Silver and Black Report

One way you can gauge a hiring early on is how former players and staffers react to the change. With Dennis Allen now as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, just listening to some Denver Broncos and their reactions just demonstrates how much he will be missed.

“It will be another coordinator,” Champ Bailey said at the Pro Bowl . “… I might sound a little selfish. I’m happy for him, don’t get me wrong. At the same time, I’m thinking about our team. That’s another change for us.”

The pick-up for Oakland will set up another year of instability for the rivals. Denver had a remarkable turn around on defense under Allen, but prior to that, they had revolving door of defensive coordinators: Don Martindale (2010), Mike Nolan (2009), Bob Slowik (2008), Jim Bates (2007) and Larry Coyer (2000-2006).

“He knew how to get us ready,” Bailey said. “I give him a lot of credit for the success we had this year.

“(He’s) serious about the business,” Bailey continued. “He’s one of the most intense coaches I’ve had. It was a pleasure working with him. You knew what he was going to bring you every day.”

Bailey now realizes what he may have to deal with versus Oakland twice a year.

“I know what type of team he’s going to have,” Bailey said. “Very intense, hard-nosed, tough. That’s the way he is. That’s what I expect his team to be.”

Von Miller, one of the bright young defenders in the NFL, also glowed when talking about Allen. “First and foremost, they’re getting a guy that’s going to come in right away, and he’s going to get it done,” Miller said. “That’s what he did for us. He came in, he laid out a plan for us, he told us, ‘This is how we’re going to do it, and this will work,’ and that’s what happened. We improved our defense an incredible amount. It was a night and day team from a year before.

“I think he’ll do the same thing with the Oakland Raiders.”

COTTO’S ANALYSIS:

I love the hiring. Allen is energetic, fiery and he wants those same elements incorporated into his defense. I stated earlier in the month, “there is fresh air blowing through Oakland,” and that surely started with hiring Reggie McKenzie and continued with giving Allen the honor to coach the Silver & Black.

This team needed a transplant on defense. It will be a new voice, a new way of doing things on that side of the ball, with a clear direction and a leader that is well defined. No long will we have a veil of secrecy, masquerading who is running the show on defense. Allen once stated about his defense, “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.” All attributes fans would love to attach to the Raiders.

There are many questions; what will happen on offense, specifically under center and who will be his trusted offensive coordinator? Those will be crucial decisions that can ultimate lead to his success. He has to select a coordinator he trust, can work with and continue to develop some of the young talents the Raiders do posses.

Penalties, and how he attacks that major problem will be highlighted. The development of players such as Rolando McClain and the youthful defensive ends will be vital.

His ability to work with McKenzie during draft time and what purges they make to the current roster from the old regime will also be spotlighted.

The fact that they addressed their biggest concern philosophically, and upgraded a major need right off the bat with this coaching hiring – the defense – demonstrates that Oakland wants to head in the right direction.

When Hue Jackson got hired, too many fans noted his success as a one-year coordinator and crowned him a great coach to be without looking at all the circumstances around his one-season turnaround of the Raider offense. They applauded his bully talk – I did not buy it from day one and said winning is all that matters, stating, “First build a consistent winner. You are not going to bully anyone with an 8-8 record. Opponents will fear you when you win, and do it consistently.”

He was a puppet of Davis like others before him, and I made that clear, “Step one – wax poetically about the owner. Step two – state your desire to be with the organization. Step three – make sure you pledge your allegiance to the Silver & Black and that they’ll be a contender, again.  Jackson, like many before him, said similar things and at this point, those words mean nothing until the team jumps over .500, gets to the playoffs and become a consistent winner.”

Jackson failed in his first and only year as a head coach, as I stated in this article:

Raiders: Hue Jackson failed in his rookie season

And back in January 2011, I clearly painted a picture of what could be in store for him:

After years of dreadful campaigns, Cable’s 8-8 effort was not good enough in Al Davis’ eyes. So Jackson better get into the playoffs in 2011 or, he’ll begin to feel the heat from the owner.

