O'Donal31
01-07-2007, 11:31 PM
Can Raiders emulate 98 Falcons?
Shell was there when Atlanta went from rags to riches Can Raiders emulate Falcons' crest of'98?
By Steve Corkran, MEDIANEWS STAFF
Article Last Updated: 12/31/2006 02:35:48 AM PST
NEW YORK — To those who doubt whether the Raiders can turn around their fortunes next season, we offer the New Orleans Saints as evidence. The Saints went from 3-13 last season to a 10-5 record, the NFC South title and a playoff berth this season.
Raiders coach Art Shell will go one further. He joined an Atlanta Falcons team in 1997 that had endured four losing seasons in a five-year stretch. They went 7-9 that season but, in Shell's words, "flipped it the next year."
Boy, did they. The Falcons kept intact the core of their team from 1997, added a few players through the draft and free agency, stayed the course and posted a 14-2 record en route to the team's first Super Bowl appearance.
Shell said he sees a lot of parallels between this year's Raiders team and the Falcons team he worked for as an offensive line coach from 1997 to 2000. It's the kind of surge he envisions happening here next year.
"There's definitely a possibility for teams to regroup, retool and become a much better team the following year after having a down year," Shell said. "That's always a possibility, and there's always hope for us."
A look back at that Falcons team reveals how they recognized what they had in 1997, addressed their weaknesses in the offseason and developed into a powerhouse team in'98. Offensively, the Falcons added veteran wide receiver Tony Martin, and benefited from the maturation of running back Jamal Anderson and receiver Terance Mathis into top-notch players.
Martin and right offensive tackle Ephraim Salaam were the only new offensive starters on the'98 squad that ran roughshod over the NFC.
Martin had 66 receptions for 1,181 yards, and Mathis spiked from 802 yards in 1997 to 1,136 yards in'98, despite catching only two more passes. Anderson rushed for 1,002 yards (3.5-yard average) in 1997, his third season. In'98, he rushed for 1,846 yards (4.5) and 14 touchdowns.
The Falcons kept their defense largely intact. They added only defensive tackle Shane Dronett and veteran free safety Eugene Robinson to a unit that returned nine starters.
The Falcons also added linebacker Keith Brooking and kick returner Tim Dwight through the draft. Dwight shored up a mediocre kick-return game, and Brooking played a key role as a backup linebacker and core special-teams player.
Continuity was the key, Shell said. The Falcons realized that it would take coach Dan Reeves longer than his first season to turn around a team stuck in a losing rut.
"The players had been in the system for a year, we got a couple of key ingredients added to our football team, added a wide receiver that was pretty good for us, and we had a couple of young kids that came in and played well for us," Shell said. "(We) just retooled, and another year in the system helped us out pretty good."
The Raiders next season return all 11 starters from the league's fourth-ranked defense in terms of average yards allowed. They also get back kicker Sebastian Janikowski, punter Shane Lechler and standout kick returner Chris Carr.
Most of the holes lie on the offensive side, where the Raiders rank last in scoring, total offense, average yards per play, percentage of passes intercepted and sacks per pass play. Oh, and they have committed a league-worst 43 turnovers.
The Raiders have lost six games by 10 points or fewer, the same figure as the'97 Falcons.
"The pieces are in place," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "If we can just get us a nice efficient way about how we go in week in and week out and do our thing, we should be fine."
Quarterback Aaron Brooks has been part of rebuilding teams during his eight-year NFL career. He said Shell has the Raiders headed in the right direction and just needs more capable players.
Shell's leadership is vital to the Raiders completing their rebuilding process, Brooks said.
"It will help tremendously," Brooks said. "More important, it will help more to get more players in here to help us be better in what we're trying to get done. It's definitely going to get better. I plan to be here next year, and I plan to be the starter and turn this thing around."
Shell said it's just a matter of time before the Raiders reap the fruits of their labor, just as the Falcons did after spending the first year under Reeves laying the foundation.
"The attitude that year with the Falcons was good," Shell said. "The kids worked hard, much like here. These guys have worked hard, they have done what they've been asked to do. We just haven't been able to make the plays, what I call taking the plays from the practice field to the game. "The Falcons, we did the same thing. We just couldn't get over the hump that year. The following year, we continued to work, guys were a year better in the system, and we added some personnel to help us."
too bad shells not there anymore and there going to have to learn a whole new coach and system....even though whoever it is will be a huge upgrade
Shell was there when Atlanta went from rags to riches Can Raiders emulate Falcons' crest of'98?
