Hard Times in The Big Easy
Well, at least we didn't have to watch another late 4th quarter defensive meltdown this week. Instead, we got an entire half of defensive meltdowns.
Meanwhile, JaMarcus is lucky he only got picked once, because he could easily have had three or four interceptions with some of the throws he made. We said we were going to throw the ball more. So McFadden gets less than 10 carries while we complete 37 percent of our passes and fail to score a touchdown.
So we fire Kiffin, and we play worse on both sides of the ball after two weeks of preparation. Hooray!
DeAngelo Hall after Kiffin was fired:
"We answer to Al. Al knows us personally. It's nice when you have that personal relationship with the owner as opposed to trying to kiss up to every head coach who comes in."
And:
"I don't think Tom Cable has to do a whole lot in terms of getting us to win games. It's just a matter of finishing games and not getting into back-and-forths in the newspaper with the owner. I'm sure he can definitely do that."
Makes me wish we'd spent Hall's money on a free agent receiver instead. Wait...we did that too. Didn't we? What's his name again? I don't recall seeing him today.
Meanwhile, JaMarcus is lucky he only got picked once, because he could easily have had three or four interceptions with some of the throws he made. We said we were going to throw the ball more. So McFadden gets less than 10 carries while we complete 37 percent of our passes and fail to score a touchdown.
So we fire Kiffin, and we play worse on both sides of the ball after two weeks of preparation. Hooray!
DeAngelo Hall after Kiffin was fired:
"We answer to Al. Al knows us personally. It's nice when you have that personal relationship with the owner as opposed to trying to kiss up to every head coach who comes in."
And:
"I don't think Tom Cable has to do a whole lot in terms of getting us to win games. It's just a matter of finishing games and not getting into back-and-forths in the newspaper with the owner. I'm sure he can definitely do that."
Makes me wish we'd spent Hall's money on a free agent receiver instead. Wait...we did that too. Didn't we? What's his name again? I don't recall seeing him today.
posted by Raider Take at 12:36 PM
162 Comments:
Hard times, indeed.
As I expressed my frustration to a friend his response was, "what do you expect." I replied, "one always has to have hope."
Every game I think maybe this will be the week the Raiders turn things around. Not this week.
JF
Take,
that great wr's name is claude raines.
if d'angelo hall was happy at 1-3, he must be tickled pink now, at 1-4
just keep those paychecks comin' al
Ditto....
I thought we could take NO and atleast show some fight throughout the game.
JF and MB are both are the trading block according to PFT.com. IMHO, I think we should keep Fargas. Why? Because he's been the only one who plays with more heart and guts than anyone else on this team. Though I would like to see Bush stay here, but who knows?
Mr. Duva
When I looked at the schedule I could have sworn there was supposed to be two professional teams playing in NO's this weekend. I only saw one. The entire team looked like they just got in from the French Quarter a few hours before the game.
I said coming into this weekend the two key people for the Raider franchise are Cable and Russell. It might be too soon to make a verdict on either of them, but it sure doesn't look good... especially JR.
He looks completely clueless.
BTW.. we used to at least always have a good punter... what the hell has happened to Lechler?
Oh Gary
You now long for the Kiffin era LMAO. What made you think it was going to be any better? Will you now admit Al is done? How much will it take? Will it take Blandadopes confirmation for you to understand? So scary isn't it?
JONES
That game was actually harder to watch than the Denver opener.
It's pretty clear why Kiffin was a believer in the run.
Hooray Ja no kickze....
seabass we drafted him because of his big leg...but accuracy still suffering and we keep him around so many years and still waiting for his abilities to "kick in"
Hooray Ja marco Rusto...
Mega Pep we drafted him because of his big arm...but accuracy still suffering and we are planing to keep him around how many years until we see he has no ability to "punch it in"
Bama7
What did all of us expect? Cable with an HC headset on looked painfully like old Bugle, huh? What is it, 6 head coaches in 8 years? What kind of competitive formula is that? Someone please fire the GM, he has not a clue! Jruss is supposed to be developing insetad he's lost in a shitty environment led by the great Al. Way to go Al, you step in to right the ship. Close game Al. Nice job. I don't know why any of us are going to watch this crap anymore while Al is alive.
Here's what Raider football has come down to: The network left the game early in the 4th qtr because it wasn't competitive. They left New Orleans and instead gave us a feed to a different game. That's AL post 1986. He went from the leader of the winningest franchise in pro sports history to having his team cut from the airwaves in the 4th qtr because the game wasn't even close. It's like they pulled the 10 run rule on us. You know, in softball when the ystop the game 'cuz one team is beating the shit out of the other?
"the quater back must go down, and he must go down hard," Al says. Please, Al, just go away. Please.
Oh, well! I did not expect much from today's game at NO and I guessed its outcome right. The plain truth is that the Raiders is no match for major offensive powers like the Saints. Their passing attack is at least as good as that of the Broncos and we have already seen the worst in Week 1.
DeAngelo Hall's comment on Davis, I find it rather disgusting. Definitely not a formula for putting together a first-class, let alone a second-class, team. Players answerable to their owner, not to their HC ... what kind of a bad comedy is that?!?
i do agree with al davis about one thing.
the greatness of the raiders is in the future.
in the future, when al davis finally retires.
Take, again thanks for putting out this blog, its a forum, and for that I appreciate it...
Fire the GM.
The best we can hope for post Kiffin is a robust body, because surely two weeks ago the head was cut off...
You know, previous to Kiffin being fired I read a whole lot about the raiders,and posted rarely. That has changed. Now, I read rarely and post more often.
The owner of the Raiders fired a head coach out of spite. Rich Gannon called the game and he hit the nail on the head when he said Kiffin had a grasp of the strenghts and weaknesses of the Raider offense.
Alvin has lost all my respect. I don't care that he was the owner of a team that won three super bowls. I'll be a raider fan or no other nfl's team, but I sure won't force this crap on my friends and kids. The Raiders are going to have to earn their loyalty.
The paragraph above was written by SCAR...
I guess we can forget any notion the Raiders would be “entertaining.”
I thought clock management was still puzzling. The TO before the 2-min warning left us no chance to run time off the clock. However, NO was nice enough to give us the ball back with plenty of time to score (after their TD).
It’s both amazing and pathetic that Higgins is our best WR.
Paging Michael Huff. Did he play today? Do we still need a FS?
Hall is a waste of space playing 8 yards off the receiver, then getting burned for a 7-yard gain.
Russell appears to be only a shell of his former self. Schilens was wide open in the end zone and Russell’s throw wasn’t even close.
My biggest headache was once again watching SOB play coverage over pressure. Folks, Brees was 26/30 for 320 yards and 3 TDs and no INTs. Those are All-World stats. That’s what a coverage-oriented D did for us today. Ryan didn’t even disguise it when he played a 3-man front. He dropped everyone back prior to the snap. Hell, the Saints were winning by over 30 points and still brought more pressure.
I say if Cable can’t win at home next week, Davis should fire him and give someone else a 2-week audition.
Sorry - the score after the TO was a FG, not a TD.
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What made you think it was going to be any better?
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I expected the offense to look horrible at times this year, but the defense was something else entirely. SOB refuses to blitz even when its third and seven, and Brees has completed 17 straight passes with no blitzes???
I don't think that is the HC's call, Jones.
And I agree with NYRaider... Huff looks even worse as a FS than he did at SS... Brees completed 26 passes and Huff was involved in a whopping 3 plays?
I guess that is Cable's fault too.
And the IAAFers are happy as clams right now!!!
Admit it... you are just as happy if the Raider suck as if they play well. You can't even hide it very well.
So all Cable had to do was walk down the sideline and talk to Rob Ryan, huh? Two weeks to prepare and this is what we get? Both McFadden and Fargas have been hurt yet we're trying to trade Bush? So we showcase him by giving him a whopping 3 carries? If Bush is tradebait I get the bad feeling that Chad Johnson is who they are going for. Talented, but way too much drama and distraction for this team. Commitment to Excellence? Even the shield had to have been ashamed today.
Win, Lose, Or tie, we are Raider fans till we die. Consider me DEAD then. Im tired of seeing DeAngelo get lit up and im tired of seeing just horrible game plans laid out after 2 weeks of preparation.
Gary, no one is happy about today. Get over the IAAF namecalling. You sound like you are standing on your last leg of logic, as if this historic six-year franchise meltdown is happening in a vacuum and should not be examined, and that fans who naturally use their powers of rational deduction to identify specific organizational causes of the meltdown are worthy only of pejorative putdowns.
Ryan is back to his old ways. Maybe the new coach should bitch to the media to make Ryan bring some pressure. Russell better step up soon otherwise they're gonna have to make a move to Walter. There is no excuse for the un-accuracy. This was an old fashioned ass-kicking by a much superior QB and d-coach who still doesn't have a clue.
RaiderMike
So Gary,
This game ends the theory that it was Kiffin's defense. Remember how you and your buddy went off on how it couldn't be Ryan's or Al's, they both want aggresive defense?
Ha, no I am not happy and if you haven't noticed, I have been saying this for as long as I have posted on here. It does not bring me glee to see Al totally screw the team like Bush and Greenspan have screwed the country. No , it does not bring glee and if it did, I would be nuttier than your hero Al Davis.
Kiffin had the team on the right track even if he was green. The guy isn't even 35, of course he was green, but even when he was trying to get fired, he put out a better product than what was witnessed today. There will be no glee in Raiderville until Al says NO MAS. THIS IS A FACT AND THE ONLY GLEE IS THAT MAYBE YOU MIGHT FIGURE OUT WHY THE RAIDERS CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH.
JONES
JaMarcus Russell sucks. I bet we'll probably waste at least 2 more seasons before we cut him. We can't trade him because of his salary and the fact that he is not a good QB. Walter will get the start when the season is lost.
CAN'T WATCH THIS CRAP ANYMORE. BOYCOTT THE NEXT HOME GAME. SCREW AL DAVIS. RAIDER TAKE LET ALL R8R FANS, PLANNING TO GO TO THE NEXT HOME GAME, NOT TO SHOW UP. WE NEED TO LET AL KNOW ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
THE LAST POST WAS WRITTEN BY
XR8RFAN.
I agree, let's stay hoe and listen to the game on the radio, it's going to be another wasted day anyway! The raiders have gone all the way to the bottom and it's not going to get better unless we as fans show that we won't accept this crap anymore! Disgusted in the hood.
Ha h ah aa gur yor yar ugh umph....I told ye fizzler fanatics that the "genius" would break your hearts again! You don't want to beleive that I know exactly what big al (MR.) davis plans for your beloved fizzlers. You won't like the truth....Here it is, (mr.) davis is going to continue to ruin the teem so that he'll be able to take them away from choketown again with little or no fuss since the fanatics won't care anymore due to the garbage they put out on the field week after week. The "genius" isn't so dumb after all....He'll move the teem and you DOOFUS' won't give a shizzle, in fact you'll be glad that the "genius" is taking the stinking pile of crap teem to some other lucky city so he can rob them blind with the hopes of having a " superbowl champion teem" in their town! Ha ha ha, go fizzlers, 1-15, just pry babies. Keep defending the "nation"
Hey Raiderhater
No other city will take the Raiders, not with crazy Al at the helm, they wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. You think they would want an owner who has bolted twice already and is crazier than ever? Throw that theory under the bus and while your at it, throw yourself under it too!!!!
JONES
Let this game be used to enact an official moratorium on any mention that Kiffin was even remotely responsible for the success or failure of the D.
Was Cable too overwhelmed to "walk down the sideline" and put the word "Blitz!" into Ryan's ear?
This isn't the first time I've witnessed a game plan and lack of adjustments by Ryan.
After Brees opened the game with what 17 straight completions, did a lightbulb go off in Ryan's empty cranimum? I guess not.
Ryan lacks basic, common sense. Anyone with half a brain realizes that the only way to disrupt the timing and accuracy of a QB like Brees is to to make QB pressure a premium.
I think what bothered me more than the piss poor execution was the sheer listlessness of the Raider team on the field. Flat? Uninspired? Unprepared after 2 weeks? You've got to be kidding me.
Yeah Gary, I know it is only "entertainment". I hope you were entertained. If you were honest with yourself you would quit acting like you are entertained regardless of performance.
BTW, it is sheer lunacy to ever suggest that a Raider fan is happy with this result.
I hate to say this based on only 1 game but we are staring down the gun barrell of ushering in the Jim Fassell era.
calico,
there are 2 types of coaches we can attract these days, desperate, or dumb.
fassel is one desperate man, but rob ryan is dumb.
i believe ryan's lack of intelligence will trump fassel desperation, and he will be next in line for al's free money program.
besides, al really seems to like ryan, and isn't that what it's all about now ?
al just likes you baby. al will keep you around forever baby.
al will keep paying you for nothing baby.
