It remains to be seen yet if Tarver is going to implement a 3-4 defense, but he may intend to in the long run while he obtains the appropriate personnel to do so. The Raiders currently have players on the roster that fit the 3-4 mold, but would need to add some pieces to institute the 3-4 correctly.

One factor that may play into a transition to the 3-4 defense if finding a way to escalate the play of

Linebacker Rolando McClain, who has struggled in Oakland, played in a 3-4 defense under Nick Saban at the University of Alabama

middle linebacker Rolando McClain. McClain played in Nick Saban’s 3-4 defense while attending Alabama and earned the Butkus Award in 2009, given to the nation’s best collegiate linebacker. McClain was questioned as to whether or not he would succeed as an inside linebacker in the 4-3 coming out of college and has largely not lived up to his expectations yet in Oakland.

Linebacker Aaron Curry, winner of the 2008 Butkus Award, could work as an inside linebacker next to McClain. Curry is a stout rush defender but has struggled in defending the pass. With head coach Dennis Allen’s exotic blitz packages, it could be beneficial to Curry due to his ability to get to the quarterback and to stop the run.

Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley, who played defensive end at Florida State, was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns to play outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense. Wimbley responded by having 11 sacks in his rookie year, but then saw his sack numbers diminish before being traded to the Raiders in March 2010. Wimbley has since played well for the Raiders at the linebacker position, while being lined up as a pass rusher on passing downs.

One player that could struggle should the Raiders move to a 3-4 is defensive end Matt Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy has played well at defensive end, recording 92 tackles and 12 sacks in 35 games played for the Raiders. At only 270 pounds, Shaugnessy may be asked to move to the outside linebacker position for his pass-rushing abilities.

Defensive end Lamarr Houston has the athleticism and versatility to play as either a 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 defensive tackle. While playing for the University of Texas, Houston played both defensive end and defensive tackle. Houston’s size, 6’3” and 305 pounds, along with his tenacity and motor make him an ideal candidate to be a 3-4 defensive end opposite of Seymour.

Pro Bowl defensive tackle Richard Seymour has previous experience playing in the 3-4 defense. While on the Patriots in 2003, Seymour started 14 games as a 3-4 defensive end and finished with eight sacks and 57 tackles.

Defensive tackle Richard Seymour had some of his best years while playing in the 3-4 defensive end position for the New England Patriots

A difficulty that the Raiders may encounter should they try and run the 3-4 scheme is the lack of a true nose tackle on the team. In order to run the 3-4 successfully, the defense must have a big-bodied nose tackle in the middle to take up space and help stop the run. The leading candidate currently on the team to be the nose tackle would have to be Tommy Kelly, who is listed at 6’6” and 300 pounds.

If Tarver and Allen should choose to run a 3-4 base defense, they may need to try and find a true run-stuffing nose tackle to insert in the middle of the defensive line. They will also need to pick up depth at the inside linebacker position. For now, it appears that the defense will play both the 4-3 and 3-4 fronts as Allen stated, as it may take a couple of years to gain the personnel necessary for a full-time 3-4 defensive scheme.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie fired Hue Jackson on Jan. 10 with the desire to bring in his own guy and start anew.

Allen coaches his Broncos defense, which ranked last prior to Allen's arrival (Photo courtesy of DenverBroncos.com)

Many believed that McKenzie would hire former Raiders linebacker and current Green Bay Packers linebacker and assistant head coach Winston Moss after the two worked with each in Green Bay. Other names linked to the head coaching vacancy included Miami Dolphins interim head coach Todd Bowles, former Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Tice, Packers assistant coaches Joe Philbin, Tom Clements, among others.

Should Allen be given the job, it will be the first defensive-minded head coach for the Oakland Raiders since Davis hired John Madden as head coach in 1969.

Allen inherited a Broncos defense that was ranked dead last in 2010 and was able to improve it to 20th in yards allowed in 2011 while running a base 4-3 defense, the same base the Raiders ran last season.

39-year-old Allen started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Texas A&M in 1996 before heading to Tulsa to be their secondary coach. Since 2002, Allen has worked as a defensive assistant for both the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons before becoming the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator last season.

While coaching the Falcons defensive secondary, Allen improved the team from 30th in pass defense to 16th the following year with 24 interceptions, third in the league that season. Allen was also able to improve Atlanta’s defensive line during his tenure with the Falcons, helping Atlanta’s defensive line to lead the NFL in sacks in 2004.

If hired, the Raiders hope that Allen will have similar success in Oakland. The Raiders struggled defensively this year, ranking 27th in the league in both passing yards and rushing yards allowed per game while suffering late-game defensive collapses to Buffalo, Detroit, Denver and San Diego.

McKenzie stated in his introductory press conference that whoever becomes the next head coach of the Raiders will be given the power to hire their own staff.

What I’m going to do is empower the head coach to hire his staff. The best possible staff that he can hire,” said McKenzie. “We’re not going to tie the guy’s hand and tell him ‘he has to hire this guy’ or ‘this guy.’ That wouldn’t be fair to the new head coach.”

When asked before the Bronco’s 2011 season, Allen stated that he desires his defense to be aggressive.

We’re going to be built off speed and athleticism,” Allen told the Broncos website. “We want to be a very fast, violent, aggressive type of defense that plays within the rules. We are going to try and hit you as hard as we can.”

