One Postgame Take
I will add the Clown Car graphic to this take as soon as I can, as it was justly earned.
How can this team change personnel, change coaches, have drafts, have free agency, and still look so freaking similar to last year, and the year before that, and the year before that? It's like an ongoing episode of the Twilight Zone.
Let's just hope it was some sort of weird blip, and not a sign of things to come, which would be yet another trip back to the future.
posted by Raider Take at 9:50 PM
44 Comments:
Hue Jackson - 1; Reggie McKenzie - 0
Failures across the board, starting with coaching. Playcalling was horrible on offense. Tough to convert 3rd downs against a good D when you consistently throw in front of the marker. Musgrave telegraphed every play. And going on 4th down early in the game from Raiders side of field was unnecessary and helped seal the Raiders fate. It reeked of desperation, and the play call was, again, horrible.
Perhaps the biggest failure on D was in the secondary. DJ Hayden is way over his head in the NFL. At some point, the Raiders will need to make a change and just accept the fact they made a mistake. Hayden has surpassed trying to hide his penalties and resorted to mugging WRs. When he actually gets tight coverage, he doesn't turn to look for the ball. One TD went right over his shoulder. He will be the top target of opposing QBs as long as he's out there.
Otherwise, the secondary failed to press or cover. Dalton was able to release the ball quickly and avoid any pressure. Mack was a non-factor, but not for lack of effort. Dalton had his way in the secondary.
I would say this game was a lot of the same old Raiders, but the Raiders actually played better last year, and were coming off a 3-game win streak at O.co.
This game was much worse!
It's funny because many Raider fans (myself included) used to hope Al Davis would step down. After three years I thought Reggie should be fired. Mark Davis let him stay on with a new coach. There is just not enough talent on that team to field a winner.
In order to win in the modern game of football you must pass efficiently and be able to stop the pass. It's no surprise Dalton shredded the secondary.
X@X
P.S. Did anyone see rookie DE Greg Hardy rush the edge last night for the Cowboys. He looks like the real deal. Hardy was an instant starter on a good Cowboys team. He was available to the Raiders when Mario Edwards, Jr. (8 career sacks in college) was selected in the second round.
If Edwards was a baller, he'd be starting DE opposite Tuck and Mack would still be playing LB.
This is in large part the reason the Raiders can't get out of their rut. We think the Raiders may have made some good choices in the last couple drafts but Mack is the only proven player. Even Cooper looked bad yesterday, dropping passes and appearing to run bad routes at times. Of course, he'll get better.
One game isn't enough to pass judgement but, damn, that was one bad game.
Raiders have no excuses left.
Despite the dreadful performance today, I still have faith that this team will put it together and hopefully be competitive next week against the Ravens. Go Raiders!
Uum, Greg Hardy is a vet that has played with the Panthers, not a rookie. He was not drafted. He is also serving a 6 game suspension, and did not play last night. DeMarcus Lawrence and Jeremy Mincey were the DE's for the Cowboys last night. DeMarcus Lawrence was the rookie who played last night, and was a beast.
Also, Preston Smith (DE, Racial Slurs) was available in the 2nd round when we selected Mario Edwards; as was Ronald Darby (CB, Bills) who had 5 solo tackles and an Interception yesterday. Also, Ameer Abdullah (RB, Lions) was available, and would be better than any backup RB currently on the roster.
Another game where the Raiders failed to utilize Marcel Reece, and Olawale showed some speed on a big run that was called back to holding, and two personal fouls. Another OC calling vanilla offensive plays, failing to utilize our best players. This isn't rocket science, and it shouldn't be this damn difficult.
NY,
The problem is Reggie, I have been saying that from the day he fired Hue who is a better coach than anyone the Raiders have had since including JDR. Say what you want about Hue but the two years he was with the Raiders the offense was humming not to mentioned he was a leader who inspired, seeing him in Andre Ward's corner was awesome.
If you are not going to get someone with fresh thinking on O then get someone proven. Reggie decided to get a defensive coach and he gets a cheap lower tier guy who does not have the gravitas to change the culture he should have gone for Rex Ryan if he wanted to go defense.
The game is about offense and throwing the ball down the field from the pocket. Currently we have a linebacker as the GM, a linebacker as coach and a fool for an owner.
There is no creativity, and modern thinking on the Raiders. BTW anyone see Carson Palmer yesterday, he looked awesome.