NOT so fast CJ. Dennis Green is in the running as well. They're the two frontrunners who experts say know how to work within the Raiders system. Whether or not our next coach is successful on the field has become secondary to whether or not they can placate the ego of one AD. As Atlanta and Miami have proven this season, quick turnarounds are possible and it starts with the GM. Here's hoping that AD uses better judgment finding our next architect than he's used with his coaching decisions.
I'm reminded of the immortal words of Beavis & Butthead:
"Uh huh huh, huh yeah..... Uhhhhhh, This Sucks!"
Psycho
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Yeah Gary, I know it is only "entertainment". I hope you were entertained.
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Oh hell no. I left half way through the 3rd quarter... if the team isn't trying, I don't give them my time. Pretty simple really.
I went back to putting ceiling tile up in my living room, thanx for your concern CJ! I am very capable of managing my time!
It's going to be a busy week for me, but I wanted to get this in. I disagree strongly with Calico regarding Ryan. I agree with JMac...
"– Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan sat in the coaches locker room area and appeared transfixed by the stat sheet, going over the numbers. He’ll take heat because he always does, but it’s hard to know what else Ryan could have done.
"Brees gets rid of the ball so fast he’s almost impossible to sack _ although Tommy Kelly got one late in the game _ and he is such a good decision maker blitzing him frequently is suicide.
"Ryan had to rely on his defensive players to rally up and make plays, much as Minnesota did last week. The Raiders simply weren’t up to it.
Asomugha even went out of his way to compliment Ryan.
“'Rob Ryan called a good game, and I told that to him. Every now and then when I feel that way, I’ll let him know,' Asomugha said. 'He knew what was coming and he knew the calls to make. He called them. It’s just a matter of staying on your guy long enough, but Drew knew what he was doing, too. If he saw good coverage, he was going to hit the shorter route.'”
The Raiders defense did not lose this game. They played tough, but they needed the offense to show up. NO bottled up the running game pretty well, so the Raiders simply had to pass effectively and couldn't do it.
And that gets us to the major problem in this game. It isn't that Russell isn't a good QB, but he is currently suffering from bad mechanics. He repeatedly over throws the ball. That indicates that he's releasing the ball too soon, which also accounts for his lack of directional control.
It's a relatively easy problem to correct, but the QB coach needs to get on it immediately before it develops into a consistent bad habit.
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BTW, it is sheer lunacy to ever suggest that a Raider fan is happy with this result.
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Not any more lunacy than noticing how people stay in horrible relationships after their BF beats them up... do they LIKE getting beaten up? Prolly not, but obviously they stay for some reason. I am suggesting the self-loathing Raider fans stay because they are used to being miserable... and find just as much enjoyment out of ragging on Al after an embarrassing loss.
Everyone knows a guy like this at the bar... he constantly bitches and moans about his whacked out GF but never lifts a finger to get out of the relationship. He must be finding happiness somewhere... I'm thinking its in bitching and moaning about the whacked GF to his friends.
Blanda, I don't think his mechanics are his problem (which I agree can be fixed) right now I don't think he has a clue what he is doing... and its aggravating because we see someone thats a rookie like Matt Ryan that seems to get enough of a grasp of the NFL to show flashes of brilliance more than once a game. I've already kinda written this year off with JRuss as his learning year, but if he sits there and throws into triple coverage simply because he doesn't know what else to do for the rest of the year, I don't see much hope here... THAT is what is scary. Not losing by 30 on the road.
Gary
Venting about a team that we have chosen many moons ago and now is a complete embarrassment is the same as a guy at the bar who cries in his beer over hitting his GF? Is this how you spread your "logic" throughout your life? Does it make YOU feel better to take swipes at those who see you as an enabler for a sorry owner and franchise? You probably get pushed around by your wife or GF. But that's ok, it doesn't bother you until you get to the bar and start crying in your beer about it, right?
Last comment by
JONES
Blanda
Yeah, your right, Ryan did a terrific job of having a great gameplan in place to stop Brees. The same ole 4-3 cover with no blitzing that you claimed was Kiffin's fathers defense. And once again, NO HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS, but in Blandaworld, Ryan did a great job.In Blandaworld, it is all the players fault now that he can't blame Kiffin.In Blandaworld he called for Russell to " be set free" and Kiffin was "babying him". So Cable gives him his wish and now he trashes Russell, INSANITY PERSONIFIED. Blanda and Gary are posterboys for what ails the Raidernation.
JONES
Blanda - If Rob Ryan called such a good game then why were players consistantly scrambling into position and looking so confused before the snap? (It's not the 1st time N.O. has played a no-huddle offense.) And why was Thomas Howard on Reggie Bush in pass coverage? Why is Michael Huff a ghost (except on the 51-yard completion)? Why is it when we play a 3-man front we actually show a 3-man front before the snap? Can't we at least show a 4- or 5-man line formation and drop out of it?
Rob Ryan offers no dynamic in his formations. Forget the blitz factor, he simply makes the opposing QB's life too easy.
The truly sad thing is that Ryan might actually have his star players believing the same old crap will work.
I read we have now given up 30 or more points in 5 of the last 9 games, and only SD's slow start a few weeks ago kept that from being 6 of 9. (Is this true?)
While it's difficult to tell which side of the ball is worse at this juncture, I lean toward the D. Truly pathetic! Particularly in light of the player acquisitions and D coaching stability over the last 4-5 years. This is all we have to show...
In the end, I believe our players are much better than they are being coached. How can they not be?
We needed to bring pressure up the middle to push Brees out of the pocket a little-where he is less effective. Pressure (or blitzing) from the end is suicide against Brees. Ryan just can't figure this stuff out. And worse he makes no effort to adjust when being destroyed. I say give Russell to the end of the 1st half against the Jets. If the same crap is happening its A&W time. Russell will ultimately benefit from this.
RaiderMike
Why all of a sudden are we bashing Cable, Rob Ryan, and the rest of the team? I mean, shouldn't we wait and see how the team plays under the new coaching regime before we start letting the scuds fly?
I don't completely fault Rob Ryan for yesterday. Oh, don't get me wrong, he sure has his share in the fault. But what do you really expect with your defense on the field 60.2% of the game? A shut out? 10 points? Give me a break.
One thing that has certaintly been consistent in the last 6 seasons, is the fact that our offense and defense does nothing to give the other side a chance. You can argue that the offense tired out the defense with their consistent 3 and outs. You can argue that the defense didn't give the offense another shot to get back into it. Bottom line is, this team is factioned. Neither side of the ball is working to the benefit of the team as a whole.
Bottom line is there is no "team" in Oakland. We are a divided house; divided and dysfunctional. The ship is going down with the captain. I'm tired of complaining about it. I will follow the Raiders win, lose, or whatever; but the only way it gets worse is if the team continues down the path it's on. Guess what? As long as "the man" is calling his shots; the course won't change. For all of you who say that Al has no fault; or Al is not interferring with the team; or it's the coaches, players, everyone else but Al philosophy; it's time to swallow a hard pill. Al is the beginning of the current woes of the Raiders.
If you step in a pile of poop, no matter how hard you try to polish the poop on your shoe; it won't cause your shoe to shine. Al Davis can keep on selling the argument that he lets the coaches coach; and has done everything he could to make this a winning team; bottom line is we are not a different team than we were under Mike White, Joe Bugel, Bill Callahan (2nd year), Norv Turner, Art Shell (the second coming), or Lane Kiffin; because we have the same GM as those coaches had....AL DAVIS!
I don't mind Al as an owner, I really don't. But history shows that when he is acting as GM, the Raiders are crap; and no matter how hard he tries to polish it; the team is still crap with him acting as GM. A tougher job than Head Coach on this team, is the job of General Manager. It may be a long time before anyone accepts that position under Al Davis; and we may see a crappy product on the field until someone steps in and does a good job like Bruce Allen did; or Al steps aside. I think in order to get a decent GM, the latter is going to have to happen.
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JONES: Does it make YOU feel better to take swipes at those who see you as an enabler for a sorry owner and franchise?
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WTF does this even mean? If I pounded my fists on the ground saying "Al sucks" the team would get better?
Sorry bubs... this is still just entertainment to me. Thus I accept it as it is... nothing I can do to change it... which is usually my point.
If you brought something constructive to the table besides "Al sucks" and you wanted to discuss the things the franchise is doing wrong (such as Russells development, or whether SOB needs to blitz more, or disguise the defense more (which are all interesting topics to me) I wouldn't treat you as such an imbecile. But thats all you ever bring... I think we get it now.. you think Al is the problem and if he were gone the problem would be solved.
Good luck with that argument!! Al is not going anywhere. Sorry.
Bowden is out at Clemson. Likely candidate could be Kiffin.
I still don't think we're that far off. We have a rookie QB problem that everyone understood going in that we'd have.
A couple of things. One I wanted to bring up when Kiff got fired but didn't. One of my gripes with Kiff was that he played the whole preseason like a scrimmage practice. He wouldn't address game situations, and instead just worked on elements that needed additional practice. The problem with that is that the other team is playing a game, and the situations presented with that game, while you're running your own private scrimmages. You are also failing to get your team prepared for actual game situations. And that gave us the Denver game. When the Raiders came out to play another scrimmage, the Donkeys showed up to play a game.
Also, there wasn't that much wrong with Ryan's defense. Just because the Raiders didn't get a lot of sacks, that doesn't mean they didn't blitz. I saw lots of blitzes. I just didn't see anybody getting to the QB before he threw the ball. Give Brees some credit. And if you leave your defense on the field for about two thirds of the game, they are going to get gassed and start giving up a lot of points.
THE PROBLEM was the offense's lack of ability to move the ball, and in this game that came down to Russell. And that brings me to another problem I had with Kiffin.
Kiffin has gone to great pains to keep JaMarcus away from anything that will challenge him. While Russell is a QB who can move, Kiffin wanted to protect him physically so he stopped him from leaving the pocket. While Russell is a QB with a rocket launcher for an arm, Kiffin restricted him to short and intermediate passes designed to be checked down to a shorter pass. Kiffin also appears to have worked on getting JaMarcus to put more "touch" on the ball on shorter passes so they are not "too hot to handle." The result seems to be that Russell frequently throws a wobbler, he very often releases too early, and he will throw to the opposite side of the field against triple coverage when he has 20 yards of running room in front of him.
In Kiffin's effort to "help" and "protect" JaMarcus, I believe that he has succeeded in limiting JaMarcus' development.
Cable is going to have to grasp that fact, and make sure that it gets addressed immediately and frequently. Otherwise, "the franchise" isn't going to develop sufficiently to help us this season.
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The result seems to be that Russell frequently throws a wobbler, he very often releases too early, and he will throw to the opposite side of the field against triple coverage when he has 20 yards of running room in front of him.
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I think this is a HUGE chance for Cable to see some immediate results with Russell... he seems unwilling to run with the ball, and he doesn't have enough grasp of the NFL to do much else, so we see no results.
Remember when Gannon first showed up how many times he simply ran for a first down? He prolly didn't have Gruden's offense down either... so he took what the defense gave us.
If I were Cable/Knapp I would start to work with Jruss the same way they worked with Vick. You don't have to run all the time, but pick your spots.
The guys a frigging truck... even if he is not a fast runner, there is no way anyone is bringing him down very easily.
Nate:
"You can't polish a turd."...I think that was the phrase you were looking for.
Although I've heard you can plate them.
I just re-watched the game (well, up to the point where they 'heidi'ed' us. F-ing networks.
Here is the BIGGEST problem that jamarcus must change IMMEDIATELY.
He taps/pats the ball right before throwing it EVERY TIME. Sometimes it's more noticable than others, but he does it. I think that's one of the reasons the CB's seemed to be getting a jump on his throws.
The throw/release is plenty quick, but the 'pat' before the throw totally negates it.
Someone else look at some tape and tell me I'm not right.
Ano 5:12, now that's a great post! That's the kind of analysis I signed up on this site for. There is actually football and not just Al Davis!
That's a great observation! I didn't tape the game, but I'll watch for it. If opposing teams notice that kind of thing on tapes when preparing against us, it's the type of thing that can be huge.
And - if Cable spots it - it's the kind of thing WE can use to get an advantage for a couple of games. You just ask JaMarcus to continue to pat the ball, but NOT just before he throws it. That's a good way to screw with a CB's head for a whole game.
Name yourself, Ano, and accept congrats for a great post.
BR said (in several posts), "Also, there wasn't that much wrong with Ryan's defense." And quoted J-Mac with (who was quoting Nnamdi), "Rob Ryan called a good game.."
There wasn't that much wrong with Ryan's defense? From what viewpoint? The Saints'? Or from the viewpoint of he was just trying to stop the bleeding?
Either way, I'm not saying he's entirely at fault, but when you're getting slaughtered, you're getting slaughtered. We were slaughtered on both sides of the field. We couldn't make a stop early to get back into the game; nor could we move the ball to give our D a rest. Bottom line, again, we weren't helping each other out.
As far as calling a good game, yes he called a marvelous game for the Saints offense.....oh wait, he's the Raiders' D-Coord. Never mind...
All sarcasm aside, his game-calling/planning, had our guys out of position, overshooting, and over pursuing the Saints' offense; and we really looked silly and unprofessional. We looked like a Junior Varsity team playing a Varsity team. Again, not just on defense, but on offense as well. All I'm saying is, "Quit trying to polish the turd on my shoe; it will never make my shoe shine." Ryan's defensive game-calling was horrible; he couldn't make adjustments to the plan that he essentially had to throw out. That is his #1 problem, he cannot make adjustments in the face of adversity.
At the same time, the offense isn't any better; and contributes to having to throw out the original defensive plan because we can't move the ball, and we are playing catch up and trying to stop the bleeding wound.
Which leads me to my overall consensus. Our team is not that good. That reflects poorly on the General Manager that put this team together, Al Davis. The ship is sinking with the captain....
Bama7
Raider Nate, great points. Blanda, I honestly think you are fu*&^%$ with all of us. How in the he** you can look at a 34-3 football game and say "we're not that far off" is beyond me. Seriously, are you giggling at your keyboard while bloggig with us Raider fans that are so down right now we can't see straight? And Gary, you're "it's just entertainment, get over it" argument makes me think you're not a fan either... like your the guy on the team that is only playing a sport in order to shower naked with all of us after the game. It's getting down right creepy.
Gary:
Your acknowledgement of walking out on the NO game proves the point I've been making to you all along about "entertainment".
* Raider fans are customers.
*Customers pick and choose how they spend their time and money.
* The better the product (competitive well played games, wins, winning season) the more enjoyment or entertained the customer will be.
* There are different degrees or levels of satisfaction dervied from being a Raider fan.
You have been going on ad naseum about "what's the big deal about 5+ poor consecutive seasons ... it's only entertainment".
Well, I will tell you what the big deal is ... you have many unhappy, unsatisfied customers. While these customers voice their concerns and thirst for a better product, you seemed rather content to say "it's only entertainment".
Yeah, I know your comeback will be to say that these unhappy customers can pick another team, or spend their money/time on other activities ... yada, yada, yada.
However the reality is that the vast majority of Raider fans would never think to jump to another team. The vast majority of Raider fans can't allow themselves to just turn off supporting the team. It is both a blessing and a curse I suppose. No matter how bad things have been for quite some time, the Raider fans loyalty trumps any other real althernatives.
Until we hire a capable GM, have stability at HC, anf field a winning product, I will continue to voice my displeaure as warranted.
BR: I'm sorry but you lost me with these statements:
"The Raiders defense did not lose this game."
You might be semantically correct that the D, alone, didn't lose this game since the only way we win this game is by the score of 3 to 0. However, please tell me the last time the team won a game while giving up 34 points to the opponent.
I'm not pinning the entire blame for this blowout on the D. Far from it. There is enough blame to go around but to act like the D held up their end of the bargain is foolish.
"They played tough."
This one made me giggle out loud. Who played tough? How did we play tough? What toughness was demonstrated? If allowing an opponent's offense to march up and down the field at will and ring up 34 points is playing tough, you are delusional.
"I still don't think we're that far off."
Really? So let me get this straight ... even though our HC's tenure is tenous at best, we don't have a GM, we have double digit losses the past 5 season with another fast approaching, we've been blowout in 2 games and had 2 2nd half collapses in 2 other games, our QB is struggling, our WR corps is paper thin ... we are not that far off?
For anyone who thinks Ryan deserves to keep his job, just look at the past 9 games. In 5 of the last 9 games, the Raiders D has given up a whopping 30+ points.
With stability in the defensive personnel and coaching ranks the past 4+ seasons, this is totally inexcusable.
To promote Ryan to HC in 2009 would be an act of idiocy. Ryan is fit to be a LB coach on another team. DC? No. HC. Yeah right.
This defensive unit has talent. It is made up of many 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounders (Asomugha, Routt, Huff, Morrison, Howard, Richardson). There are a number of talented FA acquisitions (Hall, Warren, Wilson).
The missing part of the equation is a DC who understands how to make the parts fit, how to devise a 21st century gameplan, how to make best use of the talent, how to make in game adjustments, how
to disguise coverages, how to create a wide array of exotic blitzes, etc.................
The perfect storm ...
Davis hires McCloughlen in the offseason as GM.
McCloughlen selects a HC with a 3+ year plan.
This HC is given the authority to hire his own staff while considering some current Raider coaches to be holdovers (ie. keep Cable at OL Coach).
To the RT crew, is this wishful thinking or too much to ask for?
Bama7
Probably wishful thinking, CJ. Cuz, see, the scenario requires a lot of good decisions from Al and Al has shown no tendancies toward sound decisions in a very long time.
i think al will probably hire a gm in the off season, but it will just be another guy al can control.
another empty figurehead just lining up for an easy paycheck.
that's what happens when you do not give someone decision making athority.
they just do what they're told, and collect a check.
they go through the motions. it becomes a way of life.
there's a lot of this going on in oakland i suspect.
there's no madden, or wolf around al anymore. not a good football man to be found for miles.
the ass kissers are are lurking in every shadow.
they don't give a damn if the raiders win or lose.
they just don't want their gravytrain to be stopped.
...and if you need further proof of my blog above, check out this quote from new team "leader", d'angelo hall, after the saints whooping.
when asked if he would still come to oakland considering the teams bad 1-4 start, hall said, "i wouldn't change a thing. except, i would try to squeeze more money from mr. davis".
wow, this idiot takes the cake. but i'm sure he is one of al's faves and will be around forever.
>>>>
Name yourself, Ano, and accept congrats for a great post.
>>>>
BozoRocked already taken....
>>>>
THE PROBLEM was the offense's lack of ability to move the ball, and in this game that came down to Russell. And that brings me to another problem I had with Kiffin.
>>>>
my head is dizzy...say what? Is Kiffin the QB or the coach? neither for this game so who does fall on to?
>>>>
Kiffin has gone to great pains to keep JaMarcus away from anything that will challenge him. While Russell is a QB who can move, Kiffin wanted to protect him physically so he stopped him from leaving the pocket. While Russell is a QB with a rocket launcher for an arm, Kiffin restricted him to short and intermediate passes designed to be checked down to a shorter pass. Kiffin also appears to have worked on getting JaMarcus to put more "touch" on the ball on shorter passes so they are not "too hot to handle." The result seems to be that Russell frequently throws a wobbler, he very often releases too early, and he will throw to the opposite side of the field against triple coverage when he has 20 yards of running room in front of him.
In Kiffin's effort to "help" and "protect" JaMarcus, I believe that he has succeeded in limiting JaMarcus' development.
>>>>>
ummmm yeah your way off again....
Kiffin remember saw all this before we picked him (Al of course picked him anyway) and didnt really see how it would translate in the NFL especially him lacking QB fundamentals... you finally realized and said it yourself Bozo
>>>>
And that gets us to the major problem in this game. It isn't that Russell isn't a good QB, but he is currently suffering from bad mechanics. He repeatedly over throws the ball. That indicates that he's releasing the ball too soon, which also accounts for his lack of directional control.
>>>>
DUH and many other problems i listed here before
>>>>
It's a relatively easy problem to correct, but the QB coach needs to get on it immediately before it develops into a consistent bad habit.
>>>>>
Yeah...just ask Vick (before he went jail)how he kept butting heads with non other than Knap wanting to go back to his natural way of playing outside the pocket and tucking the ball and running down the field (which can be too reckless and dumb considering one major collision while on the run can end a career)so the overpaid premodanna never gave himself a fair chance to become a first a tradtional QB with all fundamentals down... forget the hybrid, new speedy mobile, cut corners QB that manages to win exciting games yes... but in the long run what works best is the QB able to work in pressure first in the pocket then rely on the gifted big arm or legs. Mc Nabb at his old and injury damaged body now relies on his awarness in the pocket verses scrambling out of the pocket(though he still from time to time runs out under pressure out of the pocket the habit of running out of the pocket, i guess is a hard habit to break)which can leave out on timing patterns to be ran or quick dump off passes to his check downs. Vick wasnt going to grasp this, Vince Young got beat out by Collins for the same reasons, Collins at least has the fundamentals down and his only real knock was that he held the ball too long at times and his accuracy was shaky from time to time, but his QB awarness and basic fundamentals saves him and prolonged his career longer than to ummm Culpeper. I can go on and on but it worthless because we are stuck with starting Mega PEP instead of Walters...which I bet he would benefit more if he watched on the sidelines and developed him that way slowly (since he came with non # 1 pick fundamentals) and go over coverages in the fast paced NFL defenses. honestly though i wished the pass coverage didnt protect him so well to the point where the only way he can get hurt is not from a collapse protection from the frontline but rather he choosing to by more time (which he has been getting a fair share to make a decision already and throw the ball) but run and see what a DB does on bring him that big boy down to the ground and i bet you its not a hit from up top...BINGO thats the ticket BOZO A chorbn!!!
I wouldn't expect anything to change too quickly. Jets have held two straight opponents to less than 50 yards rushing, and Brett Favre is a card-carrying Raider-killer.
We are making history in all the wrong ways, the only team we've beaten this season is also 1-4, our receiving corps is a disaster and our defense melts down with astonishing consistency despite overpaying new contracts and acquisitions, we have an unproven head coach and no general manager, our quarterback hasn't demonstrated anything special and yet we're "not that far off?"
That far off from what - utter mediocrity as opposed to historically pathetic? Wow.
As for the Raiders only being entertainment, the problem is the're no longer even in the entertainment category. In fact, Mr. Entertainment himself decided to go caulk the tub instead of watch the game.
By failing to play normal competitive big boy football for six consecutive years, the Raiders are eroding the considerable faith and loyalty of their fans, and we are learning that the benefit of the doubt has limits even in the Raider Nation.
>>>
In fact, Mr. Entertainment himself decided to go caulk the tub instead of watch the game.
>>>>
No, actually I put ceiling tile up.
I can walk away from the game if it isn't entertaining very easily... ya see. Why? Because its ONLY entertainment to me.
For some reason you guys seem to think its some job, or you are married to it or something... thus the "self-loathing" I keep referring to.
If I hated the Raiders and Al nearly as much as you guys seem to, I'd have stopped watching years ago.
You guys made it this far... why the angst now?
It's still prolly going to get worse before it gets better... just as well get used to it.
Or root for a different team... that IS allowed you know?
"It's still prolly going to get worse before it gets better... just as well get used to it."
Gary, is that really possible? Can we expect another three years of top-5 draft choices, and two or three more head coaching changes?
I think I will sign off at that point, at least until the real problem is fixed.
And, if it's only entertainment, what happened to pride and poise?
Quick drive by post:
Here's how you can say we are not that far off after 34-3. At least a couple of reasons.
35 pass attempts with only 2 sacks. The protection was there. It was one of the positives I saw during the game.
If Russell is patting the ball, break the habit now. There was a QB named Richard Todd who had the same habit. They didn't figure it out until around his fifth of sixth year, ruined his career.
With Russell's mobility and his ability to deliver the ball quickly,he just needs to be a little more patient. Buy a little time with his feet and run for a first down or two.
He has to stop being afraid to make a mistake.
Put Schilens in more often he appeas to be fighting for the ball. Higgins is doing better this year also. Miller should be primary receiver more often also.
The line is playing better than they are getting credit for, so open it up. Like Cable said, it's ok to make a mistake some time just make it at 100 MPH.
H
H obo Clown says,
>>>>
If Russell is patting the ball, break the habit now. There was a QB named Richard Todd who had the same habit. They didn't figure it out until around his fifth of sixth year, ruined his career.
>>>>
More likely they need to figure out that Mega PEPs problems go way beyond other than taping the ball, is his no accuracy passing capabilties, lack of awarness, cant read defenses well and most of all his arm and leg mechanics suck ass and will eventually ruin his over hyped ass career....Jamarco Busto
Hey Anon,
Grow a pair will ya. Have the testicular fortitude to use a regular handle so we know who the three year old is in the room.
Actually comparing you to a three year old is probably unfair to the three year old.
H
Gary, you obviously enjoy striking the pose of the rational non-fan fan who takes it all in stride, in contrast to the deranged, irrational horde.
You seem, however, more deranged than most of us because you apparently can't cope with the reality of the Raiders' situation.
Your last resort is blaming the average Raiders fan for applying basic logic to analyzing the state of the team.
It's not our fault that you can't handle reality-based analysis, and instead need to keep curling up into the namecalling womb of "IAAFers" and "self-loathing" Raiders fans.
There is nothing angry or irrational about calling a disaster a disaster. By football standards, the Raiders are a disaster. That's not anger. That's just the facts.
There is nothing unusual or abnormal with paying customers discussing the quality (or lack thereof) of the product that they have purchased.
Breaking News:
The NFL has suspended Pacman Jones for 4 games for violating League Rules.
Can they suspend Al Davis for 5 years for insubordination?
I'm still awaiting his "evidence" to firing Kiffin with "Cause". I would like to see how Goodell handles that, and if he can use that "evidence" against Al. One can only hope. Help us Obi-Rog Goodell, you're our only hope.
In other good news, for Halloween I'm going to dress up like Al Davis and tell everyone at work that they are fired for insubordination and cause.
Hey Raider nate,
Is that a call to form the Rebel Alliance against the Al Empire?
Wait, are we starting at episode I..., again? 'Cause I'm not sure how more times I can sit through that movie.
In other news, the Lions trade Roy Williams to the Cowboys because they wouldn't take Javon Walker.
Yes it was a "New Hope" Star Wars reference (actually it was Episode 4, nyraider). I don't mind that movie, because Jar-Jar Binx was not in it. I couldn't help myself.
The only reason why I used it was to signify the eerie comparison that Al Davis and George Lucas continue to find ways to crush and destroy the things in life we love....Star Wars and Raiders' Football.
In other news, the Lions trade Roy Williams to the Cowboys because they wouldn't take Javon Walker.
You mean the Javon Walker that Mr. Davis supposedly wouldn't let retire?
That Javon Walker?
Really.
Words fail.
I think probably what Gary is trying to get at, and I'm there with him, is that if you want to compare being a Raiders fan with being in a relationship (I'm talking about calling people such things as being an "enabler"), then you better take a look at the first rule of relationships. You don't go into them with the idea that you are going to "change" that person. You either accept who they are or you don't.
I have been a Raiders fan since the 1960s. They are not any more "dysfunctional" now than they have ever been. It's the same Al, and it's the same way Al runs his football team.
I didn't come to the Raiders all worried that they might say bad things about my team and my team's owner during Monday Night Football. Guess what! They did in the 1970s just as much as they do right now, even though the Raiders were winning every Monday Night Football game in sight. Winning will not make them stop. Nor does losing prove them right.
I'm done arguing with Davis bashers. I was thrilled yesterday when ONE person actually brought up an element which had to do with football and not personalities. If you can't analyse this team on anything other than Al Davis, you don't know anything about football worth arguing about anyway.
Yes, we suffered a 34-3 loss against a team with a superior offense and a good defense. NO came in with an excellent game plan, and the Raiders (still a young team trying to learn) got taken advantage of. Still, there is so much about this team that is superior to the last five years (W/L record aside) we ought to be able to discuss something other than the gravely limited musings coming from the likes of Gay, Kawakami and Mortenson.
At the end of the day I'll go home to hang with my loved ones. Neither the Raiders nor Al Davis will even be mentioned. I'll miss a game here and there while out sailing with my 89-year-old dad on the weekend. The world will turn on its axis. The seasons will come and go. Birth and death will battle for dominance over the human population.
In the mean time, somebody needs to get on JaMarcus about tapping that football before he throws it.
Bland a
No one thinks they are going to change Al Davis, you think you are the only one the recognizes that? = Major ego. We all know how it worked when dysfunction was normal back in the day, we can all look back at our childhoods back then and in comparison to today, they were dysfunctional. But what most of us can figure out, except you and Gary, is that dysfunction of yesterday doesn't work today. Meanwhile, you and Gary act as if the dysfunction has no affect on the team. That we should just accept it because that is the way Al is. Sorry, some of us would like to see a successful team, this means the dysfunction HAS TO STOP before we win. You and Gary continue on about how we are close and with the next signing or coaching hire by your hero that this will get us around the corner. It is your's and Gary's inability to admit and understand that there will be no winning, that is what keeps everyone going at you 2. But then you now go to the "it's just a game" card. If that's how you feel, why even care? Why spend time on blog sites spewing your insane version of what is happening? If you don't really care, why are you on here?
JONES
Jones, I think I explained why I'm on here. It's because I enjoy talking about football. I'm not finding a lot of people here who want to talk about football. I understand that Davis is a major figure in the NFL, but he isn't "football." He's just one of the owners.
One of the things that orginally attracted me to this site was RT's riding the local press for their failure to talk about football, and to focus instead on the personality issue of Al Davis. But, sadly, it looks like the local press won - at least here.
Jones, a five year slide in the NFL is nothing unusual, no matter the make up of the front office. It happens even to teams that appear to run like clock work. You work through it, and you find your way out the other side. If the Raiders were making absolutely no attempt to improve, then I'd move on and find something else to do with my Sunday afternoons. But it looks to me like they are trying. I believe they will eventually find their way back, just like they did when they hired Gruden.
If you don't think that Tom Cable can turn things around, tell me what you think his limitations are, and why you think he can't do it. Don't tell me, simplisticly, "he's just Al's new bootlicker." If that's all you got, go find someone else to argue with.
>>>>
There is nothing angry or irrational about calling a disaster a disaster. By football standards, the Raiders are a disaster. That's not anger. That's just the facts.
>>>>
Well here we go again on this fucking merry-go-round.
I simply don't think a team that has played in a SB this decade has anything to be ashamed of.
Why?
Because there are something like 21 other teams that haven't done it.
If your memory only goes back 5 years, and you see no hope that the hard times will ever change... I'm sorry, I really don't know what the hell you are doing here. You seem miserable. I haven't seen one iota's evidence you are having any fun being a Raider fan. Gloom and doom, and pointing fingers... yippee!!
And you can't figure out why someone like me doesn't want to hitch their horse up to THAT wagon???
Sorry bubs... I still think this team isn't that bad, especially if JRuss can "get it" (which BTW was something that didn't happen to Brees until his third year in the NFL... you remember him right, the guy that drove you to near suicide this past Sunday?)
Oh, and it doesn't look like the bookies have given up on the Raiders yet.. they opened at only a 3 point dog going into the Jets.
By reading the non-Blanda posts here, one would think the spread should be 18 points.
>>>
If that's all you got, go find someone else to argue with.
>>>
I can answer this for you... that IS all he has.
And the kicker is that he actually seems to get ANGRY at anyone that hasn't given up as a "fan" yet.
This is a strange lot, I tell you.
Maybe I have to worry about my own sanity... as my friends at the bar snicker at me "He argues with bozo's about football on the INTERNET???"
Thanx for your rationality Blanda.
The RAIDERS will return to glory soon! Screw the rest of you! lol
When teams are losing, fans talk about the losing and the reasons for it. Because the Raiders have been losing at a historical rate (not just your average "slide") for six years running, Raiders fans naturally talk a lot about the losing and the reasons for the losing.
When the stock market is doing great, people talk about how great it's going and how their stocks are performing. When it goes in the dumps, people talk about what got us there and how we're going to get out of it.
It's not rocket science. Why are some of you so shocked by this phenomenon called human nature?
By the way, I'm not stopping anyone from talking about our defensive strategy against the Jets. Personally, I don't know what more could be said about our defense. Do you? I'm all ears.
How can you 2 be so out of touch with reality?
For one: The slide hasn't been a 5 year thing, this has been progressive since the mid 80's. There was A BLIP when Gruden came on board, that's when Al actually backed off for a couple years. See, this is what sucks, we seemed to see it again as he hired Kiffin. So doing the math, it looked like we were going to start uphill again, but we hit the road bump called Al Davis and it all blew up.
Now we are hitting depths we haven't felt since the late 90's but this is even much worse. So when you see over a period of time when we win and when we don't, it becomes very clear what it takes to be winners. This is why it is the most important subject when talking about the Raiders.
We can see that Al is digging in his heels trying to prove he is right. We KNOW this is a franchise killer. We know our team is either going to implode or go down in an even worse embarrassment, like the league stepping in. This is like a family member going to the nuthouse, if you keep enabling the nut, you become nutty yourself.
Maybe one day you might be able to figure it out.
Hey Gary, so you do go to the bar and cry in your beer huh. Maybe you should do what Tom Lycos says, DUMP THAT BITCH.
JONES
Historic slide huh? And do you think Drew Brees is the shit (after his QB clinic against us) and JRuss is for sure a bust?
Not so fast here... history lesson anyone?
Drew Brees was written off by SD after his THIRD year in the NFL. So much so that they drafted Rivers in the top five the following year. That would be like the Raiders using their first pick on another QB after next year... can you imagine such a thing? Can you imagine the FIELD DAY the press and the IAAFers would have if we had to draft another QB after next year??
And does anyone remember SD being the laughing stock of the NFL back then? We are talking 2003 before they bailed on Brees. They had a .500 or under team five of the previous seven years, including one 1-15 year. The best year they had in the previous NINE years before 2004 was 9-7, and they had three 8-8's in there. In contrast... in the last nine years the Raiders have been to a SB, had three near championship teams, and compiled 13, 11, and 13 win seasons. Three playoff teams in nine years... vs none in nine years... talk to me about historic "slides" again.
So lets fast forward... last night the SD Chargers humiliated the perennial powerhouse NE, and last year they made it to the AFC championship game after 12, 9, 14, and 13 win seasons.
Oh, and meanwhile, the QB they wrote off, Drew Brees, has turned into one of the top five QB's in the NFL.
The point is, things change quickly in the NFL, and nobody remembers shit about the past when someone is playing well, or when a team is playing well.
You ever hear any Charger fan now wringing their hands over the team because they sucked FOR NINE YEARS before 2004?
Nope... they are all talking shit right now.
Ever hear a NO fan talk about how horrible Brees was his first three years???
History changes quickly in the NFL RT. To pretend otherwise is disingenuous.
>>>
Jones: This is like a family member going to the nuthouse, if you keep enabling the nut, you become nutty yourself.
>>>
For some reason I doubt you would have a clue which side you would be on in this proverbial family, Jones.
Gary
Your comments are a joke, you think because the Chargers did, we can too. HELOO MCFLY..... THIS WHY WE CAN'T BE THE NEXT "EXAMPLE OF WINNING", WE HAVE AL DAVIS RUNNING THE SHOW, CASE CLOSED YOU STUPID TWIT.
Well I sure know what side of the family you are on there GARY. You and Blanda are right up there with the oleman, you have no clue what reality is = CASE CLOSED YOU TWIT
JONES
Historic: As in record setting, epic, seen once in a lifetime, you know, historic.
Such as, tying, and now clearly on the verge of setting, the NFL record for most consecutive 11 or more loss seasons, which would set a mark for futility unmatched by the lowliest franchises such as the Bengals, Lions, Cardinals, etc. at precisely the time when the league, more than ever before, is geared for parity, by a team the lives the maxim Commitment to Excellence.
Yes, historic.
Yes, Gary, the Charger fans are focused on their winning...because they've been winning. See how that works? And while they may have sucked for many years, they've never put together a streak of sub-competitive football like the one you seem to being enjoying at the moment (that's why they didn't make history).
And don't call me angry. I'm happy to face the facts.
RT: You have this knack of ignoring the championship years you just enjoyed.
Why is that?
Explain please.
Detroit, Lions, Bengals, Cards... when have they been to a SB???
When have they last had a three year championship run?
Those ARE the teams you are intent on comparing us too.. and unless Al suddenly died for three years and was resurrected after our SB visit... he WAS very instrumental in the decisions that brought us that team.
Oh wait... here comes the IAAFer logic again... Al was an ego maniac in controlling all decisions for the past 40 years EXCEPT the three years we were good recently!!
YIPPEE!!!
>>>
Yes, Gary, the Charger fans are focused on their winning...because they've been winning. See how that works?
>>>
I DO see how this works... thats how it worked for me not so long ago. I could have cared less about all the losing we did before Al put a championship team on the field not so long ago.
Apparently it is YOU with the selective amnesia.
You don't remember that at all.
A couple simple facts so we can get off this "merry go round":
The purpose for visiting a site like Raider Take is for some of the following reasons:
(1) You enjoy reading RT for his insight and thought provoking opinions.
(2) You are a Raider fan who enjoys posting comments and reading other fans comments.
(3) You enjoy talking "football".
