My Michael Crabtree Blog

The Eagles will come into this game with a chance to clinch a playoff spot (with some help). This is a 49ers team riding high off a victory against the Cardinals but I think it was as much of the Cardinals giving away the game as the 49ers taking it. However, the Eagles don't need to play down to this team because if they do they'll end up the same as the Cardinals. The 49ers have a lot of young talent, they are still just trying to figure out how to put it all together. If the Eagles come out and play the way they have been the past couple weeks, they shouldn't have trouble putting this team away.

Here's some quick team stats and league rankings:

Offense

Points per game: 20.7 (18th)

Yards per game: 288.6 (27th)

Pass yards per game: 189.8 (22nd)

Rush yards per game: 98.8 (24th)

Defense

Points per game: 18.6 (8th)

Yards per game: 338.6 (18th)

Pass yards per game: 243.6 (27th)

Rush yards per game: 95 (5th)

Offense

Alex Smith - Smith is one of those guys who has struggled to find success in the NFL. He has been given another chance this year in San Francisco and is finding a mild success. His rating is higher than in years past (although not stellar) and his touchdown to interception ratio is better (still not stellar). However, I think he is finding some rhythm with Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree who are two talented young players. The Eagles can't let him get the ball to these guys too often as they're both capable of making big plays.

Frank Gore - The Eagles number one priority on Sunday is going to be to shut down Frank Gore. He had a great game against Arizona last week and will look to repeat the effort against the Eagles. If the 49ers open up a run game early, it sets up Smith to get things done through the air. The Birds can't let Gore run all over them and need to force Smith to try and beat them with his arm. Defensively, the team must tackle better than last week and this starts with bringing down Gore.

Michael Crabtree - He arrived late on the scene but already has more receptions, yards, and touchdowns than Darrius Heyward-Bey who was drafted above him. Crabtree is consistently catching three to six passes a game and has found the end zone twice over the last four weeks. You can't deny the guys talent no matter how big of a hassle he made for the 49ers. He's not a stud yet, but he has the potential. The secondary will need to keep an extra close eye on him and not allow him to do anything big.

Vernon Davis - Even though he's a tight end, Davis it he 49ers number one receiver and is having a great year. Among tight ends, he is first in the NFC is receiving yards (815) and first in the NFL in touchdowns (11). This is scary because the Eagles always struggle to cover the tight end position. The defense can't let this guy get open too often and keep drives going or make big plays. It's a given that he's going to get his touches, but they need to be held to a minimum.

Defense

3-4 Defense - This is going to be the first 3-4 defense the Eagles see since they played the Chargers back in the middle of November. I don't think it's a huge deal, but I'm sure there are definite changes in the blocking scheme. We'd definitely like to see the Eagles have a successful run game so the lineman are going to need to communicate well and get good blocks on the linebackers.

Linebackers - Former Eagles Takeo Spikes lines up as one of the middle men in this scheme but he's not the one I'm worried about. Next to him is the pure tackling machine Patrick Willis who leads the NFL in tackles and always finds his name way up there on the leader board. The guys is a monster and is someone the Eagles will really need to get good blocks on if they want to be successful in the run game. With three games left, he's only nine tackles behind his mark from last year and has already tied his record for sacks in a season. The Eagles offense is going to need to pay close attention to wherever #52 is on the field.

Secondary - This secondary didn't allow Kurt Warner to throw a single touchdown last week while intercepting him twice. They do have talent, and we get to see another ex-Eagle in Michael Lewis at one of the safety positions. The Eagles offense has had a lot of success hitting on big plays this year so you know they're going to look to do that on Sunday. Establishing a run game should help set up the big play. However, I don't think this secondary is good enough to shut down the weapons we have all afternoon. I expect Donovan to be able to do some big things against this secondary.

Special Teams

I'll be interested to see if the 49ers willingly kick to DeSean Jackson after the damage he did against the Giants. If I were them, I wouldn't be kicking to him. I'd like to see Macho Harris get the Eagles some nice starting field position on kick returns. On the other side, the Eagles can't allow the 49ers to have a big play on special teams because this can really get a whole team fired up.

www.BirdsFan.com - A Philadelphia Eagles blog

Ahhhh my Oakland Raiders. I have been a lifelong Raider fan and it just pains me to witness what my beloved team has become. The Raiders finished 5-11 in 2008 leaving the Raider Nation with yet another year of heartache. I have written (and will continue to write) several articles about the Raiders prospects as a team heading into 2009. For the sake of this article however, I will be examining the Raiders solely from a fantasy prospective. With that in mind let's look at the fantasy potential of the Silver and Black for 2009.

It is no secret that I am not sold on JaMarcus Russell as an NFL QB and I am even less fond of him as a fantasy QB. To be blunt, Russell has shown me and fellow Raider Nation members very little in his 3 years in the league. Obviously, he has the cannon arm but it takes much more than that to be a successful NFL QB just ask Jeff George. Furthermore, Russell has not shown much of a work ethic since the Raiders invested pretty much their entire franchise with him 3 years ago. Truthfully, I wanted and still wished the Raiders had drafted Brady Quinn rather than Russell as I think Quinn has all the tools to be a fine QB in this league for a long time to come if the Browns ever give him the chance. I just don't see that out of Russell and apparently the Raiders are getting concerned as well or they would not have signed free agent QB Jeff Garcia to "backup" Russell. I have news for you folks. If Russell starts off slowly which is a real possibility seeing as though the Raiders have an absolutley brutal schedule this year Garcia will be in there. Until Russell shows some fire underneathth his ass don't go anywhere near him on draft day this August even as a number 2 QB.

