When Jack Del Rio went for two points, he proved another one — that his Raiders are committed to excelling in 2016.
The decision did a lot more than ensure they would outlast the Saints in Sunday's 35-34 shootout victory. It will resonate in Oakland for the entire season.
Week 1 isn't the end all be all of any NFL season, but Oakland needed that winnable game to turn the corner from promising to playoffs.
Who cares if the Raiders mathematically had better odds to win by taking the automatic Sebastian Janikowski extra point and going into overtime? This is a coach who knew the 7 percent chance was the right solution for his team.
Good thing ESPN isn't coaching the Raiders https://t.co/X6tB1YlZ4d
— Jack Del Rio (@coachdelrio) September 11, 2016
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As much as we try to understand the NFL game through statistical models, an approach heightened by fantasy football, emotions have never gone away in helping to determine outcomes of games.
The Raiders, fueled by young leader Derek Carr, had completed a big road comeback with almost every ounce of intestinal fortitude. They had aggressively executed big plays when they needed. It would have made a lot less sense for Del Rio to not make the gutsy call at that point.
"We're here to win," Del Rio told reporters after the game. "Why not win it now?"
Exactly. The Raiders, for the first time since getting all the way to the Super Bowl in 2002, are, as the late Al Davis might say, are finally ready to "just win now, baby."
Did their revamped defense fall well short of expectations in its debut? Of course. Did their offense get out of the gate a little slowly? Yes.
But this is one of the more complete and most talented young teams in the league. Recently drafted players such as Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack are the foundation, but the right mix of hungry veterans are now around them.
They had a forgettable day on defense, so their offense picked them up. Another week, it will be Mack and the other side of the ball returning the favor.
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The Raiders need to separate from the NFL's bubble of mediocrity. Del Rio gave them the final spark to edge another 7-9 team from last season.
Coming through when you're not playing your best is what the best teams in the NFL do. Oakland just got plenty of confidence that when it does live up to its potential, the victories will come a little easier.
The next four opponents are the Falcons, Titans, Ravens and Chargers, who went a combined 20-44 last season. The opportunity is right there in front of them to fly higher after a super rally in the Superdome.
The Raiders have been missing a team with this kind of makeup for a long time. The hints and flashes were there in '15. The toughness and identity have already been forged in '16.
When Michael Crabtree caught that ball, the Raiders caught all the fire from Del Rio. It's now bound to burn brightly in Silver and Black every week.
