Just Win, Baby!

Jon Gruden has changed the fortunes of the Raiders, and now they sit in the thick of the AFC playoff race

by Brendan Smith, Sports O’Clock Writing Team Member

(photo credits: NFL.com)

The AFC is filled with surprise teams in the 2020-21 NFL season. The Cleveland Browns are good for what seems like the first time in history, the Miami Dolphins are resurgent thanks to the work of head coach Brian Flores, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are 9-0 for the first time in team history. One team that has been lost in all the hype is the team playing old-school football in a new city: the Las Vegas Raiders.

The 6-3 Raiders sit in second place in the AFC West and currently hold the top Wild Card spot in the AFC. A big game against the division rival Kansas City Chiefs this weekend could help the Raiders close the gap in the division and distance themselves from the rest of the playoff hopefuls in the AFC.

The mastermind of the Raiders’ resurgence is head coach Jon Gruden. Gruden, who was hired by the Raiders in 2018 after nearly a decade away from the sidelines, endured a rough start to his second tenure with the Silver and Black after he traded away star player Khalil Mack and had to deal with the disastrous Antonio Brown experiment. However, Gruden has turned this beleaguered franchise around and has them on the brink of their first playoff berth since the 2016-17 season.

Gruden has adopted a run-first approach for his offense this season. The ground attack is led by Josh Jacobs, who has the fourth-most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in the NFL this season. Jacobs does not break off big runs like some of the other star running backs in the league (his longest rush this season is only 24 yards), but he is able to run efficiently with the high volume of touches he gets each game.

Meanwhile, quarterback Derek Carr is having one of the best seasons of his career. Carr has completed just over 69 percent of his passes, compiled a 16-2 touchdown/interception rate, and has the fifth-best rating in the NFL at 107.4. His passing statistics are not among the best in the league, but Gruden has been able to transform Carr from a turnover and mistake-prone player to an efficient game manager who makes big plays when needed.

Coach of the year predictions have all pointed to the Dolphins’ Flores and the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, but Gruden deserves to be in the conversation too. His old-school coaching style is still relevant in today’s league and he has navigated the loss of several key players due to COVID-19 exposure. The Raiders are a great team this season, and their success is all due to their fiery head coach.

(Statistics taken from Pro-Football-Reference.com)

(All photos are cited properly. No copyright infringement intended.)