If you've ever ridden a roller coaster in your lifetime, it's a nerve-wracking and heart-pounding experience right? There's the ascension, there's the drop, some loops, a stoppage, another drop, more loops, and finally, the ride's over. That is the 2016 season of the Oakland Raiders in a nutshell. This 2016 incarnation of the Raiders will be remembered as the "comeback kids" or the "Carr-diac kids" because of late game heroics from Derek Carr and the offense. Jack Del Rio has developed the reputation of "Blackjack Del Rio" because of his tendency to go for it all on 4th down or go for a two point conversion to win the game.
Coach Del Rio said it best in the post game celebration Week 1 vs. the New Orleans Saints. Last season, the Raiders learned how to compete. This season, they learned how to win. As I said in last year's "Season in Review" post, they were competitive all season long, but they just couldn't figure out how to close teams out. This year though, they figured out how to win by any means. And they've given us so many heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure. But, it was worth it. In the Week 1 game against the Saints, the Raiders were down by as many as 17. We all thought, "this is gonna be a loss, Superdome crowd is just too much for this team." But the pride and poise of Carr gave us reason to believe they would come back and they did it off a ballsy two point conversion to win the game 35-34. We could all agree on this, the opening win against the Saints in New Orleans set the identity of this team. They were not going to go down easily and they were going to find a way to break some hearts. That's the reason they started 5-0 on the road and why most of their margins of victory were very close. Now granted, you can make the argument that they could've lost those games too. But, a win is a win as long as the odds are in favor of the Raiders and that was the case for the most part of the season.
Unfortunately, luck (no Andrew Luck pun intended) couldn't stay on the side of the Raiders for long. Derek Carr got hurt late in the season against the Colts. When I found out because I could barely keep track of the game all day, it was devastating as a fan knowing we might've lost the franchise quarterback for the season. Most people thought it was unreasonable to keep Carr in the game because the Raiders were leading big. I thought it was the right call because they are up against Andrew Luck and the Colts who are fully capable of coming back regardless of the score. You saw it. They scored quickly after the Raiders put up their fifth TD of the game. So, I highly understood why they kept Carr in. It was a freak injury and unfortunately, they are part of this game. The collapse the last two weeks showed that Carr was the heart and soul of the team and in all honesty, he should've been in the MVP conversation for carrying the Raiders all season long. Without Carr, the Raiders surrendered the AFC West division to the Chiefs and they got an early playoff exit against the Texans.
There's absolutely no reason to be mad about how the season ended. Most experts had the Raiders making the playoffs at 10-6 as a wildcard. I had the same sentiments and I had them sneaking into the Wild Card as the 6th seed. They exceeded expectations going 12-4 and the 5th seed! By midseason, everybody had them going to the Super Bowl to face the Dallas Cowboys. In my opinion, that would've been some Super Bowl draw. You got a team who has a rookie QB-RB combo that's surpassing expectations going up against a team that's trying to cap off one of the greatest turnarounds in history behind a fearless quarterback! But, injuries just crushed the Raiders' aspirations. That doesn't take away that this season was a successful season. Teams that start to win will go through these growing pains, but they will gain experience and take it all the way.
It seems after the early playoff exit, the Raiders have started to make some moves in the coaching personnel. Coaches have contracts too, so every time a coach is let go, they make it seem like they're fired, which is not the case. On Tuesday, the Raiders announced that they will not retain Bill Musgrave and QB coach Todd Downing will be promoted to the Offensive Coordinator position. This is a change I can live with. You guys know my stance about Musgrave that I don't think he's the long term answer, but considering how good the offense was, it's understandable to keep him for continuity. This is not a major change considering it's an "in-house" move. Downing had a lot more to do with Carr's development into a superstar franchise quarterback. That should mean they will retain the same system with a couple of wrinkles, but Carr will ultimately be pulling the strings in the offensive game plan.
