Silver and Black Report

I know, I know…

The season just ended, the Oakland Raiders just missed making the post-season, “can we hold off the off-season talk to later,” will be what some of you are thinking. But here are five sure-fire ways to get the Silver & Black on track for the 2012 campaign:

RE-SIGN MICHAEL BUSH

I don’t get this whole, “trade Bush,” or “trade McFadden,” emotional banter from fans. That’s an area of strength for the Raiders and if not for that depth, Oakland would have been dead in the water and not even in contention this past year.

Darren McFadden may never see a full 16-game schedule, but that pairing, with Michael Bush as his back up, should be in tact in 2012. Bush can be franchised, and Oakland will likely do that if they can’t come to terms with him on a multi-year deal.

Bush is at a young enough age, and he does not have any wear and tear on his treads, which will make him a lucrative option for team’s in need of a bolstering to their ground attack. If Oakland keeps him, it will ensure they have the best backfield in the league. Carson Palmer has yet to have both to his disposal. Imagine what Oakland could do then?

And as much as fans want to talk up Taiwan Jones, the facts are, as rookie he didn’t show anything that warrants a bigger role and risking making your most talented unit a major question mark and giving your veteran passer a weaker ground attack. It just doesn’t make sense.

HIRE A G.M.

Way better coaches with hall of fame pedigree failed at handling both general manager and coaching duties. Hue Jackson clearly is not ready for both and had a tough first year at one capacity.

He needs to stay in touch with the pulse of the team more and handle the offense. By giving him a personnel staffer who can deal with contracts, player acquisitions and the draft, in accord with what Jackson wants to see on the field, it will only make life easier for him and maybe translate to him being a better manager on the field.

Reggie McKenzie & Elliot Wolf (Packers), Eric DeCosta (Ravens), Tom Gamble (49ers) and Les Snead (Falcons) are names that have been bantered about, as Ron Wolf and Ken Herock will be advising Mark Davis throughout the process.

FIRE CHUCK BRESNAHAN

The defense was not able to get a key stop in the second half versus the Bills – a key early loss. Oakland was trounced in the second half versus the Broncos – a loss that ultimately helped their demise and kept them out of the post-season. The Detroit Lions put together a heart-breaking comeback in the final minutes at Oakland, throttling Bresnahan’s bunch in the process.

In his second stint back with the Raiders, Bresnahan failed and his defense was horrendous. There’s too much talent on that unit for them to be one of the worst in run defense, total yards allowed and points per game. The Raiders allowed a franchise-worst 31 TD passes this season as well.

With Steve Spagnuolo possible on the outs in St. Louis, Jack Del Rio out there and other possible candidates available, it will be in Oakland’s best interest if they part ways with Bresnahan and bring in a new voice with fresher ideas to teach a unit that has a lot of talent.

TRADE JACOBY FORD

Denarius Moore had a solid rookie campaign and can potentially be a starter. Jacoby Ford and Moore are similar talents, but unlike Moore, Ford may be developing a little bit of a diva syndrome which may be rubbing some the wrong way in Oakland.

Ford showed to be a dynamic special teams returner and demonstrated a knack for big plays as a pass catcher. But this year, Oakland’s receiving unit evolved, and with Moore coming along, Ford may become expendable. True he makes very little money and you can’t have enough talented targets for Palmer.

But he’s shown to have the injury bug too, and if you can replenish some more draft selections (Oakland has traded many of them away recently) with a talented player, maybe they should look into it. He isn’t owed much money, so he’ll be a very attractive chip and one that could bring back some needed compensation.

DRAFT DEFENSE… AND MORE DEFENSE

Oakland will have to find ways to make their linebacking unit a tad more versatile, especially with talents that can play in space and in coverage.

An infusion of skill at cornerback will also be needed, as they sorely missed Nnamdi Asomugha this season and Stanford Routt showed not to be a top-tier cover guy in this league. Teams were not afraid to go after him and anyone else Oakland lined up in front of opposing wide receivers. Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly are not getting any younger, and John Henderson is on his last legs.

It doesn’t help either that Rolando McClain has not made the impact many expected when he came out of college.

The defense ultimately failed the Raiders in 2011. A few stops here and there, and they would have been a playoff team. Now, it’s time to add to this unit with some top tier talent and not projects.

