After a month's worth of regular season play, reasons
abound for genuine optimism within the Raider nation. With the all but
inevitable insertion of Daunte Culpepper as the team's starting quarterback,
Coach Kiffin can now fully implement his desired brand of football. Is this
Jon Gruden part deux? At the very least.
The conversion of the offensive line to the contemporary zone
blocking scheme has reaped tremendous rewards. It has allowed the Raiders
to become one of the best rushing teams in the league, an extraordinary feat
in and of itself. And like other teams that successfully employ this
blocking scheme, it leads to big rushing performances, regardless of who is
toting the rock. After Lamont Jordan's injury against Miami on Sunday,
Justin Fargas' explosive performance would've been almost inexplicable, had
it not been for offensive line coach Tom Cable's success with this motley
crue of misfit lineman. No one could have imagined the success
this patchwork group has achieved thus far under Cable's
tutelage. Former #2 overall pick Robert Gallery has finally found a home at
left guard, and the running backs are enjoying some of their biggest runs
behind his lead. Considering that he is the only returning starter from
last season only further strengthens the argument that Coach Kiffin's most
important decision was in adding Tom Cable to his staff.
It should be very exciting to see what this team's rushing
attack is fully capable of once Dominic Rhodes returns to the fold. If
Lamont Jordan returns to health following his back injury, it will
be difficult to slow down the team's running attack. Throw in a healthy
rookie Michael Bush by midseason, and the team will be overloaded with
talent at this position. What a transformation from last season.
Coach Kiffin's passing attack is still in it's early stages,
but Culpepper should allow him to expand on it. Though Josh McCown toughed
it out in weeks one and two, it's clear he's not much more than a
serviceable backup at best. His scrambling around in his #12 jersey did not
conjure up memories of Rich Gannon. Instead, it's Daunte's recent
resurgence after two years of injury that has the team on the upswing. His
arm keeps opposing defenses honest and he still has some wiggle left in his
legs. He is more than capable of getting the ball down the field to Jerry
Porter, who will likely be the greatest beneficiary of his passing this
season. Porter looks reborn after his lost season, at the hands of Art
Shell. Ronald Curry's play has been solid so far; all he needs to reach the
upper echelon is to remain healthy. Mike Williams has had his windows of
opportunity but has come up short so far. He just needs to score that first
TD as a Raider, in order to begin his rejuvenation. Zach Miller has fared
well when given the opportunity, but it's too early to estimate how
successful his career will be, given his brief tenure with the team. As
Culpepper begins to reach his comfort zone with this offense, Miller should
begin to see more balls thrown his way.
Not everything has turned up roses for this team. While the
offense appears on the path to recovery, the defense has failed to make the
critical stops it was noted for last season. Perhaps this can be attributed
to opposing offenses' being forced to pass more, due to the
Raiders' increased scoring. But some of the weaknesses this defense had
last season have only resurfaced once again this season. For starters,
Sam Williams continues to be Mr. Invisible in the linebacking corps.
Drafted as a size-speed guy, he has proven to be not much more than that.
Kirk Morrison and second year starter Thomas Howard have totally
outshined Williams on the second level, and the team needs to quit
pretending this isn't a problem. Williams makes too few plays, and exhibits
none of the range his fellow starters Morrison and Howard have displayed.
If he doesn't start producing soon, this season should be his last as a
starter.
Derrick Burgess' absence due to his injury has also exposed
the team's abysmal lack a pass rush from it's other defensive ends. It's
clear that Tyler Brayton isn't starter material, and he is best suited as a
rotational DE-DT guy. Given his salary, that's acceptable. Tommy Kelly
continues to tease with the occasional big play, but he may not have what it
takes to take the next step, at either end or tackle. Jay Richardson has
been a pleasant surprise, with his hustle and desire. He may one day
supplant Tyler Brayton. It's glaringly clear that the team needs to address
the defensive end position this offseason. They absolutely need to generate
more pass pressure and lack the players who are capable of providing it.
On the inside the two Warrens, Warren Sapp and Gerard Warren
have provided the majority of pass rush pressure so far this season. Gerard
Warren's play has been excellent, following his acquisition from Denver.
When motivated, he can be a factor as he has been in his first season as a
Raider. The big question is whether or not he can sustain that for any
length of time, which has been the knock on him during his career. Terdell
Sands hasn't been much of a factor so far, which is disappointing given the
team's decision to reward him this offseason with a fat contract. He'll
have to assert himself more and be a bigger factor against the run.
The secondary has failed to live up to the reputation they
garnered after last season's success. They may have been overrated to begin
with, since teams didn't have to resort to the pass last season to secure
wins. Fabian Washington appears to have unexpectedly regressed, and has
been relegated to nickel back duties in favor of Stanford Routt. Free
safety Stuart Schweigert continues to whiff on open field tackles and
doesn't appear to be much of factor against the deep ball. The biggest
disappointment though, has been Michael Huff's inability
to generate turnovers and big plays in his sophomore season. It still seems
as though both Schweigert and Huff should switch positions, mainly to take
advantage of Huff's range and speed. Neither is the hammer presence teams
seek from the safety position. Some blame in the secondary can be
attributed to the defensive line's inability to generate consistent
pass rush pressure, especially on critical downs.
The one thing that is most noticeably different about this
season's Raiders is that they have regained some of the swagger that all
good teams have. They clearly are buying into Coach Kiffin's plan for this
team and it shows in their enthusiasm and especially in the execution on the
offensive side of the ball. They have fought in every game thus far and
look like they will continue to do so. This season should be far more
interesting to follow, as the team prepares itself for the Jamarcus Russell
era in 2008.
