Raiders kick off 2010 slate at Tennessee

By Bud L. Ellis

The climb back into the AFC playoff picture begins for the Oakland Raiders in Nashville.

The National Football League has released game times and dates for the 2010 season. The Raiders, coming off a 5-11 season, begin the new season with a road game at the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 12.

The home opener is Sept. 19 in week 2, against a St. Louis team that went just 1-15 one season ago. Oakland then visits NFC West champion Arizona before playing host to a two-game homestand against Houston and AFC West champion San Diego.

A pair of road games is next, at San Francisco and at Denver, before a pair of home games with Seattle and Kansas City brings Oakland to its bye week Nov. 14.

Four of the final seven are away from home, starting with a Nov. 21 contest in Pittsburgh. Miami comes to town the next week, before Oakland travels to San Diego and to Jacksonville. The home portion of the slate concludes with back-to-back home games with Denver and AFC champion Indianapolis. Oakland concludes the regular season at Kansas City on Jan. 2.

—30—

Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 4:21 am by bud

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, National Football League, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans

Raiders’ schedule ranks in middle for difficulty

By Bud L. Ellis

Last season the Oakland Raiders gave up 182 more points than they scored, the worst ratio in the AFC by a longshot.

The road to closing that gap, and returning the program to respectability, takes Oakland through a schedule that ranks in the middle of the road this season.

The National Football League has published the list of every team’s home and road games in 2010. Dates and times will be determined later this spring.

Based on opponents’ winning percentage, the Raiders’ schedule ranks tied for 16th with Buffalo, Miami and the New York Jets.

Oakland will play two home games against playoff teams from a year ago: against AFC champion Indianapolis, and against AFC West champion San Diego. The rest of the home schedules includes games with Denver, Kansas City, Houston, St. Louis, Seattle and Miami.

On the road, the Raiders play two playoff teams: the Chargers and NFC west champion Arizona. Trips to Denver, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Tennessee, San Francisco and Pittsburgh round out the schedule.

—30—

Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 5:06 pm by bud

Tags: Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, National Football League, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans