "the Raiders haven't x [won so many games, had as much offensive yards, whatever] since 2002, the year they went to the Superbowl.

C'mon, media, stop the jinxing. I don't think anyone believes this team is anywhere near being one that can get far into the playoffs -- let alone one that is a lock to even make the playoffs given tough in-division teams and some solid performances thus far from teams like the Bills. 

Just shhh.

 
just make the playoffs and I'm ecstatic.

Super Bowl talk is silly by the media but, in fairness, it's the last non-$hitty season we've had as a team, so the media has nothing more recent to compare this year to. It just so happens that we went on an epic nose dive since that Super Bowl season.

Either way, it's nice to be 4-1. Very nice. :)

 
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