Las Vegas Raiders: Fact or fiction for biggest 2020 season question marks

Las Vegas Raiders: Fact or fiction for biggest 2020 season question marks

Paul Guenther Finishes Season as Defensive Coordinator

Paul Guenther has to read the writing on the wall. Barring a significant turnaround on defense, he’s expendable.

As a defensive coordinator, Guenther’s units have ranked 17th or worse in five out six campaigns. In two seasons, his groups tightened up on the opponent’s scoring opportunities, listing within the top eight in points allowed (2015 and 2016). That’s hasn’t been a case with the Raiders.

In 2018, on Guenther’s watch, the Raiders gave up a franchise-worst 467 points. Over the last two years, the Silver and Black have allowed the second-most touchdowns (107).

This offseason, Gruden hired a familiar ally in Rod Marinelli, who will serve as the defensive line coach. The two worked together between 2002 and 2005 in Tampa Bay.

In his first year (2002) as the Buccaneers lead skipper, Gruden named Marinelli an assistant head coach in addition to his defensive line instructor duties.

Guenther should feel some pressure with a reunion between Gruden and Marinelli, who helped put together one of the best defenses in NFL history—a unit that largely contributed to a Super Bowl-winning squad.

Gruden has expressed his dismay with the defense in consecutive years. We all remember the sideline spat between him and Guenther during Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, right?

https://twitter.com/FallonSmithTV/status/1058181553090650112?s=20

Well, Gruden seemed unhappy last year, too. Following a 42-21 loss to the Titans, he called out the defense while praising the offense during his usual Monday presser (starting at the 1:48 mark)

"“Anytime a team takes the ball the length of the field that many times, it’s hard to do in this league. We’ve done a pretty good [job] this year offensively of sustaining some long 80-yard drives, but sometimes you got to win the game of field position, you’ve got to force a three-and-out. We weren’t able to do that yesterday from the jump and very, very concerned about it and we’re going to make some changes. We’re going to get it right.”"

The Raiders defense responded, allowing no more than 20 points in each of the final three games of the regular season.

Guenther’s group must sustain that stinginess going into 2020 with upgrades at linebacker (Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski) and in the secondary with Damarious Randall and Johnathan Abram healthy. That’s a tough task with no on-field practices through June. The defensive play-caller has little time to incorporate new faces and develop holdovers for a solid unit right out of the gate Week 1.

Given the Raiders’ defensive futility, Gruden’s patience could run thin quickly, opening the door for Marinelli to take over the defensive coordinator position in September or October.

Verdict: Fiction

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