Things are going in a bad direction for the Raiders right now, and according to NFL insider Tony Pauline, there are assistant coaches already waving the white flag.
Pauline mentioned offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as being largely “responsible” for the team’s poor start on offense, but that isn’t breaking news to anyone that has been following the team closely.
What was a little surprising, though, were the assistant coaches Pauline mentioned along with Getsy.
“The criticism of assistant coaches is not just directed at [Luke] Getsy but also extends to Marvin Lewis and Rob Ryan,” Pauline reported on Saturday.
“Ryan, a once-celebrated defensive coordinator, is listed as the teams ‘Senior Defensive Assistant.’ Lewis, formerly the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2003 to 2015 who also coached with Pierce at Arizona State, is listed as Assistant Head Coach. Detractors close to the situation tell me both Ryan and Lewis have checked out and are basically just in Las Vegas to collect checks.”
Pauline isn’t one of the NFL’s mainstream insiders, but he has always been connected within the league and the Raiders’ flagship radio station respects him enough to welcome him as a guest.
If assistant coaches are “checking out” in Las Vegas, it wouldn’t be huge surprise because it’s starting to feel like an overhaul could be coming to the Raiders within the next few months.
With Tom Brady now part of the team’s ownership group, the coaching staff can’t feel quite as confident in their job security.
Pauline said the players are still behind head coach Antonio Pierce and that probably won’t change regardless of how the season plays out.
The big question going forward, though, is whether or not Brady will feel good about Pierce and the coaching staff he has in place.
