The Raiders were bulldozed by Patriot running backs on Sunday, and it’s fair to wonder what Paul Guenther’s defense could have done differently to make the afternoon a little less embarrassing.
Gap assignments and tackling would have helped, but there is also a familiar free agent linebacker that the Raiders could have used to slow down the Patriots rushing attack.
A wise and noble website pointed out after week one that the loss Nick a Kwiatkoski for a few weeks should push the Raiders to consider bringing back Vontaze Burfict for a few weeks. Since he already understands Guenther’s playbook, Burfict could have jumped in on short notice and held down the linebacker group. If the league suspended him again for an illegal hit, the Raiders wouldn’t be out anything in the long term. They would just revert back to where they are now.
Obviously a 30 year-old linebacker coming off his his couch (though Burfict was reportedly ready to play in August) wouldn’t have erased Sunday’s 16-point spread, but surely he would have identified screens and tackled a lot better than what the Raider linebackers did on Sunday.
For example…
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It’s water under the bridge now, but it would have been nice to see Burfict get a chance when Kwiatkoski went down, especially against the Patriots.
Rumor is Kwiatkoski might be back this week, so maybe his presence will bring a little inspiration to the Raiders linebacker group. If not, the Raiders might be in big trouble this week against the undefeated Buffalo Bills.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Forgive me if this seems understated but it seems that EVERYONE agrees that the Las Vegas Raiders defense is seriously in need of help. Obviously, when you are given an almost 2 billion dollar stadium, are a city that is known worldwide and considered the adult entertainment capital of the world, the stage is a very big one. This team will be scrutinized by EVERYONE. The obvious is that the Las Vegas Raiders management personnel have NOWHERE TO RUN AND NOWHERE TO HIDE and NO EXCUSES will do. The worldwide notoriety of this team alone WILL FORCE this team, and it’s management personnel, to either become great or make drastic changes. IF the Las Vegas Raiders’ management personnel and SOME players don’t make better decisions, VERY SOON, we can all expect wholesale changes in VERY SHORT ORDER.
This is not neccesary. R. McMillan is one of the best run defenders in the league and he is not getting his fair share of playing time. Morrow is getting too many snaps plain and simple.
exactly get Gunther out of here so McMillan can play like you said for goodness sakes you don’t want to loose games because of Gunther bring in Rod M. before it’s too late peace 😊✌
McMillan can’t cover and Morrow is not physical enough.
Exactly, but McMillan couldn’t have done worse against the run. Unless he’s having trouble with learning the system, he needs to be on the field in run situations.
I agreed whole heartedly with your wise and noble idea to bring back burfict when Capt K went down. I thought we should have brought him back in training camp. Everything I heard about him from last years camp right up until he made that hit on doyle was that he was like a coach on the field. I hope he’s getting in shape right now because when we’re at week 10 or 11 and about to make a playoff run we can’t have what happened last year at safety or linebacker where we’re signing players off the couch. Also I don’t know why they let karl Joseph go he said he wanted to be a raider 4 life
I agreed whole heartedly with your wise and noble idea to bring back burfict when Capt K went down. I thought we should have brought him back in training camp. Everything I heard about him from last years camp right up until he made that hit on doyle was that he was like a coach on the field. I hope he’s getting in shape right now because when we’re at week 10 or 11 and about to make a playoff run we can’t have what happened last year at safety or linebacker where we’re signing players off the couch. Also I don’t know why they let karl Joseph go he said he wanted to be a raider 4 life
That Gruden
for you, his call.
Eric,
McMillan is the absolute worst defender on the team, that’s why the Dolphins let him go so cheaply. That has been reported on numerous football sites. That’s why he is not on the field. Just Google his stats and you will see that quarterbacks have targeted him and he has given up the highest average number of yards in the league.
According to PFF McMillan was the Dolphins best defender in 2019. It’s true he’s a liability in covergae, but Littelton and Morrow are liabilities in run support. That’s why the other teams are gashing us. The SAM liebacker is the biggest and strongest of the three linebackers. This suits mcMillan well. We’ve got to have better run defense and we’re not getting it with Kwiatkoski injured and McMillan playing less than a third of the snaps.
