Welcome in to the annual "Season in Review" post for the 2015 Oakland Raiders season. As usual, I reflect on this season from the past offseason, to the regular season games, and address what the team needs to do in the impending offseason and draft.
By NFL standards, a 7-9 season is a losing record. It is a disappointing finish. But considering the way the Raiders finished last season at 3-13, a 7-9 record is an improvement. The free agent class Reggie McKenzie brought in was leaps and bounds better than last season. Michael Crabtree, Rodney Hudson, Malcolm Smith, Lee Smith, Aldon Smith (before the suspension), David Amerson, and Dan Williams all made solid contributions on this roster. The 2015 draft class, headlined by Amari Cooper, Mario Edwards, Jr., Clive Walford, Ben Heeney, and Neiron Ball, proved to be a worthy sequel to the amazing draft class of 2014. Jack Del Rio and his coaching staff did a solid job in grooming this roster together and creating a "never say die" culture, hence why the Raiders have been competitive in games all season long.
Reflecting on all 15 games of the season, there was no doubt that the Raiders had so many opportunities presented at them to rally or preserve for a victory. They could've easily tripled their win total and be in position to make the playoffs. But too many times, they failed to cash in on those opportunities. The only convincing loss they had all season long was in Week 1 vs. the Bengals. The Bengals picked them apart as expected of an established perennial playoff team. But look at every other loss, the Raiders remained competitive, but they've continually shot themselves in the foot whether it was through costly turnovers, untimely penalties, conservative play calling, special teams errors, or the defense failing to make a stand. Against Chicago, the defense failed to make a game winning stop on 4th down, the first game against Denver, Carr threw a costly, game-sealing pick 6, against Pittsburgh, they failed to allow someone other than Antonio Brown to beat them. This team was virtually in every game and each game they played in were meaningful down the stretch because of playoff implications. They just didn't have the mentality or experience to put teams away. We can't overlook that this Raiders team is young and they'll figure out ways to close out opponents through experience and it benefits even more that they'll have continuity on the coaching staff.
Now closely evaluating each game, there was a sense of imbalance or lack of stable identity and that is typical of a team under a first year head coach and a new system. Going back to when the Raiders were dropping 30+ points in Weeks 7-9 vs. San Diego, New York (Jets), and Pittsburgh respectively, this team was explosive and they were fun to watch. We all thought we were wrong about Bill Musgrave and started crowning him as an offensive mastermind. Since the defense was horrendous to begin with, we wanted Ken Norton, Jr. gone. However, as Norton's defense started to come together down the stretch, the "explosiveness" of Musgrave's offense fizzled out and all of a sudden we want Musgrave gone. There is no denial that the offense regressed in the final games of the season. It's not only just Musgrave's play calling, but a plethora of injuries to the O-line and Amari Cooper's nagging foot injury were big factors in the regression of the offense. I personally don't think Musgrave is the right man to orchestrate the offense, but the Raiders can't afford to mar Carr's young career by putting him in yet another brand new offense, unless Pep Hamilton is one call away. Ken Norton, Jr., the way he has adjusted the defense late in the season with all the injuries and the Aldon Smith suspension deserves another year and see what he can do with a heatlthy Khalil Mack and a better secondary. We all know with Jack Del Rio at the helm, this team is defensive-minded, but if the Raiders can get both the offense and defense to click, they will have more victories against good teams and they will have more blowout wins against lesser teams. This offseason should be the opportune time for the players to be fully integrated into the systems.
Even though a team is measured by wins and losses, from a statistical perspective, there were more positives than negatives. The offense produced a 3,000 yard, almost a 4,000 yard passer in Carr, a 1,000 yard rusher in Murray, and a 1,000 yard receiver in Cooper. The O-line was top 10 according to Pro Football Focus at one point before the injuries caught up. Mack, at one point, was the NFL's sack leader and Charles Woodson, at one point, was the league leader in interceptions. Mack, Woodson, and Reece are Pro Bowl bound. Carr, Murray, and Cooper are alternates; if they can get in to replace players whose team is playing the Super Bowl, the Raiders will have 6 Pro Bowl players this season, their highest in a long, LONG time. Obviously, we know Woodson is retiring at the end of the season, Reece's skills are diminishing, and the Pro Bowl doesn't mean squat, but the possibility of having 6 Pro Bowl players is huge. Even though much of these stats and accolades only translate to 7 wins, it's a harbinger of good things to come for the Raiders as long as they build consistency off of this kind of progress for next season.
