Dolphins Gameday Thread
Belated Merry Christmas! Let's see if the Raiders have a gift in store for us. So far, so good, with Derek Carr back in the saddle and running for an early TD. This team's gotta make a statement tonight and let us know that they're not gonna just circle the drain to finish out the year. GO RAIDERS!
P.S. Get well Raider Nate and family!
posted by Raider Take at 6:13 PM
34 Comments:
I will post my update here too. Take, my daughter is 15.
Thanks everyone for the well wishes. I am keeping an eye on all of our breathing. We are taking zinc, vitamin c, and vitamin d.
So far, just a stuffy nose, and lost my sense of smell. My wife has lost her sense of taste and smell. My daughter has lost her sense of smell and taste as well, but has also had a fever and been vomiting. We are keeping an eye on her as far as hydration, and labored breathing. She has had the worst symptoms. All 3 of us hit a fatigued wall about 3-3:30 every day. My son is symptom free.
With that said, Waller is a beast. Raiders running game is anemic, but their defense is playing some ball. 2 time this year the Raiders special teams has been caught sleeping on a fake punt. Just Win, BABY!
Oh, Raiders, the more things change...
The Raiders stole one from the Jets and gave it right back tonight, with equal stupidity.
IMO, the Raiders got what they deserved... right from the start.
They went three and out for the fifth straight game. Those are scripted plays.
They went zero for infinity on 3rd down plays tonight.
And WHY go for it on 4th down inside their own territory, against the best D in the NFL, when the Raiders were playing good D and the Dolphins looked horrible on offense?
The conservative playcalling seems to kill the Raiders chances every time.
Carlson missing a critical extra point (when the game looked to be on the line).
Arden Key, who's done absolutely nothing all year, commits the most ridiculous face mask to put the Dolphins in FG range and end the game.
Are the Raiders getting paid to tank? Cause it looks like it.
7 teams from each conference are going to the playoffs but not the Raiders, in a year when schedule actually favored them.
After all these years, we are still stuck with bad players and bad coaching.
Very frustrating to lose such a winnable game.
clarification: Three and out to start five straight games!
They've lost 5 of their last 6 games, and only won on a miracle play to beat the lowly Jets.
Another total collapse to end a season.
Sorry for the cynicism but what will be the excuse next year?
There literally are no more excuses. None.
Why does Gruden not have Jacobs score a TD? I know it leaves a minute left in the game, but you go for 2, put yourself up by 7, be aggressive on defense, and make them score. The more aggressive team wins, and Gruden is proving himself to be too passive of a coach.
Toughest loss of the season when you consider the game circumstances. The Dolphins spotted the Raiders three full quarters by playing Tua, who does not look NFL ready. The Dolphins defense kept them in the game and Fitzpatrick came in and mopped up.
It's tough to second guess the decision to kneel and run time off the clock then kick a FG at the end. But there were plenty of bad decisions leading up to that decision... in keeping with the Raiders entire season. A season which the Raiders managed to break significant curses by beating the Chiefs in KC and the Browns in cold weather, they also managed to milk an obvious decision to fire Guenther and play their worst (dumbest!) football when it meant the most.
The Raiders summed up their entire season in one play, while Key, Arnette and Johnson should us what they've learned playing for the Raiders.
...and Bill Callahan thought he coached the dumbest team in football.
So, as you pointed out, RT, it's hard to say more change will produce better results.
Aside from the goal line decisions, aside from the face mask, how long was that ball in the air, and why was that guy still so wide open?
The simple answers are, an eternity, and blown coverage.
Apparently, Arnette's responsibility was only the first 6-8 yards off the LOS. That's unbelievable all by itself because the Raiders did not need to defend that space.
Johnson ran over from the other side of the field, so there was no cover 2.
The Raiders failed what could not be failed. I would say it's worse than the Jets failure.
For the winning culture that once pervaded the Raiders organization, they now have matched or surpassed that with a culture of losing.
I was just reading that the Raiders are officially all alone as the NFL team with the fewest winning seasons over the past 18 years. No modern team can match the Raiders current level of failure... and not for a lack of trying. Not the Browns. Not the Lions. Nobody!
I guess it's the time of year that those type of numbers are counted. So tack on another year of failure for the Raiders!
If you remove 2016 (after which Bill Musgrave was inexplicably replaced) and the two years Gruden/Davis teams had winning records leading up to the Callahan-led 2002 SB debacle, you have to go back to 1994 (Art Shell) for the last winning season. But really you need to go back to the mid-1980's to find the last time the Raiders were a consistently contending football team (Tom Flores).
Folks, that's almost 40 years ago.
No matter what you think lies ahead, officially, it remains uncertain if Gruden can pull us out of this rut or if he will just be part of the losing culture that has taken over the Raiders organization.
Regardless, this was a very frustrating end to what looked like a very promising season, especially, after a 6-3 start.
There's a lot to digest in this short article.
https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2020/12/28/raiders-have-serious-roster-building-problems-in-their-front-office/
The Raiders have had five 1st round draft picks over the past two seasons. They also wasted a 3rd round pick this year on Lynn Bowden (a project player who now plays for Miami), and traded away (i.e., wasted) two 3rd round picks to the Steelers in back-to-back years for WRs... the most recent being Antonio Brown.
They also spent a fortune in free agency for the likes of Nassib, Collins, Littleton, Joyner, etc. Remember Tyrell Williams? There's $10M a year down the drain for one player.
I'm not saying all these were bad decisions, only that, collectively, the Raiders have nothing to show for all this activity.
We can now count Guenther and his entire staff in with the "nothing to show for" crowd.
Gruden and Mayock certainly have their hands full. They are dangerously close to being behind the curve for any reasonable-minded rebuild timetable.
I was totally gutted by the loss I have not felt this bad in awhile. Here are some observations:
Running the clock down and kicking the field goal was the totally correct call by Gruden. Giving the ball back to Dolphins with 1:20 left with the Raider defense and Fitzpatrick in the game would have for sure have resulted in a touchdown for the Dolphins.
What do we expect when our DB coach is out so Heath was literally up in the box coaching the secondary and we have what is probably the number 5 corner (Johnson) playing saftey
Gruden has to take some responsibility for the defense especially on the personnel side.
Who knows what this year would have brought without COVID and a full stadium for home games. But I think the tweet below says a lot when we are waiting for word on whether Worley is available for a game. Happy New Year, Sandy
Vincent Bonsignore
@VinnyBonsignore
· 1h
Not looking good for Cle Ferrell in @Raiders season finale against @Broncos. Raiders expecting further word on Harris, Kwiatkoski, Morrow and Worley later this week.
“They have 19 seconds left with no timeouts at the minus-25-yard line,” Gruden said. “For us to not get off the field with a victory, it’s a shame, it’s a disgrace and it’s a reflection on me only...."
What does that mean? Is he taking full responsibility for the play, or the last three years of failure?
Talk is cheap, especially when he knows his job is not in jeopardy.
If Gruden wants to take ALL the blame, then his job should be on the line. If he can't scratch out a win against Denver and go 8-8 on the season.... Well, never mind, we know Mark Davis isn't going to do sh*t. But if Gruden can't win one more game than last year, maybe he would at least have the decency to return his $10M salary for the 2020 season and beg fans for a do over in 2021.
At least then we would know he's in it to win it. Otherwise, coaching is starting to look like a pastime that he's not very good at.
Case and point: Gruden hasn't won a playoff game since 2002, when he beat the Raiders with Tony Dungey's team. After that, his remaining tenure with Tampa bay included two playoff appearances, both of which he lost.
Gruden is looking more like the problem than the solution when he's willing to admit it with total impunity.
NY,
I disagree with your thoughts on Gruden.
Sure he has made mistakes but mostly on the personnel side and he probably should have replaced Guenther earlier. He does not coach the defense.
We are finishing year 3 of a complete rebuild so 8-8 is not terrible especially in light of the COVID issue amplified against youth and new players not getting training camp or practice and injuries across the board.
Therefore saying there has been three years of failure without context is somewhat intellectually dishonest. I am not disputing this year is a disappointment but to expect more in 18 and 19 during a rebuild is somewhat unfair. I also don't buy into Gruden inherited a good team in 18 and did not need to rebuild. The defense was horrible then, the O line had aged and the more you look back in retrospect 16 was more lucky than good.
As far as Gruden as a coach he is elite. He outcoached Payton and probably Reid twice this year. He has gotten the most out of Carr and has him playing great ball and created unity among the team something missing with Del Rio. We all know that with a below average rather than horrendous defense the Raiders would be sailing into the playoffs.
My conclusion is if you want to say Gruden is the "CEO" and therefore he failed the team as it relates to the defense I am fine with that. However, as a coach he is completely hands off on the defense, in regards to calling plays, scheming and developing an offense he is great and has the Raiders playing close to elite. Just look at the points average he has accomplished even without the benefits of turnover and having to play from behind or with poor field position.
I am positive about the direction the team is heading and am I interested to see what happens with defensive picks a year older and guys like Nick and Littleton another year to gel under a different scheme/coach.
Regards,
Sandy
Sandy, are you saying Gruden wants to take the blame but you won't let him? (...just being funny; not putting words in your mouth.)
Three losing seasons is, by definition, failure. You can qualify it anyway you want but it's still failure, compounded by the fact that Gruden had to fire his DC two weeks ago.
Since you mentioned Reid and Payton...
Sean Payton took the 3-13 Saints to 10-6 and the playoffs in his first season.
Andy Reid took the Eagles to from 5-11 to 11-5 and the playoffs in his first two seasons, and then took the 2-12 Chiefs to 11-5 and the playoffs in his first season in KC.
Only Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll get paid more $$ than Gruden. Should I bother looking up their records too?
Gruden's record speaks for itself. His only notable career success was beating the Raiders in the SB with a team built by Tony Dungey. Before that, he was under the heavy-handed supervision of Al Davis (Owner, GM and Director of Personnel), and after that Gruden has never won another playoff game in his entire career.
Repeat, Gruden has not won a single playoff game since 2002. So his postseason successes over the past 18 years have mirrored the Raiders. None!
So I'm not seeing how you can measure that as being elite. Beating Andy Reid once this year after however many games and seasons it took for that to happen certainly does not qualify as elite. It's more like an anomaly.
Granted, Gruden's offense made improvement this year, but he regularly makes questionable calls. Like going on 4th down against the Dolphins #1 ranked defense inside his own territory, or getting stuffed running up the middle on goal line short yardage downs when Mariotta had been brilliantly successful in a run-option all game against the Chargers. Or wasting a challenge on a meaningless catch for two yards just because he thought the officials made the wrong call.
This tiny sample doesn't touch all the questionable decisions, including those made with respect drafting, trades and free agency that Gruden clearly had the final word. That's a conversation unto itself.
I know Gruden isn't going anywhere and I'll root for him to pull this thing together next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, etc., but I reserve the right to air my grievances... which are valid.
And, no, it's not intellectual dishonesty. Gruden has a luxury that I would never be afforded. Failure is never an option in my work.
Real success can only be measured by..., well, actual success.
IMO, the honeymoon is over... so is the time for moral victories.
2021 should be time to put-up or shut-up. But we all know Gruden operates with impunity. Gruden's job is probably secure until Mark Davis is no longer in charge. Meanwhile, most Raiders fans have become conditioned to losing. It's a way of existence which younger Raiders fans only know, and a means by which failures are excused by older generation fans.
Commitment to Excellence has taken a huge fall, and resided somewhere below mediocrity for the better part of the past two decades.
It's time for somebody to stand up and do something about it. Can Gruden do that? All we can do is hope, because his career is proof of nothing.
Sorry for the rant... but I'm still a little pissed off about the last couple games and about this season.
Gruden is the Head Coach, he is responsible for how every aspect of the game is played, offense, defense, special teams. He may trust those around him to coach, call plays, and make decisions; but it is still up to him to light a fire under the team's butt with regards to their assignments and play.
If Gruden is coaching anywhere else, does he get a shot to come back year 4? Would he have made changes sooner? Would he be more aggressive with play calling? The fact remains, his job is his as long as he wants it; and he has little incentive to change.
We can talk all we want about the defense, the coordinator, etc; but Gruden's play calling the last 6 games have been atrocious and vanilla. Someone has to light a fire under Gruden, and quite frankly, that is what Mayock was hired for. Someone needs to remind Gruden that the aggressive team wins; and that he has let this team down when it comes to aggression. Gruden's job should be at stake just like any other coach/player's on the team; after all, he is the Head Coach, the one who has the most responsibility of the team and how it performs.
Nate, posting with vigor. Love it.
