Raiders mailbag: Did Derek Carr question Jon Gruden’s trust in him?

Some bye week mailbag questions as the euphoria over a road win over the Kansas City Chiefs turns to concern over an incoming visit from Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

We’ll start with a question about a sideline exchange between coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr late in the first half after the Raiders had gone up 24-21:

Q: Haven’t seen anyone discuss Derek Carr telling Gruden “can you trust me now” after the Henry Ruggs touchdown. I’m just reading lips but looks pretty clear to me. Has Gruden been holding back Carr from throwing/looking downfield and moving in the pocket to extend plays? — Michael Bidwill (email)

Other lip-reading sleuths described it as Carr saying “Can you trust me?” with Gruden saying “Yes, let me put my mask on.”  (Gruden, by the way, was pretty diligent about the mask). I watched the clip several times and am apparently not an accomplished lip-reader. Something along those lines is possible, however. One of Gruden’s methods of coaching quarterbacks is humor/sarcasm. He loves Peyton Manning and told Rich Gannon as much when he was a Raider. Since Manning was nicknamed “The Sheriff,” Gruden called Gannon “The Deputy” just to get under his skin. Gruden and Carr are in their third year together. In season, they deal with each other more than they deal with their wives. You can bet that Gruden has taken some of the stories written or reported about how he doesn’t like or trust Carr and used it as a motivational tool. As in, “C’mon Derek, that’s why people say I can’t trust you” or “C’mon Derek, you know you can’t throw deep! Everyone says so.” Ideally, Carr shows him up and then throws it back in his face. Everybody wins. That would be my guess, rather than some sort of fracture between coach and quarterback. As for moving in the pocket and extending plays, Gruden has been urging Carr to do that since the day he arrived.

Q:  Was the way they attacked Kansas City downfield a outlier because they were facing Patrick Mahomes or is it going to be the way they approach things going forward? — @MichRVARaider

Mahomes doesn’t play defense. They’ll gladly accept any deep strikes available if game circumstances and coverage dictate. And with Ruggs healthy, there should be more opportunities. But with a lead in the second half, Gruden will be Gruden.

Q: Was the defensive performance more about the Raiders properly executing their assignments or poor play by the Chiefs in the second half? — @Raiderfan9909

Secondary coach Jim O’Neil talked with reporters via video conference Wednesday and alluded to the defense being “simplified.” Bottom line I think the Raiders were challenged to beat the man in front of them and responded in a positive way. Were the Chiefs overconfident? They had every reason to be. They’d won 13 straight including the postseason and the Raiders had been a fly hitting their windshield at Arrowhead for seven years.

Q: Was defensive coordinator Paul Guenther in the booth for this game again? Didn’t notice him at all this week. — @autumnwind1216

Guenther was back on the sidelines after a week in the booth.

Q: Has Gruden ever mentioned bringing in Charles Woodson to teach these young DBs how to strip the ball like Josh Norman did to Waller? C-Wood was the master at punching the ball out and we need playmakers. — Domingo Basilio (email)

Speakers in the coronavirus environment are a tough deal unless you’re doing it on video. But Gruden loves to have speakers whenver possible. He had George Atkinson talk to the team about the Chiefs rivalry. Woodson has spoken to Johnathan Abram on occasion, but he’s not a guy that’s going to force his ideas on everyone else. He was a generational talent and the things he did and how he did them don’t necessarily translate to others.

Q:  Nick Kwaitkoski playing more on third down set the tone for the defense, do you see more of him on field during passing downs going forward? — @Devroyal7

I saw the defensive line pressure with very little bltizing setting the tone. Linebackers will be deployed depending on the opponent with a recognition as to what worked the previous week. So don’t be surprised if Kwiatkoski’s use is similar going forward.

Q:  1) Do you think training in the Vegas heat helped in the 4th quarter of the Chiefs game? 2) How good has Johnathan Abram been? More dropped balls across the middle this year. 3) You know Gruden from his first stint and second stint. Is he the same or different? — Michael McDonagh (email)

1) If it had been the Chiefs holding on to the ball for 20 minutes on offense in the second half, then it would have been the Raiders that were melting. They imposed their will, regardless of the weather. 2) O’Neil, the defensive backs coach, echoed exactly what you just said about Abram, even with the shaky game against New England  3) Gruden is much more the same than he is different.

