Raiders' oft-injured Hayden on shelf to start season Vic Tafur Updated 11:47 pm, Tuesday, August 26, 2014 http://www.sfgate.com/raiders/article/Raiders-oft-injured-Hayden-on-shelf-to-start-5714287.php Dennis Allen saying Monday that DJ Hayden looked good in workouts and that the Raiders would wait until Saturday to decide, the cornerback was placed on the physically unable to perform list Tuesday morning. That means that last year's first-round pick, who had surgery in June for a stress fracture in his foot, is out at least the first six weeks of the season. Allen said that Oakland needed the roster spot after a couple of injuries Monday left it shorthanded for Thursday's preseason finale against Seattle. "We didn't feel like (Hayden) was ready," Allen said. "He was a couple of weeks away from actually being ready to be out there practicing and playing football." Hayden now can't start practicing until after six weeks, and then there is a five-week window when the team has to either activate him or put him on injured reserve. The injury was first thought to be a rolled ankle, and Allen said he didn't think it was serious. Even after the surgery, Hayden was expected to be back by now. "You don't know how guys are going to respond to injuries," Allen said. "We were all hopeful." Former 49ers Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers, originally slated to play the slot, have been starting in Hayden's absence, and Chimdi Chekwa looks to be the first man off the bench. He has been sidelined with a minor injury, and Allen is not sure if he will be back by the season opener Sept. 7. Free-agent signee Neiko Thorpe and seventh-round pick TJ Carrie have come on strong at camp and in the preseason in backup roles. Fourth-round pick Keith McGill will probably make the roster as a project. Hayden missed practice time last year because of complications in his recovery from a serious injury that ended his 2012 college season at Houston. He was then placed on injured reserve after eight games last season because of a sports hernia. Hayden struggled for most of the eight games he was on the field. Also Tuesday, the Raiders waived third-year receiver Juron Criner and fourth-string quarterback Trent Edwards, who played at Stanford. The 6-foot-3 Criner used his basketball skills to tease the coaches with some nice catches up high, but he never got much playing time. The fifth-round pick from Arizona finished with 19 catches for 183 yards in two seasons. Tight end Nick Kasa (knee) was placed on injured reserve and is out for the year, and offensive lineman Lucas Nix was waived because he failed a physical. Oakland also waived-injured safety Larry Asante, receiver Greg Jenkins and running back Kory Sheets. The first two were hurt at practice Monday, Allen said, making the Hayden move necessary. The Raiders also claimed former Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio off waivers from Detroit. Tavecchio has been in the 49ers, Packers and Lions training camps the past three years. Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski (quad) will miss his second straight preseason game Thursday. Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vtafur@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VicTafur
Derek Carr excited but not surprised, ready for Jets Posted on Tuesday, September 2 at 3:31pm | By Vic Tafur http://blog.sfgate.com/raiders/2014/09/02/derek-carr-excited-but-not-surprised-ready-for-jets/ Derek Carr said he was excited about the news Monday that he had won the starting quarterback job, but not necessarily surprised. “I wasn’t thinking about being the starter or about being the backup,” Carr said Tuesday. “All I care about is the Raiders winning.” He said Matt Schaub shook his hand, said congratulations, and has been even more help to him this week in preparing for the Jets than he was in training camp – which was a lot. “He’s always stopping me, and saying, ‘Remember, if they do this, than you do this.” He knows that Jets coach Rex Ryan has a history of making rookie quarterbacks look bad, but essentially said ‘bring it on.’ “Rex Ryan has great blitz packages,” Carr said. “He has a lot of different looks and me being a rookie quarterback he’ll probably show them all. … I was always expect a lot, and I will be ready for anything — I tend to overthink everything and over-prepare.”
