Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio knows exactly what it means to do things the "Raider Way."
It means strength. It means speed. It means power and grit. It means lining up against the man across from you and mentally and physically dominating them.
It means fear - it means making sure the opposition is wary of playing you and after they have, that they go home with a few more bumps and bruises than when they first arrived.
"I was asked the other day about the Raiders mystique," Del Rio said Wednesday in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, via CSN California. "Let me tell you what the mystique was. It was people knowing they were going to get pounded when they played the Raiders. There was fear developed through physical play of this football team. We want to bring that physicality back."
After 12-straight losing seasons, Del Rio knows fans of the Black and Silver are desperate for a winner.
Del Rio wants to give them that, but more importantly, he wants to build a team they're proud to watch and proud to root for - a team they're proud to call their own.
He said he wants to instill confidence in his players, but he also wants that confidence to come with an intelligent restraint.
"We want to bring swagger back, but it has to be controlled, calculated and fundamentally sound," Del Rio said. "It has to lead to winning football. It's not the kind where you're drawing penalties and playing sloppy and undisciplined.
"One thing I've learned in talking to Raiders greats is that too much is made of the side show and not enough about the hard work and the toughness that was a part of this team."
With players like Khalil Mack, Justin Tuck, Amari Cooper and Derek Carr in place, Del Rio seems to have a good base of talent at some important positions with which he can begin to rebuild the Raiders anew.
While more talent is needed and next season likely won't wind up producing a winning record, if Del Rio can begin to implement his new attitude and culture, it will have been a small victory on the path to many bigger, more tangible ones.
