Oakland Raiders: 5 Burning Questions the Silver and Black Must Answer

After the demoralizing loss the Oakland Raiders suffered at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, many fingers were pointed and blame was spread around amongst the team.

In the aftermath, there are many questions that fans and experts alike want answered in Oakland. 

Taking a 21-3 lead into halftime of their Week 2 road game, the Raiders had to be brimming with confidence. Coming out of the half, they looked like someone spiked their Gatorade on defense as they gave up 35 points en route to blowing a golden opportunity to start 2-0 on the young season.

The stakes were amplified by the difficult three-game stretch the Raiders face beginning this Sunday when the New York Jets come to town. The Raiders' head coach Hue Jackson did his best to pull together a locker room that appeared ready to tear itself apart in the press. 

The Raiders face many difficult decisions and must act immediately if they are to right the ship and patch the holes that threaten to take on water and possibly sink their season. 

I understand there may be 20 questions the fans would like to hear the Raiders answer but I have created an article addressing the five questions they must address immediately to stay afloat in the AFC West. 

Question #5: What Is Taking Place in the Locker Room at Halftime?

One thing is for certain in the two games the Raiders have played this year: They need to address whatever it is they are doing at halftime.

In the Denver game in Week 1, the Raiders led 16-3 at halftime only to watch that lead trimmed to three points by the start of the fourth quarter. The offense sputtered as Denver carved away at the lead throwing the ball.

The Raiders fought back in the fourth and stretched their lead to 23-13, but Denver answered and cut it to three points once again. Had Kyle Orton not had butter fingers and lost the football with Denver driving deep in Raider territory Oakland could easily be 0-2.

They dominated the first half of that game at Mile High. They overcame a costly turnover on their first offensive play from scrimmage and left multiple opportunities on the field and yet, they led 16-3 at halftime.

At the start of the second half, the Raiders appeared to play a softer coverage and it backfired on them as it always has.

They allowed the Broncos to get back in the game and the crowd responded. Had the Raiders not pulled out the victory they would have started the season letting a prime opportunity slip through their fingers.

Fast forward to Week 2 and the Raiders appeared every bit the bully in the first half against the Bills. They led 21-3 going into the locker room and the hometown Bills fans were prepared for more of the same when the third quarter began.

The Raiders' offense had begun to fire on all cylinders in the second quarter and although the Raiders' run defense had yielded a big run to Fred Jackson early, the Bills still mustered only 53 yards on the ground in the first half and 102 through the air.

Again it appeared as though someone spiked the Gatorade in the locker room.

The Raiders gave up an 80-yard touchdown drive to open the third quarter that took only four offensive snaps and 1:34 to hit pay dirt.

Then on the ensuing Raiders' possession, Darren McFadden fumbled and the defense crumbled.

All in all, the Raider defense yielded a sickening 35 points in the second half as they allowed Ryan Fitzpatrick and any receiver he chose to tear off big chunks of yardage. Jackson ended up rushing for 117 yards on just 15 carries for a 7.8 average per carry.

They failed to make even basic plays on defense. They missed tackles and let interceptions slip through their hands as they watched their 2-0 start evaporate right in front of their eyes.

I understand when you are leading at the half and playing well defensively the tendency is to stick with what is working but to not have some kind of an adjustment made during the second half was pathetic.

As for the players they should have been embarrassed. If they didn't look tired, they looked out of position and if they were in position, they failed to make the play. 

Whatever they are doing at halftime, try the opposite! It couldn't get worse.

Question #4: How Do You Plan on Fixing the Run Defense?

I watched Fred Jackson dart through a wide open hole in the defensive line only to find nary a linebacker in sight as he dashed into the secondary. Throw an easy juke on a safety and you're home free to the end zone.

It was painful to watch how easily the stout defensive line of the Oakland Raiders got pushed around by the Bills on Sunday. Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly are two very imposing and very strong interior linemen capable of anchoring the center of the line.

Willing to rotate in are "Big" John Henderson who made his name as a run-stuffing tackle and Desmond Bryant known as a will-over-might tenacious player.

Matt Shaughnessy and Lamarr Houston are two young defensive ends on the rise and primed for a big year making this unit one of the most talented and tough lines in the league, or so we thought.

