Cable Offers Protection Plan

Tom Cable was the offensive line coach for a bad Raiders team not too long ago.

Cable lead a resurgent group of offensive lineman in 2007 behind three different quarterbacks and came out smelling like roses in the media. Robert Gallery turned into a solid guard and a group of no name lineman played well under Cable's tutelage.

In many ways, Cable's work with the offensive line in 2007 was the only reason the fans even recognized his name when he was hired to replace "Lance" Kiffin.

When JaMarcus Russell took over the starting job full-time, the line took a small step backwards. Of course, this was lost in the fiasco that is and was Lane Kiffin.

Al Davis gave Cable a cup of coffee as head coach at the end of 2008 citing he had earned the respect of the players. Al Davis was no doubt skeptical, announcing the hire as if Cable was only coach until Davis could find someone better.

Al Davis didn't have much choice but to stick with Cable in 2009 after the famous overhead projector firing of Kiffin and six straight losing seasons. Even most college coaches were turning Davis down.

Aided by two wins at the end of 2008 against the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cable retained the job. Of course, Al Davis hand-picked many of the coaches, including Randy Hanson and Paul Hackett.

2009 was a disaster season from the start with Randy Hanson grabbing local and national headlines. It was a five-win season again, but with perhaps some light at the end of the tunnel.

In many ways 2010 has been an offseason with the least amount of off the field drama and the most hope since Jon Gruden was coach.

Raider brought in Jason Campbell, Kamerion Wimbley, had a solid draft and hired offensive coordinator Hue Jackson.

Just as quickly as it came it went. Jason Campbell was benched after six quarters and the Raiders sit at 1-2 after a heart-breaking loss to the Cardinals.

Cable Takes a Risk

When benching Jason Campbell, Cable said he didn't consult with Davis and made the decision alone. This was a departure, he benched JaMarcus Russell only after consulting with Davis and Russell had been performing poorly for a year and half, Campbell just six quarters.

Cable did one thing very smart, he got new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson on board. Now Davis can't use the Campbell benching against Cable.

The quarterback switch is Cable playing with fire. He is saved if Gradkowski wins games.

Cable knows he is gone if he can't get this team to .500 or better. He might as well do it his way and keep Davis happy with wins instead of scholarship players.

What is easily deducted from this: The coaching staff truly believes Gradkowski is the quarterback that gives this team the best chance to win.

Best Chance To Win

Campbell's benching is more of a condemnation of the offensive line than Campbell. Campbell's slow delivery and lack of mobility were already well known.

Many have criticized Cable for his verbal protection of the offensive lineman in the media, but even Cable admitted after the draft that Russell Okung and Trent Williams would have been the preferred selection.

The Raiders drafted two offensive lineman in the third and fourth rounds, demonstrating the severe need.

It only took six quarters for Cable to realize his offensive line wasn't capable of blocking and executing the type of offense that could make Jason Campbell a success. Hue Jackson realized it too.

Cooper Carlisle, Langston Walker and Mario Henderson have been abysmal for veteran lineman. The only problem is Cable has no one to turn to for help. Rookie Jared Veldheer still plays too high, Khalif Barnes is just as poor and Bruce Campbell is still very raw.

If Robert Gallery could stay healthy Daniel Loper could remain a starter at right guard, but can Gallery stay healthy? Gallery is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Texans.

The failure of the offensive line is on Cable, fair or not. He knows it, the fans know it, and Al Davis knows it and that is why Gradkowski is the starter.

So next time Cable defends a poor performance from his offensive line, know that he does so tongue-in-cheek.

Oakland Raiders Swing for the Fences in 2016 NFL Draft

[embed align="center"]http://gty.im/153039819[/embed] These aren't your daddy's Oakland Raiders or even your younger self's Raiders. If anything, these are your newborn's Raiders or your puppy's Raiders. These are the Raiders we've never seen before. Indicative of the freshness of the franchise was their 2016 NFL Draft. No longer slave to a high draft pick and desperate needs, the theme of the draft for the Raiders was upside. It's as if general manager Reggie McKenzie got so used to hitting his draft picks out of the park that he started swinging for the fences. We'll have to wait a couple of years before we know if he struck out or if he'll continue his Ruthian ways. First, McKenzie boldly went with a safety at No. 14 overall. Kyle Joseph is coming off a torn ACL and fills a major need, but safety isn't a premium position. Only a handful of safeties have been drafted in the first 14 picks in the last 15 years and include names like Ea

The Raiders aren't who we thought they were....they're better

The Oakland Raiders are tired of being the team that will be good in a year or two. The team expects to win now and it is winning now. We thought the Raiders needed more talent. We thought that being in the playoff hunt was a year away for this team, but we were wrong. This isn't the team we thought they were, they're better. On Sunday, they moved to 3-3 on Sunday with a 37-29 win over the San Diego Chargers that wasn't close until the final minute. It was also the Raiders second road win of the season. The last time the Raiders had two road wins by their sixth game was 2011. Before that, a five-year streak from 1998-2002. The Raiders went 8-8 in 1998, 1999 and 2011 and narrowly missed the playoffs each year. They made the playoffs in 2000, 2001 and 2002. They didn't have a losing record in any of those seasons because teams that can win on the road are usually pretty good. As the season matures, there is more and more evidence that some of the "best-case scenario

2012 NFL Strength of Schedule

Disclaimer Some strength of schedule models calculate strength of schedule based on the opponents the team has faced to date. My model calculates strength of schedule based on all the opponents on a team's schedule. The reason for this is because it reduces weekly fluctuations. For example, when a team plays their Week 17 game, in the traditional model their strength of schedule would change by 31 games...their Week 17 opponent's 16 games plus the additional game played by each of their prior 15 opponents. In my model, when a team plays their Week 17 game their strength of schedule will only change by 15 games...one additional game for each of the opponents on their schedule.

Raidersblog.com

Search This Blog