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SBReport.net wishes everyone a festive evening and a Happy New Year. As we sign out 2011, we bring in a new year with some resolutions for the Oakland Raiders:

Kyle Boller, QB

As soon as Jason Campbell was lost for the season, Oakland pulled the trigger on the Carson Palmer deal. Boller, who started the Raiders first game right after, bombed with three interceptions in the first half versus the Chiefs and never saw action again in 2011.

Resolution: To find a way to obtain the trust of any team as a back-up quarterback.

Kevin Boss, TE

After back-to-back 500 yard-plus seasons with the New York Giants, the tight end, who inked a deal with $8 million in guarantees, has had his number of targets and touches go down dramatically in this wide-receiver friendly system that also have dangerous pass catchers out of the backfield.

Resolution: Boss will draw-up a few more plays himself and sneak them into Hue Jackson’s playbook.

Tyvon Branch, SS

The starting string safety was named a Pro-Bowl alternate this week after a solid campaign.

Resolution: More impact plays in 2012 to ensure he gets the attention needed to make it to Hawaii.

The Oakland Front Office

Resolution: Find a general manager to work in cohesion with Hue Jackson.

Michael Bush, RB

He has compiled 1,316 total yards from scrimmage this year – not too shabby for a back up.

Resolution: To get a big payday. After injuries derailed his final season at Louisville, the rusher missed at a chance of going higher in the draft and earning a lot more money.

Jason Campbell, QB

He was Jackson’s quarterback till the injury. Now, with Palmer in the mix, if he wants to start, Campbell will have to go elsewhere.

Resolution: To find a team that desperately needs a quarterback. There aren’t many options and with Vince Young and Kyle Orton out there, it will be very difficult for Campbell to realistically start anywhere.

Aaron Curry, LB

Resolution: To fulfill his high draft-day expectations as a member of the Silver & Black after Seattle gave up on his career.

Jacoby Ford, WR

Resolution: Better conditioning on those lower extremities. A quad injury, hamstring issues and a foot ailment have been some of things the second year talent had dealt with in 2011.

Matt Giordano, S

Resolution: To parlay this solid campaign in Oakland into a multi-year deal.

Tommy Kelly, DT

Resolution: To make the Pro Bowl in 2012.

Rolando McClain, LB

Last year’s resolution: “To land jaw-dropping hits on opponents that weigh over 190 pounds and leave his impression on the Raider defense.

Resolution: See above. Oh, and stay out of the police blotter.

Darren McFadden, RB

Resolution: Play 16-games!

Carson Palmer, QB

Resolution: Regain his form with a full camp and pre-season – he’s not that far away.

Stanford Routt, CB

Resolution: To cut down on the flags… then we’ll hear talk about him being one of the AFC’s top cornerbacks.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR

Our resolution last year for him was: “To break the 50-catch mark in 2011. Thirty-five career catches for a seventh overall selection – the letters B.U.S.T are ominous.” Well, mission accomplished.

Resolution: To become the ‘go-to guy’ in Oakland and turn into a versatile pass catcher on short and deep routes.

Chaz Schilens, WR

Resolution: To bottle-up whatever he took prior to the season and give it to McFadden and Ford. Schilens’ 2011 was not decimated by injuries.

Jared Veldheer, LT and Stefen Wisniewski, LG

Resolution: To get to Hawaii as a tandem.

Kamerion Wimbley, LB

Resolution: More sacks against teams not named the San Diego Chargers.

Here are last year’s resolutions for Campbell, DHB, McClain, Veldheer and others:

Oakland Raiders: New Year’s resolutions for 2011

Not bad, huh?

Happy New Year to everyone in the Raider Nation!

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In seven career games versus the San Diego Chargers, Michael Bush has amassed 490-yards rushing (4.3) and four touchdowns, including his record breaking 242-yards from scrimmage performance earlier in this season.

Norv Turner and San Diego’s defense is well aware of the rusher’s prowess and his importance to Oakland’s offense.

“[Bush] is a big, physical guy. He’s a downhill runner,” Turner said. “What’s happened with us the last two times we’ve played them, they’ve gotten ahead in the game and he’s gotten an awful lot of carries. Two of his biggest plays the last time we played him came on screens.”

Hue Jackson is known to pull rabbits out of his hat, but Eric Weddle simplified Oakland’s attack and hit on an important aspect for them.

“They’re going to run the football. They’re going to take shots up the field. It’s pretty simple,” Weddle stated. “They’ll be successful if they win on first down and get into second or third-and-manageable.

