Oakland Raiders: Jon Gruden’s staff focuses on continuity as key to success
Head coach Jon Gruden and his coaching staff have nailed down their general theme for the new-look Oakland Raiders. What’s the key to success going forward?
Midway through the previous season, former head coach Jack Del Rio used the term mojo as a reference to what the Oakland Raiders needed to right the ship. Unfortunately, the team never found it. Since Jon Gruden took over the position, the focus has shifted to continuity.
On the surface, Gruden’s general plan places more onus on the system in place rather than challenging players to dig deep on a vague intangible. The ability to find one’s mojo can mean so many things, but Gruden makes his objective crystal clear—devise a suitable system and stick to what works for the guys on the field.
During his introductory speech, the Raiders’ new head coach talked about stability and how it affects quarterback Derek Carr:
“He’s, I think, been in a lot of different systems, played for a number of different quarterbacks. There hasn’t been a lot of continuity around him that way. I think he has a huge upside.”
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Carr won’t have to introduce himself to a new offensive coordinator for the fourth time in his five-year career. Gruden brought Greg Olson along, who served in that capacity for the signal-caller’s rookie campaign in Oakland. The Raiders head skipper found a way to hire his guy and a familiar face for a quarterback going through more overall changes, the best of both worlds.
Gruden will call the plays, but Olson will serve as a solid link between Carr and his new head coach. By the way, the 54-year old assistant spent a season with the top-scoring offensive unit in Los Angeles during the 2017 season. He’ll add some innovative perspective to the weekly game plan.
Greg Olson Echoes Gruden, Sees Bigger Picture
During a conference call with reporters, it’s not a coincidence that Olson also talked about continuity when discussing Carr’s progress under center, per Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Michael Gehlken:
"Probably more so than anything, this guy has to get some continuity,” Olson said in a Wednesday conference call. “The fact that they signed Jon Gruden to a 10-year contract, that’s going to provide that stability that he needs and the continuity that he’s going to need."
Already, Gruden has his offensive assistant looking through the same lens at a quarterback who can grow into a top-tier player. Olson also mentioned the 10-year, $100 million contract that brought the ESPN commentator back to the sidelines. Based on the long-term deal, it’s evident owner Mark Davis views long-term stability as an important aspect in recommitting to excellence.
For better or worse, Carr will march to Gruden’s beat with Olson as the amplifier. Nonetheless, the Raiders head coach plans to implement a system that allows his quarterback to take control at the line of scrimmage, per NBCS Bay Area reporter Scott Bair:
"We’re going to ask a lot more from Derek Carr at the line of scrimmage. We’re going to put him in a position to do some of the things we did in the past with his recognition of defenses, his ability to communicate and showcase his talented arm."
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In Gruden’s system, we’ll see Carr’s decision-making on full display. In an ideal situation, the Raiders offense should run as a smooth three-man partnership. The coaching staff would like to see the franchise quarterback live up to his lucrative $125 million deal as a quality signal-caller pre and post snap.