The Oakland Raiders finally moved past the disastrous draft pick of quarterback JaMarcus Russell by letting him go in the offseason and trading for Jason Campbell. While Campbell will not be leading the Raiders to the Super Bowl anytime soon, he should be able to provide them with some consistency and help get them back on track to finish near the .500 mark for the first time since they earned their way to the big game back in 2002. Oakland does not have a difficult schedule this year and plays in a weak AFC West, where only the San Diego Chargers stand out as a legitimate playoff team. If Raiders head coach Tom Cable manages his solid stable of running backs Michael Bush, Darren McFadden and Michael Bennett correctly, Campbell will not be forced to make things happen on his own and should avoid mistakes. That could translate to a successful season as long as the defense stays healthy and continues to grow as well.
Odds to win AFC West Division: +700
Odds to win the AFC Conference: 40/1
Oakland Raiders Odds to win Super Bowl XLV: 80/1
Regular Season Wins Total Line: 6
*all odds quoted from Bodog*
Following is a breakdown of this season’s schedule for the Raiders:
Week 1 Sunday, September 12, 2010 @ Tennessee Titans
Analysis: The Raiders begin the season with a few winnable games if they can just figure out a way to stop opposing running backs after ranking 29th in the NFL in run defense a year ago.
Week 2 Sunday, September 19, 2010 vs. St. Louis Rams
Analysis: Oakland will be on the West Coast for the next seven weeks starting with what should be a win in the home opener against the Rams.
Week 3 Sunday, September 26, 2010 @ Arizona Cardinals
Analysis: The Cardinals host the Raiders in the middle of tough road games at Atlanta and San Diego.
Week 4 Sunday, October 3, 2010 vs. Houston Texans
Analysis: Houston looks to be a playoff contender this season and will be playing its lone road game during a four-week stretch at Oakland.
Week 5 Sunday, October 10, 2010 vs. San Diego Chargers
Analysis: The Raiders play their first divisional game of 2010 against the Chargers, who needed a touchdown in the final minute to pull out last year’s season-opening win.
Week 6 Sunday, October 17, 2010 @ San Francisco 49ers
Analysis: These teams meet annually in the preseason but will be facing each again here in a Battle of the Bay that really matters.
Week 7 Sunday, October 24, 2010 @ Denver Broncos
Analysis: Denver and Oakland both won on the opposition’s home field in this series last year.
Week 8 Sunday, October 31, 2010 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Analysis: The Seahawks visit the Raiders in between home games against the Cardinals and Giants.
Week 9 Sunday, November 7, 2010 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Analysis: Oakland heads into the bye week after hosting a Kansas City team that won there last season.
Week 10 — BYE WEEK —
Week 11 Sunday, November 21, 2010 @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Analysis: The Raiders begin their most difficult stretch of the season by playing the first of three road games in four weeks against Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers.
Week 12 Sunday, November 28, 2010 vs. Miami Dolphins
Analysis: Miami visits Oakland following back-to-back home games against Tennessee and Chicago.
Week 13 Sunday, December 5, 2010 @ San Diego Chargers
Analysis: The Raiders lost both meetings with the Chargers last year by an average of six points and have dropped 13 straight in the series.
Week 14 Sunday, December 12, 2010 @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Analysis: Jacksonville returns home to host Oakland following consecutive road games against the Giants and Titans.
Week 15 Sunday, December 19, 2010 vs. Denver Broncos
Analysis: The Broncos will be playing their third straight road game and fourth in five weeks against the Raiders before finishing the season with two in a row at home.
Week 16 Sunday, December 26, 2010 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Analysis: Indy plays its road finale at Oakland in a game that could mean a lot or nothing at all depending on the playoff picture.
Week 17 Sunday, January 2, 2011 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Analysis: The Chiefs will be at home for the second week in a row after hosting Tennessee the previous week and lost to the Raiders 13-10 at Arrowhead Stadium last year.
