NFL Scores Week 14: Raiders So Close, Yet...Ugh

After reading this I feel sad. Damn fine writing, Noontide. Rec’d.

as you have done, noon, in a detached big picture outlook. And it’s true that looking at things at the granular level causes far greater hurt than at the abstracted ethereal level. But, Football is not very conducive to dualistic thinking, like the human being itself, the game is a composite of mind and body, cerebral and physical and the practical elements cannot be avoided. StD must lose to SF or Cincinnati or Denver or the posited 9-7 finish by the Raiders fails … fails the primary intention (making the playoffs this season), which after all, is the true measure.of success or failure. That said, many secondary intentions have been achieved this season … and there is consolation in these.

Yesterday’s game was the type of game that made me remember why I’m a football fan. That was a fun game to watch and a sad finish. That being said, my birthday is Thursday. I will like nothing better than for KC to lose one of the next two games and SD to lose to SF that night. We are still in this one by the slimmest of margins and it is fun to say that for the first time in years.

We still need to win ONE MORE GAME. What happens if we lose the next three games? Know what happens? We’re back in double digit losing seasons, and back suffering the same fate that we have had to suffer for the past 7 years. We have to suffer from Warren Sapp’s mouth again, from Kawakami’s writing again, from Mel Kiper (although he’s shored the hell up), and everybody else.

Denver WILL NOT be easy. I expect them to come close to beating us; They want revenge for that 59-14 Game. And we all know what they say; throw out the stat and record book for ANY divisional game.

Indy WILL NOT be easy. ANY GAME with Peyton Manning wil not be easy; the way he’s able to dissect coverages.

And we all know about Kansas City at Arrowhead.

That game against the Jaguars was the game we should have won. I really don’t care about playoffs anymore. I don’t want to be 6-10.

but what many are failing to realize is that the offense hung them out to dry in the 3rd quarter. The defense was on the field for nearly the entire 3rd quarter and they simply could not hold their ground. Hue Jackson needs to find more ways to help the Raiders offense create more consistent, 1st down generating drives.

9-7 will be tough only because the Chargers schedule is so easy the last 3 weeks. Yes the last two are on the road, but they are at Cincinnati and Denver. Can’t really worry about this though, its about focusing on our own opponents and knowing that we absolutely cannot lose another game if we want to even think about the playoffs.

I was talking with my dad after the game, and we were trying to put the season in perspective, about how at the beginning of the season we said we’d be satisfied with 8-8, but having seen the Raiders play better we got a little greedier and wanted more out of them. Overall I’m excited by the improvements, but there is still hope for this year, and with continued growth and change this franchise is really starting to turn the corner.

Apparently…..Cable does not like the fact that Jackson is OC….and his “inner circle” might be pushing him to take the job at University of Miami, or somewhere else.

Now I know that this isn’t the right place to put this, (but I have a paper due, I don’t feel like making a fanpost or fanshot), but even though this guy is unreliable, We all do realize that Hue Jackson is the reason why we’re 6-7 right now. If he goes…….

but we have to get back up to close out our home schedule…I know the playoffs aren’t completely ruled out, but I’m reminded of a story JerryMac posted after the first beatdown of the Donkeys. He said it reminded him of the 1999 season where we trucked the Bucs, but the signature win of that season was knocking the Chiefs out of the playoffs in the last game to finish 8-8. We very well could mirror that season, and I hope to see huge progress next year.

Jason Campbell, along with DMC had one helluva game yesterday. He spread the ball around better than in any game this season…DMC was the best football player on the field yesterday, and he proved it with his performance.

by Gad sir, we’ve come along way since last year, and the whole Jafatass Russell fiasco years seem now a blur in the rear view mirror. I mean—we are crushing our West division foes! A great draft, some rising stars pushing to the forefront, and SO much potential is finally being realized on many levels. At last there is re-affirmed hope across the mighty breadth of Raider Nation (but I will take me a winning season!).

I am a Jaguars fan (second favorite team to the Raiders) and the type of game we just witnessed is Jaguars football. They run, run, run, and run again, and when you think they’re going to run and gear up for the run, they run for eight yards because they’re good at run blocking and that’s what they do well, Unlike previous years, if you dare Garrard to beat you, he can actually do it now.

