Oakland Raiders will "Shake it Off" in 2012 and Defeat the Denver Broncos

Damali Binta – Apr 22, 2012

A commentator on Sirius XM radio complimented the moves being made by the Oakland Raiders in their selection of players during this pre-draft season. One even wondered how they were able to get the money to pay some of the players they selected.

This suggests that the media is puzzled at the ability of Reggie McKenzie and staff to move forward despite the turmoil that was supposed to be caused by the cap and the natural calamities the Oakland Raiders have experienced.  The puzzlement in the media is a good sign.  The major media do not need to know or understand the game plan of the Oakland Raiders. Let the mystery continue, and the media relations be dealt with cautiously.

In a way, the Oakland Raiders have experienced a bit of turmoil after the death of Mr. Al Davis. Transitioning from a model of almost complete control at the top level into a participatory model is not an easy transition for any business or NFL franchise.

I still feel that Mr. Davis was a giant and somehow the current moves have to stand on the shoulders of that giant. Some core philosophies of the Oakland Raiders cannot change. Even though this is a new era, the mottos of “Commitment to Excellence” and “Just win, baby!” make sense for the 2012 season and into the future.

Now, the Denver Broncos have experienced a different type of turmoil, yet it was a disturbance when you value the traditional models of a quarterback. Tim Tebow became an icon, while the owners of the franchise wanted the entire team to become iconic. The media caused a storm and Tebow became bigger (in the media) than his team. This model didn’t really fit and to be certain, when Peyton Manning became available you see the evidence for this conjecture.

As fast as the speed of light, the Broncos dumped Tebow and hooked up with Manning, in the hope that the traditional quarterback model will quarantee more points and victories for the Denver Broncos.

Points matter. When you compare the total points of the Raiders and the Broncos in 2011, it is clear that the Oakland Raiders scored more points in 2011. Yes, there were problems with the defense since they ranked at level 29 in yards and points, but somehow the Raiders were able to have a cumulative score greater than the Broncos. It suggests that the media attention did not correlate with the ability of the team to get points on the football field. Yes, there were last minutes victories and the Broncos slipped through with victories, but the point differences were not too great.

 

 

Here is a table of data:

	w	l	pts	opp pts	diff
Broncos	8	8	309	390	-81
Raiders	8	8	359	433	-74

At this time, there is some turmoil in the Broncos franchise because they will have to get adjusted to Mannings’ style. Similarly, the Oakland Raiders have to get adjusted to Palmer’s style and to the new coaching style of Dennis Allen.

Tebow was removed from the Broncos and the fanfare that surrounded him has been removed also. The fans are certainly befuddled and their signs and chants will have to change.

So, while the Broncos are in their turmoil, the Oakland Raiders are going to “shake off” any and every negative thought or perception about the future of the team. The “shake it off” theme comes from a sermon by Pastor Napoleon Kaufman.  Whatever adversity that has attempted to beset the Oakland Raiders, will be knocked off. The Oakland Raiders will “shake it off.”

John Elway showed he was somewhat fickle when Peyton Manning became available. The Broncos changed on Tebow on the drop of a dime, and the turmoil has begun.

On the other hand, the Oakland Raiders are going to accept their destiny and not be bounded or hindered by what the media says.

The Oakland Raiders outscored the Broncos in 2011 and they are going to defeat the Broncos in the game in September, of the 2012 regular season.

There is a greater purpose for the Oakland Raiders in 2012. The team has entered a new era and it must do so with discipline and effectiveness. The Oakland Raiders have their back up against the wall. It is now time for them to exercise their faith and to become victorious. “Use the tough times as a catapult to more victories in 2012” is a paraphrase based on the wisdom of Pastor Kaufman.

Go Raiders!

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