Building momentum against the Mack Attack

The return of the Mack is here and this ain’t an Andrew Yang rally. The Raiders are lucky this game is in London and not Oakland. Khalil Mack’s return to the Bay would be nuts especially if the Bears win and/or Mack dominates.

Imagine Khalil Mack getting by Kolton Miller and saying I’m so glad we’re not on the same team, get better. Imagine him telling Brown this is what you gave all that money to?

The reality is, Mack probably doesn’t really even care. There are only 11 players who played with Mack on the Raiders. One of those players is Derek Carr.

What happens if Carr is dead to rights by Mack? Does Carr slide or take a knee? When Mack does sack his former teammate does he help out his bro?

They’ve been publicly nice to each other on social and things didn’t end bad with them. We still have never seen them play against each other.

The real beef lies with Jon Gruden who won’t actually play in the game. Gruden is the one who saw that Mack was traded. Gruden was the one who said he wanted Mack. Gruden is also the one who said he never met Mack not to long ago. It’s business but business is more fun when you get to prove people wrong.

Expect Mack to go full beast mode. I’d expect at least a couple of sacks and maybe a turnover.

The Raiders will do their best to make sure anyone but Mack beats them. That’s how good Mack is though. He can get doubled team and still change the game himself or free everyone else up. I know watching every game of his first four seasons.

I got into an argument at a bar last week. If the Raiders had Mack and Cooper they would be a playoff team. Mo Hurst, Arden Key and Clelin Ferrell are the exact complimentary players Mack never had in Oakland.

Tell me we couldn’t use Amari Cooper right now too. You can argue his motivation to stay in Oakland but don’t argue his impact on the field.

That’s why this game feels personal. This is the first time we will play Khalil Mack. Mack was nothing but a Raider. He played hard, he led by example and he changed games. He came to work every day and is arguably the best draft pick in team history. We shipped that off for Josh Jacobs.

No disrespect to Jacobs. He is balling right now and I’m glad he is here. However, Gruden upset what had already been a treacherous rebuild. We were only 3/4 through a franchise reconstruction before Gruden put the Raiders through another retool.

As much as we all want the Raiders to win, get over .500 and build some momentum, I think there is all a small part of us that wants Mack to stick it to Gruden and the Raiders. Remember, the Silver and Black are leaving Oakland after this year. You’re telling me they didn’t want two more seasons of Khalil? You’re telling me they don’t want to see Mack single-handling beat Gruden just a little?

You’re lying. Once a Raider, always a Raider.

The point is, this will be a can’t miss game for Raiders faithful. Get up early. Besides, the Bears always play us really tight. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is a very close game.

How do the Raiders win?

Upfront, naturally. All eyes should be on Miller and Brown. Both got to finish the game versus a tough Bears defense that ranks in the top five for scoring.

Oakland is going to need to exert their will with Jacobs and the run game. That will help neutralize the Bears rush.

Nonetheless, Tyrell Williams is questionable for this game. Oakland will have a tough time stretching the field without their best receiver. Darren Waller is going to get a lot of throws.

On defense, the Raiders face a similar challenge as Ferrell will probably miss the game due to a concussion last week. Oakland can not let the Bears get in sync like they allowed Minnesota a few weeks ago. Chicago’s offense is bad this year so the Raiders can’t get exposed by them.

That means this game is on the front seven. They’ll have to stop the run without Marquel Lee or Vontaze Burfict. Lee is on IR and Burfict suspended for the year. The D-line also needs to do their part in the run plus push Mitch Trubisky into bad decisions. Defensive backs got to tackle too and limit big run plays or yards after the catch.

In the end, this is a winnable game for the Raiders. It depends what team shows up. Will the Raiders come out fast like last week versus the Colts? Or will they come out dazed from the jump like versus the Vikings?

We will see. Carr and Gruden got to get these guys up. We all know Mack will do his best to get his guys going.

Time to rev the Carr

If the Raiders play like they did Sunday it will be a long season. Oakland came out with a 3-and-out faster than you can imagined. The defense wasn’t much better. The Raiders got beat as soon as they got off the plane.

Now, they’ll go into Indianapolis. The Colts are well coached and still strong enough to beat the Raiders.

Derek Carr also needs to play better. His statistics are fine. Carr is playing efficient.

Unfortunately, he’s far too comfortable over matched. Carr is also reverting back to bad habits. The Raiders quarterback is bouncing in the pocket unnecessarily. His footwork hasn’t been the best even when the pocket is set.

Still, he has been a strong leader. Carr has been accurate. He just hasn’t taken enough chances.  The ones he has haven’t been fruitful. I guess this is the narrative on Carr.

