If It's Broke...

We’ve all heard that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But the opposite is also true: If it’s broke, fix it. The Raiders are broken, and they need to fix it. Fast.

Among other things, the ground game is still a mess. The football equivalent of duct tape was applied against the Cowboys, when Jordan got some yardage and a score. But based on Sunday’s game against the Chargers, the duct tape is already peeling.

Where is Zack Crockett? The Colts have James, but they still run Rhodes. The Chiefs have Holmes, but they still run Johnson. Crockett is a proven bruiser. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry last year. He is averaging 4.0 yards per carry (which is more than Jordan) this year. However, he has only carried the ball nine times in 2005. That’s right, nine times total. You’d think if you were having problems with your running game, you might try to mix it up? The aforementioned Rhodes and Johnson each carried the ball more than nine times in a single game over this past weekend.

LaMont Jordan is correct: he needs more touches. But so does Crockett. They all do. Right now, the running game is anemic and one-dimensional, without any commitment, confidence or creativity from the sidelines. Pass completions to Jordan are nice, but they're no ticket to a balanced offense.

In an earlier post, I also took Coach Turner to task for wimpy playcalling prior to halftime. Here we go again. What’s with not exhausting our timeouts at the end of the half, to get the ball back and press for some sort of score? Why such contentment in the face of failure? If you don’t have the lead, don’t play like you’re protecting a lead. Better yet, don’t play like that, ever.

I could go on and on about the awful gameplanning for LaDainian Tomlinson, the ill-timed penalties, Kerry Collins, the officials, blah, blah, blah. But this is a blog, not The Brothers Karamazov. Also, I don’t break down game film for a living. So don’t come at me with this, “If you’re so smart, why aren’t you a coach?” crap, which I’ve gotten here before. Sportswriters aren’t coaches, either, but they get paid for asking relevant questions. It’s the same here—just with more creativity and no pay.

I may not be a coach, but logic always prevails: if it’s broke, fix it. What are the Raiders going to do this week to fix it? The same old thing doesn’t cut it now. It’s too late for that. The benefit of the doubt has expired. We in the Raider Nation need a plan, and the plan needs to be published by Coach Turner, to all of us who will be there this Sunday against the Bills. We are waiting, and the clock is ticking…