Has Jack Del Rio Gone Soft On Discipline In Oakland?

After suffering what was probably the most embarrassing loss of the season in Mexico, it’s time to push the panic button in Oakland.

They’re still in the playoff hunt, but if you’ve watched the Raiders, it’s clear they look nothing like a playoff team. The regression continued against the Patriots on Sunday and even head coach Jack Del Rio can’t seem to articulate the problem.

As much as anything else, the Raiders have lost discipline. The schemes aren’t anything to be excited about, but mistakes are what’s crushing the Raiders chances every week and for whatever reason, the coaching staff can’t seem to clean up the mess.

The best example from week 11 involved wide receiver Seth Roberts. Del Rio acknowledged that ball security was addressed with Roberts this week in practice, yet Roberts was entirely reckless with the ball on Sunday.

“That ball was loose in practice during the week and it was addressed during the week,” Del Rio said Monday on 95.7 The Game’s The Damon Bruce Show. “[We] don’t want to get an ‘I told you so’ on Sunday, but that’s a little bit of what it was.”

And this is where you wonder if the coaches are getting through to the players and what consequences the players are facing after making mistakes.

Even before he fumbled to close the half, Roberts was guilty of a false start and dropped a sure first-down reception to stall the first drive of the game.

The second-half consequence for Roberts was essentially a reward. His playing time didn’t decrease and he actually led the Raiders in targets (8) after the half.

Meanwhile on the opposite sideline, a first quarter fumble by Rex Burkhead (who was coming off a career game the week before) essentially banished the Patriots running back to the sideline for the remainder of the game.

For years, the term “execution” has been thrown around by coaches in Oakland and it’s been a big problem for the Raiders again this year. Players talk every week about eliminating mistakes, but it’s fair to wonder if they’re not being effectively motivated by Del Rio and his coaching staff to avoid those mistakes in the first place.

twitter: @raidersbeat

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14 thoughts on “Has Jack Del Rio Gone Soft On Discipline In Oakland?

  1. the fact reggie gave roberts an extension made me sick. this guy wouldn’t even make the patriots and would be a 5th wr on most other teams. the raiders make a lot of bad decisions with signings and drafting. might be time for reggie to get the axe next.

    1. 100%.. the kid doesn’t have the greatest hands and I couldn’t believe the extension.

  2. Del Rio needs to shown the door he has lost control of the team and dose not have a clue how to fix the team.

  3. This team has lacked discipline all year. After the raiders make a stupid play or a dumb penaltie such as dropping a pass or unsportsmanlike penalties, false starts etc, no one gets on there ***, no players or coaches get on the player who made the mistake. For example Johnny holton should of been ripped a new one for that stupid penalty he did vs the pats, or earlier in the year when king tried to get a first down on a fake punt and failed and in frustration got a penalty, crap like that has got to be cleaned up by the **** coaches especially jack Del rio. Justwinbaby!

    1. we just have not been the same team since the washington game, just not like i remember, were not confident on both sides, sloppy execution, def not the Super Bowl contender i thought we were, we fired our offensive coordinator even though we had a top 10 offense? new offensive coordinator seems not to be able to figure out how to use our weapons, defense has only played well when we had more takeaways, this year we can’t even get an int, maybe wood should come back, i don’t know what to say.. need to start signing defensive talent and just stick to drafting offense, other than mack our D picks haven’t produced, i like pagan but well see, hopefully a packers style finish or next year it is.

    2. Del Rio needs to go. Mark needs to sell the team. Oakland fans need to move on after the move to Vegas. Potential Vegas Raider fans need to relax. Losing and mediocrity will be your reward for throwing away your tax revenue on a useless stadium given to a punk owner that will never get it done.

  4. Out of all of the things that went on that game, this was the thing that made me lose it the most! That really made me realize the problem to this team, no discipline, no consequences. This goes back years, Crabtree and Amari have had their problems with drops. I said even though these our are #1 and 2 wrs, you still have to get in their face and let them know it’s not acceptable. Del Rio is soft and is afraid of confronting his players.

  5. What a mess! Very disappointing in what was supposed to be a great season. Roberts should’ve been benched after his awful first half, no doubt! Embarrassing!

  6. A shame, too. Rest of AFC has cooperated, 9-7 would have good shot at WC. But does anyone look at this team and think it could finish 5-1? All the games except for PHIL are winnable, but they will certainly lose at least 2, maybe 3 of those, for a final 7-9 or 6-10. Team discipline and cohesion has disintegrated.

  7. I still don’t get why Seth Roberts was offered an extension. He wouldn’t start for any other team in the NFL, but Oakland. Patterson should be starting, with Coop in the slot.
    I am not a coach and this is very easy to figure out.
    Bruce Irving a trash. He isn’t a starting level DE.
    Yet he is also starting. Sink or swim with Ward the season is over give him a chance to show what skill set he has.
    Shiquille Calhoun also needs reps as I stated the season is over give him reps as well.
    Reggie Nelson is a disaster get him off the field.

  8. Holton is straight line only with no ball skill abilities. Roberts lack hands and elusive routed running in the slot. Patterson needs more play outta the backfield due to his explosiveness with the ball in his hands. Derek needs to extend plays more but idk if his back is still preventing his courage to do so. Our O-line is lacking that bully mentality of last year. I don’t put it on our players because they are who they are. The lack of recognition by the coaches and ability to adjust is the big problem. Derek can’t bail us out this year. I don’t even wanna speak on our defense!!!! -My raider thoughts, not that it matters.

  9. I’m not sure exactly where to begin! It’s clear to say “we’ve regressed from last year to this year. If you look back and focus on all our successes when we were 12-4(coaches, system, scheme & players) it seemed as if we were 2 maybe 3 key things away from being that ELITE Superbowl team critics talked about. You fire the OC that had our offense clicking, you don’t address the LB position either through free agency or the draft. You bring aboard an OC that has this team going more backwards than forwards either due to scheme or play creativity he’s just not producing. KNJ is just what he is, a good LB coach not a coordinator! With Del Rio being a defensive minded coach it seems as if he couldn’t right the wrongs KNJ had inflicted on this Defence or he didn’t care to!
    At the end of the day 12-4 or 4-12 I’ll be a Raider!!
    #justwinbaby

  10. Del Rio lost the team after the Washington game. The HC is supposedly to set the tone for the entire team. If your background is defense then that should be your teams strength. He doesn’t know anything about offense so he doesn’t know what kind of philosophy to have nor take control and demand certain offensive plays are called. Mack and Irvin need to play hybrid positions from the LB spot and not line up at DE. The scheme should be ran out of a primary 3-4. Carr has too much freedom play calling wise. No offensive shifts, no man in motion, basic checks before the snap. No creative play calling, using Lynch without a FB. All comes back to Del Rio and his lax coaching style and non offensive knowledge. He needs to go period #IMO.

  11. Excellent read, just excellent. – WOW, 9-7 and your’re in. Knew that before the season started, ya grab Denver, ya get the Giants. and then…but they just have so many issues…and all these friendly pressers…loved the Rex Burkhead comment and the non-d draft picks. Burkhead was cemented to the bench for ACCOUNTABILITY, after a monster game the week before, – ALL GREAT COMMENTS. ‘JUST WIN BABY’

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