The Point is, Carr is the one player who might actually give the Raiders an advantage. He’s got the talent to be a top 10 player at a position. It is his time to take games over and stop optimizing his way to mediocrity.

On defense, the Raiders play more discipline than years past. That’s the problem. They need some game changers who can dominate one-on-one matchups consistently. Oakland has some players who can win in spots. They need more than that.

Indianapolis is 2-1 and they aren’t giving up on the playoffs. The Silver and Black can win this game. However, they need Derek Carr to outplay Jacoby Brissett and the Raiders need their defense to make more than a play.

A trade doesn’t answer the Raiders problems and keys versus Vikings

Antonio Brown ain’t walking through that door. Neither is Rich Gannon, Jerry Rice or any Raiders great. The only thing that will change the Raiders season is already in the locker room.

Jalen Ramsey ain’t the answer either. The Raiders have already invested too many high draft picks in the secondary over the past four seasons. Don’t forget LaMarcus Joyner’s big contract too. Joyner needs to step up. Gareon Conley and Karl Joseph must fill those first round bills. Pressure is on Trayvon Mullen needs to step up faster than what is fair to him too.

Even if the Raiders could get Ramsey, he isn’t rushing the passer. The Raiders answers aren’t as easy as trading for Ramsey or even Minkah Fitzpatrick when he was on the open market. The Raiders couldn’t afford to send a future pick for a defensive back when the Raiders are already waiting returns on many other DBS on the roster. Ramsey and Fitzpatrick aren’t lining up at DE anyways.

The Raiders young pass rush needs to take the next step. They need to turn flashes into consistency. Oakland needs push and disruption upfront.

Equal pressure applies to the other side of the ball. Those young guards and tackles need to step up. It’s not enough to just run or pass block as the Raiders need a balanced and consistent front for what they want to do on offense.

At the end of the day, the Raiders need answers internally. There isn’t a player they could trade for that would answer all their questions because teams value pass rushers. Oakland needs to find answers up front before they worry about trading for anyone including Jalen Ramsey. On to this week.

Raiders versus Vikings Keys

Don’t beat your self. n

It is gonna get echoed all year. Oakland signed veteran players for a reason, they must be discipline. The Raiders registered 140 yards from penalties but Minnesoa finished with 200. That’s opportunities the Raiders will take advantage of. Oakland can’t shoot itself in the foot with penalties.

Minnesota can win the turnover battle. They’re already plus one for the season in turnover differential while Oakland is -1. The Raiders are not gonna win if Carr tries to do too much and throws two interceptions.

The Silver and Black must rely on JoshJacobs to aleviate that pressure. Everson Griffin and Danielle Hunter might lick their chops against the Raiders tackles, especially if Trent Brown misses any time. Establishing the run game is critical to nuetralizing those ends and granting Derek Carr some time for downfield throws.

Don’t be surprised if this is a total run and defense game. That’s kind of ideal for the Raiders. Don’t forget Adam Thielen and Stefan Diggs still lineup at receiver for the Vikings. The secondary must not get exposed again like they did versus Kansas City. The Vikings haven’t had a great offense thus far this season but the Raiders can’t let them get in rythme. Expect the DBs to get attacked often. If they can step up along with the pass rush, they can take advantage of Kirk Cousins at QB. If not, they can make the infamously inconsistent player’s highlight reel.

In the end, both these teams are scrapping to keep their season from being challenged early with 1-1 records. No one is really sure what either of these teams are. The Vikings seemingly have the advantage as a more recent playoff team but they’re still figuring out what they have at quarterback. A loss hear could put Cousins on the hot seat as well as any of the veterans on that defense.

This game needs to be like Denver for the Raiders. They have to come out fast, with swagger and trying to prove something. If they get down, Minnesota’s defense is too talented to get one dimensional against. Oakland’s defense also needs to not give up any big plays that turn the game into a shoot out. The Raiders need to win upfront and play with great fundamentals if they have any chance to beat this Vikings team.

Again, all the answers are inside the Raiders lockerroom. They’re 1-1 entering a game that could go either way. Just Win Baby!

 

Lessons from the collapse to the Chiefs

What did we learn from the Raiders collapse versus the Chiefs in a 28-10 loss despite the Raiders early loss?

First, the Chiefs are again the class of the AFC West still. Oakland looked like they could be sneaky good when they were up 10-0 early versus their rivals. Then, the Chiefs turned it on for a quarter and that was it. They coasted their way to the win.

