good article......lamont jordan

[crispirons]

 

 

 

Judge: Raiders' five things to know

 

NAPA, Calif. -- I have this problem. Every time I watch LaMont Jordan slash through the middle of the Oakland Raiders' offensive line, I don't see the former New York Jets running back. I see Stephen Davis.

 

 

Coach Norv Turner: 'LaMont (Jordan) gives us the guy who can run.' (Getty Images)  Yes, that Stephen Davis. It was six years ago that Davis, now with Carolina, led the Washington Redskins into the playoffs for the only time in the last 12 years. He had almost 300 carries -- 290 to be exact. He ran for 1,405 yards. And he produced 17 touchdowns.

 

His coach then is Jordan's coach now, which is why I see Davis every time Jordan takes a handoff from Kerry Collins. Oakland's Norv Turner knows he couldn't have won in Washington in 1999 without Davis, and he knows he won't win in 2005 if Jordan fails to respond.

 

That's why you can stop paying attention to Randy Moss for awhile. He's not the most important addition to the Raiders; Jordan is. Because if Jordan can do for Oakland what Davis did for Washington, the Raiders might -- just might -- return to the playoffs.

 

"I hate to say that about anyone until they've done it," said Turner, "but when we started looking at LaMont Jordan, I looked at what he'd done and then I compared him to where Stephen Davis was in his career before 1999. And they're at the same spot.

 

"LaMont's lucky like Stephen was. That 1999 team had Brad Johnson, good receivers, a veteran offensive line ... so everything was in place. And it ended up being an outstanding offensive football team.

 

"Plus Stephen learned from Terry Allen and was a backup. But when he got to play, he had 100 yards against the Cowboys on Monday night. He did things showing he might be that guy. Now LaMont is going to get his chance to do it."

 

Turner is an expert witness on this subject. He not only rode Davis to the playoffs in Washington but he was the offensive coordinator who called Emmitt Smith's number in Dallas; and LaDainian Tomlinson's in San Diego; and Ricky Williams' in Miami.

 

In short, Turner knows the value of a running back he can trust, and he didn't have that back for most of last year. He suffered for it, too, with the Raiders ranked last in rushing and team balance -- throwing, or attempting to throw, 285 times more than they ran. When the season was over they were 5-11 and glued to the bottom of the AFC West.

 

Sure, you can blame a defense that hemorrhaged 442 points, produced an AFC-worst 18 turnovers and ranked 30th overall, but let's face facts: If the Raiders had the semblance of a rushing attack they wouldn't have had to leave their defense on the field for an average of 33:13 a game.

 

Nobody was worse.

Oakland Raiders

Out of Nowhere Man

DB Calvin Branch

 

No, the roster does not lie. That is 31-year-old Calvin Branch at safety, back after a three-year hiatus in the Raiders' player personnel department. Branch, a sixth-round draft pick in 1997, was a special-teams standout before his NFL career ended in 2001. Now he's back, taking turns at safety, and the question is why? Branch reportedly was talked back by owner Al Davis, but his appearances makes you wonder about how secure the Raiders believe they are at safety. You're going to have to stay tuned there. Most observers believe Branch has a shot at making it as a free safety, though most of his time should be spent with special teams.

Five things you should know

 

"Obviously, we'd like to be a little more balanced," said Collins, the team's quarterback. "I don't know if we set a record for the fewest rushes in one season last year, but we had to be pretty close. Having LaMont is going to help us."

 

Jordan could be the answer to a lot of what was wrong with the Raiders. First, he's an effective rusher inside or out, averaging over five yards a carry last year while caddying for Curtis Martin. Second, he allows the club the chance to take advantage of a huge offensive line to hammer opponents -- something that didn't happen a year ago. Third, he could take the heat off Collins, who said his "focus" this season is to reduce turnovers.

 

Of course, if Jordan is successful the Raiders might not have to resort to quick strikes to stay with opponents -- relying instead on a methodical offensive approach to wear down the enemy. That's critical because the more time the offense is on the field, the less the defense is.

 

"I always say that how well our defense does this year is on my shoulders," said Jordan, whose 479 yards rushing last year would have led the Raiders. "To grind the ball, convert first downs, not have three-and-outs, control the clock and give our defense a rest ... that's on me.

 

"That's why I put a lot of pressure on myself. Nobody is going to put more pressure on me than me. Not the media. Not the coaches. Not friends or family. I set my expectations and standards very high on the field, and it's up to me to meet those standards.

 

"Now, it's not so much me being the backup coming in to provide a spark. Now, it's, hey, this guy is The Man. So everything is on my shoulders."

 

Jordan hasn't had a shot like this before, and, frankly, he welcomes it. He had to sit four years behind Martin in New York, and while he left for a better opportunity, he valued his time with the Jets. In fact, when Jordan said goodbye to Jets coach Herman Edwards he told him he "needed" the experience to be successful now.

 

"I don't think I would be in the NFL right now if I didn't go to New York and play behind Curtis for four years," Jordan said. "He's a tremendous role model. Coming in the NFL you want to play behind a guy who is not going to be selfish, who's going to show you the ropes and the things you have to do to stay in this league for a long time. I'm more than prepared for this opportunity the Raiders are giving me."

 

That's what the Raiders want to hear. That's what their fans want to hear, too. Oakland needs LaMont Jordan as much ... well, as much as the Redskins needed Davis in 1999, and the Raiders hope to achieve similar results. At least now they have a chance.

 

"LaMont gives us the guy who can run," said Turner. "I believe he can, and I believe he will. If he plays 16 games like he's played, we're going to be a good running team."

[Return Of S&B]

Great article...

 

Moss will have a good but not stellar year this year, Collins numbers should rise a bit, Porter should have a nice year, but the real gem in drafts this year will be Lamont Jordan

 

I think Moss still warrants a 1st rounder but I dont think his numbers will be higher than they were in Minnesota when he was healthy...in fact I believe his numbers will dip a bit in regard to TDs (more like 10 to 12 versus 14 to 17) mainly because Porter and Jordan will get their share as well...I will take him as my 1st rounder in the 32-homer league, but will avoid him in all my other drafts.

 

Collins should have his best year but he is still a streaky player and will throw his share of INTs (prediction 3200+, 28 TDs, 20 INTs)

 

Porter should surpass his 2002 numbers and should get his share of TDs (9+)

 

But I see Jordan as the real MVP of this offense (prediction 1400 rush, 400 rec, 14TDs total). I wouldnt take Jordan as my RB1 because of his ADP, but I will be taking him as an RB2 if available in any of my drafts.

 

JMHO