James Jones compares Derek Carr to Aaron Rodgers Posted on Tuesday, September 2 at 8:18am | By Vic Tafur http://blog.sfgate.com/raiders/2014/09/02/james-jones-compares-derek-carr-to-aaron-rodgers/ Receiver James Jones said he was one of the few people in the Raiders locker room that was not surprised the coaching staff went with rookie quarterback Derek Carr over veteran Matt Schaub on Monday. Jones spent the past six seasons catching passes from Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, and has been excited about Carr’s similar development. “He’s really calm, really cool in the pocket,” Jones said. “He acts like he’s been there before. I’ve been calling him mini A-Rod since he got here.” But Rodgers sat for a couple of years behind Brett Favre in Green Bay. Carr is the first rookie quarterback to ever start the opener for the Raiders. Carr joins his older brother, David, as rookies to start in the season opener. They are the only brothers to do that since at least 1950, according to STATS. David was the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft and won his debut for the expansion Houston Texans against Dallas in 2002. But he either held on to the ball to long or was the victim of a bad offensive line, depending on who you ask, and was considered a bust. Derek Carr idolizes his brother and credits him, and watching NFL game film at the age of 11, with his development. “I learned everything that he did right and everything that he did wrong,” Derek Carr said. “He told me that if he could do anything, he hopes he made the path smoother for me as I transition into the NFL.” Raiders center Stefen Wisniewski said that on the first day of training camp in July, Carr surprised him by knowing every offensive call in the playbook. “He’s not your typical rookie,” Wisniewski said. “He’s got an NFL quarterback older brother that’s been teaching him for years. He understands defenses at a very advanced level more than most rookies would. I think Derek gets way more prepared than most rookies would be.”
I think he will be very good in time too, just not on september 7th. Carr is right he will be overthinking everything, holding onto the ball to long and taking too many hits for his team to have a chance at winning this game.
He's confident to the point of cockiness, which at the QB positron can be a blessing and a curse. I think he'll end up being in the top half of quarterbacks, but the Raiders haven't been able to deal with the QB position competently since Gannon.
they have a better WR corp than us IMO. none of them are as good as decker but they have young, atheletic guys that can catch and run good routes.. James Jones aint no slack, I know rod streater personally he's always been a good WR (He took one to the house in metlife last year), D.Moore isnt a bum either.
Yeah. You're right. I'm interested in seeing what kinda Decker we will have, you know our offense dooms people, so a 50-60 catch year from him wouldn't surprise me at all. womp.
Can you imagine Jets hitting a long TD?? Make Ds play honest then hit with short yardage to Kerley and Amaro. Then get CJ out of the backfield.... Shit I'm getting goosebumps just imagining it
\ I can imagine CJ taking one to distance...thats about it. Or MAYBE Kerley across the middle. I hope we find a spark this year though i'd love to actually enjoy watching our offense play n not just defense
Schaub extends willing hand upon learning Carr will be Raiders quarterback By Jerry McDonald http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_26454454/schaub-extends-willing-hand-upon-learning-carr-will jmcdonald@bayareanewsgroup.com POSTED: 09/02/2014 04:48:10 PM PDT0 COMMENTS| UPDATED: ABOUT 15 HOURS AGO Oakland Raiders Derek Carr (4) watches the big screen from the sideline in the first quarter of their preseason NFL game against the Detroit Lions at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) ( ANDA CHU ) ALAMEDA -- A decision to switch quarterbacks in the week leading up to the season opener apparently went more smoothly than a year ago. When Derek Carr went to his first quarterback meeting as the newly anointed starter of the Raiders, Matt Schaub greeted him with his hand extended. "He said, 'Hey, congrats, man,' and shook my hand,'' Carr said during a Tuesday news conference. "I started asking how he was doing, how the family was doing. Nothing has changed. In fact, I think he's probably helped me a little more this week because we're game-planning.'' Rewind to the days following the Raiders' season-opening loss in Indianapolis a year ago when Terrelle Pryor was asked about the mood of the quarterback room and Matt Flynn, whom he supplanted as the quarterback. "I can't really think or worry if guys are still dwelling on stuff,'' Pryor said. "My butt is on the line.'' Whether Carr's ascension spurs the Raiders to greater heights remains to be seen, but it's clear it won't have an effect on how he, Schaub or Matt McGloin go about their business. After being deposed, Flynn didn't talk to reporters until he was forced into a starting role when Pryor missed a Week 4 game against Washington with a concussion. Flynn played poorly in that game, and then was released. Schaub, by contrast, answered questions with no trace of bitterness, promised to contribute any way he could and extended his support to Carr. "I'm definitely disappointed but it wouldn't do me or the team any good if I just stood here and felt sorry for myself,'' Schaub said. "I only know how to handle things one way. That's to move forward, stay productive and get myself