Second, the Raiders are better than Denver but not by much. Sometimes, when something like that 10-0 lead seems too good to be true it probably is. Even if the Raiders aren’t as bad as some thought they were that doesn’t mean they’re as good as the elite Chiefs.

Last, maybe the AFC West isn’t as good as any of us hoped. The Raiders have played a third of their division schedule already and split the results. On one hand, they’re better than Denver but the Broncos at least kept it close. The Chargers on the other hand lost thanks to some kicking yet again. They own the same record as Oakland after a loss in Week Two. To be determined.

Either way, the Raiders got to find a way to build around that 10-0 start and forget the rest. Their pass rush and secondary looked closer to last year than the week before. Carr too.

The schedule is too tough. Oakland needs wins fast or it might get ugly. There’s no one that’s gonna save the Raiders. The guys on the trade block are mostly expensive DBs. Sure, Ramsey might help but he ain’t playing defensive end. Oakland already has too much invested in the secondary. You got Joyner’s fat contract. Conley, Mullen, Abram and Joseph are all high picks. Riley, Worley and Harris are supposed to be good vets. Don’t forget the wasted pick on Obi. Oakland can’t afford trading a high pick or paying a big contract for a DB. They need more pass rush and it’s not clear that is out there on the trading block.

The point is, the Raiders got outclassed by the Chiefs. It won’t be the last time they’re overmatched. I think the game was a reality check for the Raiders after they bullied a sorry Broncos team. Oakland won’t be home for a while which means they got to find a way to put that collapse behind them and Just Win Baby!

Forget AB, for Oakland’s Sake and more game notes Week One 2019

Week One is upon us and Antonio Brown is behind us. The entire, short-lived Antonio Brown situation was nightmare for the Silver and Black. However, the biggest loser in the entire situation is Oakland. 

Without Brown, the Raiders are that much less talented and that much harder to support in their future ex-home city. Oakland deserved a team better than last year and Brown was supposed to be apart of that. Brown was supposed to be a center piece of the Raiders promise to bring Oakland a winning season and new culture. Delivering on these promise from the Raiders gets infinitely harder without a great player like Antonio Brown. Oakland deserved better than what AB and the Raiders did to them this offseason. 

Instead, Oakland got baited and switched. They bought their Brown Jerseys and drafted him as their fantasy player in hopes he’d be a focal point for the Raiders in the next few years. Then he left them hanging and used for clout. He backed the Raiders into a corner and forced them to go from the offseason’s biggest winner to the biggest loser overnight.

Whatever comes next with the actually season here might be worse than the Brown filled offseason circus. If that’s the case, then Oakland will continue to be the biggest loser of the entire Antonio Brown drama.

Oakland is the place that packs out every Raiders Game. It is the community that supports the team through 17 years of dysfunction and heart break. Oakland is still paying for the previous renovation that brought the Raiders back too. They do all this despite the team leaving for bigger and greener pastures in Las Vegas.

Regardless, the East Bay deserved a great player like Antonio Brown this year. They deserved a winner in the final season hosting their beloved football team. They deserved to have a reason for excitement every Sunday like AB.

They got more dysfunction instead. Now, they’ll get an offense built around Derek Carr and a team that is only as good as their infamous coach. Spoiler, we saw how bad that was last season.

Either way, many thought AB and Hard Knocks would be a great litmus test for the Raiders. Except this trial by fire didn’t go so well and it isn’t even Week Two. The Raiders had to put out AB’s sparks of negativity before it could spread like California Fire Season. 

Cutting AB is great for protecting the Raiders locker room but horrible for Oakland. Instead of talking about the final season in Oakland, the media is talking about Antonio Brown and the Raiders front office. They’re talking about the picks given up for the receiver and the headlines AB made in his few months as a Raiders. Media are searching for AB’s replacement and overlooking what the team’s absence will mean to the city.

No one is talking about how the Bay and Raiders culture intertwine. No one is talking about the franchise drawing inspiration for the very name, colors and swagger drawing from the place it called home for the better part of sixty years. No one is talking about the Raiders breaking up with their Mecca and what that means to the community thanks to this entire Antonio Brown distraction.

Raiders Nation and Gruden, remember when Amari Cooper wasn’t alpha enough? The Raiders shipped him out for a pick that would be Jonathan Abram and traded a mid round pick for AB to assume the role as shifty, speedy No. 1 receiver. Was that low price gamble on AB, an alpha, worth the squeeze? Hell no, give me my late round picks back especially if Oakland is gonna suffer through another bad season. 

