Oakland Raiders Pressures, Hurries, and Knockdowns in Season Finale

Well, what a long, strange season it’s been for the Oakland Raiders. From in-house fighting before the season began, to a mega trade before opening night, to JaMarcus Russell’s struggles to the rise (and quick sidelining) of Bruce, to the baffling inability to string together two wins in a row, this season has been a roller coaster of emotions that has tested the faith of even the most ardent of Raider Nation’s members.

We have one more game left against the playoff-hopeful Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. It’s a bit of a catch-22, if we win the game it helps the hated Denver donkeys playoff chances that much more. However, this team will not lie down and go quietly, at least I hope, so we should see a solid effort on the field on Sunday.

It’s been an enjoyable season writing all things Raiders, meeting some excellent and informative fellow fans, and having some great debates about our beloved Silver & Black. Although this season didn’t turn out as we’d hoped, there are bright spots for the future to look forward to, and another batch of draft picks to add to the mix.

The Raiders really aren’t playing for anything this weekend other than pride, so nobody is really under any pressure. But having said that….

 

PRESSURES

Tom Cable

The Cable Guy has made things interesting both on and off the field this season. His struggles with violence and allegations stemming from said struggles are well documented, but to his credit he did an excellent job of plugging the distractions and making them more minute than they could’ve been.

His play calling and logic has been called into question many times and, although he’s had his moments, I truly think he’s not a very good offensive coordinator. He abandons the run far too quickly and calls inexplicable pass plays on the wrong downs and distance. I’m sure part of it is scheming to fool the other team, but more often than not he fools himself, his players, and the fans.

He’s under pressure to keep his job. Nobody knows at this point whether he will or not, and the overall take seems to be split 50-50. It’s possible he stays on, it’s possible he goes. Al Davis has every reason to fire him, but the team seems to like him and we keep reloading our coaches ever couple of years.

It’s my guess that Cable is gone. Why keep him? He hasn’t gotten this team ready to play for two weeks in a row all season, and that is a very, very disturbing trend. He’s also blindly optimistic and unrealistic. He gave himself a fantastic to above average rating on his play calling, and has basically said that JaMarcus Russell is the reason we have the record we do.

While it’s hard to refute the Russell claims, Cable has not taken responsibility for his own shortcomings and that is a big time failure for anyone in leadership. If we filleted Russell for his lack of personal awareness and myopic viewpoint of his performance, why does Cable get a pass? Even from me? I don’t know. But not anymore.

 

Charlie Frye

Charlie is under pressure to show another team he’s an NFL quarterback, because he won’t be back here next year. I think it’ll be Bruce, J-Rock, and Losman as our QB’s next year, and Frye will be let go.

Charlie put up nice stats last week, but his performance was not good. In fact, I’d go so far to say that he was the biggest contributor to our losing that game. Russell, for all his faults, has rarely thrown interceptions as costly as two of Charlie’s were this past Sunday.

Charlie is a well-known workaholic gym rat who will make an excellent coach someday, probably someday soon. But can he still call signals in this league? He has one more game to find out.

 

HURRIES

—I love Trevor Scott and want to see him play more LB next season. He did a great job rushing the passer as a standup LB.

—Tyvon Branch will be one of the top five safeties in the AFC next season, and possibly go to the Pro Bowl. He just needs to improve his coverage skills a little bit first.

—I like what I’ve seen from Mike Mitchell the last few weeks. He’s very quick to the ball, makes sure tackles, and has blazing speed rushing the passer. With some more seasoning and hopefully a full, healthy offseason, I expect big things from him next year.

—I know we’re all disappointed with DHB, but I honestly thought he was improving quite a bit until his injury. He was beginning to gain separation and get open, and making the occasional play. If he can get his hands in order, I think he’ll be a good player next season.

—The Bush-McFadden tandem has to be used early and often next year. Those guys have shown what they can do when given the chance to be Bash and Dash. I really like McFadden as a receiver.

—Our special teams play, with the exception of our kickers, was anything but special this season. I don’t know if we let Fassell go, but this squad didn’t have the swagger they did last season. Something has to change, and it can’t all be blamed on a hard hit by Eric Weddle in the friggin first game of the season.

—If Russell comes to camp in shape and focused, let’s see what he can do. If he comes in fat, lazy, and unfocused, cut him on the spot. He can still be a player in this league, but that’s only if he really, really wants to be one.

 

KNOCKDOWNS

The Raiders Will Contend This Season

As much as it pains me to write this, as I thought so as well, we didn’t contend for anything this year. Too many missed opportunities against beatable opponents saw to that.

Have we seen a more schizo team in recent history? We can beat the Eagles, Bengals, Steelers, Broncos, and give San Diego two tough games, yet we lose to the Chiefs, the Browns, and the Redskins? Come on, man!

That alarming lack of consistency and focus is what I think spells doom for Cable. Off field issues and play calling aside, it’s really Cable’s inability to get this team believing in itself and playing to win each game that is his biggest negative factor as a coach.

The Raiders did not contend this season, but they did show flashes that they could do so next season. There are promising young players on both sides of the ball, but our old nemeses, discipline, and focus, need to be addressed and preached constantly for this team to succeed.

 

The Raiders Can’t Draft

With the obvious exception of Darrius Heyward-Bey, every player drafted in last season’s draft either contributed positively to the team or showed potential that they could be a player.

Mike Mitchell, derided as a huge reach by pundits and experts, has shown burst and tackling ability necessary to be a great safety. He leaves a lot to be desired in coverage, but that will come with experience. If he remains healthy, he will be an excellent safety that other teams will grow to fear.

Matt Shaughnessy has taken lessons given by veteran leaders Greg Ellis and Richard Seymour and applied them quite nicely on the field. He’s stout against the run and has shown excellent pass-rushing ability. Shaughnessy looks like a potential starter at DE for years to come.

Louis Murphy is the gem of this draft class. If he had a QB to get him the ball more consistently, I truly believe he could’ve been one of the top rookie receivers in this class.

His greatest moment came not on a catch, but on a block in which he selflessly led Zach Miller down the field against the Eagles and took on all comers, helping Miller score a touchdown and the Raiders win the game. In each Raider win this season Murphy made at least one play that was instrumental in getting the victory. A great pick.

Slade Norris has done little of consequence, but is still on the roster and could make an impact next season.

Stryker Sulak was a throw-away pick who is no longer on the team.

Brandon Myers showed some flashes as a pass-catching tight end, but excelled in blocking and on special teams as expected. His strip and recovery of the kick return against the Bengals sealed the victory, and it’s great to know we’ve got someone other than Tony Stewart who is skilled to back up the very important Zach Miller.

So the Raiders seem to struggle drafting in the first round recently (Gallery, Gibson, Russell, DHB, even McFadden thus far) but unearth some gems in the later rounds. Mitchell, Shaugnessy, and Murphy are all going to be players, and Brandon Myers has the versatility to be a great blocking and pass catching end.

