Raider Nation Shaken 01/11/2012
By: Adam Ondo Reggie McKenzie, formerly Green Bay’s Director of Football Operations, made his first big move as General Manager of the Oakland Raiders yesterday. After nine consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance or a winning record, McKenzie felt the autumn breeze needed to become a wind of change. Accordingly, he fired head coach Hue Jackson, who took over after Tom Cable was ousted after the 2010 season. The firing was warranted in that something had to be done about the Raiders’ failure to make it to the playoffs, despite having a fairly strong team. Now, Jackson cannot be held accountable for injuries, which plagued the offense, but Oakland’s losses to Miami and Detroit were completely unacceptable. However, the Raiders started 7-4, before finishing 1-4, and the results-oriented McKenzie would not be denied his pound of flesh. Maybe I’m naïve, but the firing came as a surprise to me. Jackson’s Raiders had the 9th best offense in the NFL, with a strong aerial attack and an unyielding ground game. Injuries to wide receiver Jacoby Ford, running back Darren McFadden, and quarterback Jason Campbell took a toll on the Raiders offense, yet it managed to put up points each week under Carson Palmer and running back Michael Bush. Speed and a cannon arm sums up the passing game, but Palmer has proven that he is one damn good cannon. Carson Palmer was a little rusty, but I think next year he’ll prove that he was well worth the 1st and 2nd round draft picks spent on him. I mean, give the guy a break, he was already in a semi-retirement when they brought him back, taught him 15 plays, and threw him to the lions, or rather the Chiefs. I would be shocked to see Palmer go. Speedsters Darrius Heyward-Bey, who clocked a 4.23 in the 40-yard dash at Maryland, and Jacoby Ford, who ran a 6.52 60-meter dash in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, now have help from Denarius Moore, one of the best up and coming possession receivers, so next year should be very explosive. Offensive coordinator Al Saunders has definitely earned himself a stay of execution from McKenzie’s firing squad. After two different stints as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator, Chuck Bresnahan is also on the way out, opening up a second spot on Oakland’s coaching roster. Though the defense did poorly down the stretch, the players themselves have tremendous talent. This leads me to believe that Bresnahan was at least partly to blame for them getting beat in games that they should have won. Better play calling and overall strategy in each game would have helped the Raiders, and failure in those areas falls on Bresnahan’s shoulders. If the patronage system means anything, then Green Bay safeties coach Darren Perry and Green Bay linebackers coach Winston Moss should be coming to Oakland. Moss was interviewed for the defensive coordinator position by Al Davis and played for the Los Angeles Raiders, so he seems like a good choice. Also, you can’t deny his success as linebackers coach in Green Bay (I wouldn’t want to go up against those guys). Depending on whom the head coach is, his assistant head coach experience may be useful. Perry was the defensive backs coach for Raiders from 2007-08, causing the Raiders to be ranked 8th and 10th in defense while he was in Oakland. The Raiders allowed only 195 yards per game in 2007 and nabbed 17 interceptions, before allowing 201 yards in 2008 and snatching 1 fewer interceptions. Furthermore, Desmond Bryant, Trevor Scott, and Matt Shaughnessy could all three easily adapt to the 3-4 defense used in Green Bay, which may be the type of change that the Raiders defense needs. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these two individuals were named defensive coordinator in coming days. As for the head coaching position, one defensive guru with years of experience comes to mind – Marty Schottenheimer. If it were up to me, I would do everything in my power to get him to take the head coaching job. Besides numerous Coach of the Year awards, Schottenheimer has a 200-126-1 record (that’s a .613 win percentage). His first five seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Browns saw a 44-27 record and four trips to the playoffs, two of which resulted in Championship Game losses. Schottenheimer’s decade long stint as head coach of the Chiefs resulted in 101 wins, a .634 win percentage, and 7 playoff appearances. He was also the head coach of the San Diego Chargers from 2002-06, ending his NFL coaching career on three winning seasons, which saw two playoff appearances. Schottenheimer also has a history with Raiders offensive coordinator Saunders, who was his assistant head coach during his time in Kansas City. Schottenheimer was also linebackers coach for the Giants and Lions and defensive coordinator for the Giants and the Browns, which would allow him to assist the new defensive coordinator, especially if that coordinator were Winston Moss. Ironically, if Schottenheimer were head coach and Saunders were offensive coordinator/assistant head coach, two former Chargers head coaches would be in charge of the Raiders. Speculation aside, the firings were not a bad idea, especially since McKenzie wants to bring accountability to Oakland (163 penalties in one season cannot be allowed to happen again next year). McKenzie has intimated that he “just wants a winner.” This sounds an awful lot like someone else who was involved with the Raiders organization (cough Al “Just win, baby!” Davis cough). But in all seriousness, I think that most Raiders fans feel the same way McKenzie does and I stand by his decisions… at least for now. Let’s hope Schottenheimer, Moss, or some other qualified candidates are hired in upcoming weeks. CommentsLeave a Reply | 
AuthorAdam Ondo - Adam Ondo is a student at the University of Rochester and a huge sports fan (Go Raiders!). He is a staff writer for the sports section of the Campus Times and also writes political articles for multiple blogs and newspapers. You can check out his sports and political articles here. Archives |
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