Rebuilding the Fear - Oakland Raiders M13 CCM

[KBLover]

Raiders Practice Hard Amid NFL Ruling

Similar to what happened to Ravens FS Ed Reed, the NFL attempted to suspend LBs Rolondo McClain and Greg Jones for next week's pivotal game against the Broncos. The appeals dropped the suspensions, much like the Reed case.

"That is ridiculous - to suspend our players. What about the injuries to our LBs? What about to McFadden? What about to Ford? It's horrible that defenders are held to a different standard, " Coach Lyle spoke.

This interjection by the league comes amid a week of practice in preparation for more than just a basic grudge match against Peyton Manning and the Broncos, but a game that has major implications in the AFC West division race as well as the AFC Wildcard chase.

The Chargers lead the division at 7-5 with both the Broncos and Raiders sitting at 6-6. In the Wild Card race, there's just too many teams to mention. Pretty much the rest of the AFC is in that hunt. As such, this is a big game for both teams.

The defense is getting prepared for Peyton Manning while Denarius Moore is getting all the film he can on Champ Bailey.

"This league is tough. One day, you're facing a young stud like Haden and the next you face an older vet who's still getting it done in Champ [Bailey], " Moore commented.

Moore had 7 catches for 89 yards in the first game, but that was before the sudden chemistry with Terrelle Pryor. Though Haden got two picks, Moore put up 120 yards. Darius Heyword-Bey will need to show up. He was essentially a non-factor in the first meeting.

In the earlier meeting with the Broncos, the Raiders gave up 350 yards and 3 TDs to Manning and lost a 16-13 lead to fall 28-16. The Raiders hope having Terrelle Pryor and being at home will change things around. The 3-4 emphasis on defense will get a big test while Chris Ivory will likely be looked to for more ball control as the Raiders held the ball for 40 minutes last week against the Browns.

[Cre8]

Moore is beasting! Love seeint TP doing something for you too!

[JHeyBraves]

Quote: Originally Posted by KBLover

Seymour might go to LE some. He did well as the "Ngata Tackle", though. I'm considering putting him at NT. He might be better at it than Kelly, and is closer to his DT role in the 4-3, and no "issues" with the NT. Ivory was amazing - it's like everything "clicked" with him back there. We'll see if it keeps up. Denarius Moore is up to 25K experience now. Terrance Newman had 10,000 experience after this game for whatever reason.

I think you could put Seymour anywhere on that line and he would be an upgrade over anyone else.

If you stash Moore's XP and he hits his upper limit stats goal for the season, you could probably upgrade him to Superstar development (assuming he's quick dev). He is only 23 (I think) and you are halfway there, so it might be worth considering.

[KBLover]

Pryor, Defense Persevere
Raiders Get Revenge, Win Key Game 27-12

It was an ugly affair for Terrelle Pryor. Either he was overly excited and had too much nerves, or the rain - and the Denver pass rush - just messed with him. Whatever the case, he completed just 40% of his passes. However, he made some big throws and avoided the interception.

It didn't go so well for Chris Ivory either. He ran hard all game, but couldn't find a ton of room throughout. He was also held out of the end zone, though he had a few good runs called back on holding penalties - something that occurs all too frequently for this offensive line.

The offense played very sloppily in the first half. Two fumbles lost, again one each by Howling and Taiwan Jones, put the team in a bind early. Pryor was off target, and the run game struggled. This led to three and outs and bad defensive field position. But the defense stood strong, including a stand inside the 5 yard line to force a chip shot FG. Broncos lead 6-0 for much of the 1st half.

Then Pryor got the ball moving a bit and Ivory found some room in the passing game. Later in the drive, he hit Moore on a short slant and Moore fought his way into the end zone to put the Raiders up 7-6.

Later in the second quarter, Pryor caught to Broncos in a Cover 2 and hit Moore in the hole along the sideline for a long pass play. The next play was a TD to Criner on a post, catching Broncos in a zone blitz. Pryor waited and zipped the ball past the dropping defensive lineman to lead Criner into the open field.

Starting the 2nd half, Manning found some rhythm. The Raiders tried to mix in some zone, hoping to confuse the All-Pro QB, but that backfired when Terrance Newman gambled in pass defense, missed, and let Decker head up field for a big play. Manning then hit Tamme for a score that Rolondo McClain is just a touch too late on, letting Tamme squirt the ball across the plane for the score.

