What were the Oakland Raiders thinking last night by handing the ball off to a fullback on their last drive?

Question

What were the Oakland Raiders thinking last night by handing the ball off to a fullback on their last drive?

Answer 1

It doesn't matter.

Preseason games mean nothing.

They are just glorified practices that they call games so they can sell tickets to them and have the TV networks pay to broadcast them.

They were trying to see if the fullback was good enough to make the team probably.

Answer 2

That was the dumbest play of the game. The Raiders should have won. Young played like c**p, so his team didn't deserve the W. I would have gave the ball to #38 Echemandu again, no matter how tired he was. He had the better hands.

Answer 3

Exhibition games are used to judge players and get starters in regular-season shape. Late in these games, there are players banking their pro careers on getting time to show what they can deliver in game situations. There is much more going on here than playing for a win in the closing minutes when roster spots are being determined.

Answer 4

its the preseason man relax

Answer 5

It was just a preseason game; and winning them isn't important. By the fourth quarter the coaches were just thinking about the best way to get it over with.

Answer 6

Its preseason. They were just experimenting

Answer 7

maybe they werent'

Answer 8

It is only an exhibition game and hopefully their thinking will clear up for the regular season. It could be also that the guy needs work and they want to see if he has the stuff to make it.  

Answer 9

They should have put McFadden back in and run it to the left

Answer 10

They realize this game doesnt count and put a thought into the mind of some team for when they do? This is the ONLY time coaches can put plays into a game that may make no sense but can offer a chance to grade the players on the field for play specific assignments. Maybe they wanted to see if a particular guard who is on the bubble could pull of a quick trap knowing the FB would hit the line right now. Maybe they were testing a goalline play? Maybe they were evaluating the RB to see if he could deceive a safety? There are so many things that the casual fan doesnt really understand but are important to the success of a team and without being on one of the headsets there is no way we can possibly know what the motivation was but I can be sure it was some sort of evaluation of somebody out on that field right then. That is why you see so many of the good teams lose preseason games to bad teams, they are more interested in finding out about a certain play or player and not tipping their hand as to plays they might run under a similar situation during a game that counts. And also remember these were mostly 2nd and 3rd string guys, the depth they need to evaluate even more in game situations than the starters. Watch this weeks cut list for the Raiders and you will know which guy missed his assignment or couldnt execute that play....he will be one of the guys let go.

Answer 11

Well it's the raiders.What else do you expect from them.