Bucs Gameday Thread

 Well, a little late on the draw here again, but the Raiders are hanging in there on the edge of halftime. How cool would it be for the Raiders to take down Mahomes, Brees and Brady in the span of five games? That's still a distinct possibility heading into the second half. GO RAIDERS!

Chiefs Gameday Thread

Confession: If the Raiders' secondary doesn't get carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey today, I'll consider it a miracle. Derek Carr needs to bring it today. You never know! GO RAIDERS! 

Bills Gameday Thread

A little late on the draw here, the Raiders are already in a sizeable hole after one quarter. Come on, rise up, stay competitive. 

If we're 2-2 after today, it's going to be a bummer after such a promising start. GO RAIDERS!

Postgame Take + Thoughts

Well, you win some, you lose some. That's the Raiders. But they look like they're on their way to winning more frequently. They are improved this year, but the path to true championship contention is looking like a long, multi-year slog under Gruden & Co.

When you see Bill Belichik on the other sideline looking bored as he once again throttles the Raiders, this time with a quarterback nobody wanted; when you watch the Chiefs on Monday night take down the Ravens with such precision and playcalling creativity, you really get a sense of how far the Raiders still have to go to be remotely considered elite.

Personally, I don't think the refs are holding us back from being competitive. Remember that bogus pass interference call that cost the Cowboys the game in Week 1? It happens. Bad calls stink, but we gotta look in the mirror. 

It is what it is, and it's on Gruden and Mayock and Mark now. It's not Al Davis, it's not Reggie McKenzie anymore. It's their baby. How fast will it grow up? Will it get stuck in adolescence? We'll see. 

Meantime, I'd also like to revisit some recent comments from some of the hardcore denizens of Raider Take:

NY Raider: "RT it would be nice if we could get some of the old blood back and pumping into this site. Blandarocked, H, 00, Calico Jack, PantyRaider and so many others...As I look at other blogs and sites that used to get a lot more traffic, I have to wonder what's going on around Raider Nation. Has the base eroded since the move to Vegas?...Is there anywhere to go anymore to get decent perspective about the Raiders?"

Raider Nate 75: "The problem has become that our society cannot function, nor see the value in disagreement...I really enjoy the disagreements here, as much as I enjoy the agreement that we love the Raiders. I have always said I value everyone's opinion here, with the exception of personal attacks. I too miss the other voices here, and I hope they swing by and read things, but I really hope they speak up too. Blanda, H, 00, Calico, Panty, Jones, Take, NY, and OakTown Blues, I really wish you all the best and hope you are all doing well. I also hope to hear from you, not just about Raiders football, but about life."

I know that this site has been hanging by a thread for a while, and is at this point nearly entirely community-powered. It is less "Raider Take" now and more "Your Take," which in so many ways it always has been. 

Raider00 is still here in force, and OakTown chimed in to say that he's a conscientious objector to some of the things the NFL is doing, saying, "Your opinion, my opinion, equally worthy, and worthless."

And that's the point, and it speaks to Nate's lament about our society not seeing value in disagreement anymore, when, in fact, there is great value in disagreement.

So to answer NY's question, where do you go to get decent perspective on the Raiders? I don't know. The Athletic does a good job, but it's subscription based. 

But I would posit that the best perspective is right here, not necessarily right here at Raider Take, but in the community of regular Raiders fans, and their raw, honest opinions and interpretations of events in the world of the Las Vegas Raiders. Of coursed, I am biased when I say that I think some of the most thoughtful stalwarts in this community of ideas have put down roots right here at Raider Take. 

On that note, thanks for sticking around, I hope more of you chime in as the season progresses, but I understand if you don't. I don't have the time or energy to generate the original editorial that I did some years ago, but it was really always about the conversation, and it still is.