Oakland Raiders Forum | Message Board - Where the Raider Nation lives!

This team has talent. I would argue that this is the reason that the Raiders were able to win 5 games. Russell is a potential career 4-12 QB. Gradkowski is only marginally better - he's not good enough to be an 8-8 QB consistently. We won 3 road games - in KC, in Pittsburgh and in Denver (by far the toughest place to win for most NFL teams).

If we had had some home game sell-outs, we might have won a couple more games, meaning that we could have been a 7-9 team.

But...

OK. The game was UGLY! But, it was a W.

Denver isn't as bad as Raider fans believe. I think their defense is better than that of SD or KC. Not what we want to see.

Now, consider this -- our best OL is out. I don't care who the replacement is, this is going to hurt. O-lines need to play together as a unit, and when you replace an All Pro caliber guy, it is extra bad.

And consider this -- our best WR still hasn't played and is out. Take away a #1 WR and...

Russell was Al's only bad draft pick in the last 3 drafts.

This is my 40th year of watching NFL games and being a loyal RAIDERS fan. I have a degree in economics and sociology, and some coaching and officiating experience at the high school level.

Russell played on a stacked team in college. He was a product of that team, not the leader. He has the size, weight, and arm strength that NFL QB's need. However, he isn't a gamer. He locks on to receivers. He doesn't always...

I didn't think that Seymour would play. He played nearly the whole game.

I did think that Tomlinson would play. Strangely, he sat out much of the game.

We played hard, I watched the entire game on TV (not easy most weeks here in Wisconsin). Yet, the old cliche came true - Winning teams find ways to win even when they have a bad game, and losing teams find ways to lose even when they have a good game. We are not going to the Super Bowl this year.

Logically,...

I admit that I predicted several years ago that the 2008 season would be our first winning season in many years.

OK. Looking at the players we have, and factoring in a few more new ones, there is enough "talent" here to win a Super Bowl.

I said "talent", nothing more. It still takes "production" which comes from effort and wise use of talent, schemes and play-calling. We are lacking in the confidence that comes from a winning season....