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Footballguy
Jon Gruden wanted a new defensive voice, but is still leaning on excuses
By Vic Tafur Dec 14, 2020 109
There will be “a new voice” and “a new energy” on the Raiders defense the remainder of this season.
Jon Gruden said it three times on Monday when the coach answered why he fired defensive coordinator and good friend Paul Guenther on Sunday night.
The “why” part didn’t need a lot of explaining, as the Raiders have allowed 150 points over the last four games, falling from 6-3 to 7-6. But why it had to happen Sunday night with the Raiders on a short week ahead of a Thursday night game needed some light shed on it.
“We need a new voice right now,” Gruden said. “I think it’ll help Paul in the long run, probably, getting away from me. Certainly, he’s a great coach. We thank him for everything that he has done. But we need a new voice right now. I think we need a new energy.”
Defensive line coach and new interim defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, 71, is that voice, and the former Cowboys defensive coordinator has used it a lot in his 47 years of coaching.
“We want to service those players the best way we can with a new voice and new energy and a guy that’s had a lot of experience in some tough situations,” Gruden said. “I’m really excited about our football team.”
Is he though? That’s a little hard to believe given how bad the defense has been and how his beloved running game has disappeared the last three games. The Raiders would have lost four straight if Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams hadn’t gotten worked up and blitzed everyone at the end of that game eight days ago. (Actually, if Williams had kept one safety back, Gruden probably fires Guenther in New York and Marinelli has a full week to prepare for the Colts game.)
And what exactly is Marinelli going to change? How much can he change on a defense with limited playmakers and questionable depth?
“It’s a hard question,” Gruden said. “Right now, Cle Ferrell comes out of the game. John Abram …”
I am going to cut Gruden off, as he talked about all the team’s injuries a few times on Monday.
New voice or old, Marinelli already has built-in excuses going into Thursday night’s kickoff against the Chargers. Just listen to Gruden later when he tried a Jedi mind trick that has gotten familiar by now.
“I’m not here to make any excuses,” he said. “We have to play better, we have three games left. (Nick) Kwiatkoski had injuries. (Cory) Littleton has had coronavirus. Now, Nick Morrow has a concussion. John Abram’s been in, he’s been out. Damon Arnette has been out most of the year. Now Jeff Heath is out.
“Lamarcus Joyner’s had the coronavirus. Maliek Collins is now on IR. (Maurice) Hurst has had the coronavirus. We’ve had it at all three levels. Now, (Clelin) Ferrell is hurt. So, we have to do some damage control. We have to continue to coach and grind and stay positive and hope that Vic Beasley, Takk McKinley, some of these newcomers can step up and play key roles for us.”
This year especially, with all teams dealing with COVID-19, excuses don’t carry a lot of water. Good teams draft and sign good players, and backups fill in when needed. Bad teams crumble and fire coaches and coordinators. The problem with most of those guys that Gruden mentioned hasn’t been injuries or being sick, but that they didn’t play well when they were on the field.
That list of injuries could have worked in a quote on why Gruden decided to keep Guenther on the rest of the season. But he saw the season slipping away and decided to shake things up.
If the Raiders don’t turn it around and continue to copy last season’s collapse, the focus will shift to the players and whether or not they brought in the right ones. General manager Mike Mayock was unavailable for comment Monday, but the music will be hitting him in the face come the offseason if the Raiders don’t get to nine wins.
It all falls on the shoulder of Marinelli, whose defensive line group has been a big part of the problem this season. Maybe he has a plan that he wasn’t sharing with Gruden or Guenther earlier.
“I think he’s one of the great teachers and great motivators and great people that I’ve met in this business,” Gruden said. “He looks forward to adversity, he thrives in it. I think he looks forward to these challenges of building this defense and putting it all together. That’s why we brought him here in the first place.”
Some of the pieces are chipped and some just haven’t fit, but if Marinelli can’t put at least some of them together in three games, there will be a laundry list of injuries and sick players why.
