Friends, belated thanks for your well wishes during my travels, I was on the run but it didn't go unnoticed.
I'm back in the saddle but nothing seems to have changed, as this Browns game is off to a nightmare Clown Car start in the first quarter.
Still plenty of time, but it's not looking good. We shall see. GO RAIDERS!
Honestly, what did we expect? This team is product of its own doing. A long off-season of new GM and coaching hires, too many personnel changes, mind-numbing playcalling and poor execution. I know some will say injuries have cost them. Sure, but what's different from before the injuries?
ReplyDeleteAshton Jeanty is a decent coach and new offensive scheme away from being a star. Jacobs went thru the same nonsense with the Raiders. He had off years when they used zone blocking and he thrived during seasons with power blocking. Hopefully, the pendulum will swing back for Jeanty.
What a day for Shedeur Sanders. First NFL start! He did not need to be spectacular to show up the Raiders. He had at least two long pass plays and moved well, throwing on the run. Not bad, and certainly good enough to make the Raiders look foolish for not taking a flier on him.
Meanwhile, the Raiders have no QB.
IMO, the Raiders looked spectacularly bad today and on the season. I can't imagine Pete Carroll survives this year. How can he?
So much to say but how about this…Amy Trask is saying Jim Gray became a part owner as part of the Brady deal (I had no idea) and is a problem behind the scenes.
ReplyDeleteCan we be at least a little normal in some ways? Can Mark hire a President of Football Operations and have the GM report into him? If Brady wants to be that guy (I’d have reservations), no more working for Fox and being coy about it; it’s a full time job and it’s important.
Gray’s role should be to count the money he’s making from his investment, nothing more.
10 sacks. Imagine misreading this O-line so badly that you draft an RB in the first round.
ReplyDeleteI thought hard about it and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worse offensive line take the field for the Raiders. They miss assignments AND get overpowered, just inadequate in every way. And since some of them looked at least decent last season even as rookies (Glaze, JPJ), coaching sticks out as the major issue in addition to talent of course.
DeleteI can’t imagine Brendan Carroll would not have been at least demoted by now if the dynamics of that decision were not so awkward for Pete.
Thanks for calling out that Jim Gray report. If there's truth to that, it would explain a lot.
ReplyDeleteChip Kelly fired. Two coordinators fired in three weeks, signaling another epic fail by the Raiders. Pete Carroll is next. No way Carroll can stay and hand off a rebuild to another HC. The Raiders are proof of that. Any HC worth his salt wants his own players.
ReplyDeleteThis also signals the first major failure in the Tom Brady era. How fitting that Shedeur Sanders beat the Raiders in his NFL debut... after Brady prevented the Raiders from drafting Sanders (7x).
IMO, the Raiders should gracefully end the Carroll experiment today and hire Patrick Graham as interim HC. Let Olsen call plays on offense, using a power blocking scheme, and play every player who might have a future with the Raiders, including and especially Rogers and Grant.
But there's more amiss than meets the eye. As RT pointed out, the misread of the O-line and other personnel moves is stunning. Where's Spytek fall in this mess. Here's a stat... Bech and Thorton Jr have combined for under 15 catches this year. Trading Meyers didn't help either of these guys.
The 2025 Raiders team is one of the most mismanaged and poorly coached teams we've had the displeasure of watching. And it's not even close. At least other bad Raiders teams were scrappy and competitive. If we put this entire Brady/Carroll/Spytek/Kelly experiment under a forensic microscope, I think we'd all be shocked how bad it truly is.
For now, the "Time to Compete" era should be quickly put to rest. No more pretending it's going to work.
Lets see, the Raiders give up 10 sacks, and they fire the OC. Yes Kelly deserved to be fired, but what's the new OC suppose to do ? What plays do you call while the 0-line is getting pushed back and thrown all around the field. It's men against boys out there, and the Raiders aint the men.
ReplyDeleteSo why not fire the 0-line coach too ? What are they waiting for, 20 sacks next week ?
