TheNextStep
TX BBQ > KC BBQ
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Raiders v. Broncos
I went to the sports bar to catch the game expecting a loss (because there's no reason at this point to expect a win), but with the idea that I'd at least be able to focus on individual efforts and see who was out there making plays, at least. The sickening answer is: Nobody.
Don't get me wrong, Derrick Burgess busted his ass on that sack that he notched. That was all effort... but what I'm saying is that there wasn't a single person on that team in that game who made a play when we needed it. Not one. And that's very disheartening. What's worse, nobody was even in position to try to make a play the vast majority of the time. Not the vets like Moss or Sapp or Jordan. Not the youngsters like Walter or Huff or Howard.
While it wasn't nearly the debacle that was opening day against San Diego, I can honestly say that there was really not one single player who stood out last night. Nobody. And we can go to the stat sheet if we want and say "Well, Tommy Kelly had 5 tackles" but if we do, we're just bullshitting ourselves. Tommy Kelly did not stand out in any way in that game. Nobody did.
Our Wide Receivers
Randy Moss - I still think that Randy Moss has a lot of talent. I still think that Randy Moss would be a gift from heaven to a team that is in contention. I also think, however, that Moss is going to be extremely upset if the team he is on isn't winning. That is, of course, natural. The way he acts out when he's upset, however, is borderline cancerous. The guy is an unreal talent... but I can't say that I'd be mad if we moved him. Unlike some, I don't advocate doing it... but I can't say I'd be mad.
Jerry Porter - At first, I supported Coach Shell in not playing Porter. I think that when a coach takes over a team where the inmates are running the asylum, he needs to send a message that it is his way or the highway. Porter was stupid enough to allow himself to be the guy who is made an examply of. That's on Porter, as far as I'm concerned. That said, we're at a point where it is spiraling out of control. Why the change in my attitude about this? Because perception is often reality and from the what the players have said (Moss, Cooper, Sapp, not to mention the plethora of "unnamed players") it is viewed in the locker room as unfair and petty. Whereas, at first, players were all on board with Shell, he's letting this drag out too long and it sounds like it is starting to rankle other players on the team. Shell needs to either sit down and come to an amicable solution that allows Porter to play or he needs to send him packing, whether it be by trade or by way of an outright release. Sure, there are financial considerations and "equal value" considerations, but I still think that's the way to go.
Alvis Whitted - I am an Alvis Whitted apologist and I make no bones about it. I like the guy. He's always played with passion, done whatever job was asked of him, and left it all out on the field. I admire and respect that. Still, it comes down to productivity in the end... and Alvis just isn't producing. You could argue that nobody is, but when the guy who is ostensibly your #2 receiver has 8 receptions through 5 games, "I like that guy" has to go by the wayside. Having said that...
Ron Curry - I could not disagree more with the notion that Curry should be the #2 guy. Personally, I think Curry is perfect in the slot and that's where he should stay. In my opinion, Morant should get a shot at #2. Curry is a proven commodity right where he is.
"Just because I wish Al Davis would die and I criticize the Raiders constantly, that doesn't mean I'm not a fan."
Well, true and false. Yes, you're still a fan, I suppose... you're just not a very good one. And that's true regardless of how long you can lay claim to being a fan. Let me put it this way:
You are one of the first employees of a new start up company. You bust your ass and the company takes off flying. The company goes strong for several years but it eventually stagnates. While it is stagnant, you get bitter. Maybe you didn't get that promotion or maybe you don't like your new boss or whatever it may be. Either way, you're now the guy who takes 6 breaks a day, pisses and moans in the breakroom about how this job sucks and your boss is an asshole, and you're out the door at quitting time, work be damned.
Well... you were a good employee once... but you're a bad one now.
Now, I realize that these aren't exactly apples to apples, given that we're not getting paid to watch the Raiders... and I also realize that sometimes criticism is both warranted and necessary to promote discussion... but the point still stands. So, sure... get off your "I hope that old man croaks" blasts... but just reallize that you suck as a Raider fan.
And I mean that sincerely, from the bottom of my silver and black heart.
