Raiders DT Treyvon Hester has productive NFL debut
Oakland Raiders rookie defensive tackle Treyvon Hester made big plays and turned heads in the teams opening preseason game at the University of Phoenix Stadium against the Cardinals.
Khalil Mack
Parallels: The 2017 Raiders and 2009 Saints
The NFL Pre-Season officially kicked off this past week; the first taste of real football to trigger the fans around the world into a frenzy. For the next three weeks, the media coverage will tap into their crystal ball of power rankings, win-loss predictions and forecasting individual performance award nominees. It is nearly impossible for Raider Nation to resist after years of pre-season prediction coverage delegated to failures.
Now should we “sip the kool-aid” of Super Bowl contender status? Before you settle on that matter, take a look at a parallel I have noticed between the upcoming 2017 Oakland Raiders and the 2009 New Orleans who went on to win a Super Bowl contender.
Raiders DE Khalil Mack has been historically dominant
Despite the Oakland Raiders ranking No. 26 in team defense a season ago, edge rusher Khalil Mack remains a bright spot for a defense seeking improvement.
Mack’s vicious pass rushing and run stuffing capabilities garnered him Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2016. However, last year wasn’t Mack’s first season dominating opposing offensive lines; it’s a trend he has continued since his rookie campaign in 2014.
Under construction for destruction: The Raiders 2017 Defensive Line
The Oakland Raiders 2016 defensive line was incredibly inconsistent as a group; even though it had NFL superstar and Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack (hybrid outside linebacker and defensive end), who finished with 11 sacks, the Raiders finished dead last in the NFL with 25.
One Man’s Thoughts: The Raiders have a long Super Bowl window
RaiderRamble.com’s Robert Wykowski shares some brief thoughts on the Raiders The Oakland Raiders are part of the ever competitive AFC West, meaning they’ll face the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs twice this season; a task that only gets harder each season. If rising superstar quarterback Derek Carr can stay healthy, …
One Man’s Thoughts: The Raiders have a long Super Bowl window Read More »
Reggie McKenzie Continues to Ensure Long-Term Raider Success
Against a looming desert backdrop, filled with muffled echoes of clanging slot machines and bright fluorescent neon, the Oakland Raiders transactional offseason has been marked by undulating success. Though questions still spiral around the improvements of the secondary and linebacker corps, the team has provided a few resounding answers in other areas of need. A one week window in the dog days of June saw the organization dispel two giant offseason narratives of uncertainty.
PFF: Khalil Mack’s the most efficient Edge Rusher in the NFL
The accolades continue to pile up for the 26 year old NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Mack had another dominate season with 73 tackles, 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception he returned for a touchdown. After being the only player in history to be named All Pro at two positions (Linebacker and Defensive end) in 2015, Associated Press created the “Edge Rusher” position. Mack was promptly named All-Pro at this new position.
2017 Outlook: Top 2 returning Raiders players from injury
It’s no secret that injuries play a significant role in football and nobody knew that better than Oakland Raider fans in 2016. Indeed, Carr’s injury played the leading role in the demise of Oakland’s Super Bowl contention hopes last season, but two other injuries hurt the Raiders in 2016.Â
The Monster’s under Derek Carr’s bed
It’s a well-known fact that the AFC West is a scary place for quarterbacks. The Oakland Raiders’ own Khalil Mack is the reigning and defending NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Von Miller was the Super Bowl MVP in 2016, in 2015 Justin Houston led the league in sacks and last, but certainly not least, Joey Bosa is the 2016 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Oakland Raiders had 3 of the top position players in 2016
As the Oakland Raiders continue their offseason programs, Pro Football Focus recently shared some positional rankings on some of its key players. Safe to say the team has a lot of dominant talent that’ll keep the Silver and Black in prime contention for quite some time.
