2009 Oakland Raiders Football Preview

2008 Record: 5-11, Third AFC West

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Head Coach: Tom Cable; First full year

Key Additions: FB Lorenzo Neal, QB Jeff Garcia, S Keith Davis, C Samson Satele

Key Losses: C Jake Grove, S Gibril Wilson, LB Marquis Cooper, WR Ronald Curry, FB Justin Griffith

1st Round Draft Picks: Darrius Heyward-Bey – Wide Receiver

2nd Round Draft Picks: Michael Mitchell - Safety

2009 Oakland Raiders Schedule

Oakland Raiders 2008 NFL Season in Review

Things were just as usual for the Oakland Raiders in 2008, which means inconsistent and at times terrible play, controversy coming from all angles and more questionable moves. Coach Lane Kiffin was unceremoniously dismissed from the club and quarterback JaMarcus Russell struggled through his first season, only occasionally showing flashes of his promise. Darren McFadden failed to make a large impact in his rookie season, receiving half the carries of Justin Fargas.

The offense finished 29 th in points scored and the defense finished 24 th in points surrendered. The rushing defense was atrocious, ranked 31 st in the league, but the passing defense was solid led by elite cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall only survived 8 games with the club before he was also unceremoniously dismissed.

Oakland Raiders 2009 NFL Season Preview

The Raiders threw everyone a curve ball when they surprisingly chose wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey in the draft, passing up highly touted wide receivers such as Michael Crabtree. Tom Cable will have the reigns from the beginning of the season, but the success of the club doesn't rest on his shoulders, it rests on the development of JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden.

2009 Oakland Raiders Offense:

JaMarcus Russell is a player clearly gifted with a lot of physical talent, including arm strength to seemingly throw the ball out of the stadium if he chooses to. He needs to significantly improve his accuracy and decision making however, he completed only 53.8% of his passes in 2008. The Raiders have some deep threats in their lineup, including Johnny Lee Higgins and potentially Ashley Lelie and Javon Walker, along with first round draft pick Darrius Heyward-Bey. But none of them are number 1 receivers at this stage.

Russell will therefore need a lot of help from last year's first round pick Darren McFadden. If McFadden develops into a dangerous number 1 running back, Russell will have a few more openings to throw the ball into. If both players don't enjoy a major surge however, the Raiders offense will struggle in 2008.

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2009 Oakland Raiders Defense:

The bright spot of the Raiders defense is really one man, Nnamdi Asomugha. However, an elite cornerback can only have so much impact on a game when the other team refuses to throw the ball in his direction. Safety Michael Huff is also developing into a strong player however the club needs more help in other areas. The defensive line needs to have a better year. Gerard Warren, Kalimba Edwards and Derrick Burgess can all be disruptive players when they are playing to their potential. They will need to be, to take the pressure off of a group of linebackers without many recognizable names.

2009 Oakland Raiders Prediction: Fourth AFC West

By Jake Emen
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer

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