Posotives.

[Langlier]

1. Fabian Washington is turning into a hawk
2. Sapp looks rejuvinated
3. Howard and Morrison may be the best pair of LBs weve had at the same time this last decade.

anything else? Rob Ryan looks like he has done miracles with our D?

 

[Crossbones]

Gotta say Warren Sapp is becomng a leader on that dfefense. Looks and sounds to me like he's wanting to be arond a year or two more.

Fabs got worked on that third interception. Nice to see the defensive backfield getting some turnovers.

I'm eating serious crow about Rob Ryan. He's the man on our coaching staff to be srue.

Nice calls Lang.

 

[Jack's sore libido]

I love that the defense continues to show fire and spirit even when they enter the game knowing the offense can't sustain a drive.

That's good coaching, in my opinion.

Remember when the Bucs' defense was so good for so many years, but their Trent Dilfer-led offense schit the bed every week? That's how these Raiders are starting to feel to me. Once the offense becomes competent -- not even good, mind you ... just mediocre -- the wins will start coming.

Another positive -- some bad teams won on Sunday, so we should get a higher pick.

 

[hawaiianboy]

The offense is for shit, and he hasn't played well, but I like the fact that a lot of the players from both sides of the ball seem to gravitate to Andrew Walter on the sidelines... That shows he has some leadership qualities...

Jack's comparison with the early Bucs is spot on IMO... I think much like the Bucs enjoyed playing for coaches like Dungy, Herm Edwards and Marinelli at the time, these Raiders enjoy playing for Ryan, Millard and Pagano... That the defense likes the scheme they're in and their coaching staff shows in the level of enthusiasm in which they play with... Emotion plays such a huge part in the game of football... That's one of the reasons I think the offense flounders as it does, I don't think you'll find a single guy happy with the scheme they're in so it just kills the enthusiasm level and you have players just going through the motions...

I like the mindframe of the defense in that they are now making a concentrated effort to make plays on the ball and get some turnovers... Nnamdi and Fabs look a lot more comfortable in their starters role and it's showing on the field...

Nice to see Lechler clearly out of that slump he was in last season...

Nice to see sellouts as well, even if they are manufactored in some ways....

 

[Swords]

I have no problems with the defense.... I almost feel sorry for those glorious bastards.

 

[Stanny]

In my eyes the Raiders have a disastrous recipe that actually could work. As many have pointed out, the defense is actually going out with a chip on their shoulder and in my eyes they are playing to become "great" players as a "TEAM" not as individuals. You never see or here any one guy saying he is the man. You here or see this team, preach team...I mean they may point out a guy here and there saying how great he is playing but why shouldn't they? And when usually pointing out someone, ie Burgess the players follow up their comment with "the guy is an animal and he is elevating everyones game." We have a nice young "core" at key positions. Both corners are playing great ball, we have some depth, our LB's are going to be among the tops in the league within the next 2yrs...we have a great DE with Burgess and I love Terds at the NT spot......(We must re-sign Terds as he will be a FA in 2007)

The offense has some quality players (few), yet I think you need all 11 players to buy into the coaches and their philosophy and I don't think that's happening. On the defensive side you have Ryan, Pagano, Millard and Martindale working as one...you see them talking, you here or see the players eyes light up when any one of those coaches names are mentioned. When talking offensive ball, what do you get? FINGER POINTING. And where is that finger pointed? Tom Walsh and slowly it's getting directed to wards Art Shell. I find it hard to believe that Shell, Walsh, Freddy B, Shoop, McElwain, Slater and others are all on the same page. It seems like they are segregated during the week and then they all meet on Sunday to try and play a game. You ever here of the guys on offense hanging out together and never once heard of them with the coaches outside of football? Crockett holds a Monday night gig in which he cooks, etc and has the TEAM over to his house. You here of the defensive guys going bowling, golf etc and the defensive coaches have tagged along as well. On the defensive side they "get it." They have bought into the Rob Ryan system and it shows. They are becoming a close knitted family.

