It’s been a rough decade for two of the NFL’s all-time great franchises – the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers. Still, with the end of 2009 in sight, the Sacramento Bee recently compiled the “Team of the Decade” for both franchises.
In a sign of the times for Oakland, only punter Shane Lechler and kicker Sebastian Janikowski stood out as obvious choices for the All Decade team among players with any degree of longevity with the team. They were there during an impressive run to start the decade – including a trip to the Super Bowl following the 2002 season – and are among the most consistent performers on the downtrodden team since.
For the 49ers, the future is looking bright with a solid core of players such as linebacker Patrick Willis, tight end Vernon Davis, and running back Frank Gore – all choices on their All Decade team. And before he wore out management with his antics, receiver Terrell Owens was a top performer in the early part of the decade, assuring his name made the list as well.
As always, these sort of lists are subject to much debate. So who would you have gone with?
