How about them Raiders??

[RockThatBlue]

8-2.

 

What a job Del Rio has done with that team. 

[NorthernBlue]

I got my concerns with them, too many close games that they really should have won easily (Tampa, Tennessee, New Orleans). But they're a damn good football team. D may have some issues but they have play makers, and their offense is explosive. Real fun team to watch.

 

I don't usually pick second team, but if the Colts miss the playoffs, for me it's between the Skins and Raiders.

[RockThatBlue]

3 minutes ago, NorthernBlue said:

I got my concerns with them, too many close games that they really should have won easily (Tampa, Tennessee, New Orleans). But they're a damn good football team. D may have some issues but they have play makers, and their offense is explosive. Real fun team to watch.

 

I don't usually pick second team, but if the Colts miss the playoffs, for me it's between the Skins and Raiders.

If the Colts miss the playoffs, I'll definitely be rooting for the Raiders. I'm a big fan of Carr. 

[chad72]

Derek Carr is bringing Peyton like offensive excitement to the league for neutral observers, IMO, and the fact that his D is just OK makes it more similar to the younger Peyton days.

 

Luck brings a Big Ben like high ceiling excitement while Carr is your typical pocket passer.

[BullsColtsFan1]

I enjoy watching them play.  All though they frusterated me last night.  They should have smoked Houston in my opinion.  They got real lucky too because I feel like both running plays on 3rd and 4th down for Houston with 6 min left were first downs, even upon review.  I have no idea how they ruled both runners short.  But you know what?  I'll take it!  Colts are within a game.  Hopefully SD can upset Hou Sunday because we all know we aren't beating Pitt without Luck. 

[bayone]

1 hour ago, BullsColtsFan1 said:

I enjoy watching them play.  All though they frusterated me last night.  They should have smoked Houston in my opinion.  They got real lucky too because I feel like both running plays on 3rd and 4th down for Houston with 6 min left were first downs, even upon review.  I have no idea how they ruled both runners short.  But you know what?  I'll take it!  Colts are within a game.  Hopefully SD can upset Hou Sunday because we all know we aren't beating Pitt without Luck. 

 

The game was called as if the NFL had a vested interest for Raiders to win and keep that division for a year end showdown as Denver & Oakland play each other in final game, before that Broncoss play KC & before That Pats, ,, thats some ending sched

 

I agree are an excellent offense & should have smoked texans and defense improving as year going on but also agree with those running plays  spotted badly and 

 

as wrote elsewhere

 

Brock had green lasers in his eyes, not Car( see excerpt  that follows next paragraph but mexico soccer fans do that to teams they dont like    )

 

REFS gave away a opening drive TD by texans

 

on opening drive Brock threw a TD to Hopkins that he ran way down sidelines to get  but whistle blew as refs thought he was out of bounds running down sideline 

 

Replay clearly showed he wasnt close to it as announcers agreed, there was a challenge and as announcers pointed out u cant challenge if a whistle blew , refs told that to texan coach so had to accept it, not like it so ruled dead way back,

 

ended with 3 points, that 4 point difference would of change some 4th down calls in last quarter as only needed 3 points to ties but had to go for a first or TD in the red zone and was stopped

 

& those spots were bad to me, were first downs to me

 

Refs made a few bad calls and spots against Texans,green lights as u drop back blinding u  not that i am complaining with Texans losing, just saying

- Go Colts

EXCERPT

 

LASER SHOW: Houston QB  Brock Osweiler  had to deal with an unusual distraction during the game as a fan with a green laser frequently shined it on the Houston quarterback as he dropped back to pass in an act more familiar in soccer games played here than in NFL games. That wasn't the only soccer tradition imported for this game. Fans also used a homophobic chant on kickoffs. Mexico's soccer federation has been punished by FIFA in the past for the chant during World Cup qualifiers. Fans threw paper airplanes on the field in the third quarter with Oakland's  Sean Smith  taking a turn throwing one that reached the field during a break.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/gametracker/live/NFL_20161121_HOU@OAK/

[BloodyChamp]

Some of the other forums I visit are still burning about that Raiders game. I know I've wanted to strangle some refs but this flat out isn't that big a deal. The Raiders are going to the playoffs if they lose the game and the Texans are not necessarily if they win it. On to Buffalo for heck's sake.

