Five Postgame Takes
1. Three cheers to "the Sparano effect." For at least one week, burying the football on the Dennis Allen era seemed to put some pep in the Raiders' step. Brick hands and defensive breakdowns remain an issue, but at least there was some competitive energy yesterday.
2. Five dropped passes...in the first half.
3. Is it just me, or does it seem like once or twice per year, Darren McFadden just turns it on and runs like a mad beast, seemingly out of nowhere?
4. How about Derek Carr? He looked decisive and in command for most of the day. He seems to have "it." And if that's the case, we're in new territory at the quarterback position.
5. The notion that this is some sort of moral victory doesn't fly. The Raiders are now 0-5. Don't celebrate too hard just because we finally looked like a football team. That is a pathetically low bar. After three years, another full draft and $60 million to spend in the offseason, Reggie McKenzie's roster should be routinely competitive. That should be the base default expectation, not something to get giddy about.
2. Five dropped passes...in the first half.
3. Is it just me, or does it seem like once or twice per year, Darren McFadden just turns it on and runs like a mad beast, seemingly out of nowhere?
4. How about Derek Carr? He looked decisive and in command for most of the day. He seems to have "it." And if that's the case, we're in new territory at the quarterback position.
5. The notion that this is some sort of moral victory doesn't fly. The Raiders are now 0-5. Don't celebrate too hard just because we finally looked like a football team. That is a pathetically low bar. After three years, another full draft and $60 million to spend in the offseason, Reggie McKenzie's roster should be routinely competitive. That should be the base default expectation, not something to get giddy about.
posted by Raider Take at 7:40 AM
44 Comments:
Exactly. Raiders definitely had some pep Sunday, and guys like Carr, McFadden and TJ Carrie played at a high level (expected of every player). But nothing has really changed. This team is a long way from being where it should be three years post AL.
It's certainly not time to celebrate!
No it isn't, there are no shortcuts. It is time to celebrate, the team looked much improved and the Raiders have a STUD QB...when is the last time we could say that? But keep whining, you are gaining quite a reputation for yourself.
> Is it just me, or does it seem like once or twice per year, Darren McFadden just turns it on and runs like a mad beast, seemingly out of nowhere?
Not out of nowhere. He was put in position by Sparano and (finally) Olson to do so. They called the runs DMC likes and has success with. It's called using the talent you have and maximise its potential.
This just shows what a horrible job Dennis Allen has been doing. He not only misjudged the potential of Carr, he also regularly let DMC run against a brickwall (or told Olson to do just that).
2 years and 4 games wasted.
No, it wasn't wasted, just a stepping stone to where it needs to go. Reggie lived up to his word, gave Allen a chance with a decent roster...he couldn't cut it. Time to move forward, no shortcuts.
Yes it is time to celebrate, as time moves on, this team is taking the steps it needs to take to become a good team again. Franchise QB and a core of youth for the future. Keep adding the pieces and this team will be a contender in the near future. But hey, get Reggie to hire Hue back, right?
It's amazing how low the bar is now after this loss.
McKenzie continues to prove he is over his head. He had plenty of resources and couldn't field a good team. Now, he still can't pull the trigger and fire Tarver... with whom the Raiders badly need to part ways.
He blew the HC hire, which was in NO WAY intended to be a stopgap measure because, if it was, why wouldn't he hire someone with experience...? Like Sparano.
There's not much to cling to when your HC is fired 4 games into a season. I've said over and over, Derek Carr is the Raiders only hope right now.
how low the bar is? it's reality, you just can't grasp it, because???? Carr is the franchise now and he will be the team leader going forward...that alone is huge progress.
So many holes in the roster and you expected them to be filled out through FA's? Reggie didn't have the pick of the litter in FA's, and how many did he have to sign to fill out the roster?
When you can understand the process, then you can make a logical observation. Keep going, you are just making yourself more fringe by the day.
I agree. Mistakes are part of reality. McKenzie has made more than his share. If he can learn from them and make this team better then he may have a fighting chance to keep his job next year. Otherwise, he deserves to be fired.
