Bleacher Report - Articles by Keith Sellars

Raiders' Woes: How Lane Kiffin Can Turn It Around in Oakland

Keith Sellars — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:20:04 -0400

I had high hopes for Lane Kiffin.

After the carnage USC wrought in the coach's final season with the Trojans, I thought, "Oh boy, with the No. 3 defense and Lanes' offensive skills, the Raiders are going to own the AFC West!"

As you all know, it didn't happen that way.

The play I remember most from 2007 came in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders had the ball on the 28-yard line and faced a 4th-and-inches—and instead of taking what would have been an easy kick for Sebastian Janikowski, they went for it and failed.

They wound up losing that game by two points.

Poor performance wasn't as much of a factor in that loss as was poor decision-making.

All the great coaches say that you never chase points unless you have to. That means when you're down 6-0 in the first quarter and you have a chance to kick a field goal, you do it.

Maybe the problem is that Lane is rattled by the dominant ego of Al Davis, or that being a head coach in the NFL is too great a burden for him. Lord knows it's humbled even the mighty Tuna a time or two.

Hopefully, though, Kiffin has managed to get his head around it in the offseason—and is ready to help the Raiders hit the ground running in 2008.

And by running, I mean ramming Justin Fargas down people's throats and making him the NFL rushing leader. Spell him with Michael Bush and throw in some play-action for fun.

And for God's sake, stay away from deep passes until the offensive line gets up to speed—otherwise, it's gonna be sack city like it has been for the last four years.

If they can do all that, Lane Kiffin and the Raiders might just contend in the AFC West in 2008.

Oakland Raiders: Huggy Bear Jr. for the Win!

Keith Sellars — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:41:06 -0500

I've been saying for years, why don't they give the ball to Justin Fargas, a.k.a. "Huggy Bear Jr.," and finally, last year they did.

In the last half of the season, only Ryan Grant rushed for more yards.

I know in the early years of his career, he had fumble issues, but I think he's always had more talent and much more speed than Lamont Jordan.

There are rumors the Raiders might try and sign a veteran back to back him up. I say Dominic Rhodes is enough, if he can bear remaining a backup, which is why he left the Indianapolis Colts.

Oakland should be looking at Adrian Peterson's success in Minnesota and look to sign linemen who can make the huge holes Adrian got.

Everyone raves about Adrian Peterson, but do you notice in the shots of his phenomenal runs, you don't see any linemen? That's because they've made holes so big, they're out of the shot.

That's what the Raiders need, more than anything. A dominant O-Line. With that, and the son of Huggy Bear on the ball.

LT who?

Raider Nation: Just Win, Baby

Keith Sellars — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 04:26:04 -0500

For as long as I can remember, the Raiders’ mottos have been "Pride and Poise" and "Just Win, Baby."

What's wrong with that? Al...

Whether you judge by his wardrobe, those Vegas lounge lizard glasses, or his insistence on an air assault offense, it's obvious that Al Davis is mired in the 1970s.

Now, don't get me wrong. In the 60s and 70s, both Al Davis individually, and the Raiders, did great things. They won championships, and some would say they revolutionized the game.

But, this is 2008 and Homie don't play that anymore.

Defenses today are too fast and too smart—you won’t be successful in building an offense around the deep attack. Sure, if someone blows his coverage, go for the House. But you just can't plan for it to happen that way.

Teams like New England and Dallas have shown that the way to pile up big points and big wins is to shoot for the holes. Whether that be a screen, a crossing route, a post, or a hook.

Keep it simple, make it quick, and take what the defense gives you.

In 2002, the Raiders had the best offense in the league. In 2003, they had one of the worst, with the same personnel across the board.

Why? Execution. Coaches insisting on poor strategy. You can't have Rich Gannon, Jerry Rice, and Tim Brown on the field and then blame poor play and you could see it in the frustration of the players. They knew what they were being asked to do wasn't what was going to help them win.

In 2006, they had the best pass defense in the league. In 2007, they clearly didn't.

For that, I blame tackling. I watch someone like Al Harris of Greenbay throw a tackle and I go "That's the way to stand em up and put em down". I watch the Raiders defense tackle and I go "Gee, did he really want to stop that runner?". Tackling technique is awful. You can't armtackle a running back, and you can't expect to lay out a WR with a shoulder if he sees you coming. Fundamentals, boys, fundamentals.

The bottom line is that the Raiders need to stop doing what Al wants, and start doing everything it takes to "Just Win, Baby."