Thoughts on this Sunday's opener?
The two worst teams in the league last year.
You can't feel too bad about opening the season that way from either team's perspective.
But of course, you have to give the edge to the home team.
I actually think Detwat might end up showing a pretty fair offense as the year moves on.
There are some weapons there, O-C M. Martz won't be shy, and playing half your games in the mall won't hurt.
Might take a few games to get things clicking though, ...... or so I hope.
I can't say I like a lot of what I see with the Kitten defense.
It won't take long for people to see that Oakland's offense is not the same abortion that it was last year.
A few O-line additions, and a modern playbook and coaching staff is gonna make a big difference.
Still a LOT of question marks, however.
QB is near the top of the list.
Can Culpepper regain his form ... or at least close to it??
Fingers crossed.
Detroit is facing one of the REALLY good defenses in the league this week, Shoalz.
I say that, and a whole lot of enthusiasm, is gonna be enough for Oakland to get the Kiffin Era off on the right foot.
Raiders 27
Lions 12
Shoalzie .......
The first team offense (Kitna/Bell/Williams/Furrey/Johnson) haven't been on the field together much in the preseason and I can't say I know how potent they will be. I can't use the number O'Sullivan posted in the last two games of the preseason and say the Lions passing attack will look exactly like that. Kitna was a 115 QB rating in the preseason and very accurate but take that for what it's worth.
The running attack can be a big key for them helping keep defenses off balance open up the passing game. They made the bold move of activating Kevin Jones off the PUP list and he could see action on Sunday but I expect Bell to get the bulk of the carries. Duckett has been so-so...I don't see him in anything other than short yardage or goal line situations. Calhoun had a decent preseason running and catching the ball...he'll probably see action on passing downs.
Defensively...I shudder at how bad they're going to be. They lose Daniel Bullocks for the season...one of their starting safeties. They're down to just three safeties on the roster. I'm wondering if they'll take a look at your boy Darius since the Raiders cut him loose. I would be stunned if they don't add a fourth safety before the season starts. The rest of the secondary isn't anything to write home about either. You take out Bly, they're best playmaker on defense...Bryant isn't a true #1 shutdown corner and other starting spot is still up for grabs. I'm still not sure who will be the other corner.
The front seven rests on what Rogers and Redding can do in the middle. Rogers didn't play at all in the preseason and he's still recovering from offseason surgery. I don't think he'll be effective early on in the season because of rust and he's got to be carrying to some extra weight from lack of work. I'd expect to see a lot of Shaun Cody in Week 1. Pressure goes to Redding to be a distruptive force in the middle.
Between stopping the run, pressuring the QB, and defending the pass...their strength will be stopping the run. Any team with a solid passing attack should be able to pick them apart but if the Lions can't stop the run either...they'll get blown out a lot this year. They don't have a dominant running-stopper at middle linebacker. Ernie Sims is going to have to have a huge year and anchor the linebacking corps for them to be somewhat respectable. On the edge, Kalimba Edwards has been a huge disappointment as a pass rusher and they hope the addition of White and the rookie Alama-Francis can help get some pressure on the passer.
For the first game of the year, I'd say facing the Raiders is probably an ideal test for the Lions. Both were brutal last year and trying to rebound. This is a great opportunity for either club to start 1-0 and have some convidence out of the gate. I favor your Raiders with it being at home and like you said, they've got a very solid defense. The Lions offense should be a good test for them but in the end, I think you guys will start the year 1-0. Maybe not by 15 points like you're predicting...I'd say a 6-10 point spread is fair. I'll say: Raiders 28, Lions 20
I'll be curious to see what Mike Williams brings to the table...he's been a running joke over here for his weight problems and laziness. I wonder if he'll rise up for the game on Sunday. The Lions don't have a corner who is big and physical so he should be able to make plays if he can get the ball. He's back in a familiar offense with Kiffin...I think he'll be decent with the Raiders. He and Charles Rogers were tremendous disappointments...I hate thinking about who they could've gotten instead of those two. Most likely, they should've been defensive players that would actually contribute. This team has been so afraid to pick defense early in the draft under Millen. Sims had a solid rookie year but other than that, they've gotten nothing in the early rounds.
