Midseason Report

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Oakland Raiders (2-6)
Grade: D-plus

What they’ve done well: A 38-0 Week 7 loss to the Jets may have given the Raiders a glimpse into their future. After yet another ineffective performance by JaMarcus Russell, backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski played with an awareness and urgency that Russell badly lacks. When Darren McFadden returns from his early-season arthroscopic surgery, the running attack of Justin Fargas and McFadden may cause problems for opponents.

Needs improvement: The Raiders continue to get nothing from Russell, who has to be one of the all-time NFL draft busts. The No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft appears to be the Raiders’ version of Ryan Leaf, minus the churlish personality. The biggest problem is that Russell can’t throw an accurate pass. On the defensive side, the Raiders get pushed around regularly, giving up 373.3 yards per game and ranking 27th overall.


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