What do the RAIDERS need

[cdumler7]

Who ya got Dubs or Cavs??

And i understand that a HC and DC is not the same thing dude.. But the HC coach in this case Phillips has control and even play his style of D cd, and still got fired.. Again cd, you think that im saying your D will stink this year, when i said it has a chance to be good, just not as good as last year.. And i gave you the reason why i think that.. I will be SHOCKED if your D is as good as it was last year..

I somewhat agree. I do think Phillips had a lot of say over the defense when he was a Head Coach. Just like Del Rio does for you guys. It is what they know so they will gravitate more towards that. At the same time they are not the playcallers during the game and they will usually still let their DC have at on of say in the game plan and what they do to get the players ready. So while Phillips still has some say it is nowhere near when he is a DC. And like I said he was fired for being a HC not a DC. Have to remember a DC can be retained even if the team fails if the DC is having success. Such as for the Broncos they actually wanted to keep Adam Gase even after firing Fox and Del Rio. They loved what he brought to the offense. A Head Coach though is connected to the entire team. If one section of the team has success that is still not enough to keep the job if the team overall fails.

As for your reasons why they are fine. I don't know if the defense will play at the same level or better. We are talking historical levels on some parts of the defense. So hard to keep that up year in and year out. At the same time I do think there are some things going in their favor such as 2nd year in the same system so less thinking and more just responding. They did a lot to replace the guys they lost with quality players so have to see if those players pan out. Also I would say a few of our best players are just coming into their prime like Von Miller, Chris Harris, Derek Wolfe, TJ Ward, Darian Stewart, and Brandon Marshall. They all now have a few years of starting under their belt and have gone from the good rookies to now quality veterans that will lead the team. Another part of this that I think will be huge is that the Broncos offense will be running Kubiak's scheme this year compared to the hybrid they tried to run last year to appease Manning. That will mean a much more committed offense to the run game. I would say a defenses best friend is a quality run game that melts the clock giving a defense a lot more rest. This is why I keep saying that for the Broncos our run game maybe matters more than who our QB is. If we can have a top-10 rushing attack like Kubiak has had most years while he has been coaching then our defense could put up some great numbers and maybe not be as good of a unit as they were last year. Our defense was on the field all the time because the offense went 3 and out or turned the ball over at the highest level I have ever seen a Broncos offense have in my lifetime. The reason our defense survived is because we had such incredible depth. That is another reason that I think we can replace the guys like Malik and Trevathan in their back ups got a ton of playing time last year and the defense didn't see any drop off when the back ups were in.

 

[cdumler7]

Oh and I have Cleveland in 6 games. I just think Golden State is getting worn out. This has been a long 2 seasons and the pressure of winning it all after breaking the regular season record just makes me think of the 2007 Pats where the pressure in the Super Bowl got to them. I will give GS credit in fighting back this last series but they are now facing a team with greater depth, greater all stars, and a team that is much more rested heading into the series.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

I somewhat agree. I do think Phillips had a lot of say over the defense when he was a Head Coach. Just like Del Rio does for you guys. It is what they know so they will gravitate more towards that. At the same time they are not the playcallers during the game and they will usually still let their DC have at on of say in the game plan and what they do to get the players ready. So while Phillips still has some say it is nowhere near when he is a DC. And like I said he was fired for being a HC not a DC. Have to remember a DC can be retained even if the team fails if the DC is having success. Such as for the Broncos they actually wanted to keep Adam Gase even after firing Fox and Del Rio. They loved what he brought to the offense. A Head Coach though is connected to the entire team. If one section of the team has success that is still not enough to keep the job if the team overall fails.

As for your reasons why they are fine. I don't know if the defense will play at the same level or better. We are talking historical levels on some parts of the defense. So hard to keep that up year in and year out. At the same time I do think there are some things going in their favor such as 2nd year in the same system so less thinking and more just responding. They did a lot to replace the guys they lost with quality players so have to see if those players pan out. Also I would say a few of our best players are just coming into their prime like Von Miller, Chris Harris, Derek Wolfe, TJ Ward, Darian Stewart, and Brandon Marshall. They all now have a few years of starting under their belt and have gone from the good rookies to now quality veterans that will lead the team. Another part of this that I think will be huge is that the Broncos offense will be running Kubiak's scheme this year compared to the hybrid they tried to run last year to appease Manning. That will mean a much more committed offense to the run game. I would say a defenses best friend is a quality run game that melts the clock giving a defense a lot more rest. This is why I keep saying that for the Broncos our run game maybe matters more than who our QB is. If we can have a top-10 rushing attack like Kubiak has had most years while he has been coaching then our defense could put up some great numbers and maybe not be as good of a unit as they were last year. Our defense was on the field all the time because the offense went 3 and out or turned the ball over at the highest level I have ever seen a Broncos offense have in my lifetime. The reason our defense survived is because we had such incredible depth. That is another reason that I think we can replace the guys like Malik and Trevathan in their back ups got a ton of playing time last year and the defense didn't see any drop off when the back ups were in.

