jayman_37
09-04-2008, 03:36 PM
Scouts Take: Broncos at Raiders
By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
(Archive)
jayson - Subscriber since 10/14/2004Updated: September 4, 2008, 11:50 AM ET
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US Presswire
Scouts Inc. Position Advantage
Denver has the advantage at QB WR and coaching. Raiders have everything else.
QB RB REC OL DL LB DB ST COACHING EDGE
Entering the 2008 season, do we really know these two teams like we have in the past? Denver is young and made a lot of changes on both sides of the ball, but they like what they have seen in the preseason and have a gifted young QB in Jay Cutler. Oakland has some outstanding individual players -- but can they gel as a unit? Is QB JaMarcus Russell ready to lead this team? Can the Raider defense bounce back after a bad 2007? There is a lot of questions to be answered by both teams.
When Denver has the ball
There is no mystery to Denver's offensive philosophy. The Broncos will run to set up the pass with Cutler and they run their zone blocking schemes to perfection with quick, athletic lineman. They face an Oakland run defense that underachieved and ranked next to last in 2007. The Raiders will bring their safeties and linebackers closer to the line of scrimmage in run support and put their corners on an island in pass coverage without a lot of safety help over the top. With a good early run game, Cutler will have good matchups in the passing game outside, but without his best receiver, Brandon Marshall (suspension), the ability to go deep will be problematic. Look for Cutler to utilize play-action and his ability to roll-out and bootleg could lead to some nice gains and put a lot of pressure on the Oakland defensive perimeter. Also, look for the Raiders to possibly blitz Cutler more than they have in the past.
When Oakland has the ball
The Raiders are very similar to the Broncos on offense philosophically. They want to run the ball, manage the game, and use the pass as a spin-off of the run. They have a lot of talent in their backfield with three guys that can pile up the yards -- Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, and rookie Darren McFadden -- and they may all play at the same time on some plays. Look for McFadden to be utilized as an outlet receiver for Russell and he is a nightmare matchup in space versus the Broncos linebackers. This will be a low risk pass offense, even though Russell has a big time arm, and he will get mostly single man to man coverage by Denver corners, Champ Bailey and Dre' Bly, but Denver is vulnerable versus the run (30th in rush defense in 2007). The Broncos will play a more penetrating scheme up front but the Raiders zone blocking could be very effective and Oakland can wear down this defense inside.
Matchup To Watch
Oakland RB Darren McFadden versus Denver WOLB D.J. Williams
This is a matchup that could become very intriguing, especially in the passing game. McFadden has great open field speed and moves and catches the ball very naturally out of the backfield. He is a nightmare matchup in space. He will share carries with Fargas and Bush, but on third down McFadden will have a chance to be a difference maker. Williams is an excellent athlete with speed and range and he is back at his natural WOLB spot after playing inside in 2007. He is a good pass defender with solid instincts, but he will have his hands full covering McFadden on swing passes and dump-offs.
Denver keys to success
Confuse Russell: The Raiders' offense will revolves around the run game and Russell will likely be limited to under 25 pass attempts per game. Although most of his throws will be basic and low risk, the Broncos will try to give the young signal caller a variety of looks and coverages designed to make him hesitant and hold on to the ball an extra second or two. Denver will show Russell eight defenders in the box with tight man to man schemes by CBs Bailey and Bly, which allows them more freedom to blitz. Russell may be able to attack the middle of the field versus the safeties, but Denver will try to lure him into bad throws.
Pound the rock: The Raiders will load up to try to stop Denver's running game, but the Broncos can't let that deter them from running. They still need to establish a physical ground game. The Raiders were next to last in rushing defense in 2007, but they think they have become more physical and tougher in 2008. Denver is inexperienced on the offensive line, but the talent is there and they are always adept at their zone blocking schemes. They have two good backs, Selvin Young and young Andre Hall. Young will be the primary back and Hall can be good in short yardage situations. The Broncos will stay committed to the run early in this game.
Play well on special teams: There are a lot of changes in the Broncos' kicking game in 2008 and that can be a scary proposition. They have a new kicker, Matt Prater, who has a big leg, but can he be consistent on field goals? They will have a new punter with virtually no experience. Rookie WR Eddie Royal was scheduled to return punts and kickoffs but now that he is a starter at WR, his opportunities may be limited on special teams and Hall may end up taking his place. That is a lot of change when you are facing a tough division opponent on the road in the season opener.
