Raiders Interview Hue Jackson

[SpearSrai]

 

Norv, Cam and Marty have had some great receivers, a stud offensive line, two Pro-Bowl QBs, and the best offensive player of the past decade and still couldn't get his offense going in the playoffs. If Joe had Vincent Jackson to throw to, do you think the result of the Colts game would have been different? At first I did, but I am starting to side with Spear, is Cam the problem?

 

I maintain that our receiving corp has more talent than it plays with on Sundays. Maybe we don't get to see these guys in practice, but it seems like guys like Kelley Washington should be a bigger part of the gameplan than they are. When I see a guy making big third down grabs, that tells me that we should be designing more plays to go his way. Look how the Patriots are able to force a rookie, Edelman, immediately into a Wes-Welker (read: Pro Bowler) role. Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie are putting up 100 yard games in the playoffs against the top NFL defense, and I can't put that all on Peyton Manning.

 

If Demetrius Martin and Kelley Washington were dropping 2 or 3 passes a game, or were getting overthrown constantly on deep balls, then I wouldn't have such a gripe, but what it seems like is we take one shot, and if it doesn't work, we go away from it. That's not how you grow confidence in your young receivers.

 

We can sit in the middle of the pack, on the cuff of a playoff birth every year, with a conservative offense. But will we ever be able to keep up with good teams when they start scoring first? Against good defenses? The Steelers will be back next year, and Peyton Manning isn't about to retire. Can we really keep hinging our playoff hopes on holding Pro Bowl QB's scoreless? We played Manning pretty well, held the Colts to 20, and lost. Huh?

 

Until we take that next step on offense, which may include bringing in a new OC, we're never going to be able to do what the Saints, Vikings, Colts, Packers, Steelers, Cardinals, Cowboys, and countless other offenses can do. And it's not because we don't have the talent.