Oakland Raiders: Week 1 – Pressures, Hurries and Knockdowns
By Justin Smith
JBB is bringing back this popular weekly series, titled Pressures, Hurries and Knockdowns. Here is the first edition for the Oakland Raiders 2016 season.
After another solid draft combined with targeted free agent signings and talent gathering over the past two years, the Raiders come in to 2016 facing something they are not used to — high expectations and the pressure that comes.
This team hasn’t had a winning record since 2003, and aside from a couple of 8-8 seasons, didn’t really come anywhere close in the last thirteen years.
The Raiders showed significant improvement under first-year coach Jack Del Rio in 2015, improving their record to 7-9 after a 3-13 record in 2014. But this wasn’t an anomaly in the midst of constant rebuilding like those 8-8 seasons.
This was the beginning of a young nucleus learning how to win.
With young core leaders Derek Carr and Khalil Mack playing at high levels and demanding excellence from their teammates, that should only continue this season.
General Manager Reggie McKenzie has done an excellent job building a deep, talented roster with few glaring holes. The long-proud franchise has been wounded of late, and Raider Nation is just about out of patience.
The time to win starts now. With expectations comes pressure. Who is under the most pressure in the first game? Difficult to pinpoint with expectations being as high as they are, but there are certainly situations which stand out.
Next: Pressure - Menelik Watson