[neverlooking]

All in one place, here is why we’ll be the surprise team of the NFL in 2008.

1. 2006, because of crappy O-line play, our starter, Brooks, went down, and AW was running for his life most of the season. Now, in 2008, Cable’s line and Kiffin’s system is able to protect the QB. (in 2007, we barely had a QB). We’ll have time to throw in ‘08.

2. We’ll hit what we throw at. In 2007, the QB had time to throw the ball, but McCown can’t hit a Raiderette on the lips with a kiss from 2 inches away. JRuss, in 2008, will be vastly better than the scatter-armed McCown. We barely had an effective passing game last year. The safest prediction about the team is that JRuss will make the passing game much more feared than it was in the past 2 years.

3. Touchdown threats in the Red Zone. In 2007, who scored TD’s? Which Raider did the defense have to key on? Answer: Nobody. This year, we have a big arm that can hit barely open targets, a WR coach that can teach them to get open, and DMac, a guy who can get to the endzone faster than Lynch can get out of his rocking chair. Speaking of fast, JRuss can release faster than McCown can grip the ball.

4. 2007-Washington. 2008-MeAngelo. I don’t care if Hall becomes a bigger prima donna than Paris Hilton. If he shuts down opposing WR’s, several teams are gonna have to redesign their offenses to play the Raiders, and when they pass, they’re not gonna find a weak spot unless they throw against Fabs in Baltimore. Oakland will a hard team to catch up to when we’re up by 10 pts.

5. 2007 – Stu. 2008 – Gibril. Duh. Upgraded from tentative to aggressive, from adequate to very good. No longer will a HB get 20 yards AFTER the safety gets to him. That could be good for 50 defensive yards per game, and it surely will replace the HB’s ****iness with fear. Shades of Ronnie Lott.

6. 2007-Fargas was Mr. Guts, but he never outran defenses. 2008-McFadden. We haven’t had a HB threat like DMac since Bo. Defenses will be sweating when we’re on our own 20. I liked Nap, but he was small and fell down a lot when he ran his fastest. Even Jordan, who never saw a playbook he didn’t read, could hit Cable’s holes. McFadden figures to be a first down machine.

7. 2007-barely any threat of catching passes out of the backfield. 2008-McFadden catching passes and lining up at WR. He’ll be terrorizing several of the slower linebacking corps next year, and for years to come. It will take him a while to throw a TD pass, though.

8. 2007 – Mike Williams can’t catch, Porter can't get open. 2008 – Both Walker and Carter can catch better with one hand than BMW. Addition by subtraction.

9. 2007-Skinny Sapp. 2008-recovering Kelly. If Kelly is 90% healthy, it’s an upgrade over what Sapp had left last year.

10. We were fairly competitive in 2007 with several glaring weaknesses and a stronger schedule. 2008 brings closed holes and a weaker schedule.

11. Kiffin has one QB to focus on. No splitting time between a noodle arm and a rusty gimpy guy. Kiffin will have fun this year.

12. Knapp will have fun. Knapp will enjoy working with a fully functional QB. Vick was really a HB.