I attended both Raider preseason home games and as I reported earlier, I was keen to see how the Raiders leadership exhibited that leadership. We’ve heard the praise, and the promise of being ready to make the leap to contender in past years, only to find the product on the field winds up looking the same as every other year. Three and out. Get to the red zone, and stall. Kick the field goal. Play calling that leaves you scratching your head. Plays that seem to have no imagination, or worse, plays that appear to have been designed without consideration to the talent and skills of the players we have!
We’ve seen fast receivers out run the throws. Throws that out distance the runner. Quarterbacks that wait until the receiver gets open, and THEN he throws . . . too late! No faith (or ability) in timing plays! We’ve seen the quarterback have to scramble, and the receiver just float & waive for the ball, or runs with the QB (while covered) instead of come back or move to create space for a pass.
We’ve see the need for one yard, or a half yard, and we run a sweep. We’ve seen the need for fifteen yards, and we throw a draw underneath for an eight yard gain, or worse.
All too often we’ve been left scratching our heads wondering just what the heck is going on?!
Oh yea, and we’ve found ourselves booing – AT the RAIDERS - something that used to be unheard of in Oakland in those good ol’ days.
Ah, but I have found some glimmer of hope, and I want to share my thoughts and observations with you.
I remember just a few short years ago when JaMarcus Russell came to the Raiders. While the game was going on (and the Raiders getting hammered) he was laughing and chatting it up with Culpepper, and others. They’d be watching the crowd, or the Raiderettes, just having a great time. Many of the other players were hanging out on the bench, not paying attention. They looked to just be having conversations. Some players were paying attention to the game pretty much full time, but I felt that there just didn’t seem to be any intensity about the game that was being played. That attitude started in preseason, and went right on happening during the regular season.
The team I observed the past two weeks was made over. Transformed. Involved. And for the most part WATCHING THE GAME! What a concept.
Players appear to be talking about the game when they are on the sideline. When the offense would come off the field, they would huddle up with their coaches, review the photo’s from upstairs, and all be talking with each other afterwards. It was apparent they were all engaged, and talking about what they did, or maybe what they could do better. They were definitely at the office.
In the final preseason game against the Seahawks there were not many starters on the field. But I saw many of them talking to those who were when they came off the field.
Leadership
Wow. What a difference in leadership I thought I saw taking place on the field this year.
The quarterback position is pretty amazing. The Raiders appear to have three quarterbacks who are leaders. Why do I say that? Because of the way they involve themselves with their teammates.
I remember watching Rich Gannon right away in the huddle, talking with the guys, walking up to them and tapping them on the shoulder or chest and having a word with them. On the sideline I’d watch him walk around to different linemen and have a word with them, and then walk over to running back or a receiver, and chat with that guy for a few minutes. He clearly was working to make each of them and the team, better. I thought to myself, “That guy’s a leader.” I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Raider post game dinner later in the season, and my thought was validated when I noticed Gannon walking the entire room over at the Hilton after the dinner talking with folks at every single table (including ours). I can’t say what’s going on at the post game dinner now, but I saw Campbell walking up to and right into the huddle, and start talking to the guys. I saw him on the sideline walking back and forth to different players, talking with them and being animated – cool, but animated. And the same thing happened with Gradkowski in the huddle and on the sideline, or after a big play. To a lesser degree I saw Boller doing it as well, though he did not have as much play time during the two games I was able to attend, so I have a little less on which to base my observations. But Boller was always involved with the other quarterbacks, and was engaged in conversation often with other offensive players.
Asomugha never played a down against the Seahawks, but he was on the sideline watching the whole game, and I saw him talking to guys on the field, in the huddle during the timeouts, and talking with Johnson, Brown (Steve), Huff, and others on the sideline when they came off. Good stuff.
Seymour was present on the sideline the whole game as well, and I saw him often on the field during the timeouts as well, talking with the defensive linemen, or talking with them as they came off the field.
And that’s from the players. The coaches appear to be participating well, and have the players engaged on the sideline. Not too sure about what’s happened on special teams, but it could be the players rather than the coach. I like what I see for the most part from Cable as well. He seems to be letting his assistants coach. He participates some in the timeout huddles, has a few words on the headset or directly with a coach or some players. Most of the direct player contact seems to be the “atta boy” type of communication.
Play Calling
We’ve also seen the quarterback sneak work pretty effectively. Don’t know where that play has been for the past 6 or 7 years, but it seems to have been rediscovered here in Oakland.
Questions Remain
The running game still seems to need help. Healthy players would be nice! Bush fractures his thumb at the lower joint, and McFadden . . . well, we haven’t seen really him at all this preseason due to injuries, and he’s been absent much of his career with us so far. I didn’t really think the plays called for him against the 49ers were that great to show off his talents, but then he did nothing with his chances either. A hard call, but from what I’ve seen of his durability and his power to break tackles, I have to go with doubt for now.
Receivers seem to be improving. I have liked what I saw of Heyward-Bey, and I still like Higgins. He shows up when you give him chances. Murphy seems to be a bit inconsistent, but again, keep giving him chances. Will we ever see Schilens again? I firmly believe the receivers will suddenly improve in 2010, because they have a quarterback that knows how to read the game and deliver the ball to them. Couple that with better, simple routes, and we have a foundation for success.
Special Teams seemed solid for two weeks, and then seemed porous. What’s up with that? All I can say is it makes me nervous when the Raiders have to kick away the ball.
Run defense seemed a bit questionable in the last two games of the preseason, but we were playing around with players and positions, and Seymour was given some time off, so we will have to see who we really are on defense. My feeling is that we will see a significant improvement, with the occasional long gain as a linebacker misses a gap assignment. That one long run will spoil the run defense stats, but not the overall effectiveness of the run defense.
Healthy players during the season are always the concern in football. If the Raiders can stay relatively healthy at their starting positions, and especially with key “star” players, they have a great chance to mark 2010 as the end of the record setting longest run in NFL history of most seasons with 11 or more losses (currently at 7 consecutive seasons), the greatest blot on the Raiders record and mockery to the motto of Pride and Poise.
Yes Virginia, there IS hope for the Raiders in 2010.
Photo Credits: In order displayed
1. Raiders Shield - Raiders website wallpapers - http://www.raiders.com/fans/wallpapers.html
2. Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks Sept. 2, 2010 - Bleacher Report website - (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) - http://bleacherreport.com/gallery/Seattle+Seahawks+v+Oakland+Raiders?d=2010-09-02&permalink=oakland-raiders
3. Gradkowski at Aug 24th Practice - Raiders Media Vault - Raiders website - http://www.raiders.com/media-vault/photo-gallery/Aug-24th-Practice/f86ea56c-6a39-4248-8b29-8ecd15e64ce5
4. Tom Cable observes Raiders vs. Seahawks Sept. 2, 2010 - Bleacher Report website - (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) - http://bleacherreport.com/gallery/Seattle+Seahawks+v+Oakland+Raiders?d=2010-09-02&permalink=oakland-raiders
5. Jason Campbell - Raiders website Roster photo - http://www.raiders.com/team/roster/Jason-Campbell/d759a61c-ea28-46eb-900b-f5fc001be5af
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