Richard Seymour Explains Why he Thinks Raiders Have a Top Five Defense

[Artois]

Richard Seymour explains why he thinks Raiders have top five defense - Silver And Black Pride

Richard Seymour explains why he thinks Raiders have top five defense

by Levi Damien on Aug 12, 2012 5:00 PM PDT

Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour came out on the first day of Raiders camp and made a bold statement. He said he thought the Raiders could be a top five defense. Well, he isn't backing down from that opinion-he's reiterating it.

"Well, you always have goals, you always set high standards. You try to control where you fall but that's always a goal of ours. Even last year, that's still a goal. But I feel like everyone's on the same page and understanding what we're trying to accomplish. It isn't gonna be easy but we have the guys that can get it done and I feel like we have everything thing we need to do what we need to do this year."

Star-divide

"I mean, it aint like we're pulling it out the sky. Everyone knows the type of players that we have here. But now I feel like the coaches are putting us in the right position and just have an opportunity to go out starting on Monday night to prove it."

What has this statement a bold one is the fact that the Raiders were the 29 ranked defense in the NFL last season in terms of yards, 27th in run defense while surrendering an NFL-worst 5.1 yards per carry. The potential is there with the team putting up 39 sacks which was 15th in the league. And they did it without their best pass rusher-Matt Shaughnessy.

For the answer as to why the Raiders were not able to do it last season with many of the same players, Seymour points to mentality. And he draws an intriguing parallel to a former Super Bowl winning team on which he played.

"Well, just because you have the most talented players, that doesn't mean that you're the best team." Said Seymour. "I think a team is built. I remember when the Washington Redskins were collecting a lot of talent, that was just a lot of talent. Back in 2001 when we beat the Rams in the Super Bowl, on paper the Rams were the more talented team, you know, Marshall Faulk and ‘The Greatest Show on Turf' but we still got a ring. So I know how it's done and I've seen it done and like I said we get on the same page and hold each other accountable and we have enough leaders and enough young talent to have the right mix to get it done."

As Seymour suggests, the difference is the coaches. The Raiders had an offensive coach in Hue Jackson with a defensive coordinator in Chuck Bresnahan who didn't seem to have a clue how to coach this team. From the outside it appears this defense is even more shaky than it was last season. But as Seymour says, what a team looks like on paper doesn't mean much. It's how they are coached and how they perform as a team.

Seymour's confidence appears to stem from his coaching. His new coach is defensive minded, his defensive line coach, Terrell Williams, has spent time this offseason getting to know him personally, and he likes what he sees from his new defensive coordinator, Jason Taver.

"Yeah, he's an intelligent guy, smart guy." Seymour says of Tarver. "We always call him the neurosurgeon or some scientific chemistrist or whatever. He's always cooking up a new blitz or something like that but it's always fun when they know how to break down offenses and can put you in the right place to make plays and can tell you where the ball is coming on first and second down or really giving you their tendencies in terms of what they like to do. When you're prepared that way, you can go out and play fast so it's exciting for us and that's what I'm used to."

He lauds the entire defensive staff for their approach to the team dynamic.

"Our defensive staff has called guys up to just tell their story and tell us what makes them tick and I think it's good for the defense to just know about each other and know about the guys that you're playing with. They have family and kids and other outside interests, you know, just whatever makes them tick. I definitely think that's very important."

Seymour is a seven time Pro Bowler and has three Super Bowl rings to his credit. He says he is not near done yet and plans to take this team to the next level.

"That's my plan for sure. From everyone I've talked to, that's their plan as well. I think it's just up to me to go out and play my brand of football.

"I'm only 32 years old. You see guys playing until 36, 37 years old and I'm only 32... physically I still feel good. I just think for me just having a new challenge every year and just going out to prove yourself. That's something that always kept me going, just being a competitor and always wanting to be the best."

That next level starts Monday in the preseason opener against the Cowboys. As the cliché goes; take it one game at a time. Seymour knows the process. He's done it before. If he believes he can get back to good football with this team around him, it's hard to argue with him.

Richard Seymour explains why he thinks Raiders have top five defense - Silver And Black Pride

[Jimi18]

Just saw this... bring it big Ritch

[Palehorse]

Good to hear. Lets see it in action now.

I really think the whole defense was just disgusted and frustrated with the coaching last year. No one can work in that environment.

[Artois]

I would take being in the top 20, that would be a big improvement.

[max modem]

I just want less eventful series. 3 and outs, or two series of downs. Like regular teams. No serious penalties. Stop them. Field position, punt, Jacoby, Seabass at worse. That's all I want for now.

[Raider Ran]

I would take being in the top 20, that would be a big improvement.

And cut out the stupid personal fouls and brain dead penalites that allow the other team to continue their drives.

[kinz]

Talk is cheap, especially from a guy that doesn't practice so often.

[Raider_Len]

Talk is cheap, especially from a guy that doesn't practice so often.

Cheapshot must still be at the stadium. You're filling in nicely.

[DSOTM]

Im with King Richard!!!!!

I cant count how many times last yr the defense would ho;d a team on 3rd down, get a sack or force a turnover only to be negated by a yellow flag. It got to the point where i wouldnt even cheer if our defense did something positive cause it also seemed that a flag was thrown 15 seconds after the play.

Between stupid penalties, Chuck B being the DC and Hues play calling there isnt a defense in the league that could over come that sh1t

[JoeKiev]

As Seymour suggests, the difference is the coaches. The Raiders had a defensive coordinator in Chuck Bresnahan who didn't seem to have a clue how to coach this team.

Ya think?

[kinz]

Cheapshot must still be at the stadium. You're filling in nicely.

Thank you, what a nice complement.

[EmeraldCityR8r]

If this defense ends up top 5 we will have our 4th Lombardi come Feburary

[als_shadow]

+1 for Seymour.

Gossip:

A day or two or three ago Charles Woodson was on Green Bay TV and he said that last year's Packer defense knew it couldn't stop anybody and leaned on the offense.

It wasn't a surprise to the local Packer fans that the Giants ended up beating them. Last year's Packers used up about 3 season's worth of lucky bounces and lucky referee's calls.

I don't hear Raider fans comparing our defense to theirs much... and when we do, it's to whine about how bad our players are compared to their defensive players. It's all bs! Raider defense is much better than the Packer defense.

After week 4 I expect this defense to look like a top ten defense. I have confidence in Seymour.

Just add 1 LB who can actually play LB at a starting position (last year we had 0) and keep enough guys on the bench so that the nickel and dime DBs are actually NFL back up quality, not practice squad quality. Those 2 things will add 2 wins all by themselves.

[regret]

"When you're prepared that way, you can go out and play fast so it's exciting for us and that's what I'm used to."

"When you're prepared that way, you can go out and play fast so it's exciting for us and that's what I'm used to."

"When you're prepared that way, you can go out and play fast so it's exciting for us and that's what I'm used to."

"When you're prepared that way, you can go out and play fast so it's exciting for us and that's what I'm used to."

"When you're prepared that way, you can go out and play fast so it's exciting for us and that's what I'm used to."

says it all about Chuckles

The team was not prepared on defense last year, not even a little bit. I don't know how we finished 29rd instead of 30th.

It also gives me a lot of hope for this season with the implication being our preparation here is now similar to what he saw in New England.

[hellbound]

Just more preseason talk. Until the defense goes out and starts performing I will take everything with a grain of salt. How many times have we heard things like this before?