Week 10: Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland Raiders

[raiderposting]

Nope, you can't call them optimists. Optimism is having hope in the darkest hour. It's unwavering.

What you're referring to are what I call hyperbolics. People who think we're world beaters one day, and scum of the earth the next. Like a pendulum, they think they're right, even if it's only twice a day. Whatever you call them, don't call them optimists. It doesn't apply.

Even a realist can have optimism. The fact that many "realists" are still Raiders fans reflects that. Otherwise, they'd have set aside their jolly rogers years ago. It's been a decade of losing. Say what you want, but without optimism no realist would think it practical, prudent or logical to stick around otherwise.

well im a realist and ill agree that im OPTIMISTIC about the future. Getting a good draft pick will even make me more optimistic. I was referring to the unrealistic optimists who thought after barely beating a banged up jags team and a semi *** kicking of the chiefs that we had a chance to go 9-7 and get a wild card spot.

[slvrandblkatack]

If you are still blaming Palmer and Knapp for losing you have zero football IQ....sorry to say, but its true. They are not perfect, but far from the reason we are being blown out. Its the defense folks. Stopping teams gives us the ball back and a chance to score. Without the ball the chances of scoring go down. Our defense is the worst phase of our team right now.

I don't blame Palmer at all I still say Knapp could manage a game better. We have to be more balanced on O to be successfull. We ran the ball 4 times in the first half and continue to run playaction. Sure the D is bad but Knapp knows this as well and he fails to try to manage the clock. We all know we need to fix the roster but we could look better with a better playcaller like Al Saunders. Redzone is bad as is 3rd down and a lot of that falls on Knapp's play selection.

[stephkyle7]

Mckenzies or anyone elses success in the draft is a myth.
look at his track record..its more a testament at securing numerous picks then it is at identifying a winner.

even when you do your homwwork beyond maybe the top 10 picks its completely random if the apple of your eye is there for you to select.

heres a good read:
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://s...AJW7t5WCThtrlw

If we are pinning our hopes on the idea of a draft "guru".......

[Raiderwood]

Clark coached the 49ers in 1976, Ken Meyer took over in 1977, Pete McCulley got fired in 1978 after going 1-8 and his defensive coordinator and successor Fred O'Connor got fired after finishing up 1-6. Walsh was hired to coach in 1979 and promptly went 2-14.

Good things can come out of dark times. You just gotta be patient.

-Stork

I think things were so bad Walsh's first year that then WR Freddie Solomon was playing QB for a short time.. As far as this year goes.. I was one of those folks really hoping the D would jell and get better...unfortunately.. It's more like jello... We just don't have the horses there.. And while I wish the coaches would have left the offense alone.. We have to go to battle with who we have and trust RM and DA who are running things..

We really look like team that is rebuilding .. Lots of young guys.. Not a lot of consistency but flashes of what we can become .. I hope we can be close to .500 and play improving football. This weekend against the Saints is going to be interesting as neither team can play D... Will Carson be able to keep up with Drew Brees? My sense is no but I'm hopeful

Any other D backs out there?

[themadstork]

Mckenzies or anyone elses success in the draft is a myth.
look at his track record..its more a testament at securing numerous picks then it is at identifying a winner.

even when you do your homwwork beyond maybe the top 10 picks its completely random if the apple of your eye is there for you to select.

heres a good read:
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://s...AJW7t5WCThtrlw

If we are pinning our hopes on the idea of a draft "guru".......

In terms of a new GM taking over a moribund franchise...what else is there to pin your hopes on?

Thats how bad teams get good.

-Stork

[chucklemethis]

The Colts had cap room and picks...we didn't. Big difference.

And Luck panned out. Not really a fair comparison.

-Stork

Agreed.

Reggie had hafl a draft & was able to sign Philip Wheeler and who else? Mike Brisiel. For this ZBS. Which has not panned out.

This off-season Reggie will actually have cap room to sign a vet or two.

Reggie will actually have a shot this coming draft to get impact players.

^ both things he wasn't able to do this year.

[Shred003]

Mckenzies or anyone elses success in the draft is a myth.
look at his track record..its more a testament at securing numerous picks then it is at identifying a winner.

even when you do your homwwork beyond maybe the top 10 picks its completely random if the apple of your eye is there for you to select.

heres a good read:
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://s...AJW7t5WCThtrlw

If we are pinning our hopes on the idea of a draft "guru".......

