Five Postgame Takes
1. What is up with this seemingly terminal affliction of playing down to lesser opponents, then surprising everyone with tough losses (and occasional wins) against formidable teams?
2. Atlanta cut through our "prevent" like a hot knife through butter. You saw it coming. You always see it coming. How many games have the Raiders lost like that over the past 15 years? We must own some sort of record in giving up 10-to-20-yard plays in the final minute. It's like the coaching staff, from one staff to the next to the next, is powerless against the PREVENT DEFENSE MIND-FORCE THAT CONTROLS THE RAIDERS FRANCHISE WHEN PROTECTING A LAST-MINUTE LEAD. Or last-minute tie. Dennis Allen, like the previous seven Raiders coaches before him, is powerless to stop "PDMFTCTRFWPALML."
3. That late Palmer pick was brutal, but you gotta love our own trio of picks. But wassup with McFadden?
4. This division is for the taking. The Chiefs are non-existent. The Chargers and Broncos aren't special. There's no reason we shouldn't be competing in this division. Yet here we are at 1-4 in the wake of another "moral victory," which is also known as a "loss."
5. Yet there's still hope. In the words of Corkran: "The Raiders are about to embark upon a three-game stretch in which they have a realistic shot at evening their record. They host the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4), play the Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) on the road, then host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) in the next 15 days. If the Raiders reach 4-4, the playoffs remain a distinct possibility. Losing any of the next three games puts a damper on the Raiders playoff aspirations."
2. Atlanta cut through our "prevent" like a hot knife through butter. You saw it coming. You always see it coming. How many games have the Raiders lost like that over the past 15 years? We must own some sort of record in giving up 10-to-20-yard plays in the final minute. It's like the coaching staff, from one staff to the next to the next, is powerless against the PREVENT DEFENSE MIND-FORCE THAT CONTROLS THE RAIDERS FRANCHISE WHEN PROTECTING A LAST-MINUTE LEAD. Or last-minute tie. Dennis Allen, like the previous seven Raiders coaches before him, is powerless to stop "PDMFTCTRFWPALML."
3. That late Palmer pick was brutal, but you gotta love our own trio of picks. But wassup with McFadden?
4. This division is for the taking. The Chiefs are non-existent. The Chargers and Broncos aren't special. There's no reason we shouldn't be competing in this division. Yet here we are at 1-4 in the wake of another "moral victory," which is also known as a "loss."
5. Yet there's still hope. In the words of Corkran: "The Raiders are about to embark upon a three-game stretch in which they have a realistic shot at evening their record. They host the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4), play the Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) on the road, then host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) in the next 15 days. If the Raiders reach 4-4, the playoffs remain a distinct possibility. Losing any of the next three games puts a damper on the Raiders playoff aspirations."
posted by Raider Take at 8:36 AM
33 Comments:
The future starts now. Great take. Go OakTown. (no apostrophe, as, this time, it's not an exclamation... it's a direct order.)
Prevent defense aside, I think we saw a well-prepared and well-coached Raiders team play a well-executed game plan on Sunday.
As I posted before, coming into this game, Raiders were 0-9 after the bye week, with losses averaging 14 points.
If there's a moral victory to be had, I think we may have a case for one.
Kudos, NYR. My thoughts exactly. Time for some mid-season Raiderball swagger and breakin' hearts.
When a team is 2-8 in the last 10 games it has played....this would be a game that can help turn that around. This team needs something to make them believe they can be a force. Coming into the #1's team's backyard and outplaying them in T.O.P. and yardage is a big step, IF, they can continue and build off this. Or they can do what their history shows and go back to mediocre efforts that aren't even close.
So let's see what they can do with the momentum they SHOULD garner from this game. Everyone is sick of the losing, at some point, you have to take the positives and build from it. In this game, there were plenty of positives, let's just hope they carry it through.
JONES
jones, no offense but here we are talking about momentum again. sure they played again for a full 60 mins and yes, the defense was better - interceptions and pressure on the qb. but those damn penalties reared it's ugly head again. and the one int by carson almost killed us. the way they played against pittsburgh and the falcons should be the way they play every sunday. and stop it with the same old rhetoric about shoulda done this shoulda done that, next time will be better. i'm ok with losing this game. it was expected, and they almost pulled it off. the falcons were lucky they won that game. i am NOT ok though with how they played against miami and denver. there is absolutely no excuse for not playing a full game. as corkran says - they have a great chance of evening their record the next few games. play a full game and beat these teams they should beat and stop playing up or down to an opponent.
Nice take Jones.
Love Burris and Wheeler. Love the comeback spirit.
Good challenge by DA but
should have kicked the long FG in the dome early. The Palmer pick should never have been thrown. Why not run the ball at that point especially because the running game was starting to work then.
Taiwan still in the doghouse?
Refs making up for lost time too.
headed to KC on the 28th. Email me if anyone is headed there.
memdf2004@gmail.com
Damn, Scorp, where do I write could shoulda? I wrote IF = IF they can build on what should be some momentum.
