Raiders Veteran: Jon Gruden's Coaching Style 'Would Kill Us' Late in Season

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

The Las Vegas Raiders won their final four games of the regular season to make the playoffs at 10-7, and one veteran said the practice habits of interim coach Rich Bisaccia compared to former coach Jon Gruden made a major difference.

The player told Michael Silver that they didn't have Gruden grinding them late in the year. We would fall apart. Rich listened to the players and took it easy over the last half of the season, which is why this team played so well down the stretch.

The Raiders finished the previous three seasons with a combined record of 2-4, 1-5 and 2-5, and Silver noted that the evidence on the field supports this sentiment.

The final 12 games of the regular season were coached by Bisaccia and he went 5-5. He was praised for the stability he brought to the franchise, despite the fact that the team lost in the playoffs.

He got the job after the former coach sent racist, anti-gay and misogynistic emails. The Raiders released wide receiver Henry Ruggs III after he was charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor in a fatal car crash.

The players publicly praised the job he did, and Silver reported that others privately expressed similar sentiments.

One player said that Rich has a calm presence. He is a special teams guy and has a good pulse. He is not a great motivator but he is passionate and the guys love him. Everyone is pulling for Rich. He deserves the job.

After losing in the playoffs, the Raiders fired general manager Mike Mayock.

There is no determination on the head coaching position, although Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported multiple sources associated with the Michigan Wolverines believe Jim Harbaugh would leave his alma mater for the Raiders if he was offered the head coaching position.

Harbaugh is coming off his best season at Michigan that included a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance. He was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three years and went 44-19-1 with three playoff appearances and a Super Bowl appearance.