Kiffin team says in al davis oakland raiders

Once again, Lane Kiffin took the podium for the weekly press
conference amid rampant speculation that he was a goner. Kiffin
pointedly kept the press conference on the subject of the Oakland
Raiders rather than his job security. In fact, Kiffin refused to
address any conversations he had with Al Davis. For those keeping
track, Kiffin’s white polo shirt did in fact feature the Raider
shield. Kiffin’s mood appeared subdued, and no fights broke out
between the Raiders’ employees and the writers.

In a line that may be a plea for his job, Kiffin stressed the
importance of finishing. He interrelated the Raiders problems with
finishing on third down and the red zone with their problems finishing
the game. It would not be hard to extrapolate out from there that
finishing the season would be important as well in finishing his .

“If we had finished the drives in the red zone, (In Buffalo and
against the Chargers) we would have been talking about 20 point
leads.”

He was complimentary on the development of JaMarcus Russell, but
seemed like he still had some reservations about him.

“JaMarcus led the team down for the game-tying field goal. Had
Zach (Miller) not slipped it would have been a touchdown to take the
lead.”

“Russell needs to me more deciciving making his decision on
those short yardage plays, he he just pumped and put his head down, it
would have been a touchdown. But young quarterbacks have to learn
these things.”

“He doesn’t run as much because the defenses in the NFL
are a lot faster. There are times when the defenses in the SEC look
like NFL defenses, but they are not the same. There is a big
difference when its Shawn Phillips out there. He is in a lot better
shape than he was at LSU, thats not the problem.”

“With the bye week we are going to break down on film his 99
passing attempts and see what he can do better.”

“The team goes the way of its quarterback, and JaMarcus needs to
improve on his third down and red zone play.”

“Sands played his best game since I have been here by far. Him
being in shape has improved our running game dramaticly.”

“We brought Kalimba Edwards in on more downs, and he played well
on running and passing downs. He played in 56 snaps, the most of any
of our defensive linemen.”

“I didn’t want to ruin the momentum, and give them a
turnover that they could turn into points before the half. He had been
kicking well in practice and had hit from 70 in that direction. If you
look at the tape of when he had the 64 yard attempt against the
Titans, he didn’t even hit the ball well, his foot hit the
ground before he kicked it and the ball still hit half way up the
uprights. We have usual kick coverage guys in, so we were’t
worried about a return against us.”

Overall, Kiffin looked more relaxed than he did in the last press
conference, and was wearing a Raider logo. While, he refused to answer
any questions about discussions between himself and Al Davis, he did
say that there were no new developments.

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Junior says:
Kiffin confirmed my statements from yesterday. If the offense goes 3
and out and turns the ball over, the defense will get worn down. Our
offense needs to find another gear in order to put away the game.

I am hopeful that since he hasn’t been let go as of today that
Kif will be around for awhile. We need the continuity in order to keep
improving.

Big John says:
I agree with Junior that we are close. Just need to finish those
drives with a TD instead of 3 measly points.

It’s been the same sort of start the first 4 games, BIG return
by Higgins then we settle for 3. Like Kiffin said, if we convert those
TD’s, we woulda been up by 20. And it woulda been
insurmountable.

Kiffin should stay because the squad plays hard for him. We’ll
hopefully fix our problems in time for the Saints. We have two weeks
to prepare for them…Why not get the win?

The Fifth Horseman says:
Hey Patrick, you still sticking to that 10-6 prediction? lmao, when
are you going to finally wake up and realize that the Raiders are a
garbage organization that will always lose? Your team will be NOTHING
until Al Davis is no longer the owner. I think that deep down, you and
every Raider fan knows that, but it pains you to say it. Your owner is
a loser, your team are losers, and your fan base are pathetic
delusional losers. See you in two weeks after New Orleans hands you
your 65th loss in your last 85 games.

Ralph Castro says:
davis in meeting with napp, cable, and hackett individually today you
think this could be a sign

eks says:
if the team is playing hard for kiffin, I can’t possibly see how
a coaching change will be good, especially for the young guy’s.
And kiffins right, they should be 3-1 not 4-0 because he was talking
about the games they actually played well in. Thats what he meant
Elkins. There playing hard and really that’s all what anyone
could ask for given the stage there in. To become a winner, you have
to be able to go through these situations with the same coaches.
Growing pains. Any Raiders fan who criticizes kiffin every time they
play hard but don’t win, then you are’nt really a loyal
fan. Why does everybody wants to fire everybody? Kiffin has about a 80
percent national approval rating. Last time I checked, that’s
good. All you impatient Raider Fans of Al davis’ circle, chill
out. We had enough of your mafia ways. Keep the peace men.

SpokaneOakfan says:
5th Horseman- how’d that KC team that we destroyed treat ya? I
guess the new Cutler went away.

