Raiders’ offense humming under Bill Musgrave’s guidance
The offensive coordinator of the Raiders, an admitted arcade regular in those days, repeatedly would pound the button trying to flap his ostrich’s wings harder and harder.
Musgrave, 49, doesn’t play “Joust” anymore, but he’s having some familiar struggles regulating his desire to flap those wings.
On game days with the Raiders, he would love to keep assaulting through the air with quarterback Derek Carr and receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
Looks like Musgrave and the Raiders (7-2) have found that balance, resulting in some high-octane offense, including Carr’s franchise record 513 yards passing at Tampa Bay on Oct. 30.
[...] the Raiders lead the league in fewest times getting sacked (11) and are third in turnover margin (plus-9).
“The guys have really prepared well and competed exceptionally on game day,” said Musgrave, who sat down for a one-on-one interview.
The third-year quarterback has made another big leap this season, completing 66 percent of his passes for 2,505 yards, with 17 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Carr said he has heard from other quarterbacks that Musgrave wasn’t as flexible in his first four stops as an NFL offensive coordinator, with the Eagles (1998), Panthers (2000), Jaguars (2003-04) and Vikings (2011-13), along with several stints as quarterbacks coach.
Last year, he didn’t know me, he didn’t draft me, and we have developed it to a point where I can run his offense the way he wants it run, with a little wiggle room.
“The coaches get started a little earlier after road games, because we get to grade the film on the plane ride back,” Musgrave said.
[...] the Raiders are 5-0 on the road, but rather than celebrating with an adult beverage, Musgrave and the coaches are breaking down tape?
Kind of like the Raiders’ offense in their last win, over Denver, in which they kept running behind a mauling offensive line for 218 yards and three touchdowns.
Musgrave used a lot of heavy sets, often with six offensive linemen, and showed a national-television audience that Oakland can beat teams in the air or on the ground.
Where once you could call him a West Coast offense coach, using the short pass to set up everything, you can’t anymore.
[...] the terminology changed in stints with the Falcons and Vikings, as well as with 49ers head coach Chip Kelly when both were with the Eagles.