Bears Gameday Thread
If the Raiders are truly going to exercise their demons, this is exactly the type of game they need to win, specifically because it's a game they are supposed to win. We haven't gotten many such games in recent years, and even those traditionally haven't gone well.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Raiders are giving up 414 yards per game so far this year. That is rock bottom in the NFL.
Meanwhile, the Bears have lost three straight to...the Packers, Cardinals and Seahawks, three of the most formidable teams in the NFL. In other words, the Bears might not be quite as bad as they look at first glance.
So while the Raiders should win this game, it likely won't be a cakewalk, and the defense had better tighten things up. It will help if Jimmy Clauson is slinging it on Sunday, but we'd better not be looking past this team.
So GO RAIDERS, go forth and build upon the momentum and turn this mini-turnaround into a trend on Sunday.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Raiders are giving up 414 yards per game so far this year. That is rock bottom in the NFL.
Meanwhile, the Bears have lost three straight to...the Packers, Cardinals and Seahawks, three of the most formidable teams in the NFL. In other words, the Bears might not be quite as bad as they look at first glance.
So while the Raiders should win this game, it likely won't be a cakewalk, and the defense had better tighten things up. It will help if Jimmy Clauson is slinging it on Sunday, but we'd better not be looking past this team.
So GO RAIDERS, go forth and build upon the momentum and turn this mini-turnaround into a trend on Sunday.
posted by Raider Take at 10:51 AM
27 Comments:
Culter is practicing, albeit limited, so we should expect he will play. He is more than capable of lighting up the Raiders secondary, which is in large part to blame for the staggering 400+ yards per game. (Raiders run D ranked solidly as 13th in the league.)
Anyone who read the article that Sandy posted today on the previous RT thread learned that Mark Davis more or less commissioned Reggie McKenzie to go out and get 2 corners (by metaphorically tearing 2 corners of a piece of paper and handing them to a puzzled McKenzie). Suffice to say, McKenzie did not act on that request.
Assuming Culter does play, he might not be mobile. That should be good news for Mack and co.
On offense, no denying the chemistry building between Carr and Cooper. Murray also looks solid. Everything starts at the O-line, which seems to be gelling.
It might come down to which team wants this game more. Too early for Da Bears to roll over and call it a season. They probably see this as a must win.
Theme this year, courtesy of JDR, is "empty your bucket."
GO RAIDERS!
Raiders have their first "trap" game in a long time. Will they look past, Da Bears ?
Hopefully, JDR will have team ready for this game.
BTW, Think John Fox is missing Peyton Manning yet ? ....lol...
Freaking CBs! Nobody is covering the TEs, and that should have been on the Raiders radar when Bennett mentioned that nobody on the Raiders D has been covering the TEs on certain plays. Well, it cost us.
That is our achilles heel right now. JUST WIN, BABY!!!
Again, why are the Raiders playing soft coverage against the WRs? This lost the game for the Raiders. Unbelievable.
To be honest back to back away wins may have been a step too far. Unfortunately with the yards are doing gives up the other has to play perfect football and today we didn't get it done. Let's hope we can regroup at home to the donks
What a shame...!
Very winnable game. The Raiders had that one well in their grasp. That's on coaches as much as players. Soft defense and leaving the sidelines wide open on the last drive handed the Bears that game.
Perhaps Norton thinks he's running the Seahawks defense but, apparently, he doesn't realize he needs the Seahawks personnel to do that.
I want to think the Raiders will learn from their mistakes but it looks like a lot of the same mistakes still happening. LBs are a liability in coverage, and nobody is covering the TE... still! M Smith was heading the opposite side when Forte broke free for a long gain.
Isn't it obvious the D was better with Mack playing LB? He is much less involved in the game when playing DE. They need Mack shooting the gaps and blitzing.
Tough game for Murray, with two turnovers. Needs to catch the ball with his hands.
Where you at Jones beaaaatch
NY
I agree with you, I pin most of the blame on the coaches.
The last drive by the Raiders, when they called four straight runs and then kicked that was playing scared. They should have thrown at least once more if not to try and get into position for a TD to at least leave less time on the clock.
Always go for the win on the road.
Regards
Sandy
Sandy - Didn't the Raiders lose yards on their last offensive play which was, as you said, a run. There's really no excuse for the Raiders to ever be so conservative. We are coming off what feels like decades of losing.
And how did M Rivera drop off the radar? Other teams are killing us with their TEs, and we can't find ours.
Real shame.
This week will be a true test of whether or not this team is ready to compete. Home game against division rival.
Yes NY you are correct. They lost yards on that last down. Once they got the distance at 50 yards or below with Jano you need to be aggressive on the road.
This week is the key game at home against the Broncos. This will tell the story of where the team is at. Take a look at the link below, right now they are predicting 6 wins. Seems about right. If that turns out to be the case would you consider that progress?
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2015-nfl-predictions/
Regards
Sandy
Del Rio said the philosophy of whether to score the touchdown or kick a field goal depends on different factors, and pointed to the third-and-2 play and another on the ensuing sequence that decided the game.
