Oakland Raiders East Coast trips are changing this year

Dec 8, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Oakland Raiders fans pose during tailgate festivities before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

According to NFL Analyst, and long-time Dallas Cowboys Executive, Gil Brandt, the Oakland Raiders plan to alter their East Coast trips to eliminate the fatigue factor.  That’s right, Head Coach Dennis Allen told Brandt that the Raiders will make Thursday their travel day, practice on Friday, and have a walk-through on Saturday.  Here’s the tweet that Brandt provided this morning:

Why the Oakland Raiders weren’t doing this all along I’ll never know, but this is good news for Raider Nation.  As you all know, East Coast trips have been our teams enemy of recent years, and this should help to solve the problem.  With the team well rested and semi-adjusted to the 3-hour difference in time, it should translate into winning on the East Coast.  Up first will be a flight to New York to face the New York Jets.  The Raiders and Raider Nation will see if this new travel schedule will be the answer to the East Coast plague.

Is it me or did a “Light Bulb” just go off in Dennis Allen’s head?  Duh!  This is a travel schedule that should have been implemented two years ago when he became the Head Coach.  I guess Allen is like a rookie player, he had to go through the bumps and bruises for the last two years to finally find his stride and rhythm.  Not all coaches can make the right calls and decisions as soon as they take on that responsibility, and I guess Allen’s no exception to the rule.

I haven’t been the biggest supporter of Dennis Allen, but he’s beginning to grow on me.  Like the Raiders team, I see growth in him as well.  I see a more confident coach standing at the podium speaking to the press.  Yes, he’s evasive when it comes to questions about player injuries, but most coaches are.  Have you ever watched a Bill Belichick interview?  Talk about evasive and grumpy.  He’s beginning to show more intensity in practice with the players as well.  No, he’s never going to be the second coming of “Chucky,” but he’s definitely got his players buying into his system and working hard.  Next comes winning.

Let’s face it, winning cures all the doubts.  There’s no doubt in my mind that this team will surprise a lot of people, and the ability for the Raiders to have a winning season is within reach.  I like what Allen is doing, and I think Raider Nation will be very pleased this season.  Remember, every team in the NFL starts out at 0-0, and it’s a marathon to the post-season.  Can the Raiders enter their first post-season in 12 years, time will only tell.  However, I like their chances.  We may have to face the best teams this year, but we’d have to do that in the playoffs as well.  Might as well beat them in the regular season before we see them in the post-season.  Go Raiders!