A New Low
What more can I say about a Raiders offense that fails to score a single point at home against an opponent that has lost seven of its previous eight games? Against an opponent that, until today, was ranked 30th in the league in points allowed (25.3 average per game). How did the Raiders manage to lay a goose egg against these guys? It's quite an accomplishment, as well as a new low. I'd love to sugarcoat the situation. But I'm all out of sugar, folks. Help me out. What's your take?
posted by Raider Take at 4:58 PM
55 Comments:
"take" even I feel bad for you guys, now you know that "shoopy" is not the O-coordinator you need.
Hopefully al will relize that he needs to spend some big money in the off season, you can't take it with you al.....
DIE HARD
It's a sad day for more than just watching our pathetic offense...
Media sources reported "Long-time Raiders fixture George "Run Run" Jones died at the team's facility in Alameda on Saturday afternoon, a person in the front office confirmed."
Run Run was a Raider as long as Al Davis. Truly sad.
Yes, and it's a shame that the offense didn't honor Run Run today with a gutsy performance. Run Run was a true Raider.
Hey remember when everyone was all up in arms last summer about the preseason sports magazines picking the Raiders to finish last in the divison and talking about how bad the Raiders were going to be? I guess they knew something that we all did not, right? I think next season the Raiders should worry about their own rotten organization rather than the big bad media saying all those mean things about us!
This season falls completely on Art Shell. Anyone who sees the Raiders as future winners under the tenure of Art Shell needs to open their eyes and wake up because the Raiders are living a night mare and its name is Art Shell
who cares what the media says..it doesn't matter,what matters is what is going on with this organization...... it is falling faster and faster down the shyt rope... can anyone truly say that art should be the coach and that he will lead us anywhere???? can anyone else see the team has quit on art and they are totally disgusted of having to spend their careers in this organization??? it's like sapp said,it is really hard playing for this organization,that statement should be sounding alarm bells throughout the nation... it is sour starting at the top,there is NO DENYING IT..... time for a new era people,build a swell throughout the nation to push for change starting at the top... you say mutiny,your damn right,mutiny sounds real good right now...
RT,
Yes, this is a new low, but let's remember something.
It wasn't that long ago that the Chargers were a terrible team. They had a chance to draft Vick, but instead shrewdly, moved to get both LT, and Brees.
Most teams would be happy to have Brees as Qb for 10 yrs, but SD, to their credit, aimed higher, and got Rivers, and extra picks(Merriman), as well.
What I'm saying is, the climb back up starts with smart decisions.
This upcoming draft is probably the most important in Raiders history.
They cannot afford any stupid picks like Brayton, Buchanon, Gibson, Gallery, Grove, Walker, I could go on, & on.
Somewhere, somehow, the Raiders must find soneone in the organization who can spot talent.
No more track guys, no more players that "might" be good someday, no more switching positions all around, no more tweeners.
It's time to get smart again.
It had better happen soon, or our new lows might be 1 win, and 0 win, seasons.
'Fraid the only sugar you're gonna find is from Mrs. Take this season.
As I have harped about from the beginning of training camp, this team will only go as far as the "O" line takes it. Nothing else matters until this is fixed. NOTHING.
Not what flavor pancakes Walsh makes, not whether Lombardi sells secrets to the Russians, not whether Moss is inhaling in a hermetically-sealed ganga room these days.
NOTHING matters until we get some linemen who can block.
All the knuckleheads can keep calling for Shell's head if they want, but the truth is Shell knows how to block as well as anyone who ever played the game and these clowns do not.
The "O" line sucked before Art got here. Who/when was the last Pro Bowler on this line? Wiz? Dead Presidents? Robbins?
The O-linemen we see this season don't even qualify as turnstiles.
A turnstile only lets one person through at a time.
Bama7
Sickening.
I know conventional wisdom is you don't fire a coach after only one year, but Art has to go. He wasn't the right choice to begin with. His colossol blunder of bringing Walsh and the old Raider offense back is a disaster of gargantuan porportions. That alone should show him the door. The verdict is still out on most of the players cuz it's obvious the system has no chance in hell of working. We have to start from near scratch. Gut the place. Bring in a new coach and let him name his own staff top to bottom. Hopefully he'd keep Ryan.
