Game Preview: Struggling Oakland Raiders Take on Cincinnati Bengals

Nov 11, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer (3) leads offense against the Baltimore Ravens at M

It’s been a very tough season for the Oakland Raiders and their fans. They stand at 3-7 on the season, and their line-up is depleted with injuries. This was supposed to be the first year of a new era, a better era. Well, new head coach Dennis Allen has not had success this year and people are now questioning if he is the right fit.

But to focus on today, the Raiders will play the Cincinnati Bengals on the road, in a game that doesn’t seem like they’ll be able to win, at least in my perspective.

The Raiders will once again be playing without their trio of stars, as Darren McFadden, Mike Goodson, and Richard Seymour have all been ruled out of today’s contest. The news was reportred earlier this week, and its obviously a tough pill to swallow.

Without McFadden, they lose their best player and their go-to guy. McFadden is a power running back, who also has the speed and versatility to take it to the house. You just can’t replace him. And without Goodson, the Raiders lose that quick and timely energy boost that he provides while McFadden can rest. Without these two backs, the Raiders will look to start Marcel Reece again, who has been filling in nicely, and has become Palmer’s favorite target over these past couple weeks. Reece rushed for over 100 yards last week, and he’ll have to do that again if the Raiders want any chance of winning.

Without Richard Seymour, the Raiders lose their veteran pass rusher who really knows the game. Seymour knows how to apply the pressure and he plays hard. It’s tough to fill his shoes, but somebody is going to have to do it.

It’ll be a huge challenge for the Raiders today when they see the young duo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. Green is arguably the best wideout in the NFL (John Harbaugh thinks so) and every game he is due for a spectactular catch or a huge touchdown. He has it all: speed, agaility, hands, strength, you name it. The guy can flat out ball. And the guy who will be throwing to him, Andy Dalton, is also incredibly talented.

Dalton, like Green, is a second-year player in the NFL but you wouldn’t know that from watching him play. He has the precision and accurarcy to deliver balls right into his receivers’ hands and if he takes off to run, you’d be surprised how fast he is.

I just don’t see the Raiders being able to pull out the victory today, especially with how they have been playing of recent. I think they will lose because of the same two reasons as last week, defense and injuries. Their key players are injured and their defense is atrocious. I think the final score will be 30-7 with the Cincinnati Bengals taking care of business.