At several points this season, it appeared the Raiders might break their long playoff drought.
But Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers officially eliminated the 6-8 Raiders from the postseason picture and – with two games remaining – they’ll have to win out to finish at 8-8 and avoid another losing season.
Yet the Raiders believe this 2015 season has been a launching pad toward big things in 2016 and beyond.
The Raiders now have a nucleus of young stars and a coaching staff led by head coach Jack Del Rio that appears to know what it’s doing. With another strong draft class and some key moves in free agency, it now appears general manager Reggie McKenzie could put the Raiders on a path to contend for the AFC West title next season.
Veteran safety Charles Woodson said as much after the loss to the Packers at O.co Coliseum Sunday.
“There’s no success without a Super Bowl,” he told San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ann Killion. “But progress has been made. We have great leadership under Jack. The future is bright.”
This past weekend, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com wrote a long article about the Raiders’ bright future. He cited quarterback Derek Carr, pass rushing star Khalil Mack and wideout Amari Cooper as building blocks and McKenzie’s guidance as reasons for optimism.
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“McKenzie has rebuilt the Raiders in a coherent, logical image,” wrote Barnwell, adding: “It’s not hard at all to imagine them being a serious force to compete for the AFC West title next season. After a 13-year romp in the playoff wilderness, that would be a welcome return to relevance.”
Barnwell says the Raiders are now in a solid position financially thanks to McKenzie clearing his roster of players taking way too much of the salary cap. At the same time, he’s kept his draft picks, spent money and draft picks on the offensive and defensive lines, found the right quarterback (after some missteps) and found the right head coach.
“After years of wandering in the wilderness, Raiders fans can finally see a plan coming to fruition,” wrote Barnwell.
The Raiders – who have to come back on short rest to play the visiting Chargers Thursday night (5:25 p.m. kickoff) – suffered a disappointing loss against the Packers this past Sunday. A victory could have kept them in the hunt for the playoffs.
But, noted Killion, Del Rio, McKenzie and a young crop of bonafide players resulted in twice as many victories as 2014 (so far) and progress and promise.
Wrote Killion: “The future is bright for the Raiders.”
