2011 Raiders Opponents
According to the NFL, the Raiders will play the following opponents in the 2011 season:
Home — Denver Broncos (4-12), Kansas City Chiefs (10-6), San Diego Chargers (9-7), New England Patriots (14-2), New York Jets (11-5), Detroit Lions (6-10, Chicago Bears (11-5) and Cleveland Browns (5-11).
2011 Raiders Opponents
According to the NFL, the Raiders will play the following opponents in the 2011 season:
Home — Denver Broncos (4-12), Kansas City Chiefs (10-6), San Diego Chargers (9-7), New England Patriots (14-2), New York Jets (11-5), Detroit Lions (6-10, Chicago Bears (11-5) and Cleveland Browns (5-11).
Away — Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Buffalo Bills (4-12), Miami Dolphins (7-9), Minnesota Vikings (6-10), Green Bay Packers (10-6) and Houston Texans (6-10).
Dates and times will be announced by the NFL later, typically in April.
By finishing third in the AFC West, the Raiders are slotted for a home game against the third-place team in the AFC North and a road game against the third-place team in the AFC South. They also play games against the four AFC East teams, all four NFC North teams and two games each against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers.
Oakland's 2011 opponents — counting division foes only once — had a .495 win-loss percentage (103-105). The win-loss percentage of the Raiders' 2010 opponents based on 2009 results also was .495 (103-105).
Jano On The Mark
With a field goal and four PATs against the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 2, Sebastian Janikowski finished the 2010 regular season with a franchise record 142 points. A week before against the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 26, The Polish Cannon surpassed kicker Jeff Jaeger’s previous single-season club record of 132 points set in 1993. Janikowski’s previous best was 128 points in 2002.
Climbing The Charts
Despite not playing in the regular-season finale because of a reported turf toe injury, Darren McFadden had the fifth highest rushing total by a Raiders running back. The former University of Arkansas star finished the 2010 season with 1,157 rushing yards.
McFadden trails only Marcus Allen (1,168 yards in 1984), Mark van Eeghen (1,273, 1977), Napoleon Kaufman (1,294, 1997) and Allen (1,759, 1985) on the Raiders' single-season all-time rushing list.
Flag Day
The Raiders led the NFL with 148 penalties for 1,276 yards in the 2010 season. The yardage figure is a club record, surpassing their previous high of 1,274 yards (in 14 games) in 1969 and second only to the Kansas City Chiefs' all-time record of 1,304 yards in 1998. The 1996 Raiders amassed 1,266 penalty yards. Those three figures are the second-, third- and fourth-most in league history.
Ford Has A Better Idea
Raiders rookie Jacoby Ford returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against Indianapolis on Dec. 26, his third kickoff return for a TD this season.
With his touchdown against the Colts, Ford breaks Justin Miller’s franchise record for most kickoff returns for a touchdown in a season (2008) and career.
During the season's final eight games, Ford also scored two touchdowns receiving and two touchdowns rushing on two reverses. He scored his seventh touchdown of the season on a 10-yard run on a reverse to help Oakland defeat Kansas City in their 2010 regular-season finale on Jan. 2.
Bringing The Heat
With seven sacks against Kansas City on Jan. 2, the Raiders totaled 47 sacks for the 2010 season - their highest output since 2000 when they also reached the same number. The last time the Raiders had more than 47 sacks was 1990 when they had 49. The Raiders record for sacks in a season is 67 set in 1967.
Caught In A Draft
The Raiders will have the 17th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the league announced Jan. 3. This year's draft is April 21-23 in New York. It's the lowest first-round draft choice for Oakland since it selected 31st overall in the 2003 draft.
George Blanda Tribute
REMEMBER the AFL.com has a tribute to former Raiders quarterback and kicker George Blanda, who passed on Sept. 27, 2010. To view the Blanda tribute, please click here
Dialing Long Distance
Darren McFadden is the first Raider to score on a run and catch of at least 50 yards in the same game since Clem Daniels in 1963. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 12, McFadden scored on runs of 51 and 36 yards and a 67-yard catch and run.
AFL Lives On
The Raiders are among eight NFL franchises that began play in 1960 as original members of the American Football League.
Along with the Raiders, the other seven AFL originals are:
Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Boston Patriots (now New England Patriots), Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans), Dallas Texans (now Kansas City Chiefs) Chiefs, New York Titans (now New York Jets) and Los Angeles Chargers (now San Diego Chargers).
To read about the history of the AFL, please click here
Canton Hopefuls
Check out Crazy Canton Cuts, a blog promoting former AFL and NFL players who have merits to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
