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The Raiders are officially back on the practice field.

Jesse Merrick and former NFL wide receiver Ryan Hoag break down everything they saw during Day 1 of Raiders Training Camp, including the quarterback competition, Fernando Mendoza's development, early position battles, and the players who caught their attention.

 In this episode:

Kirk Cousins opens camp as QB1

Fernando Mendoza's progress since minicamp

Why practice felt different under Klint Kubiak

Early cornerback competition observations

Offensive line and running game takeaways

Quay Walker and N'Kobe Dean's first day

Which young players are earning opportunities

What we're watching heading into Day 2

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Raiders training camp begins this week, and before the first practice gets underway, Jesse Merrick breaks down everything you need to know heading into one of the most important camps in recent franchise history.

With Klint Kubiak taking over, Fernando Mendoza beginning his rookie season, and major battles taking shape across the roster, this is the foundation for what the 2026 Raiders could become.

Position battles to watch

Kirk Cousins vs. Fernando Mendoza

Why the offensive line could define the season

Ashton Jeanty and the new rushing attack

Which receivers need to step up

How Brock Bowers fits into Klint Kubiak's offense

The biggest questions on defense

Which young defensive backs could emerge

Underrated players to keep an eye on throughout camp

Training camp is where jobs are won, the depth chart takes shape, and the identity of this football team is built. Jesse shares the position groups, players, and storylines he'll be watching most closely over the coming weeks.

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In Part 3 of our AFC West Preview series, Cody Alexander of MatchQuarters.com joins Jesse Merrick to break down how the Raiders stack up against Kansas City after one of the most surprising seasons of the Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes era. Can the Chiefs bounce back, or has the rest of the AFC West finally passed them by?

In today's show, Cody and Jesse dive into:

🏴‍☠️ What Eric Bieniemy's return means for the Chiefs offense

🏴‍☠️ How Kenneth Walker changes Kansas City's rushing attack

🏴‍☠️ Why the Chiefs are moving away from their recent offensive identity

🏴‍☠️ The biggest questions surrounding Patrick Mahomes and the offense

🏴‍☠️ How Kansas City's rebuilt secondary could change the defense

🏴‍☠️ Why the Chiefs invested heavily in the defensive line

🏴‍☠️ Where the Raiders can attack Steve Spagnuolo's defense

🏴‍☠️ How the Raiders defense matches up against Mahomes and company

🏴‍☠️ Cody Alexander's surprising outlook on the Chiefs heading into 2026

👇 Question of the Day:

Do you think the Chiefs bounce back this season, or has the rest of the AFC West finally started to catch them?

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The AFC West remains one of the toughest divisions in football, and today we're turning our attention to one of the most fascinating teams in the league: the Los Angeles Chargers.

In Part 2 of our AFC West Preview Series, Cody Alexander of MatchQuarters.com joins Jesse Merrick to break down how the Raiders match up against the Chargers heading into the 2026 season.

We dive into:

🏴‍☠️ What Mike McDaniel's arrival means for Justin Herbert

🏴‍☠️ Why the Chargers offense could look completely different this year

🏴‍☠️ How Omarion Hampton, Ladd McConkey and the rest of the supporting cast fit into the scheme

🏴‍☠️ Where the Chargers invested heavily in the offensive line

🏴‍☠️ How the Raiders can slow down this rushing attack

🏴‍☠️ What to expect from the Chargers defense under Chris O'Leary

🏴‍☠️ How Derwin James remains the centerpiece of the defense

🏴‍☠️ The biggest matchup advantages for both teams

🏴‍☠️ Where the Raiders can attack the Chargers

The Chargers won 11 games last season, but they've also made major changes this offseason. So are they better, worse, or simply different? Cody and Jesse break down the schemes, personnel, and matchups that will define the Raiders vs. Chargers matchups in 2026.

👇 Question of the Day:

How do you think the Raiders match up against the Chargers right now? What concerns you most, and where do you think the Raiders have the advantage?

