Can the Raiders reverse trend? Here is what Derrick Johnson and others are saying
.jpeg "Oakland Raiders players go through final practice on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. The Raiders will look to get on the win column when they visit the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018.")
Oakland Raiders linebacker Derrick Johnson is not panicking after a 0-2 start
He’s been here before.
Johnson’s 2014 Kansas City Chiefs opened the season 0-2 before winning the next two games at the Miami Dolphins and home to the New England Patriots. The Chiefs finished the season 9-7.
“It’s all about not letting the last game affect this game here,” Johnson told reporters this week. “The quicker you can get a win, the quicker you can stop this ball from rolling the wrong way. We got good players in this locker room and a lot of veteran leadership. We put the onus on ourselves to help that out.”
Just maybe a reverse a trend is in order for the Raiders? Oakland will find out when they visit the Dolphins (2-0) at 10 a.m. PST Sunday.
Here’s an ugly reminder:
The Raiders were rolling through the first two weeks of the 2017 NFL season, opening with victories over Tennessee Titans and the New York Jets.
But things fell apart quickly after a 2-0 start.
The Raiders went into a Sunday night game against the Washington Redskins and lost 27-10. Oakland went on to lose the next three games during that stretch en route to a 6-10 finish.
Oakland hopes they can string some victories and feel they can do that. They came close against the Broncos in a 20-19 loss Sept. 16.
“We know what’s going on,” Raiders wide receiver Jordy Nelson said.
“We know the little things that are making the difference that could have given us the win. Those are the positives and you can see them and you can correct them. “
Oakland cornerback Rashaan Melvin believes the team will come around and pile up some wins.
“I know we’re making strides to be the best that we can be each and every week, one day at a time, one practice at a time,” he said. “We just want to continue to build and be better each week.”
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said the team has “done, really, a lot of good things” and also sees what his offense needs to do to give the defense some help.
“To be honest, us as a team learning how to close it out,” he said. “I think as an offense we could have done a better job for our defense by taking time or picking up a first down to end the game. I think the defense – they feel bad as well – but it’s a team thing.”