If we can get it right in the first round this season, I think we have a great young nucleus to build on. But it’s IMPERATIVE that the draft this year focus on the offensive line. Absolutely imperative. Or else all else is for naught.

I’ll still be writing in the offseason, but obviously there isn’t as much going on. I want to thank all my readers for their support and commentary, and for speaking their minds. I love the differences of opinion we in the Nation have, and I love we have a forum to share them.

Cheers to all, Happy New Year, and we’ll see you in 2010!

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders Have a Great Opportunity to Win Two In a Row

This team is confusing. Are we a running team? Are we a passing team? Does Tom Cable even know what kind of team he wants?

The Raider Nation has been clamoring all year for more Michael Bush. We got it on Sunday, and it served us well. We were the power-running, hit-you-in-the-mouth defensive team we were supposed to be all season long.

We won. And I will not discount JaMarcus Russell’s poise and leadership at the end of the game. The kid came in and, after an unspectacular start, got it done when it counted in the clutch. Good for him. It was nice to see after all the crap heaped on him lately (by myself as much as anyone).

But we won by playing smash-mouth football.

With Charlie Frye dinged up and woozy and Bruce most likely not ready to play this weekend, Russell could very well see the field again.

This should not change our strategy. We need to hand the ball to Michael Bush repeatedly to keep a recently-improved Browns defense off-balance.

Furthermore, we need to counter with Darren McFadden on outside runs and speed plays to keep them off-balance. Bring in Justin Fargas to slam into the defense and wear them down with his non-stop motor.

Just don’t regress back into a pass-happy attack. Not with our running game doing so well with our newly rebuilt line (Langston Walker made some great blocks at LG on Sunday) and our defense playing well (when they aren’t on the field every three minutes).

Russell looked sharper and more confident Sunday, but that by no means indicates that he’s ready to come in on what will most likely be a very, very cold and windy day in Cleveland.

Frye is the likely starter, which, as Cable showed on Sunday, probably means a heavy dose of the run. This is a good thing, as we saw.

I thought Cable called a good game Sunday, his head-scratching fourth down attempt notwithstanding. I didn’t hate the call too much. Our defense, Cable rightly reasoned, was playing so well that it would simply cost us field position. Which it did. The points would’ve been great, but we ultimately didn’t need them. I liked the call, even though it didn’t work out. If we had lost, I’d probably be singing a different tune (hey, all sports fans are fickle; I’m just willing to admit it).

Now we need to put together back-to-back wins. This team is still searching for an identity, which is one of my biggest beefs with Cable’s coaching philosophy (or lack thereof). Decide who you want to be, and play accordingly.

When this team runs the ball and sticks with the run, we play much better as a team. As long as we stick to our game plan, we’ll have two or three breakout runs in a game. With Bush and McFadden back there, it’s bound to happen.

But Cable has to commit to Bush. The guy has earned his keep through making the very most of his chances when he gets them. It’s time for Cable to see what we all see: a dangerous, big, fast back with great vision and a thirst for running hard. If we let Michael Bush leave this team, I will lose my frigging mind.

We have not had a better opportunity than this for back-to-back wins all season. Granted, it’s on the road in a cold-weather climate, but Brady Quinn was just placed on IR, which means Derek Anderson (the only QB in the league who qualifies that is statistically worse than Russell) gets the start.

I expect both teams to run the ball a ton. Jerome Harrison just shredded the Chiefs for the third-highest single-game rushing total in NFL history. We have to be disciplined and make sound tackles to ensure Harrison is shut down.

This game will come down to running the ball and playing tough defense. I’d say that should play into the Raiders favor. Now that Cable is done with on-the-job training (see Russell, JaMarcus and Heyward-Bey, Darrius), we may be able to reclaim our early season identity as a tough defensive team that runs the ball well.

But if Cable continues to try and outsmart himself, call trick plays and too many passes, then we’ll be in trouble.

This Raider team has shown more heart at the end of the season than most of recent vintage, but it will be all for naught if we cannot post back-to-back wins in the most favorable matchup of our season.

They face-plant against Cleveland, and we’ll still be searching for an identity.

They run hard, tackle well, and win the game, then we should know who we are and accept ourselves for who we are.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Al Davis Must Choose Between JaMarcus Russell and Oakland Raiders

Because he can’t have both. Not after a recent interview with JaMarcus Russell in which the young man spoke volumes by saying essentially that Bruce Gradkowski’s success was just luck, his own failings are everyone else’s fault, he’s unwilling to restructure a contract he hasn’t earned, though obviously feels entitled to, and that he worries about “JaMarcus and JaMarcus only.”

HISS…did you hear that? That was the sound of the Raiders’ hopes for a successful end to the season deflating as Russell entered the game in the second half of yesterday’s loss to the Washington Redskins. That was the sound of the Raiders’ morale, knowing they are being led by a kid who would rather eat, drink, and be merry than look at a playbook or give a damn about his team.

I don’t even want to talk about the officiating in yesterday’s game. Even the commentators were basically stating the refs were being biased against the Raiders. A garbage catch interference call, a phantom pass interference, upholding Redskins challenges and not the one Raiders challenge, despite the glowing similarities of each catch, were all nauseating to watch.

The refs should be ashamed of themselves.

But although those troubles didn’t help matters, they are not why the team lost this game.

The team lost this game because they packed it in when the leader whom they respect, Bruce Gradkowski, went down to injury in the second quarter.

They packed it in when a young man who is supposed to be a leader but garners no respect, nor does he deserve any, came in to the game and began stinking it up like he has all season.

At least Russell got mad at times. He was yelling at his offensive line after numerous sacks. It’s very telling, though, that the anger was misplaced. Most of those sacks were the direct result of his lack of mobility and football acumen, which just perpetuates the problem of “JaMarcus only worries about JaMarcus.” None of those sacks were his fault. It was all the line. He can do no wrong in his own eyes. Baffling.

Never mind that Gradkowski can actually move faster than a sloth on crutches and is able to avoid the rush and make plays. Much of that is due to his football intelligence and that comes directly from putting in the work. 

But Russell says he puts in the work, too. I don’t see it, but hey, he said it so it’s true to him at least. He’ll also tell you that the fact that he’s as slow as molasses in January has nothing to do with any of those sacks. Nope, it’s all the fault of the offensive line.

And you can see how the team responded so positively to Russell. I’m sure they loved him yelling at them for missing blocks as he was holding onto the ball, showing no pocket presence, making terrible and narrow reads, and turning the ball over.

Of course, professionals respect that. When a guy plays that badly and continually blames his teammates, you’ve got to listen to him. You’ve got to give him his propers. 

Yep, the team shaking their heads in disgust and giving up, despite the game still being within reach, showed that they really support this kid, because he obviously deserves their support.

