The Las Vegas Raiders were in unbelievable turmoil last season. Injuries certainly plagued the team, but the run game was nowhere near where it needed to be, the quarterback situation was undesirable, and head coach Antonio Pierce was thought to be in over his head.
This caused owner Mark Davis to clean house once again and cast a wide net to find the next leadership tandem for the Raiders. John Spytek was the obvious choice to be the next general manager, and most of Raider Nation wanted Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be the head coach in Las Vegas.
While it certainly seemed like things were trending that way, ultimately, Johnson used the Raiders as leverage to get what he wanted from the Bears. He was hired as the head coach in Chicago and fortunately, Las Vegas landed Pete Carroll, a far more experienced coach who is a better fit.
NFL gives Raiders chance to make Ben Johnson regret choosing Chicago
That does not mean that the franchise and fan base have let go of their hard feelings for Johnson, however. He let the media's praise of him get to his head, and he felt like he could disrespect the Silver and Black as a result.
Fortunately, the Raiders have an opportunity to destroy Johnson this season. The official schedule was released on Wednesday evening, and the Bears will travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders in Week 4.
Johnson will get to see first-hand the incredible facilities and stadium in Las Vegas. He'll also have to face and hear from the passionate fan base that he disrespected during the offseason.
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The Raiders are a vastly improved team this year with Pete Carroll on the sidelines and Geno Smith under center. If the rookie class can contribute in a significant way, this could be a sneaky playoff team.
Chicago certainly got better on paper as well, but first-time head coaches often carry a lot of question marks. Carroll has learned all the answers in his many years of coaching, but Johnson will be just trying to figure them out.
If the Raiders could take down the Bears in Week 4, it would be a form of sweet revenge for the fan base. Ultimately, being part of the Silver and Black is not for everyone, and hopefully Johnson learns that lesson early in the year.