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Oakland Raiders: Week 9 sealed 2019 NFL Draft fate

By Martin McConnell

OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sidelines against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sidelines against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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The Oakland Raiders had been locked in a four-way tie for the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Week 9’s disappointing performance may have sealed their fate for the annual April spectacle.

Coming into their Thursday Night Football appearance, the Oakland Raiders were in a gridlock situation this season. Sitting in the basement at 1-6, Jon Gruden’s Raiders were in a standoff with the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers for the league’s worst record. Then, Nick Mullens arrived.

Mullens, a third-string quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, put the boots to the Raiders in Week 9’s Thursday matchup. Not only did Mullens shine through with a three-touchdown performance and a quarterback rating of 151.9, but the 49ers came together to collectively destroy Oakland, 34-3.

Now with Week 9 out of the way, the Raiders and Giants are the only one-win teams in football. The Cardinals and 49ers both have two victories, and the Raiders will meet the Cardinals in Arizona in Week 11. Although both Oakland and Arizona are dreadful football teams, it’s easy to make a case that Oakland could lose out for the rest of the season.

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Out of the four teams seriously in play for the No. 1 pick, Oakland may be the least talented. Every other team has something going for them, but Oakland has just been a total disaster. San Francisco has a quarterback whisperer as a head coach, and Jimmy Garoppolo waiting for them next year. The Giants have a talented, explosive offense with no viable option at quarterback. The Cardinals know that Josh Rosen can be the real deal.

And yet, the Raiders have done nothing to keep their team afloat, despite having Derek Carr at quarterback. The silver and black’s only win came in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns, and one could argue that the officiating gave that game to the Raiders late in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders are quite possibly the least talented team in football, and their sorry performance in Week 9 showed that. After trading away their best defender and best wide receiver, Jon Gruden’s squad has been totally anemic on both sides of the ball. Despite having Carr at the helm, the Raiders cannot move the ball or stop any form of offensive attack.

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Fortunately for fans of the silver and black, the Raiders may have sealed their draft status this week. Provided they perform just as badly through the rest of the season, Week 9 was the game to push them over the edge. A brand new Nick Bosa should be coming to the Bay Area, and then Las Vegas, in just a few months.

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