Oakland Raiders Are Overcomers and Numbers Can't Measure Their Renewed Spirit

I don't know about you, but I am guilty of looking at the numbers. Granted, numbers can't tell the whole story, but they can certainly give us a "reality check."

After visiting the archives of data for the Oakland Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers who will cause flashes of light and sparks to fly, in red, white and blue in the minds of fans on Sunday, a  few observations have been made.

Look at the numbers, just for a moment. Remember, however, that the passion and spirit of the Oakland Raiders can transcend any story the numbers may attempt to tell.

Consistency Chart
Oak	22	25	6	32
Pitt	7	1	26	8

This researcher looked at a consistency table, compiled by Football Outsiders website. The larger numbers in each category indicate that the team is less consistent; and the smaller numbers indicate greater consistency.

The categories don't matter to me. What is indicated by this data is that, according to the statisticians on the Football Outsiders website, the Oakland Raiders are less consistent than the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now take a look at data (partial) on Pro Football Reference.

	wins	pts diff	points	pts opponent
Pitts	6	38	200	162
Oak	5	47	235	188

It looks like the Oakland Raiders have allowed their opponents chances to earn more points than the Steelers have allowed. This might suggest that the defense of the Steelers is working more effectively than the defense of the Oakland Raiders.

One thing you can not measure is the spirit of the team. There are so many reasons that the Oakland Raiders need to maintain and sustain a winning attitude.

Excellent execution and minimal errors are key when the numbers seem too close to each other.

Well, the impact of the past three weeks has not been put into the equation. If, however, the Oakland Raiders continue the pattern of winning and the margin of wins, then certainly the data is going to shift in a positive direction.

During the past three or four weeks, the Oakland Raiders have become overcomers, and the numbers cannot measure the renewed spirit of the young, talented team. Be overcomers, even if it is in the last eight seconds of the fourth quarter.

Go Raiders!