Sep 7, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets defensive end Jason Babin (58) sacks Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) during the fourth quarter of a game at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Raiders 19-14. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Sunday’s 19-14 loss to the Jets involved quite a few subpar performances. The offensive line got pushed around, the defensive line couldn’t get any push, the running backs couldn’t get to daylight, and the receivers couldn’t make yards after the catch. The Raider offense was absolutely inept for most of the game. They struggled to pick up first downs all day, and rookie Derek Carr was constantly harassed and flushed out of the pocket. But the Raiders woes on offense didn’t start with Carr or even with the overpowered offensive line. They started with Greg Olson.
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During the week, Olson and Dennis Allen had talked about pushing around the Jets and running the ball: the offensive line features players who are run-blocking studs and the run game has been a big part of what the Raider offense has done all preseason, as well as last year under Olson. Jets coach Rex Ryan, for his part, promised the Raiders that he would put eight in the box and blitz all day. On the Raiders first drive, Ryan showed exactly that, and two runs by Maurice-Jones Drew went nowhere. But Olson clearly had a plan to beat Ryan’s aggressive eight-man box: on the Raiders next possession, after an interception by Woodson, Carr threw three short sideline routes, variations on the screen pass, the type of plays that had helped him compile mind-blowing college statistics. The third of these came on a changed play, and Rod Streater took the ball 13 yards to the end zone for the Raiders first score to put them ahead 7-3. It seemed that Olson had found something that would work.
Except it didn’t. After picking up a couple of first downs on a 2nd quarter drive that started at the Raider 4 (after a Geno Smith fumble), the Raider offense failed to move the ball to any degree until well into the 4th quarter, as the Jets adjusted to the quick sideline routes and continued to shut down the Raider rushing offense. Passes completed along the sidelines were covered quickly and instantly by the Jets corners, safeties and linebackers, and Olson never adjusted his play-calling, only calling for Carr to attempt passes downfield when the Raiders were looking at long yardage situations on 3rd down. Finally, with time running out and down by two scores, the offense put a drive together when Derek Carr found TE Mychael Rivera three times for 31 yards before hitting a perfect deep fade to James Jones for a 30 yard touchdown. But by then it was too late. With only 1:20 on the clock, the Raiders onside kick attempt failed and the game was essentially over.
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It was clear shortly after halftime that the run game wasn’t working and the screen game wasn’t doing anything to help it. When Carr did go down the field, it was often out of necessity in situations where the Jets defense could blitz and play softer coverage on the outside, creating sacks and giving Carr nowhere to go with the ball. The problem was heightened by the Raiders’ lack of any sort of run game, which put Carr in too many 3rd and long spots. Olson didn’t open the offense up to allow car to work the ball consistently to his tight ends until way too late, and when he did, it resulted in a relatively easy touchdown drive.
Carr has the arm strength and ability to work the ball down the field, he showed it in college, and he’s shown it in the pros. While the screen game, when successful, can make his job a lot easier, when a defense figures it out, it is absolutely useless. Olson and Allen didn’t give up on it until far too late in the game, and the Raider offense was never able to really get going.