by By Steve Corkran Oakland Tribune , Contra Costa Times

Seymour knows a thing or two about what a playoff-caliber team looks like. He played on six playoff teams during his eight seasons with the New England Patriots. Four of those teams advanced to the Super Bowl.

That's bold talk, of course, considering the Raiders haven't won more than five games in any of the past six seasons, they are 26-76 during that span, and they stand at 2-4 this season.

Yet, Seymour is convinced the Raiders are on to something special, and it's only a matter of time.

"We want championship men on our Football team," Seymour said, "because when things get tough, you need guys that you can count on and depend on. So, we're really just trying to get a different culture out here in Raider Nation, and you know there's no better uniform in the NFL than seeing that silver and black."

Raiders coach Tom Cable said he's all for his players exuding such confidence.

"Absolutely," Cable said. "You're not going to get anywhere until you start to believe in where you're going. For all of us to believe in what Richard's statement was, I believe in it, this team believes in it. That means you have to back it up this week. It's good to stick your next out a little bit, but know with that comes the responsibility of backing it up."

Wide receiver Chaz Schilens looked "good" in practice, Cable said. "He practiced well, he ran good routes, caught everything."

It's unclear whether Schilens will start Sunday against the New York Jets. He missed the first six games while recovering from a broken bone in his left foot that he suffered Aug. 18. "It depends on how we get through the week," Cable said, "but if (Wednesday) is any indication, we'll play him, and we'll play him a ton."

Left guard Cooper Carlisle was limited in practice because of a sore ankle. He will be monitored the rest of the week, Cable said. Paul McQuistan would play if Carlisle is unable to Sunday.

Fullback Luke Lawton returned to practice after missing all of last week, as well as the Philadelphia Eagles game, with an ankle injury. Still, Cable said, Gary Russell will make his second straight start at fullback because Cable wants "to go with the hot back." Russell caught five passes for 55 yards in the win over the Eagles and delivered several critical blocks.

Copyright 2009 Contra Costa Newspapers All Rights Reserved
	Terms & Conditions     Privacy Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.