2014 Oakland Raiders Season Preview and Predictions

Aug 28, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Denarius Moore (17) looks to catch a pass from quarterback Derek Carr (4, not pictured) during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

5 Bold Predictions

1. Derek Carr will win Offensive Rookie of the Year

This is a bold prediction, but is one that could happen should Carr start Week One against the New York Jets as the only rookie starting quarterback and get the headlines that would come along with it. Carr, a 5000 yard and 50 touchdown passer in his senior season has shown that he can put up godly numbers after all, even if those numbers are in the Mountain West for the most part.

Of course it would be a considerable longshot for Carr to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award over the likes of Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans and Eric Ebron as Vegas has the rookie passer as a +1800 longshot to win the award but it is something that could happen when you look at Carr’s natural chemistry shown during the Raiders preseason with depth wideouts and without the help of Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren McFadden and Marcel Reece on the ground.

Carr showed something special during the preseason to whoever watched and if given the opportunity could show a lot of NFL teams that he should have been taken in the first round (Looking at you, Cleveland). There would be no better way to do that than to be the best rookie in the league, something that may be more possible than you think if head coach Dennis Allen hands Derek Carr the keys to the team early enough.

2. Denarius Moore will return to productivity

2013 was easily the worst season of Denarius Moore’s career. A staple in the Oakland Raiders receiving corps, Moore was surpassed by Rod Streater and Andre Holmes in the minds of many as the Raiders go to receivers as in 13 games Moore managed just 46 receptions for 695 yards. That led to speculation on whether or not Moore would even make the Oakland 53 man roster come 2014, some suggesting that a trade of Moore may be a good route for the Raiders to take.

However Moore stuck around in Oakland and earned his place in the depth chart by working well with Derek Carr, even adding some agressive running on screen passes to his game to help cement a place on the roster. Perhaps that should have been expected considering that Moore’s numbers were still relatively on par to what he did in 2012 with two less games played due to injury.

With that being said expect Moore to continue to be a useful weapon for the Raiders in 2014 and continue to show why the team keeps him even if his inconsistency can be frustrating at times. Never coming in with under 600 receiving yards or under five touchdowns in a season in his career so far it is clear there is a place for Moore amongst the Raiders wideouts. Expect that to continue in 2014 and Moore to boost his productivity along the way.

3. Justin Tuck will lead the Oakland Raiders in sacks

This prediction may be less bold for those who respect Justin Tuck’s career with the New York Giants, but some out there feel that Tuck is only in Oakland for the money and feel that the defensive end padded his stats at the end of 2013 for one last big payday before retiring after winning two Super Bowls. I for one, disagree with the notion that Tuck is an over the hill player who is plotting to mail in the rest of his career in Oakland.

Coming off of 11 sacks last season, Tuck showed he was still motivated to play in the NFL and feeling slighted by the Giants there is reason to believe that Tuck will channel those motivations into productive snaps for the Raiders in 2014. Based on Tuck’s comments surrounding the negotiations he had with the Giants before signing in Oakland there is reason to believe Tuck will be more than motivated enough by being let go by the team he helped win two Super Bowls with his pass rushing talents over his accomplished career.

Now in Oakland, a motivated Tuck could thrive one last time like he did in 2013 for different reasons than money. Looking to add to his resume at a second franchise after a great career with the Giants, don’t be shocked if Tuck’s productivity stays at his 2o13 levels after getting a slap in the face during free agency.

4. Dennis Allen will keep his job

As mentioned earlier, 2014’s results will directly impact whether or not the Oakland Raiders will have a new coach in 2015 as Dennis Allen needs to show he can help build the Raiders into a playoff team in what will be his third year the helm in Oakland.

How much Allen needs to show owner Mark Davis to keep his jub is up for debate, but after two 4-12 seasons the benchmark is likely to compete for a winning record this season in a year that will hopefully involve signs of progress that next year could be the year the team makes the playoffs with an easier schedule and an extra season of development from their highly regarded rookie draft class. If that is what Davis needs to see from Allen it is safe to say he will be likely to keep his job as after keeping the team relatively competitive with the likes of Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin at quarterback in 2013 with all of the dead cap space it seems probable there will be improvement.

Now if Davis expects playoffs out of the Raiders that may be a different story as with a potential rookie quarterback (or Matt Schaub) and a tough division along with their out of conference schedule involving the NFC West there is little hope for a Wild Card finish in Oakland. Stranger things have happened, but if Allen needs the playoffs to save his job he likely will not be able to save his job.

However I don’t think that is the case here, the Raiders have been patient with Allen for two 4-12 seasons and if there is excitement built around the team there is a good chance they give him one more year to end out his contract before making a decision longterm. With promising rookies and far more talent, the Raiders will be a much improved team and that should be good enough to keep DA around.

5. Derek Carr will start

Just had to throw my decision on the Raiders quarterback debate. Start the rookie Dennis.