Here is the opening to my column about the Raiders’ win over the Steelers:
OAKLAND — After the first two Raiders’ games, both losses, you could see where this thing was headed. Bloggers and fans needed a scapegoat, and they had one — offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.
People thought the Raiders’ offense hadn’t been so terrible last season under that big talker Hue Jackson — although, come on, it was no big deal, either. But now the offense under Knapp couldn’t do jack. Quarterback Carson Palmer looked like a bronze statue trying to navigate the field, and Darren McFadden, a flat-out great running back, wasn’t exactly gaining yards. He was gaining particles or fractions — stuff you could measure under an electron microscope.
Someone had to be at fault. Someone had to suffer for the 0-2 start, and that someone was Knapp.
To read the full column, click here.
