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iknowftbll
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Let it not be said the Chiefs are the only AFC West rival I enjoy ragging on.
I was going to do a thread on which team currently in a long playoff drought stands the best chance to break that drought in 2016, or will otherwise be the next team to reach the playoffs. Of course we know the Bills currently own the longest active drought at 16 seasons, with the Browns and Raiders each at 13. The Rams are not far behind at 11.
But I got side tracked as I was doing a little research for that thread. We all know the last time the Raiders reached the playoffs was 2002 when they would reach the Super Bowl then bend over and spread their cheeks for the Bucs. They've not had a single winning season since then, peaking at back to back 8-8 finishes in 2010 and 2011. Last year's 7-9 has them hoping for an AFC West title in part because of the young talent coming of age in 2016. And if you recall, even I believe that talent can carry the team to a WC appearance in the playoffs this year. But we've heard this before from the Raiders. "This year is different because..." Yes, we've heard it before and it's fair to say this: The Raiders are losers until they prove otherwise.
Harsh? Perhaps. But consider this: while we remember 2002 as the most recent playoff season for the Raiders, we often overlook it as the most recent playoff season for the Browns, too. The 2002 Browns went 9-7 and lost in the WC round of the playoffs. The Browns are the quintessential laughing stock of the NFL, but should they be? After all, since 2002 they've posted a better W-L record than the Raiders:
Browns: 66-142
Raiders: 63-145
Now if you look at the Raiders and Browns prospects for 2016, the Raiders are a trendy playoff pick while the Browns are already being left for dead. The Browns are in the first year of HC Hue Jackson's tenure. Jackson had the Raiders in 2011 and gave them their best season since 2002. (Incidentally, Hue Jackson is at the center of the originally stated purpose for this thread, but I'll circle back around to that later.) The Raiders are in year 2 of JDR's tenure and have high hopes.
But do the Raiders have any more a reason for high hopes than do the Browns? I'd argue they don't. Now I'm on record as predicting the Raiders will go 10-6 and even win a playoff game in 2016. But I believe they will do so solely on the talent of the players. In order to remain a contender they need that AND the coaching for it. And let's face it: they have JDR.
I believe the Browns have the brighter future with Hue Jackson as their HC. Let's not forget: he took a Raiders team that was in salary cap hell and had a ton of injuries and bad contracts and a dearth of talent and got them to 8-8. As long as the Browns don't fire him right off the bat if his first two seasons total 10 wins, I believe he can build that team into a more legitimate year in-year out contender than JDR can do with the Raiders.
But that's a guess that'll take several years to bear out. Until then, think about this: The Raiders W-L record in 2016 has to be A WHOLE THREE GAMES better than the Browns in order for them to equal the Browns "success" since both teams last reached the playoffs.
Let that sink in and remember it the next time you chat with a Raiders fan.
I was going to do a thread on which team currently in a long playoff drought stands the best chance to break that drought in 2016, or will otherwise be the next team to reach the playoffs. Of course we know the Bills currently own the longest active drought at 16 seasons, with the Browns and Raiders each at 13. The Rams are not far behind at 11.
But I got side tracked as I was doing a little research for that thread. We all know the last time the Raiders reached the playoffs was 2002 when they would reach the Super Bowl then bend over and spread their cheeks for the Bucs. They've not had a single winning season since then, peaking at back to back 8-8 finishes in 2010 and 2011. Last year's 7-9 has them hoping for an AFC West title in part because of the young talent coming of age in 2016. And if you recall, even I believe that talent can carry the team to a WC appearance in the playoffs this year. But we've heard this before from the Raiders. "This year is different because..." Yes, we've heard it before and it's fair to say this: The Raiders are losers until they prove otherwise.
Harsh? Perhaps. But consider this: while we remember 2002 as the most recent playoff season for the Raiders, we often overlook it as the most recent playoff season for the Browns, too. The 2002 Browns went 9-7 and lost in the WC round of the playoffs. The Browns are the quintessential laughing stock of the NFL, but should they be? After all, since 2002 they've posted a better W-L record than the Raiders:
Browns: 66-142
Raiders: 63-145
Now if you look at the Raiders and Browns prospects for 2016, the Raiders are a trendy playoff pick while the Browns are already being left for dead. The Browns are in the first year of HC Hue Jackson's tenure. Jackson had the Raiders in 2011 and gave them their best season since 2002. (Incidentally, Hue Jackson is at the center of the originally stated purpose for this thread, but I'll circle back around to that later.) The Raiders are in year 2 of JDR's tenure and have high hopes.
But do the Raiders have any more a reason for high hopes than do the Browns? I'd argue they don't. Now I'm on record as predicting the Raiders will go 10-6 and even win a playoff game in 2016. But I believe they will do so solely on the talent of the players. In order to remain a contender they need that AND the coaching for it. And let's face it: they have JDR.
I believe the Browns have the brighter future with Hue Jackson as their HC. Let's not forget: he took a Raiders team that was in salary cap hell and had a ton of injuries and bad contracts and a dearth of talent and got them to 8-8. As long as the Browns don't fire him right off the bat if his first two seasons total 10 wins, I believe he can build that team into a more legitimate year in-year out contender than JDR can do with the Raiders.
But that's a guess that'll take several years to bear out. Until then, think about this: The Raiders W-L record in 2016 has to be A WHOLE THREE GAMES better than the Browns in order for them to equal the Browns "success" since both teams last reached the playoffs.
Let that sink in and remember it the next time you chat with a Raiders fan.
...Yeah right!
