THE RAIDERS FALL TO........THE RAIDERS.

Bill Callahan, a few seasons ago, referred to the RAIDERS as the dumbest team in America.
Last night in Tennessee the present players proved that not that much has changed.We are still as DUMB, in fact we may be DUMBER.
Players not being set at the snap, false start after false start, dropped passes.These players who continually repeat-offend should be gone at seasons end, and some of them should have been gone before now.Unfortunately Lane Kiffin has to work with theses players until then, so DUMBEST may yet be achievable.

Once again the Defense which had come in for some early season criticism stepped up.OK, they had one truly terrible series for the Tennessee TD, where the art of tackling was once again forgotten, but they recovered and played well overall keeping Vince Young in check.So again we were in a game in the fourth quarter, a game that was there for the winning, problem is, we will always find a way to beat ourselves.Because we are stupid, or rather we have stupid players.
Lane Kiffin himself was partly to blame last night.The Culpepper fumble deep in our own territory was simply avoidable, as Rich Gannon alluded to in commentary.We were a point ahead in a tight game, our Defense had stiffened, and Shane Lechler was booming punts into space.The Tennessee line was killing our excuse for an O-line, so on third and very long, they once again drop Culpepper back.Screen or draw coach? as Mr Gannon suggested, get more room for Lechler to put Tenn way deep ( his next punt went for 70 yards ),and not sticking with Justin Fargas, when he looked like he may have one of those spells like he did in Miami.
I don't want to be too harsh on Kiffin, because he doesn't make the bonehead mistakes on the field, but when he has a team that he knows is so capable of doing that, he should be more protective of leads, however slim.
I talked last week of Daunte Culpepper's knack of self-destructing, and he was at it again this week.He seems incapable of throwing a ball away to avoid the sack, and throws interceptions that are completely un-necessary, but in his defense, he made 3rd and long passes to Ron Curry and Mike Williams which could have led to points on the board, but due to the DUMBNESS these were negated.I also talked of the need to get Jamarcus Russell into the game sooner than anticipated.Watching the game last night, I was of differing opinions as it went on, if the line has regressed to its bad old ways then Russell may get killed out there, or if it was a case of the Tennessee D-line being extremely good, then Russell may have his chance yet.
I cannot allow myself to get too down on the team, the season, life, Barry f!*$#&g Simms, and what has gone.We travel thousands of miles this week to be in town for the next two home games, home games that could, and I say could, resurrect some sense of respectability to the won-loss column.
Hopefully those with season tickets who are suspecting the worst for the next two games, won't stay at home to watch the Patriots-Colts game on Sunday, leaving a half full Coliseum, you can still get drunk at the tailgate and look at the Raiderettes, come on the Brits are coming and we ( well one of us ) guarantees two wins against the Texans and Bears.
This shall therefore be the Honorary British Week Of No DUMBNESS.Make that two weeks.The DUMBLESS fortnight.

We look forward to seeing everyone , all at Ricky's ( any chance of some Guinness Ricky? ) all the Mikes, Addie, the Raidercast, Raiderhed and RaiderfanRadio, Sweaty Rick, Ken, eggs that are over and easy and over, Al the triad shuttle bus driver, the pubs of Berkeley.God bless you all.