 

The Raiders are for real. They're so real that *some* people are going to call them frauds if they don't win the SB!!!!!!! 

[BloodyChamp]

Some of the other forums I visit are still burning about that Raiders game. I know I've wanted to strangle some refs but this flat out isn't that big a deal. The Raiders are going to the playoffs if they lose the game and the Texans are not necessarily if they win it. On to Buffalo for heck's sake.

 

The Raiders are for real. They're so real that *some* people are going to call them frauds if they don't win the SB!!!!!!! 

[AZColt11]

The only thing that worries me about them is they are so offensive heavy.  Teams like that don't "usually" fare well in the playoffs.  But they are fun to watch.

[Synthetic]

On 11/21/2016 at 11:15 PM, NorthernBlue said:

I got my concerns with them, too many close games that they really should have won easily (Tampa, Tennessee, New Orleans). But they're a damn good football team. D may have some issues but they have play makers, and their offense is explosive. Real fun team to watch.

 

I don't usually pick second team, but if the Colts miss the playoffs, for me it's between the Skins and Raiders.

 

They could've easily lost these games too. They were down by 14 and 11 vs the Saints, and at one point, Tampa Bay pretty much had them beat. The Titans could've got them, and Baltimore nearly beat them as well had it not been for the late game heroics of Carr slinging it down field for a TD. 

 

 

They're a decent team and I am glad to root for them. It's great to see a team who has been through pain and misery for so long, finally rise and have a great season. It's difficult to find reasons to hate the Raiders, they're an iconic classic team and they've suffered for a long while. However, they do have some legitimate concerns that can't be overlooked.

 

Their defense is ranked in the bottom 10 and they've been absolutely gashed to pieces in certain games. The Saints, Falcons, and even Houston last week had great success passing all over them. 

 

The other major concern is their penalties. Carr would have broke the record books for his passing yardage vs the Bucs, had they not given up 20+ penalties that erased a good bit of yardage that would have gave him the record. 

 

Their next win will put them at the first time since 2002 of winning 9 games or more...I would love to see them make a deep playoff run, but I am concerned with their defense and the number of penalties they accumulate. 

[Synthetic]

7 hours ago, BloodyChamp said:

Some of the other forums I visit are still burning about that Raiders game. I know I've wanted to strangle some refs but this flat out isn't that big a deal. The Raiders are going to the playoffs if they lose the game and the Texans are not necessarily if they win it. On to Buffalo for heck's sake.

 

The Raiders are for real. They're so real that *some* people are going to call them frauds if they don't win the SB!!!!!!! 

 

 

I was very angry how they beat the Saints. But that wasn't the refs fault...In fact, a lot of calls went our way in our game, and I'll be the first to admit it. It's the sting of losing to a 2 point conversion, and especially after you had a 10+ lead in the game twice and still couldn't win. 

 

 

Not going to lie though, the ballsy 2 point conversion of the win was enough to make me really respect Del Rio. It was a risky move, not even Sean Payton in his prime would have dared try that. Del Rio should win coach of the year just based off the 2 point conversion alone. 

 

I think they're for real, and people should be glad cause this was a team who had a lot of picks during the summer. Many picked them as a dark horse, and usually the Raiders fall short when expectations are high. This year they've proven to be the real deal. 

[NorthernBlue]

27 minutes ago, Synthetic said:

 

They could've easily lost these games too. They were down by 14 and 11 vs the Saints, and at one point, Tampa Bay pretty much had them beat. The Titans could've got them, and Baltimore nearly beat them as well had it not been for the late game heroics of Carr slinging it down field for a TD. 

 

 

They're a decent team and I am glad to root for them. It's great to see a team who has been through pain and misery for so long, finally rise and have a great season. It's difficult to find reasons to hate the Raiders, they're an iconic classic team and they've suffered for a long while. However, they do have some legitimate concerns that can't be overlooked.