The defense pitched consecutive three and outs to start the second half, but saw their efforts mostly wasted by a draft pick that, thus far, has been totally wasted.

Hence, as I’ve written earlier this season, they stopped trying. Why try when there is seemingly no point in doing so? Even professionals get frustrated, and with Russell’s immature and selfish comments, coupled with his awful play, he has certainly lost the respect and love of his teammates.

You could actually see their shoulders slump when Russell ran on the field. Granted, the kid needs more support than that, and I was a little disappointed that fans began booing him immediately despite him doing nothing wrong as of yet. At least I was at first.

But it certainly turned out to be prophetic, didn’t it?

Perhaps the most telling moment of the entire game, at least as it pertains to how teammates feel about Russell, was on a late sack by beast Brian Orakpo (yes, I know we could’ve had him).

Orakpo abused Cornell “Turnstile” Green, but not before Green had blocked for about three full seconds. Russell, unable to read the field and get rid of the ball quickly (surprising, I know) took the sack. Green then began jumping up and down in frustration.

Let me make this clear: We’ve all seen offensive lineman frustrated with themselves after giving up sacks. They generally hang their heads, point at their chest, or slap themselves in the helmet.

They don’t jump up and down and posture like that when they’re angry with themselves. It was very obvious Green was extremely frustrated with Russell’s utter lack of quarterbacking ability and pocket presence, and that he was tired of Russell making the line look bad. Not that they played well, but Russell didn’t do them any favours. 

That statement was echoed in the movement and deeds of the entire roster of the Oakland Raiders if you chose to look closely enough. This is a game we should’ve won, and could’ve won, had we had a quarterback the team actually respected and had even a smidgen of faith in.

JaMarcus Russell, through words, deeds, inaction, laziness, entitlement, immaturity, and an utter lack of self-awareness, has caused the opposite feelings to manifest.

I have been one of his biggest supporters, and have refused to utter the following words because I wanted him to succeed so badly. We needed him to succeed.

But now I have to admit it to myself: JaMarcus Russell is an awful, awful quarterback, and a complete waste on this roster.

If that’s the “totally new JaMarcus” he promised, why did it look so much like the old JaMarcus? Only, possibly (if it’s possible), even worse?

Al Davis has a serious decision to make. This team does not want JaMarcus Russell as its quarterback. The Raider Nation does not want him anywhere near Oakland at all. Every step of the way this kid has shown himself to be not ready for primetime, whether as a player on the field or a leader off of it.

Al Davis must decide whether a team-wide revolt is worth his stubbornness and the validation of his ego. He must decide whether to keep a very self-centered kid who won’t even talk of restructuring his contract, despite the most catastrophic beginning to a quarterback career since Ryan Leaf. That may even be being kind to Russell.

He must decide whether it is worth risking losing his entire team and fan base to desperately cling to a kid who Davis has gone to great lengths to defend and praise in public.

He must decide whether his ego is more important than his franchise.

So with that in mind, I give you JaMarcus Russell, Oakland’s starting quarterback for 2010.

Somebody shoot me now.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Round 2? Randy Hanson Inexplicably Back with Oakland Raiders

After generating some good will amongst a frustrated and rightfully fed up fan base by winning a huge game in Pittsburgh last weekend, the Oakland Raiders have once again taken steps to ensure they continue to alienate Raider lovers both within and outside the organization.

They have brought back Randy Hanson. You may remember Randy Hanson from such films as “I Ran My Mouth and Got it Broken” and “Give Me What I Want or I’ll Lie to the Cops.”

The firestorm of the Cable-Hanson assault was over. Even Cable’s domestic dispute allegations, for which he was taken to task severely by many pundits and humanitarian organizations, have faded into background noise and seemingly lost their legs.

The Raiders, playing better football the last three weeks than they have in a long time, were free of controversy and ready to focus on continuing to play good football. Raider Nation, juiced by a new QB and the team’s renewed passion for football, was excited. 

But this is the Oakland Raiders, and a day without drama is no day at all.

This move has Al Davis written all over it. Davis, not content to simply pay Hanson to leave the team alone, will once again go to extreme lengths to make sure he doesn’t get nothing for something.

When asked if he knew that Hanson, the man who accused him of assault and then cooperated with police and the Napa DA during the investigation, was back in the Raider fold, Cable was genuinely surprised.

He gave the standard “we’re concentrating on Washington right now” spiel, but how could this not stick in his craw?

This is the man who dragged Cable’s name through the mud for months, and sparked women to come forward to openly accus e Cable of further assaults and beg the question “Does the man have an anger management problem?”

And now, without even being told about it, this weasel is back in Cable’s personal space?

Maybe this is an Al Davis F-U to the fanbase for calling him out on the billboard on I-880. Maybe it’s simply Al wanting to get his money’s worth. Maybe it’s because Hanson is a self-proclaimed Raider lover. Who knows really what factors into this decision, or many of Al Davis’ decisions?

All I know is that I don’t like it. I don’t like the timing of it due to the rare excitement being felt regarding the Raiders that is now being overshadowed with this garbage.

I don’t like the fact that Hanson was allowed to hold the organization hostage, try to extort money and a better job in exchange for his silence, and then obviously fabricated parts of his story for his interview with Michael Silver on Yahoo! Sports.

I definitely don’t like the fact that he’s gotten away with all of that and still has a job with our beloved Raiders.

While it’s in character for Al to do things differently and to make sure that anyone who gets paid earns their money or else he won’t pay them (see Kiffin, Lance), it is NOT in his character to allow someone from the organization to:

a) Expose the team’s dirty laundry in public, with some of the “facts” not being true

b) Embarass the Raiders in public

c) Try to extort the Raiders and Davis for their silence

d) Look like he just got off a nine-day heroin bender and have his team photo taken

And not have the guy run out of town on a rail or possibly killed in some clandestine ceremony at the Coliseum involving Jack Tatum and Kenny Stabler. 

I just don’t get this. What good does bringing Hanson back do for this team? None. But the potential negative impact is huge.

Fans, already on the brink of a total revolt, could take it as the last straw.

Cable could become distracted again and erase the goodwill he’s engendered by actually calling a decent game or two recently.

Players could take it as a sign that management does not support their coach.

But Al Davis can take it as a sign that he’s still in control and he’ll do whatever he damned well pleases, billboard be damned, thank you very much.

Al Davis it’s time to stop being so damned selfish and remember who butters your bread. The billboard wasn’t enough to let you know we are dissatisfied, so you had to pull this out of your hat?

This will not make Raider Nation happy. The potential fallout from a move like this, a slap in the face to Cable, the organization as a whole, and the fans, could be devastating.

Of course, it could also be benign. Maybe I’m reading too much into this. Maybe I’m more upset about it than others; maybe Cable doesn’t care, the rest of Raider Nation doesn’t care.