By Steve Corkran, MEDIANEWS STAFF
Article Last Updated: 12/31/2006 02:35:48 AM PST
NEW YORK — To those who doubt whether the Raiders can turn around their fortunes next season, we offer the New Orleans Saints as evidence. The Saints went from 3-13 last season to a 10-5 record, the NFC South title and a playoff berth this season.
Raiders coach Art Shell will go one further. He joined an Atlanta Falcons team in 1997 that had endured four losing seasons in a five-year stretch. They went 7-9 that season but, in Shell's words, "flipped it the next year."
Boy, did they. The Falcons kept intact the core of their team from 1997, added a few players through the draft and free agency, stayed the course and posted a 14-2 record en route to the team's first Super Bowl appearance.
Shell said he sees a lot of parallels between this year's Raiders team and the Falcons team he worked for as an offensive line coach from 1997 to 2000. It's the kind of surge he envisions happening here next year.
"There's definitely a possibility for teams to regroup, retool and become a much better team the following year after having a down year," Shell said. "That's always a possibility, and there's always hope for us."
A look back at that Falcons team reveals how they recognized what they had in 1997, addressed their weaknesses in the offseason and developed into a powerhouse team in'98. Offensively, the Falcons added veteran wide receiver Tony Martin, and benefited from the maturation of running back Jamal Anderson and receiver Terance Mathis into top-notch players.
Martin and right offensive tackle Ephraim Salaam were the only new offensive starters on the'98 squad that ran roughshod over the NFC.
Martin had 66 receptions for 1,181 yards, and Mathis spiked from 802 yards in 1997 to 1,136 yards in'98, despite catching only two more passes. Anderson rushed for 1,002 yards (3.5-yard average) in 1997, his third season. In'98, he rushed for 1,846 yards (4.5) and 14 touchdowns.
The Falcons kept their defense largely intact. They added only defensive tackle Shane Dronett and veteran free safety Eugene Robinson to a unit that returned nine starters.
The Falcons also added linebacker Keith Brooking and kick returner Tim Dwight through the draft. Dwight shored up a mediocre kick-return game, and Brooking played a key role as a backup linebacker and core special-teams player.
Continuity was the key, Shell said. The Falcons realized that it would take coach Dan Reeves longer than his first season to turn around a team stuck in a losing rut.
"The players had been in the system for a year, we got a couple of key ingredients added to our football team, added a wide receiver that was pretty good for us, and we had a couple of young kids that came in and played well for us," Shell said. "(We) just retooled, and another year in the system helped us out pretty good."
The Raiders next season return all 11 starters from the league's fourth-ranked defense in terms of average yards allowed. They also get back kicker Sebastian Janikowski, punter Shane Lechler and standout kick returner Chris Carr.
Most of the holes lie on the offensive side, where the Raiders rank last in scoring, total offense, average yards per play, percentage of passes intercepted and sacks per pass play. Oh, and they have committed a league-worst 43 turnovers.
The Raiders have lost six games by 10 points or fewer, the same figure as the'97 Falcons.
"The pieces are in place," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "If we can just get us a nice efficient way about how we go in week in and week out and do our thing, we should be fine."
Quarterback Aaron Brooks has been part of rebuilding teams during his eight-year NFL career. He said Shell has the Raiders headed in the right direction and just needs more capable players.
Shell's leadership is vital to the Raiders completing their rebuilding process, Brooks said.
"It will help tremendously," Brooks said. "More important, it will help more to get more players in here to help us be better in what we're trying to get done. It's definitely going to get better. I plan to be here next year, and I plan to be the starter and turn this thing around."
Shell said it's just a matter of time before the Raiders reap the fruits of their labor, just as the Falcons did after spending the first year under Reeves laying the foundation.
"The attitude that year with the Falcons was good," Shell said. "The kids worked hard, much like here. These guys have worked hard, they have done what they've been asked to do. We just haven't been able to make the plays, what I call taking the plays from the practice field to the game. "The Falcons, we did the same thing. We just couldn't get over the hump that year. The following year, we continued to work, guys were a year better in the system, and we added some personnel to help us."
too bad shells not there anymore and there going to have to learn a whole new coach and system....even though whoever it is will be a huge upgrade