2021 Las Vegas Sports Predictions

1. Raider Nation stops arguing

This might be a wish rather than a prediction, but it was saddening to watch Raider Nation argue all season long. Whether it was about Derek Carr versus Marcus Mariota, or Jon Gruden needing to be fired, fans wasted no time laying into these guys for months on end.

We are a fandom! We all need to be a little less toxic to each other.  We re Raider Nation, for crying out loud! Look, no fan base is perfect. Not even close. Just be a little nicer when 2021.

2. Marcus Mariota stages a comeback

It s no secret that Marcus Mariota has had a rough couple of years. He's been relegated to the role of backup quarterback to Derek Carr. This has turned the former Heisman winner into a virtual nobody in the hierarchy in the NFL- and he's not happy about it.

Time for him to step up and stop being the nice guy. Yes, his two-touchdown performance against the Los Angeles Chargers was amazing, but giving the credit to Carr was the wrong move. Mariota should have used that time on camera to reinsert himself into the minds of doubters, and not talk up the person he is competing against for a job.

Mariota needs to prove he is the better quarterback during the offseason or go to a team that believes in him. He just has no business being a backup quarterback. How can he not start next season after that gutsy performance against the Rams?

3. Josh Jacobs becomes a better wide receiver.

Let s be honest here. Josh Jacobs is a great running back that has the potential to go far in the NFL. He's reliable in key situations, does an excellent job of taking the pressure off the passing game, and can even play wide receiver at times. He has also become such a natural at the wide receiver position that you wonder why he doesn't focus on it more.

In fact, Jacobs has a total of nine catches for 89 yards and no touchdowns. Remember, those numbers focus on his route running this year. Jacobs is a multi-dimensional threat-in-training and could eventually lead the team to a Super Bowl.

4. Kyle Busch gets his head back in the game

Like many of us, Kyle Busch needs to forget that 2020 even happened. Forget the DNF s, forget coming in second place four separate times, forget only making the playoffs on points. Finally, forget the fact that you didn t make the final four or win a championship last season. If Kyle Busch wants to have any success in 2021, he needs to forget about his past and start with a clean slate.

Not only will that make the transition with his new crew chief, Ben Beshore, a lot easier, it will also allow Kyle Busch to slowly build confidence as he goes. Sure, he might not win Daytona or even at Homestead, but as the races tick by, expect Busch to win one or two.

5. The Las Vegas Raiders move on from Jon Gruden

Is it time to move on from Jon Gruden as head coach? Between going 18-39 and not making the playoffs in his three seasons at the helm, it really feels like someone else belongs in that role.

The problem with Gruden is that he is stuck in his ways. For example, we saw his defense crumble all season long, but he made very few changes. Now, some of that was due to injuries and pandemic issues, but Gruden wasn t the leader he needed to be during all the chaos. . That s why the Raiders need to find a new head coach- and they know it.