Maybe nobody cares that this guy basically crapped all over the team, tried to divide it from the inside for selfish reasons, and now has strolled back onto the scout team as if nothing happened.

Yeah. And maybe I’m frickin’ Santa Claus.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

In Bruce Gradkowski We Trust: A New Day Dawning for the Oakland Raiders?

I’ve been taken to task at times this season by the Raider Nation for being somewhat perpetually negative, and at times it’s been justified. Call me a cynic, but this team had just broken my heart too many times to look at much in a positive light, especially when the season began going into the toilet by week six, or ol’ faithful, as I call it.

But I am unabashedly excited about this team right now. In my weekly Pressures, Hurries, and Knockdowns articles, I routinely write in the Knockdowns section about ideas we have about the Raiders that have been disproved the previous week.

It is my distinct pleasure when I write something such as “Bruce Gradkowski is not the Saviour” and then am promptly proved wrong.

How can you not love Bruce Gradkowski if you’re an Oakland Raider fan? Here is a guy that has been tossed on the slag heap by his past three teams, who just happen to be the 1-11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 1-11 Cleveland Browns, and the 1-11 St. Louis Rams.

With Josh Freeman, Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson, and Marc Bulger/Kyle Boller as the incumbents to beat out, all three teams determined that Gradkowski wasn’t good enough.

Bad decision.

Here is a guy who entered into Raiderland with incumbent JaMarcus Russell, by virtue of his draft position and contract and NOT his work ethic or on-field production, entrenched at the starting QB position.

Second-string Jeff Garcia was a former Pro-Bowl and playoff starter, and Charlie Frye, whom Gradkowski would battle for the third-string job, was a former NFL starter (with the dubious distinction of being the only QB in NFL history to start opening day, and be traded the next week, by the Seahawks).

For Gradkowski to crack the starting lineup this season, a few interesting and catastrophic things had to happen. And, remarkably, they did.

First, Garcia, disgusted by Russell’s work ethic and scholarship status, realized he’d never get a chance and begged to be released. With his skills diminishing and his attitude anywhere but in practice, the Raiders gladly obliged. Those who have called for Garcia’s return periodically have been gently reminded that he still doesn’t have a team for a reason.

Then, Gradkowski had to play well enough and hard enough to beat out the equally hard-working and fiery Frye as the backup to Russell. He did that, although many, myself included, thought Frye was a more viable option. Not anymore.

Then, he had to have Russell either get seriously injured, or flame out so horrendously that he’d be benched. Although I held out for Russell to succeed for a long time, his work ethic, weight issues, and overall attitude had everyone, including the most staunch supporters, wondering if it was just a matter of time before he played himself out of a job.

It was.

Enter the Bruce. Pedestrian in his first appearance in relief of Russell in a loss to the Chiefs, and then most of his first start against the Bengals, to say we as a Nation were underwhelmed would be an understatement.

Yet, something magical happened in the fourth quarter of the Bengals game. The Raiders, down late and in a position to fold as usual, got hoisted onto the shoulders of the Pittsburgh kid and Toledo grad and marched the ball down downfield for a game-tying touchdown.

To say we were surprised would be the understatement of the season. The Raiders of recent vintage simply do not make those types of plays in crunch time.

Then, inexplicably, a team other than the Raiders made a huge mistake to give the game away late when Andre Caldwell fumbled the ensuing kickoff and left Seabass with a chip-shot field goal opportunity to win the game. The kick is good. The Raiders win.

Boom. Gradkowski was 1-0 as a starter and equalled Russell’s season-long touchdown production in one game, throwing two TD’s in the win, including his first to his new favourite receiver, Louis Murphy.

Suffice it to say, Raider fans who had suffered through Russell’s apathetic and pathetic performances were stoked for a dude who led a game-tying drive against a great opponent and acted like he cared more about football than his earrings and toques.

Then, he came out against a fired-up Cowboys team that never loses at home on Thanksgiving, and played a passable but unspectacular game. He did, however, get embattled rookie Darrius Heyward-Bey his first touchdown catch of the season.

But the Raiders, from the minute Gradkowski took the field in the Chiefs game, were a different team on offense. They got after it, played hard, and had a leader who was fired up and ready to go.

Enter the Pittsburgh game, a homecoming for Gradkowski, a native of the Steel city. His last trip there produced a QB rating of 1.0. No, that’s not a typo. Playing in front of tons of friends and family, it was anyone’s guess how Grad would play under this sort of pressure.

With both teams middling throughout three quarters, nobody could’ve expected the offensive explosion unleashed by Gradkowski and company in the fourth quarter.

Down 10-6, the Raiders stubbornly stuck with a running game that wasn’t doing much, but what it did do was set up the passing game and play-action that would carry the Raiders through. In this sense, it was brilliant game-management.

I think Coach Cable actually did a great job in the fourth quarter of this game with all aspects of game management.

Gradkowski calmly and efficiently directed the offense downfield, culminating in a 17-yard touchdown to fan favourite Chaz Schilens. The drive was underwhelming, covering 57 yards but taking 11 plays. The offense was still moving slowly, but they were moving.

Pittsburgh promptly responded with a quick-strike touchdown, going 60 yards in two plays in a little over a minute. Raider Nation braced themselves for the usual letdown.

But it never came. A noticeably excited and hopped-up Gradkowski got back on the field and made the biggest play of the Raiders season thus far.

I said in a recent article that it was simply a matter of when, and not if, one of our speedy rookie wideouts would get behind the defense, have a ball thrown well, and actually catch it for a big play. We always seemed to have 2/3, but could never put it together.

Louis Murphy, Gradkowski’s favourite target, came open deep downfield, Gradkowski dropped it softly into his arms, and Murphy used his speed and agility to juke the defender and spring loose for a 75-yard catch and run touchdown.

The Raiders were in the lead again. I, along with many other members of the Nation, rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Then, I rubbed them again. Then, I smiled broadly. But, like anyone who has seen his team snatch defeat from the jaws of victory time and again, I tempered my enthusiasm as there was still a lot of time left.

Sure enough, less than two minutes later the Steelers regained the lead on an 11-yard TD from Hines Ward, who got away with a blatant facemask on Chris Johnson to get open. Ward, known as the dirtiest player in the game, showed why when he wrenched Johnson’s mask to get separation.

There’s long been a theory that the referees are against the Raiders and for the Steelers. That play certainly did nothing to disprove the theory.

The Raiders typically tuck their tail and run in these situations, and despite the fact that the defense faded when we needed them the most, the newly minted Gradkowski eleven, with two subs in on the offensive line due to injury, decided that they would take it upon themselves to win this game.

Starting at their own 12 yard line with a little under two minutes left, nothing in recent history said the Raiders would win this game. But Gradkowski wasn’t having any of it.

He started a methodical two-minute drill in which he made plays with both his arm and his legs, making some nice quick-strike passes to move the ball and then rushing for a first down on third and three.