Nonetheless, this entire Antonio Brown saga is the latest instance of a divide between the Raiders front office. Still, Gruden and Mayock got their shit together and aligned by cutting their No. 1 receiver. Both men looked noticeably irritated simply addressing AB’s latest altercation and suspension even though it is only Week One and Year One.

In the end, it’s the last season Oakland. We should be talking about the Raiders very logo, colors and cultures tied to Oakland but we’re talking about AB. Instead of reminiscing about the decades of great renegade football we’re talking about AB. We’re not talking about the community ties or social justice history of the Raiders either. We’re just talking about AB and that is disrespectful to Oakland which is the Mecca of Raiders football.

Ultimately, there are no winners when your coach and GM beef with each other or when their best player is cut. That’s even more true when you consider AB went to the Raiders’ hated-rival, the Pats. The L becomes even bigger when you read Brown did whatever he could to leave the Raiders and Oakland. Even if you deny that Brown conspired this all along, you can’t argue that Oakland losing a player of Brown’s caliber hurts the city’s entire prospect of having one more good season. 

Unfortunately, Vegas is coming fast and it is time for the Raiders to deliver on all those new culture promises. It’s time to deliver Oakland a decent team not all these headlines and trending hashtags from Antonio Brown dividing the Raiders front office or distracting the locker room. It’s time to move on from AB, for Oakland’s sake. Knock on wood if you’re with me. 

WEEK ONE KEYS VERSUS THE BRONCOS

In other news, football is back. The Raiders are the last team to kickoff their season with the late night double header versus the Broncos. They got to battle their long-time division rivals in what will be Oakland’s last installment of this legendary AFC West rivalry.

What do they need to do to beat the transitioning Broncos? Denver is a team somewhere between rebuilding and the Super Bowl they won less than five years ago. They’ve got their third head coach in four seasons and went the old-school, established vet. coach with lots of experience to make sure the team revamped their defense and didn’t lose any games from small mistakes.

The Raiders must win the game upfront. Oakland will be without their usual starters at guard due to suspension and injury. That means the Broncos should use a lot of twists and blitz to really confuse those guys. The Raiders offensive line will need their tackles to show improvement from last year since Kolton Miller is in Year Two and Trent Brown is making bank. They will need the o-line to consistently compete with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb so that Derek Carr stays clean and poised for most of the game. Good pass pro should also help get the run game going for Josh Jacobs and the Raiders other backs.

Also on offense, the Raiders will need receivers to step up across the board. AB gone puts Tyrell Williams in the uncomfortable spot of proving he’s worth all that skrilla. He must prove he’s a legit No.1 receiver and not only the deep threat he was type casted as with the Chargers. The same goes for the rest of the Raiders WR depth chart which is filled with young and inexperienced gadget-type receivers. Shoutout to Darren Waller who is also going to need a big game as the x-factor at tight end. Carr loves his tight ends and he’ll need Waller to live up to Hard Knocks hype quick. Outside of the o-line, Carr will need his receivers to step up versus the Broncos.

On defense, the game plan isn’t too different. The Raiders will show their inexperience at end with rookie Clellin Ferrell making his first start across from second year end Arden Key. Garrett Bolles and Ju’Wan James might be the Raiders greatest draw at tackle all season. Really, this entire Broncos front line is filled with question marks. Oakland needs a coming out party from the entire defensive line if they want to win this game. That includes versus the running game. Rushing the passer is great until Denver starts hitting on those open run lanes in the zone and scoring with their dynamic backfield. That means the key to winning this game starts with the defensive line.

Further, the Raiders secondary is supposed to be much improved. They added role players and starters through both the draft and free agency. We need some return on investment via turnovers from this group. That’s especially necessary if Joe Flacco or Emmanuel Sanders can turn the clock back. Don’t sleep on Noah Fant or Courtland Sutton who bring the size and athleticism to give the Raiders nightmare for a long time, despite their young age. The secondary is gonna need to limit big plays as well as make their own takeaways.

Antonio Brown shit aside, it’s time to Just Win Baby! What better place to do that than Monday Night Football in Oakland on opening night!

 

2019 Raiders Draft Notes from Petty Pete

All bets are off this year for the Raiders draft. No one can really accurately predict what will happen since this is Mike Mayock’s first draft with skin in the game. Not to mention, the Silver and Black and Jon Gruden are always a wildcard.

Here’s what I’m expecting from the Raiders draft.

A trade

Everyone is talking about Oakland’s four picks in the top-35. That’s fine but the team doesn’t have a third or sixth round pick thanks to the Antonio Brown trade. I don’t expect Gruden or Mayock to stay pat with idle thumbs.

