The Las Vegas Raiders started the season strong, going 3-0 and peaking at 5-2 before dropping three games in a row to fall to 5-5 heading into Week 12. The members of Raider Nation are less than pleased.
Before diving in, here are just a few examples of Raider Nation’s collective frustration and disappointment with their team this season.
Raider Nation speaks up on Twitter…
I enjoy covering the #Raiders, win, lose or draw, but I really feel for the fanbase.
These last 2 decades have not been for the faint of heart.
— Maurice Moton (@MoeMoton) November 22, 2021
Hey #Raiders…. Do the #RaiderNation a favor and win a game for us on Thanksgiving… right now we’d have more joy watching Uncle Joe fall asleep at the dinner table waiting for them Yams… pic.twitter.com/GDsLqwqMvT
— MonsterMash Ken (@MonstermashKen) November 23, 2021
As long as Carr is the QB, im done having hope for the #Raiders. Dude is back to missing WIDE open WRs, fumbling, etc. Opposing defenses dont even respect him. I'll always root for the Raiders, but I have no hope w/ DC as the starter. Like Brady said "u sticking w/ that mf?"
— NYCRaider88 (@NYC_Raider88) November 23, 2021
— James (@OaklandAboveAll) November 23, 2021
Mood. #Raiders pic.twitter.com/ZcLEH4FpJC
— Raider Posts (@RaiderPosts) November 21, 2021
Hope and optimism are dwindling…
Raiders fans were extremely optimistic after the team opened the season by going 3-0. That was against formidable opponents such as the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the less formidable Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately, the Raiders dropped a game to the Los Angeles Chargers. That was followed by a loss to the Chicago Bears that was attributed to the dilemma of Jon Gruden’s resigning. The Raiders then put together wins against the Broncos and Eagles, but since the arrest and release of receiver Henry Ruggs III, the team has not won a game. Las Vegas added Rams receiver DeSean Jackson, whose biggest contribution thus far was a costly fumble against the Chiefs. The Raiders scored 90 points in their first three games; in the last three, they have scored 43.
Same old story…
The fan base has seen this story before. The Raiders were 6-3 at one point during the 2020 season. Fans of the team were sure that the playoff curse was due to be broken as their last appearance was in 2016. The Silver and Black faithful were duped. The team went 2-5 in their final seven games, finishing the season at 8-8 and missing the playoffs.
The fanbase again feels deceived as the Raiders are plummeting after starting the season off well. In their most recent defeat to the Bengals, Derek Carr stated in his post-game presser, “I’ve just got to be better for us. It starts with me and ends with me. We’re out of sync and not good enough on third down and in the red zone, and it’s my fault.“
Fans are tired of the excuses…
While we all credit Carr for taking responsibility for one touchdown in that game, the excuse for being at fault means nothing if you do nothing to fix it. After losing to the Chargers in Week 5, Carr stated, “It’s all my fault,” but then scored zero touchdowns against the Chicago Bears the next week. After losing to the Chargers and throwing two interceptions (see a theme here) in 2017, Carr stated, “That’s why it is my fault. At the end of the day, we’re out there on the field. ” The Raiders finished that season at 6-10.
The point of this is that the fans no longer want to hear Carr and the rest of the team just take responsibility for the losses; they want to know how the team will improve. On top of that, they want to actually see the team improve on the field. If the team is simply lost because they don’t know what to do without their deep threat, Ruggs, the fans want to hear that. If there is a growing locker room divide, that’s also useful information. But either way, the fans want to hear that it’s going to be fixed and they want to believe it.
Fans of this organization have had to put up with a lot of heartache in the last two decades. They range from Rich Gannon’s Super Bowl disaster of the 2002 season, the JaMarcus Russell failure, Carr’s broken leg in 2016, and now, to the disastrous ending of the second Jon Gruden era. The franchise is supposed to be built on a Commitment To Excellence but at this point, they have only shown their fans that they are committed to being mediocre. The fan base, as devoted as they are, is fed up and wants one thing: wins.
Looking ahead
The Raiders need to step up for their Thursday matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, who just suffered a crushing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and lay it out on the field. Another loss will certainly end any playoff hopes and Carr can save the “taking the blame” speech unless he’s willing and able to contribute to the solution.
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*Top Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
