Oakland Raiders

After the opening practice for Oakland Raiders training camp, a day that not only was lacking in contact, it was focused on the mental side of the ball with few plays ran to completetion and fewer passes thrown, head coach Tom Cable faced the local media.

It was impossible to say how much progress has or hasn't been made, because the plays were blown dead right after the ball was snapped. This was done because Cable wanted them to work on the mental aspects of the game and their presnap communication.

You just want to see if both sides of the ball can make the right communication and the right adjustment for what’s in front of him.

This is an important if under-appreciated aspect of a winning team. These fundamental portions of the game were seriously lacking in the past. If the Raiders can shore up that portion of their game, it should easily be good for at least one more win.

Coach Cable had high praise for defensive end Greg Ellis:

The transition back to [4-3 end from 3-4] has been very good. Greg is a veteran, you hear me use the phrase “A real pro” he was only there for a couple of days, but he’s taking information and he is studying and he came in very prepared.

This should ease the sting from the inexplicable Derrick Burgess holdout. Cable refused to address the Burgess situation, but Ellis provides a veteran replacement who will not be hard pressed to match Burgess's recent production. Unlike the terminally sullen Burgess, Ellis will be looking for a fresh start with the Raiders and should have the production to match.

Cable is stressing a renewed intensity now that training camp has started. This was something that was conspicuous by its absence during the earlier minicamp:

I think OTAs and minicamp is a lot like going to Disneyland. You get through it and enjoy it, and you are learning and all that. This is like the US Open, every shot counts. Every practice, every rep. Even today, this afternoon, the next three days, every rep counts. You’re learning something. You’re getting back. You’re getting your mind upright. Your dotting your I’s and crossing your t’s. If you will, its important. Its much different.

The season is now fast approaching, and he has to get them ready to do battle. He is still focusing on the mental aspect of the game, but Cable is a firm believer that focusing on the mental makes it easier once the contact is introduced:

You got to start to harden your team and develop your toughness and competitiveness. Its one thing to run around in the spring and summer in a helmet in shorts, and you’re really trying to get their mind in the who and the how. You throw pads on and you add that combative part of it. That really changes everything. The more dialed in you can get the mind and you know the competitiveness and the intensity and the juices start flowing all that contact is put in it. You’ve trained them.

The next three practices are once again going to be "mental" practices without pads on, so that they can get their minds right and the mental aspect of the game down pat. Come Monday, they will put the pads on, and all of the Raider Nation hopes this combination will have the Raiders dialed in come opening night.