Half time adjustments are definitely a thing. It can mean the difference between holding a lead or coming from behind for a win and choking away a game for a loss.
This has been a problem for the Raiders much of the season. They often start the game strong only to fade away and come out flat after half time.
In fact, the Raiders currently sit tied with Patriots (6.5 points) as the worst second half scoring teams in the league.
The Raiders are coming out of their bye week where they wanted to evaluate themselves and reset for the final five games of the season. Interim Head Coach Antonio Pierce said that second half drop off was their primary focus.
“We’ve got to do better in the second half,” said Pierce. “Start fast. That will be our goal and our little rallying cry this week. Get off to a fast start. Obviously we come out the gates like bulls, but we need to do that in the second half as well and we have some plans to do that and we’ll work on that this week.”
The feeling of tanking to end a game is not just something that has been happening most of the season, it’s quite a fresh wound.
Their last game was a 31-17 loss to the Chiefs after they started the game up 14-0. And the week before in Miami, the Raiders offense was shut out in the second half. Just as they had been in Josh McDaniels’s final game in Week 8 against the Lions.
Sustaining the success the Raiders have had early in games into the second half and a full 60 minutes is what Pierce calls “winning stamina”. And it is currently the team’s primary focus.
It’s more than that, though. This team keeps saying it’s all about execution and leaving plays on the field. Pierce says if the team can start the game fast, it can start the second half fast. Well, not if the other team is making all the correct half time adjustments and the Raiders are not.
Ther are undoubtedly some missed opportunities. There always are. With every team. No team can expect to hit on all the opportunities that come about. If the opposing defense does enough to fool the offense and vice versa, they can and will force them to miss opportunities they had hit early in the game.
Certainly Pierce understands that. It’s just easier to say execution and stamina rather than say anything that might call out anyone specifically. Even if it does seem to put the blame solely on the players.
The “winning stamina” they need extends across the team and coaches. That means not only scoring on the first couple scripted drives, but pivoting when the defense adjusts.
They face the Vikings on Sunday in Vegas, so we’ll see if they made good use of the bye week.