The Oakland Raiders have to leave the State of California for the first time in over a month, and head North to take on the Minnesota Vikings, the first of four games against the NFC North over the next five weeks.

With the suddenly resurgent Denver Broncos right on our tails, this game against the 2-7 Vikings takes on a "must win" feeling to ensure the Raiders can maintain their lead in the AFC West.

Eric Thompson of Daily Norseman, the Minnesota Vikings SB Nation blog, invited Silver and Black Pride to exchange questions and responses in their series "Five Good Questions."

Pass the jump to see Eric's answers to my question about the Minnesota Vikings.

Also be sure to check out Daily Norseman for my answers to Eric's questions about the Raiders.

Continue reading this post »

2^nd Round, 16^th Pick, 48^th Overall, pick value 420 pts.

Colin Kaepernick QB  6-4+ 233 40=4.53

Destined for greatness, Colin will be better than Sam Bradford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq1gL_Q-vO0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f4bsn85coM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ7xfvFgZ1E 

If gone, Marcus Cannon OT 6-5 358 225x33 40=5.26

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN0kLWMk6mk (playing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH92WLMKkUk (speaking)

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3^rd Round, 17^th Pick, 81^st Overall, pick value 185 pts.

 Robert Sands, FS  6-4+ 217 40=4.53

Sandman is awesome … Jack Tatum must love him and we’ll thank ourselves for taking him for years to come

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0o1xMWqCow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d2vsN8HH4E

If gone, Jaiquawn Jarrett, FS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnCQkoIZOFg

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4^th Round, 16^th Pick, 112^nd Overall, pick value 70 pts.

Casey Matthews, LB  6-1 231 40=4.70

Hard-wired football instincts get him to the ball like a bee to its hive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpj1gZapEMI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUz2o2a_OXA&feature=related

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5^th Round, 17^th Pick, 145^th Overall, pick value 33.5 pts.

Rob Housler, TE   6-5 248 40=4.46 225x22

Strong, speedy, sure-handed TE converts to possession WR to fill a major need

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2d2egdTTmg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JlfNIsVt30

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 6^th Round, 16^th Pick, 176^th Overall, pick value 21 pts.

Mark Herzlich, LB, 6-4 244 40=4.76 225x29  

Been to hell and back and will help get us out of our rush defense hell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzZUA5CZ6IQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1t0k4EGKJQ

If gone, Chris Hairston, OT 6-6 326 225 x 33 40=5.38

HairyBeast low center of gravity and heralded strength

http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/chris-hairston-profile/2UoxtRZFGu6bxgHxVLOFTQ

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7^th Round, 17^th Pick, 209^th Overall, pick value 7.8 pts.

Bryant Browning, OT  6-3 316

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P8XwaI5BfA

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UDFA:

Blaine Sumner, NG  6-1 335 225x52 40=5.36

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D38T-0I24s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE5110DJk4Y 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CObtOq1MRA&feature=related

Whether we remain in the 4-3 or convert to 3-4, we need to take a hard look at our LBs and figure what needs to be done to climb out of the hole we're in against the rush. 

Our 1st Rounder, Death Ro, showed steady progress over the season and put some devastating hits on smaller RBs and WRs but also on larger targets - FBs and TEs. I'm confident McClain will only improve under Biekert and our new DC.

Warden Wimbley proved himself the QB slayer he was billed to be in college and as a rookie 5 years ago. Under Mike Waufle, Kamerion was positioned on the edges and slashed through gaps on stunts and blitzes that wreaked havoc in backfields.

Travis Goethel returned from back surgery to show some of the fierce play that he dazzled Oakland fans with during the preseason. Go-to-Hell, has an instinct for the ball and plays the middle like a young version of Dick Butkus. I have a lot of confidence in him and expect him to have a break-out season. 

Thomas Howard, now in his 6th year, did not see much action on D (for some reason) but did play well on STs. Howard is a reliable OLB in passing situations though sometimes struggled against the rush.

The Drut squad:

Ricky Brown is really not a very good player. He is slow and lacks most of the football instincts one expects from a professional. Brown mostly played STs last season and managed to get a total of one (1) tackle on STs all season. He did have 2 assists and recovered a couple of fumbles. When he did come in, e.g. Jacksonville, he was worthless.

"San Quentin" Groves, the 3rd member of the pre-ordained "Cell Block" was disappointing. While Groves does hit hard he is also poor in pass coverage and gets blocked out of plays on a regular basis. Oakland ranked #29 against the Rush last season and Groves play on the weak-side should receive due credit for the huge contribution to the Raiders abysmal rushing defense. 

Sam Williams, a perennial survivor on the roster, enters his 9th year. While Sam still contributes significantly on STs, we have to consider whether it is time to thank him for his contribution and move on. 

Unknown:

Bruce Davis, Jr. - someone fill me in.

Discussion:

Whether we go to a 3-4 or remain as we are, we need one or two Linebackers, i.e. Outsider LBs, who are run stoppers. My preference would be the best available in the 2nd or, no later than, 3rd round. Rush Defense is still our top priority if we are to make it to the playoffs and do something once we get there.

These are the welcomed words of Oakland's Strong Safety, Tyvon Branch, expressing exactly what we all needed to  hear having experienced our Beloved Raiders coming out flat 7 straight years after a Bye-week.  This trend, like the StD dominance, will also end Sunday. Regardless of what the media might think, the Raiders are a transformed group. Anyone whose watched them play this season (since the opener and not counting the painful (and shameful) loss in SF) knows that this team has more heart and innate athletic ability than any Raider team this Century - including the SB team with Gannon et alia. 

