The Raiders are looking to pick up where they left off last season, when they fought their way back to mediocrity and in turn doubled their previous seasons win total. The Raiders seem to have momentum in their favor and would like to build off of last season’s resurgence. Oakland went 8-8 and for the first time went undefeated in the AFC West and narrowly missed the playoffs.
A lot has to happen for the Raiders to continue their journey back in to contention and atop of the AFC West mountain.
First of all, and most importantly, quarterback Jason Campbell must assert himself as the leader of the team once and for all. It is crucial that he distance himself from fan favorite, but oft-injured Bruce Gradkowski. Campbell must take control of the offense and silence all doubters by raising his level of play and cutting down on mental mistakes, inconsistencies and hesitations.
The offensive line will be an early indicator as to the direction of this Oakland team, and can easily spell success or failure for the Raiders. Rookie offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski must establish himself early and be mentally and physically ready to be thrown into the fire. Gone will be guard Robert Gallery, along with him will be his gritty run blocking and usually suspect pass protection.
The Langston Walker and Mario Henderson experiments were complete failures and both should considerable playing time behind rookie LSU tackle Joseph Barksdale. Both Walker and Henderson were never “prototypical tackles” and struggled in both the run game and pass protection.
The bright spots on an otherwise dismal and underachieving unit were rookie Jared Valdheer and Samson Satele, who battled injuries throughout the season. The Raiders coaching staff must find permanent positions for Valdheer and guard/tac...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