You know who I really like?
Marques Tuiasosopo. He's wrong for this system (IMO) and he's performed poorly in every opportunity that he's been given... but here's a guy that was brought in to be the heir apparent to Rich Gannon, got squeezed down to #3 on the depth chart after seeing the system change and being given a very, very short audition, yet somehow still manages to be brought up in trade talks all the time... and yet he's also the guy who sits there and says, "I'm a Raider and that's all there is too it right now. I could discuss trade scenarios, but to what end? This is what I am and where I am right now, so I'm going to be as good as I can be at it."
There's just something that you can't help but respect about a guy like that.
Why O Why
Does Terdell Sands not get more playing time? Can anybody explain that to me? Through the first 5 games, he's been our most effective and consistent defensive lineman - and, yes, I'm including Derrick Burgess in that (though not to denigrate Burgess) - and yet Tommy Kelly still gets the lion's share of the snaps in that rotation? What the hell is that?
The only thing that I can think of that makes any kind of sense is that it must be a conditioning issue. If that's the case, hey, what do you do?
LaMont Jordan
I like LaMont Jordan a lot. I like his passion for the game and, being an optimist myself, I love his optimism - such as last week's comment that "Hey, 12-4 is still out there." I love that he takes his mistakes personally. I love that when the walls are crumbling, he doesn't pout off into the sunset but rather beats his chest and says, "I'm going to get better and this team is going to get better!" I love all of that about LaMont.
But.
Just like with Whitted, it comes down to production. When you get 23 carries and you only put up 60 yards and fumble the ball away when we're down by two scores in the fourth on the road and INSIDE THE FIELD GOAL RANGE... well, again just as I said about Whitted, "I like that guy" has to go by the wayside. 23 carries for 60 yards? I know that he's got a bad offensive line in front of him and I know that our insistence on running on every first and ten don't help him, but you have to do better than that. Now, I realize that dropping Jordan right now solves nothing, given our lack of depth... but if Jordan can't start making some things happen on the playing field, you can put me near the front of the Adrian Peterson bandwagon.
I went to the sports bar to catch the game expecting a loss (because there's no reason at this point to expect a win), but with the idea that I'd at least be able to focus on individual efforts and see who was out there making plays, at least. The sickening answer is: Nobody.
Don't get me wrong, Derrick Burgess busted his ass on that sack that he notched. That was all effort... but what I'm saying is that there wasn't a single person on that team in that game who made a play when we needed it. Not one. And that's very disheartening. What's worse, nobody was even in position to try to make a play the vast majority of the time. Not the vets like Moss or Sapp or Jordan. Not the youngsters like Walter or Huff or Howard.
While it wasn't nearly the debacle that was opening day against San Diego, I can honestly say that there was really not one single player who stood out last night. Nobody. And we can go to the stat sheet if we want and say "Well, Tommy Kelly had 5 tackles" but if we do, we're just bullshitting ourselves. Tommy Kelly did not stand out in any way in that game. Nobody did.
Our Wide Receivers
Randy Moss - I still think that Randy Moss has a lot of talent. I still think that Randy Moss would be a gift from heaven to a team that is in contention. I also think, however, that Moss is going to be extremely upset if the team he is on isn't winning. That is, of course, natural. The way he acts out when he's upset, however, is borderline cancerous. The guy is an unreal talent... but I can't say that I'd be mad if we moved him. Unlike some, I don't advocate doing it... but I can't say I'd be mad.
Jerry Porter - At first, I supported Coach Shell in not playing Porter. I think that when a coach takes over a team where the inmates are running the asylum, he needs to send a message that it is his way or the highway. Porter was stupid enough to allow himself to be the guy who is made an examply of. That's on Porter, as far as I'm concerned. That said, we're at a point where it is spiraling out of control. Why the change in my attitude about this? Because perception is often reality and from the what the players have said (Moss, Cooper, Sapp, not to mention the plethora of "unnamed players") it is viewed in the locker room as unfair and petty. Whereas, at first, players were all on board with Shell, he's letting this drag out too long and it sounds like it is starting to rankle other players on the team. Shell needs to either sit down and come to an amicable solution that allows Porter to play or he needs to send him packing, whether it be by trade or by way of an outright release. Sure, there are financial considerations and "equal value" considerations, but I still think that's the way to go.