The Broncos' pass rush was unrelenting. They got Pryor for three sacks and continued to hit him all game long. Pryor, however, rolled out on a bootleg and kept going up field. Denver had sent the LBs on a blitz and Pryor ran towards Heyward-Bey, who can come across on his route. Heyward-Bey made a block on Champ Bailey, who sniffed out Pryor's scramble, and Pryor cut inside off the block into the open field. He would score a 63-yard touchdown run. That put the Raiders up 21-12. Janikowski would add a 51-yard FG thanks to a solid Jacoby Ford punt return and go up 24-12 into the fourth quarter.

The Raiders offense stalled out as the team was trying to hold the ball and get Ivory going. There was some success, but still, nothing consistent on the ground. The Raiders defense stood up as strong, stopping Manning from getting into a rhythm with a pass rush of their own. Greg Jones, in particular, was big as the outside linebacker picked up 3 sacks. Rolondo McClain added a sack late, and Lamarr Houston picked up one.

After some failed fourth down attempts by the Broncos and punts by the Raiders, the Raiders got the ball with under 2:00 left. Stephens-Howling made up for his fumble earlier to a degree with a hard 6-yard run on a draw play to seal the game. He maintained his balance after a hit was fought for the first down marker.

"This is a huge win, and we got it at home - so the fans know we are for real. We want the postseason and this is a big step towards it, " Pryor spoke after the game.

The defense put up another solid performance. They didn't generate any turnovers in this one, but they kept the Broncos receivers covered most of the time and gave up just one big play. This in spite of the team failing in their ball control goal, holding the ball just under 25 minutes.

The win, combined with the Chargers' loss, puts the Raiders in a 1st place tie in the AFC West at 7-6. The Raiders next face the 5-8 Chiefs at the Coliseum. While the Chiefs have a bad record, they'd love nothing more than to play spoiler to the hopes of their archrival. There will also be bad blood from the "cheap hits" the Chiefs believe the Raiders delivered...not to mention that 4th quarter rally from Pryor.

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
Jan 1,	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Denver Broncos (6-6)	6	0	6	0	12
Oakland Raiders (6-6)	0	14	10	3	27

Team Stats Comparison
	DEN	OAK
Total Offense	270	314
Rushing Yards	86	149
Passing Yards	184	165
First Downs	12	14
Punt Return Yards	13	49
Kick Return Yards	45	74
Total Yards	328	437
Turnovers	0	2
3rd Down Converstion	1-15 (6%)	4-15 (26%)
4th Down Conversion	0-3	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-1	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1/0 (100%)	1/1 (66%)
Penalties	8-80	5-50
Posession Time	35:16	24:44

Denver Broncos PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Peyton Manning 21/40 (52%) 224 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Willis McGahee 24 84 3.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Eric Decker 6 69 11.5 0 Willis McGahee 6 32 5.3 0 Jacob Tamme 4 40 10.0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD D.J. Williams 8 0 0 0 Von Miller 6 0 0 0 Justin Bannan 6 0 0 0 Mike Adams 5 0 0 0 Thaddeus Gibson 3 3 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Matt Prater 2/2 35 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Britton Colquitt 9 356 39.6 1

Oakland Raiders PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Terrelle Pryor 13/34 (38%) 202 2 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Chris Ivory 25 77 3.1 0 Terrelle Pryor 2 61 30.5 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Denarius Moore 5 84 16.8 1 Chris Ivory 4 41 10.3 0 Juron Criner 1 27 27.0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Rolando McClain 12 1 0 0 Greg Jones 7 3 0 0 Michael Huff 6 0 0 0 Demorrio Williams 5 0 0 0 Lamarr Houston 4 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Sebastian Janikowski 2/2 51 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Shane Lechler 8 320 40.0 2

Notes:
Both Taiwan Jones and Larod Stephens-Howling will see their playing time reduced due to consistent fumble issues. Jacoby Ford is responsible for kick and punt returns while Marcel Reese becomes the 3rd down running back. TE Richard Gordon will take fullback duties when Reese is at halfback.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by JHeyBraves

I think you could put Seymour anywhere on that line and he would be an upgrade over anyone else. If you stash Moore's XP and he hits his upper limit stats goal for the season, you could probably upgrade him to Superstar development (assuming he's quick dev). He is only 23 (I think) and you are halfway there, so it might be worth considering.

