Rupert
The Long Wind
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Week 13 Preview – Raiders v Houston
November 29, 2003
By Rupert Pollard
Three straight close losses for the Raiders led the brain trust to think that changing the play caller might make a difference. So it’s down with Tom Walsh and up with John Shoop. How much effect this will have on the offense is questionable, but if reports of his energy in practice are accurate, maybe he can instill the entire offense with a little more energy than they’ve shown to this point.
Offense
Houston’s defensive line is a penetrating bunch; they shoot gaps and look to disrupt the passing game. However, they can be caught out of position against a quick-hitting running game. When the Jets came right at them, they weren’t able to keep the runners contained, but when the Jets tried delays, draws, or perimeter plays, they weren’t successful. The Jets didn’t trap or pull that often, so I don’t know how effective that would be against Houston’s front four, but I get the impression they might be able to disrupt them. It was noteworthy that the front four wore down near the end of the first half and didn’t return to form to start the second half. It seemed partly due to a scheme adjustment based upon their being a little out of position at times in the first half.
Houston’s linebackers are an active group that play pretty well from sideline to sideline. They turned perimeter runs and slow developing runs into low average plays, but they could be caught when plays came right at them. In pass coverage they seemed to work pretty well, neither the Jets’ backs nor their tight ends made a significant impact in the passing game. Part of the Jets lack of success with their backs and tight ends could be directly related to the overwhelming success their receivers had against Houston’s defensive backs. The Jets generally used a quick passing game, but mixed it up well to attack Houston’s secondary.
The Raiders might find it difficult to run against Houston unless they run downhill at them and manage the point of attack. It might seem cliché, but Houston was in their element against slow developing and perimeter plays. I say help their linemen vacate the hole and get through it before the backer fills. Maybe even Randy Moss can find success against this secondary. Their pass defense is near the bottom of the league, so the Raiders couldn’t have chosen a better week to improve their passing stats with a new approach.
Defense
Houston employs the zone blocking scheme that is sweeping the league, and as with all such efforts, it takes time to get it right. With 25 yards on 14 carries, it’s obvious that they still don’t have it right. Houston’s passing game is much more developed. Gary Kubiak, who is weaning himself from the teats of a rat, uses the same quick passing game that he practiced in Denver. It consists of a large dose of screens and dumps to the backs, with an equally large dose of quick slants to the wideouts. It’s not an offense that inspires fear on any particular play, but it is relentless in its desire to chew up the field one little chunk at a time.
David Carr has reasonable mobility and is often rolling out to complete passes. If he’s flushed or chased, he’ll run for decent gains that fit well within the scope of the offense. Moulds and Johnson have good strength and speed and are good at turning a short pass into a larger gain. The Jets were able to play bend-don’t-break against Houston, typically waiting for them to commit a penalty that forced them to attempt longer passes which they were unable to effectively block for.
The Raiders’ man pass coverage will be tested. We’ll see how well Nnamdi and Fabian deal with quick cuts. Carr has done a pretty good job of protecting the ball on those quick passes. Houston has thrown the ball away only eight times this year, only three teams have done it less often. So the Raiders won’t be able to count on interceptions unless they can force Houston into long downs. Houston is not a serious running threat, but the Raiders will not be able to ignore their backs since they participate fully in the passing game.
Special Teams
Houston’s specialists aren’t very special. Kris Brown is a decent kicker, but he doesn’t have much distance on his kicks. Chad Stanley isn’t much better as a punter. Their return game is average and their coverage is also average. Not much to brag about. The Raiders aren’t very good at covering their punts and kicks either, but both of their kickers are better. Carr is decent at kick returns and has yet to make a splash as a punt returner. Advantage: no-one.
Final Gun
The Raiders’ pass defense will be tested this week. If there was any week to expect Walsh’s offense to get some kind of passing rhythm, this was it. Fortunately for John Shoop, he’ll get the opportunity to make some mistakes in the passing game and get away with them. The Raiders will have a tough time running the ball. Houston might try to do what worked for the Bronco’s since Kubiak was formerly part of their successes against the Raiders.
I think the Raiders will find some life with John Shoop at the helm of their offense, even if it takes him a little time to get going. The players are going to be a little more into it, if the rumors are to be believed.
When the final gun goes off, I expect the Raiders to win 23 – 17. A veritable offensive explosion.
