Unfortunately, this game looks like another Thursday Night blowout, but who knows? Maybe the Raiders will rise up, surprise us, and finally win a game.
All systems, except the blind Home Team Wins formula, favor the Chiefs to win tonight by 11 points.
Thursday Night Game Prediction:
Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders
Overall Points Per Yard Pick: Kansas City Chiefs by 18
Home/Away Points Per Yard Pick: Kansas City Chiefs by 9
Vegas Lines Pick: Kansas City Chiefs by 7. Chiefs by 7, Over/Under 42.5
Pythagorean Theorem Pick: Kansas City Chiefs by 19. Kansas City Chiefs projected to win by a 2014 Pythagorean Rating of 0.693 - 0.211
Fantasy Projection Pick: Kansas City Chiefs by 11. Kansas City Chiefs projected to win by a fantasy score of 74-42
Best Record Wins Pick: Kansas City Chiefs by 3. Chiefs better at 7-3
Home Team Wins Pick: Oakland Raiders by 3
Check back tomorrow morning for predictions of the rest of the NFL's week 12 slate...
Showing posts with label Oakland Raiders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oakland Raiders. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Friday, February 14, 2014
Season Recap - 2013 Oakland Raiders
Final Record: 4-12
Finished: 4th Place in the AFC West
2014 Draft Position: 5th
Preseason Ranking: 26
Week 1: Lost at the Indianapolis Colts, 21-17
Ranked - 27
Pryor showed flashes of brilliance in his first game at the helm of the Raiders. They will get better if he can improve his game and be more consistent.
Week 2: Defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 19-9
Ranked - 17
Terrelle Pryor has this team moving in the right direction and the emphasis on the running game will help the Raiders be competitive this season.
Week 3: Lost at the Denver Broncos, 37-21
Ranked - 22
In an alternate world, Janikowski attempts, and makes, that 68-yard field goal to end the first half on Monday night, changing the fortunes of the Raiders in 2013… They go on to upset the Broncos on another last-second field goal, win 10 of their remaining games to steal the division title, upset the Broncos, Bengals and Patriots in the playoffs and Terrelle Pryor scrambles for the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl with mere seconds left on the clock as Russell Wilson watches in dismay from the Seattle sideline!!!! But, sadly, that doesn't happen. Instead of attempting the FG, the Raiders try a lame Hail Mary attempt and their hopes for the future, much like Pryor, get sacked. More's the pity, I say.
Week 4: Lost to the Washington Redskins, 24-14
Ranked - 26
The Raiders continue to play up - or down - to their preseason expectations.
Week 5: Defeated the San Diego Chargers, 27-17
Ranked - 19
The Raiders might have something with Terrelle Pryor- a mobile quarterback with a willingness to throw the ball deep. Al Davis would be proud.
Week 6: Lost at the Kansas City Chiefs, 24-7
Ranked - 24
Oakland stayed with the undefeated Chiefs for a little bit, but then were just overmatched by their division rivals.
Week 7: BYE WEEK
Ranked - 26
Oakland was on a bye week last week and I didn't even notice. That says a lot.
Week 8: Defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-18
Ranked - 20
Terrelle Pryor can run and throw… now if the Raiders can just get some solid personnel around him, he could take this franchise back to its glory days.
Week 9: Lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 49-20
Ranked - 25
Despite giving up a record performance by Nick Foles and the Eagles, Oakland played surprisingly well on offense. This team is not there yet, but the pieces are slowly falling into place.
Week 10: Lost at the New York Giants, 24-20
Ranked - 26
The potential is there, but youthful mistakes and injuries keep slowing the Raiders down.
Week 11: Defeated the Houston Texans, 28-23
Ranked - 25
Oakland lit up the Texans, but it may be too little, too late with them being so far behind the other AFC West powers.
Week 12: Lost to the Tennessee Titans, 23-19
Ranked - 25
Oakland is still one or two years away from truly challenging the better teams in the AFC.
Week 13: Lost at the Dallas Cowboys, 31-24
Ranked - 25
The Raiders had a golden opportunity to help Dallas lay an egg on Thanksgiving, but then collapsed in the second half.