He barked at his teammates, danced around in the huddle, cracked jokes, kept guys loose, and managed the clock and his offense like a Zen master. The best story of the day comes from Mario Henderson, who tells of Gradkowski catching him looking at a replay on the scoreboard and telling him to “quit watching the F*#*#G thing and get in the game!”

Henderson, obviously not used to any kind of leadership or vocality from his quarterbacks, was initially taken aback before realizing Gradkowski was right. In fact, Henderson stated “you’re the man.”

In what to me was the defining play of the game, Gradkowski then scrambled around a bit before throwing up a pop-fly to the left sideline. There was only one Raider in the vicinity, the athletic Murphy, and three Steelers. It could’ve been disaster.

What makes this the defining play of the game in my eyes is the maturation of Murphy before our very eyes. Not content to let a Steeler make a play for the ball, Murphy leapt high, leading with his hands, and attacked. He snatched that ball out of the air with an aggressiveness we haven’t seen from a receiver since Tim Brown was lacing them up.

Murphy simply said “that’s my ball! Rightfully mine, and I’m taking it from you” and then did. It was so refreshing, and what I think could be a turning point in both Murphy’s confidence and production.

We all know what happened then. Roughing penalty on Pittsburgh, Gradkowski to Murphy for the game-winning touchdown with nine seconds left. I leapt off the couch and hugged my buddy in disbelief. The Raiders had scored three touchdowns in a game!

No wait, three in the fourth quarter! And won the game! Unbelievable.

I apologize for the long-winded recap of the game, but I wanted to show just how much of a difference Gradkowski made with his leadership, preparation, and will to win.

So how can you not love this guy?  He’s battled from the streets back to the NFL with sheer will, determination, and hard work, and it shows in his every move and word. In short, he’s the polar opposite of Russell, who was handed the keys and a ton of money without earning any of it, which also has shown through in HIS every move and word.

Grad’s enthusiasm and leadership are infectious. Listening to Raider players after the game, you can tell they believe in this guy.With two fourth-quarter comebacks against excellent teams and stellar defenses in his last three games, I believe in this guy too.

We have suffered long, and we have suffered hard, Raider Nation. To say that Bruce Gradkowski is our saviour is still premature, but to say we are very encouraged with the Raider attitude and play with him under center is not.

This guy has brought excitement back to Oakland and to the Raider Nation, and  given us a gift for Christmas that is priceless: hope. 

Is he the quarterback of the future? He’s still quite young and doesn’t have a lot of mileage on him. He’s mobile, he’s vocal, he’s a hard worker, and he’s shown himself to be a leader of the first order. Sounds like a potential franchise QB to me. I actually quite liked him when he played in Tampa. I think he could turn into something special with the right chance.

Of course, we have to see if the Raiders can maintain this momentum for a second straight game, something we’ve been unable to do this season. But for the first time since our week two victory over the Chiefs, I feel good about this team. I feel excited. 

I feel good about Gradkowski and humbled, yet never more glad to be, wrong yet again. 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders Week 13 : Pressures, Hurries, and Knockdowns

Welcome to another exciting edition of pressures, hurries, and knockdowns for our beloved Raiders. Let’s take a look at what’s going on this weekend:

 

PRESSURES

 

Al Davis

It’s finally happened. Taking a queue from the fanbase in Buffalo, the Raider Nation has purchased a billboard in Oakland that emphatically requests owner Al Davis to “do the right thing” and hire a General Manager. The billboard, made possible by the wonderful guys over at MessageToAl.com, states that over 25,000 fans have signed on, and implies that Mr. Davis owes it to the fans to take his impressive resume as the architect of the Oakland Raiders and fade gently into the sunset. Much like the team has done by week six each of the last seven years.

It was bound to happen. So many folks have weighed in with various ideas such as boycotting team merchandise and ticket sales, flooding the Raider front office with scores of letters from angry fans, imploring Mark Davis to talk some sense into his father, and finally a giant billboard right on I-880 to make the point he’s so obviously missed.

I personally would’ve liked the billboard to implore Coach Tom Cable to hire an offensive coordinator as well, but alas, it was Al Davis specific.

The pressure is on Al to respond. How he responds should, as always, be interesting and potentially entertaining. But one thing is for sure : a fanbase that loves this man has reached it’s nadir, and change must come soon lest a revolution take place.

 

Raiders Defense

After being called out recently by Probowl corner Nnamdi Asomugha, the Raiders defense needs to step it up big time. A schizophrenic unit, this is a team that can hold the Bengals to 17 points, the Eagles to 9, and yet give up 40+ to the Giants.

Last week was terrible. Run fits were off again. Tackling was off again. It was all fundamentals that killed us, and John Marshall needs to get these guys to remember playing football in Pop Warner and High School, when they were being taught the fundamentals and the fundamentals were paramount to success.

Now, they’re a group of fast, athletic, talented guys who seem to think that those physical attributes trump fundamentals. You can be the fastest guy on the field with a 45 inch vertical but if you can’t wrap a ball carrier up, you’re useless on the field.

One thing that has dogged the Raiders for years, and it ties directly to those physical attributes, is over pursuing the football. Many of these guys are so fast that they run right by the play while trying to make a play. Ironic, I know, but true.

Witness Thomas Howard’s potential sack of Tony Romo last week. He had him dead to rights, and simply ran right past him, flipping an arm out halfheartedly when he knew he was beat. This is another fundamental issue that needs to be addressed.

The general feeling around the NFL is that the Raiders have far more talent than their record shows. I believe that to be the case as well. But talent will not win you football games if fundamentals are sacrificed. It’s time to get back to basics, or this unit will continue to be embarrassed every other week and play stellar every other week.

 

HURRIES

• Not much yet from Chaz Schilens, although I think he’s working himself back into game shape and we should see him haul in around 4-5 catches this weekend
• I’m actually glad Roethlisberger is starting. The last time he played the Raiders he was picked 3 times, and he holds the ball so long that I think our lineman and backers can get to him multiple times. I want his life to be hell on Sunday
• Dennis Dixon needs to improve his accuracy, but his ability to scramble worried me. We don’t handle mobile QB’s well, which is why I’m not upset to see Big Ben in the fold
• Rashard Mendenhall goes to the spin move far too often, and if the Raider backers time it right, they can crush him and force fumbles. He’s a good back with some decent moves, but he definitely favours the spin, and I’d like to see it cost him
• I have to mention Tyvon Branch because I love the guy so much. How different is that Dallas game if he gets the pick-six that was there for the taking?

 

KNOCKDOWNS

 

Bruce Gradkowski is the Saviour

I, and many other fans, were guilty of backup “quarterbackitis” last week. After Bruce led us to a comeback victory against the Bengals, many of us were deluded in thinking that the season was going to magically turn around.

Then, in Dallas, we realized that Bruce is a backup QB for a reason. He was scattering throws all over the field in the first half, and looked jittery and uncomfortable, a huge deviation from the poise he showed against Cincinnati.

