| Douglas Benton. 2nd September, 2006 - 11:53 pm
 After two sub-par preseason games, the Oakland Raiders have seemed to turn it around as they have run their record to 4-0. In our continued series on our adoption of the Raiders, we take a look at some trends that could carry into the regular season and the return of one big arm quarterback.
Here are the top five storylines and trends that have swirled around Raider Nation in August:
5. It has to be Jeff George coming to Oakland and bring his great deep ball to an offense that is in love with the vertical passing game. Now, if everything goes right, George won’t see much action behind Aaron Brooks, but his signing definitely put the Raiders back on the national scene for at least one afternoon.
4. This might be making too much out of some preseason kicking, but Sebastian Janikowski is looking great thus far. Janikowski is seven for seven, including three from beyond 50 yards, which is a welcome sign for the Raiders, who have had to deal with his inconsistencies ever since he left Florida State.
3. The secondary is finally starting to come into their own, even with the loss of Pro Bowler Charles Woodson. Both Michael Huff and Fabian Washington have nabbed an interception, while Stanford Routt has shown some improvement. Better coverage will allow the Raiders to help out against the run and allow the Raiders to get after the passer more under defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
2. The biggest question mark is still there with the offensive line, as the running game is only getting 3.2 yards per carry and has given up 13 sacks in four games, which isn’t terrible. The Raiders have four offensive line starters that have five years or less of experience, which will make Art Shell and Jackie Slater’s job more teaching than game plan in 2006.
1. As it is always with the Raiders, it starts and ends with Moss and now, it is good for Moss and company. Moss and Brooks seem to have connected over the past few weeks and Brooks seems to have started to fit in. This is a good sign for the Raiders, who have started to show life that they might actually be competitive this season, which is progress for those in Raider Nation.
Check back for our next installment, as we will check in with a expert in the field and get their thoughts on the Raiders as we quickly approach week 1 against the San Diego Chargers. |
