After emotional week, Raiders trying to relax, have fun

The frenzy with which Denzel Perryman plays and communicates on the football field makes what happened Sunday so ironic. But in a season that has shockingly turned sideways for the 2-7 Raiders, the elements of surprise are growing fewer and farther between.

There was Perryman, not dressed against the Colts because of rib and hip injuries, constantly communicating with teammates on the sideline. The assumption was that Perryman, who is part linebacker and part hype-man, was doing his part to motivate his colleagues.

That assumption would be wrong.

In fact, on a sideline that at times turned emotional during yet another stressful game, Perryman became a soothing voice.

“Keep everybody calm,” is how Perryman described it. “When stuff starts turning bad, a lot of emotions start to flare.”

The Raiders ended up losing to the Colts, and in a frustrating, recurring theme, it was their inability to make plays in critical situations that cost them. Just as it’s been in six of their seven losses.

The carry-over from Perryman’s measured, assuring sideline approach is almost a teamwide mandate entering Sunday’s game at Denver. Following the lead of their captain and that of fellow leaders Davante Adams and Derek Carr, the Raiders are trying to turn back the clock to a more carefree period in their lives.

The essence is, just relax and have fun.

Or, as Perryman explains: “Just breathe … just get back to playing football.”

The chill-out mantra was strengthened this week when Raiders owner Mark Davis issued a vote of confidence to coach Josh McDaniels. The words of support rippled through the locker room in a way that flushed out some of the negative energy that was building.

“It kind of just gave us a breath like, ‘Yes, let’s just get better. Let’s work on being a better football team,’ ” Carr said.

It seems so easy, but as Adams points out, what seems so simple is often one of the most challenging components of winning. It’s the ability to close oneself off to the pressure and anxiety of a big moment and deliver performances that rise to the level of the situation, especially on a team that is top-heavy with experienced players but green along big swaths of the roster.

“Obviously it’s a young team with not as much experience in certain areas, so it’s easy to tell a guy just relax and play football (because) you’ve been doing it your whole life,” Adams said. “But when the bright lights are on and it’s not practice, there’s 70,000 people in the stands, it’s a little bit tougher to just kind of simplify, and that’s what we’ve got to get to.”

In other words, the opposite of what they have been doing by stubbing their toe in so many late-game situations.

“If you look at a lot of these games that we’re losing, it’s just kind of coming down to the execution of some of these critical moments,” Adams said.

The Raiders have tried so many approaches, from simplifying game plans to switching out personnel groupings, that maybe it’s time to turn down the volume a little bit and find some positives to embrace.

“You don’t want this type of stuff to take too big of a toll on you,” Adams said. “And it’s definitely not going to make anything any easier if you come in with a frown on your face every day and you kind of turn your brain off to any sort of happiness and finding some of the good in what we did, because there is a lot of good in it.”

Injury report

Running backs Brandon Bolden (rest day) and Ameer Abdullah (illness) and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (rest day) returned to practice Thursday.

Wide receiver Davante Adams (abdomen) was limited for a second consecutive practice. Linebacker Denzel Perryman was limited as he recovers from hip and rib ailments that kept him out of Sunday’s game.

Linebacker Luke Masterson (ribs), offensive tackle Kolton Miller (shoulder, abdomen) and cornerback Sam Webb (knee) were limited Wednesday and Thursday.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.