Are the Oakland Raiders contenders?

September 17, 11:45 PMOakland Raiders ExaminerPatrick Patterson

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The Oakland Raiders entered the 2008 season with questions lingering over the team. Through two games, the answers to those questions have begun to come clear. The biggest question is whether or not the Raiders can pull it together and start collecting wins, or were the Chiefs just that much of an inferior team.

The Oakland Raiders can run the ball. There can be no questions remaining on the strength of the Raiders' running game. Justin Fargas may miss some time with his groin injury, but Michael Bush seems to be ready to take his place. Darren McFadden made his statement on Sunday rushing for over 160 yards.

For a team to be a contender, they not only need to be able to run the ball well, but they also need to be able to move the ball through the air. The Oakland Raiders don't seem to have their passing game together yet. The combination of a questionable pass blocking line, a young signal caller, and an inexperienced receiving corps is not conducive to being the second coming of the 99 Rams. Lane Kiffin himself said:

I couldn't tell you if we could win the game having to throw the ball

Whilst this brutal honesty may not go over well with his boss, it is something that is as plain as day for anyone who has been watching the Raiders thus far this year. JaMarcus Russell has shown flashes of greatness at times, he has also shown a tendency to make 'rookie' mistakes. It doesn't help him that the normally reliable Ronald Curry has had teflon hands thus far this season, nor does it help that Javon Walker has barely seen the field. The overall lack of reliability at wideout has led to Zach Miller often taking the bulk of the coverage.

The Raiders need to pull it together in the passing game if they hope to get to 8-8 this season. Teams will stack the box with 8 or 9 until the Raiders force them to respect the passing game. Even though the Raiders will be better off being a run based team, they need to have a passing game so they can have some balance in their offense.

The defense, which was a complete sieve against Denver had some redemption in the beat down they handed to the Kansas City Chiefs. They got no penetration against Denver, but spent the bulk of the day in the Chiefs' backfield. In order for the Raiders to have any hope of contention this unit needs to step up big time. They need to play the rest of the season with the fire and intensity they brought against the Chiefs.

As of right now, the Raiders do not look like a team that will be contending this season. However, they look like they have pieces in place that can blossom into a contender come 2009 if there is continuity kept on the coaching staff. They are not as far off from being a good team as they looked in the opener, but they are not there yet. If Lane Kiffin is dumped as head coach, all bets are off.