With the players and coaches very close to a single mind (the essence of a team), the Raiders advance upon playoff caliber Pittsburgh, who've lost 3 games: to the NFL Champions, NE and Baltimore. Of those three, Baltimore most resembles the Raiders, a very tough Defense and balanced Offense. Like Baltimore, we will attack the Frankenstein-like QB - relentlessly and ruthlessly - for this monster carries the team on his shoulder.

Offensively, we have seen Pittsburgh picked apart with short quick passes, its vulnerability against sets that disperse them, spreading their formidable LBs. Hue knows Pittsburgh well, having coached against them in the AFC North. The game is probably determined already, at least on paper in the abstract, and now will be played out. We have the speed, strength, athleticism, and intelligence to beat the Steelers and beat them badly. What we must do is EXECUTE solid mistake-minimized and ruthlessly cool football. Then the penalties, gaffs, slip-ups, dropped balls, lapses, and fumbles will happen to the Steelers and not to us (not counting normal Referee bias handicap penalties).

Given the Raiders playing fast and loose with all their speed, ferocity, and die-hard spirit, I could almost feel sorry for those assholes in yellow pants.

This may seem a bit hypocritical from someone who sternly advocates focusing on one game at a time; but I am not perfect (no, please, I assure you, it is true) and it's a bye week and speculation is least harmful now. Anyway, I am curious to know what the Nation's opinion is currently about how our Win - Loss record will look at the end of the regular season.

The NFL's #2 and #3 ranked Tight Ends, Zach Miller and Vernon Davis, play a crucial game on the same field Sunday. Their performances after 5 games are close:

Oakland's Zach Miller has 28 receptions, 340 yards, 3 TDs, 12.1 yd. average/catch and 68.0 yds/game.

San Francisco's Vernon Davis has 24 receptions, 313 yards, 2 TDs, 13.0 yd average/catch and 62.6 yds/game. 

Both Teams expressed the importance of TE play /TE coverage this week; especially since each team is set to blast off on the others QB.

The outcomes of the pass coverage contest between MLBs Rolando McClain and Patrick Willis, and Strong Safeties Tyvon Branch (or Mike Mitchell) and Taylor Mays are critical.  

With the heavy blitzing expected by both teams, whichever TE gets open quickly and most often will carry the day ... and a greater share in the victory.

The burden to predict the outcome of this extremely important game has been placed on me (and two distinguished prognosticators who will weigh in shortly) as this week's (Co-) Damas, Jr.  My methods are not occult, as are those of the amazing and renowned Raiderdamus (our own RDreamer).  Mine are more western, a blend of statistical and circumstantial analysis percolated in my gut until a decisive outcome forms in my mind.

Statistically, we hold the advantage in almost every major category:

Record (2-3 to 0-5)

1^st Downs (104 to SF 87)

Rushing Yards (671 to SF 389)

Passing Yards (1,025 to SF 1,168)

Sacks (10 to 10)

Touchdowns (11 to SF  9)

TOP (31:17 to SF 29:14)

Field Goals (11 to SF 9)

Turnover Ratio (0 to SF -10)!!!

Back-to-Back Wins (0 to 0)

Wins on the Road (0 to 0)

Circumstantially, we would be at a slight disadvantage but for one important 'intangible'

A team projected to take its division is winless (losing by a thin 2 or 3 pts in games with good teams: New Orleans, Atlanta and Philadelphia, is playing at home against its loathed neighbor, and desperate to end its shame.

WRs who are very much involved and a running back with all the tools.

vs.

A team coming off a win, with a history of losing after a win (and StD was a HUGH win), struggling with pass defense (facing a world-class TE, Vernon Davis), with several key players out: Bruce Gradkowski, John Henderson, Darren McFadden....  But, with a coaching staff finally demonstrating  "The Will to Win" whatever it takes and doing this by replacing established (and exhausted) conventions and formulas with creative sets and innovative personnel arrangements. 

This renewed attitude that puts winning ahead of any and all values is embraced by the players (we saw that last Sunday and rejoiced). This is Now The Raider Nation's Zeitgeist for this New Decade and this spirit is what will make the decisive difference in Sunday's outcome.  Listen to Hugh Jackson's press conference today if you have any doubts about that.

 http://www.raiders.com/media-vault/videos/Jackson-Media-Session-October-14th/78337b23-6df6-4130-be18-a6b3fdaa5568   

Raiders will win

Oakland   27   S.F.  24

I haven't a lot of experience tailgating so this tailgating piece is about half theoretical. Anyway, to get it rolling, here goes:

The successful tailgate often happens spontaneously - as many of the best things in life do. However, to increase the chance for success an advance recon team is sent in the evening before the game to establish territorial perimeters on the grounds for the sub-tribe brethren and sistren who will arrive on game day. For this purpose, a minimum of four vehicles is advisable.  After the vehicles mark the perimeter, stake-less tents and Ale-coolers are  placed in such a way as to form a rough boundary and for ease of access. With grills lighted and a couple cold ones under belt, a game of football will afford amusement and provides a natural means of bonding with the neighboring sub-tribes. Note, enthusiasm during improvised play is common and being on asphalt and with tackling happening, it's advisable to bring a first-aid kit and plenty of ice. Remember that whatever you eat or drink may be vomited out if you take a shot to a relaxed gut; so hold your abs firmly while in the game. 

On that note, my favorite cut of beef for grilling is skirt steak which always comes out perfectly. The preferred beer is actually ale - Racer 5 IPA and trusty and true Lagunitas IPA are vied at the top.

Now, please tell of your ideal Tailgating plan, or the best tailgate experience you had (without giving out her name), or how the tailgate should be done.

Here, for the heck of it, is a video of Jose' Greco - one of the great Flamenco dancers.