After several years of mediocrity and oftentimes embarrassment, the Oakland Raiders appear on the verge of getting their swagger back. Darren McFadden is clearly one of the game’s most explosive backs and the Raiders have done a tremendous job of pounding the football early in the season. A victory at home over the Jets that included 234 yards on the ground should give Oakland confidence they can grind out wins against the better teams in the league — including the Patriots.
The team that traded Richard Seymour in 2009 for a first-round pick will visit the Black Hole on Sunday. Seymour has helped anchor a Raiders defense that is starting to regain its identity, and from the sound of it he’s enjoying every bit of it.
“Just the mystique of that uniform,” Seymour told the Boston Herald. “It’s more than a team. You’re carrying a culture with you. We play Raider football. Nasty, rip-your-head-off brutality. As a lineman, that’s the ultimate.’’
Those comments come just a few days after Seymour described the Raiders defense as X-rated, so he may be getting a bit carried away in voicing his opinion. Still, it is important to have leaders like Richard who inject confidence into the team. Jason Campbell is a mediocre quarterback, but if Oakland can continue to pound the ball with McFadden and make plays on defense they will become a legitimate playoff contender.