Week 14: Lost at the New York Jets, 37-27
Ranked - 27
No Pryor, no Jennings… very little offense.
Week 15: Lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 56-31
Ranked - 29
It's never a good thing to allow 5 TDs to another team, let alone another player.
Week 16: Lost at the San Diego Chargers, 26-13
Ranked - 29
No chance at the #1 draft pick or the playoffs. The Raiders can keep home-field advantage out of Denver's hands if they can pull off the upset to end the season.
Week 17: Lost to the Denver Broncos, 34-14
Final Ranking: 29
Season recaps continue next week with the 2013 Atlanta Falcons...
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Season Recap - 2011 Oakland Raiders
Finished: 3rd Place in the AFC West
2012 Draft Position: 17th
Preseason Ranking: 16
Week 1: Defeated the Denver Broncos, 23-20
Ranked - 14
The Raiders own the AFC West. They might really be on to something if they start beating teams from the other divisions.
Week 2: Lost at the Buffalo Bills, 38-35
Ranked - 17
A heartbreaking loss on the road. Oakland has their sights set squarely on an AFC Wild Card spot, but they can’t afford to let games slip through their fingers if they hope to get there.
Week 3: Defeated the New York Jets, 34-24
Ranked - 13
Note to self: Get revenge for the infamous hot dog incident of 2010. Check. Re-establish the running game a la Marcus Allen. Check. Just win, Baby. Check! Signed, Hue Jackson.
Week 4: Lost to the New England Patriots, 31-19
Ranked - 16
It's never good to face the Patriots after a loss. The Raiders found that out the hard way. Now it is up to this young team to rebound with a win before they fall back into their old, losing ways.
Week 5: Defeated the Houston Texans, 25-20
Ranked - 13
Just win, Baby. Talk about a perfect homage to the late Al Davis.
Week 6: Defeated the Cleveland Browns, 24-17
Ranked - 11 Indiana Jones Style Recap
[Carson Palmer storms out of a meeting with Bengals ownership]
Coach Jackson: Hey, what happened? You don't look very happy.
Carson Palmer: Fools. Bureaucratic fools!
Coach Jackson: What'd they say?
Carson Palmer: They don't know what they had there.
Coach Jackson: Well, I know what I've got here. Come on. I'll show you the playbook. You know, the playbook?
Week 7: Lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 28-0
Ranked - 17
In a game that featured 8 interceptions, the Raiders QBs combined to throw 6 of them. It's still too early to say the Palmer trade was bad - and I don’t believe it is - but to get smoked at home 28-0 by the Chiefs doesn’t bode well for Oakland's immediate future.
Week 8: BYE WEEK
Ranked - 18
Nothing like moving into a tie for first place while sitting idle at home. We'll know soon enough if the bye week helped Carson Palmer adapt to the new offense.
Week 9: Lost to the Denver Broncos, 38-24
Ranked - 19
How long before the Palmer reclamation project turns the fans completely off?
Week 10: Defeated the San Diego Chargers, 24-17
Ranked - 17
The Raiders are all alone at the top of the standings in the one division in the AFC nobody wants to win.
Week 11: Defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 27-21
Ranked - 16
Suddenly Oakland is the team to beat in the AFC West.
Week 12: Defeated the Chicago Bears, 25-20
Ranked - 15
The Raiders are now clearly the best team in the AFC West.
Week 13: Lost at the Miami Dolphins, 34-14
Ranked - 15
Oakland's misstep in Miami has shifted control of the division to Denver, but if they can get healthy quick, it is their division to lose.
Week 14: Lost at the Green Bay Packers, 46-16
Ranked - 18
The season that once looked so promising is starting to slip away from the Raiders.
Week 15: Lost to the Detroit Lions, 28-27
Ranked - 19
The fourth quarter collapse against the Lions may have sealed Oakland's fate come playoff time.
Week 16: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 16-13
Ranked - 13
I expect an ugly game from the Raiders this week, with lots of penalties and some long, booming kicks from Janikowski. I wonder, though, which will propel them to victory or send them home in bitter defeat?