The running attack can be a big key for them helping keep defenses off balance open up the passing game. They made the bold move of activating Kevin Jones off the PUP list and he could see action on Sunday but I expect Bell to get the bulk of the carries. Duckett has been so-so...I don't see him in anything other than short yardage or goal line situations. Calhoun had a decent preseason running and catching the ball...he'll probably see action on passing downs.
Defensively...I shudder at how bad they're going to be. They lose Daniel Bullocks for the season...one of their starting safeties. They're down to just three safeties on the roster. I'm wondering if they'll take a look at your boy Darius since the Raiders cut him loose. I would be stunned if they don't add a fourth safety before the season starts. The rest of the secondary isn't anything to write home about either. You take out Bly, they're best playmaker on defense...Bryant isn't a true #1 shutdown corner and other starting spot is still up for grabs. I'm still not sure who will be the other corner.
The front seven rests on what Rogers and Redding can do in the middle. Rogers didn't play at all in the preseason and he's still recovering from offseason surgery. I don't think he'll be effective early on in the season because of rust and he's got to be carrying to some extra weight from lack of work. I'd expect to see a lot of Shaun Cody in Week 1. Pressure goes to Redding to be a distruptive force in the middle.
Between stopping the run, pressuring the QB, and defending the pass...their strength will be stopping the run. Any team with a solid passing attack should be able to pick them apart but if the Lions can't stop the run either...they'll get blown out a lot this year. They don't have a dominant running-stopper at middle linebacker. Ernie Sims is going to have to have a huge year and anchor the linebacking corps for them to be somewhat respectable. On the edge, Kalimba Edwards has been a huge disappointment as a pass rusher and they hope the addition of White and the rookie Alama-Francis can help get some pressure on the passer.
For the first game of the year, I'd say facing the Raiders is probably an ideal test for the Lions. Both were brutal last year and trying to rebound. This is a great opportunity for either club to start 1-0 and have some convidence out of the gate. I favor your Raiders with it being at home and like you said, they've got a very solid defense. The Lions offense should be a good test for them but in the end, I think you guys will start the year 1-0. Maybe not by 15 points like you're predicting...I'd say a 6-10 point spread is fair. I'll say: Raiders 28, Lions 20
I'll be curious to see what Mike Williams brings to the table...he's been a running joke over here for his weight problems and laziness. I wonder if he'll rise up for the game on Sunday. The Lions don't have a corner who is big and physical so he should be able to make plays if he can get the ball. He's back in a familiar offense with Kiffin...I think he'll be decent with the Raiders. He and Charles Rogers were tremendous disappointments...I hate thinking about who they could've gotten instead of those two. Most likely, they should've been defensive players that would actually contribute. This team has been so afraid to pick defense early in the draft under Millen. Sims had a solid rookie year but other than that, they've gotten nothing in the early rounds.
On Darius, I suspect he's either shot, or he's viewed as too much of an injury risk.
If Oakland would have thought he could help they wouldn't have cut him loose.
I'm disappointed he didn't make the cut.
I'd guess that anyone picking him up would be taking a gamble on his health or ability.
Mike Williams .....
I have hopes for him.
He can be a SERIOUS mismatch for a smaller d-back, and big asset in the red zone.
Just hopeful that he's got his shit together.
If Oakland would have thought he could help they wouldn't have cut him loose.
I'm disappointed he didn't make the cut.
I'd guess that anyone picking him up would be taking a gamble on his health or ability.
Mike Williams .....
I have hopes for him.
He can be a SERIOUS mismatch for a smaller d-back, and big asset in the red zone.
Just hopeful that he's got his shit together.
Good game by your team, Shoalzie.
