https://www.silverandblackpride.com...coaches-are-saying-ahead-of-week-one-match-up
What Raiders, Rams players and coaches are saying ahead of week one match-up
By Evan Groat
The kickoff to the Raiders 2018 season is just days away. The Raiders will have their hands full in week one when they welcome in the Los Angeles Rams to the coliseum. The Rams were very active in the offseason, making big additions to both the defense as well as offense.
Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters, and Aqib Talib are three new faces on the defensive side of the ball. Quarterback Jared Goff’s new weapon on offense is former
New England Patriots wide receiver, Brandin Cooks. And all the new faces are
making it tough for Gruden to use game tape to prepare for them.
The Rams were a playoff team in 2018, so with the additions they’ve made you can why Las Vegas sportsbooks have them as one of their favorites to win the
Super Bowl.
The Raiders on the other hand are entering the season with much more uncertainty. You would be hard pressed to find another team in the league that has experienced the type of change the Raiders have. Let’s start with a new head coach, and entirely new coaching staff. Not to mention 29 new players on the 53 man roster, and oh yea no Khalil Mack.
The Rams really don’t have many weaknesses on either side of the ball. Offensively they can be explosive. They also can get it done on the ground with reigning MVP, Todd Gurley III or through the air. Paul Guenther will need to come up with a game plan that can somehow slow down the NFL’s highest scoring offense from 2017.
A key match up to keep an eye on is Rams wide receiver, Brandin Cooks and whomever gets the task of shutting him down. My guess would be
Gareon Conley. The Raiders have faced Cooks in the previous two seasons and in both years, he has torched them.
You might recall the 2016 season opener, when Cooks was a member of the
New Orleans Saints. Although the Raiders won a 35-34 thriller, Cooks had himself a day. Catching six balls on nine targets for 143 yards, including two touchdowns.
Last season, new team but same results for Cooks. Once again he posted six catches for 149 yards and a touchdown. His game breaking speed must be accounted for.
Gareon Conley was selected in the first round of the 2017 draft for a reason, and that is to be a shut down corner. I would imagine Guenther will give his young corner the opportunity prove his worth against Cooks.
Let’s take a look at what players and coaches from both teams are saying about the match up.
Head Coach Jon Gruden, when asked how he plans to sustain drives against a formidable Rams defense.
“We need to have 36 minutes of possession. Well, Wade Phillips is going to blitz, they’re going to play an eight-man front and make it almost impossible to run the ball. So, the best way to win this game is to do something when you have the ball. We’re going to have to score. When we get our chances to run it, we’re going to have to deal with some loaded boxes and some talented Ram defenders. I can’t wait to see how we do it.”
Wide Receiver Amari Cooper, on the challenge of facing cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib.
“Man, those guys are good players. Ball hawks, really smart players. So it’s definitely going to be a challenge for us and I’m excited about it.”
Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson, when asked about the Raiders interior OL going against the Rams interior DL.
“Great match up and our guys are looking forward to it, I’m sure the Rams are as well. I think anytime you get to compete against the best at your position in the league, I think it’s no different than our wide receivers going against a very talented secondary. I think they relish the challenge.”
Defensive Coordinator Paul Guenther, on facing Sean McVay’s high powered offense.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Sean, what he does, the program he runs. They are very innovative on offense, obviously they are the number one offense in the NFL. It will be a great challenge for us Monday night.”
Kolton Miller, on playing in his first NFL game.
“Excited, very excited, a little nervous for the first regular season game but I feel good, feel ready, feel prepared. Ready to attack it.”
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, on facing a Raiders defense that no longer features Khalil Mack.
“I think he’s a player that’s such a good football player that sometimes you’ve got to be more cognizant of others. But we have a lot of respect, they’ve gotten some young players that they’ve drafted and some veteran guys that have done a lot of good things in this league. We have a lot of respect for their front.”
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, on facing close friend and mentor Jon Gruden.
“If you get a chance to coach against one of your mentors, and a guy that taught you almost kind of the foundation of what you know about this game, I think it would be a fun, humbling opportunity,”
-------------
No Mack, no need to double team
Dangerfield level of respect
------------
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZecMsUuvQ&feature=youtu.be
--------------
Raiders' new additions are better
Lafell > Suh, Talib, Cooks, and Peters. Brandon Lafell career stats: 5,263 yards and 30 touchdowns. Brandin Cooks career stats: 3,940 yards and 17 touchdowns. It’s going to be comical seeing that drugged-out, washed-up, chain-snatching weenie Talib trying to keep up with Lafell LMFAO I can visualize it now. Talib is going to be huffing and puffing and he won’t blow Lafell’s house down.
-------------
You being serious?
Carr will be sacked many times..or he with throw at least 3 picks. After the game he will retire, buy some dresses n lipstick and change his name to denise to earase the nightmares of Donald and Sue strait making him their bitch..Rams 42 faders 17
--------------
Marcus Peters is not better than Trumaine Johnson
Aqib Talib replacing Kayvon Webster is not an upgrade. Aqib is long in the tooth.