ready each day so I'm prepared if called upon.'' Carr brings a different energy that has to do more with personality than youth. He can be excited and emotional, while Schaub has always been measured and deliberate. "I just try to be the most passionate teammate I could be,'' Carr said. "When we score I'm so excited. I'm excited because one of my best friends caught a touchdown or one of my best friends ran for a touchdown. Those are the things that get me excited because I like to see others succeed.'' Carr said he was so intent on learning everything he could about the position he never concerned himself with whether or not he would start. "I was really focused on learning this offense the best that I could so when I got on the field, whenever it was, I could help the team win,'' Carr said. "That's all I care about -- the Raiders winning. It was a surprise because I wasn't thinking about it.'' The fourth quarterback selected in the draft, and the only rookie starter, Carr shrugged off any feelings of vindication for teams that didn't take him in the first round. "As a competitor every kid wants to go in the first round,'' Carr said. "Some people didn't see it that way. I'm glad they didn't because I ended up in a great spot, the exact spot that I wanted to be. I can't be upset at it at all.'' Allen believes he and general manager Reggie McKenzie have assembled a team that won't be fazed by a switch in quarterbacks. "Our guys are going to support whoever we put back there,'' Allen said. "Our players' responsibility is to go out there and perform at a high level, but I do think they've responded well to Derek. I think they understand the talent that he is and I think they're excited about him having the opportunity to go out there and play.'' Schaub said he is "absolutely'' healthy enough to play and although he appeared to get less work in practice, Allen said the plan was for Schaub to be the No. 2 quarterback against the Jets on Sunday. Chimdi Chekwa missed practice for the second straight day. The first cornerback up behind starters Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers is rookie seventh-round pick TJ Carrie, Allen said. Carrie could see considerable time in the nickel, probably playing outside with Rogers playing the slot. Cornerback and special teams gunner Taiwan Jones returned to practice. For more on the Raiders, visit the Inside the Oakland Raiders blog at ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders. Follow Jerry McDonald on Twitter at twitter.com/Jerrymcd. Sunday's season opener Raiders at New York Jets, 10 a.m. CBS
Schaub wasn’t worried when Carr threw 3 TDs in preseason finale http://blog.sfgate.com/raiders/2014...ed-when-carr-threw-3-tds-in-preseason-finale/ Posted on Tuesday, September 2 at 4:59pm | By Vic Tafur A dejected Matt Schaub talked to reporters Tuesday, a day after he was told that Derek Carr is the new Raiders starting quarterback. He was surprised when coach Dennis Allen told him the news. “I was, yeah absolutely,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. Yeah, absolutely.” Schaub sat out the preseason finale against Seattle last Thursday, and watched as Carr led the offense to four touchdowns on Oakland’s first four possessions. Schaub said he wasn’t concerned that he might be watching a guy taking his starting job. “No, I didn’t look at it that way,” he said. “I looked at it as our fourth preseason game and our team, and players on our team, getting better and improving and making plays.” Schaub was traded for from Houston to be the starter. Allen went as far as to say that he was still one of the Top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL. But that was before Oakland selected Carr in the second round in the NFL Draft, and he has looked better than the veteran — especially in arm strength. While Schaub said he is obviously disappointed in being benched, he is not going to mope around (which separates him greatly from last season’s fallen starter, Matt Flynn.) Carr said Schaub congratulated him Monday and has been very helpful in getting ready for Sunday’s season-opener against the Jets. “It doesn’t do me any good or do this team any good if I just sat here and felt sorry for myself or the decision,” Schaub said. “I only know how to handle things one way, and that’s just to move forward, and all I can control is my production and what I do each day to get myself ready and when I get an opportunity to go in there, do what I know how to do. Obviously I’m disappointed in that.” While Schaub said his elbow is “absolutely” fine, and Allen said Monday he would be the No. 2 quarterback, Schaub was working with the offensive linemen at Tuesday’s practice while Carr and Matt McGloin got all the throws in. “We’re still working (Schaub) in,” Allen said after practice Tuesday. “It was a while since he had really thrown, so we’re kind of working him in and we’ll evaluate him as the week goes on. The plan is for him to be the backup quarterback.” Schaub didn’t look good in three preseason games — 24 of 47 for 218 yards, no touchdowns and an interception — but said Allen told him the switch was all about Carr. “He did tell me it wasn’t anything that I did or didn’t do,” Schaub said. “He said he was pleased with how I handled everything this offseason, training camp and played, but it was about what Derek had done and his progression, so that’s what that is.” I asked Schaub, in hindsight, if would he have done anything differently if he had known it was a competition? “I wouldn’t have changed one thing,” Schaub said. “Nope.”
