The Oakland Raiders are far better than they were a year ago, starting the 2015 season at 2-3.
But the team still has a handful of glaring weaknesses that will need to be fixed if it wants to contend for a playoff spot going forward.
With that, let's get right into it.
1. Pass rush
The Raiders pass rush hasn't exactly been elite this season despite the presence of Khalil Mack and Aldon Smith. Mack has tallied three sacks on the season while Smith has 1.5.
Oakland has 10 sacks on the season, which is tied for 21st in the league. It's not an awful ...
The Oakland Raiders had two weeks of preparation for their Week 7 matchup with the San Diego Chargers, but that doesn’t make conquering their challengers an easier task.
The Chargers' 2-4 record isn’t indicative of Philip Rivers’ play. He’s on pace to surpass records set by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. In a bit of a mismatch, Oakland’s suspect pass defense will match up against the Chargers' high-powered passing attack.
On the flip side, Oakland has the personnel to attack the weaknesses in the Chargers lineup.
One particular cornerback within San Diego’s secondary has surrendered five ...
The San Diego Chargers have turned the tables in the rivalry with the Oakland Raiders, winning 19 of the last 23 meetings straight up. But Oakland is 4-1 against the spread in the last five games against San Diego and 7-3 ATS over the last 10 meetings. A pair of AFL originals meet for the 112th time when the Chargers host the Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
Point spread: The Chargers opened as four-point favorites; the total was 47 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).
NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 29.5-18.3 Chargers
Why the Raiders ...
The Oakland Raiders Week 7 stock report entails some foreshadowing on the expanding roles of three rookies and disappointments with a pair of veterans.
Throughout the Raiders’ bye week, reporters questioned the coaching staff about what self-scouting meant to them as individuals. The head coach and both coordinators mentioned the concept of reflection.
The coaching staff as a whole took an inventory on their play-calling decisions. In the midst of weighing past options, personnel decisions factor into pushing this team further along in development.
Wholesale changes won’t shake up the roster, but look for minor tweaks in less prominent roles to improve the ...
The Oakland Raiders announced on Tuesday that they have re-signed safety Taylor Mays after placing defensive end Justin Tuck on injured reserve.
The merry-go-round continues for Mays, whom the Raiders cut a day before their Week 5 game against the Denver Broncos. According to CSNBayArea.com's Scott Bair, the decision to cut him was based upon his availability while dealing with an ankle injury.
It wasn't the first time the Raiders had cut him this season either.
Going into 2015, Mays began the preseason as a member of the Detroit Lions but was granted a release toward the end of August. Just ...
The Oakland Raiders brought in Ken Norton Jr.’s fresh mind to manage and develop a revamped defense, and he’s stirring the pot for positive results.
To an extent, thinking outside the box factors into good coaching. Norton has already placed his fingerprint on the Raiders defense with innovative thinking in his first six weeks as the defensive coordinator.
Initially, Oakland’s lack of sacks, leaky pass defense and poor coverage on tight ends led to the idea that Norton came into this position way in over his head. Over the past three weeks, however, he’s flipped the narrative by breaking the mold, exploring ...
The Oakland Raiders will depend on a pair of rookies to compensate for roster attrition and weaknesses within the front seven.
According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders placed defensive end Justin Tuck on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle suffered in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.
To put Tuck’s importance in perspective, he ranked 11th overall among 51 defensive ends in a 3-4 alignment, per Pro Football Focus. He’ll likely continue to provide vocal leadership behind the scenes and from the sidelines, but his on-field production comes to an end in 2015.
Mario Edwards Jr.
It’s the next-man-up mentality for the Raiders, ...
What’s wrong with the Oakland Raiders' rushing attack? The coaching staff will spend a large portion of the bye week coming up with a solution to the biggest problem on the offensive side of the ball.
Head coach Jack Del Rio's conservative use of starting running back Latavius Murray down the stretch in the previous two outings compounded the issues in the backfield.
Del Rio didn’t seem particularly down on Murray during Wednesday’s press conference, and it’s safe to say that he’ll continue to shoulder the bulk of the load coming out of the bye.
So, what’s wrong with the ground attack? We’ll ...
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr’s pick-six thrown to Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris stands out, but there’s a bigger issue going unnoticed.
No, this isn’t a reference to the Blue Angels theory reported by Bleacher Report’s Kyle Newport. According to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, head coach Jack Del Rio actually assigned fault to both the quarterback and wide receiver involved in the play:
Let’s backtrack a bit.
The Raiders averaged 24 points per game heading into Week 5 and struggled to score 10 points on Sunday.
The Broncos have the fifth-ranked pass defense in the league, allowing 192.8 yards per contest, but ...
The Oakland Raiders continue to go through growing pains with another loss at home to the undefeated Denver Broncos.
In 2014, the Raiders didn’t belong on the same field as the Broncos. On Sunday, Oakland led for an entire half but fell behind late due to missed opportunities and one critical turnover.
For the most part, Denver’s offensive line provided enough time for Peyton Manning in the pocket. However, safety Charles Woodson forced two interceptions. One of those turnovers preserved the Raiders' 7-3 lead going into halftime.
Despite Woodson’s remarkable performance, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris took an interception one step further for a ...