Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs: 3 things we learned in Week 13

Gruden must also take the blame

These two back-to-back losses showed a lack of discipline and lack of preparation and that falls on Jon Gruden and this coaching staff. Carr’s early interceptions and Trevor Davis‘ muffed kick return spelled early troubles, but poor playcalling by Gruden helped seal the Raiders’ demise on Sunday.

Facing a fourth and one, with a conversion to help jolt the momentum in Oakland’s favor, the logical solution would have been to go to your offensive rookie of the year candidate in Josh Jacobs or perhaps your surefire safety net in fullback Alec Ingold to move the chains.

Instead, Gruden opted for a fly sweep with Trevor Davis, who missed his open lane and was stuffed for a turnover on downs.

These Raiders have little to no margin for error, Jon Gruden should understand this by now. If the defense is honing in on the run game and your passing attack is struggling, it is up to Gruden to maximize his playcalling. After all, that is what he is getting paid the big bucks to accomplish on a weekly basis.