(4) You use the comments section to vent your frustrations, voice your suppprt, or celebrate being a fan.
It is simple fan feedback. When the team plays well there are happy fans who offer up positive viewpoints and opinions. When the team plays poorly there are unhappy fans who naturally are disappointed.
When you backdrop the six seasons of really bad football, this is a trend that lends itself to discussions about what ails the franchise. It is called the "What the hell is going on here?" phenomenon.
If a fan talks about the team's lack of a GM, the current HC carousel, suspect coaching, organizational dysfunction, poor execution by the players, the six year slide ...
I would hardly call that person a "Gloom and Doomer". This fan, in my book, is a realist who is genuinely concerned about the team he loves. What is so wrong about wanting solutions and voicing your opinions about these problems?
If I was to pick the biggest problem (out of many) facing the organization, it would be without question the abscence of a capable GM.
Rectify this situation and the team can move forward. Continue to turn a blind eye to the abscence of a key cog in a franchise, and the slide will continue.
Is it a mere coincidence that the slide has ocurred during the same span of time w/o a capable GM? Does anyone honestly think Davis can handle the double duties of GM/Owner at his advanced age? Do you scratch your head when you realize that there are 32 teams in the NFL and only 1 doesn't have a GM?
I'm not suggesting that the hiring of a capable GM is a magic bullet. What I am suggesting is that a capable GM would allow the organization to make more sound football decisions, establish stability, rebuild the team, and compete.
The day I become content with back to back to back to back to back (and soon to be) to back seasons of double digit loss seasons, I will silently exit.
In the meantime, here is 1 rudimentary defensive strategy vs. the Jets offense:
On passing downs:
We all know that QBs are steering clear of throwing the ball towards Asomugha's side of the field.
Against the Jets, Ryan should use Huff & Hall in bracket coverage on the other WR. If you split the field in half (Left side Asomugha, Right Side Hall), I would venture to say that over 90% of the completed passes are thrown to the right side. On passing downs, the Raiders should "overload" this side of the field by flooding the passing zones with Morrison and Howard and force Favre to adjust by throwing to the left side of the field or forcing him to try to fit the ball into even tighter windows. We all know he is prone to throw a boneheaded INT and doesn't move as well as he did in his younger years. We need to consistently get in his face by rushing 5 men in obvious passing downs.
Gary: Will you at least admit that during the 3 year "championship" run we had a GM who helped shoulder the heavy lifting?
This 3 year run was not an accident ... we had a capable HC (Gruden), a capable GM (Allen), and a veteran QB leader (Gannon) working in conjunction with Davis.
We now have an interim HC, no GM, and a rookie QB. Fix the first 2 parts and allow Russell to develop and we have hope for another championship run. Let the HC carousel continue with no GM and the slide continues.
Gary = "I could have cared less about all the losing we did before Al put a championship team on the field not so long ago."
Those who don't know their history or don't care to recognize it, are doomed to repeat it. Gary, you really should care what the 90's were like, it gives you a picture of reality. Go ahead and deny, if that's how can cope with reality, to deny reality is to deny the TRUTH. You can't handle the truth, thus your inabilty to deal with it.
Gary, you need to look up the definition of championship as well as the definition of historic.
Yes, I loved the 2002 season and the two preceding it. But it didn't "just" happen. It happened six seasons ago, the time it takes for someone to go from the womb to kindergarten. I've been to the Coliseum a lot during those six years. I've seen tons of utterly pathetic football during that stretch. The type of football that makes history for all the wrong reasons.
Until I see tangible change to address the rather obvious root causes of our woes (poor coaching choices, erratic drafts, coaching instability, no GM, overpaying free agents with character issues, scholarships, defensive coordinators who can survive a nuclear winter, etc.), I can only assume that things won't really change. We'll win a game here and there, but will we restore the winning tradition? Not without tangible change. Tick, tock, tick, tock...
That's not ranting and raving, it's just a reasonable observation based on Einstein's definition of insanity: repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Tim Brown has come out and said that he would like to act as a liason consultant for Al Davis to help swing the Raiders back. He said he couldn't do the GM thing because he doesn't have front office experience; but would like to help him assess talent as a consultant. He said that Al has surrounded himself with people who won't tell him "no", and that Al needs the balance of someone who's not afraid of a challenge (something that BR, myself, RT, and CJ have said at one time or another). Tim believes he can be that guy. Tim, I love the idea, and I am completely down with it. I believe you can be that guy too, and I hope it works out for you. I think the team would still need a GM, but it would be a good thing for that GM to have a sensible liason between he and Al; and I think you would be a great liason. Tim even called it an "easy fix." Al, give Tim a call, and get him on board now. Rid yourself of Herrera, and bring in some sensible football people.
Then Tim goes off and rips Gannon to shreds. He said that Gannon came in with the "I hate the Raiders" mentality, and that he was hated by most everyone in the locker room. Tim also said it is not right for Gannon to take jabs at Al publicly like this, because it was Al who saved his @$$ from being pummelled by other players in the locker room because of his venom against the Raiders organization. WOW! I respect Gannon, and I loved him as a QB (even before he came to the Raiders); and I knew he was a red-ass; but I didn't know other teammates despised him and saw his act as "venom." You can read Tim's comments on Jason Jones' blog at the Sac Bee. Good stuff.
>>>>
CJ: When you backdrop the six seasons of really bad football, this is a trend that lends itself to discussions about what ails the franchise. It is called the "What the hell is going on here?" phenomenon.
>>>>
I agree with this but my point has always been... what about the championship team Al assembled right before that? If those three years weren't so burned permanently in my brain, I'd be swinging from the trees also. I'd prolly not even waste my time much with the Raiders, and certainly not in internet football forums.
>>>>
We now have an interim HC, no GM, and a rookie QB.
>>>>
My point always has been with the HC and especially the QB. I don't pay much attention to the GM aspect of this because I'm not convinced ANY of them really have much power anyway. Allen was always referred to as a "capologist" while he was with the Raiders... and I assume the Raiders already have people doing this for Al. I don't think he's sitting there with a calculator and figuring out how much cap space we can devise. The GM is prolly just a figure head in most organizations except perhaps the ones with hands-off owners. IMO, the finger pointing of no-GM is simply scape goating.
Anyone thinking Allen and Gruden had any more power over Al than anybody else does, is simply delusional... which brings me back to the "Everything is Al (except when we were good)" argument I keep seeing here. Its NUTS. Al was just as involved during the Gruden years as he is now.
>>>>
Then Tim goes off and rips Gannon to shreds.
>>>
WOW!!! THANK YOU TB!!!
I _ALWAYS_ sensed the Raiders all hated Gannon, but put up with him because he was so good.
I remember Gruden trying to deal with it when he showed tape of Gannon getting sacked and asked Gannon what was wrong with the video. Gannon of course went into details of what broke down on how his teammates screwed up... and Gruden said "NO!!!... nobody helped you up off the ground... don't you think thats a problem?"
Although Tim Brown has done his share of snibbling, kudos to him for having Als back, and I would welcome him as a role of facilitator!
Cmon Al!! Just do it!!
The more I think about TB, the more I think it could work. Let's face it, he was the ONLY recent "true" Raider that is HOF material, and we all know how much Al likes to have HOF Raiders on his staff.
THIS COULD WORK!! Especially if Al and Tim had a good relationship.
Best news I have heard in awhile!
Blanda, can I go sailing with you?
I just spent three days in the mountains. Much of that time was spent sitting next to a mountain river drinking a beer with Mrs. H sitting next to me. No telephones, no cell phones, no internet access, no human voices except those I wanted to hear and I didn’t turn on the TV except to watch a couple of SEC games in which I had little or no vested interest.
It was so quiet I had to put my hearing aids in just to hear the silence. I recommend something like that to everyone.
As far as the definition of insanity goes, I must now declare everyone on this site officially insane. For we are doing the same thing over and over, making the same arguments over and over and expecting different results.
And, maybe I am insane, because come Sunday I will be there in front of the television, beer in hand, expecting different results from the previous Sunday. Just like the last Sunday. Come next year I will plunk down my yearly renewal for Sunday Ticket (I do this only to watch the Raiders – the commute from Atlanta to Oakland is a bit tough) and begin repeating the process again.
In the interim I plan to take Al Davis at his word from the news conference. He stated he was responsible, and I believe he truly accepts responsibility for what has happened. I also believe he isn’t going to fire himself. He also said he was looking for someone to take on some of the GM responsibilities. I assume he is talking in the vein of a Bruce Allen and not a Lombardi but I don’t look for it until the end of the season. I assume he means it when he says his goal is for the Raiders to win. I assume all these things because I can only assume when I’m not a part of the process from the inside. Wish that I were.
On top of all this it only took the media rumor mongers one game. Both Bush and Fargas were to be traded before the Tuesday deadline.
Also, some of the things Tim Brown was quoted as saying on Jason Jones Blog sound vaguely familiar. Something Blanda and I have said. Al doesn’t mind someone saying “no”. It’s also something John Madden has mentioned. He said the only thing they were ever in 100% agreement on was drafting Ray Guy. Yet, all we hear, even from some on this site, is all Al wants is “yes” men.
Rumors abounded about Tim Brown and Al Davis' disagreements. And he would be traded. It only took 16 years to get Tim out the door.
H
H, anytime you make it out this way, we'll go sailing. Bring the Mrs. I'd look forward to it.
Tim Brown has always respected Al Davis, even though he hasn't always agreed with him.
Jim Harbaugh also says very loudly that if Al Davis called, he'd pick up the phone. So all this about what a good coach Harbaugh is must be crap. Obviously he's just got his nose up Al's you-know-where.
just like you blanda? :o)
Gary:
To discount the signficance and importance of a GM is rather ignorant.
Regardless of whether an owner is "hands-on", "hands-off", or somewhere in between, the GM is a key executive and vital contributor.
Name 1 successful team in the modern era where the GM wasn't instrumental in contributing to the team's success.
Name 1 Raider team that was successful without a capable GM.
That chirping sound you hear is the sound of crickets.
Calico,
Please defind "Modern Era". Blanda and I need to know how much long term memory we need to rely on.
H
H, I think to the "modern" fan the "modern era" is defined as "when I started watching football."
That's part of our problem around here. We look at the modern era as just about the time of the AFL/NFL merger. To very many others here, it's defined as post 2003 - so they believe that the Raiders have been losing throughout the modern era.
So, what have we learned. The crap from Sapp is crap from Sapp. The crap from Gannon is simply the fact that Gannon has always been a Raider Hater - even while he played here, and even though Davis gave him the chance no one else would give him.
There are some good coaches out there that would love to work for Al Davis. Tim Brown and John Madden report that Davis doesn't like yes men, but people with the guts to tell him when they think he's wrong. (Hmm, didn't somebody say that around here? Must've been my imagination.)
Davis has said very plainly that he wants to bring an executive in in the off season, but folks around here are going to sit and gripe and pretend that he never said that.
So I think my point is pretty much proven. No matter what the Raiders are doing, folks will gripe about Davis until the day he dies. Because the professional Al Davis haters all say that should be the case.
Let's talk a little football. Calico asked about our defense against NYJ.
As all of us should be perfectly aware (at least we seemed to be at the beginning of the season), we have very little depth. I agree with Davis that our starters are capable of winning, but I don't when it comes down to our backups.
Since we have insufficient backup coverage for our defense, long drives which require regular substitutions make us vulnerable. This is accentuated by the fact that Burgess will likely be out again.
Our defense, then, must attack NYJ pretty much the same way they did NO. Brees and Favre are similar in that they both make lightening quick decisions. Blitzing regularly is a big mistake. Favre can find the unprotected man and burn us on multiple occasions. The key, then, is to play to prevent big gains and game breakers, while hoping the offense sustains drives and gives the defense consistent breathers while scoring a minimum of 21 points (they will likely need 28).
The key to this game, therefore, is our offense and not our defense. And that will put the weight, again, on JaMarcus Russell's shoulders. The Jets will stuff the box, just as NO did, to minimize our running game. We will need to effectively call passing plays on 1st and 2nd downs in order to prevent 3rd and long situations.
If we follow the plan above, avoid mistakes, and play with enthusiasm, we could win this game. If the team plays a lackluster game as they did against Denver, our proverbial asses will get handed to us again.
BR, though there are statements and circulations of truth about Al Davis that quite a few of us has mentioned; it doesn't clear him of fault he's responsible for with the team's woes the last 15 years or so (minus the 3 under Gruden/Cally).
His faults, as Tim Brown put it, are an easy fix; and that is to get better "football" people around Al that aren't afraid to voice their opinion. Though Al doesn't like the "yes men", when he's surrounded by them, he certaintly does nothing to move them along.
