And So It Begins...

Well, here we are at the crossroads of meaningful and meaningless, also known as preseason football. 

It's hard to say what we should expect--or detect--from this glorified practice against the Arizona Cardinals.

For me, I'm looking for a sense of synergy and symmetry, a smoke signal to suggest that this team is truly coming together and that the young core is ready to take the next step to the next level.

Again, that's a lot to ask out of a preseason game, but that is what I'm looking for. There's a buzz around this team and for the first time in eons, there are actual external (ie: outside the Nation, we who have had our annual hopes ruthlessly dashed for the better part of a decade) expectations for the Raiders.

Expectations create pressure, and a lot comes down to how pressure is managed. Can the Raiders lean into the pressure, embrace it, and deliver? 

In the absence of real games, all we can do is look for hints and signs, and hope for the best. Which is what I'll be doing tonight.