How the Oakland Raiders Could Beat the Chargers

[Lucid]

This is seriously some funny shiz-nit.

Caution: do not read while drinking morning coffee for fear of steamy nasal projections.

Note: Entire article is in Green for sake of reality

With everyone bashing the Oakland Raiders, writing them off once again due to personal bias or sheer ignorance, I am going to tell you what could possibly be a reality this year.
I could have chosen any of the 16 teams Oakland faces this season, but I chose to focus on the two toughest teams Oakland will face. I know both Chargers fans and Patriots fans are going to go nuts over this, but just remember this: On any given Sunday, anything can happen.
Since they are first up, I will use the Chargers as my first subject. First off, any football fan knows that momentum is a great tool for confidence. Oakland draws Denver, Kansas City, and Buffalo the first three weeks of the season, with both KC and Denver still rebuilding their teams a little (not to mention the crowds in KC are no longer allowed to really cheer).
This vastly improved Raider team can beat their divisional rivals. As for Buffalo, well, they don't have much of a team to speak of, so I have little doubt that Oakland can defeat them as well.
So that brings us to Week Four and the San Diego Chargers, in Oakland. Make no mistake; San Diego is no pushover. They are a very talented team with a sup-par at best head coach.
The Oakland Raiders know Norv Turner very well, as he was the head coach for Oakland just two seasons ago. With no notable wide receivers to speak of, that leaves the offense to Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates.
Don't get me wrong, those are three very credible threats, and you can look as far as the record books to see how hard this Chargers team is. However, that, of course, is the past, and what we are looking at is a possible future.
One word comes to mind when thinking about the Chargers and LaDainian Tomlinson...containment. As nobody loves carving up the Oakland Raiders quite like Tomlinson, he is a really great back, and the Raiders know it.
So the question is: How do you contain this man?
Again, going back to what history has taught us, all good or even great running backs usually hit that wall between 28-30 years of age, Tomlinson just turned 29, and add to that he had knee surgery in the offseason. Those two facts alone could spell "uh-oh" for the Chargers' offense.
Add to that fact that by Week Four, when the Chargers play Oakland, that knee may not be 100 percent, because I doubt we will see much of Tomlinson in the preseason, as we usually don't even when he is healthy.
Back to containment. Well, it sounds much simpler than it really is. If the Raiders use that greatly improved secondary to contain Gates and their two receivers, Craig Davis and Vincent Jackson, Oakland's linebackers can help contain LT, and that will keep them from scoring touchdowns.
The Chargers' defense is another story, as linebacker Shawne Merriman is one of the scariest men on a football field, and cornerback Quentin Jammer is still making plays. Jammer, however is also 29 this year, and that is again the age where great players lose a step.
The Raiders are a very fast and young team. Can the now-aging Chargers really keep up with this young and powerful offense that Oakland possesses?
One more thing Chargers fans: It was an equally young, and far less talented, Raider team that almost beat you not once, but twice last season.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/37182-how-the-oakland-raiders-could-beat-the-chargers-and-patriots

[Johnson]

A little wishful thinking for some seriously morale-beaten Raiders fans.

Give me a break.

This was probably inspired by that "Chargers: Alone in the AFC West" article a week or so ago on ESPN.

[vheman]

Yes, the Raiders could defeat the Chargers. It's possible. But...
It leaves a couple of players out. "..their 2 wr's davis and jackson.." No Chambers? And it mentions Jammer and not Cromartie.
It's just plain weak, man. Go back and do some homework and try again. Better yet, don't bother.

[chargerbomb]

I feel dumber having read that.

Too many errors to list.

[56lightsout56]

The Raiders are a very fast and young team. Can the now-aging Chargers really keep up with this young and powerful offense that Oakland possesses?

the bolts are still one of the younger teams in the NFL. shows how much research he put into that piece of fantasy writing.

[dekkerbasser]

First off, thanks for the coffee warning.

