There are very few franchises in the NFL that can claim as large a historical contribution as the Oakland Raiders. After so many ups and downs through the franchise’s history, it’s time to revisit what makes them so great and why the Raiders are such an integral part of the game as we know it …
Born on the August 17th, 1963 in Sandusky, Ohio, Jon Gruden would grow up to become one of the most well-respected head coaches in NFL history. Becoming involved in football was no coincidence for Jon Gruden. His father Jim worked for the Tampa Buccaneers as a professional football regional scout, running backs coach, and director …
Sebastian Janikowski will not play again for the Oakland Raiders this year and possibly won’t take the field again. For Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski, 2017 was a contract year. The long-time superstar leg of the Raiders renegotiated his contract in the offseason in preparation for free agency next year. The kicker took a pay …
Last ‘Bastian: Al Davis’s Last Leg Might Be A Goner Read More »
There’s one team in the NFL that has a reputation that precedes them and it’s been that way since the very beginning. The Oakland Raiders were established in controversy and have remained that way practically since Day 1. Every team with Oakland on their schedule has the storied “Raiders Week” when they plan to face a …
Nothing New With Oakland Raiders Fighting for Their Lives Read More »
Before Deion Sanders, there was Raiders legend Cliff Branch. Long before “Neon Deion” dazzled sporting No. 21, “Speed Kills” was the “OG” 21 lighting up the NFL. “He said it verbally: “You’re not going to cover me,’” Ronnie Lott said of Branch during a feature that aired at halftime of the Raiders first preseason game …
Olive Branch: Raiders WR’s latest HOF bid snapped again Read More »
Having grown up a Los Angeles Raiders fan in a family that bled “Silver and Black,” I was always familiar with the names that came to define the particular era; Marcus Allen, Howie Long, and of course, Todd Christensen. Lately, there’s been a lot of discussions and justifiably so, of when Cliff Branch will be enshrined in the NFL Hall Of Fame in Canton, Ohio but what about Christensen? A tight end that to his credit helped revolutionize the position also merits discussion.Â
When I think of Tom Flores, I think of the head coach that won two Super Bowls with the Oakland Raiders. I also think of the one coach that wasn’t able to get his team over the hill back in Seattle. Is he worthy of enshrinement? Isn’t he? There must be a point in between the Raiders and the Seahawks, but his legacy is more complicated than either being enshrined into the Hall of Fame or not.
Denarius Moore’s consistent play was enough to put him higher on this list than Curry even though Curry had more receiving yards. I had forgotten about Porter’s suspension in 2006 which stemmed from his bickering with then head coach Art Shell. I always wonder what these receivers could have done with the young star the Raiders now have under center. Either way, real fans can appreciate how far the Raiders have come from those days and enjoy even more the present day success.
By now the Oakland Raiders being one of the favorites to compete for a trip to next year’s Super Bowl is one of the NFL’s worst kept secrets. While just how legitimate of a chance the current team has is debatable but when you have two of the greatest men ever to don the Silver and Black say there’s a chance; well you gotta pay attention.
In part one of this series, we took a look at the top three quarterbacks of the Oakland Raiders’ “Dark Age”. I’ve deemed this time with such gloom immediately after the Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2002 NFL Super Bowl up through the 2013 season, the season before Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, and Gabe Jackson were drafted. During this period the Silver and Black combined for a total record of 53-123. So now we will take a look at the best running backs during from this disastrous period.