NYR,...I was thinking the same thing about Spytek. Not only did he totally whiff last years draft. He traded a 3rd round pick for Geno, and signed him to a big contract. Now he trades a 5th round pick for backup, Kenny Pickett. Does Spytek know what the heck he's doing ? He seems way in over his head. Why can't any player he drafted from rounds 2 to 7, even get on the field ? For a horrible team !!
Does anybody trust Spytek to run next years draft ? They will be high picks, just like last year. Raiders cannot afford another error filled draft.
I hate to say it, but Mark Davis has to go back to square one, again, and start all over, again, with a totally new regime. And hopefully, Tom Brady is not consulted, because all he wants to do is make sure his friends get great jobs with the Raiders, even while they don't know crap about building a winning football team.
Ghost, better results are immediately available to the Raiders under better coaching and better playcalling. There was nothing clever about the Chip Kelly offense, and even the defensive playcalling lacks teeth. IMO, there are many things the Raiders could do to immediately improve on both sides of the ball. What we've been watching has been a clinic on what NOT to do.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Chip is gone, should have happened a few games ago though after the Cowboys game when Jeanty only had 6 Carries. We can blame the O-Line all we want, which yes, they are horrible; but we haven't seen any adjustments by the OC or the offensive coaches to help them. No chip blocks against the rush, staying within ZBS only, a lot of play calls that worked against the O-Line, etc. The easiest way for the O-Line to get accustomed to the scheme is running the ball. Chip abandoned the running game early and often in games.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, both of Pete's sons (and Pete) need to be fired as well; as they are part of the problem. The bad news, I'm not sure Greg "Vanilla" Olson will be any better at play-calling.
BTW, what is this, like the 4th time Greg Olson has been our interim/permanent OC?
ReplyDeleteThe Raiders offense is ranked among teams with highest QB pressure rate but the least double teams or chip blocks on the O-line, and Geno Smith was clocked holding the ball for 4.5 seconds on pass plays on Sunday. These elements only scratch the surface. The ineptitude of Chip Kelly and the Raiders offense can't be overstated.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile Pete Carroll continues to lose games but refuses to develop young players on the sidelines.
if Carroll doesn't get fired today, I will be very disappointed. Do the Raiders think something's going to change? Do they actually want to give Carroll another chance to start over again next year?
Carroll and Co. went scorched earth on the Raiders this year. It's time to finish the job.
NYR......You wrote recently that the Raiders should reach out to Lane Kiffin, and i agree with this.
ReplyDeleteIf he has to, Mark Davis should go with bent knee and beg Kiffin to be HC of the Raiders. Kiffin is still young, and knows how to build a program/team. He also has, although a long time ago, NFL head coaching experience.
Most of the NFL OC's and DC's are a dime a dozen. And then there are the retreads like Mike Mcarthy. This is not what the Raiders need at this time.
So get Kiffin, let him bring in his own GM. And tell know nothing Tom Brady to stick to being a mediocre, over paid, broadcaster.
M
Yes, Lane Kiffin and also his former counterpart Stever Sarkisian, both of whom worked for no other than Pete Carroll at USC. Both have coaching skills for next level. Kiffin was young and inexperienced when HC of the Raiders.
ReplyDeleteI am reading more and more about how dysfunctional the current Raiders appear through its various layers of ownership and management. No wonder it failed. Now it's being reported that Pete Carroll didn't have control over his roster. Too many cooks in the kitchen. We've been saying or thinking that all season.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, three high-level coaches have been fired. The party is over. There is nothing else Pete Carroll can do (or not do) for the Raiders. He was given an opportunity and it's over. Asking Carroll to hire another OC and ST coach is like asking the arson to put out the fire. Or asking for another punch in the face.
This isn't going to end well, now or in the near future. But it needs to end so the Raiders can move forward with rebuilding.
Who would have thought Tom Telesco would be the best GM since Al died, and he got fired after one year and for no good reason. That's when the wheels fell off. The guy drafted Bowers and JPJ... two of very few keepers on the current roster.
