Raiders didn't visit Tennessee this weekend to be in a beauty contest
It wasn't pretty, but the Oakland Raiders squeaked out a road win in hot and humid Tennessee over the weekend. This time it was the offense that looked less than stellar as they put up 17pts in the first half, but were shut out in the second. Penalties cost them a sweet touchdown pass down the middle to one of the tight ends. On the plus side, on a day the offense struggled they were still able to move the ball and put points on the board. Carr & Co. kept the pressure on the Titans defense and if not for a few dropped passes and penalties, the game could have been a blow-out.
As for the previously under-performing Defense, How Bout Dem Raiders!
#29 David Amerson snatches away Titans pass for an interception
The defense, especially the linebackers and D'backs, played the way we expected them to play; tough and tight. They knocked down passes, had two interceptions and a fumble recovery while showing trust and confidence in one another. Head Coach Jack Del Rio deserves credit for pressuring the defensive coaching staff into making on field personnel changes, as well as better scheming. The blitz is back in Oaktown.
One noticeable trait about yesterday's Raiders defense is that they weren't getting fooled or pulled out of position by offensive schemes. They played like they knew what was coming and had prepared to the fullest.
Guys were hustling around out there in the heat with enthusiasm and confidence. You could see that the defense wanted to make a rebuttal statement after being tagged the worse defensive unit in the league; their rebuttal statement came across loud and clear as the Raiders defense buckled down and stopped the Titans in the final minute of the game to secure the win.
Again, it wasn't pretty, but it shows the fight and commitment of this Raiders team. The silver and black are a team that the other 31 NFL teams have taken notice of. They're earning respect for their ability to play anybody, anywhere, for a full four quarters and overtime periods if needed. One tag that'll never stick to this Oakland Raiders team is quit; Coach Jack just won't allow it and neither will the players. This is not one of those Raiders teams that's playing for a paycheck. There's much more at stake than dollars. There's the pride that comes with putting in the work to do something great. The reward is in not only winning, but the respect all that hard work earns you. We're about to see something great come out of these Raiders. Don't sleep on them and miss out.
Congrats #11 Sebastian Janikowski on kicking himself into the record books yesterday with his 53rd career field goal of 50 or more yards. He's the longest tenured player on the team and hopefully will stay productive enough to be a part of the glory we expect from this Raiders team. How about winning a title for old man Sea Bass fellas.
Final Score
Raiders 17
Titans 10
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