Do you believe the Las Vegas Raiders coaching staff can nurture a franchise quarterback and provide him with the necessary support to be a successful professional? That will be the biggest question facing franchise owner Mark Davis this offseason.
Tanking is dismissed by players and coaches because most of them do not have the job security to lose on purpose and keep their positions, which is likely true of the Raiders’ coaching staff.
At 2-6, the Raiders offence averages only 18 points per game, and the team has had clock management concerns dating back to the preseason. Three weeks into the season, following an ugly home loss to the Carolina Panthers, head coach Antonio Pierce had to call out his players, for which he later apologised.
We’re just halfway into the season, so there’s still time for improvement, but the Raiders’ coaching staff has some ground to make up over the next two months.
Though coaches cannot influence injuries or a top player’s change of heart with a trade request, they can improve game performance through executive decisions and play-calling.
Coaching staff gaffes and inefficiencies
On Wednesday, Pierce told reporters that offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will continue to call plays, and he “recognises” the need for improvement. Thank god Getsy had an epiphany halfway through the season.
Pierce, who came over as temporary head coach last year and established a sense of urgency and aggression, now runs a more passive operation that is more conservative and reacting than proactive this season.
Pierce does not need to fire Getsy right now, but the team must make in-season adjustments based on the available talent.
Remember, this is the same coaching staff that took a month to realise running back Zamir White was not a good match for this offensive system. Gardner Minshew completed 48.4 percent of his passes in the preseason, and the coaches named him starter, only to bench him twice in five weeks because to inefficiencies, mainly turnovers.
Every coaching staff makes mistakes, but Pierce has a massive staff to help him avoid the pitfalls. But, this team seems to find itself caught in multiple Booby traps.
Furthermore, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline produced an article alleging that Pierce’s staff is ineffective.
“Ryan, a former defensive coordinator, is labelled as the team’s ‘Senior Defensive Assistant,’ Pauline wrote. “Lewis, who was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2003 to 2015 and previously worked with Pierce at Arizona State, is listed as Assistant Head Coach. According to sources close to the issue, both Ryan and Lewis have checked out and are already in Las Vegas to collect checks.
Only the players know what’s going on behind closed doors, but the Raiders’ coaching staff appears inefficient, given the team’s clock management and/or overuse of timeouts in critical moments.
No identity, no future
To be clear, the players have not given up on Coach Pierce. They fight for every yard, and a threadbare defence has kept this club competitive in recent weeks, giving them a chance to win. However, two months into the season, the Raiders still lack an identity, as Pierce mentioned this week.
While no one expects this squad to embark on a miraculous midseason run to a playoff spot, how about laying the groundwork for an impending rebuild?
Even in a three- or four-win season, you may establish the framework for future success with a well-coached team that improves over time. Nine weeks into the season, the Raiders struggle immensely to run the ball, and the blocking has been uneven.
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