Raider Take - The Original Oakland Raiders Blog

Welcome Back Maxx

2026-03-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

As you know, I kinda hit my breaking point with the Raiders this past season.

Despite my best efforts, this organization, and Mark Davis in particular, has trained me to be cynical.

Could it get worse? Today, Mark Davis said, "Hold my beer."

We went on a spending spree before the money was in the bank. Does that sound like a well managed organization?

You might ask, how could this happen.

Those of us who have been paying attention know exactly how.

And so it goes on. It's gonna get real interesting now that Maxx is technically back in the fold.

Fire away!

Bye Maxx, Hello Alex?

2026-03-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

From a report on the worsening Maxx Crosby situation:

"Like many players and coaches, Crosby was frustrated by the presence of Alex Guerrero, a staunch Brady ally whose official title is wellness coordinator.

Guerrero, who regularly attends practices and meetings, purports to possess significant organizational power, informing players of impending transactions and even indicating to staff members who don’t follow his instructions that their jobs may be at risk.

Guerrero is perceived to have a direct pipeline to Brady, who lives in Florida and serves as Fox’s lead NFL analyst, limiting his in-person presence."

Nothing to see here...right? Right!?

Welcome Klint Kubiak!

2026-02-02T11:56:00.000-08:00

Barring any 11th hour drama, it sounds like we have a new head coach in Klint Kubiak.

I must admit, this is a better result than I feared as the process played out. A hot up-and-coming offensive mind paired with a #1 draft pick quarterback plus Bowers, Jeanty, etc. certainly sounds appealing, and it's a clean break from hiring retreads and in-house replacements who never become head coaches when they leave the Raiders.

Whether or not Kubiak proves to be a leader of men and a culture changer remains to be seen, but at least this makes sense on paper.

(In a weird plot twist, Kubiak will be squaring off at OC with former Raiders coach Josh McDaniels during the Super Bowl, after the Raiders job seemed to strip McDaniels of any offensive magic during his tenure here).

I still can't help but think the Raiders were dancing on the head of a pin here. If Kubiak decided to go with the Cardinals or return to the Seahawks (both realistic possibilities), I'm not sure where that would have left us. As I predicted, it sounds like Tom Brady's star power played a role in papering over the minefield associated with being a Raiders head coach, and without that I'm not sure this deal would have been consummated.

Regardless, they pulled it off and that's what matters. There's no doubt that this injects some sunshine into the Raiders' prospects in 2026 and beyond. It feels like a breath of fresh air. Just how minty fresh it'll be, we shall see.

Bottom line: an exciting day in the Raider Nation.

Next Stop on the Carousel

2026-01-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

The Raiders organization's perpetual chaos and coach firings make the head coaching job increasingly unattractive to candidates with options. And those options are growing with plum spots in places like Buffalo, Baltimore and Pittsburgh opening up.

This is just common sense, Mark Davis has painted the team into a radioactive corner. In terms of coach recruiting, the only things the Raiders have working for them are Tom Brady's star power and the #1 pick, but because Tom Brady by some accounts was himself an agent of the chaos this year, and because the Raiders don't have a good record of making savvy draft picks, and because the coach won't have much say because Mark already declared Spytek and Brady to have control, where does that leave us?

Pete walked into the building with a legacy, and 12 months later that legacy is trashed. Josh McDaniels leaves and suddenly, as if by magic, he knows how to run an offense again. I'm not saying he was a good head coach, but my goodness the Raiders have proven that they can make everyone look utterly incompetent.

I've seen several media reports declaring that the Raiders represent one of the most attractive head coach openings right now. Honestly, what are they smoking? I hope they don't get paid for that kind of analysis.

All the things I've cited above are likely going to factor into who's willing to take a risk on this job. It's likely going to be someone unproven from the coordinator ranks, but with "upside," but even the best among those candidates may cast a wary eye. In short, the Raiders have to really stick the landing.

Who will it be!? Bang out your best guesses here.

Now Playing: The Spytek x Brady Show

2026-01-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

I feel sorry for Pete Carroll. Didn't do great, but also didn't stand a chance.

Now we're told that "GM John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady."

Enjoy your autonomy and operations control, John! I'm sure Mark and Tom will give you tons of leeway.

Draft 2026, here we come!

What do you all think?

Final Walk of Shame Thread

2026-01-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

Once again, Mark Davis engineered a terrible season, and maybe the worst in franchise history. The goal today is to lose, nothing less, to chase a draft pick and put that pick in the same hands that have fumbled so many picks over the years.

Failing to understand that the team was in need of a full rebuild, and listening to yet more "advisors" without a clear leadership structure, Mark Davis brought in a short-term veteran coach and drafted another skill player early while assembling a roster that was doomed to fail and thus wasting both the coach's and top pick's talents, creating an untenable situation that will result in more chaos but likely no lessons learned because the owner has neither the shame nor skill to right the ship that he steered into the rocks.

But hey, high draft pick incoming, so it's all good. GO (LOSE) RAIDERS. Not another penny.