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The AFC West might be the toughest division in football, and if the Raiders are going to take a step forward in 2026, they'll have to find a way to beat the teams they see twice every year.

In Part 1 of our AFC West Preview Series, Cody Alexander of MatchQuarters.com joins Jesse Merrick to break down the Denver Broncos and examine how they match up against the Silver & Black heading into the season.

🏴‍☠️ How much have the Raiders closed the gap on Denver?

🏴‍☠️ Why losing John Franklin-Myers could matter more than people think

🏴‍☠️ How Ashton Jeanty and the Raiders' rushing attack could challenge the Broncos defense

🏴‍☠️ Why 12 personnel could be the key to attacking Denver

🏴‍☠️ How Brock Bowers creates matchup problems for the Broncos

🏴‍☠️ What Jaylen Waddle adds to Denver's offense

🏴‍☠️ Why Bo Nix and the Broncos offense could take another step forward

🏴‍☠️ How Rob Leonard's defense might attack Denver

🏴‍☠️ Where the Raiders have advantages—and where Denver still has the edge

The Broncos reached the AFC Championship Game last season and return one of the NFL's most complete rosters. So where exactly do the Raiders stack up against them today? Cody and Jesse break it all down.

👇 Question of the Day:

How do you think the Raiders match up against the Broncos right now? What gives you confidence, and what concerns you the most heading into the season?

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It's time to put some defensive predictions on the record.

After breaking down my offensive predictions last week, we're turning our attention to Rob Leonard's defense and making some bold calls about what this unit will look like in 2026.

🏴‍☠️ Will the Raiders become one of the NFL's most aggressive defenses?

🏴‍☠️ How often will Rob Leonard blitz?

🏴‍☠️ Can Maxx Crosby get back to 12+ sacks?

🏴‍☠️ Which rookie defender could surprise people?

🏴‍☠️ Can Nakobe Dean become one of the most productive linebackers in football?

🏴‍☠️ Who wins the battle between Darien Porter and Jermod McCoy?

🏴‍☠️ Will The "Tokyo Toe" beat out Matt Gay?

Plus, Jesse Merrick breaks down some of the camp battles, scheme trends, and position group developments that could shape the Raiders defense this season.

CHAPTERS

00:00 RAIDERS DEFENSIVE PREDICTIONS

08:30 DEFENSIVE LINE PREDICTIONS

17:18 LINEBACKERS PREDICTIONS

22:00 DEFENSIVE BACKS PREDICTIONS

27:00 SPECIAL TEAMS PREDICTIONS

👇 Question of the Day:

What's your boldest prediction for the Raiders defense in 2026?

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It's time to put some predictions on the record.

In this episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, Jesse Merrick breaks down his official predictions for the Raiders offense heading into the 2026 season.

🏴‍☠️ How many games will the Raiders win?

🏴‍☠️ How long will Kirk Cousins hold off Fernando Mendoza?

🏴‍☠️ Will Ashton Jeanty become one of the NFL's most productive backs?

🏴‍☠️ Which young receiver could surprise people?

🏴‍☠️ How often will Klint Kubiak lean on 12 and 13 personnel?

🏴‍☠️ Can Brock Bowers reach another 1,000-yard season?

🏴‍☠️ What will the offensive line look like?

🏴‍☠️ Can the Raiders' offensive line make a massive leap forward?

👇 Question of the Day:

What's your boldest prediction for the Raiders offense this season?

CHAPTERS 

00:00 RAIDERS PREDICTIONS. HOW MANY GAMES WILL THEY WIN? 

04:02 QB PREDICTIONS 

07:51 RB PREDICTIONS 

11:19 WR PREDICTIONS 

14:58 TE PREDICTIONS 

19:24 OL PREDICTIONS

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Is Michael Mayer actually one of the most important players on the Raiders' roster?

