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Throw out Jon Gruden's recent comments that he's "not even thinking about coaching."
Throw out the Raiders' current stance of solidarity behind new interim coach Tony Sparano.
Embattled Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie will likely need to make a splash come this offseason (provided he has a job). Throw in a brutal schedule after the Raiders' bye along with owner Mark Davis' seeming desire to hand Gruden the reins to the team, and the next eight weeks could end up throwing a wrench in Sparano's hopes of becoming the team's full-time coach.
Sparano told reporters when he first got the job that the Raiders have "forgotten how to win." However, take a look at Oakland's next seven games after the bye:
Week 6: San Diego Chargers
Week 7: Arizona Cardinals
Week 8: @ Cleveland Browns
Week 9: @ Seattle Seahawks
Week 10: Denver Broncos
Week 11: @ San Diego Chargers
Week 12: Kansas City Chiefs
Six of those games are against legitimate playoff contenders in 2014, with two of those coming against the defending Super Bowl champions and AFC champions respectively.
Add in a trip to Cleveland that is hardly a penciled-in W, and the Oakland Raiders team that showed up in London in Week 4 could feasibly end up 1-10 or 0-11 after this troublesome stretch - furthering the notion that the team has "forgotten how to win."
If Sparano can rally the troops within the span of just under two weeks, the Raiders could erase some doubts going forward with a highlight win or three.
However, if he doesn't? The Raiders will be blowing up Jon Gruden's phone as soon as the regular season ends, regardless of his current stance on coming back to the Silver and Black.
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