Before I get into things, losing is the worst and this has truly been a miserable season for Las Vegas Raiders fans. That said, sometimes it takes these tough times to lead the way for better times.
I felt sick to my stomach hoping that Desmond Ridder's Hail Mary at the end of the Falcons loss would fall incomplete. I'm sure that's a feeling that most Raiders fans have had throughout this season. Even in the past, I've never been pro-tank. A win just feels too good to let it slip away.
However, this might be the lowest I've ever been on this franchise, which is saying a lot. Every Raider fan has gone through some very terrible years but the team just feels so directionless right now. That could change if Las Vegas does the right thing and loses on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars have mastered tanking like few franchises have. They've landed the No. 1 pick twice in the last four years and could do it again this year. They obviously have no desire to win any more games. For their part, the Raiders are still playing hard and should have what it takes to break their 10-game losing streak.
If that happens, it'd be a monumental disaster for the Raiders. If every three-win team were to lose this week while Las Vegas won, they'd go from the No. 1 pick, per Tankathon, to sixth or seventh depending on if the Giants win.
That would take the Raiders completely out of the driver's seat to get the top quarterback in the class. Sure, they'd be able to get a top wide receiver, cornerback or offensive lineman but that wouldn't fix a problem that has plagued the team for a long time.
A quarterback is the only way this franchise is going to be fixed, especially if Antonio Pierce is retained as head coach. It's clear that Ridder is not an NFL quarterback, which means he needs to start going forward. That seems unlikely to happen, which means the Raiders could be stuck in quarterback hell for at least another year. The only hope we have at that point is that the team is so bad next year that they are in a position to draft Arch Manning.
I don't know about you guys, but I don't know if I can stomach another all-time terrible season.