BustedKnuckles
Footballguy
There is little doubt the Oakland Raiders are a faster team than they were last season once the ball is snapped.
It's the period between snaps that has been a problem.
Part of the reason for Oakland's offensive struggles has been the inability to get in and out of the huddle efficiently. In one-sided losses to the San Diego Chargers (27-0) and Baltimore Ravens (28-6), games in which the Raiders needed points and needed them fast, they continued at a snail's pace in terms of the play clock.
Rather than allowing quarterbacks Aaron Brooks and Andrew Walter time to survey the defense and make necessary adjustments, the 40-second clock would be hitting "2" or "1" at the snap — almost as if the Raiders were running a four-minute drill with a lead rather than a two-minute drill with a deficit.
It's a problem coach Art Shell said the Raiders have addressed during the bye week as they prepare to face the Cleveland Browns Sunday at McAfee Coliseum.
"I want the quarterback out of the huddle and getting to the line of scrimmage, barking the signals, with over 20 seconds (left)," Shell said. "That's ideal. It doesn't always happen that way, but that's ideal so you have a chance to change plays as quickly as possible."
The Raiders have not come close to reaching that standard through two games. As a result, an offense that is already being criticized for being outdated has been forced to go with plays that may be doomed even before the snap based on the defensive alignment.
Shell places the blame not on players, but on the coaches to get their act together upstairs and pick up the pace.
"Getting the play to the quarterback, allowing him to get in and out of the huddle, is something we've been working on and trying to take care of," Shell said. "Hopefully we'll get him to the line of scrimmage quicker than in the past."
To former Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown, the problems come as no surprise. Brown played in the system with the Los Angeles Raiders when Shell was head coach and Tom Walsh was on the offensive staff in the 1990s.
"You just can't run that offense in the NFL any more," Brown told the Los Angeles Times. "They're calling time outs before 10 minutes is up in the second quarter. They're getting delay penalties, getting to the line of scrimmage late because those plays are 20 words long.
"I know that it was a horrible offense way back when. We just had to make plays and make things happen. Being that the 40-second clock has come into play and a lot of other rules have come into play ... I knew that would be a tough adjustment. It was very one-dimensional, trying to audible was very difficult."
Center Jake Grove has heard a lot of talking about getting out of the huddle quickly, but believes the Raiders must be faster before the play is called.
"A lot is made of getting to the line, but more should be made of getting in the huddle," Grove said. "I've told the guys, get in that huddle faster, and we won't have to run to the line. Get everybody in there faster and the process will speed up."
Grove has seen opposing defenses basing their adjustments on Oakland's inability to change plays.
"When the clock is ticking down, they're not going on the snap count any more, they're going on the clock, and when that clock strikes one, they're going," Grove said. "I don't think it's going to be an issue this week. We know that has been a problem and we've got to fix it."
When the Raiders won the AFC championship in 2002, they set a blistering tempo with Rich Gannon at quarterback. Sometimes they operated out of a no-huddle offense, but even when they didn't, they were in and out of the huddle quickly.
Left guard Barry Sims, a left tackle on that team, remembers that it took a toll on the opposition.
"The other team would barely have time to get set, and we'd be snapping the ball," Sims said. "You keep doing that, and it makes a difference. It would help if we get the plays off quicker. And right now, we need all the help we can get."
GAME PLAN: Shell remains adamant about sticking with the offensive system and running it better rather than making major alterations based on the strengths and weaknesses of the Raiders. So expect a lot of LaMont Jordan running between the tackles, hopefully with enough success to set up play-action passing from Walter to Randy Moss sand Co. Defensively, the Raiders will hopefully keep the score close enough to change up schemes defensively, rather than desperation schemes which have come in two one-sided losses
It's the period between snaps that has been a problem.
Part of the reason for Oakland's offensive struggles has been the inability to get in and out of the huddle efficiently. In one-sided losses to the San Diego Chargers (27-0) and Baltimore Ravens (28-6), games in which the Raiders needed points and needed them fast, they continued at a snail's pace in terms of the play clock.
Rather than allowing quarterbacks Aaron Brooks and Andrew Walter time to survey the defense and make necessary adjustments, the 40-second clock would be hitting "2" or "1" at the snap — almost as if the Raiders were running a four-minute drill with a lead rather than a two-minute drill with a deficit.
It's a problem coach Art Shell said the Raiders have addressed during the bye week as they prepare to face the Cleveland Browns Sunday at McAfee Coliseum.
"I want the quarterback out of the huddle and getting to the line of scrimmage, barking the signals, with over 20 seconds (left)," Shell said. "That's ideal. It doesn't always happen that way, but that's ideal so you have a chance to change plays as quickly as possible."
The Raiders have not come close to reaching that standard through two games. As a result, an offense that is already being criticized for being outdated has been forced to go with plays that may be doomed even before the snap based on the defensive alignment.
Shell places the blame not on players, but on the coaches to get their act together upstairs and pick up the pace.
"Getting the play to the quarterback, allowing him to get in and out of the huddle, is something we've been working on and trying to take care of," Shell said. "Hopefully we'll get him to the line of scrimmage quicker than in the past."
To former Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown, the problems come as no surprise. Brown played in the system with the Los Angeles Raiders when Shell was head coach and Tom Walsh was on the offensive staff in the 1990s.
"You just can't run that offense in the NFL any more," Brown told the Los Angeles Times. "They're calling time outs before 10 minutes is up in the second quarter. They're getting delay penalties, getting to the line of scrimmage late because those plays are 20 words long.
"I know that it was a horrible offense way back when. We just had to make plays and make things happen. Being that the 40-second clock has come into play and a lot of other rules have come into play ... I knew that would be a tough adjustment. It was very one-dimensional, trying to audible was very difficult."
Center Jake Grove has heard a lot of talking about getting out of the huddle quickly, but believes the Raiders must be faster before the play is called.
"A lot is made of getting to the line, but more should be made of getting in the huddle," Grove said. "I've told the guys, get in that huddle faster, and we won't have to run to the line. Get everybody in there faster and the process will speed up."
Grove has seen opposing defenses basing their adjustments on Oakland's inability to change plays.
"When the clock is ticking down, they're not going on the snap count any more, they're going on the clock, and when that clock strikes one, they're going," Grove said. "I don't think it's going to be an issue this week. We know that has been a problem and we've got to fix it."
When the Raiders won the AFC championship in 2002, they set a blistering tempo with Rich Gannon at quarterback. Sometimes they operated out of a no-huddle offense, but even when they didn't, they were in and out of the huddle quickly.
Left guard Barry Sims, a left tackle on that team, remembers that it took a toll on the opposition.
"The other team would barely have time to get set, and we'd be snapping the ball," Sims said. "You keep doing that, and it makes a difference. It would help if we get the plays off quicker. And right now, we need all the help we can get."
GAME PLAN: Shell remains adamant about sticking with the offensive system and running it better rather than making major alterations based on the strengths and weaknesses of the Raiders. So expect a lot of LaMont Jordan running between the tackles, hopefully with enough success to set up play-action passing from Walter to Randy Moss sand Co. Defensively, the Raiders will hopefully keep the score close enough to change up schemes defensively, rather than desperation schemes which have come in two one-sided losses