2-8 in the last 10 games, you have to take the positives. Every team makes mistakes during the course of a game. The teams that can overcome them and play consistent, are the teams with a winning record. The history of this team has been a good game scattered in with poor games, they need to learn, if they are able, to bring the same effort every Sunday. They showed yesterday that they can hang if they play hard for 60 mins.
The players have to find it in themselves to make this the standard, not the "maybe today" kind of thing.
Who is 'ok' with how they played in Denver and Miami? I don't know of anyone who is, so I don't understand where you are coming from.
JONES
OTB? Thought you didn't read my posts? Your word isn't very consistent, that's why your posts aren't taken very seriously. If you state your word, stick to it, otherwise, you come off as a flake.
JONES
SCAR
Prevent D!!!!!!
WHY?!?!?!?!?! If the Raiders like prevent defense so much, why not play it all 60 minutes. That was a hard pill to swallow and maybe this young coaching staff never again softens up like that in the end.
This was the first game I have been to outside of Oakland, and I got to tell you, there were ALOT of us Raider fans at the game. Very enjoyable to be in hostile territory(credit to Falcons fans around me for being hospitable)and when the Raiders made a good play, to see so many raiders fans cheering at the dome!!
And there was plenty to cheer about. Carson was slinging the ball. He made some great passes, good choices, and kept plays alive by avoiding sacks in the pocket.
The coaching staff for much of the game outcoached the falcons staff.
Was that pressure from the front four? The Raiders played mostly a nickel on D, and they were most effective when in nickel package. I have to admit, I was happy to see McClain on the sidelines in the nickel package. Wheeler and Burris were very competent linebackers in the Nickel.
I really tried to pay attention to our running game, to get a gauge. was it just me, or did the offense install some power blocking run plays?
IMO, This game is something to build on.............IF,,,Jones and NYR have pretty much nailed it
SCAR
scorpio said: "and stop it with the same old rhetoric about shoulda done this shoulda done that, next time will be better."
jones,
i wasn't refering to YOU - i was talking about the team and consistency. i was referring to the players who constantly repeat yearly the same garbage that coms out of their mouths.
i apologize for misleading you buddy :o)
"was it just me, or did the offense install some power blocking run plays?"
Thank you. You saw what I saw... which is essentially the coaches making good on their promise to examine everything (including scheme) and make the changes needed.
However, and I said this before, they neglected to use a power blocking when it made the most sense, i.e., at the goal line. McFadden got stuffed on 3rd down and we settled for a FG.
No problem, Scorp. Sometimes, I'm a little to jumpy for an altercation or suspecting someone is trying to start one. I definitely agree with your point. Players shouldn't even talk to the press, until they win.
JONES
NYR, I am getting sick of that slow developing, off-tackle play to McFadden at the goaline too. As soon as I saw the play developing, I got pissed, dumb call.
I asked my son why that play doesn't work at the goaline. He didn't know, I told him, "it's too slow developing", when I played football, our HC asked us why the goaline play the Offense just ran against us (Defense) during a scrimmage, didn't work. I yelled at him "because it was too slow to develop, gives the Defense a chance to read and blow it up". Coach was impressed. Maybe someone in practise can tell the OC not to run that play at the goaline because it's just way too slow to develop.
The TD McFadden scored on, was a straight dive, quick hitter and like Madden used to say, "BOOM, they have no time to react", sometimes Knapp out-thinks himself. I would also like to see more quick hitters on 1st and 2nd down at any time during a drive.
The Defense made up for that blown call by making their own stand and blowing up Atl's runs at the goaline. That was great to see, haven't seen that from a Raider D in a long time. The team showed character, showed some desire, all I have ever asked for is PROGRESS and that is what we saw in Atl.
JONES
RT:
. Atlanta cut through our "prevent" like a hot knife through butter. You saw it coming. You always see it coming. How many games have the Raiders lost like that over the past 15 years? We must own some sort of record in giving up 10-to-20-yard plays in the final minute. It's like the coaching staff, from one staff to the next to the next, is powerless against the PREVENT DEFENSE MIND-FORCE THAT CONTROLS THE RAIDERS FRANCHISE WHEN PROTECTING A LAST-MINUTE LEAD. Or last-minute tie. Dennis Allen, like the previous seven Raiders coaches before him, is powerless to stop "PDMFTCTRFWPALML."
>>>>>
That's really well done! Applause.
One used to be able to blame the prevent on Al, or the coaches that Al hired... but that doesn't apply here.
Technically, they only played prevent the final two plays before the game winning kick. The two plays that I hope someone in the media asks Allen or Tarver about.
BTW.. ironically we actually needed McF to be less stellar on his two carries in tying the game. If he would have came up short, we would still have been 3rd and goal, and probably still scored a TD with less time on the clock.
headed to KC on the 28th. Email me if anyone is headed there.
memdf2004@gmail.com
I'm pretty sure I will be there... I will contact you if I do.
They rushed three (prevent) on the final two plays... and Ryan simply locked on to Gonzalez... the 3rd and 6 play was zone coverage because Gonzalez was all alone on the sideline. Crazy shit-ass moronic dumb call there. 4th and 6 changes everything.