Maybe we could get Charlie Weiss with the promise to him that he'd be IN CHARGE. He'd draft Quinn and install the Patriots offense.
So much to do, so little hope of Al changing.
just because someone was a great player does not automatically mean he can coach it to someone else.. have you ever heard the saying ..great players can't coach????? they just have it, doesn't mean they can pass that on to someone else,it doesn't matter what art did as a player,that has no bearing on what he does today as a coach....you say people who say art is not a good HC are knucklheads,sorry bud,you are the knucklehead for thinking he is the man for the job,being no fault of art's because he just isn't cut out to be a HC in this league ,it is the fault of the man who hired him as are many things that ail this organization year after year.... you are a knucklehead if you think that the path we are on is going to get us anywhere near the playoffs..WAKE UP please,see it for what it is and it really is just a disgrace ,nothing more ,nothing less. we need a new direction,to stop reaching for the past,to move into the 21st century,we will not go anywhere doing business they way the team is doing business right now,plain and simple...
stickem...weren't you one of the ones telling us all how art will get the o-line to at least respectable before the season???? and now you blame the players with NO RESPONSIBILITY going to the HC... dude,you need to realize that most of the team is playing below what they should,that is a direct connection to poor coaching.... art can't do it,the team sees' it,they have quit because they want everyone to know what they know..we aren't going anywhere under the system that this organization is in right now...see it and stop denying it,it is time for the nation to come together and push for change in direction,a new era,that sounds alot more exciting than saying how we are going back to the OLD TIME RAIDER FOOTBALL..that motto has worn itself OUT. join with side that wants to see us return to greatness,no more circus crap and total dysfunction,that garbage needs to go...
Anon - I'm with you. It is time to clean house. Being out played by this bad Rams team is one thing but out coached totally. Would the Raiders have run a fake punt or tried a pooch kick?
Needs are many. And as this black cloud continues to hang over our heads the draft does not seemed filled with blockbuster talent. Brady = Bledsoe to me.
Howie Long mentioned Schaub as a possibility. Much talk about franchise QB but I think a good RB is more important. Look at Gore in SF. LT and Bush make average O-lines great. Trade the first pick? I dunno? (sic)
Regardless, there needs to be a blue print to work around. Preferably one for 2007 not 1967. The percieved lack of a plan frustrates me as much as this disgraceful performance. Call me a knucklehead but it starts with Shell going. Let the cleansing begin.
A fish rots from the head down (or something like that). I think it's time to recognize the Gruden era for what it was - lightning in a bottle. The descent into Detroit Lions-esque suckiness is just about complete, and I don't see a turnaround as long as Al Davis is calling the shots.
Hate to join the chorus here, but I have to agree that Shell's coaching and team management is a huge part of the problem. The team has actually regressed under him after the Norv Turner years. How many of us thought that could happen?
Sadly, if the Raider kool-aid drinkers (tune into Raider Radio) are right, he'll be back next year.
Hopefully, a top notch OC hire can help, along with some good draft picks and free agents, while getting rid of the cancers and underperformers. A lot needs to be done and Shell is part of the problem.
Hey, Stick'Em, I'll make sure Mrs. Take gets your memo!
The o-line needs to be detonated and reconstructed. But does that mean we don't have potentially serious issues at QB, RB and WR? I hope so, but I fear otherwise.
It pains me to be negative. But there's not much positive to be found in a shoutout at home that drops you to 2-12.
The comparison is too easy, but I can't help myself: The Saints were coming off of a horrible season, just like the Raiders. Unlike the Raiders, they cleaned house. They hired a young coach. They discarded their QB (who is now our QB. Hmmm...). They signed Drew Brees, whom we did not pursue. They drafted a skill position player in the first round. They turned the team around.
Here's how the New Orleans Times-Picayune puts it: "Heading into the season, it was one of the team's biggest question marks -- a collection of new players and unproven players, a new starter at every position. Now, it is the foundation of the NFL's No. 1 offense."
The Raiders may need to consider a similar course on offense, not necessarily at the coaching level, but at the personnel and draft level. Not tweaking, but wholesale change.
RT, interesting thought, but...
If the Raiders go into April's draft with the same coaching staff in place, that would mean they are going vertical again next yr.