Denarius Moore bringing “different demeanor” Posted on Tuesday, September 2 at 8:20pm | By Vic Tafur The Raiders kept Denarius Moore and other receivers on the final roster over former Brown Greg Little because, coach Dennis Allen said, fourth-year veteran Moore … regressed. “D-Mo, I think, has really kind of gotten back to where he was maybe a couple of years ago when we first got here,” Allen said. “I saw a different demeanor out of Denarius Moore this year and he’s been a lot more consistent. I think he’s beginning to take that next step, which is really a positive sign.” Moore caught two touchdown passes from rookie Derek Carr in the preseason finale Thursday to loudly cap off a consistent preseason. “I came in here this year with the mindset that I am not going to try and control things that I really can’t control,” Moore said. “Just catch the pass. That’s something that I can control.” Moore had 618 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games his rookie year, then 576 yards in his first eight games with Allen’s staff in 2012. But he has flashed hot and cold since. “I was worried about being the go-to guy, building up that pressure on myself when I didn’t have to,” Moore said. While the Raiders were intrigued by Little’s big-play ability, Allen said they also kept Brice Butler over him because he was more consistent, and Andre Holmes because he is also a key special-teams player. Briefly: The Raiders are leaving for New York on Thursday and will practice there Friday, trying something different after years of losing back East. … Middle linebacker Nick Roach (concussion) and cornerback Chimdi Chekwa (knee) remain sidelined. Rookie TJ Carrie will be the nickel corner if Chekwa can’t go Sunday. … Cornerback Taiwan Jones (knee) was back at practice.
Derek Carr earns Week 1 start, Oakland hopes he's here to stay Vic Tafur Updated 6:55 am, Wednesday, September 3, 2014 1 of 3 Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt Schaub throws during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Green Bay Packers Friday, Aug. 22, 2014, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer) Photo: Mike Roemer, Associated Press It was a few weeks ago, way back when Matt Schaub was the no-doubt starting quarterback of the Raiders. Head coach Dennis Allen was asked, for what seemed like the 29th time, if he was sure about that. Allen sighed. "I seem to get that question a lot," he said. Well, he has to forgive reporters and fans for questioning him about Schaub. After all, general manager Reggie McKenzie and Allen went through three starting quarterbacks last season. And a different one the year before that. All told, the Raiders have had 17 starting quarterbacks since Rich Gannon led the team to the Super Bowl after the 2002 season. "Yeah, that's a big number," Gannon said. "Hopefully, they found one this year. It looks good." He wasn't talking about Schaub. Second-round pick Derek Carr has stolen the starting quarterback spot after a three-touchdown performance in the preseason finale Thursday. Schaub had opened the door by being ineffective the first three games, and then the coaching staff sidelined him with an elbow injury for the last game. Yes, the same elbow injury that Matt Flynn - No. 16 of 17 on the list - had just before he lost the starting job last preseason. Former Raiders head coach John Madden understands the excitement over Carr, just maybe not the rush to throw him into the fire. "The Raiders haven't had a legitimate good starting quarterback in a long time," Madden said on his KCBS radio show. "Derek Carr looks like he is one. Now, it's too early to say that ... and if you think he is one, then you are looking at a block of 10 years, that he can be the Raiders' starting quarterback for 10 years. "So ... one week or two weeks really doesn't mean a thing right now. It's the overall development. There have been a lot of quarterbacks that have been ruined by playing too early. And then there are quarterbacks like Peyton Manning that they threw in there, took his lumps and became one of the best ever." Confidence not the issue The Raiders traded a sixth-round pick for Schaub long before they knew Carr would be available in the second round of the draft. The former Pro Bowler's days with the Texans were numbered once he set an NFL