Yeah, he's at Quick development now. He's got 29,447 XP and needs 7 catches in the next three games to reach his season catches goal (100). So, barring injury, he should get there.

[KBLover]

Raiders Scouting Update

With the regular season winding down, let's take another look at the Raiders draft board.

Current Top Targets

1. OLB Cedric Robins, Oklahoma - Cedric looks like the kind of player this team will hunt down, especially if the 3-4 takes hold for the long run. Has good instincts and pursuit ability, and should have to quickness to get where he needs to be. Size and coverage ability are concerns, however.

2. OLB Autin Williams, UCLA - More like 1-a, according to sources. Austin is noted delivering punishing hits on the field, but when he needs to break down and make a sure tackle, he has been inconsistent. That said, he has a head for the game, so any warts might just need refinement instead of being true weaknesses.

3. CB Courtney Callender, Nevada - Courtney looks like a prototypical man corner. He looks to have the speed to run with any WR and shows the best ball skills in man coverage. On one hand, this fits in with what the team is doing now. On the other hand, it does little for the team's ability to mix up coverages.

4. CB Sam Woodfaulk, Southern Miss - Sam has been rising up the boards lately as he's looking more and more like a diamond in the rough. Reports are that he's blazing fast and reads his keys well, minimizing the impact of deception like play action on him. He seems to be a mixed bag in coverage, but he also seems flexible and displays willingness to function under both a zone or man scheme.

5. LG Marcus Richardson, Arizona - Marcus is another rising fast on the boards as the offensive line struggles week after week with consistency. His awareness needs some time in the film room, but his foundational techniques are strong for a young player. That has him intriguing coaches.

6. RG Cale Welch, Ohio State - This young man is 6' 7" and is not afraid to use his size aggressively. Scouts fawned over how he beats on defenders that get near him in run blocking and is the perfect type of player to secure the point of attack. He gets lost a bit in pass protection, but he usually can diagnose what's happening before his QB pays the price. It is an area of concern at the next level, however.

7. DT Jerry Archer, BYU - Initially, this kid wasn't on the top interests list, but with the team switching to a 3-4, suddenly, this kind of DT takes on interest. He shows little desire for chase-and-tackle play, but he loves trying to power his way into the back field and plays with tremendous strength and leverage, staying low and driving his legs into the blockers. He could be a good NT prospect for the team.

[KBLover]

Raiders Win War of Attrition
Methodical, Patient Offense and
Pounding Defense Bring 20-10 Win

Injuries galore. This game was billed as one that could bring out the bad(der) blood after the way the first game went. That was not hype. Both teams were throwing their bodies around and flying to the football in an intense, physical matchup.

As a result, several players on both sides suffered injuries of varying degrees. The Raiders may have suffered the worst of the exchange as the team lost multiple players for the rest of the regular season and any possible playoff games.

"I'm very proud of this win by us. This was a man's game. We had to suck it up and take the punches and deliver some of our own and we held strong, we held together, and we got the win. This is Raiders football! This is what I want out of us every week!" Coach Lyle spoke in the locker room after the game.

Chris Ivory was award the game ball as he epitomized the hard-nosed mentality in this game. He ran the ball 27 times and ground out 114 yards. He also caught 7 balls for 36 yards.

"What, 30 touches? Something like that? It was a lot, it was work, but that's what I'm paid for. I just hope I gave them a few licks like they gave me," Ivory smiled and spoke at the post-game conference.

The win is the Raiders 3rd in a row, and perhaps the team is starting to come together at the right time. The team is 3-0 since establishing the 3-4 defense as it just seems to fit everyone better. Tommy Kelly has come alive as the NT, picking up multiple tackles and being a big part of a much improved run defense. Today, the team held Jamaal Charles to 70 yards on 25 rushes, 2.8 yards per carry.

The Raiders fell behind 7-0 as McNabb moved down the field with ease on the Chiefs' second possession. A Jacoby Ford fumble, which was the first injury of many, set the Chiefs up in FG range to make it 10-0. Raiders made it 10-9 by kicking 3 field goals in the 2nd quarter as the team played field position and tried to avoid big risks. The team did take one risk, trying to punch it in on 4th and Goal at the 1, but Ivory came up short on an outside pitch play.

