Head coach Jon Gruden, quarterback Derek Carr, right offensive tackle Trent Brown and center Rodney Hudson all have something in common, though it no longer holds true for most of them. At one point, Gruden was the thought to be the league’s highest-paid head coach. Carr in 2016 was signed to an extension that made
Raiders match up well in AFC West in terms of head coach, play-caller, quarterback, offense rankings
Gruden has to better calling plays and making adjustments in the 2nd half. That’s been a problem for the last 2 years. Offense also has to be better in the red zone. They could gain yards but then stall under the blazing heat of the other team’s end zone (cue my John Facenda voice)
Finally, is it Gruden or Carr that’s conservative? Carr was dinking and dunking well before Gruden became a coach. Yet, Grudens offense is West Coast and built on short precision passing.
Under Gruden’s first go around as coach, Gannon in practice was throwing short passes. Al Davis turns to Gruden and says “why do we pay for all this grass to be maintained? You could practice those passes in someone’s back yard.”
Great question about the issue being Derek Carr or Jon Gruden. The answer is, it’s both. Oftentimes, Carr freaks out over the first hint of pressure and takes a sack, throws the ball away or flicks it to the nearest receiver. That’s on him. Other times, Gruden is more content upon avoiding turnovers and risky plays, at the expense of hitting on some big plays. In other words, he’s too often content upon having Carr complete a shorter pass in front of defenders, without much, if any, risk of the pass being intercepted and hoping the receiver can do the rest that’s needed to pick up a first down, touchdown, whatever. That’s on Gruden.
The follow up question I have would be is that because Gruden doesn’t trust Carr to extend and make plays? Is that a result of the first few games Carr played for Gruden being horrible?
Trust has nothing to do with it, Michelle. It has everything to do with Gruden knowing that Carr’s mindset and makeup doesn’t lend itself to him holding on to the ball any longer than he has to, especially if he knows that doing so will result in him taking a big hit.
That’s one of my biggest criticisms of Carr. All the elite quarterbacks — go watch tape from Kurt Warner’s career, or watch Carson Wentz and Aaron Rodgers right now — recognize the need to take some big hits, if there’s a reasonable chance of allowing the play more time to develop opening up a big play. One of those plays in a game can be the difference. Carr simply isn’t going to take many of those hits willingly.
To make your point, Cork: recall the throw from the Black Hole end zone-ish by Ryan Tannehill last year that ended up being a TD. He stands in the pocket, gets hit by two (maybe three) defenders as he’s throwing and finds the receiver on a deep post.
Sorry, Ghost, not buying the receiver excuse. Both the Pats and Packers were without their “big time” or did not have a “big time” WR and still had winning records. Play call to your talent. I find it hard to believe that the team could not find ways to win with the running game, TEs, and OLine it had.
And, if the D needs to get off the field, then Gruden should pay as much attention to that side of the ball during the off season as he does the offensive side. (I think he is starting to do so).
I agree, Ghost, I am not that impressed with Gruden’s playcalling or his in game adjustments thus far. Seems like the scripted plays work pretty well and then things don’t go as well for the offense. I have the same question, is it Gruden or Carr that is conservative. Carr has said he does what the coach calls play-wise and we know that he stubbornly sticks to the called play. Either way, at this point, I would say that Gruden is not even close to the coach that Reid is no matter who the players are at his disposal. Good coaches make adjustments and put their players (and team) in the best position, play, or scheme to succeed. Gruden has not done that, thus far. I would love for him to prove me wrong.
I give Gruden a little, very very very very very little, leeway due to not having the big time WR he thought he was going to have last season. Having better players should allow him to be more diverse.
Hopefully he can alter the play calling and keep us ahead in games rather than being tied or behind.
It also goes along with our D getting off the field, helping with the being ahead at halftime issue. The diversity and talent situation applies to the D also.
Oops, I meant Vet, not Ghost in the second part of my reply to Cork. The reply screen confuses me.