Oakland Raiders: Bring It!

Well, as the Giants game winds down, and the start of the NFL season is here, the Raider Nation has to ask itself, are we ready?

The media, the ESPN people, and the haters, they like to crow "no." There's no way this team will win more than four games this season, and those are the comments that can be published.

What's truly funny though is that a lot of these writers, reporters, and media junkies constantly trumpet that the cause of the Raiders' turmoil is Al Davis.

Funny. Last time I checked, he wasn't our quarterback. Or our running back. Or our wide reciever.

In fact, going down the roster, I don't see a single player named Al Davis.

Saying that Al Davis is the reason we lose is like saying Mike Shanahan is the reason Denver wins games. Neither actually goes out on the field and scores touchdowns.

In the end, it comes down to the players who go out on the grass and enter the field of play.

So, for all those mockers and haters, I'll simply say this: If your team thinks it can win...bring it.

Our first game is against Denver. A lot of the Shanahan disciples have Denver picked to win. How they came up with this, I have no idea.

Consider the following things, and make your own judgement:

•Oakland's last game against Denver was a two-touchdown blowout.

•In that game, our team out-gained Denver on the ground, 175 to 86.

•Denver never led that contest.

•Denver's Jay Cutler had his second worst game of his 2007 season against us.

•Oakland's running game has a major improvement in one Darren McFadden.

•Denver's run defense was 30th, and then they got rid of John Lynch.

•Oakland, for all the critical thoughts, spent money on players like DeAngelo Hall and Gibril Wilson.

Somehow, after all this, Denver's going to win in Oakland in front of a rabid crowd? If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you, too.