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Oakland Raiders: Finding Bright Spots in a Black Hole
Published: January 4, 2010
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Shortly before the 2009 NFL regular season, many Oakland Raiders fans, including myself, shared a sense of optimism about the team’s future. The Raiders closed out the 2008-09 regular season on a high note and seemed to be poised for a decent 2009 season.
Well, with the regular season now over and the playoffs in full-swing, Raiders fans are left scratching their heads as they look desperately for answers to a NFL mystery.
Since the Raiders’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Superbowl XXXVII, they’ve managed to win only 29 games and have suffered 83 losses during the course of the past seven seasons.
In 2009, the Raiders managed to win five games, matching last season’s total, but were outscored by opponents, 197-379, in a mostly disappointing season that was surrounded by controversy.
The dysfunctional silver-and-black renegade never quite found a leader over the course of the season—even though most thought JaMarcus Russell would lead the Raiders in the right direction.
But Russell’s raw talent and potential couldn’t outweigh his unpreparedness and lack of discipline. Russell’s ineffectiveness prompted head coach, Tom Cable, who was surrounded by controversy of his own, to bench him.
Russell eventually lost his job to Bruce Gradkowski, who was decent in the games he started. Gradkowski finished the year completing 82 passes of his 150 attempts (54.7%) with 1,007 yards, 6 TDs, 3 INT and a QB Rating of 80.6.
JaMarcus Russell, who was paid handsomely by Al Davis before even trying on a pair of NFL shoulder pads, finished with 120 completions out of 246 attempts (48.8%) with 1,287 yards, 3 TDs, 11 INT and a QB Rating of 50.0.
And as ugly as the Raiders were on offense, they did not go without having some bright spots on the field.
Tight end Zach Miller led the team with 805 yards receiving and finished the year with 3 TDs. Also a nice surprise was Louis Murphy, who finished with 34 receptions, 521 yards receiving and a team leading 4 TDs. Honorable mentions include Chaz Schilens (365 yards, 2 TDs), Johnnie Lee Higgins (263 yards) and Darrius Heyward-Bey (124 yards, 1 TD).
In the backfield for the Raiders were Michael Bush, Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden. I was sure that McFadden would have a breakout season, but he just couldn’t get any rhythm going over the course of his second season. Bush finished the year with a team leading 589 rushing yards to go along with three rushing scores. Fargas followed suit with 491 yards and three scores of his own. And finally, McFadden, finished his sophomore season with 357 yards one score and four fumbles.
On the defensive side for the Raiders, they struggled for most of the season and as a result ended up giving up 379 points. But as was the case with the offense, there were a few bright spots that made the defense somewhat watchable.
LB Kirk Morrison led the Raiders with 133 total tackles, and Tyvon Branch followed suit with 124 tackles of his own. Richard Seymour finished with 47 tackles and 4 sacks while Trevor Scott led the team with 7 sacks. Safety Michael Huff recorded 3 INTs and 43 tackles while CB Nnamdi Asomugha rounded out the defense with 34 tackles of his own to go along with 1 INT.
The Oakland Raiders were once “Committed to Excellence” and used to “Just Win Baby”, and though these old adages still cover the walls of the coliseum, their meanings are becoming more and more irrelevant.
And although the past seven seasons have been mostly painful to watch, Raiders fans can still find some “bright” spots in a mostly disappointing organization.
Will the Raiders somehow magically bounce back next season with an 11-5 record? No. But the hope is that they’ll make progress.
Al Davis and the rest of the organization should look at the bright spots and build upon them. Restoring that sense of commitment, dedication, and heart is the most important thing for this organization. Leadership is needed, and without it, these “bright” spots will begin to fade away, much like the once proud Raider Nation.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Looking for a Way Out: How the 2009 Oakland Raiders Can Contend in the AFC West
Published: June 27, 2009
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After receiving some compelling comments on my last article, I’ve decided to re-evaluate the 2009 Oakland Raiders and their opportunity to make some noise in the AFC West.
By no means am I a Raider Hater; I’m just stating my opinions and beliefs on what needs to be done in order for the Raiders to have a legitimate shot at the division:
1. The offense needs to be improved
The Raiders averaged 16.4 points per game last season which was 29th overall in the NFL. The Raiders total offense was 29th in NFL (272.2 yards per game). Their passing attack was a league worse at 148.1 yards per game. However, the running attack was impressive as it placed in the top 10 with an average of 124.2 yards per game.
JaMarcus Russell is the reason for concern. Russell struggled in his first full season as the Raiders quarterback, throwing for 2,423 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Russell in his first year struggled holding onto the ball, as he fumbled 12 times and constantly seemed as if he was unaware of the blitz.
In order for the Raiders to have some shot at challenging San Diego and Denver, Russell needs to step up his level of play. He needs to become the leader of the offense, he needs to develop some discipline. Russell has the talent to be a solid quarterback, but in order to be somebody he needs to step it up.
The wide receivers on the team also need to find a way to step up their level of play. Averaging 16 points and 272 total yards a game is not going to cut it in the NFL. The talent is definitely there, just the discipline is absent.
2. The defense needs to stop the run
Nnamdi Asomugha did his job last year by recording 40 tackles with one interception last year. Asomugha is a class-act kind of guy who is clearly emerging as a leader on defense. Derrick Burgess continued to play competitively last year, but the Raiders as a whole failed to stop the run.
Take week four against the Chargers last year as a prime example of how the defense seems to run out of gas in the second half. Up 15 at halftime, the Raiders allowed the charges to score 25 points in the fourth quarter. LaDainian Tomlinson ran all over the Raiders in the second half and the Chargers ran at will against the Raiders weak run defense.
If the Raiders can improve on stopping the run, then look for them to win those close and sometimes upsetting games.
3. The team must find a leader
It could be the coach, it could be the quarterback. It could even be Al Davis. Davis fired Lane Kiffin after a poor start last season. Davis has had a number of different coaches. Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Art Shell are the coaches who failed to produce wins.
Tom Cable seems like a decent coach, who seems to have the respect of his players. Al Davis really needs to swallow his ego and allow his coaching staff to run the team as they see fit. Leadership is extremely valuable and necessary when it comes to sports. If the Oakland Raiders find a leader then look for a competitive team in 2009.
In general, I’d like to say thank you to all those who take the time to read and leave comments. I appreciate everyone’s opinions and I hope you continue reading.
