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Oakland Raiders: How To Get Better in 2010?
Published: November 15, 2009
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As I watch yet another uninspired Raider effort in an ugly game today, I can’t help but wonder—what’s the plan for 2010?
Rumormongers are already saying Al Davis wants to fire Cable for cause after the season. It’s just not that simple.
With five coaches since 2001, Al clearly can make the firing decision when he feels it’s warranted. If he fires another coach, it will be JaMarcus Russell’s fifth play caller in three years. Unless the next play caller is Russell’s former LSU offensive coordinator, he’ll have to learn a new playbook. With $20M-plus guaranteed, his ability to adapt to the new system will cross Al’s mind.
If Al is true to form, he may fire Cable, but keep various assistants, such as Ted Tollner, John Marshall, and Paul Hackett. If he does that, then more of the same misery awaits Raider Nation: puppet head coaches, bad dynamics in the staff, and more wasted years.
Cable tried to change the culture, but his chance at success was clearly undercut by the performance of the franchise quarterback. A little success on offense would have made a huge difference in the team and Cable’s future. Without more positive momentum, the year becomes another in a series of wasted efforts.
The best answer for the Raiders—has always been and remains—is to bring in a GM and have him pick a coach, enabling Davis to go back to being an owner. There is no strategy for the team and no scheme on offense or defense into which the roster fits.
This change—to a GM and a strategy—must be made unless Al is willing to risk another couple of lost years. At his age, he most likely appreciates each year a little more nowadays.
Right now five Super Bowl coaches are available, with two former Raider coaches among them. Jon Gruden and Mike Shanahan clearly won’t come back to Oakland, leaving Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren, and Jim Fassel as the other three. Cowher and Holmgren may have GM/Coach aspirations, but would Oakland be the right environment for someone to plunge into?
The Raider team is in such bad shape, making it an excellent opportunity for a veteran coach who wants to reaffirm his leadership and reputation. Any success on the field would be a credit to the man roving the sidelines—not in the owner’s box. There is some talent, but the talent and the scheme haven’t always been in alignment. A coach and GM granted the authority to change that are the best option Davis has right now.
It is highly likely that Davis will take a run at Cowher or Holmgren, but will lose out to a slightly better team. Davis MUST bring in a GM, and let that GM take a run at a younger coach, or even a re-tread with low miles.
The bottom line is that the key ingredient for the Raiders is a “culture change” from the owner’s box to the coach’s desk to the locker room. The roster has some talent at key positions, but changing everything about the organization—starting at the GM and the coach—is key to any future success.
The Raider Nation will return to the stadium in droves once a winner is put on the field. Even the most stalwart of fans have grown tired of defending the moves the organization has made in recent years. Now is the time for Al to make a defining move, a surprising move, and a necessary move to return the Raiders to greatness. Al needs to change everything, starting with himself.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Oakland Raiders So Far: Better or Worse?
Published: August 27, 2009
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The dawning of a new era…in which lion and hyena…oh sorry. Too many Disney movies. Sometimes the Raiders resemble a movie script, and it’s not always a good one.
The catchphrase “The dawning of a new era in which the Raiders team returns to significance, to say nothing of potential dominance.” The question is: should we believe it this time?
Given the offseason changes in the AFC West, and the Chargers ongoing ability to blow their opportunities, there is a very real possibility that this could be the year for the Raiders.
The preseason has a couple weeks left, and here’s a rundown of what some of the ups and downs of camp look like, both on and off the field:
On the field:
DHB: TBD
Darrius Heyward-Bey has been “the” story of the draft. Whether the Raiders reached for him, or is he just speed, why not Crabtree or Maclin and so on. Despite the media press, DHB has had a pretty good camp.
His initial case of the dropsies (and hammies) has faded, and he’s gradually coming up to the speed of the NFL game. Hopefully the next couple of preseason games will give us a better chance to judge what he’s learned.
Michael Bush
He tore things up at the end of last season, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Even though the Raiders look like a running-by-committee team, within 4 weeks of this season they will have their lead runner.
The easy money is betting on DMac, but Bush could surprise some opponents, and even a few teammates! He’s run well and strong thus far. He’s my sleeper pick to have a significant impact on the Raiders’ season.
Michael Huff
Thus far, Michael Huff appears to be a changed man. After Cable’s benching of him midseason last year, and the write-off of that season, Huff was facing his last chance.
He appears to have been “hitting the books” and the pick against Dallas showed a side of him we’ve rarely seen. If he shows this much improvement during the season, he could be the most improved player for the year.
Chaz Schilens
Chase was clearly in position to be the No. 1 receiver prior to his broken foot. He has a great rapport with Russell, and will potentially start to draw defensive attention. Some stated that he was the reason we didn’t take Crabtree, and it appears their faith may be rewarded.