“Carson’s an elite quarterback. He has his ups and downs, but he can make all the throws. When he’s protected he can sling it around. We didn’t play particularly well last time, 24 points, but we gave up too many big plays. They ran the ball efficiently so we have to go out and play great. It’s got to be a team effort to go out and win in Oakland with a lot riding on the line for them.”

Jacoby Ford said he is ready to go on Sunday. So is Michael Huff.

“I’ll be out there,” Ford said. “If I practice this much this week and I’m not out there, I’d be mad. I’ll be out there, though.”

If he plays, it will be as a receiver, as Oakland will not gamble with Ford as a kick returner. Bryan McCann has done well enough to maintain that job and limit any risks with Ford.

Al Saunders stated, “Well, [Ford] has practiced and we are excited to see that. He is a very talented young man with great speed and he adds another dimension when he is able to be there. He has done a nice job this week. He hasn’t practiced fully, but he has been worked in and is very, very good at what he has done so we are excited about the possibility of him making a contribution.”

John Henderson will not play, and unless Oakland gets into the deep playoff run, don’t expect the veteran back on the field this season.

Saunders on the playoffs:

“You know what, that is funny because somebody asked me just before practice, what are the scenarios of the wild card? And in all honesty, I really don’t know. I just know that we have to win. And I know having been in this league for 30 years, you can’t control anything other than what you do. And all of our focus and all our attention and all of our energy has to be spent on what we need to do against the San Diego Chargers. And then after the game, the chips will fall where they may, but I really don’t know, and I don’t look at those things, it is wasted energy. We have got enough to worry about what is going to happen over there on Sunday at 1:00.”

NOTES

• There is a lot of speculation surrounding the Chargers and whether it will be Norv Turner’s final game with the organization. As a Raider, Turner’s tenure ended after a 9-23 overall record and 1-11 divisional record, including a 0-6 mark against the west in 2005.
• “This is a rival. They hate us and we hate them, and they want to spoil our playoff run,” said Michael Huff.
• Weddle: “I love playing on the road, especially at Oakland.”

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Following their overtime victory last week, the Oakland Raiders find themselves in another must-win game as they take on the San Diego Chargers this week at O.Co Coliseum on New Year’s Day.

The Raiders kept their playoff hopes alive with their win over the Chiefs last week, but they still need to defeat the Chargers and receive help from other teams in order to make the playoffs.

In order to become the AFC West champions, the Raiders must defeat the Chargers and have the Chiefs defeat Tim Tebow and the Broncos, who are playing in Denver.

The Raiders can also obtain their first postseason berth since 2002 with a win, and a loss by the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tennessee Titans. The Bengals take on the Baltimore Ravens and the Titans take on the Houston Texans. The Raiders can also win the final wildcard spot with a Bengals loss and a New York Jets victory against the Miami Dolphins.

Although the Raiders need help from elsewhere no matter what, Hue Jackson needs to make sure that his squad takes care of their own business first as either scenario requires a Raiders victory.

The Raiders hope to have similar success against the Chargers that they achieved in week 10 when the Raiders defeated the Chargers 24-17.

Luckily this week, it appears that the Chargers will be going without star wide receiver Vincent Jackson who has not practiced with a groin injury. Jackson is the Chargers leading receiver with 58 receptions for 1077 yards and eight touchdowns.

Even without Jackson, quarterback Phillip Rivers and the Chargers have a solid passing game that will look to exploit a Raiders defense that has struggled against the pass. Oakland is currently 25th in the league in defending the pass, allowing an average of 247.5 yards per game.

Although Rivers is having arguably his worst season in the NFL, he is still averaging 274.4 yards per game but also 19 interceptions. The Raiders will look to intercept Rivers and take advantage by scoring points off of any turnovers.

The Raiders benefit from the return of safety Michael Huff, who has missed the last two weeks due to injury. Huff will have a tough task of not only helping with stopping the run, but also will find himself matched up with the athletic tight end Antonio Gates. Gates has been a solid receiver when healthy this season, hauling in 59 receptions for 672 yards and six touchdowns. With Jackson out, it is likely that Rivers will look for Gates more, especially in the end zone.

