Addition by Subtraction

The world has gone upside down. North is south, and south is north. Yin is now yang...

After all, look who's sitting pretty after these recent NFL character meltdowns:

A Florida family claims in a lawsuit that they feared for their lives when Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Desmond Bryant allegedly showed up drunk and shirtless at their home, repeatedly banged on the front door and ripped off a door handle...Bryant, 27, was arrested on a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge, and his mug shot with eyes half closed and tongue sticking out went viral. Nonetheless, he signed a deal last week with the Cleveland Browns worth $34 million over five years, with $15 million guaranteed.

Mike Goodson was found with another man stopped in the center-left lane on Interstate 80 in Denville, N.J., just after 3 a.m. ET, police said. A tow truck driver found them and called 911 due to concerns about the physical condition of Goodson...The 25-year-old Goodson was charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams, possession of paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a loaded handgun and possession of hollow-point bullets. The Jets signed Goodson this offseason to a three-year, $6.9 million deal.

Rolando McClain said in a statement Thursday that he loves playing football but he decided to retire to get his personal life in order and "God willing," he might play in the NFL again...The Baltimore Ravens, who signed McClain in April after he was released by the Oakland Raiders, announced Wednesday that the linebacker had decided to retire at the age of 23.

The purge is on, and character now counts. So far, Reggie & Co. seem to have been pretty spot-on with regard to whom to jettison. 

The jury is still out on whether or not the new regime can build a winner. But it's pretty clear that they know how to get rid of losers. And it's making me feel minty fresh heading into the summer camp season.  

And The Raiders Select...

After last year's buzzkill of a draft and disaster of a season, here we are heading into the first round of the 2013 NFL draft with a sense of renewal and energy. Reggie McKenzie brought in the wrecking crew over the past several months, and now the rebuilding begins. 

In terms of core "contributors," the 2012 Raiders didn't look that much different than the previous year, yet only managed half of the wins. The 2013 Raiders are suddenly going to look a lot different. Huff, Seymour, Lechler, DHB, Palmer, Kelly, McLain, Mitchell, Giordano...And I think we can just as easily win four games without them.

I predicted as much last November, remarking: The perpetual Christmas is over in Alameda. Don't buy a Raiders jersey right now, because you're going to see a lot of names on the discount rack next summer. There's no other path to take at this point.

So here we are. The days of Hail Mary free agent signings are over. The team will be built from the ground up. A successful draft will go a long way toward accelerating the process.

I think we'll kick things off with a defensive lineman. I believe that only three defensive starters are returning this year. We need to find a way to stuff the run and get the QB. A mayhem-maker in the middle (or even on the end) is an obvious core need. Shariff Floyd seems to be the popular prognostication right now.

I hate to say it, but cornerback is another target area. I'm sort of terrorized by the hailstorm of speedy DBs we've whiffed on in the past. But we need a good one pronto. 

I might look for a late-round flyer at running back, too, as a hedge against McFadden. Impact running backs can be found in later rounds. It would be awesome if we could find a diamond in the rough.

The lack of a second round pick really hurts. The idea of trading down for more picks is enticing, but who's going to make that deal? It doesn't seem like the kind of draft where teams are clamoring to get into the top five to get this or that player. 

In the end, we shall see...So grab your popcorn and give us your take! 

The New Silver & Black

"Reggie's my guy. He did inherit a mess, and he's still cleaning. I can be patient with him..."

               -Mark Davis in Sports Illustrated

Everything we've been talking about lately here at Raider Take is now reported in great detail in the new issue of Sports Illustrated, in an extensive five-page spread titled The New Silver & Black: "SI followed Oakland's brain trust over the course of a year as it worked to transform the culture of an iconic franchise..."

Simply put, this is a must-read for all Raiders fans. 

From the story: "When McKenzie went to view the club's draft room last year, he discovered that none existed, so he had one built from scratch. When he requested the team's scouting questionnaires for evaluating college prospects, he learned there weren't any, so he created them."

In the piece, Mark Davis takes responsibility for the Carson Palmer deal. Dennis Allen is quoted as saying, "I want guys who love football, who are willing to put the team first...Who exemplify those characteristics." We learn that the Raiders were the only team that didn't subscribe to the psychological testing program available to each team before the draft.