CSN California reporter Paul Gutierrez reports that McKenzie is expected to conduct a second interview with Allen tonight at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Cotto: What’s the feel of the team knowing that a win and some help will get you into the playoffs?

Quentin Groves: We feel strong. We feel together as a team. We feel as though our backs are against the wall so we need to fight our way out.

Cotto: Looking back at the year, everything that has happened dating back to the summer, can you describe the road to this season finale?

Groves: Roller coaster – but we have had to deal with a lot of ups and downs, but through it all we have stayed together [as a] team. Hence we still have a chance to be in the playoffs.

Cotto: What do you expect out of the home crowd this Sunday?

Groves: I expect the “Black Hole” and the home fans to be electric!

Cotto: Eric Weddle and other Chargers have talked about keeping Oakland out of the playoffs… Is that just more fuel for the team?

Groves: We play football! That’s what we are going to do on Sunday — PLAY football!

Groves is in his second season with the Raiders. A key contributor on special teams, the linebacker also played a vital role early in the season as a starter before the arrival of Aaron Curry. His work ethic and professionalism has helped the team’s depth on defense and secure their ability to cover punts and kickoffs.

He was quoted earlier in the week,” This time of year you’re usually shipping your car home, making travel plans.”

Groves continued: “But now it’s all about getting that W.”

A win and some help and Oakland will be playoff bound.

SBReport.net would like to wish Quentin Groves and the rest of the Raider Nation a Happy New Year.

You can follow Groves on Twitter here.

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Oakland’s new team settles in

The Raiders were originally in the American Football League, which started in 1960 with eight franchises. The Raiders franchise was the eighth of these franchises, and was originally slated to play in Minnesota before their deal fell through there.

On Jan. 20, 1960 a group in Oakland was awarded the Raiders which brought them to the Bay Area instead of Minnesota. At this point in time, the franchise did not have a name yet and decided to hold a contest in the Oakland Tribune to come up with a name. The winning name of this contest was the Oakland Señors, thus giving the franchise their first name.

Accusations arose that Charles “Chet” Soda, the first general partner of the franchise, rigged the contest to get the name Señors. Soda was an Oakland businessman that was known for calling his acquaintances “señor”. A combination of these accusations and jokes from locals forced the franchise’s decision to change their name to the Oakland Raiders, which finished third in the contest. The change occurred nine days after deciding on their original name.

After finally coming up with the Oakland Raiders as the franchise’s name and naming Eddie Erdelatz the first head coach in franchise history,  the team still needed to find a place to play.

The Raiders opened up their inaugural season at home on Sept. 11, 1960 against the Houston Oilers at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, losing 37-22. For their first season, the Raiders split their home games between Kezar Stadium and Candlestick, finishing 8-6.

After spending their first two years in San Francisco, the Raiders moved to their new home stadium — Frank Youell Field — a converted high school field that held 18,000 people. The Raiders followed up their 2-12 season with a 1-13 record in their third season.

F. Wayne Valley, then the Raiders general partner, decided they needed a new coach going into the 1963 season. On Jan. 15, 1963 Valley hired Al Davis as the franchise’s fourth head coach and also the general manager. Davis was previously working as an assistant for the San Diego Chargers.

One of the first moves Davis made was to change the Oakland Raider uniforms to silver & black, still the colors of the franchise today. Before this move, the Raiders wore jerseys that were black, gold and white.

The Raiders finished 10-4 in the first season Davis coached the squad, finishing one game out of the playoffs and earning Davis the AFL Coach of the Year award. The Raiders would finish the next two seasons a combined 13-12-3 under Davis.

On April 8, 1966, Davis is named the new commissioner of the AFL, making John Rauch the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Davis takes seat as AFL commissioner

Up until Al Davis took the job of commissioner of the AFL, the NFL and the AFL were rival leagues and had nothing to do with each other.

The NFL started in 1920, 40 years before the AFL. The AFL was originally started by a millionaire by the name of Lamar Hunt, who had inherited money from his father who was an oil businessman. Hunt wanted to start an expansion team in his home state of Dallas, but the NFL was not interested in expanding at that time. So, instead, Hunt took his money and helped found a rival league, the AFL.

The NFL and AFL both held different drafts, different championships and also had different rules. Having different drafts, the AFL and NFL were often fighting for the same draft picks. Although they were rival leagues, there was a supposed unwritten rule to not go after players that were under contract in the other leagues.

This all changed when Al Davis took office as the commissioner for the AFL. Quickly after taking office, Davis started a bidding war for players with the NFL and got eight of the NFL’s top quarterbacks to join the AFL.

Davis’ bidding war worried the NFL and they contacted the AFL in hopes of being able to work out a deal. Two months after Davis had taken the job of commissioner, the AFL and NFL decided to merge and keep the NFL name on June 8, 1966.

With this deal, the two leagues would have a common draft, while maintaining separate schedules but having an AFL vs NFL Championship game, which would eventually be called the Super Bowl. It wouldn’t be until 1970 that the two leagues would officially merge into one league that has two different conferences.

The Oakland Coliseum, built in 1966, is still home to the Oakland Raiders today

With the merger in place, Davis resigned as the AFL commissioner in July of 1966, just three months into his tenure, and bought 10 percent of the Oakland Raiders for $18,000, and became the general manager again. It was during the 1966 season that the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum was finished being built, giving the Raiders their new permanent home.

