Oakland Raiders’ coach Hue Jackson becomes the first casualty – NFL News Update
The new general manager of the Oakland Raiders’, Reggie McKenzie, has sacked coach Hue Jackson. This was being speculated during the past few days that McKenzie desired to bring a change in the team and wanted his own man as the head coach.
The move, though expected, was quite bold but team owner, Mark Davis, has given the power to McKenzie to make his own decisions.
The former director of football operations for the Green Bay Packers, who was hired last Friday, had been evaluating Jackson and finally decided that he needed a new man, a winner.
McKenzie said that a change was necessary in the team and it was time for a new era.
"There comes a time when change is necessary. For the Raiders the time is now. The Raiders organization, with respect and deference for all its tradition and history, is about to embark on a new era," McKenzie said.
Ever since Raiders' owner, Al Davis, died, it had been Jackson who looked after the team's affairs, taking on the manager's role.
It is quite surprising how the roles changed for Jackson within a matter of a few days.
The unsuspecting former coach, who had been very confident of his future with the Raiders, could not have even guessed of such an outcome, despite knowing that every new general manger desires to bring his own head coach in.
"I know people say, 'If they hire a G.M. then he's going to want to bring in his head coach.' Whoever comes here, I think it's going to be somebody who wants to share the same vision as I do," Jackson said when McKenzie was being hired.
Under Jackson, Raiders landed an 8-8 end this season, missing their playoff chances once again.
They had been on to a good start of 7-4 but in the end, lost four of their next five games, which saw them getting eliminated from playoff contention.
Though the heat fell on Jackson, there were many other things to blame apart from the coach himself.
Raiders lost its key players to injuries and there was not much that Jackson could do about it.
Running back, Darren McFadden, was lost for the season as he developed a foot sprain, forcing him to miss all games since week 7 of the 2011 regular season.
Jacoby Ford suffered the same injury that put a further dent on Raiders' performance. Jason Campbell also broke his collar bone, further adding to the woes of the team.
However, what made Jackson so vulnerable was the Raiders' defense, that was its worst this season.
The team also committed the most number of penalties in the history of the National Football League (NFL), breaking the record previously held by Kansas City Chiefs.
McKenzie will now be faced with the task of bringing in a new head coach who, according to reports, will have the power to hire his own staff.
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