This piece is ultimately a monument to hope, as achieved through radical change and, alas, necessary patience.

Please go read it, and then let's hash it out in the comments section.

Welcome Matt, Adios Carson

Did Carson Palmer every really feel like a long-term linchpin to you? He didn't to me. I won't miss him, because there's not much to miss. He always seemed a bit distant. I can't put my finger on it. I couldn't detect much passion. His numbers were good, but the results weren't. He was just sort of...there. Remember when Terrelle Pryor tore his own teammate violently away from that stupid scrum last year? Now that's passion. I can't imagine Palmer doing anything like that.

So along comes Matt Flynn. Now this is how you do it. You get a guy with potential upside for a couple of late-round picks, instead of giving up early-round picks for a guy on the downside. Matt Flynn can get us to 4-12 no problem, which makes Palmer eminently expendable. 

Flynn is now either our stopgap or our future, and we're going to find out at a fair price. Just because Russell Wilson seized the starting role in Seattle doesn't mean that Flynn is chopped liver. There's a reason Pete Carroll wanted him, too. 

This is obviously a rebuilding year for the Raiders. So Flynn and Pryor go head-to-head, and we get to see if there's any cream that can rise to the top. Meantime, we pursue other needs in the draft, then get a quarterback early in the draft next year if necessary. We avoid the pressure to reach on a Geno Smith or any of the other QBs in this year's weak class. 

I see a plan taking shape. We're starting at square one. It should have happened years ago, but it didn't. Past misdeeds will be paid with our patience. 

Last year was an inexcusable exercise in half measures. This year will be different. The culture shift is accelerating. And don't be surprised if we take a step forward in wins while taking a step backward in collective talent. Acquiring talent hasn't been our biggest issue. Our biggest issue has been the inability to build a team. Will the new regime pull it off? Impossible to say. But you can't say they're not trying. 

On that note, welcome Matt Flynn. Let 'er rip. Your new football life starts now. 

The Awakening

Here's what I wrote on November 11, 2012: The players apparently didn't get the memo that the scholarship era is over. They see a guy like Stanfort Routt still making out like a bandit after being cut by the Raiders and the Chiefs, and they probably haven't figured it out yet. They are in for a rude awakening. McKenzie isn't going to inflate anyone's stock. The perpetual Christmas is over in Alameda. Don't buy a Raiders jersey right now, because you're going to see a lot of names on the discount rack next summer. There's no other path to take at this point.

Get your DHB and Huff jerseys, folks, coming to sale rack near you! And buyer beware right now when it comes to any other Raiders jersey, too. 

The rude awakening has arrived.

How can I wring my hands about losing any player at this point? Name one Raiders player in years who has gone on to do great things elsewhere after leaving the team. I guess Randy Moss did pretty well for a brief spell in New England. Anyone else? Heck, our biggest non-kicker star in ages, Nnamdi Asomugha, just got cut after two mediocre seasons in Philly. 

So Reggie is surely thinking: I can easily go 4-12 without overpaying for it.

So that's where we stand. We're like those folks who return to their home after a hurricane, and the walls are gone, and the family photos are scattered to the winds. But the house will be rebuilt, hopefully sooner rather than later, and hopefully in a competent manner as well. The future is uncertain. The present, however, is quite clear.

Guest Take: A Look Ahead

The following guest take comes from longtime Raider Take community contributor BlandaRocked:

From what I’m hearing McKenzie and Allen have all but flatly admitted that they gained almost no knowledge of Raider personnel from watching tape of the team after being hired in 2012.  What the two produced last season was almost a complete roll of the dice.  While Saunders and Wisniewski were retained with the idea of providing input regarding continuity, apparently both were ignored, leading to the early resignation of Wisniewski and the complete disappearance of Saunders (not to mention one PO’d Mark Davis).  One must certainly believe that, this season, the employment of both is on the bubble.

So where are we headed this season?  I believe that the clearest evidence is to be found in the selection of our new Offensive Coordinator, Greg Olson.  Some credit Olson with helping to develop the way the Wildcat formation is currently used in the NFL.  Olson spent time working with Jon Gruden, and it is believed that Olson prefers a Gruden style offense.  The Gruden offense is a North/South power running game, accompanied by an East/West (West Coast) passing game.  But there is a new wrinkle in passing games learned by the entire NFL during the 2012 season.  This involves what has become known as the Wildcat, but in reality is a recreation of the ancient Single Wing.  The modern twist puts a ball carrier that can sometimes pass in the “Tailback” slot to protect the signal caller from being pummeled down field or between the tackles.

