Gruden backs Guenther after Levi’s debacle
Head coach Jon Gruden voiced his support for defensive coordinator Paul Guenther on Friday, a day after the Raiders fell to 1-7 with a 34-3 loss to the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
Following Raheem Mostert’s 52-yard touchdown run in the third quarter Thursday, cameras appeared to show a tense exchange between Gruden and Guenther on the sideline. Gruden was asked about the exchange Friday and said: “You should see us on the golf course.
“Look, you go down the field, you score a touchdown, and I don’t know, the next play they get a 51-yard run, and you’re, ‘What the hell happened?’ You’re on the phone, talking with somebody, and then next thing you know, it’s a big play. And frustration kicks in on his behalf and my behalf. And I’m sure emotions get caught on tape sometimes.
“But there’s not a better coach I know than Paul Guenther. And there’s not a better friend that I have than Guenther. And we’re going to argue and jaw probably tonight, deep into the night, over a lot of things. And I’ll see if we can get video footage for you.”
After holding opponents to less than 400 total yards in their first three games, the Raiders have given up more than 400 in four of their last five games. The Raiders rank 26th in total defense, 31st in scoring defense (31.5 points per game) and 32nd in yards allowed per play (6.8).
On Mostert’s touchdown, the running back took a pitch to the right side and ran untouched to the end zone. Asked late Thursday about the defense’s effort on that play, Gruden deferred an answer until after he’d seen the video.
“I didn’t have any problem at all with the effort,” Gruden said Friday. “What I had a big problem with was we had two guys in the same gap. We got outflanked immediately. And their back was faster, I think, than we anticipated. But that was my big problem with the long run.”
Gashed frequently for big plays this season, the Raiders allowed five plays Thursday night of 20 or more yards. That included a 71-yard pass from Nick Mullens to tight end George Kittle and a 53yard pass from Mullens to Richie James Jr., both short throws that led to large gains.
More than half of the 49ers’ 405 total yards (225) on Thursday came on their five longest plays. Gruden said that “continues to be a big part of our problem.”
“Sometimes we miss a tackle,” Gruden said. “Sometimes we miss two tackles. Sometimes we have a man out of his gap. Sometimes we’ve got to coach perhaps better. And it all comes back to me. We’ve just got to do a better job collectively.”
Mullens, the 49ers’ thirdstring quarterback making his NFL debut, completed 16 of 22 passes for 262 yards and a 151.9 rating, was not sacked and was hit just twice. The Raiders are last in the NFL with seven sacks — three from defensive end Bruce Irvin, who played a total of nine defensive snaps Thursday night.
Irvin is among the Raiders’ highest-paid players — making a base salary of $8 million this season, according to overthecap.com — but has played just 48 percent of their defensive snaps and has six tackles. Gruden said Irvin was seldom used against the 49ers because the Raiders “weren’t in our nickel defense very much.”
“In the base defense, sometimes he doesn’t fit the role that we need done,” Gruden said. “No disrespect to Bruce, but he’s an edge rusher. We haven’t had a lead. We haven’t had the opposition behind the chains a lot. So his role has been reduced. And I know he’s frustrated. I’m frustrated. And we’ll try to solve that as soon as possible. He’s a good player.”
Gruden was even more direct speaking about linebacker Tahir Whitehead, who was in coverage on the 71yard pass to Kittle. According to Pro Football Focus, Whitehead has allowed a perfect passer rating (158.3) on 26 targets in coverage this season. Whitehead, who had four tackles for loss Thursday, has played every defensive snap in all but one game.
“He’s been a good nickel linebacker in the league for a long time,” Gruden said. “I think when you look at the kind of throws that have been complete, you’ve got to sometimes take a look at them: Are they quick screens? Are they screen passes. I like Whitehead. I like Whitehead a lot. If you’re listening, Tahir, I think you’re one heck of a linebacker.
“But we’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to do a better job stopping the run, stopping the pass. We’ve got to do a better job collectively, coaches and players, figuring out our defense.”