Las Vegas Raiders: What would be considered a successful season?
By Brad Weiss
Every year, the goal for any team is to win the Super Bowl, but for the 2021 Las Vegas Raiders, what would be considered a successful season?
The 2021 Las Vegas Raiders are in must-win mode, after having six first-round picks the last three seasons, and revamping the roster on both sides of the ball. The past two seasons, the Raiders have gotten off to blazing starts, winning games that many felt they would not, but in the end, late-season collapses did them in.
Entering his eighth season as the starting quarterback for the franchise, Derek Carr has never played in a playoff game. Sure, it was bad fortune that he broke his leg during the 2016 season in Week 16, but the fact remains that he has never taken a snap after the regular season has ended.
Hopefully, the team has put enough talent around him to change that narrative in 2021 but to be fair, it was not the offense’s fault the Raiders missed the playoffs last season. The defense was one of the worst in football, but with new faces on all three levels, and a new defensive coordinator, they should definitely be better in 2021.
Raiders must make the playoffs
Judging what a successful season would be for the Raiders is tough, as any fan will tell you that they want this team to win the Super Bowl. That is the goal for every player, every season, but seeing that this team has been to the playoffs only once since the 2002 NFL season, just getting back would be a success.
That would prove that the franchise is moving in the right direction, and they at least have the pieces in place to perform when it counts. A playoff run would also likely save the job of Mike Mayock, who is on the hot seat entering this season, especially with how his five first-round picks have faired through the first two seasons.
For this group, seeing the young guys continue to move in the right direction, and get some playoff experience will be the best-case scenario. A legitimate Super Bowl run would be nice, but after missing the playoffs the last four seasons, just playing meaningful games in January would be a step in the right direction.