By Vic Tafur Dec 14, 2020 109
There will be “a new voice” and “a new energy” on the Raiders defense the remainder of this season.
Jon Gruden said it three times on Monday when the coach answered why he fired defensive coordinator and good friend Paul Guenther on Sunday night.
The “why” part didn’t need a lot of explaining, as the Raiders have allowed 150 points over the last four games, falling from 6-3 to 7-6. But why it had to happen Sunday night with the Raiders on a short week ahead of a Thursday night game needed some light shed on it.
“We need a new voice right now,” Gruden said. “I think it’ll help Paul in the long run, probably, getting away from me. Certainly, he’s a great coach. We thank him for everything that he has done. But we need a new voice right now. I think we need a new energy.”
Defensive line coach and new interim defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, 71, is that voice, and the former Cowboys defensive coordinator has used it a lot in his 47 years of coaching.
“We want to service those players the best way we can with a new voice and new energy and a guy that’s had a lot of experience in some tough situations,” Gruden said. “I’m really excited about our football team.”
Is he though? That’s a little hard to believe given how bad the defense has been and how his beloved running game has disappeared the last three games. The Raiders would have lost four straight if Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams hadn’t gotten worked up and blitzed everyone at the end of that game eight days ago. (Actually, if Williams had kept one safety back, Gruden probably fires Guenther in New York and Marinelli has a full week to prepare for the Colts game.)
And what exactly is Marinelli going to change? How much can he change on a defense with limited playmakers and questionable depth?
“It’s a hard question,” Gruden said. “Right now, Cle Ferrell comes out of the game. John Abram …”
I am going to cut Gruden off, as he talked about all the team’s injuries a few times on Monday.
New voice or old, Marinelli already has built-in excuses going into Thursday night’s kickoff against the Chargers. Just listen to Gruden later when he tried a Jedi mind trick that has gotten familiar by now.
“I’m not here to make any excuses,” he said. “We have to play better, we have three games left. (Nick) Kwiatkoski had injuries. (Cory) Littleton has had coronavirus. Now, Nick Morrow has a concussion. John Abram’s been in, he’s been out. Damon Arnette has been out most of the year. Now Jeff Heath is out.
“Lamarcus Joyner’s had the coronavirus. Maliek Collins is now on IR. (Maurice) Hurst has had the coronavirus. We’ve had it at all three levels. Now, (Clelin) Ferrell is hurt. So, we have to do some damage control. We have to continue to coach and grind and stay positive and hope that Vic Beasley, Takk McKinley, some of these newcomers can step up and play key roles for us.”
This year especially, with all teams dealing with COVID-19, excuses don’t carry a lot of water. Good teams draft and sign good players, and backups fill in when needed. Bad teams crumble and fire coaches and coordinators. The problem with most of those guys that Gruden mentioned hasn’t been injuries or being sick, but that they didn’t play well when they were on the field.
That list of injuries could have worked in a quote on why Gruden decided to keep Guenther on the rest of the season. But he saw the season slipping away and decided to shake things up.
If the Raiders don’t turn it around and continue to copy last season’s collapse, the focus will shift to the players and whether or not they brought in the right ones. General manager Mike Mayock was unavailable for comment Monday, but the music will be hitting him in the face come the offseason if the Raiders don’t get to nine wins.
It all falls on the shoulder of Marinelli, whose defensive line group has been a big part of the problem this season. Maybe he has a plan that he wasn’t sharing with Gruden or Guenther earlier.
“I think he’s one of the great teachers and great motivators and great people that I’ve met in this business,” Gruden said. “He looks forward to adversity, he thrives in it. I think he looks forward to these challenges of building this defense and putting it all together. That’s why we brought him here in the first place.”
Some of the pieces are chipped and some just haven’t fit, but if Marinelli can’t put at least some of them together in three games, there will be a laundry list of injuries and sick players why.
