Reviewing the Raider schedule

By Os Davis  |   Wednesday, April 15, 2009  |  Comments( 13 )

Oakland Raiders
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Though the season seems like forever away, the NFL’s release of the 2009 schedule brings hope to many a pro football junkie. Light at the end of the tunnel there is; on the other hand, whoa, this Oakland Raiders schedule is tough enough to make one fear that glowing in the distance is the fast-moving express bearing down hard on the silver and black.

So you say there’s more optimism in the Raider Nation heading into 2009 than since Rich Gannon was quarterback? Good, because even with a killer draft and perfectly injury-free training camp, the Raiders are gonna need a little hope to go with this schedule. Start marking your calendars to look like so.

Week 1: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 2: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos

In 2008 and for a few years previous, the NFL schedule had been organized by a company called Optimal Planning Solutions. This writer is unsure as to whether Optimal Planning got the schedule-making contract for 2009 (please let us know at RealFootball365.com if you have anything on this); however, here’s to thinking that Optimal president Rick Stone was that kid on the playground who loved to devise elaborate ways to mix the red and black ants.

Last year, the Raiders got three of their first four games scheduled against the AFC West; Denver got the same deal, while Kansas City and San Diego had two games against division mates. Stacking divisional matchups like this tends to have a deleterious effect on at least one – and probably two – of the teams involved: Lose a couple of these games early and say, “bye, bye tiebreaker advantages.”

Luckily for Oakland, the Raiders have the upper hand on AFC West opponents comprised of two rebuilding teams and one fading. The Raider Nation is gonna be lookin’ so smug after their team jumps out to 3-0 to the stunned surprise of fans in 31 other markets.

Week 4: at Houston Texans

“Emotional letdown” game...?

Week 5: at New York Giants

Now even at this early stage when making season predictions is five parts guesswork and one part insanity, you know this game’ll be a doozy. The bookmakers essentially unanimously have the Giants as overwhelming favorites (a telling sign; I mean, bookmakers are playing with *real* money), and we all know that defense is goooood. This game will tell us whether the 2009 Raiders are for real...

Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

...while this one should indicate how much better than a marginal playoff team such as the Eagles always seem to be.

Week 7: vs. New York Jets

At least the Raiders get to play one classic team in disarray this season.

Week 8: at San Diego Chargers

Raider Nation is already dreaming of Oakland’s first sweep of San Diego since 2001. And why not?

Week 9: Bye

Looooooooove the Week 9 bye. Let’s just hope Uncle Al isn’t contemplating Tom Cable’s head on a platter by this point.

Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 11: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

After these games – and remember that one-sixth part sheer wackiness – one can imagine the Raiders at 7-3, though you wouldn’t want to necessarily bet on it. Kansas City figures to spend at least one more year on the upswing with its mostly superyoung roster. (Don’t talk to me about Matt Cassel; this guy is all set up to become the Derek Anderson of 2009.) Cincinnati is Cincinnati. Surely, Oakland’s looking at a .500 record (at least) and a shot at the AFC West title, right?

But the buzzsaw awaits.

Week 12: at Dallas Cowboys

The best Raider Nation can hope for on Thanksgiving is that the Cowboys’ annual season-ending inexplicable implosion begins with this game.

Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Considering the Steelers have been among the AFC favorites since Super Bowl IX, reckon this game will be tough for the Raiders.

Week 14: vs. Washington

Washington, on the other hand, is particularly difficult to gauge year-to-year.

Week 15: at Denver Broncos

No matter what the standing of either of these teams, everyone loves a late-season Broncos-Raiders pairing.

Week 16: at Cleveland Browns
Week 17: vs. Baltimore Ravens

By now, chaos theory has completely taken over speculation. Who knows what might come to pass by December 2009? In Week 16 of 2008, the Arizona Cardinals were getting their behinds handed to them by the New England Patriots in a football clinic of a 47-7 display. A little while later, they were playing in the Super Bowl, much to fandom’s shock and awe. If you can’t tell what going to happen in two weeks, how can you brazenly predict 16 games down the line?

Ah, life’s too short. The Raiders split these two. Pick your own way. Raiders go 9-7 for the season and win the AFC West. Enjoy the schedule analyzing, folks! (The draft’s not that far off...)
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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CommentsComments: 13  |  Sign Up  View all comments
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No.1
04:39 AM
04/15/2009
Seeing as the teams and places were already pre-determined, I think the schedule makers did us a few favors on the dates. 1. I...
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No.2
neil b		06:21 AM
04/15/2009
The first three games are important but they're not season making or ending.A lot of cold games at the end of the season. At last...
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No.3
La Milicia Negra		06:24 AM
04/15/2009
neil b... what was it i said, screw Rafa, last week they won with Agger on the field, and they almost bagged the game last night,...
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