To the dedicated football fan, even a close victory against an obviously inferior team is a disappointment. Imagine if you will, the profound disappointment of the Bucc fans this week as their team fell to the surprising Panthers. In all fairness, teams like the Raiders and Buccaneers have huge targets on their chests. They�re defending champions, and teams starving to prove themselves consider �Raider week� an irresistible opportunity to show their �A-game�.
Speaking of Raider week, the Oakland Raiders have last year's MVP on the roster. The Raiders have two soon-to-be-Hall-of-fame receivers in the starting lineup. The Raiders are defending their AFC title that they easily manhandled New York and Tennessee for last year. So when the Bengals found themselves fighting back for a 10-10 tie versus the defending AFC champions, the optimism was aroused in a struggling franchise.
The offensive juggernaut of 2002 was held to a mere 237 yards of total offense. This same offense stumbled, converting only two of ten third-down situations. Either the Bengals have profoundly found the will to challenge one of the AFC�s finest teams, or the Raiders were lulled to sleep by the syndrome called �The Superbowl Hangover.�
Even after watching the game, I can�t decide which. I still believe the Raiders to be a Superbowl-caliber team. And yet, the Raiders lost the AFC Championship rematch last week. Still this week the offense was barely alive against the Bengals. The only thing Raider fans can truly ask after this week is where the culprit is. What is causing such difficulty, where there once was invincibility?
The answer could lie somewhere in the off-season. Following that embarrassing beating they took in the Superbowl, Gannon hasn't quite been himself. Mind you, he has yet to throw is first interception this season, but judging from how often Shane Lechler is called on the field, he may as well be throwing a few periodically.
It doesn't make sense, until you consider the magnitude of losing the Superbowl. Al Davis has lost one before, but that was back in 1968, when the Superbowl was little more than the "Green Bay Packer AFL Thumping Show". These days, the Superbowl is no longer a meaningless exhibition game: it's the crown jewel of professional sports...and Al Davis's Oakland Raiders lost it.
During the Tennesse game, I said that Gannon didn't look to have confidence in his line. For the most part, this was absolutely true. This week, the Bengal defense didn't lay a finger on our quarterback, yet the former MVP still felt pressure where there was none. At one crucial point in the game, Tim Brown had three steps on his man during a deep post pattern. This was an opportunity, in a close game, that is a dream scenario for an experienced quarterback�.and Gannon badly overthrew him. Gone are the moments where Gannon would quickly - back up, read, throw, or run...in that order. Rather than take the open scrambling lane, Gannon would try to stick it out in the pocket. So far, this season, Gannon has scrambled twice for 7 yards.
This kind of approach is going to get him hurt versus good pass-rushing teams. Gannon is not a natural pocket passer and he risks getting his clock cleaned by pretending to be. When the pundits say that Gannon has grown too old to play the game, they're not entirely incorrect. Gannon IS entering his fifth season as a starting quarterback. In his game, he has endured four full seasons of sacks, late hits, and perilous clobbering on the run.
This, I believe, is what Gannon is becoming wary of. As each year goes by, his passer rating has thankfully gone up, but his scrambling declined sharply. He's no longer the "scrambler" that opposing defenses had difficulty planning for. He�s becoming somewhat more predictable.
That's not to say, "Bring on Tui" at this point, but it�s a reality that now weighs heavily on the minds of enthusiastic Raider fans. Gannon is no longer trusting in the pocket.... and he's no longer eager to scramble. So where does that leave our quarterback.... and the Raiders?
Gannon aside, the real anomaly was the lack of closure in the defense. Time after time, the Raiders seem to do well on first and second downs, often pinning Kitna in 3rd and long situations. Then in sheer disbelief, I see the Raider secondary give up an astonishing first down on a 3rd and 17. With the defense giving up 50% on 3rd downs...and the offense converting 20%, it's hard to be optimistic about next week's showdown against the red-hot Broncos.
The game against Cincinatti could be a harbinger of an embarrassment in Denver. I sincerely hope not.
-Eastbay