The Oakland Raiders are certainly the underdogs. Two years removed from the ownership of Al Davis, the franchise has been attempting to pick up the pieces and rebuild the team. With Reggie McKenzie now in place as general manager and Dennis Allen as head coach, the partnership could be just what the Raiders need to put up a winning season. However, they are not ready to leave their underdog status behind just yet.
ESPN and Profootballtalk.com ranked the Raiders as No. 32 on the NFL Preseason list. After 4-12 season and being hindered by salary-cap restraints, no one is giving the Raiders much of a shot at doing anything this year. Allen is not exactly hating that. After a slew of preseason practices, Allen walked away impressed with the team's young but talented roster.
"I know there's a lot of experts out there that might think differently, but I like this football team," Allen said.
The Raiders have not put up a winning since 2002,that is 10 seasons of losing. With one of the most dedicated fanbases in the NFL, Raider Nation is ready for a change. With McKenzie and Allen partnering, that could happen. McKenzie recently spoke with 95.7 The Game and said he and Allen work well together and are comfortable with where things are headed.
"It was Year 1 for all of us-for Coach Allen, for myself, for our owner Mark Davis. Allen went through some growing pains, as well as I. This year he's much more comfortable. The way he wants this team to look, his staff, his philosophies, is much smoother," McKenzie said.
Having Allen return as head coach is already change in itself. Bringing in a new offensive scheme and overhauling the defensive staff, Allen is letting his presence be felt with each passing day. With that, a quarterback will also be key to the rebuilding process. Matt Flynn is the likely starter for the Raiders, but many are saying Tyler Wilson has a fair shot. McKenzie is not buying into the reports.
"I really don't pay a whole lot of attention to that. Sorry about that, beat writers. If you were really good I'd probably get you in one of these scouting jobs," McKenzie said.
McKenzie and Allen are instilling a sort of "we know something you don't" attitude with the team. While the roster may be young, it has potential and the two are hoping the players block out the media reports and just trust in themselves. Veteran safety Charles Woodson is certainly taking notice.
"It's about trying to set a tone and making sure you're busting your tail like you're going to win every game, because nobody is going to give us a shot this year to do anything," Woodson said.
The Raiders might not be playoff bound this year, but they certainly are better than the 4-12 team last year. It is only going up for here.