The team went undefeated in the AFC West, something that won’t happen again. They got a career year out of Darren McFadden and solid development from their youth.

Jackson should be under the microscope. His play calling was not mesmerizing, nor his playbook amazed anyone. His handling of players, the owner and how he’ll navigate a team not used to winning are all major questions.

He’s not the ‘best’ man for the job, but he was the only man for the job. And like many Davis hires, he’s a first-timer, cheap and won’t demand the reigns of the organization. If he is a success, Davis can then claim he discovered him and that his career started in Silver & Black. A typical Raider hire.

Oh, and if he has to much success, enough to anger the owner, especially if Jackson steps on his toes, he’ll suffer the same fate many have before him.

Allen comes in with similar circumstances; never a coordinator till last year in Denver, but you get a sense that this time around, due to the new-found freshness surrounding the organization, that this will be entirely different.

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League sources have reported that Dennis Allen and Mike McCoy will be allowed to talk to Reggie McKenzie regarding the Oakland Raiders head coaching vacancy.

Allen, Denver’s defensive coordinator, has also coached with the Falcons and the Saints. His work with the Broncos helped turned a defense around that ranked as one of the leagues worst in 2010.

McCoy was interviewing for Miami’s opening on Monday. He has been the Broncos offensive coordinator the last three seasons. Born in San Francisco, McCoy began his pro career as an assistant on the Panthers staff in 2000.

As I stated earlier in the month, expect McKenzie to bring in many candidates and do his due diligence in trying to find the next coach for the Oakland Raiders. As his first hire, and considering the fact that he released Hue Jackson of his duties after one-season, the new general manager wants to hit a home-run with his initial acquisition for the organization.

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Last weekend, several former Oakland Raiders were participants on wild-card weekend. How did some of those players/coaches perform on Saturday when the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers engaged in an epic 36-32 contest, and during the New England Patriots romp of the Denver Broncos.

Aaron Kromer – Saints OL coach

The Saints allowed three sacks and had constant pressure put on Drew Brees against a very tough and active 49ers defense. In spite of the 37-yards on only 14 carries, Brees tallied a remarkable 462-yards passing on 40-of-63. With no ground attack, making play action a poor decoy, Brees was still able to rally the Saints for a 32-29 lead on a 66-yard pass to Jimmy Graham late in the final quarter. Kromer’s offensive line was not stellar, and now all three of their five starting linemen can begin to make plans for their trip to the Pro Bowl.

Gerard Warren – Patriots DT

The former 3^rd pick overall in the 2001 draft was a Raider from 2007-2009. He had 10-sacks in Silver & Black. Warren had two tackles, one for a loss on Saturday.

Sterling Moore – Patriots CB

Oakland signed the un-drafted rookie on July of 2011 before being waived in September. Since, he’s been with the Patriots, posting his best game in week-17 when he compiled two interceptions, one that was returned for a touchdown. Moore was very good against the Broncos, tallying two passes defended.

John Fox – Broncos head coach

Fox ended his first year in Denver with a 45-10 drubbing in New England. The Broncos did win the AFC West, had an incredible second-half run after starting 2011 at 2-5, placing them in the cellar of the division.

Jim Harbaugh – 49ers head coach

Harbaugh spent two seasons (2002-03) as an offensive assistant with the Silver & Black. He was part of the staff that helped Rich Gannon earn league MVP honors in 2002. On Saturday, in his first campaign as head coach with San Francisco, he earned a thrilling playoff victory at home against the Saints. “You’ve got to live or die in these games and we live on, and we live on in spectacular fashion. I’m really proud of my guys. I know you had ‘The Catch’ and ‘The Drive,’ I don’t know what you call this one,” said Harbaugh after the contest, referring to Vernon Davis 14-yard catch with nine seconds remaining to cap a 36-32 victory.