Raiders reach their first Super Bowl

Before the 1967 season began, Davis made a trade to swap quarterbacks with the Buffalo Bills — the Raiders getting Daryle Lamonica and the Bills getting Tom Flores.

Lamonica lead the Raiders to a 13-1 season en route to earning the AFL Player of the Year awards. Lamonica thew for 3,228 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning himself the nickname of “Mad Bomber”. The Raiders outscored their opponents 468-233 throughout the 1967 season.

The Raiders’ 13-1 record earned them a berth in the AFL Championship game against the Houston Oilers, in which they dominated the game and beat the Oilers 40-7. Beating the Oilers gave the Raiders the opportunity to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II. The Raiders lost the game 33-14.

In the 1967 season, Fred Biletnikoff became a favorite target of Lamonica and finished with 876 yards and five touchdowns. Corner back Willie Brown anchored the defense with seven interceptions on the season.

The “Heidi” Game

On Nov. 17, 1968 the Oakland Raiders took on the New York Jets at home in the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

The Raiders fell behind, as the Jets scored a field goal with 1:05 left in the game to take a 32-29 lead. But then, with only a minute left to play and a chance for Lamonica and the Raiders to either tie or win the game, NBC stopped its coverage of the game to show “Heidi”, a made-for-TV movie about an orphan girl living in the Swiss Alps with her grandfather.

Lamonica quickly drove the Raiders down the field, throwing a touchdown pass to Charlie Smith that gave the Raiders a 36-32 lead with :44 remaining on the clock. On the ensuing kickoff, the Raiders forced a fumble that they recovered for another touchdown, bringing the score to 43-32.

The Raiders had won the game by scoring two touchdowns in the last minute, all while NBC was showing “Heidi” instead of the game. This game is forever known as the “Heidi Game”, or the “Heidi Bowl”. Now, broadcasters’ policy is to not cut away from a football game until it is over, putting regular TV programs on hold.

The Raiders would finish the season 12-2 and find themselves in a rematch with the Jets in the AFL Championship game. The Raiders took the lead late but found themselves falling victim to a late drive by quarterback Joe Namath, and lost the game 27-23.

Head Coach John Rauch would leave for the Buffalo Bills after the game, and the Raiders would hire 33-year-old John Madden to coach the team.

The Madden Era

John Madden would become head coach of the Raiders beginning in the 1969 season, and quickly kept the Raiders playing at a high level.

On Oct. 19, 1969, Lamonica set a pro record by throwing six touchdown passes in the first half en route to a 50-21 win over the Buffalo Bills.

In the 1970 season, Madden put in their kicker George Blanda, who was a quarterback in college, to replace the injured Lamonica. At the age of 43, Blanda led the Raiders to last second wins during a 4-0-1 five-game stretch that he started as the Raiders quarterback and kicker. Blanda went on to become the first pro football player in history to score 2,000 points in 1975.

Madden would lead the Raiders to a 10-3-1 record in 1971 and earned them a spot in the AFC divisional playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 10-3-1 record also earned the Raiders their fifth AFC Western Division title in six years, and the winningest record from 1963-1972 (94-36-10).

The playoff game between the Raiders and Steelers has forever been remembered as the game in which the “Immaculate Reception” occurred.

Oakland’s quarterback Ken Stabler scored on a 30-yard touchdown run to give the Raiders a 7-6 lead with 1:17 left in the game. On the ensuing drive, the Raiders forced a 4th and 10 from the Steelers 40-yard line with :22 remaining.

There, Raiders lineman Horace Jones and Tony Cline pressured Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw who thew the ball to his halfback John Fuqua. As the ball reached Fuqua, Raiders safety Jack “The Assassin” Tatum also reached Fuqua, hitting him and causing the ball to sail in the air. Steelers fullback Franco Harris caught the ball and was able to score the game-winning touchdown.

This was the first of five consecutive postseasons in which the Raiders and Steelers would meet, with the last in 1976. The Raiders defeated the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game in 1976 to reach their Super Bowl XI

Raiders win their first Super Bowl

The Raiders used a solid offense to succeed in 1976. The offense all started with a solid offensive line that was anchored by Art Shell, Gene Upshaw and Dave Dalby who dominated in the trenches.

The 1976 Raiders were led on offense by quarterback Ken Stabler, wide receivers Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff, and tight end Dave Casper. Stabler finished with 2,737 yards and 27 touchdowns. Branch led the receiving corps 1,111 yards and 12 touchdowns. Biletnikoff and Casper scored seven, and 10 touchdowns each, respectively. Fullback Mark van Eeghan led the Raiders on the ground, rushing for 1,012 yards and three touchdowns.

On defense, the Raiders possessed a solid linebacker corps in Otis Sistrunk, Ted Hendricks, and Phil Villapiano. The secondary was also aggressive and dominant with Jack Tatum and George Atkinson as the safeties, and Willie Brown and Skip Thomas as the corners.

On Jan. 9, 1977 the Raiders took on the Minnesota Vikings in Pasadena, Calif. in front of a record 103,424 people, mostly Raiders fans. The Raiders looked to be giving up

Former Raiders corner back Willie Brown coaching up former Raider Nnamdi Asomugha

the lead after a blocked punt in the first quarter, but the defense was able to force a fumble on their own goal line to keep the 1st quarter scoreless.

