In a season filled with exclusively bad days, it almost seemed poetic that the lone good one was the conclusion
LAS VEGAS – Before the Raiders kicked off their 14-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, their fate was already sealed. The Giants and Browns each won their respective games during the 1 p.m. slate, securing the No. 1 overall pick for the Raiders and allowing them to play for the win without any worries about what it might mean for their future.
And play for the win, they did. With 13 seconds remaining, Daniel Carlson buried the game-winning field goal from 60 yards out to send the Raiders to the offseason on an unfamiliar note of positivity. The defense led the way by putting together its most inspired effort of the season, recording eight sacks and forcing two fumbles.
"They came through and made big plays," Raiders coach Pete Carroll said. "(Eight sacks) is a huge accomplishment in a tight game."
Speaking of Carroll, the Raiders reportedly entered Sunday’s finale having already decided on the 74-year-old’s future. Whether Carroll retires or is outright fired remains to be seen, but the team did play with a level of energy that you can at least partially credit to them wanting to send their old ball coach out with a win.
“With all the guys in the locker room, coaches and everybody, it’s been a tough season,” Carlson said. “There’s no way around that. But to end it like this, I think it was really cool to send everybody into the offseason on a good note. It’s just a great team win, a fun win. It stinks, but that’s the way you want to end it for sure.”
Following the game, however, Carroll seemed to indicate that retirement wasn't the path he'd take.
“Of course," Caroll said. "I would (love to be back) … Nobody’s talking to me about retirement."
Besides sending Carroll out with a win, the Raiders' only other established goal was getting Ashton Jeanty to 1,000 yards rushing for the season. That also failed. Jeanty entered 112 yards shy of the benchmark but still fell quite short with just 86 yards despite racking up a season-high 26 carries.
In a season filled with exclusively bad days, it almost seemed poetic that the lone good one was the conclusion. It’s certainly good that this nightmare of a season is over, but it was also a genuine relief to see the team win a game that the fans and even Carroll could feel good about without squandering the chance at what could be a transformative selection with the top pick.
With Jeanty set to anchor the backfield for the near future and Brock Bowers being viewed as one of the brightest young talents in the sport, fans online have already begun fantasizing over the possibility of adding Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza to the mix of young offensive stars. The trio would undoubtedly make the Raiders an enticing head coaching job in what will be a highly competitive market this winter.
Some early names that have been floated as Carroll’s replacement include offensive whiz Kliff Kingsbury and defensive mastermind Brian Flores. Perhaps the most effective combination for the Raiders would be both, but Tom Brady would have to convince his old pal Kingsbury to lead the offense while Flores takes the executive role as head coach.
Regardless of who gets brought in, it’s going to be hard to convince Raider Nation that anything will change. The optimism that accompanied Pete Carroll and John Spytek’s arrival in January won’t be there this time, because there’s no illusion that a metaphorical band-aid can heal the wounds of the 2020s. The fans know better than anyone how deep they are, especially after this season.
Category: General Sports
