Hall of Fame Game: Four things to monitor for the Jaguars vs. Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars both faced controversy at the head coaching position in 2021. “Controversy” is honestly an understatement. First, after starting the season 5-2, the Raiders were hit with a blindside of old Jon Gruden emails that resurfaced. In the emails, Gruden displayed racial biases and anti-gay rhetoric. This led to an immediate dismissal from the franchise prior to their week eight bye.

Barely a week later, the team was informed of Henry Ruggs’ arrest following a catastrophic wreck that resulted in the death of an innocent person. Ruggs’ blood alcohol level easily exceeded the legal amount, and thus, he was charged with two counts of driving under the influence resulting in death (among other charges). In just a week’s time, the franchise lost their head coach and best wide receiver. Somehow, they found a way to turn things around under the guidance of interim head coach, Rich Bisaccia.

Despite leading the team to the playoffs against all odds, the Raiders did not extend Bisaccia. Instead, the franchise went out and convinced long-time Bill Belichick protégé, Josh McDaniels, into becoming the head of the coaching staff in Las Vegas. McDaniels returns to the AFC West, where he served as the Broncos’ head coach in 2009 and 2010. He started well by winning his first six games, but the team went on to lose 17 of their next 22 games, leading to McDaniels’ firing in week 13 of the 2010 season.

A full decade later, McDaniels is in a much better place in terms of being able to shape a locker room. He will no longer come in and try to be Bill Belichick, he’s ready to step up and be Josh McDaniels. I cannot imagine a season as tumultuous as the 2021 season was for the entire Las Vegas Raiders franchise, so here’s hoping that things go well for the team in 2022. They have a chance to build on their playoff appearance with an influx of new energy added to the fold.

Jacksonville Jaguars

It is amazing how similar the season went for the Jaguars when compared to what happened in Las Vegas — only to a lesser degree. The franchise made waves around the football world when they signed Urban Meyer to a five-year deal, after Meyer had only ever coached at the collegiate level. The pushback around the league was swift and loud, with most uncertain about Meyer’s ability to translate to the NFL. The former Utah, Florida, and Ohio State head coach realized quickly that coaching amateurs and coaching professionals is quite the dichotomy.

Two moves that were real head scratchers early on included the signing of Tim Tebow and Chris Doyle. The Tebow move caused many to call into question Meyer’s rationale and decision-making. They attempted to move him to tight end, a position that Tebow never played at college or in the NFL. Chris Doyle is a former Iowa strength coach who has been accused on numerous occasions of racist tendencies. Neither guy lasted very long, as Meyer quickly reversed his decisions after drawing the ire of the NFL world.

The proverbial final nail in the coffin came following a Thursday Night Football loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in week four. The game was played in Ohio, which led to Meyer not boarding the team plane and instead staying behind to attend what he told the front office would be a “family dinner” at his locally-owned bar. Days later, photos surfaced of Meyer at the bar in question, but rather than a family dinner, it looked anything but that. While Meyer remained coach throughout most of the remainder of the season, the fallout can all be traced back to this bar incident.

The controversy continued a bit when the new head coaching cycle began. For awhile, it felt like a forgone conclusion that current Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, Byron Leftwich, would be the new head coach in Jacksonville. Leftwich is one of the most popular players in franchise history, but due to a disconnect with general manager Trent Baalke, the move fell through. “What in the world is going on in Jacksonville?” was a popular question being asked on every tv segment and news article covering the Jaguars.

Luckily, the franchise ended up with the right guy after all. Doug Pederson signed on to serve as the new head coach and become the voice of reason for young quarterback, Trevor Lawrence. Pederson spent 10 seasons as a backup quarterback in the NFL, before taking over as the head coach in Philadelphia. During his time in the City of Brotherly Love, Pederson won the first and only Super Bowl in Eagles’ franchise history. He will be looking to do the same for the diehard fans in Duval.