This has been a season filled with impressive wins and extremely disappointing losses, flashing both the somewhat surprising potential this team has heading into the future, as well as highlighting the work still to be done.
In the NFL, you are only as good as your record says you are, and for the most part, that is especially the case for the league's 32 head coaches.
In Dennis Allen, however, no matter what record the Raiders finish this 2013 season with, that may not be the case.
When hired by Reggie McKenzie not two years ago, Allen had his work cut out for him.
The Raiders were in such a financial mess that a complete teardown of the roster was required before they could even think about commencing the rebuild.
Essentially, from day one, Allen was taking over a team that had little chance of success, for their many needs had very few ways in which they could be addressed.
With no cap space to speak of, and a number of draft picks missing from trades made under the previous regime, time was required to get this team where it needed to be.
Unfortunately, NFL coaches aren't always afforded that kind of time, as a lack of immediate results are all too often met with criticism and calls for change.
This time around, winning record or not, the Raiders have a head coach who should be commended for the job he has done in not even two seasons at the helm.
The talent level of this team has the potential to improve incredibly in a short period of time, and that will play a huge part in them getting back to playoff contention, but not nearly as much as the foundation for which that has been laid by Allen and his staff.
From a schematic standpoint on the ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
