"Commitment to Excellence"
It used to be a mantra that the Oakland Raiders lived by and their fans held up as a badge of honor, but as the team sits on the verge of their 10th consecutive season without a winning record, that slogan has become more punchline than prophecy in the Bay Area of late.
After getting pasted by the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12, the Raiders are preparing to host the Cleveland Browns in a game that means a lot more in regards to position for the 2013 NFL draft then it does in the standings, and a season that was supposed to be a step in the right direction has instead turned into more spinning of wheels.
So what can the Raiders do to get things headed the right way?
Well I'm glad you asked.
1.) Fire Offensive Coordinator Greg Knapp
Much of Raider Nation wondered why head coach Dennis Allen hired Knapp to begin with, given that in his previous stint with the team from 2007-2008, the team ranked no higher than 25th in the NFL in total offense.
Their reservations have proven true, as the Raiders have been out of sync offensively more often than not this season. Knapp's new zone-blocking scheme has reduced the running game to shambles, and while the team ranks a respectable 15th in the NFL in total offense, that number is artificially inflated by garbage-time production.
Buh-bye Greg. Here's a snowglobe as a token of our esteem, and no you may not have a reference letter.
2.) Continue to trim the fat from the roster
It's been forgotten a bit as the losses have mounted and frustration has grown in the fanbase, but Allen and new general manager Reggie McKenzie were handed a mess of a roster by the previous regime, and McKenzie wisely jettisoned several players with bloated contracts in the offseason.
It may sting in the short-term, but that trend needs to continue....
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
