They’re almost as bad as the Dallas Cowboys when it comes to expectations. With a disappointing 0-2 start under new HC Josh Mcdaniels, the Las Vegas Raiders are proving that even though they changed cities, the weight of their fans expectations is still too great.
And here I thought that the Raiders were actually going to compete this year. I thought that the stain of Jon Gruden’s dysfunctional reign had finally been swept under the rug as the Raiders were seeking their first two consecutive playoff berths in 20 years under new HC Josh Mcdaniels.
How could the Raiders be anything but an offensive powerhouse with newly acquired 1st Team All-Pro WR Devante Adams, Pro-Bowl TE Darren Waller, Pro-Bowl WR Hunter Renfrow, Pro-Bowl QB Derek Carr, and star RB Josh Jacobs mixed with the offensive genius that is Josh Mcdaniels?
Not only that, but the Raiders also got better on defense (on paper, at least) as they signed All-Pro DE Chandler Jones and CB Rock Ya-Sin.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, how about not only stinking it up against the Los Angleses Chargers, one of their main rivals for a playoff spot this season, in the season opener, but also blowing a 20-point lead, the largest in Raiders’ history, to an unraveling Arizona Cardinals?
What? You Raiders fans aren’t surprised? Yeah, neither am I.
Ever since Al Davis passed away back in 2011, this team has lost all resemblance of his ‘Just Win, Baby’ mantra as the Raiders have done everything but ‘Just Win’.
In the time since Al Davis passed away, the Raiders have made the playoffs just twice in eleven years, with both times being Wild Card Round exits. In fact, the Raiders entry into the playoffs last season broke a 6-year long postseason drought dating back to 2016 (the only other time they made the playoffs).
Simply put, the winning culture of this 3X Super Bowl Champion franchise has been completely drained and discarded long ago.
And the start to this season has proven it.
The Raiders came into this year with massive expectations (relatively speaking) as many pictured them to make the playoffs, with some even predicating that they would challenge the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West Division title.
I honestly thought that the Raiders had a good chance of making the playoffs as the Patriots and Steelers (the two other Wild Card teams) would have their hands full of just competing in their own divisions, let alone the rest of the AFC.
The chance for postseason success was just before them. All they had to do was reach out and grab it.
Yet, as of this moment, they have fallen face first before that chance as they have crumbled under the weight of their expectations. Being blown out by the Chargers (even though the score was close) on opening night was bad but blowing a 20-point lead to a team that was unraveling (which the Cardinals most definitely were) before our very eyes was shocking.
Losing that game in the manner they did (allowing the Cardinals to go on a 23-3 scoring run to take the game to overtime, then fumbling twice in OT to lose on a scoop-and-score defensive TD) is evident that Josh Mcdaniels, Derek Carr, and the rest of the Raiders leadership core were unprepared/unready to grind out that win.
And that is inexcusable.
If Mcdaniels and Carr want to succeed with the Raiders, then the pair better get a grip on this team. Or else they might be facing unemployment (by NFL standards) this time next season.
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