Raiders Win!

The Oakland Raiders have done it again. Coming in as huge underdogs to a Cincinnati team that finally had NFL experts convinced they were for real, the Raiders trailed for 59 minutes but managed to score twice in the last 33 seconds to record an improbable, come from behind, 20-17 win over the AFC North division leaders. Don’t have much of a recap, since the game was blacked out, as usual, here in Northern California, but this win just goes to show the team has the talent to compete with anyone. Well, almost anyone. But with Jamarcus Russell on the bench, Oakland obviously has a little extra confidence. The running game wasn’t much of a factor, totaling just 92 yards, but they did manage to gain a respectable 3.8 yds per carry. But it was the passing game that led them to victory. What’s funny is Bruce Gradkowski’s line of 17-34 for 183 yards is hardly an eye opener, nonetheless it was a performance that Raider fans would be happy to have, based on what Russell usually brings to the table. Moving forward, this is exactly what the Raiders need. With their remaining schedule, which includes 4 of their last 6 on the road, they’re not likely to make a playoff push of any kind, but they can use these last 6 games to build some confidence for next season. It’s conceivable they can win half of the games left on the schedule, and a six win season, sorry to say, would be a step in the right direction. The Raiders go to Dallas next on a short week to take on the Cowboys on Thanksgiving day. Although the Cowboys have been inconsistent this season, including a close call against Washington today, there probably isn’t much hope for a win. One can only hope the team carries the momentum from today into this Thursday’s showdown and at least competes.