Former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon believes the biggest problem with the Oakland offense is communication – essentially, players aren’t confident in what they’re doing or where they’re supposed to be.
“I don’t know if they have too much volume,” Gannon said Wednesday during a segment on the Greg Papa Show.
“What happens with a lot of young coordinators is that they want to make sure they cover themselves, so what do they do, they have every little pass for every little situation and you wind up having 150 passes which you can’t rep during the week. Then you wind up calling a couple of them that you haven’t repped through the week.”
Gannon’s theory actually lines up with what Derek Carr has been saying for weeks.
“It really just comes down to people really locking in on every detail of this offense,” Carr told members of the media after losing to the Chargers two weeks ago. “That’s all it really comes down to. I’m not going to get elaborate on what that is, but that’s the problem.”
Reading into both comments, it sounds like players just don’t get Downing’s offense or at least don’t know it well enough to execute on Sundays.
Offensive coordinator Todd Downing could have the finest offensive scheme in all the land, but if players can’t understand and execute on Sunday, what is it worth?
The Raiders took one of the best offenses in the league and it sounds like they maybe tried to reinvent the wheel a little. Hopefully it comes together quickly (as in this week) because head coach Jack Del Rio isn’t going to let Downing beat a square peg into a round hole forever.
twitter: @raidersbeat
But when Downing was hire because he was hot OC thus he was hired. Also, he and Carr are buddies. So what is wrong here. This was the year we won it all. Maybe with the changes and the players hearing everyone calling is Super Bowl champions. So, the question is maybe the team just thinks they have already
Huh?
We are way past forever. This is the definition of insanity. Make a change even if its wrong do something different like play action or hurry up, double moves max protection, check down as a last resort not first option. We don’t even get a chance for a deep pass interference call. You have to make them backup before you throw underneath. And call what you practice! !!
If that is the case, it’s inexcusable. And I don’t think that’s the only problem.
“because head coach Jack Del Rio isn’t going to let Downing beat a square peg into a round hole forever.”
On the contrary, JDR has allowed the beating to continue far too long already. 3-5. Why is my question. Why fix what wasn’t broke in the first place. Musgrave’s offense had some very annoying tendencies but it was 12-4. All it needed was tweaking not throw in the trash because the wiz kid wants to play with the expensive toy and make a name for himself. Todd, your name is “ruined great offense”. Jack, take the keys from the child and fix the problem. While you have a smidgen of a chance to save this season.
Exactly!
Rich Gannon hits the nail right on the head with these comments. Watching the Raiders offense this year is heartbreaking at times compared to what we had last year. And while some of the blame can be put on the players the majority of the blame needs to be put on the coaching staff. How do you go from one of the best offenses in the league to one of the worst in one season? You acquire extremely talented offensive players in the off season and then fire your offensive coordinator. You could also take one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and change their blocking schemes. But we can’t blame the players for the play calling or easy to read offensive formations that have stagnated this once powerful offense. For weeks I watched as two or three receivers are in the same area on a pass play, sometimes even running the same routes. I watch as one of the best offensive lines struggle to move opposing defensive lines because of a change in blocking schemes from last year. So lets place the blame on where the blame needs to be placed, the coaching staff.
I mostly agree with you John, but we did not fire Musgrave. His contract expired, and we let him walk. We needed to part ways with him. He took us as far as he could. We needed a OC that could take us to the next level. Unfortunately, we hired Downing. Without a crystal ball we could not have seen this happening. However, Del Rio should never have allowed Downing to switch our blocking scheme, so yes this is on Del Rio and Downing. I have lost confidence in Del Rio. His hands off management style is just self preservation in disguise.
And what is Todd Downing’s offensive philosophy? Does he have one? That’s the first thing I asked when he was promoted. Jon Gruden was known as an offensive wiz. He had a philosophy. What’s Downing’s excuse?