Secondly, let's do some research about this writer:
Sergio's Bio

I am a former Sports Editor for a college newspaper and online site. I took some time off from writing but recently I have decided to dust off the old journalistic abilities and start writing again. so now is as good of time as an right. I hope you all enjoy.


----------------------------


Unqualified.



----------------------------


Favorite Sports Teams

Oakland Raiders, Oakland A's, Chicago Bulls, New York Yankees


Sergio Serna (Scribe)

Joined 6 days ago

3 articles written
12 comments posted

[vheman]

Dear Sergio,
Your enthusiasm for sports journalism as a career choice is admirable. However, you may want to consider additional classes or training. Your article was inadequately researched and contained factual errors. You have to start by being accurate, otherwise it isn't journalism. The rest, with experience, can fall into place. I wish you luck.

[PRFan217]

We actually have THE youngest team in the NFL. USA Today posted a story about it. And man, no WR's, come on now. When I was reading that only one word came to mind, WOW.

[mouwie]

Sup-par coach?, Aging Team?, No Wide Receivers? 29 years old and Losing a Step? A little research and a thimble full of reality-check could take a journalist far these days.

[dkobeb24]

i see what u mean but mm no not gonna beat chargers and specially not patriots

[LABoltsFan]

Homerism....

its nice to see that the raiders fan's have not lost their spirit...

things are looking up for the Raider nation, but IMHO, they are still (atleast) 1 year away from a legitimate Wildcard contender.

but we should take note... games, and teams such as these are trap games.

[hadlefan]

:helmetSup-par coach?, Aging Team?, No Wide Receivers? 29 years old and Losing a Step? A little research and a thimble full of reality-check could take a journalist far these days.
Yeah I couldn't get by the no recievers thing. I think some of these Raider fans and their moronic get ups they wear are starting to fog their judgement. They are like those dudes on Cops running from the Police and holding their pants up,, just stupid.

This article is just funny. Here is a few realities right back atcha Raider fan. First, what glue have you been sniffing. With an ineffective LaDanian, Gates and both knees hurting Rivers in last years playoff game at Indy, it was the wide recievers you say we don't boast that beat the Colts, along with of course Darren Sproles, both times. Was it not V. Jackson going up for passes again and again and again, in that game, oh yeah, I seem to remember some might nifty snags by Chris Chambers as well. As far as the AFC WEST goes I don't think you will find a better tandem in the conferance, when you combine speed and the ability run routes.
Here is another one for you. Dallas got the better Hawgback, by far. Yes, Darren had bigger numbers, however you'll have that when you are fed the ball at twice the rate. Felix Jones, had a better yards per carry average, was better up the middle, does not fumble near as much, thats really going to piss you off, D-Mac fumbles all the time. Oh yeah and one more thing, they guy gets hurt every other game. See ya on the grideiron, and no San-Diego is not spotting Oakland any points this year. We are also frisking all Raider fans at the Gate in San-Diego. We may even be passing out some more Al Davis toilet paper so we can all keep clean in a way that is just to cool for the average San-Diegan.

[TurnerThaBurner]

This is seriously some funny shiz-nit.

Caution: do not read while drinking morning coffee for fear of steamy nasal projections.

