The Raiders return to practice today with a much brighter disposition. A 45—point victory will put a bounce in any team's step.
But there are still issues that need to be resolved if the Raiders plan on winning two in a row—a feat unaccomplished since 2008.
Jason Campbell or Bruce Gradkowski?
Jason Campbell went from worst to first in a two—week time period, posting a 127.9 QB rating after an abysmal 10.7 rating.
Tom Cable has made it clear that Bruce Gradkowski will be the starter when healthy. What he’s not saying is how much leash Gradkowski will have if things go bad early. The Raiders have no major financial commitment to either quarterback for the future, so any sudden substitutions shouldn’t be a surprise to the team or either quarterback.
If Gradkowski isn’t able to start, this issue will come up again next week. If Campbell has another good game, it would be three solid performances in four weeks. Would that earn Campbell another start against AFC West—leading Kansas City Chiefs?
For this year it’s better to just ride the hot hand and find a spark wherever it is available.
Where will Jared Veldheer line up?
It looks like the Raiders may have found something running to the left side of the line. Guard Robert Gallery and rookie tackle Jared Veldheer cleared wide lanes for Darren McFadden, making the rotation experiment in previous weeks a non—issue.
That is, until Samson Satele was knocked out of the game with a concussion and Veldheer moved to the center position for the rest of the game. Satele’s status remains uncertain for now, but the Raiders could use that Gallery/Veldheer combo together when they face Se...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders