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NFL

Jerry Rice: Jon Gruden's 'Chucky' is coming for the young Raiders

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Ten years might not seem long in general, but it is an eternity in the NFL.

So many things have changed since Jon Gruden last roamed an NFL sideline in 2008 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We aren’t just talking about the CBA, rule changes or where the Oakland Raiders will be calling home in 2020 (pssst, Las Vegas).

Because while no one who has been around Gruden the past decade will ever argue that he is not insanely prepared to coach a football game, there are questions as to whether his manic, in-your-face style of coaching will jibe with this generation of players.

“I think I was deep down somewhere [wanting to coach again],” Jon Gruden said Tuesday during his introductory news conference in Alameda, California. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo

“He can be your best friend or your worst enemy,” said Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice, who played for Gruden in Oakland in 2001. “That’s going to keep you on your toes. And maybe that was something that the players, they were lacking this year.

“I hope these players are ready because they’re going to get Chucky. They’re going to get him … Chucky’s going to come out.”

Gruden is expected to light a fire under players who might not be properly motivated, so to speak. Rice, the greatest receiver of all time before he crossed the San Francisco Bay to join the Raiders, said Gruden motivated even him by pushing him.

“Either you buy in, or you’re not going to be a part of it,” said Rice, who compared Gruden to Bill Walsh as a motivator and coach.

That’s what Gruden is expected to do with the likes of Derek Carr, Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper.

“Yeah, he’s coming for them, man,” Charles Woodson, who was Gruden’s first draft pick in 1998 and who last played for Oakland in 2015, said of the current Raiders.

“I think the guys will be ready. I think the one thing that will probably take them by surprise is the star-like quality that Gruden has and the relationship that he had with the fan base when he was here. They haven’t seen that. So he’ll be the most popular guy on the sideline. It won’t be Derek Carr. It won’t be Khalil Mack. It’s going to be Jon Gruden.”

Woodson recalled how “demanding” Gruden was as a coach.

“That’s what they’ll have to be ready for,” he added. “They’re young and impressionable, and Gruden will bring the best out of them. And if you don’t respond, you’ve got to go. You’re all-in or nothing.”

Hall of Fame receiver Tim Brown, who was with the Raiders for all four of Gruden’s seasons in Oakland, played his final NFL season with Gruden in Tampa Bay. Brown also had some advice for the current Raiders players.

“Get ready,” he said. “It’s going to be real. I think the one thing we all loved about Jon is he brought passion to the game. It wasn’t just about playing football. It was about playing football with passion.”

Lincoln Kennedy played right tackle for the entirety of Gruden’s Raiders and said he bought in to Gruden immediately, even though he said Gruden had a “Napoleon complex” as coach. Kennedy does wonder about the current group, though.

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“The mentality of today’s player is different,” Kennedy said. “Can he mesh with that?

“He’s excited about the opportunity. I’ve known Jon for many years. I’ve known he wanted to get back. I know he felt there is unfinished business … he’s got a young team. He’s got a young nucleus. He’s got a quarterback. When you have a quarterback, you’ve got a chance. He didn’t really have that in his years in Tampa Bay.”

What about Gruden? Does he wonder if his coaching style will work a decade after he last coached?

“Well, these 50 extra Oakland Raider players that are here today didn’t mind it,” Gruden said of his adversarial style, with a laugh. “I mean, I don’t know what my reputation is. There are some great video clips of me swearing, screaming at players, but I was also the biggest cheerleader in the league. I get excited when we make a play. I get excited when we make a first down. I really get excited when we win. I get really upset when we don’t, and I hope that still has a place in the NFL.

“That is how this organization rolls. It is about winning. If you aren’t winning, we are not going to be happy. I hope that is still a big part of every team in this league because it will be a big part of this organization.”

NFL

New Packers GM wants Eliot Wolf to stay but 'wouldn't hold him back'

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brian Gutekunst wants Eliot Wolf to be his top advisor, but the Green Bay Packers general manager says he will understand if his longtime coworker leaves after getting passed over for the job.

It sounds like Gutekunst will let him go.

Wolf, who holds the position of director of football operations, did not receive a promotion Monday, when the Packers introduced Gutekunst as GM and announced changes to their management structure to include president Mark Murphy as the overseer of Gutekunst, executive vice president/football operations Russ Ball and coach Mike McCarthy.

“I would envision him kind of being a right-hand man to me,” Gutekunst said of Wolf on Monday following his introductory news conference. “We have a great relationship. I’m very fond of the person, and the scout is excellent. I’ve told him that. I really want him to be here. But I also know he has other opportunities, and I wouldn’t hold him back from that because I care about him. But if he was here, I’d like to get him more involved in the college side of stuff and have a broader approach to what he’s been doing.”