I totally agree Gruden's playcalling has been less than it should be, but I think his biggest mistake in 2020 was not replacing Guenther sooner. He said himself that Marinelli was brought here for "that very reason."
So why wait until the shows over to make the change? Really perplexing.
you guys need to find a balance between being frustrated and acting hysterical. There is nothing wrong with the offense their top 10 Gruden's done a terrific job on offense and gotten the best from Carr. If we had even half a defense they would be a top-five offense. Come on guys we may be treading water at 7 and 9 or 8 and 8 but we're not drowning try to recognize the difference.
Sorry not trying to be harsh but I don't buy the criticism of play calling from a bunch of guys on a Blog or sports writers for that matter. You guys should get a subscription to The Athletic and read Ted Nguyen it would really help your understanding of football and play calling.
regards Sandy
These may help against the Coronavirus.
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Acting Hysterical? That's funny.
Arguing Gruden is NOT an elite coach based on his record and comparing it to the records of actual elite coaches is not hysteria.
Suggesting the Raiders run a vanilla offense is not hysteria.
Raiders operate arguably the most vanilla offense in the NFL. At some point in the season, opposing teams figured it out and were able to stall the Raiders offense when it counted.
I will follow that with fact, not hysteria:
The Raiders have gone 3-and-out to start their last 5-6 consecutive games. Those are scripted plays called by the man himself. At a minimum, that demonstrates lack of effective game preparation.
They seldom use play action, even though it's effective. Carr isn't even that good at it. Other QBs around the league are far better at fooling defenses than Carr. Look no further than Mahomes.
Playcalling is sometimes worse than vanilla, it's stupid at times. Gruden had no business going on 4th down inside his own territory in the Miami game. Predictably, the Raiders ran the ball and, predictably, they got stuffed. Similar calls near the goal line hurt the Raiders during the second half of the season, and their red zone offense suffered.
So while teams made adjustments to the Raiders offense, the Raiders appeared unable to counter.
And to be sure, there are three phases in football. You seem to want to gloss over the fact that Gruden waited until the Raiders season was over before making a change at DC, one which he admitted he prepared for before the season (by hiring Marinelli) but never made when it was obvious and critically important.
There's more to being a head coach than running an offense, and Gruden hasn't even done that optimally.
One last point. Gruden won a SB with a Bucs team that was built on Tony Duny's defense. So, to borrow one of your labels, Sandy, it's disingenuous to suggest because Gruden is an offense-minded head coach he shares little or no responsibility for the Raiders failures on defense these past three years while also calling him "elite" for winning a SB with a team built around its defense. If you remove the SB year with Tony Dungy's defense, Gruden's record as a HC is downright awful.
IMO, Gruden will need to stick with Derek Carr as his QB (as a smart on-field game manager in the mold of Rich Gannon) and be either smart or lucky at finding a DC that carry him into the playoffs and actually win a postseason game, something he hasn't done since 2002.
BTW, add Tony Dungy to the list of elite coaches which Gruden is not. After he left the Bucs, he took the Colts to the playoffs every season he was HC, including the AFC Championship game in his 2nd season and a SB win a couple years later.
Fats are facts, not hysteria. Gruden is not an elite HC but I hope he becomes elite. He'll need to be a lot better than he's been.
I prefer to be a positive fan and loyal supporter of Raider Nation.
The Raiders have a top ten offense across the board after using a make shift o line most of the year and a defense that never provides field position or turnovers. Carr is playing the best ball of his career. Progress is not linear, a rebuild takes time, the team is on the right track and developing an identity.
Sandy
Sandy,
I agree, there is not much more the offense can do to improve; but the last 6 games have been anemic in his play calling. It makes me wonder if Greg Olson has been calling plays. But the bottom line is that it is Gruden's job to light the fire under his coordinator's @$$ to make better calls and to get that portion of the team to perform better. All I am saying is Gruden needs to put the same rigor and effort into the other aspects of the game like defense and special teams. He is responsible for these areas as much as he does the offense. He is the Head Coach, not the OC. So to say he has no responsibility in these areas is not true. He is as much responsible for these areas as the offense. If Gruden is coaching anywhere else, does he get a shot to come back year 4? Would he have made changes sooner? Would he be more aggressive with play calling?
