In the same way the Raiders seemed to have checked out under Josh McDaniels, they were energized for interim head coach Antonio Pierce. They rode that wave to a resounding 30-6 victory over the visiting Giants.
It’s safe to say they were playing on another emotional plan entirely from what we’ve seen from them in some time. Honestly I can’t recall this team playing such inspired football.
It permeated the entire team and the locker room after it was over was buzzing with excitement…and a lot of cigar smoke.
But there’s still eight games left. And the Jets come to town this Sunday. Finding that emotion again is pretty much impossible, so, now, just like an adrenaline high, the Raiders must guard against the crash.
“Well, we knew last week was going to be emotion, and we checked that this morning,” said Pierce Wednesday before practice. “We can’t win in the National Football League each and every week on emotions, we’ll get burnt out. Now, it goes back to what football is all about – the execution, fundamentals, technique, doing your job, maintaining, like I answered earlier, that winning stamina, that purpose. And just again, as simple as it is, just do your job. We don’t need the extra stuff, that will come with us playing well. Our guys are motivated. It’s a new week for us, last week Is behind us and we’re looking forward.”
Pierce was a starting middle linebacker on a Super Bowl winning Giants team and had to win four games in the postseason in order to hoist the Lombardi. So, you trust that he knows the approach involved in putting big wins behind him, knowing there’s more ahead.
Now it’s about putting that approach into practice throughout the week and on game day.
For players like Maxx Crosby, it’s easy enough. He is always going at full capacity. But not everyone functions like that. Most players have to regulate that emotion. What they always talk about when they say to have a short memory.
That’s where players like Davante Adams come in. No one is more even-keeled than the three-time All Pro. Which should tell you something considering how frustrated he had gotten with the offense under McDaniels.
His process is one the rest of the Raiders could do well to follow.
“It’s sustainable if you know how to manage it and use it correctly,” said Adams. “Being sustainable is just our attitude, and our energy, and our focus moving forward as a team. And I think all those pieces are in place right now, it’s just a matter of keeping that going and keeping everybody positive in the midst of adversity, not everything’s going to go as smoothly as it did last week. So, just understanding that, and then doing something about it when you have the opportunity.”
In other words the game last Sunday was the perfect storm. Emotional high plus weak opponent equaled a dominant performance.
And the Raiders won’t have the same fire in their belly they had last week. That’s just the fact of the matter. And the Jets are a tougher team, especially on defense. They never got punched in the mouth last week. How do they respond when that happens? That is the question.