The Rams offensive line is a wreck,,,,,,, a very old wreck.
Mark Barron,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Conner Barwin,,,,,,,,,,,, Alec Ogeltree ,,,,,, Robert Quinn,,,,,,,, are replaced with
Mark Barron ( OUT ) ,,,,,,,Ramik Wilson ,,,,Matt Longacre,,,,,, Samson Ebukam,,,,,, Cory Littleton
The Linebackers are a complete rebuild because they had to fire their good linebackers so they could sign Donald and Suh.
So on each side of the ball they have a weak link Offensive line and Linebackers.
--------------
The closer we get
The more I think we win this one
-----------------
A couple of refutes here:
Aqib and Marcus are definite upgrades over Kayvon and Trumaine. Trumaine wasn’t anything without Janoris on the other side of him, and Kayvon performed alright but nothing allwordly like Aqib has done over the past few years.
The o line is older, but it was the best performing LT-LG-C in all of football according to FO and PFF. To say that it is a wreck is definitely a stretch. The only real weak link is at RG, whether Brown or Blythe start there, they both underperform.
Linebackers are a question mark but Ogletree couldn’t tackle a dummy if he tried and Quinn had back injuries to the point where it affected his ability to bend around the edge. That is big when he never had a counter move to his speed rush.
------------
Trumaine got overpaid.
Like, a LOT. That’s why he’s not a Ram.
Littleton will be wearing the dot. He’s earned it.
Blythe has played well when called upon. He’s had to come in for spot duty several times and the line kept clicking like nothing happened. He’s not the first choice, obviously, but he’ll be just fine.
Let’s rehash this Tuesday, because I believe you are way off base here and I just need a little tape to make my case. I have a feeling this could back and forth endlessly until then…
----------
Trumaine got overpaid because he was the best corner on the market at the time.
Same way that all top free agents get paid, even if they aren’t the best. Sammy Watkins just got paid $16 mil per year even though I think he’s only had 1 season with over 1000 yards. The same way Nate Solder became the richest LT in the league despite only being average. It’s just how the system works.
It may have been hasty for me to say that Blythe has underperformed, but Jamon Brown is the definite weak link on the line both run and pass in my opinion. The fact that Blythe can’t beat him out doesn’t give much hope for him though.
Havenstein is a great run blocker but can be easily be beat by a speed rusher or an occasional bull rush by someone who can greatly utilize the concept of leverage. Usually a TE is placed next to him to chip the blocker so that it doesn’t happen though.
-------------
Bring out the Chuckie in you!
Get into his head early and stay there. Make him question what he’s doing!
I see this as a real test of minds. Chuckie changing things up as he anticipates his understudy’s adjustments before he makes the adjustments.
3 TE O set for power running behind the FB with PA passing to TEs mismatched on LBs or smaller DBs.
2 WR sets ready to strike deep but pump fakes and throws to RBs or TE mismatched with LBs.
And some trickery! The reverse or flea flicker or something we haven’t seen in years!
Their D is built for speed but smallish. Need to pound them! So getting to the 2nd level will be a goal.
--------------
Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib.
Well,,,, at least we know what we are dealing with. Two AFC cast outs.
-------------
Plus our O.C was their QB coach last year.
We should know their offense as well as they do.
------------
Gruden pulls out all the stops on Offense...
Time to show us what they’ve been cooking up in the lab.
Carr needs to put the big boy pants on and sling it around, needs to have a 300+ yard passing day, 2+ TD’s, no INTS…. Coop, Jordy, Cook, Richard all need to get plenty of touches and YAC…
On Defense, just need to contain Gurley to under 100 YD’s and keep Goff from hitting big plays.. Lots of zone coverage … And get pressure up front .
We will do this!
-------------
I think we'll attack their weak linebackers with Cook.
------------
https://www.raiders.com/video/top-5-ways-to-get-ready-for-gameday-with-clarice
-------------
Jackson, Hudson, Osemele must dominate
In order for us to win,
Not just contain Donald & Suh, but knock them on their ass a couple times.
-------------
Hoping the Raiders Offensive Line Crushes Suh and Donald(mostly)
I am hoping Raiders offensive line breaks the spirit of Donald because he is core cause of Mack leaving.
-------------
OL old with very little depth
LBs questionable and injury in the middle
Edge questionable containment or pass rush
QB vulnerable to mistakes under pressure!
-------------
Brockers can't hold the edge anymore?
who the hell s their other edge defender anyway?
I know Saffold’s arm is about ready to fall off and Whitworth is older than Penn
If they are questionable and injured now in the middle at LB, imagine after Osemele Hudson and Jackson injure the backup MLB
Too bad we don’t have Mack to put more pressure on their QB
Good thing we have Guenther to put even more pressure on their QB
to hell with it just go out there and injure all of their better players starting with Gurley and then Donald, Suh, Goff, Peters, Cooks, and Aqib
-------------
rams 48 raiders 16
just keeping it real.
-------------
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAtAwVFHQl0