It was yet another disappointing season for the Oakland Raiders. The silver and black finished the 2014 campaign in fourth place of the AFC West with a 3-13 record. It was a season that brought a lot of change, and through all the disappointment, there is a silver lining with two of the top rookies in the league sporting a Raiders jersey for years to come.
This was a season that came with high expectations for Oakland. Following the draft, and the money General Manager Reggie McKenzie had to spend in the offseason, the Raiders were expected to compete. They brought in experienced veterans such as Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley, Antonio Smith, Donald Penn, Maurice Jones-Drew, and James Jones, but the signings didn’t pan out.
The Raiders had a solid draft in 2014, with the most important pick coming in the second round when they drafted Derek Carr. Entering camp, Carr was expected to sit out this year as Matt Schaub was named the starter, but come Week 4 of preseason, Carr shined and earned the starting job. Despite a so-so offensive line, a non-existent run game, and mediocre receivers, Carr was able to put up some impressive numbers as he is undoubtedly the Raiders quarterback of the future. Carr threw for 3,270 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. The 23-year-old showed leadership and poise, something the Raiders haven’t had since the days of Rich Gannon; Carr is also the first quarterback for the Raiders to start all 16 games in a season since Gannon in 2002. With every start, you could see Carr’s development and the fact that he was learning with every snap. While he may have some areas to improve on, he had an impressive rookie season, especially considering what he had to work with. It’s been a long wait for Raider Nation, but they have finally found their quarterback.
Carr isn’t the only rookie phenom on the Raiders from this year’s draft. Khalil Mack is a force to be reckoned with and will have a strong presence on the Raiders defensive line. Mack had 75 combined tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble his rookie season. He was able to put pressure on the quarterback, despite being held numerous times throughout the games, and showed progress every week. The combination of Mack and Sio Moore has the potential to be great for the Raiders moving forward.
When it comes to the coaching situation, it was a mess from the get-go in 2014. Dennis Allen entered his third year as the head coach of the Raiders, but was fired after Week 4 when the Raiders lost 38-14 to the Miami Dolphins. Tony Sparano then took over, and did the best he could with taking over the team midseason. Sparano was able to get the Raiders back to looking like a football team; especially at home. They began showing some fight and keeping the score close despite taking the loss anyway; they made it a game.
After going 0-11 and staring 0-16 in the face, the Raiders got their first win of the season in Week 12 as they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20 on Thursday Night Football. Overall their three wins came against the Chiefs, Niners, and Bills. All at home, all against pretty good teams in the league.
While the Raiders started showing progress at home, their road woes continued. They seemed to be a completely different team when traveling, which is a big concern and an issue that needs to be addressed moving forward.
Sparano has been clear regarding his feelings about this Raiders team. He wants to be head coach in 2015 and help get the Raiders back to their winning ways. The coaching search has already begun as Mark Davis and Reggie McKenzie have started the interviewing process, but Sparano will most likely also be in the mix.
A lot of change is needed in Oakland. Over a decade of losing is unacceptable, especially for a franchise with a history as rich as the Oakland Raiders. They were expected to compete in 2014 after having money to spend and a great draft, but it just didn’t happen. Looking ahead to 2015, they will have money to spend this offseason as well, but McKenzie has to make smarter decisions with free agent acquisitions.
It was another season of losing for the Raiders, but there is hope for 2015 and beyond. While there are usually so many questions following a season, the Raiders have a few things figured out already. They have their quarterback. Derek Carr is the future, they just need to build around him and Khalil Mack on defense. It will be an interesting offseason for the silver and black, but they already have a few key pieces in place; next step is to put together a good coaching staff.