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ALAMEDA – Raiders head coach Dennis Allen heard what his players had to say after Sunday’s 30-14 loss to the Houston Texans. That includes veteran free safety Charles Woodson saying, “We suck.”
Woodson talked at length about the Raiders difficulties, and used powerful language to describe disappointing levels of futility. It wasn’t team-friendly, but Allen didn’t take serious issue with it.
[RELATED: Raiders veteran DB Woodson: 'We suck']
“I think that’s something that is spoken out of frustration,” Allen said Monday in a press conference. “When you watch Charles Woodson play in that game and the effort that he gave in that game and the passion in which he played in that game, it’s a tough pill to swallow. When you go out there and don’t perform like you’re capable of performing. He gave everything he had in that game and we have to get more guys playing like that.”
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Woodson played hard in Sunday’s game, and slammed his fist into the turf more than once when his defense failed to make a stop.
Woodson had eight tackles while playing all 74 defensive snaps against Houston. After the game, he expressed his disappointment. Here’s a sample of what he said on Sunday night:
“We suck. That’s as blunt as I can put it,” Woodson said. “For whatever reason, defensively we just won’t stop people, especially early in games. Every drive, every first drive, teams are able to go and get points. Today, it happened all day. Offensively, we put the ball on the ground. We had opportunities and didn’t capitalize on it. Collectively, we look bad.”
Woodson’s mood took a sharp fall, especially after he came into Sunday’s game as excited as ever.
“I’m really embarrassed,” Woodson said. “When I came into the stadium today and saw the fans lining up for our first home game, I was certainly optimistic. They’re excited to see their Raiders, and what was that that we put out there on the field. That’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed for this team and embarrassed for the fans.”