The Raiders would dominate the second quarter and take a 16-0 lead going into the second half. Leading 26-7 in the fourth quarter, corner back Willie Brown intercepted Vikings quarter back Fran Tarkenton and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown that all but sealed the victory.

After a final minute touchdown by the Vikings, the Oakland Raiders had won their first Super Bowl by a final score of 32-14. Stabler finished 12-19 for 180 yards, Casper had four receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown, and Biletnikoff finished with four catches for 79 yards and was named the Super Bowl XI MVP.

Madden retires

Following their Super Bowl XI victory, Madden would return the Raiders to the AFC Championship game where they met the Denver Broncos. But this time, the Raiders would fall short of the Super Bowl as they fell to the Broncos 20-17.

The 1978 season would turn out to be the last season the Raiders would be under John Maddens coaching, and it was an eventful one.

In the preseason, the Oakland Raiders took on the New England Patriots. The Patriots ran an inside slant route to wide receiver Darryl Stingley who leaped up to catch the pass and came down into a collision with Raiders safety Jack Tatum. The hit damaged Stingley’s spinal cord and paralyzed him from the chest down.

The Raiders would continue the season and find themselves needing a 27-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings for a 9-7 record to ensure their 14th consecutive winning season.

Included in the 9-7 record is a victory against the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 10, 1978. With the Raiders trailing 20-14 on the Chargers 12-yard line and 10 second remaining in the game, Stabler dropped back for a pass but was sacked and fumbled the ball. Raiders running back Pete Banaszak attempted to recover the fumble but lost

Raider all-time winningest head coach John Madden gets inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

his footing and kicked the ball forward to the goal line where Dave Casper was able to recover the ball for the game-tying touchdown. After the extra point, the Raiders left San Diego with a shocking 21-20 victory. The play has been dubbed the name “Holy Roller”.

Following the season, John Madden retired after 10 years of being the Raiders head coach. Madden finished with a 103-32-7 and leading the Raiders to their first Super Bowl victory in 1977.

The Tom Flores era begins

To replace Madden, Al Davis brought in a familiar face in Tom Flores to coach the team. Davis had traded Flores in 1967 to get quarterback Daryle Lamonica. Flores and the Raiders struggled in his first year, but was still able to pull of a 9-7 winning record. 

Prior to the second season of Flores coaching the Raiders, Al Davis announced that he would be moving the Raiders to Los Angeles. Before the 1980 season, Davis sought improvements to be made to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum but was unsuccessful, so Davis attempted to move the team to Los Angeles.

Davis’ plan was shot down by the league. Needing ¾ of the league to approve it, Davis lost 22-0. Davis proceeded to try and move the team anyways but was stopped by an injunction my NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. This began the start of two antitrust lawsuits in which Al Davis was a part of against the NFL to get the approval to move to Los Angeles. The lawsuits wouldn’t be settled until 1982.

With the lawsuit still in the courts, the Raiders continued to play in Oakland. After trading Ken Stabler for Dan Pastorini in the offseason, Pastorini was injured and replaced by Jim Plunkett. Plunkett inherited a 2-3 record but was able to drive the Raiders to an 11-5 record and a wild card berth.

The Raiders were able to take that wild card berth to the AFC Championship game where they took on the Cleveland Browns. In a game played well below freezing temperature, the Raiders won 14-12 to give them a ticket to Super Bowl XV.

Raiders win their second Super Bowl

On Jan. 25, 1981 the Raiders took on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, LA.

On the opening pass play of the game, Raiders linebacker Rod Martin intercepted Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski to give the Raiders the ball in Philadelphia territory. The Raiders would convert on a pass from Plunkett to wide receiver Cliff Branch. Plunkett would also complete an 80-yard touchdown pass to running back Kenny King to take a 14-0 lead after one quarter of play.

The 14-point deficit proved to be too much for the Eagles to overcome. With the score 27-10, the Raiders defense buckled down and forced turnovers on the Eagles’ last two drives, with one being a Rod Martin interception. That was Martin’s third interception on Jaworski, setting a Super Bowl record.

With a lawsuit between Al Davis and the NFL still in the courts, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle was forced to hand the Lombardi Trophy over to Al Davis, the very man he was being sued by.

Plunkett was named the Super Bowl MVP, finishing 13-21 for 261 yards and three touchdowns.

With an injury to Plunkett the following year, the Raiders ended the season with a 7-9 record, ending a streak of 16-consecutive seasons with a winning record. The Dallas Cowboys would later break this record with a streak of 20-consecutive seasons.

Al Davis wins lawsuit, Raiders move to L.A.

After two years of being in the courts, the jury favored on the side of Al Davis, allowing the Raiders to be moved to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Prior to the season, the Raiders drafted USC running back Marcus Allen in the draft.

It wouldn’t be until December 12 — after a 57-day strike — that the Raiders would make their Los Angeles debut, beating the San Diego Chargers 28-24. The Raiders would finish the shortened season with the league-best 8-1 record, but would fall short losing to the Jets in the playoffs.

Raiders win their third Super Bowl

In their second season in LA, Tom Flores and the Raiders were able to get back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time.

Jim Plunkett led the offense finishing with 2,935 yards and 20 touchdowns. Tight end Todd Christensen became a favorite of Plunkett’s, catching 92 passes for 1,247 and 12 touchdowns. Second-year running back Marcus Allen proved to be an integral part of the offense, finishing with 1,604 total yards and 11 touchdowns.

