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Raiders quarterback Walter apologizes for ripping coaches
Nov. 15, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Oakland quarterback Andrew Walter apologized Wednesday for criticizing the team's offensive game plan, and coach Art Shell said the issue is in the past.
Whether Walter will keep his starting job, Shell won't say. He might wait until just before game time to announce if Walter or Aaron Brooks will start Sunday when Oakland (2-7) visits Kansas City (5-4).
"We'll see how it goes for the rest of the week and then the decision will be made," Shell said.
Walter has started seven consecutive games since Brooks went down with a strained pectoral muscle early in the second game of the season. But Walter's hold on the starting role is tenuous at best because of his struggles, Brooks' recovery from the injury and Walter's criticisms of coordinator Tom Walsh's offense.
Walter complained after Oakland's 17-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday that the Raiders were too predictable on offense and that there was not enough "depth" in the playbook.
Shell responded by calling Walter's complaints "off base" and that Walter needs to be accountable for his own play. Walter apologized Wednesday through the media but said he didn't talk directly to the coaches.
"I was naive to think that my words wouldn't be heard across the nation," Walter said. "That won't happen again. I will be more wise as far as speaking from emotions and frustration after a tough loss. Everybody obviously is feeling that way, including the coaches. We're all in this together."
The two quarterbacks split snaps with the first team in practice Wednesday, Shell said, and Brooks was able to make all of the throws he was asked to do.
Brooks, just 6-for-14 for 68 yards before getting hurt in Week 2 against Baltimore, has been completely cleared by the trainers. The only remaining question for Shell is whether he will be sharp enough after the time off to play Sunday.
"I want to make sure that he can do the things that we're going to ask the quarterback to do and then I'll evaluate the two of them together and see where we are," Shell said. "It's not that Aaron has to do this for me to do that. It's that he has to do certain things and then I'll evaluate both of them and see where we are and make a decision."
Walter's criticisms were rare for a player who is usually very guarded in what he says. He said his public call for more screens, quick passes and shorter drops was not much different than what he has asked the coaches for in private.
He said his emotions got the best of him after Sunday's game and he vocalized his frustration when he admits he would have been better off keeping his complaints within the team.
"I spoke from the heart of a frustrated 24-year old basically in his rookie year," Walter said. "I'll be smart about that in the future as far as saying things of that nature in future opportunities."
Shell said Walter's comments wouldn't play a role in the decision about the starting quarterback and didn't respond to Walter's apology.
"I've moved on. I don't live for yesterday," Shell said. "I move on to the next day. I moved on, so I don't know what he said, and it really doesn't matter. He said what he had to say the other day, and he said what he had to say today, so I've moved on."
Walter, a third-round pick in 2005 who didn't play a single snap as a rookie, has shown sporadic signs of success, but has been unable to generate any kind of consistency. He has completed just 48.1 percent of his passes with only three touchdowns and nine interceptions for an NFL-low quarterback rating of 54.6. He has also lost seven fumbles and been sacked 40 times.
The Raiders have the NFL's worst rated offense and have scored just one offensive touchdown in the second half all season. On Sunday, Walter said the opposition has adjusted to what the Raiders are doing during the game, leading to the second-half struggles.
He also said he should shoulder some of the blame and reiterated that point Wednesday.
"I try to qualify everything by saying I need to play better, and I do," he said. "So absolutely, there's always plays I need to make, and there's always things that I can do better. That's never going to not be the situation. You can never play a perfect ballgame. So does that mean you should never say anything? Well, I should have been more smart about that. And I'll be wiser in the future about that."
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2005-2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
Nov. 15, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Oakland quarterback Andrew Walter apologized Wednesday for criticizing the team's offensive game plan, and coach Art Shell said the issue is in the past.
Whether Walter will keep his starting job, Shell won't say. He might wait until just before game time to announce if Walter or Aaron Brooks will start Sunday when Oakland (2-7) visits Kansas City (5-4).
"We'll see how it goes for the rest of the week and then the decision will be made," Shell said.
Walter has started seven consecutive games since Brooks went down with a strained pectoral muscle early in the second game of the season. But Walter's hold on the starting role is tenuous at best because of his struggles, Brooks' recovery from the injury and Walter's criticisms of coordinator Tom Walsh's offense.
Walter complained after Oakland's 17-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday that the Raiders were too predictable on offense and that there was not enough "depth" in the playbook.
Shell responded by calling Walter's complaints "off base" and that Walter needs to be accountable for his own play. Walter apologized Wednesday through the media but said he didn't talk directly to the coaches.
"I was naive to think that my words wouldn't be heard across the nation," Walter said. "That won't happen again. I will be more wise as far as speaking from emotions and frustration after a tough loss. Everybody obviously is feeling that way, including the coaches. We're all in this together."
The two quarterbacks split snaps with the first team in practice Wednesday, Shell said, and Brooks was able to make all of the throws he was asked to do.
Brooks, just 6-for-14 for 68 yards before getting hurt in Week 2 against Baltimore, has been completely cleared by the trainers. The only remaining question for Shell is whether he will be sharp enough after the time off to play Sunday.
"I want to make sure that he can do the things that we're going to ask the quarterback to do and then I'll evaluate the two of them together and see where we are," Shell said. "It's not that Aaron has to do this for me to do that. It's that he has to do certain things and then I'll evaluate both of them and see where we are and make a decision."
Walter's criticisms were rare for a player who is usually very guarded in what he says. He said his public call for more screens, quick passes and shorter drops was not much different than what he has asked the coaches for in private.
He said his emotions got the best of him after Sunday's game and he vocalized his frustration when he admits he would have been better off keeping his complaints within the team.
"I spoke from the heart of a frustrated 24-year old basically in his rookie year," Walter said. "I'll be smart about that in the future as far as saying things of that nature in future opportunities."
Shell said Walter's comments wouldn't play a role in the decision about the starting quarterback and didn't respond to Walter's apology.
"I've moved on. I don't live for yesterday," Shell said. "I move on to the next day. I moved on, so I don't know what he said, and it really doesn't matter. He said what he had to say the other day, and he said what he had to say today, so I've moved on."
Walter, a third-round pick in 2005 who didn't play a single snap as a rookie, has shown sporadic signs of success, but has been unable to generate any kind of consistency. He has completed just 48.1 percent of his passes with only three touchdowns and nine interceptions for an NFL-low quarterback rating of 54.6. He has also lost seven fumbles and been sacked 40 times.
The Raiders have the NFL's worst rated offense and have scored just one offensive touchdown in the second half all season. On Sunday, Walter said the opposition has adjusted to what the Raiders are doing during the game, leading to the second-half struggles.
He also said he should shoulder some of the blame and reiterated that point Wednesday.
"I try to qualify everything by saying I need to play better, and I do," he said. "So absolutely, there's always plays I need to make, and there's always things that I can do better. That's never going to not be the situation. You can never play a perfect ballgame. So does that mean you should never say anything? Well, I should have been more smart about that. And I'll be wiser in the future about that."
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2005-2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