The Chargers also have a formidable rushing attack to go along with Rivers and the passing game. Leading the rushing attack is second-year running back Ryan Mathews who has 1091 yards and six touchdown runs. The Chargers also like to use bruising back Mike Tolbert in goal line situations, allowing Tolbert to tally 7 touchdown runs thus far. In their week 10 match up, the Raiders were able to hold the Chargers to just 75 yards on the ground.

On offense, the Raiders will need quarterback Carson Palmer and running back Michael Bush to have the same big games that they had against the Chargers in week 10.

Palmer was able to pick apart the Chargers defense, finishing 14/20 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore was able to beat the Chargers secondary on multiple plays, allowing Palmer to find him five times for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Palmer will also have another speedy option returning as wide receiver Jacoby Ford has returned to practice this week and is expected to take the field on Sunday. Ford was expected to have a breakout year this year but has been hobbled by injuries much of the season, including the most recent foot injury he suffered in the week 10 match up with the Chargers. With the return of Ford, the Raiders get their starting kickoff return man back. Ford has returned four kickoffs back for touchdowns in his short two-year NFL career.

With star running back Darren McFadden still out to a foot injury, running back Michael Bush will look to have a similar day to his career day in his last match up against the Chargers. Bush finished the game with 30 carries for 157 rushing yards, along with hauling in three receptions for 85 yards. Bush’s 242 yards from the line of scrimmage is the most for the franchise since the Art Powell recorded 247 yards in 1963.

The Raiders also see the return of the speedy rookie Taiwan Jones, who has also been out to injury. Jones will look to provide a nice spark as a speedy alternative to the bigger Bush.

There is no doubt that the Chargers will be looking to spoil the Raiders chances at the playoffs, but the Raiders will need to persevere if they want any chance of playoffs. The team needs to take care of their own business, and let the other scores play out.

With the Chargers already out of the playoff hunt, it is likely that the sold-out O.Co Coliseum will be all Raider fans in what will seem like a playoff atmosphere. With the sellout of the final game, the Raiders successfully sold out all eight of their home games this season.

Following a last-minute touchdown by the Detroit Lions that handed the Oakland Raiders their third straight loss, the Raiders now need some help from other teams in order to find themselves in the postseason for the first time since 2002.

In order to make the playoffs by winning the AFC West, the Raiders must win their final two games and get some help from the team they play this week, the Kansas City Chiefs. In order for the Raiders to catch up to the first place Denver Broncos, the Chiefs must defeat the Broncos in the final week of the season. This would give the Raiders a 4-2 divisional record, and the Broncos a 3-3 divisional record, giving the AFC West crown to the Raiders.

Winning the AFC West is definitely the desired outcome, as it would give the Raiders a first-round playoff game at home. But the Raiders have another possible route to the postseason but also requires help from the rest of the NFL.

In order to win the last AFC wildcard spot, the Raiders still need to go 2-0 but also have the Cincinnati Bengals go 0-2, or 1-1 with losing to the Ravens in week 17, and the Tennessee Titans, and New York Jets lose at least one of their remaining games to get the Raiders into the playoffs because of the conference record tie-breaker.

Bottom line is that the Oakland Raiders must first start by defeating division rival Kansas City Chiefs at noisy Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs are coming off of a week in which they saw former head coach Todd Haley get fired and then witnessed interim head coach Romeo Crennel lead them to a win against the then-undefeated Green Bay Packers.

The Raiders last took on the Chiefs in week 7, the same week that they acquired quarterback Carson Palmer from the Bengals. Following an emergency entrance of Palmer in the second half, the Chiefs ended the game with six interceptions total on Palmer and starting quarterback Kyle Boller. Palmer finished the game 8-21 for 116 yards and three interceptions after being on the Raiders roster for just a few days.

Palmer will hope to have a much different day against the Chiefs this week as he takes on their ninth best pass defense. The Chiefs are only allowing 209.6 opposing passing yards per week thus far.

Unfortunately for Palmer, it looks like he will not be seeing the return of wide receiver Jacoby Ford this week either, as he has still not returned to practice from his foot injury. After returning last week from his own foot injury, it looks as if rookie Denarius Moore will get the start again along side Darrius Heyward-Bey who is having a breakout season and becoming a favorite target of Palmer.

Head coach Hue Jackson also hinted that Moore is likely to be used as the Raiders primary punt returner on Sunday in hopes of providing a spark.

With the return of star running back Darren McFadden nowhere in sight yet, it will be Michael Bush who once again gets the nod. Bush has a career-high 841 yards this season thus far, and hopes to break the 1,000-yard mark for the first time of his career.