John Morton – 49ers WR coach

From 1997-2004, Morton worked for the Raiders in the personnel department, quality control on offense and as a wide receiver coach. He also served briefly as a tight end coach. There, he met Harbaugh, which eventually led to his capacity as receiver’s coach with San Francisco.

Tom Rathman – 49ers RB coach

Served in the same capacity for the Raiders for two seasons, aiding Justin Fargas’ success in attaining his first 1,000+-yard season. Rathman also donned the Silver & Black, playing his final campaign in 1994 with Los Angeles. The 49ers ran for 143-yards on Saturday on 22-carries.

Last week’s look at ex-Raiders, click here.

NOTE

• Tom Brady’s six touchdown passes versus the Broncos tied him with Steve Young and Daryle Lamonica for most scoring tosses in a single post-season game.

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For years, Oakland has attempted to play spoiler at the end of their campaigns – up till 2010 – where they knew going into the final weekend that the post-season was not an option.

Year after year, Oakland generated one of the league’s worst records and consistently found ways to tank it at the end of the campaign. In 2011, they have a chance at the playoffs and the team who hasn’t had a losing record since the 2003 season has a chance to spoil it all.

The San Diego Chargers are cherishing an opportunity to send their rivals packing for the winter.

“Oh yeah,” said Pro Bowl bound safety Eric Weddle. “I don’t want the Raiders to go. I don’t want Denver to go. I want us to go. We have control over one more game. We’ll try our hardest to spoil their seasons.”

The Raiders can clinch an AFC West title with a win and a Denver loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. A wild card berth can be had with a win, and help elsewhere as well.

“We don’t get paid to come in and mope around and lay down and b.s. through the last game,” stated Chargers guard Tyronne Green. “You’ve got to go out and try and give yourself some edge on next season. Going out on a loss makes it a long off-season. Better to go out with a win.”

Oakland will surely get help from Kansas City, as they aren’t planning to lay down and let Denver parade into games the following weekend.

“If some guys want to look at it as spoiling [Denver’s] season and that’s how we’ll get a win, then it is what it is,” commented Chiefs cornerback Javier Arenas.

This could mark the biggest game in Oakland since their AFC Championship game versus the Titans during the 2002 season.

It’s customary to see many Raider fans in San Diego when the two foes meet in Southern California. This weekend, I doubt we’ll see many Charger fans filling the seats at the O.co Coliseum.

Antonio Garay stated: “We all know the feeling between the Chargers and Raiders and their fans. They don’t like each other.”

Neither do the players. And for the first time in a long-time, the tables are turned on the field, so expect a lot of intensity on Sunday.

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The Oakland Raiders are one win and some help away from reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2002. It all boils down to one more game, but how did they get to this point? Here are five reasons why the Silver & Black have a shot at a post-season berth:

Carson Palmer

Plain and simple, trades of that magnitude featuring quarterbacks of his caliber just don’t happen during the regular season. Especially after a team looses their starter due to injury. Oakland was very fortunate that Palmer and the Bengals were at odds. They were also very lucky that they could pull off that trade and bring in a veteran, who even at his semi-retired state, could potentially bring more to the table than a Kyle Boller or any other journeyman that was out there for the picking.

Jason Campbell entrenched himself as a starter and the team was playing well while he was under center. A significant dip would have been the outcome if any other passer took over. A rarity in the league, Oakland may have upgraded their quarterback position in the coming years with an in-season move.

Michael Bush

Darren McFadden’s injury would have crippled other teams. The most dynamic player on their offense, McFadden was the league’s best rusher when he went down. But Oakland’s depth and strength at running back kept them afloat.

Bush’s presence was needed, even though the team has not been the force on the ground they were when both shared time in the backfield. This proves Bush’s value and how imperative it will be to keep around for next season. Oakland could tag him to keep him from testing the free-agent waters. It would be foolish to trade either back, especially since McFadden missed the entire second half of the campaign, Bush has demonstrated to be valuable and no other rushers on this team that has proven they can produce at this level. It’s an area of strength… and Palmer hasn’t even had a full complement on offense to his disposal.

