Oakland Raiders Midseason Report Card

Quarterback: C

The Raiders have had instability at the quarterback position since Rich Gannon retired. This year, they bring in Jason Campbell, but Bruce Gradkowski took over in Week 2. Well Campbell has taken back over since Gradkowski's shoulder injury, and Campbell has played well. During the Raiders' two-game winning streak, Campbell has thrown for over 500 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Due to the poor play of quarterback early in the season, the Raiders passing game earns the grade of a C.

Running Back: A+

The Raiders' running game speaks for itself, being second in the NFL in rushing only behind the Chiefs. The Raiders are averaging over almost 170 yards per game, and this is due to the breakout year of Darren McFadden. In 6 games, McFadden has 668 yards and four touchdowns. To compliment him, is 245-pound Michael Bush who has rushed for over 307 yards and has rushed for four touchdowns as well. With nearly 600 yards rushing over the past two weeks, this gives the Raiders an A+ for their running game.

Wide Receiver: D

Let's face it. Although the Raiders have played extremely well of late, their young receivers have not been a big part of the offense. Second year man Darrius Heyward-Bey did have a big day in Week 8, catching five passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, a career game. Even though Heyward-Bey had a big game, the Raiders' receivers have not played well. They need to play much better throughout the course of the season if they want any chance to make the playoffs.

Tight End: A

Tight end Zach Miller has emerged as one of the top tight ends in the NFL. Miller is third amongst tight ends in receiving yards with 461. Miller has set a career high in touchdowns with four, and he will see the end zone a few more times before all is set and done in the 2010 season. No. 80 is the Raiders' number one target in the passing game, earning him a grade of an A.

Offensive Line: C

Now i understand the Raiders are ranked second in the league in rushing, and a lot of the credit goes to the offensive line, But Jason Campbell has been sacked 15 times which is ninth worst in the NFL. They must do a better job of protecting the quarterback, because they have played extremely well with the running game.

Defense: C+

The Raiders are ninth best in the NFL in total yards, giving up 310 per game. The Raiders defense has played well of late, but they still struggle against the run, 26th in the league. The Oakland defense is very good at defending the pass, only giving up 183 yards per game. A lot of this is due to the shutdown abilities of all-pro defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha. 

The defense has gotten better, but they earned a C+ for the first half of the year.

Overall Grade: C+