If that's the case then the same type players will be drafted to fit the Gilman/Davis, vertical offense.
Maybe even Whitted will start again to stretch the field with his speed(he's done such a great job this yr).
More big, fat, slow, 0-linemen will be needed.
The same big armed, statue Qb, and so on, and so forth.
We have to figure out what we're doing here !!
If we're staying vrtical, then Shell, & co. come back.
If we're changing to something closer to the Gruden days, then I vote for STEVE MARIUCHI !!!
I love this line from PantyRaider: "Faith is a Virtue not gifted to all but just as important as Loyalty."
Very appropriate to this season, as well as the holiday season.
After today's game I feel like taking the Raider emblems off their helmets for the rest of the season. No sense embarassing the Raider teams of the past.
At this point all bets are off. We need to take a hard look with a higly critical eye at each position, each player, and yes, the coaching staff. I'd look at the scouting department, too. If they're not cutting the mustard we need to cut them.
If the Saints can come to camp with 34 players who weren't on the team last year AND CLENCH THE NFC SOUTH, then by golly an organization with a legacy of winning like the Raiders can get on the stick and cut some dead weight too.
I can't get on board the Mariucci bandwagon. I still remember that playoff game with the Bucs back in the 2002 season when with 2 timeouts and over a minute to play he chose to go in to halftime without taking a stab at putting some points on the board. I don't care how good the Bucs were playing that day, you don't run up the white flag in a playoff game. I won't even mention the job he did in Detroit.
Charlie Weiss has an extension till something like 2012, so we need even consider him for a candidate. Besides, I doubt Al would fire Shell after just one season, even one this bad.
I never imagined I'd see the day when a Raider team was sitting on a 2-12 record. Well folks, pigs are flying, so we'd better get busy this offseason.
PantyRaider,
I would feel alot better about Art Shell if I could point to one thing, just one thing, that has gotten better over the course of this season.
Even the defense is slipping backward as this dark season goes along.
RaiderRealist,
I,m not saying Mariuchi is the best coach out there, but he is the most realistic possibility.
He may be a retread, but at least he's a retread with some success in his past, and he knows something about modern offense.
I'll tell you this much, if Jim Fassell cons his way into the Raiders, get ready for things to get even worse !!
I live in NJ, and watched him coach the Giants.
If he is the new OC, or HC, we'll all be hittin the bottle hard, tryin to forget the nightmare.
Please, don't even say Jim Fassel and the Raiders in the same sentence, even in jest. This season's got Raider fans wanting to hit the bottle like there's no tomorrow as it is.
Only the 2nd home shut-out in Raider history, and against the Rams 30th ranked D. Maybe Shell is teaching players discipline to be at team meetings and practices on time, but where’s the discipline on the field? Missed blocking assignments, poor route running and otherwise dumfounded individual and team effort. And replacing Brooks was nothing less than a desperation move (in a game that meant nothing, and which he should have started Walter). If Shell hadn’t lost the team before this game, he may have now.
There’s NO EXCUSE for the ineptitude of our offense. In a season that we’re tied with the Lions for worst record in the NFL, the Lions have out-scored the Raiders by about 100 points.
Like many of you, I’ve seen enough! I only hope Al doesn’t need to see another year of this to realize this project has failed miserably. I’ve heard reports Bill Cowher might be available next year. We haven’t had a scowl like that on the sideline since Gruden. Sign him and let him pick his own staff, top to bottom. Send former Raider greats like Shell, Freddie B, and others to the owner’s box with Jim Otto.
Also, I agree with several posters that say turnaround will depend on shrewd player decisions. No more speedsters, no more player projects and changing positions, no more high risk underachievers. We need to draft the top running back (Peterson), then draft our way through the rest of the offense and/or thru free agency. Dump Brooks, sign Vick (if you watched the Falcons game Thurs you saw why).
I didn't get to see the game yesterday, because it was not televised here in Austin. That's ok, after looking at the score and reading the box, I'm glad I didn't see it.
It goes back to what I've said the last couple weeks. The biggest voids offensively are the blocking and running game. Big Langston needs to go. He's the veteran who is not doing anything. I've never seen him get beat off the snap as much as he has this year. Little beat him twice yesterday (from looking at the box score), and all 4 sacks came from the left side of the defense, and from the right side of the o-line (Walker and Boothe), but it appeared to be on Walker more than Boothe.