I am not giving up on the Raiders I never had any hope to start with. JDR was an uninspiring choice, the stadium is a disaster and we do not have one legitimate NFL starter at CB.
Finally I think their personnel would be better suited to play a 3-4 if we can find someone to play the critical position of LE. Mack is a good player but leaving him at DE in a 4-3 will wear him down by the mid point. He can not go up against 6-7 340 pound behemoths like Whitworth every game.
Yeah I am pissed everything is gone from the Raiders, the spirit is gone, the talent is bare bones and there is very little if any at all leadership. At least when Al was alive they may have sucked at times but they still had some soul and mystique. No more, Jags-Raiders-Bucs its all the same terrible soulless franchises, except those other ones have stadiums.
Regards
Sandy
It's funny/sad, but we were told the rational for tearing down 8-8, roster was to change the culture.
And here we are, three years/drafts/free agents, into the Mark/Reggie regime, and the Head coach, JDR, after one game, a home opener. His first game as HC. Stands at the podium, and uses the word "embarrassing".
So if this is the new culture. It sure looks like it's worse, not better.
I think it's time for some tough love for these Raiders. If I were JDR, I would work them very hard in practice. The worse they play on game day, the harder JDR should run the practice.
Give the players a choice. Play hard on Sunday, or work extra hard during week in practice. See which one they choose.
Nate - my mistake. I meant Randy Gregory. Gregory looked very solid as an edge rusher. I saw this morning, however, that he was hurt in the game.
NYR....It's nice to dream about free agents like Hardy, but remember, free agents wanted to sign with the winners. Even players with cloud over their heads go to winners. Hardy got his wish. Didn't need Raiders money.
And guess what. Raiders put up another 4-5 win season, and they'll get no top free agents next year either. It's a vicious circle.
Randy Gregory. Not Hardy. My bad (don't know why I wrote Hardy). Gregory was available to the Raiders in round 2; they took Edwards instead.
They should trade for Kam Chancellor. They need to start adding some play makers real stars. You don't build a team with a bunch of middling avg NFL starters. The Raiders have one bona fide star now in Mack. Maybe Aldon Smith if he can get back in the groove and maybe Cooper in the future. That is it period. Sorry guys three potentially above avg players do not make a competitive team.
Reggie has not added any real talent period.
Sandy
Raiders need to trade for Chancellor and a valid CB. Raiders need to sign Ray Rice as well. Another off-season that brought us some optimism, and another season begun with the same ol' $h!t. I think I've heard Tom Cable, Lane Kiffin, Dennis Allen, and Norv Turner describe their season opener the way JDR did yesterday. "Embarrassing" indeed!
BTW, I don't think it is Hue Jackson 1; Reggie McKenzie 0
Hue's record since being fired and rejoining the Bengals is 32-16-1 (including yesterday's win). The Raiders record since firing Hue is 11-38 (including yesterday's loss).
Flores was noting how Dalton and the Bengals were going out of their way to target Hayden, throwing the ball where he went, and exploiting his size disadvantage against hulking guys like Eifert.
Hayden lacks fundamentals that even I understand.
He plays too far off the LOS, allowing short pass plays that keep our top pass rushers (Mack and Smith) from getting to the QB.
Once a WR reaches Hayden's position, he uses his hands and sometimes resorts to all-out muggings.
In downfield coverage, his back is to the QB, allowing savvy WRs to easily catch the ball right through his coverage... like the TD pass that flew inches over his shoulder yesterday.
These are the same issues he's had since arriving in Oakland. Isn't time to stop pretending he can overcome these shortcomings?
BWT, I'm not sure the clown car was ever more deserved.
Nate, I don't know how else to score it. Call it 1-0 or 100-0. Same result.
In hindsight, it's obvious Hue Jackson should have been retained by McKenzie, who could have still worked his salary cap magic.
Jackson is hands down a better OC than Musgrave. At the risk of repeating myself, one year with Chip Kelly does not make him a Kelly disciple. Prior to that, he was OC of a team that had Adrian Peterson. Nuff said!