Giants "Tankathon" Thread

2025-12-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

This is an unserious franchise. For the first time, I'm not gonna end a gameday thread with "Go Raiders!" because they absolutely don't want to win this one. They've even decided to alienate their keystone player to gain a draft advantage when they're actually in this sorry position after earning and wasting high draft picks constantly for years. You can't make this stuff up. Help me get the word out: NOT ANOTHER PENNY!

Texans Gameday Thread

2025-12-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

Not sure how hard I should root if they're trying to tank, but you can still lose while showing some pride and progress, two things that have been sorely lacking lately. Nevertheless, GO RAIDERS!*

*But NOT ANOTHER PENNY

Not Another Penny

2025-12-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

I don't think these embarrassing beatdowns are just about tanking. You can lose games while still showing positives and progress. It speaks to a team that is truly beaten in every sense of the word.

My new rallying cry is NOT ANOTHER PENNY. I'm not spending anything more than time (watching, blogging) on this team until Mark Davis really mends his ways. The Raider Nation is being disrespected by Mark Davis. If we believe in the mantra of "Pride and Poise," then where is our pride as fans to keep feeding at this trough of nonsense? Not another penny - no gear, no media products, no gifts, no tickets.

It sounds fine and noble for Mark Davis to say that he prefers to delegate the things he doesn't know, but if you've proven you don't know how to delegate, maybe something else needs to give. If you keep mismanaging what you do control while mis-delegating the rest, and if years of so-called effort continues to produce worse and worse results, then it must be followed by (1) shame and (2) then true gut-level, radical and self-aware change.

Yet where is the evidence of either?

Eagles Postgame Thread

2025-12-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

Not another penny.

The #1 Problem with The Raiders

2025-12-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

Friends, I'm going to let it rip. I can't hold back any longer.

I've been thinking a lot about this, and I've been running Raider Take for 21 years, and I've come to a conclusion.

My conclusion is simple: the Raiders organization suffers from a willful and institutional lack of smarts that starts at the top. I don't mean that as an offhand remark or a wisecrack. I mean it as something that is deeply embedded in the fabric of the Raiders.

In short, this isn't just an organization that continually makes the wrong decision. It's an organization that is optimized to make the wrong decision. In other words, the team's results are by design. I'm not saying the results are intentional, but rather that they're inevitable given how the organization is constructed and run. It is designed to fail.

What we have seen lately is far beyond a spell of bad luck, or a case of on-the-job ownership training (those excuses have long run their course). It runs deeper than mere folly or error.

Quite the opposite, in fact. What we are seeing comes from the actual design of the organization. What we see over and over again is an effort to merely correct mistakes, when, in fact, the organization should be un-designing why the same mistakes keep being made again and again.

This is why nothing has been fixed after all of these years, coaches, GMs, coordinators, high draft picks, free agents, etc. This is why, in fact, after all of these "efforts" we are now witnessing the saddest Raiders season in 20 years, and perhaps the saddest in the organization's history when you take everything into context.

In the NFL, you are either rebuilding or building. You are either aiming to re-frame the house for a brighter future or adding rooms, appliances and amenities to improve upon an already solid frame.

But if the architect is stubbornly hapless (a dangerous combination), then you end up adding rooms to a poor frame; ordering appliances that don't fit into the cabinetry; ignoring leaky pipes; and chasing fixes that don't last for the long term. And then when you do finally decide to rebuild, it's done poorly and the whole shebang begins again.

This is the Raiders under Mark Davis.

Also, when is the last time you saw Mark Davis express any sort of regret, blame, shame or extreme ownership of the organization's chronic state of failure?

And so yet again, after everything we've been through over the past five or so years, we end up overpaying for another mediocre QB, hiring another coach who's already a dead man walking, firing new coordinators midseason, drafting an RB in the first round only to play him behind a historically awful offensive line, and fielding yet another defense that is the definition of meh.

I know that all of this sounds harsh. But I share it in the spirit of tough love. I want what's best for this team. They are part of my history, my family, my nostalgia, and the friends I've made right here at Raider Take over the years. I wish I could be ever sanguine like Sandy--wait 'til next year!--but this season has become a bridge too far.

Please share this post with other fans. We need to all get around the proverbial campfire and figure out what we can do, starting with being honest with one another, and with the organization and the Raider Nation. We need to stop blaming Pete Carroll, the offensive line, the coordinators, Geno Smith, etc. They are mere symptoms of a chronic ailment, the fault firmly lies elsewhere.

We need to air this topic out thoroughly before any talk begins about our next head coach, the 2026 draft, what to do at quarterback, who to sign, etc.

And so my conclusion leads to a question: What should be done? Or perhaps more specifically: What can be done?

As fans, we can't make a material difference, at least not quickly. We're not going make an immediate impact. But we can be heard. And if we're noisy about it, who knows. Off the top of my head:

-Stop blaming coaches, players, GMs, etc. We're well past that until there is a much bigger fundamental shift at the top.

-Demand better from the organization, and speak with your wallet until that happens. Get the f*** off the crazy train until the conductor shows you some respect.

Chime in and rip me if you like, either way get it off your chest. It's catharsis time.

RT out.