Granted, he led us on a methodical and impressive TD drive to open the second half, and seemed more comfortable, but it was too little, too late. I do believe he gives us a better chance to win than JaMarcus Russell, but I now realize he isn’t Peyton Manning or Drew Brees back there. Time to come back down to Earth for many of us.

 

Our Wide Receivers are Still the Problem

While I agree that they have been a huge issue most of the season, they were getting open and running great routes against the Cowboys. Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy seem to be starting to get it a little bit, and Zach Miller is solid as always. With Chaz back in the fold, there’s no real reason why our passing game shouldn’t improve over the next couple of weeks.

We saw Gradkowski pull a Russell last weekend and miss open receivers multiple times. DHB still needs to work on his hands a little, but I think that the TD catch will bolster his confidence and we’ll see improvement from him in leaps and bounds from here on out.

Our offensive line play has declined in regards to pass protection, but Gradkowski is mobile and can throw on the run. I actually expect our receivers to catch more than 10 balls combined this weekend, which would be a first this season. How pathetic is that?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders: Thanksgiving Thoughts

We didn’t put our best foot forward yesterday during the Thanksgiving game in Dallas, and paid for it on the scoreboard. It wasn’t all bad, though, and there were some signs that were encouraging for the future. There were some of the usual frustrations, as well.

Trevor Scott played standing up yesterday at linebacker, and played very, very well. He had two sacks, three tackles for a loss, and was in the backfield quite a bit. He did make a huge mistake, though, one that made it obvious that Mr. Scott has probably never played baseball in his life.

When a ball is in the air, it’s always the right-of-way to the guy coming in on the ball, not going back for the ball. Scott, of course, was just trying to make a play on a pass that Chris Johnson deflected, but he should’ve bailed out and allowed Branch to come on and make the pick. He backs off, Branch most likely has a pick-six and it’s a whole new ballgame.

Instead, Scott went for the ball, and I applaud his effort. What I don’t applaud is the result: he smashed into Branch, causing the ball to careen to the turf and Branch to shoot him a look that could’ve melted adamantium.

But you can’t complain about the effort or the desire to get the ball. It was just unfortunate. Scott played very well yesterday and continues to be an impressive pass rusher, whether playing LB or end.

It would be ideal to have Howard, Morrison, and Scott as linebackers, but there’s one problem with that: none of them are run-stopping specialists, which we desperately need. Morrison would be the best against the run of the trifecta, with Howard excelling in pass coverage and Scott at pass rushing.

Jay Richardson, though not as prominent as he was against the Bengals, still had a solid day yesterday. With Seymour back in the lineup and Tommy Kelly playing, Desmond Bryant didn’t get many snaps, but he showed against the Bengals that he’s a gamer and capable of making big plays.

Matt Shaugnessy continues to benefit from Greg Ellis’ gimpy knee and was solid yet unspectacular yesterday. Since having a breakout game against the Chargers two weeks ago, he’s been relatively quiet.

Tyvon Branch is, without a doubt, one of the top-five young safeties in the NFL this season. The kid is phenomenal, and I will keep raving about him as long as he keeps being everywhere on the field. Wish he’d got that pick. Whole new ballgame.

Nice blitz by Mike Mitchell, showing his speed off the edge. A tandem with he and Branch, with Huff rotating in during obvious passing situations, could ultimately be dangerous.

We have a solid young nucleus on defense, but big plays killed us yesterday. Dallas gained 380 yards on 10 plays, and 194 on their other 46, meaning that we stopped them more often than not, but the not went for HUGE chunks of yardage. The Cowboys had the most explosive day (eight plays of plus-25 yards) of any offense since the New Orleans Saints in 2006.

If we could’ve limited the big plays, we could’ve easily been in the game. The Raiders had only four less first downs than the Cowboys (18-14) and their time of possession was only three minutes less than the Cowboys (31:14 to 28:46). The Raiders had chances to get back in the game, but couldn’t capitalize on opportunities.

The most encouraging thing I saw yesterday was the play of our young wide receivers. There were a couple of miscues, but for the most part those were the best routes ran and most separation I’ve seen from them all season. A hearty, happy congratulations to Darrius Heyward-Bey for his first career NFL touchdown.

The kids were open yesterday; sometimes Gradkowski found them, sometimes he didn’t. Another encouraging sign was the response to a poor first half. We came out, stopped the Cowboys, forced a punt, then marched 88 yards in 12 plays for a TD. The Raiders of recent vintage rarely, if ever, respond to poor play like that.

Gradkowski looked much more comfortable in the second half, and good things happen when he scrambles. He should do it more often.

I wish I knew what Jonnie Lee Higgins was thinking. The guy is so gun-shy he’s texting Michael Moore for advice. Ever since Weddle decleated him in game one, he’s been hesitant and tentative. If you don’t want DHB returning kicks, fine.

What about Louis Murphy? Or McFadden? Put your playmakers in a position to make plays.

Which reminds me: Did Cable learn nothing from the Jets game? Why, oh WHY was Grad dropping back to throw on 1st-and-10 from our own five-yard line? The last time we tried that, it was a disaster. That fact, Cable acknowledged. Then he did it again.

Gradkowski was pressured on first down, almost resulting in a safety, but ultimately an incompletion. What followed was a predictable run that went nowhere, and then another pass on 3rd-and-long. I don’t like passing from your own end zone unless you absolutely have to. Neither does Cable, at least according to him after the Jets game. But I guess he forgot what he thinks.

Mr. X wrote a recent article advocating coach Cable because the team seems to care when they lose. Granted, he’s changed the culture a tad, but I’d credit Seymour and Ellis with that as much as Cable.

Cable has shown, time and again, that he tries to get too clever and outsmarts himself, makes baffling play-calls at baffling intervals, and doesn’t talk to his team nearly enough.

What coach doesn’t have his players gathered during a booth review of a pivotal call (the Austin touchdown)? While that review was going on, what was Cable doing? He was standing there, silent, not looking at anyone on his team, chewing gum. That’s it.

He wasn’t making preparations in case the call went the other way. He wasn’t telling his defense how important of a stop this would be. He wasn’t doing any coaching. Granted, he was leaving it up to his assistants. But, for a play so important, he could’ve done something. Anything.

He is the coach. So coach.

You could sense yesterday that it’s only a matter of time before Murphy or DHB go deep, get a good pass, and haul it in. They are so close to breaking out I can almost taste it. It was right there yesterday, but continues to remain just out of reach. Now, though, I can see it happening, and sooner than later.

Yes, we have some excellent young players on this team that seem to now be improving every single week. We had a rough go yesterday, but it was really only a handful of plays consisting more of mental mistakes that ended up killing us.

The old poor tackling monster reared its ugly head yesterday, and that allowed the Cowboys to bust many of the big plays for much longer gains than they should’ve been.

