Cameras caught heated exchange
Gruden, Guenther ‘jaw’ at each other following 49er TD
ALAMEDA >> After Raheem Mostert’s 52-yard touchdown run put the 49ers up 31-3 on Thursday night — mind you he went untouched on the play and three Raiders defenders looked like they gave up — Jon Gruden had some words for defensive coordinator Paul Guenther on the sideline.
Asked Friday about the incident and others like it cameras have caught the last two weeks, Gruden chuckled.
“You should see us on the golf course,” he said.
Anything more to those heated exchanges than just frustration?
“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 say, ‘What the hell happened?’ You know? You’re on the phone talking with somebody and the next thing you know it’s a big play,” Gruden said. “Frustration kicks in on his behalf and my behalf. I’m sure emotions get caught on tape sometimes but, there’s not a better coach I know than Paul Guenther. There’s not a better friend that I have than Paul Guenther. We’re going to argue and jaw, probably tonight, deep into the night, over a lot of things. I’ll see if we can get video footage for you.”
Guenther’s defense is historically bad through eight games, on pace to allow the most yards per play in NFL
history currently sitting at 6.75.
Guenther joined Gruden’s staff as the hyped coordinator from a staunch Bengals defense, but his Raiders unit has been far from the same. The Raiders are allowing 31.5 points per game (31st in the league), 144.5 rushing yards per game (31st) and 262.6 passing yards per game (22nd). GRUDEN DEFENDS TAHIR WHITEHEAD >> This is an incredible stat from Pro Football Focus’ Austin Gayle: Since 2006, when PFF started tracking stats, there have been over 600 instances in which an offball linebacker has been targeted 20 or more times through the season’s first nine weeks. Only one has allowed a perfect 158.3 passer rating against him. Tahir Whitehead.
After being targeted four times and allowing four catches for 101 yards and a touchdown against the 49ers, Whitehead has now been targeted 26 times this season and allowed 23 catches and seven touchdowns.
So is it a matter of Gruden simply not having anyone else, or does he actually see potential still lying deep inside his most experienced linebacker?
“He’s been a good linebacker. He’s been a good nickel linebacker in the league for a long time,” Gruden said of the seventhyear pro. “I think when you look at the kind of throws that have been complete, you gotta sometimes take a look at ‘em. Are they quick screens? Are they screen passes? I like Whitehead. I like Whitehead a lot. And if you’re listening, Tahir, I think you’re one heck of a linebacker.”
WHY BRUCE IRVIN PLAYED
A SEASON-LOW NINE SNAPS IN WEEK 9 >> The Raiders’ captain and defensive end set a new personal mark for least defensive snaps played in a game this season when he saw only nine against the 49ers, a week after setting a season low with 24 in a 42-28 loss to the Colts.
Irvin is being paid $8 million this season, and he has only six tackles through eight games. For the second straight week, he didn’t record a single stat as the Raiders’ defense has now allowed 76 points in the last two games.
“Well last night we weren’t in our nickel defense very much. Remember we’re a 4-3 team, we’re not a 3-4. So in the base defense, sometimes he doesn’t fit the role that we need done,” Gruden said. “No disrespect to Bruce. He’s an edge rusher. We haven’t had a lead. We haven’t had the opposition behind in the chains a lot. So his role has been reduced. I know he’s frustrated. I’m frustrated.” GRUDEN STICKING BY HIS ROOKIE PUNTER >> After Johnny Townsend averaged only 37.5 yards per punt on six punts Thursday, he sits 31st in the NFL in average yards (41.9).
He’s also downed just six punts inside the 20, tied for 29th in the league. The Raiders used a fifth-round pick on the best punter in SEC history, but the move has yet to pay dividends.
“Yeah,” Gruden said when asked if he’s sticking with Townsend. “Like I said, I think he’s overthinking some things a little bit. Directional punting, putting the ball between the numbers to the side line to the right, to the left, getting it off quicker, whatever it may be. I make no excuses for Townsend, but I will say this, I have seen him bomb it. I have seen him be a difference maker and I am confident it’s in our near future. I went through this with (Shane) Lechler. Lechler used to tick me off. He used to punt the ball out of the Black Hole instead of trying to get it inside the 10. I’ve been through it with (Sebastian) Janikowski. Everybody hated Janikowski for the first three or four games.
“I’m going to be patient and everybody knows that’s not a strength of mine.”