Surprise! We’re already 8 weeks into the 2012 season! That means it’s time to break out the stats and the game tape!Where does Darren McFadden rank?Who didn’t make the cut?And who surprised us so far this season?Sit back, relax and join me as we count down to the best Oakland Raider player at the midseason mark of this 2012 season! Begin Slideshow
As most of you already know, the Oakland A's acquired outfielder Chris Young from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Cliff Pennington. Speculation has already begun that either Coco Crisp or possibly Jonny Gomes may not be back with the club in 2013. While I like the acquisition of Young, I think losing one or possibly both is a bad, bad idea.First and foremost, Young doesn't hit left-handed pitching like Gomes does. Both players struggle against right-handed pitching (Young hit just .210 in 2012, Gomes .209). But while Gomes provided tangible value as a designated hitter, Young figures to be best served in the ...
It's that time of the schedule again. Of all of the Raider rivalries, real or imagined, none is more antagonistic than the one with the Kansas City Chiefs.I normally like the color red. During Chiefs Week, I don't even correct papers in red ink. It's pro football's Hatfield's vs. McCoy's, but twice a year. Part one is this Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium where the Raiders have acted quite like the uninvited guests they are, winning their last five meetings there.After pulling their season out of the fire, Oakland has a chance to really set themselves up to right the ship ...
When a team begins the season 1-4, the following weeks exist solely to evaluate where the team is headed.Many had lofty expectations for the Raiders—hoping for nothing less than an 8-8 season. At 1-4, however, those expectations were called into question.On the flip side, the Raiders remained within arm's reach of the division title, thanks to poor play in Denver and San Diego.So last week, the Black Hole watched in anticipation to see what type of team the 2012 Oakland Raiders is.Would they cave and accept another disappointing season? Or would they capitalize on the opportunity to play a series ...
Darren McFadden averaged over five yards per carry over the past two seasons while this season he is averaging only three yards per carry. What happened to "Run DMC"?Most of the blame for Oakland's ground game struggling so far in 2012 has been put on new/returning offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, specifically his change from a power-blocking scheme in the running game to a zone-blocking scheme.Is that really the only reason for McFadden's troubles, though?Remember, the Raiders lost Michael Bush over the offseason to the Chicago Bears. Bush was an excellent change-of-pace back who ran for nearly 1,000 yards after McFadden went down in 2011 ...
On Saturday, Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane began the offseason in earnest by flipping middle infielder Cliff Pennington and a prospect to the Arizona Diamondbacks for outfielder Chris Young. In a vacuum, flipping Pennington for the more-talented Young makes the trade a win for Oakland.However, trades cannot be considered in isolation. The fact is that the A's already have a full compliment of outfielders and designated hitters with Coco Crisp, Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Reddick and Seth Smith under contract for next season.Shortstop remains a question mark, however. Stephen Drew has a $10 million mutual option for next season that ...
The Oakland Raiders' defense almost single-handedly defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and a big reason for that was the play of Lamarr Houston. The 2010 second-round pick had eight combined tackles, two for a loss, two quarterback hits, a sack and a forced fumble in overtime. Houston was a one-man wrecking crew and proved why he is Oakland’s best defensive player. Houston dominated against the run, was an effective pass-rusher, sniffed out screens and had several hustle plays. Houston is coming into his own as a pass-rusher, and if that keeps up he will be one of the most ...
With a thrilling 26-23 victory in overtime against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Oakland Raiders have plenty of reasons to celebrate for this week.The Raiders not only got their second win of the season, but are also only a game out in the AFC West. They still have a game left against the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos, along with two games against the atrocious Kansas City Chiefs.Along with their AFC West foes, the Raiders have a fairly easy schedule left throughout the rest of the season, with their toughest non-divisional games left coming on the road in Week 10 ...
The Carson Palmer experiment continues to fail for the Oakland Raiders and must be ended at the end of 2012.The Raiders will have a clear opportunity for a fresh start with a top QB not named JaMarcus Russell. Signal-callers like Matt Barkley of USC and Geno Smith of West Virginia will sit atop the big board, and both make sense for the Raiders.However, Smith is the better option for Oakland moving forward. Let's breakdown why. Smith Best Fits the SchemeFor better or worse, the Raiders have clear desires when it comes to the quarterback position. Smith, however, is not just another ...
Darren McFadden has been a major disappointment for the Oakland Raiders and his fantasy owners. Much of the blame for his struggles has been attributed to the zone-blocking scheme, which has reflected poorly on offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who is a big proponent of the scheme. Fans have questioned how McFadden and the offensive line fit the scheme, which is fair because the running game has struggled for six games and was much more effective the previous two seasons. The reality of the situation is that the Raiders aren’t going to completely throw away the scheme in the middle of ...