This makes no sense and is the wrong mentality, play to win
NY, the reason other teams kill us with their TEs, is because the Raiders LBs and the secondary are not covering opposing TEs. It was pretty sad that Bennett said the Friday before the game that the Raiders didn't cover several TEs on certain plays that they were going to expose, and then he went out and had the best game of his career.
Raiders have to get better defensively on the passing game. I agree that moving Mack to DE has really hurt us, and we need him back at the LB position covering the TE and blitzing.
SCAR
From my viewpoint behind the end zone, the Raiders let one get away. Carr never did uncork until the last drive choosing mostly the safe reads, but then again, there were too many drops. The O line gave Carr a very clean pocket for most of the game. Good job.
On the defensive side, Aldon Smith was a real disruptor on the edge. Mack? I don't know what to say. The coaches know more than I do, but he has been quieted by the opposing teams playing as an end.
I had a great time at soldier field. It was great to see so many Raider fans, and the Fans of Chicago were very hospitable. If given the opportunity, I would recommend a trip to a bears game. The only thing missing was a killer instinct by the Raiders.
SCAR
There is always an east coast Raiders contingent when playing at Giants, Jets and Bills but there's nothing like a home game. wish I could attend more, and probably would if the Raiders had a team worthy of the trip.
Some of the decisions made this offseason are starting to reveal themselves. The decision not to sign vet CBs is clearly a bad one. DJ Hayden has to be the worst CB in football. Seems like whenever an opponent (not limiting it to just the Bears) needs to convert a critical 3rd down, Hadyen is their man, and he always comes through... for the other team. He is a liability to the defense.
Speaking of which, LBs are a huge liability in coverage. Look no further than the success of opposing TEs, but lots of missed tackles as well. M Smith makes lots of plays but also misses a lot. And Lofton seems no better than Buris to this point. Heeney might warrant a look by mid-season.
And I don't see the Raiders latest T to G conversion as much of a success. Media reported that Webb gave up both sacks on Carr last Sunday. I know Howard was Watson's injury replacement, but Howard's incompetence is what starting a downward spiral at LG.
This week's game should be very telling. Love to see the Raiders show us they are better than their last game.
Pro Football Focus had this to say about Curtis Lofton:
"... he allowed all six targets thrown his way to be caught for 77 yards and a touchdown. Quarterbacks are now 16 of 16 for 161 yards, two touchdowns and a 148.2 QB rating when targeting the receiver being covered by Lofton."
I can't see what grade they gave Hayden, but they list him as "below average player", and Lofton as "poor". I can guarantee that Manning will target whoever these two clowns cover on Sunday.
Based on stats alone, Lofton should be benched. Does he bring anything else to the table? He's the guy calling the defense on the field.
I thought Hayden showed some progress two weeks ago, when he actually defended a couple passes. Last week was back to his usual self... missing coverage and missing tackles.
As stated in the article Sandy posted, Mark Davis asked McKenzie to find him 2 CBs. Wonder if Davis has that on his mind about now?
SCAR
A head coach who played middle linebacker in the NFL, and a defensive coordinator who played Linebacker in the NFL....This linebacker corps must be really grinding JDR and Ken Norton Jr's gears...
SCAR
Outside of Amari Cooper this year's draft is looking pretty drab. Corner was the biggest concern going into the offseason and not remotely addressed and doesn't look like it is getting better.
It cracks me up to read any of the Pro Reggie garbage after 2 wins. Draft history:
2012 - Sure he didn't have the picks but he went 0 for 6 on picks.
2013 - Give him credit for hitting one pick, Murray. Rivera is on the team so give him half a point. 1.5 out of 10
2014 - Mack, Carr, Jackson and Jelly. 4 out of 8. Carrie is playing because they have nothing better.
2015 - So far its only Cooper. Edwards wins a participation ribbon right now and Walford has been pretty bad. So 1 out of 9.
The way I figure Reggie has hit on 6.5 out of 33 picks or about 20%.
1. Of those hits 3 were absolute no brainers, no thinking picks. Mack, Cooper and Carr. On the flip side he missed completely on 1 of the no brainer picks, Hayden. So he gets a "C" grade when it comes to no brainer, can't miss picks.
2. Of the ones he hit I think you can really only give him credit on Jelly / Jackson and Murray as hits that anyone could have flubbed.
Would you like to try and do the same thing on free agents signed?
Really, this team's momentum is on Carr's shoulders now. I was on the fence with him going into the season but I am a believer now in his ability and potential. The D is the worst in the league with just a couple bright spots...this is all Carr's teams.
Reggie, he needs to be gone.
Bryan
I tend to agree... It's been a Carr show so far.
McKenzie's model obviously is the Packers. Drafted players make up something like 80% to 90% of the Packers' roster. With McKenzie's record so far, the Raiders are in for a long road to mirror the Packers' success.
My feeling is that Edwards is already a disappointment as a high 2nd round pick. McKenzie reached way too high for that level of talent, just like he did with Watson in the 2nd, and like he did with Hayden, who might amount to a complete bust.... he's that bad so far this year.
