An attack of common sense in the coolest madhouse
The Raiders played their last Super Bowl in January 2003. They lost. Since then, in addition to Bill Callahan, the head coach at that time, they have had eight coaches. In twelve years. And it is not very clear whether they were good, bad or average. There was no time to know because they fell like flies. The latest arrival has been Jack del Rio.
This carousel had its explanation with Al Davis, the eternal owner of the team and an eccentric character who interfered with the sports structure without caring about the negative consequences of that constant manipulation. But at least he gave the team a unique personality that won the hearts of all the fans. The Raiders, whether they won or lost, were cool. The problem is that after the death of Al Davis in 2011, and the arrival of his son Mark, things have not improved. The son does not have the overwhelming personality of his father, nor the talent to give coherence to the franchise. In fact, the carousel of coaches has multiplied since his arrival.
The latest bet, Jack del Rio, is sensible but boring. And the Raiders had never been anything but boring. And besides, their current squad also seems more than entertaining with a quarterback, Derek Carr, who received praise for his freshness and dynamism during his first year. We'll see if he manages to overcome the difficult challenge of the second year, in which so many future and assured stars have succumbed.
Carr is not the only cool element. The offensive line has been reinforced well with Rodney Hudson, Latavius is a runner that smells like victory, Amari Cooper comes from the draft as the Death Star on a collision path, Mychal Rivera had some brutal performances last year... And on defense there is Khalil Mack, who still has us amazed after a devastating debut in silver and black.
All together in a mix of promising young players and aging veterans who, in the hands of a daring coach, may not aspire to the ring but could become one of the most entertaining teams in the NFL.
With Del Rio, it is unlikely that we will see something like that. A representative of catenaccio in the NFL version, he will try to consolidate the defense without taking risks on offense. A job well done but away from the spotlight. Future.
But in a black hole about to teleport to Los Angeles, Del Rio is unlikely to have time to develop a long-term project, no matter how well done it is. Does Del Rio rock? Jim Harbaugh rocks!!!
The three keys of the team by Pablo Fernández
1 Oakland has gone ten years without a receiver reaching a thousand receiving yards in a season and five years without a thousand-yard runner. That is why it is crucial to finally find an offensive reference who, with their mere presence, provides measure and confidence to the rest of the teammates and helps give coherence to a project that currently lacks punch.
2 Derek Carr had a good rookie debut given the circumstances, but if he wants to become a quarterback for a whole decade, he will have to show much more than he showed last season. However, he has given reasons to be optimistic about his progression and he can be the starting point for a winning future.
3 Oakland has had a somewhat disappointing free agency considering the large amount of salary cap space they had, but even so, with the reinforcements that have come via the draft and free agency, these Raiders must be the best Raiders in recent years if all the newcomers play to the level expected based on their credentials.
The best
1 After the selection of Khalil Mack, they have hit the mark again with Amari Cooper.
2 Despite the lack of elite talent and certain weaknesses, the squad is well-balanced.
3 The new HC, Jack Del Rio, already managed to bring stability to Jacksonville.
The worst
1 Although the horizon is beginning to be seen, the rebuild could take years.
2 In addition to the sporting instability, there are constant relocation rumors.
3 A team of promising young players and old glories, there is more past and future than present.