If Las Vegas Raiders fans feel like they have the same bad taste in their mouth they were left with from 2019, who can blame them.
Jon Gruden and the Silver and Black are following the path to destruction they went down in 2019.
Last season, the Raiders were 6-4 and looked at as a playoff contender after three consecutive wins.
The bottom fell out as the Raiders went to MetLife Stadium to play the Jets. Gruden & Co. were demolished by Gang Green, 34-3. They finished 1-5 in the last six and wound up 7-9.
Fast forward to 2020. The Raiders were 6-3 and again considered one of the playoff contenders in the AFC after a three-game winning streak. They had dealt the Chiefs their lone loss of the season.
In the last four games, after Thursday’s 30-27 overtime defeat by the Los Angeles Chargers, they have lost three times to drop to 7-7. The only reason they aren’t 6-8 is Gregg Williams’ indefensible call at the end of the game with the Jets on Dec. 6.
The Raiders are 1-4 in their last five games. That comes after finishing the 2019 season with one win in the final six games.
Gruden is getting paid a king’s ransom to turn around the Raiders and bring them back to their Just Win, Baby glory.
He’s a long way from that right now.
The only Raider who came away a winner on Thursday was Marcus Mariota, who replaced an injured Derek Carr.
Many bonuses and incentives kicked in because of how much action the former Oregon star and Heisman winner saw.
If Marcus Mariota plays more than 60% of the snaps in any game this year, he earns a $200K incentive. With a win, that number jumps to $325K.
Additionally, by playing in 60% of the snaps in a game, his base salary increases by $625K in 2021.
Nearly $1M to make tonight.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 18, 2020