New York yeah Musgraves is one of those NFL retread guys who last 20 years going from job to job and is thoroughly un exciting. However, its all on Reggie you could have Bill Walsh and John Madden coach the team and with the players Reggie is putting on the field they would lose also. Regards Sandy
Enough already. Matt McGloin said it best: “It’s only one game”
Many of the points or ‘bitches’ I’ve read are valid if one game is all that’s required to judge the season. Last time I looked we have 15 more games to play to get things rolling. Last year it took 10. I believe with the upgrades and preps made this pre-season it won’t take as long to get on track and at the least be competitive. The worst part now is how many starters have we lost? We battled on last year after losing starters, Burris at MLB etc. and we finished the year on an positive note…. We can improve on that this year, don’t give up so fast! I’m sure Reggie is already trying to land some secondary help at all costs as we type…. And he should be. Either way - I’m not giving up so easy or writing off the work that’s gone into this season yet.
The old coach called yesterday horrible, the new one called it embarrassing. Sorry, but that's naturally what's driving today's take.
Is this really a take: You are just bitches (presumably meaning Flores and JDR?) for calling a spade a spade.
It's lazy to sit there and say quit complaining, it will get better (someday). Why? Because it's an easy take to have. It's a literally take you could have sat on for the past 10 years without having to lift a finger.
If the Raiders notch a stirring win, the take the next day shouldn't be, well, they'll lose miserably at some point.
For that reason, after a Clown Car loss, the take the next day isn't all sunshine.
I repeat you need stars to win. No playoff favorite is there by having a bunch of average nfl starters something the Raiders don't even have.
The perennial playoff contenders have multiple stars. Let's look at the, Patriots there must be at least 10 guys that could start on most every team in the NFL. Brady, Collins, Hightower, Gronk, Edelman, I could go on. Seattle, Sherman, Wilson, Lynch, Orkung, Bennett, Chancellor, Wagner, Thomas, I could go on.
The Raiders one guy right now in Mack. That is the problem and why they will not improve. Reggie in four years has assembled a roster with one star, a couple of guys with potential and a bunch of middling to fringe to crap players. Sorry that aint whining that is truth. Glad Reggie is trying to land secondary help in week 2 of the season, because there are so many quality DBs out there just waiting to be picked up---what a joke.
Sandy
I understand it is only one game, and the first game of the season at that. My concern isn't one game, my concern is the other 15 that we have. Based on our offensive play-calling in this one game, the Raiders need drastic improvement; or guess what? They will get slaughtered like they did this last Sunday.
Not too mention the loss of C-Wood for 3-4 weeks, and maybe Nate Allen for the year. The 2 best DBs we had! Now we have to rely on DJ Hayden to actually play and cover. The problem is it doesn't take much for things to circle around the drain and go under. That is what the Raiders face. I'm a realist Raider, not some utopian fool!
Nate, Your comment pointing out that Allen is one of the two best DBS says it all. The guy is a journeyman at this point in his career
Note, I didn't say he was the best, I said he was one of the two best the RAIDERS have.
Raiders really have no depth across the board. Taylor Mays is being brought back today and will probably be a starter Sunday. Aldon Smith only needed one practice to get like 30 snaps last Sunday. Granted, Smith is a potential star, but he's been mostly absent from football while Edwards Jr. spent the entire offseason in the Raiders program... going back to my earlier point that Randy Gregory looks like a monster pass rusher for the Cowboys.
These are the decisions that are driving the Raiders successes and failures... mostly failures!
Fortunately, Del Rio doesn't appear very tolerant of the situation. That's our only hope.
That is what I meant a journeyman is one of the Raiders best dbs
New PFT power ratings out.
"31. Raiders (0-1; No. 26): At this rate, Oakland taxpayers will indeed help fund a new stadium. With one condition: It must be built in any city other than Oakland."
To borrower a phrase: It is what it is (or at least appears to be), until it isn't.
Brice Butler just tweeted that he has been traded to the Cowboys. Initial reports are that the Raiders get a 7th round pick next draft. At least it wasn't McFadden
I like Bulter. Raiders are probably making room to sign secondary help while keeping Nate Allen and his big contract available to come back later in the season.
Bulter will probably be happier playing in Dallas.
In the end, this another perhaps example that we are unable to acquire and retain young talent. It's staggering to look at the turnover in personnel since McKinzie arrived, including a high percentage of his draft picks.
Okay forget Reggie I think we can all agree he sucks and will hopefully be gone at the end of the season. Of more importance anyone beginning to worry about Carr. I know the sample size is small and he has crap around him but he seems to have trouble pushing the ball down the field with accuracy. Thoughts?