The Lion offense is no joke.
They're gonna continue to put up points this year.
S. Rogers was a beast up front for your defense.
He made a number of big plays and basically plugged the middle all day long.
So much for the vaunted Raider defense.
They got lit up early through the air, and although the Raiders showed something by making a nice comeback in the 2nd half, Detroit's offense nutted up and was better down the stretch than the Raider defense.
Oakland's fat meatball kicker is on borrowed time .... seriously.
I expect him to be cut.
I liked a lot of what I saw from the Raider offense.
BIG improvement over last year.
I would have liked to see more shots downfield, but Curry had a big day, stud that he is.
We need a real center.
Culpepper is our QB.
McCown didn't take care of the rock, and I can't say I'm terribly surprised by that.
He needs to sit.
Too many penalties, too many turnovers.
Another loss.
Raider football.
The Lion offense is no joke.
They're gonna continue to put up points this year.
S. Rogers was a beast up front for your defense.
He made a number of big plays and basically plugged the middle all day long.
So much for the vaunted Raider defense.
They got lit up early through the air, and although the Raiders showed something by making a nice comeback in the 2nd half, Detroit's offense nutted up and was better down the stretch than the Raider defense.
Oakland's fat meatball kicker is on borrowed time .... seriously.
I expect him to be cut.
I liked a lot of what I saw from the Raider offense.
BIG improvement over last year.
I would have liked to see more shots downfield, but Curry had a big day, stud that he is.
We need a real center.
Culpepper is our QB.
McCown didn't take care of the rock, and I can't say I'm terribly surprised by that.
He needs to sit.
Too many penalties, too many turnovers.
Another loss.
Raider football.
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RevLimiter
- Count Chunkula
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Look on the bright side Pops....at least your team isn't the worst team in your division anymore. 
T1B- THE place to be for fun, informative sports talk....or NOT:
Wet-Brained Fucktard wrote:I know we here like to talk shit and we do tend to get, how you say, immature at times. At some points, the banter on a board like this can be somewhat childish. It happens.
They look totally different with Kitna in there. Like I said, during the preseason he wasn't in there much but he was good when he did play. He is the unquestioned leader of this team and he seems in his element with this offense. I missed the first quarter and didn't see his interception in the red zone but the second interception wasn't his fault...Williams should've caught that ball. Great to see Johnson get into the action...looked very strong in his first NFL game. He and Roy will get the attention while Furrey and McDonald will buzz around and get key third down receptions and go deep for the occasional long ball.poptart wrote:Good game by your team, Shoalzie.
The Lion offense is no joke.
They're gonna continue to put up points this year.
For not playing the entire preseason and missing most of the second half of last season, he looked awesome. Dewayne White also made two key plays in the fourth to preserve the win. He made a great play on the interception and it was his hand the knocked the ball away from McCown on that last fumble where Rogers was in his face. The secondary is very shaky like I expected but if the front four along with the linebackers can at least contain the run and pressure the QB, the secondary won't be exposed as much. Jordan ran well in the second half...that got me worried but luckily the Lions prevailed.S. Rogers was a beast up front for your defense.
He made a number of big plays and basically plugged the middle all day long.
It showed a lot of character from the Lions to respond after blowing that lead and allowing the Raiders to control the game for the third quarter and the first part of the fourth. It was looking like a Raiders win for sure but they came back down and Kitna connected with McDonald and they didn't look back. The Raiders secondary wasn't as good as expected but Asomugha did take Roy out of the game for the most part. Your defense looked strong when the Raiders made their rally.So much for the vaunted Raider defense.
They got lit up early through the air, and although the Raiders showed something by making a nice comeback in the 2nd half, Detroit's offense nutted up and was better down the stretch than the Raider defense.
He left 9 points up on the board for you guys. In the end, it didn't matter but when the game was close, his miscues came into play.Oakland's fat meatball kicker is on borrowed time .... seriously.
