Bleacher Report - Articles by Tony Carbonare

Raiders (1-2) vs. Texans (1-2): My Prediction

Tony Carbonare — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:40:16 -0400

The Raiders are coming off their worst performance thus far this season. They were defeated by the Denver Broncos 23-7.

The Raiders looked like a high school football team instead of a legitimate NFL team.

JaMarcus Russell had one incredibly horrible game. He was 12-of-21 for 61 yards, 2 interceptions and no touchdowns. He was very inaccurate and really never seemed to get comfortable the whole game.

Darren McFadden had a pretty rough game as well. He had 12 carries for 45 yards and also no touchdowns. He also had three fumbles, one of which was recovered by the Broncos.

Louis Murphy didn't have a great game either. He had 2 receptions for 25 yards and no touchdowns. Murphy did have a 12.5 yards per-catch average though.

The Raiders are ranked almost dead last in every category on offense.

-12 points per game (30th)

-223 total yards per game (31st)

-119.7 passing yards per game (32nd)

-103.3 rushing yards per game (20th) being the one decent stat.

The last time the Raiders met the Texans, they shocked everyone by beating them 27-16. JaMarcus had a great game, throwing 18-of-25 for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns. Johnnie Lee Higgins returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown.

This week I think the Raiders need to go back to what they were doing in week one, Go with what works.

The Texans can't stop the run, they are ranked 32nd in the league. Darren McFadden, Michael Bush, and Justin Fargas should have an outstanding day and put up some big numbers.

Although the Raiders passing game has been pretty awful so far, Russell should have no problem throwing the ball this week and getting it to Zach Miller and Louis Murphy.

The Texans are giving up 436.7 total Yards per game, With those numbers, even a bad offense should have a great day.

The Raiders haven't been preforming very well as a whole unit. In fact they have just been getting worse with every game. Tom Cable insists that the team is almost there and he believes it is best to stay the course and things will happen as they should.

As much as I don't want to, I have to go with Tom on this one. It's true the Raiders have been showing small signs of greatness on top of their horrible performances.

I have said before that they need to bench JaMarcus and give someone else a chance. I guess it'd easier for someone on the outside to say it when Tom sees what goes on in practices and knows where his team is at.

So I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt this week. I see JaMarcus bouncing back and having a career day. I look for him to throw for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns.

I also look for McFadden and Bush to have big days also, both getting at least 80 yards on the ground and one touchdown for Bush. I see Louis Murphy having a great day as well. He'll see his first 100-yard game this year and have one touchdown.

Also the Raiders re-signed Justin Miller this week. so look for him and Johnnie Lee Higgins to have big games as well.

These may be bold predictions, but I see the Raiders being hungry and wanting to show they aren't as bad as they look. Get all these monkeys off their backs. Show Raider Nation that they have something to cheer for and a team to be proud of.

Raiders 30, Texans 17.

Louis Murphy Is a Diamond in the Rough for the Raiders

Tony Carbonare — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:08:01 -0400

When the Oakland Raiders drafted Louis Murphy in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft, I bet they never thought he would be tied for the most receptions and leading the team in receiving yards with 138 yards.

Now that's not an amazing number by any means. But he definitely has shown signs of being a polished receiver.

You can't forget about the great catch he made in the MNF home opener that gave the Raiders a 14-7 lead, but was then reviewed and overturned because the officials like to find any way to keep the Raiders down. That's a story for another day.

Aside from being robbed of his first NFL TD, how did Murphy respond to this? He shook his head, looked disappointed, and then went on later to burn past three San Diego defenders to score on a 57-yard bomb by JaMarcus Russell.

He hasn't had a huge breakout game yet, but I believe it is coming soon. Well, that is once JaMarcus realizes how to be an NFL quarterback.

Regardless, Murphy has what it takes to be a great NFL receiver. He knows how to run routes. He can catch the ball. When he makes a great play, he doesn't get up shouting and yelling so that everyone knows he just did something great. Instead he goes back into the huddle, gets the play, and goes out and tries to do it again.

Now, how is it that a fourth round pick can be better than your first round pick? It's because Al Davis is blinded by a player's speed and ignores any other flaw he might have, such as bad route running and dropped balls—that and Murphy's passion to be a better player.

Now I'm not trying to pick on Darrius Heyward-Bey, but he is definitely not worth the $23.5 million the Raiders paid him. Maybe with some proper coaching and conditioning, he will prove me wrong.

I think once the Raiders get the JaMarcus bust on track, figure out how to call plays, fix Darren McFadden's fumbling problem, and once Chaz Schilens returns from a fractured foot, they can have one of the most feared offenses in the league.