On defense, the Raiders were led by pro-bowlers Howie Long, Lyle Alzado, Rod Martin, Matt Millen, and corner backs Lester Hayes and Mike Haynes, who were widely considered the best corner back tandem in the NFL.

Going into Super Bowl XVIII, the Raiders were underdogs to the Washington Redskins because of their solid rushing attack and stifling defense.

After taking a 21-3 lead going into halftime, the Raiders turned to their. Allen simply took over the game from there, including a 74-yard scamper for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Allen finished with 191 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 20 carries and earned the Super Bowl MVP trophy as the Raiders dominated the Redskins. The Raiders won by a final score of 38-9.

This Super Bowl is known as “Black Friday” because of the dominating victory the Raiders had against a favored Washington Redskins team.

Al Davis feuds with Marcus Allen

After winning the Super Bowl MVP, Raiders running back Marcus Allen would go on to continue his dominance in the NFL. In 1985, Allen rushed for 1,759 yards and added 555 yards in receptions to earn him both the NFL Offensive Play of the Year and NFL MVP awards.

In the 1986 season, Allen would be plagued by injuries and attempted to play through them. The injuries quickly became controversial when owner Al Davis publicly stated that Allen was faking the injuries.

The next season, the Raiders selected running back Bo Jackson in the draft, further agitating Allen. Jackson would become an integral part of the backfield as Allen and Jackson found themselves sharing carries.

Head coach Tom Flores would retire after a 5-10 season in 1987. Flores left after leading the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories and winning 83 games, second in franchise history to only John Madden.

Al Davis would bring in Mike Shanahan to coach the franchise. After a 7-9 season followed by a 1-3 start in 1989, Davis fired Shanahan and hired former Raiders offensive linemen Art Shell, making him the first African-American head coach in the NFL. In 1989, Marcus Allen only carried the ball 69 times for the Raiders.

The next season, the Raiders would make Allen a potent part of their offense again. Using Jackson and Allen as a solid 1-2 punch, the Raiders finished 12-4 and made it to the AFC Championship game. In that game, Bo Jackson’s career was cut short in the 3rd quarter when he suffered a career-ending hip injury. The Raiders would be blown out 51-3 by the Buffalo Bills.

Instead of turning to Allen to carry the load, Davis went out and signed free agent Roger Craig, thus keeping Allen on the bench and making infuriating him more. Upon being relegated to being just a backup player, Allen became frustrated and demanded a trade. Finally, after the 1992 season in which Allen accused Davis of trying to ruin his career, Allen was finally able to leave the team via free agency.

The team returns to Oakland

After 13 years and two Super Bowl victories in L.A., Al Davis decided to move back to Oakland. The move back to Oakland occurred with a great amount of fanfare.

Then head coach, Mike White, led quarterback Jeff Hostetler and the Raider to an 8-2 start, but the Raiders would drop their last six games to end the season a disappointing 8-8.

The Raiders would struggle in 1996 also, their second season back in Oakland. The 7-9 record was enough for Davis to fire White after just two years and hire Joe Bugel. Bugel only lasted one season as he was fired when the Raiders finished 4-12 in 1997.

The Jon Gruden era

Al Davis hired Jon Gruden in 1998 and made him the youngest NFL head coach at the age of 34. Gruden came into the league and instantly became a fan favorite because of his fiery attitude and demeanor on the sideline.

After the team finished 8-8 in Gruden’s first two seasons, the Raiders went out and signed free agent quarterback Rich Gannon. Gannon led the Raiders to a 12-4 start while passing for a career high 3,430 yards in his first year with the Raiders. The 12-4 record was good enough to give the Raiders their first divisional title in 10 years.

The Raiders would make it to the AFC Championship game before losing to the Baltimore Ravens 16-3 in a game that Gannon suffered a rib injury on the first series of the game.

Following the 2000 season, the Raiders acquired all-time great Jerry Rice to start opposite of Raider-great Tim Brown at wide receiver. Gannon, Rice, and Brown led an explosive offense all season long as the Raiders started 10-3 but dropped the last three games to finish 10-6. Gannon finished the season with 3,828 yards and 27 touchdowns; Rice and Brown both had 1,000-plus yard receiving for the season, as they had 1,139 and 1,165 yards receiving, respectively.

After beating the Jets in the wild card game, the Raiders took on the New England Patriots in a divisional playoff showdown.

On a snowy day in New England with the Raiders up 13-10 with under a minute left to play, Raiders corner back Charles Woodson blitzed and sacked Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, causing an apparent fumble that was recovered by Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert and seemingly ended the game.

Officials reviewed the play and determined that Brady’s arm was moving forward and ruled the play an incomplete pass, with New England keeping the ball. This allowed the Patriots to drive down the field for a game-tying Adam Vinatieri field goal to send the game into overtime. Vinatieri would then hit the game-winning field goal in overtime, with the Raiders losing 16-13.

Following the loss, Al Davis attempted to sign Gruden to a contract extension but was unable to. Instead, Davis traded Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for draft picks.

Gruden trade comes back to haunt Davis

After trading Gruden to the Bucs, Al Davis promoted Bill Callahan from offensive coordinator to the new head coach of the Raiders. Under Callahan, the Raiders offense didn’t skip a beat as the Raiders continued to use their high-powered offense to reach the playoffs again.