But there is a team with talent here, and one to work with. I wanted Cable fired, and still do. I don’t think he’s a good coach; but he’s learning, like the rest of the team. I know deep down we need continuity, so I will not be upset if we keep Cable. I just think there are better coaches out there, but who knows if they’ll come here?

Now we can only hope that JaMarcus Russell works very hard to regain his starting job and he, DHB, Murphy, Chaz, Zach Miller, Bush, and McFadden can gel into what seems to be, potential-wise, one of the best skill-position player sets of any team in the league.

Of course, that potential needs to translate into production to have value. Yesterday, though a tough loss where many mistakes were made, showed me the possibility of making that a reality sooner than later.

And that’s something to be thankful for.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland Raiders Week 12 : Pressures, Hurries, and Knockdowns

We’re all feeling pretty good in Raiderland these days, with a temporary break in the clouds coming through in the form of a hard-fought, comeback victory over the heavily favoured Bengals last weekend.

On short rest, we travel to Dallas for a Thanksgiving day tilt later on this afternoon.  Will Tony Romo continue to regress? Will Roy Williams ever realize he’s not the best receiver on the team and stop causing Owens-esque issues? Will I ever shut up?

All interesting questions, but who’s under pressure? Let’s find out.

PRESSURES

Bruce Gradkowski

Okay, this is a nice kind of pressure to be under. After leading the Raiders back from the dead with a last-minute, game-tying drive, Gradkowski has raised his own expectations in Oakland. The offense had a much better rhythm and seemed to gel more with Grad behind center, and players responded very positively to his fire and energy.

He’s under pressure simply because he played so well in the clutch last week that we’ll be expecting more of the same from him from here on out. But, as I’m sure Grad himself will tell you, that’s a nice kind of problem to have. Because it means he actually did something well.

 

Shane Lechler

The only reason the best punter in the league (and possibly league history) is under pressure is the expectation, since before the season began, that he’d be denting the giant television screen at Jerry World.

Peter King wrote at length about the dangers of the scoreboard with the likes of Lex and Mike Scifres punting there this season, stating that two of the best punters in the league would pepper the board.

So come on, Shane. The board hasn’t been an issue yet, with Atlanta’s Mike Koehnen being the only one to come close to it thus far. Lechler is under pressure to live up to his reputation and prove some people right by smashing a punt or two into the board.

Of course, I’m of the mind that if he doesn’t get the chance to punt at all, that’s even better.

HURRIES

• Good for Desmond Bryant, seeing his most action last week against the Bengals due to a Richard Seymour back issue. The kid was in on a few run stuffs, and recovered a fumble that he himself forced. With Jay Richardson and Matt Shaughnessy also playing well last week,  Trevor Scott having his pass rush ability, and Bryant in the middle, we’ve got a great young core of defensive lineman to build for the future
• Having two consummate professionals like Seymour and Greg Ellis to teach them the ropes is a huge plus as well
• Tommy Kelly has been playing much better against the run lately. In fact, the entire team has been tackling much much better the past two weeks
• Tyvon Branch is quickly becoming my favourite defensive player. The kid was all over the field last week, hitting double-digit tackles, and grabbing a sack that was uber-aggressive and caused Palmer to fumble in scoring position
• Stanford Routt, while still beaten in coverage often, had a good game rushing the passer last week as well. Here’s hoping that Marshall continues to dial up the pressure on Romo today
• Pretty quiet on the Cable front since the women-beating allegations first surfaced. He’s been asked by the NFL to attend counselling sessions, but that’s basically the last I’ve heard of it. It seems to have faded pretty quietly after a ton of initial hubbub, from myself included

 

KNOCKDOWNS

Gradkowski is no better than Russell

This is something that I, and many fellow Nationers, stated after we’d pulled Russell from the Chargers game. Gradkowski had done nothing of consequence in his two appearances, and didn’t appear any more capable of moving the ball than Russell.

Well, last week blew that idea out of the water. Sure, his stats weren’t eye popping (50% completion, 168 yards) but he had as many TD throws in one game (2) as Russell has all season. Receivers seem to catch his balls more easily, he’s much more mobile, and the offense had a distinct rhythm, something that has lacked since the Tampa game to end the season last year.

With Gradkowski behind center teams have to respect the pass a little bit more, and, as we saw last weekend, that opens up the run for our backs, who seem to be hitting their stride somewhat lately.

 

Darren McFadden can’t run tough

Although he does go down far too easily much of the time, the kid was lowering the BOOM! last weekend on the Bengals. Cable was quoted as saying he had some nice “big boy runs,” and I concur.

If McFadden can keep up that kind of aggressiveness, then he’ll get the ball more often. Really, he’s never been used properly in this offense since day 1. It’s up to him to continue to battle hard and make the tough runs, but he also needs the chance to bounce it outside and use his speed and elusiveness in space.

He can run tough, as he ran between the tackles frequently at Arkansas. He showed a little bit of that moxie again last weekend, and we can only hope it’s a new and improved D-Mac from here on out.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Strap On Yer ‘Skis and Ride With The Oakland Raiders

Well, I’ve been known to say that Bruce Gradkowski isn’t any better than JaMarcus Russell, and I don’t see how it helps our future to play him.

I’ve also been known to be wrong. Often. And this is another example.

Whether or not Gradkowski has Russell’s physical gifts is debatable, but one thing is not: The guy loves the game and pumps his teammates up.

Even Russell.

Credit to the big guy: He was the first player out there to congratulate Gradkowski after he’d thrown a beautiful 29-yard TD pass to Louis Murphy, who made an exceptional move and finally had a replay decision go his way on the game-tying catch.

One thing that was interesting was that in celebrating with Gradkowski, we saw more raw emotion from Russell than we have at any other point in his Raider tenure.

I fully retract my earlier sentiment that the Raiders had no better chance to win with Bruce than they did with JaMarcus. The team fed off his energy yesterday, and you could see in their eyes that they truly believed they could win at the end.

Gradkowski running around, smiling and laughing after the game was Favre-esque, and so refreshing as a Raider fan. You could actually tell whether we won or lost. When we made mistakes, he got upset. When we made good plays, he got pumped up. The team fed on that, and after a sluggish start, took the play to the Bengals for the last half of the game.

The defense was stout yet again, and once they realized the offense could actually move the ball, they shook off some early doldrums and hammered the Bengals into submission.

I said before the game the biggest key was pressuring Palmer, and when we didn’t earlier, he carved us up. After the defense began getting some reciprocity from the offense, they played like they were possessed and held the Bengals to nothing of significance in the second half.

I don’t know if he’s the answer going forward, and I don’t care. Gradkowski, I now realize, gives us the best chance to win right now, and with our roster, decent QB play could garner a few more wins for this downtrodden squad.

