Autumn Wins

By Peyton Schultze

With a 4-4 record and plenty of hope on the horizon for the Silver and Black, Thursday night’s matchup versus the Chargers should be a dandy behind the infamous Oakland crowd known as the Black Hole (via NBC Sports).

“The Autumn Wind is a pirate, blustering in from sea. With a rollicking song he sweeps along, swaggering boisterously.”

“The Autumn Wind is a Raider, pillaging just for fun. He’ll knock you ‘round and upside down, and laugh when he’s conquered and won.”

45 years have gone by since Steve Sabol’s 1974 poem/production “The Autumn Wind” debuted during NFL Films’ heyday, detailing Al Davis’ ruthless Oakland Raiders as just one interesting representation of the sport’s thundering intensity and poetic beauty. With true conviction and power behind narrator John Facenda’s smooth words, “The Autumn Wind” remains a cherished treasure of the Raider organization that can be heard in many different places, from their home games at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum to the television sets of the casual fan on the TV series “Hard Knocks”.

But for some, the true meaning behind the poem means even more than it may appear. Being a Raider is something that is simply not fit for every player, as previous busts such as Jamarcus Russell and Darren McFadden have shown during their time with the Silver and Black. It requires a playing style full of physicality, toughness, and commitment to the game, as well as a dedicated willingness to do whatever it takes to secure a win. Whereas prior Raider teams of the past two decades have struggled to buy-in to this concept for the sake of the organization, this year’s version has a striking resemblance to the great Raider teams of the past. Despite a ton of inexperience and young players littered across the roster, the 2019 Oakland Raiders look like a potential team of destiny that could eventually make some noise if they sneak into the playoffs.

Workhorse rookie running back Josh Jacobs looks like a blossoming superstar in a surprisingly dynamic Raiders’ offense (via NBC Sports).

Before the start of the regular season, the majority of football fans certainly dismissed any notion that the Raiders could be a contender in the AFC this season, but solid play on the field behind an energized fanbase has helped Oakland regain their footing in the conference during their final season in the Bay Area before heading to Las Vegas. Although the Raiders sit at .500 and second in the AFC West with a 4-4 record, it is key to point out that the Raiders entered 2019 with the hardest strength of schedule in the entire league. With the bulk of their schedule now in their rearview mirror, the Raiders can turn their attention to collecting several key wins in a row as they look to get back into the postseason for the first time since 2016. With seven of their last eight opponents against teams with a record that is worse than their own, the Raiders have a golden opportunity to make a run toward January if they can continue their solid recent play that has lifted them into the hunt for the AFC playoffs.

A major reason why the Raiders’ sudden success has stunned so many fans around the league is due to how much this squad has already gone through during this up-and-down 2019 season. With headline-stealing situations involving Antonio Brown’s controversial situation to depart from the team as well as being featured on the big stage on HBO’s “Hard Knocks with the Oakland Raiders”, the Raiders have constantly been put under a microscope based on their every move. Yet somehow, in head coach Jon Gruden’s second year back with the organization, Oakland has been able to right the ship and put up a fight nearly every week. But how?

Preparation, physicality, and discipline have all been very crucial to the Raiders’ intriguing start this season. Other than a Week 3 loss to the Vikings and a Week 7 loss to the Packers, the Raiders have been in nearly every game they’ve played in, including several close games against potential playoff caliber teams in the Colts, Texans, and Lions. Behind a physical offensive line that has set the tempo for an elite running game, the Raiders have moved the ball down the field at an exceptional rate compared to years’ past. A lot of this has to do with Gruden’s week-to-week preparation, and how much of a leap Derek Carr has taken in his second year in Gruden’s unique system. With Carr limiting his turnovers, stretching the field with a vertical passing attack, and helping the Raiders to the 11th ranked offense in the NFL in terms of total yardage, Oakland has shocked the league and stormed to second place in a competitive AFC West. With this type of consistent play setting the tone for the entire team, the Raiders have started to turn the corner of their prior misfortunes with a massive matchup in front of them on Thursday night.

Carr Dealer

Derek Carr’s steady improvement has helped lead the Oakland offense to a great deal of success so far in 2019 (via NBC Sports Bay Area).

