The Oakland Raiders' 2-2 Record: How They Achieved it is a Surprise

The Oakland Raiders do not need a calculator to figure out that they have equaled their 2006 win total after just four games in 2007 as they continue their bye week.

It's how the Raiders - who return to action for an Oct. 14 road game at San Diego - have achieved their 2-2 record that is more surprising. Oakland went 2-14 in 2006 last season with the offense ranking at or near the bottom in virtually every category. The defense, meanwhile, ranked No. 3 overall and No. 1 against the pass under now former head coach Art Shell.

Now under first-year head coach Lane Kiffin, it was generally assumed that the defense would continue to carry the team while the offense would progress gradually. Instead, the Raiders' offense has not been great by any means but it's vastly improved over last season while the defense and special teams have been iffy.

Granted, when a team goes 2-14, improvement should be expected but with San Diego struggling mightily with a 1-3 record along with Denver and Kansas City having 2-2 records, Oakland might just be a contender for the AFC West title. San Diego was the odds-on preseason favorite to win the division as well as the Super Bowl in some preseason magazines.

The Raiders' offensive improvement begins with better line play under first-year position coach Tom Cable, whose zone blocking schemes have enabled the unit to go from a weak link to a strength. The Raiders are averaging 194.3 yards per game, a stark contrast to last year's 94.9 yard output. Couple that with running back Lamont Jordan running with far more authority than he has in his first two seasons as a Raider. The return of free agent running back Dominic Rhodes from a four-game suspension should help keep Jordan fresh.

Despite the inconsistency in the passing game, that aspect of the Raiders is also more efficient than a year ago. The inconsistency, however, is attributable mostly to quarterback Josh McCown's play in the first two games. McCown is a journeyman quarterback who was playing through injuries for most of the first two games before giving way to free agent Daunte Culpepper. The improved running game and offensive line play has allowed the sacks yielded per game average to dip from 4.5 to 2.5.

Oakland's defensive performance, however, has been another matter. The most obvious decline in performance has been the defensive backfield. Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha has continued to play the part but fellow corner Fabian Washington and free safety Stuart Schweigert have played poorly enough to get benched but replacements Stanford Routt and BJ Ward have not been appreciably better.

Of course, it hasn't helped that Oakland has generated very little pass rush - just five sacks.

The lone special teams bright spot is punter Shane Lechler, who has put together one of the best careers in NFL history. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski has recorded 10 touchbacks but has struggled with place-kicking. The coverage units and return game, however, have been nothing to write home about.

The Raiders' 2-2 record is encouraging, especially after a 0-2 start but the team has enough flaws. Worst case scenario, Oakland should win at least six games but anything over 10 would be rolling the dice.