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Bad breaks. Poor officiating. Injuries. Fired-up opponents. Super Bowl hangover. Everybody seems to have a different reason for the Raiders' struggles through five games this season.
Nonetheless, numerous players and coach Bill Callahan say, they are unified
in their belief that what the Raiders have experienced so far is an aberration
and that good things await.
"This team has had enough of looking for excuses," right offensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy said Wednesday. "We just got to win." NFL Tickets
The Raiders are 2-3 and already three games behind the Kansas City Chiefs in
the AFC West. Next up are the Cleveland Browns (2-3) on Sunday in a game that
has all the markings of a must-win contest for the Raiders.
Raiders left guard Frank Middleton isn't one to mince words. He said this is
a game the Raiders expect to win, one that they need to win and one that they
had better win. Or else.
The Raiders are bound and determined not to find out what "or else"
entails, quarterback Rich Gannon said. To that end, veteran players such as
Gannon, Kennedy and wide receiver Tim Brown have taken it upon themselves to
assert their leadership.
"That's begun to take place," Gannon said. "Not just with the
(aforementioned) guys, but with other guys, and I certainly feel that there's
a sense of urgency, and the guys understand where we are and what needs to get
done to rectify things."
The problems are many, Callahan said.
"As a team, we're currently in the midst of inconsistency," Callahan
said. "It's a situation that shows up in every phase of our game -- special
teams, offense and on defense. We've got a lot things to shore up." NFL
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Callahan received credit from his players for pulling them through a four-game
losing streak last season en route to the Super Bowl.
But Callahan can do only so much, defensive end Trace Armstrong said. At some
point, it's incumbent upon the players to do whatever it takes to turn things
around.
"The answer is in this locker room," Kennedy said.
No one in that locker room is pointing fingers, panicking or giving up, the
players said.
"The thing that I can fall on is, that guys are very committed to what
we're doing," Gannon said. "I don't see any divisions in the locker
room, guys questioning what we're doing."
One popular theory says the Raiders still haven't recovered from their humiliating
loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl on Jan. 26.
Nonsense, Kennedy said.
"It's just an excuse put out there for bad play," he said.
The Raiders are fortunate to be where they are after the way they played so
far, Kennedy said. Their victories came against the Cincinnati Bengals, now
1-4, and the San Diego Chargers (0-5) on last-second field goals by Sebastian
Janikowski in games in which Oakland was outplayed.
Losing road games to the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans are one thing,
center Barret Robbins said. Losing on the road to the 0-3 Chicago Bears after
leading 18-3 at halftime is another thing, something that threatens to linger.
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"Mentally, it's a struggle," Robbins said. "Anytime you suffer
a loss like we did last week, it's mentally demoralizing."
Callahan pointed out to his players Wednesday that every team struggles at some
point in a 16-game season. As evidence, he reminded them that the 5-0 Indianapolis
Colts are the only playoff team from last season with more than three victories
this season and that nine of the 12 playoff teams have lost as many or more
games than they have won.
"We all have problems," Gannon said. "It's how you deal and how
you overcome the adversity that you face during the course of the season that's
really going to dictate what kind of team you are down the stretch in November
and December."