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.

Chargers' LT loves 'Raider Week'

If you’re looking for LaDainian Tomlinson to have his first breakout game of 2008 for the Chargers, this could very well be the week.

As former coach Marty Schottenheimer used to say: “It’s Raider Week.”

And few – if any – Charger players have performed better over the years against the hated Oakland Raiders than LT.

In fact, three of his top eight career rushing games came vs. Oakland:

Dec. 28, 2003: Career-high 243 yards
Oct. 14, 2007: Both 198 yards and four touchdowns
Sept. 28, 2003: Best game at Oakland with 187 yards

Based on this, we should find out this week if LT is just off to another slow start or hurt worse than some are letting on with his toe injury.

There are a couple of significant notes this week.

First of all, with a win, the Chargers will become the first team ever to beat the Raiders 10 straight times.

And most of all for Oakland, it will likely be the last game for head coach Lane Kiffin; who is expected to be fired the following week when the Raiders have a bye.

Either the Raiders will go all out for Kiffin this week, or they will just lie down because they are tired of interference from owner Al Davis.

Prediction: Chargers 38, Raiders 23
College prediction: San Diego State 31, Idaho 20

Draft makes the Chargers what they are

If you’re wondering why the Chargers have become the dominant team in the AFC West, opposing coaches will tell you it’s at least in part because of the NFL draft.

Here’s what each had to say to espn.com:

“You look how they drafted,” Kansas City coach Herman Edwards said. “They built their team through the draft. They are very talented.”

Denver’s Mike Shanahan: “San Diego, player per player, is probably as good as anybody in the National Football League and is probably one of the top-five teams. Personnel-wise, I would say they're right at the top, No. 1. That's saying a lot.”

Oakland’s Lane Kiffin: “It's no secret that San Diego is the team to catch.”
The Chargers have built themselves through the draft with such selections as:

2004: Philip Rivers (quarterback), Igor Olshansky (defensive end), Nate Kaeding (place-kicker), Nick Hardwick (center) and Shaun Phillips (linebacker).

2005: Linebacker Shawne Merriman, defensive lineman Luis Castillo, receiver Vincent Jackson and return man Darren Sproles.

2006: The Chargers' first two picks were cornerback Antonio Cromartie and left tackle Marcus McNeill.

2007: Receiver Buster Davis and safety Eric Weddle led the pack.

The Chargers now have holes to fill at running back (without Michael Turner), offensive line (without Shane Olivea), secondary (without Drayton Florence) and defensive line (with Jamal Williams and his knees aging.)

But with only five picks in this weekend’s draft, each one will have to be a premium in order to make the team better in 2008.

Projected First Round Pick: Offensive Tackle Gosder Cherilus, Boston College

Chargers: It's Raider Week!

Marty Schottenheimer used to put it all into perspective with three words:

“It’s Raider Week.”

And nobody knew how to beat the Raiders like Schottenheimer, the former San Diego coach who posted a 27-7 career mark against them.

Norv Turner?

Currently the Chargers’ coach, he was on the Oakland Raiders’ side of this long-standing rivalry in 2004-05.

Yes, the Chargers have beaten the Raiders seven straight times. Yes, they have far surpassed their rivals to the north in NFL prominence.

But be careful this week.

The Raiders, under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, actually look like they know how to win. Heck, they even lead the AFC West at 2-2.

The Chargers? With a win this week, they’re 3-3 and no worse than tied for first.

If you think it’s going to be easy, think again. The Chargers were lucky to escape with their lives in last year’s 21-14 win in San Diego over Oakland.

By far, it was the most fortunate of the victories during the Chargers’ 10-game winning streak.

This week, expect the Chargers to run LaDainian Tomlinson often and keep the Raiders honest with short, crisp passes.

Oakland’s offense? Better than last year, but Daunte Culpepper is no spring chicken at quarterback.

Prediction:

Chargers 27, Raiders 17