A week after looking solid against the run in Denver, the Raiders looked like a junior college trying to stop the Bills offensive attack in the second half.

Fred Jackson ripped off 117 yards on only 15 carries and had three rushes of more than 20 yards. He had a pair of 43-yard carries against the Oakland defense.

Once he was past the big boys up front he rarely encountered much resistance as middle linebacker Rolando McClain was often out of position and being taken out of the play because of it. Why run to the outside when you can find a clear path straight ahead?

As the second half wore on the defense wore out. They began to look like a team that had been facing the Patriot offense all day. Luckily for the Raiders, they have until Oct. 2 before Tom Brady will look to set passing records on them.

The truth is, the Raiders should not have been tired. They controlled the time of possession on offense in the first half. The first Buffalo drive of the second half took only three plays and 1:34 to cover 80 yards.

Truth be told, the Bills didn't have a scoring drive in the second half that took longer than 4:30.

The Raiders offense might have put up 14 points in the second half but in the end, the Bills held the time of possession advantage by 47 seconds.

So why then did I see exhausted defensive linemen when it's well known the Raiders rotate their linemen? Why did Houston have to shift to tackle at times? Why did Seymour go flailing by a Bills player offering only a swipe of his big paw? Why did McClain's lack effort in his pursuit from behind and his effort in tackling?

There is no quick answer for the Raiders on this question because the kind of defense they played on Sunday is a team effort in futility.

Just to be clear, that was possibly the only "effort" they exuded on defense in the second half.

Chuck Bresnahan may be to blame for some adjustments that were not made but he can't go out there and play for these guys. The entire defensive unit needs a long look in the mirror and they need to bring it like their season is on the line the next three weeks.

For all intents and purposes, it is. 

Question #3: What Do You Plan to Do at Cornerback?

It was painfully obvious to anyone watching the game that the Raiders' secondary was exposed by the Bills. The second half was a nice game of pitch and catch by Ryan Fitzpatrick and his wide (open) receivers. 

Chris Johnson baffled viewers by continuing to give cushions of up to 12-15 yards when the Bills just kept throwing quick, short passes. Johnson missed practice on Wednesday but returned today and it's speculated the groin injury he suffered in camp returned. 

Johnson playing off of Stevie Johnson really isn't the lone reason he was giving up yardage so badly. The truth is, even when he was playing press coverage he was getting burned. 

Demarcus Van Dyke came into the game and I was hopeful but he soon exited with an apparent injury. I am a DVD supporter but he is still too young to lean on as a starting corner.

So, what then do the Raiders do?

They could possibly promote Michael Huff to start opposite Stanford Routt. Huff has shown more than capable of covering wide receivers in the slot. It would be worth finding out if he could have the same success out wide in-man coverage. 

If they did move Huff to corner it would take him out of the mix at safety and that is not a position I'm all that thrilled with as it stands right now.

Matt Giordano has come crashing back to Earth with a loud thud. His run support and tackling were poor on Sunday and he is not a strong defender when blitzing or tackling, he gets stopped in his tracks all too often on a blitz. 

Tyvon Branch may have improved his coverage but there is still a lot of work to do to get where he needs to be. Let's not forget he was in perfect position for a late interception and let it slip right between his hands and right to Scott Chandler for a TD.

His run support was the most bothersome thing about his play on Sunday as he would come flying upfield and be caught out of position, leaving him to chase the back down from behind. 

The biggest part of this question is why, when the Raiders lost Nnamdi Asomugha and were possibly so thin at the position, would they only keep four corners on the roster? I realize Huff is being utilized as a corner and Chimdi Chekwa is a corner/safety as well. Routt, Chris Johnson, DVD and Joe Porter!

Why did the Raiders not look to pick up Lito Sheppard or another veteran corner once the first week was over? Why would you not promote Sterling Moore from the practice squad to add to the depth?

NFL teams watch tape of their opponents and if you think other teams are not going to look to spread the Raider defense out and attack the corners you are fooling yourself.

Brady comes to town in less than two weeks. The Patriots will run this defense ragged if they cannot find a way to solidify their depth at the corner and safety position.

As the roster stands right now, they don't have the talent to cover when they are spread thin.

Question # 2: Why Haven't You Made Any Roster Moves Already?

