State of the 2023 Las Vegas Raiders: Can Jimmy Garoppolo, Josh McDaniels lead playoff push?

Where does your squad stand in 2023? Adam Rank sets the table by providing a State of the Franchise look at all 32 teams, zeroing in on the key figures to watch and setting the stakes for the season to come.

Members of the Raiders organization, Raiders fans around the world and those who get teary-eyed whenever they hear the NFL Films Autumn Wind music ...

We had such high hopes for the Raiders headed into last year. They were coming off a playoff appearance. Josh McDaniels had a second chance. Davante Adams and Derek Carr were reunited. And yet, it all went horribly, horribly wrong. Not Adams, he was dope. But can the Raiders put that behind them and make a return back to the playoffs? Good question. But before we look forward, let's take a quick look back.

One high from last season: The events of the video below. I'm sorry, but if you read my look at the state of the 2023 New England Patriots, you knew this was coming:

One low from last season: Pretty much everything else that happened in 2022. Actually, the win that was secured by that play put the Raiders at 6-8, giving them a slight chance of making the playoffs. But a loss to the Steelers one day after the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception put any dreams of postseason qualification pretty much out of reach. And then the organization told its all-time leading passer, Derek Carr, to stop coming to work with two weeks left in the season, denying him a chance to say goodbye to Raiders fans on the field.

Quarterback: Jimmy Garoppolo. I'm a huge fan of Derek Carr, and I don't believe the Raiders' problems in 2022 were his fault. But Josh McDaniels did inherit Carr when he became head coach last year, and I don't necessarily begrudge McDaniels the chance to switch