Raiders finish with a better record, but the same disappointing result
As the Raiders fell to 7-8 after starting 6-3, it was quite evident that while members of the team said this wasn’t the “same team” as 2019, the late-season lapses definitely said otherwise. The Raiders were plagued with injuries, COVID-19, poor coaching, and poor decision-making all season, so it is back to the drawing board in 2021.
While Las Vegas ended the season with a season sweep of the loathed Denver Broncos, the trajectory of what could have been for the Las Vegas Raiders cast a shadow that loomed over the final record of 8-8. Sure, watching the Raiders beat Denver is stunning fashion was fun, but that is a game that should have been a tuneup for a playoff appearance after how strong they started.
The franchise has now blown two great starts to a season in back-to-back campaigns, and as the fan base sits back and watches Super Wild Card Weekend, we can only think about the what-ifs. There is too much talent on the team to consistently miss the playoffs, so hopefully, one more offseason can fix the issues on both sides of the ball.
Gruden is going into his fourth season back at the helm of the Silver and Black, and anything less than a playoff appearance just is not going to cut it. They have had multiple first-round picks, countless money in free agency, and years to get this right, but as we head to the 2021 offseason, a lot of the same issues are still there.