As the schizophrenic NFL continues to twist like a ball-park pretzel, the Raiders find themselves relieved not to be eliminated from the playoff discussion. With injuries always playing a part in each teams big finish, Oakland has several things that need to fall in place if there is to be a 17th game.Without further adieu, let's take a look at what has to happen in order for Oakland to continue their competitive play.Begin Slideshow
The Raiders are coming off of their third straight win, including two wins over divisional opponents. This team is looking exceptional and has been on a roll advancing to above .500 for the first time in years.
Hopes haven't been this high for Raider Nation, this late in the season, since 2002.
But let's face it, this team is battered and weakened. They've paid a hefty price to get those five victories and it shows in the team's numerous injuries.
Right now the Raiders need a bye week more than anything, and luckily that is just what they're getting.
If the Raiders had a game this week their ...
One by one the patterns of the performance of the Oakland Raiders are being broken. Even more faulty patterns need to be shattered to demonstrate consistency. Consistency would help to prove that there is, indeed, a thriving team of Oakland Raiders.
Here is a partial list of data that gives us more insight on the Oakland Raiders.
Year
No. of Bye
Win-Loss Before
Win-Loss After
2000
4
LW
WW
2001
5
WW
WW
2002
2
WW
WW
2003
7
LL
L
2004
9
LW
L
2005
4
LW
L
2006
2
LL
L
2007
4
WW
L
2008
4
LL
L
2009
8
LL
L
2010
9
WW
X
Note that in 2001 and 2002 the Oakland Raiders had consecutive wins before and after Bye Week. In 2000, the Raiders had a win before Bye Week but that win was preceded by a loss, giving the LW pattern that showed up three out ...
Back in the day, part of what made the Oakland Raiders so tough for their opponents was the hangover they had the week following.
A lot of teams would get up for "Raider Week" knowing they had to give it their best shot when they played the Raiders. They also had to prepare for the physical punishment they knew was coming their way from facing the Silver and Black.
Sometimes the Raiders opponents won, many more times they did not. Most of the time the Raiders opponents lost their game the following week.
This was the basis for what was called the Raiders mystique. It ...
The Raiders are headed into their bye week with a winning record for the first time since Rich Gannon was the quarterback. The Raiders are sitting at 5-4 and have a very tough schedule to end their season. If the Raiders can win four out of their last seven games, Oakland could surprise everyone and make the playoffs. The road to the playoffs will be anything but easy for the Raiders with their seven remaining games. Only one of their remaining seven opponents has a losing record, and four of those games are away from home. The Raiders are getting healthy, and ...
The Oakland Raiders have won three in a row while moving to a half-game behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West race. That winning streak will be on hold as the Raiders enter their bye week in Week 10.
For now, the Raiders are 5-4 and have been rolling through the competition, sometimes closer than others.
But in two weeks, the Raiders will begin what looks like a brutal conclusion to the season, including road trips to Pittsburgh, Kansas City, San Diego and Jacksonville, while at home, they will play Miami, Denver and Indianapolis.
There are no easy victories in that ...
The Oakland Raiders are picking up momentum as they move to 5-4. This places them second and in the hunt for the AFC West title. The Raiders victory over their longtime nemesis KC Chiefs was a great moral booster. It also showed that the Raiders never give up! Under coach Tom Cable and assistant Hue Jackson the Oakland Raiders are thriving. In fact they haven't had three straight wins since the days of Rich Gannon, Tim Brown and Jerry Rice. The Oakland Raiders played against a complete Kansas City Chiefs team. As for the Silver and Black, they were handicapped ...
The Oakland Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a monumental game last Sunday. The Raiders improved to 5-4 while the Chiefs slipped to 5-3. The Raiders are now above .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2002 and only 1/2 game back for the AFC West lead.
The match-up featured the Chiefs top ranked rushing attack and the Raiders #2 ground game. Most thought the difference was going to be the Raiders inability to stop the run. The Raiders are and have been ranked near the bottom of the league when it comes to stopping the opposing team's ground game.
Jamaal Charles ...
The A’s have won the bidding for Japanese right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma. As yet unsubstantiated reports indicate the A’s offered roughly $17 million for his services to the Rakuten Golden Eagles, Iwakuma’s old team.
I became aware of Hisashi Iwakuma back between the 2004 and 2005 seasons. In 2004, at age 23, he had gone a spectacular 15-2 for the Kintetsu Buffaloes, one of the Pacific League’s perennial also-rans.
It was the second year in a row he had won 15 games, which is a lot given NPB’s shorter seasons, and his great 2004 season positioned him as one of the top young ...
The last time the Oakland Raiders sold out Oakland Alameda County Coliseum was September 14, 2009 on the Monday night season opener against the San Diego Chargers.
The Raider faithful that filled Oakland Alameda County Coliseum yesterday were treated to an exhilarating and exhausting comeback overtime win against arch rival Kansas City.
The win was the first time the Raiders have won three in a row in the AFC West since 1990 and three in a row overall since their Super Bowl runner-up season of 2002. It has been a long time since a ...