He doesn't want thos who voice their opinion to publicly humiliate him when those opinions are in disagreement the way Kiffin did; but he wants them to have the odacity to stand up to his face and voice their opinion. Which leads to the other problem that Davis causes. In the example of why Jon Gruden left, he said, "I'm tired of proving myself to Al." Al Davis will never have enough confidence in you to just take your word for it. You have to prove to him why you want to do the things you do. We all have to prove ourselves in our line of work; which is fine. But at some point in our careers, the more we prove ourselves, the more valued our opinion becomes by our peers, supervisors, etc. Not so with Al. Your opinion has the same value regardless of how experienced you are, or how many times you've proven yourself in the past.
The only difference has been that the successful coaches, have had a successful GM behind them to help them through that process. But again, it's the same with the GM. Bruce Allen should be the one lined up to own this team when Al decides to step down (at the end of next season is my serious guess); but because he felt like Gruden, he left like Gruden.
So make no mistake, Al is certainly not to blame for every problem of the Raiders; but he is definitely not exempt from them either. Al definitely makes you earn your money and position; but you and your opinion are never good enough either, regardless of how many times you prove yourself. That is what rubs people the wrong way about Al. It's an old school mentality that still has some positive effects on some; but most want positive reinforcement to the good things they do; and in the business world the positive reinforcement is gaining the respect you earned from proving yourself. Something Al Davis simply does not give. Which in my opinion is why he hasn't found a GM that will work with him since Bruce Allen. Yes, I know some of you will mention Mike Lombardi, but Mike Lombardi never worked with Al Davis. He worked against him when things weren't the way he liked them; which is why he is not there.
BR said, "Our defense, then, must attack NYJ pretty much the same way they did NO. Brees and Favre are similar in that they both make lightening quick decisions. Blitzing regularly is a big mistake. Favre can find the unprotected man and burn us on multiple occasions. The key, then, is to play to prevent big gains and game breakers, while hoping the offense sustains drives and gives the defense consistent breathers while scoring a minimum of 21 points (they will likely need 28)."
I disagree with a few things Blanda. If we play to prevent, then we will get blown out the way we did in New Orleans. I've said it all year, the aggressor wins in this league. Favre is a big play-maker; and yes he can easily burn you the way Brees did from the pocket. But, like Brees, if you flush the stooge out of the pocket with pressure, forcing him to rid of the ball earlier or improvise his reads; he will make mistakes and be rendered ineffective. If you can't create that kind of pressure with the front 4, you create it with delayed blitzes.
I do agree, however, that our offense will be key in our defense playing this way. We have to move the ball. We have to give our defense a breather. The one thing I noticed in the first half of the NO game last week, is we were very aggressive defensively until the middle of the 3rd Quarter when our offense couldn't move the ball.
Our defense cannot play 4 Quarters of slam-bam football when we are not getting long drives out of our offense. This is where our running game was suppose to balance that. One of the things that impressed me about Cable was his talk of balance on the offensive side of the ball. Which has been something missing from this team since we went to the Bowl. But his talk turned out to be cheap this last Sunday when it was terribly unbalanced. I think he wanted to see what he had with Russell; what he could do, and what he couldn't. So I am hoping that there is more balance on offense this Sunday that will help give us long drives; which will give our defense good rest to be aggressive all game.
Just my 2 euro's.
Nate:
You said: "Which leads to the other problem that Davis causes. In the example of why Jon Gruden left, he said, "I'm tired of proving myself to Al." Al Davis will never have enough confidence in you to just take your word for it. You have to prove to him why you want to do the things you do. We all have to prove ourselves in our line of work; which is fine. But at some point in our careers, the more we prove ourselves, the more valued our opinion becomes by our peers, supervisors, etc. Not so with Al. Your opinion has the same value regardless of how experienced you are, or how many times you've proven yourself in the past."
Hmmm... No let me think. I know of a certain owner who has won 5 league championships, gone to 5 Super Bowls, won 3 Super Bowls, and a large number of divisional championships. It is said that this owner has put more players in the Hall of Fame than anyone. But not only was he a successful owner, he was also one of the most successful coaches, engineering what is still the greatest one season turn around in professional football history. He was also the first owner to employ a minority HC (twice) and hired the first female executive in league history.
Funny thing is.... He still has to prove himself to Nate.
BR-As much as those coaches, GM's, and players didn't do it on their own merit, Al Davis didn't do it alone either. He had coaches, GM's, players, and a front office that help him formulate to win those 5 League Championships, 5 Super Bowl appearances, and 3 Super Bowl wins.
The bottom line you've said is that if Al is to get all the blame for when things go wrong, he should get all the credit for when things go right.
I agree with this, but there is another side of the coin. If you are going to blame the coaches, GM's, and players for when things go wrong, then they should share the credit for the things that went right. Afterall, that is what being a TEAM is all about.
Al Davis didn't do those things on "his own." He had a supporting cast that worked with him in the capacity I talked about. What rubs people the wrong way about how he handles his business; is his inability to give respect, when respect is earned. You shouldn't have to spend your entire career proving your respectability. Al Davis is only getting a taste of his own medicine. That is a fact. You can see it from a different angle, perspective, or light; but the bottom line is that Al doesn't show others proper respect when they earned it. That is why he didn't allow Madden to stay longer, or Tom Flores to stay longer, and was quick to pull the trigger on Gruden and Allen; instead of negotiating with them.
Bottom line is, that is a huge fault of Al Davis. Yes, there are those who he respects; but the people he respects are the ones who don't care if they have to prove themselves. They accept his challenge, but that is not to say that it is taxing on them physically and mentally; which is why the Raiders (even the loyal ones) don't last very long in the organization; and are successful in other organizations. So you can throw out every single thing that Al Davis has done for this team; and you know what; you're completely right, he's done some pretty amazing things with this league and with this team. But the man is not without fault. Those are the 2 biggest, most glaring faults that he has to change in order to build upon those successes. That is where he is hurting his legacy, and his team.
You could make the case that there are 2 distinct modern eras.
The 1st would be the broader, more general modern era >>> 1970 to present; (1970 being the AFL/NFL merger.)
The 2nd would be the time frame that coincides with the beginning of free agency >>> 1989 to present; (1989 Plan B free agency)
The game has evolved, grown and in many ways become more complicated in terms of the business aspect and the organizational structure of each franchise. Certainly the role and contribution of the GM has become more important.
Nate, it's fine to disagree with me, but you don't get to rewrite history to do it.
"That is a fact. You can see it from a different angle, perspective, or light; but the bottom line is that Al doesn't show others proper respect when they earned it. That is why he didn't allow Madden to stay longer, or Tom Flores to stay longer, and was quick to pull the trigger on Gruden and Allen; instead of negotiating with them."
Davis didn't fire Madden. Madden retired because of ulcers. Davis fired Flores because his teams were going progressively down hill, and for two seasons in a row he missed the playoffs.
Davis didn't pull the trigger on Gruden, and all reports indicate that Davis and Gruden WERE in negotiations at the time Gruden was ISSUED AN OFFER FROM TB, WHICH DAVIS FORWARDED.
Nobody (at least not me) ever said that Al Davis did everything by himself. That's part of what we argue about around here, isn't it? The quality of people Al picks?
I also disagree, strongly, that Al Davis doesn't respect anyone else's accomplishments. You just made that up. I am constantly hearing Al Davis praise somebody.
Kiffin failed because for some reason he thought that he could go over Al's head to the press and never confront Al directly. Davis obviously didn't respect that (neither do I), and Kiffin paid the price.
Calico... can you even name the GM for NE, Indy, or Philly?
I can't. Maybe I don't follow NFL football as much... but I rarely hear anyone talk about them.
These are the three top W/L organizations in football.
I dunno.. you tell me?
BTW, I assume all the GM duties are shared by various top-level people in the organization right now.
I am much more interested in a liaison to help with player/coach/owner relationships than some high falutin' GM like Lombardi being another thorn in Als ass.
That man already said he wanted the job. TIM BROWN!!!
A couple of thoughts regarding the report that the Raiders were about to trade Bush to SD for a 2nd day pick.
1st off, aren't we going to a new format for the draft next season. Only the 1st round on the 1st day? That would mean that the pick could have been for a 2nd or 3rd round pick. A 2nd round pick for Bush would be a good trade in that Bush will not be a starter for us, but a utility back. A 2nd rounder for a utility back is a pretty good trade.
Beyond that, I think what likely happened is that SD called Al and offered to talk trade regarding Bush, offering a 4th rounder. Davis said no and countered with a 2nd round pick. SD stuck with their original offer, and Davis said no.
oh that would be smart! trade bush to a divisional opponent. make the already strong stronger....
what moron "wrote" this blanda?
Scopio, not surprisingly, it comes from a SD paper, but picked up by the national press.
Both JMac and Jones asked about it, and Cable said it was rediculous.
Still, the Raiders have an open door policy in regards to trades. They'll pretty much discuss trading anybody if the price is right. But giving Bush up to a division rival for even what he's worth would be stupid.
Blanda - Sorry, but I don't think more of the same game plan against the Jets is gonna get it done. And placing the burden squarely on Russell is a mistake. He is completely unprepared for that responsibility.
WRT your D strategy, you're as nuts as Rob Ryan. Coverage defense doesn't work. We've watched it fail over and over, with or without our offense running on all cylinders.
Against the Saints, our D collapsed by their second drive, so our offensive output had nothing to do with that, at least early on.
We need to create pressure to force QBs into making mistakes. I believe Kiffin understood that. He said we would win games by forcing turnovers.
Turnovers don't just happen. You have to force the other team out of their comfort zone. The Saints could not have been any more comfortable! More of the same game plan will not work against Bret Favre.
How many more blowouts will it take before some of you see Rob Ryan is not a good DC?
Regarding Rich Gannon being a "Raider-hater," I'll take 53 Rich Gannons on my team (and so would Tim Brown). The dude knew how to win. Who cares if he hated the Raiders. This is the culture that's killing us right now. Al Davis doesn't need more friends. He needs quality football players... like this kid in college that had his finger cut off so he could play his last few games uninterrupted by his injury. Holy sh*t! Sign him up.
Tyvone Branch was a Kiffin pick in the late rounds. Branch is a football player. When was the last time we picked a worth while player in the late rounds???
"Both JMac and Jones asked about (the possibility of trading Michael Bush), and Cable said it was rediculous."
Blanda - I expect Cable to be about as well-informed about this type personnel decision as Kiffin was. In other words, not at all.
Football News we can use:
"Trevor Wikre was willing to forgo a finger for football.
"The Mesa State (Colo.) College senior offensive lineman fractured his right pinkie so severely in practice on Tuesday, doctors told him he needed immediate surgery. His season and career would be finished.
Instead, Wikre told them to amputate the finger.
"I'm just short one," Wikre said with a chuckle. "But this game means that much to me. This team means that much to me."
"Football is something that's been in my blood," said Wikre..."
I defy any of you to go through our roster and identify any players you think have this kid's moxie.
Back to the Tim Brown comments... RT... wasn't one of your main bitches off season was how horrible the Raiders are in PR??? I agree... we need to get someone more media-savvy than a guy that looks like he's from the Soprano's threatening to beat up our beat reporters.
What better guy than Tim Brown? He is a respected RAIDER that also already has some media experience.
Al already said he is looking for help in the front office... so why not bring in the FACE of the Raiders instead of someone that knows nothing about Al or how to deal with him?
Like I said before... the capologists are prolly already in place in the organization. Al needs someone that isn't a yes-man that has football wits and can be a liaison between everyone in the organization... and the best thing is he would WELCOME the job!
This seems like a no-brainer to me!
NYRaider, of course you must be right. Everyone knows Davis is foolish enough to send a dangerous player to a division rival. That's why he couldn't wait to release Jordan into the hands of KC last year. Fortunately, I guess KC called him and said not to bother.
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Regarding Rich Gannon being a "Raider-hater," I'll take 53 Rich Gannons on my team (and so would Tim Brown).
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Umm no. Not at all. I would take ONE Rich Gannon on my team, and then only as QB.
53 Rich Gannons would be a clusterfuck of unimaginable proportions.
This is a team game... and there can only be one general.
NYRaider, also, please learn the difference between a "prevent" defensive scheme and a soft coverage scheme.
I also didn't say that we should never blitz. We should pick our spots. But we have to be very careful about doing it. We can't just tell the D to pin their ears back and go. DO NOT underestimate Brett Favre.
Also... Tyvone Branch?
WTF?
[shrug]
Also... Tyvone Branch?
WTF?
[shrug]
>>>
BlandaRocked said...
We can't just tell the D to pin their ears back and go. DO NOT underestimate Brett Favre.