Just Win Baby
Bring him back and start Mariota 🏴☠️🏴☠️
Say what? Carr is much better.
Fire Paul Gunther
YES PLEASE!!
En efecto, la defensiva de Raiders ha mejorado, pero no lo suficiente, en especial contra la carrera. Sería muy bueno ver a Burfict de nuevo en el equipo. Cierto que cometió un gran error, pero seguro se cuidaría mucho de repetirlo y hace falta en esa defensiva.
Nunca se han podido llevar los huecos de Ted Hendricks ni de Howie Long. Necesitamos defensivos de esa talla.
Ocurrió un cambio en mi comentario. Yo escribí “nunca se han podido llenar los huecos de Ted Hendricks ni de Howie Long”
Gruden loves his bengals coach he won’t fired him, we well lose again against the bills. Then he well blamed everyone else, but himself his favorite target Carr. Carr isnt the answered to the raiders. Bring Marroita or kapernick and bench Carr. He needs a wake up called. His new name been for along time fumbling Carr n pancake syrup hands, the boy can’t hanged onto to the ball, he has tiny hands, not made for football. Sorry Carr six yrs, and nothing to showed but 2016 that’s it. U should of stands with your offensive line while playing against the redskins. You chose not to stand with them and they paid u back, Donald Penn and rested of line let the skins get some *** whipping on Carr ***. You don’t stand with the line that protected you then u get beaten on every play from that game in fact you git hurts so dam bad. You have never been same Carr. He has been been Tarnished needs to be traded next year’s for a few picks but not in our division. Shipped over to vikes or washington or eagles. Goodbye Carr thanks for trying, but your Raiders material you don’t run u dint throw pass 20 yrs. I think ur brother David was better Qb then u ever were.. Del Rio Should of brought David In To Be You Mentor, but it never happened or well. Good lucked someone else. Your not taking these raiders to the 2021 playoffs no way ur done boy from Bakersfields Ca. Fresno State you were great but College us different then NFL. It’s a Man’s Game not for you Carr. Ty Carr
Educate yourself more on the game please watch tape of raiders prior years carr is not the problem
4 things Gruden Needs to do Get Your Balls straighthen out Gruden do your Job. Number 1) get rid of Ex-Bengals Coach. He gotta go he getting our players hurts doesn’t know how used them correctly. 2) bring Buffett, Bowman, Earl Thomas, Ed Reed Ex-niners Player.
we need some old Veterans To Teach The Younger guys. I am So Glad Witten came to played for us, but We Need 3) Someone that knows how to Makeup and Do Some Good Old Tricks Play Calling Offensive Coach Hue Jackson that Man would changes the Raiders into a Hot Offensive Team, Gruden doesn’t have it, Olson neither. 4)
Another two Linemen Big Strong Offensive Line Men’s,from Washington or The Vikes The Broncos Or Titan’s. 5) Two Quarterbacks Marriotta and Kapernick, Mark Davis said he would loved to have him in Raider Uniform Old Kap. Carr needs to be Bench for a while.
Guess you really don’t know **** about Football. Every single thing you mentioned would make the Raiders the same team they were 7 or 8 years ago. Stick to Soccer
I’ve said, in the past, that the Raiders should sign Anthony Gordon off of the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad. He would be cheaper and has a better upside than ANYONE on the Raiders roster currently. My point is that neither Derek Carr, Nathan Peterman, Marcus Mariota or DeShone Kizer represent the future of the Raiders and that the lowest rated quaterback in NFL history is currently Derek Carr’s backup. Also, should the Raiders get rid of Derek Carr, Jon Gruden, Paul Guenther and Tyrell Williams that they could save 50 million plus dollars right there. Lastly, Raider Nation and the Las Vegas Raiders can’t take 7 more years of Gruden, Carr, Guenther and losing.