In this episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, Jesse Merrick explains why Michael Mayer's role may be the key to unlocking everything Klint Kubiak wants to do on offense. While Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, and Fernando Mendoza will receive most of the attention, Mayer's ability to handle the traditional "Y" tight end role could be what makes the entire system work.

🏴‍☠️ Why 12 personnel is critical to Klint Kubiak's offense

🏴‍☠️ The difference between Brock Bowers' role and Michael Mayer's role

🏴‍☠️ Why the Raiders' rushing attack depends on successful 12 personnel

🏴‍☠️ How Mayer helps unlock Brock Bowers as a weapon

🏴‍☠️ Why trading Michael Mayer would be a mistake

🏴‍☠️ The future of Mayer beyond 2026

🏴‍☠️ Ian Thomas, Connor Heyward & Carter Runyon's roles

If you've ever wondered why the Raiders continue to invest so heavily in the tight end position, this episode will explain exactly why.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why 12 Personnel is so Important

07:00 Defining Roles: Michael Mayer vs. Brock Bowers

11:30 Why Mayer is Key for the Raiders' Offense

17:46 How Ian Thomas, Carter Runyon, and Connor Heyward Fit

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Think of this as your Raiders offensive refresher before training camp begins.

Back in February, Cody Alexander and I did one of the deepest dives you'll find anywhere into Klint Kubiak's offense and how it could eventually transform the Raiders.

Now that the offseason is almost complete and we've seen free agency, the draft, OTAs, and minicamp, this conversation is even more valuable than it was back then.

While some of the personnel has changed since we originally recorded this conversation, the principles behind the offense remain the same.

In this episode, we explain:

🏴‍☠️ The true fundamentals of Klint Kubiak's offense

🏴‍☠️ Why Fernando Mendoza is such a natural fit in this scheme

🏴‍☠️ How this system helps protect the offensive line

🏴‍☠️ Why Ashton Jeanty is a perfect fit for the wide zone heavy scheme

🏴‍☠️ How Brock Bowers becomes the ultimate chess piece

🏴‍☠️ Why Michael Mayer is more important than people realize

🏴‍☠️ The importance of 12, 21, and 22 personnel

Full disclosure: This conversation was originally recorded back in February before the Raiders added Kirk Cousins, Tyler Linderbaum, Jalen Nailor, and several rookies during the draft.

But don't let that stop you from watching.

In many ways, this conversation is even more relevant now because you can listen to these concepts while plugging the Raiders' newest additions into the equation yourself.

If you missed this one the first time around, you're getting one of our greatest hits.

And if you watched it back then, it's the perfect refresher before training camp arrives.

CHAPTERS LIST

00:00 Kubiak/Shanahan Scheme History

09:22 QBs in the Kubiak Scheme

15:11 How the Scheme Saves the OL

21:16 Ashton's Fit in the Wide Zone

33:25 12 Personnel in the Kubiak Scheme

38:37 WR jobs in Kubiak's System

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Is the best thing for Fernando Mendoza and the Raiders' season actually not playing him right away?

On this episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, Jesse Merrick takes a deep dive into the Raiders' quarterback situation and explores whether Raiders fans should actually be rooting for Kirk Cousins to keep Fernando Mendoza on the bench early in the season.

Jesse also examines historical trends involving No. 1 overall quarterbacks and how the following season pans out for teams that play them.

Plus:

- What we learned from Episode 1 of Behind the Shield

- Why the Raiders may finally be out of purgatory

- Why the Stefon Diggs-to-Raiders narrative still doesn't make sense

- Keyron Crawford's fit in Rob Leonard's defense

CHAPTERS LIST

00:00 IS IT BETTER FOR LV IF MENDOZA SITS?

11:30 TAKEAWAYS FROM BEHIND THE SHIELD: EP. 1

17:39 STEFON DIGGS & WR CONVERSATION

26:44 WATCHING KEYRON CRAWFORD 

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