The long road to redemption

Last week's loss at San Diego was a tough one. We dominated them throughout the majority of the game and then fell apart in the fourth quarter. Our defense looked good as they have for the majority of the season and our offense continues to improve so there is hope for the future. The "forward pass" call by the officials was a tough call to take. By the rules, it may have been the correct call but if that is the case the rules need to be changed. Here is some food for thought: Is Nnamdi Asomugha actually becoming one of the top corners in the league? I think so.

The promoting of John Shoop to offensive coordinator was a good move. Tom Walsh struggled to adapt to our opponents defensive schemes and didn't call plays based on the abilities of our players. I am hoping that this move will provide a spark and maybe get Randy Moss "happy".

The poor performance of our team thus far has brought to light some questions for the upcoming offseason.

What do we do with Randy Moss?

He hasn't played well this season and he wants out of Oakland . Let's get him out of here. I think he still has some trade value and some team will give us more than he is worth. If we played our cards right we could have a couple of high first round picks in the draft.

What do we do with Jerry Porter?

I feel the same way about him as I do Moss. I think we should get him on the field more because, unlike Moss, he will actually play. If he finished the season strong, we may be able to get a decent player or draft pick for him

Is Lamont Jordan good enough to be our feature back?

The Jury is still out on this one. I realize he had over 1000 yards last season and was good out of the backfield but his yards per carry aren't where they need to be. I think some of this has to fall on the offensive line but I still don't know if he can be the guy. Fargas has looked good as a change of pace back but hasn't done much when given the oppertunity to start.

What do we look at in the draft next year?

That is a pretty tough call. If Moss and Porter both leave, we will need a Wide Receiver but we also have needs along the offensive line. There are usually decent offensive lineman around in the second and third rounds so we may wait on them. We could also use a defensive tackle. If we get two first rounders (Moss Trade) we could go after a Receiver and a Defensive Tackle in the first round, take an offensive lineman in the second and maybe look for a running back in the third. Another need is a good tight end but we have a couple of young players at the position that are starting to play a lot better so we'll have to wait and see how they perform for the remainder of this season.

Another close loss

Another close game lost in the fourth quarter. There were some encouraging signs but also some huge disapointments.

First off, Aaron Brooks played much better than I expected him to for the majority of the game. His end zone interception was very disapointing but he was able to make it through the game with out taking a sack and his mobility greatly helped a struggling offense.

Lamont Jordan started the game very well but incurred a knee injury that will take him out for the rest of the season. Justin Fargas carried the ball 19 times for 52 yards in his absense but Jordan will be missed.

Moss may have had his worst game of the season but Ronald Curry may be re-emerging. He led the team with 5 catches for 85 yards and caught the pass that nearly set up the win for us.

The secondary played very well but the defense as a whole struggled against Larry Johnson. Johnson carried the ball 31 times for 154 yards and 2 TDs. We all knew he would be a challenge but 154 yards was unexpected.

Best Offensive Performance Yet?

This loss against the Broncos may have been our offenses best performance of the season. Andrew Walter completed 18 of 33 passes for 214 yards and no interceptions or touchdowns. Another impressive stat is that 9 different receivers caught passes. Walter still held on to the ball too long at times but he seems to be improving and is starting to look like our Quarterback of the future.

The running game was extremely disapointing. Zack Crockett led the way with 7 carries for 40 yards (5.7 ypc) but Jordan and Fargas both struggled to get anything going on the ground although both did have 21 yard receptions.

Shane Lechler may have had the most impressive outing of his career. He had 8 punts for an average of 44.5 yards per punt and pinned the Broncos 3 times.

The Raiders defense was impressive once again. Fabian Washington had 2 interceptions (should have been 3) and Nnamdi Asomugha had one. Warren Sapp had 2 sacks.
The most impressive player on the defense this week had to be rookie Thomas Howard. He was all over the field and led the team with 7 solo tackles and 1 assist. He has speed and skill. Look for him to become a great player.

Best Offensive Performance Yet?

This loss against the Broncos may have been our offenses best performance of the season. Andrew Walter completed 18 of 33 passes for 214 yards and no interceptions or touchdowns. Another impressive stat is that 9 different receivers caught passes. Walter still held on to the ball too long at times but he seems to be improving and is starting to look like our Quarterback of the future.

The running game was extremely disapointing. Zack Crockett led the way with 7 carries for 40 yards (5.7 ypc) but Jordan and Fargas both struggled to get anything going on the ground although both did have 21 yard receptions.

Shane Lechler may have had the most impressive outing of his career. He had 8 punts for an average of 44.5 yards per punt and pinned the Broncos 3 times.

The Raiders defense was impressive once again. Fabian Washington had 2 interceptions (should have been 3) and Nnamdi Asomugha had one. Warren Sapp had 2 sacks.
The most impressive player on the defense this week had to be rookie Thomas Howard. He was all over the field and led the team with 7 solo tackles and 1 assist. He has speed and skill. Look for him to become a great player.

Where you at Randy Moss?

Nearly everything has gone wrong this year for the Raider offense but one thing seems to stick out in my mind more than others. Randy Moss is tied for second in an NFL receiver category and it isn't a good thing. He has dropped seven balls this season according to www.sportsline.com. The self-proclaimed best receiver in the league has no legs to stand when critisizing the Raiders offense because he first needs to look at himself.

Another disapointment is Head Coach Art Shell. He definitely has not fixed our offensive line and one has to question his ability to coach. On monday night versus the Seahawks our offense needed a spark. There are two individuals I think could have helped that did see the field when we needed them too. Justin Fargas and Jerry Porter.

Fargas has proved many fans wrong this season and has looked very sharp running the ball. Jerry Porter has whined his way to the bench but if he is dressed what is the point of keeping him on the sidelines? He is sure-handed and can take over the number 1 reciever spot if Moss continues to disapoint.

The one thing that has been good this year is Rob Ryan and the Oakland Defense. They have kept us in most games and even won a couple for us. Nnamdi Asomugha and Derrick Burgess have provided game changing moments while Kirk Morrison handles the brunt of the workload. Even rookie Michael Huff has looked decent in run support. He hasn't had his first interception yet but he looks like he is the real deal.