#5 John Gruden claims there is more work to do
The Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and while one would think that John Gruden would be ecstatic after knocking off the Super Bowl Champions, he didn t seem to echo that sentiment. Yeah, he was happy about winning the game to some degree, but he still believes that the team has a lot of work to do before they can be taken seriously.
I hope we gain confidence. We got Tom Brady coming in here [after the bye]. We have seen Drew Brees and we have seen Cam Newton. We have seen one of the hottest quarterbacks in [Josh] Allen, now we have seen Mahomes and we ve already seen [Teddy] Bridgewater. Also, We need to get healthy and stay focused and be true to ourselves. I m sure we can still get better, we are going to have to get better if we are going to stay in the hunt,
Now, Gruden is right about the Raiders still having some work to do in order to get better, but defeating the Chiefs was a big step in the right direction.
#4 Las Vegas has the easiest schedule going forward
As if the fact that the Las Vegas Raiders toppled the defending Super Bowl Champions last Sunday wasn t unbelievable enough, Vegas fans now get to wrap their head around the fact that they have the weakest strength of schedule going forward. In fact, the only other team that comes close is the Dallas Cowboys, who have several easy opponents coming up as well.
While taking advantage of this weak schedule will be difficult to do at times, especially with the defense’s lack of performance, there is no reason to believe that the Raiders can t win a big chunk of the remaining games. Furthermore, after their victory against the Chiefs, there might not be a need to doubt that the Raiders will be a playoff team this year either.
In the end, strength of schedule is only one of many factors that play out during a season, but it s nice to see that the Raiders will have a few softballs thrown their way. Going up against the Broncos and the Chargers is a lot easier than going up against the Bears, the Bills, or the Ravens.
#3 Kyle Busch eliminated from the playoffs
The round of eight is set in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, and Las Vegas native Kyle Busch will not be a part of them. Busch was about 21 points below the cut line heading into the Charlotte Roval race and needed a win or some great luck to make the next round. Unfortunately for Busch, he didn t pit for tires during the final stop of the afternoon, lost the lead several laps later, and finished in the top ten.
While Kyle Busch is no longer eligible to be a back to back champion, he can still salvage one of his career s most impressive records, which is his winning streak. Believe it or not, Kyle Busch has managed to win a race at least once every season at the Cup level and still has a chance to do so in the last four races of this season as well.
#2 Marc Andre Fleury staying with Vegas?
Why haven t I been trade yet?
Believe it or not, that is the question that Marc Andre Fleury is asking himself after the Las Vegas Golden Knights resigned fellow goalie Robin Lehner to a five-year deal worth $25 million. Now, one would think that kind of contract would mean that the Golden Knights are moving on from Fleury, but the organization still hasn t traded him yet.
Interestingly enough, it might be because Lehner is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery later this year and will need Fleury as backup sometimes next season. Either that or the Golden Knights just believe they should pay 32 million dollars combined for both Fleury and Lehner.
In fact, between the Knights posting a stellar record this year and making it to the playoffs’ semifinal rounds, it feels like the team should add to this ensemble a bit. Either way, Andre Fleury was asked about the situation between him and the Golden Knights and told the Le Journal de Montreal the Le Journal
I was stressed. I watched the news, it wasn t always good rumors for me. There are always a ton of rumors, but there aren t many that come true I still found it surprising as an outcome. My name was circulating quite a bit for a trade. But I am happy. I am lucky enough to stay in Vegas. I will still play for a good team. I won t have to move, which is also a good thing I am ready to share. This year, I also expect it to be a strange season.
#1 David Irving to the Raiders?
David Irving has just been reinstated by the NFL after exposing himself smoking pot during a Instagram post in 2017 and the Las Vegas Raiders are apparently hosting him. In fact, according to ESPN s Field Yates, Irving is on his way to Vegas for a tryout with the Raiders. If he does end up getting put on the squad, he would be reuniting with former defensive line coach, Rob Marinelli.
Not only would this give the Raiders some much-needed depth on defense, especially with a lot of players falling victim to injury, it would also be a huge improvement for the whole team. Whether It works out or not remains to be seen and will depend on the upcoming tryout, but at least Vegas is trying to find more options for their defense.
