Raiders Facing Most Pressure in Second Half of Season

At 4-3, the Oakland Raiders are tied for first place in the AFC West with a good shot to make a playoff push. After losing starting quarterback Jason Campbell, the Raiders seem to have rebuilt on the run.

The Raiders look to have had a good draft, replaced Campbell, and added other pieces to the mix. This coming after the Raiders finished .500 for the first time since 2002 with some good players already in place.

This all adds up to certain players being under extreme pressure to take the Raiders the rest of the way.

Turn the page to say who they are.

Defensive Tackle: Richard Seymour

How he's playing now.

Richard Seymour, from the defensive tackle position, leads all defensive lineman in sacks with five. He was supposed to have lost a step but he's on pace for the first double-digit sacks season of his career while still playing the run so tough.

Why he's on the list.

Seymour is a leader on this team that Raiders defensive players look to when times get tough. His mental makeup is such that he puts pressure on himself, and he wants to live up to his huge contract.

Why he's not higher.

Having won three Super Bowls and being a perennial Pro Bowl player, Seymour is the most proven player on the team. 

Wide Receiver: T.J. Houshmandzadeh

How he's playing now.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is going to play in his first game has a Raider on Sunday. He's obviously been working out to have himself in great shape—otherwise, he wouldn't be on the team after coming in for a workout.

Why he's on the list.

Houshmandzadeh was a top-flight, third-down target for a number of years in Cincinnati. He then went to Seattle and later Baltimore, where he was no longer the go-to guy on 3rd-and-7.

The Raiders really need for Houshmandzadeh to be that third-down target again, as they aren't doing so well on third down now. Houshmandzadeh is also trying to live down that crucial drop in the playoffs last year.

Why he's not higher.

Houshmandzadeh just joined the team and he has mixed expectations with a No. 1 receiver already there. 

Left Tackle: Jared Veldheer

How he's playing now.

Jared Veldheer has played lights out in the first half of the season, as he has yet to give up a sack. He gave up a few pressures against the Chiefs and had some holding calls on him in his worst game of the season.

Before the Chiefs game, Veldheer hadn't let anyone near the quarterback.

Why he's on the list.

Veldheer is a left tackle on a team that has recently made moves to upgrade their passing game. None of which will matter if Veldheer doesn't keep protecting the quarterback the way he is now.

Why he's not higher.

He's playing well and is only a third-round pick in his second year.  

Outside Linebacker: Aaron Curry

How he's playing now.

Aaron Curry has come to Raider Nation and showed so far that his lack of production in Seattle may be the Seahawk's fault. He has done so by helping the Raiders go from No. 31 to No. 16 in the NFL against the run.

He was supposed to be a liability in pass coverage but Curry didn't allow a completion with two passes defensed in the Chiefs game.

Why he's on the list.

Curry's pressure comes from being a Top 10 pick in his third year as he tries not to be a bust. It also comes from the Raiders problems against the run and in coverage on running backs.

Why he's not higher.

He's playing well now and didn't cost the Raiders too much. 

Outside Linebacker: Kamerion Wimbley

How he's playing now.

He's not getting the sacks this year, but he is putting tons of pressure on quarterbacks while doing a good job against the run and in pass coverage. The physical element he has brought to the Raiders is just what they needed, as they have vastly improve against the run.

Why he's on the list.

Wimbley is making a lot of money and doesn't have the sacks to justify his huge salary. The Raiders have to continue their play of late against the run and Wimbley has to continue to cover well to make up for it.

Why he's not higher.

There are others with more pressure.

Cornerback: Stanford Routt

How he's playing now.

Stanford Routt is playing pretty well right now, but his 43 percent burn percentage is a little off from the 39 percent he gave up last year. He gave up only five touchdowns last year and has already given up three so far this year.

Why he's on the list.

Routt was basically chosen over All-World corner to that point Nnamdi Asomugha with a big contract.  There's plenty of time to get that burn percentage down, but he can't give up touchdowns at the same rate.

The Raiders pass defense is getting better but the No. 1 corner has to have it together for that to continue.

Why he's not higher.

He's playing pretty well and others have more pressure than he.

Middle Linebacker: Rolando McClain

How he's playing now.

Rolando McClain got off to a bit of a rocky start to the season, but he was still better than last year. Then in the last three games, he has started to look like the player the Raiders drafted in the Top 10 in 2010.

Why he's on the list.

McClain is in his second year, and he's looking to produce to the level of his draft status. Plus, he's the quarterback of a defense that hasn't reasonably stopped the run in nine years.

Why he's not higher.

McClain has looked good lately with the Raiders run defense climbing from No. 31 to No. 16 in the last three games. Plus, there are others with far more pressure on them than he as he is just in year two.

Receiver: Darrius Heyward-Bey

How he's playing now.

Darruis Heyward-Bey is starting to make the late Raiders owner Al Davis look good these days. He is on pace to be the first Raiders receiver to possibly reach the 1,000-yard mark since Randy Moss in 2005.

Why he's on the list.

This is year three for the former Top 10 pick in 2009, so he must perform now or be pronounced a bust. Not only is he a maligned, speed pick by Davis, but the Raiders need a No. 1 receiver to emerge if they are to go anywhere.

Why he's not higher.

While the pressure is on him, he is playing well, but there are still others with more pressure on them.

Running Back: Darren McFadden

How he's playing now.

Darren McFadden had only five yards on two carries against the Chiefs—missing most of the game with a sprained foot. But as of now, he's still on pace to have over 1,400 yards rushing and is among the league leaders in carries over 20 and 40 yards.

Why he's on the list.

McFadden is the best offensive player on the team, and he has to play well for the Raiders to succeed. Every weapon on the Raiders offense can get a chance to make a play because all of the attention McFadden gets.

Why he's not higher.

McFadden is playing very well and outside of Seymour, he's the main reason why the Raiders are heading in the right direction. People are now looking to see what kind of help McFadden will have going forward. 

Quarterback: Carson Palmer

How he's playing now.

Carson Palmer came over to Raider Nation in the trade of the decade and bombed out in his first game. He was not prepared to play in the game, as he knew only 15 plays and was supposed to sit the game out.

Why he's the No. 1 player on the list.

I did call it the trade of the decade, and we will soon find out how it panned out for the Raiders.

He started his career as a franchise quarterback in Cincinnati before injuries caused his play to fall off.

I believe in his mind, being stuck with Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens while watching T.J. Houshmandzadeh walk out the door had a lot to do with why he refused to ever play for the Bengals again—forcing the trade.

Now, Palmer is in Raider Nation trying to prove that he is healthy and a franchise quarterback again—meaning he's worth two possible first-round picks. He's also out to prove that he is right over Mike Brown and the Bengals organization.

Let's not forget that the Raiders were 4-2 with Jason Campbell at quarterback, so Palmer is going to have to outdo that.

That's pressure!

Overview

This article is about players, but I have to mention the pressure Raiders head coach Hue Jackson is under. So far, Curry is working out well, but it took a lot of guts to make the moves for Palmer and Houshmandzadeh.  

He is and absolute genius if those two players work out and a big dummy if the don't. Many in Raider Nation already believe the latter as they believe Jackson just acquired two washed up players.

He's going to need a lot of that Irish Coffee he likes if the two moves don't work out. But the stress level is high in Raider Nation for more than just Jackson, as the players I named have to get it done.

If they do, it's happy days in Raider Nation.