Oakland Raiders: A Nutmeg of Consolation
The Monday night game against Denver was the worst possible start that the Oakland Raiders could have made to their season.
There was so much hope going into the game. The defense had been revamped, Darren McFadden was being lauded as the next Adrian Peterson, and expectations in the Raider Nation were high. An obscene amount of dollars had been thrown around in the free-agent market to get this team where Al Davis wants it to be.
As I watched the Raiders self-destruct on their own turf, I simply couldn’t believe the scale of the humiliation they were suffering at the hands of their bitterest foe. Make no mistake; this was a crushing blow to a Raider team that had looked like it was on the road back to respectability.
After a promising preseason, when the defense looked to using more blitzes and mixed up coverages, we saw a vanilla scheme that failed to adjust at all during a game. They were made to look as bad as a defense can look.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Probably most disappointing was DeAngelo Hall, who was taken to school all night by a rookie receiver. Hall looked truly dreadful and looked more like he was worth 70 cents than the $70 million Oakland paid him.
Tommy Kelly was a non-feature, and the Raiders failed to generate any pressure at all on a rampant Jay Cutler, who ripped them to pieces seemingly at will.
If nothing else, this game proved that you can have all the skill-position players you want, but if you can’t win the battle in the trenches, you won’t win games. Oakland got knocked about badly on both side of the line, where it showed both a lack of talent and depth.
Fred Wakefield was starting at left end by the fourth quarter, enough said there. That decision to start the season with only three defensive tackles (and two out of condition) was a truly dreadful one.
Adrian Peterson has Matt Birk, Steve Hutchinson, and a solid line blocking for him. Darren McFadden...doesn’t.
The only things worse than the players were the coaches. Kiffin and Ryan both called awful games, and both must know a quick turnaround is necessary to save their jobs.
But despite the total catastrophe that was the Raiders last night, there is a nutmeg of consolation.
His name is JaMarcus Russell.
Despite a mistake early on, he consistently made good decisions and threw accurate balls. The receivers were poor, the line couldn’t block, but the kid still put in a very positive performance. 17-of-26 for 190 yardds, two TD, and zero INT is a good day under the circumstances. A very good day.
There is a lot to like about Russell. He clearly always had the physical talents to play the game, now he looks like he has it mentally, too. Good decisions, poise under pressure, and never let his head drop. The mark of a winner.
There's some hope for the future at least.
comments (12) write a comment »
write a new comment
2 months ago
Good article. I agree with most of it, except Kiffin. I don't think he is to blame here. Except for all of those short 3rd and 4th downs, where the hell was Michael Bush? Isn't he supposed to be the short yardage guy? Anyway, Ryan and his lackluster defensive play was to blame. No blitzing, missed assignments, blown coverages, that's what lost the game for us.
Russell will be a great quarterback, if he is given the line he deserves.
2 months ago
Kiffin isnt to blame at all. He is offensive coordinator, basically, with no say on defensiv play calling.
ROB RYAN IS TO BLAME! WHy was deangelo Hall 10 yards off that Roayl guy the whole night??? Isnt there such thing as adjustments? Why cant the linebackers stay at home and not over-pursue?? Thats the defensive coordinator's playcalling responsiblity both in practice and at the actual game! I watch other teams fulfill their assignments on defense and do their jobs, but it seems to me that the d-line and linebackers are instructed to just go 100 after the ball and consequently they bite on every play fake and are ALWAYS out of position! FIRE ROB RYAN!!!!!!!!!!!
2 months ago
Nice article David. Russell has very little help all night.
But it is hard for me to give him much credit since the scoring drives were in garbage time.
2 months ago
Dane is spot on,
A lot of this is on Ryan. No adjustments at all to a totally vanilla defensive scheme. hall couldn't get it done and should have been pulled early for Routt, who really couldn't have done any worse, but might well have done better against Royal.
No blitzes, no surprises, no attempt to get pressure on Cutler.
But really, it comes down to the head coach. The ultimate repsonsibility is his. If we had lost a close one, thats one thing, but this team as simply unprepared to play in every respect on sunday. That is just not acceptable, because this team has weak areas, but it also has talent too.
J.C. I know Russell's scoring drives were in garbage time, but apart from one ill advised backward pass to McFadden, he didn't really do anything wrong, in a night where almost everyone else did.
I believe in Russell, I belive he is the guy, a leader who can take us places with the right coaching and the right supporting cast.
Lastly. Monday night is done. On to Kansas.
Dave
2 months ago
Raider Girl (like the name)
Yeah!
Where WAS Michael Bush?
Dave
2 months ago
IF the D don't find something by the KC game and if the O line doesn't learn to pass protect then it will be a long season.....
Please Sir Can I Have Some More Kool Aid ?
2 months ago
There is no defending this defense. DeAngelo Hall was schooled by the rookie and the rest of the defense could do nothing to overcome that. In the offseason, Kiffin wanted to replave Rob Ryan, but management wouldn't do it. IMHO, that means that management is 100% liable for all of Ryan's actions. Kiffin can wash his hands of this defensive "effort".
2 months ago
Yes, I agree that a big portion of blame goes to Ryan and the defense. But to say that Kiffin deserves no blame is crazy. The offense didn't score a single point until the 4th quarter. It's tough on a defense when the offense is doing nothing. Kiffin's play calling was so conservative in the 1st half, even when we fell behind by 17 points. He seems to be coaching to not lose games instead of coaching to win them. Look, Ryan sucks and needs to go. And Al Davis needs give the team to his son and ride off into the sunset. The game has passed him by. But Kiffin needs to start acting like a head coach and a man. Running to the media every time things don't go his way and whining "it's not my fault!" makes him look like a spoiled little boy that's way over his head. Shut up and coach. Control the things you can control and quit pissing and moaning to the media about the things you can't.
2 months ago
Gentlemen,
For those of you that were not part of the discussion yesterday, I thought I would bring it to your attention that we all have an opportunity here to make our voices heard. Outside of the confines of this blog, the world needs to hear that we are fed up with the tyrant that is Al Davis.
I am personally tired of the dumb comments that I recieve from coworkers, and even people in the stores when I wear my Howie or Lester Hayes jersey proudly.
We have longed for change, and change there will be, but we have to collectively be interested in change. Hopefully by the end of next week, we will have a new website up and running…..it goes by the name of buytheraiders.com……the wheels are in motion Nation……I have personally made contact with the commissioners office and the NFL Network to let them know that we are serious and we are done with the false hopes that Mr. Davis continues to place in front of us, only to find that he pulls the carpet right out from under our feet.
But I must insist, this is not about the long History of the Raiders. Mr. Davis has been very good to us for a long time and that will not be forgotten. But the time is now and the time is right, for the Nation Collective to make a stand against the continuous rhetoric that is tearing our team apart.
I love the Raiders enough to put my foot forward and I hope you all do too.
If that is the case, from this point forward so that you distinguish yourself from the individuals who would like to continue to live in the dark, let it be known by adding Nation Collective to your name…..
There will be more details to follow……..
2 months ago
Nice article, David. With all the pressure that he faced, JRuss only had the one fumble. Yes, it came at a most inconvenient time, but that was the only turnover. His accuracy was a little off, but Curry needs to make that catch that hit his hands.
2 months ago
The Raider nation buying the franchise?
As Kiffin might say "I'm in"
Dave
2 months ago
I'm Still Speehless after Beat Down in Oaktown !!
write a new comment