If Jon Gruden had his way, all his time between games would be spent diagramming offensive plays, scripting plays for the upcoming opponent and looking for ways to exploit defenses. Yet, with his own team struggling to stop opposing offenses from imposing their will upon the Raiders defense game after game, Gruden is spending more
Jon Gruden gets defensive about team’s inability to stop opposing offenses
The defensive coaching is not getting it done. Either the scheme/system is too difficult to execute, the instruction is not very good, the personnel, or a combination.
Personnel – the Raiders have signed quality players that have succeeded elsewhere, but not with the Raiders.
Scheme/system – are there too many moving parts in terms of reads and keys.
Instruction – can coach teach their players effectively.
It seems the instruction may not be getting done.
This all sounds so familiar, dating back into the last regime, who told us week after week that they knew what needed to be adjusted, just small things – until they did the right thing and fired Ken Norton. The only reason he still has a job in Seattle is because of MVP level play from Wilson every damned game.
Fast forward to Guenther now…. we get the same problems around lack of pass rush. We see good players come in and look bad, we see average looking players leave and latch on to better coached Defenses where they start to play and show up.
The constant is that players in Guenther’s scheme don’t produce. Are they all bad players? No way. Do they not try – absolutely no way. Just watch Mullen, Crosby, Abram and even the maligned Harris and Ferrell – they try hard on every snap but the whole thing doesn’t work.
Madness has been defined as to keep doing the same thing in the hope that results will be different this time around.
That’s where we are…. it’s time for Mark Davis or Mike Mayock to step in and fire Guenther. Replace him with Marinelli to simplify the scheme and allow players to play… or even better, offer Wade Phillips enough to come out of retirement to sort this mess out.
If that means Gruden walks, that’s fine by me and he can take all of his coordinator buddies with him… none of them is any good anyway.
Nice review Andy.
Eddie Borsilli on his podcast broke down defensive stats over the past 10 seasons. The recurring theme: no matter who’s defensive coordinator and defense position coaches, the unit is not getting the job done. The defense is unable to get off the field in key situations, turnovers are down. But, if you go through stat after stat, whatever the problem is leaves the team in a bad predicament – playing catch-up or when the offense can’t get untracked, a blow-out loss. No one seems to solve the matter.
The easy solution would be to replace the defensive staff in the off-season and revamp the overall philosophy. Short-term, I don’t know if moving Marinelli into the DC position would matter a whole lot. The D-line is still not generating enough push. Since Wade Phillips is wanting to get back into coaching, I would want to get him in the Raider fold. Hire him as senior defensive consultant. If Guenther and a few defensive position coaches get nervous, they should. When Cory Littleton thrived with the Rams, Wade was his coach. Just saying.
Thanks David.
No coincidence that wherever Wade goes, the D improves – love the consultant idea!
I’m at the stage where I think just about anybody would be better than Guenther though!!
Cheers
This is all on Mark Davis and the 100 million dollar man. This is what happens when you bring in a cartoon character instead of a head coach. Honestly, the Raiders will never be able to bring in a respectable co-ordinator because who would want to work under that guy? Gruden is all show, all sizzle and no steak. I think he would be a really good offensive co-ordinator but his days as an effective head coach are over in my opinion. This team will always at best be an 8-8 team under Gruden. That’s the ceiling.
Regrettably, have to agree with your assessment.
Changes at this point by Gruden would do nothing. Defense will still be abysmal.
The defense has been a problem for this team for a long time over many regimes. I, like many others here, find it hard to believe that the talent added to the defense all of sudden is not very good when they go to or were on other teams where they did much better. There has to be a way for this team to figure out how to play decent defense.
If after three years you can’t seem to find players that can be successful in your scheme, at some point you need to alter your scheme to fit what your players do best.
Guenther needs to talk to Cory Littleton, ask him what he does best. Then change the scheme to allow him to do that.
The defense was upgraded this year to the tune of 90 million. Talent is improved. We didn’t bring in basement bargains. The effort seems to be there. That all points to changing what we’re doing to maximize the talent we have.
Agreed, but don’t expect Guenther or Gruden to do that.
For a perfect illustration, just look at how stubbornly they insist on playing Joyner as a slot corner, irrespective how badly he plays week in, week out, over the past season and the half. Guy was a solid free safety with the Rams, and they never use him as such, in his natural position. Instead, they play Harris as the free safety and he’s been atrocious there as well – he might be useful as a backup strong safety, not as FS. They managed to create 2 defensive holes in this way and are sticking with it, results be damned! Joyner would certainly play better as a free safety, and whoever they play as a slot corner can’t be worse than Joyner in that role – he’s the worst rated cornerback in the league!
Great point and well made!
Could it be that the egos of the Coaches are so big and fragile that they just can’t admit they are wrong?
It sure looks like it.