Oakland keys to success
Run to set up the pass: Russel is an inexperienced quarterback and the Raiders want to bring him along slowly. Right now, what they do best is control the offense with a physical rushing attack, using a zone blocking scheme with a line that has a chance to be pretty good. They have tinkered with an offensive formation that features Bush at FB with Fargas and McFadden also on the field, and it gives them a lot of flexibility. Denver will play eight in the box and single man coverages on the perimeter and Russell will get some good passing matchups if he can identify them.
More blitzing: The Raiders have blitzed a lot more in the preseason than they did in 2007. In the past they have tried to get pressure from their front four with man to man coverages on the edges, but a year ago they gave up too many big passing plays and were terrible in run defense. They will play new safety Gibril Wilson close to the line of scrimmage and let him attack, along with OLB Thomas Howard and they can play man to man on the perimeter. Denver must be aware of the Oakland blitzes.
Will the zone blocking scheme be successful? The Raiders like their zone blocking scheme under offensive line coach Tom Cable and they have talented backs to run behind it. They want to run the ball a lot and wear down defenses and they have a chance to do that versus a Bronco defensive front that is thin inside. Although the Broncos will change to a more penetrating scheme rather than read and react, the Raiders should be able to run right at them, and keep in mind that the Broncos were the 30th ranked run defense in the league last year. However, as good as this matchup looks for Oakland, remember that the Broncos' defense sees zone blocking everyday from their own offense, so they will not be surprised.
Scouts Inc. Edge
This will be a physical game as each team tries to enforce its will early. However, there are a lot of questions entering this game. We really don't know the identity of either offense and we don't know how they will perform now that the games count. Both of these defenses were awful versus the run a year ago, which is a concern considering both offenses want to run first and pass second. The only known commodity is Cutler, but he will be without his best receiver. Oakland will play it close to the vest with its own talented young QB and in a close, low-scoring game, Russell will limit mistakes and let his backs to the heavy lifting as the Raiders upset the Broncos.
Prediction
Oakland Raiders 13
Denver Broncos 10
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=3568337
By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
(Archive)
jayson - Subscriber since 10/14/2004Updated: September 4, 2008, 11:50 AM ET
Comment
US Presswire
Scouts Inc. Position Advantage
Denver has the advantage at QB WR and coaching. Raiders have everything else.
QB RB REC OL DL LB DB ST COACHING EDGE
Entering the 2008 season, do we really know these two teams like we have in the past? Denver is young and made a lot of changes on both sides of the ball, but they like what they have seen in the preseason and have a gifted young QB in Jay Cutler. Oakland has some outstanding individual players -- but can they gel as a unit? Is QB JaMarcus Russell ready to lead this team? Can the Raider defense bounce back after a bad 2007? There is a lot of questions to be answered by both teams.
When Denver has the ball
There is no mystery to Denver's offensive philosophy. The Broncos will run to set up the pass with Cutler and they run their zone blocking schemes to perfection with quick, athletic lineman. They face an Oakland run defense that underachieved and ranked next to last in 2007. The Raiders will bring their safeties and linebackers closer to the line of scrimmage in run support and put their corners on an island in pass coverage without a lot of safety help over the top. With a good early run game, Cutler will have good matchups in the passing game outside, but without his best receiver, Brandon Marshall (suspension), the ability to go deep will be problematic. Look for Cutler to utilize play-action and his ability to roll-out and bootleg could lead to some nice gains and put a lot of pressure on the Oakland defensive perimeter. Also, look for the Raiders to possibly blitz Cutler more than they have in the past.
When Oakland has the ball
The Raiders are very similar to the Broncos on offense philosophically. They want to run the ball, manage the game, and use the pass as a spin-off of the run. They have a lot of talent in their backfield with three guys that can pile up the yards -- Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, and rookie Darren McFadden -- and they may all play at the same time on some plays. Look for McFadden to be utilized as an outlet receiver for Russell and he is a nightmare matchup in space versus the Broncos linebackers. This will be a low risk pass offense, even though Russell has a big time arm, and he will get mostly single man to man coverage by Denver corners, Champ Bailey and Dre' Bly, but Denver is vulnerable versus the run (30th in rush defense in 2007). The Broncos will play a more penetrating scheme up front but the Raiders zone blocking could be very effective and Oakland can wear down this defense inside.
