With yet another double digit loss season in the books, it is time for the seemingly annual game of pick the coach by the Oakland Raiders. However,the best thing the Raiders could do for the 2010 season and perhaps beyond is to stay the course and retain Tom Cable as head coach.
Cable after the win in Denver. (AP Photo)
For the past seven years neary everything about the Raiders has been a revolving door: coaches and players. Only Nnamdi Asomugha, Justin Fargas, Sam Williams, Sebastian Janikowski and Shane Lechler have endured the entire slump, and only the kickers Lechler and Sebastian and late season reacquisition Langston Walker know what it is like to have a winning record as a member of the Raiders.
That said, a team that has been trapped in what seems to be a never ending sea of losing also seems to be in a state of perpetual transition. This creates a situation where it is next to impossible for a coach to step in and have an instant success. There is a situation where the losses had mounted to the point where nearly the entire team had been infected.
Cable started his tenure as a head coach behind the eight-ball, having taken over after the firing of Lane Kiffin following a lengthy and fractious prelude dating back to the previous season. The team had become more of a Shakespearean tragi-comedy than a football team.
In his only full year, Cable was unable to better the Raiders record and surpass the five win plateau, but he had made obvious gains with the team. A ship that has been stuck and rotting in place as long as the Raiders have been takes a while to be repaired and returned to the sea.
Just compete, baby
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Al Davis seems to consider Super Bowl wins his birthright, and will not tolerate coaches who don't win. Mike Shanahan was released by the Raiders four games into his second year with an 8-12 record. Shanhan would later prove himself a successful coach for the rival Broncos with 138 wins and two Lombardi trophies. He had not had success fast enough for the impatient Davis, thus his ouster after only 20 games.
Prior to Shanahan's arrival with the Raiders in 1988, the Raiders were coming off their first double digit loss of the Al Davis era and were but two years removed from a 12-4 record. In replacing the iconic Tom Flores, Shanahan was under a long dark shadow.
Fast forward two decades to Cable's ascension four games into the 2008 season. The Raiders were five years removed from their last winning season, with each seasons worse than the 87 record of 5-10. (That was the strike shortened year) The man Cable replaced, left no shadow, only a legacy of continued mockery for the Raiders.
| Year | Coach | Record | Last 4 |
| 2003 | Callahan | 4-12 | 1-3 |
| 2004 | Turner | 5-11 | 1-3 |
| 2005 | Turner | 4-12 | 0-4 |
| 2006 | Shell | 2-14 | 0-4 |
| 2007 | Kiffin | 4-12 | 0-4 |
| 2008 | Cable | 5-11 | 2-2 |
| 2009 | Cable | 5-11 | 1-3 |
What Cable has done successfully, is to bring a competitiveness back to the Raiders that has not been seen since 2002. The external signs of this can be seen through the lens of the team's record in the last four games of the season. Cable's teams have not shown the signs of quit that have been present in the Raiders at the end of the season during this slide. Most impressive is that Cables 3 wins in those closing games of the season have come against teams with playoff aspirations.
The name Tom Cable does not care the gravitas of a Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, or even Shanahan. However, Cable has brought a sense of purpose to a franchise that has long been rudderless.
Quarterback JaMarcus Russell has taken heat from Cable publicly, but when asked if Cable should remain the coach, Russell repeated "He should." Wide receiver Chaz Schilens was in agreement, "As far as I’m concerned he’s a good coach and deserves to be back here." Defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha also stressed the need for continuity.
With Cable retaining the support of his players and keeping the team from having their patented late season meltdowns, he has earned a second offseason and complete season to get the ship turned around. If the team still remains stuck, it would be time to reassess.
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Comments
KEEP CABLE - If you don't, we will sink that much further, if that's possible. What could they possibly discuss on Monday? If his firing hinges on Russell, who the hell is going to want to take the job? I would not call Grad or Frye great at this point but you saw what was possible even with average QB play. Davis can redeem himself by keeping Cable and severing all ties with Russell. The team is in fact very close and to start all over would be a major mistake.
I agree Patrick with this article. Tom Cable should stay with this team and organization. As a Raiders fan since 1979, I sense Tom does not B.S. about what his goals are for this team. I feel he is a coach who respects "The Godfather" to take heed of his sound advice. We as Raider fans saw a team in positive transition. We saw this team not quit on Tom Cable and this organization. We saw the Raiders play with pride against playoff-bound teams. More importantly, the fans saw their '09 draft picks grow under Coach Tom Cable. I know he was a rookie coach and there is going to be growing pains, but, his coaching shined through with sitting JaMarcus when he did. I support JaMarcus and I support sitting him for now until he is ready. Tom handled this situation as delicate as you could. Accolades should also go to Paul Hackett and Ted Tolliner for there work with Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye. Lastly, I only hope this proud organization stays the course with Tom Cable and continue draftin
We have a good staff. Priority one should be OL and the LB position in the off-season. Your looking at two OL at a minimum and two LB's. We have two nickel LB's and a converted TE from Buffalo. I like Scott very much, but that was alot to ask him to do in the middle of a season. Keep him at DE and at LB in certain packages. The kid can make plays but we need a true strong side backer and an upgrade in the middle would be nice. The only thing set on the OL is the LT spot and hopefully Gallery can come back healthy and stay on the field.
Absolutely agree. Cable needs the opportunity to coach an entire season without the dead weight of having to play Russell around his neck. If Gradkowski had started the season, I think the Raiders could have at least been .500. Russell was THAT bad. I do think Cable should let someone else call the plays though. His use of McFadden is unimaginative and I think a good offensive coordinator could get better production out of him. Bring back Cable, bolster the OL and DL through the draft and FA, and let the QBs compete for the starting job. If all that happens, the Raiders could be a decent team.
The last thing the Raiders need is a new HC, the primary reason the Raiders are picking eigth in the draft this year is due to a lack of talent across the entire "O" line. Now that Gallery had a back fusion means he might not be back . If you can't run the ball consistently against the better teams or protect your QBs from injury, which the Raiders can not do, then it should be obvious the primary focus should be the "O" line and not the coach.
i couldn't agree more.
Unfortunately i bet Davis, being the old senile guy he is,will fire Cable and hire a new coach in hope that he'll develope Russell.Whoever this new coach is he'll fail miserably and us Raider fans are in for a 2-14 record.
I never said i want this but i predict this will happen.
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