Week 11 - Nov 21 - Oakland

[Robotman]

Who's the QB of this thing?

[msdmnr2002]

No comment, just seeing if it's time to move on yet.  Nothing like a bad loss to stir up board traffic.

[Big Virgil]

At leat there is a positive effect from the Steelers stinking it up.

[Preacherman0]

We're suddenly in a must-win with a team that beat us in our own building last year and is much improved this season. 

This does not fill me with confidence.

[otismalibu]

If we end up battling for a WC spot, it would be nice to have the H2H tie-breakers over the Raiders & Jets, to go along with the Titans.

[Manimal]

Somehow I feel good about this game. We aren't going to be overconfident, in light not just of last week, but of the tailspin last year. We're playing a team whose offense depends on the run. We tend to shut those teams down cold. After playing above their heads for a month solid, the Raiders are due for a letdown.

We'll make them beat us with Jason Campbell, and that is not going to happen. I see Woodley or Harrison having a bit multi-sack game here.

I don't think we'll blow them away or anything, I think it'll be close entering the 4th, but I think we end up ahead by a TD.

[Finnegans Wake]

Wrote this in another thread:

Tommy Kelly and Richard Seymour have notched 9.5 sacks between them at the DT position, and will likely give whoever's playing guard some fits.  Pressure up the gut will be matched with Jon Scott again tested, with Kam Wimbley at OLB beating him cleanly (4.5 sacks on the year).  Oakland's 27 sacks this season is only one behind league leaders St. Louis and Green Bay.  Expect them to pad that total substantially.  O/U on sacks: 6.5.

RB Darren McFadden leads the league with 108.0 YPG.  Against a shaky Steelers front (what happens whenever A. Smith gets hurt?), you might think he's in for a big day, but the Steelers will look for Campbell to beat them through the air.  Given the secondary's uncanny knack for making any Tom, Dick or Harry look like the second coming of Johnny U., expect Campbell to rack up yards by exploiting matchups (TE, WR2 &3).  That means a big day for Zach Miller, speedster Jacoby Ford, and Darrius Heyward-Bey, since McFadden is also the top receiver.  Steelers 27-21

Update is that DHB has a hammy issue and is iffy for Sunday.  I think the Steelers win this, but we'll see if this team is more 2008 or 2009.  My gut says the latter, and we may struggle versus teams we should dispatch easily. 

[Finnegans Wake]

Injury updates
Chris Kemoeatu put in a full practice for the first time in two weeks and is ready to return to start at left guard after he missed the game Sunday with sprains of his knee and ankle.

Ward went through a second consecutive day of practice in full pads, but safety Will Allen still has not practiced. Both Ward and Allen left the New England game with concussions.

"I've been here seven years," Arians said, "and that's the best two practices Hines had in five of them because he hadn't practiced on Wednesday in a long time. But he wanted to prove to everybody he was healthy and, boy, he had two great practices and showed a lot of the younger guys how to do it."

Troy Polamalu (Achilles) did not practice again, Nick Eason also missed again with an illness, and Brett Keisel (hamstring) went through another limited practice.

Lawrence Timmons (hip) went through his first full practice of the week as did rookie cornerback Crezdon Butler (thigh).

[Finnegans Wake]

BTW... WTF?

If Pola can't go, and Will Allen is out, I guess that means Mundy is it at SS.  Great.  No depth there, either. 

Like I said before, Willie Gay may suck in turn and run, but he can make plays on the action in front of him, and he knows the playbook.  In fact, as a S I might say Gay is even a little better than Mundy, who's never done much to impress.  So I'd consider putting Gay in at SS and trying either Butler or Lewis at CB.  But we know that won't happen. 

[SCacalaki]

I read that Troy expects to play but yeah Mundy has shown nothing