During the Las Vegas Raiders’ bye week, they fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello, which will likely precede schematic and personnel changes on that side of the ball.
The Raiders had a bye week to review film from the first half of the season and make changes, with interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner set to call plays. Turner has been a play-caller for over three seasons, taking over for his father, Norv, with the Carolina Panthers at the end of the 2019 campaign and for three full terms in Washington.
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Speaking of Norv, the Raiders hired him as a senior advisor.
The Turners’ track record may indicate how they plan to run the Raiders’ offense in the second half of the campaign.
Also, head coach Antonio Pierce made some comments before the team’s Week 10 bye that suggest we may see the ground attack operate similarly to last year.
Let’s go through five potential offensive changes that we could see in the Raiders offense going forward.
Starting QB Desmond Ridder starts against the Miami Dolphins
The Raiders haven’t officially named a starting quarterback for their upcoming matchup with the Miami Dolphins, but the team has benched Garnder Minshew three times in two months, and Aidan O’Connell is recovering from a broken thumb on injured reserve.
In the Raiders’ previous outing, they benched Minshew in the third quarter. Ridder completed 11 out of 16 pass attempts for 74 yards and a touchdown, though he took four sacks behind an injury-riddled offensive line.
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Because of the Raiders’ pass protection issues, they need a more athletic signal-caller under center, so it makes sense to start Ridder over Minshew. With a full week of practice, Ridder should be more equipped to handle an aggressive pass rush. The Dolphins have the seventh-highest blitz rate leaguewide.
Pierce has likely seen enough of Minshew’s turnovers at this point, putting a ton of pressure on his defense. Minshew has thrown eight interceptions and lost four fumbles in eight games this season.
Tre Tucker sees more efficient deep targets
Tre Tucker has only been targeted on passes 20-plus yards downfield eight times in nine games, and he’s hauled in one of those passes for 54 yards, per Pro Football Focus.
Averaging about one deep ball target per contest, Tucker could see an increase in downfield opportunities if the Turners favor the Air Coryell system.
Under Turner in Washington, quarterback Taylor Heinicke’s intended air yards per pass attempt increased as the season progressed in 2022.
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Some Raider fans may remember the older Turner using the Air Coryell system to dial up deep shots with quarterback Kerry Collins between the 2004 and 2005 campaigns. The Raiders won fewer than six games in both seasons, but they ranked within the top 10 in pass attempts and passing yards.
Tucker could spark a stagnant aerial attack if the quarterback gets enough time in the pocket. He will likely see multiple targets 20-plus yards downfield, though Ridder has to be more accurate on his deep throws than Minshew.
Also, remember that Tucker played three seasons with Ridder at Cincinnati. Perhaps the former collegiate teammates still have some chemistry. Ridder would have to trust Tucker on downfield shots.
A regular-season introduction to wide receiver Ramel Keyton
On November 1, the Raiders signed Ramel Keyton to the active roster, which is a leap over fellow wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson, who’s on the practice squad.
Wilkerson has only appeared in two games this season, catching two passes for 18 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6.
Like Wilkerson, Keyton made the initial 53-man roster, but the Raiders waived him at the end of September. Now, on the active roster, the undrafted rookie could take on a consistent role on the outside when Jakobi Meyers, Tucker or DJ Turner line up in the slot.
At 6-2, Keyton can be a viable target in the red zone. He could also be a big-play receiver between the 20-yard lines. As a collegian at Tennessee between 2022 and 2023, Keyton averaged more than 18 yards per catch and scored 11 touchdowns.
Tight end Brock Bowers and Meyers will command the most targets. Tucker and Keyton could be the big-play receivers over the top.
Zamir White and Alexander Mattison split carries evenly
Pierce may have shared his forthcoming plan for the ground game before the Raiders fired a trio of offensive coaches.
Two weeks ago, Pierce said running back Alexander Mattison is the starter, but he also mentioned the desire to get Zamir White going on the ground.
After a strong finish to the 2023 campaign, White struggled mightily in Getsy’s zone-blocking system. Pierce may believe that White can replicate what he did at the end of the previous term in a more suitable scheme.
Remember, the Raiders fired Cregg, who brought in zone-blocking principles from San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme. They named Joe Philbin the interim offensive line coach.
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Philbin has a solid resume, leading top-tier offensive lines for most of his time with the Dallas Cowboys, who ranked ninth in rushing for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
That said, Turner worked with hybrid tailback-receiver Antonio Gibson for most of his time in Washington. In his final term with the club, he featured Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. in a tandem out of the backfield. The duo split the carries about 60-40. Robinson, a downhill ball-carrier, handled the majority of the touches.
If Turner and Pierce see eye to eye on their philosophy for the ground attack, White may re-emerge for more carries in an evenly split workload with Mattison for the second half of the season.
White hasn’t logged more than six rush attempts in a game since Mattison took over the starting job in Week 5. The two tailbacks could see double-digit touches, depending on who has the hotter hand in any given week, though Mattison will likely continue to handle pass-catching duties.
Jackson Powers-Johnson continues to impress at center
In Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals, rookie second-rounder Jackson Power-Johnson was among the few bright spots on offense. He started at the center in place of Andre James, who had sat out with an ankle injury.
According to Pro Football Focus, Powers-Johnson played 61 snaps and didn’t allow a pressure. The analytics site graded him as one of the top-performing offensive linemen in Week 9.
Until Week 9, Powers-Johnson lined up at guard, mainly on the left side, but James’ absence opened up a spot for the rookie at the pivot.
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At Oregon, Powers-Johnson primarily played center. In his final collegiate term, he made 13 starts and won the Rimington Award as the best center in college football.
At left guard, Powers-Johnson had a couple of rough outings against the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams, giving up nine pressures in those two contests alone, but he has more upside than James, who’s struggled in his sixth season with the team.
If James isn’t able to get back on the field in Week 11, Powers-Johnson would have an easy pathway to the starting job at center, though the veteran’s return may complicate the outlook at the position.
The Raiders signed James to a three-year, $24 million contract this past offseason. The team would be responsible for $7.3 million in dead money if it cut him in 2025, per Over the Cap.
Unless the general manager Tom Telesco finds an offseason trade partner for James, who’s regressed from the previous season, the Raiders may have to eat the loss in dead cap money on his deal if Powers-Jonhson takes over the starting spot at center.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.