Solid post, you made a good case.. See i did read it all.. And like i said, you guys will have a good D, just not the D of last year.. You guys took a hit in FA as well as the Division catching up to Phillips.. As you seen most of our Division games came down to the wire.. Now you add the hit you took in FA and and the rest of the Division getting tape on Phillips D, you ain't going to win with pure D..

Then you say the RUN game is how you will win, im sorry there too.. Everybody will be playing that run game, and with your OL who knows how good it can be.. So this brings us back to Sanchez and can he get it done??
Cuz this year it's about QB play for the Denver Broncos..

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

Oh and I have Cleveland in 6 games. I just think Golden State is getting worn out. This has been a long 2 seasons and the pressure of winning it all after breaking the regular season record just makes me think of the 2007 Pats where the pressure in the Super Bowl got to them. I will give GS credit in fighting back this last series but they are now facing a team with greater depth, greater all stars, and a team that is much more rested heading into the series.

For some crazy reason im NOT shocked you picking the Cavs to win it all..
I think it will go 7 but the Dubs get them in the end.. They have the best shooters maybe in the history of basketball..
Heck, they just took out 2 of the 5 best players in the World in Westbrook and KD!! And those two had a pretty solid team around them btw..
Curry, Thompson and Green with a solid team around them Vs LeBron, Irving and Love with a solid team around them.. ENJOY Basketball fans!!

 

[cdumler7]

Solid post, you made a good case.. See i did read it all.. And like i said, you guys will have a good D, just not the D of last year.. You guys took a hit in FA as well as the Division catching up to Phillips.. As you seen most of our Division games came down to the wire.. Now you add the hit you took in FA and and the rest of the Division getting tape on Phillips D, you ain't going to win with pure D..

Then you say the RUN game is how you will win, im sorry there too.. Everybody will be playing that run game, and with your OL who knows how good it can be.. So this brings us back to Sanchez and can he get it done??
Cuz this year it's about QB play for the Denver Broncos..

Can't we say the same about the Raiders then? Teams now have a ton of tape on what the Raiders want to do on offense and defense so it should be easier to stop them right? To me tape is overrated when it comes to scheme. When it comes to individual players yes it matters because you can figure out what they like to do and what makes them uncomfortable. With Phillips though there is nothing he is doing that he hasn't done at other places. He just happened to have his most talented group that was able to execute his scheme the best. So I really don't think another year of film on what he wants to do will make all that big of a difference. Plus the Broncos did show they can adjust their scheme to what type of team they are playing. Against Pittsburgh in the playoffs they brought a ton of pressure to get after Big Ben to force him to make quick decisions. Same in the Super Bowl. Against the Pats though they dropped guys into shallow zones taking away Brady's quick passing lanes exposing their biggest weakness in the OL that couldn't hold up in one-on-one battles. So I guess to me that is showing they weren't winning on just pure D. They were winning with elite scheming as well as great talent.

And to me again with the run game. Everybody knows with Kubiak that he loves to run the football. So teams gear up to stop the run yet his scheme is one that really opens things up for a RB. It is geared towards having a smart RB that will have options on every run to hit different holes. It also helps to get a defense moving sideways which a lot of the big guys up the middle hate. Wears them out and allows people to get into their legs. People hate facing a Kubiak offense especially in the trenches.

 

[cdumler7]

For some crazy reason im NOT shocked you picking the Cavs to win it all..
I think it will go 7 but the Dubs get them in the end.. They have the best shooters maybe in the history of basketball..
Heck, they just took out 2 of the 5 best players in the World in Westbrook and KD!! And those two had a pretty solid team around them btw..
Curry, Thompson and Green with a solid team around them Vs LeBron, Irving and Love with a solid team around them.. ENJOY Basketball fans!!

