Raiders Try to Avoid Repeat of 2014
When the Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos, 32-23, on Oct. 2 this season, they avoided starting 0-4 for the first time since the 2014 season, but as time has gone on this is starting to look more and more like that disastrous year.
The Oakland Raiders lost the first 10 games of that season before winning three of their last six games to finish at 3-13.
That was the worst record for the Silver and Black since they went 2-14 in 2006, and reminded long-time members of Raider Nation of the early years of the Oakland Raiders, when they were 2-12 in 1961 and lost their first 13 games the next season before beating the Boston Patriots, 20-0, in the final game of 1962.
“There will be dancing on Broadway tonight,” Raiders radio play-by-play man Bob Blum chortled during the final seconds of that final game of the season, but that wouldn’t happen until the next season when new Coach and General Manager Al Davis came to town and turned the Silver and Black into one of the greatest franchises in pro sports.
Even though these Raiders didn’t go 0-4 this season, they have lost four of their last five games to sit at 2-7 more than halfway through this season after winning their last five games of the regular season behind interim Coach Rich Bisaccia last year to make the playoffs with a 10-7 record.
Mark Davis, son of Al and now the owner of the Raiders, gave first-year Coach Josh McDaniels a vote of confidence recently.
We have reported that McDaniels will return as head coach of the Raiders next year, no matter how the rest of the season goes.
While the Raiders are 2-7, the only game they lost where they really didn’t have a chance was a 24-0 defeat to the New Orleans Saints, while their other six losses have come by less than a touchdown and one play in any of those games that went the other way could mean the Silver and Black could be 8-1.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
“We just don’t have enough guys that are fully bought in,” wide receiver Davante Adams said, according to The Athletic. “I don’t think people are like, you know: ‘F--- what (McDaniels) is talking about’ or ‘I’m going against the grain.’ It’s just a matter of executing when it’s time.
“ … It means playing a complete game, every minute of the game, giving it everything you’ve got. … It’s doing your job and making the plays when you’re called on and get the opportunities, and we just don’t do that at a high enough level right now.”
Added quarterback Derek Carr: “I love Josh, I love our coaches. They’ve had nothing but success, way more success than I’ve ever had. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being emotional.
“I’m just pissed off about some of the things that a lot of us do just to practice, what we put our bodies through just to sleep at night. And for that to be the result of all that effort pisses me off. It pisses a lot of guys off.”
Carr joined the Raiders during that 2014 season as a second-round pick (No. 36 overall) out of Fresno State and within two seasons took them to the playoffs with a 12-4 record, but was injured late in the season and couldn’t play when they lost in the post-season that year.
Raider Nation is hoping that with the help of Adams, he can find some of that old magic.
The Raiders' game is on Sunday in Seattle and kicks off at 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST. You can see that game on CBS.
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