Rookie speedster Taiwan Jones returned to practice this week and will provide a solid option should Jackson look to spell Bush with a quicker, shiftier back.

Jones and Bush will be going up against a Chiefs defense that is ranked 24th in the NFL, allowing 130.4 yards per game on the ground.

Oakland’s defense will be facing a different Chiefs quarterback than the one they faced earlier this season, yet it is a familiar face indeed. Incumbent starter Matt Cassel was placed on the IR with an injury to his throwing hand, causing the Chiefs to claim former Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton off of waivers.

In their only meeting with Orton this season thus far, Orton finished 24-46 for 304 yards, one interception and one touchdown as the Raiders came away with the 23-20 win in Denver for the season opener.

The Raiders defense has proven to give up the big play and is allowing 243.8 passing yards per game, including 391 yards to the Lions last week. The Raiders will need to keep an eye on star wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, who leads the team with 69 receptions for 986 yards and four touchdowns.

Oakland will also need to contain the Chief’s rushing attack, which is composed of veteran Thomas Jones, utility back Dexter McCluster and their bruising back Jackie Battle, who were all forced to take on a larger role after star running back Jamaal Charles went down with a torn ACL in week 2.

The Raiders gave up 139 yards to the Chiefs in their week-seven meeting, and will look to slow the Chiefs down this week. In order to do this, middle linebacker Rolando McClain and the rest of the defense will have to maintain gap control and not over pursue.

The Raiders must also find a way to cut down on their penalties, not only if they hope to win the remaining two games, but also if they hope to not break the record that is currently held by the 1998 Kansas City Chiefs.

With two weeks remaining in the season, the Raiders are 109 penalty yards short of the Chiefs 1,340 penalty yards, and 19 penalties short of their 158 penalties in 1998.

Should the Raiders defeat the Chiefs on Sunday, they must finish the season strong by defeating the San Diego Chargers in their final game of the season at O.Co Coliseum on New Year’s Day.

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On Wednesday, the Oakland Raiders got wide receiver Denarius Moore back into practice mode. He sprained his foot against the Vikings a few weeks back, but today, he was fielding punts and working with the offense, as it appears that the Silver & Black will get a little pop back into the offense on Sunday versus the Detroit Lions.

Moore is the only one of the recently hindered Raiders that was back on the field.

Darren McFadden was missing in action, and will likely be out again this Sunday a few days after Hue Jackson proclaimed that his starting running back “does not need surgery.”

Jacoby Ford (foot) and Taiwan Jones (hamstring) got light work in with trainers, so there’s question whether or not they’ll be able to play against the Lions. At this point, it appears that only Moore will be healthy enough for action, especially since Jackson has stated in the past that he would rather not put players out there that may be slowed by any ailments.

The always nicked up Samson Satele practiced, so did Chaz Schilens and Louis Murphy. Defensive tackle John Henderson (knee) and Michael Huff (hamstring) were missing today, but both should be active versus Detroit.

Cornerback Chris Houston was a full participant in practice for the Lions after missing the last two games with a sprained MCL.

Louis Delmas, who has that same injury, was absent from the practice field. Nick Fairley and linemate Ndamukong Suh were both in the trenches on Wednesday.

“It is what it is. I’m looking forward to playing against Oakland and getting back on the football field,” said Suh.

“He’s obviously healthy and looked good and is excited to be back and focused on the Oakland Raiders,” stated head coach Jim Schwartz on Monday.

NOTES

• “We’re on pace for that? Wow. It’s a record you don’t want to break. I guess we need to do everything in our power not to break it. First and foremost we have to win Sunday. If we win and still have an enormous amount of penalties, I really couldn’t care either way,” commented Stanford Routt, regarding the team’s130 penalties for 1,116 yards, which has them on pace for the league record.
• “We have to go 3-0 in the next three weeks,” Carson Palmer said about the team’s outlook for the post-season. “There is no other option, no other route. If you want to make it to the playoffs and then you want to play well in the playoffs, you have to be playing really good football at this time of year. We got to start on Sunday.”
• Oakland is the worst, allowing 5.2 yard per carry, but Detroit is right behind them allowing 5.1 yards per carry. This bodes well for the Silver & Black, who need to revitalize their ground attack – they’ve ran for an average of 78.6 yards per game in their last three contests.
• They will have to run the ball, especially because Detroit ranks third in the NFL with 29 takeaways and are tied for second with 18 interceptions. The Lions lead the league in defensive scoring with 36 points. Oakland is knotted at second for throwing most interceptions in the NFL.

