Analysis of Doug Martin's murder spree

[Dantalion64]

Doug Martin: Inside his dominant second half vs. Raiders | Audibles - SI.com

Interesting breakdown. Seems to point to bad players more than bad play calls. Or maybe it's bad play as a result of bad coaching? Either way, this seems like pretty fundamental stuff.

[Be_St]

Unfortunately, this team in the last decade has been (and if you consider the game at Tampa only, still is) the worst tackling one in the league. I can't remember how many times in last seasons we put the hand on a runner without being able to take him down. Too many yards after contact, sometimes even runs apparently stopped for a loss became good gain. I think that's the main problem this D had for a long time, and it seems it could still be.

[Raiders Baby!]

Every picture shows the same thing: the defense was in position to hold each of his long runs to 10 yards MAX. Probably should've even been shorter gains than that. The LBs are in position to be in the right holes but don't get off blocks fast enough, defensive linemen either got blocked out or sucked too far up field. The safeties take bad angles. And of course, whifs. The good news is Tarver doesn't need to go, the defense was in a position to dominate all day, they just played extremely soft.

[Worrier]

This kind of stuff was Al Davis fault a few months ago.... The single high safety? The gashing runs? it was our antique Davis defense.

Things are so much better now.....

[dmauke]

They ran 3 pivotal plays that exploit the Raiders defense main weekness.


Play #1.

Doug Martin run left.

Play #2.

Doug Martin run right.

Play #3. (and most devastating)

Doug Martin run middle.

[Raiders Baby!]

They ran 3 pivotal plays that exploit the Raiders defense main weekness.


Play #1.

Doug Martin run left.

Play #2.

Doug Martin run right.

Play #3. (and most devastating)

Doug Martin run middle.

Yup, this is a sound analysis. If we can get running backs to run backwards I think we will be much more effective.

[Worrier]

It was a fluke, they caught us in our base run stopping defense. What kind of organization tries to run the ball when we have our run stuffer (#55) on the field?

[dmauke]

Yup, this is a sound analysis. If we can get running backs to run backwards I think we will be much more effective.

I interviewed Martin after the game and asked what his favorite play was and he told me UP + A. I doug(<---ha) deep into my investigative reporting skills to figure out just what he meant. so I popped in Tecmo Bowl (Eric Dickerson version thank you... Albert Bentley go to hell), and found that UP + A meant run. Now we know the lengths and offensive guru will go to, in order to defeat the mighty Oakland rush defense!

[crizpynutz]

Oakland’s safety again took too shallow an angle to the football

Instead, once Oakland stopped winning easily at the line of scrimmage, Tampa Bay took control.

Huff missed the tackle, sending Martin free into the secondary. With Oakland again in a one-deep safety look, a footrace was then on between Martin and Giordano.

The Raiders had a little push, but all it did was take defenders out of the play.

Once Martin made it through the line on that first TD run, both Branch and Matt Giordano were waiting for him. This should have been a play that resulted in about an 8-to-12-yard gain. Instead, Giordano took a terrible angle to Martin, who cut to the sideline and then won a footrace to the end zone.

But the Raiders were no longer getting that push up front that allowed them to get into the backfield early, nor were they beating Tampa Bay’s linemen cleanly. That’s all it took for Martin.

^ When things went bad it's pretty clear to see what the trend was. Lack of push from the DLine - the interior specifically - and poor safety play. UP THE MIDDLE was the problem and has been for this team. New regime, new coaching staff, new scheme, same players, same problem.

[Okie]

I'm still confused at how so many people can read the same article and still primarily focus on the defensive line.

-when the DL got push that opened up lanes between the first and second level. Lanes that weren't closed by the linebackers or safeties.

-when the DL didn't get any push, tackles were still missed and gaps were left open by the second level.


The article basically says what I've been saying, regardless of the defensive line the linebackers and safeties failed to do their jobs. Instead of short gains these plays turned into barn burners.

Again we had Seymour who was injured and Kelly playing an entire second half with no rotation. I wonder if the lack of push was fatigue or if it was an adjustment to keep them from pushing up the field too far and takinf themselves out of the plays? Either way, problem #1 is still linebackers and safety play. We can get younger and stouter at DT but until we shore up the second level we will still be consistently gashed for big plays.

[Murphys Law]

Interesting breakdown. Seems to point to bad players more than bad play calls. Or maybe it's bad play as a result of bad coaching? Either way, this seems like pretty fundamental stuff.

You're correct, on both points.

[SoBruTal_]

Or maybe they lathered him in fukn baby oil

[BigPrimo]

You know how to stop the run in the NFL? Score some Points and make Offenses 1 dimensional! Seems to work against us all the time.

[Hawaiian Raider]

In short

... "it's only football".

[losdogdagreat]

Now I don't mean to be positive or anything but I still think the defense is heading in the right direction and just had a horribly horrific game. I mean, we had just held Jamaal Charles to 4 yards rushing and Jac has 50 yards. Well see what happens this week against Ray Rice, but I would not be surprised of we give him trouble. Flame on!