2021 Crucial for Gruden, Raiders
Jon Gruden is facing a crucial season in the fourth year of his second stint as head coach of the Oakland-Las Vegas Raiders.
The 57-year-old Gruden has posted only a 19-29 record with the Silver and Black since owner Mark Davis lured him out of the ESPN broadcasting booth in 2018 with a 10-year, $100-million contract.
The Raiders started 6-3 last season but lost five of their last eight games to finish at 8-8, which still was their best mark this time around under Gruden after going 4-12 and 7-9 the previous two years.
"That’s clearly not good enough,” Davis said of last season’s record. “It has never been good enough for us, but we haven’t done much better in the last 20 years. We went 12-4 in 2016 and were one-and-done in the playoffs.
“So there hasn’t been any real progress. We are hoping that we’re building something here. At the same time, results are the only thing that speaks. That’s what speaks to me and we just haven’t done it yet.”
Gruden went 38-26 in his first stint with the Raiders from 1998-2001, including 12-4 and 10-6 in the last two seasons to win the AFC West, before losing in the second round of the NFL playoffs both times.
Then he had a falling out with Managing General Partner Al Davis, Mark’s late father, and moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who he led to a 12-4 record in 2002 and a 48-21 rout of the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Things didn’t go as well in Tampa after that, and after compiling a 57-55 record in seven seasons, Gruden was fired by the Buccaneers following the 2008 season and went into broadcasting.
However, the coaching urge returned and Mark Davis convinced Gruden to return to the Raiders for their last two seasons in Oakland and the first one in Las Vegas last season.
Actually, Gruden has done an outstanding job running the Raiders’ productive offense behind quarterback Derek Carr, tight end Darren Waller and running back Josh Jacobs, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons.
The Raiders ranked eighth in the NFL last season with 6,133 total yards and averaged 27.1 points over 16 games, but the offense couldn’t overcome a defense that allowed 6,225 yards and 29.9 points per game, collapsing as the season went along.
That caused Gruden to fire defensive coordinator Paul Guenther in the middle of the season, but things didn’t get any better.
However, Gruden is confident things will improve on that side of the ball after the Raiders hired highly-regarded defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and adding defenders such as defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, cornerback Casey Hayward and safety Tre’Von Moehrig during the off-season.
Gruden was pleased with the way things went in OTAs and mini-camp, and can’t wait for training camp to start on July 27.
“We got better each day,” said Gruden, who knows it hurt the Raiders to have no offseason workouts last year because of the Coronavirus pandemic. “We did a lot of strategic things and focused every day, and we got better. I’m very happy about that.
“I think we’re better. I think we’ve got a chance to be much better and a lot deeper and be more competitive. … . I think we do have more depth, (but) it’s hard to update that question right now without seeing everything in pads at full strength.”
The Raiders did prove one thing last season, that they can win on the road, posting a 6-2 record away from Allegiant Stadium, where they were only 2-6.
Included was a 40-32 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
“We proved we can compete in the AFC West,” Gruden said. “We proved we can win on the road. Now we’ve got to prove we can win at a much higher level. The expectations are rising.
“I think we’re better. I think we’ve got a chance to be much better and a lot deeper and be more competitive.”
Gruden knows this is a big season for the Raiders, better than anyone.
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