A bit of history in football trends is required here.  In the “old days,” football teams most commonly ran the Single Wing.  This was a run based offense where the Quarterback (then called the Tailback) would run the ball on his own as often as he would throw it, as the forward pass was still relatively new.  In professional football that exposed a team’s field general to brutal defenses without the benefit of rules designed to protect the player’s safety.  Quarterbacks went down with injuries on a regular basis.  In response, teams began designing formations which formed a protective “pocket” around the signal caller in order to keep him in the game.  Quarterbacks were less and less likely to run the ball, exposing themselves to injury, unless they could first prove to the coaching staff that they knew how to avoid the hits and get out bounds.

Over the years, however, defenses learned to target Quarterbacks in the pocket.  Injuries, again, were on the rise.  With public demand to reduce injuries on the field, the NFL began to instill rules that would protect the Quarterback (and other ball carriers) whether in the pocket or breaking down field.  In the wake of expensive class action law suits, the NFL has instituted every rule committees could think of to protect players’ health and to keep them from being targeted for injury.  The result is that Quarterbacks can once again run with the football.  The old Quarterback option plays are fully back into play in the NFL and aren’t just for high school and college teams anymore.

With the Raiders, every fresh look is now being given to Quarterback Pryor.  Pryor is perfect for this retro format in that he can move freely in the backfield and wait for a receiver to open, or he can keep the ball and run for significant yardage.  Having shown himself to have a good and accurate arm in college, the questions that surround Pryor are his decision making skills and his sense of passing “touch.”  Those questions cannot be answered until the Raiders have taken the field in the 2013 preseason.  The Raiders only alternative to Pryor, at the moment, is Carson Palmer, an excellent pocket passer in the old Raiders tradition.  However, Palmer may soon be a dinosaur if the new NFL trend comes to complete fruition.

The Raiders have discussed the possibility of going into the 2013 season with a package of plays for Pryor and a package for Palmer.  The Raiders would not only have two Quarterbacks in competition with each other, they would have two systems in competition with each other.  While the concept seems strange, if the Raiders want to pursue the new trend, they have few options.  If Pryor doesn’t work out there are no more experienced Quarterbacks with Pryor’s skill set in free agency, and Palmer is far superior to any other pocket passer on the open market.  It makes no sense to draft a pocket passer if they are intent on following the modern trend.  The only other option is to go “all in” on the modern trend and to spend a high draft pick on a Quarterback with Pryor’s skill set who will have less NFL experience, and far less experience with Raider talent than Pryor.

My bet is that the Raiders will indeed begin the preseason heavily relying on a power running game with two different passing systems, run by two different Quarterbacks.  Palmer’s contract will be renegotiated with incentives to free up cap room.  They will use a latter round draft pick to bring a rookie with a similar skill set to Pryor and get a pocket passer in free agency.  If Pryor shows he’s ready, Palmer will be traded or released. 

I think what will happen is that Pryor will come through.  He’s shown himself to be far hungrier than any Quarterback we’ve had here since Rich Gannon.  If he does, the Raiders will transition fully to the new offense as the season progresses.  If he doesn’t, the Raiders will either be forced to transition back to Palmer or be caught struggling between two systems.  In that case, the whole season will rest on McFadden’s injury prone shoulders.

Thanks BlandaRocked! Let BR and the rest of us know what you think in the comments section...

Take Awake and Back in Black

Well, I'm back after my annual winter hibernation. I've been faithfully blogging here since the beginning of the 2005 season. In that span, I've yet to witness a winning season. So don't begrudge me a bit of seasonal disengagement.

The 2012 season was particularly dispiriting. It was supposed to be different and better. Yet it was more of the same, but also worse. I wouldn't blame Mark Davis if the steam was still coming out of his ears.

Anyhow, onward and upward. 

Carson Palmer. How much would he be worth on the open market right now, if you wanted to trade him? What could you get for him? The answer to that question says a lot about where we stand at the most important position on the field.

