Offensive Midseason Grades

At the midway point in the NFL season, the ' offense ranks a distant a 32nd in the NFL, nearly 23 yards behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The offense has failed in almost every facet of the game.With eight down and eight to go, let's break down how the unit has performed thus far.Quarterbacks: 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
All three of Oakland's quarterbacks have attempted passes this season. Second-year man Andrew Walter has handled 87 percent of the reps from center, while veterans Aaron Brooks and Marques Tuiasosopo have handled just over six percent each. Of the three, none have stood out. The average passer rating of the trio is just 52.5, with a completion rate just over 45 percent.Of the three, Andrew Walter leads the team with just three passing touchdowns; however, his nine interceptions thrown this season indicate nearly five percent of his total pass attempts.Of all the skill positions, however, quarterback is the most difficult to fully evaluate. The Raiders' front line has already allowed 44 sacks this season, 15 more than the 31st-ranked Cleveland Browns. The atrocious play calling certainly hasn't helped, either.Grade: DOffensive line: In all of 2005, the Raiders' line allowed 45 sacks. By Week 10, the team will likely shatter that mark.The 6-foot-6 Andrew Walter has already collapsed in the pocket 37 times this season, resulting in a loss of 202 yards. At left tackle, Robert Gallery has allowed an atrocious nine sacks, including three in Monday night's loss at Seattle. The former second overall pick hasn't lived up to half of his pre-draft hype since he was selected by the Raiders in 2004. Fellow tackles Langston Walker and Chad Slaughter have been comparably disappointing this season, if not in sacks allowed, then in penalties committed. Finally, at center, second-rounder Jake Grove has allowed, in eight games, five sacks resulting in a loss of 28 yards.Grade: FRunning backs: The Raiders' best offensive position has, by far, been the running backs. That isn't saying much, though.The Raiders' rushing offense ranks 18th in the NFL, averaging 105.1 yards per game. Behind a dismal line, rotating rushers LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas have posted just one 100-yard performance, which came back in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns. The team, as a whole, has rushed for just two touchdowns on the season, much in reason due to the offense's overall inability to move the ball.The fullbacks, or lack thereof, have severely hurt the halfbacks' ability to find holes. Zack Crockett, a halfback-converted-fullback has had trouble opening holes, along with providing pass support for Walter. The same can be said for all ball carriers, except perhaps ReShard Lee, who has seen action at fullback in each of the team's last three games.Despite all the negatives, the set of backs still rank 18th in the NFL in rushing -- on an offense that can barely extend a drive past four downs.Grade: CWide receivers: 6-4 Randy Moss is no longer an offensive threat that requires double coverage. In fact, it often takes no defenders to control the drop-happy wideout. Moss ranks at the top of the NFL in drops and has caught just 45.1 percent of the 71 passes directed his way. Put into perspective, the NFL's current receiving leader, Andre Johnson, has caught 70.7 percent of this passes thrown his way.With Jerry Porter riding the bench for the majority of the season, the remainder of Oakland's receivers have been non-factors. Combined, Ronald Curry and Alvis Whitted have 6 Sanchez Purple AFL50th jersey
caught just 13 passes for 388 yards and no touchdowns.Grade: C-Tight ends: The tight ends have been no better than the wide receivers. In fact, since the tight ends are an extension of a porous offensive line, they have been worse. Courtney Anderson and Randal Williams have had trouble holding onto the ball all season, catching just 16 passes for 237 yards through eight games. Anderson, who has started in seven of the team's first eight games, hasn't caught a pass since Oct. 22.Grade: D-Check back tomorrow for the ' defensive midseason marks.Want to be in the Raiders mailbag? Visit RaidersLive.com to submit your questions and comments for the Nov. 17 mailbag. (22)