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A week after suffering a devastating loss to the Miami Dolphins the task does not get any less challenging for the Oakland Raiders. This week, the Raiders head to chilly Lambeau Field to take on the undefeated Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.

Including the playoffs last year and this year’s regular season play, the Packers have won 18 consecutive games, second to only the New England Patriots who won 21

straight games from 2003-2004.

After leading his team to their Super Bowl victory in February, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is having an MVP-like season. This season, Rodgers, who was born in Chico, Calif. and went to the University of California-Berkeley,  is completing an astonishing 70.6 percent of his passes for 3,844 yards, 37 touchdowns and only five interceptions thus far this season.

Rodgers and Green Bay’s passing game could pose problems for a Raiders defense that has had a problem of giving up big plays in the air this season. The Raiders are currently 17th in the league with 231.9 passing yards allowed per game.

Corner back Stanford Routt and his secondary will have their work cut out for them this week as they take on Rodgers and his explosive wide receivers that include Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson. Jennings has hauled in 65 receptions for 929 yards and nine touchdowns and Nelson has hauled in nine touchdowns and 876 yards of his own.

In order to help relieve the linebackers and secondary, the defensive line will need to be able to apply pressure on Rodgers and disrupt the timing of plays. The return of

pass rusher Jarvis Moss should help the rest of the defensive line rush the passer. Moss returned to practice this week after missing the last three games due to injury.

The Packers offensive line has allowed the 11th most sacks in the league with 29. The Raiders are tied for fifth in the NFL for the most sacks with 33 on the season.

Much to the pleasure of the Raiders defense, they face a weak Packers rushing offense. The Packers have the third worst rushing offense, only averaging 96.5 yards on the ground per game.

The Raiders have again struggled against the run this year, which has seemingly been an annual problem of late. The Raiders are allowing 141.4 rushing yards per game this year.

Packers starting running back James Starks went down last week with an ankle injury, it is looking like backup Ryan Grant will get the call as the starting running back. Grant ran for a career-high 156 yards and a touchdown the last time the Raiders and Packers met in 2007.

The Raiders still are without wide receivers Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore, along with star running back Darren McFadden. All three have yet to practice this week and remain in doubt to be on the field for the Silver & Black come Sunday.

This means that the Raiders will once again likely be starting Michael Bush at running back. Bush struggled last week with only 10 carries for 18 yards against the Dolphins, but faces a Packers defense that is allowing 105.1 yards per game. Rookie running back Taiwan Jones is also expected to miss the game after missing practice this week with a hamstring injury.

With the injuries to Moore and Ford, the Raiders will likely start Darrius Heyward-Bey and Chaz Schilens at wide receiver.

Going up against a porous Packers pass defense that has allowed 292.8 passing yards per game, second worst in the league thus far.

This means that Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer and his wide receivers should be able to find room to get the offense going through the air.

Palmer and the Raiders offense will be facing former Raiders Charles Woodson, who played his first eight seasons in the NFL wearing the silver & black before going to the Green Bay Packers. Woodson suffered a concussion during their game last week, but has returned to practice and is expected to start against his former team.

With the Broncos continuing their winning streak, the Raiders now find themselves outside of the playoffs looking in. They must win more games than the Broncos down the stretch to win the AFC West, and are also in the hunt for one of the AFC Wild Card slots.

It was a typical Wednesday for the Oakland Raiders…

Which meant that many of their key cogs were sidelined during practice.

On offense, running back Darren McFadden [foot] was missing in action once again, along with unit mate Taiwan Jones [hamstring], wide receivers Jacoby Ford [foot], Chaz Schilens [foot] and rookie Denarius Moore [foot].

Ford had appeared to be on target to play this weekend versus the Green Bay Packers, but that may be on hold based on early signs of inactivity this workweek.

McFadden’s target date to return was this weekend at Lambeau Field, but that appears to be a pipe dream, with no signs or realistic timetable for his return to duty.

“If anything there’s more positives,” Hue Jackson commented, regarding the healing of some of his players. “They’re getting closer, and I wish I could tell you what day and what the percentage is, but I know they’re getting closer.”

