Should the Raiders Start JaMarcus Russell?
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It might be time for the Oakland Raiders to consider starting rookie (and franchise) quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Here’s my main concern. The Raiders stink at fundamentals and it wouldn’t matter who the QB was when you’re committing the most holding and false start penalties in the NFL.
Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown have tried their best while the team has struggled to a 2-6 start. But they’ve spent a lot of time on the ground. The Raiders are giving up the seventh most sacks in the league so far. Does the team really want JaMarcus out there running for his life? An offense is only as good as their linemen allow them to be, and when you make as many mistakes as Oakland does, it becomes very hard to find any kind of rhythm or consistency, no matter who is playing quarterback. Two steps forward, one step back. Or one step forward, two steps back depending on the week. The QB usually takes some punishment in the process. The Raiders can run the football (they’re 4th in the league at 140 ypg), but when it comes to costly transgressions, they simply make too many of them to be any good.
Of course, the argument in favor of starting JaMarcus is that he simply makes too much money to stand around and watch. And I agree. Whether he has the talent around him or not (that’s debatable — Randy Moss disappeared in the Black Hole), he needs to be on the field. If that means he takes his lumps in the process (and he will), well … he’s got $29 million guaranteed. He’ll learn from taking his lumps. Or here’s an idea. Maybe the coaching staff can spend more time concentrating on fundamentals until the team makes fewer mistakes. They really need to get back to basics before they become good at anything else.
Tags: daunte_culpepper, jamarcus_russell, josh_mccown, NFL, oakland_raidersRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Oakland Raiders
2 opinions for Should the Raiders Start JaMarcus Russell?
Should the Raiders turn to JaMarcus Russell? | The NFL Minute
Nov 10, 2007 at 10:00 am
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Mark Anderson
Nov 13, 2007 at 8:40 am
Yes the Raiders need to start JaMarcus Russell. I am a die hard fan since the beginning of time. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly with this team. I think the worst mistake this team has done over the years is concentrated soley on drafting quarterbacks. I haven’t seen them concentrate really on anything else. Although their defense is getting better, their offense continues to get worse. The poor decision making really progressed when Al Davis let Gruden go. Then Rice, then Brown, and the list goes on. If i had anything to do with the decision making on the team, my first step would be to get rid of Al Davis. Clearly his age has taken a toll on his brain. Time and time again it’s been issue after issue with this team and the league. It almost seems like he (Al Davis) loves the drama. And although drama could be good in some cases, this is clearly not one of those times. Start J. Russell for 2 reasons…#1 he’s probably going to be one of the greatest quarterbacks the league has ever seen (for the money he better be), and #2 who in the hell is McCown? Let’s be real, whoever said this kid had potential was looking with eyes wide shut. Granite he could be good someday, but I really don’t see him being GREAT like J. Russell could be.
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