With Gradkowski throwing and Janikowski kicking, we’ve got a great pair of ‘Skis to navigate the treacherous “Super G” that is our remaining schedule.

And how about young Desmond Bryant stepping up? Exciting young players on that line, with Shaughnessy, Bryant, and Jay Richardson.

That’s the Raider team we love, and we can be proud of. Great game, guys, and way to battle to the end. I was impressed on so many levels that I’m positively giddy today.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The Internal Struggle of Oakland Raider Owner Al Davis

Everyone has an opinion about Al Davis, but the majority seems to think that the game of football has passed him by, and that his arcane ideas about building a team with speed and playing full on man-to-man defense is as outdated as his fashion sense.

I have a different take, one that boils down to the psyche of a proud man.

Al Davis is an NFL icon, there is no denying that. He was part of the ‘Air Coryell’ era in San Diego, the first semblances of a passing game that revolutionized the sport.

He went on to coach the Oakland Raiders and turn a poor team into a perennial powerhouse.

He was the commissioner of the AFL, and so influential that when other AFL owners wanted to meet with the NFL to talk merger, they did so behind Davis’ back—knowing that his influence and fire would potentially stall and/or completely negate the talks.

You see, it was Davis that first started outbidding the NFL for their stars, and thus made the AFL relevant to the NFL as competition. This led directly to the merging of the two leagues into the NFL that we know today.

He acquired majority control of the Raiders by ruthlessly phasing out one of his co-owners while the guy was out of the country watching the Olympics. Not a man who cared about making friends when it came to the business of football.

He filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL, and was the only NFL owner to back the USFL during their anti-trust suit against the league. Throughout the course of his career he’s shown vision, revolutionary thinking, and made a large amount of enemies.

He’s a Hall of Famer, and has been asked by other Hall of Famers (nine I believe) to be the one who inducted them into the hall. He has always been one of the most controversial, yet highly respected, NFL owners.

Yet he’s nothing short of a joke amongst NFL pundits and fans now. Oh, many people who deride him use the disclaimer that he is one of the most respected people in NFL history, but then they go on to say that he’s out of touch, senile, demented, and has lost it when it comes to NFL strategy.

I think it goes more to human psychology than anything.

Al Davis is a very proud man. This is the man who built the Raiders, who ensured they stayed in Oakland in their infant years. He designed the logo, and brought in players to be proud of and put teams on the field that were both feared and respected. He ran every aspect of the franchise, from the owners duties, to general manager, to coach for a spell, to scout, to everything football related. And he did it with passion, fire, and an energy rarely seen from anyone in NFL history.

His Raider squads borough this same fire and passion to the field. They played with an angry chip on their shoulder, much the way Davis continually battled the powers-that-be, flew in the face of convention by hiring Tom Flores and a young John Madden, and was a general pain in the ass to the NFL administration.

In essence, his teams have always been a reflection of he himself.

Now is no different.

The Raiders are a somewhat rudderless ship with talent but no direction. They’re embattled coach, Tom Cable, has shown no real football acumen on the field, and continually causes negative headlines off the field, whether justified or not.

This is a reflection of Al Davis.

Al Davis is now 80 years old. I truly believe he still has the same passion, fire, and verve that he always had. The last seven years (really, with the exception of a few excellent years, since we returned to Oakland) must hurt Al as much or more than it does the Raider Nation.

So why does it keep happening? How can a man that loves his team, his players, his sport, and his fans continue to preside over such a disaster?

Pride.

Admitting to himself that perhaps he doesn’t have the energy to do it anymore would be tantamount to dying for Al Davis. A man who was a dynamo from his young days in Flatbush, Brooklyn admitting that Father Time is not allowing him to be the man he always was would be surrendering.; and no matter what, Al Davis has always been a winner and will never surrender.

Al Davis is now a rudderless ship, and for a man so in control and so successful at accomplishing anything he wanted to in his younger years, that is a very sobering and scary proposition. He is at an age where his body and mind don’t necessarily respond when he asks them to, and he’s lost some control of himself. Yet, like always, he’s the last one to realize it.

This is a man who is still trying to do everything like he always did. It’s unrealistic to expect the man to be as effective as he ever was. His health is failing; his mind, though sharp, must become fatigued much more quickly. His body and mind are breaking down, and the Raiders along with it.

But don’t expect a man of Al Davis’ pride and success to go gently into that good night.

He has already stated he will be around until the Raiders win two more Super Bowls, or until he dies.

This is a man who used to be a fixture on the practice field, a former coach that not only knew how to pick players to succeed in his system but also knew how to mold them into better players and better people, despite the “thug” image the team cultivated and wears proudly.

Tim Brown, a long-time and much-beloved Raider who has no love lost with Davis, summed it up when he talked about “the shoelaces getting a little tighter” when Davis was around. If Mr. Davis came to the practice field, the players focused more and got more out of practice. Tighten up for the boss, boys.

Now, a Davis sighting at practice is almost like spotting Bigfoot. He simply does not have the physical or mental stamina to oversee absolutely every aspect of this team like he did so successfully for so many years.

Has he lost his football sense? No, I don’t think so. He’s drafted Nnamdi Asomugha, Robert Gallery, Michael Huff, Tommy Kelly, Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard, Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy, Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, Mario Henderson, and numerous other players that either start or heavily contribute to the Raiders. And I mean numerous.

But you only hear about the Fabian Washingtons and Patrick Buchanons that wash out and are first round bust picks. Never about the solid players Davis has drafted in the later rounds (of the above mentioned picks, only Asomugha, Gallery and Huff were first rounders).

He’s made some poor decisions to be sure, but what NFL personnel man hasn’t? But because Davis demands and expects so much from himself and takes on more responsibility than he can handle at this point in his life, his judgment is becoming a little clouded.

What he has lost is the ability to do everything himself, and there is no shame in that for an 80-year-old man. It is ludicrous to think that the man could continue to be effective overseeing every aspect of the team while being physically unable to get out of bed some mornings. I think his health is much more dire than anyone lets on, and the fact that he looks older and rougher in every subsequent picture is how I’ve drawn this conclusion (and the only “evidence” I have of my previous statement.)

The psychology of the situation is delicate and even a little sad. We have a man that on one hand wants what it best for his beloved Raiders, and wants nothing more than to see them return to glory. Knowing Al Davis’ history and how much he loves this team, this is a definite truth. The Raiders are as much his son as Mark Davis.

But on the other hand his pride will not allow him to admit to himself that at his age, he cannot do it alone, and he needs help. Therefore, he continues down a path believing things are as they always were, and that he has the physical and mental stamina to continue overseeing everything Raiders.

Until Al Davis reaches his nadir and admits to himself that he needs help, and cannot do it alone, the Raiders will continue to suffer. Al Davis has had so much control for so long that giving up that control would leave him without an identity.

If he’s not the Oakland Raiders, then who is he?

That’s a question and a mortality I don’t think he wants to face.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010