Alvis Whitted - I am an Alvis Whitted apologist and I make no bones about it. I like the guy. He's always played with passion, done whatever job was asked of him, and left it all out on the field. I admire and respect that. Still, it comes down to productivity in the end... and Alvis just isn't producing. You could argue that nobody is, but when the guy who is ostensibly your #2 receiver has 8 receptions through 5 games, "I like that guy" has to go by the wayside. Having said that...
Ron Curry - I could not disagree more with the notion that Curry should be the #2 guy. Personally, I think Curry is perfect in the slot and that's where he should stay. In my opinion, Morant should get a shot at #2. Curry is a proven commodity right where he is.
"Just because I wish Al Davis would die and I criticize the Raiders constantly, that doesn't mean I'm not a fan."
Well, true and false. Yes, you're still a fan, I suppose... you're just not a very good one. And that's true regardless of how long you can lay claim to being a fan. Let me put it this way:
You are one of the first employees of a new start up company. You bust your ass and the company takes off flying. The company goes strong for several years but it eventually stagnates. While it is stagnant, you get bitter. Maybe you didn't get that promotion or maybe you don't like your new boss or whatever it may be. Either way, you're now the guy who takes 6 breaks a day, pisses and moans in the breakroom about how this job sucks and your boss is an asshole, and you're out the door at quitting time, work be damned.
Well... you were a good employee once... but you're a bad one now.
Now, I realize that these aren't exactly apples to apples, given that we're not getting paid to watch the Raiders... and I also realize that sometimes criticism is both warranted and necessary to promote discussion... but the point still stands. So, sure... get off your "I hope that old man croaks" blasts... but just reallize that you suck as a Raider fan.
And I mean that sincerely, from the bottom of my silver and black heart.
You know who I really like?
Marques Tuiasosopo. He's wrong for this system (IMO) and he's performed poorly in every opportunity that he's been given... but here's a guy that was brought in to be the heir apparent to Rich Gannon, got squeezed down to #3 on the depth chart after seeing the system change and being given a very, very short audition, yet somehow still manages to be brought up in trade talks all the time... and yet he's also the guy who sits there and says, "I'm a Raider and that's all there is too it right now. I could discuss trade scenarios, but to what end? This is what I am and where I am right now, so I'm going to be as good as I can be at it."
There's just something that you can't help but respect about a guy like that.
Why O Why
Does Terdell Sands not get more playing time? Can anybody explain that to me? Through the first 5 games, he's been our most effective and consistent defensive lineman - and, yes, I'm including Derrick Burgess in that (though not to denigrate Burgess) - and yet Tommy Kelly still gets the lion's share of the snaps in that rotation? What the hell is that?
The only thing that I can think of that makes any kind of sense is that it must be a conditioning issue. If that's the case, hey, what do you do?
LaMont Jordan
I like LaMont Jordan a lot. I like his passion for the game and, being an optimist myself, I love his optimism - such as last week's comment that "Hey, 12-4 is still out there." I love that he takes his mistakes personally. I love that when the walls are crumbling, he doesn't pout off into the sunset but rather beats his chest and says, "I'm going to get better and this team is going to get better!" I love all of that about LaMont.
But.
Just like with Whitted, it comes down to production. When you get 23 carries and you only put up 60 yards and fumble the ball away when we're down by two scores in the fourth on the road and INSIDE THE FIELD GOAL RANGE... well, again just as I said about Whitted, "I like that guy" has to go by the wayside. 23 carries for 60 yards? I know that he's got a bad offensive line in front of him and I know that our insistence on running on every first and ten don't help him, but you have to do better than that. Now, I realize that dropping Jordan right now solves nothing, given our lack of depth... but if Jordan can't start making some things happen on the playing field, you can put me near the front of the Adrian Peterson bandwagon.
