Raiders

Raiders Won’t Have Excuses To Underperform in 2020

The Las Vegas Raiders had a hard time fulfilling expectations due to different circumstances last year. They are running out of excuses to win in 2020.

The Raiders finished last season with a 7-9 record. There were many reasons why Las Vegas wasn’t able to advance to the playoffs. Some were within their control, such as the talent or lack thereof on the roster. Likewise, injury took its toll on the team. Their main offensive weapons, Josh Jacobs, Hunter Renfrow, and Tyrell Williams were all injured at some point last year. On the other hand, there were other circumstances that may have affected Las Vegas’ performance in 2019. Alas, they should not use that as justification for their inability to win.

Under the HBO Spotlight

The first one was their appearance on HBO’s Hard Knocks. NFL coaches aren’t fond of partaking in reality TV. It was likely more difficult for Raiders staff and players alike when cameras surrounded them, but it’s fair to wonder how much of that really affected them. No team that has been featured on the show has made it to the playoffs the season they’re in. However, there is no real correlation between Hard Knocks and losing. Teams that are part of the series were already bad to begin with the year before. Good teams thrive in the middle of adversity and the Raiders weren’t good enough last year.

Related: RB Josh Jacobs Poised to Be Even Better in Year 2

The Cost of Bringing In a Time Bomb

The Raiders thought they had gotten an elite wide receiver when they traded for Antonio Brown. At the time, it looked like a lopsided deal for the Steelers, but they came out winners in hindsight. Originally, it looked like Pittsburgh didn’t treat Brown fairly and showed a preference for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Nevertheless, Brown’s allure quickly wore off and the Raiders would release him before the 2019 season started.

According to head coach Jon Gruden, the Raiders couldn’t recover from the receiver’s departure since the offense was created around him. If anything that went to show Gruden can’t adapt and will look for a scapegoat when things go wrong.

Anyone but the Raiders

The Raiders lost against the Jaguars in their last game ever at the Oakland Coliseum. Some plays definitely didn’t go their way but blaming the officials for their failure to execute is less than encouraging. That roughing the passer penalty tasted like dog dirt, but one down didn’t determine the outcome of the game. Their offense went cold in the second half and the defense couldn’t stop then-rookie Gardner Minshew. The coaching staff should’ve taken a hard look and focused on execution. Having 12 men on the field on fourth-and-one is inexcusable. There’s no way to pin that on the field judges.

Last year, the Raiders didn’t have many playmakers on the roster. They took care of that this offseason. Now, they have to stop worrying about things they have no control over. If they do so, we may just see the resurgence of the Silver and Black.

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Top Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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7 thoughts on “Raiders Won’t Have Excuses To Underperform in 2020”

  1. Lmao what are you smoking man the jags game was a clear blown ref call that absolutely cost them the game where carr slid in bounds and they ruled it out thats a fact not an excuse

  2. This dude is f****** retarded. Three minutes of my life I’ll never get back again.probity the worst article I’ve ever read. How’s the guy have a job.. R8TRS

  3. Jarred Pedersen

    Quite possibly the worst article I’ve read this side of Mike Freeman. Agree that Hard Knocks is no longer an excuse but saying the Antonio Brown issue shows Gruden can’t adapt and will find a scapegoat is ridiculous. You are using facts about an inability to score to drive home your point without any substantive reasoning that the two are connected, especially when you later write the Raiders lacked playmakers. You then point to bad calls in the Jaguar game but conveniently omit the most egregious call that would have ended the game when Carr was called out of bounds. This is simply a lazy article put out in the hopes that those reading lack the knowledge to see through the Grand Canyon sized cracks in it

  4. I’m not sure who determines which writer and article gets printed but I hope those decision makers are reading these comments. This Carlos Sanchez guy is a clown and I agree that this may be the worst piece I’ve ever read. People like him give this site a bad name.

  5. No one but this Carlos Sanchez thinks the Raiders of 2019 needed excuses for their season. Everyone who watches football knows that aside from Louis Riddick, all the experts had the raiders winning 4 games at best. Some had them winning less. Only us Raider fans said that we were playoff bound, and that was out of loyalty and not expertise. By the way, I say the Raiders are going to win the Superbowl every year. It doesn’t mean I expect them to, and if they don’t then the season was a failure. Gruden does need to work on adapting in his play call, but he can’t make a tallent depleated secondary and a non existent middle linebacker corps cover anything or anyone. That was the reason we lost those games down the stretch, not Chucky’s playcalling. All in all we over acheived last year despite losing all those games in the 4th quarter of the season, and losing Asstonio Clown. Carlos, brotha, step your game up.

  6. Here’s a thought…Why don’t you guys stop with the BS about under performance and making excuses and wait for the season like the rest of us? This will be a different Raider team than the one that took the field last season. I know it’s hard for some of you to find things to write about at this time, but don’t talk sh*t about making excuses before a game is played. Sounds like you want us to fail.

    1. Who’s “us” 😂 we cover the Raiders, it’s a business. Easy with the feelings 😂

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