Raiders Need Emotional Leadership to Overcome Multitude of Issues

The Oakland Raiders are not just 0-2; they are an 0-2 that stinks worse than the San Francisco bay mud at low tide. In Week 1, the New York Jets thrashed the Raiders in every way except in the final score. In Week 2, the Raiders were bludgeoned in their home opener by the Houston Texans—the worst team in the league last season.

It didn’t take long for the Raiders annihilate all hope of a successful season that owner Mark Davis was already grading on a curve. After 11 years without a winning season, many fans have already disavowed head coach Dennis Allen, general manager Reggie McKenzie and the veteran players they signed in hopes of making the Raiders respectable in 2014.

If the Raiders have any hope of overcoming their slew of issues, they need true emotional leadership. A calculated head coach can’t manufacture it and a veteran free agent that isn’t performing can’t demand it, because leadership requires credibility.

Allen has had over two seasons now to build credibility with his team. To what extent it exists is unknown, but he’s quickly losing whatever trust fans had left that he was the right man for the job.  Allen’s lack of performance is also no doubt testing the patience of the team’s owner.

In the past, there were excuses—legitimate and illegitimate—for the team’s poor play, but Davis made it clear that wouldn’t happen in 2014 via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle:

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It's not put-up-or-shut-up, but there are no excuses. All right? When I said there was a deconstruction and a reconstruction period, that was to give an idea of what's actually been happening, but it's no excuse… Losing those last games last year was not good. And the way we lost them was terrible. But ... looking at the whole thing, this is where we are, and these guys have an opportunity to show what they can do. There are no built-in excuses anymore.

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If Allen or someone in the locker room can’t light a fire under the Raiders now, the team could go into a tailspin from which they can’t recover. The Raiders have two games to get things turned around, or Davis could take the only action an owner can really take to send a message to the team, which is firing the head coach at the bye week.

Of course, figuring out what the most pressing issues are is half the battle. Despite two horrible team performances, individuals and certain units have actually played well. The Raiders have many issues, but two areas stand out in particular.

Run Defense

In the first two games, the Raiders have allowed a league-worst 400 rushing yards—47 yards more than any other team. The Jets are averaging nearly that much per game (52.5 yards) through two games.

Last year, the Raiders allowed 107.9 yards. They didn’t allow more because the pass defense was one of the worst in the league and they managed to limit opponents to just 3.9 yards per carry.

While he’s been unable to fix the issues that have plagued his team to this point, Allen has at least been able to identify them. That’s not worth much if he can’t get his team to perform, but it’s the first step.

Allen talked extensively about what his team had to do to stop the run in his weekly press conference with local media, via Raiders.com:

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You can’t allow a team to just run the football down the field on you. That has to change. Like I told the players today, run defense is a mentality. Run defense is about lining up across from somebody, hitting them in the mouth, knocking them back, getting off a block, and making a play. That’s what run defense is all about. Until we get to that point, where we understand that, then we’re not going to be very good at run defense.

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The Raiders used the offseason to rebuild their defensive line with veteran players, but the early returns have not been good. Part of the focus was bringing in veteran pass-rushers Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley and Antonio Smith, but they’ve rarely had the opportunity to rush the passer because their run defense has been so bad.

Tuck, Woodley and Smith are players who were supposed to play a large role in the defense’s return to respectability, but they have instead been a large part of its demise. If the veteran defenders aren’t playing with the right mentality then that’s a huge problem.

Allen didn’t quite see it that way Monday, via Raiders.com:

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I think it’s a process that takes some time. I don’t care how many veterans you have. These guys have to learn to play together. Changing that thought process and that mentality, that ultimately resides in me in getting able to get that done. We’re two games into the season. We’ve got 14 games left. We need to improve. We need to get better. It’s going to start this week.

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Either Allen just realized there was a mentality issue, he just realized it’s a bigger problem than he thought, he’s known it’s an issue and can’t seem to get through to his veteran defensive players or the players aren’t good. Most of the young players on the defense are actually playing well, which makes you wonder if McKenzie shares a good portion of the blame.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Antonio Smith is 48th out of 49 3-4 defensive ends against the run and 45th out of 49 overall (note: PFF classifies Oakland’s defense as a 3-4). Smith has been a poor run defender for years, per Pro Football Focus, so this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to the Raiders.

Tuck currently ranks 41st against the run and 37th overall as a 3-4 defensive end.  Woodley has been a bit better, but not by much. Pro Football Focus has him 37th out of 48 3-4 outside linebackers against the run and 29th overall.

