When the two teams take the field Monday night, the game is a series of matchups between individual players and groups of players. Me against him, us against them. There are some matchups that can be important and can lead into problems or opportunities.
1. At the LT position, Denver is starting a rookie.
Ryan Clady came from a very successful program at Boise State. Boise is in a weaker conference, and he has not had much experience against some of the best in college football, week in and week out. How will his first NFL game be?
Can he play well off the "smurf turf?" Can we exploit that with a fast rush with Burgess and maybe Kalimba Edwards? Hit Cutler a few times and see what happens there. Get two picks like last time?
2. Raiders' O-line against Denver's D-line.
Can we get the running game going? Last year, we were very successful. We ran for 175 yards and literally ran Sam Adams out of the league. Can we grind them down over the course of four quarters?
We better not get any false-start penalties at home. The running game will make the strong safety bite on play action, and Zack Miller can have a big game.
3. Special teams can be huge in any game.
Especially if mistakes are made. Fumbles change field position. Can we force one? Please, no fumbles by us. With both of our kickers having been hurt, my biggest concern there is the timing on the FG kicks. Can JLH break one? Long snappers can and will win or lose a game. They no longer have Jason Elam kicking.
4. Raiders D-line against their O-line.
We all know how their offense works. Can we continue to stop it? Hopefully Rickey Brown at SAM can fill out the partnership in the Law Firm. They need to stay in their discipline and make tackles. We have greatly improved the tackling in the secondary, so hopefully that will prevent those big explosions.
5. J-Russell against Denver's DBs.
Their corners are top shelf and can clamp on receivers. McCree is fast enough to pick off a deep pass if the QB does not look him off. J-Russ needs to be able to read their defenses and make good audibles.
Walker and newly acquired Ashley Lelie know this team, and that can he a huge asset. Mainly, J-Russ needs to make good decisions.
6. Our young, skill-positions players against Denver's defense.
Besides J-Russ making good decisions, D-Mac needs to be sure to play well. Minimize mistakes. No turnovers. J-Russ needs to keep his composure if things start to go bad.
7. Our DBs against Cutler.
He is a young QB that has had his ups and downs. We need to keep him down. We got two picks in both of the games last season. Three of the four were by linebackers dropping back into coverage, so we had him confused last year.
Brandon Marshall is suspended, so their WR corps is thin. They are starting Eddie Royal, a rookie WR. Will he make a mistake?
I am so ready for next week's game. Let's all go out there and enjoy a Raiders win.
13 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment
Raider Card Addict 10 months ago
Good article, good breakdown on the positions. Although, I don't think of Denver having two great CBs.....Champ's the breadwinner, but Dre has a habit of getting burned deep....would be funny if Ashley burned his old team three times.
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EndZoner 10 months ago
Thanks, RCA. Dre Bly does get burnt, but more teams go at him than Chimp. Between Walker and Lelie, I am not sure who wants a bigger piece of that horse.
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Raider Babe 10 months ago
It all comes down to this! Hell yeah! Great article! I'm stoked to watch this game! This is the game that'll let those Donkeys know who's the best in the end!!!!
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Michael Miller 10 months ago
Oh yeah! I know what you mean!! Go chokeland!!!
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Raider Man 10 months ago
Raiderbabe,
I hope you are a babe and not a sausage. Wow. Great pic.
Show that picture to the team to get the blood rushing. Know what I mean.
Goooooooooooooooooooo Raiders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Raider Babe 10 months ago
Yeah yeah yeah whatever Michael. Nice orange curly hair btw. Yes i am a babe. Not sausage on this baby.
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Quag 10 months ago
Giggidy!
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Raider Revenge Payback 10 months ago
Top Ten Reasons:
1. They’re due. At some point, the Raiders will face a team which plays worse than they do in Week 1. Plus, you’ve got to figure an ex-Bronco or two (Javon Walker, Ashley Lelie, Gerard Warren, Cooper Carlisle) can give the Raiders an edge.
2. They’re better at quarterback. Yes, JaMarcus Russell will make mistakes. But don’t compare Russell to other No. 1 draft picks or quarterbacks on other teams. Compare him instead to Aaron Brooks, the 2006 Andrew Walter, Josh McCown and Daunte Culpepper.