Remember guys, the Jaguars are a near-perennial AFC playoff team and already beat the Colts this year. Our Raiders showed a lot of heart, skill, and a good gameplan. The Jaguars are just really, really good.

Now, on to the Colts game! We should watch a lot of film from when the Jags beat them, and do the same things. It works. The Colts can’t run, or defend much of anything at this point.

First the Ford fumble , the not kicking a field goal with 7:59 left in the fourth and the inability to stop the Jags in the 2cd half just killed us . That being said I have a strange feeling that the Chargers are going to overlook the Niners and not take them seriously and the Cheifs could easily get beat by the Rams . The hardest part for us will be going against Manning (if we dont get to him he will torch our secondary) and the game at Arrowhead (historically we get some of the refs best work out there) Personally I think we are a QB and a few O-lineman away from being a 11-5 / 12- 6 team . I was hoping at the beggining of the year that we would go 8-8 and split our division games , so I am happy with the improvement but I still want more!
GO RAIDERS! It aint over until its over!

and though, it indicates we are certainly no longer indifferent to our plight, this wound that festers so like bleeding ulcers wincing in having to digest the horrible outcome of the familiar gruel of a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the merciless football gods. No matter how you dissect it: this was one that slipped through our fingers like the muffed kickoff through the hands of the Nation’s newest hero.

This pain in the gut hurts as if from a, “humiliating kick in the crotch,” and leaves an emptiness that hints at something like how castration must feel. So solid a performance on so many levels, but meaningless, really, without the desired end.

Improvement offers bittersweet solace; the familiarity of the disappointment of yet another in which we had every chance to emerge victorious then slipping away will ache until what ails us is healed. It is not.

There is little solace in being “competitive.” The worst of teams we fielded in the 8 year spiral competed, even under some highly questionable direction. I will not be the least bit satisfied with finishing .500 or less, which will only indicate, we are still not a winning football team.

"humiliating kick in the crotch"

Yes it sucks, we were a play or two from controlling our own destiny and taking the division. But hell how many years have we been indifferent by week 14? Talking about how Al as screwed us again….how we have not QB….how our defense is as porous as a sponge…..and then this year we see it….this team is coming together…still have a chance to take the division…need some help….but still have a chance….all it really takes is the Chiefs to lose one in the next two…and the chargers to lose one in the next three and us put the smack down on the Chiefs in Arrowhead in the final game…and we go…oh yeah and us beating the colts and the donkeys too…yeah we need help….yeah had a couple plays gone differently we would be singing a different tune today….but hell feels pretty damn good to know that in week 14 we are still in this thing…and going forward…looks like the next decade might be damn good!!

But it didn’t make the sting of defeat any less painful. We still have a slim chance at making the playoffs, and I continue to stick by my original goal of 8-8 for this time. We’re on the road to respectability—not quite pride and poise, but getting closer than we’ve been in some time.

Ok, I paid for plane tickets, club seats and a hotel to go to the Arizona game earlier this year and Jano gave that one up in the last few seconds. After reading your post, yesterday’s loss did indeed hurt more. You are a good writer, I hurt with you.

but big Denver omelette would make me happy.

Cause he would be singing his infamous “turn out the lights,the party’s over”! And in all probobility it is. Papa’s right , That’s the 2nd game the ghb guy’s cost us (see the 30 some yarder in Arizona) and you get paid to perform ,not kill your team’s morale. As the Grateful dead song says “I need a miracle every day”. Well , it WAS nice having that playoff atmosphere feeling in the hours leading up to kickoff for a change ,and for the entire game for the most part , and we all know that with a little Pride and Poise we would be sitting at 8-5 right now (see Az-SF games). So knowing that makes me feel better.
Now begins the agonizing and fretting as the Chargers continue to win and we do too ,hoping that they revert to their form of the first part of the season and we end up tied after the final game and win the division title in Kansas shitty the last game of the year. IT CAN HAPPEN , but likely won’t as the Chargers are an experienced veteren team and they smell blood. It’s like doing “Whippets” , nice buzz till you take a deep breath of fresh air. R.F.F.R.