After some impressive performances throughout the first six games, and especially so on the defensive side of the ball, the Week 9 blowout loss made for quite the disappointment.
Having said that, it does represent just one of many games on the season's schedule, and in the big picture, does very little to nullify the significant progress the team has made in such a short period of time.
As Raiders fans are well aware, this team was labelled as one of the NFL's worst heading into this year, and one certain to be selecting either near or at the top of April's draft.
The Raiders' surprising success and competitiveness early on has proven the quality of the foundation laid by this new regime, upon which the organization will continue to build for years to come.
Suddenly, after years of instability, the Raiders seem like a franchise that is well managed with Reggie McKenzie at the helm, and well coached by Dennis Allen and the impressive staff he has been able to put together.
This, more than anything else, has provided the stark difference between this year's Raiders team, and those of the mid-late 2000s that continuously struggled despite having what many considered to be talented rosters.
No, this year's roster is not nearly the most talented in the league, and still has a number of areas across the depth chart that could stand to be upgraded.
However, with the core players they do have, in tandem with the right coaching staff and management personnel, this organization is headed in the right direction, and could find themselves among the league's best much quicker than many think.
First, and most importantly, the Raiders just may have found themselves a future franchise quarterback in Te...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
