Raiders Offense Will Rebound Back Into Elite Company
It’s well known about the disappointing offensive season the Raiders had in 2017. They were one of the best in 2016 heading into the playoffs with Derek Carr being a candidate for MVP. Turn the page to 2017 and the drop off was like throwing a rock off the ledge of the Grand Canyon. Blame is deserved on all accounts, but none are more deserving than the previous coaching regime. They were all incompetent and in over their heads. With Gruden, we won’t see a novice and stubborn coach.
We really don’t know how Gruden will fair calling the plays this season. It’s all still a mystery, but I don’t think Gruden is given enough credit for his intellect. If Bill Musgrave can call the Raiders offense into elite status, then why can’t Gruden? It’s not like Musgrave is a top-tier coordinator. No team even inquired about his play calling services when the Raiders let him go. That’s because the offense is so stacked that anyone who is a decent coordinator can scheme them into prominence. I’m willing to bet on and believe that Gruden can do it with this offense.
He just needs to understand his players strengths and weakness which was already on display within the first couple months of his tenure. Just look at the acquisitions that he got for Marshawn Lynch. If anything, Gruden can do better than Musgrave this year. He’ll certainly do better than Todd Downing last season. It’s fair to call Gruden a mystery, but there are definitely a lot of clues to solving it. What will help solve the mystery even quicker is if quarterback Derek Carr can return to elite status. So many people in the media are already writing him off or forgetting about him, which proves how out of touch they are with the Raiders.
The number one key for Carr is to be kept clean to maintain his health. If he can complete a full season unscathed, as in no injuries, then I’d assume he will have a stellar season. He has the play caller, the offensive line, and a plethora of weapons in his arsenal. It’s almost unfair how good Derek Carr has it, but that makes the margin for error very little. He has the supporting cast, so there will be no excuses as to why he can’t drive the offense. Last time he was healthy and had a competent play caller he was playing at an MVP level. This season is poised to be the same. The offense will rebound back into elite status and help lead this team to the playoffs.
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