Colts Gameday Thread

Well, we might already be at a turning point for the 2019 season. Go 1-3 and it starts to feel pretty grim. Make it to 2-2 and you feel like ground could be gained. GO RAIDERS!

Vikings Gameday Thread

Will the real Raiders please stand up!? Let's see what they are made of today. GO RAIDERS!

Chiefs Gameday Thread

A tall order today--and also a massive opportunity to stun the NFL world. The defense will need to be ultra attentive and aggressive, gotta avoid the big chunk plays. Carr and Co. need to bring their A+ game to keep pace. It's going to be fun. GO RAIDERS!

One Postgame Take

What a resounding start to the season. The Raiders looked locked in and fired up. The offense executed with a crispness we haven't seen in a while. Derek Carr was awakened, and Josh Jacobs looked like a revelation. So did Waller. Williams stepped up big time, as if saying, "A.B. who?" The secondary still looks prone to yielding big chunks (something you want to fix before facing the Chiefs) and patty-caking as ball carriers drag them down the field, hopefully Abram's megahit style will start rubbing off. Good thing that surefire TD pass bounced off that Bronco receiver's chest, or this could have gotten uncomfortably close. That said, and despite the score, the end result felt like total domination of the Broncos. Wow, good on Gruden and the Raiders for coming prepared and passionate in the wake of a crazy week. So far, so good.   

Broncos Gamenight Thread

We just got played by a superstar wide receiver--and by a Jaguars practice squad receiver. What a week! But how about that first drive tonight? Winning heals everything. GO RAIDERS!

Raiders Do The Right Thing

Mercifully, it's over. The circus tent has folded, and Antonio Brown is riding his clown car out of Oakland, destination unknown.

This was necessary, and overdue. Kudos to the Raiders for drawing the line at the 11th hour.

Yesterday, even while Jon Gruden was claiming that the plan was for A.B. to play Monday night, I stated that they needed to cut him. Thankfully, they came to their senses after A.B. thanked them for their kindness by going nuclear.

Enough.

This is the second year in a row that we've been fleeced by a head-case wide receiver from Pittsburgh (hello, Martavis Bryant, goodbye third-round pick).

In retrospect, what were the Raiders thinking with A.B.? What did they expect? Why are we always swinging for the wrong fences? When is the last time a superstar diva wide receiver hoisted a Lombardi trophy? How did a guy like A.B. fit into the cultural vision of the Gruden-Mayock Raiders? What was the risk-reward calculation--two extra wins for a year or two on a middling team vs. the inevitable meltdowns, tantrums and distractions? And that would be if things went as right as could be expected, which they didn't.

Jon Gruden needs to get it together on this front. He's a cool guy and a Raider at heart. I really like him, and would love to see him succeed. But he's been too flighty and emotional in a lot of his decision making. Thank goodness Mayock is there to add some ballast.

There is nowhere to go but up. Truth is, we never needed A.B. Oh, it might have been spectacular at times, and he might have been worth an extra win or two. But not at that cost. This team sucked last year. They're rebuilding. They need to buckle down and BUILD a stable organization with a winning culture.

Due to some fortuitous contract language, they've been given a gift from the football gods. They took the out on the eve of the opener, sent A.B. packing and saved $30 million. Whew, that was close.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Raiders. Learn from it and move on, and quit looking for quick fixes. With all of the draft picks we've amassed, in league geared toward parity, there is NO reason or excuse why this team can't be good verging on great within a few years. Get after it, the right way, the winning way.