Raiders Preseason Recap

Raiders HC Josh McDaniels 

There has been much to like about the Raiders preseason. Standing at 3-0 with one game left there have been many winners from some slick performances but one glaring concern remains:-  

Winners

Coaching
The Raiders play calling on both sides of the ball has been highly impressive. For example, early in the Dolphins game it became apparent the O-Line was struggling so Josh McDaniels dialled in classic West Coast offense calls for the QB (Stidham) to release the ball quickly. And it worked as he lead Las Vegas to a Zamir White rushing TD.
 
Tyron Johnson (WR)
Speedster making some great catches

Tyron Johnson aka TBilly

DJ Turner (WR)
Versatile WR who is also a return specialist 

Jesper Horsted (TE)
Big TE could be a crucial red zone option

Jesper Horsted 

Tashan Bower (DE)
Showing great edge rush promise 

Other notable performances:-
Jarrett Stidham, Sam Webb, Darian Butler, Jonathan Abram, Thayer Munford 

Concerns

The Offensive line.
Alex Leatherwood has looked lost at RT. He needs to move back to RG where he can be an effective NFL starter. It looks like rookie Thayer Munford is now an option at the right tackle position but surely the Raiders need to look at free agency to bolster an ailing group.

Thayer Munford 

One game remains against the Patriots but the Raiders have much to be happy about so far this August 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

McNamara's Band: Irish Ode to Tottenham Hotspur

Image
Danny Blanchflower lifting the FA Cup Back in the glory years of the 1950's and 1960's as Tottenham Hotspur won 3 FA Cups, 2 League titles and a European Cup Winners Cup, the team would enter the White Hart Lane pitch to the tune of the Irish jingle McNamara's Band. The upbeat song seemed to rhyme with Tottenham's stylistic approach: push and run, high tempo, passionate, skillful and tough.  But why McMamara's Band? What was it's association with Tottenham Hotspur? The composer of the song John Stamford was the manager of the Alhambra Theatre in Belfast and legend has it he composed the lyrics while living close by Tottenham in Barnet.  Another theory is that it was adopted by Spurs fans when Northern Ireland's Danny Blanchflower joined the club in 1954. While the presence of the immortal Blanchflower propelled Tottenham to greatness the song was part of Tottenham folklore long before 1954.  It has been suggested by older generation Spurs support
Read more

Raiders Crush Chargers- The Winners

Image
It was an historic night in Allegiant Stadium with the Raiders scoring their highest ever points total. Every Raiders player and coach deserves credit and praise but it was a big night for the following:  1. Malcolm Koonce Malcolm Koonce's stats were off the chart. He's had an exceptional season even before last night's game. Coming out of college he was likened to fellow University of Buffalo DE Khalil Mack and now we know why. - 2 sacks - 2 FF - 5 pressures - 3 QB Hits - 2 TFL - 4 Stops - 12.8% Win Rate - 91.6 PFF Grade 2. Patrick Graham Patrick Graham is one of the top defensive coaches in the league. He'll likely get head coach interviews (possibly including the Raiders) 3. The Offensive Line The Raiders turned to some backups due to the absence of Kolton Miller and Andre James. And the offensive line produced a sensational effort. Thayer Munford at right tackle was solid all game long. And Dylan Parham may now be our first choice centre.
Read more

Outcoached by the Mizzouri Team - Pierce Likely Out

Image
New Direction Needed If a week is a long time in politics then it's longer in football. A week ago I wrote a piece supporting Antonio Pierce as the next permanent Raiders head coach. Even yesterday morning I reposted an article by Ross Tucker in the same vein https://www.the33rdteam.com/antonio-pierce-is-earning-raiders-head-coach-job/ Following the Raiders loss to the Mizouri team (yawn....yet again), I can see no way how Antonio Pierce is appointed as the permanent head coach. Roderic Teamer Arrest No coaching staff is entirely responsible for the behaviour of its players off the field but the DUI arrest of Roderic Teamer in the early hours of the Chiefs game, won't help Pierce in any way. The perception is that Pierce manages a lax operation where player autonomy is to the fore. The recent arrest of Teamer does not bode well for this approach long term. The coach should call the shots, not the players.  The Raiders blew a 14-0 lead against the Mizzouri team. Pier
Read more