Murray took a step backwards last week, and Rivera has all but disappeared.
Meanwhile, seems as though the Raiders could use Sio Moore right about now.
I just want to know what happened to that front runner Jones?
nyraider, I agree about Edwards. I wouldn't hang the bust tag on Edwards 4 games into the season but he certainly isn't making himself noticed.
I'm really on the fence about Sio. I agree 100% they could use him desperately right now. If he was that much of a cancer Del Rio probably did the right thing shipping him away. You have to wonder if a team is in the growth stages though do you cut off your nose to spite your face? Would the Raiders be a better on the field team with Sio, I think after 4 weeks everyone has to probably say yes.
This week is a major test. Rolled by Cincy, Beat the Ravens and the Browns who are two organizations that are struggling right now. Then lost to Chicago a team struggling worse than those 2. Broncos look pretty solid all around and their D is incredible, this is a major test for this young team.
Bryan
Was Sio Moore a cancer to the team? I hadn't heard anything like that. He missed a lot of time leading up to this season due to injury then got traded. Raiders spent time with this kid at the Senior Bowl and had labeled him a high character individual. That was part of why they drafted him.
Colts seemed happy with the trade ("he's a solid, solid, solid guy. He loves football. He's passionate about football. When you put the tape on and you watch this guy go...." Chuck Pagano).
Even if you think Ray Ray Armstrong is better than Moore, how can Ray Ray's backup also be better?
One of the mysteries of the year.
Meanwhile, Raiders pick up a CB David Amerson off waivers two weeks ago from the Redskins and he's the best corner on the roster. What does that tell us?
...Raiders should keep checking the waiver wire... and practice squads too.
Curtis Lofton is our weakest player in the LB position. Ray Ray is not far behind. Amerson is going to fill in nicely for Carrie this week, and should start over Hayden when Carrie returns. A big part of the problem defensively is the soft coverage on the corners, and the LBs looking lost in their coverage.
The Raiders front line has good pressure, and has been in the face of the QB every week (including Cincy game). But because WRs are open, the pressure hasn't produced any positive results. Cutler was pressured 4 times on the last drive, and yet the Bears still won.
I'm hoping that when Mayowa and Heeney return, Aldon Smith will replace Mack at DE, Mack will move back to SAM replacing Ray Ray, and Heeney will replace Lofton at MLB. That will improve our LBs immediately. Shaun Phillips is also still available, and he had 10 sacks with the Broncos a few years ago under Del Rio.
Javier Arenas, Tarrell Brown, Darius Butler, Cassius Vaugh, Chris Clemons, and Jarrett Bush are all available CBs that the Raiders could sign today. Josh Mauga (ILB), Brandon Spikes, Jonathan Massaquoi, Lance Briggs, and Jonathan Cassillas are available LBs that the Raiders could bring in today.
Knowshon Moreno, Ben Tate, Ray Rice, and Pierre Thomas are RBs that Raiders could bring in to help Murray. Helu Jr won't get it done. Rice would be an upgrade in our running game too.
This is what I would be doing if I was in Reggie's position. I would be bringing these guys in and see how they fit. Spikes and Mauga are better than Lofton and Ray Ray. I would even take Briggs! Javier Arenas and Darius Butler are two that stand out that I would bring in, even though Butler has lost a step, still better than DJ.
I'm concerned about this game. Raiders have to establish the run. Use Murray and Reece and pound the ball. Corners and LBs have to press cover guys so that the DLine pressure equates to positive things. Raiders have to figure out how to cover the TE. The 2 big things coming out of Denver this week is to watch for the TE and RB to have breakout games.
Raiders historically will not blitz Manning because he's too smart and can release the ball before the rush. Unfortunately, that plays to the weakness of this defense; coverage.
If I'm calling it, I'd move Mack back to LB, press coverage and blitz all day long. Broncos might still beat us but they will all be lined up at the trainers room after the game, and the Raiders can maintain their dignity.
Another game like the Bengals, which Manning is more than capable of having against a weak Raiders D, will set the Raiders back, IMO.
SCAR
RaiderNate 75, I'd pump the brakes on Heeney. I'm not seeing what you are seeing with him. I think he is slower even then Ray Ray, and Heeney got abused against the Bengals. Give the Rookie time to develop before he goes into the fire. My 2 cents on Heeney.
As for this weekend, If there is such a thing as a 12th man advantage, this would be a great weekend to have it. Denver's D is being lauded as a top defense this year, so we will find out alot about the Offense and Carr in particular. I think he will surprise us in a good way.
SCAR
Guys I live in South Fl, Ray Ray was mediocre at the U and sucks as a pro. Sio was way better. Not sure what happened there but he made some impact players the last two years.
Too bad he is gone. Corners we have been talked about this for four season straight nothing new there.
Regards
Sandy
Charles Woodson celebrating his 39th birthday. No better way than to beat the Broncos.
GO RAIDERS!
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