Then 57 yards rushing is just not going to get it done. Fargas led the team with 43 YARDS? Come on! No wonder Brooks had an INT, and Walters was picked twice. When all St Louis has to do is drop back and wait for the pass every down, because our running game is crap.
You can blame Art, you can blame Shoop, you can blame Walsh; but the bottom line is this, if you cannot pass protect from the QB's blindside, and you have no running game, then it doesn't matter what play you call because your game plan is in the toilet.
Hey RT, the really sad thing is that you could use the title "A New Low" every single week now.
Jerry McDonald pointed something out in his blog. Every week Shell explains after the game that they didn't commit to the run enough. Yet he's wearing a headset connected to Shoop. Who knows, maybe he's effective from Monday to Saturday. But if he doesn't convey any orders to his coordinators, stands on the sideline like a stature, and shows no emotion, what exactly is he bringing to the table on gameday?
Two Words.
ART SHELL.
That's how we get shut out at home by a team losing 7 of it's last 8 games.
Here's another two words.
AL DAVIS.
While ever any of these four words feature in decision making hierarchy of the Oakland Raiders, we will LOSE.
I have a few Takes. The only positive I can take from this game is the fact that we blitzed for once. We still can't stop the run though and we still need some more big bodies, and we should start Huntley over Brayton.
We need a punt returner, hopefully whoever replaces Moss/Porter can return punts. Don't get me started on the offense. Last week I was preaching 'Keep Shell' but I don't think I can take this anymore, I think it's time to admit the great Art Shell just isn't going to work out as a coach.
Al promised something "Big" and hopefully his ideas will work. I don't care what anyone says, we're lucky to have Al as our leader. The guy should be the most depressed person on earth right now and he still guarantees the Raiders will be great again, and he sounds as if it will happen next year. I don't expect it, but hey anything is better than this. It should be inspiring, Al's will to win. The death of Run Run should be inspiring like some of you have pointed out. You just don't lose a guy like Run Run and play like crap against a bad team, something is horribly wrong with these guys, I say get new guys to replace whover isn't Raider to bone, whoever wasn't moved to do great things on that field yesterday. Maybe there is a silver lining there, Run Run may have helped us learn a thing or two about the character we have, I'm looking at YOU offense. It should have resembled something like what Favre did to us the day after his dad died, now THAT is the kind of player we need leading us. No leadership, no pride OR poise, no clue. RIP Run Run, I'm sure they'll win one for you eventually.
PSYCHO
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This offseason is extremely critical.
Our D is fine and only needs a tweek here and there.
Our O needs to be broken-down from the ground up and it has to start with the OLine in free agency.
We can go get all the "super starQBs" in the draft and it will mean ZERO behing this OLine. Montana, Namath, and Unitas would look like chumps behind this line.
Althought it all looks very bleak, this thing can be righted with several good moves and it has to begin with the OLine and getting rid of some of the expensive whinny-titty-babies on O. We did it with the D, now let's do it with the O.
I deleted the previous comment because it was little more than a personal attack on another commenter. I have no problem with countering an argument, and specifying whom one is responding to...However, I will delete personal attacks that are largely irrelevant to the Raiders and topics at hand.
This season is ugly, and therefore I'm prepared for some fierce debate. That's what happens when you drop to 2-12 after a shutout at home. Raider Take is dedicated to fostering, not stifling debate.
HOWEVER, I urge everyone to refrain from mere bickering and personal attacks, which seem to be on the rise here.
I will, at my discretion, delete comments that fail to heed this notice. It's something I've never had to do until now (with one notable exception, which I broadcasted to all).
I said last week that the Raiders likely wouldn't win another game this season. It was apparent to me then that the offensive unit is doing nothing more than going through the motions.
Firing Shell is not the answer. We can continue to play musical coaches with this unit all we want. The definition of insanity is attempting the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. So what do we do?
Other than the organizational changes:
First we have to start with the OL. "Old sayings" aren't going to help either. While there is no truth to the the statement, as a general rule, that great players can't teach, it is true that doing and teaching are entirely differnt skills. And it must be evident at this time that our OL coaches can't teach. They need to be replaced.
