Gruden's offense too predictable
Posted: Tuesday December 08, 1998 04:32 PM
Jon Gruden's reputation as one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL
is taking a beating in Oakland. The Raiders are in the midst of a
three-game skid, and Sunday's loss to Miami featured six interceptions,
eight sacks and one lost fumble. After the game, members of the
Dolphins defense said the Raiders' plays were incredibly easy to read.
Several times, in fact, players looked at the Raiders' formation and
matched it perfectly to the film they had seen during the week.
Linebacker Robert Jones
made one of those six interceptions and returned it 14 yards for a
touchdown. "I knew what they were gonna run before the ball was even
snapped," said Jones. Ford insulted by Tagliabue
Lions owner William Clay Ford is still fuming over his recent reprimand
from NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue for criticizing officials. Ford was
insulted that Tagliabue scolded him by fax, not by phone. In his faxed
letter, the commissioner made several references to how well the Indianapolis Colts had
conducted themselves after similar problems with referees. Being compared
to a franchise that abandoned Baltimore greatly upset Ford, who, in recent
stadium negotiations, never threatened to leave Detroit. Quick
hits
Until his goal line fumble on Sunday, Broncos running back Terrell Davis had carried
836 times without dropping the ball. His last fumble came back on November
24, 1996 against the Vikings. The Vikings are now on pace to break the
single season scoring record of 541 points held by the 1983 Washington Redskins.
The Saints defense has now gone 13 quarters without giving up a touchdown
inside the Superdome. Bengals bungle again
The way the Bengals handled the recent comments by punter Lee Johnson shows why this
is one of the worst franchises in all of professional sports. After the
Bengals lost their 11th game, Johnson said he wouldn't have bought a ticket
to the game and voiced some concerns over the team's front office. For
being the only player in Cincinnati with enough guts to speak the truth
about the pathetic Bengals, Johnson was cut on Tuesday. Making a
Slash
And finally, it looks like the St. Louis Rams have their
own version of Slash. Well, sort of. Jeff Robinson, the team's
deep snapper, has also lined up as a defensive end and is currently tied
for the team lead in touchdown receptions with one after catching a pass as
an extra tight end on November 22. A veteran backup, Robinson doesn't think
he'll be labeled the league's new Slash anytime soon. "Doofus maybe," said
Robinson. "But not Slash."
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