Will Raiders go winless? Don't bet on it
By Jim Jenkins -
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Relax, Raiders fans. As grim as things appear, as nasty as what you might hear and read, this isn't a team that will wind up winless. Not going to happen.
In the NFL, where parity is king, you would have to be pretty horrible not to come out on top at least once in a 16-game season.
Even the best teams occasionally play to the level of their competition, only to regret it.
Undefeated Indianapolis at home against winless Tennessee last Sunday was the most recent example, but the Colts woke up just in time for a narrow victory.
The Raiders? Two of their four wins last year were over winning teams, including Washington, which went to the playoffs. Of their five victories in 2004, two were over winning clubs, including a road upset of Denver, a playoff entry. In 1997, a 4-12 Oakland season, the Raiders beat a Broncos team that would win the Super Bowl.
Recent history suggests none of the teams without a victory so far -- the Raiders, Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions -- will be winless when the season ends.
In the NFL's early years, going winless was common. Some franchises were loosely put together and not very competitive. Then there was scarce talent during the war years. Since World War II, however, only three teams finished a season winless.
Two were expansion teams, the 1960 Dallas Cowboys (0-11-1) and 1976 Buccaneers (0-14). The third was the Baltimore Colts (0-8-1) in the strike-shortened 1982 season. That also was an era before expansion teams could stock up with extra draft picks and true free agents.
See, nothing to worry about.
Moss has more to say
Randy Moss, during his weekly Monday segment on Fox Sports Radio, implied he still has his sights set on the Oct. 17 trading deadline.
Do you suppose he hopes Raiders management is receptive to a deal after his drop of one end-zone pass and catch of another in an embarrassing 34-20 loss to the 49ers on Sunday?
Moss told Fox host Chris Myers: "If I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, it might be in the team's best interest to look elsewhere. Chris, I love what I do, I respect the game, I respect this organization. But at the same time, if you don't like what is going on or don't like what you see, then there has to be some changes made, no matter whether it's the front office, coaching staff, players or whatever it may be."
Moss' interview this time might have stirred up extra trouble.
Hall of Fame defensive lineman Howie Long, part of Fox television's NFL show, questioned Moss' passion for football, prompting a sharp response from the wide receiver. Moss said Long played during an era when "he was probably popping pills and tablets and all that, to get up and going, but nowadays with the drug-testing policies and performance-enhancing policy, it's hard for a player to just go (out there) week in and week out."
More from Moss on Long: "I know he's an analyst, and it's his job to stir up controversy, but (if he doubts my passion), you tell him to come out here, put on some pads and go at me."
Wouldn't advise it, Randy.
