It's tough to take a loss at the end of the year because we felt that as a team we were making great strides. It was another game where we bounced back after falling behind early so at least we can take that away from the experience. Raider teams in the past might have given up at that point, but not this one.

I don't know if I'll watch the playoffs. Sometimes I do but it makes me mad and jealous sometimes too. I don't like that other teams are playing and we're not. What I'm most looking forward to is going home to Florida to see my friends and family. It'll be nice to be able to sleep in for the first time in a while too. I'll probably go to Burger King and get a triple Whopper. Man I might even get two.

I'll only take a couple weeks off so I'll make sure to eat what I want during that time. At the end of January I'll start back with the weights and getting back in shape. We don't report back until March but it's important to stay moving and active during the time off we do get. Most guys get in the gym pretty quick after the season ends to get their cardio work in on the treadmill.

It's hard to say that this was a successful season when you look at our 5-11 record, but our five wins this year are much better than our five wins last year. We lost a lot of games late but we were always fighting. We beat four teams that ended up with winning records. I think we went from a team that our opponents saw as an automatic win to a team that they have to take seriously. We take a lot of pride in being a tough opponent.

I'm a firm believer that you have to go through the tough times in order to get to the top. Since I've been here we've been through the worst. All be can do is build up as quick as we can but also understand that it's a process. If we can just find a way to make that big play in some of those close games we know that we could be a playoff team. We have the guys to do it.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

People see our record and they assume we have nothing to play for. That is definitely not the case. First of all we have the Ravens coming in fighting for their playoff lives. If they win they're in, so we know that they are going to throw everything they have at us. We would love to play spoiler. If we are able to come out on top then that would be five playoff-caliber teams that we beat this year. That would give us a spark going into next year knowing that we can play with anyone.

Another thing we have to play for is something more personal for our team. If we can get to six wins that would be the most we've had since 2002. A lot of the veterans here haven't seen six wins in a long time and we want to get that for them. We aren't gonna be in the Super Bowl this year, but that doesn't mean we can't strive for improvement on a smaller scale.

The big story this week in the NFL was the Colts' decision to rest its starters instead of going for 16-0. At first I thought it was kinda weird, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. They had already set the record for most consecutive regular season wins and most wins in the decade, so those are two pretty good records right there. Going 16-0 is nice, but 16-0 doesn't win you a Super Bowl.

On a personal note, it's gonna be hard for me to see Coach Bowden go after the Gator Bowl. It hurts me a lot that he isn't gonna be coaching anymore. It just feels weird. When you think of Florida State you immediately think of him. The thing I'll remember most about him is how much he cares about his players. People think that because he's had so many players over the years that he wouldn't remember me, but the last time I saw him he asked me how my grandmother was and he knows my mother. That's huge for me that he remembers me and my family. I got a chance to sit down with him for 15 minutes or so when I was a senior. I will remember that conversation for the rest of my life.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

We were in another close game through three quarters, but the Redskins struck quick in the fourth to put us behind the eight ball. We were down 10 and it's real hard for our offense to have to put up big points quickly. We play much better when we have a lead and just try to bleed the clock running the ball, which is what we do best.

I didn't have an especially good game and the O-line gave up some sacks. Not that everything was our fault, but we have to accept the blame for how things went. Once they got a lead on us they just drained the clock like they're supposed to.

We're probably gonna be without Gradkowski at QB because he hurt his knee Sunday, but regardless of who's back there the number one thing will be to get some points early and play from in front.

Now we have the Broncos who come in fighting for a spot in the playoffs. This game is important to us for several reasons. First of all it's a big-time rivalry and second it's a chance to hurt their playoff chances. As a team that's out of the playoff race it is still fun to try and play spoiler, especially for a hated rival.

