2007 Oakland Raiders Picks & Predictions
May 22, 2008
If you thought things couldn’t get any worse for the Oakland Raiders, they proved you wrong last season with a 2-14 campaign. Find out if new head coach Lane Kiffin has a shot to turn this franchise around in our 2007 Oakland Raiders predictions.
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The Silver and Black have a tradition of winning because of their commitment to excellence. However, the world excellence hasn’t been mentioned in referring to the Oakland Raiders since 2002. Since reaching the Super Bowl in 2002, the Raiders have won just 15 games and have lost 49 and last season’s 2-14 campaign was the worst or the worst. Owner Al Davis admitted his mistake in re-hiring Art Shell to be their head coach. He was quickly axed after the season to no ones surprise and surprisingly replaced by a 31-year-old youngster Lane Kiffin. He comes from a good pedigree as the son of longtime Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin but he’ll have plenty of obstacles to overcome including earning respect as the league’s youngest coach.
Kiffin had no choice but to keep the defensive coaching staff in tact by order of Davis and rightfully so as the defense has lots of promise. Offensively, former 49ers and Falcons offensive coordinator Greg Knapp will be Kiffin’s right-hand man. These two have their work cut out for themselves with an offense which scored just 12 touchdowns in 16 games last season. The offense to get something going to complement a defense of the verge of stardom. The Raiders’ “D” finished third overall in yardage allowed and first against the pass. If he can get his players to embrace the franchise they are playing for and to value its history, he has a shot at turning this thing around. Let’s put it this way, it can’t get any worse. When I say turn things around, I don’t mean playoffs. I mean show some positive strides and perhaps come away with five victories in 2007.
Kiffin will be calling the shots for the offense and leaning on Greg Knapp every step of the way. This duo will instantly prove to be better suited to calling the plays than Tom Walsh or John Shoop were last season. The game appears to have passed Walsh by and Shoop was thrown to the wolves.
While the offense remains in a state of turmoil until, perhaps, number one draft choice JaMarcus Russell can give us reason to believe otherwise, at least Raiders fans can take pride in Rob Ryan’s defense which flies around the field making plays and busting heads no matter what the score. The Raider have fortunately drafted well, especially on defense, and the scouting is starting to pay off.
Al Davis is thinking that Lane Kiffin can bring some youthful fire to this once great franchise. This strong, exciting defense is in a position to win now, but a the Raiders’ trouble offense is still at least a season away from holding its own.
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