Week 17: Lost to the San Diego Chargers, 38-26
Final Ranking: 22
Tomorrow, the 2011 San Diego Chargers...
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Season Recap - 2010 Oakland Raiders
Final Record: 8-8
Finished: 3rd Place in the AFC West
2011 Draft Position: 17th
Preseason Letter of Misfortune:
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Disappointed? You should be if you’re an Oakland Raiders fan. Besides cheering for a team that has been the laughingstock of the league since their last Super Bowl appearance following the 2002 season, the first full-contact day of training camp went by without a single fight between players. The horror.
How can a team with
Don’t worry. Coach Cable, known to throw an occasional punch on his own (or at least flip people out of their chairs), has assured the local media that fights will happen once players “get a little hotter, a little more tired, a little more ornery."
For those of you unwilling to take Coach Cable at his word and let the fisticuffs happen naturally, you can take this list of “Most Likely Scufflers” with you to the open practice sessions and incite the players of your choice to carry out their preferred method of UFC-style violence on the practice field.
While you sit back and wait for the much-anticipated fights to take place, don’t forget there has been some good news during the offseason. JaMarcus Russell is no longer with the team. Jason Campbell will be an improvement at quarterback, based on work ethic alone. Five-time Pro Bowl player Richard Seymour re-signed early, despite being tagged as a franchise player, and even reported with the rookies to training camp. The addition of John Henderson and the rookies Rolando McClain and Lamarr Houston should help
But who cares about all that football garbage? It’s hot out. We’re tired and cranky. Get on with it.
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Week 1: Lost at Tennessee
Ranked – 30
Don't sleep too long, oh lauded Sleeper pick, otherwise you will never wake up. Do you really want to be like Al Davis incarnate?
Week 2: Defeated the St. Louis
Ranked – 27
Week 3: Lost at Arizona
Ranked – 26
Janikowski, the problem child. In a game lost by one point, a few missed field goals certainly could have made a difference. On the bright side, Gradkowski, the other -owski on the team, played solid again. The Raiders aren't back, but they are definitely improved from a year ago.
Week 4: Lost to Houston
Ranked – 30
Week 5: Defeated the San Diego
Ranked – 23
Special teams, defense and a dash of offense end up being the recipe needed for victory over bitter division rivals. The Chargers streak of 13 straight wins over the Raiders is snapped in dramatic fashion.
Week 6: Lost at San Francisco
Ranked – 27
The 0-5 49ers were just too much for the Raiders. It's never good to be overwhelmed by an underwhelming team.
Week 7: Defeated the Denver
Ranked – 20
59 POINTS! 59! If I had to sum up my reaction to this score in one word that word would be - I COULDN'T FREAKIN' BELIEVE IT!
Week 8: Defeated the Seattle
Ranked – 16
92 points in two weeks! Can you believe the week 9 tilt with Kansas City
Week 9: Defeated the Kansas City
Ranked – 14
Impressive. Most impressive.
Week 10: BYE WEEK
Ranked – 13
How loose can the Raiders remain once they realize they suddenly have something to play for?
Week 11: Lost at Pittsburgh
Ranked – 18
Footloose and fancy-free teams don't lose their cool and get rocked 35-3.
Week 12: Lost to Miami
Ranked – 19
I think Pittsburgh
Week 13: Defeated the San Diego
Ranked – 15 (ROCKY WEEK!)
Coach Cable: Why do you have to wear that stinkin' leisure suit?
Al Davis: It brings us luck, you know?
Coach Cable: Brings us luck! I'll tell you what it brings, it brings flies!
Al Davis: Now here's what I want you to have the team do... I want them to chase this little chicken.
Coach Cable: Hey, Coach, what do we got to chase a chicken for?
Al Davis: First, because I said so. And second, is because chicken-chasing is how we used to train back in the old days. If your players can catch this thing, they can catch greased lighting.
Coach Cable: Well, we'll do it if you say so, but it ain't very mature.
Al Davis: Yeah, well neither are you very mature!