With that being said, one of the most notable reasons for the Raiders’ success in 2019 has been the phenomenal play of rookie running back Josh Jacobs out of the University of Alabama. With 620 rushing yards and four touchdowns, Jacobs has become a face of franchise for the Raiders with a punishing running style and uncanny poise for a rookie. The young running back stud grew up in a tough background in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and became a breakout star in college with the Tide, slowly emerging as a player that could be trusted to help carry the load for any football team. However, few could have predicted just how great the Raiders’ first round running back would become when entering the professional level, as Jacobs looks like a future Pro Bowler in the Raiders’ dynamic offense. Behind one of the best and most intense offensive lines in all of football, Jacobs’ style has translated well into the NFL with tons of running lanes for the youngster.

In addition to Jacobs’ great play, the Raiders have had other standout players all across the roster. On offense, wide receiver Tyrell Williams and tight end Darren Waller have been massive additions who have created several big plays under Coach Gruden’s scheme. As the team transitions from the hard-working and gritty city of Oakland to the flashy and high-profiling city of Las Vegas, these two offensive studs look like two franchise cornerstones who will be suit up for the Silver and Black for the foreseeable future. On the other side of the football, although they have still struggled at times over the course of the season, the Raiders seem to have found two gems in defensive ends Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby. With both players getting after the quarterback at a high level, which the Raiders struggled to do a season ago, Oakland seems to have improved their defense significantly under aggressive defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. The Raider defense still has ways to go and will need to step up against some of the most talented quarterbacks in all of football, but they’ve taken some nice steps forward after years of putrid play.

Despite many analysts billing them as one of the worst teams in the AFC, the Raiders are on a mission to shock the world and possibly make a playoff appearance in a wide-open conference (via Flipboard).

So with this much intrigue and on-the-field play that has defied the odds, do the Raiders have a shot at sneaking into the playoffs as a Wild Card? It will be nearly impossible to jump the Kansas City Chiefs for first place in the AFC West, but the second Wild Card spot in the AFC is certainly up for grabs with teams such as Buffalo, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and Los Angeles all vying for two spots.

With that being said, this new sense of urgency just makes this Thursday night’s game versus the Chargers even more important. With both teams floating around the playoff picture and in need of a signature win, the two AFC West rivals should duke it out all night on the league’s brightest regular season stage under the lights. In the Raiders’ final primetime game in the Coliseum, it should be one of the loudest and most intense environments of the NFL season for any team, which could easily be a problem for the Los Angeles Chargers. Nonetheless, Philip Rivers ad the Chargers often thrive on the road in tough environments with their backs against the wall, which could make it even tougher for Oakland to come out on top against one of the most talented, yet underachieving, teams in the entire league.

Back in Black

For the first time since Gruden’s first tenure with the Raiders, Oakland looks like a team that could make some real noise in the AFC (via NBC Bay Area).

On Thursday night, we will truly find out just how much potential Jon Gruden’s Raiders have for this 2019 season. With a promising start halfway through the team’s schedule, the Raiders will surely need to come out with their hair on fire behind a raucous crowd in order to secure a victory and thrust themselves into the conversation as a team that needs to be taken seriously. However, Oakland has struggled in these types of situations in recent memory, which should be a bit of a cause for concern for an organization that has underachieved so many times in the past.

But this feels a bit different. These Raiders are more prepared and disciplined under Gruden’s tutelage than they have been in their prior eras of poor football, and it has certainly showed with their improved record. This does not guarantee a solid performance on Thursday night and for the rest of the season by any means, but this group has the type of moxie and swagger that could help their mindset heading into a big game against a tough opponent. To add to that, the emotions will be as high as ever in such a meaningful game in Oakland for the home faithful, and the Raiders will face the tall task of having to settle these emotions and put together a strong performance one last time for the Black Hole in primetime.

So will Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs help lead the Raiders to a crucial victory over Philip Rivers and the talented Chargers? Will Jon Gruden create an offensive scheme that puts up big points all night long for the Raiders? Will the Raiders’ improving defense put together their best performance of the season against one of the league’s most experienced quarterbacks? Will Oakland move into the conversation as a legit playoff team with a win on Thursday night? The Raiders have a ton of questions that will be answered on Thursday night, and it will be interesting to see just how well the team responds to the recent hype. All eyes will be on Oakland on Thursday Night Football, and we’ll find out just how good this team can be based on their anticipated performance under the lights.