8 is enough: All might be lost, but try to look on bright side
Eight reasons to take heart if you’re a Raiders fan:
1) Pretty soon, the Raiders’ coaches are going to stop trying to make adjustments at halftime. This will give the Raiders’ players free time to meditate, medicate, take a smoke break or do whatever players do to relax and recharge.
The Raiders have been outscored 123-34 in the third quarter this season.
In Sunday’s 38-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the first two plays of the second half were a 75-yard kickoff return by the Saints’ Travaris Ca-
det and a 27-yard touchdown run by Mark Ingram.
Whatever adjustments the Raiders are making at halftime, they should stop making ’em. Dennis Allen and his boys are getting out-adjusted.
Many decades ago, Brooklyn Dodgers manager Charlie Dressen told his players, “Just stay close, I’ll think of something.” Allen’s mantra now should be, “Just stay close and I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
2) Another one of those oh-so-unsatisfying 8-8 seasons probably isn’t in the cards. A three-peat on an even-steven season is unlikely.
The 2012 version of the Raiders seems incapable of sustaining the mediocrity momentum built by the past two teams.
3) The Raiders won’t get booed off the field next Sunday.
They’ll be on the road, in Cincinnati.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, they play their worst ball on the road. And Cincy has an assistant coach named Hue Jackson, whose very presence will provide a weeklong reminder of the Better Old Days.
Under Jackson, the Raiders went 8-8. Jackson’s critics will say, “Yeah, but Hue made that trade for Carson Palmer, who played horribly Sunday.” And Jackson’s defenders will counter with, “Palmer played pretty damn well when Hue Jackson was his coach.” Ouch. 4) The Raiders are inching closer to the top of the draft class.
And whomever the Raiders draft, it won’t be an Al Davis pick. At least I don’t think it will be.
Still, debate and disenchantment loom. There will be a clamor for the Raiders to draft a quarterback, but if they do, the louder clamor will become, “How can you draft a quarterback Scott Ostler is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. E-mail: sostler@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @scottostler when the team’s most obvious and desperate need is for a (fill in the blank)?”
Depth, that’s the Raiders’ problem. They’re about as deep as a “Where’s Waldo?” book.
5) The Black Hole has plenty of motivation to step up its game.
Back in the day, the Black Hole stood for fear and intimidation. On Sunday, the Saints mocked the Hole.
When tight end Jimmy Graham caught a 1-yard touchdown pass on the Saints’ opening drive, he spiked the ball over the crossbar and it bounced toward the Black Hole. Then Graham made a disrespectful, taunting gesture to those snarling fans.
If nothing else, the Black Hole folks should find a way to electrify the crossbar. Just a mild shock.
In the second quarter, New Orleans safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper celebrated an end-zone interception by taunting the Black Hole. They got penalized for it, but they didn’t seem to mind.
Later, at the other end of the field, wideout Lance Moore caught a touchdown pass and did a sprightly “Gangnam Style” dance for the end-zone fans.
In the old days, opponents came to the Coliseum hoping to survive. Now, they come hoping to impress the talent scouts for “Dancing With the Stars.”
6) After Sunday, Palmer has only one way to go.
Against the league’s worst (until Sunday) defense, Palmer, uh, struggled.
He threw two interceptions, both in the first half, and two other potential interceptions were dropped by would-be interceptors.
Some blame goes to the Raiders’ receivers. Tight end Brandon Myers had a Palmer pass skid through his hands in the end zone and into the hands of a defender. Denarius Moore was targeted seven times and caught one pass. On several occasions, Palmer and his receiver were not on the same page, or even in the same chapter. 7) It ain’t over ’til it’s over. “Right now, we’re shooting for 9-7,” Palmer said, adding, “The AFC is still pretty wide open, for the most part …”
8) The team owner is feeling better.
Mark Davis chatted with the media after the game. Unlike his late father, Mark doesn’t mind occasionally expressing his thoughts to the Raiders’ fans, via the media.
Davis said he was embarrassed and disappointed with the team’s “regression,” and he indicated that he understands the realities of the situation, but he’s not giving free passes to anyone, including himself or his head coach.
Davis also mentioned that he had surgery five months ago to correct a back problem, the surgery didn’t work, but doctors recently discovered a tumor/cyst on his sciatic nerve and removed it. He said he’ll get back to the gym Jan. 1.
“The triplets go away then,” Davis said, patting his growing boiler.
Other problems, however, might be tougher to sweat away.