Anyone who has read my articles would know how I feel about the likes of Nick Miller and Joe Porter. Even though so many Raider faithful know what should be done, the team apparently does not. Let's help them understand together.

Miller never had any business making the 53-man roster and the fact that he is still on there is laughable. He can't do anything but hurt this team. He is not a good WR and is so bad on kick returns that I barely have to address it. 

It's not only a lack of talent with Miller.

He continues to bring kicks out of the end zone only to pin the Raiders deep when he only makes it to the 12-yard line before he goes down. The most embarrassing moment from Sunday was when Miller fielded the kickoff four yards deep in the end zone and slipped and fell at the five yard line with nobody even close to him. 

With news today of Taiwan Jones taking kick-return reps at practice, we are left to wonder, what exactly is it that is keeping him on the roster? He is not a good WR, he's a terrible KR/PR, he can't play corner can he?

Miller may be a nice guy but there is no logical reason to keep a more talented and needed player off this roster just to keep him around. Bye Nick.

The Raiders need to do some things to shore up this secondary.

If they picked up Darren Sharper, it would help to bring a veteran and proven playmaker to help the safety depth. Moving Huff to corner full-time would be the most logical and beneficial outcome and even if he has lost a step, Sharper is still a better option at free safety than the Raiders currently have available.

The Raiders should probably call up Lito Sheppard and make nice as well, jettison Joe "where did that guy go?" Porter and strengthen the depth of these corners.

Sheppard is another veteran and pro bowler like Sharper and could come in and play the slot with Huff moving outside. 

The more time the Raiders waste in this process the more costly the price will be. These men need to be brought in to gain familiarity with the scheme, terminology and their teammates.

With the Jets, Patriots and Texans in the next three weeks the Raiders cannot afford to wait and see. They must be proactive and make these moves before their record falls to 1-4.

I like the talent on this team and I like having Michael Bush as the power to compliment Darren McFadden.

Many inside and outside the Raider faithful believe Bush is the piece that could be moved in a trade. I would hate to see him go but if the Raiders can pick up a solid corner in the deal it could help to make them a stronger team as a whole.

Come to think of it.......the Eagles have three pretty good corners right?

Question #1: Where in the World Did Rolando McClain Go?

I'm not ready to call this young man a bust yet but I'm more than willing to say he has been a large disappointment so far. 

When the Raiders selected Rolando McClain with the eighth pick in the 2010 draft, I was very pleased. It seemed the Raiders had made a smart decision to get an impact middle linebacker with a high football IQ from all reports.

Nick Saban, his coach at Alabama, raved about how he was the QB of the defense and was a key part of the success of the Crimson Tide defense. He would get his teammates in the proper positions to make plays and knew where everyone was supposed to be on every play. 

Since he has come to the NFL, the Raider faithful have been waiting for him to show the kind of dominant play you would expect when you draft a linebacker that high. We have yet to see McClain demonstrate an ability to position himself correctly to make an impact. 

He has played well defending the pass but he has been non-existent stopping the run. He was continuously out of position and walled off from the running back against Buffalo.

He is slow to attack the holes at the line of scrimmage and even slower in pursuit, especially when he gives up and decides to jog.

It's one thing to still need time to adjust to the NFL talent but one thing any player has is the ability to hustle, to work and to give maximum effort for your team. Watching McClain quit on multiple plays instead of continuing to work his tail off is something that is unacceptable.

If McClain is truly a film studying monster then he should be sure to key in on himself whenever the Bills were running wild on the Raiders defense. Try getting yourself in position, somewhere near the line of scrimmage to make a play. Oh yeah, you have 255 pounds of muscle so play like it. 

If Hue Jackson wants to build a bully, they better figure out if this kid has a fire to light and throw some gasoline on that fire. He needs to be playing at full speed and looking to hit people hard whenever the opportunity arises. He needs to be an enforcer that brings the pain to running backs if they think they see daylight. 

For losing 10 pounds in the offseason, he still looks slow to react and slow to attack.

This Raiders' defense needs McClain to be all over the field making plays during the game and I'm so very hopeful that Greg Biekert tears him a new one since Biekert was more heart and determination than anything else when he played linebacker, honorably.

You've got a few things you could learn from him RoMac and you better learn them fast.