How do you like him now?
Take a look at how Atlanta’s Matt Ryan and Baltimore’s Joe Flacco did in their debuts Sunday. With the proper run support, there is no reason Russell can’t do something similar.
3. Justin Fargas is all shiny and new, having not yet subjected his body to the weekly demolition derby. He’s the most game-ready player on the offense according to Lane Kiffin and he is just waiting to drop 100-plus on the Broncos after gashing them for 146 last season in Oakland.
4. Mike Shanahan bristled during a conference call when I asked him about the Broncos getting away from being a running team because of Jay Cutler’s emergence as a passer.
“You may write about it more when we’re throwing the ball well but we’re still going to run the football and we’re running it well,” Shanahan said.
But the fact is they weren’t up to par last year, gaining under 2,000 yards (1,957) for the first time in since 2001 and finishing ninth in rushing, a year after finishing eighth. The biggest reason for Denver’s dominance over Oakland since 1995 is their running game _ and now the Raiders run it better.
5. Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall is suspended for the opening game. He is the most dangerous receiver on either team, the game-breaking target Cutler needs the most.
The starters will be Darrell Jackson, the drop-prone veteran who even the 49ers wouldn’ t have as their own, and Eddie Royal, a dangerous rookie. Nnamdi Asomugha, DeAngelo Hall and Stanford Routt should be able to keep the Denver receivers under control.
Note: Prevoiusly called Eddie Royal “Darrell.” Darrell Royal is the former coach at Texas.
6. The Raiders should have swept the Broncos last year. Only Shanahan’s time out prevented an Oakland win in Denver when Sebastian Janikowski boinked one off the upright.
This gets back to reason No. 2, but Josh McCown, playing with a bad ankle, had one of the worst days a quarterback could possibly have yet the Broncos were lucky to win. All McCown had to do was properly manage the rematch _ which he did _ and Denver wound up kneeling on the ball to end a 34-20 loss.
Out-coaching Shanahan head-to-head is probably the only reason Kiffin escaped the Bugel-Shell fate of one-and-done.
7. The Broncos don’t have the defensive personnel to dominate the Raiders offensive line. No Albert Haynesworth and not a Williams (Pat, Mike, Jamal) in sight. It’s true the Raiders tackles have some pass blocking issues, but in a true zone blocking system, the key linemen are the center and two guards _ and Robert Gallery, Jake Grove and Carlisle should take care of business.
8. Zach Miller should be open _ and Russell will find him. Denver strong safety Marquand Manuel is regarded as a hitter with problems in coverage _ perfect for a tight end who seems wise beyond his years in finding open areas and a quarterback in Russell who already sees him as a secruity blanket.
9. The Darren McFadden factor. He changes everything about a a formerly plodding offense _ including how teams will defend the Raiders. He will create mismatches _ even when it is someone else getting the ball.
10. Jason Elam is in Atlanta. Maybe the scariest Bronco over the years where the Raiders are concerned because it seemed he never missed dating back to the old Mile High Stadium and when the Raiders were at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
It’s not going to have that “automatic” feeling when Matt Prater lines up for the big kick.
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kyle jensen 10 months ago
Laff.
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Michael Miller 10 months ago
As it turns out, you can't win games on hype. I love the very last point you make about Eddie Royal. hysterical.
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EndZoner 10 months ago
What point was it that I made against Royal? That he is a rookie? He definitely won his match-up with DeAngelo Hall. I asked if he would make a mistake. Answer is, yes he did. He fumbled a punt, but he did recover it. He came of Virginia Tech, which did not use him much. He was a real sleeper. Kudos to the scouting staff, so far.
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Michael Miller 9 months ago
Anytime someone says "rookie wide receiver" there is an undertone of mistrust in his skills, as wide receivers don't usually produce until they have had about three years in the NFL. You were implying he was nothing to worry about, and in fact that he might actually HURT the Broncos with a mistake.
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EndZoner 9 months ago
You would expect a former Pro-bowler in DHall to be able to stop the rookie. And rookies make mistakes. He had a great game.
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