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The Raiders won the last of their three titles when they defeated the Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII in 1983. Photo: Getty Images.

Since then, the Raiders have posted a record of 34 wins and 87 losses, they have suffered seven consecutive losing seasons and have not returned to the play-offs. They have been so bad that they have made a mockery of the club's 'Commitment to Excellence' motto.

The Redskins have fared a little better - but only just. They have won 51 games and lost 70 but can at least take comfort from the fact they qualified for the play-offs during the 2005 and 2007 campaigns.

But it is not just results that have led to both teams becoming a joke amongst NFL fans. Some of the decisions made by both teams have been disastrous.

For example, the Raiders used the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft on quarterback JaMarcus Russell, and all he did

And the . He has spent much of his time with the franchise causing friction and failing to live up to his huge price tag.

However, this season, there are signs that one of these sleeping giants is about to awaken.

It appears as though Oakland might be relevant as a play-off contender for the first time since that Super Bowl loss to the Bucs. They have won three games in a row and are currently tied for first place in the AFC West with a record of five wins and four losses.

The Raiders are even bucking a recent trend by proving that some - certainly not all - of their off-season personnel moves are paying off.

All-Pro defensive tackle . But he has been a solid team leader with the Silver and Black and a key component of a dominant defensive line, recording four-and-a-half sacks this term.

JaMarcus Russell is widely considered to be one of the biggest draft busts of all-time. Photo: Getty Images.

The Raiders are flying to the ball on defence and putting opposing quarterbacks under considerable pressure.

Offensively, they have yet to find consistent form at quarterback, but they are sticking with former Redskin Jason Campbell for now.

The strength of Oakland's attack in 2010 has been their ground game, and Darren McFadden - an under-achieving disappointment since being chosen in the first round of the 2008 Draft - has been much-improved and, at times, dominant.

We'll know more about the Raiders by the end of this season. Tough challenges lie ahead in the form of Pittsburgh, Miami, San Diego and Indianapolis.

A testing run-in might ultimately be their undoing, but at least the Raiders are playing meaningful games in the second half of the year. That proves they have taken a step in the right direction this season.

As for Washington, they continue to have a soap opera element to them and they are compelling to watch, albeit for all the wrong reasons at times.

Against the Detroit Lions last month, head coach Mike Shanahan pulled quarterback Donovan McNabb from the game late in the fourth quarter and replaced him with the often-inefficient Rex Grossman, who promptly coughed up a fumble that was returned for a game-winning touchdown.

Shanahan's explanations of that decision proved to be somewhat baffling. First he said McNabb wasn't knowledgeable enough when it came to Washington's two-minute offense. Then to run the hurry-up attack.

Whichever is true, it was a damning indictment of a player who is struggling through his worst season in the NFL since being a rookie with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999.

Many felt McNabb would be gone sooner rather than later. Instead, the Redskins shocked the football world when they signed the 34-year-old to a five-year extension worth £49 million, including a reported £25 million in guaranteed money.

There is a get-out clause in that contract for the end of this season but I see no reason for the Redskins to exercise that. If they were going to, there's no way they would have offered this new deal.

McNabb has lots to prove over the remaining weeks of the 2010 season. He did not make the best of starts on Monday, throwing a hat-trick of interceptions as

At 4-5, the Redskins are not out of the play-off race, yet they strike me as a team on the verge of self-destruction.

When things start to unravel as badly as they have in Washington in recent weeks, teams often look to their quarterback for leadership.

But all McNabb has given the Redskins in the past month - not all of his own doing, I should point out - are some unwanted headlines and media attention, combined with sloppy play on the field.

Not exactly a recipe for a winning season, is it?

Week 11 on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Radio 5 live sports extra

We will be on air as soon as coverage of the ATP tennis at the O2 finishes on Sunday night (any time between 2130 and 2330 GMT), bringing listeners the conclusion of the New England Patriots-Indianapolis Colts match-up from Foxboro, Massachusetts.

To make up for our on-air tardiness we will then provide live coverage of the key NFC East showdown between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, which kicks off at 0120 GMT.

As double-headers go, they don't come much better than this and it should be another good night of NFL action. For the record, I'm going for wins for the Patriots and Eagles, with respective quarterbacks Tom Brady and Michael Vick continuing their strong seasons.