Note: Entire article is in Green for sake of reality

With everyone bashing the Oakland Raiders, writing them off once again due to personal bias or sheer ignorance, I am going to tell you what could possibly be a reality this year.
I could have chosen any of the 16 teams Oakland faces this season, but I chose to focus on the two toughest teams Oakland will face. I know both Chargers fans and Patriots fans are going to go nuts over this, but just remember this: On any given Sunday, anything can happen.
Since they are first up, I will use the Chargers as my first subject. First off, any football fan knows that momentum is a great tool for confidence. Oakland draws Denver, Kansas City, and Buffalo the first three weeks of the season, with both KC and Denver still rebuilding their teams a little (not to mention the crowds in KC are no longer allowed to really cheer).
This vastly improved Raider team can beat their divisional rivals. As for Buffalo, well, they don't have much of a team to speak of, so I have little doubt that Oakland can defeat them as well.
So that brings us to Week Four and the San Diego Chargers, in Oakland. Make no mistake; San Diego is no pushover. They are a very talented team with a sup-par at best head coach.
The Oakland Raiders know Norv Turner very well, as he was the head coach for Oakland just two seasons ago. With no notable wide receivers to speak of, that leaves the offense to Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates.
Don't get me wrong, those are three very credible threats, and you can look as far as the record books to see how hard this Chargers team is. However, that, of course, is the past, and what we are looking at is a possible future.
One word comes to mind when thinking about the Chargers and LaDainian Tomlinson...containment. As nobody loves carving up the Oakland Raiders quite like Tomlinson, he is a really great back, and the Raiders know it.
So the question is: How do you contain this man?
Again, going back to what history has taught us, all good or even great running backs usually hit that wall between 28-30 years of age, Tomlinson just turned 29, and add to that he had knee surgery in the offseason. Those two facts alone could spell "uh-oh" for the Chargers' offense.
Add to that fact that by Week Four, when the Chargers play Oakland, that knee may not be 100 percent, because I doubt we will see much of Tomlinson in the preseason, as we usually don't even when he is healthy.
Back to containment. Well, it sounds much simpler than it really is. If the Raiders use that greatly improved secondary to contain Gates and their two receivers, Craig Davis and Vincent Jackson, Oakland's linebackers can help contain LT, and that will keep them from scoring touchdowns.
The Chargers' defense is another story, as linebacker Shawne Merriman is one of the scariest men on a football field, and cornerback Quentin Jammer is still making plays. Jammer, however is also 29 this year, and that is again the age where great players lose a step.
The Raiders are a very fast and young team. Can the now-aging Chargers really keep up with this young and powerful offense that Oakland possesses?
One more thing Chargers fans: It was an equally young, and far less talented, Raider team that almost beat you not once, but twice last season.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/37182-how-the-oakland-raiders-could-beat-the-chargers-and-patriots


Didn't all the 'Turd fans & 'Turd pundits alike say they were gonna sweep us last season just because Norv was our HC? How'd that one turn out?


And I find it funny that he didn't mention Chambers or Cromartie as credible threats on our team. I can't say I blame him... those 'Turd fans must have nightmares everytime their names are mentioned.


There's only one possible way the 'Turds could sweep us and take the West... and that's if old Al kicks the bucket!

[rcali bolt hed]

All I can say is HA HA HA LMFAO thanks for the laugh.

[VicJericho]

LT didn't have surgery and the knee was pretty much close to 100% at his golf tourney... right? lol... anyway we can email Sergio for being such a doofus?

[hawki019]

i cant wait for the "stories" about how good Russel and Mcfadden are going to be.. I did laugh a little after reading that article..

[Magcharger]

Did anyone take a look at the comments after the article? Sergio sure gets pissy about some of the criticisms on his article and really comes off as a total D-BAG. Oh well, professional writer my ass...I've worn shirts with more talent then this guy.

[lightningstrike]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA OOO MY STOMACH HURTS HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH















:helmet GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CHARGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maxima_Bolt]

Remember what happened the last time somebody said LT has lost a step...... yeah, I do. A bunch of these happened.:layup

[Ahmadi]

LT will continue to dominate the Raiders defense.
And I don't think the writer of this article watched the AFC championship game and the Indy game before when Vincient Jackson REALLY stepped it up and Chambers was doing his thang.

CHARGERS ALL THE WAY THER GOING TO DO IT ALL AHHHHHHHA;SKDJA;SDJAS so stoked! can't wait for my season ticekts.

[Pot Roast]

I skimmed this, its funny. The guy doesnt really know that much about football.

[JtBoY20]

How did the Raiders almost beat the Chargers last season?? Yeah, they did come back and scored some points but in the end the Chargers prevailed. As much as I think Russell is a talented QB there is no way that he will lead the Raiders to success in his first year as a starter. Let alone have a solid winning record. Haven't you done your research the Chargers are one of the youngest teams in the league and they also have depth. Wait..did you just say when a player reaches 29 they generally lose a step? LT was still a key part of a Chargers running game last season when he was 28 and he didn't appear to lose a step. We do have WRs that can make big plays.