Week 14: Lost at Jacksonville
Ranked – 18
The Raiders are undefeated in the division and 2-7 outside it. Their one remaining non-division game against Indianapolis
Week 15: Defeated the Denver
Ranked – 14
The Colts and Chiefs stand in the way of Oakland
Week 16: Lost to Indianapolis
Ranked – 18
A tough loss to the Colts means the Raiders will have to win in Kansas City in order to finish at .500 for the first time since their last Super Bowl appearance.
Week 17: Defeated the Kansas City
Final Rank - 17
Tomorrow, the 2010 San Diego
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Curious Matter of the Explosive Raiders
The Broncos didn't know what hit them. Before Denver fans even had a chance to settle into their seats to watch the contest against bitter, division rival Oakland, the Raiders jumped out to an early 14-point lead. By the end of the first quarter the Raiders had accumulated 24 points and were no where close to stopping. At halftime the Raiders, a team who just the week before barely managed three field goals against the 1-5 San Francisco 49ers, led the stunned Broncos 38-7. Three more touchdowns in the third quarter lifted Oakland to a franchise record 59 points and then they put the brakes on and coasted the rest of the game for an outstanding 59-14 road victory. The unexpected offensive explosion was enough to jolt Al Davis back from the dead and renewed waning hope for the possibility of a Raider playoff birth, particularly in the suspect AFC West.
But did the Raiders accomplish something unique on Sunday? After all, they were not the first team to score 59 or more points in three quarters. Two other teams have accomplished this same feat.
Just over one year ago, the lovable New England Patriots obliterated the 0-5 Tennessee Titans in Foxboro, 59-0 on October 18, 2009. During their bye week following the game, Titans coach Jeff Fisher donned a Peyton Manning jersey at a charity event and declared he just "wanted to feel like a winner for a change."
Prior to the destruction of the Tennessee Titans, only one other team had ever scored 59 or more points in just three quarters of action. On October 29, 1950 - exactly 60 years ago - the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Detroit Lions in a game that started out quite normal. After the first quarter, the Rams led 7-3 and had expanded their lead to 24-10 at halftime. However, a curious thing happened after the break. Norm Van Brocklin led the Rams to a devastating deluge of points in the third quarter. When the smoke had settled and the clock rolled over to quarter number four, the Rams led 65-17. The 41 points scored by the Rams in the third quarter ranks among the most points ever scored in a single quarter. Los Angeles won the game by a final score of 65-24.
Despite being the third team in NFL history to score 59 or more points in three quarters, Oakland was the first ever team to do so on the road. Crushing the Broncos in Denver only makes the victory sweeter. By contrast, both Los Angeles and New England played at home when they lit up the scoreboard.
The Raiders, on the other hand, became only the fourth team to score 50 or more points through three quarters on the road. The Chicago Bears racked up 54 points in three quarters of the 1940 NFL Championship game against the Washington Redskins before going on to win 73-0. The Chicago Cardinals were the next to score 50 or more in three quarters back on November 13, 1949 when they defeated the New York Bulldogs, 65-20 during a game played in New York. The Pittsburgh Steelers later managed to score 50 on the road during the first three quarters of their game against the Atlanta Falcons on December 18, 1966, which they ended up winning 57-33.
However, Oakland's 59-point performance on Sunday stands alone as a benchmark for prolific scoring by a road team through three quarters of play. And despite Al Davis' affinity for throwing the ball deep down the field, most of the Raiders points came off rushing touchdowns. How curious.
But did the Raiders accomplish something unique on Sunday? After all, they were not the first team to score 59 or more points in three quarters. Two other teams have accomplished this same feat.
Just over one year ago, the lovable New England Patriots obliterated the 0-5 Tennessee Titans in Foxboro, 59-0 on October 18, 2009. During their bye week following the game, Titans coach Jeff Fisher donned a Peyton Manning jersey at a charity event and declared he just "wanted to feel like a winner for a change."