Opposing defenses are slicing through Oakland’s defensive front with ease, which puts the pressure on the linebackers to get off blocks and make tackles. With middle linebacker Nick Roach still out with a concussion, Miles Burris has been starting in his place, and the results have not been pretty.

Pro Football Focus has Burris dead last of 57 inside linebackers against the run, and it isn’t close. Burris has also been suspect in other areas and grades out as the worst overall by nearly the same wide margin as against the run alone.

Roach isn’t great against the run at middle linebacker, but it would be hard to be worse than Burris. The other problem is that the Raiders don’t have many other options as long as Roach is out. Kaluka Maiava might be a little better filling the run, but his lack of range in pass coverage would be an even bigger concern.

GameRewind

On running back Arian Foster’s 41-yard run against the Raiders Sunday, Houston’s offensive line dominated at the line of scrimmage, and it only took one mistake in the secondary to turn a sizable gain into a long one. The play was a microcosm of Oakland’s issues stopping the ground game.

GameRewind

Woodley and Smith had the opportunity to get off blocks to make the tackle, but neither could disengage from their blocker. Smith in particular was moved backwards and then sideways on the run.

GameRewind

Tuck was unblocked but didn’t have enough juice to chase down Foster laterally, and an offensive line threw Burris backwards into free safety Charles Woodson, who was coming down in run support. Foster broke a poor tackle attempt by cornerback Carlos Rogers within a half yard of the end zone.

GameRewind

On Foster’s first touchdown run, tight end Ryan Griffin took Tuck totally out of the play. Griffin is 6’6” and 254 pounds, and Tuck is 6’5” 265, so Tuck should have the slight advantage. Instead, Tuck went backward for four yards and to the side another two yards, and Foster walked into the end zone.

GameRewind

Burris was on the opposite side of the play and easily blocked, and rookie defensive tackle Justin Ellis couldn’t get off a block or get any type of penetration. The defenders that did do their jobs like rookie first-round pick Khalil Mack and Woodson had no chance to make a play because of the failing around them.

McKenzie certainly shares a large portion of the blame for the performance if the defense doesn’t improve. However, Allen isn’t using all of the players McKenzie has put at his disposal. Defensive ends C.J. Wilson, Shelby Harris and Benson Mayowa have played very few snaps so far this season. There’s no reason Wilson and Harris shouldn't get more snaps in place of Smith and Tuck at this point.

Offensive Weapons

One of the weaknesses for the Raiders coming into the season was their lack of playmakers. The Raiders have a collection of No. 2 receivers, a decent young tight end and a stable of solid running backs, which is being extremely generous.

The Raiders were always going to be a team that needed to run the ball well for the offense to stay on track, but the running game has been an issue. The Raiders have fallen behind early playing two tough defensive front sevens, and veteran running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden don’t appear to have much left in the tank.

McFadden actually did his best work in over two years Sunday against the Texans, but the net result was still just 12 carries for 37 yards. McFadden could only muster 3.1 yards per carry, and rookie quarterback Derek Carr outgained him on a single run.

Like on defense, there are immediate changes the Raiders can make to try to get more results. There’s no guarantee it will be successful, but it’s worth considering over something we know isn’t working.

Offensive coordinator Greg Olson has underutilized fullback Marcel Reece and running back Latavius Murray to this point. Combined, Reece and Murray have played fewer snaps than McFadden and have just two carries and three receptions.

Murray is younger, more athletic and bigger than Jones-Drew and McFadden, yet he isn’t even in the rotation. Murray averaged 4.1 yards per carry this preseason and looked more explosive and physical than the other running backs on the roster.

Murray is one of the few offensive players the Raiders have with big upside, and he’s not even getting an opportunity. The same could be said for Reece, who when given the chance has been a productive player carrying the ball and dangerous in the passing game. The Raiders aren’t doing enough to get him on the field after giving him a contract extension last year.

Reece is making $3.9 million in 2014, according to spotrac.com, which is the third-highest on the offense this year. The Raiders clearly value what Reece brings to the table—it’s time to get him more looks.

“Yeah, that’s something that you always look at.” Allen said Monday of getting Reece more touches via Raiders.com. “Marcel’s a player that we think can help us… We’ll try to use him the best that we can and give us a chance to have success.”

The offensive line has had lapses here and there, but it has otherwise been the strength of the team. Now is the time to ride them to victory. The Raiders have to get back to stopping the run and running the ball to set up the pass if they want to salvage their season.

Change is coming in Oakland if the Raiders don’t start playing competitive football. Allen’s last chance to make meaningful changes that affect the outcome of football games is likely upon us. It’s time for the emotional leaders on the team to step up if they believe in their head coach, and it’s time for the head coach to prove the team is willing to play for him.