record by having an interception returned for a touchdown in four straight games. But the Raiders, without using the word stopgap, said they were confident Schaub could regain the form he employed to put together five straight seasons with a passer rating above 90. They re-worked his contract, though, committing to him financially ($8 million) for only one season. Then, the word "confidence" kept coming up. Former teammate Antonio Smith - now a starting defensive tackle on the Raiders - said that Schaub had it back. Schaub said he never lost it. "You can't make it anywhere in this game without having confidence through the roof," Schaub said. "You're going to go through ups and downs as a player. It's how you bounce back from it." The Raiders hoped he would. Schaub was the best player available, in the Raiders' minds, before the draft - and an upgrade over last year's starters, Terrelle Pryor (since traded) and Matt McGloin. "We're not naive enough to think that switching teams is like flipping a switch, and he will go back to the quarterback that he was," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said in June. "But he has skills and he has some shelf life, and some determination. "We think he is going to be a great quarterback for us." Allen went so far as to say that Schaub was still a top-10 quarterback in the NFL. Then the preseason started, and some warning signals from training camp got a little brighter. And they started flashing. Whether it was a lack of arm strength, a sore elbow, or maybe an old foot injury that was preventing him from pushing off, Schaub's fastball had lost something. And it wasn't a great fastball to begin with. Though there are plenty of quarterbacks who thrive with finesse, like Manning, NFL quarterbacks still need to get their passes on out patterns to the sideline with some zip. If not, pick-six. This preseason, on passes of 10 or more yards downfield, Schaub was 2-for-13 for 56 yards and no touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus. Carr, meanwhile, was 11-for-18 for 234 yards and three touchdowns. McGloin completed 21 of 40 for 364 yards and three TDs.
(cont.) Grew up watching film Schaub replaced David Carr as the Texans' quarterback, and now Carr's little brother is replacing Schaub in Oakland. Derek Carr, age 11, was on the stage the day Houston made David the No. 1 overall pick, and he grew up watching more NFL game film than cartoons. He thrived at Fresno State, in a shotgun offense, but the Raiders loved his arm and his smarts, and grabbed him early in the second round. This after they had a chance to trade up and draft either Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater late in the first round. Even as a second-round pick, Carr was the fourth-highest drafted quarterback by the Raiders since the 1970 merger. The other three? Marc Wilson (No. 15) in 1980, Todd Marinovich (No. 24) in 1991 and JaMarcus Russell (No. 1) in 2007. The Raiders didn't look up the history. And they didn't expect, or even want, Carr to be a starter so soon, but here he is. "Honestly, that is something for coach Allen to talk about," Carr said before he was given the Week 1 start against the Jets. "My job from Day 1, and what he said was, come in, compete and help this team win. That's what I'm doing. No matter if I'm in the fourth preseason game or on the bench, it doesn't matter, I'm just going to help us win." Olson and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo worked with Carr on his footwork, widening his base when he throws, in the offseason. Carr has looked good in the pocket, completing 11 of 13 passes for 143 yards and the three TDs against the Seahawks. Carr is not one to give himself a pat on the back. "I wanted to come out and just get better," he said. "It sounds, like, so cliche, but the more you know me, the more you'll know that's true ... "There were some throws I missed in practice. I sailed one to Marcel (Reece), hit Charles Woodson right in the chest in practice, so I wanted to come out in the game and correct those things. To be completely honest with you, that's the kind of stuff that goes through my head. I don't want to hit Charles in the face, you know? I want to hit Marcel." Center Stefen Wisniewski told Carr after the last preseason game that he was "less rookie" that day. "That was good," Carr said. "I was less rookie and as long as we can continue to get less rookie, we'll be good." Less rookie and, fans hope, less 21st century (so far) Raiders quarterback. 