Oakland Raiders: With Room Left for Improvement How Good Can These Raiders Be?

On Sunday the Oakland Raiders sent a loud and clear message to teams around the league.

The bully is getting stronger.

That message was driven home as they thumped the usually stout New York Jets defense to the tune of 234 yards on the ground.  These Raiders are becoming the bully their coach promised they would be. Behind Darren McFadden and the offensive line, they are rushing towards the top of the AFC.  

McFadden was the bell cow once again for the Raiders, rushing for 171 yards on 19 carries. He has been nothing short of outstanding and punishing this year.

Michael Bush is the thunder to McFadden's lightning and can come in to close games out.

He showcased on Sunday that he is also a smart player with soft hands. He and Jason Campbell were on the same page on an improvised completion for 28 yards for a big play with three minutes left in the fourth quarter.  Taiwan Jones is another late round gem for the Raiders. He is electric and extremely fast. They look to get him more involved each week to capitalize on his home-run ability.

Marcel Reece has shown to be a weapon at fullback, and I expect this to be the case once again as soon as he is healthy.   

Behind an offensive line that is keeping him upright, Jason Campbell has managed the offense efficiently. He is able to keep them in good position to win games and his lone interception came at the end of the Bills game on a hail Mary.

Through three games this year, the Raiders' line has surrendered just two sacks. The sack against the Jets should not even be in that stat column, as he tripped over his own player.

It's safe to say that the Raiders are not second-guessing letting Robert Gallery leave via free agency.  Stefen Wisniewski has been a revelation as a rookie at left guard. McFadden loves to run behind the left side of the line with Veldheer and Wiz leading the way.  Jared Veldheer has taken another leap forward to place him on the cusp of the league's elite left tackles. His hard work and improvement have been key to the Raiders' early success.

Samson Satele has been arguably the most improved lineman and anyone watching the game against the Jets had to admire his hustle to get a devastating block on Denarius Moore's 23 yard scamper for a TD on the reverse.

Cooper Carlisle and Khalif Barnes have held their own for the most part. Most Raider fans, including myself, are hoping they will be overtaken by Bruce Campbell and Joe Barksdale at some point this year. 

The arsenal of receivers has been much improved this year, even though they have yet to play a game at full strength.

The emergence of Denarius Moore has been a welcome sight. He is an explosive playmaker and looks to have an expanding role each week.  Jacoby Ford could possibly return this weekend, and it would go a long way to helping the position.  Darrius Heyward-Bey looks improved, but has yet to have a break-out game this year.  Chaz Schilens has been minimally involved, and one has to wonder about his burst and ability to get separation.  Derek Hagan has been a reliable veteran and a solid addition.

Louis Murphy looks to return as soon as this weekend, and will try to find his place in the depth chart. Kevin Boss proved his worth as he sealed the edge on Darren McFadden's 70-yard touchdown run against the Jets. He also added two catches for 36 yards.

The Raiders defense appears to be the Achilles heel for a team on the rise. If they wish to contend for a championship, they must find ways to improve. 

Or have they already?

Word came Tuesday morning that the Raiders released Sterling Moore from the practice squad. This may seem like an insignificant move to some.  Some of you may know of my support of Moore.  I believe he should have been on the 53-man roster instead of Nick Miller. 

What this move may signal is that the Raiders feel very confident in their young secondary. 

Chris Johnson and Michael Huff left the game against the Jets very early. Joe Porter and Chimdi Chekwa stepped up and played admirably. I have been very harsh on Porter thus far. I still believe his coverage and tackling ability leave much to be desired. I would rather see Moore or veteran Lito Sheppard in his spot, but he didn't get lit up against the Jets. 

Chekwa played out of his mind filling in for Chris Johnson. Granted, he gave up a TD catch to Plaxico Burress but he showed he can handle himself very well. 

Stanford Routt needs to cut down on his penalties but he has blanketed any receiver he has been tasked with covering.

Chris Johnson's injuries are concerning. He had surgery on his groin in the preseason and left Sundays game with a hamstring injury. If he is not ready to go when the Patriots come calling the secondary could be left thin.  Michael Huff is going through concussion testing and will hopefully be available for Sunday. He has played very well making the transition from free safety to cornerback. Demarcus Van Dyke has battled injury and looks to return soon. He showed promise early on and will be counted on if he is activated for Sunday's game.

The return of Mike Mitchell could prove invaluable.

He was utilized in many red-zone defensive packages last year and showed he was very capable. He could be used as a LB against the Patriots along with Jerome Boyd to boost coverage on short routes.

The Bills swapped their linebackers for more defensive backs against the Patriots and it delivered results. It may be an "all hands on deck" type of day for the secondary. 

The linebackers have played sporadically.

That spotty play has been mostly that of second-year linebacker Rolando McClain. He has defended a few passes, but still gets burned occasionally. He needs to step up at attacking the line of scrimmage, and his tackling has been lackluster to say the least.  Quentin Groves has played much better than last year, and deserves to be acknowledged for it. He seems to be in the right place at the right time and has made impact tackles.  Kamerion Wimbley is still a tad worrisome in coverage, but his pass-rushing skills are great. He proved the Raiders were wise when they acquired him from the Cleveland Browns.

The defensive line has been solid but also sporadic. They have applied pressure to the pocket and have notched seven sacks through three weeks. In Week 2, they were unable to get significant pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick or stop Fred Jackson from running wild. They must be more consistent for the Raiders to take the next step.

The defensive line rotation has brought another reclamation project to the forefront. Jarvis Moss stepped up and had a huge game against the Jets. He notched two sacks, knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage and had a tackle for loss.

In a previous article addressing the Raiders weaknesses in the secondary, I said they should release Moss to make roster room for DB's and possibly a free safety. I was wrong about Moss, he deserves to be on this team and see significant time in passing downs.

So, where does that leave this team?

With all that being said, the Raiders are 2-1 and their loss came to a Buffalo team that just picked off Tom Brady four times in their comeback victory.  They just out-bullied a known bully in the NFL. It was a statement victory to smash the Jets into submission using early MVP candidate Darren McFadden, and Jason Campbell managed the offense well once again.

The Raiders are on the rise and need only a few position groups to step up or a free agency pick-up to solidify the defense and catapult them towards the top.  I still believe they should look at Lito Sheppard and Darren Sharper again to possibly fill gaps at cornerback and free safety.

If the Raiders can improve their consistency on defense, this team will win the AFC West and have the talent and ability to make a run in the playoffs. It will be exciting to see how it unfolds.