A Question of Commitment

The discussion here at Raider Take has taken a turn toward the bitter, which is only natural as the Raiders have suddenly lost momentum and fallen behind the improbable Denver Broncos in the race to the playoffs.

Some of the common sentiments among the regulars here are: (1) quit talking about Tim Tebow; (2) Rolando McClain and our defense are stinking up the joint; and (3) for some reason our team is "running out of gas" and unable to overcome injuries and other assorted excuses.

Well, I'm am going to violate rule #1 above to make a point about #2 and #3.

This is from a story on Yahoo Sports: "While other players went out at night, Tebow loaded films of various offenses in his computer and studied and studied and studied until they were locked in his memory."

Now, compare this 2010 first-round pick to our 2010 first-round pick, Mr. McCLain, who was recently seen halfway across the country at the scene of a shooting. Who knows, maybe McLain is just as dedicated to his craft as Tebow, but if so, it's not showing on the field, nor in his off-the-field exploits.

I know you're all sick of Tim Tebow, but if we're wondering why our team is "running out of gas" and looking a bit lost while the Broncos have mounted an improbable surge, then I think it's an apples to apples comparison.

Both are 2010 first round draft picks. Both are supposed to be leaders of their units. Both play for teams competing for the AFC West crown. The main difference is that McClain was expected to succeed, while Tebow was not.

I don't profess to knowing exactly what is going on in the locker rooms of these respective teams, or what players are doing with each hour of their off time.

But if we're looking for clues as to why one team looks inspired while the other looks tired, then these two young leaders and first-round draft picks are probably a good place to start.

Look, the clock is bound to strike midnight on Tim Tebow at some point, and McClain and the Raiders still have time to redeem themselves. I get that. It's not over until it's over.

But it's still fair to ask why this team's progress is so painfully incremental from one year to the next, and why the team is actually regressing in points scored and points allowed. We can rule out talent. So is it injuries? Coaching? Playcalling? Perhaps.

But there's another potential factor that is hard to pin down, but that also seems increasingly likely: Dedication. Dedication to the art of winning, and doing all that it takes to master that art.

On talent alone, and injuries aside, there is no way the Raiders should be a game behind the Broncos with three to go.

Maybe this team needs something else besides improved health and better playcalling and smarter coaching.

Maybe it just needs to grow up.