Jones wrote in the previous take that he saw video of Dennis Allen at the Combine: "Just watched vids with Dennis Allen at the Combine. He came out and admitted they made mistakes. He also said that they really didn't have a clue what they had in the players even after watching film of the season with Hue....basically, it sounded like a clusterf... and they were just trying to get through it as they went. Allen also said his new OC will design the scheme around the talent (McFadden)."

Maybe next time they should consult with us. Who could have told you that Knapp was a poor choice? Who could have told you that going away from a proven formula for McFadden would spell disaster? Who could have told you that the roster was weak in talent and thin in character? Basically, all of you at Raider Take. 

Reggie & Co. broke out the spackle and duct tape last year, and we saw how that went. Now they finally realize that there's some serious remodeling to be done. Let's also hope that they stop fixing what's not broken (see: McFadden scheme 2011). 

Anyhow, I leave you with this photo of a black Raiders helmet tweeted by Mike Goodson. Don't know the story behind it. The NFL doesn't allow alternate lids, and we know that the silver hat is here to stay, so it's probably just some sort of concept helmet. Intriguing nonetheless. 

Fire away: what should we expect from the 2013 Raiders? Who will helm the QB position? Are the Geno Smith rumors true? Who's your choice for first-round pick?

A Question of Sabotage

Damn, the Raiders sure know how to make news, even when they lose...

Indeed, the biggest Super Bowl story of this week revolved around the Silver & Black, with Tim Brown alleging that Bill Callahan may have "sabotaged" the Raiders' chances against Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl ten years ago.

Brown clarified his remarks on the Dan Patrick Show yesterday, pointing out that, as he said in his original remarks, "We called it sabotage." 

Not it was sabotage.We called it sabotage.

And you can hardly blame that sentiment after everything that went down on that ill-fated Super Bowl Sunday.

I encourage you to listen to yesterday's Dan Patrick Show podcasts, not only for the segment with Tim Brown, but also the one with Howie Long. 

As Howie points out, it almost certainly wasn't sabotage, but it was seemingly gross negligence from a coaching standpoint. 

First off, the Raiders had a game plan centered around running the ball, despite having a strong aerial attack that got them to the Super Bowl. This is because the Buccaneers defense was quick on their feet, but not big up front. A run-oriented game plan was designed to exploit Tampa Bay's weakness, and soften the core to open up opportunities. 

Then, on Friday, the coaching staff suddenly changed the game plan to focus on the pass, leaving the players scratching their heads. The original plan seemed strategically sound, so why make a switch at the 11th hour? Barrett Robbins was apparently one of the players who was particularly impacted by this sudden change in preparation and responsibility. 

Then, on Sunday, the Raiders failed to disguise the the plays and audibles that Jon Gruden knew all too well. It was a recipe for a blowout.

Bill Callahan once called the Raiders the stupidest team. He may have been right, but he certainly wasn't exempt from the moniker. 

Regarding the Friday night switch in game plans, it's speculated that Al Davis may have had something to do with it. Even Brown admitted it was possible Mr. Davis had commanded a change in plan, saying it had happened before. Is it possible that Mr. Davis had no say in the matter, and that Callahan simply made an executive, and ultimately confounding, decision to play right into the hands of Tampa Bay?

Regardless, there's no question that the Raiders' last Super Bowl appearance was a debacle, and that to this day, it remains a complete head scratcher. After the game, the stunned players were left to wonder, and they still do...

Curing the JaMarcus Hangover

I'm not saying, but just asking: Is it time to draft a quarterback (or two) in the early rounds of the draft?

Look at this list of this year's playoff teams:

Niners
Ravens
Packers
Redskins
Falcons
Colts
Seahawks
Patriots
Bengals
Vikings
Broncos
Texans

Now look at this list of perennial contenders who were knocking on the door but missed this year:

Steelers
Saints
Giants

Out of those 15 teams, only three don't have homegrown quarterbacks as starters. Peyton Manning is a freak, so I almost don't count him. So that leaves Matt Schaub and Drew Brees as the only regular "journeymen" free agents to helm the teams on this list.

Now, I'm not saying that Christian Ponder is better than Carson Palmer. And there are several homegrown quarterbacks who are stalling right now, such as Jake Locker. It's not a foolproof theory.