This is a really good point.

The success of a roster is determined by having solid starters and a few play-makers. Furthermore, it's about getting enough players who can succeed within the confines of the coaching scheme.

Players are either a 'fit' or they're not - it's really just that simple.

The best way to make sure you get 53 guys - 45 active - who fit the bill is to have a wealth of draft picks to take a lot of shots at getting the right players. In other words, the only way to succeed is to get a lot of players and keep the ones who work out.

That's a great point.

[stephkyle7]

ill take it a little further.
you cant force your good fortune.
It smiles on you when it wants to.you can ceratinly piss it away easily, but i dont thinkit makes sense to try and force the issue(trading down when the available player is a need spot..I think its obvious it will be in 2013)

Until weve put ourselves in position to have 10 picks in a draft with an extra 2nd and 3rd. you have top exploit the FA market on shortish contracts.
2-3 years.

[Maxfly]

Bring back Gruden, Bring back Gruden, for crying out loud, ENOUGH OF THE "Bring back Gruden" Comments....GEEZ!!!

Gruden couldn't fix this overnight either,he'd want his own everything also...............scrap everything and start from scratch!

[Maxfly]

The leader of the excuse wheel finally chimes in, and your target is the deceased owner ( lovely ). The comparison is no different whatsoever, the Colts had the balls to gut the team. RM doesn`t get a free pedestal from my house, I don`t believe the man is smart enough. I do believe Mark Davis hired the wrong man, then several wrong hires were soon to follow.

This week Oakland plays the Saints, I hope the Lord isn`t out of mercy.

You don`t understand the Colt comparison? then this conversation was doomed from go, where are the brighter bulbs ?

For years Davis ' motto was re-load and not rebuild......explain to me how you re-load for a 4-12 season or a 6-10 or 2-11 or multiple 8-8 seasons? Tha fact of the matter is tear this crap down because seriously if it took us 8+ years just to get to .500 than we were putting a band-aid on the surface to fix internal bleeding. McKennzie has a SB ring for helping build the Packers and he was endorsed by Ron Wolf who helped build the Raider teams of the past AND he was given the ok by John Madden...............but what do they know?

[the_firm_09]

Endorsements don`t put W`s in the Win column, ask Clint Eastwood he`ll tell you.

I don`t believe RM is smart enough, I`ll be saying this 3 years down the road, the defense lawyers will be launching the kitchen sink.

If you want to believe RM is smart enough, that`s fine.

Critical Hires have been made, the stadium sales will show this down the road.

For those of you who are unaware, the NFL is about business. A good amount of owners are more about money first, Championships 2nd.

[Maxfly]

Endorsements don`t put W`s in the Win column, ask Clint Eastwood he`ll tell you.

I don`t believe RM is smart enough, I`ll be saying this 3 years down the road, the defense lawyers will be launching the kitchen sink.

If you want to believe RM is smart enough, that`s fine.

Critical Hires have been made, the stadium sales will show this down the road.

For those of you who are unaware, the NFL is about business. A good amount of owners are more about money first, Championships 2nd.

Wow,well if you're gonna use that logic than Davis was a complete moron for letting Gruden go,a coach who brought the Raiders back to respectibilty(with the help of Bruce Allen) AND sold tickets,he was the face of the franchise and exemplified the grittyness of Oakland. Look,the fact of the matter is if you're going to determine McKennzies intellegence on one year than there's no sense in taking this argument any further.

[Snake Plissken]

Endorsements don`t put W`s in the Win column, ask Clint Eastwood he`ll tell you.

I don`t believe RM is smart enough, I`ll be saying this 3 years down the road, the defense lawyers will be launching the kitchen sink.

If you want to believe RM is smart enough, that`s fine.

Critical Hires have been made, the stadium sales will show this down the road.

For those of you who are unaware, the NFL is about business. A good amount of owners are more about money first, Championships 2nd.

You are entitled to your opinions, but I want to know specifically what your basing this on. If its because he isn't articulate in front of the cameras, that is a pretty shallow assessment of McKenzie's intelligence, and an unfair one at that.