I'll be matched up with Elvis Dumervil who I think leads the league in sacks right now. He is a real tough guy to block because he's so small but he is also extremely powerful for his size. You can't just play to his quickness because then he'll beat you with a bull rush. You have to be ready for everything with him. I think he gets a lot of his sacks because people underestimate his strength. Hopefully we can stop him and maybe that will make it easier to take the Broncos down.

We don't like them and they don't like us. That's the way it's supposed to be.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

I didn't get a chance to blog after our crazy win against the Bengals because we had to get ready for a game on Thanksgiving, but I have to talk about that for a minute. That was great. I have never been a part of something so crazy. A fumble on the kickoff?

We squibbed it so I figured they would just take a knee. I was over on the bench prepping for overtime when I heard everybody yelling. I was like, “what's going on?” When I found out we had the ball I didn't know what was going on. I tried to walk out on the field with someone else's helmet. That was a big win against a team that's probably going to make the playoffs. It felt good.

It's hard to say what wasn't working against Dallas on Thanksgiving, but we just fell behind early and before we knew it we were down 10-0. You can't fall behind against good teams and win in this league.  We didn't play well, but it was still a lot of fun to play on Thanksgiving. I remember watching everybody play when I was growing up, so it was an honor.

That stadium in Dallas isn't just the best stadium in sports, I would go so far as to say it's one of the best buildings I have ever seen, period. There are two bars in the tunnel where people are standing right next to you as you walk out onto the field. People get to be right next to the action almost. It's great. That jumbotron, man. That thing is just ridiculous. I want to play some Call of Duty on that thing.

I haven't been able to spend Thanksgiving with my family for a few years, so I've gotten used to not being there on that day. Dinner for me was a Quizno's sandwich. I'm the biggest guy in my family anyway, so they're lucky I wasn't there to eat everything they made.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

I think that because we lost the game to the Chargers in week 8 people think that it's the same old thing with the Raiders. No one looks at the fact that it was a close game for the second time this year against them. They didn't blow us out. The fact that it was a close game shows that we can play, we just aren't getting over that hump yet.

We made mistakes in the game, there's no question about it. That's the most frustrating thing. If we could just correct the things that we know we're doing wrong we could start winning some games. We gave up five sacks and that isn't going to work if we want to win. Besides running the ball, the O-line takes pride in protecting our quarterback and we didn't do that.

The bye came at a great time for us. We had a lot of guys injured and we should have some of them back when we face the Chiefs on Sunday. It also gave everybody a chance to refresh their mind and heal up mentally too. During the season it can get a little repetitive and the guys need some time with their families.

It also helps refuel my love of the game. I was looking forward to the bye to rest up, but after being away from football for two days I missed it and was ready to get back out there and work.

Our team is dealing with some off the field stuff right now but we aren't making that an excuse. In the past we might say that some of that stuff is to blame for why we're not playing well, but we're owning up to our mistakes on the field. The coaches are doing a good job of keeping us focused on football. We aren't going to let anything become a distraction and we are going to win and lose as a team.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

Nobody gave us a chance Sunday against the Eagles. Nobody. Everybody counted us out, saying we can’t win. The Eagles are a good team and we beat them. It shows that we’re not as bad as everyone seems to think we are.

Our front four on D are as good as anyone in the league and they put pressure on McNabb all day. I think they sacked him six times. I would compare them with the front four of the Giants. Our D-Coordinator kept putting the pressure on and that was huge for us to come up with the W.

Louis Murphy made one of the best highlights you will ever see in that game. I was watching the play from behind and I saw #18 throw a huge block and it was one of the best I think I have ever seen. I was kinda blocked out after that so I figured somebody caught Zach Miller a little further down, but then I see #18 making another block and I was like “are you serious?” When we watched it in the film room everybody was yelling and cheering, it was amazing. I have never seen anything like that. At the same time it didn’t really surprise us though. Louis has so much energy and intensity and we see it every day in practice. He’s always wired and ready to hit somebody.