But if we're going to build a long-term winner, I think we need too groom a young quarterback and get on board with what's working in today's NFL. 

Look at some of the teams who have gone the journeyman route lately: the Chiefs with Cassel and Quinn, the Cardinals with Kolb, the Eagles with Vick, and the Raiders with Palmer. All of those teams fell into steep decline in 2012. The percentages overwhelmingly indicate that the surest route to building a long-term winner is to do it by grooming your own franchise quarterback.

Pryor? If he was the guy, don't you think he would have passed Matt Leinart on the depth chart before the very last game of his second year in the NFL? The elite quarterbacks of tomorrow aren't taking much time to show their stuff these days, as evidenced by all of the rookies and second-year quarterbacks in the playoffs this year.

I think we're still suffering from a JaMarcus Russell hangover. I truly do. The dominos are still falling. Russell flames out, we desperately grasp onto Jason Campbell to keep us competitive, but Campbell is just good but not great (did you expect anything more?). Then, because we've neglected depth at the position in large part due to the JaMarcus Russell flameout, we panic and allow Hue Jackson to pay a king's ransom to hire Carson Palmer off his couch, a move that just doesn't square with what seems to be working these days in the NFL. Next thing you know, we're hallucinating Terrelle Pryor as a potential elite quarterback. We are still hungover.

The word in 2011 was that we might make a play to move up and get Colin Kaepernick. But we were hungover.

Terrelle Pryor represented the 78th slot in the 2012 draft (the pick we gave up to get him in the supplemental). You know where Russell Wilson was picked in 2012? 75th. The Redskins' seemingly capable backup QB Kirk Cousins was picked in the fourth round in 2012. There are diamonds in the rough, and we need to get serious about finding one.

We need to start grooming the future at quarterback. We tried and failed with Russell. The idea was right even if the execution wasn't. The idea is still right. The evidence is obvious in the standings.

One Postgame (and Postseason) Take

Mark Davis, Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen were dealt a bad hand this year, but they were also caught flatfooted. 

There is no way that they thought they would halve Hue Jackson's record with essentially the same roster. No way. 

Yes, they inherited a dog of a roster. But how did the dog catch rabies?

4-12. Chew on that. Keep chewing, because it doesn't go down easy.

“Every place I’ve been to, it’s usually going to take at least a year’s transition time to get everything taught," said Greg Knapp last week. 

Never mind the fact that Knapp hasn't lasted on a job for more than two years since 2006. Look at the playoff schedule this year, with rookies Russell Wilson, Robert Griffin, Colin Kaepernick and Andrew Luck leading their teams to the postseason. Or Andy Dalton of the Bengals, leading his team to the postseason again after last year's rookie playoff season. 

Guess they didn't get Knapp's memo.

Now we have Mr. T. Pryor as the latest emblem of our snail's pace approach to progress. Two years into his tenure, he finally gets some snaps, and the results are vaguely promising in a "he could be a good #2" way, and we're supposed to get excited? After watching Russell Wilson and RGIII the past two Sunday nights? 

I'm sick of everything taking so much time. It's become a disease in Alameda. Knapp's offense? Hey, it just takes time. Tarver? Hey, let's keep the players, it just takes time. Pryor? Hey, maybe in year three we'll see something. Palmer? Well, maybe next year he'll make us forget about Jason Campbell. DMC? Give Knapp another year. Our receivers? Hey, catching the ball is easier than it sounds. Our defense? Learning how to tackle properly and mind gaps takes years. Tick, tock, tick, tock... 

I thought that this was the year that the Raiders were going to get up to speed. Instead, we're still spinning our wheels. 

There's no way Mark Davis, Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen thought they'd be sitting on a 4-12 record on December 30. But they are, and it's fix-it time...again.

Chargers Gameday Thread

Something's been nagging me about this Pryor business, and I've finally put my finger on it...

Simply put, I think it's a bit of a hoax. If the coaching staff truly wanted to evaluate Pryor's viability as a potential future starter, they would have found a way to do more by now. Heck, they couldn't even find a way to get him snaps last week, with Palmer out, the season fully down the drain, and Leinart fluttering the pigskin.

Now, suddenly, it's showtime for Pryor? Huh? 