That's the reality of the situation!
If he retains Tarver and the defense continues to play the way it has, that should be enough cause for Mark to dust off the overhead projector.
PS nothing fringe about wanting to see sustained positive results.
But here we are, only two losses away from being 0-16 = a full season. Even with what appears to be a franchise QB in the making (Mark Davis's pick), the 2014 team can't even hit the low water mark from the first two years after McKenzie took over.
Of course the team will be a contender in the future. The question is, how long will it take, and what's an acceptable time period for getting there?
In the parity era, it's almost impossible to do what the Raiders have done.
There is nowhere to go but up. So if/when you start going up, that doesn't automatically make you a genius, or even a great GM.
There is not a single person out there--including you, Reggie, Mark, or anyone else in NFL circles or punditry--who would have posited back in 2012 that an acceptable plan would include being 0-5 to start off the 2014 season.
That doesn't mean Reggie should necessarily be fired. But it means that the hot seat is well deserved, and it's up to him to cool it down.
I agree with Anonymous. Reggie did what we all screamed at Al to do: give his coaches time to work. Dennis Allen wasn't the answer and perhaps Reggie would've been better off getting a new coach before this season, but again, he did what good employers do: keep faith in your own hires. As fans, it's hard for us to take, especially after those long twilight Al years.
This week showed what Dennis Allen couldn't grasp: offensive planning. I always thought that of all moves Reggie did wrong, the most egregious was to get a defensive minded coach. He needed to get an offensive minded coach because def. minded coaches aren't thinking to go downhill.
While a win would've been good, this week's performance was good enough to keep my attention for another few weeks. It sure seems like this game whetted some appetites on the team.
LGR
It will take as long as it takes. Why does there have to be a time period? As long as it moves forward, then it' all good.
It took a big leap yesterday and has a good chance to continue.
CONTEXT, does it ever enter your mind? Do you have any ability to reason? It has to be built in steps, they are taking those steps and the only time table is it's own working itself out.
You cried about a QB, he got you one, a real good one. You wanted a better HC, he got you one, one that knows how to coach a team out of a DA funk. The OC has been allowed to open it up, you asked for it, Sparano gave it. The O-line is looking good and can be for years to come...you asked for it...come on, do all you see is black?
There are good things and Reggie is pulling it together...and you want him fired? Like I have wrote so many times....you don't know what you are looking at. So when you write an 'article', you aren't much better than that 'Agent' article you supplied from SEEBS if at all. You are limited in what you can see, so you don't know what you are looking at. Thanks for your effort though.
Who Cares How Long It Takes.
The new motto of the Oakland Raiders.
There is not a single person out there--including you, Reggie, Mark, or anyone else in NFL circles or punditry--who would have posited back in 2012 that an acceptable plan would include being 0-5 to start off the 2014 season.
That doesn't mean Reggie should necessarily be fired. But it means that the hot seat is well deserved, and it's up to him to cool it down.
That's a good question. How long should it take?
The destruction phase lasted three full off-seasons, and we still need an entire roster makeover, a new HC and full compliment of coordinators and assistants.
Should we write-off next year too for the sake of progress?
Raider Take
Agree completely on point 5. How sad it is that Raider fans are happy today because we did not get blown out. Oh have times changed.
NY you are right Reggie has had plenty of time to make a difference in acquiring talent and he has not. The D-line was completely retooled and is worse than last year. He has not made one quality FA signing in 3 years with the possible exception of Roach.
Last year's draft was horrendous.
This year let's give credit that Carr landed in their lap as he looks like he may be the long term answer at QB and Jackson seems like a half decent starter so far. The rest of the class the jury is still out on. Mack looks promising but I will wait till he makes at least one impact play before saying he is Vonn Miller.
Bottom line is that there will be huge roster turn over next year again which probably means another crap season.