As for the players:
Gallery - He's not physically suited for an NFL tackle. His wing span is too short, and his footwork isn't fast enough. However, I do think that Gallery, with some extensive work, would make an excellent Center. He's bright, so he can handle the adjustments and the audibles. I'd work him into the C position, expecting to use him as a back-up next season while we find a veteran center with leadership. This means we also need to find a starting LT either though the draft or free agency.
Sims - Sims has had much trouble adjusting, and his contract is prohibative. I'd look to releasing Sims.
Grove - I'd move Grove over to LG. He had some success at Guard last year, and I think he's best suited for that position.
Booth - Booth has been the only bright spot. He stays.
Walker - Walker has the perfect build for his current position. But I don't think he's going to improve much. We should keep him, but use him to back up LT and RT. I think Paul McQuistan may have potential here.
There is one element lacking from this unit that is bigger than talent. Leadership! We need to bring in a veteran center early, and this unit needs to work together from the first moment players are allowed into the facility.
I'll go over other positions as we go along. We need a new QB as well. A veteran, a leader.
BlandaRocked, the Rams had lost seven of eight, and they were on the road, but they sure didn't go through the motions yesterday. I just can't shrug my shoulders about my team going through the motions.
This team has to be VERY careful about allowing its players to go through the motions. It's an insult to the paying customer, one that is undermining the recent progress in season ticket sales, and which may have long-term repercussions regarding the team's viability in Oakland.
Shell has changed, he stood tall in his previous term as Coach, he tought players, he challenged them, but in this he does not, he does nothing. The problem with Norv Turner was never his intelligence, it was his ferocity. He was never fierce, never open, with his players, just standing like a statue. Art Shell's 2nd term suffers the same problem.
We need to look back, Look what Jon Gruden did. Did Jon Gruden sit back while his team failed? No, he fucking got in their faces about it, and guess what, the team responded. I'm not saying re-hire Gru as that won't happen till hell freezes over but still, We need a coach who will get into the players, get after them, get angry at them, show any form of emotion whatsoever. If the players aren't doing something right you've gotta let them know! The reason I cheered Shell's hiring was that I thought he would bring this, as he delivered it in his previous term, but to no avail. Art you have failed the nation.
I think changing coaches every year is horrible, but it might be needed. I'm on the fence this year. On one hand, the overall offensive coaching this season was unbelievably bad. It appears Art has lost his players again with strange decisions, poor timing, and lack of in-game direction/explaination. It's Art's job to get everyone on the same page and get them to become the vision that he has for them, I don't doubt his vision or his Raider heart, but I have not seen any progress in this area offensively. We're supposed to be a run-oriented team and we give up in the first half every week in close games. We're supposed to be a tough, physical team with a swagger, finishing games in the 4th quarter. In reality, we make almost no adjustments throughtout games, and we have a lovable teddy bear staring off in the distance in disappointment, not saying a word about piss-poor execution. Practice what you preach or the players lose respect, and that's what we're stuck with now.
On the other hand, he's Art Shell. ART freakin' SHELL! How do you let him go....again? My heart says Art but my brain says change.
We already know we're going to clean the house on offense and it will be a new look, but will they follow Art? It's all about the players, always has been. But screw our soon-to-be-gone QBs and WRs, I see guys like Sapp and Burgess falling off the Art bandwagon, so I think I'm swinging towards change.
PSYCHO
Anon10:08 hit it on the head--Art is not bringing any juice--his "leadership" is passionless. he promised to bring that back and he has just sat and watched. How many of you remember him and Hoss yelling on the sidelines? Right or wrong Art had some fire then. I don't know what has changed but something has with Art. We have no passion on O from the players, especially QB, and the coach. It's the opposite on D. I am now in the "total offensive house cleaning" camp, coaches and players included--burn it to the ground and start over.
raidertake..... i did it because of his threat to me on one of your previous blogs,he said he was tracking my IP address and" checking out who i was"...maybe your devoted poster needs a little talking too as well...
Anon 11:01, I hear you, but I also hope you understand why I deleted the comment.
I'd just like to move away from that type of dialogue, and I don't mean just you.
