Since 2002, when the Oakland Raiders were picked apart by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, never had such a winning franchise fell so completely off the map.
In the five seasons since the Super Bowl appearance, the Raiders have won less than 20 games.
Where is the blame to be placed? The coaches? The players? Al Davis? The NFL itself?
Honestly, the Raiders were old, plain and simple.
While that did work in the short-term, eventually everyone's body starts to deteriorate. Follow that up with lack of focus due to sub-par coaching, and spoiled star players.
The solution, first, the search for a head coach. Oakland had four coaches in five years. Follow that up with some risky but smart draft choices, and now excellence is finally back on the horizon.
It all started with the Raiders doing something that has worked very well in the past. When Lane Kiffin was hired after being co-offensive coordinator at USC, the young unknown head coach trend continued. Then the remaking continued when the Raiders changed their strategy by drafting a quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Things started to look positive.
However, after a long holdout with JaMarcus Russell not signing until after the first week of the season, it became apparent that 2007 would be yet another disappointing season.
Finally fed up with the state of the team he once built into "the winningest team in pro football," Al Davis opened his checkbook and splashed out some real money to improve his team.
Those moves brought in Gibril Wilson, Javon Walker, and Drew Carter. Mr. Davis even re-signed several key players to keep them in Oakland, paying out big money contracts to Tommy Kelly and Justin Fargas. Then a blockbuster trade brought in DeAngelo Hall, and finally in the 2008 Draft the Raiders brought in rookie Darren McFadden.
Adding these players to the current crop of talented young players, the Raiders already had, you have the building blocks for a possible playoff appearance in 2008 are in place.
While many will tell you that Oakland will still be bringing up the rear in 2008. It's those very people that have not looked at the schedule the Raiders have this season. With teams like Miami and Atlanta on the schedule, the Raiders have a real chance to go 10-6 this season, and that might just be enough for a wild card spot in the playoffs.
But as the old saying goes, "on any given Sunday," so keep and eye on Oakland this year as Raider Nation may just remind the NFL why they have a commitment to excellence.
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4 months ago
you are dreamin
4 months ago
For so long now I have always looked at the start of the season with optimism only to be deeply disappointed. This season, I have been watching the pieces of the puzzle come together one at a time. Some fit on first try but others took a bit of patience. I must admit that the last 5 years has created a different way of looking at things in the Raider Nation. I feel like a lottery ticket holder who is waiting for the last number to be read. So far all the numbers match and here comes the final one. I believe we can be a playoff contender, easily. Just hope that we can smash some of our division rivals who have had our number for a few years now. Al Davis is the wizard and when we prove all of the haters wrong, they will have to respect the Silver and Black Attack.
4 months ago
go away powder blue fan
from 4 months ago
Powder blue fan??? Well dude that explains it...
imagine having to go through life claiming you teams favorite colors are powder blue when we all know it's really BABY BLUE...
Yeah you heard me... Baby blue son!!! Ever see a baby without powder???
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
I'll be here all week, don't forget to tip your waitresses!!!
4 months ago
Al Davis is spending lots of money so I'd say the commitment to excellence is there.
On the plus side for the Raiders, the schedule isn't very difficult. They play the AFC East. They have the Patriots and then 3 very beatable teams. They play the NFC South. All of those teams are beatable.
In the division, only the Chargers are a solid team.
On the down side, Russell hardly has any experience and there are questions about his conditioning. He'll probably wind up holding the ball too long because of a lack of familiarity with the play book, new receivers and the speed of the game. This will lead to sacks, turnovers and poor field position.
4 months ago
We will be a contender this year. We have everything it takes.
Paul, I respectfully doubt your "on the downside". I think that Russell will be fine...he's had an entire year to ingest the playbook. He's stronger, faster, leaner, more mobile, more familiar with the playbook, and can still flick the ball to either sidline and 50 yards down field. Chemistry with Javon is the only holdup with respect to recievers. Alll the other and Russell are on the same page, fine tuning to occur after 7/24.