I would love to hear the argument to keep Pete Carroll. I can't find one in the media. Someone will need to craft one. Otherwise, what are the Raiders doing? It doesn't matter who they bring in or sell ownership stake to, they continue to be mismanaged.
ReplyDeleteRumors are now circulating that Carroll did not pick/hire Chip Kelly. It sounds more and more like minority ownership is steering the ship... turned Titantic. My problem with Carroll (or whoever is in charge) was that the only answer on offense was to fire Kelly. The process was void of change for 11 games, then ended in firing. It's all too myopic.
ReplyDeleteHow does Brendon Carroll still have a job? He coaches quite possibly the worst O-line in NFL history... giving up 10 sacks in one game, along with as many hits and pressures as Smith had in total drop backs. If Pete just needs someone to carry his clipboard, I'll volunteer my services.
ReplyDeleteCrosby was awesome, o line is putrid, Geno needs to hit Tucker on those deep shots, jeanty looked great in space. Sandy
ReplyDeleteDid you just gloss over the fact that the coaching staff is in a total meltdown, with three coaches fired in two weeks?
ReplyDeleteWhat's your opinion on that?
Is the 2025 draft already a bust?
ReplyDeleteThe Raiders #2 pick, Jack Bech, has 8 receptions on the year. Thorton Jr was made a starter at the beginning of the year and has 7 receptions. Those are totals for the year! That's one game for any decent WR. We're 11 games in, Jakobi Meyers was traded and with the Raiders desperate for WR production, these guys can't even break into double digits for the year.
Meanwhile, despite a "putrid" offensive line and a plethora of injuries, Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant can't get any playing time. These guys must be really bad. Right?
Darien Porter has recorded 20 tackles. Aside from Jeanty, Porter is a star compared to everyone else in the 2025 draft class. Speaking of Jeanty, the point was made that the Raiders completely misread the O-line when drafting him. He was the wrong pick at the wrong time.
So far, John Spytek has badly mismanaged the Raiders. In hindsight the Raiders may have been better off leaving Telesco in place. Actually, leaving Pierce would have been better too. Worse, if the Raiders bring back Carroll to start again next year, they will have doubled down on their mistake. Carroll cannot possibly rebuild the Raiders in two years, and it's foolish to think he can just pass off to someone else. That's not how it works.
Please tell me the Raiders have a plan.
Richie Incognito had this to say on X in reply to a Lincoln Kennedy interview/article about Brennan Carroll:
ReplyDelete"Brennan Carroll hasn’t developed this group at all. They’ve gotten worse every single week. Zero progression, zero improvement. The fundamentals just aren’t there bad footwork, high pad level, slow hands, blown assignments everywhere. When an O-line looks this lost in Week 11, that’s 100% on coaching.
And here’s the part that drives me crazy: we’ve got TWO third-round rookies who haven’t even sniffed the field because he can’t get them ready to play. That’s the job. Develop young linemen. Coach them up. Give them a chance to grow. Instead, this room has flat-out regressed. Nobody knows who to block and the technique is awful.
At some point you have to hold the position coach accountable."
Nate, we see the same mistakes and missed assignments every week. Both Carroll's need to go. The more time that passes, the less serious the Raiders appear.
ReplyDeleteI am not ready to throw in the towel on Carroll. I think he will build a good defense and fix the culture in time. Sandy
ReplyDeleteThe mismanagement and poor coaching of the O-line doesn't bother you? That doesn't live in a vacuum. That's on Pete too? He's the HC. Wanting him to stay is asking for more of the same, IMO. He was unable to get more out of his coaches and was left with no choice but to fire them or be fired himself.
ReplyDeleteThis season was a big swing and miss, arguably across all facets of the organization, from management and coaching hires to free agency to drafting to playcalling to personnel decisions to lack of in-game adjustments to lack of larger weekly corrections, etc. It's the most thorough and complete failure of any Raiders team since the beginning of time.
