Well the Oakland Raiders’ hierarchy have seen fit to make the obvious paramount by announcing the firing of incumbent coach Laine Kiffin today. Bearly two years in Kiffin has underperformed as a coach. Seemingly thrown into a shark’s tank from the outset. It’s hard to see how anyone could’ve survived in that atmosphere and environment of complete ineptitude. And with the undying patience of the fans it was only a matter of time before they too would have to become completely disenchanted with the franchise.
Raiders coach Laine Kiffin seen here during a press conference in Alameida , California at the Raiders’ headquarters. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Tom Stanton …….
From all tiers within the franchise this has been exceedingly bad organization. It is being badly ran and in Al Davis the owner you had someone for whom the years have passed him by. And whose only interest might’ve been his own self preservation and importance , albeit at the expense and ridicule that he’d undergone over the last decade. With the AFC West as a division the team is clearly seen as a bottom feeder of the division if not the whole conference. Though it can be said that the woefully inept Kansas City Chiefs could give the Raiders a run for their money at present.
Kiffin looks down during the fourth quarter of his team’s game against the San Diego Chargers where they went on to lose the game 28-18 to their divisional foes on Sunday in Oakland California. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Tom McClendon ……..
With a 5-15 record to his credit and very little overall coaching experience it’s hard to see where Kiffin himself can go from here. The quagmire that is the Raiders if anything most certainly must be a better place to be away from than being within its openly hostile and somewhat frenetic environment. There was very little leadership any within the franchise coming from the coaching staff let alone from on the field. And in players such Jamarcus Russell , Darren McFadden and Michael Bush you had players who are still learning the environment and rigors of the NFL game.
Chargers’ tight end Antonio Gates makes a play after a catch against the Oakland Raiders’ Kalimba Edwards in an AFC West divisional game played last Sunday in Oakland. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Jed Jacobsohn …………….
And with the season now a quarter of the way through its haul and the Raiders sitting at 1-3 within the division with only the Kansas City Chiefs looking up at them . It’s hard to see how this team with any certainty can extricate itself from the problems that it created from the beginning. In hiring a young and inexperienced coach like Kiffin it was thought that they might be able to catch lightning in a bottle . As they’d done with one of Kiffin’s predecessors in the guise of Jon Gruden. But alas that wasn’t to be as they’ve slipped steadily down into the depths and the bowels of mediocrity.
Raiders’ running back Darren McFadden looks up at the crowd from the sidelines during the team’s game against the San Diego Chargers this last Sunday. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Jed Jacobsohn ………………….
With a bye week now in hand the Oakland Raiders’ next game will be against an invigorated and highly talented New Orleans Saints team that’ll be after blood. And for Oakland (1-3) they can ill afford to lose this game and then watch the season elusively get away from them. Albeit that in many people’s eyes it can be said that this has already happened. They’ve rarely if anything showed any real signs of life and their lone win thus far this season came at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Chiefs. A team for which it can be said shows about as much competitive appetite for the game of football a bulemic model would for a plate of food.
Clinton Hart of the Chargers breaks up a pass to Johnnie Lee Higgins of the Oakland Raiders in McAfee Coliseum in Oakland California. The San Diego Chargers (2-2) would go on to win the game 28-18 and now sit second in the division behind the Denver Broncos(3-1). picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Jed Jacobsohn …………….
Much can be made from the fact that the relationship between the former coach and owner was described as frosty at best. And rarely can it be said that they saw eye to eye on a number of topics from the team roster as to coaching nuances of Kiffin himself. Much of that may well have been predicated on the overall lack of creativity shown on both sides of the ball. The offense had begun to show signs of life but rarely was it ever truly consistent in its potency. The same could be said for the defense and all of its travails. Nowhere was this more self evidenced than the display given by the team last Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. At one point during the third quarter Kiffin had his kicker Sebastian Janikowski attempt a 73 yard field goal attempt. Inexplicably at the time there was enough time for the team to move the ball further upfield. But yet Kiffin saw fit to take this course of action. Needless to say Janikowski failed in his attempt.
Chargers’ running back Darren Sproles runs in for the 2pt conversion against the Raiders whilst defensively linebacker Ricky Brown (57) and a seated Tyvon Branch of the Raiders look on. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Jed Jacobsohn ……..
This may well have been what drew the ire of Al Davis and was quite well the straw that broke the camel’s back , that led to the decision to fire Laine Kiffin. If nothing else it either had to happen now at sometime in the immediate future. What was clearly becoming apparent was that neither the team , the coach or the owner was happy with the situation as it stood. And as we all know you can’t fire the entire team , so it’s either down to the owner and GM . In this case Al Davis to do what’s necessary to make things right. Kiffin had to be the one to go . But in reality some might feel that the franchise would be better off if Davis also followed him out the door. Leaving the day to day operation of the franchise in the hands of someone better suited to run the team. Davis has had his day in the sun that is now setting and it’s now time for somone more adroit to take over the running of the franchise at this juncture. If nothing else this has got to be done for the morale of the team and its well being before things become even more malignant within the organization.
tophatal ………………..
