Jon Gruden pushes Raiders through growing pains

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Not once in the past eight months, between all the news conferences and media interviews and community gatherings at which Jon Gruden has spoken publicly, did the Raiders coach predict success would come easy.

Turning around the franchise, he knew, required a process.

He made no promises as to how long it would take.

Today, the Raiders are winless through two games. The first half of a season’s first quarter does not determine an entire campaign. But Gruden prepared himself for the possibility the Raiders wouldn’t be a one-year fix, that long winning streaks may have to wait.

None of this makes losing any easier.

On Sunday, Gruden finished his postgame news conference with a quick note to reporters: “Have a good day. Sorry for being a grouch.” On Monday, he cut off a question about the game’s final, decisive sequence. “Are you trying to make me mad here or what?” he asked. The man entrusted as keeper of the Raiders’ long-term vision also is arguably the most competitive person in the room.

It’s a fascinating juxtaposition, and it could serve the team well.

If this turnaround indeed takes time, losing won’t be allowed to permeate the franchise’s culture. Gruden is seeing to it. He is influential in the draft and free agency regarding which players join the Raiders’ locker room. He also establishes the standards during the week in meetings and at practices.

After Sunday’s 20-19 loss to the Denver Broncos, a game in which the Raiders didn’t trail until the final six seconds, Gruden told players in the locker room that he was proud of how they competed.

Visibly, he also wasn’t pleased with the result.

“He should be pissed,” right tackle Donald Penn. “He’s our head coach, and he should hold us accountable and he should hold us to a high standard, as he does. He should be pissed. I’m pissed. We had more than enough opportunities to win that game. We gave that game away at the end of the day.

“We gave them all the opportunities, and they capitalized on them. We had a chance to finish it, and we didn’t. I’m with Gruden. … We’re a good team, and it doesn’t show.”

The Raiders hope their first win comes Sunday at the Miami Dolphins.

They’ll enter the matchup with some roster deficencies that have crystalized these past two games.

Their pass rush, or lack thereof, is chief among them. Defensive end Bruce Irvin recorded the team’s lone sack in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams. Rookie defensive tackle Mo Hurst recorded the only one Sunday. Defensive end Paul Guenther can scheme only so much. At some point, linemen must win their one-on-one matchups. That has not happened consistently enough.

Injuries have stretched the defensive line.

Clinton McDonald and Johnathan Hankins participated last Thursday in their first Raiders practice. By Sunday, McDonald led all defensive linemen with 52 defensive snaps. Hankins had 18. Nose tackle Justin Ellis (foot strain, injured reserve) and defensive tackle P.J. Hall (ankle) were unavailable. Hall is doubtful for Sunday.

Gruden is committed to the Raiders’ growth.

He also feels their growing pains.

“Guys are fighting,” he said Monday. “Guys are working hard. We’re a work in progreess, and we’ve got a long way to go, and we’re going to get there.”

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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.