The Oakland Raider are opening Week 1 of the season against Andrew Luck and the Colts and now it's time to finally see what they and Matt Flynn are made of in Indy for a Week 1 game.
The Raiders used the 2013 offseason to try and add talent to the roster after going just 4-12 last season and GM Reggie McKenzie made plenty of moves to help upgrade talent at various positions and after having a solid training camp, the team is ready to shoot for a wild card spot this year out of the AFC West with Matt Flynn at quarterback.
The team spent training camp in Napa and after getting together in late July, head coach Dennis Allen finally had the chance to see some of his players up close and he also had the chance to start putting in the new running scheme that is expected to improve the offense. This past offseason saw a number of old players leave, including Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, Michael Huff, Darrius Heyward-Bey and others, and that also didn't include former public relations director Zak Gilbert, who was hired by McKenzie and fired by Mark Davis after an unflattering SI story.
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The team will have a new look on offense and Flynn hopes that Darren McFadden can stay healthy for the first time in his career, as that will be a measure of success for the Raiders and the offensive unit. McFadden is an explosive back with great power and pass catching abilities, but his inability to remain on the field consistently has been trouble for the Raiders during his entire career. The running back is heading into a contract year and with the new running scheme in the fold, he should be very successful behind a revamped offensive line.
This season there will be young players expected to step up on both sides of the ball, including rookie DJ Hayden at cornerback, Tyler Wilson as the backup QB as well as Rod Streater and Denarius Moore, who likely will be the top two wideouts this season. The team also drafted Nick Kasa and Brice Butler, while running back Latavius Murray is also expected to contribute, especially if McFadden misses time like he did over the past two years when he was out for over 10 games. McFadden appeared in just 12 games last season and he has only scored six touchdowns over the past two years.
McKenzie and the Raiders are hoping that Greg Olson's scheme can help McFadden get back to 2010 style, when he played in 13 games and had his lone 1,000 yard season and he also scored seven touchdowns with nearly 50 reception's for over 500 yards. Flynn will need the running game to work as he prepares for his first season as a starter and the defense will be much improved as well, with names like Nick Roach, Charles Woodson, Mike Jenkins, Kevin Burnett, Tracy Porter and others joining the roster.
The Raiders won only four games last season with Carson Palmer and while Flynn is untested, he showed in some spots while with the Packers that he knows how to get the ball downfield and that he is also solid in the short game. Kasa should get plenty of looks after tight end Brandon Myers left for the Giants and that move should give him the chance to crack the starting lineup, while Murray will likely be third string behind Rashad Jennings unless McFadden gets injured again. Both McKenzie and Davis are expecting improvements and Allen will be entering a tough season if he can't get the team to play better.