1 – You have got to be kidding me! That was the Raiders! The freaking Raiders! I thought for sure they were the worst team in the NFL. Well, I guess the Cardinals really taught me a lesson, huh?
2 - Andy Lee might be the most effective player on this team. At the very least it is a close call between him, Fitzgerald and Zeke Turner.
3 – So, let’s talk offensive line: Good thing Korey Cunningham is not the first team starter. Good thing Oday Aboushi is not the first team starter. Bad thing Andre Smith is the first team starter.
4 – They might have something in T. J. Logan as a kick returner. He’s pretty exciting.
5 – Besides getting David Johnson involved, I don’t think there has been any bigger improvement with Leftwich than third down. In the first seven games with McCoy as the coordinator the Cards converted 18 third downs. In the three games with Leftwich as the coordinator they have converted 16 third downs.
6 – Can’t they just induct Fitzgerald into the Hall of Fame now even though he is still playing? I mean, why wait?
7 – Yeah, during this game, and while focusing a bit on the offensive line, I was thinking about a press conference after last week’s game. Did you also hear Wilks kind of throwing the unit under the bus? “It’s tough. Who are you going to get (free agents)? We just have to be a little more creative.” Or what about this: “The personnel are not going to change, so we have to find ways within the system and the scheme to help [Rosen] out.” He’s obviously right, but come on man, don’t say that. Am I over-interpreting it? Some days ago, I re-watched the Bruce Arians episode on “A Football Life.” At one point Keim says regarding the 2014-season where they had a myriad of injuries: “most coaches would curl up in a bar (kind of ironic, by the way, to hear him say that) and tell you “we’re not good enough”, yet [Arians] took the other route and he said “I’ll never let those guys in the locker room know that I don’t believe in them””.
8 – Man, Corey Peters is underrated. I don’t think the running game woes was his fault at all.
9 – In 2016 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired their head coach, Lovie Smith, and promoted their offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter, to full time head coach. Reportedly they did so because Koetter was getting attention from other teams regarding their open head coach position, yet the Buccaneers absolutely loved him and didn’t want to lose him. Last year the Tennessee Titans made Mike Vrabel their head coach after only one year of experience as a coordinator. I am not implying anything. I am merely bringing it to the boards’ attention. #Leftwich
10 – I owe this to a lot of fans, and especially to Ouchie: I can only go off the TV, but I was proud of the fans. Obviously, people from Los Angeles has much more important things to think about right now, but the Raiders has a huge fanbase and certainly not all are coming from Los Angeles, so I think my point is still valid: The Red Sea were very loud on every decisive down, and you guys protected your house fantastic. You should be proud of yourself.
11 – Right now, you could argue that Josh Rosen seems like part of the problem and not the solution, but unless this season is affecting him mentally (and why would it? Go look at his last season at UCLA) he will learn from this, and I have no doubt he will come back even stronger.
12 – Don’t give me any of that nonsense about anyone tanking. Not before this game, not after this game, not regarding the Raiders, not regarding anyone. It does not exist in the NFL.
First, every player, coach, personnel guy and owner are professional.
Second, there is reasons some of the players are considered top players at their position, and that they are getting paid the big bucks, and the primary reason is that they don’t lay down, so you know you will almost always get quality play from them. If they didn’t continually prove their abilities, they would not be considered great players. I doubt they would trade their stardom for being considered mediocre at best.
Third, many of the players are fighting to be on the team next year, and thus fighting for their only income. A lot of them has responsibilities that are dependent on that income. Runningback Chase Edmonds has a daughter. Cornerback Brandon Williams has two daughters. Safety Tre Boston has a daughter. There are other of the same stories on the team, and also, think about how many are married or have responsibilities for other reasons. You really think those guys don’t care about getting cut as long as the team gets a higher draft spot?
Fourth, the players are responsible to each other as well, and I would assume that word gets around really quick in the NFL. You think any player would want a reputation around the entire league for wanting to quit and lose?
Fifth, the coaches are by definition on the hot seat if they don’t win, and don’t think it is restricted to only Steve Wilks or any other head coach. Most of the other coaches on the staff risk the exact same thing. You think they will help the team get in a great position to win the offseason though they won’t be there themselves?
Sixth, I know you can’t compare sports to “real jobs” 1:1, but how many of you have done a bad job on purpose to help your boss decide to?
13 – The newly picked up tight end, John Phillips, as well as tight end Jermaine Gresham can really block. They might be the best offensive linemen on the team.
14 – Why do you ice the kicker? I mean, it’s a complete toss-up. Either he makes the kick or not. If you don’t ice him, he either make the kick or not. If you do ice him, afterwards he either makes the kick or not. Whether icing him gives him more time to think about it, or maybe even give him more nerves, he either makes the kick or not. There simply is no rational reason to do it.
15 – This has nothing to do with the game, but are any of you watching the World Championship Game in chess? I am, and though it is obviously not very actioned-packed, I think it is highly fascinating, exciting and entertaining. It’s between the five-time world champion, Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, and the guy challenging him, American Fabiano Caruana. They are playing best out of 12 games, and the first eight games has ended in a draw. They are simply too good, so they basically cancel each other out. I would encourage you to at least give it a try.
