Thoughts on week 1 so far...

[cdumler7]

Yes. Raiders D is awful, and the Chargers will be the same team as last year, and its unfortunate....That team doesn't lose past Sunday if Allen doesn't go down...Between his production, and the obvious mental blow to that team, they could have been 1-0 with a great division win, and would have been pumped for a turnaround season....Now you have to think every player in the lockeroom feels like last season all over again

Oh agreed. Honestly it is crazy how many times this has happened to this team over the last few years. Build up a big lead then completely blow it. I think the team has really developed that mindset of even with a big lead they are somehow going to lose the game. They start playing really conservative and are more than willing to just sit back and watch a team slowly come back and beat them.

 

[cdumler7]

You don't have to agree with me, that's the great thing about these kind of boards.. You have an opinion and i have one.. Ain't that just badazz dude??

Anyways cd.. Losing Allen hurts them no doubt!! They still have Rivers so they will always have a chance..
Again, i still think they will be in the mix, but losing Allen is a set back for sure..

Didn't say we had to agree. That is why I said you and I have different definitions of what a good defense looks like and this Chargers team doesn't look much different than in years past. They don't know how to close out games and seem to find new and interesting ways to lose close games. Now losing maybe your 2nd best player in Allen makes having a good team that much more challenging. I just see a team that will feel very fortunate to be 8-8 at the end of the year and are more likely a 6-10 team.

 

[Clayton]

Didn't say we had to agree. That is why I said you and I have different definitions of what a good defense looks like and this Chargers team doesn't look much different than in years past. They don't know how to close out games and seem to find new and interesting ways to lose close games. Now losing maybe your 2nd best player in Allen makes having a good team that much more challenging. I just see a team that will feel very fortunate to be 8-8 at the end of the year and are more likely a 6-10 team.

I think from what I've read is that without Allen, the Chargers offense drops off 25%. The Chargers do look better on both sides of the trenches but their defense has holes and their offense won't compete for top in the league without Allen. That said, I think the Chargers should be able to run the ball this year so they are probably right at 8-8 imo without Allen.

 

[cdumler7]

I think from what I've read is that without Allen, the Chargers offense drops off 25%. The Chargers do look better on both sides of the trenches but their defense has holes and their offense won't compete for top in the league without Allen. That said, I think the Chargers should be able to run the ball this year so they are probably right at 8-8 imo without Allen.

See I guess I had them at 8-8 with Allen. Without him I think they drop to 6-10 for the year. Any other division in football and I would still consider them an 8-8 type team. With 3 playoff caliber teams going against them though just going to be tough to get those divisional wins. Really for all the teams it will be but I would much rather play the Chargers than the other 2.

 

[Calm]

The black ones can't hack it. ie: Ochocinco, Aaron Dobson, Chad Johnson, etc. etc. In all honesty, more than one has said that Tom Brady's expectations are beyond anything they've ever encountered.

Doubly so for Johnson, apparently.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

Didn't say we had to agree. That is why I said you and I have different definitions of what a good defense looks like and this Chargers team doesn't look much different than in years past. They don't know how to close out games and seem to find new and interesting ways to lose close games. Now losing maybe your 2nd best player in Allen makes having a good team that much more challenging. I just see a team that will feel very fortunate to be 8-8 at the end of the year and are more likely a 6-10 team.

Oh no doubt they could go 8-8 or even 6-10 after losing what can be the second best player on that team..
But again, if those wins come in division play, that could cost the other teams in the division the AFCW..
They took KC to the wire in KCs home opener man.. So they will be game!!
Again they will be in the mix.. Must win game late in the year, BOOM they can knock you out!!

 

[Clayton]

See I guess I had them at 8-8 with Allen. Without him I think they drop to 6-10 for the year. Any other division in football and I would still consider them an 8-8 type team. With 3 playoff caliber teams going against them though just going to be tough to get those divisional wins. Really for all the teams it will be but I would much rather play the Chargers than the other 2.

Depends. I think the Broncos would want to play Oakland the most until Carr proves he can get through Denver or other top teams without Interceptions. I think teams would rather play the Chiefs early and the Chargers late.

 

[cdumler7]

Depends. I think the Broncos would want to play Oakland the most until Carr proves he can get through Denver or other top teams without Interceptions. I think teams would rather play the Chiefs early and the Chargers late.

That could be true. Chiefs are a team I am always torn on. They either seem to start out strong like they did that one year going 9-0 or just completely bomb early like last year going 1-5 and then tear it up later in the year.

And I guess I just view this Broncos team better suited to go against the Chargers this year. In years past with Manning he played right into the strength of that defense. Where they struggled was against the run and well we had very little run game. This year we finally have an OL and Kubiak's system in place to really challenge the biggest weakness of their defense. And now with Allen out we should be able to match up a lot more one on one on the back end and send extra pressure towards stopping the run and getting after Rivers.

Really right now the Chiefs though are the team in the division I worry about most. Our biggest weakness on defense is the run game and well the Chiefs have the best run game in the division in my opinion. They also have the best home field advantage alongside Denver so that game in KC is always a tough one. If you told me we would split with the Chiefs right now I would take it.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

Depends. I think the Broncos would want to play Oakland the most until Carr proves he can get through Denver or other top teams without Interceptions. I think teams would rather play the Chiefs early and the Chargers late.

