Another season in the books for Jon Gruden’s second tenure with the Raiders. As the team searches for balance and consistency in the present, how did they perform in 2020?
2020 record: 8-8
- Division record: 4-2
- Record against teams with winning records: 3-5
Year 3 of the Jon Gruden era got off to a great start in the Raiders’ new home in Las Vegas. 3 of their first 4 wins came against the Saints, Chiefs, and Browns who all made the postseason.
As we know in the NFL, it’s not about how you start it’s about how you finish. The Raiders lost 5 of 6 games late in the year, which led to them missing out on the postseason. The one game they won in this stretch came off the Hail Mary from Derek Carr to Henry Ruggs as time expired in MetLife Stadium.
Let’s take a look at where the Raiders ranked compared to the rest of the NFL, and who their biggest contributors were.
Team Ranks:
| Total Offense | 8th (6133 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 7th (4217 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 14th (1916 yards) |
| Total Defense | 25th (6225 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 26th (4212 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 24th (2013 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 10th (27.1) |
| PPG Allowed | 30th (29.9) |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 24th |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted run yards) | 18th (4.32) |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted sack rate) | 10th (5.5%) |
| 2020 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 55.9% |
| Rush – 44.1% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2020 |
| 1. Darren Waller TE (86.5) |
| 2. Derek Carr QB (84.7) |
| 3. Josh Jacobs RB (76.3) |
| 4. Clelin Ferrell DE (76.1) |
| 5. Hunter Renfrow WR (74.8) |
Leading Passer: Derek Carr
- 67.3 completion percentage
- 4,103 passing yards
- 30 total touchdowns (27 passing)
Leading Rusher: Josh Jacobs
- 1,065 rushing yards
- 12 rushing touchdowns
- 3.9 YPC
Leading Receiver: Darren Waller
- 107 receptions
- 1,196 receiving yards
- 9 touchdowns
Defensive MVP: Maxx Crosby
- 7.0 sacks
- 14 tackles for loss
- 32 pressures
How long did they hang in the playoff race until?
Week 16. The Raiders were in the thick of the playoff race as a result of their hot start. However, a brutal winter would lead to the Raiders being on the outside looking in. The Raiders lost 5 of 6 games from Weeks 11-16, with the most devastating blow coming on a Saturday night against the Dolphins.
The Raiders sat comfortably in this game with a 25-23 lead with 19 seconds remaining. The Dolphins had no timeouts, so only a miracle could get them into field goal range. And unfortunately for Raider fans, a miracle happened.
Story of the season: Defensive struggles once again outweigh offensive production
Some are going to point to the Khalil Mack trade and say that is when the Raiders’ defensive struggles began. However, it goes back to when Mack was in Oakland and even before then.
The Raiders’ defense has ranked 20th or worse in total yards allowed for 7 of the past 8 seasons. In 2020, they allowed 30+ points in 10 of 16 games while failing to generate a turnover in the final 4 games.
On the opposite side, Derek Carr has led a resurgence for the Raiders’ offense. Derek Carr has had back to back seasons of 4,000+ yards and. 20+ touchdowns. He also has ranked top 10 in completion percentage in each of the past 3 seasons.
Another major component to this offensive improvement has been the emergence of Darren Waller. Waller has firmly established himself as one of the best pass catching TE’s in the league with back to back seasons of 90+ receptions and 1,100+ yards.
The Raiders need to find more balance if they want to compete with the favorites in Kansas City. Their offense has shown they can hang in with Mahomes and the Chiefs, as both games this year were decided by one possession.
But the Raiders’ defense needs to find stability if they want to compete in January with Kansas City and the rest of the AFC’s elite.
