Raiders defensive linemen Richard Seymour issued a bold prediction Wednesday, saying fans are going to witness something this season that they haven't seen since 2002.
"You can mark it down," Seymour said on a Cincinnati radio show, "the Raiders will be in the playoffs. The Raiders are going to the playoffs."
Seymour knows a thing or two about what a playoff-caliber team looks
like. He played on six playoff teams during his eight seasons with the New England Patriots. Four of those teams advanced to the Super Bowl.
That's bold talk, of course, considering the Raiders haven't won
more than five games in any of the past six seasons, they are 26-76
during that span, and they stand at 2-4 this season.
Yet, Seymour is convinced the Raiders are on to something special, and it's only a matter of time.
"We want championship men on our football team," Seymour said,
"because when things get tough, you need guys that you can count on and
depend on. So, we're really just trying to get a different culture out
here in Raider Nation, and you know there's no better uniform in the NFL than seeing that silver and black."
Raiders coach Tom Cable said he's all for his players exuding such confidence.
"Absolutely," Cable said. "You're not going to get anywhere until
you start to believe in where you're going. For all of us to believe in
what Richard's statement was, I believe in it, this team believes in
it. That means you have to back it up this week. It's good to stick your next out a little bit, but know with that comes the responsibility of backing it up."