The Official Oakland Raiders 2011 Season Thread

[Meta4iCAL]

ALAMEDA -- There was a slight smile on the face of Carson Palmer following practice on Wednesday. And for good reason.

The Raiders quarterback had one of his favorite targets back as rookie playmaking receiver Denarius Moore had returned to practice after being out since Nov. 20 with injuries to his right ankle and foot.

"It was good, it was good," Palmer said "He didn't get a ton of work, but he looked good, and for a Wednesday it looked good. He's still got a handful of days to get ready and kind of get back in the swing of things. Catching balls and (being) on the field with the defense coming at him...it was good for him."

Officially, Moore was listed as "limited" in practice. He was not available for comment.

Still, his merely being on the field lent a certain promise to the day, said coach Hue Jackson.

"I was glad to see him back out there, but again, I don't want to push him too far, too fast," Jackson said. "But just to have him back out there, catching balls, running around, that was a good start for him."

The next step to Moore possibly playing Sunday against Detroit is his recovery on Thursday.

"Obviously, when you come out and run around at full speed, do those things, I think the next day is what's important, just making sure that you still feel good," Jackson said. "Again, it was great to have him back out there...I think his teammates were glad to see him back out here, gave us a little life."

Moore has caught 24 passes for 410 yards with a team-high four touchdown receptions in 10 games.

But he has been inactive since getting injured returning a punt at Minnesota. And with Jacoby Ford, Darren McFadden and even Taiwan Jones being out, Palmer has had precious few explosive playmakers with which to work.

And Jackson's playcalling has been as limited as the Raiders defense has been porous the past two weeks.

Ford and Jones did not practice, but they were on a side field working with a trainer at the start of the day.

Moore returning, though, would at least give what has become a predictable offense a spark.

"Obviously," Jackson acknowledged, "he's one of our better players. I think any time you get one of your playmakers back, it gives you a tremendous boost. Again, this is going to be a football team game. It won't be just one guy. One guy can't change where we need to be. It's got to be our team. Our team on offense, our team on defense, our team on special teams. We've go to do a better job, period.

"Again, just, it's tough for one man to do it. It's got to be a team effort."

Read more: Moore brings life to Raiders practice
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[RAS 925]

What has happened to Darren McFadden? From his initial diagnosis, to the actual prognosis for recovery, anything relating to the running back has been ambiguous and frustrating to fans of the Oakland Raiders. Here’s a time line of events, including comments from Hue Jackson regarding McFadden’s mending:

October 23, 2011 – McFadden was injured in the 1st quarter versus the Kansas City Chiefs. The running back was on the sidelines during the contest as Oakland got trounced at home, 28-0. Michael Bush carried the load and ended with 99-yards. “I feel like I can step in and do a good job,” Bush said. “I had a good game today. Not to take away from myself, but I mean, like I said, this offensive line is doing a very good job in the running game, and when one guy goes down, somebody else has to step in.”

It was first reported during the game as an injured right foot.

October 24, 2011 – McFadden was spotted in a protective boot and on crutches.

October 25, 2011 –“I’m hoping to get [McFadden] back soon,” Hue Jackson said. “I know one thing, one of my plans for him was to get him some rest this week, to get him back up and get him fresh because, obviously, when Darren is rolling, he’s one of the best backs in this league. So, we need to get him healthy.”

His prognosis for recovery was determined to be much clearer after the week off.

Structurally, Jackson reported that McFadden’s foot was fine and that tests were negative. “What we’ll do is just move forward and see exactly where he is,” Jackson said. “Can he run? Can he not run? What’s going to be the diagnosis for his mid-foot sprain and let’s go from there.”

October 30, 2011 – Oakland had a bye week.

November 3, 2011 – “[Michael Bush is] in a tough spot,” Jackson stated. “He plays behind arguably in my opinion one of the best running backs in this league. But Bush is a really, really good player himself. It’s good when you have two of them. In case one can’t go, you have one you can lean on.”

November 6th, 2011 – Raiders lose to Broncos, at home, 38-24. Bush ended with 96-yards on 19-rushes, but Jackson failed to establish more of a presence on the ground in the second half. Bush had 73-yards at the half and 11 carries at halftime.

