Silver Minings: Changes coming after Rams loss?

Fans, media members and team personnel alike, there wasn’t a single person associated with the Las Vegas Raiders who wasn’t pissed off about Thursday night’s embarrassing loss to Baker Mayfield and the Los Angeles Rams. For example, longtime Raiders’ radio host JT the Brick had no problem airing out his frustrations on Friday while simultaneously sharing some insight that changes are coming in Las Vegas.

“I’m not giving you the plan today. You know the plan. You’ve heard the coach tell it with me,” JT said Raider Nation Radio. “I can tell you right now there will be ramifications from that roster from this game [Thursday] night. There will be significant ramifications going forward on one thing. The fact that the mental ability to close out games has to do with the mental inability by some to understand their job with the game on the line.”

The fact that JT specifically mentions the roster and not the coaching staff is interesting but not surprising. We’ve heard owner Mark Davis back head coach Josh McDaniels all season, highlighted by Davis saying he thought McDaniels is doing a “fantastic job” when the team was 2-7. So, it sounds like the blame is being placed on the players instead of the coaches, or at least not the head coach.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero already reported that the Raiders are releasing guard John Simpson, who hadn’t taken any offensive snaps since Week 2 before replacing Alex Bars in Los Angeles. Who knows, maybe we see a few more players get the axe by Monday morning. Regardless, it sounds like the roster will look a lot different next season.

In other Raiders’ links:

• McDaniels reflects on the loss: hear what the head coach had to say during his press conference on Friday.
• Raiders taking advantage of kickoff rule: “They clarified a rule a couple weeks ago, that you’re permitted to hold the ball on the top of the tee now, so we’ve got a good kicker, you can add hang time to the kick, and I think you saw Daniel use that to our advantage,” McDaniels said.
• Nobody blows a lead like Raiders: longtime Bay Area sports writer Ray Ratto goes on a classic rant about the Silver and Black’s struggles finishing games.
• Maxx Crosby shares sympathy for Raider Nation: “It’s all self-inflicted s---. So, that’s what makes it hard. It is what it is. Obviously, it sucks. I just feel bad for the fans,” the dejected pass-rusher said.