Disconnect Tomlinson & the Bolts loose their charge

By Anthony Carroll  |   Friday, October 14, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Oakland Raiders
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If the Oakland Raiders can find a way to control San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson on Sunday, they can head into week seven with a chance to break even-something far easier said than done. Through four games this season Oakland has yet to allow a single rusher to pass the century-mark. However, Sunday's game at Network Associates Coliseum will surely be the greatest test that Oakland will have to face all season.

While Tomlinson is the key factor in the game for the Chargers, Oakland must rely on their defensive line to provide them with another strong game in both pass-rush and run-defense. The Raiders first priority must be to control the San Diego offensive line, especially on rushing plays. If the mammoth duo of Warren Sapp and Ted Washington can provide a strong push on the interior of the line it will cause Tomlinson to rely purely on individual athleticism to gain yardage-a talent that he definitely possesses. On passing plays, look for ends Bobby Hamilton, Derrick Burgess, and Tommy Kelly to collapse the pocket around Drew Brees and knock down balls at the line of scrimmage.

Offensively, the Oakland Raiders will be facing the 7th-ranked rush defense and 26th-ranked pass defense in the NFL. This does not mean that Oakland should turn away from their running game by any means. In the Raiders' only win of the season, first-year starter LaMont Jordan rumbled for 126 yards and a touchdown. Another solid outing for Jordan will allow fantasy stud Kerry Collins to open up the passing attack led by wideouts Randy Moss and Jerry Porter. Also look for tight end Courtney Anderson to exploit the weak San Diego secondary by running free down the middle of the field.

On the sidelines, Coach Norv Tuner must find a way to penetrate San Diego's 3-4 defensive scheme that has stifled several rushers already this season. San Diego head coach Marty Schottenheimer holds a dominating 23-7 all-time record against Oakland-he is 3-0 in his career against Norv Turner.

Oakland already has four pre-game advantages over San Diego. For one, they are heading into Sunday's game with an extra week of rest and preparation. Secondly, San Diego has had a day of training taken away from them due to last week's Monday Night battle with Pittsburgh. Thirdly, Oakland is hot coming off a win, while San Diego lost their last outing. And last-but surely not least-Oakland is playing with the home crowd behind them.

With each of these underlying factors in mind, Sunday could prove to be a tremendous opportunity for the Oakland Raiders to turn their season around and cause a bit of commotion in the AFC West.
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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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