Broncos Gameday Thread

2025-12-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

The Raiders played the Broncos fairly closely last time in a stinker for the ages, but they're already down by seven in the first. We shall see, but don't be shocked if they lose and stay on track for their worst record in 20 seasons. With my last breath: GO RAIDERS!

2025-11-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are - the Clown Car is retroactive to last week, and let's hope for something better today. Honestly, I'm kinda at a loss for words. How do I even process or talk about what's going on with this organization. It's a fail of astonishing proportions that has become an embarrassment for a relatively storied coach, and yet another blow to the sinking reputation of Mark Davis. It's sad to see this team with systemic issues that seem to only get worse. At this point just looking for the slightest hint of progress. GO RAIDERS!

Browns Gameday Thread

2025-11-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

Friends, belated thanks for your well wishes during my travels, I was on the run but it didn't go unnoticed.

I'm back in the saddle but nothing seems to have changed, as this Browns game is off to a nightmare Clown Car start in the first quarter.

Still plenty of time, but it's not looking good. We shall see. GO RAIDERS!

Cowboys Gamenight Thread

2025-11-16T12:06:00.000-08:00

Friends I’m traveling in foreign time zone so gonna keep it short, thanks for keeping the lights on and Go Raiders!

Broncos Gamenight Thread

2025-11-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Just three years ago, the Broncos and Raiders were in very similar straits. One team has completely turned itself around, while the other seems to now be in even worse shape. Why have their paths been so divergent, when their opportunities were fairly equal--and in fact the Broncos had to overcome the biggest dead salary cap hit in NFL history.

Something to ponder tonight. GO RAIDERS!

Jaguars Gameday Thread

2025-11-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are at midseason and I gotta lower the bar once again on another lost campaign.

Simply put: don't make me run out the Clown Car again, Raiders.

GO RAIDERS!

Chiefs Postmortem Thread

2025-10-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry I glitched out over the weekend.

How's everyone coping after we ran just 30 offensive plays and got absolutely worked by the Chiefs to hit rock bottom on the way to another lost season?

What is going on? How do we find ourselves here AGAIN?

All of these years, all of these high draft picks and trades, all of these new GM and coach regimes, and THIS is where we are at. There's one common thread and I wonder what he thinks when he wakes up on Monday mornings.

Titans Gameday Thread

2025-10-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Y'all know what time it is...

GO RAIDERS.

Colts Gameday Thread

2025-10-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are AGAIN. Waiting for something good to happen, for hope, for signs of progress. Trying not to watch a season get away from us yet again before it's really even started. What else can I say? GO RAIDERS.

The Raiders Bug?

2025-09-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

I ask this in all seriousness: Is there a Raiders "contagion" or "infection" that maybe explains the past 20 years?

How can we allegedly significantly upgrade at GM, head coach, QB and RB (and special advisor in Brady) this year plus Bowers and still look the same as the McDummy regime, Pierce regime, and on and on.

Like, it's not only the same RESULTS, but also the same WAY of losing. I mean, how many TIMES have you seen a dumb close loss just like this one against the Bears, or a no-show just like we saw against the Commanders and their backup QB.

It's uncanny and mind boggling. These are like clones of clones of clones of Raiders games past. Do new GM, coach and player regimes come in and catch a sort of Raiders bug?

Bears Gameday Thread

2025-09-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Getting this one going early for two reasons: I'm gonna be on the run this weekend, and we need to wash the taste of last weekend out of our mouths.

Now THIS match, this one feels sort of a like a must win, right?

GO RAIDERS!

Commanders Gameday Thread

2025-09-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

This feels like a good 'measuring stick' game for week three.

The Commanders have the same record at 1-1. They seemed to have lost a bit off last year's fastball, while the Raiders are presumably on the ascent from last season.

The offense needs to step up after Monday's debacle. Geno isn't the type of QB who can transcend poor protection. All the Bowers and Jeantys and Genos aren't going to help much if you can't generate time and lanes on the line.

The difference between 1-2 and 2-1 feels like a gulf for some reason. So let's see them put it together and steal one on the road and get some momentum going.

GO RAIDERS!

Chargers Gamenight Thread

2025-09-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

I'm not gonna say that this is a must-win game, not even close.

But I do think it will be a bit of a litmus test.

The Chiefs are vulnerable right now, creating a bit of a vacuum in the AFC West, which we haven't had for quite a while. Meanwhile, the Chargers and Broncos appear to be on the upswing compared to recent years.

So the question is: are the Raiders now an upwardly mobile franchise in the AFC West that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the class of the division?

Or are we simply an improving team but stuck in the midlands for a while?

Tonight could help us start to answer those questions.

GO RAIDERS!

Patriots Gameday Thread

2025-09-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

For opening day, I feel oddly unmoved.

How many years have we been right here, with all of the preseason hype and another new regime and cries of "this time it's different" followed by all of us saying "prove it" followed by more of the same.

I'm not sure how much the Raiders are going to prove this year, but please, please, the only thing I ask for is DIFFERENT. This is my 21st season at Raider Take. Please let this one be an actual beginning to something different and promising rather than just another beginning to a predictable end.

GO RAIDERS!