Sorry Reggie needs to go. 3 years of being one of the 3 worst teams in the NFL is not progress no matter where the team was when he started. If memory serves me correct they were 8-8
I refuse to find solace in good effort or close games. I could have dealt with that in year 2 but year 3 it must be wins. I think everyone who comments here was saying that last year
Sandy
"Who Cares How Long It Takes.The new motto of the Oakland Raiders"
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Correction RT. That would be, the Oakland "Waiters".
you guys miss the whole point...we have what it takes, we have the GM, we have an influx of youth, we have the star QB....and you guys are still bitching about a timeline...no wonder I left this place....it's covered with dipshits.
That's what fans do. They turn up the heat when the job isn't getting done, or isn't done up to speed.
It's always been that way, always will.
DA wasn't up to speed, now he's gone. Was I wrong about that?
Reggie hasn't been up to speed, he's deserved the heat, but he may be accelerating himself and cooling the seat, we shall see.
But for now, he's in a hot seat of his own making, not mine.
Good grief.....Jones is back and he's changed his name to Anonymous.
We are allowed our opinion, and the name calling is childish.
Take, you run the best blog in Raider Nation.
I'm going to ignore this clueless, classless putz.
Tinfoil
Thanks tinfoil.
"We are allowed our opinion, and the name calling is childish.".... and then.....
"I'm going to ignore this clueless, classless putz"
you see what the clientele is here? DIPSHITS.
time will tell...I will come back when it's time to tell you I told you so.
It's too late to say I told you so. It's bound to get better as there's nowhere to go but up, but that doesn't excuse the snail pace to date
no, it's going to work out the way I wrote it would, when it becomes obvious, to even you and your minions, I will come back and say SEE, it just had to play out.
Never seen before in the history of pro sports...how do you put a timeline on that?
Knock, knock?
Who's there?
Owen!
Owen who?
Owen 5 Raiders!
That is the horrendous reality of our team right now. Will it get better? Yes, the pendulum will swing the other way. But when? How long will it take? Those are the concerns. We were all told that we had the pieces in place, but the "I told you so" are from those who asked, "What about the WRs, what about the pass rush and DBs?" We were hopeful and skeptical coming into the season; and now we are sour.
The organization has to change before the football team changes. The owner and GM's philosophy needs to be revamped, and they need to act in a sense of urgency, and not complacency to "sit and wait, be patient" for the changes to occur. This is a game where aggression wins; and quite frankly, the Raiders are not aggressive in the offseason in free agency, nor are they aggressive on the field. Because the attitude of the front office is passive.
That's the problem that has, and is currently plaguing the Raiders.
Jones just out of curiosity and I asked you this question last year. I asked you how many years are you willing to give DA and Reggie with a loosing record. You refused to answer.
You have conveniently sold out DA as of late but what about your buddy Reggie.
It seems like your at 3 in terms of a free pass and counting. 4 anyone 4 anyone. LOL
Good comment Raider Nate, Reggie has completely ignored WRs and his bargain bin shopping for CBs is a joke. Oh wait I forgot he was using all his resources to put together that awesome run stopping force that is our D-Line
Sandy
The questions that I have;
Will the Raiders continue to show improvement under Sparano's leadership?
Will there be sustained improvement that leads to 4, 5, 6 wins?
Far too late and not possible to add talent to the roster until next offseason but will the existing roster be coached up enough where there will be more key pieces to bring forward into 2015?
As far as a "time-line" to expect better ... that started on Sunday vs. the Chargers and carries forward each week. In my view, it isn't a season by season question but a day by day, week by week proposition.
When you are 0-5, there needs to be a STRONG urgency to get your first win and than build the level of performance where there is noticeable sustained improvement and consistency.
Mark Davis has Reggie McKenzie under a microscope and McKenzie has Sparano under his microscope, and Tarver is under everyone's microscope, and so on and so forth.
Not a lot of stability in Oakland right now. Everything is fluid. (But, hey, we're told it's all part of the master plan.)
DJ Hayden is eligible to come back. Can this kid finally make sense of Reggie's bizzare draft pick?