2 - Andy Lee might be the most effective player on this team. At the very least it is a close call between him, Fitzgerald and Zeke Turner.
3 – So, let’s talk offensive line: Good thing Korey Cunningham is not the first team starter. Good thing Oday Aboushi is not the first team starter. Bad thing Andre Smith is the first team starter.
4 – They might have something in T. J. Logan as a kick returner. He’s pretty exciting.
5 – Besides getting David Johnson involved, I don’t think there has been any bigger improvement with Leftwich than third down. In the first seven games with McCoy as the coordinator the Cards converted 18 third downs. In the three games with Leftwich as the coordinator they have converted 16 third downs.
6 – Can’t they just induct Fitzgerald into the Hall of Fame now even though he is still playing? I mean, why wait?
7 – Yeah, during this game, and while focusing a bit on the offensive line, I was thinking about a press conference after last week’s game. Did you also hear Wilks kind of throwing the unit under the bus? “It’s tough. Who are you going to get (free agents)? We just have to be a little more creative.” Or what about this: “The personnel are not going to change, so we have to find ways within the system and the scheme to help [Rosen] out.” He’s obviously right, but come on man, don’t say that. Am I over-interpreting it? Some days ago, I re-watched the Bruce Arians episode on “A Football Life.” At one point Keim says regarding the 2014-season where they had a myriad of injuries: “most coaches would curl up in a bar (kind of ironic, by the way, to hear him say that) and tell you “we’re not good enough”, yet [Arians] took the other route and he said “I’ll never let those guys in the locker room know that I don’t believe in them””.
8 – Man, Corey Peters is underrated. I don’t think the running game woes was his fault at all.
9 – In 2016 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired their head coach, Lovie Smith, and promoted their offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter, to full time head coach. Reportedly they did so because Koetter was getting attention from other teams regarding their open head coach position, yet the Buccaneers absolutely loved him and didn’t want to lose him. Last year the Tennessee Titans made Mike Vrabel their head coach after only one year of experience as a coordinator. I am not implying anything. I am merely bringing it to the boards’ attention. #Leftwich
10 – I owe this to a lot of fans, and especially to Ouchie: I can only go off the TV, but I was proud of the fans. Obviously, people from Los Angeles has much more important things to think about right now, but the Raiders has a huge fanbase and certainly not all are coming from Los Angeles, so I think my point is still valid: The Red Sea were very loud on every decisive down, and you guys protected your house fantastic. You should be proud of yourself.
11 – Right now, you could argue that Josh Rosen seems like part of the problem and not the solution, but unless this season is affecting him mentally (and why would it? Go look at his last season at UCLA) he will learn from this, and I have no doubt he will come back even stronger.
12 – Don’t give me any of that nonsense about anyone tanking. Not before this game, not after this game, not regarding the Raiders, not regarding anyone. It does not exist in the NFL.
First, every player, coach, personnel guy and owner are professional.
Second, there is reasons some of the players are considered top players at their position, and that they are getting paid the big bucks, and the primary reason is that they don’t lay down, so you know you will almost always get quality play from them. If they didn’t continually prove their abilities, they would not be considered great players. I doubt they would trade their stardom for being considered mediocre at best.
Third, many of the players are fighting to be on the team next year, and thus fighting for their only income. A lot of them has responsibilities that are dependent on that income. Runningback Chase Edmonds has a daughter. Cornerback Brandon Williams has two daughters. Safety Tre Boston has a daughter. There are other of the same stories on the team, and also, think about how many are married or have responsibilities for other reasons. You really think those guys don’t care about getting cut as long as the team gets a higher draft spot?
Fourth, the players are responsible to each other as well, and I would assume that word gets around really quick in the NFL. You think any player would want a reputation around the entire league for wanting to quit and lose?
Fifth, the coaches are by definition on the hot seat if they don’t win, and don’t think it is restricted to only Steve Wilks or any other head coach. Most of the other coaches on the staff risk the exact same thing. You think they will help the team get in a great position to win the offseason though they won’t be there themselves?
Sixth, I know you can’t compare sports to “real jobs” 1:1, but how many of you have done a bad job on purpose to help your boss decide to?
13 – The newly picked up tight end, John Phillips, as well as tight end Jermaine Gresham can really block. They might be the best offensive linemen on the team.
14 – Why do you ice the kicker? I mean, it’s a complete toss-up. Either he makes the kick or not. If you don’t ice him, he either make the kick or not. If you do ice him, afterwards he either makes the kick or not. Whether icing him gives him more time to think about it, or maybe even give him more nerves, he either makes the kick or not. There simply is no rational reason to do it.
15 – This has nothing to do with the game, but are any of you watching the World Championship Game in chess? I am, and though it is obviously not very actioned-packed, I think it is highly fascinating, exciting and entertaining. It’s between the five-time world champion, Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, and the guy challenging him, American Fabiano Caruana. They are playing best out of 12 games, and the first eight games has ended in a draw. They are simply too good, so they basically cancel each other out. I would encourage you to at least give it a try.
