The Las Vegas Raiders are winless in their last six contests and are shifting back to starting Gardner Minshew in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos. Unfortunately, breaking that losing streak will be difficult due to an onslaught of injuries, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic.
“#Raiders HC Antonio Pierce said CB Jakorian Bennett (shoulder) and CB Nate Hobbs (ankle) will be OUT vs. the Broncos. RB Zamir White (quad) and RB Alexander Mattison (ankle) will be doubtful. CB Jack Jones (back) and C Andre James (ankle) will practice today. James won’t start.”
Although the Raiders are not mathematically eliminated from making the postseason, another loss will likely seal their fate. At 2-8, they are the AFC’s No. 15 seed, ahead of only the 2-9 Jacksonville Jaguars.
Raiders woeful season drags forward
What will change for Las Vegas in the coming weeks and months? That remains to be seen. However, it’s been speculated that Tom Brady will take the lead.
“New Raiders minority owner Tom Brady represents ‘excellence,’ according to Raiders majority owner Mark Davis. While Brady is busy broadcasting for Fox and may have only 10 percent equity in the Raiders, I expect his involvement in running the team to be closer to 90 percent.
“We already know the organization wants to lean on Brady when picking a future quarterback. One of Davis’s strengths is his openness to listening to experienced football people, and he values Brady’s understanding of what it takes to win at a high level.”
As one might expect, there are also reports that Brady won’t be that involved.
“How involved is Tom Brady going to be with the Raiders? I get the sense that he is more broadcaster than Vegas power player right now. At least in the sense that I would be very surprised if he was granted the authority to simply recreate the Patriot Way. I also am not sure what Mark Davis’s appetite would be for such a move after he went all in on Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler during his last hiring cycle. That note is for those who are trying to pencil in a Brady-Vrabel reunion.”
Behind the scenes, the NFL and its owners are in a kerfuffle about Brady’s access to players, per Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal. They seek to limit or restrict what is and isn’t allowed with players in Brady’s role as a broadcaster.
“Limiting Brady’s interaction with players to live or recorded interviews for broadcast only, to ensure the content of their conversations is known publicly, and prohibiting private one-on-one interactions before or after the broadcast component. Requiring these kinds of interviews to only happen outside of team facilities, and possibly even away from team hotels. Requiring prior approval and monitoring by the league and the players’ team to ensure the interview is within the rules.”
The Raiders host the Broncos on Sunday, November 24, at 4:05 p.m. EST.
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