Richard Seymour

Missing in action in a few games, the veteran for a couple of weeks did not impact games the way Oakland needed him to. Against Miami, Seymour continued his streak of ejections and many were wondering when would this former Super Bowl champion make plays to help this team turn things around?

In Kansas City on Saturday, he had two blocked field goals, one at the end of regulation, which kept the Raiders alive to see another weekend.

At times he’s had penalties that have hurt Oakland and his play may have been slowed due to injuries. But his leadership in the locker-room and winning past may begin to pay dividends.

Special Teams

Sebastian Janikowski kicked a team record six field goals versus the Bears, Bryan McCann had a 91-yard return at Kansas City and Shane Lechler continues to help Oakland shift field position on opponents.

This valuable component is an x-factor in every game Oakland wins. John Fassel is one of the more underrated unit coaches in the league and if the Raiders can get Jacoby Ford back healthy, they could put more pressure on foes with another special teams threat.

New England and Buffalo

Two teams that Oakland were defeated by have helped the Silver & Black in the last two weeks. The Broncos have lost two in a row, losing 41-23 to the Patriots and 40-14 to the Bills.

Wins in those games would have put the AFC West out of reach for Oakland. Instead, Tim Tebow and the Broncos face a crucial final game against the Chiefs, starring at a possible three-game losing streak to end the campaign after wining six in a row to take a lead of the division.
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It’s all come down to this for the Oakland Raiders (8-7)…

A victory versus the San Diego Chargers (7-8) and a loss for the Denver Broncos (8-7), and they’ll be AFC West champions.

The Kansas City Chiefs (6-9) will have to go on the road and notch their fourth win away from Arrowhead against Tim Tebow for Oakland to have their first division title since 2002.

Just weeks ago, Oakland was atop the division – sitting pretty. But a three-game losing streak and Tebow’s miraculous run catapulted the Broncos to first-place. Denver has lost two in a row and Oakland pulled out an overtime victory on Saturday to give them a shot at making the post-season.

Hue Jackson said after the game at Kansas City: “I keep telling you people that his team is not going to quit. We are not perfect, I understand that. But we are a group of men that will fight and keep playing and they’ll play it out to the end.”

They’ll have to continue to fight to extend their current three-game winning streak against the Chargers. Oakland swept Norv Turner’s team in 2010 and won at San Diego November 10, 24-17.

They’ve done it without Darren McFadden and Jacoby Ford. Denver’s late slide could open the door for a division crown. The defense has buckled that last few weeks when trying to put away games, but they remain alive.

Oakland can also win a wild card if they win and get help from the Baltimore Ravens, who face the Cincinnati Bengals on the last weekend of the regular season.

The Raiders could be a 4^th seed as division champs and face either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Ravens at the O.co Coliseum. It’s foreseeable that either road team could be favorites on the road, as neither is a favorable match-up for the Silver & Black.

If by chance Oakland gets the 6^th seed, they could face the Houston Texans, in a rematch of their week-five meeting. The Raiders defeated the Texans 25-20, on the weekend Al Davis passed away.

With their injuries, lack of post-season experience and Oakland’s late season scamper to get in, it may be the opportune time to pick them off. A loss against the Titans would give Houston a three-game losing streak going into the playoffs. And with a victory already at that site, Oakland could be more of a threat in that position than at home against a physical Ravens club with a shifty, dynamic rusher (Ray Rice) and a stout defense, or a veteran Steeler club that can win at any venue with their clutch quarterback and physical defense.

Oakland was hurt last year when they went 6-0 within their division and missed making the playoffs, needing a lot of help to get in and losing key games down the stretch.

