Raiders vs Titans Recap
by Luke Paul Chandler
Both teams were giving their young quarterbacks heavy workloads, but only one of them succeeded.
Both teams came into this game with questions about their passing game. For the Raiders, it was about getting reps for second-year veteran JaMarcus Russell, the top overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. The Titans were trying to build good habits for Vince Young under new offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger. Russell ended up faring better than Young.
Russell looked comfortable by the second series and played well. His accuracy was solid, and he was able to sit behind nice protection. Russell was eyeing down his receivers early on in the first quarter, particularly Javon Walker. Part of it was the play calling, which was asking for a lot of three step drops and getting the ball out to the primary target. It didn’t help Russell’s cause that Walker looked sluggish and was rounding off his routes. On one comeback route, Walker turned back to the ball slowly and made a lackadaisical move to the ball.
Once offensive coordinator Gregg Knapp allowed Russell to take deeper drops and move in the pocket, he looked more comfortable. Russell is dangerous on bootlegs because he can shrug off defenders and has the arm strength to bring the ball back to the other side of the field. On the deeper drops, Russell appeared to be scanning the defense more intently. Since this is Russell’s first training camp and preseason, getting as many reps as possible is essential. The variety of drop backs and play calling variety is good for the staff to help develop his skills.
The Titans’ Young had a rough night. Playing about a quarter and a half, the Texas product never appeared comfortable passing the ball. A lack of rhythm and bad mechanics plagued Young’s night. His footwork was sloppy, as he was rarely driving into the ball on his throws. Rather, he was throwing on either one or both of his heels. He did have a ball batted at the line by Raiders tackle Terdell Sands. Sands didn’t get a great jump on the ball, but the arm angle Young used was suspect.
Raiders Notes
- Raiders tight end Zach Miller looked very crisp catching the ball. His hands and ability to catch balls in mid-air was great against the Titans, particularly on his first quarter touchdown pass.
- The run defense looked much improved against LenDale White, but they struggled to contain rookie Chris Johnson. By the time Johnson came on, most of the first team had been taken out.
- The Raiders three-deep rushing attack should be enough to keep defenses honest enough to allow ample opportunities in the passing game. Darren McFadden, Michael Bush or Justin Fargas weren’t great in limited action, but their blocking up front will be more than adequate.
- Louis Rankin did a good job running the ball, but likely has no role on the Raiders’ 53-man roster. He ran with good power and vision, so he’s really auditioning for other teams.
- Receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins was the star of the previous week in the return game, but made a critical fumble that resulted in a Titans touchdown. Higgins played out of control and was trying to do too much.
- Rookie receiver Chaz Schilens was the star of the second half, making two great deep receptions from Andrew Walter. He is not afraid to grab balls in traffic, and made a good play on some poorly thrown balls.
- Overall, the Raiders tackles did a good job against the Tennessee pass rush. Neither starters, Kwame Harris or Cornell Green, were known as great pass blockers heading into this season, but they nullified the Titans ends. One tackle who struggled though was 2007 third-round pick Mario Henderson, who was getting beaten up my speed rushers.
Titans Notes
- The first-team unit passed the ball heavily, so White didn’t see a ton of action. He looked too heavy and very soft in the mid-section, but showed good explosiveness when he touched the ball.
- Lavelle Hawkins made a great grab on third quarter 51-yard touchdown pass. Hawkins made a nice move to beat the defender vertically.
- The Titans defense, both starters and backups, were doing a good job maintaining their gaps. They were keeping plays in front of them well and controlling the line of scrimmage very well.
- Their backup linebackers could be solid this year. Stephen Tulloch is an instinctive linebacker who doesn’t take many false steps and rookie Stanford Keglar played well, too.
- First-round pick Chris Johnson ran with good power for a smaller back. He his great first step and speed should allow him to be very dangerous on draws and dives. With his size and speed it would appear he’s a perimeter runner, but most of his damages comes between the tackles.
Contact Luke at Luke@newerascouting.com.