Behind Enemy Lines: Oakland Raiders Edition
Analysis of the San Diego Chargers game on Sunday with a Raiders expert…
The San Diego Chargers (1-3) travel north to visit the Oakland Raiders (3-1) on Sunday in the Coliseum. Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with the Public Relations Officer for the South Bay Raiders Booster Club and Raiders Cover32 contributor, Amy Contizano, about the game. Check out my questions and her answers below.
AROUND COVER32
NFL: Mailbag Questions Following Week Four
Chargers News: Verrett Evaluated for Possible Knee Injury
Chargers News: AFC West Review – Week Four
Raiders News: Three Bold Predictions for the Chargers Game
1. Quarterback Derek Carr is off to a great start in 2016. What has been the key to his success at this point in the year?
Amy: He is one of those young players you watch play and think to yourself, can it really only be his third season in the NFL? He carries himself with such poise, calmness, and maturity out on the field that it’s sometimes easy to forget. The team recognizes that and really looks to him as their leader and they have really banded together behind him. It has been a long time since the Oakland Raiders could say, without a doubt, that they had their quarterback and this team really wants to get out there and both play for and protect him. It’s refreshing to see this kind of attitude as, and I’m sure that Raider Nation will attest to this, it’s been many, many years since they’ve seen a team come together and show this kind of solidarity.
2. How do the Raiders plan to compensate for the absence of tight end Lee Smith?
Amy: Now that is going to be one tall order and not just because he may just have the best beard on the offense. Smith is one of those tight ends that makes head coach Jack del Rio say his favorite word, versatile. Del Rio is a big fan of players who are not one-trick ponies and Smith is one of those mythical blocking tight ends. If he’s not catching the ball, then he’s out there clearing a path for someone else to make a play. Filling his void is going to require more than just one player to step up. The team definitely recognizes that, having talked about how sorely he will be missed.
3. All three Oakland victories have been within one score, two within one point. What has been the key to winning these close games early in the season?
Amy: The key is to not pass out from the multiple massive coronaries you suffer while watching the Raiders play every week! This is a Raiders team that is foreign to Raider Nation, who haven been following the team over the last decade. This team is learning, improving, and also making adjustments on the field. While the fan base was disgusted by the defense giving up over 1,000 yards Weeks One and Two, those same fans are lauding the defense that came through in the end while in Baltimore. The team that showed up in Week Four was clicking on all three cylinders and this is something that you saw come together as the weeks wore on and the team demonstrated clear improvement. The defense is still a work in progress, but you can see them understanding that they can’t let the offense do it all on their own.
4. Key matchup in the game on Sunday against San Diego?
Amy: Key match-up, what match-up? San Diego won’t even have Jason Verrett! It will be interesting to see how the Chargers fill Verrett’s void as it’s been very clear that Michael Crabtree will not go silently into the night. As the season wears on, Raider Nation gets the gift of seeing Crabtree come into his own and show even more so that he is 1000% silver and black. When he was in the draft, I really wanted the Raiders to draft him, but it’s clear now that he wouldn’t have been the player that he is now. He is a force on the field and it will fun to see how the Chargers attempt to shut him down. Attempt…
5. Final score prediction?
Amy: As we discussed before, I would really like one game where the Raiders win handily. None of this down to the wire, only up by one point stuff! I say the Raiders get their first win at home this week against the San Diego Chargers and that final score will be 34-20.
The post Behind Enemy Lines: Oakland Raiders Edition appeared first on Cover32.
