Raiders coordinator is a man and mouth in motion

Thursday, May 27, 2010


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Hue Jackson, here directing players with the Falcons in 2007, is an active coach.


New Raiders offensive coordinator Hue Jackson yells a lot to his offense and yells a lot at the defense.

He doesn't, however, talk to reporters yet and probably won't until training camp. So, how to get answers to all the burning questions of the post-JaMarcus Russell era?

Easy.

Gather a bunch of real-life Jackson quotes overheard at Wednesday's offseason practice, then create questions that explain what he was yelling about.

The quotes are real. The questions aren't, but they'll have to do until Jackson's first news conference:

Q: Hey, Coach Jackson, did you see cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha swing and miss on that goal-line interception attempt?

A: "You can't make a break on that? You can't make a break on that? Aw, yeah!"

Q: Your second-team offense just had an incomplete pass. What happened?

A: "Where's 21 when I need him? Huh? Where's 21?"

Q: That would be Asomugha, who was on the sideline. But now Asomugha's watching fullback Luke Lawton catch a short pass under his zone coverage. Thoughts as you charge on the field pointing at Asomugha?

A: "No, you didn't. No, you didn't! Oh, my gawd!" (Chucks plastic sports bottle 20 yards.)

Q: Wow, tight end Zach Miller just made a sprawling, bobbling touchdown catch against safety Tyvon Branch. Reaction?

A: "Get out of here! That's what I'm talking about!"

Q: Did you hear that Raiders defensive coach tell his players to make a stop?

A: "They can't make one! They CAN'T make one!"

Q: Uh-oh, nose tackle Desmond Bryant is in a post-play scuffle with guard Brandon Rodd. Is any coach going to put a stop to this fist swinging?

A: "That's it! That's it!" (Fight breaks up.)

Q: Looks like the defense knows a run play is coming. Should you audible out of it?

A: "We're going to run the freaking ball every time! I WANT them to know we're going to run the ball. Every time!"

Q: Looks like Asomugha is lined up against receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who has three touchdown catches today. Worried about the matchup?

A: "You don't want none of this! You don't want none!"

Three horns signaled the end of practice, ending Jackson's time as an unofficial interviewee. He high-fived and back-slapped his players.

Asomugha wasn't sure of all he just heard, but he liked what he saw of a newly energized offense that works at a fast rate with lots of efficiency on top.

"I think I'm his enemy or his nemesis or something," Asomugha said. "We have fun with it. It's fun for him. He likes doing it. Every day and every snap. Me, I just tune it out."

No one on the offense dared. With head coach Tom Cable quietly observing behind the play, Jackson was the voice most heard before and after each play.

"He's a very inspiring guy, very fiery out on the field," quarterback Jason Campbell said. "He wants every play full speed, nobody letting up. That's how the games are. There's not a lot of guys standing around or goofing off."

Miller said Jackson brings "that intensity every day." Wide receiver Louis Murphy said Jackson "brings a whole other dynamic to the game."

What does Jackson call it? We'll know when he meets with the local media for the first time, possibly in training camp.

Until then, here's Asomugha:

"I would say it's a lot more fun. Obviously, Hue has something to do with that, talking a lot of trash. It's not like a lazy offense."

Training camp: The Raiders are considering joining the Cowboys for joint training camp practices this summer, according to an Oakland player.

Oakland plays at Dallas on Aug. 12, after the Cowboys break camp in San Antonio and before they move camp to Oxnard. If the teams agree to a joint deal, it could end up being in Dallas itself.

A Raiders official declined comment. The past two years, the Raiders hosted the 49ers in Napa for two days of camp.

Special guest: The Raiders hosted Jailen Cooper, 10, of North Carolina as a Make-A-Wish Foundation guest.

Cooper had his own locker and opened the news conference with Cable after practice.

E-mail David White at dwhite@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle


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