Raiders and 49ers 2011 Season Review

     Last year the Oakland Raiders went 8-8 not having a winning season since 2002. They brought in Jason Campbell hoping for better results from their quarterback position. After Campbell went down Raider Nation was preparing for a lost season once again. There were reports of Carson Palmer becoming a raider but most fans were skeptical. When the Raiders traded for Carson Palmer the NFL community were shocked that the raiders gave up so much for him. The Raiders suffered another set back with the injury of DMC, which then many people around the NFL thought 2011 was a wash for the Raiders. At the  end of the year many Raider fans looked at the bigger picture. The Raiders went 8-8, with a QB who was new to the offense, and their star player was out for most of the year. With a full training camp and a healthy DMC, Raider nation is looking toward a very bright future in Oakland. 

    In 2011 the San Francisco 49ers at last escaped mediocrity and now find themselves in the Elite category in the NFL.  When Jim Harbuagh came to San Francisco not many people thought they would make it to the playoffs, but they shocked the nation going 13-3 and entering the playoffs as the second best team in the NFC.  Alex Smith who was taken number one overall in the 2005 didn’t live up to expectations the 49ers had set for him when he was drafted. He had a solid year throwing for 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns. The major factor in the 49ers epic run in 2011, was their pro bowl defense. They were considered as one of the top defenses in the NFL. They had 3 starting defensive players at the pro bowl in Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, and Carlos Rogers. Also, the 49ers had a rookie linebacker who flashed his immense potential. Rookie Aldon Smith registered 37 tackles with an impressive 14 sacks, and was a big contributor to their stout defense. In 2012 the 49ers addressed their WR needs adding Mario Manningham and Randy Moss. Coach Jim Harbaugh is hoping to improve their passing game to create a powerful offense that can compliment his stout defense. The 49ers are primed for another deep playoff run, but  many believe that if the 49ers want to win a Superbowl  Alex Smith is going to need to step up bigger than he ever has. 2012 is going to be an exciting year for bay area teams!

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Why Darren McFadden Will Lead the NFL in Rushing This Season

This may come across as a bold statement, depending on how you look at it. But at the end of the day, Darren McFadden is fully capable of leading the NFL in rushing yards for this upcoming 2012-2013 season, and I'll tell you why.

First off, many people have had their concerns about "Run DMC" this year because of the foot injury that he suffered last year which sidelined him for most of the season. However, before Darren's injury, the league saw something special. He rushed for 614 yards in the first six games of last season, including a game against the New York Jets at home when he rushed for a career-high 171 yards. A superstar was emerging, and the injury was just a delay to the stardom that was in line for McFadden. But now, throughout training camp, the internet was blowing up with columnists and beat writers reporting how vigorous and tenacious Darren looked as he ran through the Oakland plays and practiced hard with the team. He has ran the ball efficiently throughout the presesason and has stayed healthy heading into their last game before the regular season. As NFL superstar Drew Brees once said, "A setback is just a set-up for a comeback". Darren McFadden is showing all signs of battling back from this Lisfranc injury stronger than ever to show the league what he really has in him. Whether its Drew Brees, Victor Cruz, or Kobe Bryant, we've seen several professional athletes recover from major injuries and stun the world. You can add McFadden to that list.

Another key reason why McFadden will dominate the NFL rushing game this season, is his value to the team. Now, obviously every star player on their respective team is indispensably valuable, but in Darren's case it is different. Last year, McFadden shared carries with another quality running back in Michael Bush, who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last year and hauled in seven touchdowns. With Bush off to Chicago on a four year, $14 million dollar deal, McFadden will predominantly own the number of carries amongst the Oakland running back core, especially with the Raiders' lack of depth at the position. The door is now wide open for Darren to step in, fully healthy, and take as many snaps as he needs to get the job done. He won't have to worry about splitting touches with the back-up Taiwan Jones, who is progressing but still learning a lot from McFadden. And there's not many running backs that you can learn from more than Darren McFadden.

A key reason to Darren's success this season will be the competetion. With Vikings running back Adrian Peterson still not recovered from a torn ACL and MCL injury, or Maurice Jones-Drew's holdout from the Jacksonville Jaguars, it helps to ease up the race to the league's top rusher. Superstar running backs such as LeSean McCoy, Chris Johnson, and Arian Foster are still there and are going to be hungry, so McFadden is going to have to prove himself.

All in all, leading the league in rushing for Darren McFadden will come down to his health and consistency. We saw glimpses of stardom last year, and hopefully McFadden is able to break through his shell and show the world that he can reach that extra plateau and rack up the most rushing yards this season.

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Darren McFadden: The Need for His Presence

The health of Oakland Raiders’ running back Darren McFadden is perhaps the most important issue of the team. The Lisfranc injury that McFadden suffered last season against the Kansas City Chiefs was by far the biggest scourge of the Raiders’ season. Amidst all of that, McFadden has been working hard to rehabilitate and get back on the field as soon as he can.

The NFL knows just how phenomenal of a player McFadden is. Coaches, fans, and the entire league witnessed him lead the league with 614 rushing yards through six games before he was forced to watch from the sidelines. His injury took a huge toll on the rest of the Raiders’ season, as they were not able to qualify for the playoffs without him.