That play went for 86 yards and it was really inspiring to the team. When you see a guy make a play like that it makes you want to do the same for your team. He put his body on the line three different times on that play and allowed it to go for a touchdown. As a football player you crave that feeling that you did everything for your team.

That wasn’t the only highlight that had us laughing in the film room though. That bird that helped us on kick coverage was pretty funny too. It was crazy. He stayed in his lane and everything.

Now we get a Jets team that started off with three wins but have lost three straight. We have to have that same intensity we had against Philly. We need to get on a win streak. We haven’t been on one since I don’t remember when.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

It's been a long week for us after traveling to Houston then coming back before heading to New York to face the Giants this week. And we didn't play well at all in our last game against the Texans. I think a lot of it rests on us on the O-Line.

I wouldn't say that we didn't play hard, but we just made a lot of mistakes. We watched film and you could see that maybe four guys did everything right and one guy made a mistake and as an offensive line all five guys have to do their job or it can't work. This week we have been practicing a lot on knowing our assignments and following through.

A lot of it has to do with us, but it's hard to pinpoint one specific thing that is responsible for our struggles. It trickles down from every position.

I've had reporters coming up to me all week asking about JaMarcus and why he isn't playing better and all this stuff, but I tell them that the guy is doing everything right in order to try and get better. He gets there early, works hard, watches film and leaves later than everybody else. When a team struggles everybody looks at the quarterback, but at the same time we aren't doing much to help him out right now.

The emphasis has to be on starting quicker out of the gates. A good pass-rushing team like Houston is gonna just sit back in Cover 4 and blitz us all day when they know we have to throw when we're down early. We need to establish the run to get JaMarcus more time back there.

Darren McFadden is out 2-4 weeks, but we are confident in our two guys that will go out there for us. The problem for Darren is that we aren't playing well enough to get him more involved in the offense. We need to play better on offense so that we can get him 20 carries instead of 10.

We are playing a really good Giants team this weekend and this game can really make or break us I think. Their defense is good enough that if we don't show up and play well they will embarrass us. So we can either go out there and get embarrassed or we can play tough and show that we can be a good team.

Of course we want to win the game, but if we can go out there and show that we're the good team that I know we can be it will be a step in the right direction.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

It definitely wasn't the prettiest of games but a win is a win. We were able to come out with the win this time, but we can't play like that and expect to win. We got a lot of work to. A lot of work. I think what it comes down to is that we just need to start faster on offense.

We played hard, but we weren't together on our assignments early on. Luckily we came back this time but we can't keep doing that.

We owe this game to Michael Huff. He was huge. His first interception came towards the end of the first half when the Chiefs were getting ready to score. He pulled out a big turnover in the red zone and instead of them getting seven points we marched down the field and were able to get three. That was a huge momentum swing. It was probably the key to winning that game. It was a total momentum killer for them too.

He deflected a couple passes and put on some big hits too. If I had a game ball to give I would give it to him.

We couldn't get anything going on the ground or through the air, but we knew it would be a tough game. Nobody in this league is good enough to just go out there and do what they want to by showing up. You have to work. We just need to keep working.

JaMarcus had a tough game in terms of his numbers, but one thing he showed me is that he is poised. He showed that when he's behind in the 4th quarter that he can lead his team. During the game-winning drive he threw some of his best passes as a Raider.

It would be unbelievable to start the year 2-1 in the division. The fact that we have a chance to do that makes us even hungrier. We have to work on starting faster in practice this week. Start fast and stay up tempo. Make the other team get stuck in 3rd and long situations instead of us.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

We didn’t win Monday night so that’s not a good feeling, but I think as a team we overcame some things that held us down in the past. When we got down late we didn’t just get down and give up, we fought back and came up just short. I still couldn’t fall asleep until about 4 a.m. because I was thinking about what I could have done differently that might have changed the outcome. I woke up at about 7.

