When the season was just getting started, the Raider Nation was in full force to deter the haters that always seem to find us, whether we are in a parking lot, or at our homes.
These "Haters," like to just try and get between our skin, always saying how the Broncos, or Chargers are always better than us. Right now, yes, but not by much.
The biggest hater of them all is Mike Shanahan. Is he still that wounded over a decision Al Davis made back in the 1989 season? He has made it a personal rivalry, and wants to stick it to Al every chance he gets.
- B/R Ticket Guide
In Week One, however, he already had the game in hand, late in the game, but was still airing it all over the field. Shanahan, along with the help from his young quarterback, flat-out embarrassed the Raiders defense, which was supposed to be a strong point on the team.
This Sunday will be a test of will among the Young players. Hopefully we will see the same type of defense that shut down Jake Delhomme. We need the same approach this week against the young and savvy Jay Cutler.
Rob Ryan must understand that the way Cutler beat us last time, was simply the fact that we gave him all day to watch the play develop. If the Raiders can bring constant pressure, this game will not be out of reach coming down the stretch.
On the offensive side of the ball, we could use some help. Whether the help is from the wind, or the gods, we need offensive touchdowns. JaMarcus Russell is expected to start, and Darren McFadden should be close to 100 percent by now.
This game could come down to field position, so we need to at least get a few first downs. The Broncos' defense is worse than that of the Raiders, so we will need at least 17 points to even be contending in this one.
Whatever the outcome of the game ends up as, I want to at least see a team on the field that could have a final drive to win in Denver. What a boost that would be for our young players.
All the players have their hands on the light switch, but who is going to be the one to flip the switch to enlighten the team.
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about 1 month ago
I think Nnamdi Asomugha has been flipping the switch on and off all season long as if to say WAKE UP!! He is far and away the best player on the Raiders right now. It will be interesting to see part two of Hillis/McFadden reuniting. Kinda crazy that Hillis has more touchdowns, granted McFadden has been hurt. Have fun watching the game!
about 1 month ago
You too, but watch for Javon to have a breakthrough game... It has to be coming sooner or later.... right?
from about 1 month ago
JAVON... BREAK THROUGH... Only if he breaks through a window in his next career, burglary.
about 1 month ago
from the bench
about 1 month ago
I dont think Shanahan was trying to embarrass the raiders in week one. I think he wanted to make a statement to the league. Pretty much no one predicted that the Broncos would make a run to the playoffs and half the writers had the Broncos third in the division. Shanahan wanted to start the season with a statement and that was "Dont count us out" Now whether or not that is true; he did make that statement in the first game.
from about 1 month ago
Yeah that was the statement he made the first 3 quarters, in the fourth, why throw 3 straight passes, when you are up 34-0??
from about 1 month ago
I'm a long time Raider fan dude... And as it is now I no longer hate your boy shannahan. Al Davis screwed him and he has the right to take it out of his hide every time he can.
Especially since we always seem to let him. Save for Gruden who Mike feared and Kiffin who he also feared. The Raiders will never again be anything until that who hindereth is removed... and we all know his name!!!
However, you guys never stopped because it was the Raiders and Shannahan HAtes us SO DON'T BE FOOLED!!!
He meant every single last point to hurt Al Davis, don't dilute yourself but... nice try.
I don't feel it will be the same however and you guys just might get a lil scare... Currys playing and Curry... loves you guys. Plus he's got a chip on his shoulder and I bet he's gonna catch balls as if he had velcro...
Don't be surprised if this cake walk comes out being very expensive for you guys and it just may give you one more reason to hate us...
May all come out of it healthy!! Here's to a good fought game!!!
about 1 month ago
Javon Walker i out for the season, he won't be having a big game with pin in his ankle.
But this game will really show who our young players are. There must be huge motivation for them after that embarassing loss in Oakland.
And you know, I don't think our defense is that bad, they have kept us in a lot of games. If we can just pressure Cutler, we could take this one.
Nice article,
Dave
about 1 month ago
I think the big difference in this game is going to be what we learned.
Denver's defense, can't stop the run. Oakland has been getting McFadden healthy...and while we suffered for it, I've heard he's not in pain now.
We also had a bit of inept performance from our Cornerback position...Hall was perfectly worthless in Oakland, and with him gone, our secondary seemed to find new life.
And last week, we actually saw a Ronald Curry playing like he needed to. Either he's trying to get support for his idea of leaving Oakland, or he's looking to make his own statement....it's time.
Denver, meanwhile, might find it harder to complete passes. Rumors persist that the Raiders will lock Nmandi on Marshall, so again it will all flow through Royal. Stanford Routt has been impressive though, so I wouldn't say it'll be easy.
But i'm also hoping that Oakland can keep Gibril Wilson near the middle, to plug up any running lanes. In Denver, it'll be essential for us to win.
about 1 month ago
Same optimistic comments before last game and same will be posted next week, and the following week, and the following week!! And the same post-game comments from last week will be re-stated again after the Broncos game, and after the next game, et....