As down as I am on Russell I am that high on the Raiders running game and in my estimation if the Raiders pound the ball all year long utilizing the 3 headed monster they currently have on the roster I truly believe that this team can go 8-8. First, Darren McFadden WILL breakout this year to the tune of 1100-1300 yards and 12 total TD's. Count on it. Why am I so sure of that? A couple different reasons. First, Dmac is just too damn good. His rookie campaign was derailed largely in part to a stubborn turf toe injury that hampered him for virtually the entire year. Make no mistake about it. In terms of pure talent McFadden is better than Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, and Steve Slaton. Moreover, Dmac has been proactive regarding the aforementioned toe injury by having the Raiders trainer place a steel plate in his shoe to help prevent such an injury from happening again. Finally, battering ram specialist Lorenzo Neal has been brought in by the Raiders specifically to block for McFadden and to help launch his career. McFadden is the real deal. Draft him between the 3rd to 5th rounds as a number 2 RB and watch him explode.

In addition to McFadden the Raiders also sport 2 other fine backs in Justin Fargas and Michael Bush. If I am a betting man I am thinking that Fargas will be the odd man out this year. If McFadden gets hot early on which I believe he will Fargas will not be seeing the field much. Bush however, will have a role regardless. The nation saw exactly what Bush is capable of as a runner in the week 17 finale against the Buccaneers when he rushed for 177 yards and 2 TD's in a game that Tampa needed to win to make the playoffs and that ultimately cost Tampa Head Coach and former Raider Coach Jon Gruden his job. Had it not been for the broken leg he sustained at Louisville Bush would have certainly been a top ten pick and the Raiders absolutely stole him in the 4th round a few years back. Bush will surely continue to see work this year as a short yardage/goal line back and don't be afraid to take a shot on him with a pick in rounds 12 and after. As for Fargas, I personally wouldn't waste a pick on him because unless McFadden gets hurt this year I don't see him putting any kind of worthwhile numbers statistically.

Unlike the Raiders running attack the team's receiving corps is clouded with controversy and question marks. Al Davis shocked me and the rest of the world when he selected WR Darrius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin. It is obvious to me and everyone else that really the only variable that matters to Mr. Davis when evaluating players is the 40 yard dash time. I will not get into Davis here as it is not the proper format as this is an article pertaining to the Raiders from a fantasy prospective only. Does Heyward-Bey have any fantasy potential for 2009? Yes. Would I daft him? Yes, but no earlier than the 13-14th round and if someone like Maclin or Percy Harvin is still on the board I would take either ahead of Heyward-Bey. However, from a fantasy point of view Heyward-Bey has some things working for him. First, he is already the number 1 receiver on the team and Mr. Davis has made his intentions perfectly clear that he intends to try to get the ball deep to the speedster right from the get go. If you are in a league like mine who rewards you with bonus points for long TD runs and receptions than it is worth a shot taking a late round flier on Heyward-Bey because the law of averages says that he will catch at least a few bombs from Russell this year. Another receiver that could see an increase in his production if Russell develops the way the franchise needs him to is Johnny Lee Higgings. Higgins represents a nice talent both at the WR position and as a punt/kick returner. Similarly to Heyward-Bey take a shot on Higgins late and if Russell can finally get his head out of his ass you may see some dividends from him as the year progresses. Chad Shillings and rookie Louis Murphy from Florida are 2 other Raider receivers to keep an eye on this fall.

TE Zach Miller could be the biggest beneficiary if Russell makes strides. Miller started to really make a name for himself last year by catching 56 passes for 778 yds and 1 TD. Both the receptions and yardage led the Raiders receivers by a mile and although the 1 TD is disappointing Miller is sure to improve on that in 2009. Miller along with Greg Olson from Chicago are my 2 dark horse TE candidates for the upcoming season. Olson has the better QB but Russell and Miller appeared to form a nice chemistry last year and if that continues Miller has the talent to be an elite NFL TE.

The Raiders DST is to be avoided at all costs until the unit proves otherwise. Last year the team ranked 31st against the run and were pounded on the ground all year long. The DL was a complete disaster and LB Tommy Kelley who normally anchors down the unit had an off year. The secondary is led by one of if not the best cover corners in the game with Nnamdi Asomugha who was just signed to a contract extension this off season. Asomugha is the modern day Lester Hayes and is truly one of the best at the CB position in the NFL. The bottom line however, is that it goes without saying that there are far better options at the DST position than the Raiders and they should not be considered in any circumstance under any format. In leagues where kickers are rewarded with bonus points for FG's over 50 yards kicker Sebastian Janikowski can be of some value as he still has the same leg he had coming out of FSU.

