There are bold predictions and there are *bold* predictions. Jim Trotter made one such statement when moments after the Raiders lost to the Chiefs to fall to 1-4 on the season, he predicted they would go on a six-game win streak.
Buy Raiders TicketsI know some will take this as click bait, but I genuinely believe the Raiders will win their next six games. 🤷🏾♂️
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) October 11, 2022
He could’ve just said what he said, let people feel however they feel about it and moved on. That, after all, is common on the bird app. But Friday, he backed up his prognostication, going into detail as to why he said it.
As is often the case, Trotter put together a great read, along with some nice touches quotes from Maxx Crosby and Kolton Miller. But if you’re just looking for the nitty gritty on why he feels so confident the Raiders will turn things around in a big way over the next month and a half, here’s the gist of it.
Trotter broke it down into five parts: Character, Circumstance, Competitiveness, Schedule, and McDaniels.
For Character, he points to the win streak the Raiders had last season after all the adversity they faced after the Gruden resignation and the tragic Henry Ruggs III car crash. In other words; they’ve been through worse than a 1-4 start.
Circumstance is to suggest that the new coaching staff and new players such as Davante Adams and Chandler Jones needs time to jell. Especially with no preseason snaps. Five games and a bye week is a good amount of time for that.
“…typically, it takes time to jell after a change in staff and personnel. That is where the Raiders are now. Things that should be second nature are still in the developmental stage…”
Competitiveness points to how many close games the Raiders have been in this season. Even though they have lost four of five. They were winning many of these close games late last season. And if you add the previous ‘time to jell’ to the equation, Trotter figures they will start to come out on top of them.
“Their losses have been by one, two, five, and six points. Some see their failure to come through down the stretch as a cause for concern; the Raiders view through a different prism, contending that the silver lining is they have been in a position to win despite so many coaching and personnel changes.”
Number four on the list should really be number one — Schedule. No question the biggest reason Trotter feels the Raiders can run off six games is because of their opponents. With only one team in the next six games who currently holds a winning record — the Indianapolis Colts (3-2-1).
After the Broncos (2-4) on November 20, the Raiders don’t face another team that currently has a losing record until the Steelers (2-4) on December 24. And that’s the only losing team they face over the final seven weeks of the season. So, yeah, schedule is a big reason Trotter feels confident making this prediction.
His final reason is Josh McDaniels. Mainly, as Trotter notes, he just believes in McDaniels.
I believe he ultimately will get things right, because his football IQ is high and he has faced and addressed what arguably had been his greatest past weakness: relatability.
Specifically, Trotter sees instances in which McDaniels is taking the time to be more interested in his players as people and that goes a long way.
Reeling off six wins in a row would be no small feat. And even if it doesn’t happen, it’s a prediction worth making. If for no other reason than to say there is no reason the Raiders *shouldn’t* win their next six games. Because, on paper, it would seem realistic.
Of course, it also means any game they lose, none of the above reasons can be used as excuses. They’ve been through worse as a team, they’ve had time to jell, they have the talent, they have a favorable schedule, and they believe in their coaches.
Now’s their chance to translate all this into wins.
