Three lessons learned about Raiders from Hall of Fame game

3. The Raiders are still the Raiders

The Hall of Fame game—and the rest of the preseason for that matter—is nothing more than an opportunity for teams to solidify their communication and to allow young bucks an opportunity to showcase their skills. I did think, however, that with Josh McDaniels taking the head coaching job, making his second step into the limelight, he would want to do things his way, the way that he best understands and by which he can stay out of the heat. The Patriot way.

But no.

The Raiders received the opening kickoff, broke out of the huddle, lined up, and threw a home run ball with the first snap of the McDaniels era. It was tipped and still hauled in by an unintended receiver for a decent gain, but it was such a Raiders moment that the NBC crew panned over to the Mark Davis—who was dressed in all white, knuckles deep into a chicken wing—to pay homage to the Davis family legacy.

It could not have been staged more perfectly, and as a Chiefs fan, you couldn’t help but think of the age-old thought, “Raiders gonna Raider.”