Post by TheShadow on Sept 4, 2008 15:53:56 GMT -5
bleacherreport.com/
by Angel Navedo
If life was lived with a video-game controller, fans would be hard-pressed to find a team better than the Oakland Raiders.
Long before urban mythologists popularized the strangely coincidental Madden Cover Curse, gamers knew that the easiest way to get a win was with the Oakland Raiders.
For some reason, it never mattered who your opponent controlled, or what their ratings were—the Oakland Raiders were certain to pull off some magical maneuvers that would lead you to victory.
It was believed that Madden allowed his likeness for the EA Sports' franchise under the stipulation that the Oakland Raiders be made unstoppable.
Over the years, this secret has fallen through the crevices and been forgotten about outside of the Raider Nation.
Longtime fans of the series became disillusioned by the speed of Michael Vick as they'd scramble 15 yards out of the pocket to launch passes at Alge Crumpler across the field for massive gains.
Too much focus shifted on the inevitable disaster the newest Madden cover boy would face. I was guilty of forgetting, as well. That is, of course, until I recently throttled an opponent on Xbox Live with the men in black.
I suck at Madden. I'm really terrible. I can definitely throw a good beating on the AI in a single-player game. But when I venture into the online realm, I'm quickly out of my element.
Don't get me wrong, I've squeaked out a win or two and managed to bully someone who I'm convinced was mentally disabled (read: a Dolphins fan). But that's where my fortunes have ended.
I absolutely obliterated someone with the Raiders the other night. My opponent selected the 94-rated, defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, with a healthy Osi Umenyiora. And JaMarcus Russell picked them apart.
Darren McFadden bullied his way to two 20-plus-yard gains, and Justin Fargas marched his way through the defense.
Javon Walker and Eddy Curry made incredible catches up the sidelines—a pass I've come to accept as a throwaway, as it rarely ever works with my New York Jets and their wide receivers marked as "Hands" weapons.
Despite the insurmountable lead the offense established, the Raiders' defenders executed their coverages immaculately, with interceptions from tipped passes by Michael Huff, and perfectly defended routes by Nnamdi Asomugha.
I utilized the "QB Contain" defense masterfully, as the defensive line applied incredible amounts of pressure for the entire game.
When it was all said and done, the game ended with a score of 46-19, with one of my opponent's touchdowns being mercy points in the final minute.
Immediately after the game was over, I laughed as I asked myself, "How unrealistic is this virtual reality?" It has to be fake, right? The Raiders have struggled to scrape together wins in recent years.
On paper, the Oakland Raiders have a phenomenal team. As a New York Jets' fan, I regularly reference how different their team is from last year's abysmal campaign; but not much is said about the Oakland Raiders and their new faces.
I still believe DeAngelo Hall was grossly overpaid, as was Gibril Wilson, but if they adapt well to Rob Ryan's defense, then it's money well spent. In fact, dominance isn't as far-fetched as most fans would believe. The Raiders' pass rush is more than enough to cause fits for an opposing offensive line.
If JaMarcus Russell continues to progress, and properly utilizes Javon Walker and the newly-acquired Ashley Lelie, then the Raiders are definitely on the right path to a stronger offense.
That's not to mention the selection of Darren McFadden and his potential to carry the ball for massive gains. McFadden is the kind of offensive threat coordinators dream about.
If his transition to the NFL is as seamless as Adrian Peterson's, then life in the black hole may be the brightest it's been in years.
The Raiders have to climb out of their dark ages eventually. With one look at their roster, it appears as if this season may be their time to push the San Diego Chargers for AFC West supremacy.
If not, at least there's always Franchise Mode, right?