The team came into that situation again, and Pryor couldn't sneak it in. This time, though, the Raiders took the points as it was clear it would be a slugfest instead of a shoot out.

Terrelle Pryor threw a TD pass to Brandon Myers off of play action. Myers was running alone in the middle of the Kansas City defense and made the easy catch for the score. The team converted the two-point try with Chris Ivory fighting into the end zone on a swing pass to give the Raiders a 17-10 lead. Janikowski missed a 58-yard FG attempt off the left upright late in the quarter. It was Pryor's only TD pass, but he had an efficient day. Denarius Moore continues to be the target of choice, but they worked on possession routes and still had good success, which is encouraging going forward.

"Terrelle and I don't need the big play to hook up. " Moore commented, "We like to try for them, but we can make things happen with all of our routes."

In the 4th quarter, the Raiders resumed the punt-and-wait style of offense. Although penalties continued to disrupt plans, it worked enough for the Raiders to tack on a field goal for a two-score lead late, and that's how the game would end.

At 8-6, the team has taken a one-game lead in the AFC West. However, the team can not relax. There is a hoard of 7-7 teams, and a loss next week against the Panthers could put the team right back into the middle of a mess. The team will close out the season on the road as well, and the Raiders have struggled mightily on the road, going 2-4 thus far.

Box Score:

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders
Jan 1,	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Kansas City Chiefs (5-8)	7	3	0	0	10
Oakland Raiders (7-6)	0	9	8	3	20

Team Stats Comparison
	KAN	OAK
Total Offense	225	374
Rushing Yards	75	137
Passing Yards	150	237
First Downs	9	19
Punt Return Yards	15	57
Kick Return Yards	0	67
Total Yards	240	498
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Converstion	5-16 (31%)	8-18 (44%)
4th Down Conversion	0-1	0-1
2-Point Conversion	0-0	1-1
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	0/1 (100%)	2/3 (80%)
Penalties	2-12	7-65
Posession Time	25:16	34:44

Kansas City Chiefs PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Terrelle Pryor 26/42 (61%) 244 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Chris Ivory 27 114 4.2 0 Marcel Reese 4 18 4.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Denarius Moore 9 118 13.1 0 Chris Ivory 7 36 5.1 0 Brandon Meyers 4 31 7.8 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Rolando McClain (2 FF) 7 0 0 0 Demorrio Williams 6 0 0 0 Philip Wheeler 5 1 0 0 Tommy Kelly 4 0 0 0 Lamarr Houston 3 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Sebastian Janikowski 4/5 51 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Shane Lechler 5 222 44.4 3

Oakland Raiders PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Donovan McNabb 13/24 (54%) 172 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Jamaal Charles 25 70 2.8 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Jeremy Shockey 4 73 18.3 1 Jonathan Baldwin 3 44 14.7 0 Dwayne Bowe 3 36 12.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Eric Berry 7 0 0 0 Justin Houston 6 1 0 0 Derrick Johnson 6 0 0 0 Kendrick Lewis 4 0 0 0 Andy Studebaker 4 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Ryan Succop 1/2 23 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Dustin Colquitt 8 333 41.6 0

Notes:
WR Denarius Moore is starting to get buzz about closing in on the single-season receiving yards record. Moore has 1,639 yards and the record is 1,848 by Jerry Rice...Both Moore and McClain are becoming faces of the franchise...Moore leads offensive players in the AFC Pro-Bowl voting while McClain leads the AFC's defensive players...


Injury Report:
The Raiders placed OLB Miles Burris on injured reserve with a broken fibula. He will be out about 6 months...ILB Demorrio Williams will miss next weeks game with a shoulder tear...CB Coye Francis will be out 4 weeks with a hamstring tear...WR Jacoby Ford was placed on IR for a broken collarbone that is expected to keep him out 8 weeks...

Transactions:
SS Mike Mitchell agreed to a 4-year extension worth about $8 million...OLB Vic So'oto was signed to replace Burris...WR Michael Jenkins was signed to take Jacoby Ford's spot...

[JHeyBraves]

McClain for Prez

C'mon Denarius, only ~105/game, you got this.

Those injuries are really piling up late in the season.