Oakland Raiders: Halfway through the Season and Showing They're Just Average

The Oakland Raiders blew a 10-point halftime lead at home yesterday to the Denver Broncos, missing a golden opportunity to take over sole possession of first place in the AFC West. Was it an aberration? A fluke? No. To quote Dennis Green, "they are who we thought they were!"

The Raiders are 4-4, and although they're tied for first place in the AFC West, the fact remains that at this point, they are a thoroughly average football team. They have shown over the course of the first half of this season that they can beat good teams (Jets) and are capable of losing to bad teams (Broncos). They can win close games (Cleveland) or simply get blown out, as they were against Kansas City.

"We're just a very inconsistent team" Raiders coach Hue Jackson explained in the post-game press conference.

Inconsistency is one problem, but sloppy, undisciplined play is something that has plagued the Raiders all year, highlighted by their 15 penalties for 130 yards against Denver.

“I think we’re not a very intelligent team right now,” Jackson said. “We’re not playing very intelligently when it comes to penalties.”

If there was an award for understatement, Hue Jackson would have it all locked up.

In addition to the penalties committed, the special teams play was subpar, culminating with an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown by Eddie Royal.

On the positive side, Carson Palmer looked markedly better than he did against the Chiefs two weeks ago. The Raider quarterback was obviously more in tune with the receivers and more comfortable with the playbook.

The return of running back Darren McFadden, who was averaging 5.4 yards per carry before a foot injury, will also give them a boost on offense, although Michael Bush has played well in McFadden's absence.

The Raiders will play four of their next five games on the road, including a key matchup Thursday night in San Diego. After losing two of three at home, they are certainly facing an uphill battle the rest of the way.