Elk- Is Kiff supposed to say the Raiders were a play or two away from
beating the Broncos? Really?

No way! There are plenty of others in the organization that need to go
before he does!

Al davis raiders’s raiders team kiffin

Click photo to enlarge
Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell throws a touchdown pass
to Raiders tight end Zach Miller in the second quarter to increase the
Raiders lead to 11-0 over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, September
28, 2008, at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. (Eddie
Ledesma/Contra Costa Times)

OAKLAND _ Another come-from-ahead stake through the heart, another
chance for Raiders coach Lane Kiffin to open up a vein and tell
everyone how proud he is of the team, which could cease to be his
whenever Al Davis decides it’s time close the deal.
At this point, it’s hard to tell which man is having more trouble with
the endgame. Kiffin’s team can’t do it in the fourth quarter. Davis
can’t reach a decision on Kiffin.

A 28-18 loss to the San Diego Chargers Sunday at the Coliseum was
similar to a 24-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills the previous week in that
the Raiders had a two-score lead in the fourth quarter and couldn’t
hold it.

Ever-positive linebacker Kirk Morrison didn’t mean it the way it came
out, but he explained things
Game 4: Raiders vs. Chargers

perfectly when he said, “Playing against us in the past, I think a
lot of times they would just steal one at the end of the game. We
stayed true to what we’ve been doing this year.”

And the year before that, and the year before that, and the year
before that. . . .

Make all this out to be the fault of the media if you wish, but the
Kiffin-Davis machine is being fed primarily by Kiffin and Davis.

Kiffin answered questions at the podium for 15 minutes following the
game, then in the locker room, actually looked at the group of
reporters and asked, “You got enough?,” and then started in all over
again, covering the same tortured territory.

different than what I’ve been doing, keeping this team together the
best I can, keep the staff together, figure out a way to win these
games in the fourth quarter . . . until I’m told something different
by Al, we’re going to keep trying to fined a way to win.”

Davis keeps the story alive by failing to give Kiffin the same sort of
backing he gave Rob Ryan back in February, when reports of the
defensive coordinator’s imminent demise were met with a statement
charging the press with being irresponsible.

It was overbearing and a little disingenuous because it turned out
Ryan indeed offered to resign, but at least it provided direction and
finality.

Meanwhile, the Raiders seem be playing better but their record stays
the same. They believe they’re good enough to be 3-1, but the
standings say 1-3 and the last five and a quarter years make it
difficult to see anything other than a sixth straight season of losses
in double figures.

Strong safety Gibril Wilson, who forced a LaDainian Tomlinson fumble
in the end zone which Philip Rivers jumped on for a safety, flashes
back a year to a Super Bowl championship with the New York Giants and
sees the possibility of change.

“You know what? We’ve got to learn how to finish,” Wilson said.
“That’s the most important thing with this team. We do great for
three quarters and find a way not to win.”

That’s what the Raiders are up against. They’re trying to change a
conditioned response built through week after week of walking into the
locker room feeling the same as the week before.

Players who are team leaders, entrusted with passing on what they know
for future success, have little to draw on in terms of experience.

Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha is as professional as you’ll find in the
business, and Kiffin identified Justin Fargas as a team leader.

When Asomugha and Fargas want to bring together the young players and
regale them with nostalgic yarns of the good old days, they harken
back to the 2003 and 2004 seasons, when the Raiders opened the season
2-1.

Guard Robert Gallery and center Jake Grove, who arrived fresh-faced
and ready to join up with a team one year removed from an AFC
championship, are 16-52. Same with defensive tackle Tommy Kelly.

Morrison and Stanford Routt, who arrived in 2005, are 11-41. Safety
Michael Huff and linebacker Thomas Howard, defensive starters since
the day they were drafted in 2005, are 6-27.

When the Raiders lost to the Bills last week, Huff related the thing
he was most depressed about was failing to get to 2-1, a record that
would have been a letdown in college at Texas but would be a reason
for elation in Oakland.

Gallery insists things are different this year. Even after being
outscored 25-3 in the fourth quarter a week after blowing a 23-14
lead, Gallery insists he doesn’t believe defeat is inevitable.

“There have been years I’ve been here that may have happened, but I
don’t feel that way with this team and this staff,” Gallery said. “I
think guys are in it and we’ve got to work through it. We’ll be a good
team when we can win these games.”

The bar is set so low there is actually a Web site dedicated to saving
a coach who has won 25 percent of his games, which may be a first in
the history of professional or college sports.

It’s doubtful Davis reads keepkiffin.com, and only he knows if and
when he will close the deal.

Whether he says Kiffin goes or says Kiffin stays, it would be nice
after the past two weeks to see a member of the Raiders with the
ability to finish.