Raiders’ embarrassing effort sets them up for the No. 1 pick

8:02 pm | November 1, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:

11:44 PM ET

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Talk about a Day of the Dead debacle.

And talk about setting yourself up for the No. 1 overall draft pick — midway through the season. Because if you are the Oakland Raiders, and you cannot get up for this game, the final Battle of the Bay against your regional rivals before heading off to Las Vegas in 2020, then who, exactly, are you going to get up for in the season’s last eight games?

The Arizona Cardinals? Sure, they seem beatable come Thanksgiving weekend. But they have already swept the San Francisco 49ers, who absolutely embarrassed the Raiders, 34-3 Thursday night at Levi’s Stadium.

Embarrassed, that is, if the 1-7 Raiders actually cared. Because by knee-jerk observation of body language, it looked as though they had checked out, playing like a team that could finish 1-15.

Yes, on the same day an interview aired on Fox Sports that saw coach Jon Gruden telling Raiders Hall of Famer Howie Long he is receiving calls from players who are “dying to play for the Raiders” next season.

Perhaps the most damning part of the quote, though?

“And to have salary-cap space and to have a chance to talk to the people that you really want to wear the silver and black, the guys you really want to wear the silver and black and represent this team, that’s exciting.”

Ouch. You think several guys on the current team consider that a shot at them? How do they not? And if they see it as Gruden quitting on them, why not quit on him?

Desire is hard to quantify, obviously, but this is not — the Raiders have three first-round draft picks come April and even more needs. But with, as Gruden said, elite pass-rushers being so hard to find (yes, that is sarcasm after the Sept. 1 trade of Khalil Mack) this game may have helped. The Raiders entered the night with a 26.3 percent chance at getting the No. 1 pick, second only to the Cardinals. By losing to the 49ers, who entered the game with a record of 1-7, the Raiders may have actually won the Bosa Bowl.

As in, the right to take former Ohio State pass-rusher Nick Bosa.

Or Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat.

Or Oregon’s Jalen Jelks.

Or Alabama’s Raekwon Davis.

Or Florida State’s Brian Burns.

Or Houston’s Ed Oliver.

Still, after watching this effort against the Niners, you’d have to wonder how many of them would be “dying” to play for Gruden and the Raiders.