The Raiders have achieved a historically bad running game through the first three games of the season, and everyone is wondering (including the coaching staff, it seems) why they can’t find success on the ground.
Are the players the issue or is there a more complex explanation for what’s going on with the Raiders running game?
According to The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen, the problem is complicated and based on his explanation the outlook isn’t particularly optimistic.
“The Raiders have the worst run game in the NFL, and it looks like it’s either systemically broken or the players have no idea what they are doing,” Nguyen said on Wednesday in a post on X.
Nguyen outlined five plays where the run-blocking was completely out of sorts and another example where Zamir White had a running lane but recognized it too late.
In football layman’s terms, it sounds like the Raiders are experiencing confusion in their run-blocking assignments and the running backs haven’t figured out what is expected of them any better than the offensive linemen.
Unfortunately, when the entire group is out of sorts, the culprit is usually coaching.
Coaching at a high level requires a competent scheme and just as importantly, the ability to communicate the scheme. As of now, it looks like the Raiders haven’t figured out what offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is trying to do with his run-blocking scheme. That’s not a good sign going forward, and if the decision-makers in the Raiders’ building feel the same way as Nguyen, there’s a good chance Getsy isn’t going to get many more Sundays to fix the problem.
Head coach Antonio Pierce might be willing to make a few concessions in his football philosophy, but he isn’t going to preside over a team that can’t run the ball.
Getsy was hired to be a running game guru, and while he might be one of the brightest offensive minds in the building, it’s not worth much if the players can’t put it together on the field.
As it stands, opposing defenses are rarely stacking the box and the Raiders are still one of the worst running teams the league has ever seen.