The good news about the offseason, we don't have to talk about hiring another head coach or which top 5 prospect the Raiders should get in the draft. The priority of this offseason should be in this order: building a stout secondary, shoring up the right side of the O-line, adding a complementary power back to Murray, getting a true "Mike" linebacker that can play both the run and pass, and adding a lot more depth to this team. It also doesn't hurt getting Carr a few more weapons and it also doesn't hurt adding more pass rushers to the defense. There are a lot of good options at corner and safety with Eric Weddle, Eric Berry, Sean Smith, Josh Norman, and Prince Amukamara hitting the unrestricted free agent market. Maybe Jack Del Rio and Ken Norton, Jr. can channel both their Denver and Seattle ties again by luring in Danny Trevathan from the Broncos and Bruce Irvin and Jeremy Lane from the Seahawks. In terms of the draft, the Raiders have the 14th pick and at this point, the Raiders just have to get the Best Player Available. All the intriguing prospects like Vernon Hargreaves, Reggie Ragland, Myles Jack, Jalen Ramsey, will likely be gone by the time the Raiders draft. If somebody follows the college ranks 24/7, you can comment below on who the Raiders should get in the 1st round of the 2016 draft. Then after, they should start addressing glaring holes and add depth to the roster, such as the secondary, O-line, and linebacker position.
Now that the season is over with, it's time that we address the "elephant in the room." Where are the Raiders playing next season? Week 16 could possibly be the last time the Raiders play in Oakland. The Raiders have already applied for possible relocation to LA, along with the Rams and the Chargers. I've kept my views on whether they should stay in Oakland or move to LA behind closed doors dating back to last season. However, I will give you my stance. In my opinion, the Raiders belong in Oakland. If they move to LA, would I turn my back on them? Absolutely not unless Mark Davis pulls an Art Modell when Modell renamed the Cleveland Browns into the Baltimore Ravens. Personally, I will not be mad if the Raiders move because although I am a Bay Area guy, I do have personal ties with family and a majority of my college friends residing in LA and SoCal in general. That and I'm a Lakers fan, just want to throw that out there for the namesake of this blog. I know the rivalry between the Bay Area/NorCal and LA/SoCal is well-documented, but if it means keeping the Raiders in California, so be it. Ultimately though, I would like the Raiders to stay in Oakland. To me, the Raiders epitomize what the city and community of Oakland is about: grit, pride, and hard work. They are the dark side of Bay Area football (Star Wars reference) and it would just be gut wrenching for Oakland, the East Bay, and the Bay Area as a whole if they move out for good. We Raider fans in the Bay Area have stuck through 13 non-winning seasons of hell and for LA to get them when things start to turn around, it's just heartbreaking that the inevitable can possibly happen by next week. At this point, it's up to the NFL owners to vote on which teams go to LA. Hopefully, the Raiders are not one of those teams.
At the end of the day, we can agree on one thing: the Raiders are coming back. The team needs a few more pieces and they will start contending for the AFC West, let alone the Super Bowl. The dark ages are almost over and we finally have a respected football team. Too many times opponents have nonchalantly walked to a matchup vs. the Raiders, marking it as an automatic victory. With this current team on the rise, opponents will have to earn a victory against them. One thing is for certain after this season, the Raiders are starting to become a professional football team once again. Once again, thank you Raider Nation for following my coverage for the 2015 season. Here's to a bright 2016.
"Came so far and it feels so amazing, and now we're dealing with a new generation." ~ Dizzy Wright - "New Generation"
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