That means a player like Justin Ellis, Eddie Vanderdoes, Karl Joseph or another holdover might here their name called in a trade for some mid-round draft compensation. This team is fully in on out with the old and in with the new so I don’t expect the draft to be any different.

Moreover, they could also trade up or trade back. Either of those scenarios are realistic because the Raiders have so much capital and so many needs. Still, I’d side on adding more picks since this team is desperate for help at the starting and depth positions.

An elite defensive player

I don’t care if it is fourth or twenty-four, the Raiders got to get them a player to build their defense around. Devin White, Quinnen Williams, Nick Bosa or Josh Allen would all be vast upgrades early. However, a top-end talent like Montez Sweat, Rashan Gary, Devin Bush, Clelin Ferrell, Ed Oliver or Christian Wilkins all could be top-10 talents too. They have more questions than the first group but they would definitely be steals if the Raiders wait to select one in the twenties or trade into the teens. Even at the top of the second, they might find an impact player like Nasir Adderly, Rock Ya-Sin or any number of DBs who can make an instant impact.

Playmakers across the board

Speaking of playmakers, I said this last year and we walked away with a bunch of hoggies. That’s cool and all but this year the Raiders need playmakers on every level of their defense. They could also afford to add some explosive help around Derek Carr. Regardless of position, the Raiders need to take some productive players with high-upside who can develop into big-time playmakers. It really doesn’t matter the position.

Still, I like Noah Fant or any of the tight ends early. I wouldn’t rule out a RB like Josh Jacobs or Miles Sanders. X-Factors like A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Hollywood Brown and others might be too good to pass up.

A QB

No, I don’t expect Haskins or Murray to the Raiders. I know that hype continues building but please don’t put ass through another young-QB development phase. Still, I think the Raiders take a QB. Their backups don’t exactly jump out of any page except draft busts. I could easily see the old-school Mayock and Gruden taking some sort of QB in the draft. Tyree Jackson could be a steal late or how about Will Grier in the middle rounds? Their nowhere polished but they could develop into something if you believe in Gruden’s genius.

We will find out what a Raider is…

Above all else, I believe we’ll find out what Raider in 2019 looks like. Mayock had that quote early in the offseason talking about how he and Gruden were working together to see what culture they want to build and what players fit that.

After tonight, we’ll have a much better idea what that means in for the Silver and Black. So far, we’ve seen them sign overrated Trent Brown, wild-ass A.B., Vontaze Burfict and a bunch of other experienced veterans like Crowell. There really isn’t a lower common denominator in that equation. However, we’ll have a better idea what that looks like after tonight.

More Questions

Overall, it will be interesting to see how the Raiders attack the defensive line, offensive line and secondary in this draft. Is the team still high on Gareon Conley and Joseph or is it time to ship them out and/or find their replacement?

Oakland addressed the offensive line in free agency but they still need depth and maybe a guard… Oh yea, don’t forget all that draft capital they put into the offensive and defensive line the past few seasons. Does Mayock and Gruden still value those guys like Arden Key, PJ Hall or Kolton Miller? I expect one if not all may compete for playing time (not just starting time) this year.

Moreover, how do politics factor into this draft? Will Oakland accept Nick Bosa if that’s the pick?

Tune in to the Draft all this weekend. It should be a hell of a ride. Hopefully the Raiders don’t burn a third round pick for a receiver with question marks or give anyone a franchise QB for basically nothing, cough 2018 draft.

Check out my full seven-round Mock Draft too.

Super Bowl LIII and more reasons to be Petty

it’s been awhile since I checked in. Let’s be honest, the Raiders haven’t given me much to talk about outside of some quotes from our coach and new GM.

Nonetheless, Raiders fans like myself will once again spitefully watch and binge drink to the Patriots playing in the Super Bowl.

This year is even more awkward. Not because we’re hoping this is the last call for Bellicheat or Brady. Nah, this year features another hidden evil.

New England plays the L.A. Rams in the Super Bowl this year. You thought the Media machines had fun with the Pats, wait until the Rams win a Super Bowl.

Not only do the Ramily play in LA, the home of NFL network, but they feature everyone’s favorite coach Sean McVay. MCVay rose to prominence due to his early success, age, good looks, gutsy play calling and being in L.A. McVay is a reminder of what Jon Gruden was, is and could be. It’s actually more of slap in the face considering Gruden might never get to where McVay is again despite the similarities.

Plus, the Raiders were the most loved team in Los Angeles. You see their influence all over the city. Not only did they win Championships in L.A. hosted Super Bowls but they called the region home for more than a decade. The Raiders almost called it home too until the   NFL green-lit the Rams relocation til LA over the Raiders joint proposal with the Chargers.