John Henderson [knee] was also held out of practice.

Rolando McClain, Kevin Boss and veteran Richard Seymour were all seeing action on Wednesday. Jason Campbell has yet to begin any passing activities.

Jackson should have growing concerns about the availability of many of his key players, especially with the season winding down and the playoffs at jeopardy.

“It’s not going to be, I’m going to make a decision because it’s cold, it’s where it is, boy, maybe we shouldn’t play him,” Jackson said. “No, right now we need every guy that we can get back out here on this football team that can contribute and help us win. So, if there’s a player that can be back out here, trust me, we’ll put him back out here.”

The Indianapolis Colts lead the league with 83 missed starts because of injuries. The Carolina Panthers are second with 80. The New York Giants, St. Louis Rams and Raiders are tied for third with 65 missed starts.

Charles Woodson returned to practice today after his concussion last weekend, and appears to be ready to play on Sunday against his old club. Guard Josh Sitton has been ruled out, Chad Clifton has hamstring and back ailments, A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop are unknowns for the remainder of the week and rusher James Starks may be forced out due to a knee injury.

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There was Jacob Ford’s 101-yards opening kickoff for a score and very little else for the listless Oakland Raiders when they faced the Miami Dolphins in 2010.

The visiting Dolphins held Oakland to 16-yards rushing and piled up 471-total yards of offense in a 33-17 win.

Ford did all he could to spark the Silver & Black, tallying 108-yards receiving with a scoring receptions, but Miami dominated the time of possession (41:38 – 18:22) and Davone Bess’ homecoming ended with 111 yards as a pass catcher.

“That’s something we definitely scouted and wanted to exploit early and fast,” Bess said of the team’s intention to attack rookie Walter McFadden, and a hampered Nnamdi Asomugha.

Marlon Moore had a 57-yard score and Ricky Williams capped the contest with a 45-yard run to paydirt.

Here are post-game reactions from last year’s match-up:

Exclusive Audio: Raiders Bruce Gradkowski talks about his effort and more vs. Dolphins

Exclusive Audio: Raiders Asomugha talks about health & loss to Dolphins

Exclusive Audio: Tom Cable after the Raiders loss to the Miami Dolphins

A look back at their 2007 battle can be found here:

A Look Back: Dolphins vs. Raiders (2007)

Here are some images from that contest from our game archives:

Jacoby Ford on the run during his touchdown reception.

 

Darren McFadden found little room during last year’s match-up, finishing with 2-yards on 8-carries.

Ford turned in one of his better catches of the season versus the Dolphins.

 

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Like the Oakland Raiders (6-4), the Chicago Bears (7-3) lost their starting quarterback, and it appears that Jay Cutler may not be available for the remainder of the regular season. But the Silver & Black were able to take advantage of the trade deadline and bring in Carson Palmer just days after Jason Campbell went down. Caleb Hanie will make his first career start, stating, “I know where I am in the offense, I know what I’m doing in this offense. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity.”

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

Darren McFadden and Jacoby Ford are likely out again, as they both sat out of practice on Thursday. Hue Jackson stated, “We’ll see if we can get anything out of [McFadden or Ford] tomorrow.”

That means that Michael Bush will continue his run as a starter. In the last four games, Bush has 96-carries, 461-yards and 2 scores on the ground.

Jared Veldheer, coming off his stellar performance versus Jared Allen last weekend, now gets Julius Peppers. “That’s what pro football is all about. You play the best, and when you’re able to hold your own, you start to realize you’re starting to become something,” stated Jackson about his tackle.

With Ford missing time in practice and Darrius Heyward-Bey recovering from his neck injury last weekend, Oakland were forced to practice with only three receivers this week.  Denarius Moore also was held out due to a foot ailment.

“It makes it difficult,” Palmer stated. “You don’t get the same guys on the field from the week before, that rhythm and timing thing slows down a little bit. So we have our work cut out for us.

On Defense:

“We’ve got better players than we had in the past,” defensive tackle Tommy Kelly commented this week. “But we’re also making the job a lot harder than we have to. We say that to ourselves a lot on the sideline. But in the end all you’ve got to do is win the game.”

Last week, the defense dodged a bullet with Adrian Peterson’s early departure. Now they get Matt Forte, who is the NFL’s fourth leading rusher (926-yards). Oakland will undoubtedly stack the line of scrimmage and hope to force the young passer into long down and distance situations.

