The worst is over for Oakland, optimistic road ahead

By Anthony Carroll  |   Thursday, October 06, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Oakland Raiders
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The Oakland Raiders fan base should certainly be far from angry after watching their team jump off to a 1-3 start. Oakland has already faced both sides of last year's Super Bowl and a Kansas City team who many analysts have picked for this year's AFC Super Bowl representative. Heading into their bye week, the remainder of Oakland's schedule is much more of a downhill ride compared to the opponents they have already faced. The month of October could be one of great success for the Oakland Raiders if they can fully utilize their profusion of star power-enhancing the play of the team as a whole.

The Raiders list of opponents for the month of October includes San Diego on the 16th, Buffalo on the 23rd, and Tennessee on the 30th. Although San Diego has come off two very strong victories against the New York Giants and New England Patriots, this game is very winnable for Oakland. First of all, San Diego has to play the game at Oakland-a place where no team likes to play. And secondly, the Raiders will be coming off their bye week with an extra week of rest and preparation for the game. Combined, these two factors could play a major role in the outcome of the game.

Week seven's matchup against Buffalo could possibly be one of the best matchups the Oakland Raiders will see the entire season. Four weeks into the 2005 season, Buffalo's starting quarterback J.P. Losman has only been able to pass for over 100 yards in just one game. He might end up being replaced by journeyman Kelly Holcomb. On top of this, the Buffalo run defense is currently the second-worst in the NFL only to Minnesota. With this is mind, the Raiders rushing attack could serve as a huge offensive weapon against the Bills-along with a passing attack that is always present, regardless of the challenger. As a final point, Oakland's defense should have no problem controlling a Buffalo passing attack whose touchdown reception leader is 328-pound offensive tackle Jason Peters.

Oakland will leave home for the first and last time in October in their matchup against Tennessee. The Titans (1-3) have struggled greatly on the defensive side of the ball thus far this season. In three losses, their defense has already given up 96 points-while scoring only 44 on the offensive side of the ball. Tennessee's only win has come at the expense of a weak Baltimore offense which has scored only 30 points in three games this season. Look for Oakland to exploit the weak secondary of Tennessee with big-play receiver Randy Moss and physical wideout Jerry Porter.

If the Oakland schedule were to be illustrated, the September run would like much like the highest peak of a rollercoaster, while the October portion would look strikingly similar to the drop thereafter. What is unknown is whether the ride while be one that is smooth or one full of turbulence. Get ready for a wild ride.
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About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
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