Rookie receiver Louis Murphy had a great first NFL game. He had a touchdown but should have had two. I thought the first one that got overturned was a touchdown. He had two feet down in the end zone with control of the ball. I think that might have been depressing for him at the time. It was his first touchdown in the NFL. It was like getting a birthday present and right as you’re about to unwrap it someone comes and takes it away from you.

He got another one later and I was so happy for him. It didn’t shock any of us that he played so well though. He was great all training camp and in practice

I think we as an O-line played great. We allowed only one sack and we almost doubled the Chargers on the ground. After Michael Bush’s touchdown to start the game I got real excited. I walked up to the Black Hole and told everybody to get crunk. I doubt they could hear me though. They were already going pretty crazy down there.

The game showed that we can play with anybody and that we aren’t gonna be just an easy W for anyone.

Richard Seymour brings so much to this team in terms of not only talent, but also leadership. When you have a guy who won Super Bowls and has been to the Pro Bowl it’s great. He had two sacks and looked great.

I think in practice this week they’re gonna have us work on how to finish the game strong in the 4th quarter. We were up with two minutes left and couldn’t close the door.

Next up we got the Chiefs in Kansas City so it’s time for us to go to work and try to put that first win on the board.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

I feel great right now. The season is about to start and I’m real excited. I’m ready to see how all that hard work in OTA’s, mini-camp, training camp and preseason is gonna work out.

A couple weeks ago I decided to treat myself after being on a strict diet for about six months. My body was craving some Burger King so I got some one day. I went big, man. I got a triple Whopper, two cheeseburgers, two fish sandwiches, two apple pies and a large soda. With fries of course. It was good.

The next day wasn’t too good though. I felt pretty sluggish because my body hadn’t had any of that stuff in a long time. For six months I ate all kinds of fruit, vegetables, baked chicken and fish and all that stuff. I took my diet real serious. I think it has helped me get in real good shape for the season. I don’t get as winded as I used to and I feel like I’m in great shape to start the season.

That Florida State-Miami game made me sick to my stomach too. Man, that was tough. I heard that Bryant McFadden has to wear a Miami jersey after the loss. That’s horrible.

We get to open up on Monday night, which is pretty special. Every game is important, but there is something about Monday Night Football that is just special. To know that you’re the only game on at that time is a pretty cool thing. It’s just a little bit bigger.

I think it’s good that we’re facing not only a division rival, but also a great defense with really good players in the Chargers. Shawne Merriman and Luis Castillo are two of the more gifted players we as an O-line will face this year. I think it’s a good test to see where we are as a unit. We have been playing real well in practice, but we still don’t really know where we are because it was the preseason.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

The best thing that has happened since last time I blogged is that we finally broke camp the other day. I made a bet with one of my teammates that I would go until the end of camp without shaving. I did it, but now I got a really scraggly beard and I need to get it cut. It has gotten so long that it was tough fastening my chinstrap at times.

On the field I think things are looking pretty good. The O-Line is going really well right now, better than it has since I've been here. I think it's due to the fact that we have been playing together for a while now. Nothing has been set in terms of who is starting or anything like that though, so no one is safe. We have to finish strong to ensure we get our spots.

This year we have three healthy RBs that will be great for us. Last year one of them was hurt pretty much all the time but the other guys stepped up and had big games in their absence. It's nice to know that whoever is back there will do a great job. We know that whether it's Fargas, McFadden or Bush carrying the ball that if we do our job and block, they will do good things.

A lot of the veterans in the NFL wish the preseason was shorter and that we could go right into the season, but I kinda like the preseason games. It gives me time to work out my kinks and get used to stuff again. When I get older I will probably want a shorter preseason but right now I like the work.

We played our rival across the bay last week and it was crazy. It's always a big deal regardless if it's preseason or not. There are fans of both teams in both cities and we're about five minutes apart. It was like Florida-Florida State all over again.

