With Oakland’s offense sputtering and the Raider Nation jumping ship like they were aboard the Titanic, it’s only natural to wonder how the Raiders would be better or worse off with Jackson as the head coach. What if Jackson were still calling the plays and getting weekly pedicures in Oakland?
Had Jackson made the playoffs, McKenzie might have given him another year before beginning the search for a head coach. On personalities alone, it’s hard to imagine the two coexisting. It’s a scenario that we can only imagine.
Would Jackson’s offense be significantly better than Greg Knapp’s offense? What about the defense? The common thinking on the subject seems to suggest Jackson’s offense is superior to Knapp’s offense. With Dennis Allen still in Denver, would the new defensive coordinator be Jack Del Rio? The possibilities are endless.
One thing is certain: Jackson became the offensive coordinator in 2010 and Darren McFadden’s production immediately jumped. Jackson was so impressive he was elevated to the head coaching job by Al Davis prior to the start of the 2011 season.
After Davis died, Jackson orchestrated a trade to unite Carson Palmer with McFadden. The two wouldn’t take a snap together in 2011 and the Raiders would stumble down the stretch. Jackson wasn’t a fool, he knew his only chance to keep the job was if the team made the playoffs.
Jackson was full of bravado and arrogance, but he had the offense playing inspired football and the team came within a win of making the playoffs that would have potentially saved his job. The Raiders discarded that progress for a fre...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
