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It’s a day of celebration for the Las Vegas Raiders as they won their first game since they moved cities but the game didn’t do Jon Gruden many favors. Early on, it was clear that the coach wasn’t having the best hair day in the Carolina heat and the internet pounced.
Gruden’s red hair is iconic at this point but there’s something wild going on upstairs. Perhaps he’s balding in an unorthodox way or the stress of the NFL season is affecting his hair. This isn’t the first time Gruden’s appearance has become a meme online. Back in 2018, an alarming red-faced Gruden went viral after an interview. The veteran coach is a fun guy to make fun of but he’s clearly proving that he can still coach. If he keeps leading the Raiders offense to incredible performances, his hair can look however it wants.
Raiders Offense Strong in First Effort
This offseason, many were predicting the Raiders could have a top-10 offense this year and it’s hard to argue against that idea after Week 1. Derek Carr made some elite passes and Josh Jacobs is proving to be one of the best running backs in the NFL. Rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs made some big plays and the offensive line kept Carr clean.
The Panthers are rebuilding their defense but they do have talent. They’ll definitely face tougher tests throughout the year but the Raiders offense was close to perfect. Considering all the youth on offense, the team should just keep getting better and better. This was an exciting start to the season but the New Orleans Saints are heading to Las Vegas next week and they’ll be stiffer competition.
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Gruden Praises Team
This win didn’t come easy for the Raiders as a number of key players missed time due to injury. It didn’t take for Pro Bowl right tackle Trent Brown to leave the game and not come back. Ruggs got banged up, starting cornerback Trayvon Mullen got banged up and starting linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski left about halfway through. It wasn’t looking good towards the end but the Raiders stepped up on both sides of the ball. Gruden was very proud.
“That was a championship effort by a lot of guys, “Gruden said after the win. “We lost Trent Brown after three plays, we lost Sam Young and Denzelle Good, he deserves a lot of credit for going over there without any work at right tackle and playing the whole game. Derek Carr was great today, that’s what we asked from him. In a game like this, we didn’t know much about our opponent … he made a lot of plays at the line of scrimmage and in the pocket.
The Raiders fell apart in the second halves of games last year and it’s a great sign they were able to hold on. With so many young players, it’s a great learning experience for them to win these types of close games.
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