In any case, while we we pittiful last year (and the 4 that preceeded it) for a host of reasons, we lost 5 games in the 4th quarter after leading. We are a much better team this year. Kiffin's better for last year, as is the rest of the staff. I doubt that we'll not be able to score points this year, seriously. I'd go as far to say that our team won't blow leads. We are poised and designed to smash teams.
I guess we'll see, huh?
...I can't wait!
For anyone that disagrees, keep in mind, I told ya so!
Lol
Peace
4 months ago
For akll the Raider bashing over the past six years that Oakland is the worst team in NFl history an all the rest. It seems to be some form of short term memory loss. Just look back to 2001-2002 and the run to the Super Bowl against Tampa, almost every NFL analyst you found predicting that as great as the Raiders were and they might even beat Tampa ( oh well), they predicted the team was headed for a fall. And As Sergio pointed out,that fall would be due in large part because the vast majority of Oakland's players were aging veterans with 2-3 years left at best in most cases.Starters like Rice, Timmy Brown, Sam Adams,Crockett,Rod Woodson,Eric Allen,Lincoln Kennedy, Romanowski.Including Gannon.Almost every position. Somewhat poor drafting left us without the next generation of excellence waiting in the wings. Inevitably the age factor caught up with the Raiders as predicted and in concert with poor coaching , the bill finally came due and Oakland was overdrawn. If you were watching Raiders football from 1998-2002 you knew stormy seas were on the horizon, though nobody could've predicted this bad a fall. If you just keep reloading with aging vets eventually you will have to rebuild.It is just a fact. And Oakland has had the problem compounded by the fact that Al Davis never believed in rebuilding.And resisted doing so until 2007. But it looks like he has been forced to see the light. Just win baby!
from 4 months ago
Hey Joe, After reading your take on the 2002 Raiders, I just had to jump in and remind everyone that
the Raiders lost the superbowl largely in-part to the fact that Barrett Robbins wasnt there as our center.
He was the offense of line, and in fact was going to the pro-bowl that year. When it took teams all season long leading up to the playoffs 8 men to get pressure on Rich Gannon, during the superbowl it only took
4 men, without our star center, and that meant that Tampa could double cover Tim Brown and Jerry Rice which they did, making it hard for these guys to shine. Yes they were getting older, but it all starts with the O line, and Rich Gannon having a backup center thrown in the mix didnt help the cause much either.
I truly believe that the Raiders could of beat Tampa had Robbins played that game, regardless of all the other senarios floating around. All the media talked about was how Gruden knew the playbook, and its true, he had some familiarity with the Raiders, but that wasnt the real reason and I invite everyone to really think about this as the media never ever mentioned this issue during the game. Barrett Robbins was a BEAST of a man, I know, he walked by me in a hotel lobby in downtown Buffalo a day before the game, and let me tell you, he dwarfed everyone he walked by!
BfloRAIDERMAN
4 months ago
So true Joe, so true...average age at present is what, 25-26? Fastest average overall team speed in NFL history. OK maybe not but you must realize the speed possessed by the LBs, DBs, RBs & WRs,
when you think back just a few years when WR could not get open, and no one on the team could go the distance (maybe Gabriel).
This team is the start of something good...for years to come. I hope that Kiffin stays for says beyond his current contract, I think that he also is good for this team and organization. Kiffin circles the wagons...I think that Al appreciates that.
Additionally, Kiffins at his tender age is more football savy than most realize thanks to his upbringing.
We are on the brink of something special! Just sit back and watch it unfold!
...We're baaaaack!
(and all thanks to Al)
4 months ago
The Raiders are on the rise, and haters like Tony know it. That's why they take their DRIVE-BY HECKLER style and throw as much sh*t as they can because they're in a can't lose situation...
If they're right, then it's a literal orgasum of"I TOLD YOU SO's"
If they're wrong then they tuck their tail between their legs and shut up, disappear, stop commenting, change monikers, or use other names to throw venom.
