Tampa Bay game has huge meaning for Jon Gruden, Derek Carr
By Brad Weiss
Tampa Bay game has huge meaning for Jon Gruden, Derek Carr
Gruden against his former team, familiar foe
Not only is Jon Gruden going up against his former team, a franchise he led to a Super Bowl title nearly 20 years ago, but he is also going up against a player that ended his tenure with the Raiders last time. Back when Gruden was running the team in the 2001 season, his final of his first stint with the Silver and Black, Brady and the Pats beat Gruden and the Raiders in the “Tuck Rule Game.”
That loss signaled the end for Gruden with the Raiders, as he was traded to the Bucs, and would beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl that following season. Gruden has never gotten over that game, and while Brady does have a new uniform on now, beating him would mean just as much to Gruden.
The 2020 Raiders have put themselves in position to make a serious run to the playoffs after a 3-2 start, and coming off the bye, they should be a lot healthier in Week 7. For Gruden and Carr, this game can help them slay a few of their dragons, and a 4-2 start to the season, with a softer schedule ahead, could have major ramifications in what is going to be a very tight playoff race in the AFC.