It kind of is 52. the 22 starters, and most of the other guys play on ST. (48 on game day, though).
Roberts said every play you have a chance to put your brand on the field. Carroll favors physicality on O and D. In my VERY limited experience, being the more physical team on every snap demoralizes the other team. Years ago in Denver the Raiders had snapped off seven 4+ yard runs, and on the 8th play Carr threw a pick on a called pass. Donald Penn went on a rampage on the sideline screaming "What the fuck did you call a pass, we had taken their will away!" (There was a penalty on the Donkey D, the O came back on the field and ran the ball.
Like the game in KC when Zeus ran all over the Chefs the last 25 minutes.
Getting players who enjoy the physical part of the game and have a joy in playing with a mind that applies itself is what creates that type of team. Not "Building a Bully" or insisting the run game is purely a matter of will.
JPJ to me is the cornerstone of the offensive identity. His physicality, freakish ability to pick up free rushers and line games, and desire to finish every snap allowed two 300 pound Gs on either side of him play well as run and not pad as pass blockers.
That D-line with Maxx, Wilkins, Butler and Koonce is gonna be fun to watch, because they're not only good players -- they are also unselfish players playing in a scheme by Graham and Leonard that uses a lot of line games. Now any one of the four can crash hard into the line to free up the guy next to them. By changing from Spillane to Roberts, Moehrig to Chin, there Raiders have lost coverage ability but have added physical guys.
Every player signed (except the new RB) have talked about wanting to be physical. Make it so.
