Seahawks Gameday Thread

Well, the Seahawks cut through us like a hot knife through butter on the first drive of the game...Let's see if Pryor can light a fire.

The Question of Progress

There's an interesting debate brewing here at Raider Take about accountability and progress as it relates to the new regime of Reggie McKenzie, Dennis Allen and, by extension, Mark Davis.

Let's start here: This is a team that managed to eke out two consecutive 8-8 seasons under the "leadership" of Tom Cable and Hue Jackson, all amid an era of organizational chaos. 

Of course, those seasons followed an epic run of sustained failure, and after throwing so much good money after bad on the draft and free agency, maybe it was just a matter of the blind squirrel eventually finding the nut. For example, acquiring Carson Palmer mid-season may have been vital to reaching 8-8 in 2011, but it also screwed us in future drafts and was ultimately a bad move. 

By the time Reggie arrived, we were in the first circle of salary cap hell, our draft slots plundered, and our roster bloated with overpaid (and often underperforming) veterans.

So it was understandable that we may have needed to take one step back to take two steps forward. Last year was obviously a step back in the win-loss column.

The question is: when should we expect (or in Mark Davis's case, demand) to see a firm forward step or two? 

What is the line between acceptable and unacceptable this year? Five wins? Seven wins? 

At some point, tangible progress must be evident, no matter what hand you were dealt at the beginning of the process. I know things were bad. But I also know that they've got to get good at some point, or heads will eventually roll. See: Mark Davis circa last year: "I want to see progress. I don't want to see regression."

I would say that if anyone's seat is heating up, it's Dennis Allen's. We've had a tough injury right off the bat. Our quarterback situation is unsettled thanks to the Carson Palmer fiasco that was inherited. Talent and depth are thin at many positions.

So excuses abound. But progress nonetheless must transpire, and it starts at the coaching level. This is the NFL. There has to be a way, and our guys need to find it.

One Postgame Take

For me, the pleasant surprise of the first preseason game was Terrelle Pryor, who looked positively in command and electric during his first drive. That is, until he threw a lousy interception in the endzone. 

I also thought that Matt Flynn looked pretty solid, too. On that note, I think we have some healthy competition brewing.

I think that Flynn is the safe bet right now, but Pryor is the wild card. I figured that Flynn would seize the starting role early, but that was because I didn't expect Pryor to look as poised and comfortable in running the offense like he did on Friday night.

I still have no sense of where this season is headed, but whatever direction it takes will largely depend on our fortunes at quarterback. And after Friday night, I think our fortunes took a turn for the better.

One thing is for sure, it will be different. The house is being truly cleaned. The Spackle and Pine Sol are out in force. And there's a wisp of minty fresh in the air...

And The (Pre)Season Begins

Here comes Matt Flynn and your 2013 Oakland Raiders...Let the takes begin!