>>>>
I think the main thing is we do little to disguise our coverages, and we don't change things up when it is obviously not working.
The last few games we have given up two critical ten minute plus drives... TEN MINUTE DRIVES. Who does this?
I think it's because we are intent on never giving up the big plays, and we never do anything unexpected.
In hindsite, I'd rather just give up the 7 on one play and get the defense of the field... in both games after the ten minute drives, we were obviously gassed and the defense fell apart. This needs to stop.
Gary, you're right, Tim Brown would be a great step in the right direction from a PR standpoint.
Anything that is a departure from the current operational M.O. would be welcome here.
My concern is that the Raiders will use lack of revenue as an excuse to leave Oakland at some point, when the team has failed to adequately perform two essential facets of NFL revenue generation: playing competitive football, if not winning football; and conducting progressive fan engagement (including PR) that maximizes income and minimizes revenue erosion during good times and bad.
I would rather see the Raiders act decisively on these fronts rather than fall into some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy that results in moving trucks.
Gary:
I can't quite figure you out sometimes. Are you implying that the role of GM isn't vital to a successful franchise? More specifically, do you really believe that the Raiders are better off without a GM? If so on either count, I've lost all hope for you.
In regards to the teams you cited, I'm pretty sure you've heard of Scott Pioli (NE)and Bill Polian (Indy) but that's besides the point.
As far as Philly goes, the GM is Tom Heckert. In Philly, Andy Reid and Heckert for all practical purposes are co Gms.
The GMs are high level executives who often times work behind the scenes ... hence the lower profile and name recognition.
Off the top of my head, these are some of the GMs who get more ink than others; Bill Parcells, Ozzie Newsom, AJ Smith, Ernie Acorsi, and of course, Scott Pioli and Bill Polian.
My point about the importance of a GM is rather simple.
There is a tangible, role filling reason that the other 31 teams have GMs ... these teams understand GMs are critical components to:
(a) providing input on the draft
(b) advisors on FA acquisitions
(c) helping to shape the selection of Head Coaches
(d) act as facilitators on trades
(e) work in conjunction with the coaching staff to acquire the types of players that will fit the system
(f) act as a advisor, moderator, and line of communication between the owner and coaching staff.
I'm not insisting that all GMs have the exact same role, authority, or impact on a team. What I'm 99.9% sure about is that $1B franchises are better off with a capable GM than without one.
Finally, who in their right mind thinks that Davis is capable of handling the double duties of Owner and GM? Don't you honestly believe Davis could use the help of a savvy football executive to lighten his load?
The NFL is a HUGE, mulit billion dollar industry that is highly competitive. Not having a GM is running a $1B franchise like a mom and pop operation. The GM is by most accounts the 2nd most important executive to an NFL franchise. How do you justify having a vacancy at GM?
Granted it will be fairly difficult for Davis to fill this vacancy. Frankly, I have no problem with Timmy Brown helping Davis in ANY capacity. Putting job titles to the side (one of Davis' known quirkiness traits), if Brown is able to help in any of (a) through (f) tasks, it is a positive.
NYR: Justin Fargas is the type of committed, passionate, team first player who gladly sacrifices his body each and every time he hits the field. Fargas is the definition of a true, modern day warrior. If the other 52 men had his attitude, courage, and passion, we would be an unbeatable team.
i respect tim brown's opinion, and believe his offer, is a great idea.
the thing about brown is, he was with the raiders for a long time. he's been through the good and the bad, so he knows what he's talking about.
he knows the difference.
the point the al davis has surrounded himself with a bunch of flunky's is not a surprise to me.
it is clear that there are many people deep within the raiders organization, that do not have the best interest of the raiders at heart.
they are there for a free lunch and an easy paycheck.
why al davis indulges these people is beyond me.
there should be a clean sweep, or purge, at raiders headquarters.
in the place of these free loaders, people like tim brown should emerge.
al new slogan should be, "keep firing baby".
BR:
In regards to the defensive stategy vs. NYJ, I think it is safe to say that our offense needs to do a better job helping the D out by (a) scoring more points (b) red zone efficiency (c) 3rd down coversion rate (d) time of possesion (e) field position.
These are a given on any given Sunday and frankly have absolutely nothing to do with "defensive strategy" whatsoever. Defensive stategy is what the D does while on the field not off the field.
It is silly to think that the D should do the same things they did against NO. Why? Because we got slaughtered. We got slaughtered because the D was confused, passive, out of position, poorly prepared, didn't provide adequate QB presssure, etc. The team gave up 34 points and that is the blueprint vs. NYJ? Giving Favre a predictable, comfortable environment to survey the field and pick us apart is lunacy.
QB pressure, QB knockdowns, QB hurries, QB sacks is priority #1 vs. Favre. These are the types of plays that lead to INTs, fumbles, sacks, game changing, impact plays.
Putting an extra emphasis on defending the pass on the side of the field where Hall resides is an obvious adjustment that needs to be made. Disguising coverages, using different players to blitz from different angles of the field needs to be implemented. When it is 3rd and 7 (or longer) the team needs to find a way to make a play to get off the F'N field.
Employing the same defensive strategy as we did in NO is the equivalent of watching a Chinese water torture ... a slow, painful, and certain death.
CJ: So do you think that Al is doing everything a GM normally would do by himself right now or something?
I'm pretty sure he is delegating different tasks to various people.
I know this is frustrating because then you don't have any single person to point fingers at for all the problems (as if that wouldn't fall on Al anyway). I'm sure it would make a lot of Raider fans happy if we had a Matt Millen to be the sacrificial lamb for this situation... but seriously. The buck always stops at Al anyway.
Most city's have a mayor and a large group of councilmen, fer instance. Does this mean they should all switch to mayor, and then vice-mayor (GM) or the entire city will suddenly fall apart in Calico-Jack world?
And pardon me.. I have never heard of any of the three GM's I asked you to name. I'd bet good money most NFL fans would fail that contest. Are you sure you didn't just look it up?
I think an easier solution is Al taking up TB on his offer to help out... and leave the sacrificial lambs from outside the organization to the Detroit's of the NFL. We might end up with another Lambardi.
Blanda, regarding your 5:17 post, I was merely suggesting Cable wouldn't know about a trade until it’s done... and obviously it would never be SD, KC or Denver as long is Al Davis is alive.
Part 2... Releasing Jordan last year - to whomever - would have allowed us to activate Michael Bush. So we keep Jordan away from KC and win a total of 4 games while stalling Bush's development. This is exactly the kind of executive decision process that is killing us.
And I never said anything about prevent D. You said, and I quote, “our defense, then, must attack NYJ pretty much the same way they did NO.”
Fine. You should expect the same results.
Gary said: “In (hindsight), I'd rather just give up the 7 on one play and get the defense (off) the field....”
Gary, do you think when you write, or do you just write? Now, we should intentionally give up TDs? How can that possibly help us? Sure, let’s run up the score for the other team.
Seems to me, the more transparency we see in the Raiders (aided by Al Davis’ revealing press conference), the weaker the status-quo (a/k/a Davis-supporter) arguments.
Calico Jack - If I was to take one item from your GM duties list that I feel we are most deficient, beside obvious communication breakdowns, I would say item (e) work in conjunction with the coaching staff to acquire the types of players that will fit the system. IMO, this was probably Kiffin’s biggest struggle.
BTW, I agree about Fargas, but what about the other 52 players? I’m not saying we have a team of bums, but Davis definitely should have let Walker retire. That would have been a positive start.
With Kiffin gone, we should expect the locker room to regress (with guys like DeAngelo Hall as leaders), particularly if Cable is not given a permanent post at HC.
I"M IN! Finally signed up, got a handle.
Considered "Bucket Of Truth", but felt it needed to be a bit more raider-esque.
FYI, that was my post about Russell patting the ball on every pass, not sure who that ANO that claimed it was (not that it matters).
I've been trolling and posting ANO on this board for several years not, had started with "BamaRaider", but cancelled that because everyone calls Bama7 'Bama', didn't want to tread on that.
Gary:
Yes. I do think Al is doing the bulk of the responsibilities that typically fall on the shoulders of a GM.
I'm just curious Gary. What GM type responsibility do you think Al is delegating? Who is Al delegating this GM type task to?
It is frustrating because a GM could really help Al out and more importantly get us on the right track and operating like a 21st century, $1B franchise. You are correct ... the ultimate buck does stop at Al.
When the team succeeds, Al naturally deserves his fair share of the credit. Credit for the executive decisions made, the HC he selected, the players he drafted, the players he picked up in free agency. When the team fails, Al naturally gets his fair share of the blame.
How does the GM fit into this equation? The GM is a sounding board for the owner, another opinion, a reality check, an additional resource of football knowledge. The final decision and authority will always rest on Al's shoulders.
When the Pats won multiple SBs this decade did you see or hear from Pioli? Of course not. You saw Kraft,Belicik, and Brady. Was Pioli instrumental in the team getting the SB rings? You bet. While the general public might not know or care about Pioli, the majority of folks in the industry (owners, coaches, players, media, other GMs etc) know full well that Pioli played a very significant role in the Pats success.
Comparing the organizational structure and hierarchy of a city government entity to an NFL franchise is complete nonsense.
I would LOVE to see Al take up TB on his offer to help the organization out. TB would be someone Al could trust but at the same time, TB would give Al the unfiltered truth.
OK, to the point.
BUSH: NO WAY Al considered trading him to SD.
KEEP HIM! He's not just a utility back, he is an insurance policy and a blue-chipper at that.
Pinkies: Well, that really only applies to defensive players and linemen. Nobody that has to carry the ball should do that.
NFL players can usually live to fight another day.
This guy had one year of football left probably for his entire life.
Pinky finger VS 1 more year of ball.... I think more people would loose the pinky than most would think.
I want me some NAPO!
Am I the only one who thinks we need to snatch up Napo ASAP?
Anyone know how to check the current waiver order? Just curious who ahead of us might be interested.
Scares me that Herm let him go, but if he still has the same skills as when we traded him, I would love to see him in the middle and Thomas/Howard on the outsides. Sure he's not going to cover as well, but he was a BEAST against the run. It would be some sort of closure on the 'Randy Years', especialy if he's still got it (napo that is)
If I might, I would like to move away from winning/losing and trades for just a moment.
Nnamdi Asomugha is a credit to our organization and makes me proud to be a fan. I say this with all sincerity, God Bless Him.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page
2/story?page=clemmons/081014
&sportCat=nfl
CJ's statement referring to hire of a qualified GM, "The final decision and authority will always rest on Al's shoulders."
Arguably, this is why it would never work. We seem to be stuck in neutral and just grinding our gears.
Even if we could get a qualified GM, he may end up nothing more than a figurehead. It all depends on the degree of authority Al Davis is willing to allow.
According to D. White, "Eugene and Huff split snaps at free safety at practice Wednesday."
Michael Huff is officially a bust.
Tim Brown could help in PR. He's also a sanppier dresser than John Herrera.
H
nyraider on a GM
I disagree with this analysis that hiring a GM won't work.
If you look at all the great years the Raiders have had, all came when Davis had a strong GM between himself and the head coach.
Ron Wolf and Bruce Allen were those guys. Wolf from late 60's thru mid 70's, and again from late 70's thru around 1990.
Allen was in place for the Raiders recent AFC West runs.
Davis hasn't lost it. He never had it in the way he gets credit for.
Davis is the visionary. But he has always needed an implementor to drive his teams to success. Much like Bill Gates needs a Steve Ballmer to run Microsoft, Davis needs that strong number 2 guy to put the pieces in place.
Until Davis brings in that type of guy, Raiders fans are doomed to years of continued mediocrity.
tinfoil - I was kind of hedging my position, suggesting it may not work. Your point is well taken, though, and it has worked in the past. The question remains, will Davis find somebody that A) he trusts and B) can bridge the cap between the owner and head coach the way some of his predecessors were able to.
It just seems like a lot of "ifs," the number one being, if Davis actually hires a GM in the off-season.
When Davis talked about a suspect across the bay as a possible GM candidate, he didn't identify who it was. The immediate assumption was that it must be someone who currently occupies a GM position, has occupied a GM position, or someone with the pedigree to become a GM in the NFL.
I got to thinking that maybe that person remains unidentified. Davis would never tamper with a contract, so he can't be talking to someone who occupies such a position (or who is currently under an NFL contract at another position). If there is no tampering issue, then there is no concern about revealing the identity of the person.
Unless... That person holds a position of authority which could be undermined with news that he may be on his way out.
I think I may have a suspect, and it could be someone who is well known both locally and nationally. It is someone who you might initially expect to get interviewed for the HC position.