Oh I think it will be a great series. Honestly not a big basketball fan so my opinion on this matter is very limited. Honestly my first NBA game I have watched this entire season was part of the game tonight. So wouldn't surpise me to see Golden State win it. They have incredible talent and I will say very impressed at how they fought back when everybody thought they were done. I just think with Cleveland being rested up and all the pressure being on Golden State to win after breaking the single season winning record has me believing Cleveland will be playing loose and will win the series. And you are right this is great for basketball fans. Heck I might actually have to watch the games.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

Can't we say the same about the Raiders then? Teams now have a ton of tape on what the Raiders want to do on offense and defense so it should be easier to stop them right? To me tape is overrated when it comes to scheme. When it comes to individual players yes it matters because you can figure out what they like to do and what makes them uncomfortable. With Phillips though there is nothing he is doing that he hasn't done at other places. He just happened to have his most talented group that was able to execute his scheme the best. So I really don't think another year of film on what he wants to do will make all that big of a difference. Plus the Broncos did show they can adjust their scheme to what type of team they are playing. Against Pittsburgh in the playoffs they brought a ton of pressure to get after Big Ben to force him to make quick decisions. Same in the Super Bowl. Against the Pats though they dropped guys into shallow zones taking away Brady's quick passing lanes exposing their biggest weakness in the OL that couldn't hold up in one-on-one battles. So I guess to me that is showing they weren't winning on just pure D. They were winning with elite scheming as well as great talent.

And to me again with the run game. Everybody knows with Kubiak that he loves to run the football. So teams gear up to stop the run yet his scheme is one that really opens things up for a RB. It is geared towards having a smart RB that will have options on every run to hit different holes. It also helps to get a defense moving sideways which a lot of the big guys up the middle hate. Wears them out and allows people to get into their legs. People hate facing a Kubiak offense especially in the trenches.

Tape is not overrated at all cd, cmon man you don't believe that, it's not even worth arguing about..
Just looking at the two games we played against each other ends that argument..

Again cd, you guys are now sort of like the Texans that Kubiak and Phillips coached.. Except they had a beast run game with Foster, and we still don't know how your OL will pan out.. They also had a beast D with JJ Watt.. They just could NOT win cuz they had a hole at QB.. And Phillips D could not win it all for them..
The stars lineup every tens years or so, and a great D wins it all.. Bears, Tampa, Ravens and you guys last year..
And now reality sets in.. It's a QB league.. Can Sanchez get it done is what this season boils down too for you guys..

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

Oh I think it will be a great series. Honestly not a big basketball fan so my opinion on this matter is very limited. Honestly my first NBA game I have watched this entire season was part of the game tonight. So wouldn't surpise me to see Golden State win it. They have incredible talent and I will say very impressed at how they fought back when everybody thought they were done. I just think with Cleveland being rested up and all the pressure being on Golden State to win after breaking the single season winning record has me believing Cleveland will be playing loose and will win the series. And you are right this is great for basketball fans. Heck I might actually have to watch the games.

Yeah it should be a good one.. I like BBall and i like to play it as well, but im ready for NFL camp reports!!
Football is my first love when it comes to sports..

 

[cdumler7]

Tape is not overrated at all cd, cmon man you don't believe that, it's not even worth arguing about..
Just looking at the two games we played against each other ends that argument..

Again cd, you guys are now sort of like the Texans that Kubiak and Phillips coached.. Except they had a beast run game with Foster, and we still don't know how your OL will pan out.. They also had a beast D with JJ Watt.. They just could NOT win cuz they had a hole at QB.. And Phillips D could not win it all for them..
The stars lineup every tens years or so, and a great D wins it all.. Bears, Tampa, Ravens and you guys last year..
And now reality sets in.. It's a QB league.. Can Sanchez get it done is what this season boils down too for you guys..

What I mean by tape being overrated is the thought that it sounds like you think Phillips is doing something different with the Broncos that he hasn't done for 20 or so years elsewhere. Yes he does change his scheme a bit depending on the talent he has but for the most part a big chunk of what he does remains the same. So even though he has only coached in Denver one year doesn't mean that teams haven't taken tape from his days with the Texans and other teams and watched what he did to prepare. Compare that to with your guy Ken Norton Jr. in it was his first year so nobody quite knew what to expect from him. Now they have a year of tape and know what his tendencies are in certain situations. That is why I think tape can matter some but for the guys who have been doing it for years people already know what to expect.

And I'm not saying that our defense can go out and win it all for us again. Heck the very idea of repeating sounds just about impossible. They got a chance but it has only happened a few times in NFL history. You are right the OL is a question mark so don't know what to expect from them. At the same time last year we had 2 3rd string Tackles starting for us most of the year and 2 guys on the inside of the OL that had never taken an NFL snap before last season. So logically one should expect improvement on the OL when you add 2 guys who have been starters most of their lives at the OT position and then on the inside now have a year of experience under the belt of the 3 starters. Usually you see a big jump in play for an OL player in year 2 and 3.

