Vindication for Raiders, even if none is needed

OAKLAND -- After the first two Raiders' games, both losses, you could see where this thing was headed. Bloggers and fans needed a scapegoat, and they had one — offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.

People thought the Raiders' offense hadn't been so terrible last season under that big talker Hue Jackson — although, come on, it was no big deal, either. But now the offense under Knapp couldn't do jack. Quarterback Carson Palmer looked like a bronze statue trying to navigate the field, and Darren McFadden, a flat-out great running back, wasn't exactly gaining yards. He was gaining particles or fractions — stuff you could measure under an electron microscope.

Someone had to be at fault. Someone had to suffer for the 0-2 start, and that someone was Knapp. People said his run-blocking schemes were no good, zone-blocking that has worked a million other places. People were eyeballing Knapp for blame even though he has coached a long time, is what you'd call a football intellectual and has been a success.

The scapegoat thing stunk. It especially stunk because Raiders' wide receivers have been hurt — the team is so desperate, you get the feeling they recruit receivers from the checkout line at Whole Foods.

All that changed Sunday against the Steelers in what was certainly a redemptive game for Knapp — not that Knapp needs the least shred of redemption. The Raiders' offense scored four touchdowns. The Raiders' offense entertained. It matched the Steelers' offense. Finally, it dominated.

Here are some quickie stats to show how the Raiders' offense performed: 21 first downs, 321 net yards, 119 net yards rushing, 202 net yards passing.

You'd call that balanced, impressive, formidable.

I cannot vouch for the Raiders' defense. The defenders don't tackle so well and they don't stop the run so well and, in time, the Raiders will need a complete makeover on the defense. They also may need a partial makeover on the offense, but even now the offense can match points with good teams — and the Pittsburgh Steelers are a decidedly good team. And sometimes the Raiders' offense is downright unstoppable.

After the game, I went in search of Knapp, the almost-scapegoat. I have known him forever, and I must confess I like him as a man and respect him as a coordinator.

He was with head coach Dennis Allen in Allen's office, the door shut. Allen had just addressed the media and now he was changing, and when the door opened a crack, I noticed Allen, usually blank-faced, grinning. After a while, Knapp walked out of Allen's office and I congratulated him and asked if we could speak. He leaned against a wall in a hallway, a smile on his face. I'll give you our dialogue, but as you read it, imagine Knapp as your favorite high-school teacher, his voice modulated, his tone encouraging.

Cohn: Was there a feeling of relief today? The first two games people were jumping on you.

Knapp: It's not so much relief as I'm happy for the success of the players. Like it is for any startup company, this is a startup offense for the new schemes, and it takes some time. It was neat for the players to have some success today. They stuck in there, hung in there. People inside the building kept believing. It paid off today.

Cohn: When you say they hung in, does that mean they didn't get discouraged? Does it mean they continued with the game plan?

Knapp: They continued with the beliefs of what we're going to do schematically — zone run-blocking scheme, the play pass. We added the no huddle today more extensively than we did Week One. It encourages them to know that, if we stay patient, we'll be fine.

Cohn: When Darren McFadden got that big run (64 yards for a TD), that must be very reassuring for everyone.

Knapp: That's what our belief is with this scheme. You've got to be patient. You'll get some threes, you'll get some fours. But what happens is you'll hit that seam every now and then (Knapp smacked his hands together), you get a 64-yard touchdown run. That's exactly what we've been preaching since Day One, stay patient with the run game and big plays will occur.

Cohn: What do you mean by a startup company?

Knapp: When you bring a new staff in, like we did, and a new general manager you have changed the infrastructure and the mindset of an entire building. Because of that, you have to teach philosophy along with scheme, and how we are going to work together and how we are going to stay together as a team. And here are our mechanisms to work together. Here's the blueprint how we're going to have success. Well, the fact that we changed parts — we've had two starting centers and two right tackles now in three weeks — that makes it that much harder to get on the same page. But we're getting there. And because it's a startup company, people are still learning within the system the intricacies of each type of play and scheme.

OK, that was Knapp. His metaphor of startup company is accurate and refreshing. You should keep the metaphor in mind because the Raiders will lose more games, lose some badly, but they are making progress. The startup regime deserves patience, and Gregg Knapp surely does.

I asked if he felt the heat the first two weeks.

"I knew what was going on outside," he said, "but inside the building I looked people in the eye and they had confidence in me."

For more on the world of sports in general and the Bay Area in particular, go to the Cohn Zohn at cohn.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at lowell.cohn@pressdemocrat.com.