Art Shell "Foresaw Offensive Drought, Did Little to Prepare"

Art Shell has mastered the game of quotable charades.One of the 59-year-old's first comments after being rehired by owner Al Davis was "we're about winning and we will win."Shell was referring to the , and he made the remark with a straight face -- like he actually believed himself."We will be 43 Polamalu white jersey
tough; we will be power," he added. "I want the ability, as always, to strike from anywhere on the football field."Each week, Shell is faced with the daunting task of facing a pack of media personalities for post-game questioning. Thirteen times this season, he has been on the losing side of the conversation.It was well before the regular season started, though, when Shell's hopeless, shortsighted quotes revealed a sign of things to come."It takes time for our offense to catch up to the defense," he said on July 28.That was over 150 days ago -- 152, to be exact -- and the offense is still attempting to catch up."We have our spurts," Shell said. "The offense will have their spurts when they do something good for a while all of a sudden, [then] the defense catches up...but, we'll be fine."Not much has been "fine" on the offensive side of the ball this year in Oakland. By now, every fan, analyst and casual NFL passerby is aware of just how ineffectively the Raiders' offense operates.By the numbers, here's how the two units compare: Oakland's total defense ranks fourth overall in the NFL, ahead of the Bears and Chargers, both of which are 13-2, and the 11-4 Patriots. Offensively, though, the team ranks last in the NFL in total yardage, generating over 13 yards fewer than the 4-11 Cleveland Browns each game.In the passing game, Rob Ryan's defense ranks at the top of the NFL, holding its opponents to an average of just over 150 yards per game. The passing offense, on the other hand, throws for just 153.3 yards per game; only the Atlanta Falcons, whose quarterback has rushed for 1,022 yards, are worse off. Finally, although the defense has struggled in the rushing game, allowing opponents to run for an average of 43 Polamalu black jersey
135.1 yards per game, the offense only fires back with a 28th-ranked 95.4 yards each week."As long as both sides are competing and guys are getting after it, those things will work themselves out," Shell said on that same day in late April."We'll be OK."The offense may not have pulled alongside the defense quite yet, but Art Shell's offseason shams have already caught up to him.Visit RaidersLive.com now to join the Jan. 12 Raiders mailbag. (22)