Raiders sinking under Gruden
This wasn’t the Jon Gruden effect people had been expecting.
The Oakland Raiders are 1-5. So far since Chucky returned as head coach, for a reported $100 million over 10 years, his team hasn’t yet won in regulation, hasn’t won on the road either in North America or England, can’t stop anybody late when it matters without help from the officials, and can’t even move the ball with effective regularity — Gruden’s supposed specialty as coach.
Mercifully for the Raiders, their fans and everyone else, the team has a bye this week.
If anything, Gruden’s presence seems to have hurt a team that, at this time a year ago, was still viewed as possessing one of the most potent offences in the league. Oh, and it had one of this century’s great pass rushers in Khalil Mack, before Gruden traded him away in
early September.
Raiders QB Derek Carr in 2018
is dumping off more to backs and tight ends, and less to his receivers, such as the thickly criticized Amari Cooper. Carr ranks 22nd in pass efficiency (with an 89.4 rating, which is below par in 2018) and has thrown more picks (eight) than TDs (seven). Ouch.
After losing 27-3 to Seattle in London on Sunday, to effectively fall out of the playoff hunt already, reports suggested Gruden might now be ready to blow up what’s left of his roster — perhaps even trading away Carr, who last year signed a $125-million contract.
Strangely, Gruden on Sunday said he gets “claustrophobic” during air travel, which he “hates” and which once gave him vertigo after a 14hour flight.
“I’m not good. I’m concerned,” Gruden said. “I’m more worried about that than our goal-line offence right now.”
What?
Just whinge, baby.