With that said, he needs to hire Wade Phillips as DC, and give him full responsibility for defense and make him assistant coach. Wade can coach a 4-3 defense, but I wouldn't mind if we went to 3-4 base, I like it better anyway, it is more aggressive.
Being hopeful is what we have. We've all had to deal with it for the past 18 seasons.
On other note, I was just looking at college player rankings. Seems as though the top prospects are offensive players. The upcoming draft does not look to be stacked with defense. If true, that would not bode well for the Raiders, who probably fall mid-draft around 15-17 pick.
With all the Raiders needs (i.e., every position on defense), let's hope they pick the best defensive player available, and not make another "reach pick."
Nate why do you think the play-calling is being anemic? Atlanta game of sod they're averaging 27 points a game during the last five. I agree with you guys the play-calling and short-yardage has not being successful. Otherwise I think it's be masterful.
NY I'm down here in Miami player the Raiders could really use is Greg Rousseau he sat out the year rather than play for the hurricanes he's a great pass-rusher check him out. The other quality defensive players are few and far between as you noted and I'm sure someone like Patrick surtain jr. Will go in the top ten
Regards Sandy
Sorry voice to text I meant the Atlanta game aside they're averaging 27 points and the play-calling in short-yardage has not been good otherwise I feel it's excellent. The Raiders are ranked number 2 in the NFL in 3rd down conversions. Sandy
Sadly, the Raiders played some of their worst football toward the end of the season, including on offense. With a full compliment on the O-line, the Raiders managed zero 3rd down conversions against the Dolphins (0-10). That's just not good enough.
It will be interesting to see if Gruden becomes even more conservative once he can field a halfway decent defense.
Thx. I will watch Greg Rousseau. He's listed by some as mid-first round talent. With the lack of defensive talent in the top 15-20 players, he could jump up the board quickly if other teams need an edge rusher. Alternately, sitting out the season could hurt his draft stock.
Part of the Raiders problem isn't just pass rush but holding the edge... especially, if they stay with a 4-3 defense.
Happy New Year! Best wishes to all for a safe and healthy 2021.
But I thought:
* you should draft passionate football players not for speed or athletics.
* Reggie/ Mayock would out-GM what Al did. They would bring Packers and NFL Nework knowledge and experience. Forget they don't have ANY experience hiring staff...All it takes is drafting and signing AFFORDABLE free agents.
* Coaches don't need anybody meddling (Al). Because the Raiders lost with Al telling his coaches some of the things that made Raiders a winner.
* Its' not called "screwing fans" its' called staying competitive. A new stadium is built to attract free agents and make the team richer.
* You have to have consistency, you can't fire your staff when they don't win in a few years. That's what made Raiders losers.
* It would be 5 years until all Al ruined was rebuilt. In a win now league-, where parity has bad teams in the playoffs?
* Al's last years were dysfunctional and created a losing culture. Even though it was known he thrived in a situation.
* Losing Gruden, losing to him in the SB and Gannon leaving just upset Raiders so much they couldn't win anymore.
Reply:
*You SHOULD draft passionate, high character football players but sometimes athletes, size and speed can help a team. DT T. Kelly had 7 sacks-team had 39 sacks in '11. Raiders had top 5 run game and top STs' in '11. Yet, fans thought it was o.k. to release most of those guys. The new Raiders had some of the worst defenses since '12.
* Consistency? the new Raiders fired 2 HCs' since '12.
* The new GMs'....hiring Allen, letting him hire staff. Leaving Raiders with inexperienced GM, owner and coach.
A GM from the NFL Network(?).
* When did the dysfunction start? Was it Hue on his players after losing to Denver, Or the players? why didn't this stop Raiders in the past? Was it Callighan calling a defending AFC Champion the "Dumbest team in America"?
* What team, player or coach (o.k. maybe M. Allen) ever upset Al so much that he didn't just try to win the next year?
What team beat them that bad or who did they lose-was it Gannon and Gruden? the Steelers' 70s' playoff games, Bills' blowout (51-3), "Tuck Rule", Marcus - Montana and KC years...did any of that stop Al?
The NFL and sponsors refused to give Raiders any endorsements('02-'11) despite their 'Brand' but other losing teams did get corporate sponsors(money). (P.S. Al also refused their help because some wanted to become stake holders in the Raiders).
