Raiders offense behind 'Bed and Breakfast' output

November 8, 10:21 PMOakland Raiders ExaminerPatrick Patterson

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Three years ago, the Raider Nation thought it witnessed the worst possible offense in the history of their franchise, as Art Shell tapped Tom Walsh to run his offense. This "bed and breakfast" offense has gone down in infamy as the standard by which inoffensive offenses would be judged. Halfway through the 2009 season, this incarnation is set to under-perform that standard.

Russell has been just bad so far.
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

In 2006, the Raiders offense looked like a comedy of errors. They could not run the ball, nor could they pass the ball. Neither Andrew Walter, nor Aaron Brooks could generate any significant offense on the way to two wins. This tandem of quarterbacks would have defensive linemen in their faces before they could even step back into the pocket to throw more often than not..

The ground game that year was also non-existent. Justin Fargas led the team with a paltry 639 yards. They were only able to score 16 touchdowns with four of them coming courtesy of the defense.

The 2009 edition features third year quarterback JaMarcus Russell playing the role of Walter and Brooks, who can't move the ball to save his life. Unlike the dynamic duo of '06, Russell isn't spending every down running for his life. His problem has been his inability to get the ball near his receivers on a consistent basis. To a lesser extent, there has been the problem of receivers not being able to hold onto balls that were catchable.

The running attack was supposed to be a strength of this offense. However, between the blowouts and inconstant play the rushing game is also behind the 2006 version. Darren McFadden underperformed right up until his injury, and Michael Bush hasn't found a rhythm. As of now, it is Fargas who is currently leading the team with 263 yards through 8 games.

Much like the days of the Bed and Breakfast offense, the Raiders offense frequently looks confused, and can't execute. In 2006, the biggest problem was that most plays called were five to seven step drops and the offensive line could not hold their blocks long enough for the quarterback to take that drop. There were few check-down routes and the results would be sacks and interceptions. This season, the play-calling has been a hindrance in that it is predictable. However, the bigger hindrance has been Russell's accuracy issues.

Cable blames the offensive woes on the rash of injuries that the Raiders have suffered, "You can [pin it on the injuries]. For one, you're losing your best offensive lineman. That gives you a lot of solidity inside. It will help open up the run game even more. You're getting a receiver that can impact the game. Those are all things that lead, not only just to more yards, but, obviously, to more points."

It doesn't help that the quarterback has accuracy issues, and the receivers can't catch a cold. Outside of Zach Miller, the receiving corps hasn't been able to make plays. The issues are far deeper than a couple of players who have missed time. This is a team that cannot find any rhythm at all. They have not scored more than one touchdown in a game since opening weekend. They have been unable to score a touchdown in three out of eight games so far.

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You can also find Patrick Patterson on Thoughts from the Dark Side.