OAKLAND – The Raiders haven’t played a home game in some time. They dramatically beat the Cleveland Browns nearly a month ago now, and have been sliding downhill ever since.
Then the Chargers blew them out. The Seahawks followed suit the following week. More damage was done after the bye, when Amari Cooper was traded to Dallas for a first-round pick. The transaction, on its own, was a good deal. It lost PR value in context.
The Raiders are rebuilding as Jon Gruden sees fit, aiming for a long-term gain that requires short-term sacrifice.
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That might make the 2018 game-day experience less appealing. No. 89 is a popular jersey number now dated, and those expensive Sunday tickets might be less appealing.
That begs the question: How will the Raiders be received starting Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum? The NFL’s oldest stadium has been full and rocking even after the Raiders were approved to relocate to Las Vegas. While some may have turned away from a team leaving the market, those who bought tickets have been as passionate as ever.
Those, however, were better days. The Raiders were 12-4 in 2016, when the team was actively looking at Los Angeles. They ended up 6-10 after approval on Las Vegas relocation, but the place was still packed with two more seasons in Oakland after that.
Now there’s four home games left this season with no certainty where the Raiders will play in 2019 – threat of a lawsuit has jeopardized another season in Oakland – while a significant downturn in competitive results. The Khalil Mack and Cooper trades have made these Raiders worse, calling into legitimate question whether fans will respond with the same passion.
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“Well, I have a lot of respect for what you’re saying, but at the same time I have a lot of confidence in Raiders fans,” head coach Jon Gruden said. “These Raiders fans are the best. We’re looking forward to playing in front of them and hope to win a game for them.”
They were quick to boo this season, but Raiders fans are always passionate and engaged with the team. With passion, frustration can follow.
“I don’t think our fans will change,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “I don’t really feel the Coliseum will change. It’s still going to be rowdy, it’s still going to be tough, they are still going to expect wins and those kinds of things just like when I first got here. Our fans are loyal. It’s usually the people that make the negative comments that are heard the loudest. You find so much of that and that’s what we hear so much, all the time, that you forget about the loyal ones that have been here forever.
“They have seen playoff droughts and losing seasons. They’ve seen it all and they continue to support their team in hopes, just like we have hopes, to make it better and get it right. I’d be surprised if it changed because I know our fans and I know how loyal they are, but I understand their pain. I really do.”