The Raiders largely spent most of the year climbing out of a hole they created in the first half of the season due to poor coaching schemes. As the season went on, Antonio Pierce took control of the team and led them to a 5-4 record while improving on both sides of the ball.
However, in an offseason of uncertainty the biggest question is where do the Raiders go from here?
The Raiders have been an average team the past few seasons with flashes of brilliance. From the two defensive touchdown performances against the Chiefs and the 63 points put up against the Chargers this season to the trade for Davante Adams to reunite with Derek Carr and having a historic season last year, the Raiders seem to have most, if not all, the pieces to be a Championship team.
So what is stopping the Raiders?
The Raiders biggest issues going into the offseason are the uncertainty at the head coach and coordinator positions as well as the quarterback fiasco which sees Jimmy Garoppolo being paid a lump sum of cash to presumably ride the bench. Mark Davis has missed on the last two head coaching candidates with Jon Gruden not necessarily being his fault.
The team has gone through many seasons without a true leader they respected until the last 9 games of this year.
The biggest hole is the lack of offensive line depth and the back end of the defense, specifically at the linebacker and safety positions. Davante Adams is set to make $45 million in 2025 and 2026 making him one of the highest-paid players in the league behind Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes.
This all being said, the offense is not the issue. Raider Nation saw what they could do against a Chargers team that subsequently fired their GM and Head Coach after an embarrassing loss. Was this because of the coaching scheme and players, or was this due to the ineptitude of the other coaching staff?