I expect him to be cut.
On the other end, Hanson has been nails his entire career...the Lions have never had to worry about their kicking game when he's been here. 16 years and still going strong...
The offense appears to be greatly improved but I think it's more of the scheme than personnel. McCown is good at pitching the ball around but he's not great at managing the game. There's a reason why Kitna took all of the snaps last year and you didn't see McCown in at any point.I liked a lot of what I saw from the Raider offense.
BIG improvement over last year.
I would have liked to see more shots downfield, but Curry had a big day, stud that he is.
We need a real center.
Culpepper is our QB.
McCown didn't take care of the rock, and I can't say I'm terribly surprised by that.
He needs to sit.
Culpepper could've made the same throws McCown made today plus he'd work well in those plays where they moved him outside the pocket. I don't think McCown will last much longer like you said...Culpepper should be the starter sooner rather than later. I can see where this offense could suit Russell well but he's pretty much useless this year when he finally signs.
The penalties were killers for the Raiders but I wonder if the Lions o-line had as many as the Raiders' line had. Foster had at least three false starts. It's the first game of the season and usually the most mental mistakes are made early in the season. The quality teams work their way through any early season errors...the bad teams continue to make them and they cost themselves several games in the process.Too many penalties, too many turnovers.
Another loss.
Raider football.
Both teams had turnovers but the two late in the fourth were key in locking up the victory. Like I said, White was a monster in the closing moments of the game.
This is a one time thing this year...the Vikings, Packers and Lions are in first ahead of the Bears. Interesting game next week at Ford Field against Minnesota and their running attack. Their defense made big plays and scored twice. Then again, it was against our old friend, Joey. To me, Jackson is one of the worst starting QBs in the league...hopefully the Lions front four can raise some hell and give him a tough time.
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Raydah James
- Eternal Scobode
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poptart wrote:
Oakland's fat meatball kicker is on borrowed time .... seriously.
I expect him to be cut.
I liked a lot of what I saw from the Raider offense.
BIG improvement over last year.
I would have liked to see more shots downfield, but Curry had a big day, stud that he is.
We need a real center.
Culpepper is our QB.
McCown didn't take care of the rock, and I can't say I'm terribly surprised by that.
He needs to sit.
Too many penalties, too many turnovers.
Another loss.
Raider football.
RACK, and couldnt agree more.
Kiff made great adjustments on the fly, including the bootlegs and naked bootlegs when it was painfully apparent that Grove's pussy ass was going to be a turnstile in the center position.
With Newberry (who pulled his hamstring) in there, the line is dominant. We need him back stat.
Jano is a fucking disgrace-why this guy is still missing kicks while collecting a paycheck is beyond me........motherfucker should've been cut years ago.
You think Edward Fumblehands is going to alleviate this problem?poptart wrote: Culpepper is our QB.
McCown didn't take care of the rock, and I can't say I'm terribly surprised by that.
He needs to sit.
I think Culpepper has gone the way of Kurt Warner, as far as this league is concerned. Given an entire pre-season, one in which he's allegedly recovered from surgery, C-Pep is unable to beat out Josh McCown?
Ponderous.
Even more strange is the fact that Culpepper is eerily similar to the player he'd be grooming ... a big, mobile, canon-armed quarterback currently under siege by the media for the simple fact he's unwilling to bend to Al's ridiculous and, if you take into account the past five number-one picks, insulting contract offer.
He even looked decent in the one pre-season game I watched. O-line troubles aside, I thought C-Pep had a chance to resurrect his career in Oakland ... at least to the point where he'd have his pick of suitors in the off-season (assuming Russel was ready to go at that time).
At any rate, I still hate your team pops ... and I chuckle every time I see the lonely silver and black #18 jersey hanging at the end of the closet rack. That said ... I think there's a lot to like this year for Oakland fans.
McCown, though?
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WolverineSteve
- 2012 CFB Bowl Jeopardy Champ
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The Raiders suck.