Raidernation! the Raiders can blame themselves for a lot of their problems. But I think since Al passed its' been the NFL with ideas that aren't good for them! The NFL wants their 'Brand' without Al era. Why you can't see it I can't find the answer.
They TELL ALL OWNERS WHAT TO DO! They are telling the Raiders what to do because they ain't let'n them run themselves!!!!
Tanking? Dive for the sake of Parity? Maybe they don't want a L.V. playoff run until fans and tourists in L.V.!!! Dude, not scoring TDs', not firing the DC at least mid-season,not using ALL their O talent (Whitten), strange D injuries giving them excuses to lose.
Its' about MONEY not the Raiders. They' ll make money when tourists and fans are in L.V. and they the draft so they are showing their true colors while there is a pandemic.
IMO, the Raiders made their own misery. Owners run the league. Each team has a vote. Plenty of owners don't like the Raiders but they make more money when the Raiders are profitable.
Meanwhile, the Raiders have defied parity in their own twisted way, and with their own stupidity and mismanagement. Bad decisions are still being made, albeit, perhaps lessor in scope and severity. But the jury is still out on that....
Tommy Kelly was undrafted. Great player, as I remember.
Cheers!!
Sandy,
I think it has been predictable and anemic. 1st and 2nd down, run up the middle. 3rd down either a short pass behind the first down marker, or a long-air-it-out pass. No creativity. Not putting Ruggs into motion, or having him run slants or posts. At this point, I'd love to see Waller line up as a WR, and Moreau as the TE. I'd love to see Ruggs get some WR screens, or motion and come up out of the backfield like a screen pass. I'd love to see them shake things up with Ingold and Jacobs. I don't think Ingold has been right since he broke his ribs, and the running game hasn't been right since either. But there are no End/off-Tackle runs; just shooting up the middle.
I don't understand on 3rd and say 4 or 5 yards to go, why the Raiders call for a long pass? I don't understand why they are not playing smart football, nor calling good plays. I know one thing for sure, it is not Gruden calling these plays. The Raiders were doing well when they let Carr open the book, and make pre-snap adjustments. You haven't seen him do that the last 5 games on a consistent basis.
I will say, they seemed to turn the page a little against the Dolphins, but 0-10 on 3rd down was a little much. Not going for the TD at the end of the game was boneheaded, I told my son they lost when they did that. I walked away, and he came and told me they lost. SMH.
I think we have some people that will be cut this off-season, starting with Trent Brown, who, btw, will be on the bench vs the Doncos. We will save $16 million cutting him, and another $11 million cutting Tyrell Williams. I would love to see the Raiders go after TY Hilton or AJ Green.
Most of what they do has to be on defense though. Sheldon Rankins (DT, Saints), Bud Dupree (DE, Steelers), DaQuan Jones (DT, Titans), Everson Griffen (DE, Lions), Richard Sherman (CB, 9ers), Jayon Brown (LB, Titans) and Patrick Peterson (CB, Cardinals) would be who I target on the Free Agency list.
No NY, the OLD 60's-90s' owners hated Al, These BILLIONAIRES don't want anybody messing with their money!!!!
These are not the people Al feuded with in the past. They are about building a system and finding ways to get other billionaire-corporate friends/ partners into the NFL.
They don't care about feuds, not paying coaches or being rude to media and other owners(things Al did).
They care about MONEY and the NFL is a billionaire's toy not a football league anymore. They care about the players' Union, salaries, new stadiums, corporate sponsorship and investments. They don't want a REAL NFLPA trying to make salaries high. But they want money from fans and corporate money.
Al sided with Gene Upshaw and voted against the CBA, talked to the media about NFL corruption, signed a 1st overall pick to a huge contract forcing them to pay rookies more too, refused to bring in a billionaire as a co-owner(They probably would try to take his team), and kept suing the NFL(Lately TB and city of L.A.).
Made their own Misery? Ummm....just how did they do that? Three different coaches/GMs'? Al was building loaded rosters, Reggie ruined the team then suddenly, Gruden is hired.
You can't defy parity. It was designed so All NFL teams eventually win a division title; Mostly a quick loss in the 1st round of the playoffs. At least one playoff team, even in the Pats' division.
How do you NOT have One winning season in 9 years of REBUILDING!!! What pro sports team EVER made nine years of bad decisions (Gruden and Reggie)?
