Despite one of the worst defensive seasons in the modern era of football, former Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther has found a few media allies to defended his not-quite-three-year resume with the Raiders.
Nevermind the fact that Guenther’s defense has given up more points per possession this year than any team in 21 years, some still say the Raiders newly-fired defensive coordinator wasn’t given the personnel on the roster to have success.
Unfortunately for Guenther apologists, the Raiders did make an effort to add defensive talent over the last two years. In fact, one of the most incriminating failures of Guenther’s tenure with the Raiders was his inability to get production from recent draft picks, particularly second-year safety Johnathan Abram.
Despite the unique abilities that he possesses, Abram has played incredibly undisciplined in his second season and earned the worst Pro Football Focus grade at safety in the NFL.
Certainly Pro Football Focus isn’t the final authority on player performance, but it’s no secret that Abram has been a huge liability in the Raiders’ secondary. And the surest way to get fired as a coordinator is to take a first-round pick like Abram and turn him into arguably the worst safety in the NFL in his second year.
What is interesting is that Abram’s issue all season has been a lack of discipline – which happens to be something that essentially the entire Raider defense has been guilty of this year. For whatever reason, Abram is the player that seems to have struggled the most under Guenther, but he certainly isn’t alone. The defensive line as a group has probably been even worse than the safeties, which is saying a lot.
Now the Raiders will look to defensive line coach Rod Marinelli to fix the team’s ineptitude on defense… and ideally he will make it happen in the next few days.
twitter: @raidersbeat
pitiful just pitiful
the offense is boring as heck to watch. Can someone explain to me why Ruggs in not just running fly patterns on every play.
Offense top 12 though …. Who fucking cares if it’s boring lol
Because Ruggs can’t run routes and has bad timing. They drafted a track star first who, with all that speed, can barely get open. He runs a 4.2. That said, he should at least be getting more separation than he has.
Ah ha, Al Davis is STILL running the draft!
Welp..I called for a new def-coach when KC signed Bell…that same day. We are too in experienced in the back end. It make sense to develop but what’s the blue print? Let’s get Rex off tv…bring him in for an interview.
Rex scheme would work …. He blitz alot … The dbs strong point is man coverage
The problem with the raiders defense were the free agent’s signed who haddone nothing to improve the whole unit No Pressure On The QBs which makes the secondary have to cover longer which results in big play with the young secondary what do u expect when u don’t put a finger on the QBs
He was great here in Detroit. Good luck
Detroit has never had a good defense. So essentially you hired a bum.
“ideally he will make it happen in the next few days” – what are you smoking?
We need Wade Phillips. He’s proven and I think he would get everybody in line.
I agree. Wade is the best defensive coordinator in the game and he is familiar with Littleton and Joyner.
Should’ve fired him last year. His defense of scheme sucks. As far as Abrams hes awesome so haters can you know suck it .
The problem is the lack of a dominant defensive line . . Period! There have been so many great accomplished interior lineman available and they have passed on all of them. With a strong interior pass rush it changes everything. Our young corners are actually pretty decent. I know Abrams is still a bit undisciplined. Give him a break, this is his rookie year as he missed the whole first year. That kids energy and hitting ability are off the chart. Pair him with an elite cover safety and he will learn and remain the swagger in the defense they have lacked for so long.
Marinelli needs to be fired right now, he turned B squareds ballin d line into crap overnight, even faster than he ruined dallas defense.
I have the agree with you “Ace Davis” I think Jon Gruden made a huge mistake letting Buckner go in favor of his old buddy Rod Marinelli. I haven’t followed him a lot thru the years because I’m not much on the Cowboys, but I do know that his position guys this year haven’t played near as well as Buckner had his group playing exactly one year ago with lessor “named” players/talent! With the injuries that they’re faced with this week I’m not sure that we will see much different with a new DC calling the plays vs. what was going down last week.
Guenther, Marinelli, and Mayock have all been hand picked by Gruden. Gruden has TOO MUCH power. It’s obvious that he’s over his head. Even his dink n dunk offense settles for too many field goals. NO confidence that he makes the right call on the new DC, much less that they hit a homerun in the draft.
Though lightly regarded, and a small blip on the news wire, this move by Gruden may have actually been the point where he began losing the team. Though far from overpowering, the DL was definitely trending upward last year under BB’s tutelage. Swapping him out for a re-tread, probably sent a certain message to that line. The mis-guided thinking was probably to try and instill some Dallas influence with a few Dallas guys coming over, who had previously done well, with one of their coaches and inject that effort into our D.
