No one seems to have a handle on exactly what’s wrong with the Raiders offense, but an unfortunate talking point continues to be that offense, for whatever reason, isn’t throwing the ball downfield.
Last year, according to Pro Football Focus, the Raiders average depth of target was 7.73 yards downfield. This year, the number has plummeted to 4.45.
Derek Carr has pointed to the fact that defenses are protecting against deep passes, but what explains why the Raiders can’t execute short throws any better?
From the outside, it looks like the Raiders offense has simply developed a pattern of confusion. Carr is lacking confidence in what he sees (or more accurately what his receivers will see) and maybe it’s speeding up his internal clock.
Even the most memorable play of the season – Jared Cook’s dramatic reception at the one yard-line against the Chiefs – featured Seth Roberts running a route within an arm’s reach of Cook.
Call it “poor execution” or “lack of attention to detail”, but right now the Raiders offense is translating to confusion. Todd Downing may have the best offensive gameplan in the league (though not many are accusing him of that), but if players aren’t grasping concepts, it doesn’t really matter.
A loss to the Dolphins on Sunday and the season won’t really matter, either.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Weird he says that because I see receivers open deep quite often. I guess he doesnt have the view i do. Kinda like, I don’t have 25 million dollars to see those receivers open. I like carr but there has pretty much been something wrong since the skins game. And no I’m not with the line teaching him a lesson for not kneeling. Just something is different. As I figured we were not the team we where predicted to be, I thought we would be a decent offense. Sucks to see this after thinking the very bad years where a thing of the past.
I believe the season is done.As a lifelong Raider fan it sickens me that year after year it’s the same thing.It’s all 3 working elements on the team that us out of sync.And a Head Coach that admits “he has not a clue” on what is going on dies not bode well for this team.
His back is broken and he doesn’t have full range of motion. He cannot make the quick turn. sad because he is trying under extreme pressure and in the process ruining his back 4 life.
Downing is a big problem, I think, but Carr is also struggling on his own. Mike Tanier’s analysis caused me to look back at some Buffalo plays (self torture, I know) and it struck me that I had thought Carr was pressured a lot more than he was (I think either Vic or Jerry pointed out he was on lyrics pressured like 6 times, seemed like 20). But maybe it seemed like more because Carr ACTED as if he was pressured almost every play. Is he seeing & feeling phantom rushers, going to check downs a split second too soon because of… what, fear of injury or re-injury? All the respect in the world for QBs, but you can’t play the position at the highest level that way. Big Ben is much too careless with his body, but the other extreme just won’t work either.
Derek Carr, David Carr. Sound familiar. He will never be an elite QB