Matchup To Watch
Oakland RB Darren McFadden versus Denver WOLB D.J. Williams
This is a matchup that could become very intriguing, especially in the passing game. McFadden has great open field speed and moves and catches the ball very naturally out of the backfield. He is a nightmare matchup in space. He will share carries with Fargas and Bush, but on third down McFadden will have a chance to be a difference maker. Williams is an excellent athlete with speed and range and he is back at his natural WOLB spot after playing inside in 2007. He is a good pass defender with solid instincts, but he will have his hands full covering McFadden on swing passes and dump-offs.
Denver keys to success
Confuse Russell: The Raiders' offense will revolves around the run game and Russell will likely be limited to under 25 pass attempts per game. Although most of his throws will be basic and low risk, the Broncos will try to give the young signal caller a variety of looks and coverages designed to make him hesitant and hold on to the ball an extra second or two. Denver will show Russell eight defenders in the box with tight man to man schemes by CBs Bailey and Bly, which allows them more freedom to blitz. Russell may be able to attack the middle of the field versus the safeties, but Denver will try to lure him into bad throws.
Pound the rock: The Raiders will load up to try to stop Denver's running game, but the Broncos can't let that deter them from running. They still need to establish a physical ground game. The Raiders were next to last in rushing defense in 2007, but they think they have become more physical and tougher in 2008. Denver is inexperienced on the offensive line, but the talent is there and they are always adept at their zone blocking schemes. They have two good backs, Selvin Young and young Andre Hall. Young will be the primary back and Hall can be good in short yardage situations. The Broncos will stay committed to the run early in this game.
Play well on special teams: There are a lot of changes in the Broncos' kicking game in 2008 and that can be a scary proposition. They have a new kicker, Matt Prater, who has a big leg, but can he be consistent on field goals? They will have a new punter with virtually no experience. Rookie WR Eddie Royal was scheduled to return punts and kickoffs but now that he is a starter at WR, his opportunities may be limited on special teams and Hall may end up taking his place. That is a lot of change when you are facing a tough division opponent on the road in the season opener.
Oakland keys to success
Run to set up the pass: Russel is an inexperienced quarterback and the Raiders want to bring him along slowly. Right now, what they do best is control the offense with a physical rushing attack, using a zone blocking scheme with a line that has a chance to be pretty good. They have tinkered with an offensive formation that features Bush at FB with Fargas and McFadden also on the field, and it gives them a lot of flexibility. Denver will play eight in the box and single man coverages on the perimeter and Russell will get some good passing matchups if he can identify them.
More blitzing: The Raiders have blitzed a lot more in the preseason than they did in 2007. In the past they have tried to get pressure from their front four with man to man coverages on the edges, but a year ago they gave up too many big passing plays and were terrible in run defense. They will play new safety Gibril Wilson close to the line of scrimmage and let him attack, along with OLB Thomas Howard and they can play man to man on the perimeter. Denver must be aware of the Oakland blitzes.
Will the zone blocking scheme be successful? The Raiders like their zone blocking scheme under offensive line coach Tom Cable and they have talented backs to run behind it. They want to run the ball a lot and wear down defenses and they have a chance to do that versus a Bronco defensive front that is thin inside. Although the Broncos will change to a more penetrating scheme rather than read and react, the Raiders should be able to run right at them, and keep in mind that the Broncos were the 30th ranked run defense in the league last year. However, as good as this matchup looks for Oakland, remember that the Broncos' defense sees zone blocking everyday from their own offense, so they will not be surprised.
Scouts Inc. Edge
This will be a physical game as each team tries to enforce its will early. However, there are a lot of questions entering this game. We really don't know the identity of either offense and we don't know how they will perform now that the games count. Both of these defenses were awful versus the run a year ago, which is a concern considering both offenses want to run first and pass second. The only known commodity is Cutler, but he will be without his best receiver. Oakland will play it close to the vest with its own talented young QB and in a close, low-scoring game, Russell will limit mistakes and let his backs to the heavy lifting as the Raiders upset the Broncos.
Prediction
Oakland Raiders 13
Denver Broncos 10
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=3568337