If the NFL CARED about a profitable Raiders team why didn't they help build a stadium in Oakland?
Its' a system made to create a can't lose money pool for the owners and political power for the NFL (freedom from lawsuits) and business for everyone except the fans.
Owners don't run the NFL a couple of them do. They put this system in and ALL teams must cooperate. Making money anyway possible even if its' shady.
They are not poor Billionaires spending millions on these players they are making money and all kinds other ways t.v.-cable, NFL funds, in stadium entertainment companies, tourism, corporation naming rights, NFL merchandise.
all to be shared between the owners with the NFL getting power to associate with politicians and have legal protection.
That means if necessary, disloyalty to players and fans. As awesome as these new stadiums are the NFL product is generic and shady.
Al wanted the money too but stood for his players, fans and the game. The NFL has hated him but the owners were pissed over his voting against the CBA, helping the Upshaw NFLPA and other things. They have far more power to tamper, spy and harass a person/ business and with connections to media and NFL front office.
The NFL can harass and tamper with NFL teams and tell coaches (and GMs') "not now, win later".
The NFL can harass and tamper with NFL teams and tell coaches (and GMs') "not now, win later".
If true, the NFL has unofficially cost the Raiders an entire generation of fans, i.e., kids who are now adults who only know the Raiders as losers. I think we'd all like to know when the NFL will give the Raiders permission to win, because this has gone on long enough.
When is "later"?
Actually, it sounds like an infamous Al Davis antitrust lawsuit waiting to happen.
I'm just the little guy in the cheap seats but it seems to me, the Raiders (Al then Mark) hired their own coaches/GMS, who made their own trades, draft picks and free agent signings. The Raiders created their own playbooks and called their own plays. They've had no shortage of overpriced contracts, breaking several NFL record salaries at various positions over the years.
Granted, the NFL blocked the Raiders from moving to LA but they also gave the Raiders a path to LV and tripled the franchise value in the process.
Yet winning continues to elude the franchise. So I guess it's not hard to believe there's a higher power at work here because it's harder to believe any one team could be this bad for this long on its own.
Today's game seems pretty meaningless, but it has the potential to pile on another losing season for the Raiders and bring Jon Gruden dangerously close to falling below .500 career record as an NFL head coach.
This has been one f'd up season. Due to covid, I have no access to the game broadcast today, so I'm not watching it. For now, I'm just watching the Giants thin and undeserving hopes slowly slip away against the Cowboys.
Was also looking at some stats. Perhaps it's a little early to make comparisons but these guys are all first round talent and were expected to make immediate impact.
Henry Ruggs, III 23 catches 2 TDs
Jerry Jeudy 47 catches 2 TDs
CeeDee Lamb 69 catches 5 TDs
Most scouts thought Lamb was the best but the Raiders picked Ruggs. I like Ruggs but so far it appears the scouts were right. Lamb's 69 catches coming into today are even more impressive when you consider Andy Dalton, not Dak Prescott, has been throwing to him.
23 receptions is barely part time work, and certainly not good enough for a #1 WR. Ruggs either needs to get insanely better or the Raiders need to find another #1 WR.
Angholor has been better than expected but his 47 catches still doesn't hit the mark. His 8 TDs, however, is impressive.
As a slot WR, Renfrow is right there at 53 receptions but the Raiders could (should) better utilized him in the red zone.
Let's face it, without Darren Waller, the Raiders offense would not be nearly as impressive this year. Last week, Carr resorted to just throwing the ball up for grabs and Waller was pulling it in every time. The man is a catching machine!
Biggest disappointment is Bryan Edwards. I don't know if he doesn't have what it takes, or if the Raiders have grossly underutilized him. I've seen his film and believe it's the latter. Edwards was supposed to be the guy when Williams went down. That didn't happen.
The Raiders can actually save a little face today by winning at Mile High. A win allows the Raiders to say they actually improved their record, as minimal and inconsequential as it might be.
My prediction is that the Broncos want to win even less than the Raiders. These two teams have nothing to play for... but Carr is a consummate professional and will not stop competing until it's over.
Raiders 24
Broncos 17
Disgusted by lack of imagination. Raiders are predictable beyond belief.
Run, run, short pass (incomplete) and punt.
3-and-out for 6-7 games in a row.
Scripted plays!
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