Raider Rants

There has been plenty of dirt kicked on the Raiders grave over the past few months. Some of the gloomy predictions have been focused on the wisdom of bringing Art Shell back as Head Coach and Tom Walsh as the Offensive Coordinator. This has led to numerous articles wondering whether or not these guys can coach and adjust to the “new” football being played in this decade. There has been debate about whether Shell/Walsh can install an offense that will be effective against a zone blitzing defense. Football enthusiasts have doubted Aaron Brooks' ability to lead the Raiders. There has been many media experts predicting another miserable 4-12 season. The amount of bulletin board material is enough to re-wallpaper the entire locker room.

I'm genuinely concerned about the following as it relates to the 2006 season:
- Our reconfigured O-line gelling in time for the opener on 9/11.
- Our inexperienced defensive unit's ability to stop the run & create turnovers.
- A lack of depth at the running back and defensive tackle position.

Having voiced my concerns, here is my general take on the state of the Raiders union:
- The players have been positively influenced by Shells leadership. The team has completely bought into the “Raider Way” program excluding Jerry Pouter. The effort and team bonding in training camp has been tremendous. I don’t put much stock into what the “experts” are predicting. Some of these same journalists predicted that the Seahawks wouldn’t qualify for the playoffs last year. All of the ranting and raving about team records, playoff contenders, and power rankings don’t add up to a hill of beans. Once the regular season gets underway you can toss your Street & Smith magazine in the trash can. Whatever happens in the 60 minutes of game action and what the scoreboard says when the clock hits 0:00 is all that counts.

- The productivity of the offense doesn’t rise & fall solely on the shoulders of Tom Walsh or any 1 individual. Ultimately Art Shell is responsible for the offensive game plan and the offensive unit is responsible for executing the plan. Art Shell & Al Davis have endorsed Walsh. Enough said.- The Raiders offense will be running a stripped down, no frills attack with a basic philosophy. You won’t see a lot of motion by the receivers, trickery or gadget plays nor will you see lateral blocking schemes run by the O-Line. It comes down to the offensive lineman bloodying their opponents nose and the skill players making plays. The core of this philosophy is each man is responsible for winning his individual battle. It consists of running downhill, between the tackles and striking for long completions. How will this offense succeed? It will succeed by each player being accountable for his assignment and winning the individual battle. It will succeed by the individual’s talents being fully utilized which includes the freedom to improvise, adapt, and execute. It will succeed by the players’ exerting their collective will and effort and ultimately dominating the action.

- Giving players like Moss and Brooks the green light to team up on broken routes, if/when protection schemes break down, or improvised routes will produce the type of results that will make the highlight tapes of ESPN. Show me a CB or Safety that can stop Moss if the ball is thrown in his general vicinity. If Moss is involved on a consistent basis in the passing offense he will more often than not make plays regardless of the coverage. Throw the ball deep. Throw the ball up high and let him go get it. It boils down to Brooks trusting Moss and letting it fly. Name a DB that can out run, out jump, or out muscle a healthy, involved Moss. This stripped down offense probably sounds archaic to most of the NFL couch surfers. Even if the game has evolved over time it still comes down to the basic fundamentals of blocking, tackling, catching, passing, and running.

- As long as there is an aggressive, play to win effort demonstrated on a consistent basis by the players, I for one can live with the results in the 1st year under Shell's watch.

In an attempt to update my “Six Ultra Key Positions” post I have come up with my new Raiders Big 5. This is a slight variation of the ultra 6 which focuses more on the Raiders who need to make the biggest positive impact.

Raiders Big 5:
QB Aaron Brooks – Needs to develop a rappport with the offense and earn a leadership role by his performance. For the offense to make a leap in productivity, Brooks needs to make plays with his legs, arms, and mind. Ball security and sound decisions will be the tipping point.

LT Robert Gallery – Needs to play at an All-Pro level and completely seal off Brooks blind side on passing plays.

RB Lamont Jordan - He is the motor to an effective power running attack. Jordan must be a work-horse, stay healthy, and handle blitz pick-ups proficiently. With very little RB depth, it is absolutely critical that Jordan remains healthy.

DT Warren Sapp - The voice and Master Sergeant of the D, Sapp needs to have a solid, productive year by disrupting the interior of the offensive line, getting in the backfield, and holding down the fort against the opponents rushing attack. His ability to rally the troops will be especially vital this year when you consider that 9 of the 11 starters have 3 or less years of NFL experience. I have taken the liberty of booting Radio Gibson from the 1st team depth chart and replaced him with future Pro Bowl invitee Michael Huff.

SS Michael Huff – Aces are wild with Huff Daddy. He has all the earmarks of a difference maker; exceptional physical talents, savvy football intelligence, and maturity beyond his years. Huff’s versatility is the “X” factor on our D. He is the type of player who will raise the level of play of the entire secondary.







Hidden Gems:
DE Kevin Huntley – A very intriguing prospect who has had his moments in training camp. At 6’7”, 270 lbs., Huntley has the ability to ruin the QB’s sight line and knock down passes at the line of scrimmage. It is interesting that an unknown player with zero NFL experience like Huntley is being given every opportunity to shine. He is already slated on the 2nd team depth chart.

FB Joe Hall – Another intriguing prospect. At 6’2” 290 lbs., is he the battering ram FB that blasts the MLB and clears Jordans initial path to chewing up yards? Is it the equivalent of having an O-Lineman who can run in the backfield? Hall’s size & blocking abilities seem ideally suited to the offense that the Raiders are implementing.

Time to Step Up:
C Jake Grove – With the emphasis on a “ram it down your throat” running attack, Grove plays a pivotal role in calling out the offensive line adjustments. Jake needs to blast off the ball and get nasty.

DE Tyler Brayton – Penciled into the starting lineup going into the exhibition season. Brayton needs to develop a go-to pass rushing move and hold up at the point of attack on running plays to allow everyone to rally to the ball.

DT Terdell Sands – Will be rotated regularly with Sapp and Kelly and plays a crucial role in improving the team’s run defense. Sands needs to effectively clog the middle to allow the LBs to make plays.

SLB Sam Williams – Is this the year that Williams gets through an entire exhibition season in 1 piece? After 3 injury marred seasons it is time for Williams to start earning his keep. Less ginger bread cookie and more iron man Wiliams would be nice.

CB Nnamdi Asomugha – It is time to start playing a more aggressive brand of coverage and using his above average physical tools to create turnovers and handle his assignment. It is my hope that Huff’s presence will free up & unleash Nnamdi to take more chances and in turn get his fair share of interceptions.

Quote of the Week:
“I think Art is starting to get something I had when I was young and that is I was going to dominate it, no matter what it is. I was just going to get it done and I didn’t worry about all these other things. I wasn’t going to go the way of society wanted me to go or the culture want me to go. I was going to win.” Al Davis at 8/1 press conference