GM Mike Mayock says Raiders 'need to be a playoff team this year'

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders have high expectations for themselves in 2021. Although they have not had a winning season or made it to a playoffs since 2016, general manager Mike Mayock said this week that it’s time for the Raiders to return to the offseason. .

“Jon [Gruden] and I want to both tell you that we feel we should be a playoff team this year and I do not think there is any doubt about that, ”said Mayock, via ESPN. “You’re all going to write it in your headlines, and I understand that, but that’s what the expectation is. We think we’ve done the necessary infrastructure work to put ourselves in position, and we need to take action. of business. "

The Raiders finished with an 8-8 record last season in what was yet another campaign full of ups and downs. At one point, the Raiders were 6-3 and looked like a sleeper in the AFC. (They even gave Patrick Mahomes his only loss of the regular season!) Then Vegas flopped at the end of the year, losing five of their last seven games. First round selection Henry Ruggs III had no influence, the defense allowed third place in the league and general disagreements ruined what was once the beginning of a successful campaign.

Although the Raiders found a way to tense up and avoid losing characters, staying in AFC West does not help. The Kansas City Chiefs have been division champions every year since 2016, the Los Angeles Chargers have found an exciting new franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, and the Denver Broncos have a very talented roster and a new veteran signal caller in Teddy Bridgewater. The Raiders play the eighth toughest schedule in 2021 based on the opponents' combined victory percentage in 2020, but this list has shown that they can beat everyone in a given week. They can also lose to anyone in a given week.

Words are just words at this point, as all 32 NFL teams have playoff hopes and dreams going into the new year. Now the Raiders just have to go out and reach their goal.

“It’s always nice to hear someone say that,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said of Mayock’s playoff comments, “but let’s go out and do it. I would be much more impressed if they did.”

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