Some roster moves that need to happen is first at the WR position. Brice Butler and Andre Holmes should be the only two that stay. But we need some play makers, and a #1 WR (Jeremy Maclin, Michael Crabtree, Dez Bryant, Torrey Smith).
The next position would be RB. Latavius Murray will be okay, but Maurice Jones-Drew and McFadden should not be back. If Ray Rice is allowed back in the League, I would sign him with the condition of marital counseling and anger management. He's better than MJD and DM. Just my opinion. If not Rice, then Knowshon Moreno, Roy Helu, Kendall Hunter, or Justin Forsett. We could even draft Todd Gurley, Ameer Adbullah, Javorius Allen, or Melvin Gordon
Raiders still need push on the D-line, A good pass rusher (Cliff Avril, Fili Moala) and one good DT would suffice (Nick Fairley, Terrence Cody, or Gerald McCoy). We could draft Malcom Brown (UT) Also a little better LB help (Rey Maualuga, Brandon Spikes, or Brian Arakpo), and DB (Walter Thurmond, Darrelle Revis, Kareem Jackson, or Darius Butler). If Hayden cannot get back on the field, cut him. Go get someone worth having on the team. Show us that you are willing to do anything to win. All of these players mentioned are free agents or available in the draft this next offseason, and the Raiders have the money to get who they want. Reggie it's time to build a champion, and we don't have to wait "years" to do it. Especially if the Raiders use this opportunity to bring in a proven Head Coach and staff.
JUST PROVE IT, BABY!
After making his disdain for the Raiders publicly known before being drafted, Michael Crabtree would probably quit football before becoming a Raider.
Just a thought.
Corkran posted that the Raiders have 5 sacks through 5 games... but had 13 sacks at this time last year. Mack, Tuck and Woodley have one sack between them.
Wow!
Arians said "it was not his best game" for left tackle Jared Veldheer. "(Brian) Orakpo was getting him pretty good and he lost his technique," he said.
It happens. He'll probably get back on track against the Raiders.
Wishful thinking.
There’s no epiphany here. If Sparano is the guy, why wasn’t he hired as HC instead of O-line coach three years ago?
McKenzie and Davis both stated they will be looking for a new HC. I wanted Sparano to replace Allen as interim coach but he needs a miracle... and presumably so does McKenzie. This whole thing could get blown up again.
Jones you continue to write-off mistakes like it was part of a plan.
Meanwhile Tom Telesco (2nd year GM in SD) and John Elway look like geniuses compared to McKenzie. Telesco rebuilt SD's D with less resources than McKenzie had. McKenzie has placed maybe 70-80 percent of his resources into a terrible defense that just keeps getting worse from year to year.
Something has to give because time has got to be running out.
Jones is the leader of the "New Crew". Oh well, one rule for him.... Ironic isn't it?
Frkyraider
"Mack, Tuck and Woodley have one sack between them"
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Khalil Mack had 2 whole tackles in SD game.
For that kind of low production. Raiders could have resigned Rolando McClain.
Saved a lot of money, and not wasted another high draft pick.
Raider00
I would not panic yet on Mack. He seems to be playing solid but agreeing with you not spectacular. You would think he would have more impact plays (no sacks) by now, that is somewhat concerning.
I can't stand Reggie and I have been saying he needs to go since two years ago. I also think he has been a dick as a person, shitting on Al by using him as an excuse, hiring his brother etc.
However this year's draft class seems solid so far
Don't get me wrong the sooner Reggie is gone the better. But the first three picks this year are encouraging
Sandy
Funny that Carson Palmer, Jared Veldheer, Tommy Kelly and Matt Shaughnessy now play for the 4-1 division-leading Cardinals but these guys were all expendable and shown the door when McKenzie became GM.
Not saying I would have kept any of them but it does give some pause to the process engineered by McKenzie to purge the entire roster... save McFadden and couple others.
And here we are still waiting for McKenzie to figure out how to cure the talent deficiencies of the Raiders.