I know that our team has been in the news the last week or so but to be honest I don't really know anything about the situation. It hasn't been a distraction at all for us and we just want to play football. We got the Saints on Saturday at home. The starters will probably play a half or maybe a little bit into the third quarter. After that game we might have a little more of an idea of who will get the starting spots.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com. Follow him on Twitter as @mariohenderson.

We've only been together for a few days but I can tell that everybody is really excited in Raider camp. It's a new year and we're ready to get started.

A lot of O-linemen dread coming to camp a little bit because we're bigger guys and it's harder for us to move just in general. Plus we get hit every play down there in the trenches. It's easier to be skinny. Luckily I don't have to chase Nnamdi Asomugha around. The organization is really good about keeping everybody hydrated during camp, though. There is always water nearby whenever you need it. Luckily I've never had any problems with the heat during camp.

But for me I have a lot of energy right now. I want to see how all the work I did over the offseason has affected me. I am so in love with the game so I am ready to see how much better I have gotten.

The hard parts of camp are the constant work, but the really good stuff is the teamwork that grows by being together 24/7. During the season it's hard to hang out with everybody because we all have lives.

It's going to be fun pushing around Darrius Heyward-Bey in camp. It's always the first round picks that get picked on the most. I am really looking forward to seeing what he can do for us this year. He had a little injury earlier but he's all healed up and ready to go. Robert Gallery had an emergency appendectomy the other day but I talked to him and he's doing well. Hopefully he's back with us ASAP.

It's been a tough few years for us, but one thing I want to say to Raider Nation is that we won't have any distractions this year. We know who our head coach is and he is great. Plus the team itself is just a lot better. The progression of JaMarcus Russell, Darren McFadden and Zach Miller with the addition of Heyward-Bey makes us a dangerous offense. We think we have a good defense too.

Our division is wide open. There isn't a team out there that you can say 'ok, they're going to win the division so we will be playing for second place.' I think it is very possible for us to take our division this year.

I believe our first preseason game is August 13th against the Cowboys. We play the Cowboys in their new stadium during the year and I can't wait to see what that place looks like. I hear it costs a million dollars a day just to keep it going.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com.

I am really excited to get back playing this year. I think it’s going to be a big year for the Raiders. We want to show you loyal Raiders fans that we’re a good team. We’ve had a rough couple of years but I feel that the pieces are there to make a run at the playoffs. I just have a gut feeling that this is going to be one of those great years.

It was good to see all the guys again during OTAs. We had a chance to really build on our teamwork.

Last year was real tough because of the coaching changes and all that. But I think that because we have a great head coach now whose job is secure that it will help us play better. Our new guys are going to be big for us this year. Greg Ellis coming over from the Cowboys is going to be a great addition to our defense.

Despite what Mel Kiper and ESPN say, I have been really impressed with Darrius Heyward-Bey. I got to see firsthand his hands and speed and all of it is for real. I think he deserves where he was picked. ESPN thought we should have taken Crabtree. They think Darrius is no good, but everybody on our team thinks he’s going to be really good.

Everybody continues to talk about Al Davis and how they think he’s doing things wrong. But me and my teammates think Al Davis is a great man. He’s been around a long time and he knows what he’s doing. From the outside you can’t see what’s really going on, but everyone here believes in him.

We have a great foundation on offense with JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden leading the way. Those guys are building a chemistry off the field as well as on it. They are working together and watching tape together. Darren got a year in the NFL while other guys his age were still in college. People forget how young he is. His explosiveness is going to be key for us. The fact that they’re getting better will make me and the rest of the O-line better.

Seeing the Cardinals make it to the Super Bowl last year was inspiring to me. As a team that wasn’t supposed to get there according to the experts it just showed that anything can happen when you get there. They played well and kept on winning. Our number one goal is to be that surprise team this year. The biggest test will come in the first game of the season against the Chargers. We need to try to open the season with a win.

We feel we have a great chance to do some things. With our offensive and defensive foundations in place I think this is going to be a great year.

Mario Henderson is an offensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.mariohenderson75.com.