Five Players To Watch in The Oakland Raiders' Second Preseason Game

With the second preseason game of the 2010 season tomorrow night, I have noted the five players whose performance on Saturday will matter the most to Raiders fans.

Samson Satele

In their first preseason game, there were two plays which really stood out for the Oakland Raiders' offense, and not in a good way. The first was the only sack that Jason Campbell suffered. The second was a running play in which Michael Bush was stuffed for a loss. In both instances, replays showed that Samson Satele was easily beaten and it was his man who made the defensive play. While the left tackle may be the most important and highest paid offensive lineman, the center is the anchor of an offensive line. If the Raiders wish to see improvement on offensive line this season, the first move they need to make is to figure out the center position. Mediocre play over the last two seasons has led to horrific numbers on offense. If Samson Satele does not start to play much better, look for rookie Jared Veldheer to challenge him for a starting role.

Chris Johnson

I was absolutely shocked when the Oakland Raiders decided to offer Stanford Routt a first and third tender. This meant that the Raiders would pay him over $3 million this season and that any team who wished to sign him away would have to forfeit a first and third round pick for the right. However, there are murmurs from training camp that Routt is challenging incumbent starter Chris Johnson for his starting spot. Johnson claims that his starting spot is safe, but if he is not able to impress in the remaining three preseason games, Johnson might start seeing time at the nickle back position. Jay Cutler is a interception machine, if Johnson wants to ensure his starting position, this is the game that he could really impress.

Michael Bush

Surprise, surprise, Darren McFadden is injured. For the second week in a row, Darren McFadden might not even see the field. For Michael Bush, this is the opportunity he has been waiting for. Since he has been on the team, Bush has been the most complete back the Raiders have had. He is big enough to punish defenders and has enough speed to break away for  big gains. The Bears ranked 23rd against the rush last season, but with Brian Urlacher back on the field, they will be much harder to run against. If Bush can play well against the first team Bears defense, it will go a long way towards earning the starting role.

Jason Campbell

Jason Campbell looked decidedly average against the Cowboys in the first preseason game. That being said, it was his first game as a Raider and after he got some reps in, he led the Raiders on a long drive in the second quarter. It will be interesting to see if he can build off of last week and show that he really knows the Raider offense and can lead it on a consistent basis. The Bears pass defense is average and Oakland's young talent should be able to produce so Campbell has the opportunity to have a good showing.

Rolando McClain

With all of the excitement over how well Oakland's upgraded defensive line played against the Cowboys, it was easy not to notice the lack of production from Rolando McClain. McClain had only one tackle in that game, something he will look to improve on against the Bears. Chicago had the fourth fewest yards on the ground last year but threw the ball decently well. It will be a good opportunity for McCain to get some tackles in the run game and see whether his perceived weakness against the pass is an actual weakness.