Oakland Raiders interim coach Tony Sparano. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders can’t run, ranked 32nd in the NFL.
The Raiders can’t pass, with rookie quarterback Derek Carr piling up completions but not yards and leading his team to the red zone only 16 times in 10 games.
That makes offensive coordinator Greg Olson public enemy No. 1 in the talk radio and Twitter world as the Raiders take on AFC West co-leader Denver (7-3) Thursday night at O.co Coliseum in hopes of their first victory of the season.
Olson knows the drill, and he’s doing his best to filter out the kind of anger that spews on social media and the radio waves.
“I’m certain that it goes on,” Olson said. “I have never paid attention to that. You never want it to affect your performance during the week. I understand the responsibility of the job as an offensive coordinator in the NFL.
“I understand the frustration, and I don’t think there is anybody that this has affected more than myself. I understand I’ve got to do a better job and the job has not been up to par at this point. There is a responsibility to the fans and players and the team and to myself to do better. Right now, that hasn’t happened. But we’ll continue to work hard to get better.”
When Tom Cable was the Raiders line coach and interim head coach in 2008 and the offense struggled, he stripped Greg Knapp of play-calling duties and took them on himself.
Interim head coach Tony Sparano has rejected the notion of changing play-callers and insists Olson is doing a good job.
Olson appreciates the support, but is harsh in his self-evaluation given the Raiders’ 0-10 record.
As for the attacks on his own performance, which could affect his family, Olson shrugs them off. His wife is a track coach at a Bay Area university and his children will simply have to live and learn.
“It’s not easy on anybody,” Olson said. “But the coordinator, the quarterback, the coach, the general manager, those are the names that are in the paper the most, good or bad. My wife is a coach as well, so she understands that part of it.
“The kids are at an age where there are always life lessons you can teach them. This is not my first year as a coordinator. It’s certainly not my best, obviously, but there will be better days ahead.”
Olson is in lockstep with Sparano in the belief that it would serve no purpose to sit struggling Carr in favor of veteran Matt Schaub, who was originally brought in to be a starter but whose only pass this season was an interception off a trick play as the place-kick holder.
“To the naked eye, I think you may not see the developments in him, but I see it every week, and again, he’s a rookie,” Olson said. “He’s going to play a lot better football in the future. He’s going to be surrounded by better players, which will help make him better.
“There is always growing pains dependent upon the situation that a player gets thrown into.”
Running back Latavius Murray provided a spark to the NFL’s most anemic rushing attack with 43 yards on four carries against San Diego and should get more playing time, but it doesn’t sound as if Sparano has any intention of making Murray a feature back at this point.
“He made one run that I thought was really good, saw it well, ran into a pressure and it was a great one,” Sparano said. “He made another run that was blocked very, very well. I think any of the guys that were running it would have made a bunch of yards there.
“His number was called, he’ll make some plays, he’ll continue to do that.”
Notes: Guard Gabe Jackson was limited in practice Tuesday, relegated to the scout team, making it unlikely he’ll be ready to face the Chiefs Thursday. . . Cornerback Carlos Rogers (knee) did not practice and will likely miss his fourth consecutive game. . . Cornerback T.J. Carrie missed practice for the second straight day and it remains to be seen if he’ll be ready to play by Thursday against Kansas City. . . . Carr was limited in practice with a quadriceps injury but is expected to start Thursday night.
