Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos: 3 things to watch in Week 17

Dec 26, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) catches a pass against Miami Dolphins free safety Eric Rowe (21) during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) catches a pass against Miami Dolphins free safety Eric Rowe (21) during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Raiders AFC West
Gruden and the Raiders cannot afford a third straight losing season. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Raiders have to avoid a losing record

This is Year 3 of Jon Gruden’s return to the Silver and Black, and it has not yielded great results since he put the headset back on. In fact, Gruden has seen his team falter down the stretch the last two seasons, and some feel that had he not had such a lucrative contract, he would be on the hot seat heading into 2021.

In reality, Gruden inked a ten-year/$100 million contract back in 2018, so he is not going anywhere, so you can throw that out the window. This franchise has been clamoring to get Gruden back for years, and hopefully, he can live up to all the money Mark Davis threw at him to come out of retirement.

An 8-8 season, while a disappointment after a 6-3 start, is very important for this franchise moving forward. They have made steady process since he returned to the Silver and Black, but missing the playoffs was a shock this season, and there is a lot of work to do once again in the offseason.