Chargers' Norv Turner: AFC West coaching genius

Norv Turner has taken more than his share of abuse as (allegedly) a poor head football coach.

But when you look around, Turner is by far the best coach in the AFC West.

That has nothing to do with the fact that he’s won three playoff games in two years with the San Diego Chargers … or that he has by far the division’s best talent with the Chargers.

Just take a look at the other head coaches and you’ll understand why Turner stands out:

Tom Cable of the Oakland Raiders sucker punched an assistant coach early in training camp.

Todd Haley of the Kansas City Chiefs fired offensive coordinator Chan Gailey in the exhibition season (now Haley is the coordinator.)

Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos has lost star QB Jay Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall … not to mention the attention of the rest of his team.

Yes; compared to those guys, Norv Turner looks like a genius!

Al Davis: The root of Raiders' evil

Sometimes, it’s interesting to know what the average fan is saying.

Last weekend, a visitor from Blythe, Calif., told me what the numerous Oakland Raiders’ fans in his hometown are thinking.

“They’re just waiting for Al Davis to die,” he said.

As cruel as that is, Raider fans have come to realize that the game has long-since passed Davis by. He may be able to outline “wrongdoings” by fired coach Lane Kiffin in an attempt not to pay Kiffin, but the evil starts with Davis.

(Can you imagine how long it would take for someone to outline Davis’ wrongs over the past six years; such as Davis did with Kiffin yesterday?)

To start with, Davis has had five coaches over the past six seasons. Kiffin has the second “winningest” percentage among them with his 5-15 record. (Would you believe the “best” Raiders coach during that time was Norv Turner at 9-23?)

Heck, new Raiders interim coach Tom Cable had a worse winning percentage at the University of Idaho than Kiffin did with the Raiders.

Perhaps Terrell Davis put it best on the NFL Network.

“I don’t think anybody in his right mind would want to coach the Raiders,” the former Denver Broncos star said.

Speaking of, Davis still owes current Broncos coach Mike Shanahan money from when Shanahan (like Kiffin) was supposedly fired with cause in the mid -1990s by Davis.

As Davis continues to seek what is ailing the Raiders, the best advice is for him to take a long, long look in the mirror.