The moment the Chiefs punched their ticket for a return trip to the Super Bowl, a string of tweets by Raiders fans and media alike about how the Raiders were the only team to beat them (the Chargers faced backups in the finale) and outscored them in their two games last season.
Fans get accused of celebrating regular-season wins as if it’s their Super Bowl often. Usually, it’s the bitter retort of a sore loser, but in this case, there is a ring of truth in it. And it’s a bad look.
When it happened during the season, yeah, the Raiders had reason to celebrate. At least a little bit. A win is a win. And a win at Arrowhead was something the Raiders hadn’t accomplished in eight years.
Then they did a victory lap in their bus. Jon Gruden was pretty annoyed that it became such big news at the time, suggesting it was in response to a “smart aleck bus driver.”
Even now, several months later, the move is being mocked. As Mike Silver did today on NFL Network.
A lot of NFL people are saying WHAT??? 😂😂😂 @Chiefs @PatrickMahomes @nflnetwork @RhettNFL @jeffrichadiha @wyche89 @MoveTheSticks pic.twitter.com/iVbN2ZKrDO
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 25, 2021
When the Raiders met up with the Chiefs again in week 10, they hung with them again, forcing Patrick Mahomes to mount a late game-winning drive to win it. The result was a combined two-game 71-67 score advantage by the Raiders.
That all sounds nice, but the problem was it didn’t lead to anything.
If you want those games to mean something you have to build upon them. The Raiders did the complete opposite.
In the games following the Raiders’ match-ups with the Chiefs, they were blown out by the Buccaneers and Falcons for a combined score of 26-88. The second loss to the Chiefs started a late-season skid to finish 2-5 in the final seven games and miss the playoffs.
Fans would like to believe playing the Chiefs tough and being the only team to beat them is proof the Raiders are a decent defense away from contending. While the bigger picture wreaked of the Raiders putting all their efforts into beating the Chiefs and little else.
Yay, you split the season series with the reigning Super Bowl champs on their way to returning to the Big Game. Here’s your participation trophy.
Real contenders don’t just beat their big rival. If that were the case, the Raiders would have been a Super Bowl contender in 2010 when they swept the division. In reality, they finished 8-8. Just as they did this season. It means nothing.
Real contenders don’t collapse down the stretch for a second straight season. And if you watch how the Chiefs handled the Bills, you see the Raiders are a lot more than a decent defense away from being a real contender. The Bills have a very good defense and were barely a speed bump to the Chiefs.
Mostly real contenders don’t sit on their couch celebrating a regular-season win over one of the Super Bowl teams while ignoring getting routed by the team that Super Bowl team just beat and the other Super Bowl team.
There’s nothing here to celebrate.
[lawrence-newsletter]