For the most part, I tend to base my opinions on results.

When things are going well, I’ll say something positive. If things are not going well, I’ll say something negative. So unfortunately when it comes to the Oakland Raiders, my opinions have been more gloom and doom and less sunshine and rainbows. That is true in the case of Jon Gruden, who I have been less than optimistic about since he returned to the sideline.

With that being said, following a three-game win streak to get to 6-4 on the season, it’s time to give Gruden and the 2019 version of the Silver and Black the credit they deserve. And to credit the Raiders properly for how well the season has gone thus far, we first have to take a trip down memory lane.

Thanks to a disappointing homecoming of sorts in Gruden’s first season back at the helm of Al Davis’ historic franchise, the Raiders found themselves in all too familiar of a place – in the cellar of the NFL’s pecking order. With a 4-12 record that somehow felt even worse than it looked, the shots being taken at Gruden came in droves.

The shots were not without merit for a number of reasons. The Gruden/Carr relationship didn’t blossom as hoped, the pass rush was historically bad, and the roster went from young with potential to old with no direction in a flash. Not to mention the trading away of Khalil Mack and the trading for Martavis Bryant, suffice to say the post year one outlook was bleak.

Gruden was dubbed as being too far removed from the game, and too far out of touch with the sport to lead and develop a competitive roster. As both the head coach and general manager, blame for the year one disaster fell squarely on his shoulders.

In the offseason, Gruden brought on NFL Network’s Mike Mayock as the official General Manager. Of course, this is and will remain the Jon Gruden show as long as his badge to enter the building still works. But the hope was that a savvy draft guy such as Mayock would help infuse the roster with young talent it desperately needed.

And perhaps more importantly, provide a checks and balances system to Gruden when it comes to shaping the roster through all avenues.

But even his hiring was met with plenty of criticism as well. Having only been a national media guy, it was easy to see Mayock as Gruden’s “yes man” and less of a legitimate general manager.

But to his credit, Mayock’s presence seemed to pay immediate dividends. In a clear message that this wasn’t going to be a long term rebuild. The Raiders signed Trent Brown to record breaking money and then acquired Antonio Brown in a trade that seemed like incredible value at the time. Tyrell Williams and LaMarcus Joyner also joined the fold, among others.

The free agency period was widely considered a success for the Silver and Black.

When the draft came along, the Clelin Ferrell pick was met with plenty of criticism, but as a whole, most media outlets seemed to like what the Raiders did over the course of all seven rounds. And a lot of that probably had to do with Mayock’s press conferences throughout the weekend. As a longtime media guy, Mayock beautifully handled the weekend, selling the fans and media alike on changing the culture in Oakland.

Of course, many coaches and general managers over the years have said similar things, so Gruden and Mayock would have to prove it by fielding a roster that is showing clear signs of progress.

While games still needed to be played, as a year over the year comparison, the roster looked much better. Some of the “fat” was trimmed and the team got quite a bit younger. It seemed like there was a balance of young, promising pieces along with talented, ready-to-win veterans.

If Carr and Gruden could get on the same page, the offense would be incredibly dangerous. All the defense would have to do is not be abysmal, and it would be likely that the Raiders would compete in most games.

And then Hard Knocks happened. And then Antonio Brown happened.

No need to get into the details…let’s just say the Raiders were frostbitten by the situation.

Then Gabe Jackson got hurt and Richie Incognito got suspended.

Just like that, three important players wouldn’t be available to start the season. Pair that with an absolutely brutal schedule and suddenly it seemed like year two of the experiment was going to look a lot like year one did.

Remember, the Raiders had the #1 toughest schedule in the league based on 2018 win percentages. On top of that, add in seven 10 am start times, the most miles to travel of any team in the league, and a gap from September 15 to November 3 without a home game thanks to a trip to London.

It was one of the most difficult schedules any team had faced in recent memory, perhaps ever.

After all of the A.B. drama came to a close, Raider Nation was eager to put all of the hoopla in the rearview mirror and for the season to start after what felt like an eternity of an offseason. Gruden, Mayock and company certainly felt the same way.

Starting the year off with a dominating win against the Denver Broncos was a nice way to kick off the season. However, it was abundantly clear that the Donkey’s were a subpar football team. Because of that, questions still needed to be answered via the next few games on the docket, which were against far superior opponents.

Unfortunately, those questions would have to be answered without first-round rookie Jonathan Abram, who was lost for the season due to a torn labrum. Add that to the list of things that had gone wrong.

The next two weeks, the Raiders would fall flat against the Chiefs and the Vikings. In blowout losses, Oakland looked like a team that was nowhere close to competing, and instead looked more like a team that would be one of the first five teams on the clock in the 2020 draft. Raiders Twitter was irate, Derek Carr was not so affectionately referred to as “Checkdown Charlie” by yours truly, and what hope there was for a quality season was mostly gone.

Then something changed.

Against a very good Indianapolis Colts team, Oakland looked reinvigorated. They controlled the game and were comfortable leading by two scores for most of the contest. Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller led the way, and the defense came up big with key stops on multiple occasions. An Erik Harris pick-six capped an impressive win that stopped the bleeding. Optimism was cautiously restored.

