Oakland’s offense lacking bread and butter

By Anthony Carroll  |   Wednesday, June 28, 2006  |  Comments( 15 )

Oakland Raiders
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"I think we're going to have our bread-and-butter plays, which I don't think we've had in the past. We were so random as far as what we did. We really didn't have a go-to play. It's going to be hard-nosed and straight-up, and that will open up the passing game as well. I think everyone's excited about it. I know I am, that's for damn sure."

With 365-pound Ted Washington's pre-game feast now separated from the Raiders locker room, the "bread and butter" is officially all but gone in Oakland.

Robert Gallery, who voiced the above statement, is right on the money.

Oakland has no money plays.

In three consecutive seasons, stockpiling a 13-35 regular season record, the Oakland Raiders have canned two coaches and remained at the cellar of the AFC West. This offseason, Oakland's hierarchal peak has made a valiant effort to reduce the steps between themselves and the division attic. Holding a highly respectable record of 54-38, Art Shell is set to replace Norv Turner, while the offseason additions, Lance Johnstone, Michael Huff, Thomas Howard, and Darnell Bing are primed to shore up a struggling defensive unit.

On offense, Aaron Brooks will join a cast of quarterbacks battling for the team's leading role. Brooks' fiercest competition will come from the end of second-year man, Andrew Walter, while Marques Tuiasosopo will likely remain on the outside looking in.

Regardless of who lines up behind center, Robert Gallery's description of the offense's "bread-and-butter" and "go-to" plays must find a home in Oakland's playbook.

Drawn up by questionable acquisition, Tom Walsh, the Raiders' 2006 playbook should, by season commencement, identify and perfect their "money" plays.

During the Raiders' glory years of 2000-2002, Jon Gruden developed an extensive playbook focused around an array of bread-and-butter plays. Gruden, along with then-coordinator Bill Callahan, transformed the Raiders' old-school vertical attack philosophy into a drop-and-dump offense. Rich Gannon and his crew of consistent wideouts flourished under the guidance of the West Coast offense, turning to its laundry list of money plays to consistently move the ball down the field week in and week out.

Since the team's devastating Super Bowl defeat in 2002, Oakland's playbook has seemingly been blank in the money play sector. With offensive-minded head coach, Norv Turner leading the Silver and Black from 2004 through 2005, the Raiders' play-calling department was deficient of any consistency on offense.

When a vital 3rd and 5 situation arose for Kerry Collins and his offensive crew, the play calling seemed as much of a mystery to the offense as it was to the opposing defense. More often than not, the ending result was an incompletion or a three-yard, drive-ending dump off to LaMont Jordan. Either way, the product typically fell short of the chain linked-goal, placing the defensive unit back on the field.

Unfortunately, the chore of finding a group of niche plays will fall on the shoulders of Tom Walsh, who has been removed from the game of professional football for 12 long years.

Nevertheless, finding a core of decisively successful plays to turn to is a must for the Oakland Raiders in 2006.

Without a sturdy playbook, a rock-hard offensive cast could once again crumble in 2006.

Leave it to former bed-and-breakfast owner, Tom Walsh, to find the team's "bread and butter."

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Anthony Carroll can be contacted at acarroll@realfootball365.com
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About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
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CommentsComments: 15  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
tobrocker		10:20 AM
06/28/2006
I always enjoy reading your raider articles.It seems you always know how to put everything in a positive light.I think we have a...
No.2
The Prophet!!!!		10:49 AM
06/28/2006
Love your daily articles and coming from a Die hard Raider fan your the only one out there that seems to actually know the...
No.3
PINGU		11:19 AM
06/28/2006
I really hope our "bread and butter" is succesfully running Jordan over the left side- similar to what Seattle DID in years past...
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