The Raiders have alot to feel good about going into next week. Michael Bush tallied more yards than Darren McFadden has at any point this year. Denarius Moore is looking like the steal of the draft. Kamerion Wimbley showed he’s back to his 2010 form with 4 sacks on Philip Rivers, and the defense finally put together two good halfs.
But with all due respect to Bush, Moore, Wimbley, and the defense, there may not be a bigger reason for optimism than the play of Carson Palmer.
As effective as Jason Campbell was in controlling the football and managing the offense, there’s a whole new dynamic to the Carson Palmer era. Specifically, its Palmer’s ability to execute the no-huddle offense. If it looks familiar, it’s because you’ve been watching Peyton Manning run it for about a decade. It’s essentially a variation of the west coast offense called the double wing formation. Its strength is it’s balanced design that offers two receiving targets (3WR, 1TE) on either side of the quarterback. Because of that balance, defenses are forced to either play a base defense and/or show their defense before the snap. The fact that the quaterback can snap the ball at any time in the 25 seconds gives the offense an even greater advantage.
Peyton Manning has been running the no-huddle out of this "double wing" formation for over a decade.
The Colts have effectively run the double wing without an elite running back. Michael Bush showed on Thursday night just how lethal the running game can be out of this formation. Despite not having a fullback, the combination of a quick snap and spread out defense can create plenty of holes. Almost every big play in San Diego came out of the double wing.
On this play Taiwan Jones ran around the right side for 12 yards. On the next play, out of the same formation Denarius Moore made a 46 yard catch down the right side.
So why don’t more teams run the no-huddle out of the double wing? Maybe the biggest reason is personnel and trust. The offense is essentially run by the quarterback. For those who have suggested the Raiders’ success has gotten to Hue Jackson’s head, the transition to Palmer and this new offense shows Jackson is content to trust his players than most coaches around the league. It’s a bold move for an offensive minded coach to relinquish control of the offense to a guy like Palmer. Judging by the results of Thursday’s game, it’s a bold move that could give Raiders fans their first playoff game in almost a decade.
Posted on November 13, 2011
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