“It’s just tough because all through training camp, we knew that we had a team that could win the (AFC) West, make the playoffs and compete,” Michael Huff said in December of 2010. “I guess we’re not going to get the chance.”

Not getting a shot this year would hurt twice as much due to squandering opportunities and getting a shot at it on the final week of the season. With Davis’ passing and the lofty and boisterous expectations of their head coach, an 8-8 finish this time around or no playoffs, even with the injuries they have withstood and happenings in 2011, would be a major disappointment.

It was Jackson who wanted to build a bully. It was Jackson who took over a team that already had reached .500 last season. It was Jackson who planted that seed in his player’s minds that they were playoff ready. Can they actually get in now?

They had a three-game home stretch versus the Browns, Chiefs and Broncos, with a bye sandwiched in, and failed to get separation. After losing their starting passer for the year with an injury, they picked up Carson Palmer to salvage the season and possibly carry them further. They would have been stuck with Kyle Boller otherwise, a move that really changed their season and that many other teams either wouldn’t be able to make, or wouldn’t pull off – a rarity in this league to pick-up a passer of that magnitude within a season.

Pick-ups like Aaron Curry and Bryan McCann have worked. Having depth at running back helped, as any other team that would’ve lost their most dynamic presence on offense, could’ve been crippled. But Oakland had a suitable back up at their area of strength.

They lost a very good edge rusher for the year, but again, at a unit where depth is not a concern.

People could point to Campbell’s injury, Davis’ death and other happenings as major reasons why they could’ve folded. But in fact, they have had just as many opportunities placed on their laps and been given second and third chances to get back into the post-season.

One week from now, they’ll either be kicking themselves for not taking making a stop at Buffalo, tanking it at home against the Chiefs, Broncos and on the road at Miami and squandering a late lead versus the Lions, or preparing for a wild-card playoff game, their first since January 12, 2002, when they defeated the Jets 38-24, before falling the following weekend during the infamous ‘Tuck Rule’ contest.
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The Oakland Raiders had a key win today at Kansas City, defeating the Chiefs 16-13 in overtime.

Hue Jackson’s team can clinch an AFC Wets crown with a win versus the San Diego Chargers at home next week and a Denver Broncos loss versus the Chiefs.

If by chance the Bengals, Jets, Titans and Raiders are all 9-7 by the end of next weekend, Oakland would get the final wild-card seed.

 

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Oakland Raiders’ offensive coordinator Al Saunders and Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham have a long history together.

Both teamed up for the first time at California in the 1970s before coaching together at the pro-level with the Chargers in the 1980s and the Kansas City Chiefs in varying stints through the 1990s and 2000s.

“We’ve had a long history together,” Saunders said. “Our wives are the closest of friends. Our children grew up together. I know when you compete against a Gunther-coached defense, you’re going to compete against players that will play for 60 minutes in a very violent fashion and a very emotional fashion. That’s the way he coaches, and that’s the way his players play.”

With a familiarity of the AFC West, Cunningham also is aware of the perils his Lions are heading into when they face the ravenous fans of the Silver & Black.

“I was in [that division] forever with three different teams,” Cunningham said. “I know a little bit about these guys. It’s an interesting place to play. I’m looking forward to going there and I know what’s going to happen the minute I walk on the field. Some of those fans, they are not going away.

“The only thing I don’t like is they call my family members a lot of bad names. I look forward to coaching there. We had a good run when I was in Kansas City. We played against them when I was in San Diego. Now I’m playing against them with the Lions. I can’t wait to get there.”

NOTES

Denarius Moore will likely suit up on Sunday. “We got to ease him back in to this, but he looked like he’s back up and rolling,” Jackson said of his rookie target, who could be on offense, but will likely be held from any special team duties.

The game is a sellout and will be broadcasted locally. Oakland has met the capacity demands in all seven of their home games in 2011.

Pro Bowl voting has one week left and it appears that both Sebastian Janikowski and Shane Lechler will be in on the strength of fan voting – which accounts for one-third of the tally. The coaches and players also get to select.