Rich Gannon finished the season with 4,689 passing yards and 26 touchdowns to be awarded the NFL’s MVP award.

The Raiders finished the 2002 season 11-5, earning themselves home-field advantage. Oakland than preceded to beat the Jets again and then rout the Tennessee Titans to earn a chance in Super Bowl XXXVII.

The Raiders would be taking on none other than Jon Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not only was it a match up of Gruden’s old team versus his new, it was also a match up of the league’s first-ranked offense (Raiders) against the first-ranked defense (Buccaneers).

To make matters worse for the Raiders, their all-pro center Barret Robbins went missing the day before the Super Bowl was to be played in San Diego. Robbins returned the day of the Super Bowl after what he later said was a long night of drinking in Tijuana, Mexico.

The Raiders were able to get on the scoreboard first with a Sebastian Janikowski field goal, but the Buccaneers dominated the rest of the game.

Gruden’s Buccaneers took a 20-3 halftime lead, and built on it with a long time-eating touchdown drive to start the third quarter.

Gruden’s knowledge of the Raiders offense proved to be a deciding factor as Gruden’s defense was seemingly one step ahead of Callahan’s offense. Gannon finished 24-44 for 272 yards, two touchdowns and a Super Bowl record five interceptions as the Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders 48-21.

Post-Super Bowl XXXVII era

Upon losing Super Bowl XXXVII, the Raiders got off to a slow start in 2003 and lost Gannon to a season-ending shoulder injury in week 8. The Raiders would eventually

An Oakland Raiders fan expresses their love for Gruden during the tough years following the Super Bowl XXXVII loss

finish the season with a disappointing 4-12 record, tied for worst in the NFL. Following the season, the Raiders fired Callahan and hired Norv Turner as head coach.

The team also released their all-time leading receiver veteran Tim Brown. They also picked up former Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp.

Under Turner, the Raiders started 2004 2-1 but lost Gannon to a career-ending neck injury, forcing the Raiders to turn to newly acquired Kerry Collins. The Raiders would finish 5-11.

Since the loss of Rich Gannon in 2004, the Raiders have started 14 different quarterbacks and have had five head coaches in the seven-year span.

After losing the Super Bowl, the Raiders posted seven consecutive losing seasons from 2003-2009, with a 29-83. In 2010, the Raiders were able to snap that streak finishing 8-8 under head coach Tom Cable.

Instead of keeping Cable as the head coach, Al Davis decided to instead promote offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to the role of head coach.

Raiders history by the numbers:

The Raiders offense ranked 6th in the NFL with 25.6 points per game under then offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. The Raiders will look for starting quarterback Jason Campbell to improve in his second year directing Hue Jackson’s offense, who is now the head coach of the squad.

Running back Darren McFadden eludes defenders

Campbell will get help from arguably one of the best backfields in the league which is led by fourth-year running back Darren McFadden. McFadden ran for 1,157 yards and seven touchdowns last year, while also hauling in 47 receptions for an additional 507 yards and three touchdowns. But McFadden’s biggest question is his ability to stay healthy. In McFadden’s three seasons with the Raiders, he has never started more than 13 games in a season.

Should McFadden go down due to injury, he will be backed up by a formidable group in Michael Bush and rookie Taiwan Jones. Bush has shown he can be a solid back, providing a big body that can run hard and catch out of the backfield. Jones has shown his explosiveness this preseason, proving he can be a weapon for Coach Jackson whether it be rushing, returning or receiving the football.

The Raiders biggest question on offense is their offensive line. Throughout the preseason Jackson has tried a variety of combinations in an attempt to find the best fit. It looks like the Raiders will only have three of last year’s starters on the offensive line this year as they look to start Jared Veldheer, Stefen Winiewski, Samson Satele, Cooper Carlisle and Khalif Barnes.

To make things more difficult on the offensive line, the Raiders have also changed over to a power-blocking scheme this year with the departure of Tom Cable. The offensive line will need to play well in order to give Campbell necessary time and to open up holes for the Raiders running game.

Raiders wide receivers will also need to improve in 2011 if Oakland hopes to build on their 8-8 record. Third-year wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey will look to be productive in an attempt to prove critics wrong, following a 2010 season where he finished with 26 receptions. The Raiders also hope Jacoby Ford will continue to build on his rookie campaign in 2010 as he finished with 25 receptions and seven touchdowns; two receiving, two rushing, and three on kickoff returns.

The Raiders hope rookie wide reciever Denarius Moore can be more than just a preseason sensation. Moore was drafted in the 5th round in April and has impressed both

Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour

players and coaches in training camp and on the field in the preseason. Oakland also brought in veteran Derek Hagan who has also impressed coaches in camp, including a six reception, 121 yard game against New Orleans in the third week of preseason.

Oakland’s defense has been more questionable than the offense in the preseason.

The remaining constant on defense is their stout defensive line anchored by veteran Richard Seymour. Seymour and company will need to get pressure on the quarterback while stopping the run in order for the defense to have success.

Besides Michael Huff and Tyvon Branch who have become a solid safety tandem, the seven players behind the defensive line still hold many question marks for new defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan who was also Oakland’s defensive coordinator from 2000-2003.