It’s not Carr,’s fault
He had no coverage what so ever where the hell is his offensive line he has no protection and everybody wants to blame car but the first two games nobody was blaming car but now now the car lost the game blamed for the finger on car no he had no line do you know anything about football once a Raider always a Raider
So true, these people bash the Raiders, yet know nothing about Football. It’s kinda funny but now I’m starting to see why people hate certain Raiders Fans.
Why blame Carr
Did you blame him In game 1/2 ??
It’s a team EFFORT. Everybody feels like Gruden is the coming of Christ who calls the plays get Carr some protection just win baby
You are right people are so forgetful TY
Fire Gunther *** that **** he running isn’t working and Littleton can’t cover or tackle he playing like **** the whole defense can’t tackle u gotta go back to the basics also another scheme
👍👍👍👍👍
Nick Kwiatkoski according to pff was ranked 40 something Out of all the qualified linebackers in run defense.. He’s not going to come in and all the problems will be solved. The defensive line needs the step it up. Littleton was ranked in 50s according to pff in run support. We signed linebackers that could cover but where not good against the run. Both these players came from teams with great defensive lineman in front of them. Hopefully they can get this thing going in the right direction.
That’s why McMillan has to get more playing time. He’s the best run defender of all our linebackers. Can’t understand why Morrow is getting all these snaps.
You take his best friend who happens to be exactly whats missing and ship him, best receiver, ship him, sign a marginal, injury-prone “#1” receiver who, “surprise!” is hurt, retain a mediocre DC, draft Clellin Ferrell?@4, give starter$$$ to a backup and gets PLAYED by Antonio Brown….Chuckie’s ego misses more than hits. Dude owes me 2 rings for breaking up a promising young trio. One saving grace….its still early in the season and Carr is better than yall give him credit for.
The real problem is we dont spend enough on defense to begin with. This team aint going anywhere until we get to at least a 60 40 split.
Let’s get a few things straight. No doubt, Derek Carr has shown himself to be a statistically elite quarterback but for a myriad of of reasons, his won / loss record is abysmal. He is certainly the best quarterback on the Raiders team. Hopefully, given more time, he will wind up like more than a few present and former NFL quarterbacks with one Super Bowl win, hopefully. Next, Jon Gruden has, at best, a spotty record for managing this football team. The good part is that he, and Mike Mayock, have, for all intents and purposes, “fixed” the heart and soul of any football team, the Raiders’ offensive line, injuries not withstanding. It is also true that Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock have spent enormous draft capital in adding “some” talented, young players, to this team. As we all know, drafting players is a hit or miss proposition and that is just the nature of the beast. While there are surely some concerns, offensively and defensively, that need to be addressed, on this team, it is without a doubt that the Raiders are progressively getting better, if only incrementally. As always, the not so good decisions, by management, show themselves as “glaring weaknesses. Most football novice and lots of sportswriter would almost unanimously agree on a couple of things and “some” are backed up by statistics and analytics; Nathan Peterman is absolutely the worse NFL quarterback in NFL history; Clelin Ferrell has not lived up to his draft position and his outlook doesn’t engender any encouraging signs; the loss of Khalil Mack will be felt for some time to come and virtually no one sees a replacement, with his demonstrated abilities, on the horizon; losing to the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars, at a critical juncture last season, said much about Jon Gruden’s leadership and coaching ability, or the lack thereof, and Paul Guenther’s defensive philosophy and effectiveness; passing on or refusing to sign either Yannick Ngakoue and or Jamal Adams, while not necessarily constituting managerial malfeasance, can certainly be considered as missed opportunities; the inability or reluctance to stop the run is directly attributable and a direct reflection of this team’s coaching staff and they, the coaching staff, deserves the lion’s share of the blame since it is the coaching staff’s responsibility to put the players in a position and scheme to be successful and effective; for those that believe that the Raiders don’t have “the right players,” on defense, to win games, this fall directly on the senior management people, on the Raiders, ie. Paul Guenther, Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock. So, what do we have left? A team that is in need of genuine leadership with “some” good and not so good players but fear not Raiders fans, Jon Gruden has seven years remaining on his contract, for better or worse.