Anyone here not know that?
Anyone here not know that?
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football."
-John Heisman
"Any street urchin can shout applause in victory, but it takes character to stand fast in defeat. One is noise --- the other, loyalty." Fielding Yost
Go Blue!
-John Heisman
"Any street urchin can shout applause in victory, but it takes character to stand fast in defeat. One is noise --- the other, loyalty." Fielding Yost
Go Blue!
I suppose the [may we dance with yo dates?] reset is out of order here.orcinus wrote:Must be open bar tonight.
All these CFB guys are trying to hit on our chicks, too.
Lion Fan had that covered on Sunday. Then they collectively fucked the Black Hole.
Van wrote:It's like rimming an unbathed fat chick from Missouri. It's highly distinctive, miserably unforgettable and completely wrong.
Well, I'm a LionFan, and I was sitting right beside that endzone in row 2, and I'm suprised I made it out of there alive. Raiderfan was fuckin PISSED at that.... don't know how much they showed on TV, but shit was getting chucked at Bell; sodas, beer, rubber skull masks, etc. Then Williams and Sims came over. A Raider hat lands next to Williams' feet, so he picked it up and put it on... follows that by ripping it off and throwing it on the ground while he and Sims stomp on it. Classy stuff... nothing like showing up Raiderfan, I get that, but those guys pretty much left me in those stands to die at the hands of pissed off Raider fans... haha. Nothing like teasing the sleeping dog and leaving your fans to deal with him.orcinus wrote:I'm surprised Tatum Bell made it out of Oakland alive after that late score.
Anyway, after a bit, things calmed down and I got my ass out of there intact.
As for the game itself, huge swings of momentum, but at 21-20, I figured it was over. Typical Detroit Lions football, finding a way to lose a game you should have won. But something different happened and they turned the momentum around. They deserve huge props for that. Being a fan in that stadium, feeling the crush of Raiderfan in all their glory, it was about as intimidating an atmosphere as I could imagine. When the Raiders all gathered at centre field and the fans were celebrating, the Lions turned it around and made some stops and had that one huge drive with McDonald's TD. Silence. At that point it was obvious that this Lions team might be different.
But then again, they were only playing the Raiders.
But I think the Raiders have reason for optimism too. Losing to the Lions must suck, and I know from the comments of the fans in the stadium, it did, but these are two hungry teams desperate to improve. New coaching regimes and new attitudes. That game was gonna be a dogfight no matter what. Raiderfan was real hard on McCown, but I think if you stick with him, he could end up flourishing. When he got on a roll, he looked good. Bit of a noodle-arm though. If they're gonna go with Culpepper, they better do it next week, cause another ugly week of McCown will see Raiderfan eat that guy alive. Well, it doesn't even have to be an ugly week. An ugly series will set off Raiderfan again.
Anyway, that was my first time seeing the Lions play live, good stuff. My 2nd time seeing the Raiders play, I definitely preferred being there as a neutral. Those fans go out of their way to make you feel unwelcome. Yeah, newsflash there eh?
Still a FlameFan
Time will tell if Culpepper has gone the way of Warner.orcinus wrote:I think Culpepper has gone the way of Kurt Warner, as far as this league is concerned. Given an entire pre-season, one in which he's allegedly recovered from surgery, C-Pep is unable to beat out Josh McCown?
Ponderous.
As far as him not 'beating out' McCown, that is not really an accurate way of stating it.
Many (or most) people believed that Culpepper outplayed other Raider QBs in preseason and should have been named starter.
Kiffin explained it well though, saying that McCown has been on board from day one, and he's fully comfortable with the offense.
While us beer slob fans may watch and feel like Duante showed more, he's not yet fully up to speed, as he was brought in later.
Adding to that the fact that when he was signed Al said he would be brought along slowly, due to his on-going 'recovery' from knee surgery, it us understandable that McCown started the opener.
Duante WILL be on the field very soon, IMO.