10. Uncertainty at QB – The Raiders have two QBs battling for the starting job: Matt Schaub, the former Pro Bowler who self-destructed in 2013 after leading the Texans to their only winning seasons in team history; and Derek Carr, a rookie out of Fresno State who demonstrated exceptional throwing ability in college, leading the NCAA in yards and TDs in 2013. Both have a lot to prove: Schaub has to prove he isn’t all washed up after a season where he threw a pick-6 in three straight games, and Carr has to prove his big numbers in college weren’t the result of the system. Neither one is a shoo-in to do either with the Raiders in 2014.
9. Weak rushing game – On paper a rushing tandem of Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden seems too good to be true – and it is. Jones-Drew averaged a career low 3.4 yards/carry in 2013 and has not played a full season since he led the league in rushing back in 2011. McFadden has averaged an even worse 3.3 yards per carry since 2011, and has only rushed for 1,000 yards once in his six year career – he also had never played more than 13 games in a season and only had 7 starts in 2013 due to injury. The duo could be effective if they split carries, but considering the sharp drop-off in production, there is no guarantee both, if either can return to form.
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