At 2-6, the Las Vegas Raiders’ season has been disappointing. They had a chance to get back in the win column against the Jacksonville Jaguars but they squandered it.
But let’s discuss something good about the Raiders because there has been a lot of bad surrounding the team. While they’re running out of time, the Raiders can still salvage their season. Here are three reasons.
Raiders have lost 5 of 6 games by one possession
The Raiders have lost six games this season, but five of those games were decided by just one possession. And to make matters worse, they have lost three games in which they had leads of at least 17 points. Despite being close, the team has been unable to close out games or secure victories.
Execution and coaching are key in this. For the Raiders to show some signs of life, Josh McDaniels must acknowledge that this is his fault and improve as a coach. Obviously, McDaniels bears a large portion of the responsibility, but the players also need to improve. Things can change real fast in this league, so buy-in from both the coaches and players will be crucial for potential change.
Run the rock with Josh JacobsÂ
It’s getting darker earlier and getting colder. Which, in football terms, means your chances of winning will increase if you can run the ball effectively. The Raiders, however, have a star they should rely on to improve their winning chances going forward.
Jacobs has been productive this season, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Davante Adams frequently draws two-high safety looks, which reduces the amount of eight-man boxes that Jacobs must deal with. Jacobs, who ranks fifth in the league in rushing touchdowns and fourth in rushing yards, will remain one of the Raiders’ focal points on offense. Jacobs is a physically demanding runner, which will make it challenging to stop him during the colder months.
They turned it around last year, why not this year
The Raiders were 5-2 at one point last season, but after that, they lost five of their next six games, dropping to 6-7. They then won four straight games to qualify for the playoffs. Since they are 2-6 and have little room for error for the remainder of the season, they are in a more difficult situation this year.
They have a chance to improve this year because they have perhaps more talent. They’ll have to unite behind their stars, Adams, Jacobs, Maxx Crosby, and Nate Hobbs. Since Jacobs, Crosby, and Hobbs were a part of the group that succeeded in last year’s turnaround, they will have to take the initiative. For this team, it is either now or never because a 2-7 record effectively ends your chances of earning a playoff spot. We’ll likely find out what this team is all about.
Top Photo: Fans at Allegiant Stadium. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)