November 8, 2011 - Not looking good for McFadden vs. San Diego

During his meeting with the San Diego press, Jackson was asked if McFadden was ruled out for the contest against the Chargers and he replied, “No he hasn’t. Not at this point.”

“There’s further progress,” he stated to the local media,. “Obviously, he’s not out here right now, but I know he’s getting better.”

November 10, 2011 – Bush carried the ball 30-times for a season high 157-yards. And in McFaddenesque fashion, he added another 85-yards receiving. Oakland won, 24-17.

November 14, 2011 – Steve Corkran reported, “Based on the fact there was no structural damage, according to Jackson, it is believed that McFadden suffered a Grade 1 sprain, which is the least severe of the three sprains.”

November 16, 2011 – “I seen Darren McFadden without a boot, standing out here with his teammates today for the first time in a long time,” Jackson said. “So, to me, that’s huge progress.”

He continued: “But we’re working at it and, like I said, he’s getting closer to being back out here than not being back out there.”

November 20, 2011 – Raiders win at Minnesota, 27-21. Oakland’s ground attack amassed 162-yards against the 6th ranked rush defense in the league.

November 21, 2011 –Jackson talked about McFadden’s ‘progress’, which was the rusher being out of his boot observing practice.

“I don’t want a 70 percent Darren McFadden,” he was quoted. “I think that’s unfair to the player and unfair to the football team.”

November 25, 2011 – “It’s hard to come back when you’ve been gone that long to just hit the ground running and expect him to be exactly what he was before he left,” Jackson commented. “We’ll have a plan to take care of that. We just want him back, that’s the most important thing. I want to get the player back out here at practice at some point in time.”

View attachment 106969

November 27, 2011 – Raiders beat the Bears, 25-20. The team rushes for 73-yards.

December 4, 2011 – Oakland was defeated in Miami, 34-14. Team tallied only 46-yards on the ground.

December 5, 2011 – McFadden not spotted on the field, or in the locker room after practice.

December 6, 2011 – “I don’t think so,” Jackson if McFadden would be out the rest of the year. “I think he’ll be back, I really do. When that is, I don’t have an answer.”

He continued: “I’m not a doctor. I’m the coach. So, when they tell me I can have these guys back is when I’ll get them. Do I want him back? I wanted him four weeks ago. ”

Corkran reports that ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell believed that McFadden has a Grade 1 sprain, the least severe of the three levels of severity.

December 7, 2011 - “They’re getting closer, and I wish I could tell you what day and what the percentage is, but I know they’re getting closer,” Jackson on his injured players.

December 11, 2011 – Raiders lose at Green Bay, 46-16. Team rushes for 117 yards.

December 12, 2011 – “I’ve been told that he has a midfoot sprain, which is just like a Lisfranc sprain, however you see that,” Jackson said. “It’s the same. It’s really one and the same. And I know one can require – both can require surgery. Both can require you to be out several, several weeks. So, they’re all in that same family.
“

“I just think how you describe it, based on one when you say Lisfranc, really means surgical. You got to go in and fix it right away in order to get it to heal properly. That’s why when people hear that term, everybody goes, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s what he has.’ No, he does not need surgery. That much I do know. You guys can write that. Darren McFadden does not need surgery.”

December 14, 2011 – ESPN’s analyst Bell states, “In McFadden’s case, his recovery appears to be taking longer than the Raiders initially projected it would, adding to the frustration of all looking from the outside in. At this point, despite Jackson’s statement that he expects McFadden to return, it’s hard to imagine a full-strength McFadden resurfacing within the next three weeks.”

 

[Meta4iCAL]

ALAMEDA -- This whole learning-on-the-fly thing has been a mixed bag off results for Carson Palmer, the results being at one end of the spectrum or the other. With little, if anything, in the middle for the Raiders quarterback.

Consider: when he's been good, he's been great. When he's been bad...not so much.

In three victories, Palmer has a 98.1 quarterback rating in completing 65 percent of his passes while averaging 254.7 yards passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

In four losses, Palmer's rating is 55.0 after completing just 51 percent of his passes for 241.5 yards with six touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Of course, he is throwing the ball a lot more in the defeats because the Raiders are trying to come back from big deficits. He's averaged 26.7 passes in the wins, 34.8 passes in the losses.

So what needs to change this weekend against Detroit?