“Really, probably the blue print of how they’re going to play us – I’m guessing – is what they did against that rookie quarterback in Minnesota, where they pressured a lot more than they had been pressuring,” Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice was quoted. “I look for them to do something like that, to us. And they’ve got a nice blitz package. We’ll be ready for it.

“We’re 11, 12 weeks into the season. We’ve seen just about everything. There are only so many blitzes.”

CHICAGO BEARS

On Offense:

Hanie is mobile enough to escape and hurt the Raiders out of the pocket. Surely, the Bears have seen film of Tim Tebow running for 118-yards and Christian Ponder for 71-yards the last three weeks.

But they’ll have to lean heavily on Forte, who is the type of shifty rusher that gives Oakland fits. He’s also a threat out of the backfield, which will put pressure on the Raiders linebackers and safeties.

“Teams have tried to play us the last few weeks, they stack the box, try to get the running game out, and beat them with the pass,” Hanie said. “Luckily last week we were able to beat them with the pass. Hopefully we can keep the big plays and keep our explosiveness.”

Those big plays, if they do come in the passing game, could be screens versus an aggressive Raider bunch or off misdirections and bootlegs.

On Defense:

Chicago’s defense allows 20.1 points per game (14^th in the NFL), 270.7 pass yards a contest (30^th) and 101.2 rush yards per game (11^th).

Over the last six weeks, the Bears have allowed a league low 66.8 rushing yards. They also rank second in the NFL with 23 turnovers. “I wish it wasn’t the issue, but I think you look at the way we’re set up, in my mind, we’re still a defensive team and (on) special teams, we can score at any time, which is a good thing,” Brian Urlacher said.

Urlacher, D.J Moore and Major Wright, all have three interceptions apiece.

Peppers leads the team with 6.0 sacks. Henry Melton (4), Amobi Okoye (3) and Israel Idonije (3) have also been hunting opposing passers.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Devin Hester is the ultimate x-factor whenever the Bears play. He can swing momentum, alter field position or score at any given moment when he’s returning.

But Oakland in the past has not been afraid of the dynamic talent. In 2007, albeit with different players and coaches, the Silver & Black did not shy away from Hester. This time around, Lane Kiffin isn’t around to boast about kicking to him, but other players are.

“As a punt unit, I feel like we have the best weapon in the league in Shane Lechler,” safety Mike Mitchell said. “We’re going to punt to anybody. I don’t think we’re afraid to punt to a specific player.”

“As far as I’m concerned, no, it’s not the same attitude right now,” Lechler said regarding their first match-up four years ago. “That guy’s too dangerous.”

Mitchell continued: “After he gets machine-gunned a couple of times, he’s not going to be too quick to return punts. I’m not talking any trash, either. He’s the best punt returner, best returner besides Jacoby [Ford]. He’s awesome. But our mentality is, he has to play us.”

GAME NOTES

• Oakland is 4-1 on the road, but just 2-3 in front of the Black Hole. “You’ve got to win at home,” Palmer said. “You’ve got to protect your field. We’ve got to do a better job of keeping or crowd in it. We’ve fallen behind and not gotten off to fast starts.” The team sold out the O.Co Coliseum for the sixth straight game.
• “It falls squarely on our offensive line,” Roberto Garza said. “We have to do our technique better, move those guys and cover those guys up, and make those holes for Matt [Forte] and Marion [Barber] to run through.”
• “He’s a special player, to say the least,” defensive lineman Richard Seymour said about Forte. “He’s playing at an All-Pro level; we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
• Bears signed former Raider Josh McCown, who was the starter for the Silver & Black the last time they met.
• Chicago is averaging 32.2 points per game during their current five-game winning streak.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Containing Forte

The all-purpose running back can do it all and is a big play threat. Oakland has to be sure-handed with their tackling and stay disciplined in run support. Out of the backfield as a receiver, he has 46 receptions for 465-yards.

Hester’s hysteria…

If Oakland can keep Hester from shifting the field and putting up points on special teams, it could hinder Hanie’s first start. The young passer could get loads of confidence by having short fields to work with, or not having to shoulder the scoring burden.

Veldheer & Lil’ Wiz…

Again this week, Oakland’s youthful left side will be the spotlight. The Raiders need to get Bush going again and protect Palmer from an onslaught rush.

PREDICTION

Raiders 24 – Bears 23

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