The team understands that they need McFadden healthy in order to succeed, and new Raiders coach Dennis Allen is taking all of the precautions: “We want him to be able to stay healthy, and we want to do everything we can to keep him that way”. Throughout his four year career, Darren has never played more than 13 games. If there’s one thing that an NFL player can not stand, it’s to have the insignia of an injury-prone player, and many people have been declaring that about McFadden. However, he doesn’t let it bother him: “Everybody has their own opinion; I'm just out there playing, going hard. If I get hurt, so be it. I could see if I was just going down the street, falling over, getting hurt. It's all behind me. If I get hurt going hard, I can't do anything about it”, said the 6’1, 218 pound running back to the San Jose Mercury News.

Regardless of the complications Darren has faced in his past, he’s ready to put it aside. The team loves him and has use for his incredible speed, strength, but more importantly his leadership. Carson Palmer told the LA times about his teammate: “Guys love him. He’s a leader. When you have your best player on your team be one of your hardest workers, it’s great for young guys, vets, even guys like Richard Seymour who have Super Bowl rings.”

Beyond McFadden, the Oakland Raiders are pretty slim at the running back position, after key back-up running back Michael Bush signed with Chicago. However, the Oakland Raiders still have much hope in their team, after several beat writers have been reporting how healthy and sharp Darren McFadden has looked thus far in training camp. That said, watch out for the Oakland Raiders during the 2012-2013 season as a viable dangerous playoff bound team.

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Oakland Raiders: Training Camp News and Notes (7/31)

All systems are a go at Raiders camp. Here are a couple quick notes on some of the buzz going around camp:

- Some key injuries are giving some younger players an opportunity to show the coaching staff what they can do. Linebacker Aaron Curry is the PUP list and fourth-round rookie Miles Burris is filling his spot getting reps with the first-team defense. Also, cornerback Ron Bartell has a hamstring injury and Demarcus Van Dyke is filling in at that position. Head Coach Dennis Allen likes what he sees so far with both players filling in so this is only positive for the Raiders moving forward.

- Running back Darren McFadden looks healthy and is running well. The fact that he is running with speed and cut ability should bring some comfort to a team that is going to rely on him greatly this season.

- Head Coach Dennis Allen is putting an onus on his team about discipline. Oakland set an NFL record for most penalties with 163 last season and Allen is taking the necessary steps to make sure that mark does not get repeated. Hopefully there is noticeable improvement in that department on and off the field.

Check back with sport-icon.blogspot.com for more Raiders buzz.

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Oakland Raiders: Training Camp Quick Hits

The Oakland Raiders opened training camp for the 2012 NFL season on Sunday, in Napa, California. There are some key elements to follow as camp progresses closer to the season opener against the San Diego Chargers on September 10.

The first thing to keep in mind is that this is the first training camp for new general manager Reggie McKenzie and first-year head coach Dennis Allen. It is already evident how McKenzie is going to run an organization. Now what remains to be seen is how Allen handles his duties now that the dawn of the season is here.

Allen's job is pretty cut and dry: improve this team and get them to the playoffs. That will be easier said than done with both the offensive and defensive units ranked 29th overall in 2011. Do not be surprised if Allen decides to "trim the fat" and make some surprising moves along the way, but he has this team headed in the right direction.

Now we will take a quick look at the positional units on the team and go over some quick keys to keep in mind for the opening of camp.

• Quarterback: Keep watch on how starting quarterback Carson Palmer adjusts to the new offensive system run by coordinator Greg Knapp. His West Coast scheme calls for a lot of quarterback movement with play-action and bootlegs. Mobility is key and Palmer lacks that. Also note that this is Terrelle Pryor's first full length training camp. His progression will determine what kind of future he has with the team.
• Running back: There is a lot of buzz going around on who exactly will back-up Darren McFadden. Will the team sign either Cedric Benson or Ryan Grant? Is Mike Goodson capable of holding on to the football? Is Taiwan Jones ready to step into a larger role? That development will be key for this team. The signing of fullback Owen Schmitt will be a key contributor to the backfield as well.
• Wide Receiver: Trading Louis Murphy made two statements. The door is open for rookies Juron Criner and Rod Streater to contribute this season. Both did well in OTA's and now will hope to continue the trend in camp. The other is that if you are not on board with what is going on with this team, you are out.
• Tight End: The progression of David Ausberry is key. He is the most talented one of the bunch and if he can show he can block, he'll be a key weapon for Greg Knapp's tight-end friendly system.
• Offensive Line: The one thing this unit has to do is cut down on the penalties. Allen seems like he is going to run a tight ship and will not tolerate sloppiness. Stefen Wisniewski should transition nicely over center. Watch how they handle the zone-blocking scheme.
• Defensive Line: This unit is one of the strong points on this team. They have potential to cause a lot of havoc in opposing backfields. Look for Tommy Kelly and Richard Seymour to be very motivated this season. Getting a healthy Matt Shaughnessy back is huge and look for him to take the next step and be an anchor on this line.
• Linebacker: This unit will be interesting to watch. Rolando McClain's off-field troubles are well documented. If he is lost due to suspension or jail, who fills in for him? Miles Burris may end up being one of the steals of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has already impressed and hopefully that continues on into camp.
• Cornerback: The big issue here is depth. Will the Raiders try and address it anymore than they already have? Doubt it. But they will most likely have to make due with who they got.
• Safety: Tyvon Branch is locked-up to a new deal and that is good news to a secondary that relies on his play so much. This may be Mike Mitchell's last camp with the Raiders if he does not show them something this season.
• Special Teams: This unit is the best in the league in terms of who they have placekicking and punting. There is nothing new to report or look into here. The return may be key. There are a lot of capable candidates, but the coaching staff is waiting for someone to step up and and grab that role.

Look for more updates and news as camp progresses but there are some things to keep in mind as the Raiders set to open training camp Sunday.

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