The final play Wheeler might have been locked on him, but Ryan made a perfect pass.
From Cork:
"McClain’s snaps dropped from 73 against the Broncos on Sept. 30 to 17 against the Falcons on Sunday.
By comparison, Burris played 27 of the 77 snaps against the Broncos and all 55 against the Falcons."
McClain is on his way to being a bust, officially.
He has been supplanted in nickel defense by a rookie, 4th round pick.
Frankly, Curry can't come back fast enough. I can see Buris playing MLB when that happens.
On obvious run downs and perhaps most 1st down situations, it makes sense to have McClain in the game. Whenever we are facing a team that uses 3 WR sets or is in a likely passing down, McClain's lack of foot speed and coverage instincts is a major liability.
I was very impressed with our nickel coverage especially the work of Wheeler and Burris flying to the ball.
As far as ripping off 3 straight wins vs. very beatable teams, I'm not nor should the Raiders fall into that trap.
When you've been as bad as the Raiders the past 9.3 seasons, you need to only focus on next week's opponent.
The mark of progress and improvement is consistency from week to week. Can the Raiders dust themselves off after a tough, hard-fought loss and bury JAX?
We shall see ... in spite of a 1-4 start, I'm excited to see the Raiders prove themselves vs. JAX
An memdf and Gary rendezvous in KC would be epic.
Jones,
"Brevity is the essence of wit"... that goes for football games too, not just talk.
Phhht!
Oh yes OTB, you are so full wit...or is that shit?
JONES
I am afraid this team will overlook Jacksonville. Especially defensively. MJD is their RB, and he is one weapon that can set the tone for the Jags. I'd love to trade for him (McFadden for MJD, straight up).
With the way our defense is so inconsistent against the run, we can very well lose this game.
I think the reason we were so close to beating Atlanta is they are a team that passes to set up the run. Jacksonville is a run team, and we struggle against run teams.
With that said, I hope we come out and make Jacksonville beat us (if they do beat us) by throwing the ball, and not MJD. This is an extremely winnable game for us; but we need to shut down MJD consistently.
JUST WIN BABY!
That wise quote is ancient, and was intended for the betterment of this blog, sir.
Again, OTB is not the essence of wit, Brevity is! (it's the opposite of Bla Bla Bla armchair quarterbacking and bickering) Good grief, Jones! See what I get for liking your take!
Good grief.
Nate - As RT made reference to (Take #1), the Raiders tend to play down to their competition.
Sunday we witnessed two weeks of pent up frustrations, with the Raiders playing competitively against a superior opponent. Despite his words of taking no solace in a loss, it almost seemed like Dennis Allen was happy to have kept the game close. I imagine the players feel that way as well.
Based on all this, the Jacksonville game has potential for a major letdown. It should be up to the coaches and veteran players to make sure that doesn't happen.
P.S. Today is the trade deadline. I'd be ok with trading McFadden for high draft pick(s), but not another big contract player.
Based on his performance this year, I'm guessing McFadden stock is way down right now.
OTB, if you don't like the takes, go away, no one is holding a gun to your head and making you ingest these comments, are they? These sites are made for bickering, that's what football fans do, what world you in?
JONES
NYR, you sure seem to read into what Allen is thinking. I watched his PC and he seemed fairly sombre about losing. It's not like he is up there, smiling away and giddy and bragging that they almost won.
They shouldn't be happy, they are 1-4 and they should be like a "pack of dogs" (Lawrence Taylor) in heat. A pack of sharks smelling blood, they should come out with their hairs on fire. That is, if they are going to build on what they did in Atl. If they come out ho hum, can't win with it, can't coach it, won't do it, can't do it.
JONES SINGLETARY
I just watched the greatest 2 corners of all time and the greatest of course was Mike Haynes and Lester Hayes it's pretty messed up that Lester hasn't been rewarded with a bust in canton for his contribution to the greatest sport ever
Now with the official referees we got double digit penalties, get real man....
Jones - Just my opinion, but if you compare Allen's post-game PC reactions after blow-out losses compared to last Sunday's nail biter, he has different body language and overall demeanor. I’m not saying he’s happy about the loss, but I see more acceptance than previous losses. Presumably, that’s because the Raiders played hard, as opposed to the suck-ass performances of late.
Bottom line is - and I think many here share this concern - let’s hope the Raiders don’t let it go to their head they can walk with the big boys. Complacency is usually what get’s them into trouble.
Stay humble... stay hungry!
Miles Burris pushing Mclain out is just the beginning.
Little by little, the defense will be overhauled.
More players unafraid of contact will be in the lineup.
More players that play fast on the field.
In 2 years, Raiders should have ten new defenders. Only Branch will remain.
Many changes coming to the offense as well. Just wait.
HaHa... now I get it, it's a bickering site to you! Well, this is America, and you have the right. Shoot dude, I freaking complimented your take, and you took offense. Or was it Defense? You're still okay in my book, crazy Pirate.
Argh.
New takes is up, spread the word: PETITION TO PREVENT THE PREVENT
OTB, just shows what your praise means to me. Don't want it, don't need it, just keep it.
JONES SINGLETARY
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