Taking on too much, too fast while thinking about that game could be hazardous to your health. The root of any mental strain may actually depend on your age.
There’s a young generation of NFL fans that have never known a successful Raiders team, or at best, those visions are a faint memory. Oh sure, they’ve heard the folktales from their football-watching elders around the campfire. But to see it with their own eyes is something else entirely.
To briefly summarize the stench of recent Raiders history: They last made the playoffs in 2002 and in the years since haven’t had a winning record once. During that stretch, they finished with four or fewer wins seven times, and going 8-8 twice (2010 and 2011) felt like an accomplishment.
Now a team infused with youth at core positions is surging. The Raiders are making winning a habit and doing it often with late-game comebacks. Another one came Sunday to send the game they eventually won over the Bucs to overtime. That’s when wide receiver Seth Roberts won the game with his 41-yard touchdown reception in the fifth quarter.
How much, exactly, are the Raiders winning? Let’s just say that to find their last 6-2 start you have to flip back to a time when making Seinfeld references was only a little dated and still showed some grasp of pop culture.
Yes, for the first time in 15 long years, the Raiders are more than just relevant. They’re more than just a little above afterthought territory too. And they’re more than just some feel-good story fighting to get your attention.
They lead their division and are second in the AFC. Oakland is also 5-0 on the road for the first time since 1977. It gets better, too, as the Raiders...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