“He splits double-teams, he pushes double-teams out of the way,” Carson Palmer said of Ndamukong Suh, who makes his return from suspension. “He’s a guy that we’re very focused on, and we’re going to understand where he’s at at all times, and you have to because he’s a heck of a player.”

Rolando McClain spoke on Monday on various topics in a meeting with the media. On the incident which led him to be photographed in the hands of Authorities, he stated, “I won’t comment on it. I haven’t and I won’t.” On Oakland’s playoff chances, he said, “I’ve always been a guy that liked to stay in control of my own destiny. We had that control when we were leading the West. We gave up that by losing two games. All we can do now is go out and play football, good football and win games. And we have to rely on somebody else to lose, which is out of our hands now.”

Tom Brady is 1-6 against the Broncos overall. A Denver loss and a Oakland win would knot them back atop the West. “I don’t think we’ve peaked yet,” Champ Bailey said. “That’s going to be the key. We’ve got to keep improving because the good teams that are in the playoffs play great this time of year. So if we stay focused on getting better every week, the sky’s the limit.”
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If the playoffs were to begin today, the Oakland Raiders (7-6) would be on the outside looking in. After squandering a few chances to take a grip of the AFC West, the Silver & Black now will have to chase the Denver Broncos (8-5).

The surest way for Oakland to get would be to win their division. How can that happen? The Raiders need to win their last three games and hope for Denver to lose two of their final three; or fall to the Kansas City Chiefs. Hue Jackson’s bunch could also earn a wild-card berth, but many more things need to happen and a lot more help will be needed, since they will have to leapfrog the New York Jets and hope that others falter.

Here are a few reasons why they will or won’t make the playoffs:

Oakland will make the playoffs because Denver will falter.

Divine intervention may be part of the Broncos run to the top, but eventually you have to figure that teams will catch-up to Tim Tebow and the Denver offense.

They play the New England Patriots this week, then travel to Buffalo for a key road game on Christmas Eve. That could be the time where Oakland can sneak back to the top of the standings. After Todd Haley’s departure, Kansas City may pack it in on the final weekend at Denver. So with all the pressure now squarely on their shoulders and two tough weeks ahead, can the Broncos secure a playoff spot?

“Our mind-set now is to win the division,” said Denver defensive end Elvis Dumervil.

Oakland will not make the playoffs because of penalties, bad defense and squandered chances.

The Raiders lead the league with 130-penalties. That lack of discipline always comes back to haunt teams, especially in games where you can’t give opponents second chances. Oakland just can’t get out of their own way and they’ve had several contests that have been penalty-ridden.

The defense is allowing 160.2 rushing yards per game over the last four weeks. Down the stretch, teams will try to take advantage of that, and with the high-powered Detroit offense coming into town, and the Chargers tallying 289-yards on the ground the last two weeks, Chuck Bresnahan’s unit will have quite the battle ahead of them.

Oakland already had their chance to distance themselves from the rest. One defensive stop in the second half at Buffalo during week-two, and they could’ve been 3-0 to start the season. A three-game home stretch with a bye in the mix, versus the Browns, Broncos and Chiefs yielded just one-win. A lifeless effort in Miami, paired with a trouncing at Green Bay gave away their lead.

Oakland will make the playoffs because of their experience last season.

The Raiders went 6-0 against their rivals, but there was no solace in those achievements after losing key games down the stretch versus Miami, Jacksonville and Indianapolis, while the Chiefs put away the division before the final weekend.

“It’s just tough because all through training camp, we knew that we had a team that could win the (AFC) West, make the playoffs and compete,” Michael Huff stated last season. “I guess we’re not going to get the chance.”

“We can’t go undefeated in our division and let games like Arizona slip away. We got to have those,” said Tommy Kelly after their loss to the Colts in 2010.