Gratefully to all, the season will end and everyone can focus on Fantasy 2009 Draft selections and anxiously await Al Davis' press conference (firing Cable, no contract for Caveman Ryan and introducing the next "hitherto unknown coach [lap dog]). Deja vu...
Just whine, Baby!!
from about 1 month ago
Blah,blah,blah.Al Davis blah.Wow. Got all the way to the last comment before the Al Davis rant showed up. I'll tell you what , Al Davis is 79 years old, uses a walker and probably could still be more productive that the worthless receivers donning the silver and black currently. And for certain he could pass block better than Kwame Harris. As I keep saying, nothing an owner does or does not do changes the fact that a professional football player has to go out and play football on Sunday. We have very few on our roster that are doingn that at the moment. We all know the score with Al Davis, now SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT HIM! For Christ's sake he hasn't played single down, missed a single tackle, dropped a pass, allowed a sack, got a false start or lost a fumble. These players are being paid to play football and they are not doing so! That is THE problem. I am at the point that with the exceptions of JaMarcus, Fargas, McFadden,Bush, Zach Miller, Nnamdi, Burgess, Morrison, Thomas Howard,Gibril Wilson, Janikowski and Lechler where I HATE every player on this team.Including Ron Curry.So come up with something original if you're going to hate on us.The ol' Al Davis-is-the-root-of-all-evil is getting tired.
about 1 month ago
Greg points out something that I have been saying for a very long time with regards to Mike Shanahan and his grudge against Al Davis. Is he still angry over being fired by Davis in 1989? In a word, yes. Did he deliberately try to embarrass Al Davis and the Raiders in the season opener? Yes, he did.He always does. Did he run up the score unnecessarily? Yes. Is he a good coach? He used to be. Now, what a lot of people don't know, and what the majority of the sports media failed to mention when discussing the Shanahan/Davis feud is that Mike brought most of it on himself. Some of you may have read this in one of my own past articles here. No one ever mentions that while still the head coach,Shanahan went and fired a slew of assistants without approval. Including then highly regarded offensive line coach Art Shell. keep in mind, that as this is going on, players are complaining to Davis about all the seemingly pointless changes to the staff Shanahan was making.Firing good and respected assistant coaches that were doing their jobs well.He then cut a bunch of players, again without approval of ownership. Including an obscure MLB by the name of Matt Millen. Millen ended up with the 49ers where he earned several Pro Bowl appearances in addition to two Super Bowl rings as the starting MLB for San Francisco. Shanahan was already having problems getting the players to buy into what he was selling and decided the remedy was to get rid of people that disagreed with him, which caused more problems. But cutting Matt Millen lost Shanahan what little respect the players had left for him.That act was the actual end of the line for Shanahan with the Raiders.He just didn't know it.Millen was a team leader in addition to being one of the best MLB's in the game at that time. And cutting him pissed of guys like Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson, Howie Long and Steve Wisnewski. Al reinstated Art Shell as an assistant . The team didn't want to play for Shanahan and it showed, so Davis fired him. The first coach he ever fired mid-season. Might be the forst coach he ever fired-period.What is the story with the money supposedly owed to Shanahan,you ask? Well, he was to receive an additional $275,000 from the Raiders when he was terminated. That much is true. But Al Davis told him he would receive this money on the condition that he not accept a coaching job with another team in the AFC West. Specifically not the Denver Broncos.Pretty simple.And understandable rivalries being what they are in this division.And not an uncommon practice.But,what did Mike do? He accepted a job with the Denver Broncos as quarterbacks coach.Offer null and void. So Al kept his word and Shanahan didn't get the $275.000. Funny, but you never hear any of those details. All you hear is that Al Davis screwed Mike Shanahan over. And 20 years later Shanahan still thinks he deserves this money. What this makes Mike Shanahan, boys and girls is a vindictive jerk. Mike Shanahan is not and never was owed a dime by the Raiders organization once he became an employee of the Denver Broncos. That's the real story.
from about 1 month ago
Well said Joe!
from about 1 month ago
OK Joe so what your saying is... I owe you money and I'm gonna pay you back, eventually, but in the mean time you can't do this or that because if you do then our contract is nul and void...
Show me where a written contract is superseded by a "VERBAL" addendum?!?!?! Forget the fact Al as usual makes up his own rules and in his state of delusion believes they're real. By what you said Al has no legal basis to not pay Shannahan...
As Mr "penny wise and pound foolish, AL" also has in the firing and stealing of yet another mans money, when he fired Kiffin. That, eventually will lead to AL-berts ultimate demise by the way. Because ALlen Davis has absolutely no legal basis for holding that money...
Yea I know his name's allen but allen was a great football man but albert has usurped the legend and turned him into a clown.
about 1 month ago
RAIDER CARD, stanford rout has not been impressive at all. in fact he has given up a touchdown in the last 4 games with 3 of them being complete torches. Chris johnson has played extremely well, especially his strip last week. he has played opposite namdi better than hall or fabian ever did so we should be good.
about 1 month ago
RAI...DERS!!
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