The Oakland Raiders dropped their Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams 33-13 after a solid start. In turn, this meant head coach Jon Gruden’s return to the sidelines begins with a 0-1 record at the hands of one of his former assistants in Sean McVay.
Following the loss, Gruden spoke with the media Tuesday afternoon and touched on a wide range of topics. We’re going to take a look at a few things that stood out from his comments as well as how the impact the team moving forward.
Analysts questioned quite a few of Gruden’s decisions both prior to and during the game, which is where the press conference began.
Gruden on Decision to Make Tank Carradine Inactive
Jon Gruden said Tank Carradine being inactive was coach’s decision. There’ve been a few coach’s decisions at the DE spot lately.
Carradine was originally slated to start in Khalil Mack’s position following the trade. But the Raiders went a completely different direction by making the offseason signing inactive for the opener.
Marshawn Lynch Apparently Dealing With an Illness
Gruden said Marshawn Lynch “had a little bout of sickness” after the initial drive.
Marshawn Lynch hit the ground running with a superb first-quarter touchdown in which he carried multiple defenders across the goal line. Unfortunately, it seems an illness slowed him down from there, as he finished with 41 yards on 11 carries.
But That’s Not What Led to Jalen Richard’s Workload
Gruden wants to get Marshawn (36% offensive snaps) involved more. Was sick last night, too. Didn’t use him more b/c Raiders wanted to exploit Jalen Richard against young Rams LBs.
“Jalen did a great job. Jalen is a really good receiving back.”
Richard excelled as a pass-catcher, totaling nine receptions for 55 yards and added 24 rushing yards on five carries for good measure. He seems like a strong option to spell Lynch, and act as a change-of-pace back.
On Derek Carr’s Struggles in Week 1
#Raiders coach Jon Gruden, on QB Derek Carr: “Knowing how good Derek is, gives us all hope that we can get it solved.”
On Carr’s second-half struggles, Gruden said “you have to credit Wade Phillips’ defense. Disappointing. But we know how good Derek is.”
While Carr threw for 303 yards, his three interceptions were brutal and a few came at terrible moments. The Rams have a strong secondary, but Carr needs to improve his play moving forward for the Raiders to have a legitimate chance at being a playoff team.
Lack of Production From Amari Cooper
Jon Gruden: “We’ll have to get Amari going this week…easier said than done.”
Cooper brought in just 1-of-3 targets for nine yards, showing he not only didn’t do much but wasn’t all that involved either. There’s no way to know exactly what Gruden meant by the above comments, stating that it’s “easier said than done” to get Cooper involved, but they better figure out a way.
Gruden Seems Happy With Starting Tackles
Rookie LT Kolton Miller and RT Donald Penn were among the players that impressed Gruden Week 1
“I was really pleased, but pass protection against that outfit was good.”
Gruden on Playing Safety Karl Joseph Just Even Snaps
Gruden on Karl Joseph: “He’s gonna get on the field more. It’s just a matter of time. It’s our first game. I don’t want to get too much into it. The Rams are a diverse, complex offense. We chose to go with a unit that we felt gave us the best chance.”
It was widely expected the young safety would start for the Raiders, but instead, he found himself watching from the sidelines for the bulk of the game. This made for another somewhat confusing decision on Monday night.
Defensive Line Suffers Two Key Injuries
Raiders got banged up on the defensive front. Gruden said Ellis and Hall have ankle injuries.
With defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes still rehabbing from a torn ACL at the end of the 2017 season, this could result in the team having a small issue at the position. Both Justin Ellis and rookie P.J. Hall are expected to have fairly large roles this season.
NFL’s Highest-Paid Long Snapper Suffers Torn ACL
Gruden confirms Raiders will need a new long snapper. Andrew DePaola, the league’s highest-paid long snapper, tore his ACL on first snap. Gruden said Raiders have bunch of workouts lined up.
Gruden Impressed With CB Gareon Conley’s Play
Gruden was ‘pleased’ with the play of Gareon Conley, especially since he had not played football in such a long time…
Solid Showings From Jared Cook and Jalen Richard
Gruden highlighted Jared Cook, Jalen Richard, Marshawn’s TD run as positives from Monday night.
Gruden: Jared Cook was “awesome. They way he competed for every yard. Been like that since I got here.”
We spoke briefly on Richard above, but Cook was the Raiders’ star in this game. He hauled in nine passes for 180 yards and drew a team-high 12 targets. Cook ran over defenders and showed power which adds some excitement for his role this season.
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Jon Gruden Addresses Derek Carr’s Struggles, Injuries After Week 1 Loss