 

Their defense is ranked in the bottom 10 and they've been absolutely gashed to pieces in certain games. The Saints, Falcons, and even Houston last week had great success passing all over them. 

 

The other major concern is their penalties. Carr would have broke the record books for his passing yardage vs the Bucs, had they not given up 20+ penalties that erased a good bit of yardage that would have gave him the record. 

 

Their next win will put them at the first time since 2002 of winning 9 games or more...I would love to see them make a deep playoff run, but I am concerned with their defense and the number of penalties they accumulate. 

That's the only thing keeping me from calling them a SB contender. Yeah, they're 8-2 but they got a lot of flaws, as you pointed out mainly in the defense. Now, that doesn't mean they can't win the SB. Just that I don't think they are considered contenders,at least yet. 

 

Really, to me only Seattle, Dallas and New England are "SB contenders" right now. And even New England isn't indestructible. In order to be considered one, (in my book), you have to be strong on both sides of the ball. Oakland has the O, but if they fizzle out, they're in trouble. Meanwhile a team like Seattle can put 30 points on the road, in New England, but still has a defense that can carry/save them in case Russel isn't clicking on all cylinders. 

 

There's not any perfect teams in the league. Most teams have some sort of flaws. Title contenders have significantly less flaws, which is why they are considered "title contenders". Oakland's not there yet. However, a lot of good teams  can mask their flaws and still make a title run if they get hot at the right moment (a la 06 Colts, 07 Giants, 11 Giants and 12 Ravens). The Raiders can be one of those teams for sure, but until they fix their D and discipline issues, they're still not quite in the top tier of the league, at least in my eyes.

 

TL:DR. Raiders are good. But not amazing. 

[Synthetic]

29 minutes ago, NorthernBlue said:

That's the only thing keeping me from calling them a SB contender. Yeah, they're 8-2 but they got a lot of flaws, as you pointed out mainly in the defense. Now, that doesn't mean they can't win the SB. Just that I don't think they are considered contenders,at least yet. 

 

Really, to me only Seattle, Dallas and New England are "SB contenders" right now. And even New England isn't indestructible. In order to be considered one, (in my book), you have to be strong on both sides of the ball. Oakland has the O, but if they fizzle out, they're in trouble. Meanwhile a team like Seattle can put 30 points on the road, in New England, but still has a defense that can carry/save them in case Russel isn't clicking on all cylinders. 

 

There's not any perfect teams in the league. Most teams have some sort of flaws. Title contenders have significantly less flaws, which is why they are considered "title contenders". Oakland's not there yet. However, a lot of good teams  can mask their flaws and still make a title run if they get hot at the right moment (a la 06 Colts, 07 Giants, 11 Giants and 12 Ravens). The Raiders can be one of those teams for sure, but until they fix their D and discipline issues, they're still not quite in the top tier of the league, at least in my eyes.

 

TL:DR. Raiders are good. But not amazing. 

 

 

The Raiders sorta remind me of past Saints teams who would win a lot of games on the heroics of Brees, but would have terrible defenses. Right now, Oakland's defense is ranked 28th overall in poor shape. 

 

Carr has turned this team into a contender almost by himself. Without him, that 8-2 record could easily be reversed when looking at their defense across the board. 

 

For several weeks, it looked like the Patriots could win it all this year. But I think they were exposed in the Seattle game. They were sorta exposed by the Dolphins too, when they let Miami come back to life and nearly tie that game when they were dead in the water. The Pats are far from bullet proof at this moment. 

 

 

My gut keeps telling me that it will come down to Seattle and New England, but the team I want to make the Super Bowl, is at least Dallas. Their 2014 team was loaded, quite possibly the best Cowboys team since the 90's and everyone knows Dez Bryant caught that ball against GB. They should've been in the NFCCG. While it's easy to hate on them over last year, most people forget that they were losing close games last year without Romo. Dallas is a legitimate team for sure, but I just don't know yet if I trust picking them over Seattle. The Cowboys have that feeling to them as a team of destiny under Dak Prescott, but I just don't know if it's their time yet. 

