The Difficulties the Raiders Face Implementing a New Offense

The Las Vegas Raiders will have many new pieces on offense this season, including a new offense altogether. Implementing so many changes will undoubtedly be challenging.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (4) draws back with the ball Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY

After struggling mightily on offense last season, the Las Vegas Raiders are installing a new offensive scheme this offseason. While the Raiders finished the season with one of the best defenses in the league, they were often held back by an offense with many flaws. Along with having an offensive roster that simply was not constructed very well, the Raiders also usually lacked a cohesive offensive game plan from week to week. 

Passing Game Coordinator Scott Turner said that the Raiders' coaching staff has spent plenty of time discussing the roster players and the offensive scheme this offseason. Las Vegas has added many new players and coaches to the team. Turner notes that, unlike the second half of last season, Coach Antonio Pierce and the Raiders coaching staff have enough time this offseason to dissect what will help the offense succeed this season thoroughly.

"I mean, you're right because you do talk about players a lot,” Turner said last week. “And obviously, we have more time because as soon as we got the staff in place, we hit the ground running with meetings and installing the scheme and meeting to talk about exactly what it's going to be. I always have equated it to like learning a new language – a lot of times, it's the same thing that you've done in the past, it's just called something different.

“So yeah, you just have to really attack it. You have to force yourself to speak in the new language. And a lot of times, I'll go back to what I used to call it, however, many years ago, and you have to make yourself talk the other way. And then inside of that, we might call it differently, it's the same play, but there's a couple different coaching points that are different, and so you have to emphasize exactly how you want it done in this scheme.”

Turner said the players learning to play with the new offensive additions on the field and a new offensive scheme will undoubtedly take time. Turner stressed how vital the offseason is to a team trying to learn so many new things simultaneously. 

"So, learning that as part of it, it takes work and it takes time; it's not just magic,” Turner said. “You don't just translate it right away. But yeah, the meetings, obviously, then getting the players on the field, having things happen that maybe you didn't cover in the meeting, so a coach can make sure he's coaching it the right way in his specific position room. But that's where this offseason is so important, and the more time we have together, the better."

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