With Schilens, Murphy, and Zach Miller being your targets, I see nothing but great opportunities to make big plays.

But like I said, it all hinges on Russell learning how to focus on his job and not his money. He needs to not go for the big play all the time and make smarter decisions. Pound the run, throw the dink and dunk passes, and then when it opens up, throw it deep to Murphy and let him do the rest.

No matter what, I see great things from Louis Murphy. He has the potential to be one of the greats.

Russell Or Cable; Who's on the Hot Seat?

Tony Carbonare — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:07:33 -0400

It's no mystery that JaMarcus Russell is playing some of the worst football in the NFL right now. He has accuracy problems and doesn't seem to understand defenses. He has 368 total yards and has only thrown one touchdown pass through three games (two if you count the one that was robbed from Louis Murphy on MNF). Regardless, he's getting worse every game.

Now you can blame it on the coaches or the lack of depth at receiver. I'm going to go with the lack of commitment by JaMarcus. Now I have tried to not be the bad guy and give him all the chances in the world, as did all of Raider Nation. But it's time coach Cable rethinks his strategy and either puts Russell on the bench or maybe switch up the game-plan and throw some wildcat in there to take the ball out of his hands.

That brings me to my second topic; Tom Cable.

Cable is still under fire for the allegations that he struck defensive assistant Randy Hanson which caused him to have a fractured jaw. Whether the allegations are true or not, this is one distraction the Raiders don't need right now. With the poor play of their QB, they need all their attention and focus to be on just that.

With Cable possibly getting charged with a felony and definitely getting suspended by Commissioner Goodell and possibly jail time, it's going to set this team so far back.

Now im not saying the JaMarcus issues can't be corrected, or that the team can't bounce back from the last two games in which they preformed horrible in. I'm just saying something has to happen now, whether Gradowski comes in,or we bring in a new mentor for Russell. And Cable needs to keep his focus on getting these guys on the same page and to worry about nothing but playing great football like they showed in week one against the Chargers.

So who's more on the hot seat Russell or Cable? I'm going with the whole Raiders organization as a whole. If you don't step up and play as a team and don't stop worrying about the petty issues such as banning Rich Gannon from the stadium, you're going to be on your way to a seventh straight losing season.

Time To Unleash Gradowski?

Tony Carbonare — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:02:36 -0400

It seems that the Raider nation has spoken. By the countless boos and endless comments on blogs and other Raider articles. It's time for a quarterback change in Oakland.

Time and time again Jamarcuss Russell has been given the benefit of the doubt. He's still learning or he needs more time to get comfortable with the offense. I'm not buying it and clearly either are the great fans of the Oakland Raiders.

After almost every play on Sunday, you could hear the loud boos directed at JaMarcus. He is playing some of the worst football I have seen since Ryan Leaf. he has a league low 41.3 completion percentage, he has only scored one touchdown, and hast even broken 400 yards yet. He has four interceptions, and a passer rating of 39.8!

If that's not a sign that its time for him to keep the bench warm and bring in Bruce Gradowski, then someone needs to scream louder so Al can hear it through his hearing aide.

Gradowski is a much smaller but more exciting player who wants to be a leader and puts in the time and effort it takes to be an NFL quarterback. JaMarcus is oblivious to any of that. When the fans were booing, you could see JaMarcus smirking on the sideline like he could care less. He makes the same mistakes over and over and instead of learning from them, he gets worse.

It's quite tiresome to keep hearing the coach say that the effort was there. Or that we know what we have to do and i feel like we're almost there. Baloney! Stop making excuses and admit your quarterback is a bust and eat your losses and move on. It's only week four and you are 1-2. You can make the change now and maybe salvage your season. If you leave Russell in you're flushing your season down the toilet.

The Raider fans don't deserve this. The rest of the team is progressing well but have their bust of a QB holding them back. I blame the horrible defensive play on JaMarcus as well. Why is a defense going to keep going out and making plays if their QB just gives it right back to the opposing team? They're out there getting tired and winded but cant stay off the field long because Russell cant move the ball.

Let's get smart and put in the better player. Bruce Gradowski i believe will be the far better choice. Jamarcuss just doesn't have the credentials to be an NFL caliber quarterback and simply just doesn't seem to care as long as he has his designer duds and bling bling.

Oakland Raiders Needs: New Defense or New Leadership?

Tony Carbonare — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:12:47 -0500

In 2006, the Raiders had the third-ranked defense in the NFL.

