Raiders hope staff changes turn offense around: ‘So much knowledge’

Scott Turner didn’t demand a lot after Raiders coach Antonio Pierce asked him to replace Luke Getsy as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Turner’s main request was pretty significant, however.

The 42-year-old wanted some assistance as he tried to get the Raiders’ offense back on track. And who better to provide it than his father, Norv, one of the most influential offensive minds in NFL history?

“The only thing I really asked for was if we could have my dad come just for some help,” Scott Turner said.

Pierce signed off on it quicker than a quarterback finding his checkdown. That’s how much much respect he has for Norv Turner, a two-time Super Bowl winner as the Cowboys offensive coordinator and a longtime NFL coach.

There was just one problem. Norv Turner, 72, had been happily retired since 2019. He was winding down after almost 50 years in the coaching business and making up for lost time with his wife Nancy, who had to take care of the couple’s three children while he was off coaching football.

So when Scott Turner asked his dad if he’d be interested in coming to Las Vegas, Norv Turner’s response was both eager and hesitant.

He told his son of course he was intrigued. With a catch.

“Don’t tell your mom,” Norv Turner said. “I’ve got to find out how I’m going to break it.”

Nancy, when Norv Turner broke the news, rolled her eyes. Then she all but pushed her husband out the door.

“She was like, ‘I don’t know why he was so nervous.’” Scott Turner said.

Now comes the hard part. The two Turners need to turn around a Raiders offense that has been so bad it cost three offensive coaches — Getsy, offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello — their jobs after the team’s loss to the Bengals on Nov. 3.

They don’t have much time to put their stamp on a unit that’s scoring 18.7 points per game, which ranks 25th in the NFL. That raises the question of how feasible it is for the Raiders to look different, let alone better, when they take the field Sunday against the Dolphins.

“I think we’re all waiting to see that,” Pierce said. “Obviously, I’m not going to make no promises. But just wanted a change, wanted a spark, wanted different ideas.”

First steps

The Raiders’ struggling offense has cost them winnable games this season.

All because they can’t do basic things consistently. Like running the ball. Or threatening teams downfield with their passing game. Even holding onto the football has been a problem.

It’s up to Scott and Norv Turner, along with newly promoted interim offensive line coach Joe Philbin, to breath life into the listless attack without the benefit of an offseason program or training camp.

“Being efficient in the running game, right? Taking care of football, having opportunities in the red zone, scoring,” Pierce said. “All those things that were flaws for us in the first nine (games), that’s where we want to see improvement.”

Pierce doesn’t expect overnight results. He just wants to see his offense move in the right direction Sunday.

“The key word for us going forward, especially this week, is improvement,” Pierce said. “And it’s not going to be all in one week, so I’m not going to fix all those things. I doubt we can do that in one week, but there are certain things that we talked about as a staff and as a team that we need to fix this week, especially.”

The first step for the Raiders is realizing their limits.

“You’re not going to go in and put a brand-new offense in the bye week going into Week 10,” Scott Turner said.

What the team can do is scour game film to determine what is working and what isn’t. The offensive staff can also be more direct with their communication and sharper with their game planning.

That’s the approach Philbin took in his first day in charge of the offensive line. The group has struggled all season with chemistry, communication and effectiveness, especially when it comes to run blocking.

The former Dolphins coach and Packers offensive coordinator delivered a clear and concise message: No one is coming to save the day. The players and the scheme in place are sufficient to get the job done. Buy into the system and invest in the details and fundamentals and success will come.

Starting left tackle Kolton Miller has listened to plenty of coaches over his seven NFL seasons. But even his ears perked up listening to Philbin.

“He’s had 40 years of experience,” Miller said. “And you can tell. Going into the room, out on the field, his approach to the game, it’s like a sensei. So it was a great first day with him.”

Buiding confidence

The Raiders signed quarterback Gardner Minshew in March because they believed his play and leadership would stabilize their offense. They even thought he could put the team in position to compete for a playoff spot.

That hasn’t happened, thanks to a poor run game, a disjointed offensive line and Minshew’s propensity for turning the ball over. He’s looked lost, shaken and unsure of himself. He’s been benched at three different points throughout the year.

Scott Turner could see Minshew’s uneasiness a mile away. So he sent Minshew into the bye week with the reminder that he’s made plenty of good plays this season as well.

“We just got to build on that,” Turner said. “And that’s what you got to focus on. Kind of let them reset, let them get away from it. We did that.”

Turner and his dad hope to accentuate Minshew’s positives moving forward. Even if it means eliminating some areas of the playbook.

The goal isn’t to make massive changes. It’s just to emphasize what’s working and create a new play-calling rhythm that highlights the Raiders’ strengths.

“You keep the same verbiage. You keep the bones of the offense,” Minshew said. “Approach to calling the game might be a little different. A little bit different flavor to it.”

Minshew has especially liked getting to know Norv Turner.

“He’s been awesome, man. So much knowledge. He’s fun to kind of joke with and mess around with in the quarterback room,” Minshew said. “But that dude knows his stuff. I think it’s really going to help us.”

The Raiders come out of their bye week with plenty of belief. Will it make a meaningful difference on the field? The team will start to reveal the answer Sunday.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at [email protected]. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.