Prior to the destruction of the Tennessee Titans, only one other team had ever scored 59 or more points in just three quarters of action. On October 29, 1950 - exactly 60 years ago - the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Detroit Lions in a game that started out quite normal. After the first quarter, the Rams led 7-3 and had expanded their lead to 24-10 at halftime. However, a curious thing happened after the break. Norm Van Brocklin led the Rams to a devastating deluge of points in the third quarter. When the smoke had settled and the clock rolled over to quarter number four, the Rams led 65-17. The 41 points scored by the Rams in the third quarter ranks among the most points ever scored in a single quarter. Los Angeles won the game by a final score of 65-24.
Despite being the third team in NFL history to score 59 or more points in three quarters, Oakland was the first ever team to do so on the road. Crushing the Broncos in Denver only makes the victory sweeter. By contrast, both Los Angeles and New England played at home when they lit up the scoreboard.
The Raiders, on the other hand, became only the fourth team to score 50 or more points through three quarters on the road. The Chicago Bears racked up 54 points in three quarters of the 1940 NFL Championship game against the Washington Redskins before going on to win 73-0. The Chicago Cardinals were the next to score 50 or more in three quarters back on November 13, 1949 when they defeated the New York Bulldogs, 65-20 during a game played in New York. The Pittsburgh Steelers later managed to score 50 on the road during the first three quarters of their game against the Atlanta Falcons on December 18, 1966, which they ended up winning 57-33.
However, Oakland's 59-point performance on Sunday stands alone as a benchmark for prolific scoring by a road team through three quarters of play. And despite Al Davis' affinity for throwing the ball deep down the field, most of the Raiders points came off rushing touchdowns. How curious.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Letters of Misfortune - AFC West, Part II
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Disappointed? You should be if you’re an Oakland Raiders fan. Besides cheering for a team that has been the laughingstock of the league since their last Super Bowl appearance following the 2002 season, the first full-contact day of training camp went by without a single fight between players. The horror.
How can a team with Oakland’s history manage a fight-free practice?
Don’t worry. Coach Cable, known to throw an occasional punch on his own (or at least flip people out of their chairs), has assured the local media that fights will happen once players “get a little hotter, a little more tired, a little more ornery."
For those of you unwilling to take Coach Cable at his word and let the fisticuffs happen naturally, you can take this list of “Most Likely Scufflers” with you to the open practice sessions and incite the players of your choice to carry out their preferred method of UFC-style violence on the practice field.
While you sit back and wait for the much-anticipated fights to take place, don’t forget there has been some good news during the offseason. JaMarcus Russell is no longer with the team. Jason Campbell will be an improvement at quarterback, based on work ethic alone. Five-time Pro Bowl player Richard Seymour re-signed early, despite being tagged as a franchise player, and even reported with the rookies to training camp. The addition of John Henderson and the rookies Rolando McClain and Lamarr Houston should help Oakland improve their woeful run defense from a year ago.
But who cares about all that football garbage? It’s hot out. We’re tired and cranky. Get on with it.
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
The cream of the crop in the AFC West, the schedule sets up nicely for San Diego to once again compete for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. With six games against weaker division opponents and four against the mediocre NFC West, San Diego just needs to hold serve against their less-talented opponents and stand strong against the three elite AFC teams they have to face (Cincinnati, New England and Indianapolis) in order to repeat as division champions.
Tomlinson is gone, but since he’s lost a step the last few seasons, his departure will not adversely affect the running game. Rivers has returned with one more year of experience under his belt and will continue to be among the upper echelon of quarterbacks. Antonio Gates signed a record deal for a tight end and the receiving corps should be more than up to the task of helping return the Chargers to their “Air Coryell” days of yesteryear.
The Chargers look primed to win their fifth consecutive division title due to a weaker schedule and the return of almost all offensive starters, minus Tomlinson, from last season. Even the holdout of Shawne Merriman and some early defensive injuries should not put a damper on the Chargers. In their first nine games of the season, only New England stands out as solid competition and the Patriots have to travel to San Diego.
If San Diego goes into their week 10 bye with anything less than a 7-2 record, they will truly have faltered in their quest for a deep run into the playoffs.
Tomorrow, Hall of Fame Game Prediction...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)