I, too, have been guilty lately of responding to a certain individual on a personal level (because this individual, whose comments are routinely deleted, has made a sport of cluttering up the site with infantile gibberish).
I will try to hold myself to my own standard, and ask everyone to join me.
No offense, RT, but lately you've been pretty soft. And not about optimism/pessimism, I mean turning things over to other people to give their takes. I want YOUR take. This is why I come to this site. So THROW OUT SOME TAKES, because you are the right man to do so.
Tim Mo, point taken. Frankly, it's been a bit challenging to develop fresh takes on a season that has flatlined on nearly every front. At least last year had some ups and downs, and the hope that a new QB and coaching regime would right the ship. Yet here we are at 2-12, and it's the same thing every single week.
I do have some fresh takes in the hopper. I also plan to conduct an offensive positional analysis soon, in which we can all discuss our thoughts on how the team should proceed at specific positions (and yes, I'll give you my take).
At your urging, I will try to dig a bit deeper. I appreciate your interest in what I have to say. But as I've declared before, I see Raider Take more as a dialogue than a monologue. I view my takes as a simply a window into a much larger discussion conducted by readers, who collectively bring a tremendous amount of knowledge, insight and analysis to these pages.
All I want for Christmas is for the Raiders to beat the Chiefs!!! I live in KC and I get so sick of hearing all of the Chiefs patter day after day. The only good thing that I can take from this season is that the Chiefs are choking on their war paint. You want to talk about fans jumping off of the bandwagon? You should hear the talk radio today in this town! It makes me smile. I hate the Chiefs! So, come on Art! Remember how much you hate the Chiefs? You've got to beat these guys. Find a way. This is my superbowl! If my beloved Raiders can beat the Chiefs at least I'll have something to smile about during the off season. Don't let me down Art.
Game management, personnel management, execution, adjustments, motivation, inspiration, chemistry, all of these things are part of a head coach's responsibility. And we have seen none of them out of our offense or special teams. For these reasons Shell must go. Not only has he not delivered but he has failed miserably.
And for all the talk that Shell inherited a terrible team with a bad O-line, cancerous receivers, no dominant running back, I point to Gruden's first team who went 8-8 with Wade Wilson, Jeff George and Donald Hollas at QB and that team had ab out the same if not lesser talent than the current club. Gruden installed game plans to fit the talent and eventually acquired better talent to do so, something Shell and his staff have not been able to do.
People claim Shell fixed the defense this year; no, that is Rob Ryan and Al Davis who have built this defense, not Shell.
I like Shell, but this team is a mess. Who would want to play here either from the draft or free agency? And look at how he's handled the Porter/Moss issue? How would that help Davis or Lombardi recruit players?
I hate changing coaches every year, but part of that is Davis fault for hiring flat out bad coaches. It's time for Al to admit firing Art wasn't a mistake, letting Gruden leave and bringing Shell back was.
I can only hope Al realizes this and acts accordingly.
Anon 1:58 ~
Er...um, you do realize Gruden's "O" is the only one in the NFL that is as bad as the Raiders' is see offense rankings here and his beloved Buccaqueers are 3-10...
The return of Chucky would be an improvement over Art Shell how?
Gruden makes better pinchin'-a-loaf faces.
Bama7
I thought Tim Kawakami had a nice article on Al today:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/16264704.htm
He asked the old man some pointed questions. Like if the long string of defeats has shown Al he needed to change.
Al barks back names at the writers... Gannon, Stabler etc etc and points out that he's always been one to change. Then amazingly he goes on to take credit for this year's defense, citing how Belechick called him coach Davis and said he has a heavy hand on the defensive side of things. He's taking credit for the D??? I'd bet anything RYan had to fight off the Brayton & Irons LB thing last year (cuz Al was recreating past glory... Brayton is Hendricks sayeth Al! Just like Whitted and Jett are Branch).
Ryans would probably love to bench Brayton now if Al would allow it. Huntley now has more sacks than Brayton! Brayton has no sacks and is a starting DE. I don't care if he does play primarily on running downs... you still should have a few sacks when you've played in this many games. Brayton is a bust.
If Al is the architect behind this resurgent D, then is he also responsible for just about every year since 1986 when the defense repeatedly failed?
