Raiders' offensive linemen have their own set of rules and it is working
ALAMEDA, Calif. – There are rules and then there are the grown-men rules that govern the meanest and baddest position group at the Oakland Raiders headquarters.
“Every time we watch film, everybody is going to get fined for something,” Raiders right tackle Austin Howard said to USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a way of life.”
Fail to finish your block? Dock ‘em.
Manage to go from whistle to whistle without engaging a defender? Uh-oh. That’s violation of the “no-touch” rule.
This standard applies in a game or even in practice.
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Guess they mean it when they say they want to be physical.
“You’ve got to touch something,” Howard said. “Sometimes as an offensive lineman it happens that you can’t touch a guy when the film is on you. We have fun with that.”
The so-called “fines” (of undisclosed amounts) are put into a pot that covers the cost of a big dinner for the unit at the end of the season. But that’s not the essential rub of this.
It’s about accountability to your fellow lineman.
As offensive line coach Mike Tice put it, “They’re just relentless with their attacks on each other.”
You can’t survive on this unit by having thin skin. And you surely don’t want to be the one getting slammed for a “kiss-butt” violation.
What’s that?
Said Tice, “They’re not allowed to tell me, ‘Coach, that’s a great idea!’ “
Maybe all of this in-your-face accountability somewhat explains why the unit – which heads into Thursday night’s AFC West showdown at the Kansas City Chiefs having allowed an NFL-low 12 sacks – is one of the best in the NFL.
On top of the talent, size, athleticism and chemistry, the group that GM Reggie McKenzie has assembled is overflowing with pride, which in turn in reinforced by the Kangaroo Court penalties.
“We have a bunch of grown men in our room,” said all-pro left guard Kelechi Osemele. “So we think it’s important to be the best at what we do. Otherwise, why are you really doing it? That’s everybody’s mentality.”
Osemele was a late scratch for Thursday's game due to illness. The timing is hardly ideal for Oakland.
The line needs to make a major statement at Arrowhead Stadium, when it will be matched up against one of the NFL’s best defensive fronts. The Chiefs – who lead the NFL with 25 takeaways -- create all sorts of matchup problems with the middle of the line anchored by nose tackle Dontari Poe, while superior rushers come off the edge in Dee Ford, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.
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“We know what they bring,” left tackle Donald Penn said. “It’s going to be tough.”
The line will miss the powerful Osemele, who stands out as the undeniable alpha male of the physical, violent unit. The offseason free agent additions of Osemele and center Rodney Hudson were critical in completing the unit.
Tice, with a history of coaching effective lines, calls Hudson one of the smartest linemen he’s had. It has made a difference in collaborating with quarterback Derek Carr in calling protections.
“He’s like a grumpy old man,” Tice said. “He’s yelling at all the guys bigger than he is. He’s the smallest one, but the smartest one, too.”
Tice recalled what he told McKenzie after last season when addressing how to improve the unit.
“When the one in the room who is most intense is me, that’s not good,” Tice said. “We were missing a guy with a certain intensity, an attitude, a will to finish. A jerk.”
Meaning that with all due respect, they have that in Osemele, who says he still carries a chip on his shoulder after being slighted as a recruit coming out of high school.
“You got to stay motivated, bro,” Osemele said.
The self-check system undoubtedly helps in that regard. Imagine the grief that a lineman gets if he allows Carr, the golden quarterback, to take a hit.
“Gabe (Jackson, right guard) tells me all the time, even if his guy came and brushed my shoulder pad, he tells me, ‘I’m sorry, man,’ “ Carr said.
“It’s like, ‘Dude, it’s OK.’ Sometimes it makes me feel a part of the team when I get hit.”
Yet when it happens, you can be sure someone has to pay up.
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Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell
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