This year, they suffered through tough losses and have fought back to be a streaky club. They’ll need a little help, but if those lessons learned last season served their purpose, Oakland’s veterans will remind the club what’s at stake and finish the season strong.

Oakland will make the playoffs because of their schedule.

Their last loss in Kansas City was in 2006. Oakland has not lost three-games in a row since the 2009 season and they dominated San Diego the first time around this year.

If they can’t come home and defend their field against the Lions, it will be a tough road and they’ll surely not be deserving of a post-season spot. So a big effort this weekend is expected, and you couldn’t have picked two better teams for them to try to beat than the two bottom clubs in the AFC West.

Oakland will make the playoffs because they will get healthy on offense.

Now they are conflicting reports regarding Darren McFadden’s foot injury, and whether he’ll be back at all this season. But Hue Jackson refuted that yesterday stating: “And it’s not a season-ender. I mean, that’s what we said – it’s a sprained foot, Lisfranc [injury], whatever you want to call it. Basically the same thing. I think Darren will be back before the season’s over. And when we get him back, we’ll get him back.”

Oakland has skirted around the McFadden issue and the ‘he’s coming along’ company line is drawing the ire of the fans. If he does come back, that can surely jolt an offense in need of some big-plays out of the backfield and that has been grounded the last three-weeks, averaging 78.6 per game after being atop the league the first half of the campaign.  Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford will also get back into the mix and diversify their passing attack and special teams.

Carson Palmer has yet to play a game with McFadden or a healthy offensive roster.

Oakland will not make the playoffs because of their injuries.

Maybe McFadden will never be 100% the rest of the year. And if he’s not, there’s no guarantee he’ll even perform anywhere near like he has when he’s been healthy the last two years.

Michael Bush could be hitting a wall, as he has surpassed his career marks in touches and the passing game may never be the same with Ford and Moore consistently out of the line-up and Palmer never having a full complement since he has taken over the starting spot.

Oakland will not make the playoffs because of their lack of leadership.

Richard Seymour was acquired for moments like these; a team ready to turn the corner, primed to take that extra step… needing a leader with past experience to show them the way.

Whether limited by injuries or not, Seymour has paled as a leader, getting flagged often in keys games in vital spots or not showing up at all, as evidenced by his shut-out in the stat-box versus Green Bay.

If he can’t lead by example on the field, who will? Especially on a defense that has been allowing far too many yards and points.

On offense, will Jackson be the spark? Or will one of his players seize the moment?

Oakland will not make the playoffs because of Tim Tebow and the Broncos.

Yeah, it may just be some greater power. Marion Barber’s blunders have to be explained somehow. Denver has a knack of wining, and that’s all that matters this late in the year. And at this point, it’s hard to bet against a winner.

Oakland will make the playoffs because of their O-Line & Special Teams.

For most of the season, the Silver & Black’s offensive line, especially the left side, has been the backbone of the offense. Jared Veldheer and rookie Stefen Wisniewski can get back to being a force and aide an attack that will severely need a powerful force up front. Whoever is in the backfield should benefit from the line getting back into top form.

Same with the passing attack, as Carson Palmer has shown he can be dangerous when given time and some healthy weapons.

Having the best kicking tandem in the NFL will help. But if Ford, Moore and coach John Fassel can be difference makers and game changers, this could be a an advantage that could push Oakland towards January football.

Oakland will not make the playoffs because they have peaked already.

You can make the case that their best performance of the season was against the Jets in week-three, and their grittiest was versus the Texans on the weekend of Al Davis’ passing. A three-game winning streak that was halted in Miami may have been their high point and the start of anything that could go bad… which at this point, has.

They could still snag wins in all of their remaining games and still not make the playoffs.

TWITTER FAN REACTION – Why will the Raiders make/miss the playoffs?