On the offensive side of the ball, NO ONE has bought into the coaches and philosophy and it shows. So they have part of the recipe in place....it can become a masterpiece, that perfected soufflet or if Art doesn't make changes on the offensive side of the ball it will be one big mixed pot of goulash.

The only good things I see are, Ryan his his players believing, Art actually has the team still under his guidance, yet he is slowly losing it out of loyalty to the chef. It could be a disastrous recipe or it could be the making of a great recipe.

I think Art needs to do the following for our 2007 squad:

* Fire Walsh
* Fire Freddy B - He'll never be fired in a million years, but I think he is lousy as a coach. Our receivers have always run crappy routes outside of Brown and he never seems to get the best out of our guys in my eyes.
* Dump/Trade-Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, Barry Sims, Langston Walker, Alvis Whitted, Tui and any excess fat. Try for a 2nd, a 3rd and two 5th round picks for Moss and Porter. (I might keep Porter if new OC comes in)
* Demote-Jake Grove to backup roll, Gallery gets 2007 to prove if bust or not, Boothe is a starter, Give McUgly a shot at RT....pick up FA at LG spot and Center...spend the money. Max Starks, Leonard Davis possible tackle replacements if Gallery moves inside.
* Talk Warren Sapp into staying for 2007, look to move Huff to FS, cut ties with Stu and go after a Ken Hamlin, Michael Lewis or Deon Grant. Make a play for RDE, maybe Justin Smith or Simeon Rice.
* Draft O-line, RB, TE (maybe make a grab at Michael Turner from the San Diego Chargers)


Bring in a new coordinator and more then likely it would have to be someone from the college ranks or someone with some type of Raider tie, ie Fassel being that no one wants to touch this team with a 10ft poll who is already established in the NFL. The only way a coach comes from within the NFL is if he is being promoted as in from QB coach, WR coach etc to Offensive Coordinator.

Possible replacements:

Mike Dumbar-Cal
Lane Kiffin-USC
Michael Haywood-NotreDame

Jim Caldwell-Colts
Gil Haskell-Seahawks
Ken Anderson-Jags
Ken Zampese-Bengals
James Lofton-Bolts
John Ramsdell-Bolts


There's not much picking for the OC spot, but anyone on this list I would take over Walsh.

 

[Crossbones]

Yo Stanny...

I like your take. And yes the players haven't bought into the offensive philosophy. Last week it was LaMont saying he's just there to do his job...this week it's Walter. Not good.

BTW, I thought Ken Hamlin played FS. No?

 

[Stanny]

Yo Stanny...

I like your take. And yes the players haven't bought into the offensive philosophy. Last week it was LaMont saying he's just there to do his job...this week it's Walter. Not good.

BTW, I thought Ken Hamlin played FS. No?

Yo Bones,

You are correct my man...he really plays FS but they have rolled him over and mixed him up with Boulware and Babineaux....He's not 220lbs but I think around 210lbs and can tackle. I think Gibson goes around 215lbs and Huff is just over the 200 mark. I think he could play SS but then again he might not want to.

 

[Crossbones]

Gotcha.

I always liked Hamlin although he's lucky he's alive after that incident last year.

Love to see the Raiders get him.

 

[Stanny]

1. Fabian Washington is turning into a hawk
2. Sapp looks rejuvinated
3. Howard and Morrison may be the best pair of LBs weve had at the same time this last decade.

anything else? Rob Ryan looks like he has done miracles with our D?

You get a thumbs up from me pal.....

 

[Stanny]

Gotcha.

I always liked Hamlin although he's lucky he's alive after that incident last year.

Love to see the Raiders get him.

Yeah didn't he get the crap kicked out of him...got his head caved in or something like that? Lucky in deed.....

 

[Crossbones]

Yeah didn't he get the crap kicked out of him...got his head caved in or something like that? Lucky in deed.....