We beat Denver in Denver last year.. So Carr already proved he can beat them..

 

[cdumler7]

We beat Denver in Denver last year.. So Carr already proved he can beat them..

I don't think anyone outside of Oakland would say Carr had a big part in that win though. He was terrible almost the entire game. The Raiders defense kept the Broncos out of the end zone and made them settle for field goals. Kept the game close enough that just a play here or there could change the outcome of the game.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

I don't think anyone outside of Oakland would say Carr had a big part in that win though. He was terrible almost the entire game. The Raiders defense kept the Broncos out of the end zone and made them settle for field goals. Kept the game close enough that just a play here or there could change the outcome of the game.

Carr threw the WINNING TD Jack!! What do you mean?? Smh!!

 

[cdumler7]

Carr threw the WINNING TD Jack!! What do you mean?? Smh!!

We've had this conversation a hundred times. I guess I shouldn't have brought it back up. I put the win way more on the defensive effort than anything Carr did. Yeah he had a touchdown. That is great. He also played terrible the rest of the game when they were needing him to put some points on the board. I'm not going to let one good drive completely take away the 12 other drives that were terrible.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Another observation: Do the Pats collect shifty white WRs?

As I watched Edelman, Hogan and Amendola running about I could only think the same thing.

 

[cdumler7]

As I watched Edelman, Hogan and Amendola running about I could only think the same thing.

I've had a couple of conversations with Jordy Nelson and he said it always amazes him how much players underestimate his ability. He didn't flat out say it is because he is a white WR but he was definitely hinting towards that idea.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

We've had this conversation a hundred times. I guess I shouldn't have brought it back up. I put the win way more on the defensive effort than anything Carr did. Yeah he had a touchdown. That is great. He also played terrible the rest of the game when they were needing him to put some points on the board. I'm not going to let one good drive completely take away the 12 other drives that were terrible.

RAIDERS are down LATE in the game!! The young Derek Carr drives the RAIDERS against the NUMBER 1 Rank D in Denver and throws the GAME winning TD!! Yeah Carr had nothing to do with the win..

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I've had a couple of conversations with Jordy Nelson and he said it always amazes him how much players underestimate his ability. He didn't flat out say it is because he is a white WR but he was definitely hinting towards that idea.

Another guy with a high football IQ.

Unlike Robert Griffin or Terrance Williams. One doesn't know when to go down, the other doesn't know when to go out of bounds.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

We've had this conversation a hundred times. I guess I shouldn't have brought it back up. I put the win way more on the defensive effort than anything Carr did. Yeah he had a touchdown. That is great. He also played terrible the rest of the game when they were needing him to put some points on the board. I'm not going to let one good drive completely take away the 12 other drives that were terrible.

It was a defensive monster game. Mack going loose and the Bronco's D was dominating, always under pressure and WR's weren't getting free.

But zero run game to help him out, under constant pressure and he didn't turn over the ball once, threw a couple insane red zone TD's on 3rd and longs... I mean those two plays right there decided the game, 6 points vs. 14 points there alone.

Not a great game by any measure, but he made his biggest moments when they counted the most, and didn't turn the ball over. He's shown he can beat the Bronco's just like Peyton Manning showed he could win a SB last year.

 

[cdumler7]

Another guy with a high football IQ.

Unlike Robert Griffin or Terrance Williams. One doesn't know when to go down, the other doesn't know when to go out of bounds.

Yeah he is definitely a very smart kid. Always well spoken when we have talked. Very laid back guy that honestly lives a pretty simple life outside of football. A lot of his training during the off season is going back and helping on the farm. Didn't do that much this last off season if I remember right since he was rehabbing but like I said just a hard working kid that has really earned where he is in this world.

 

[cdumler7]

It was a defensive monster game. Mack going loose and the Bronco's D was dominating, always under pressure and WR's weren't getting free.

But zero run game to help him out, under constant pressure and he didn't turn over the ball once, threw a couple insane red zone TD's on 3rd and longs... I mean those two plays right there decided the game, 6 points vs. 14 points there alone.

Not a great game by any measure, but he made his biggest moments when they counted the most, and didn't turn the ball over. He's shown he can beat the Bronco's just like Peyton Manning showed he could win a SB last year.

Didn't say that Carr didn't contribute. I just don't think he was the biggest reason they won the game. He made a couple of really nice plays for sure but beyond those he honestly was terrible that day. I mean if I remember right they had negative yards in the 1st half of that game.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

It was a defensive monster game. Mack going loose and the Bronco's D was dominating, always under pressure and WR's weren't getting free.

But zero run game to help him out, under constant pressure and he didn't turn over the ball once, threw a couple insane red zone TD's on 3rd and longs... I mean those two plays right there decided the game, 6 points vs. 14 points there alone.

Not a great game by any measure, but he made his biggest moments when they counted the most, and didn't turn the ball over. He's shown he can beat the Bronco's just like Peyton Manning showed he could win a SB last year.

Man that was an awesome post!!