In this one article you see the entire problem with the franchise: Nothing's Al's fault. He doesn't need to change. That which hasn't worked was not his fault and he'll fix it, that which has worked was all his doing and he'll see that it happens again. I've been a Raider fan a long time and what I remember from the seventies was that Al never particularly liked Stabler... he didn't like his weak side arm sling and he didn't like his out-all-night partying either. He ran him to Houston first chance he got. I also think Al liked Pastorini much better than Plunkett. I think Gruden twisted his arm to give Gannon a shot (and I don't think Al ever liked Gannon & Gruden's short game). That's what I think.
Al's the one that shifted away from the west coast thing we had going that at one time could beat 95% of the league. Brought in career loser KFC. That's one on you and you alone, AL. Very telling... a final move away from a modern offense to his old Lamonica ball. I remember the season after the superbowl Tim Brown and many on the offense said the coaching staff had freaked out and changed everything becuase of what Tampa did to us. That's Al. The Walsh fiasco is more Al blundering away from modern football. Until Al steps up and admits he really has no clue what works in the nfl these days, and turns it over to someone that can be GM (and left alone!!) we're lost. What a mess.
Maybe, just maybe, the embarrassement of this year will make Al hand over the keys, albeit discreetly.
Random thought: I'd love to see us take Lorenzo Neal from San Diego. Will Al ever put value on the fullback position? Will Al ever be committed to running the football? I like Quinn but I like Petersen more. He's as good as LT.
Hey RT, remember back in August when you posted the following:
Yet another writer from Sports "Mothership of The Raiders Haters" Illustrated has predicted the Raiders to win a total of four games this year. He writes: Oakland, 4-12. I can see the headline in the Oakland Tribune on Oct. 9, after the Raiders drop an embarrassing 17-7 game to the crosstown 49ers: "Brooks Throws 5 Interceptions, Benched by Shell.'' It's coming, folks. Don't know when. But Aaron Brooks will break your hearts.
Umm...Didn't the Raiders first team literally blow up the 49ers first team a few weeks ago?
The dire predictions for the Raiders are coming so quickly that I can't keep up with them. We have another writer from Sports Illustrated saying the Raiders are the worst team in the NFL. One site said the Raiders "may well be the worst team in the entire league this season, and one of the worst in the entire modern era."
Please help me out, Raiders fans. For the record, I would like to round up all of these dire predictions and stash them here for future reference. Then, when the Raiders prove them wrong, we can all meet back here for a good laugh.
Well looks like the beloved media was right about us all along, huh? This definitely is one of the worst teams of the modern era. Next year I am going to pay more attention to the sports mags and columns when they write about the Raiders. They obviously know garbage, when they see garbage.
Bama7,
It's funny you should mention that article, as I to read it with great interest.
It brought back memories of Al at the press conference introducing Norv Turner as new HC.
Al said all the right things, and I remember thinking, Al knows what the problems are. He has things under control, and he will fix this thing, and get it pointed in the right direction.
Then there was the press conf. introducing the return of Art as the latest HC.
Once again, Al had all the right verbal moves. Al spoke in such a way that I simply sat back in my chair and thought, this time, Al will bring the Raiders back !!!
Well as the Who once sang, "We won't be fooled again".
Al, it's not enough to say all the right things. This offseason, I'll be watching very closely to make sure there are some ACTIONS behind all the nice words.
Anon 7:16: Yes, I remember it, and you are right, the Raiders did not prove the naysayers wrong.
But one of the worst teams in the modern era? Sorry, but half this team, the defense, is quite good. In just this decade, I can think of several teams that qualify as worse than this one, including the 2002 Lions, the 2001 Bengals, the 2000 Cardinals and 2000 Chargers (1-15 record).
Why would you embrace this "one of the worst teamsin the modern era" nonsense?
PantyRaider, you don't need to explain anything to me, I understand. Like I said, I've been there, too. These are stormy waters here at 2-12. The good ship "Rise Above" will get us home safely.
I hate to say it but the following seems evident:
(1) This is one of the all time worst offenses (if not the worst) in the history of the NFL. Brooks and Walter combined have only 6 TD passes in 14 games.
(2) This is the worst Raiders team of all time.