Up next was the Khalil Mack revenge game, which was obviously the main storyline all week. Pundits everywhere predicted a win for the Bears, but once again, the Raiders showed up. Gruden’s gameplan to contain Mack worked flawlessly, with two or three bodies on him at all times.

The rest of the o-line did their job, and Josh Jacobs delivered haymaker after haymaker to what was widely considered an elite defense. The former Bama star toted the rock 26 times for 123 yards and 2 scores, including being the key cog on the game winning drive. Another win against another quality team, and suddenly the Raiders looked very, very interesting.

With a 3-2 record and momentum on their side, two more tough tests on the road against the Packers and Texans would provide an accurate measuring stick as to where this team stood. And even though the Raiders dropped both games, their efforts in those contests provided hope that the team could get back on track if they could just get through the road trip while still treading water.

In the loss to Green Bay, the Raiders played well enough to win in all facets to win except for one crucial area that was too costly to overcome…turnovers. Two mistakes by Derek Carr, an interception in the endzone and then a déjà vu fumble that spilled through the endzone, ultimately lost the game.

Blame wasn’t squarely on him as the defense couldn’t make a stop to save their lives, but touchdowns instead of turnovers on those two drives would have obviously changed things. So even though the final score of 42-24 doesn’t look pretty in the win/loss column, it was a closer game than it looked, especially considering that the Packers are one of the best teams in the NFC.

Houston was another game the Raiders played well enough in to earn a win. It was a neck-and-neck battle that came down to the end, needing a miracle Deshaun Watson touchdown to put the Texans ahead for good. Oakland failed to capitalize on their final drive, but the team showed fight against another quality opponent. And with the struggles of the AFC and the division in particular, at 3-4, there was plenty of time to get back into the playoff race.

Finally back home, Oakland responded to two tough losses with three straight wins against the Lions, Chargers and Bengals. None of the three wins were convincing, but a win is a win, no matter how you get it. Most importantly, responding to a losing streak by immediately going on a winning streak shows resiliency that this team has rarely had since 2002. What makes that resiliency more impressive is the fact that many of the key contributors to the win streak are building blocks for the future.

Maxx Crosby dominated the Bengals en route to four sacks on the day, and he was a nightmare for their offensive line for the entire game. He’s up to 6.5 sacks on the season, and he’s done this while recovering from a broken hand. The 4th round pick out of Eastern Michigan is playing at a level that rivals 2nd overall pick Nick Bosa and 7th overall pick Josh Allen.

Clelin Ferrell got off to a rough start to the season, ranking towards the bottom of most pass rushing metrics among rookies for most of the year thus far. But he blew up against the Chargers, racking up 2.5 sacks in the contest and showing that it’s far too early to write off his chances for success. If both Ferrell and Crosby can continue to build on their recent success, the Raiders may have finally fixed their pass rushing woes.

Hard Knocks favorite Darren Waller has lived up to the offseason hype, tied for 1st among all tight ends in receptions and ranking 2nd at the position in receiving yards. Waller has been both a big-play pass-catcher and a fail-safe for Carr, and he earned a handsome contract extension that deservedly puts him among the highest paid tight ends in the league.

Foster Moreau has also been a pleasant surprise in the pass-catching department, and with his blocking ability, Moreau and Waller have the tight end position for the Raiders looking great for the considerable future.

Derek Carr isn’t putting up flashy numbers in the box score, but he’s been arguably the most efficient quarterback in the league. Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow are two other receiving options that are helping the team win now and should continue to help this team win for the next few years at least.

Trayvon Mullen and Isaiah Johnson have recently gotten their first taste of life in the NFL, and the early returns here are promising. Mullen’s interception against the Bengals iced the game. With these two and Jonathan Abram, it’s possible that the cornerstones for the secondary are in place.

Tom Cable and the offensive line have been phenomenal, and Kolton Miller has taken a big leap forward this season. No QB has taken less sacks than Carr this year, and the unit as a whole has done a great job paving the way for the run game.

Speaking of the run game, Josh Jacobs is the current offensive rookie of the year frontrunner. Pro Football Focus’ numbers peg Josh Jacobs as the most elusive running back in the NFL, and the eye test backs that up. Jacobs has broken off a number of huge runs this season, and his combination of patience and burst have proven to be a lethal combination.

He’s legitimately already one of the best backs in the league.

Gruden is operating one of the most efficient offenses in the league and with the defense starting to turn the corner, the Raiders are in the thick of the AFC playoff race. With the Chiefs reeling and now that the Raiders are through the toughest part of their schedule, even a division title is possible.

So despite the Antonio Brown drama, despite Gabe Jackson and Tyrell Williams being hurt and missing multiple games, despite all the WR turnover, despite the other injuries, despite Vontaze Burfict being suspended for the rest of the year and despite everything else that has gone wrong, the Raiders have come out of it on the other side.

Football is a results based business, and the results for the Raiders to this point in the 2019 season have been impressively positive. A lot still has to go right in order for Gruden and company to end the era in Oakland with at least one playoff game, but they deserve credit for that even being a possibility.

But not only that, the Raiders also deserve to be taken seriously.