Raiders defensive tackle Chris Smith (92) pressures Patrick Mahomes for the Raiders. 

Q: Celebration needs to be over. Raiders have three tough games coming up. — @JohnOless

Did you hack into G.M. Mike Mayock’s account? He’s fond of the Bill Parcells line “Don’t anoint anyone.”

Q: Do you think going forward Nelson Agholor should get the starting job opposite to Ruggs even when Edwards coming back from his injury — @duclair28

Who starts, who doesn’t start, is pretty irrelevant. Agholor’s producing, so he’ll get plenty of work. If Edwards returns and makes a couple of jump-and-catch plays, people will clamor for him to start. They’ll both play. So will Hunter Renfrow.

Q: I just don’t see Le’Veon Bell being a good culture fit with the Raiders. I hear the Nation clamoring for him but I have to feel like we learned our lesson with Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. What’s your take? — @rosserickson1

Bell being dumped by a bad team and a bad organization is different than Brown, Bryant and Earl Thomas being dumped by good teams and solid organizations. Bell’s departure from Pittsburgh was over money, and I’m for players using all the leverage they have to get every dime they can get.  But I don’t see Bell to the Raiders because of the presence of Josh Jacobs and Bell realizing he’d be second banana — and a distant one at that.

Q: Will we ever see Raekwon McMillan on defense and Mychal Kendricks any updates — @ScoutRaiders

McMillan has been on the team for a bit now and hasn’t made a dent in terms of playing time. Could be wrong, but guessing the Chiefs game has changed their outlook at shaking the trees for another linebacker. At least for a week or so. Keep in mind visiting isn’t the same as signing

Q: Do you see the Raiders making any trades before the deadline? Maybe a safety or DT? — @brwong24

Three weeks to go. The more they win, the less likely they make a trade. Doubt they’ve thrown up the white flag on Maliek Collins and Maurice Hurst hopefully will be off the COVID-19 list soon. The bye week was a chance to reassess their needs.

Will Lamarcus Joyner (29) be challenged as the Raiders nickel back? Not so fast. 

Gruden mentioned Amik Robertson’s play. It’s hard to make a judgement off of 14 plays but his coverage and physical play jamming players was impressive. Could we see him start to take snaps away from Lamarcus Joyner? Other than youth what are the coaches concerns? — @oneida415

O’Neil made it pretty clear they consider nickel corner the toughest position in the secondary. There are run-fit responsibilities and receivers have a “three-way go” in the middle of the field with the sideline unavailable for leverage. Keep in mind the Raiders — pretty much all of them — were exceptional in the second half against the best offense in the NFL in Kansas City. That will count for something in the here and now.

When are Tanner Muse and Damon Arnette available to return, secondary would be better with them? — @Jack97041359

I didn’t attend training camp this year. Some that did believe Muse, who is moving from safety to linebacker, had a rough go of it. Could be a “redshirt” year. As for Arnette, he had thumb surgery. He’s out for a minimum of two more games. Could be longer.

Q: Will Ruggs start to see more targets vis-a-vis Tyreek Hill stuff? #Raiders @pbmcb

I’m sure he will. He’s just getting started.

Q: Why isn’t Trayvon Mullen getting the respect he deserves? — @IAMLEGENDARY92

He’s getting it from his coaches, his teammates. Notice and “respect” usually comes from interceptions and pick-sixes. Not fair, but that’s the way it works. Mullen’s in that boat now. If he takes one to the house, everything changes.

Q: Is Cory Littleton what you expected from what you saw from him with the Rams? Is he hurt, or is there an insinuation that is the fault of the coaching or scheme? — Michael Healy (email)

It’s not unusual for players who change teams and systems to get off to slow starts — especially in a reactive position like defense. He’s thinking instead of just playing. Perhaps the second half of the Chiefs game is the start of what he and the Raiders expected.

Q: Do you think there is trade value in Marcus Mariota going to Dallas with Dak Prescott out?  — Terry Benjamin (email)

Mariota’s injury, combined with his contract, makes him pretty much untradeable. He’ll get healthy, learn the system here and eventually be Carr’s backup. If he’s the quarterback, something went terribly wrong.

 

 

 

 

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Author: Jerry McDonald

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