The NFL cherishes its offseason storylines, and most of those will revolve around the future of the New England Patriots' dynasty.
Bill Belichick turns 66. Tom Brady turns 41. New England coordinators Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniels reportedly are taking new jobs and Rob Gronkowski didn't commit to his future after the Patriots lost 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52 on Sunday.
That's going to lead to the same-old conjecture that the New England dynasty is done, but that can't be true until somebody from the AFC steps up and ends that dominance.
The Oakland Raiders could be that team in 2018.
Forget the offseason. This would be the top storyline of the 2018-19 postseason if the stars align for that matchup. Imagine if Raiders coach Jon Gruden's return coincides with a playoff matchup against the Patriots – 17 years after the Tuck Rule" game on Jan. 19, 2002, that is considered the launch point for Belichick, Brady and eight Super Bowl appearances.
IYER: Pats will remain a dynasty as long as Brady, Belichick remain in charge
Would a Raiders' victory knock down the rest of the Patriots' dominoes the AFC has been hoping would fall while simultaneously renewing one of the NFL's most-fabled franchises?
Of course, it's never that easy. The Raiders were supposed to be that team last season, but they had an inexplicable 6-10 finish that resulted in the end of Jack Del Rio's three-year tenure. That came one year after Oakland's only winning season since 2002, when the Raiders reached the Super Bowl one year after the "Tuck Rule" game. Oakland went from up-and-coming contender to same-old-dysfunction with one foot pointed toward a relocation to Las Vegas.
But Gruden's back now, and with that comes those expectations the franchise had after a 12-4 season in 2016 that was cut short by a Derek Carr injury. The Raiders have some of the much-needed ingredients now for long-term success. General manager Reggie McKenzie has built through the NFL Draft. Gruden hasn't coached since 2008, but clearly saw enough in the franchise to come out of the comforts of the Monday Night Football booth. Carr is a franchise quarterback, and Khalil Mack is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. The cornerstones are there, but there are holes.
The Raiders ranked 25th in rush offense and 29th in turnover margin while ranking among the 10 worst defenses in getting off the field on third down last season. Oakland still had a top-10 statistical defense, however, and Gruden is a fresh set of eyes on an offense that ranked in the top 10 in scoring in 2016. With a strong draft and a few key moves, the Raiders can compete again.
Is that enough for the Patriots? Not right now, but watch closely how New England adjusts with two new coordinators. The Patriots won three Super Bowls with the Charlie Weis-Romeo Crennel combination from 2001 to 2004. It took a decade to win another one with the combination of McDaniels and Patricia, and the decade in between saw instability at both of those coaching positions. With Belichick and Brady a lot older now, that would seemingly be the only possible crack as of now.
New England will be listed among the top Super Bowl favorites as long as those two are together. Philadelphia's victory in Super Bowl 52 didn't kill this dynasty, but somebody from the AFC could take the next step in ending the Belichick-Brady era.
We've seen almost everybody else in the conference try. Denver, led by Peyton Manning, is the only AFC team to beat New England in the playoffs the last five seasons. Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Indianapolis have tried. The Steelers and Jaguars are better bets right now, but not by that much. We've seen all those movies.
We'd like to see the one with Oakland again with all those storylines intact. Could you imagine if Gruden – who had to watch that "Tuck Rule" replay so many times while biting his tongue in the MNF booth – gets his chance? Even better for Raiders fans, what if it happened in front of the "Black Hole?"
Keep in mind that New England has played just seven road playoff games through this dynasty, and the Patriots are 3-4 in those games. It's either get them out of Foxborough or try to beat them in Foxborough.
Gruden's Raiders were the first victim in 2001. Perhaps they'll get a chance for revenge in the 2018-19 playoffs.
Will it happen? The Raiders have a long way to go to make that happen, but it's worth keeping on the radar.
Even if it doesn't, you gotta admit one thing. It makes for one hell of a storyline for 2018.
