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From Jerry Mac:
17 or less equals 2-4
Posted by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer on Tuesday at 1:52 pm
The Raiders are in the midst of an impressive statistical defensive run made even more remarkable by their inability to cash in on it.
Oakland has allowed 17 points or less to the last six opponents and come out of those games with a 2-4 record.
OK, you’re not impressed.
Consider the following:
– No other team in the NFL this season has gone six consecutive games allowing 17 or fewer points.
– The 2005 Raiders and the 2004 Raiders never even had back-to-back games of allowing 17 or fewer points.
– Oakland has not gone three games giving up 17 or less since 2000 _ and that was the year the Raiders went 12-4 and reached the AFC Championship game. The streak that year ended at three games.
– The last time Oakland had a streak of four games allowing 17 or less was 1990. The team most consider the best in franchise history, the 1983 Super Bowl champion L.A. Raiders, never had more than four straight games giving up 17 or less.
– The last time the Raiders went six consecutive games giving up 17 or less was 1980, when they had Lester Hayes, Ted Hendricks and won their second Super Bowl. They won five of those six games.
– The only streak by the Raiders longer than the current one was in 1973, when the closed out the season with seven of 17 or less. The Raiders won five of those, including the last four in a row to secure the AFC West with a 9-4-1 record.
– The New England Patriots of 2002 and 2003 never had a run of more than five straight games of 17 or less. The renouned Bears’ defenses of 1985 and 1986 had a run of seven straight each year, as did the Baltimore Ravens of 2000.
Oakland’s ability to be stingy with points is impressive given the inability of its offense to control the ball and stay on the field largely. With all the sacks and turnovers, field position has often been poor.
For the Raiders to get to seven, of course, means keeping a San Diego team under control which just happens to be the first in NFL history to rally from 17-point deficits to win back-to-back games.
A team with LaDainian Tomlinson, who has 22 touchdowns overall, 18 in his last six games and is threatening to shatter every scoring record in league history.
The odds would seem remote. Oakland’s one defensive weakness is getting gouged for big yardage by premiere backs. Larry Johnson of the Chiefs, the NFL’s leading rusher (1,045 yards), gained 154 yards on 31 carries against Oakland. Frank Gore of the 49ers, the league’s second-leading rusher (1,043 yards), had 127 yards on 27 attempts. Tomlinson, the No. 3 rusher (1,037 yards) had 131 yards on 31 carries in Week 1.
(The only back not among the elite to gash Oakland’s defense with regularlity was Seattle’s Maurice Morris, who had 138 yards in 30 carries).
There remains the possibility that Oakland could rise up and throttle the Chargers, who have been held to 17 only once all season and have scored 30 or more six times and have gone over 40 in three of those.
And the painful truth is that they could lose anyway.
17 or less equals 2-4
Posted by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer on Tuesday at 1:52 pm
The Raiders are in the midst of an impressive statistical defensive run made even more remarkable by their inability to cash in on it.
Oakland has allowed 17 points or less to the last six opponents and come out of those games with a 2-4 record.
OK, you’re not impressed.
Consider the following:
– No other team in the NFL this season has gone six consecutive games allowing 17 or fewer points.
– The 2005 Raiders and the 2004 Raiders never even had back-to-back games of allowing 17 or fewer points.
– Oakland has not gone three games giving up 17 or less since 2000 _ and that was the year the Raiders went 12-4 and reached the AFC Championship game. The streak that year ended at three games.
– The last time Oakland had a streak of four games allowing 17 or less was 1990. The team most consider the best in franchise history, the 1983 Super Bowl champion L.A. Raiders, never had more than four straight games giving up 17 or less.
– The last time the Raiders went six consecutive games giving up 17 or less was 1980, when they had Lester Hayes, Ted Hendricks and won their second Super Bowl. They won five of those six games.
– The only streak by the Raiders longer than the current one was in 1973, when the closed out the season with seven of 17 or less. The Raiders won five of those, including the last four in a row to secure the AFC West with a 9-4-1 record.
– The New England Patriots of 2002 and 2003 never had a run of more than five straight games of 17 or less. The renouned Bears’ defenses of 1985 and 1986 had a run of seven straight each year, as did the Baltimore Ravens of 2000.
Oakland’s ability to be stingy with points is impressive given the inability of its offense to control the ball and stay on the field largely. With all the sacks and turnovers, field position has often been poor.
For the Raiders to get to seven, of course, means keeping a San Diego team under control which just happens to be the first in NFL history to rally from 17-point deficits to win back-to-back games.
A team with LaDainian Tomlinson, who has 22 touchdowns overall, 18 in his last six games and is threatening to shatter every scoring record in league history.
The odds would seem remote. Oakland’s one defensive weakness is getting gouged for big yardage by premiere backs. Larry Johnson of the Chiefs, the NFL’s leading rusher (1,045 yards), gained 154 yards on 31 carries against Oakland. Frank Gore of the 49ers, the league’s second-leading rusher (1,043 yards), had 127 yards on 27 attempts. Tomlinson, the No. 3 rusher (1,037 yards) had 131 yards on 31 carries in Week 1.
(The only back not among the elite to gash Oakland’s defense with regularlity was Seattle’s Maurice Morris, who had 138 yards in 30 carries).
There remains the possibility that Oakland could rise up and throttle the Chargers, who have been held to 17 only once all season and have scored 30 or more six times and have gone over 40 in three of those.
And the painful truth is that they could lose anyway.
