American Football Spectacular: Calendaring The Raiders' (Fraught) 2007 Regular Season
Now that the National Football League's 2007 schedule has been revealed, let the carpin' within The Raider Nation begin.
Seriously, how can this be so? The Raiders -- owners of the worst record in the NFL last season at 2-14 -- have been saddled with the most difficult schedule in 2007? Huh-whaah?!
Aye, 'tis true. Along with AFS correspondent DJ Burrito's beloved Buffalo Bills, the 2007 Raiders are calendared to face franchises that had a combined winning percent of .539 in 2006.
Let's explain how this came to be. Here is how NFL schedules are generated since the 2002 season's re-alignment. Steady now:
* Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games).
* The four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (4 games).
* The four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle (4 games).
* Two intraconference games based on the previous year's standings (2 games). These games will match a first-place team against the first-place teams in the two same-conference divisions the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place, and fourth-place teams in a conference will be matched in the same way each year.
Awrioght-then. First off, the other three teams in the AFC West division (SD, KC, DEN) are either good or better-than-good. San Diego had the best record in the NFL last season at 14-2. Both Denver and AFS correspondent Kyle's Kansas City Chiefs each went 9-7.
The two divisions that the Raiders draw in 2007 are the AFC South (IND, JAC, TEN, HOU) and the "Black And Blue" NFC North (CHI, GB, MIN, DET). There are some particularly powerful teams in there. Da Bearsss had the best record in the NFC with Lovie's keen Cover Two D. SFist Eve's Indianapolis Colts rode their precision one-back offensive scheme all the way to Super Bowl XLI.
Though the AFC South's Titans and Jaguars both finished at .500 in 2006, both squads fall squarely under the label of fiery teams that no one wants to see on their slate in 2007: the Jags because of their punishing style of play in all aspects of the game, and the Titans for the undefendable QB Vince "he-just-wins-games" Young.
The two intraconference last-place teams are the still-unformed Cleveland Browns, and the underperforming Miami Dolphins -- both of which could beat the Raiders. In fact the Browns did beat the Raiders in 2006.
Yeah, this Raider season ain't shaping up to be a whole lot of fun. But we're not going to sugar-coat it for you. And we're not even to the draft yet. Damn you, NFL, damn you.
Just as we did with the 49ers, after the jump we have analysis, forecasting, and a simplified text version of the Raiders' 2007 schedule suitable for wallet or wall. Just copy, paste, print, and grouse.
* Photo of Al Davis surrounded by sword-wielding squirrels via blog.nbx.com. No, we have no idea. Yes, we had to use it.
Oakland Raiders
2007 Regular Season Schedule
Week/Opponent/Date/Time
w01 _DET Sep 09 01:15pm
w02 @DEN Sep 16 01:15pm
w03 _CLE Sep 23 01:05pm
w04 @MIA Sep 30 10:00am
w05 _BYE Oct 07
w06 @SD_ Oct 14 01:15pm
w07 _KC_ Oct 21 01:15pm
w08 @TEN Oct 28 10:00am
w09 _HOU Nov 04 01:15pm
w10 _CHI Nov 11 01:15pm
w11 @MIN Nov 18 10:00am*
w12 @KC_ Nov 25 10:00am*
w13 _DEN Dec 02 01:05pm*
w14 @GB_ Dec 09 10:00am*
w15 _IND Dec 16 01:05pm*
w16 @JAC Dec 23 10:00am*
w17 _SD_ Dec 30 01:15pm*
* Note: Sunday night games in Weeks 11-17 subject to change.
No, OK, c'mon now. Let's talk about this:
* w01 DET: Oh, fun. Opening the season with the 2006's #1 worst team against 2006's #2 worst team? Oy vey. At least we will see the #1 and #2 overall picks from the 2007 draft in action. One of these teams will get out of this matchup with a win. Probably.
* w05 BYE: Now, looking at the road that comes before this bye week, we immediately thought of last year's miserable bye wherein the Raiders still had not notched a win. If the Raiders haven't won a game after facing DET, @DEN, CLE, @MIA -- it will make for a very sore Raider Nation.
* w11 @MIN: The enigma that is WR Randy Moss returns to the stadium where he got his start: the Vikings' Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Will he be booed? Some, probably. Will he be cheered? Some, sure. Will he catch a touchdown? After last season's stats? Pshaw, we'd be surprised if he got three first down catches.
* w14 @GB: More fun with Randy, as Oakland's tour of the NFC Norris division brings him back to the site of his infamous "mooning" touchdown celebration. He will forever have special place in Packer fans' hearts for that one. Did you know that it's tradition in Green Bay for the fans to moon the opposing team's buses as they leave? You've got to give Moss credit for returning the favor in kind. There'll be some minor talk of this through the media before this game; just ignore it like you ignore Joe Buck.
* w15 IND / w16 @JAC / w17 SD: These last three weeks of the season will be the opposite of fun for the Raiders and the Raider Nation as a whole. By this point, the customary thousand-yard stare of another wasted Oakland season will have settled upon both the players and the fans. These final three teams will be in one of two possible gears: merciless full speed ahead whilst jockeying for a playoff berth, or coasting with the engines spun down as they avoid injury with the playoffs already a surety.
The Colts aren't likely won't show any mercy either way. Since QB Peyton Manning's blossoming, they have become the equivalent of Duke men's basketball program in the NFL: precision-based, a little arrogant, a little douche-y, and joylessly expected to win nomatterwhat. Indianapolis will beat the Raiders with finesse.
Jaguar Head Coach Jack Del Rio's team is an extension of how he once played the game as a linebacker: hard-nosed and physical, with a hit-you-in-the-mouf attitude. The Jags can stop the run, and they can run the ball down another team's throat. The only thing missing from this visage of throwback old-school football is swirling snow with slow-motion replays narrated by the booming tones of "The Voice Of God," John Facenda. Jacksonville will beat the Raiders with strength.
Oh great, then we gotta deal with Norv's Chargers last? Just great. By the way, guys; the new uniforms look dumb as hell. Just when one could figure that their uniforms couldn't get any worse. Meh, back to the show. Granted, the Raiders are as familiar as any with Norv's inability to be an NFL Head Coach -- but with San Diego's current roster, even he couldn't screw up a late-season game against OAK. Sigh. The Chargers will just plain beat the Raiders.
Listen, we know; things don't look too good with this road ahead of us. Well, there's nowhere to go but up. Up, up, up. Bless those brave men who will suit up in the Silver And Black this year to represent the Raider Nation. They'll need it.
Next up on your American Football Spectacular: The 2007 NFL draft looms over the horizon, and what with Oakland having the #1 overall pick, events are bound to be gleefully intriguing.