The injury was definitely a setback for the 2009 Raider squad. His recovery from the injury will show us whether he’s ready to join the lexicon of Raiders receivers.
His absence may create an opportunity for the “other” rookie wideout, Louis Murphy, to sneak into the rotation.
Javon Walker
Rumors of Javon Walker’s demise appear to be greatly exaggerated. After a couple good years with a couple of teams, followed by last year’s debacle, Walker remains a questionable commodity.
Great talent, but it’s not always clear where his head is. If this week’s full speed practices are to be believed, he may be back.
As far as anyone knows, he’s not deaf or blind, so he’s probably aware of the criticism and may very well have a large chip on his shoulder this year. He could be the comeback player of the year—for not just the Raiders, but the league.
Off the field:
The Randy Hanson incident
So far we know there was a police report, and that Hanson was injured. We don’t officially know how, or what transpired.
What we do know is that Hanson ticked off Kiffin enough to suspend him, and that the subsequent year, he ticked off another head coach. I’m not blaming Hanson necessarily, but where there’s smoke, there’s typically fire.
How the Raiders respond to the incident, and more importantly, how the police handle the incident, will have an impact on the Raiders. Any kind of a charge or issue for Cable will be a significant distraction.
Despite years of having distractions, the Raiders have not actually become any more adept at handling them.
They used to be a team with a rock-solid focus on what was important, and nothing distracted them. They are trying to return to being that team—this season will prove whether they’ve made any actual progress.
The Team
Calling the team an off-the-field item may seem like an oxymoron, but how the team functions off the field will be key.
It doesn’t mean a return to the Gruden golf outings and BBQs, but it will be important for the team to be unified as they face any adversity. Distractions as well as losses have proven fatal in past years to the Raiders.
With the above player highlights, as well as the potential distractions…this year will be a proving ground for the Oakland Raiders.
Are they the team of the past six years, non-competitive and divided? Or will they actually become a team…unified and competitive?
Oakland Raiders: To Change the Results, Try Changing the Plays
Published: May 29, 2009
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Last offseason, the Raiders added some big ticket players—Javon Walker and DeAngelo Hall, and a home-run draft choice—Darren McFadden. McFadden’s no longer a rookie, and the Raiders added Darrius Heyward-Bey at wideout, in addition to returning receivers Schilens, Walker (post-surprise surgery) and 2008 breakout player Johnnie Lee Higgins.
Russell is still under center, and now has legit backup in Garcia. In addition to those roster moves, the Raiders changed the offensive and defensive coaches, and accordingly the playbooks for both sides of the ball.
What does that all mean? Flea-flickers? Division champions? The spread offense? Dogs and Cats living together? Not sure. However, it definitely means that we should see some significant changes in the Raiders playbook for 2009.
On Defense
Marshall’s defensive play calling is naturally going to depend on generating pressure. All defenses face that challenge, but in Marshall’s successful campaign with the Seahawks, the front four generated consistent pressure, and the three linebackers went nuts on what was left.
The improvement over last year’s Ryan-esque defense should be in more consistent play calling and better preparation.
In Marshall’s peak years, the ‘Hawks rarely looked surprised by an opponent. Only one team scored over 30 points (and still lost), and they were the sixth best defense in points allowed.
Looking back at that roster (Widstrom, Tubbs, Tatupu, Hill) does looks stronger than the current Raiders; however, keep in mind those players were all much younger then—and weren’t predicted to pull off what they did.
Fans should expect to see Marshall take full advantage of his shutdown corners, and if any of our six safeties show better than average ability, even the Blitz will return to Oaktown, bringing fear back to opponents eyes.
On Offense
The Raiders offense last year was inconsistent at every level—coaching, playcalling, and execution. In all cases, it can only get better this year. Dismissing the first eight weeks due to the sideline theatrics, we have eight weeks on which to judge Cable. Early on, Cable’s calls seemed unimaginative and predictable.
However, in the later games the execution improved significantly, and even a “boring” play like “HB Right Toss” sprang Bush for a 60+ yarder against TB.
Tollner will bring a different approach to the passing game, and that a semi-functional Walker, a surprising Higgins and a healthy, veteran McFadden will make a huge difference play calling options. I also expect the occasional attempt to see if Russell can indeed overthrow Heyward-Bey.
In summary, the core “run first, pass second” philosophy should remain with the Raiders this year. However, to the extent that Russell can be accurate with short and long passes, we might, dare we hope, have a balanced offense.
The Shell and Kiffin eras both rapidly declined into contentious fights between grown men, which this year appears to be positioned to avoid.
Overall, fans should expect that we will see an offensive and defensive approach that no longer has to contend with disagreements between coaches and the front office, and that maybe, just maybe, the team could just play football!
