The past 3 weeks have been brutal for our team, our fans, our city. But, I have to remain positive. they need the energy. The Raiders lost a good coach, gained an Offensive Line Coach (not a head coach) and the distractions loom bigger than ever.
Alright, it is going to take some time for the players to get on board with the new Coaching staff arrangements. That is par for any team. If the interim head Coach, Tom Cable, attempts to continue with the plan and lessons of Lane Kiffen, it will only be good in that the players can try to continue on the path Lane had them moving toward. If he attempts to change things, they are doomed.
It was clear that he has changed the style and game plan for the Raiders. Being Head Coach has lessened his availability to the offensive line, which was doing great. The defense is suffering from culture shock and has to try to recover.
I say all that to say this, nothing is impossible. It is still the first half of the season and with the other teams in the division suffering, I think the Broncos are on a down turn, the Raiders can turn this season around. The schedule is not kind, but I lends itself to teams that will overlook the Raiders and I know that makes for a good upset.
With that, this weeks game welcomes the Jets to the Raiders home turf. After falling on their face against the Saints, the Raiders had better be ready for the Jets. The Jets think this is automatic for them, because they have Brett Farve at QB. We know what he did to the Raiders the last time he played against them. STOP IT! He was with the Packers then, it was Monday Night Football and his Dad passed away the day before. Can you say KARMA? He does not have Karma on his side this week. The Raiders can when this game and I think they will. They practised hard this week and they are trying to get behind Cable. The Jets are looking way ahead to their week 9 game against the Buffalo. They play the Raiders in week 7 and the Chiefs in week 8. Both teams they know they can beat. They are not thinking about the coast-to-coast traveling they must do to face the Raiders. Teams that have done that have not done well this season. Each week upsets abound in the NFL and my upset pick is the Raiders over the Jets.
I do have to address the fact that it looked as if Tom Cable did not know how to make decisions during the game. He will get better. I do not see a new coach named before the end of the season, but I was also the one who said Lane would not be fired before the end of the season.
Do not give up on the Raiders, fans. When they are down, they need to hear the noise even more than when they are ahead. As a former player, I can not tell you the impact a quiet stadium or area has on a home team that is playing from behind. Everyone is loud and happy when the team plays good. But, you must understand, the energy given off from the fans cheering their team on is a boost to the players ego. Boost the players ego and he plays harder, focuses better and performs with greater success. If they think the fans are not behind them, they loose energy.
Think I'm full of it? Take the MLB Playoff game last night in Boston. The Red Sox were losing 7 - 0 in the 6th inning. Their best hitters could not get on base. Game over. According to the TV announcers it was. they were handing the game to the marlins. But, nobody told the Red Sox fans. They were on their feet cheering as loud as they could from the 1st inning. At the end of the 6th inning, the Red Sox player realized that the fans had not given up. They were wearing rally caps (basebal fans know what I am talking about), they were shouting and taunting the Marlins and doing everything they could to let their team know they believed in them. The Red Sox players said "We have got to get it together, now." They keep the Marlins from scoring in the top 7th. They scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th. They keep the Marlins from scoring in the top of the 8th. With 2 outs and 2 men on base in the bottom of the 8th, they hit a home run to tie the game. They stop the Marlins in the top of the 9th and they get a home run in the bottom of the 9th to win the game. At the post-game interviews every Red Sox player said the fans played a big part in that victory.
Get my point? do I still seem crazy?
Don't give up. Never give up.
Raider-Man, in Vegas. :-)
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