Not much good can come out of this. If he stinks, I guess we can settle down about him being the savior of the franchise, but it's probably unfair to expect much out of him during his first start when he's had very little action all year.

And what if he lights the Chargers up? Then what? Do we chalk it up as a one-game wonder, or as a glimpse into a promising future? 

And how does all of this affect our quarterback planning going forward? Does it give us clarity, or cloud our quarterback picture?

Instead of having multiple looks at Pryor heading into the offseason, we'll have one look. 

Whether or not that look is good or bad, it really won't tell us enough, will it? 

If Pryor is good enough to start over Leinart today, why wasn't he good enough to get snaps last week--and also some snaps in garbage time or creative red-zone packages earlier?

This is why I think it might be a bit of a hoax. The staff may have already made up its mind on Pryor. They probably don't think he's close to good enough. So, like Denver did with Tebow, they're going to throw him to the wolves to prove to the irrational fans that, no, the third-string quarterback is not the answer. What have they got to lose? Another game? Hah!

But as Tebow proved, giving the irrationally popular third-string quarterback the reins can be a dangerous game. 

Stay tuned...

Late Panthers Gameday Thread

Three minutes to go in the third quarter...We're closing in on seven consecutive quarters of football without a touchdown against two teams with a combined seven victories (yeah, I know it's Leinart today, but still...). Deep into the third quarter, McFadden has 13 yards on 13 rushes. The possibility of a mere six-win season is slipping away...

A Raiders Lair...

Chew on these quotes for a moment, via Inside Bay Area, brought to our attention by NY Raider:

“Knapp and defensive coordinator Jason Tarver said their schemes are sound, but they take time to implement and for the players to learn. Bringing back as many players as possible from this year’s team and giving them a year to adjust are going to pay huge dividends.”

“Knapp said his history in retooling offenses shows that players need a year or so to get acclimated but, once they’re up to speed, good things happen.”

“Tarver said. ‘It’s been good. With a year under our belts and keeping as many of these guys as we can, it’ll grow big time.’”

I, for one, am speechless.

So I can't think of a better time to post the following photos from longtime Raider Take regular "memdf," who not only earns points for having one of the strangest handles around these parts, but also for being one of the most intense Raider fans I've known.

By intense, I don't mean "hardcore." I mean dedication, knowledge, personal history and traveling around the country to see games. So it's no surprise that he would create one of the coolest Raider lairs around. In a previous take, he mentioned being open to sharing some photos, so I took him up on it.

Damn, this room looks sweet. Pour me a pint, turn on the game and let me roam around this joint!

The Raiders may be 3-10 right now, but the legend lives on in the hands of the Raider Nation. Thanks, memdf, for the sneak peek.

Being A Raiders Fan

In the comments section of the previous take, Oaktown Blues threw down a challenge, asking: Why are you a Raider Fan, and what is one thing that could cause you to not be. Best answer gets a really nice Raiders jersey, I'm not kidding.

I answered: Because I am, and never. 

He replied that the response was weak, and said he's digging for more. I don't know what he's driving at, but it got me thinking, so following is my reply. I thought it might be a good topic for all of us to consider and share, if only to spare us from wallowing in the doldrums of this lost season. So here's my take, and I'd like to know yours:

Oaktown Blues, are you trying to get us to say it's the uniforms? In the famous words of Seinfeld, we are rooting for "laundry?"

The uniforms are definitely part of it, but it's hard to extract the emotional connection to the uniforms from the larger experience of being a fanatic. I'm sure there are Eagles fans, Bills fans, etc. for whom those uniforms exert a certain primal pull.

I grew up in a Raiders household, dad and older brother screaming at the TV, Stabler sauntering up to the line (Search YouTube for the Sea of Hands, there's a 15 minute special there, and Stabler just looks so badass as he walks to the line on that final play, slowly, deliberately, calm....), Al Davis sneering, Madden gesticulating...

Everything grabbed me, not just the uniforms, but the sense of household bonding that watching Raiders brought, the renegade nature of the team, and the perpetual drama, the incredible seasons that more often than not ended in disappointment (as dominant as they were in the 70s, they only went to one Super Bowl in that decade).