Thus, this Super Bowl puts Los Angeles one step closer to moving past the Raiders. For Raiders fans in L.A., a Rams win in Super Bowl means hearing about McVay’s genius in the national media and dealing with the local hype too.

Then there’s Aqib Talib whose had his beef with the Raiders before. Marcus Peters has too but he gets a pass being from Oakland. Don’t forget the Silver and Black’s flirtations with Suh everytime he is a free agent. Plus, Jared Goff is from the Bay Area.

Oh yeah, and the Rams were in a standstill with their elite defensive player Aaron donald, before giving him a record deal to end his holdout. The Raiders were in a similar situation with another generational talent from the same draft class, Khalil Mack. Except the Raiders resolved that situation by moving Mack. Thus, the Raiders ties in this game make it hard to root for the Rams in good conscious.

Further, Raiders fans will never get over the tuck rule. Not only did it berth the Pats dynasty but it also goes down in history as what deprived Oakland of one more Lombardi before the Raiders clout chase Vegas.

So Raider Nation can’t root for L.A. They can’t root for New England. Should we root for the apocalypse?

Nah fam, football isn’t that serious. Just root for not throwing up on your shoes, pop your heart burn medicine and enjoy your family while you drink the pain away of someone not in Silver and Black winning a Lombardi again.

Don’t worry though, as soon as this game is over, Raiders fans can turn their hope to another draft, free agency and season. Hopefully, the Raiders woes are left in last season and not carried on through the draft or free agency.

Because we all know what’s when it comes to the Raiders. The hangover is definitely worse than the pain.

Who you rooting for this year in Super Bowl 53? What’s on the grill?

Petty Pete’s thoughts on Steelers win, McKenzie, stadium woes and this week

They say trauma is passed down. If you’re a Raiders fan, you know this by your hate for the Steelers. Unless you read up or watch ESPN classic, you might not know why.

Once upon a time, the Raiders and Steelers has battles in the playoffs. They were physical teams who hit each other and kept hitting each other.

There are multiple classics including the emasculate deception. Nonetheless, as a Raiders fan on this era you might hate the Steelers and not even know why.

That’s why a win over the Steelers feels so good. And that’s also why it felt so weird for Reggie McKenzie to get fired the next day after a big win over a playoff contender.

Why Reggie McKenzie got fired

Reggie McKenzie got fired for a lot of reasons. Mostly, his draft picks.

McKenzie dropped the ball in every second round. He passed on Pro Bowlers throughout. McKenzie only had nine picks on this roster.

Then, there’s the Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack trades. Both players were among RM’s top successes. The Raiders asked McKenzie to trade his favorites because the team wasn’t ready for limelight. Most of that was because Mark Davis didn’t get along with the agent of Mack and Cooper.

Turns out McKenzie could’ve got more. In fact, it turns out Davis wish he got more. What took him all season to realize that?

Speaking of power struggles, we can’t act like Gruden didn’t have a say in this move. Dude got a ten million dollar per year deal to bring Oakland a Super Bowl. He’s gonna be given as much support as possible including his own personnel, scouting and front offices.

All that aside, we got to be thankful for Reggie being the bridge. He got marquee free agents to seriously consider Oakland. A few signed.

McKenzie notoriously got the Raiders out of salary cap hell after Al Davis. He brought the organizations technology and facility out of the dark ages. RM was a small peace of consistency in an organization that needed it in the fallout of losing their iconic owner.

He got us back to the playoffs. Fans loved him. Fans hated him. He signed team friendly deals. He found solid starters and good backups in the late and undrafted rounds.

McKenzie is respected around the league. He was drafted by the Raiders and groomed in Green Bay’s front office. McKenzie turned down an interview for his dream job with the Packers because he believed in Gruden and the Raiders. That was his biggest undoing.

Moving forward

No GM and now no home. It’s uncertain where the Raiders will play next year. They’re being sued by the City of Oakland for a number of reasons mostly that they’re leaving. Now, the Raiders are including every option from Sacramento to Reno to San Diego to Fresno to Glendale.

I get it from both sides. The Raiders are supposably paying anywhere from 2 to 7 million in rent. Oakland will always be their home. The colors and logo were designed based off the city. They’ve always been a cultural icon that connects the different consciousnesses in the Bay. They want to stay but they can’t play where their playing. Vegas was willing to build them a billion dollar home and Oakland wasn’t.