(3) This is the worst (or 2nd worst) team in the NFL this year. The only reason I would give the nod to the Lions as the worst team is the difference in divisional strength.
(4) In spite of a good defense, this team as a whole has taken a major step back from last year's dismal season ... and that is saying something.
What has been very disheartening is all of the empty rhetoric about being committed to the running game.
There have been countless games where the Raiders were within striking range (2 scores or less) and basically abandoned the run. In this game vs. the Rams the score was close through 3 quarters (1st Q; 0-0, 2nd Q; 0-6, 3rd Q; 0-13) yet we had only 18 rushing attempts for the entire game.
Shell's after game press conferences are bordering on ridiculous when he says things like (paraphrasing) "We need to committ to the run. We need to run the ball 30+ times, etc."
We'll why don't you run the ball more? What the F are you waiting for? You've got a headset on. How about using it for once during the game and letting Shoop know your desires to run the ball more.
I will be the 1st to admit that I was excited and full of promise when we rehired Shell. In the middle of this season I was on the fence and wanted to give Shell the benefit of the doubt.
However, after watching 14 games, reading countless quotes, watching each press conference, and following the Porter, Moss, Walter, Walsh debacles, I just don't think Shell has what it takes to turn this colossal mess around.
Under these dire circumstances we need a stronger, more dynamic leader with better communication and management skills. I would like to see Shell stay with the organization in a different capacity.
When Calico Jack speaks, I listen. I listen carefully. I'm afraid to admit he might be right. Can I buy some more time to stay on the fence?
Stick 'em: As the Anon 1:58 poster, are you saying you wouldn't trade this current heap of garbage for any of Gru's late 90's/early 00's teams? My point is, good coaches coach and plan around the personnel they have. Art and his bunch of former NFL players etc. can't even do this.
I mean, was Brooks ever this bad with the Saints? Funny, I remember him coming into the coliseum two years ago and lighting us up like a bon fire.
RT -
Take as much time as you need. We all want the Raiders to return to glory and most of wanted Shell to be a big part of the success. What ultimately got me off the fence was when I started think w/my mind instead of my heart when it came to the evaluation of Shell.
I wish I had the feeling that Shell had a firm grasp of the steering wheel because I genuinely like and admire him.
However I just can't get over this nagging feeling (like a splinter in my brain) that he is the wrong HC for this moment in time, in this era of modern football, and with his own unique personality traits (stubborn, non-communicative, emotionless).
I would be delighted if Shell is relieved of his HC duties in a dignified manner but is still able to contribute to the Raiders organization in a new role.
Calico,
I couldn't agree more !!!!
Shell is the HC, if he wants more run plays called, why the hell aren't they being called ??
Why isn't he doing something about it ??
Oh, I remember, it's because Art Shell appears to be in some sort of a coma.
I have yet to see him even once, talk into that headset he is wearing.
I think he is listening to music, or something.
If Shell were replaced for the last 2 games by Ariel Sharon, I doubt any of us would notice the difference.
Pantyraider-
The Saints cleaned house almost as soon as the season was over. They fired Jim Haslett, and let Aaron Brooks go to free agency.
Ironic how he went from the hell of last season with the Saints to the hell of this season with the Raiders.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anon 10:03 ~
Gruden's Fucs are 3-11 this season. The year before they were 5-11.
I'm saying that if Gruden had this same performance with the Raiders the last couple of seasons, Raider fans would be calling for his head on a silver'n'black platter.
That's what happens when the team loses. Folks get p!ssed off and blame the coach.
The truth is this team has blown monkey chunks the last four seasons under three different head coaches and countless assistants... so when do the players start getting blamed?
The players haven't performed no matter who the OC is, who the HC is, or who the O-line coach is.
As Madden said eloquently in his HOF induction speech, "I am here because of my players." He then asked them to stand.
It is just nonsense to make the case the the head coach is more important as the players. The players make the plays (or fail to) on the field. The coach never touches the ball.
IMO, it is time to stop waiting on folks like Grove and Walker and Anderson and Whitted and Williams and Porter and Jordan (and ad nauseum) to develop into actual NFL players.
It is time to raze the offense to the ground in a pile of smoking rubble... then start again.
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