The Raiders have been an NFL punching bag for the past decade in the NFL. The first loss that set them on their downward spiral occurred the one in Super Bowl XXXVII.
The loss was so demoralizing, the team and the organization unraveled from there. They went from an NFL juggernaut and AFC Champion to 4-12 in one season. Rich Gannon was never the same, Bill Callahan was fired and the team’s best players such as Tim Brown and Jerry Rice left for other teams.
After that it was a series of double digit losses and ten years later, they still have yet to have a winning season or return to the playoffs. Rarely has a Super Bowl loss destroyed a team the way it did the Raiders that day in San Diego. Part of it was age with Gannon having a career ending injury and Rice and Browns careers dwindling.
Replacing that elite trio was Kerry Collins, Jerry Porter, and Ronald Curry – not exactly world beaters. But looking back, it has only gotten worse from there.
This too shall pass. But it has taken a lot longer than anyone expected.
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