“after Patriots beat Broncos, their confidence is shaken and lose two in a row.” – MandoVod

“no leadership at all!!!! no attitude, mojo, swagger whatever you want to call it!!!!” – cesarz77

“Offense inability to sustain long drives screws the defense. Which will screw their chances of making the playoffs.” – Gtwitten

“lack of discipline, lack of consistency, and not taking care of the ball will result in no playoffs.” – corona_mike

“the lack of discipline and bad coaching on the D side will be the reason why they don’t make the playoffs this year SMH” – Raiderfan_559

“Raiders offense built for speed, get their speed back they r in playoffs, if not they won’t win another game this year” – MattDanforth

“Reason the raiders will make the playoffs because mcfadden will be rested when he plays the teams on a whole other level” – robbiedorris
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Tim Tebow is now 7-1 as a starter and the Denver Broncos are atop the AFC West. Anything that could go right for the division leaders did; anything that could go wrong for the Oakland Raiders, has.

It’s not a full-blown collapse for Hue Jackson’s team, but they are headed in the wrong direction during the league’s most important stretch – December football. Oakland was shellacked in Green Bay, 46-16 and now must chase and hope for help in the final three weeks of the season.

“I’m not going to let this team keep going backwards,” Jackson said. “The last two weeks, we haven’t come close to playing or looking like the football team we’ve been.”

Oakland has looked horrible in back-to-back weeks, trailing 34-0 for a second straight contest, adding to their record pursuing tally for penalties and playing lifeless football.

“We didn’t play well on either side of the ball or on special teams, and when you play the best team in football, that’s what’s going to happen. You can’t turn the ball over five times, commit 11 penalties and think you have a chance to win a game,” continued the head coach.

Meanwhile, the Tebow-lead Broncos are doing whatever it takes; regardless if it appears to be divine intervention, they are winning when it matters most.

“We just didn’t finish,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said yesterday. Something Oakland is not dong.

Whether the injuries are catching up to them, or the competition, the Raiders have not shown grit or desire to take grasp of their division.

They had a three game home stretch earlier in the year that could’ve put some distance between the other clubs that were struggling in the west, and they failed.

They had a brief stay atop by themselves in the West – that was squandered.

Now, if they make it into the post-season, the Silver & Black will need to show some guts and navigate through a schedule that has a tough Detroit Lions’ team, with the return of their best defender, and two rivals that would love to add to their current misery.

M.I.A – RICHARD SEYMOUR

It seems like when Richard Seymour is needed most, the Raiders defensive tackle has disappeared or not helped his club at all.

During their loss versus the Patriots, Oakland needed a massive effort from their interior lineman, instead they got undisciplined play. Unnecessary roughness infractions, no sacks and little impact was the final stat line.

In Miami last week, Seymour extended his streak of ejections per season to three and was chastised by his coach.

Yesterday, the defense was plowed through and he failed to even make the boxscore – no tackles, no sacks and no impact.

Seymour stated: “We couldn’t get off the field on third down. They kept drives alive. We had too many penalties. We just played bad football, no excuses about it. That’s just bad football, period, and I’m a part of it.”

He was acquired for runs like this. A veteran with winning experience – a champion who players can look up to and follow when it’s time to take it to the next level.

Seymour has three weeks to show he can.

MORE NOTES

• Seeding for the AFC playoffs would be this if they started today: 1. Texans; 2. Ravens; 3. Patriots; 4. Broncos: 5. Steelers: 6. Jets.
• In the 2009 season, after a 38-0 trouncing at the hands of the Jets, Seymour stated: “I don’t think we could have beaten an Oakland high school team today. Ironically, earlier in that week he commented Oakland would make the playoffs. Yesterday, Aaron Curry was quoted: “You are not going to beat a high school team with the penalties and mistakes (like) the ones that we made.”
• “I don’t want to give him all the credit,” Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said of  Tim Tebow. “But at the same time, he comes through at crunch time every week. Every single week it’s like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ It gets to the point where you say, ‘What the frickin’ is happening here?’ “

 

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