On the flipside, the Raiders will retain Ken Norton, Jr. as the Defensive Coordinator. In my honest opinion, I thought they should've let him go after a disastrous outing this season. I guess someone can make the argument that the defensive side had a lot of new starters, which I can understand. But, I think he might need a little mentoring on how to game plan, call plays, and making in-game adjustments as a DC. This where I think that the Raiders should consider bringing in Gus Bradley as a possible defensive consultant after being fired by the Jaguars if they were to retain KNJ. If many of you don't know before taking up the head coaching position, Gus Bradley was the DC when the Seahawks' defense reached its peak in 2012. Considering KNJ wanted to bring the same system to the Raiders, I feel that Bradley could be that mentor to show him the ropes on how to properly run the scheme because I think Norton is sometimes in over his head when it comes to the playcalling. You'd think he'd learn some things in his first year last season, but clearly he hasn't this season, which resulted in poor defensive alignments and execution. But, I'll give KNJ this: without him, we wouldn't be having Malcolm Smith or Bruce Irvin on the team right now. Who's next in the linebacker corps to go from Seattle to Oakland this offseason? Bobby Wagner? K.J. Wright? Although, they'll be pretty pricey to sign.
Now onto the offseason needs. Personally, I think the Raiders are set on offense. Although, they do need to shore up the Right Tackle spot because obviously, that was a huge mess this season with 4-5 different starters. I wouldn't be too concerned about Left Tackle considering that Kelechi Osemele could eventually take over for Donald Penn. The Raiders could use another big play receiver to take pressure off of Coop and because Crabtree is getting older, he could be relegated into the slot if the Raiders choose not to keep Seth Roberts. Other than that, offense should stay put.
On the defensive side, yes there's still some pieces needed in order for the unit to be dominant. Most notably, they need a DT who can stop the run and rush the passer and an every down "Mike" who can play both the run and the pass. I think they also need an upgrade at weakside linebacker since Malcolm Smith racked up a lot of tackles, but couldn't cover the Tight End. The secondary definitely didn't perform up to expectations. I think they need to restructure Sean Smith's contract and consider moving Reggie Nelson to the Strong Safety spot. Simultaneously, they need to think about replacing them long-term since they're getting older. But, a dominant front seven masks the secondary woes, so it's important to upgrade with a run/pass DT and "Mike." Also, we'll see what's going to be the status of Aldon Smith in March. I believe he has the right to sue with the players' association if Roger Goodell continues to drag his feet. I don't want to go on about NFL policies, but this one-year suspension policy is an absolute joke. What's the point of having a 60-day reinstatement window if you're not going to use it as a deadline to reinstate or not reinstate a player? Seriously.
Overall, we can finally say "there's next year" in a positive light. It hasn't been the case for the last 14 years, but a foundation and a culture is in place. If Reggie McKenzie doesn't win Executive of the Year for what he did the last 4-5 years and if Jack Del Rio doesn't win Coach of the Year, there's definitely something wrong. They deserve to be in the conversation for what they did to rebuild the Raiders back to greatness now and towards the future after over a decade of hot garbage. We are building some optimism now Raider Nation. Last year, they learn how to compete. This year, they learn how to win. Next year, they learn how to go all the way! This is only the first chapter in the return to greatness for the Silver and Black. Thank you guys for following this blog in what was a really fun season. Here's to more fun and more double-digit wins in 2017!
There's absolutely no reason to be mad about how the season ended. Most experts had the Raiders making the playoffs at 10-6 as a wildcard. I had the same sentiments and I had them sneaking into the Wild Card as the 6th seed. They exceeded expectations going 12-4 and the 5th seed! By midseason, everybody had them going to the Super Bowl to face the Dallas Cowboys. In my opinion, that would've been some Super Bowl draw. You got a team who has a rookie QB-RB combo that's surpassing expectations going up against a team that's trying to cap off one of the greatest turnarounds in history behind a fearless quarterback! But, injuries just crushed the Raiders' aspirations. That doesn't take away that this season was a successful season. Teams that start to win will go through these growing pains, but they will gain experience and take it all the way.
