Beard Mode had enough. There’s a brotherhood inside this locker room that’s very special unlike any team I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. The attacking of our strongest leader and the strongest man in our locker room is absolute horseshit. Bravo to tight end Lee Smith for putting his foot down and stomping out the flames that were the unnamed criticism of Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. The stout blocking TE simply had enough and put forth a fierce and strong defense of QB4. Instead of the other players who didn’t want their names attached to a quote, Smith went Beard Mode.
That said, are the Raiders done playing like horsesh*t on game days?
That fury and gusto Smith displayed in the Raiders locker room as he went to bat for Carr was explosive. It was uplifting and encouraging.
How about dropping that kind of napalm on opponents, Raiders?
Sunday is an opportune time to do so, gentlemen.
The incoming Indianapolis Colts are 2-5 heading into Sunday’s tilt at the coliseum. Like the Raiders, consistency eludes the horsemen, but it’s a home game after a bye week. Despite shipping off wide receiver Amari Cooper to Dallas (for first-round pick), the Silver & Black should come out with determination and grit, no?
Head coach Jon Gruden must have concocted a game plan that gives the feisty Raider Nation a reason to cheer. Because, for the majority of their 1-5 performance, the Raiders have fed their fiercely loyal fanbase horseshit.
- Gruden calling Doug Martin a feature back it would have been accurate a few seasons ago, but injury has seemingly zapped Muscle Hamster of his breakaway abilities. Can Martin break out as the main back? Perhaps. He does seem like the type that needs a number of carries to get going.
- Smart money: Jalen Richard gets a healthy amount of snaps. He’s become the pass-catching option out of the backfield, but the diminutive running back is ever-elusive and should get a few totes with the rock.
- The Raiders are expected to play cornerback Gareon Conley and safety Karl Joseph against the Colts. Give me a “Sunday Showcase!” Giving both snaps to drum up interest ahead of the Tuesday trade deadline, perhaps?
- If I were in charge of starting lineups, I’d go Daryl Worley, Conley and Nick Nelson at the outside corner and nickel spots. I’d shift Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to free safety with Marcus Gilchrist playing strong.
- I don’t doubt for a second there are players who are displeased with how the organization has operated through six games. There’s always strife in a locker room.
- Will be interesting to see if rookie wide receiver Marcell Ateman is active against the Colts. Fellow rookie Jason Cabinda is expected to be active, but he’s had a  longer amount of time to get acclimated.
- Speaking of youth, I’d give Cabinda and Nicholas Morrow plenty of snaps. The Raiders linebacking crew has been abysmal, so why not go the rotation route the team seems to enjoy doing with cornerbacks, at linebacker.
- Does cornerback Rashaan Melvin get productive snaps against his former squad or is he too far gone in the doghouse? He was brought in to Oakland for his shutdown work for Indianapolis last year.
- Former Raider safety Mike Mitchell signed late, but in two games with the Colts, he’s made an impact. I wouldn’t be surprised if Martin and Mitchell had a literal meeting of the minds on Sunday. Both Muscle Hamster and Missile Mike have a tendency to drop their heads just before contact.