Grading the Raiders first half

November 6, 3:13 AMOakland Raiders ExaminerPatrick Patterson

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The Raiders are at the halfway point of their 2009 campaign with a 2-6 record. Early season optimism has given way to yet another season where the losses mount and the off-field sideshow is in full effect. It is time to hand out grades to the team and the different position groups since eight games gives a good indicator of performance.

(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Quarterbacks: F

JaMarcus Russell has been nothing short of awful for the vast majority of the season. Not even his two late go-ahead touchdowns early in the season can rise him to a passing grade. He is rated at or near the bottom of nearly every significant category for a quarterback.

Running backs: D+

Darren McFadden was ineffective before he went down for injury. Justin Fargas has shown flashes. Michael Bush has not gotten it going. They are in the bottom third in the league in rushing, despite that being a supposed strength coming into the season. It hasn't helped that the Raiders have been so far out of many of their games, the running game is not an option, but their production has not been there.

Wide Receivers: F

The Raiders wide receivers as a unit have 28 catches. Colts rookie Austin Collie has 30 catches on his own. They have a habit of dropping the few balls that Russell can get in their area. Louis Murphy leads the group with 16 catches which is more than the rest of the corps has combined.

Tight Ends: A-

Zach Miller has been the only consistent offensive threat all season. He signle-handedly has as many catches as the the entire group of wideouts. He has also gained nearly 50 more yards than the entire group. He is also an effective blocker seems to be involved in nearly every big run play.

Offensive line: D

They have been hamstrung by the loss of left guard Robert Gallery, and the shuffling caused by the loss of right tackle Cornell Green. However, they have been both penalty prone. They have not been opening holes in the running game on a consistent basis. They have not been keeping JaMarcus Russell's jersey clean. With Gallery and Green coming back after the bye, this could improve.

Defensive line: C-

The defensive line has taken over a couple of games and ultimately disappeared in other games. They have been extremely inconsistent.

Linebackers: D-

They are not stopping the run, nor are they showing any of their pass coverage that had been apparent in the past. They have been the weakest link on a defense that has tended towards weakness.

Secondary: C-

Nnamdi Asomugha is Nnamdi Asomguha. Other than him, the secondary has been quite mediocre. Teams have been able to move the ball at will through the air. Tyvon Branch has shown some ability as a box tackler. Michael Huff started the season on a tear, but has fallen off as the season has worn on.

Overall: F

The play calling has been atrocious on offense. The offense is bland and predictable. If this is because of Russell's abilities or lack thereof, then he needs to be benched. This team has been blown out of half of their games. They have only scored multiple touchdowns in only one game, which was the opener.