Monday, September 18, 2006
I Hate Mondays: Shelling Art Shell
It is two weeks into the NFL season and everyone is jumping to conclusions.
While I didn't start the "Fire Art Shell" bandwagon, I'm hopping on it.
Maybe that is jumping the gun a little bit. They won't ditch him this early in the season and in all likelihood, will let him play out this season.
But even so, his long-awaited return to the sidelines has been a disaster.
The Raiders are batting 0-2 while being outscored 55-6 in their two effortless defeats.
In their opening matchup against division rival San Diego, a game which the Raiders had about five months or so to prepare for, Shell's boys looked as cohesive as a cast of "The Surreal Life."
The Chargers, whom the Raiders should be very familiar with, since they face each other twice a season, stymied Oakland as if that pirate on their logo had a patch over both eyes.
While several fire alarms and sirens have gone off in the Raiders locker room, the biggest red flag has been the coaching staff's inability to make proper adjustment and assessments.
In training camp, Art Shell was asked how Aaron Brooks is taking to the new offense:
"Aaron is taking big strides," Shell said, "the light bulb is going off so he understands now what we are trying to do."
That was then, this is now. In just over one game's worth of action, Brooks is 6-of-14 for 68 yards with two costly fumbles.
In the preseason, the play of starting left tackle and second-overall selection in the 2004 NFL draft Robert Gallery was riddled with penalties and gaffes, but Shell was not disconcerted. He said he'll be fine.
After being used as a turnstile in Week 1, Gallery has taken refuge from all the criticism on the sideline while nursing a calf injury.
Randy Moss has already ripped into the coaching staff twice in this young season on both FOX and ESPN radio. After the team's second loss of the season to the Baltimore Ravens, LaMont Jordan was also less than subtle with his shots, stating there is no reason to be optimistic from an offensive standpoint.
He wasn't the only one taking aim as safety Jarrod Cooper also reamed into the coaching staff for benching Jerry Porter, who has also disrupted team chemistry by demanding a trade and cheering (or not paying attention) while his teammates were getting worked over in Week 1.
The Raiders, as a whole, seem completely lost.
Much of the blame must be directed at a porous offensive line that is on pace to allow 120 sacks this season, but more of the criticism should be shouldered by the coaches.
Facing two pressure defenses, the Raiders have used several five- and seven-step quarterback drops on passing plays that they simply know they will not have the time to develop.
Moss, the team's best wide receiving threat, only has six receptions and has been far from an integral part of the offensive game plans in either games. One would think he would see even more passes thrown his way this season, especially now that Doug Gabriel is playing for the New England Patriots and that Jerry Porter isn't even in uniform on Sundays.
Another factoring issue is that the Raiders offensive coordinator, Tom Walsh, has either been the mayor of Swan Valley, Idaho or managing a bed and breakfast over the last 11 seasons. His plan for a vertical passing game and his blueprint for a downhill running game has, quite clearly, blown up in his face. More importantly, since he's been away for so long, he may be able to diagnose the problem, but it doesn't look like he can fix them.
The Raiders are two weeks into the season, but they have a locker room that is about to explode, a coaching staff who is dazed and confused, and they are outputting the effort of a team who doesn't believe they can win.
They lack leadership, heart, and discipline. Three characteristics that Shell vowed he would infuse. So much for restoring the Silver and Black to the glory days.
For most new head coaches, there is a honeymoon stage which has minor flashes of optimism. For Shell, it has been pitch black and his Raiders are abandoning ship.
So am I.
Art Shell and the Oakland Raiders mix like Mondays and me.
"I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick. Not wounded. Dead." — Woody Allen