NFL
By: Brock Vierra
The Raiders of old were a dominant force no matter where they called home. Super Bowl champions in both Oakland and Los Angeles, Al Davis and his merry mercenaries were a constant force to be reckoned with. A franchise built on a simple phrase of “just win baby” became home to the most forward-thinking front office in football. An offensive line anchored by Hall of Fame talent originating from HBCUs, a career rehab center that reignited the quarterback talents of Ken Stabler and Jim Plunkett, two castaways turned into Super Bowl champions, and the hiring of the first-ever black head coach in Art Shell and building a roster that Tom Flores used to propel himself into being the first ever minority head coach to win a Super Bowl. Al Davis’ commitment to excellence had no color barrier, no bias on school or origin, no worries about non-football things (even to the detriment of the Raiders’ image). However, the Raiders of today aren’t even a fraction of the powerhouse of the past.
The wheels started to fall off after the tuck rule and completely came off in Super Bowl XXXVII. Davis’ move to trade Jon Gruden looked almost ingenious as Bill Callahan coached the AFC champs to a phenomenal season with QB Rich Gannon winning MVP. That same QB would throw 5 interceptions in a blowout loss to Gruden’s Bucs. The Raiders haven’t made the playoffs since.
Al Davis was a visionary but he also had a mean streak about him. It was his way or the highway and since he was the owner, it was always his way. Davis’ personnel and coaching decisions from 2002 till his death in 2011 were full of question marks that left the Raiders in peril following his death. However it’s been over 10 years since Al Davis’ passing and the Raiders have only accumulated two playoff appearances, 0 division titles, and 0 playoff wins. So one must ask the question, what happened?
The fallout of Al Davis’ death was destructive. A QB battle between Jason Campbell, Carson Palmer, and Al Davis’ last draft pick Terrelle Pryor ensured. They all sucked. The lack of offensive playmakers didn’t help either. When we talk honestly, Al Davis just couldn’t draft players at the effectiveness in which he once could. Compounded by the coaching hires of Norv Turner, Lane Kiffin, Art Shell (the second time), Tom Cable, and Hue Jackson, the Raiders required a full rebuild.
Reggie McKenzie was hired by Al Davis’ son Mark to raise this once-great franchise from the ashes. McKenzie had some ups and downs with the disaster that was Dennis Allen and the draft misses of D.J. Hayden, Karl Joseph, and Gareon Conley but McKenzie built a championship roster through the 2014 and 2015 NFL Draft. Back to back to back picks of Khalil Mack, Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson in 2015 gave them a core that would be competing for a title in a few years and Shelby Harris, Amari Cooper, Mario Edwards Jr, and Jon Feliciano would help supplement an already intriguing roster. Jack Del Rio was hired as head coach and it paid dividends in 2016 when the Raiders went 12-4. However, on Christmas Eve, Derek Carr broke his ankle against the Colts forcing third-stringer Connor Cook to make his first-ever start in the postseason against the Texans. They lost 27-14.
However, hopes were high in 2017. Vegas gave the Raiders great odds to win it all and the hype surrounding the team compounded by a rumor that the team may move to sin city sent betters wild. Carr signed a 125 million dollar extension in the offseason and the Raiders were bringing back all seven of their Pro Bowlers. Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement to play for his local team so the expectations of Raider Nation were through the roof. Things, however, didn’t go to plan, the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas progressed from a rumor to reality and the on-field play suffered as a result. A 6-10 record saw Davis fire Del Rio and bring in a face from the past.
Jon Gruden was named head coach of the Raiders in 2018 and his job was to usher in a new era of success. Gruden, the champion who came so close to taking the Raiders to the promised land was tasked to do that once again. Gruden would oversee a rehaul of a squad that quite frankly didn’t need to be rehauled and the Raiders transition from Oakland to Las Vegas. However, Gruden would have to deal with the Raiders lack of funds, funds that were being tied up in the Raiders new stadium in Las Vegas, Oakland county threatening to kick the Raiders out of the Colosseum, and his own ego.
An ego that tanked the Raiders until his dismissal due to non-football-related incidences in 2022. Only 3 of his first-round picks remain on the team, only one has an extension and his trades of Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper have ensured the Raiders had a non-winning season in every year he completed.
However there was a reprieve, Rich Bisaccia would take over as interim head coach and completely revamp the Raiders in the few months he was in charge. The coordinator responsible for the best special teams unit in the league took the Raiders to the playoffs where they lost to the Bengals in a back-and-forth affair.
Bisaccia was not retained and Josh McDaniels was hired. The Raiders look terrible and are on the verge of missing out on the playoffs. The Raiders who added Davonte Adams are in the midst of another rebuild, the fallout of Gruden’s horrible roster decisions, and were also the last team in the league to record a win.
It’s clear that the Raiders are multiple steps away from contending and what is the reason? Is it Derek Carr, or is it the coaching? What could it be? The answer though tough to say is simple. They lack strong leadership.
Now many people want to point fingers at Mark Davis to be the leader. Of course, he’s the owner but the responsibility of what his father had may not be what he wanted. His father Al was always a decision-maker. As a coach, owner, executive, and commissioner, Al was in charge. Mark was around, connecting to players and people on a personal level. Mark has said it himself that he gets way too close to players when Al despite saying “once a Raider, always a Raider” would cut you on the spot.
The truth is the person they have failed to replace isn’t a QB, a coach, a GM, or even Al Davis. They’ve failed to commit to excellence. The pursuit of excellence fuels strong leadership, not the other way around. The fire that burns bright inside Allegiant, the fire of Al Davis, the fire that fuels the Raiders hasn’t burned inside any of the top football decision-makers in over a decade. Revisionist history will look upon Jon Gruden favorably for some unknown reason but let’s face facts. He was given a playoff roster and turned it into rubble just like he did in Tampa Bay. He thought he was Al, he thought he was him and that it’s his way or the highway and in the end, it was him who was sent packing because he couldn’t commit to being a decent person. The Raiders wouldn’t commit to Del Rio and McKenzie while Dennis Allen and Tom Cable were far from excellent.
And in the Raiders darkest hour, when Henry Riggs and Damon Arnette turned from ball players to criminals, when the Raiders were on the verge of collapse, one man stepped up and led them to a play away from their first playoff win in over two decades. That same man who wrote every player a thank you note the day after the crushing playoff loss. That man was let go in favor of a coach that flamed out with the Broncos.
The Raiders of old didn’t make decisions because they were popular, in fact, most of the things they did were unpopular but they were the right calls. Bisaccia should’ve gotten the chance to lead this team.
If I’m the Raiders, stop making the popular pick. Go back to the speed eta because the Dolphins are proving it works. Hire leadership that commits to excellence, not coaches you perceived as excellent. Most importantly just be who you are and just win baby.