Other fans have their own infinite variants on my story. Something grabbed them and won't let go. Their favorite team becomes something larger than a team. It becomes a fond memory and a future promise, a bonding mechanism for family and friends, a point of escapism from the pressures of a job, responsibilities, etc. In time, the experience spans decades and generations, as it has done for me.

To this day, and most recently last Thursday night, I just can't reconcile the uniform with the performance. I see the silver and black, "the silver hats about their heads," and expect them to hit people. Yet there's Giordano, flying around in empty spaces doing a remarkable Stuart Schweigert impersonation. I'll never be able to get used it, even though I've been watching it for 10 straight years.

So why am I a fan of the Raiders? Like I said, because I am.

One Postgame Take

And that, my friends, is the difference between a good team and a bad team. What else can I say tonight?

Time to Tent The House

There seems to be a lot of flip-flopping around these parts.

Those who once defended mediocrity are now decrying it. And those who once decried it are now defending it.

I've always said it starts at the top. It still does.

Mark Davis, Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen own the performance of this team. 3-9 is their record to date. Period. Mark Davis told Allen, "It's not good enough." That's on Allen...and ultimately Mark Davis.

At the same time, this year's failures don't make the previous 10 years a sudden act of genius. A decade-long quest to achieve a .500 record, only to end 1-4 with the playoffs on the line, is not suddenly defensible just because the next regime isn't firing on all cylinders.

It's not always an "either-or" equation. Sometimes it's an "and-and" equation.

At this point, I think we can say that Mark Davis, Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen haven't exactly distinguished themselves as the Turnaround Experts.

We can also say that the previous regime gifted them a horrific roster, a toxic culture and a pair of handcuffs (in both the draft and free agency).

So that's where we stand right now.

We know the roster really sucks thanks to the previous regime, and the jury's still out on the new one.

The new regime is tasked with building a winner. We need to give them a more time to tent the house for termites before we come to firm conclusions about their ability to get the job done. 

One Postgame Take

The Raiders were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday.

Little did we know it back in September, but they were essentially eliminated out of the gates this year, fielding a dog of a team that almost seems willfully awful at times.

Consider the case of Denarius Moore. Last year, Moore looked like an up-and-comer, with Spider Man fingertips. Yesterday, he got benched.

Here's what Allen said of Moore's benching: "It wasn’t from a lack of effort, but we’ve got to make plays when we’ve got an opportunity...Denarius had a couple of opportunities to make plays and wasn't able to make them. We decided to play some of those younger players and see what they can do."

How does a player get appreciably worse at something that's fairly instinctive, such as catching the ball? I mean, you run your route, you get open, the ball is right there...At that point, you either catch and secure the ball, or you don't.

I'm not blaming Moore for the fate of our team. I'm just saying he is emblematic of this head-scratching (and in some cases, sudden) inability of our players to play fundamentally sound football.

Meanwhile, our defense is handing out personal milestones like Christmas candy this year. Yesterday, rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden passed for a career-high 364 yards.

It has been pointed out that this is largely the same roster that laid a big egg last year, going 1-4 down the stretch with a playoff berth down the line.

So we know that this is not a good roster with a big heart.

There has been much debate here over whether or not Allen and Co. should nevertheless be getting more out of this bad roster that lacks heart.

I believe they should, but that's easy for me to say.

Unless something changes immediately starting Thursday night, I foresee a big game of chicken coming our way. It will be Management vs. The Roster, and management will driving a tank. 

Allen is McKenzie's pick, and McKenzie is Mark Davis's pick. The only way they can absolve themselves of this mess of a season is to nuke the roster, right?

There's no way they're going to risk their professional fate and credibility by fielding anything that looks remotely like this current team. It is in their vested interest to essentially proclaim, "It's not us, it's the players and the culture, and we're going to change the latter by eliminating the former."

The organization has been careful to sidestep talk of "rebuilding." But you can bet your bottom dollar that this house is going to be torn down to its studs this offseason.

Browns Gameday Thread

Before we begin, let me take both sides of the running debate here at Raider Take...

When a new regime underperforms with a crappy roster, few draft picks and salary cap issues, (1) you can't excuse the previous regime for creating the crappy roster, wasted draft picks and salary cap issues; (2) nor can you excuse the new regime for underperforming with the hand it was dealt.

It's going to be wet and wild in Oakland today, if we can't beat the Browns at home, then watch out, the fur will really start flying...