"We need to score points," he said, matter-of-factly. "We need to be better on third down. We need to not turn the ball over. We need to play much better than we did the last two weeks. As I said after the game, our backs are against the wall. We have to win these next three weeks. Our team understands where we are and what's at stake. We need to play much better than we have been."

Palmer was acquired in an Oct. 18 trade with Cincinnati and he has played in all seven games since, starting the last six.

The Raiders, who have gone 3-4 since, have been outscored by Kansas City, Denver, Miami and Green Bay by cumulative 146-54 in the losses, or by an average score of 37-14, while outscoring San Diego, Minnesota and Chicago by a combined 76-58 in Oakland's wins in that time frame, or by an average score of 25-19.

Of course, the Raiders have fallen behind both Miami and Green Bay, 34-0, the past two weeks.

So getting off to a quick scoring start offensively against Detroit would help not only Palmer, but the Raiders as a whole.

"It changes the psyche of the opposing team," Palmer said. "If you get marched down the field on and scored on the first possession, as opposed to three-and-out, it definitely kind of sets the tone for a game. We need to start fast. We need to score points in the first quarter. We need to score points in the fourth quarter. And we're playing a good team with a good defense, a very good offense.

"They're in a similar situation. They're a very similar team to us. They've beat some good teams that teams didn't expect them to. They lost to some teams that people didn't expect them to. And they're in a position that they're fighting to get to the playoffs also."

It's fair to say, then, that as Palmer goes, so go the Raiders. And vice-versa.

Read more: As Palmer goes, so go the Raiders
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[Rusto]

Darren McFragile

 

[P.E.]

Expert’s take on McFadden’s injury, coach Jackson’s explanation

By Steve Corkran
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011 at 12:36 am in Oakland Raiders.

Raiders running back Darren McFadden has been out of action since he suffered a midfoot sprain Oct. 23. Fifty one days later, we’re nowhere closer to knowing the true severity of the injury or when he might return.
On Sunday, coach Hue Jackson first used the dreaded term Lisfranc injury when asked if McFadden’s injury is more severe than originally disclosed.
On Monday, Jackson said people can call it a midfoot sprain or a Lisfranc injury. Either way, he views it in the same light, he said, and that McFadden does not need surgery.
Rather than speculate, let’s call in ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell for her take. If you don’t know of Ms. Bell or read her regular columns, you should make a point of doing so. She provides a detailed account of what injuries mean, what the standard procedure is for each injury and how long a player should miss, on average.
Here’s what Bell had to say Tuesday about McFadden’s injury:

“Things still don’t look good. The poor outlook noted at the start of last week has become grimmer as another week has passed with no obvious signs of progress from McFadden. If anything, there is less clarity about McFadden’s injury than ever. On Sunday, CBS analyst Phil Simms commented that McFadden was dealing with a Lisfranc injury. Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times best captures the semantics issue around the term “Lisfranc” and coach Hue Jackson’s response as it relates to McFadden in his Monday post on the topic.

In an attempt to interpret the cause of the confusion, it should be noted that the term Lisfranc is an anatomical description of a region of the foot, specifically a complex joint comprising the bones and ligaments that connect the midfoot to the forefoot. An injury in this area could technically be called a midfoot sprain or a Lisfranc injury, and both would be correct. Injuries range from minor ligament tearing involving a single joint to multijoint severe injuries including fracture and dislocation. The latter type require surgery to fix; the former do not.

As Lisfranc injuries have become more common in the NFL and have led to season-ending surgeries for some (Ronnie Brown, Dwight Freeney and most recently Matt Schaub), when the term is used, the implication is that the athlete has suffered the most severe, season-ending variety. That degree of injury does not always result. Since the Raiders insist McFadden does not need surgery, it would appear that his injury is of the less severe type and that, perhaps, is why the term “Lisfranc” was avoided. For any injury to the midfoot, it is important that full healing occur in order to restore normal gait and prevent future problems, which can render the recovery process slow. In McFadden’s case, his recovery appears to be taking longer than the Raiders initially projected it would, adding to the frustration of all looking from the outside in. At this point, despite Jackson’s statement that he expects McFadden to return, it’s hard to imagine a full-strength McFadden resurfacing within the next three weeks.”