 

I think this year is going to come down to fans cheering on whoever they believe can knock out the Patriots and/or Seattle. It surely looks like we're going to get Seattle/NE rematch in the Super Bowl, I can only hope that this time the Seahawks don't screw it up. I'd like to at least see Jimmy Graham get that Super Bowl ring he couldn't get in New Orleans. 

 

[Synthetic]

On 11/22/2016 at 6:31 AM, chad72 said:

Derek Carr is bringing Peyton like offensive excitement to the league for neutral observers, IMO, and the fact that his D is just OK makes it more similar to the younger Peyton days.

 

Luck brings a Big Ben like high ceiling excitement while Carr is your typical pocket passer.

 

Luck and Carr both are "gunslingers" by their style of play, and moving around in the pocket. 

 

 

IMO both of them are more similar to the old gunslingers of the past, rather than a precision passer pocket passer like Manning (or Dan Marino, most pocket passers today are like clones of Marino).

 

Carr is like a throwback to Kenny Stabler or Brett Favre. Luck is similar...True to gunslingers of the past, they're also more prone to mistakes and throwing picks. It happens, that's just their style of play. Everyone seems to highlight the interception numbers of certain QB's that are gunslingers, though they've always had high interception numbers due to their style of play. 

 

Older Raiders fans must be ecstatic having Carr, he does show resemblance to Stabler from time to time when he throws bombs down field. 

[RockThatBlue]

18 hours ago, AZColt11 said:

The only thing that worries me about them is they are so offensive heavy.  Teams like that don't "usually" fare well in the playoffs.  But they are fun to watch.

Very good point AZ. Their defense definitely isn't very good, which will make it hard to do much in the playoffs. But I'm sure most Raiders fans will be thrilled with just getting there.

[buffalo34]

19 hours ago, Synthetic said:

 

My gut keeps telling me that it will come down to Seattle and New England, but the team I want to make the Super Bowl, is at least Dallas. Their 2014 team was loaded, quite possibly the best Cowboys team since the 90's and everyone knows Dez Bryant caught that ball against GB. They should've been in the NFCCG. While it's easy to hate on them over last year, most people forget that they were losing close games last year without Romo. Dallas is a legitimate team for sure, but I just don't know yet if I trust picking them over Seattle. The Cowboys have that feeling to them as a team of destiny under Dak Prescott, but I just don't know if it's their time yet. 

 

I think this year is going to come down to fans cheering on whoever they believe can knock out the Patriots and/or Seattle. It surely looks like we're going to get Seattle/NE rematch in the Super Bowl, I can only hope that this time the Seahawks don't screw it up. I'd like to at least see Jimmy Graham get that Super Bowl ring he couldn't get in New Orleans. 

 

 

No. You ever under any kind of circumstance cheer for the Cowboys. They are up there with the Patriots as an evil organization.

 

For me, the playoffs is whoever can knock out the Patriots vs. whoever can knock out the Cowboys.

[oldunclemark]

  Tough road home for the Raiders (8-2)....

Carolina, Buffalo, KC, SD, Colts and the Broncos     

 

.....so many of their games are so close,. I dont have a good feeling about them

[BloodyChamp]

They'll destroy Carolina. I'm looking forward to Cam's pouting and crying later in this rare Raiders game on local TV down here. Every team will virtually be playing an elimination game against the Raiders from next week on though. It would be almost impossible for them to not lose a game and I probably wouldn't freak out if they lost 2. 

[King Colt]

Maybe Cam Newton would be better off not worrying about making sure his towel and head band fits perfectly over his head and the towel is perfectly tucked in when he is no the sideline. I am enjoying his decline even though I like the coach and the rest of the players.

[Synthetic]

Raiders were exposed last week. Carolina scored 18 points in just 4 minutes...That defense is awfully suspect. They're looking more and more like a glass cannon that is going to collapse. If Carr has one off game, they are toast.