Oakland Raiders vs San Diego Chargers – Preview
The Raiders season is back! With a new owner, general manager, and head coach, the Raiders look to win their first game of the season against the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football in Oakland tonight.
With all the new change in the front office, the Raiders’ players haven’t changed too much from last season. They have brought in some new faces; whether it’s rookie wideouts Rod Streater and Juron Criner, or newly acquired cornerback Joselio Hanson, a former Philadelphia Eagle. Or even their new back-up quarterback, left-handed veteran, Matt Leinart. They let go of cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke, who is now with Pittsburgh, but the majority of the players’ personnel is familiar. Star running back Darren McFadden, quarterback Carson Palmer, receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey and Denarius Moore, they’re all still here. And they are ready to explode.
It’s been noted by Dennis Allen that wide receiver and top return man Jacoby Ford will be ruled out of tonight’s game, but it’s likely that Denarius Moore will be a go for tonight, as he’s been practicing the last few days and getting back into his groove. Rookie Rod Streater will likely get the nod with the first team tonight, as he’s been turning heads and surprising the coaching staff for Oakland, while getting the first team snaps in practice to the injuries of Moore and Ford. However, on the other side, the San Diego Chargers have had their own problems with wide receivers as well. After their best receiver and pro-bowler Vincent Jackson left the team to play for Tampa Bay this offseason, and promising young wideout Vincent Brown broke his foot in the preseason, San Diego is short on receivers too. It will be interesting to see how their offense will execute, as they try to fill in two huge gaps.
McFadden didn’t really take the bulk of the snaps during the preseason, as the Raiders wanted him to get a feel for his game again but also to maintain him and keep him healthy for the regular season and hopefully, the postseason. Well, it’s that time. With the season opener on Monday Night Football at their home in Oakland, there seems to be no better scenario for Oakland to pound it in with McFadden against the San Diego Chargers. He likely will not be contained by the coaching staff, and fans hope to see the same “D-MAC” that they saw last season, the one who led the league in rushing before he was sidelined for the rest of the season.
And in conclusion, the Raiders season will open where it ended last year, in Oakland. The Raiders and Chargers finished with the exact same record of 8-8 last season, and as division rivals, both will try to improve and win a division that is heavy in competetion. With Jamaal Charles healthy in Kansas City, and Peyton Manning now leading the charge for the Denver Broncos, it won’t be easy. But if one thing is for certain, the Raiders are ready. The postseason is a feisable goal for Oakland, and they look to start off on the right foot tonight at 7:15 p.m PT.