17 questions, no answers The Raiders' starting quarterbacks since the start of 2003: YearQB (starts) 2013Terrelle Pryor (9), Matt McGloin (6), Matt Flynn (1) 2012Carson Palmer, right (15), Pryor (1) 2011Palmer (9), Jason Campbell (6), Kyle Boller (1) 2010Campbell (12), Bruce Gradkowski (4) 2009JaMarcus Russell (9), Gradkowski (4), Charlie Frye (3) 2008Russell (15), Andrew Walter (1) 2007Josh McCown (9), Daunte Culpepper (6), Russell (1) 2006Walter (8), Aaron Brooks (8) 2005Kerry Collins (15), Marques Tuiasosopo (1) 2004Collins (13), Rich Gannon (3) 2003Rick Mirer (8), Gannon (7), Tuiasosopo (1) Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vtafur@sfchronicle.comTwitter: @VicTafur
Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley give boost to Raiders' defense Vic Tafur Updated 11:23 pm, Tuesday, September 2, 2014 http://www.sfgate.com/raiders/article/Justin-Tuck-LaMarr-Woodley-give-boost-to-5729362.php General manager Reggie McKenzie was asked if late owner Al Davis would like this year's Raiders team."Oh yeah, oh yeah," McKenzie said. "When we gotJustin Tuck and LaMarr Woodley, I knew Mr. D was smiling. Those guys have done it. They have worn Super Bowl rings." A year after McKenzie brought in nine starters on defense, he added six this season: five free agents and first-round pick Khalil Mack. This year's crop of free agents cost a little more money, as McKenzie took a page out of the book of the owner for whom he once played. "Mr. D liked bringing in guys and seeing what they had left," McKenzie said. "Squeezing whatever greatness they had left out of them. ... He would like these guys, and I feel good about that." Tuck, Woodley and safety Charles Woodson - re-signed to a second one-year deal - are the leaders of this defense and they all think that there is no question that they have something left. The Raiders' first-team defense didn't exactly thrive during the preseason, but the confident former champions are more worried about making the team's first playoff trip since 2002 than preseason results. "We know when it's time to go, we're going to be ready for any challenge," Woodson said. And the Raiders did look better against the Packers in preseason Week 3 than they did against the Vikings and Lions in the first two practice games. "People blow what happens in the preseason out of proportion," Tuck said. "We made progress and I am pleased with that." Tuck said he is excited about the defensive scheme, and likes how the experienced players on defense approach watching game video and team meetings. "It's fun. We have a lot of new guys, but we think alike," he said. "We take football seriously and we see things the same way. Watching film, we'll see what the offense is doing and the different looks, and one guy will say, 'I would have played it that way,' and then other guys chime in. "That's a good sign." The Raiders had to rely on blitzing last season to get pressure on the quarterback, but this year they believe their defensive line and Mack will win their matchups up front, get sacks and force quarterbacks into making mistakes. Woodley and Mack will come from the outside, as will Tuck, but Tuck can move inside with defensive tackle Antonio Smith and erase the quarterback's pocket. That will make life easier for a secondary that has two brand-new starting cornerbacks for the third straight season. Oakland hopes former 49ers Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers fare better than Shawntae Spencer and Ron Bartell in 2012, and Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter last season. (Rogers was supposed to play inside in nickel packages, but 2013 first-round pick DJ Hayden is hurt again, this time out six weeks with a foot injury.) What will it all look like? Fans will have to wait until the opener against the Jets in New Jersey on Sunday to see. Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver doesn't show a lot in the preseason, and the players didn't study individual matchups or worry about schemes too much in the practice games. "I'm not constantly in the film room watching the right tackle, like I will be when we play the Jets," Tuck said. "I don't have pages and pages of notes yet." Tuck knows what he is doing. He had 11 sacks last season, and even though the Giants didn't want him back, says there is no reason he can't be a dominant player at 31. "I am a lot smarter than I was when I was 24," he said. Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vtafur@sfchronicle.comTwitter: @VicTafur
