Beaver County Times
http://www.timesonline.com
September 19, 2012
Years ago when the Raiders were a force in the NFL, eccentric owner Al Davis registered trademarks for the slogans he coined to describe his operation. Pride and Poise. Commitment to Excellence. And the most famous: Just Win, Baby.
But since losing in the Super Bowl 10 years ago, the Raiders have been irrelevant. They have not had a winning season since 2002. Davis, who died last year, lost his touch as a keen evaluator of talent. His shaky personnel decisions reflected the demise of the Raiders. Davis also lost patience with coaches too often. In the past 10 years, the Raiders have had seven coaches. So much for stability.
Now that Davis’ son is running the franchise, he’s hired Dennis Allen as the new coach and proclaimed this as the "New Era of Excellence."
There hasn’t been anything excellent about the Raiders’ 0-2 start. After opening their new era with a 22-14 home loss to Chargers, they were embarrassed on the road by the Dolphins, 35-13. And now they await the arrival of the Steelers (1-1).
Today, Times pro football writer Mike Bires takes a look at the struggling Raiders, one of six NFL teams yet to win this year.
OFFENSE
It doesn’t bode well for a team when its quarterbacks are Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Terrelle Pryor.
Palmer, 32, never lived up to his hype after the Bengals selected him as the No. 1 in 2003. Palmer, who won the Heisman Trophy at Southern Cal, has never played in the Super Bowl. He’s never even won a playoff game.
In Leinart, another former USC Heisman Trophy winner, the Raiders have one the biggest busts in recent NFL history. Leinart, picked 10th by the Cardinals in 2006, is now with his third team. He has an 8-10 record in games he’s started.
In Pryor, a former Jeannette High School star, the Raiders have a young enigma on their hands. Pryor is an amazing athlete who’s 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds. But he’s a project who might not have what it takes to play QB in the NFL.
This season, Palmer has already thrown 94 passes. Only Drew Brees of the 0-2 Saints has thrown more (101). Palmer has thrown for a lot of yards (670), but he’s only produced two TD passes. He ranks 22nd in the league with a 84.1 passer rating.
“Carson Palmer is very familiar with us and how we attack people,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “He probably has as much experience facing our defense and our pre-snap looks and blitz packages as any quarterback in football. He has always represented himself well against us.
“He fits well with some of the things they do on offense, under the leadership of offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, and his West-Coast principles. They make quick reads and quick throws. Palmer is capable of doing that.”
RB Darren McFadden rushed for 1,157 yards two years ago. Last year he led the NFL in rushing (614) after six weeks before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
This year, McFadden has just 54 yards on 26 carries. As a team, the Raiders rank with 68 rushing yards.
McFadden does lead the Raiders with 15 receptions for 105 yards. The Raiders’ top wide receiver is Darrius Heyward-Bey, who led the team last year with 64 catches for 975 yards and four TDs
DEFENSE
With the exception of veteran DT Richard Seymour, the Raiders have a no-name defense with plenty of problems.
At cornerback, they have serious issues now that Shawntae Spencer, a former Pitt and Woodland Hills standout, is out indefinitely with a sprained foot. Ron Bartell, the other starting corner, is on injured reserve with a broken shoulder blade. It’s getting to the point that free safety Michael Huff could move to cornerback this week.
Although the Raiders rank 15th in total defense, they’re 29th in rushing defense at 147.5 yards per game. Sunday in Miami, the Raiders gave up 263 rushing yards, including 172 to Reggie Bush.
That’s encouraging news for the Steelers, who rank 30th with 141 rushing yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Raiders have had a strong kicking game for several years. Last year, four Raiders went to the Pro Bowl. Joining Seymour were LS Jon Condo, P Shane Lechler and K Sebastian Janikowski.
In the season-opening loss to the Chargers, the Raiders had major problems after Condo left the game with a concussion. His backup bounced one snap back to Lechler and rolled another. The Raiders also had a punt blocked. But Condo is back this week.
“When you talk about the Raiders, you talk about great stability in the kicking game and their specialists,” Tomlin said. “Shane Lechler has been around there for a decade as their punter. He’s a top-quality guy. Sebastian Janikowski ... has a powerful leg. He has been very successful. I doubt we will get very many kickoff return opportunities in the game. And I am really intrigued by Phillip Adams, their punt return man.”
Adams returned a punt 47 yards against the Dolphins.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Already 0-2, the Raiders face a tough stretch of their schedule starting Sunday against the Steelers. The next three QBs they face are Ben Roethlisberger, Denver’s Peyton Manning and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan.
“I’ve got my eye on Pittsburgh. That’s the only place I’m looking,” Allen said. “I don’t concern myself with a lot of those big picture things. I’m working one week to the next … how can we try to develop a plan that’s going to give us a chance to be successful against Pittsburgh?”
Despite the Raiders’ woes, Tomlin expects a severe rest in Oakland.
“The challenge is facing the Raiders who are thirsty for a win,” he said. “And they are ready to do so in front of their home fans, which always creates an extremely hostile environment for visitors, particularly us, given the history there.”
Years ago when the Raiders lived up to Davis’ mottos, Pittsburgh vs. Oakland was one of the NFL’s most bitter rivalries. But that’s hardly the case anymore.
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