At a club in downtown Seattle at 2:30 in the morning. Got into it with the wrong dude who hit him upside the head with one of those steel poles that hold up signes on the street. I thought the guy was really going to die. Never thogth I'd see him on a football field again. He was very lucky.

 

[Stanny]

At a club in downtown Seattle at 2:30 in the morning. Got into it with the wrong dude who hit him upside the head with one of those steel poles that hold up signes on the street. I thought the guy was really going to die. Never thogth I'd see him on a football field again. He was very lucky.

Talk about a bad night.....damn

 

[Rupert]

I don't know that we need to fire the offensive staff, but if (notice I said if) their approach was, "We're going to shake both the scheme and players out until we decide what we're going to do next season." The players on both sides should have been clued in. It would have prevented some of the grumbling, and players would have known they were playing for a spot next season. It might have diminished what the defense has been doing since they might not have played all out for a hopeless offense. Which might be why they didn't say that if that's the case.

 

[Stanny]

I don't know that we need to fire the offensive staff, but if (notice I said if) their approach was, "We're going to shake both the scheme and players out until we decide what we're going to do next season." The players on both sides should have been clued in. It would have prevented some of the grumbling, and players would have known they were playing for a spot next season. It might have diminished what the defense has been doing since they might not have played all out for a hopeless offense. Which might be why they didn't say that if that's the case.

Your last name wouldn't be Walsh now would it?


J/K, but my freind Walsh needs to go. It didn't work in the 90's and it's not working now. His offense of the 90's called him out and his offense now is calling him out.

 

[Byron2112]

The biggest positive for me is the performance of the D-line considering the content.

They didn't start out so well against sandy eggo, and we could still be alittle stouter in the middle, but overall they've really turned into an effectve part of the defense, and not the liability they have been in recent years.

They rush the passer well inside and out, and for the most part, bend but don't break against the run... it's nice not having you're D-line give up 5-6 yards a pop on first and second down, along with getting lit up for several long runs every game.

Maybe it's the emergence of Terd... definatly Millard is a coach on the rise...

 

[Freakshow]

I think another positive from that game is how we were "in it" basically until the last drive. Denver by all accounts is one of the best teams in the NFL and Oakland is one of the worst, if not the worst. I do take some consolation from that, as pitiful as it sounds. Here are a few more positives I saw (besides the ones already mentioned):

SeaBass kicking a career-high 55 yarder. Nice to see him use that leg we know he has. Could have been good from 60.

John Madsen's catch down the sideline. Dude was a walk-on and though he's being brough along slowly he looks like the hybrid we though Teyo Johnson was going to be.

Huff bouncing back nicely after the concussion and lackluster game vs. seattle. Only gave up one reception (that I saw) despite tight coverage and filled well against the run. He's showing more and more as the season unfolds.

Pass protection looked better to me. Only 3 sacks this time. Still needs a major overhaul but at least it's a little better.

 

[Crossbones]

The question ius "why did the pass pro look better"...I'm really wondering.

Salughter and Huley manning the left side. Yep they did look better. Does this light a fire under Robert Gallery?

 

[hawaiianboy]

The question ius "why did the pass pro look better"...I'm really wondering.

Incorporating the short passing game and quicker developing patterns made a noticeable difference IMO... Of course, once Denver started blitzing alot more in the second half, things went back to the same old, same old...

 

[Freakshow]

maybe slaughter needs a hearing aid. seriously - he jumped offsides again and this time in front of his home crowd. but, once he gets off the snap he does seem to do a better job than our other tackles, which isn't saying much. my knock on him though is his lack of quickness. he's huge and powerful but a step slow. speed rushers beat him around the corner. to me, he's a decent backup.

tough to say about hulsey. yes he played fairly well vs. denver but he was also deactivated for the first 7 games this year. is he better than sims? probably a wash and again, not really starting material imo.

got to get some free-agent o-lineman in here next year and have a little luck in the draft. draft about 5 lineman and hope one or two stick. we need at least three and maybe four new starters.