The Raiders have just one win in 12 games and are coming off a 52-0 pounding. It would be easy for them to roll over and play dead for Sunday’s game against the 49ers.
Yet this week, Raiders players and coaches don’t sound like a beaten bunch. They may not have the tools to beat San Francisco at O.co Coliseum this Sunday afternoon, but they certainly have the spirit.
Former 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown, who signed with Oakland in the offseason, says he’s looking forward to facing his ex-teammates, and especially matching up with receivers Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin, whom he used to battle in practice.
“It’s going to be a physical matchup,” Brown told ESPN.com’s Michael Wagaman Wednesday.
In fact, Brown indicated there’s been no quit among his teammates.
“I’m still jacked up about signing here,” he said. “I love the guys, I love the locker room, I love the organization. We just don’t have the wins that we feel like we should have.”
Veteran defensive end Justin Tuck, meanwhile, sees Sunday’s game as a rivalry game that Oakland will have no trouble getting up for, calling it “this bloodbath we’re about to have against the 49ers.”
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Head coach Tony Sparano says his team isn’t affected by the 52-0 loss to the Rams last week. Though it was the Raiders’ most lopsided loss in decades, Sparano believes it will be no problem for his team to bounce back and play well with energy Sunday.
“You move on quickly,” Sparano said. “You move on like you do every other game. We’ve been in this position before and our guys have bounced back. They’ve handled it well and will continue to do so.”
In fact, Tuck believes that a wipeout loss like the one in St. Louis is relatively easy to rebound from.
“Losses like (the Rams game) are a lot easier to get over than those ones that come down to the last drive of a game,” Tuck told ESPN.com. He said players just “throw it out the window.”
Whether the Raiders can back up their words with a positive outcome on the scoreboard Sunday against a 7-5 team that is desperate for a win is another story, however. Oddsmakers favor the 49ers by 8 to 9 1/2 points.
The teams have met just six times in the regular season, with the series tied 6-6. The 49ers hold a 20-19 lead in preseason matchups. The Raiders have lost the past two games against San Francisco, 34-20 in 2006 and 17-9 in 2010, both at Candlestick Park. The last time the teams met in Oakland, the 49ers also prevailed, 23-20 in overtime.