Obviously a huge miscalculation (one of many by the team braintrust), in the FA talent and the coach.
Very similar to when Mark Davis hired Gruden so he could fire Jack DelRio, both sides of the ball went south
Dumb Mark IS the problem. Squandering away all the Nevada tax money on an Ultra ego retread HC, that hadn’t coached in a decade. Mark please sell the team, already.
Marinelli is trash too, our D line was getting after it last year, now they will accidentally sack someone.. the biggest hit of Abrams year was the TV Cart… they all need discipline keep 44 though he’s a hog
I think the best picks are hunter,max,foster other pick are a bust can’t produce ruff,s can butt they don’t include him huh go figure 🙄
Karma….for abandoning Oakland ,again, and for the way Al stole the team to become owner.
PFF are blatant hack haters of the Raiders. Their analysis is unprofessional, unscientific and bias . . Would not wipe my *** with their opinions if they were printed on toilet paper.
That said, the dude is seriously under-performing for a first rounder. They made a big deal of his study of the Defense and tactics while on IR last year and that he would come out as a difference maker. Sorry, but he is a huge liability back there. When people talked about needing to tone down his “out of control” tendencies, for his own protection and others, they were spot on. And he obviously didn’t listen. Though his over-aggressive play looks like he’s providing inspiration and leadership through effort, and may produce big hits from time to time, he is often out of position, hitting his own teammates as well as hurting himself, getting burned in coverage, and most egregiously, being flagged for stupid penalties. They need to teach this guy how to play the position and how to stay in the game.
Aside from Jacobs, who is getting worn out because of his style and usage, his fellow first rounders from 2019 are leaving much to be desired and glaringly point to JG and MM missing badly on these high picks that they needed to nail to turn this thing around.
You can bring in whi ever you guys want ain’t no game changing talent no where on that defense period what yall smoking
Abram is a cocky, undisciplined, immature player. Saw Abram on Hard Knocks 2019 and instantly hated him. Uneducated players with talent hardly ever get far
I wonder what Mayock thinks about him, now? Of course, he’ll never admit that he whiffed on the pick. Ultra ego, like Gruden.
Huh?! Abrams is one of the best tackling and punishing defenders we’ve had in a long time! I’m glad he’s here!
What we need are linebackers who can lead and not get bottled up on runs and can play a decent zone!
He’s a liability in today’s pass happy NFL! Guy is a hitting machine, BUT the NFL frowns on hard hits, nowadays. Ronnie Lott types just aren’t tolerated in today’s game. That’s exactly what I thought when they drafted him. So far, it’s proven true although I didn’t know he would be so bad in coverage.
Great defense yours ago Al Davis did the same thing, never hire friends, hope Gruden learned a lesson, proudly not , to hard headed.
If someone is wide open for a TD pass, it’s because abrams blew his coverage. Love his energy, but he needs to go. Take off that 24!
Right. Don’t taint that GREAT Willie Brown and Charles Woodson jersey!
I like everything all of you have said. The defense is just terrible and I have said before that they got rid of the wrong guy. They should have kept Lynn Bowden and traded John Abrams. For christ sakes, the guy could not even pronounce Salmon correctly!! Don’t get your hopes up about the new coordinator either. Best bet is to hire Wade Phillips right now so he can see what he has already and have some input on who he needs and who he needs to get rid of BEFORE THE DRAFT!!
Jimmy Johnson said to Belichik when they were out fishing, ” hit me in the head with a hammer the next time I hire a dumb guy”…!!
I don’t think so he runs a 3-4 defense and we don’t have the personnel and that would be starting over
U all r crazy n delusional. Nobody is going 2 turn that defense into a good one. It is all Grudens’ fault n how anyone could see it differently is beyond nuts. Gruden has consistently brought in the wrong players n that u crazy fools is fact. I do not have 2 prove it or argue it the proof is in the pudding. There is not a DC in league or throughout history that could take the personnel on Defense n make them good. I challenge anyone with football knowledge or without, media, “experts” 2 refute these facts or support Gruden remaining as coach and/or that he has done even a mediocre job thus far. GRUDEN SHOULD REMOVE HIMSELF AS HE PROCLAIMED RETURNING HIS SALARY OR BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY. Mark Davis should sell the team 2 someone who knows something about football or that his father AL would never have brought Gruden back let alone give him the keys 2 the franchise. I hate being a Raider fan these days n it is directly the fault of Davis n Gruden.