There are few fan bases in sports who are as much fun and who are as passionate as Oakland Raider fans are. The fan base has changed a lot though with all of the losing. The Oakland Raiders had a dismal 2012 season, as they went just 4-12 and not sure they will be an improved team in 2013. The Raiders enter the year at 200-1 Odds to win Super Bowl XLVIII.
It didn't take the Raiders long to try and exorcise the demons of 2012. Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was fired on December 31 at the season's conclusion. Knapp was instrumental in moving to a zone-blocking scheme that cut down on sacks (Oakland only gave up 27, among the best in the league), but created the running problems noted earlier.Replacing Knapp is Greg Olson, whose offensive work in Tampa Bay and Jacksonville over the past few seasons has been mixed in execution. However, his power-running attack will benefit McFadden,
Think about how good the Raiders would be if they didn't spend so many draft picks on quarterbacks who don't even start for them right now. They tossed a third-rounder away for Terrelle Pryor and then dealt first- and second-rounders to the Bengals for Carson Palmer, who was traded this offseason to Arizona for a conditional 2014 seventh-rounder. The new quarterback is Matt Flynn, who was acquired for a fifth-rounder and a conditional 2015 selection. Neither Flynn nor Wilson will have much to work with. The Raiders lost Darrius Heyward-Bey and Brandon Myers this offseason. The former was a very inefficient receiver, but his absence still depletes depth at the position. Second-year Rod Streater will start across from Denarius Moore. The OL is not that sound.
The 25 sacks mustered by the Raiders were the second lowest total in the NFL in 2012, ahead of only Jacksonville's wretched 20. It's probably not a good sign when Richard Seymour misses eight games, and finds himself in a three-way tie for third place with 3.0 sacks. (Lamarr Houston led the club with 4.5). The Raiders also managed just 11 interceptions, which puts them in the bottom third of the league. Compounding that, the team also had just eight fumble recoveries on defense, seventh worst total in NFL. It's easy to see why Oakland had the second worst percentage of plays ending in a sack or pick in 2012, a 6.53 percent kill rate. This lack of pressure allowed opponents to average 27.7 PPG against the Silver and Black, fifth highest total in the league.
The Raiders have one of the worst rosters the NFL has seen in decades. Their quarterbacks are terrible, their running back is always hurt, their receivers drop tons of passes, their offensive line isn't very good, their defensive line can't get to the quarterback, their linebackers have never played together, and their cornerbacks can't cover. It will be a long year in Oakland.
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