Lamont Jordan is quite happy with all the old school, run the ball down your throat talk coming out of Oakland.

“Coach said we’re going to run the ball, we’re going to run the ball, we’re going to run the ball, and two more times, we’re going to run the ball…As a running back, you want to hear that.”

“I have something to prove, and the quicker we get started, the quicker I can go out there and try to get the job done.”

“I’ve been a little bit too nice,” Jordan said. “A couple of my boys told me that when I was in New York, I ran a lot angrier. I was an angry man, and I have to get back to being that angry guy that I was … to being a violent running back.”

“Last year, we did a lot of sideways stuff,” Jordan said. “That was not our identity. I didn’t like it, the offensive line didn’t like it…Now, we’re going to play attack-the-defense style of offense.”

“I watched the playoffs on television last year…You look back at every team that was in the playoffs, every team was able to run the ball. If you can run the ball, you’re putting yourself in a pretty good spot.”

Art Shell:

“This is the Al Davis system,” Shell said. “I grew up in this system. It allows you to run the football with power. We’re going to come downhill at you, attack the flanks, just run the football. And then, play-action and strike from anywhere on the field.”

Blitz View: Expect Jordan to top his 1025 rushing yards from last year, but don’t bank on him repeating 70 receptions for 563 yards.

Tom Brady is going to bat for Deion Branch. He’s ticked off that his #1 receiver is sitting at home in a bitter contract dispute.

“Deion is the most important player on our offense,” Brady told SI.com. “When I look at the elite receivers in the game, he is second to nobody. He doesn’t get a lot of the credit, because we do spread the ball around here, and he doesn’t feel a need to promote himself like so many guys at that position. But he is that good.”

“You only get better as a quarterback and a receiver when you’ve been through stuff together, and Deion and I are kind of at that point where we can draw on past experiences and react to things instantly,” Brady said. “He has such unbelievable quickness, and he uses that and his strength to get free on the line of scrimmage when people try to jam him. I mean, last year Sam Madison, who’s one of the best at jamming receivers, tried to get him at the line, and Deion was open by like 10 yards.”

“I asked [cornerback] Eric Warfield, who was with the Chiefs until we signed him this year, ‘How does Deion compare with the best receivers in the league?’ He said, ‘Deion was the best I faced last year. He was spectacular.’”

“The only people who truly understand what Deion is going through are those of us on the team who are his buddies. But at the same time, we’re in here working and he’s not, and he feels a little awkward. But the bottom line is that Deion is one of the best in the world at what he does, and it’s so hard for him and for us, because this is a really ruthless sport.”

This is the same type of unwavering loyalty to his teammates that made Tom Brady Sports Illustrated’s 2005 Sportsman of the Year. Remember the VISA “Metaphors” commercial with his offensive lineman? Few professional athletes are so willing to share the endorsement pie with teammates.

Blitz View: It’s nice to see a QB stick up for his favorite target, but keep in mind that Branch has never scored more than 5 touchdowns in a season.