Being a fan of Raider lore, long-since retired veterans often give an insight into what is great about a particular team. The grizzled legends that made the Oakland Raiders of old were seldom silent about what made their teams so great.
I�ve often considered Phil Villapiano in that light, where he once explained what made the 1970�s Raider defense such a terror. To the now legendary Raider linebacker, the desire to make the play was the key to their success. Apparently, Oakland defenders jealously fought each other to make a tackle nearly as often as they fought the opposing offense.
Recalling this quote, I decided to pop my vintage tape labeled �Superbowl XI�. John Matuszak, Ted Hendricks, Otis Sistrunk: to Raider fans these names might be legendary. After watching the first half of the game, however, I noticed that these individual players didn�t really stand out. There wasn�t a specific superstar among these players that dominated the course of the game. I was looking for the Junior Seau of the squad�..the Lawrence Taylor.
What I DID see, on one particular play was Oakland linebacker, Phil Villapiano. On a blitz, he dash toward the quarterback furiously, not quite able to close in on Fran Tarkenton before the ball was in the air. A split-second later, he reversed direction and raced after Chuck Foreman downfield. The play ended with about five Raider defenders converged on the fearsome Minnesota running back.
Something occurred to me at that point: Phil Villapiano WANTED to make the play. He wanted to beat Willie Hall, Jack Tatum, and Monty Johnson to the ball carrier. As I mentioned before, no particular defender was the absolute highlight of the entire game. On top of this, the Raiders were utilizing a 3-4 defense, a formation often thought to be susceptible to the run. Minnesota running back, Chuck Foreman, was accustomed to running opposing defenses into submission. Against the Raiders, however, he gained a mere 44 yards on 17 carries.
It didn�t make sense�..at least not until pondering how other teams approached defense at that time.
In 1978, Al Davis hired Myrel Moore to help bolster the Raider defensive strategy. Moore was the linebacker coach of the Denver Broncos, whose 3-4 defense helped oust Oakland in the 1977 AFC Championship game. Two full season went by, with the Raiders failing to reach the playoffs in either campaign. Moore�s explanation: He wasn�t provided with enough �talent� to run an adequate 3-4.
Needless to say, Davis didn�t find it necessary to rehire him in 1980.
The Raider defense didn�t consist of the natural superhuman athletes that the Steelers boasted of. They did, on the other hand, have the heart and desire to make up for it on the field.
The second tape I popped in was last year�s game at Seattle. It was painful to watch Shaun Alexander make mincemeat of the Oakland defense. Equally troubling, was watching Anthony Dorsett �brace� himself for a tackle as Alexander came rumbling by. On a draw play, Darrell Russell shot through the line to the offensive backfield and casually watched Alexander fly past him. Eight yards later, Greg Biekert made the solo tackle, with Russell walking alongside the opposing quarterback to the new line of scrimmage.
This now infamous and lackluster performance is what many of the experts are basing their judgment of the Oakland defense. The Raiders had problems against the run last year, but newly acquired Adams and Woodson should help this matter immensely. What made the Baltimore defense so great was the aggression�.the �killer instinct�, if you will. It�s the attitude that guides all great defenses to glory. It was the same ingredient that made the 1976 Oakland 3-4 defense dominate Minnesota. Most importantly, it is the essential component that Oakland was lacking in 2001.
Personally, I can�t wait to see what kind of defense emerges following this agonizing preseason.
Much has also been said about the age of this year�s squad. Common practical opinion would only add to this concern: Why would the Raiders so eagerly sign the villainous and aging Bill Romanowski? Why give players like Trace Armstrong a second chance? Why bother signing Jerry Rice when his best days are behind him?
The answers: Romanowski has a lust for hitting first and hitting hard. Armstrong, despite suffering an injury that should�ve ended his career, is anxious to play again. Finally, the ageless Rice wants nothing more than to take this team to the Superbowl.
In short: Desire.
Give me old, yet dedicated Jerry Rice over a gifted, yet apathetic Randy Moss any day.
- Eastbay Rico