Too little, too late was the classic situation with the 2023 Las Vegas Raiders. Under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, the Raiders have steadied and found their identity following a 3-5 start to the season that resulted in the termination of head coach Josh McDaniels following a devastating Monday night loss to the Detroit Lions.
Although they have only been 4-4 under Pierce’s leadership since his Week 9 debut, they have also registered the third-best defense in the league during that time, trailing only the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns in terms of EPA allowed per play. Sure, the Raiders have faced tough opponents like Tommy DeVito, Zach Wilson, Nick Mullens, and Easton Stick during this run, but they have also faced Patrick Mahomes twice and limited the explosive Miami Dolphins to just 20 points.
The Raiders will not make the playoffs in 2023, so their attention will now be on the offseason despite this defensive regeneration. Both general manager and head coach are open positions. Although Pierce did a fantastic job during his tryout, it is unclear if he will continue as head coach. With over $50 million in cap space at their disposal, the head coach and general manager will have ample opportunity to make improvements to the team.
The Raiders should look to sign a couple players that are scheduled to be free agents in order to improve the squad in 2024.Kirk Cousins was playing possibly the best ball of his career, therefore it is truly unfortunate that he tore his Achilles this season. Although Cousins has always amassed stats, the Minnesota Vikings’ success this season was clearly correlated with his high output. With his aggregate score of EPA (Expected Points Added) plus CPOE (Completion Percentage Over Expectation), Cousins is ranked sixth among eligible quarterbacks in the NFL. Just quarterbacks, that’s all? Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, Dak Prescott, and Brock Purdy. Being on that list is not a terrible thing.
Although Cousins is expected to be a free agent, the Vikings currently lack an obvious successor at the position. Cousins may very well stay with the Vikings and be their guy once more for the foreseeable future. Not unlike the Raiders, though. Although Aidan O’Connell has had his moments this season, in terms of the same EPA + CPOE composite score number, he is ranked 46th out of 49 qualified quarterbacks who have played at least 100 plays. Despite having a wealth of weapons at his disposal, including Josh Jacobs, Michael Mayer, Davante Adams, and Jakobi Meyers, he only manages 6.3 yards per attempt and ranks 36th in QBR.
With an actual quarterback leading the club, it’s not difficult to believe this team couldn’t create waves if what the Raiders defense has done since Pierce’s elevation is legitimate. Quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins do exist. Much will depend on how well he recovers, but signing Cousins and letting him cook for the next few seasons makes sense for a team like the Raiders that doesn’t have an established quarterback or a young quarterback with a solid investment to build around, particularly if the rest of the roster is solid.
The Raiders’ defense has performed admirably, and they already have the offensive weapons. They also boast Maxx Crosby, one of the league’s greatest players. That being said,
