Maybe, just maybe, Jon Gruden hasn't lost his mind. Instead, a mad genius seemed to emerge during his first game as a head coach since the 2008 campaign, only to be ruined by the misguided play of quarterback Derek Carr.
The Oakland Raiders are far from perfect. Monday's 33-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum said as much. But Gruden's squad proved to be far more competitive than expected and didn't look like a complete disaster.
It's not a high bar, yet earned after months of mystifying decisions.
Gruden is the personification of the NFL's counterculture after signing a 10-year, $100 million contract to return to the Raiders organization.