Las Vegas Raiders head coach, Coach Codes, has long been respected as one of the premier minds in the Premier Madden League (PML). However, a baffling trend has emerged this season: the Raiders have consistently faltered against teams missing their head coaches, losing key games when computer assistants have taken over. The Raiders’ recent losses to the Denver Broncos, without Coach CookieBoy, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, without Coach TBruh, have raised questions about their ability to capitalize on these situations.
Week 16: Raiders vs. Jaguars (52-45 Loss)
In Week 16, the Raiders faced off against the Jaguars, a team playing under an assistant coach and without Coach TBruh, and lost 52-45. Despite amassing 628 total yards, including 436 passing yards and 192 rushing yards, the Raiders’ defensive struggles allowed the Jaguars to secure a victory.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a flawless day, completing 25 of 30 passes for 393 yards and five touchdowns, posting a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Wide receiver Gabe Davis torched the Raiders’ defense with 155 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while tight end Brenton Thomas Jr. added another 141 yards and two scores. Although the Raiders managed to record 3 rushing touchdowns, including a 139-yard, 3-touchdown performance from Ty Davis-Price, they were ultimately undone by their inability to stop the Jaguars’ passing attack.
Despite having seven offensive red zone chances, the Jaguars were only able to convert two of them into touchdowns, a stat that should have favored the Raiders. But costly turnovers, including two interceptions thrown by Raiders quarterback Max Duggan, prevented the team from capitalizing on their offensive production.
Week 12: Raiders vs. Broncos (40-28 Loss)
Earlier in the season, in Week 12, the Raiders fell to the Denver Broncos, who were also playing without their Head Coach Cook. In this game, the Raiders’ offensive struggles were more evident, with Duggan throwing for only 210 yards and 2 touchdowns alongside 3 interceptions. The Broncos, led by Bo Nix, threw for 329 yards and 3 touchdowns, despite Nix also throwing 3 interceptions.
The Broncos controlled the tempo with an efficient rushing attack, amassing 93 yards, and more importantly, converted red zone opportunities when it mattered. Wide receiver Ty Franklin was a major factor, hauling in 8 receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Greg Dulcich added two more scores. On the flip side, the Raiders couldn’t find consistency, despite a solid performance from tight end Brock Bowers (8 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown) and wide receiver DeVante Adams (4 receptions for 46 yards and a score).
Once again, red zone inefficiency played a role, with the Broncos converting just one of their six red zone chances for a touchdown, while the Raiders only managed to convert two of their five chances.
The Odd Trend for Coach Codes
These two losses, both to teams led by computer assistant coaches, have raised concerns about the Raiders’ ability to capitalize on such matchups. It’s particularly unusual for a coach of Coach Codes’ caliber to lose these kinds of games, especially considering the Raiders’ impressive offensive output in both contests.
Against the Jaguars, the Raiders outgained their opponent by over 180 yards, yet couldn’t close out the game. Against the Broncos, they forced three interceptions but couldn’t translate those turnovers into points, once again falling short in the red zone. This trend calls into question whether Coach Codes’ game planning falters when facing less predictable, AI-driven play calls.
With these losses, the Raiders’ playoff hopes have dimmed, leaving them with a 7-8 record and clinging to a potential wild card spot. This current stretch of losses could very well leave them on the outside looking in as the AFC playoff race tightens. To turn things around, Coach Codes will need to find a way to break this bizarre streak and ensure his team can finish the season strong, no matter who is standing—or not standing—on the opposing sideline.