 

[cdumler7]

Throw in for the RB's we now have Hillman and Anderson entering year 2 of playing in the ZBS. We saw especially with Anderson that he started seeing the holes to hit and was one of the 3 most explosive RB's over the 2nd half of the season of any team even behind a terrible OL. He also showed up big in the playoffs so should show he started finally getting the scheme. So now year 2 wouldn't surprise me to see him have a great year.

 

[cdumler7]

Yeah it should be a good one.. I like BBall and i like to play it as well, but im ready for NFL camp reports!!
Football is my first love when it comes to sports..

I just can't get into basketball. Just bores me to watch and play for the most part. I am partial to football and soccer for active sports. I will say I am a big golf fan as I do coach it but mostly because it is such a thinking man's game. I love to outthink those I am playing against. I do think that is part of why I don't like basketball in it just seems like a bunch of one on one match ups with very little scheme involved and is more about athleticism than actually outthinking your opponent.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

What I mean by tape being overrated is the thought that it sounds like you think Phillips is doing something different with the Broncos that he hasn't done for 20 or so years elsewhere. Yes he does change his scheme a bit depending on the talent he has but for the most part a big chunk of what he does remains the same. So even though he has only coached in Denver one year doesn't mean that teams haven't taken tape from his days with the Texans and other teams and watched what he did to prepare. Compare that to with your guy Ken Norton Jr. in it was his first year so nobody quite knew what to expect from him. Now they have a year of tape and know what his tendencies are in certain situations. That is why I think tape can matter some but for the guys who have been doing it for years people already know what to expect.

And I'm not saying that our defense can go out and win it all for us again. Heck the very idea of repeating sounds just about impossible. They got a chance but it has only happened a few times in NFL history. You are right the OL is a question mark so don't know what to expect from them. At the same time last year we had 2 3rd string Tackles starting for us most of the year and 2 guys on the inside of the OL that had never taken an NFL snap before last season. So logically one should expect improvement on the OL when you add 2 guys who have been starters most of their lives at the OT position and then on the inside now have a year of experience under the belt of the 3 starters. Usually you see a big jump in play for an OL player in year 2 and 3.

Exactly cd, that's why tape is important.. We knew what Phillips D was going to do and Carr burned them in the second half of our second game.. That's called studying tape.. And in order to beat a D like that you need the players to do it.. Cuz the tape says Phillips will always do that..

And as for your OL last year, it was not the best one out there, but it had PM and Osweiler behind it, smart QBs that knew how to handle a shaky OL..

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

Throw in for the RB's we now have Hillman and Anderson entering year 2 of playing in the ZBS. We saw especially with Anderson that he started seeing the holes to hit and was one of the 3 most explosive RB's over the 2nd half of the season of any team even behind a terrible OL. He also showed up big in the playoffs so should show he started finally getting the scheme. So now year 2 wouldn't surprise me to see him have a great year.

Im not saying those RBs will stink.. What i am saying is Ds will stack the box and force Sanchez to beat them..
So no matter how we break this down cd, it always comes back to Sanchez for you guys this year.. Can he get it done is the thing for Denver this year...

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

I just can't get into basketball. Just bores me to watch and play for the most part. I am partial to football and soccer for active sports. I will say I am a big golf fan as I do coach it but mostly because it is such a thinking man's game. I love to outthink those I am playing against. I do think that is part of why I don't like basketball in it just seems like a bunch of one on one match ups with very little scheme involved and is more about athleticism than actually outthinking your opponent.

BBall is a fun game to watch and play, it's just NOT football for me..
And Golf?? Eh, the best part of that game for me is riding the cart all over that sweet green grass..

 

[cdumler7]

Exactly cd, that's why tape is important.. We knew what Phillips D was going to do and Carr burned them in the second half of our second game.. That's called studying tape.. And in order to beat a D like that you need the players to do it.. Cuz the tape says Phillips will always do that..

And as for your OL last year, it was not the best one out there, but it had PM and Osweiler behind it, smart QBs that knew how to handle a shaky OL..

You guys figured out our defense? Carr finished with 130 yards passing and the rushing game produced something like 27 yards in that game. That is nothing in an NFL world where teams are putting up sometimes 500 yards in a game. Your offense in my opinion scored 7 points in that game. The rest came on a safety by the defense and a muffed punt putting the ball at the 11 yard line for the Raiders offense. So I wouldn't say your offense did anything to get all that excited about in that game. They had 1 really nice drive to start the 3rd quarter that produced 80 of the 126 total yards for the game for the Raiders. So all other drives produced 46 yards! That is ridiculous. That is again why I say the Broncos offense down right ruined that game for the Broncos. The defense played lights out other than 1 drive and the offense still couldn't do enough to win the game.

