Greg Knapp was the offensive coordinator for two tumultuous seasons in Oakland from 2007 to 2008 and the Raider Nation let out a collective groan when Dennis Allen re-hired him to coordinate the offense in 2012. Too many fans in Oakland remember that he was stripped of his play-calling duties in 2008 by then interim head coach Tom Cable (via Yahoo Sports).
Knapp has since brought back the zone-blocking scheme, a scheme that star running back Darren McFadden has struggled to learn as the Raiders continue to sink down the offensive standings in the AFC.
Now, just two games into the 2012 season, Knapp is preaching patience (via the Raiders' official website) to a fanbase that hasn’t made the playoffs in over a decade via a bizarre media session with reporters. Knapp starts out with an opening statement and proceeds to say his comments were intended for his friends.
What I hear are excuses from a frustrated offensive coordinator that's trying to convince himself that he's doing the right thing.
Knapp’s excuses for his offense's poor start include tough competition, injuries and a young offensive line that needs time to learn his scheme. I wonder how Knapp would feel if his players started making similar excuses about their poor performances.
"That was a good team we faced last week." -Knapp on the Miami Dolphins.
"We’re a little bit younger right now on the O-line than I have been at other places, so it takes a little bit longer for them to learn the nuances." -Knapp on the offensive line's struggles executing the zone-blocking scheme.
"Unfortunately for us, [Wisniewski] got hurt, so he missed a lot of reps with our first group. That slowed down the learning curve and set us back a little bit." -Knapp on how injuries have set the offense back.
Perhaps Knapp doesn’t realize he is working with better personnel th...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
