You'd expect it from a glory hound. You'd expect it from a guy who's been wronged by the NFL (allegedly). You'd expect it from an old man, five years removed from a monumental beat down in football's showcase.
Yup, Al Davis is at it again.
Rumor has it Davis composed a letter of resignation for Lane Kiffin and sent it off to said coach as well as his attorney. Rumor also has it Lane Kiffin isn't picking up a pen unless it's for endorsing a check from the Oakland Raiders.
Adding to the laughing stock known as the Raiders, Al Davis is doing his best to not go unnoticed during Super Bowl week. If he and his team cannot be there, he might as well try to steal some of the headlines. Looks like he pulled a page out of A-Rod's book.
Aside from the obvious reasons I don't want this soon-to-be second year coach gone, I can't help but shake my head. After 30+ years of rooting for this franchise, I think I've seen it all. Not to mention, what would I call my blog if Lane is gone?
Despite the enormous odds of making the playoffs, the Raiders were playing for pride Sunday night. And guess what? There's no pride left.
After what appeared to be their finest performance for a half (no penalties, good play selection, good defense) the Raiders continued to frustrate their fans.
The Chargers dominated the 2nd half of the game with ball control, defense, and turnovers, thus laying the groundwork for the exodus for the likes of Norv Turner and Kerry Collins. Turner's predictable play-calling and Collins' tosses off his back foot lead to the demise for a team that many thought would be an offensive powerhouse after the acquisitions of Randy Moss and Lamont Jordan during the off-season.
The defense has improved, especially considering the injuries occurred during the '05 campaign. It's the offense that struggles. Scoring 10 points against the Chargers is unacceptable. It's either coaching or personnel, or both. I think it's BOTH.
Turner has the back he needs to run the ball 24-30 times a game, yet decides not to use him until they're down three scores. Collins streakiness ain't worth the upside of ASU graduate Andrew Walter.
Al Davis won't let this team be down long. Changes need to be made. It should start with Norv and Kerry.
Arguably the biggest transaction of the NFL off-season was Randy Moss' trade from the Vikings to the Raiders. The pundits said Al Davis pulled off highway robbery. The Raiders' acquisition of Moss and former NY Jets running back Lamont Jordan made them an early favorite to be the NFL's offensive juggernaut.
Eleven games into the 2005 campaign and the term "a lot of bark, but no bite" comes to mind. The numbers show it and, more importantly, the wins and losses scream the truth: FAILURE. A Raiders' squad that averaged 20 points a game in 2004 is managing just 21.7 points per game in 2005 with their new weapons. Sure, Moss' injury was a minor factor, but more than the injury, the under-utilization of one of the leagues premier playmakers is the cause of the stagnate and flat offense. Moss has yet to catch more than six balls in any game. More importantly, he's caught less than five balls in six of the 10 games he's played in (excluding the 10/16 Charger game). The $8 million decoy has not been a problem off the field, but rather a problem on the field. Who wants the "old" Randy Moss back? The one who was confrontational when things weren't going his way? I DO. I want him to demand the ball from Kerry Collins. I want him to get in Collins' face when the pigskin isn't pitched in his direction. Bad thing is, even if this were the case, you wouldn't ever hear it from the receiver's mouth, as he's not spoken to the local media since the first week of the season. I'm starting to not like this watered-down version of Moss.
It's too late to resurrect the hopes of an upcoming season, but it's not too late to demand that the football be thrown to the Raiders' marquee player.........AND OFTEN!!!!!
