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Don't be misled by the Raiders falling to second-to-last in NFL defense.
Don't panic because two defensive players who are smarter than their coaches
-- Bill Romanowski and Rod Woodson -- have been injured.
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The Raiders have played shutdown defense on one of the league's most dangerous runners and receivers. Thanks to Coach Bill Callahan and offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, this shockingly sorry 2-3 team has done what Jon Gruden set out to do in last year's Super Bowl. NFL Tickets
Stop Charlie Garner.
Gruden, of course, had coached the Raiders and knew better than anyone the key
to stopping the offense he had run. So as he settled into his seat on the flight
back to Tampa Bay after stunning Philadelphia in last year's NFC title game,
Gruden turned to defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and said: "Stop No.
25."
Stop Garner and you could overcome what then was the NFL's No. 1 offense.
Case in (low) point: Sunday's loss to the NFL's worst team. In the first half,
Trestman committed to pounding the Chicago Bears into winless submission with
the run. Body punch with Tyrone Wheatley and Zack Crockett, go for the jaw with
Garner.
There is nothing more psychologically devastating than one team imposing its
will on another by running the ball down its throat. There is nothing better
for an offensive line's shaken confidence than consistently overpowering a defensive
front. NFL Tickets
The one thing the Raiders can still do exceptionally well is run. Garner ran
nine times for 77 first-half yards as the Raiders ran 21 times for 108. Result:
The coaches put this still-talented team in position for its first routine win.
Yet if they had fed the ball to Garner inside the Bears' 30, on traps or sweeps
or screens, the 18-3 halftime score easily could have been 26-3. Garner caught
no first-half passes as the Raiders settled for four field goals.
So did Trestman and Callahan kick themselves at halftime and vow to exploit
their obvious advantage? No, they now have reputations to enhance. Their passing-game
wizardry helped make possible Rich Gannon's MVP award last season. Or so they
seem to think. NFL Tickets
Give them Gannon to Jerry Rice or Tim Brown. Or even Doug Jolley or Ronald Curry.
That's how rookie coach Callahan proved he could replace Gruden. That's how
Trestman proved he was wrongly dumped by then-49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo. But
that's not how they're going to get out of the trouble they're in now.
In the second half, Garner carried six times for 15 yards. That was the extent
of the running commitment. No Wheatley. No Crockett. No clue. Only one pass
for 6 yards to Garner, who caught 91 last season for a 10.3-yard average.
The Bears won the second half 21-3, the fourth quarter 18-0 and the game 24-21.
This was right up there with St. Louis Coach Mike Martz neglecting Marshall
Faulk while trying to play aerial genius.
Garner isn't quite Faulk, but he's close. He can't consistently bang away the
way Faulk can because he's about 20 pounds lighter. Yet "little Charlie"
ran for 1,229 and 1,142 yards with the 49ers in 1999 and 2000 and 962 yards
last season. Only Faulk and Edgerrin James have more yards from scrimmage over
the past three seasons. NFL Tickets
Staggering stat: Take away Garner's rookie year and he has averaged 5 yards
on 1,278 carries over eight seasons. He's averaging 5.0 this year in just 51
carries in five games. Over nine years he has averaged 9 yards in 362 catches.
This year: 10.0 in 16 catches.
Yet despite that production, Garner has often been the NFL's most undervalued
and underpublicized weapon. Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow haven't quite been
able to replace his breakaway bursts for the 49ers, who decided Garner didn't
have quite enough Boy Scout in him and ultimately was too expensive.
But Sunday was a career low for wasting Garner.
Without injured deep threat Jerry Porter, Garner has been the lone Raiders receiver
who scares defensive backs. Even at 33, Garner is as fast as Porter for 20 or
30 yards. Garner runs under deep passes as naturally as most wide receivers.
If he isn't going to be the featured back, split him out as a receiver.
At 40, Rice needs some help from Garner that he isn't getting from Trestman.
Rice complained that the play calls have become so predictable that DBs are
running routes with him. And now that Gannon can't routinely throw 40 points
on the scoreboard, coordinator Chuck Bresnahan's defense is getting exposed.
If an escalating concussion problem forces Romanowski into retirement, the Raiders
are in deep trouble. He and Rod Woodson brought the pride and poise back to
this defense. These two became coaches on the field, taking up slack for suspect
assistants.
With Woodson unable to practice -- he had knee surgery after the opener -- the
secondary has become more vulnerable to lame-brained pre-Woodson breakdowns.
NFL Tickets
And without enough No. 25, the offense no longer can cover for the defense.
Run Garner and keep running him, Marc. Feature him in your passing game, Bill.
Get him 25 touches at Cleveland. His history whispers loudly that he'll average
5 yards a run and 9 or 10 a catch.
Forget your Super season reputations, gentlemen. Now it's about enhancing job
security.