Oakland Raiders: After Buffalo Loss, What Kind of Team Are They?

There is definitely a familiarity to the Oakland Raiders situation after their loss to the Buffalo Bills, but this year has a different ring to it. The Raiders are a good football team, and this honestly couldn’t be said in the last eight years, with maybe the exception of last year, when the team started to turn the corner.

The Raiders came up one play short of starting the season at 2-0 for the first time in eight years.

Nevertheless, the silver and black must adopt a short memory, get down to business, and prepare for the New York Jets, a team that has been the runner-up in the AFC the last two years.

Last week's loss to the Bills was a kick right to the gut, but a loss like that can go a long way in testing a team's mettle for the rest of the season.

The one thing that jumped out in Sunday’s loss was the team’s ability to keep its composure and battle back after blowing a 21-3 halftime lead. Teams of Raider’s past would have packed it in and taken on an "oh well, we’ll get them next time" attitude. 

1-1 Is a Different Story

With the Jets coming to town, a 2-0 record, with both wins on the road, would be like playing with house money.  Instead, the dealer was able to draw out to black jack and put the Raiders back to even.

Now at 1-1, the team will welcome the Jets and the New England Patriots to the O.com Coliseum in back-to-back weeks.

The road gets no easier after that, with a road trip to Houston to play the Texans.

Offense Can Carry Team

Quarterback Jason Campbell has silenced his critics for now and running back Darren McFadden has been all that we expected. Wide receiver Denarius Moore busted onto the scene against Buffalo and lived up to his Napa, CA training camp reputation as one to watch in 2011.

Coach Hue Jackson and Al Saunders’ play calling has been anything but the vanilla that has been on the menu in the past, as the staff has done a nice job of adapting the play-calling to the talent level.

Defense

It may sound silly to try and pull anything positive from a defensive performance like Sunday's meltdown, but the front four is very good, and the entire defense will now have plenty of film on the spread offense.  This will come in handy when the Raiders play teams like the Patriots and the Green Bay Packers. 

What Does the Bills Game Mean?

The loss at Buffalo was just that, a loss. Nobody thought the Raiders were going to go 16-0. Was it a loss they wish they had back? There is no doubt about that, but they must file it away and refer back to it and use it as a learning experience.

This Raiders team has the talent and the coaching staff to win a lot of games this season.  Although the schedule is tough, the AFC West is a very winnable division for a team that seems to have had its number as of late.