The first peg in a motivational edge is a loss.
There is a different focus with a team, particularly a good one, that has suffered a defeat in their most recent game. Wins can breed complacency and losses attention to detail. When I shared that philosophy with Al Davis as a member of his Oakland Raiders staff he would look at me with contempt.
“Nothing good comes from a loss,” Davis would say at the same time he’d be dropping out of that conversation with a shake of his head and a dismissal of any further comments from his young employee.
Okay, I can understand Davis didn’t want anyone in his organization thinking a loss was a good thing. But my comment was not to encourage a defeat, but more pitched to what a stinging setback can do for a team … particularly one with the overall strength of say the Raiders in the 1970’s and current Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
Both the Eagles and 49ers suffered their first loss of the 2023 season last week, the Eagles upset on the road against the New York Jets and the 49ers falling short when a would-be winning field goal sailed wide right from 41-yards out at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Eagles already recovered from their only loss with last night’s two-touchdown victory margin over the visiting Miami Dolphins. The 49ers will have their chance for redemption tonight when they visit Minnesota to battle the Vikings.
The Eagles had the benefit of playing the Dolphins on their home field and being fully inspired to take on the highest scoring team in the league. The 49ers are on the road and against a Vikings team that has more trouble in primetime games than a naked beekeeper.