2014 NFL Preview: Raiders' unit analysis Vic Tafur Updated 11:28 pm, Tuesday, September 2, 2014 1 of 5 Oakland Raiders running back Maurice Jones-Drew (21) breaks away from Green Bay Packers inside linebacker A.J. Hawk (50) for a touchdown run during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Friday, Aug. 22, 2014, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn) Photo: Tom Lynn, Associated Press Run offense Maurice Jones-Drew, left, gave up fast food this offseason, and the De La Salle alum seems poised for a bounce-back year after Jacksonville chose not to re-sign the league's leading rusher in 2011. Darren McFadden and Latavius Murray offer nice changes of pace from Jones-Drew behind a new offensive line (center Stefen Wisniewski is the only man in the same spot.) Fullback Marcel Reece dropped 15 pounds, and finally might get more touches - but they will come by catching, not running, the ball. Pass offense Derek Carr allows the Raiders to open up the offense more than Matt Schaub, as the rookie's deep touchdown pass to Denarius Moore showed last week. The plan is to employ a lot of play-action passes after Oakland establishes the run and to attempt to create mismatches with McFadden, Reece and tight end Mychal Rivera. The receiving corps is solid at best, with the coaches thinking James Jones might have too much wear to be suited for the No. 1 role. Run defense This is the unit no one mentions, but it might be worse than last year (when it allowed 107.9 yards per game, 13th in the league). Defensive tackle Pat Sims is hot and cold. Middle linebacker Nick Roach, left, was decent last season but didn't look good in the preseason. Rookie Khalil Mack replaces solid nine-year veteran Kevin Burnett in the lineup, with Sio Moore flipping sides and taking Burnett's spot. Mack is a pass rusher who flashes run-stopping potential, but he and Moore lack consistency. Backup linebackerKaluka Maiava is very good against the run but weak in pass coverage, making him a risky proposition if teams go to the air with him in the game. Pass defense More sacks with Khalil Mack, right, Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley and Antonio Smith up front. That's the plan. Whether the secondary can produce against Brady, Manning, Rivers, etc., is a big question mark. Former 49er Tarell Brown might not be ready to be a No. 1 corner, Carlos Rogers is solid, and from there, it gets scary. With DJ Hayden out, Oakland will turn to Chimdi Chekwa, seventh-round pick TJ Carrie and CFL alum Neiko Thorpe to shut down receivers on third down. Free safety Charles Woodson's smarts are still worth a lot on the field, and the Raiders hope strong safety Tyvon Branch finally makes some plays and lives up to his contract. Special teams Sebastian Janikowski, right, used to be one of the best kickers in the NFL. He wasn't last year, but he came in early this season and the team is confident that he, kicking coachChris Boniol and holder/punter Marquette King have turned back the clock. King is a power-hitting punter who needs to learn not to swing for the fences every time, and to try to place the ball left and right and close to the opponents' goal line when he can. New returners Murray (kickoff) and Carrie (punt) could make fans stay in their seats, especially Carrie, who seems to make the first two defenders miss on each return. Coaching Head coach Dennis Allen, right, defensive coordinator Jason Tarver and offensive coordinator Greg Olson all talk a great game, but now it's time to prove themselves. Allen and Tarver seemed to turn the corner at the start of last season, but QB Nick Foles' seven-touchdown game and running back Jamaal Charles' five-TD day (most on the same play call) sent Oakland fans into therapy. This year is the coaches' last crack at it. Olson, who did not enjoy the Terrelle Pryor Experience last season, was going to go conservative with Schaub this season but should have fun with Carr.
