After an impressive run with ended the franchise long playoff drought last season, the seemingly promising Oakland Raiders squad has struggled during the 2017 NFL season. Things have gotten so bad for the Raiders this season that they recently fired defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. to make a statement to turn things around.
Head coach Jack Del Rio recently talked about what the reasoning behind parting ways with Norton and why the move had to be made to part ways with the 51-year-old, via Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.
“I really felt like I needed to shake things up,” Del Rio said Wednesday, a day after making the change. “We couldn't continue doing what we've been doing to this point. I made the call. The whole idea is to change what we're doing.”
Although the Raiders went 12-4 last season, the defense was an issue that many believe held them back from being legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the AFC. Khalil Mack may be arguably the best defensive player in the league, but he's more or less alone trying to make Oakland a force to be reckoned on that side of the football.
Heading into Week 12, the Raiders are 4-6 having split the last four games. In one stretch this season, Oakland lost four straight, and now it appears their playoff hopes may be shot without a drastic turnaround.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers may be in a two-team race for the AFC West division title unless Derek Carr and company can get back on track. It'll be interesting to see what the impact of Norton's firing will have on the team and if it does indeed shake things up in Oakland.
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