Well those smart QB's were down right terrible. They were picked off more than any other QB's. Had one of the worst QB Ratings of any team in the NFL. We averaged 19.5 points per game on offense. That was good enough for 27th in the league. We only beat 5 teams for actual points. When you throw in our offense also then gave up the most pick-6's in the league it lowers our total of actual impact per game to that of 17.8 points per game difference. So those QB's were not able to overcome the terrible play by the OL by any means. Teams crowded the LOS because of the OL and knowing Manning couldn't throw with any consistency over 15 yards. It lead to our run game and pass game looking down right terrible.

 

[cdumler7]

Im not saying those RBs will stink.. What i am saying is Ds will stack the box and force Sanchez to beat them..
So no matter how we break this down cd, it always comes back to Sanchez for you guys this year.. Can he get it done is the thing for Denver this year...

See had this argument over at the Denver Board. It is a myth that you have to have good QB play to have a great run game. If there is one team I would say had worst QB play than Denver it would be St. Louis/LA. They had the 32nd QB Rating so dead last. Yet guess what they finished with the 7th best running game in the NFL this past year. Minnesota did not get much from the QB position either but finished 4th in the league for rushing. Dallas finished 30th in QB Rating just one above the Broncos and finished 9th in the league in rushing. So even if teams crowd the LOS a run game can still find success. Yes QB play can help and I do hope whoever is starting for the Broncos (can't keep saying Sanchez because we have no clue if he will actually be our starter) can do something to back the defense off but good QB play does not have to happen to still have a run game.

 

[cdumler7]

BBall is a fun game to watch and play, it's just NOT football for me..
And Golf?? Eh, the best part of that game for me is riding the cart all over that sweet green grass..

Golf has always been fun to me as it was what my dad and I love to do together. And like I said above all other sports it really is about the mental side much more than anything else. I also love that you completely control your day. Nobody else can be blamed for a bad day and you are the one that gets the credit when everything goes great.

 

[cdumler7]

Just a quick dig

Bruce Irvin 2015 stats

36 Tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 PD, 1 FF on 712 snaps

Shaq Barrett for the Broncos 2015 stats

50 Tackles, 5.5 sacks, 4 PD, 4 FF on 497 snaps

Bruce Irvin making $12.5 million this upcoming season (Cap Hit wise)

Shaq Barrett making $525,000 this upcoming season. So better stats at 1/24th of the cost. And that is our back up not even a starter.

 

[cdumler7]

Idaho you asked why I think the Broncos defense could stay the same or even be better. It is because we have back ups on our team just like that that would be a starter on almost every other team in the league. That kid and Shane Ray are entering year 2 as pass rushers for the Broncos. More prepared, in better shape, and have had a year to learn from 2 potential HOF pass rushers in Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. The fact that our pass rush could be even better this year is why I think our defense could show up just as much as last year.

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

You guys figured out our defense? Carr finished with 130 yards passing and the rushing game produced something like 27 yards in that game. That is nothing in an NFL world where teams are putting up sometimes 500 yards in a game. Your offense in my opinion scored 7 points in that game. The rest came on a safety by the defense and a muffed punt putting the ball at the 11 yard line for the Raiders offense. So I wouldn't say your offense did anything to get all that excited about in that game. They had 1 really nice drive to start the 3rd quarter that produced 80 of the 126 total yards for the game for the Raiders. So all other drives produced 46 yards! That is ridiculous. That is again why I say the Broncos offense down right ruined that game for the Broncos. The defense played lights out other than 1 drive and the offense still couldn't do enough to win the game.

Well those smart QB's were down right terrible. They were picked off more than any other QB's. Had one of the worst QB Ratings of any team in the NFL. We averaged 19.5 points per game on offense. That was good enough for 27th in the league. We only beat 5 teams for actual points. When you throw in our offense also then gave up the most pick-6's in the league it lowers our total of actual impact per game to that of 17.8 points per game difference. So those QB's were not able to overcome the terrible play by the OL by any means. Teams crowded the LOS because of the OL and knowing Manning couldn't throw with any consistency over 15 yards. It lead to our run game and pass game looking down right terrible.

cd, i don't have a lot of free time this morning, but i do have time for a pass through debate..

I notice cd that your a stat guy, and they mean everything for you, but stats don't always tell the whole truth..
I will tell ya matters, points and wins.. See i would rather Carr have those Weak stats, but burning Phillips D at the right time to get those points and more importantly the WIN!! What good is 300Y 2TDs if you lose??
Second year QB went into D