For Oakland, I get it too. California isn’t building stadiums. We’ve got too many taxes already. The city hasn’t even paid off the renovations they did for the Raiders to return in the 90s. They’re also loyal to the A’s who also need a home but never left Oakland.

At the same time, they can’t just sit back and let the Raiders and Warriors leave Oakland within a few years. The lawsuit is an easy PR move.

Either way, the Raiders better leave if their smart. It’s going to get ugly next year if they don’t make leaps and gains. No Marshawn Lynch homecoming or Gruden return can save their relationship with a city they’re turning their back on for the second time.

It doesn’t appear they’re gonna make a lot of on-field gains next year. I fully anticipate the Raiders will continue the purge of players signed and drafted by McKenzie. They’ll field a bunch of their draft picks again. They’ll tank again to get a high draft pick before Vegas. They’ll trade anyone who can get them closer to that goal. Then they’ll get booed every step of the way.

Back to football

The Raiders favs the Bengals this week. It’ll be the second time they face a coaching staff with Hue Jackson. Jackson was fired from the Browns this season and he’s on the Bengals now.

Still, the Raiders can completely end the Bengals playoff hopes. They very well might end the Marvin Lewis era too.

To win, the Raiders will need to continue improving their offense. They’ll need to show some sort of pass rush. It’s the same thing that’s been said all season long.

A win and more draft busting

Last week the Oakland Raiders beat the Arizona Cardinals in a close game. Nothing to boast about considering the Cardinals started a rookie QB who the Raiders basically traded to Arizona for nothing. Still, Oakland’s defense made enough plays to win the game.

Of course, that cost the Raiders in the race for the No. 1 pick. The Cardinals are in the driver seat for the top pick with that loss.

Derek Carr doubled down on the team’s success by saying he wants to continue winning games. Carr said he wants people to be mad at him for ruining the team’s chances at a top pick.

See this wouldn’t be a big deal if the Raiders hadn’t traded two of their best draft pieces. Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack were both trade for first round picks. However, the homegrown talent now has their current team’s in the playoff race. Mack has the Bears looking like a Super Bowl caliber defense. Dallas is back in the playoff picture since acquiring Cooper. That means Oakland’s added draft capital is going to come in the middle to back end of the draft. It’s hard to find impact players that late especially when you consider both Mack and Cooper were top five picks.

Nonetheless, Carr needs to just play good. Forget the wins and losses, Carr just needs to elevate his game and prove us wrong that way. We’ve seen what Carr can do with no talent around him. He’s not that kind of player.

Sure, it’s not all his fault he’ll beat his brothers record for the most losses in their first five seasons. However, he doesn’t not deserve blame either.

The point is, Carr needs great players around him. That’s what the Raiders did in 2016. Unfortunately, I don’t know if they’ll be able to get that talent around him again before his confidence gets ruined on another losing team. The draft is crap shoot and the Raiders would need to hit instantly on all three picks to look like a contender next year. They’ve abandoned too much draft capital over the past few years so they lack talent in many places on the roster.

If Carr really wants to prove people wrong, he better elevate his game. DC is my boi and he would be great on another team with talent. He has the great leadership and talent to thrive somewhere he isn’t the focal point. Carr lacks that ball placement, pocket poise and decision making you want in an elite QB.

That means, Carr must use these next six games to show he’s an elite player and convince Jon Gruden he doesn’t need to draft a QB. Otherwise, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Raiders cash in their very good player for the chance at a great one in the draft.

The key to stopping Lamar Jackson

In other news, it’s looking more like Lamar Jackson will make his second start this week versus the Raiders. Jackson had the most rushing yards for a QB since Colin Kaepeenick. Jackson also showed some throwing ability which shouldn’t be a surprise given his history as a Heisman Trophy winner.

This is probably going to be a real challenge for the Raiders who have already lacked pass rush and discipline across the defensive line. Expect Baltimore to do a lot of misdirection to keep the Raiders defense on their toes. Containing a dual threat player like Jackson means applying pressure but also being discipline when plays breakdown. Players like Arden Key have got to step up.

Key has the length and acceleration to be a real disruptive player. However, he’s gotta work on his awareness. That will be tested this week as the Ravens rely on spread option and play action concepts meant to take advantage of Key’s aggression.

If Key can stay in his lane and react well, he should get some opportunities to make plays versus another rookie. Either Way, the Raiders have their hands full with Jackson in front of his home crowd. He can use one play to ignite his whole team which makes him a true phenom.