November 29, 2003
By Rupert Pollard
Three straight close losses for the Raiders led the brain trust to think that changing the play caller might make a difference. So it’s down with Tom Walsh and up with John Shoop. How much effect this will have on the offense is questionable, but if reports of his energy in practice are accurate, maybe he can instill the entire offense with a little more energy than they’ve shown to this point.
Offense
Houston’s defensive line is a penetrating bunch; they shoot gaps and look to disrupt the passing game. However, they can be caught out of position against a quick-hitting running game. When the Jets came right at them, they weren’t able to keep the runners contained, but when the Jets tried delays, draws, or perimeter plays, they weren’t successful. The Jets didn’t trap or pull that often, so I don’t know how effective that would be against Houston’s front four, but I get the impression they might be able to disrupt them. It was noteworthy that the front four wore down near the end of the first half and didn’t return to form to start the second half. It seemed partly due to a scheme adjustment based upon their being a little out of position at times in the first half.
Houston’s linebackers are an active group that play pretty well from sideline to sideline. They turned perimeter runs and slow developing runs into low average plays, but they could be caught when plays came right at them. In pass coverage they seemed to work pretty well, neither the Jets’ backs nor their tight ends made a significant impact in the passing game. Part of the Jets lack of success with their backs and tight ends could be directly related to the overwhelming success their receivers had against Houston’s defensive backs. The Jets generally used a quick passing game, but mixed it up well to attack Houston’s secondary.
The Raiders might find it difficult to run against Houston unless they run downhill at them and manage the point of attack. It might seem cliché, but Houston was in their element against slow developing and perimeter plays. I say help their linemen vacate the hole and get through it before the backer fills. Maybe even Randy Moss can find success against this secondary. Their pass defense is near the bottom of the league, so the Raiders couldn’t have chosen a better week to improve their passing stats with a new approach.
Defense
Houston employs the zone blocking scheme that is sweeping the league, and as with all such efforts, it takes time to get it right. With 25 yards on 14 carries, it’s obvious that they still don’t have it right. Houston’s passing game is much more developed. Gary Kubiak, who is weaning himself from the teats of a rat, uses the same quick passing game that he practiced in Denver. It consists of a large dose of screens and dumps to the backs, with an equally large dose of quick slants to the wideouts. It’s not an offense that inspires fear on any particular play, but it is relentless in its desire to chew up the field one little chunk at a time.
David Carr has reasonable mobility and is often rolling out to complete passes. If he’s flushed or chased, he’ll run for decent gains that fit well within the scope of the offense. Moulds and Johnson have good strength and speed and are good at turning a short pass into a larger gain. The Jets were able to play bend-don’t-break against Houston, typically waiting for them to commit a penalty that forced them to attempt longer passes which they were unable to effectively block for.
The Raiders’ man pass coverage will be tested. We’ll see how well Nnamdi and Fabian deal with quick cuts. Carr has done a pretty good job of protecting the ball on those quick passes. Houston has thrown the ball away only eight times this year, only three teams have done it less often. So the Raiders won’t be able to count on interceptions unless they can force Houston into long downs. Houston is not a serious running threat, but the Raiders will not be able to ignore their backs since they participate fully in the passing game.
Special Teams
Houston’s specialists aren’t very special. Kris Brown is a decent kicker, but he doesn’t have much distance on his kicks. Chad Stanley isn’t much better as a punter. Their return game is average and their coverage is also average. Not much to brag about. The Raiders aren’t very good at covering their punts and kicks either, but both of their kickers are better. Carr is decent at kick returns and has yet to make a splash as a punt returner. Advantage: no-one.
Final Gun
The Raiders’ pass defense will be tested this week. If there was any week to expect Walsh’s offense to get some kind of passing rhythm, this was it. Fortunately for John Shoop, he’ll get the opportunity to make some mistakes in the passing game and get away with them. The Raiders will have a tough time running the ball. Houston might try to do what worked for the Bronco’s since Kubiak was formerly part of their successes against the Raiders.
I think the Raiders will find some life with John Shoop at the helm of their offense, even if it takes him a little time to get going. The players are going to be a little more into it, if the rumors are to be believed.
When the final gun goes off, I expect the Raiders to win 23 – 17. A veritable offensive explosion.