In 2007, not so much.

A big reason why they weren't as successful in 2007 as 2006: poor coaching!

I don't believe the players are totally buying what Rob Ryan is trying to sell.

Rob is just a puppet on a string like all the other coaches on the Raider's staff. It just so happened they saw some success in 2006. Lucky!

I do give the players some credit for playing well—some of them. There are a few things I believe the Raiders can do to possibly see the success (or luck) of 2006 in 2008:

1. Sign Nnamdi. Nothing else to say. Keep him!

2. Can Stuart Shweigert, Stanford Routt, and Fabian Washington. They are horrible and won't do much under the Raiders. Move Michael Huff to safety to replace Shweigert.

3. Sign Pacman. He has some issues, but it hasn't stopped Al in the past from signing guys like him. He's a great player and can do wonders for the secondary.

4. Keep the linebackers. Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard are the most underrated linebackers out there and should have been in the Pro Bowl anyway.

5. Finally, the Raiders should keep their same D-line and maybe sign a strong DT in free agency.

If the Raiders keep the same defensive group with a few new add-ons for the secondary, I don't see why they can't have some success in 2008.

Then again, how can you have any success when your team is controlled by a 78-year-old ego-maniac owner?

You can't!

As I've said before and will keep saying until it happens: The Oakland Raiders will not be a good team again until Al Davis steps down.

Period.

Raiders Offseason Needs: Offense, Offense, Offense

Tony Carbonare — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:13:51 -0500

It's no secret the Raiders are struggling at almost every position. So where does a team in their situation start?

The Raiders have to first look to their main guy, Jamarcus Russell. He is the guy they want to build the offense around.

Here are some of my offensive suggestions for the Raiders this offseason:

1. Sign Justin Fargas to an extension. Can't let this guy go. He is a power runner, but yet can be very explosive when he finds a hole.

2. Maybe beef up the offensive line, but try to keep it the same. Robert Gallery is finally starting to find his rhythm.

3. It's time to let Jerry Porter have his wish and let him play elsewhere. Ronald Curry is becoming a great possession receiver, but still lacks the deep threat. Sign Chad Johnson and see what happens when he and JaMarcus get together.

4. Finally, get a TE that is a multiple threat. Someone of Jeremy Shockey's stature comes to mind.

With these few key adjustments, I feel the Raiders can be very successful on offense. Also, let Lane Kiffin have control over his offense.

Check back later, and I will break down what the Raiders need to do on the defense to have success.

Raiders Rumors: Chad Johnson Oakland Bound?

Tony Carbonare — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:00:33 -0500

It's no secret that Chad Johnson wants out of Bengal town. It's also no secret that Chad Johnson is an amazing player.

So where do the Raiders fit in?

The Raiders have been known to go after the big play-makers. Also, the Raiders are hurting pretty bad for a big time receiver, and Johnson fits that bill.

But why would anyone want to go to the dysfunctional Oakland Raiders?

They have an up-and-coming quarterback in JaMarcus Russell. Just think of that duo hooking up for multiple touchdowns in a game. Move over Brady and Moss!

During an episode of NFL Live the other night, as they were going off the air, you could hear Chad say, "Oakland, call me."

If that doesn't say he wants to be a Raider, I don't know what does.

I would love to see Chad on the team. But then again, would he just end up like Randy Moss when he came to Oakland?

Don't be surprised to see Chad Johnson on the Raiders, but also don't be surprised if you see Chad unhappy a year from now.

WANTED: New Owner for the Oakland Raiders

Tony Carbonare — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:55:02 -0500

I'm sure you've all heard the latest talk from Oakland.

Al Davis isn't agreeing or getting along with one of his coaches. Wow. Big surprise there, folks!

Al is on another one of his legendary power trips. All Lane Kiffin wants to do is have control over his staff. And if I'm not mistaken, that's what coaches are supposed to do—hire and fire who they want.

Here's what I think: I've said this before, but Al Davis needs to go!

I know some of you out there love the guy, and are die-hard Raider fans. Well, I also am a diehard Raider fan, but I don't love the guy. He's a virus for the Raiders. He's doing nothing but restricting the team from being good.

Yes, he has done a lot for the league and the Raiders. But he's past his prime now. He needs to step down. And if he really cares about the Raiders—and if all you fans out there do too—you will agree with me on this.

It's just a fact. The Raiders would be better off if Davis stepped down and let someone else take control of the team. Someone who will care about the team and let their coach have some control also.

So again I'll leave you with this: The Oakland Raiders will not have another successful season until Al Davis is gone.