Other things to watch versus the Ravens

Seems like the Raiders have played the Ravens every year the past few seasons. Last year’s matchup ended in a narrow win for Baltimore but the Raiders won the previous two season’s close contests. This game should also be close. The Ravens looked like a contender than lost a bunch before Jackson emerged as a new hope.

Now, they’ll play an Oakland team off a nice win and looking like they finally have a bit of an identity. We can’t forget Michael Crabtree playing against his old team. However, most of the team and coaches he new left with the changing of the guard.

Regardless, the Raiders secondary looked improve last week. The Ravens receivers have been hot and cold. That will be a key matchup of inconsistent players.

Are the Raiders the Worst in the NFL? Battle of the Bay, no trades before Halloween and more

I can’t believe I’m happy to say that we competed versus the Indianapolis Colts last week. It’s truth though. Last Sunday was the first week I enjoyed watching the 2018 Raiders.

Their adjustments and talent weren’t great, sure, but I finally saw young players like Gareon Conley and Karl Joseph playing. Were they great? No, but you want to see young talent playing from a rebuilding team.

More importantly, Derek Carr played hard. He didn’t let all the distractions effect him. He looked like he was finally having fun again. That’s a long way from the dude who was ‘crying’ only a few weeks ago.

It was honestly the first time I felt like Gruden’s plan was in the process. I felt the buy-in from the squad even if it didn’t result in a win.

Are the Raiders the worst team in the NFL?

Only two seasons ago we were talking about them being the best and now we’re talking about them being the worst. SMFH.

Either way, the Raiders are among the worst teams in the standings. They look like by-far the worst team in the AFC West. Moreover, they aren’t really set at any position. They’re filled with wholes at the key positions including RB, QB, OL, DL, CB, LB and damn near every position. QB is the only position you could say the Raiders have set but even that depends on how he plays and meshes with his coach moving forward this season. Oh yeah, there is LT too with Kolton Miller and some of the OL depending what happens after this year.

Outside of that, they barely beat the Browns who fired the coach this week. Cleveland has 1.5 wins more than Oakland. They also have already found key players on the d-line, in the backfield, at receiver and in the secondary.

Further, comparisons to sorry teams don’t fall in the Raiders favor either. Buffalo has one more win for Pete’s sake. The Colts also beat us even if they looked like trash in the process.

In the NFC, there’s the Cardinals. Sure, they only have one more win but they have a QB, RB and possibly a WR to build around. There defense was also great not too long ago and still has a lot of players with name recognition.

Even the Giants, who have the same record as the Raiders, appear better. New York at least has a franchise savior at RB and WR. Their defense is grossly overpaid and overhyped but still has more talent than Oakland.

Then you have the 49ers…. Even they have a QB sort of. Jimmy G has a limited sample size of success but don’t tell that to 9ers Stans. They also have key young players throughout the defense that give them a nice nucleus for the future. They’ve also been in the lottery a lot more than some of the other sorry teams this season mentioned earlier.

Battle of the Bay

Well, we will certainly find out this week, tonight, versus the 49ers. Oakland has another toilet bowl on their schedule as both teams enter the game with only one win.

Sure, it’s the battle of the bay and supposed to be a rivalry game but does anyone actually care outside of the bay? Again, who knows.

I’d expect a physical game even if it isn’t a good game. The Raiders should win consider the 49ers are depleted by injury and starting a third string QB whose name I can’t even recall.

On the other hand, a loss here would be horrible for the Raiders. If you win one game this season it better be versus the 49ers. Moreover, we all know who wins the fight after and the drinking battle before, #RaiderNation.

No trades at the deadline

Apparently, the Raiders biggest trades already happened. We all know the squad already moved franchise cornerstones Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack but they were expected to keep making trades anyways. Derek Carr, Karl Joseph, Gareon Conley and others were rumored to get moved. It made sense if the Raiders were going all-in for tanking. Besides, one team’s trash is another persons treasure.

However, nothing happened and it is okay. I don’t know if I could have stomached another trade. It is a little disappointing that guys like Rodney Hudson, Bruce Irvin and Kelechi Osemele are stuck playing for a sorry team this late into their career. However, they’re all compensated well and professionals. It will be interesting to see how they and other veterans factor into the Raiders plans after this season.

Nonetheless, I’m sure Oakland tried to move those players. They just couldn’t find good value and figured they’d be better off saving those chips and letting them play out. Who knows, maybe young guys Karl Joseph and Gareon Conley can turn their careers around and get Gruden to believe in them.

Ultimately, a team can only take so much change. The Raiders couldn’t afford to make another deal just for the sake of it. Their team is another roster move away from being the laughing stock of the league so keeping their talent should’ve always been a priority.