Regards Sandy
It is only 1 game of 16 but ... the Raiders had better play a more inspiring, competitive, execution based brand of football next week or it could be a very LONG, lost season. Wish I didn't feel that way but that's what 12+ years of ineptitude does for my mind-set.
Sandy - I place blame on Musgrave. The offense was unprepared and the play calling was horrible. For example, he calls plays like 3rd and 2 where Carr throws laterally across the LOS instead of two yards up field. That's Forrest Gump stuff.
If the predictable vanilla play calling doesn't improve, I believe Del Rio will soon regret his choice for OC... sound familiar?
Levi Damien tells it like it is:
http://tinyurl.com/nbm9pmy
When Del Rio said "disappointing" and "embarrassing" I hoped he meant the coaching staff too.
Derek Carr posted on his Facebook page that he is starting Sunday. Not sure if that is the best idea. I would rest him a week.
"Matt McGloin said it best: “It’s only one game”
Yeah sure. And last season was only 12 games. Excuses, excuses.
At this point the glass is still half full. A lot of changes were made, whether they work out - were going to find out. I know it's going to be tough with the starters that are out for this coming Sunday, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for at least another game. I hope I'm right and your take is wrong... if you're right it's going to be another dismal season... I don't thinks so, I'll wait and see before I get all negative.
Anon, I respect that.
In fact, don't misunderstand my take. My take was that the Raiders really stunk on Sunday, and it was a terrible way to start a season, particularly when hopes for something different were high. In that take, I was joined by Tom Flores, Jack Del Rio and nearly everyone in the Raider Nation.
My take wasn't that the season was over, or that things won't get better, that the Raiders won't surprise us.
However, there's no denying that it looked depressingly familiar. So it's hard to blame anyone for bracing for the worst.
On Sunday, this team looked like a duck. We'll know soon if it's walking like a duck and quacking like a duck.
Anon...We don't need Vince Lombardi to come back from the dead to ask 3 simple things.
Can we block ?
Can we cover ?
can we tackle ?
Yes, it's only one game. But so far, it's, No...No....No....
3 basics of football. It's not science.
Toward the end of the Al Davis era, players on other teams sometimes referred to having the Raiders on their schedule as having an extra bye week.
Not sure that's changed much during the McKenzie era.
The excuses should have ended a long time ago.
Hopefully, Bengals game tape doesn't become a blueprint for all teams to crush the Raiders.
John Harbaugh said yesterday that the Raiders have one of the best pass rushes in the League. By one of the best pass rushes, does he mean the best pass rush that will compliment his offensive scheme, or disrupt it?
I hear you take and 00. Last Sunday was not what any Raider fan wanted to see. But again,that was 'last'Sunday. Valid points have been made and after this coming Sunday's game - we'll have a better idea if the glass is in fact half full... or half empty. Either way it is still early in the season but for the sake of all Raider fans, I hope it's half full.
Raiders were the only team in the NFL to not blitz last week; not once!
"[Raiders were] the only team not to blitz even once in Week 1, according to Stats LLC. The rest of the league averaged 13."
Despite the absence of ANY blitzing, the Raiders also left WRs uncovered in the Bengals spread offense. Levi Damien wrote that the Bengals several times took advantage of uncovered WRs.
It's not like the Bengals rolled out a new offense in 2015. It's more like the Raiders were grossly unprepared.
NY many of your posts this week are dissatisfaction with the coaches. I agree with the one caveat that the talent is so lacking the coach would not matter.
That being said I have maintained since he was hired that JDR is a second tier coach. He did not accomplish much of anything in Jacksonville. Let's not forget there is a reason he was a fall back candidate, after Gruden and Harbaugh said no.
Have a good weekend
Sandy
Sandy - It's always a combination of things. For example, a good pass rush relies on good coverage. It was encouraging to hear Ken Norton emphasize as much in his weekly presser. Raiders need to press WRs more to effect QB pressure. I expect to see that this week.
But at some point, blitzing is necessary. How can any team go an entire game without a single blitz? Has that ever happened before? It's really unbelievable, regardless of game circumstances.
I don't remember Raiders winning many games that they played read and react defense. Remember Rob Ryan sending 11 guys into coverage against the Browns? Miraculously, Raiders won despite that stupidity.
Enjoy the game!
And GO RAIDERS!!
Gameday thread is up.
Post a Comment
<< Home