The New Orleans Saints have experienced deep scrutiny for the bounty system they put in place. The Saints targeted NFL players, particularly high-profile athletes at the quarterback position.
They still have a long way to catch up with the reputation and the nastiness of the Oakland Raiders though. Cezary Podkul of Reuters filed this report.
The Raiders have a long, proud tradition of aggressive rule-breaking. "The Oakland Raiders have always been a very physical team," said Jim Tunney, a 31-year veteran NFL referee.
"I think it has a lot to do with team discipline and the way the coach wants to approach the game," he said.
Unlike the Raiders, though, the Saints did not otherwise commit a large number of penalties. As a result, violent penalties accounted for a league-high 37 percent of all the Saints' defensive penalties. The Raiders, with the top number of 88 penalties overall, had a violent-penalty rate of only 20 percent. The league averaged 21 percent.
The Saints had a bounty program in place and they still couldn't beat Oakland for most violent team in the league. That's pretty impressive.
The Raiders are just a violent team in nature though. Oakland is the most penalized team in the NFL almost every season, and they have always suffered from a lack of discipline every season. The Raiders are going to have a good chance earning this honor every season.
To talk about whether the Raiders are the most violent team in the NFL, talk to Oakland fans when you go to Silver and Black Pride.