Oakland Vs. The World (Or At Least The AFC West)

The Raiders’ offseason was filled with headlines, from drafting Darrius Heyward-Bey to the alleged Cable/Hanson incident, to cutting Jeff Garcia, and finally, yesterday’s shocking trade in which the Raiders obtained Richard Seymour from the Patriots.  For the most part, the Raiders believe they had a productive offseason and are ready to improve on last year’s 5-11 record.  To do so, they will have to succeed in a very winnable division, the AFC West.

Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers: The first team the Raiders play in the 2009 season is the team that has done the best job of making the Raiders look bad for the past few years, the San Diego Chargers.  The Chargers have had the Raiders’ number since 2003.  Both teams’ offenses get the pick over the defenses here.  San Diego’s biggest threat to the Raiders is once again on the ground, as the Chargers have a viable one-two punch in Darren Sproles and LaDanian Tomlinson.  Tomlinson alone has been known as the Raider killer for much of his career.  The Raiders hope they have beefed up the run defense by adding Richard Seymour, but many remain skeptical.

The Raiders also have a ground game that can do significant damage.  The Raiders’ running back trio of Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas, and Michael Bush is comparable with any other running combination in the league.  Once the Raiders have effectively ran the ball, expect JaMarcus Russell to start passing the ball around.  Russell will start conservatively with short passes, and throw longer balls as he gets more comfortable. 

My prediction: The Chargers will beat the Raiders in the first game of the year.  The Chargers’ offense will be too much for the defense, even with Seymour.  He will not have had enough time to get comfortable with the Raiders’ system before the game.  Without Chaz Schilens, the Raiders’ offense will fall just short of pulling off the upset.  In the second game of the season, the Raiders pull out the win.  The Raiders have consistently started slow, and as the season progresses, they will start to put the puzzle pieces together.  Season split, 1-1.

Raiders vs. Denver Broncos: The Denver Broncos are going through a rebuilding phase of their own.  Denver’s starting quarterback, Kyle Orton, is by no means stable.  The Raiders should enter the games with the Broncos with energy and confidence.  Knowshon Moreno, the Broncos’ young running back, may surprise the Raiders a bit.  The Broncos also have a stellar young wide receiver in Eddie Royal.

Once again, I give this series a split, 1-1.  The Raiders will win the first game, as Moreno’s youth, Orton’s uncertainty, and lack of depth at wide receiver will sink the Broncos.  Without Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal vs. Nnamdi Asomugha will be a complete mismatch and will leave no other viable options for Orton.  I expect the Broncos to come back later in the year, though, to pull off a win against an over-confident and mistake-prone Raiders’ team.  I mean the Raiders no disrespect here, but I believe they are a young team and will make some mistakes.  The Broncos will squeak one out.

Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Sorry, Chiefs fans, there isn’t much to root for this year.  Matt Cassel won’t likely play in Week 2 vs. the Raiders.  Even if he does, Cassel is incredibly overhyped.  He came through college and into the NFL as a benchwarmer, and had one good season under the best offensive system in football.  Cassel’s one year does not in any way merit the expectations that have been set for him in KC.  Chiefs, you have set this guy up for failure.  One bright spot for the Chiefs is Dwayne Bowe, but without a good quarterback to throw him the ball, what good is he?

The Raiders win both games here.  The Raiders are still looking for revenge against the Chiefs from last year’s meltdown, which included superstar running back Sebastian Janikowski.  The Shake, Rattle, and Roll running back trio should be able to pick apart the Chiefs’ defense, leaving them vulnerable for some deep throws from Russell.  2-0, Raiders.

Doing the math, I have the Raiders finishing the AFC West with a 4-2 record.  Looking at the rest of the league, I give them a final record of 8-8 or 9-7.  The ability to make the playoffs will largely be based off of the success or failure of the Chargers.  Should the Raiders come out of the AFC West with a winning record against the division, it will leave them with a real shot at an upset division title.