10 Las Vegas Raiders who have something to prove in 2020
HC Jon Gruden
The second Jon Gruden era has been an emotional rollercoaster for Raider Nation, as they went from elation that “Chucky” was back, to anger when Khalil Mack was traded, back to elation that the team could compete in 2019, and finally to anger when the season fell apart during a brutal stretch.
The dominant emotion heading in to 2020 seems to be cautious optimism, as Raider Nation eagerly awaits the start of the Las Vegas era and the rollout of a roster that looks like a playoff contender on paper. Gruden has said all of the right things since he rejoined the Silver and Black and his enthusiasm has been infectious, but the results are still not good enough to justify everything the Raiders have had to give up to get to this point.
This is definitely not a make or break year for Gruden, as he is only in year three of a ten-year contract, but this is a massive year for the franchise as they look to lay down solid roots in Las Vegas. Gruden has to prove to Raider Nation that their faith in him has not been misplaced by fielding an offense worthy of his “guru” reputation and taking the new-look Raiders to the playoffs.
Nothing less than that will be satisfactory for a fan base starved for success, but thankfully for them, if there is a season in 2020, the Raiders are in prime position to compete for a place in the postseason.