32-year old Carson Palmer came over from the Bengals in a deal after Jason Campbell broke his collarbone, and he was pretty average.  Palmer played in 10 games (9 starts) for the Raiders last year and he completed 199 of 328 passes (60.7%) for 2,753 yards with 13 TD passes and 16 INTs (80.5 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 16 times for 20 yards (1.3 ypc) with 1 TD run.  The Raiders were 4-5 (44.4%) in games that Palmer started in 2011.  Palmer has now played in 107 games (106 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 2,223 of 3,545 (62.7%) for 25,447 yards with 167 TD passes and 116 INTs (86.3 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 195 times for 336 yards (1.7 ypc) with 6 TD runs in his NFL career.  Palmer now has a 50-56 record (47.2%) as a starting QB during the regular season in his NFL career.

30-year old Jason Campbell was the Raiders’ best QB last year, but his season ended early due to injury.  Campbell played in 6 games (all starts) for the Raiders last year and he completed 100 of 165 passes (60.6%) for 1,170 yards with 6 TD passes and 4 INTs (84.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 18 times for 60 yards (3.3 ypc) with 2 TD runs for the Raiders.  Campbell was 4-2 (66.7%) as the Raiders’ starting QB last year.  Campbell has now played in 71 games (70 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 1,296 of 2,131 passes (60.8%) for 14,417 yards with 74 TD passes and 50 INTs (82.8 QB Rating).  Campbell has also carried the ball 218 times for 1,068 yards (4.9 ypc) with 6 TD carries.  Campbell is 31-39 (44.3%) as a starting QB during the regular season in his NFL career.

30-year old Kyle Boller was incredibly awful for the Raiders last year.  He played in 2 games (1 start) for the Raiders last year and he completed 15 of 28 passes (53.6%) for 161 yards with 0 TD passes and 3 INTs (31.1 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 9 times for 38 yards (4.2 ypc) last year for the Raiders.  Boller was 0-1 as the Raiders’ starting QB last year.  Boller has now played in 67 games (47 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 861 of 1,519 passes (56.7%) for 8,931 yards with 48 TD passes and 54 INTs (69.5 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 176 times for 572 yards (3.3 ypc) with 2 TD runs in his NFL career so far.  Boller is now 20-27 (40.8%) as a starting QB during the regular season in his NFL career.

If the Raiders are going to make it to the playoffs, they are going to need 31-year old QB Carson Palmer to step up.  Palmer has played in 7 games for the Raiders so far this year and he has completed 123 of 219 passes (56.2%) for 1,730 yards with 9 TD passes and 13 INTs (70.8 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 14 times for 14 yards (1.0 ypc) with 1 TD run this year.  The Raiders are going to have to outscore teams to beat them due to how awful the defense has been playing lately.  That will be hard to do as the Raiders play against the Lions, at Kansas City against the Chiefs and at home against the Chargers to finish this year.  So, the Raiders really need Carson Palmer to step up in the last three weeks of the season.

46-year old head coach Hue Jackson got his Raiders off to a 4-2 start to the 2011 season as things were looking almost too easy for him.  But in the 6th game of the year, a 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns, starting QB Jason Campbell broke his collarbone and the injury is season ending.  The Raiders then overpaid in a deal with the Bengals to acquire Carson Palmer.  The Raiders are 0-2 since Campbell went down to injury and they have been outscored 66-24 combined in those games.  Jackson needs to get his team back on the right path starting tonight in San Diego against the Chargers.

The Raiders overall numbers on kickoff and punt returns aren’t that impressive for the year, but I have a feeling that is about to change thanks to WR Jacoby Ford.  Ford missed the first few games due to injury, but he’s trying to make up for lost time now.  Ford has returned 8 kickoffs for 283 yards (35.4 avg) with 1 TD return so far this year.  Taiwan Jones (5 kickoff returns for 81 yards), Nick Miller (4 kickoff returns for 61 yards) and Rock Cartwright (1 kickoff return for 1 yard) have not helped much on kickoff returns so far this year.  Rookie WR Denarius Moore has been the punt returner for the Raiders most of this year.  He has returned 14 punts for 100 yards (7.1 avg), but you have to think with his gamebreaking speed that those numbers are going to improve in the second half of the 2011 season.  Nick Miller (2 punt returns for 19 yards) and Darryl Blackstock (1 punt return for 0 yards) also have helped out on special teams for the Raiders.  The Raiders have now returned 18 kickoffs for 426 yards (23.7 avg) with 1 TD return and 17 punts for 119 yards (7.0 avg) so far this year.

Starting RB Darren McFadden is going to miss this weekend’s game with the Broncos.  He has played in 7 games (all starts) for the Raiders so far this year and he has carried the ball 113 times for 614 yards (5.4 ypc) with 4 TD runs.  McFadden has also caught 19 passes for 154 yards (8.1 avg) with 1 TD grab so far this year.  Michael Bush should be able to step in and assume a heavy workload.  He has played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Raiders so far this year and he has carried the ball 60 times for 237 yards (4.0 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  Bush has also caught 9 passes for 111 yards (12.3 avg) in 2011.