I'm thinking that just maybe it might be Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh has risen to be the HC at Stanford through his determination to learn every facet of the game of football. He's been a player, a scout, a position coach, and now a Head Coach with Stanford. He took that job while some were considering him for HC in the NFL.
He knows the pros, he knows college athletes, and he knows the coaches. He has high ambitions. We also have the recent comments from him saying that he still talks to Davis on a regular basis, and that if Al needed him for something, he'd definitely answer the phone.
It's just a guess, but it makes sense to me.
>>>
Gary, do you think when you write, or do you just write? Now, we should intentionally give up TDs? How can that possibly help us? Sure, let’s run up the score for the other team.
>>>
Ahhh so you are on record for saying football teams are better off giving up 12 minute drives for 7 points, instead of a one play drive for 7 points.
Gotcha shooter!
Calico... you are dealing in a "magic wand" type of thinking here. Do I think if I had a magic wand and we could hire a top-notch GM that Al would magically delegate all his authority to, the team would be much better off??? YES!!! However I don't have a magic wand, thus I would prefer the alternative. Al is calling most of the shots but he needs someone like TB that isn't a yes-man to challenge him.
Jeesh.
Gary:
It's funny because you never answer any of my questions where I want your honest opinion. I don't need to persuade you. I don't need to agree with you. But would it kill you to ocassionally answer some of these relevant, pertinent questions such as:
(1) Is it a mere coincidence that the slide has ocurred during the same span of time w/o a capable GM?
(2) Does anyone honestly think Davis can handle the double duties of GM/Owner at his advanced age?
(3) Do you scratch your head when you realize that there are 32 teams in the NFL and only 1 doesn't have a GM?
(4) Name 1 successful team in the modern era where the GM wasn't instrumental in contributing to the team's success.
(5) Name 1 Raider team that was successful without a capable GM.
(6) What GM type responsibility do you think Al is delegating?
(7) Who specifically is Al delegating this GM type task to?
As far as your comment of:
"Do I think if I had a magic wand and we could hire a top-notch GM that Al would magically delegate all his authority to, the team would be much better off??? YES!!! However I don't have a magic wand, thus I would prefer the alternative. Al is calling most of the shots but he needs someone like TB that isn't a yes-man to challenge him."
First off, never did I say that Al would delegate ALL of his authority to a GM. I'm not stupid. I said "I'm not insisting that all GMs have the exact same role, authority, or impact on a team. What I'm 99.9% sure about is that $1B franchises are better off with a capable GM than without one."
What I was trying to imply is that a GM would be an advisor, a sounding board, a resource etc for Al's final decisions.
I agree that TB as a "football consultant" would be a step in the right direction.
BR threw out the name Harbaugh who has a positive, long term relationship with Al as a potential candidate. Another long shot would be old man Madden. As GM of Oakland, Madden wouldn't have too travel across the country on his bus and miss some much time with his family. He is a part of Al's inner circle of friends and has extensive football knowledge. Adding Madden as GM would be reenergize the Raider Nation.
Ok CJ... I apologize. I do sometimes get too focused on winning my point than addressing other points.. my bad.
I think we can maybe both agree there is common ground that the best teams Al has fielded were with the following combination: A great HC, a decent GM, and Al. The HC part of this is the no-brainer... and Al has always been the constant, so what does that leave? The GM. I think without a competent GM, Al is left too much to his own devises and the riverboat gambler in him rears too much of its ugly head.
Would Gruden, Flores, or Madden have allowed Al to bring in Moss when the team wasn't any better than the Vikings, and had so many other holes to fill? Would a competent GM allow it? I don't think so. Would a competent GM allow Kiffin (or Al) to bring in Hall and Walker this season? I don't think so. I guess we shouldn't blame a coach without any foresight or care about the Raiders in general... why wouldn't he sign off on bringing in high dollar players when his only objective is to get a better job after he leaves?? That's basically all we have been stuck with besides Shell... and he was last resort. I guess that's one thing I already like about Cable, he seems to at least enjoy being a Raider.
I guess the point is Al needs a coach and a GM that he can TRUST and that will also reign in his wildness at times.
I'm not sure at this point in Al's career (especially after being burned by Lombardi) that he would do well with any outsider. That is why TB, with his 16 years of dealing with Al, makes more sense than bringing in anyone else at this time to me.
The kicker is that TB might have already screwed the pooch by approaching the media with the idea instead of Al himself. We all know how endeared Al is with the media.
It is really hard. And the Jets are coming up. Good luck, boys. Found some cool widgets at statbeast.com. Check it there.
Gary said: "Ahhh so you are on record for saying football teams are better off giving up 12 minute drives for 7 points, instead of a one play drive for 7 points."
I can't believe we are even going down this road. So instead of coaching your team to make a stop on 3rd down, you just open the flood gates and allow the other team to score at will? Truly amazing.
That strategy trumps even Rob Ryan's prevent defense. With you as DC we will go from winning 4 games a year to zero.
How exactly do you suggest we structure that play? Does the whole D just drop down on the field? Do we leave one player wide open and say it was a mistake? What's the play look like where we intentionally let them score?
NY... If you had a CHOICE between two bad situations, are you HONESTLY trying to tell us you would rather give up a 12 minute drive for 7 points, over a one play drive for 7 points? Cmon dude... nobody is this obtuse. I am not saying I want to give up ANY points here... or that a coach should TRY to give up points. I was simply making the point that the two 10 plus minute drives KILLED us. Both times it happened the team fell apart after it. Both times we were playing pretty even against both Buffalo, and NO's. The defense in both games suddenly fell apart after those two drives... do you think its a coincidence or something? I am simply pointing out defenses cannot stay on the field all day and expect to win. Getting it yet? Is this not football 101??
I am simply pointing out the "bend but not break" defense is not working. I'd prefer a more aggressive defense that we see from all the playoff teams.... do you get it NOW, or do I need to type slower?
JFC.
I agree Gary. I wish TB would have reached out to Al in private instead of through the press. Apparently, TB will see Al tomorrow at a Gene Upshaw celebration/function. I am hopeful that Al will at least give TB a trial run ... there is no downside.
As far as the Raiders go, I have a slightly different & expanded view about the Raiders best teams.
The formula has been:
(1) Al + (2) Above avg HC with tenure (Madden, Flores, Shell I, Gruden) + (3) Above avg. QB with strong leadership skills (Stabler, Plunkett, Hoss, Gannon) + (4) Above avg. GM (Wolf, Allen)
Calico, I can't disagree with a word of that.
Gary said: “I am not saying I want to give up ANY points here... or that a coach should TRY to give up points.”
No, Gary, that’s exactly what you said and that is what I responded to.
You said, “In hindsight, I'd rather just give up the 7 on one play and get the defense off the field...”
The key words being “give up.” That’s what you should do with this exchange, give up. It’s going nowhere!
And you meant to say, the D was playing pretty good against Buffalo and SD, not NO. Against the Saints, our D went flat after the first series. In some backwards order of things, we are regressing, not getting better.
I certainly can't see how giving up quick scores will help.
NY: you are purposely (and childishly) taking my comment out of context for some reason. I was clearly talking about the ten minute drives we had BEFORE I made that comment.
In the NO's game we had one three and out and then the 86 yard, 18 play (say that again EIGHTEEN PLAY) 10:44 drive... and it was all downhill from then.
Against Buffalo, the Raiders were leading 16 to 7 and had two three and outs, and one 6 and out before the 90 yard, 15 play (say that again FIFTEEN PLAY) drive that ate up 8:55... and it was all downhill from there again.
Total those two drives up the defense was on the field for 20 minutes and played defense for 33 plays.
Thirty three offensive plays is what most teams have in 2 quarters of football.. let alone TWO FRIGGING DRIVES... and you don't see a problem with this or something???
Please.
a Gm ? a Gm ??
what good will it do to drop a Gm into the middle of all the dysfunction ?
the raiders need to purge the lapdogs that surround al davis and are dragging the whole organization down.
how many super bowls have we won since amy trask's been here ? and all the other lifetimers who have a hand in every al davis pocket ?
the answer....ZERO.
i'm soooooo tired of hearing al davis going around saying "i can't let a guy go. it's so hard for me to fire someone. whaaaaaaa, it hurts so bad".
al please, stop being such a wimp and firing the wrong people(your Hc's), and get a backbone, drop kick the hangers on out of raider headquarters, and then, hire a Gm to help turn things right.
otherwise, the Gm would just become another arm of the dysfunction.
Obviously there's a problem with that, Gary. The simple answer is learn to play defense and not give up any points.
I can't stand our read and react defensive scheme (a special shout out thank you to Rob Ryan). That's why our D spends so much time on the field.
As Tom Cable said after the Saints game, our D is the nail for the other teams’ hammer. And he’s putting it gently.
We don't have to blitz all the time, but can't we even disguise some of our coverages? Playing against the Raiders has to be an NFL QBs dream. Brett Favre is silently licking his chops.
The way the Raiders have played on D, maybe Brett Favre doesn’t need to make the trip to Oakland. We can just spot him 30 points. Then, let our offense have about 25 minutes against their D and see what happens..... lol.
Schilens to start for Curry. This is a good move by Cable. Curry has dropped way too many passes.
Schilens is a big guy, at about 6'4", 225 lbs.
From J-McDonald's blog... When asked what attribute Schilens has he likes, Cable said, “I think his competitiveness for the football when it’s in the air. You look at a couple of the plays he’s made, some tough catches, having to get it in traffic, or having to get a high ball up in the air. Something that maybe wasn’t quite on target, he’s been able to go get those things out of the air, and the fact that he’s really starting to develop. And it shows every day at practice.”
Nyraider,
i agree with you about shillens starting being a good move.
shillens has played well from pre season til now, and deserves a real shot.
shillens was also a 7th round pick a could end up being a steal.
i wonder if we'll find these gems again without kiffin around.
kiffin, afterall, did have a good grasp of the college talent available.
Giving Schillens and Eugene opportunities to start sends an important message to Curry & Huff ... you need to earn your way on to the field. This should light a fire under Curry & Huff who more than likely will still get a fair number of reps. vs NYJ.
What they do with fewer reps. will determine if their playing time is increased or decreased.
Well, in less than 48 hours I will be boarding a plane with my 12 year nephew to Oakland. This is the 4th consecutive year I've taken my nephew and he has yet to witness a "W".
2 roundtrip tickets: $330
Bart Express tickets: $8
2 Tickets from StubHub: $290
1 game program: $10
Beer, sodas, food: $35
Souveniers for Nephew: $50
Total Cost for game day: $723
A Raider victory: PRICELESS!
Enjoy weekend fellas. CJ ;)
Except for the plane cost (I drove), that's about what I paid to go to Buffalo and see the Raiders give away a sure victory.
Enjoy your trip! Go Raiders!
Sounds to me like Cable has figured out that JRuss is not the most accurate of passers (hopefully... YET) and is simply putting the players on the field that have the best chance to come up with crappy passes. It almost seems like our receivers seem surprised by the pace of the ball at all times. I don't know if its because the game pace is is different than Jruss's practice pace, or he simply doesn't throw a consistent enough ball for anyone to gain any confidence or continuity.
I can't believe that Curry has suddenly went from never dropping ANY balls to dropping everything in two years. Thats something you rarely see in the NFL. Hands are not something that can be taught, you either have them or you don't. So how does one lose them??
I don't think Curry has "bad hands". In the previous 5 seasons, Curry was our most reliable pass catcher. I'm not making excuses for Curry's drops this year.
However, I still believe in the guy. As the #3 slot WR I think he will find his comfort zone and get back on track.
Shilens is an ideal WR for Russell based on his size, leaping ability, and aggressiveness to the ball.
Gary said, "Sounds to me like Cable has figured out that JRuss is not the most accurate of passers (hopefully... YET) and is simply putting the players on the field that have the best chance to come up with crappy passes. It almost seems like our receivers seem surprised by the pace of the ball at all times."
I disagree Gary. I think Cable found out that JRuss wasn't as far along in the process as Kiffin made it sound. I don't think he was ready for most of the plays ran in NO, and didn't know where the routes of his check downs were moving on the field (which is why he overthrew Chaz). A QB's ability to lead the team is for him to know where the WR's routes are. I don't think JRuss knew that on most of those plays; which is why Cable said, "He's still in the developmental stage" on Monday.
Some perspective on rookie QBs:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_10757409?source=most_viewed
love / hate relationship haiku
Lot's of hatin goes
On in forums like this one.
But games still sell out.
Hopeful again haiku:
In my pickem pool
I pick the Raiders weekly
Once again hopeful
Ode to Touchdowns Haiku:
Oh, how I miss you.
Crucial to winning. Without
you we'll surely lose.
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