ALMOST isn't good enough in the NFL. What about this the Raiders ALMOST beat the Colts?? The Raiders had a tendency to choke. Look at the first game of the season they lost to the Lions while the Chargers blew out the Lions. Like people said on here, LT did not have surgery on his knee.

[desertswo]

How did the Raiders almost beat the Chargers last season?? Yeah, they did come back and scored some points but in the end the Chargers prevailed. As much as I think Russell is a talented QB there is no way that he will lead the Raiders to success in his first year as a starter. Let alone have a solid winning record. Haven't you done your research the Chargers are one of the youngest teams in the league and they also have depth. Wait..did you just say when a player reaches 29 they generally lose a step? LT was still a key part of a Chargers running game last season when he was 28 and he didn't appear to lose a step. We do have WRs that can make big plays.

ALMOST isn't good enough in the NFL. What about this the Raiders ALMOST beat the Colts?? The Raiders had a tendency to choke. Look at the first game of the season they lost to the Lions while the Chargers blew out the Lions. Like people said on here, LT did not have surgery on his knee.

From what I've been hearing lately, as a quarterback, Russell will make a pretty cood offensive tackle.

[Sundiego]

This isn't an article. The website is basically a blog sphere where people can write whatever they want. There are no requirements to write something.

I somehow doubt this guy when to any real college. Maybe he got his AA, but that is about it. There should at least be some semblance of writing ability for someone who supposedly wrote articles for his school newspaper.

[Sanitation Man]

Any given Sunday is a scary thing, but I'm willing to say the Bolts take both (even if they are by one point each). As for the writer, holy crap, he's awful! Many have been pointed out already, but get your facts straightened out first buddy.

[Drewness]

By who he mentioned and didnt mention in the article I thought that maybe in the last 3-4 days I haven't kept on the sports that the charger's traded away half their team? The Charger's are deep and a legit threat this year. Also, its funny how he doesn't mention any weapons that oakland has like he does the chargers. Maybe its cause oakland doesnt have anyone to really fear....... apparently you dont have to be intelligent or know what you are talking about to be a published sports writer.

[Vengeance, Inc.]

I couldn't find a Raiders fan that agreed with this guy's reasoning. I agree with Drewness, the players he named and didn't name were all over the chart and not even worth being discussed for this topic. It's a big time homer's blog, how it turned into an "article" is beyond wild.

[josiebolt]

I'm still trying to figure out what sup-par means. Is that drinking adequately or on target? Or perhaps a play on the word supper, but instead you drink your meal - "porkchop in every glass" sort of thing? And in order to be a sports writer and further to write about a team in the same division as the one you support, you might make it a point to mention the #1 receiver on the team. And I don't know the stats, but didn't Davis catch like three passes last year? I would classify him the #3 or even #4 receiver coming in to the season.

FYI

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/subpar

[ext3]

The article is ridiculously devoid of research, but the concept isn't ridiculous.
Oakland would have won in SD in 2006 if Vincent Jackson's illegal forward pass had been ruled a fumble, as first called on the field. I can't see the name 'McFadden' in the article, but remember what Adrian Peterson did to a tired SD defense in 2007, and then stop laughing.

[Lucid]

The article is ridiculously devoid of research, but the concept isn't ridiculous.
Oakland would have won in SD in 2006 if Vincent Jackson's illegal forward pass had been ruled a fumble, as first called on the field. I can't see the name 'McFadden' in the article, but remember what Adrian Peterson did to a tired SD defense in 2007, and then stop laughing.

If I remember right last time the bolts bolts beat the raiders 28-14 (choakland scored their 2nd TD after the bolts pulled all their starters) and 30 - 17 (would have been more but the bolts decided to wrap up the game and just kick field goals).

Nice try though... maybe next year... or next year... or the year after... or sometime in 2015 season