The Oakland Raiders were enjoying one of their best seasons in franchise history, posting a 12-3 record and becoming favorites to go to the Super Bowl. Head coach Jack Del Rio had the team playing well before quarterback Derek Carr broke his leg after being sacked against the Indianapolis Colts. The Raiders finished the 2016NFL regular season 12-4, but eventually lost to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.
Under Del Rio, the team was playing at a high level and looked poised to make a run in the postseason. Although their season ended shorter than they would have liked, the team’s future looks bright. According to Instagram, Del Rio is still happy with his team and their performance:
Del Rio’s gutsy decision-making throughout the season helped swing the tides of games that the Raiders probably should not have won. Those few extra victories propelled the team to the top of the AFC West, making Del Rio a heavy favorite to win the NFL’s Coach of the Year award.
After a dismal 3-13 season, the Raiders fired former head coach Dennis Allen and hired Del Rio. The team immediately flourished during the Bay Area native’s first full season, going 7-9 and seeing four of his players selected to play in the Pro Bowl. After securing their first playoff berth since 2002 this season, Del Rio impressed management and the two sides are already negotiating a contract extension to keep the head coach long-term in Oakland.