Middle linebacker Rolando McClain will need to become the play maker they drafted him to be as he enters his second year of play. Kamerion Wimbley must play like someone that deserves the five-year, $48 million contract he received this off season. Although he was Oakland’s leading pass rusher with nine sacks last year, he proved to be a liability in pass coverage. Weak-side linebacker Quentin Groves will also need to excel his game to help the Raiders defense become successful.

With the departure of Nnamdi Asomugha to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Raiders secondary has a huge hole to fill. Oakland will start veteran corner backs Stanford Routt and Chris Johnson in an attempt to fill this void.

Routt and Johnson will be backed up by two rookies in DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa, drafted in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.

Van Dyke was forced to start for the Raiders this preseason due to an injury to Chris Johnson and had a rough time. Quarterbacks continued to target him as he continued to give up plays. Chekwa has primarily seen playing time against second- and third string offenses, including some time playing at free safety.

Rookie CB Demarcus Van Dyke lines up against the San Francisco 49ers

Punter Shane Lechlar remains the best punter in the game, and kicker Janikowski has become one of the best in the game to leave special teams with little-to-no questions.

Overall, the Raiders biggest question is the play from their corner backs and the lack of depth at the position. Oakland’s defense will need strong play from their front seven to try and support their defensive backs. With an offense returning almost in full, the Raiders will need an improvement from Campbell and his wide receivers along with solid defensive play to build on their 8-8 season and make a playoff run in 2011.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

On Offense:

Sean Payton has had enough time to conjure up a game plan to counter what the Colts have been able to do on defense in these playoffs.

Brees has to be on his game, spreading the ball out via the pass to his receivers, tight ends and running backs in order to sustain drives and ultimately, put up touchdowns.

Since the Colts are speedy along their front-seven, the Saints should go try establish their presence along the trenches with their rush attack. Pierre Thomas and a Reggie Bush – who has gained life running harder in the playoffs – could have success bolting pass Colts’ defenders if the offensive line can assert themselves.

What to Expect:

Ultimately, its about how Brees can dissect Indianapolis’ secondary and whether or not Marques Colston, Devery Henderson or Jeremy Shockey can keep Larry Coyer’s defense off-balance. The Saints are too good not to rack up yards, but can it lead to touchdowns?

On Defense:

Gregg Williams’ defense will be under the gun this Sunday. Their main objective will be to rattle Manning, get into the pocket consistently and derail any chances of the great passer to getting in any rhythm with his targets.

The Saints have not been good on this side of the ball for a while and surrendered nearly 500-yards of total offense to the Vikings in the NFC Championship game.

Will Smith, Charles Grant and the rest of the front four needs to put the heat on Manning. If they blitz ineffectively, they’ll be picked apart quickly by an offense that looks to take big chunks of the field when defenses send an extra defender.

What to Expect:

The Saints may be able to surprise Manning early in the contest. But will they be able to diversify their attack enough to stay ahead of the keen passer? Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter will be unsung heroes if they can ground the aerial attack and slow down the Colts passing game.

Saints vs. Colts - Miami's field is ready for action.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

On Offense:

The Colts have not had much of a ground game, but when Manning is leading your offense and Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie and Dallas Clark are playing at a high level, that’s enough to get you into a Super Bowl and win one against a defense that has not shown the ability to slow down opponents.

Joseph Addai could have an awakening on Sunday, especially out of the backfield where he is adept at making big plays as a pass catcher.

What to Expect:

Manning short, Manning deep. It’s either going to be a slow death, or an aerial display depending on how the Saints decide to attack. The Hall of Fame passer has enough patience and adaptability to manage his offense and then take advantage of any mistakes the Saints may make. If he’s beat up and made to move in the pocket, the Colts will struggle on offense.

On Defense:

Dwight Freeney’s status is vital. His ankle is ‘sore’ per the speedy defensive end, and if he can play and provide a little bit of a spark, that may be enough to give his defensive mates a boost.

Raheem Brock is a capable replacement if Freeney not able to get his full compliment of reps. “He’s very versatile,” Coyer said of the 6-4, 275-pound Brock. “He can stand up and play. He can get down [on the ground] and play. He’s got some traits.”

What to Expect:

The speedy front-seven of the Colts will be capable of corralling Bush’s ability to cutback and his prowess to get to the edges. But they could be susceptible to a power attack if the Saints just line up and run the ball up the gut with Thomas. If Freeney does not play, it will make Brees a happier passer and give him some more time to hit his receivers on longer routes.

The field in Miami already prepared for Super Bowl XLIV

GAME NOTES

• Both teams have split their 10 all-time meetings.
• Carrie Underwood will sign the National Anthem, while Queen Latifah will perform “America the Beautiful.”
• Brees was named Fed Ex Air NFL Player of the Year.
• Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy stated he, “would be absolutely shocked,” if the Colts lost.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Manning vs. Williams

Can the Saints defensive coordinator keep the quarterback guessing enough? If so, we’ll have an exciting Super Bowl.

Saints Marching?

The Saints need to control the game on the ground and keep the Colts offense on the sideline. If they can establish a ground attack and put up touchdowns at the end of drives, the upset will be accomplished.

PREDICTION

Colts 41 – Saints 27

MVP: Manning

GAME INFO

New Orleans Saints – NFC Champion – 13-3 regular season

Indianapolis Colts  - AFC Champion – 14-2 regular season

Site: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida

When: February 7, 2010 Time: 6:25 pm ET

Peyton Manning pointing towards the history books

One more win – that’s all he needs.

