Dennis Allen likes to talk about being consistent and not making the same mistakes repeatedly. On Monday, the team had issues with both consistency and making the same mistakes. The defense beat themselves with offsides penalties and by allowing a few big plays, and the offense turned the ball over a few times and struggled to generate the type of passing offense for which the offense has shown to be capable.
It wasn’t a bad practice, but it is perhaps a sign that while progress has been made on both sides of the ball, the team has not yet turned a corner.
It’s the mental mistakes that Dennis Allen said he addresses with the team in the meeting room. “Those are the things that costs you games.” Allen said. “To learn to win the National Football League the first thing you gotta do is learn how to not beat yourself. Penalties, turning the ball over, those types of things cost you football games. Until we get that corrected we’re going to stand up here and say the same things over and over.”
Allen, like his predecessors, knows the Raiders will be limited more by their ability to play tough and smart than their raw talent. Part of the plan this offseason was to bring in veterans that fit this mold: Mike Brisiel, Dave Tollefson, Ron Bartell and Shawntae Spencer.
Spencer was among the bright spots for the Raiders on Monday after a few padded practices, where it became apparent he would be challenged by sophomore cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke. The coaching staff stuck with Spencer with the first team as Ron Bartell returned to practice on a limited basis and bumped Van D...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
