Stanny
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By Bill Soliday, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated:11/30/2006 02:40:12 AM PST
ALAMEDA — John Shoop is in, and Tom Walsh is out as Raiders offensive coordinator but it might not be advisable to expect wholesale, obvious changes immediately.
But according to players at least one marked difference is in store under Shoop: energy.
"He's definitely a lively guy," Randal Williams said of his former tight ends coach. "He's going to bring a lot of much-needed energy to this offense."
Energy and sometimes confrontational.
"He's one of those in-your-face type guys," Williams said. "Not in a negative way ... with positive reinforcement. But he's not afraid to chew you out when you don't do what you're supposed to do. I think it's going to make guys cross their T's and dot their I's."
"He'll get on you ... so that will be fun," said quarterback Andrew Walter, who worked with Shoop when coached quarterbacks. "He demands a lot. You have to step up accordingly."
Another tight end, Courtney Anderson says not to expect anything too divergent from the Walsh offense.
"I think you just tweak it at this point in time," he said. "We just have to go out and execute whether it was Walsh or him. It doesn't really matter who's calling the plays."
Running back LaMont Jordan may be sidelined with a knee injury, but he says he is excited by the change and said it wasn't too late in the year to switch coordinators.
"It's unfortunate for coach Walsh that this had to happen, but I think a change needed to be made," Jordan said.
"I think the most important thing with Shoop ... you get an understanding of what he's trying to accomplish. With coach Walsh, it was kind of 'Well, OK, what are we trying to do here?' With Shoop, it's like 'Hey, this ... what we're trying to exploit.' "As an offensive player, you kind of want to know what your offensive coordinator is thinking about, know what his feel is. I don't think that happened with coach Walsh."
"I think any time there is a change, there's a sense of excitement, of urgency," center Jake Grove said. "Hopefully it will re-energize people. I think it's a positive move, nothing against Tom."
Quarterback Aaron Brooks said, "it doesn't really mean anything to me. As quarterback and one of the leaders of this team, we are still looking for another victory. Personally, I am looking for my first. Obviously management felt like it was the best move for this football team. I am taking the same approach. I am going to go out and play my heart out. Sometimes change is good. We're going to find out whether this change is good or not.
"It would be wrong for me to pass judgment on the halftime adjustments (by Walsh). I have my own personal thoughts about that, but this game comes down to players."
Williams said to expect an expanded number of plays within the game plan, and it would be an asset.
"We have in the past been known to run a lot of plays over and over again during a game," he said. "It's one of those things where in the third or fourth quarter, the defense just keys on what we did in the first or second quarter. There'd be a pretty good chance we were going to run those things again."
STREAK MAY END: According to a Raiders spokesman, there are "a significant number of tickets" still unsold for Sunday's game against Houston.
That means the team's streak of five straight sellouts and a lifting of the television blackout appears unlikely.
EXTRA POINTS: Kicker Sebastian Janikowski complained of a sore back and missed practice Wednesday. Coach Art Shell said as a precaution, the team would look at several kickers in case Janikowski was unable to kick Sunday. ... Rookie center Chris Morris, who was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster Tuesday, will most likely handle long snapping duties for injured Adam Treu according to Shell. ... DE Lance Johnstone was given the day off from practice Wednesday. He broke a toe several weeks ago and has been troubled by a sore knee. Johnstone said he expected to play, however. ... Shell said LT Robert Gallery was definitely out but that LG Barry Sims had a chance after practicing on a limited basis. "I would say he is very questionable," Shell said. ... Former Cal offensive lineman Mark Wilson was signed to he practice squad, replacing Morris.
Article Last Updated:11/30/2006 02:40:12 AM PST
ALAMEDA — John Shoop is in, and Tom Walsh is out as Raiders offensive coordinator but it might not be advisable to expect wholesale, obvious changes immediately.
But according to players at least one marked difference is in store under Shoop: energy.
"He's definitely a lively guy," Randal Williams said of his former tight ends coach. "He's going to bring a lot of much-needed energy to this offense."
Energy and sometimes confrontational.
"He's one of those in-your-face type guys," Williams said. "Not in a negative way ... with positive reinforcement. But he's not afraid to chew you out when you don't do what you're supposed to do. I think it's going to make guys cross their T's and dot their I's."
"He'll get on you ... so that will be fun," said quarterback Andrew Walter, who worked with Shoop when coached quarterbacks. "He demands a lot. You have to step up accordingly."
Another tight end, Courtney Anderson says not to expect anything too divergent from the Walsh offense.
"I think you just tweak it at this point in time," he said. "We just have to go out and execute whether it was Walsh or him. It doesn't really matter who's calling the plays."
Running back LaMont Jordan may be sidelined with a knee injury, but he says he is excited by the change and said it wasn't too late in the year to switch coordinators.
"It's unfortunate for coach Walsh that this had to happen, but I think a change needed to be made," Jordan said.
"I think the most important thing with Shoop ... you get an understanding of what he's trying to accomplish. With coach Walsh, it was kind of 'Well, OK, what are we trying to do here?' With Shoop, it's like 'Hey, this ... what we're trying to exploit.' "As an offensive player, you kind of want to know what your offensive coordinator is thinking about, know what his feel is. I don't think that happened with coach Walsh."
"I think any time there is a change, there's a sense of excitement, of urgency," center Jake Grove said. "Hopefully it will re-energize people. I think it's a positive move, nothing against Tom."
Quarterback Aaron Brooks said, "it doesn't really mean anything to me. As quarterback and one of the leaders of this team, we are still looking for another victory. Personally, I am looking for my first. Obviously management felt like it was the best move for this football team. I am taking the same approach. I am going to go out and play my heart out. Sometimes change is good. We're going to find out whether this change is good or not.
"It would be wrong for me to pass judgment on the halftime adjustments (by Walsh). I have my own personal thoughts about that, but this game comes down to players."
Williams said to expect an expanded number of plays within the game plan, and it would be an asset.
"We have in the past been known to run a lot of plays over and over again during a game," he said. "It's one of those things where in the third or fourth quarter, the defense just keys on what we did in the first or second quarter. There'd be a pretty good chance we were going to run those things again."
STREAK MAY END: According to a Raiders spokesman, there are "a significant number of tickets" still unsold for Sunday's game against Houston.
That means the team's streak of five straight sellouts and a lifting of the television blackout appears unlikely.
EXTRA POINTS: Kicker Sebastian Janikowski complained of a sore back and missed practice Wednesday. Coach Art Shell said as a precaution, the team would look at several kickers in case Janikowski was unable to kick Sunday. ... Rookie center Chris Morris, who was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster Tuesday, will most likely handle long snapping duties for injured Adam Treu according to Shell. ... DE Lance Johnstone was given the day off from practice Wednesday. He broke a toe several weeks ago and has been troubled by a sore knee. Johnstone said he expected to play, however. ... Shell said LT Robert Gallery was definitely out but that LG Barry Sims had a chance after practicing on a limited basis. "I would say he is very questionable," Shell said. ... Former Cal offensive lineman Mark Wilson was signed to he practice squad, replacing Morris.