 

[RAS 925]

does anyone think we would still be worried about den right about now had we not had so many injuries on our team?? that final secs lost to buffalo is also hurtin us.. but no way do I think we'd be where we are now if we had a healthy DMac( playing like tha best RB in tha NFL til he went down w/ injury ), Ford ( game changer ), D. Moore ( best hands on tha team and also a playmaker.. became Carsons fav. target ) ), T. Jones on tha squad.. I mentioned T. Jones because he was beastin for us on special teams with his speed.. (check play vs. jets where he made cromartie fumble ona return, if it wasn't for Jones I say we woulda lost that game..) not lookin for excuses.. just bein a realist.. I kno plenty of other teams would be struggling right now as well if they where missing key players of their squads

 

[RAS 925]

injuries are haunting us.. and I didn't even bother bringing up losing J. Campbell! who knows how far we woulda gone had he not got injured.. we was 4-2.. I like Carson Palmer better as an overall QB but lets be real.. he's still learning on tha go (and did a damn solid job w/ our key wideouts in ).. not like he's been with this team for a while.. I hate to think about next season already.. but man a full training camp with our squad and we can be very dangerous.. talent is there.. just need to stay healthy and execute.. oh yeah and a real DC would be helpful as well! dont know why Al (R.I.P.) ever got rid of John Marshall in tha first place.. oh wait ya I do.. he wasn't a puppet like Chuck B..

 

[Chree]

Darren McFragile

props lol

 

[REACHTMO]

injuries injuries injuries.

We need to find an outlet to see whats good with run dmc. that nigga got a twitter? Id sign up if I could pester him with question about that damn foot. I feel bad for dude though, as much as it pisses me off he aint playing im sure hes even more upset. Yeah he still gets the paycheck week to week, but you gotta think he's hurtin on the inside knowing that he isnt getting his numbers up while in his prime. The potential thats getting wasted with this team because of injury makes me sick to my stomach, either that or the bath salts...

 

[Rusto]

the raiders are in great shape CONSIDERING:
1. They lost their starting QB MID season
2. McFragile was out most the year
3. Ford and Moore
4. Al Davis died mid season (caused turmoil and people were sad)

not bad, not bad

 

[P.E.]

Darrius Handslike-Bricks

 

[Rossibreath]

One of the local sports radio hosts here is ex 9er and Packer Harry Sydney. He's the worst analyst ever and screws up everyone's name and doesn't kno shit about sports. He called Heyward Bey "Denarius Haywood Britt" like 5 times one day lol. How he has a job is beyond me.

 

[Rossibreath]

Lol @ acting like Moore and Ford are stud recievers. Before they got hurt you guys were sayin how awesome Heyward Bey was and we were dumb for calling him a bust. Also Packers won the Super Bowl with 8 starters on IR last year. Just sayin.

 

[REACHTMO]

who was saying that? HB's played like garbage in every season with the exception of a few games this season. That last game was disgusting in how many dropped 3rd conversions he had. He definetly doesnt compare to crabtree, and if im not mistaking thats who everyone compares him to cause they were drafted the same year. Hb has come a long way though, if I could give his speed to moore's hands wed have the next randy moss (without the attitude). Hb should be used as a situational player. Put him in on play action and on second down. He shouldnt be in the number 1 spot. But we aint got a damn choice, hes the only one whose been healthy, and knows the whole playbook.

Dont twist my words either, I know how yall trolls like to do it

 

[Tony]

DHB is cool, one bad game doesn't make him that bad. He's been playing good all year.... Moore is a beast period and he's fast or maybe faster than DHB.

 

[mac_strong]

heyward-bey is a poor man's james jett

 

[MaC A$$ ViC]

Dhb was playing solid when Campbell was in. At that time he was our best and most consistent receiver

 

[MaC A$$ ViC]

And the packers wouldn't do shit without their best offensive player

 

[Solitary 1]

Overall - DHB has played well. He had a bad game vs. Green Bay but so did almost the entire team..

 

[Solitary 1]

Lol @ acting like Moore and Ford are stud recievers. Before they got hurt you guys were sayin how awesome Heyward Bey was and we were dumb for calling him a bust. Also Packers won the Super Bowl with 8 starters on IR last year. Just sayin.

Moore is a stud receiver you dumb ass.