Eliot Wolf, who holds the position of director of football operations, did not receive a promotion on Monday. Evan Siegle/The Green Bay Press-Gazette

Because the 35-year-old Wolf is still under contract with the Packers, Gutekunst could block him from taking anything other than a GM job with another team, but it doesn’t sound like he would prevent Wolf from leaving.

New Browns general manager John Dorsey wants to hire Wolf as one of his top advisers. Dorsey, the former Packers’ personnel executive, already hired away Alonzo Highsmith to be his vice president of football operations.

Wolf was one of four candidates Murphy interviewed for the GM job. The others were Ball and former Bills general manager Doug Whaley.

Former Packers GM Ron Wolf did not sound happy that his son was passed over for the job he once held, telling ESPN on Sunday night, “Obviously, the people up there don’t think he’s worthy, or they would’ve hired him.”

Gutekunst, 44, got the edge over Wolf in large part because of his experience. Gutekunst is more versed in the college scouting area, having spent 13 years as an area scout and four years as the Packers’ director of college scouting before he became director of player personnel in 2016.

Most of Wolf’s experience has been in pro scouting, which is why Gutekunst believes they would make a good team.

“We’ve been talking throughout this whole thing,” Gutekunst said. “Like I said, he’s a friend, and we do have a very good relationship. I talked to him multiple times and will continue to and see where it goes.”

Gutekunst is expected to retain director of college scouting Jon-Eric Sullivan and director of pro personnel John Wojciechowski.

NFL

Resetting NFL playoff bracket: Who has edge in divisional round
10:17 PM ET

  • Kevin SeifertNFL Nation

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    • ESPN.com national NFL writer
    • ESPN.com NFC North reporter, 2008-2013
    • Covered Vikings for Minneapolis Star Tribune, 1999-2008

Wild-card weekend is, in many ways, a setup for the best weekend of the NFL calendar.

Now that the field is set for next weekend’s divisional-round — when the league’s top eight teams will scramble to advance to the conference championships — let’s reset the playoffs.

AFC

Saturday, Jan. 13: 8:15 p.m. ET, CBS | Game HQ

Titans lowdown: Tennessee has already advanced further than most thought after upsetting the Chiefs in the wild-card round. The Titans did, however, demonstrate a winning playoff formula: A reliance on the power running of tailback Derrick Henry and the improvisation of quarterback Marcus Mariota. Henry averaged 3.8 yards after first contact against Kansas City, which is precisely the kind of playmaking an underdog team would need to pull off a road playoff victory. Read more on the Titans from Cameron Wolfe.

Patriots lowdown: Some observers were rattled by a round of sub-Hall of Fame play from quarterback Tom Brady, who threw interceptions in five consecutive late-season games. But remember the big picture: In a league with no perfect teams, the Patriots have lost only once since Oct. 1. Brady has had an extra week to nurse shoulder and Achilles injuries, and tight end Rob Gronkowski is as healthy as he has ever been in January. It seems likely that the franchise is headed toward an offseason reset to some degree — coordinators Josh McDaniel and Matt Patricia are receiving heavy interest as potential head coaches. But for now, the relatively weak state of the AFC bracket puts the Patriots in excellent position for a run at their eighth Super Bowl appearance in the Brady-Bill Belichick era. Read more on the Patriots from Mike Reiss.

From the wild-card round through Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, ESPN.com has the playoffs covered.

• Schedule, coverage, more »
• Barnwell’s preview: A guide to all 66 possible matchups »

Bottom line: This is a game the Patriots should and almost certainly will win. An AFC Championship Game rematch looms against the Steelers.

Sunday, Jan. 14: 1:05 p.m. ET, CBS | Game HQ

Jaguars lowdown: After outlasting the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the Jaguars drew an interesting divisional-round matchup. They more than handled the Steelers in Week 5, intercepting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger five times in a 30-9 victory at Heinz Field. It was one of nine games in which the Jaguars’ entirely legitimate defense held an opponent to 10 or fewer points. Quarterback Blake Bortles, however, has regressed since an early- and midseason surge, and his play poses a massive obstacle to advancing further. Read more on the Jaguars from Michael DiRocco.

Steelers lowdown: Promising playoff paths have crashed for the Steelers because of injuries to one or more of their Big 3: Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell. So all eyes will be on Brown, whom the Steelers are hoping can return after missing the final three regular-season games with a calf injury. Like the Patriots, the Steelers were nearly unbeatable during the final three months of the season. They lost once — to the Patriots — after Oct. 8, but their worst day of the season was undoubtedly that Week 5 loss to the Jaguars. Read more on the Steelers from Jeremy Fowler.