Get new off. core. and def core.they both suck
This offensive coordinator had a dream job that he is not making the right calls! The Raiders need to get rid of those 3 yard passes on 3rd down and 10 to go. The Raiders need to do more play play action pass on 1st down instead of running ball on 1st down all the time for negative yards. The Raiders are a passing offense that uses the run when its needed! The Raiders should never ever depend on the run unless they have a huge lead! These are running offense/conservative offense like the Panthers, Bills, Bears, Broncos and Bucs that they can score a lot of points when the other teams turns the ball over. Those teams are so boring to watch that when they win there is a lot of luck for them in those games and their opponent giving the game away. The Raiders opposing defense is always ready for run because the Raiders are too predictable. Everyone is happy that Downing is not running wide receiver screens 10 times a game that the Raiders took that out the play book this year since that play never worked except one time in the last 2 years. The Raiders do try to screen plays to the running backs too much that they never work since the opposing defense is always ready. The Raiders defense has figure out how to stop a screen play against them that all they have to do is watch the tape of Raiders offense running screen play which it ends up for negative yards or very small gain which is a wasted down for the Raiders. When this season is over if the Raiders do not have 10 wins this new OC Downing should be looking for a new job!
Jdr & his staff are done they reached their peak. Time to get rid of them & McKenzie & bring Gruden back & let him finish what he started. Kind of like when Marc Jackson was let go & Kerr came to bring the warriors over the hump.
Unless there is Divine intervention – The ONLY chance the Raiders have to salvage this season is to demote Downing & let Tice take the Offense for the remainder of the season IMHO.
There was no Offensive “confusion” before Derek stood for the National Anthem before the Redskin game, when Pro-bowler Rodney Hudson snapped the ball 4 times before Carr expected it and he ran for his life the whole game, along with dropped balls and bad passing routes it’s hard to say these were coincidences. Now if Hudson snapped the balls early were unintentional, then he is not a good center and should be cut, but we all know he is the best center in the league. This animosity has done irreparable damage. It also affected the Steelers, Falcons, Cardinals etc.. So finally put the realty of the offensive demise where it should be and stop blaming the coaches, because the offense was the best before Derek stood for what he believed in, his Country…
I am not surprised about the Raiders disappointing season at all. The Raiders have been finding ways to fail for the last 30 years. (just 7 playoff appearances and 8 winning seasons since 1986) This is mainly due to horrible decisions with coaching hires, drafts, free agents, or changing something that is not broken (this years offense for example…Todd Downing as OC) I also believe that due to Al Davis’ ridiculous law suites against the NFL and with various cities and how he dealt with certain ex-employees the Raiders are cursed, there’s just way too much bad luck over these years for it to be a coincidence. Amazing RB Bo Jackson’s freakish injury ending his career. First year back in Oakland in 1995, they start 8-2, our QB Hostettler goes down and they finish 8-8. A similar thing happened in 1998. Marcus Allen, Mike Shanahan, and John Gruden came back to haunt the Raiders big time. The first 2 stayed within the division and “owned” the Raiders (even in years where the Raiders were the better team). The disastrous Super Bowl loss in 2002 against former coach John Gruden (of all the teams to face, they face his team–OF COURSE!!), on top of that Barrett Robbins our starting center disappearing before that game, lastly, that year there was only one week between the AFC Title game and SB, if there was ever a team that needed the typical 2 weeks between games it was the Raiders that year, given they were facing their former coach. Then there’s the 2000 AFC Title Game with the Raven’s Tony Saragusa injuring QB Gannon, no chance after that, Raiders lose. Then in 2001 Div Rnd, the Tuck Game, Raiders get robbed, Patriots start a dynasty……And then finally last year, first good team in 14 years, rolling towards playoffs, BOOM!!!, QB Carr breaks his leg! Season over!……..RIDICULOUS!!!!……I am afraid as long as the Davis family owns the Raiders the curse will continue………..Oh, and the Davis family is moving the team yet again!!
If only it wasn’t all true. I reached the same conclusion myself this season. Ownership is the real problem and I’ve been a diehard since 82.