Never admitting your wrong.
And tony, using your real name in a world you're trying to penetrate isn't unusual. It is smart! But not brave as you try to suggest in another blog.
Could your assessment be right? Sure, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
But to your chagrin you're WRONG BABY
4 months ago
Sorry, Raider fans. 7-9, 8-8 at best.
4 months ago
7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 is realistic and a huge improvement for a team that hasn't been better than 5-11 for the last five years! I think Raider Nation has plenty to be optimistic about. Having Kiffin & Ryan is the key, since we have to give our coaches more time to digest being a coach in the black hole and learning how to work with AD. The coaching carousel must end so that this team can develop a sense of identity again. We have a young team with some good coaches who can improve if Al Davis can just stop the heavy-handed BS long enough to help this team win.
I have a lot of respect for what AD has done in the past but his poor coaching choices have hurt this team a lot in the last several years. Losing Gannon to injury started our fall from greatness, and AD's decision to start this team out young will return us to greatness.
I especially look forward to the Raiders being able to maintain their leads in those close games and not leaving it to the refs to decide the outcome of our games. We have to go into the 4th quarter of every game with at least a ten point lead so when the refs take away the ball from us and "give it" to the opposing teams, we still can win by 3 points as a worst-case scenario.
4 months ago
I will just say that I am HOPING that the Raiders will do well this year. I am saying that because many of our free agent signings, the resigning of some of our veterans and returning players have one or more question marks behind their names. These include medical, attitude and/or, conditioning pproblems. Our best and safest acquisition was Wilson. If Wilson continues to play well at the Strong Safety position and Huff blossoms at Free Safety, this could be a huge success.
The comments from Sapp were not meant to be negative but was an honest analysis of the situation within the Raiders. If nothing else, the Raiders are a more secretive organization than other NFL clubs. Al Davis does not seek counsel from the fans, the media or the players. It is his throught process and I don't think there are too many real mind readers.
4 months ago
Very good.
Football fans haven't been paying attention to Oakland since they've been off the map.
Boom or Bust all the way across the board for Davis.
Kelly you mentioned, injured, highest contract ever at the time. Walker, Carter, Curry all history of injury. DMC and Jamarcus unknown quantities. A line one year removed from one of the worst offensive seasons in history, with an LT known for the whiff in pass protection.
Tons of former #1's that never panned.
On and on.
Gonna be exciting...
4 months ago
I'm liking all these Raider articles, I'm gonna have to check the NFL section more often. I much prefer college football, but I do love my Raiders.
4 months ago
It's hard ot to get excited with all the changes I just wish we would make one last change!
Peters is in Baffalo for the taking and a 2nd rounder and jordan are the bait!
4 months ago
We will not get to 10-6 this year. In fact, I figure the Raiders will end up at 7-9. I'm afraid the easy schedule will be canceled out by poor/biased officiating.
4 months ago
Oakland will come back, we've got the running back now.
from 4 months ago
The offensive line still needs vast improvement for the Raiders to be succesful. But like babytate said, you guys certainly have the RB now. I gaurantee you McFadden is no bust. I've been watching him play since highschool and the man is just sick, as we all know. He's the kind of back that can make an o-line look better, instead of vise-versa. I hope you guys are good because that means DMac will be just as fun to watch as he always has been.
4 months ago
Remember Nation "PRIDE AND POISE"
from 4 months ago
Mike49er as a 49er fan you should not even talk...as pathetic as SF has been since the unceremonious departure of Eddie DeBartalo. SF has sat on the same bench as the Raiders except for the fact that SF has been doing it longer than the Raiders when was the 49ers last Super Bowl appearance??? 1994....wow yeah I would not talk I mean like at all. the 49er faithful look more like the faithless especially with busts like Alex Smith come on the UPS driver did better then him see while the raider may see the playoffs the 49ers are going on the clock for yet another high draft pick.
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