An Indianapolis Colts victory march next weekend versus the New Orleans Saints will place Peyton Manning at the threshold of immortality.

There is no denying his excellence as a leader, a stellar passer and his jaw dropping efficiency during the regular season. But the post-season is where greatness is achieved.

Joe Montana catapulted atop of the list of the game’s elite signal callers on the strength of four Super Bowl victories. Johnny Unitas, the consensus standard in which all quarterbacks are judged by, orchestrated the Baltimore Colts offense from 1956-1972 and won two NFL World Championship and a Super Bowl crown in 1970.

Manning is one more step away from joining that group and in my opinion, putting a lot of distance between himself and the likes John Elway, Tom Brady, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Brett Favre, Dan Marino or any other passer you want to throw into the mix.

As it stands right now, you can make the case that Manning is head and shoulders above many of those guys. But a win will undoubtedly cement that.

His resume is of historic proportions.

Manning is a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, 5-time first-team All-Pro, 3-time second team All-Pro and the Colts all-time leader in career wins, passing touchdowns, pass attempts and completions, and passing yards.

But more notable than all those iconic marks, is the consistency he has played with throughout his career.

Manning entered the league in 1998 and endured a 3-13 campaign as a rookie. Since, the Colts have won 128 games while he has been under center, with only one losing season (6-10 in 2001). Indianapolis has notched at least ten wins in 10 of his 12 campaigns since taking him with the first pick of the 1998 draft, recording 14 victories twice (2009 and 2005) and at least 12 wins in seven of those years.

He’s been in the playoffs on 10 occasions and in Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears; Manning got his first ring and a Super Bowl MVP.

This Sunday, I believe he’ll get his second.

And for the passer that started since entering the league out of Tennessee, and every game since (192 in the regular season, 17 in the playoffs), aiming for Favre’s NFL marks for yards, touchdowns, completions and attempts is well within reach.

Manning has never had any major injuries, the Colts offensive line rarely allows him to get hit and his masterful way of playing quarterback and toying with defenses keeps his jersey clean year in and year out.

So no one is going to lose money predicting 5-to-6 more years of epic excellence. Especially when he averages almost 4,200 yards passing and 30 touchdowns a season.

Manning will have all the major statistical records if he plays long enough. I think he’ll have his second Super Bowl ring next Sunday night.

And when its all said and done, he’ll have his place as one of the three greatest quarterbacks in league history and be one the greatest players to ever don football pads.

Here are his thoughts on the what’s happening with Tom Cable and the coaching saga:

I can’t tell you that anything surprises me out in Oakland. I know that some of the decisions they have made have been probably, leaving you scratching your head, There’s a reason why they’ve gone seven straight season where they’ve lost 11 or more games. You got a guy on the coaching staff right now – Tom Cable – and your bringing in other coaches. They don’t allow him to pick his own coaching staff. Al [Davis] is probably going to go out and hire an offensive coordinator, someone to coach the quarterback – JaMarcus Russell – Al thinks this guy has a bright future in the league. And you know, its tough. It’s a tough situation to work in and when you look at the results, you have to question whether or not they are making the right decisions.

On JaMarcus Russell and how Cable could lose credibility by sticking with the young passer if he doesn’t feel he is the answer:

You have to tell him how you feel. I think what’s at stake here it’s the fact that you may start to lose your football team. These guys, they work hard every day, they put a lot of time in and they want to win and when you put a guy out there who is not ready to play, is not prepared, doesn’t work necessarily to put himself in a position to have a chance to be successful then you start, then the players start looking at the coaches and saying ‘hey, put the other guy in.’ The guy that gives us a chance. When you go back to the same guy, because the owner wants him to play, then you lose your credibility in the locker room,  you lose your credibility with your players and that becomes a problem for a coach.

On him helping the Raiders in any way:

I absolutely have no problems with Al. I think there is obviously a philosophical difference of opinion on what needs to get done an obviously, he’s the owner and I’m not. But he and I have agreed to disagree on a number of occasions even when I was playing there we didn’t agree on a lot of things, but I think he respected the fact that I took a stand and that I was a guy committed to do the work necessary to help turn the thing around. I believe I left the place in better shape than what I found it. My purpose of calling Al was just to reach out and he used to call me in the past and I was willing to go out and help JaMarcus, or anybody, in any way that I could. Look, its important to me to see that team play well. I think I have a vested interest. I spent six years of my career out there. I helped turn it around. You know, I still have teammates out there, people that work in the building, some coaches I know and the trainers, the equipment guys that…I want to see them win. I’m not looking to coach. I’m not looking to be in management – I’ve been offered positions by other organizations, it’s just a gesture on my part to reach out to a young quarterback that has really struggled and that has not been able to find his way in the NFL.

On Jon Gruden ever coming back to the Silver & Black:

I was with Jon and Bruce Allen about six weeks ago and we had that very same conversation, I asked him, ‘Would you ever go back and coach Oakland. You’d be surprised what Jon Gruden said. He said, ‘Absolutely.’ I don’t think he’ll go back under the current situation, but I know he loves northern California.  He loves the Bay Area. He loved his time with the Oakland Raiders.

I’m sure he wouldn’t go back under the current set-up and situation.