The Oakland Raiders without a doubt have the fastest WRing corps in the NFL, but they don’t catch enough passes to take advantage of the speed they have.  Darrius Heyward-Bey is leading the way for the Raiders so far this year with 27 grabs for 434 yards (16.1 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Rookie Denarius Moore has also made some big plays so far this year as he has caught 14 passes for 212 yards (15.1 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  Jacoby Ford (11 rec, 114 yards) and Chaz Schilens (7 rec, 65 yards, TD) are finally healthy and they both have nice upsides, so look for them to add some juice to the passing game going forward.  Derek Hagan (11 rec, 114 yards) and rookie Taiwan Jones (2 rec, 25 yards) are also on hand to help out when the Raiders need them to.

The Oakland Raiders will be without 29-year old starting QB Jason Campbell for a minimum of six weeks as he needs surgery to repair a broken collar bone.  Campbell has played in all six games for the Raiders this year and he has completed 100 of 165 passes (60.6%) for 1,170 yards with 6 TD passes and 4 INTs (84.2 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 18 times for 60 yards (3.3 ypc) with 2 TD carries so far this year.  30-year old Kyle Boller is next in line and he will be the starting QB this Sunday against the Chiefs unless the Raiders make a deal for a QB today.  Boller has played in 1 game for the Raiders so far this year and he has completed 8 of 14 passes (57.1%) for 100 yards without a TD pass or interception (79.5 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 5 times for 9 yards (1.8 ypc) so far this year.  Boller has been less than impressive as a starting QB to this point in his NFL career.  22-year old rookie QB Terrelle Pryor is now the Raiders’ #2 QB.

27-year old TE Kevin Boss played in 58 games in his first four years in the NFL (all with the Giants) and he caught 119 passes for 1,600 yards (13.4 avg) with 18 TD grabs.  He is ready to fully take over Zach Miller’s old role with the Raiders after missing the first two weeks of the season due to injury.  Boss has played in 2 games for the Raiders so far this year and he has caught 6 passes for 114 yards (19.0 avg).  Look for him to have a much bigger role in the passing game going forward.

The Raiders are likely going into 2011 with Jason Campbell as the starting QB (smart move) but they have to decide on what to do behind him with Bruce Gradkowski, Kyle Boller and Charlie Frye on the roster right now.  29-year old Jason Campbell played in 13 games for the Raiders last season and he completed 194 of 329 passes (59%) for 2,387 yards with 13 TD passes and 8 INTs (84.5 QB Rating).  Campbell also carried the ball 47 times for 222 yards (4.7 ypc) with 1 TD run last season.  Campbell has now played in 65 games in his NFL career and he has completed 1,196 of 1,966 (60.8%) passes for 13,247 yards with 68 TD passes and 46 INTs (82.6 QB Rating).  Campbell has also carried the ball 200 times for 1,008 yards (5.0 ypc) with 4 TD carries so far in his NFL career. 

27-year old Bruce Gradkowski is a so-so backup QB with a weak arm.  The Raiders would be smart to either get rid of him or sign a better QB to handle the #2 role with Gradkowski sliding to #3 on the depth chart.  Gradkowski played in 6 games for the Raiders last season and he completed 83 of 157 passes (52.9%) for 1,059 yards with 5 TD passes and 7 INTs (66.3 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 12 times for 41 yards (3.4 ypc) last season.  Gradkowski has now played in 32 games in his NFL career and he has completed 362 of 680 passes (53.2%) for 3,883 yards with 20 TD passes and 23 INTs (65.9 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 79 times for 332 yards (4.2 ypc) with 0 TD carries.

29-year old Kyle Boller will likely be let go during the off-season.  He played in 3 games for the Raiders last season in which he completed 2 of 4 passes (50%) for 25 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT (30.2 QB Rating).  Boller also carried the ball 7 times for 18 yards (2.6 ypc) last year.  Boller has now played in 63 games in his NFL career and he has completed 846 of 1,491 passes (56.7%) for 8,770 yards with 48 TD passes and 51 INTs (70.4 QB Rating).  Boller also has carried the ball 167 times for 534 yards (3.2 ypc) with 2 TD runs. 

29-year old Charlie Frye spent all of last season on Injured Reserve due to a fractured wrist.  Frye has played in 26 games so far in his NFL career and he has completed 419 of 676 passes (62%) for 4,154 yards with 17 TD passes and 29 INTs (69.8 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 72 times for 347 yards (4.8 ypc) with 4 TD runs in his NFL career.

VERDICT:  The Raiders will likely keep Gradkowski or Frye and draft a QB this April in the 3rd or 4th round to develop behind Jason Campbell.

The Raiders don’t need 28-year old QB Jason Campbell to light up the sky with passes.  They just need him to be efficient like he was last weekend against the Chargers.  He completed 10 of 16 passes for 117 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs (105.5 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 7 times for 37 yards (5.3 ypc) with 1 TD run last week.  Campbell has now played in 9 games this year for the Raiders and he has completed 114 of 206 passes (55.3%) for 1,439 yards with 8 TD passes and 6 INTs (78.1 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 35 times for 138 yards (3.9 ypc) with 1 TD run so far this year.  With Bruce Gradkowski out of the picture due to injury, Campbell won’t have to be looking behind his back the rest of the year.