Raiders expect to see share of jet sweeps from Browns

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Raiders coach Jon Gruden knows how the NFL works.

He knows what is coming.

In two of three games, the Raiders’ defense saw its share of jet sweeps. And in two of three games, it struggled to defend them. The Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 and Miami Dolphins in Week 3 found their way into the end zone courtesy of some presnap motioning, a pitch or handoff shortly thereafter, and poor containment.

And so, he expects, here come the jets again.

If Gruden was scheming to face defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s unit on Sunday, he would attack the group where it’s proven vulnerable. Thus, he and the Raiders expect Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley to run their share of jet sweeps, perhaps with some play-action off the motion in an attempt to catch the Raiders overstepping on the design.

The NFL is said to be a copycat league.

Opponents will run certain plays at a team until it demonstrates it can stop them.

“We got to clean that up immediately,” Gruden said this week. “I know (wide receiver) Jarvis Landry and the Cleveland Browns are looking at our film probably thinking, ‘Let’s try a few of those again this week.’ … If there are $20 bills being spit out of a teller down the street, you and I are going to get in line. We are going to stand in line and pick up 20s. The Rams got us, the Dolphins got us, and I’m sure Cleveland is going to try and get us as well.”

In the third quarter Sunday, Dolphins wide receiver Jakeem Grant ran in motion, caught a short shovel pass from quarterback Ryan Tannehill and sprinted around the right end for an 18-yard touchdown. Rams running back Todd Gurley scored similarly versus Oakland from 19 yards.

In Sunday’s fourth quarter, wide receiver Albert Wilson attempted a similar shovel-catch-and-run, except this time toward the left edge, when sprinting 74 yards untouched for a score.

“There is a saying in the league: ‘People are going to scratch where it itches,’ ” Jackson said in a Wednesday conference call with Raiders reporters. “If you have things that have been a problem, people are going to find out if you fixed them or not. Sometimes people don’t fix them, and sometimes they do. I just think however you make a decision for your team, how you want to handle that and how fast you fix it, that’s how this league has been since the beginning of time. …

“Whatever their issues are, they will get shored up fast because I know the coaches. They don’t want those things to happen. I know that. We’ve got to find out if there are some things they haven’t fixed, just like I’m sure they are going to be trying to find out things we haven’t gotten fixed.”

Notable

For the second straight day, safety Karl Joseph did not practice. A Week 3 hamstring injury is expected to sideline him Sunday.

Defensive end Bruce Irvin (knee) and cornerback Nick Nelson (hamstring) were upgraded from limited to full participation Thursday. Otherwise, the same players who were limited Wednesday remained limited: running back Marshawn Lynch (shoulder), right guard Gabe Jackson (pectoral), center Rodney Hudson (ankle), right tackle Donald Penn (concussion), defensive end Arden Key (groin) and defensive tackle P.J. Hall (ankle).

More Raiders: Follow all of our Raiders coverage online at reviewjournal.com/Raiders and @NFLinVegas on Twitter.

Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.