Bottom line: It’s not easy to envision Bortles winning a road playoff game, but any team with a defense as sharp as the Jaguars’ unit has the chance to at least keep it close. The Steelers are and should be the favorites.

NFC

Saturday, Jan. 13: 4:35 p.m. ET, NBC | Game HQ

Falcons lowdown: After some early-season struggles, the Falcons now have the look of a low-seed that no team wants to play. They’ve won seven of their past nine games, and Saturday night’s choke-out of the high-scoring Los Angeles Rams demonstrated how Atlanta can win a defensive/ball-possession game. It was amazing to see the Falcons pull out the 26-13 win, even as quarterback Matt Ryan threw shorter (3.8 air yards per pass) than in any game of his career. Their ability to navigate a cross-country trip, and a slippery track at the Los Angeles Coliseum, bodes well for a long playoff run. Read more on the Falcons from Vaughn McClure.

Eagles lowdown: These are teeth-grinding times in Philadelphia, where the season-ending knee injury of quarterback Carson Wentz has stunted anticipation about a Super Bowl run. The Eagles’ offensive scoring output dropped by almost half in the three games backup Nick Foles has started — from 28.3 points to 15.7 points per game — and it’s fair to question whether they can navigate the playoffs without Wentz. And in a trend that has gained attention recently, the Eagles’ defense allowed seven touchdown passes over their final four games, tied for third most in the NFL. Could they have discovered a solution during their first-round bye? Read more on the Eagles from Tim McManus.

Bottom line: It’s pretty wild but really not debatable that a No. 6 seed opened as a 2.5-point favorite in a playoff game at the No. 1 seed. (A top seed has never been an underdog in its first playoff game, per ESPN Stats & Information.) But it’s an appropriate recognition of the Falcons’ winning formula and concern about the Eagles’ post-Wentz drop-off.

Sunday, Jan. 14: 4:40 p.m. ET, Fox | Game HQ

Saints lowdown: After an 0-2 start, the Saints have put together their best team since winning Super Bowl XLIV in 2009. That was also the year they defeated the Vikings in the NFC Championship — the game that prompted the NFL’s Bountygate investigation. We’ll see just how much the Saints have changed since their Week 1 loss to the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium, and whether they can establish a ball-control running attack against Minnesota’s top-rated defense. Read more on the Saints from Mike Triplett.

Vikings lowdown: Minnesota had the NFL’s best defense this season, whether you measure by points allowed per game (15.8), yards (275.9) or third-down percentage (25.2). Fourteen of the Vikings’ 16 opponents managed less than 20 points. Well-rounded and healthy, the unit is poised to control the NFC playoffs. From a team perspective, perhaps the biggest question is whether quarterback Case Keenum can continue his charmed play. He finished the season ranked second in Total QBR (69.7) after five seasons as a backup. Sunday will mark his first playoff appearance. Read more on the Vikings from Courtney Cronin.

Bottom line: All you need to know about the teams’ Week 1 matchup is that Sam Bradford threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the Vikings’ 29-19 victory. Both teams have undergone significant changes since then, and this matchup could be the best game of the 2017 playoffs.

NFL

Falcons, Rams forced to adjust to slick surface

LOS ANGELES — Todd Gurley II, the Los Angeles Rams’ running back, fell on his face while running a sweep to the left side. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan slipped twice, first on a sack and then on a touchdown pass.

Saturday’s wild-card game, which ended in a 26-13 win by the Falcons, was played on a slippery Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum field that claimed several victims, especially in the first half.

“The conditions were slick, for sure,” Ryan said of the natural grass surface.

“It was pretty bad,” Gurley said. “But they’ve got the same field that we’ve got.”

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan slipped twice while playing on the wet grass at the Coliseum. Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

The slippery conditions were seemingly caused by the later kickoff, at 5:15 p.m. PT. When the sun set and the dew settled in, players weren’t necessarily outfitted with the longer cleats to initially battle the slick conditions.

Several skill-position players switched out their cleats at halftime, including Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, who switched them out twice.

“I’ve been on worse,” Freeman said.

“Yeah, it was slick,” Donald added. “But you still have to find a way to keep your balance and get to the quarterback.”

The Coliseum is almost a century old, but slippery conditions hadn’t really been an issue this season, even for USC games played at night. Colder temperatures also played a part. The Coliseum field received a fresh batch of turf after the Nov. 26 game against the New Orleans Saints, making this only the third contest played on the new grass.

“It does have a little effect on the game, just cutting, coming off the line, making your cuts, having full force when you’re making that cut to get upfield,” said Rams return specialist Pharoh Cooper, who fumbled a kickoff and had a hand in a muffed punt. “But we ain’t going to blame it on the field. We lost the game. We just lost.”

Information from ESPN’s Vaughn McClure contributed to this report.

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