To conclude my examination of the Raiders I strongly suggest taking a long hard look at McFadden as a number 2 RB for 2009. I am telling you right now he is going to have a great year and I also like the TE Miller. As for the other Raiders there is nothing really to get excited about from a fantasy prospective. Next up: The Kansas City Chiefs.

Chris Limburg is the fantatical purveyor of OaklandRaidersCentral.com: A Oakland Raiders/Fantasy Football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL. Sign up for my free newsletter at [http://www.oaklandraiderscentral.com] and receive my fantasy football e-course that will prepare you for your draft and enable you to dominate your league in 2009.

Well here we go again. Another season of Oakland Raider football is rapidly approaching. What will the Oakland Raiders be like in 2009? Will it be more of the same or will the Raiders finally make some headway in an AFC West that in my estimation is wide open. First, I will start off by saying that I like Tom Cable as a coach and I believe that the Raiders made a smart move by keeping him aboard. I think that the Raiders have shown more promise under Coach Cable than any coach since Gruden. When one looks at the realistic candidates for the Oakland job one realizes that keeping Cable in an effort to bring some stability to a franchise that has lacked it for years makes sense. Cable is a former OL coach and with McFadden, Fargas, and Bush this team is built to be a power running team and I think that Cable will really work on establishing the run this year.

Unlike past off seasons where the Raiders have tried to land some big name free agents this year's free agency period has proved to be relatively uneventful for the Silver and Black. Outside of signing QB Jeff Garcia the Raider's biggest off season move has clearly been the re-signing of CB Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha is one of if not the best cover corner in the league today and he invoked memories of Lester Hayes when you watch him play. The Raiders also resigned punter Shane Lechler which I also believe was a solid move. We all saw in last years playoffs how valuable a punter can be in terms of field position. Lechler is one of the best and I am please to see him back.

In my estimation the Raiders OL is a mess which is a shame because they have 3 backs that can tote the rock effectively in McFadden, Fargas, and Bush. It remains to be seen whether there will be any holes for any of them to run through. To bolster a line that has underachieved for years the Raiders added LT Khalif Barnes from Jacksonville. While it appears on paper that this is an upgrade over Kwame Harris this is still a position that the Raiders need to address in the draft next weekend. Former 1st round pick Robert Gallery has played virtually every position on the OL and been dominant at none of them. Jake Grove is gone to Miami and in his place comes Samson Satele who should benefit from the Raiders zone blocking schemes that Cable likes to utilize.

Defensively the Raiders have numerous glaring weaknesses. After Asomugha the secondary is extremely thin despite ranking 10th overall in passing yards allowed with 201.2 per game. Former Texas standout Michael Huff has been a tremendous disappointment much in the same way that Gallery has and towards the end of the year was replaced in the starting lineup by Hiram Eugene. Chris Johnson is a solid player but Stanford Rout and Justin Miller are situational players at best. The LB's are fairly solid with Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard anchoring down the middle but this corps could use some help from the DL which was a nightmare last season with the departure of Warren Sapp. The Raiders allowed 159.7 yards per game on the ground in 2008 to rank 31st in the NFL. Tommy Kelly had a horrible year and Gerard Warren has never made any kind of an impact anywhere he has played.

So, who should the Raiders draft with the 7th pick overall? I have been saying that the future of this franchise remains QB JaMarcus Russell. Obviously, we all know that Russell has a cannon arm but his throws are erratic and he has been hurt not having anyone to throw the ball to outside of Zach Miller. If Russell pans out the Raiders will be fine but if he is a bust and you are already hearing whispers to that effect the Raiders are done for another 5 years at least. Cable subtly hinted recently that Russell's work ethic could be better and that he needs to establish himself as more of a leader on the team. Russell responded by showing up to the Raiders off season workouts and hopefully has gotten the point because Cable is right when he says that if he matures and works on his mechanics he could be great. With that in mind I unquestionable believe the Raiders need to select either Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin with the 7th pick this Saturday.

To Russell's defense he has never had a go to guy since his inception into the NFL. Javon Walker is a joke and Ronald Curry had been release and has since signed with the Lions leaving the Raiders virtually nobody at the position. The Raiders need to give Russell a go to guy; someone to work with and grow together much in the same way Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison used to do it in Indy. The Raiders and Russell in particualr need a receiver desperately. I am hearing many so called "guru's" saying the Raiders will draft OL Andre Smith out of Alabama. This would be a HUGE mistake no pun intended. Smith's pysique is atrocious which to me is a sure sign of laziness. Laziness is one thing that the Raiders do not need anymroe of. What the Raiders do need is someone to step in right away and be a playmaker for the team and especially Russell and either Maclin or Crabtree would provide it. Further down in the draft the Raiders can then address some of their other need positions such as DL, OL, and the secondary.

It has been a long time 2001 to be exact since the Raiders have had any glimmer of success. Hopefully this is the year that Russell makes some strides and gives all Raider fans something that Michael Irvin said is the only thing a man needs in order to keep going: Hope. Till next time.

Cheers and Beers

Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider and fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Sign up for my free newsletter at: [http://www.gothicfootball.com]