It seems after the early playoff exit, the Raiders have started to make some moves in the coaching personnel. Coaches have contracts too, so every time a coach is let go, they make it seem like they're fired, which is not the case. On Tuesday, the Raiders announced that they will not retain Bill Musgrave and QB coach Todd Downing will be promoted to the Offensive Coordinator position. This is a change I can live with. You guys know my stance about Musgrave that I don't think he's the long term answer, but considering how good the offense was, it's understandable to keep him for continuity. This is not a major change considering it's an "in-house" move. Downing had a lot more to do with Carr's development into a superstar franchise quarterback. That should mean they will retain the same system with a couple of wrinkles, but Carr will ultimately be pulling the strings in the offensive game plan.
On the flipside, the Raiders will retain Ken Norton, Jr. as the Defensive Coordinator. In my honest opinion, I thought they should've let him go after a disastrous outing this season. I guess someone can make the argument that the defensive side had a lot of new starters, which I can understand. But, I think he might need a little mentoring on how to game plan, call plays, and making in-game adjustments as a DC. This where I think that the Raiders should consider bringing in Gus Bradley as a possible defensive consultant after being fired by the Jaguars if they were to retain KNJ. If many of you don't know before taking up the head coaching position, Gus Bradley was the DC when the Seahawks' defense reached its peak in 2012. Considering KNJ wanted to bring the same system to the Raiders, I feel that Bradley could be that mentor to show him the ropes on how to properly run the scheme because I think Norton is sometimes in over his head when it comes to the playcalling. You'd think he'd learn some things in his first year last season, but clearly he hasn't this season, which resulted in poor defensive alignments and execution. But, I'll give KNJ this: without him, we wouldn't be having Malcolm Smith or Bruce Irvin on the team right now. Who's next in the linebacker corps to go from Seattle to Oakland this offseason? Bobby Wagner? K.J. Wright? Although, they'll be pretty pricey to sign.
Now onto the offseason needs. Personally, I think the Raiders are set on offense. Although, they do need to shore up the Right Tackle spot because obviously, that was a huge mess this season with 4-5 different starters. I wouldn't be too concerned about Left Tackle considering that Kelechi Osemele could eventually take over for Donald Penn. The Raiders could use another big play receiver to take pressure off of Coop and because Crabtree is getting older, he could be relegated into the slot if the Raiders choose not to keep Seth Roberts. Other than that, offense should stay put.
On the defensive side, yes there's still some pieces needed in order for the unit to be dominant. Most notably, they need a DT who can stop the run and rush the passer and an every down "Mike" who can play both the run and the pass. I think they also need an upgrade at weakside linebacker since Malcolm Smith racked up a lot of tackles, but couldn't cover the Tight End. The secondary definitely didn't perform up to expectations. I think they need to restructure Sean Smith's contract and consider moving Reggie Nelson to the Strong Safety spot. Simultaneously, they need to think about replacing them long-term since they're getting older. But, a dominant front seven masks the secondary woes, so it's important to upgrade with a run/pass DT and "Mike." Also, we'll see what's going to be the status of Aldon Smith in March. I believe he has the right to sue with the players' association if Roger Goodell continues to drag his feet. I don't want to go on about NFL policies, but this one-year suspension policy is an absolute joke. What's the point of having a 60-day reinstatement window if you're not going to use it as a deadline to reinstate or not reinstate a player? Seriously.
Overall, we can finally say "there's next year" in a positive light. It hasn't been the case for the last 14 years, but a foundation and a culture is in place. If Reggie McKenzie doesn't win Executive of the Year for what he did the last 4-5 years and if Jack Del Rio doesn't win Coach of the Year, there's definitely something wrong. They deserve to be in the conversation for what they did to rebuild the Raiders back to greatness now and towards the future after over a decade of hot garbage. We are building some optimism now Raider Nation. Last year, they learn how to compete. This year, they learn how to win. Next year, they learn how to go all the way! This is only the first chapter in the return to greatness for the Silver and Black. Thank you guys for following this blog in what was a really fun season. Here's to more fun and more double-digit wins in 2017!
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