NY
Veldheer, Palmer and Shaugnessy should never have been let go. Don't forget about Bryant, Houston, Barksdale, Louis Murphy, Mike Mitchell.
With the exception of Murphy all of those guys start on today's team
Reggie gets about a d+ or c- in the draft so far but a large F when it comes to FA and coaching hires
Sandy
Don't forget McClain but that one was Denis driving him away as much as Reggie cutting him. Not sayin McClain is all that but he would start over Burris that loser for sure
These guys aren't earth-shakers but their collective release gives pause when you consider McKenzie's first order of business was to draft and acquire players to fit Knapp's ZBS, which flamed out in one season.
And for the last three years, McKenzie has been taking personel advice from Dennis Allen.
SCAR
We are all Raider fans, but I'm gonna have to call Buuuulllshit on some of your assumptions. Selective memory is more like it.
McClain??? Are we really talking about missing McClain?
Carson Palmer- Didn't want to renegotiate his contract. Lets not forget hue and his best trade in the universe idea trading 2 firsts for Palmer.
Shaugnessy- Did you already forget that the Raiders were in Cap hell when Shaugnessy was a free agent?
Tommy Kelly- Wowwww. I wasn't too thrilled with him when he was here, and for the money that he was paid(top 5 highest dl contract at the time)I don't seem to recall too many people here that were sad to see him go.
Some of the vitriol thrown McKenzies way is warranted, some of it...
Who the hell wants to say I told you so about having a shitty team? That's not fun to me. I say put your pitchforks away and let this season play out. But,that's just me. I'm gonna do me, and you guys are gonna do you. Raaaaiders!
SCAR
No pitchforks. It's just a discussion. Overpriced contracts and losers (McClain) aside, McKenzie and Allen chased away all AL's players and replaced them with a roster that’s clearly among the worst in the NFL. The process of engineering a new roster began with misdirection, and we're still waiting and hoping for the cure.
Sure, we have no choice but the let the season play out, after which we will be starting over, again.
That’s no small feat. Does McKenzie deserve another shot? So far, much of what he’s done looks too hit-or-miss, and certainly not with the skill of a seasoned GM.
SCAR
Unfortunately, McKenzie has made missteps.
I'm hoping that some of his moves are late bloomers and end up panning out...
SCAR
Scar I would like to shove a pitch fork up Reggie's arse for what he has done to the team. Screw him. You know what is not fun? 11 losses in a row. 8-29 that is not fun. Sorry but Reggie's list of failures is a mile long and his hits are but a handful at best. I will keep hating on him till the Raiders win or he is gone.
Furthermore I don't appreciate the fact that Reggie has been shitting on Al Davis and using him as his excuse for his own shortcomings since he arrived.
I have been a fan for 38 years and by God when some jerk like Reggie takes the fun out of it for me while not paying Al his props I am going to vent loudly.
As far as Palmer why should he have accepted a pay cut? He is a top 10-15 qb in the league and should be paid that way. He was a good citizen while here and put up solid numbers. Don't put your hand in his pocket. Also what Reggie spent on Flynn and Schaub is way more than what Carson was paid.
I hear you Hue was desperate and way over paid but lets not forget Reggie getting a 6th for Carson was total robbery by the Cardinals.
Dude much respect to you if you can smile thru this shit but I can't
Peace and have a good weekend
Sandy
What I'm getting as the difference between Allen and Sparano is that Sparano is a "what can we do?" guy, and Allen is a "do it my way!" guy.
The best season the Raiders have put together since 2002 is Hue Jackson's year as a "what can we do?" coach.
The way you get a team that is used to losing to win is you find a way to make it fun.
Sparano's got the right approach. I believe that under his leadership it will get better.
Carr is definitely the real deal. He's mature, he's dedicated, he's really, really intelligent, and.... As Marcus Allen would say, "he get's it."
Carr is going to be a super star in the NFL. We have a franchise QB. That doesn't mean that we are going to win this season, that just means we now have to find the tools that Carr will need to take us to the Super Bowl.
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