The icing on the cake was getting spanked by Shedeur Sanders in his first NFL start after the Raiders literally avoided drafting him 7x. You can't make this stuff up.
Happy Thankgiving everyone. Sandy
ReplyDeleteYou too, Sandy! Stay positive. Appreciate you being here with us as we try (hope) to figure it out. Health, family and friends come first. Be well.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to all !! The greatness of the Raiders is in the future....Apparently far, far, far in the future.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteRumors are that Brady sought to hire Chip Kelly. If so, we should all be concerned about Brady's judgement. Another rumor (which is more than rumor) is that Graham is not running his own defense. It's a hybrid of his and Carroll's. It's been meh, at best. IMO, Graham is better than what we're seeing. Last year he was playing more man coverage and blitzing frequently. This year, the Raiders play more zone coverage and rarely blitz.
ReplyDeleteI feel strongly that Patrick Graham should be interim HC for the remainder of the season. Let him demonstrate he is capable of improving the mess Carroll and Co made.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your year has been blessed, and may 2026 be more so.
ReplyDeleteThe article is as clever as its headline. Cut and paste the Tiny URL below.
ReplyDeleteIf The Raiders Had A Playbook for Accountability—They Lost That Too
https://tinyurl.com/4mp8m83s
With Tom Brady (not Pete Carroll) hiring Chip Kelly, and the entire organization slow to adjust, pointing fingers and deflecting blame, the Raiders sadly have embarked on a new era of dysfunction.
There is a plethora of reasons Pete Carroll should not remain as HC. The only reason to keep him is the same reason he was hired. He's had great success in the past. Clearly, that's changed. If there's another reason, it's only that the Raiders "new brass" are too shellshocked by their own incompetence to acknowledge their mistake.
Meanwhile, Greg Olsen will be on his 2nd or 3rd "mop-up" tour as play-caller for the Raiders. The Raiders keep circling back to Olsen not because he's a top-tier OC but because he is inevitably better than the OCs they hire (add Chip Kelly to the list). Olsen has more battle scars than Wolverine. Now if he can talk Derek Carr out of retirement, the Raiders can come full circle.
The sad truth is any improvement Olsen can bring to the Raiders offense will only further demonstrate the incompetence that led to Chip Kelly's hire as well as bring a negative light to the (sure to be short) Pete Carroll era. It's unavoidable that Pete Carroll will not be turning over a championship team to anyone, now or in the foreseeable future. The sooner the Raiders realize that the sooner we can move on.
Personally, the fact that Pete Carroll could watch 11 games of Chip Kelly fumbling the offense unimpeded is all I need to see.
There's more!
ReplyDeleteIs it irony or poetic unjustice that the two HCs the Raiders potentially had access to during the off-season are currently storming the league and having insane levels of success with their new teams?
Ben Johnson!
Mike Vrabel!
Just recently that list included Sean Payton and Jim Harbough.
The Raiders need to make a move!!
If this is true, Carroll already has one foot out the door.
ReplyDelete"One major issue was Carroll’s insistence that Kelly run his preferred offense, with Kelly given little freedom to use his own schemes. The offense is so similar to what Carroll ran with the Seattle Seahawks that opposing teams have watched old Seahawks film to prepare for it."
Some prominent names in Raiders' history have railed against the offense that lost Chip Kelly his job. But now media are reporting it was Carroll's offense. Shame on Tom Brady for not fully understanding and vetting this.
If Olsen is given autonomy to run his own plays, the offense might immediately improve which, as I said, is a no-win for Pete Carroll. Either Carroll is the architect of the failed offense or he failed to recognize the problem and implement change.
How amazing and exciting was Carroll's first game against the Pats? Raiders looked solid and primed for improvement. It's been downhill ever since (1-9) for the Raiders... and the Pats have gone 10-1 since. Wow! Meanwhile, the Raiders have so far wasted their 2025 draft.
Has Pete Carroll jumped the shark?