I met Cliff once, and can honestly say the man was a solid, honorable person who loved football, loved people and just straight up loved life. Although, it's a crying shame Cliff wasn't given the honor of induction into the Hall while alive, we who were privileged to have met and/or known the man will raise a glass to this weekend's tribute to #21 of the Oakland Raiders.
Raider Nation should hold their heads just a bit higher this weekend, knowing that a man who helped put three Super Bowl Championships in the silver & black trophy case, continues to bring Pride and Poise to the teams' legacy. Cliff Branch was and will always be a standard-bearer for Raiders players and fans commitment to excellence. A gentle man who brought pride and poise to a pirate ship full of rebels and renegades.
Last night's exhibition game win over the Jaguars showed the Raiders are taking long strides toward contending for an NFL Championship in 2022-23. I know it was only an exhibition game, but the new coaching staff had the team ready to play like it was the first game of the regular season. The Raiders had 6 for 46 yards on penalties, with none committed at a crucial time in the game. They had close to a 10-minute advantage in time of possession. They held the Jags to 1 rushing first down and only 3-12 on third down efficiency. The Raiders offense, defense, and for the most part special teams were on point. 3-4 in the Red Zone while limiting your opponent to 1-1 (that's one red zone visit allowed for the game).
The off-season brought change to the Raiders coaching staff and some player personnel. Rule changes and player safety continue to force football players and teams to make adjustments in their game. But as much as we see things change in football, we see the basic things remain the same: pass-catch-run-tackle-block-kick. The schemes and plays might change along with some players, but the goal is still the basic requirement Al Davis so eloquently laid out for his team; "Just Win Baby"
The Raiders executed the basics of football to near perfection in their pre-season debut. It looks as if this could be the season everything falls in place and the Raiders find themselves competing for the Lombardi. If any team is due for receiving a blessing from the football God's, especially after so many team trials and tribulations, who but the Raiders fit that mold.
Hear my plea Al. If you have the ear of the Big Guy up there in the Sky, ask he forgive us our trespasses and consider returning our team to the days of glory that was Raiders football. And let Cliff do the explaining - Amen
Jaguars 11
Raiders 27
No comments:
Post a Comment