Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Questioning the Raiders Organization

In a shocking development, the Oakland Raiders decided a dude that ran a bed-and-breakfast for the last decade was not qualified to run an NFL offense (be prepared for multiple comments from SportsGuy on this in Friday's pick column). The Tom Walsh era is over, about 11 weeks too late. How bad is Oakland's offense? A quick look at the stats:

Dead Last (32nd) in Points per Game - 12.0 (the Raiders have only scored 13 TDs this year)
Dead Last in Yards per Game - 239.8
Dead Last in First Downs per Game - 14.4
28th in Time of Possession - 28:22
28th in 3rd Down Completion Percentage - 33.6%
Commit the 3rd Most Penalties in the League - 77

So, how do you save this moribund offense? Obviously, you grab the best Ocean Front High has to offer and let him run the show:

Good luck Mr. Shoop. By the way, Wondermutt could ably play the part of Art Shell or Randy Moss in this exercise. I'll let you decide.

13 comments:

  1. Wondermutt's hands, err teeth, are too good to play Randy.

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  2. Randy could very easily be the dude in the bathroom for 6 weeks, except he was the star pupil, and I am 100% positive "Randy Moss" and "star pupil" have never been used together in the same sentence.

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  3. Courtesy of benmaller.com:

    Here's something to picture as you look ahead to the offseason: Michael Vick in a Raiders jersey. A lot, namely a trade and a lot of salary cap details, will have to happen in the meantime. But this one makes perfect sense, and it may be just what the Raiders need to revive a franchise that's faltering. The Falcons, who have given Vick every possible chance, will be willing to part with their quarterback. Despite his outrageous talent, he hasn't produced on any sort of consistent level and tensions are at an all-time high in the Falcons organization. The crescendo may have come Sunday when Vick made an obscene gesture at Atlanta fans who ridiculed him as he walked off the field. The Falcons gladly would take draft picks for Vick, who clearly needs a fresh start. And what better place for Vick than Oakland, where many a renegade has prospered? Picture Vick throwing to Randy Moss. Picture Al Davis smiling again. Even on his bad days, Vick would fit in Oakland.

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  4. As unlikely as that is, Vick's arm (and lack of short range accuracy) would fit well in the "vertical offense" that Shell and Davis favor.

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  5. But what does Mr. Shoop favor?

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  6. Saying that they've given Vick every chance might be an overstatement. As Jerry and others have repeatedly pointed out, the West Coast offense couldn't really make less sense for Vick.

    That said, I don't think he's a championship player...and I can easily see him in the Silver and Black.

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  7. Vick as a Raider would be highly entertaining. Honestly, 20 deep throws a game, minimum?

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  8. While Vick hasn't been given every chance, he strikes me as somebody who is constantly looking for reasons why he's not succeeding (coaching, scheme, players around him)other than working on his craft and striving to improve those areas in which he's deficient.

    I'm not saying that Atlanta's offensive staff has done a good job of late. What have they had, three different scheme variations already this year? Just that, he seems incapable of adjusting his talents to the way he's defended or adequately leading his team.

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  9. Mark left out "herpes" as a reason Vick is failing as a QB.

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  10. Is that a joke I don't get, or isn't it "bed-and-breakfast"?

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  11. Nice catch, no joke intended, just tired this morning. Change made.

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  12. I'll make this quick - Michael Strahan needs to shut the fuck up.

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