... the Oakland Raiders 23-3 on their home field. For Raider Nation the loss couldn't be more painful. For the first time in six years the Raiders had a reason to be optimistic. The 2008 season ended with two back-to-back wins (in convincing fashion I might add) over teams that had playoff aspirations.

In the offseason the run defense, offensive line and wide receiving core were all addressed in the draft and free agency.

To help coach JaMarcus Russell, Raiders hired not one, but two offensive gurus to help his mechanics. Ted Tollner, a disciple of "Air Coryell" and "The Greatest Show On Turf" was hired to be the passing game coordinator. Paul Hackett, whose coaching resume included quarterbacks Joe Montana, Rich Gannon, and Jeff ...

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